H E R B
B U T T E R
+ R I B E Y E 

Best line ever? "Baby, I'm gonna buttah yo bread!!" Well, in this case, yo steaaaak! ;) ;) ;)  Ha! Seriously though.. can butter be anymore sexual?  The way it melts on a hot freshly baked roll, the creaminess.. the word BUTT in it. Mmm.. buttttt. Okay, I'm done being a little creep.

I haven't made any new exciting recipes/ foods lately. With this freaking cold weather I've been sticking to all my regulars: soups & ramen etc. 

I did though cook up a most rich & savory ribeye on the cast iron grill last night! 

The worthiness of this is due to that beautiful little ball of herby buttah goodness on top there. ERRRRBODUH LUHHZ HERB BUTTAH! You know you wanna keep saying that! 

Not only does it look sexy & naughty as fuck but it adds another flavor profile to your steak.  The herbs aren't seared so it tastes fresher. 

The directions are so maniacally easy I promise: add a scoop of herbs (I used my fav herbs de provence) and a scoop of butter (Kerrygold!!) & mix!  DAS IT!

There are of course so many different ways/ recipes to make this.  Add some cheese, garlic, fresh or dried herbs, seasoning, s&p- just play around!  Some recipes even call for melting the butter & mixing then transferring it back to the fridge to solidify back up.  

I was lazy & like instant gratification.. Mix & done :)

Alas, here are a few pictures I took last night for fun while cooking dinner..  

baby broccoli & black angus ribeye steaks!

truffle salt to go with my mershed perterterzz

mmm.. 3-min-on-each-side-ribeye-steak, i love you <3

I will try to post a real deal shaquille o'neal recipe soon.  Til then, keep warm everyone! If there are any suggestions for what I should cook up next please let me know :D 

S P I C Y + C H E E S Y
C O R N  D I P 

Happy Thanksgiving!  

In my case, also a huge happy (belated) FRIENDSGIVING!  It's seriously my favorite time of year because I get to free my inner Martha Stewarts- check out some of the pictures :)  This was my second year hosting the giant potluck & it was a ragerrrr!

Last year there was about 35 people- crazy successful!  This year- 60 PEOPLE CAME.  

Oofz!  It was it an amazing night & jesus christ was the clean up insane!  Everything was worth it though ;)

LEFTOVERS:  I not only was left with 6 bags of tortilla chips in my custody but I also had a good friend bring legit 10 fucking pounds worth of corn.  Maybe half was eaten??  So anyway!  I cruised around looking at what to make with the leftover & I thought, duh! A dip!  & Hello, hello.. PERFECTION.

This ooey gooey dip is so good you'll want to just start eating it right away.  I could have gone a healthier route by using some yogurt instead of sour cream- but... it's THANKSGIVING. WHO CARES.

We all need to get fat for the winter!  So please.. make this, unbutton your pants & get chubby with me, guys.

Ingredients:
Corn!  4 cans drained.
6 Jalapeños- 3 seeded 3 not! Diced
2 Cups Pepper jack Cheese
8oz Sour Cream
4oz Cream cheese
Salt & Pepper
Chips to dip!

Directions:
1.  Throw all your corn into a rice cooker, slow cooker or bowl.

2.  Mix in jalapeños, sour cream & pepper jack cheese! 

3.  Top with cream cheese & stir in.  Season with a little salt & black pepper.
4.  Turn the heat on the cookers!  Keep checking to stir- 10-20 minutes.
5.  Orrr transfer from bowl to dish & bake 350° for 20 mins.
6.  Do a fresh crack of pepper & sprinkle of red pepper flakes for DIMENSION! 
7.  Use a spoon, fingers/ hands or chips to deliver cheesy, spicy dip to mouth :D

Mmmmmmmhhhm!!  The best part is I made this at the office today at work!  There was so much that I shared with coworkers here & I'll be bringing it to the restaurant Blue Taleh where I bartend every Wednesday night.  What good is food if you can't share it? 

