“Fried Quinoa” with Soy Marinated Pan-Seared Tofu

As mentioned in my previous post, these past few months have been full of culinary discoveries and experiments for me. Not only have I tried new recipes in Mexico and while traveling across the US, but I also experimented a lot from the comfort of my own kitchen. Most notably, I owe my biggest discovery of them all to one of my roommates, who recently became a vegetarian. Indeed, this eye-opening experience came straight from my stove, to the greatest pleasure of my taste buds. If you haven’t guessed by now, I am talking about tofu! I know… that ecstatic comment probably didn’t make you think about that ingredient. Let me guess, when I say tofu you picture a white block of watery, flavorless, rubbery “stuff”, correct? 

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Pan-Fried Giant Butter Beans, Mushrooms and Spinach

Hello everyone and happy belated Valentine’s day! These past few weeks have been a little crazy for me (more details to come in future posts), but I should be back to a regular posting schedule this week. Yay!

The “Food” section on the New York Times has to be one of my favorite free-time reads. I read it all: the recipes, the restaurant reviews, the random opinion pieces… you name it, I probably read it! Not only is it well-written, but it can also be surprisingly interesting. I mean, I’ve learned about so many random things ranging from traditions and ingredients, all the way to chefs and hottest trends. Most recently, I stumbled upon a fun little article about Marcella Hazan’s favorite beans. I told you… random. But I still read it!

Soba Noodles Beef Stir-Fry, Shiitake Mushrooms, Baby Bok Choy

This week I attended a Q&A with Justin Rosenberg, the CEO of Honeygrow. Honeygrow is a Philadelphia-based fast-casual restaurant chain that offers stir-fries and salads. Justin came up with his concept while he was vegan, and most of his diet consisted of stir-fries. He realized that he could build a business around that dish and that people would surely line up for delicious take-out food they’d feel good eating. In other words, Honeygrow resembles an Asian spin on Chipotle‘s “healthier” and local take on Mexican food. Their motto is that they’re “Honestly Grown Locally,” which reflects a search for the best ingredients possible. Yet, the stores aren’t organized in the same way, and the customizing rather happens on handy tablets that face the open kitchen.

Passion Project: Spaghetti Carbonara with Pancetta

I don’t care much for bacon… Never have, and probably never will. I didn’t grow up with it, and though I enjoy the occasional strips that come with my scrambled eggs at hotel breakfasts, I have never bought a single pack. It’s not like I have anything against it, but it simply never crosses my mind. What I do love, however, is “pancetta”. Think diced Italian bacon, a.k.a the perfect addition to any pasta sauce. The most famous of them all being “Carbonara”.

Passion Project: Spaghetti Squash with Pork Sausage

Hope you all enjoyed learning about chicken through my passion project week! Now that we’re done with the bird, we’re switching to the hog. Pork is an incredible animal! It’s rich, full of flavors, and starting to steal the show on restaurant menus again. Since it’s less practical for me to buy a full pig, I won’t be posting through the week like for chicken. I will, however, select a few cuts to explore and post these.