Salmon Poke Bowl, Avocado and Scallions

 

This past semester, I read Haruki Murakami’s book “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running” while training for the Philadelphia half marathon. The book opens up in Hawaii, as the author reflects on his island summer runs. He describes his feelings, the weather, the landscapes, the routes… painting colorful pictures in his reader’s mind. I found Murakami’s writing to be incredibly motivating and inspiring. Surely, any reader will feel an urge to drop the book, go for a long long run, and never give up. While that thought certainly crossed my mind, his book also made me want to finally try my hands at Poke (though that could also be the influence of Anthony Bourdain’s “Parts Unknown”, which includes a great episode in Hawaii)!

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Meyer Lemon Lentil Salad with English Peas, Prosciutto, Soft Boiled Egg

A couple weeks ago, I met up with my brother in San Francisco for the weekend. I had been meaning to visit SF for a very long time and the city fell nothing short of my expectations. Not surprisingly, I instantly fell in love with the place, its architecture, diversity, dynamism, and of course its food. In short, everything about SF was incredible (except the steep prices)!

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!

Meyer Lemon-Brown Butter Scallops, Baby Lima Beans Puree

This past weekend, I travelled to London to visit some of my friends. For dinner, we went to a delicious Peruvian restaurant called Ceviche, near Old Street. Ceviche is one of these places that really have it all. Great food, delectable drinks, careful service, and a hip atmosphere.

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.