^_______^

J A L A P E Ñ O 

C H I L I 

Cheers to chili season!  It's freaking freeeeeezing!! So what then is the most perfect Fall combo?  Answer: A cold Sunday with football and a nice pot full of hearty & SPICY chili..done & done.

This here is not the kind of chili you make from dumping various types of beans, ground beef, tomatoes & a taco/ chili packet of seasoning into a pot.  Well, errr my chili is all that minus the packet!  Add your own chili seasoning & save yourself from all that sodium!  I like to think this makes a healthier chili  ;)

Also, do you see that glorious glob of gauc on top?  FLAWLESS.  I've never been into doing a dollop of sour cream but the gaucamole really adds a fresh flavor.  Throw avocado on anything & I'd eat it.

Since I love spicy food I ended up using about 11 jalapeños in this recipe.  Don't feel the need to do the same if you aren't as spicy as me!  Though, I promise.. it is euphoric.  Pain & pleasure!

Here goes the details for this bowl of chili love..

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb Ground beef
1 can Diced tomatoes
1 can Tomato Paste
1 can Kidney beans
1 can White kidney beans
1 can Black beans
1 Onion chopped
1 Red or Green pepper chopped
~11 Jalapeños chopped finely
3 cups Water
2+ tbsp Chili Powder
1 tbsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Dried Oregano, Parsley, Basil & Savory
2 tbsp minced Garlic
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 Bay leaf
Salt, Pepper & Paprika

Trader Joe's errrrthang <3

some of the dried herbs!

chippity chop chop!

Directions:

1. Heat up a big fucking pot on medium heat.  Add olive oil, garlic, & all your chopped up veggies (onion, peppers & jalapeños)!  Stir that all up reaaaaal nice.
2. Once the veggies are soft add cumin & ground beef & pump the heat up to high to cook.  Cook until pink is gone.
3. Add all the tomatoes + paste, water, chili powder, herbs, bay leaf, & simmer for a few minutes while stirring.
4. Lower heat back to medium & add the drained/rinsed beans.  Cook covered for 30 minutes!
5. After the 30 painful minutes, open up & stir again!  Make sure everything has been joyfully married & here you can taste, add more seasoning, add more peppers, whatever :)
6. Ladle into your favorite bowl & top with cheese, gaucamole, sour cream, bacon, scallions..the works!  BE. HAPPY.

Easy is an understatement!  This is why Todd & I like to make chili at least once a month.  It's seriously such a cheap & easy yet satisfying meal that we both can eat for days.  Yes, we're those people that can eat something for breakfast, lunch & dinner for 3 days in a row & it's awesome. The leftovers if any usually get frozen up for emergency lunches.  

sprinkle of smoked paprika ;)

& Duh! Pair this with a nice cold beer like this Sixpoint Bengali.. mmmm!

R I C E
P O R R I D G E
w/ C H I C K E N

Last week my boyfriend Todd was hit hard with the cold that comes around every fall.  You know, the one that comes with the changing, brisk temps?  Well, one thing he now knows is that whenever we feel yucky- a pot of rice porridge cures A-L-L..  

Yup, it's either this soup (also known as "khao piek khao" in Laos; "baw-baw" in Cambodian; "congee" in Chinese) or pho for breakfast on Sunday mornings for us ;)

Seriously, though.. real talk, this is one of the most soul-soothing foods ever.  The fact that it is so easy to make also soothes the soul!  As a little girl when sick I'd eat this plain with maybe a few drops of soy sauce.  No need to use much flavor if you can't taste, right?!  

There is a secret weapon though that I use for the chicken flavor... it's Knorr!  Both my parents & chefs have told me about this.  You can find this at any asian market or possibly the asian section of your local grocery store.  

I like to add any other vegetables I have to this and even add an egg if I'm feeling extra hungry.  If I had beansprouts.. there'd be beansprouts in this! Oh & the fried garlic & fried onion to top the soup is soooo very necessary! Both have such great flavors that add a new dimension to the soup.  Again, hit up your closest asian market!!

