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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Passion Project: Classic Beef Bourguignon

There’s no getting around it… If you want to eat homemade beef bourguignon, it will take you an awful lot of time. No matter how you slice it, you will have to let the dish come together in a pot for a few hours. So this dish is definitely not a spur-of-the-moment kind of recipe. But fear not, it actually doesn’t require much time in the kitchen.

Bento Inspired Lunch

Note that I shall be back on a regular posting schedule now that I’m at school. Look for recipes on Fridays!

School is back in full speed and I’m already overwhelmed. It’s course selection period, which is when I have the most doubts about the future course of my semester. I always change my mind a few times before I settle for a final schedule that I’m perfectly happy with. During that “shopping period,” I have very little time to eat because I go to as many classes as possible, including over lunchtime. That got me thinking about strategies to keep eating healthy, homemade food even away from my kitchen. Since sandwiches can only be good for so long, I turned towards “bentos” (or Japanese lunch boxes).

Lime-Cilantro Chicken over Cauliflower Couscous

Philly is well known for its delicious foodtrucks. The city’s filled with them, and they provide wonderful alternatives to more expensive sit-down places. They’re also a great way not to get bored with your daily meals, as there are so many to choose from, all specializing in different types of food. On my campus specifically, there isn’t a single truck without a long line between 11:30-3. It always amazes me. Though the options are very varied, one of the most classic foodtruck “specialty”, or staple recipe, here is “grilled chicken over rice”.