Okay, enough ramblings.  Here's the recipe for the porridge!  Get ready to have all your senses calmed by this..

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked white rice

Sliced & smashed ginger root

3 chicken tenders/ breasts

Celery (veggies are optional!)

1 tbsp Knorr Chicken Broth Mix!

Chopped scallions

Fried onions & Fried garlic

Chili oil 

Salt & black pepper

Directions:

1. Easiest step, boil water!  I usually use my medium sized pot & fill er up.  I'm guessing this is about 3 quarts~ about 12 cups of water.
2. Add smashed ginger root, thinly chopped celery or other veggies & cooked rice!  *If uncooked rice- cook for about 15 minutes until extra soft & almost exploded looking.  
3. Add chicken & cook for a few minutes.  Remove & shred into bite sized pieces with a fork.  You can cut it with a knife but the shreds are nice :)  Add back to the pot.
4. Add the secret ingredient.. Knorr Chicken Broth Mix!! 
5. Cook this down for about 5 minutes.  Taste & add more mix or salt & pepper if needed  
6. Ladle into bowls & add your chopped scallions, fried onions, fried garlic, fresh crack of pepper & drizzles of chili oil. Mmmmm.. if you have a lime wedge, squirt that sucker on there, too!

Cheers to sunny days & no more sickness or EBOLAAAAHHHHHH!!

E A T I N G
& D R I N K I N G
E U R O P E !

sammiches everywhere!

green cactus beer @ delirium tremens cafe

fig vodka in germany!

foie gras in paris

lamb chops in paris!

dom perignon in paris! <3 

spicy mustard & pretzel buns in germany

aww.. a "J" in todd's beer!

frog legs in paris! 

best street food in brussels, belgium

REAL french onion soup!

best charcuterie in amsterdam

canal-side lox & kir in amsterdam

buttery escargot in france 

duck rad na & pad thai in belgium ;D

one of many waffles in belgium

frites & heinekens in belgium

moules & frites! obv belgium

creamy scallops & bacon in paris

funky charcuterie in paris

very fine, italian wine in belgium

ginormous meringues in brussels!

more waffles

european snackssss mmmm!

Basically, Europe was scrumptious!! 

G R I L L E D
P B & J 

Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god ohhhhh myyyy gaaaaaaahhhhd no but seriously errrmmerrgerrd WHY HAVEN'T I MADE THIS YEARS AGO!!?!?!?!?!  

Last night history was made in my kitchen.  After a few glasses of wine & a wee toke of the cutest little peach a conversation was sparked about drunken munchies.  

What is your favorite thing to eat after a night of heavy drinking??

My answer: crab rangoons.  I know, it's so bogus since it's really an American-Chinese thing..but the fried creaminess gets me feeling all damn types of ways.  

Okay so the grilled peanut butter & jelly sandwich was brought up also & I could not get my mind off of it so at 1am I melted up my butter & grilled these bastards up!  

melted butter..mmm!

I unfortunately only had enough peanut butter for 2 sandwiches :(  Perhaps that was a good thing??  Also, I used raspberry jam instead of the classic grape jelly.

a generous smearing of each pb & j

Use medium-low heat as if you were making pancakes.  You should have seen the look on my face when I flipped them over & did not see any burnt edges!   ^______^

Look at how the raspberry jam gets all nicely caramelized!!  AHHHHHHHH!! I want another. Best idea.  Once you bite into the sammiches you are taken away to the most euphoric childhood memories.  Wash it down with a cold ass glass of almond milk & that's just it.  LIFE IS SO GOOD.  Thank you & you are so very welcome.

PS.  I love the mindset my boyfriend Todd & I have been having lately.  Basically, we have to up our tolerance & see where we're at with everything so that when we go to Europe (IN 4 DAYS!) we won't be totally f*cked >.<  

I'll definitely try to post all of my foodie adventures overseas with the wifi I can sneak on.  OH!  Plus, if you've been to Germany, Amsterdam, London, Belgium and/or France please leave me some tips in the comments below about places to check out!

Cheers, friends :D