tastes like crap, but comes with a SPORK

Ramen. Gotta love it.

Chef Woo^TM. Gotta hate it.

Baked, not fried (chant with me, people...ohm...), the baking process seems to have taken out all the taste and comfort of good ol' fashioned ramen noodles. All that's left is the msg "chicken" (aka salt) flavoured broth, a lot of dehydrated/rehydrated carrots that make it look healthier than it really is, and noodles that never get beyond chewy. Two bites of noodle, and a bit of broth was all I could muster.

At 190 calories for half a bowl, it's a waste of calories. Give me half a pack of Nong Shim^TM Shinramyun instead and I'm much better off. It's a few more calories and probably a lot more grams of fat, but definitely worth the extra 15 minutes on the treadmill.

Someone warned me once about these. Maybe I should have listened.

Only redeeming factor: comes with a spork... and sporks are cool

pom pom madness

Variation on a pom-pom theme

INGREDIENTS
pomegranate seeds
3-4 mint sprigs
1-2 tsp sugar
juice of half a lime
1 oz Stoli Razz
champagne

DIRECTIONS
1. muddle mint, sugar, lime (blah blah... )
2. add Stoli Razz, "juice" from muddled mixture and pomegranate seeds into a champagne flute
3. top with champagne
4. garnish with a mint sprig (if you want to get all fancy schmancy)

Pomegranate seeds will rise and fall with the champagne bubbles. For more pomegranate taste, add in a bit of fresh pom juice.

i'm going to iron chef yo' ass!

Sometimes it's because we have nothing better to do. Most times, it's just a ton of fun to get together and cook up a storm.

Today, IronChefBBQ vs. IronChefPaprika, in a rematch 10 years in the making.

Secret ingredient... pomegranates...

Pomegranate Stew with Chicken (Khoresh Fesenjan)*

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds chicken legs, cut up
1 white onion, thinly sliced
1/2 pound walnuts, toasted and finely ground in a food processor
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups pomegranate juice
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
2 tablespoons sugar

DIRECTIONS
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken and onions in skillet, and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in pureed walnuts, salt, pomegranate juice, and cardamom. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. (If the sauce becomes too thick, stir in 1/4 cup warm water.) Mix in sugar, adjust seasoning, and simmer 30 minutes more.

"Chicken, onions, finely processed walnuts, and pomegranate juice are simmered to perfection. The sauce should be as thick as a good chili. Serve with saffron steamed basmati rice. Enjoy! If you prefer, substitute angelica powder for cardamom; instead of pomegranate juice, you can substitute 1/2 cup pomegranate paste diluted in 2 cups water."

Original recipe yield: 6 servings

PREP TIME 15 Min
COOK TIME 2 Hrs 30 Min
READY IN 2 Hrs 45 Min

*recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com

this girl loves her street meat... korean styles...

Soondae aka Korean Sausage.

Discovered quite accidentally while looking for pork bone soup in North York, this tasty treat has become one of my craving staples! Made with vermicelli, green onion, garlic, rice, minced pork, and a host of other things you probably don't want to know about, soondae is a Korean street vendor favourite.

The sausage is steamed, sliced and typically comes accompanied by steamed lung and liver slices. No such luck here. The soondae I ordered was served on its own with a nice little dipping side of spice and salt. The crunchy salt grains contrast nicely with the tenderness of the sausage while the chili provides a tiny kick to enhance the subtle flavour of the soondae.

And darned it, if I could remember what hole-in-the-wall restaurant served it in the first place, I wouldn't have had to crave it for the past six months. But thankfully, I found out that Galleria makes it's own... fresh! I bought some this morning (still warm), and piglet that I am, it's already been devoured.

congee, you make everything better...

There is nothing better than a hot bowl of congee on a cold fall day. The salty warmth of the thick rice porridge is enough to sooth even the most savage of moods.

Every spoonful brings back memories of a childhood long past and of Sunday lunches filled with family, laughter and happiness.

Ladened with salted pork, conpoy and thousand-year-old-egg, every bite is wonderful and leaves you wanting more. Alas, my stomach can only hold so much...

Best: Mom's homemade
Second Best: Congee Wong

Everyone's interpretation of congee is different and it is very much subject to taste. Meats vary, fillings vary. Some places make the porridge thicker, some a little more soupy with the rice boiled down to almost nothing. Chiu Chow style looks like boiled rice water with nearly whole grain rice and little bits of meat or veggies.

Me, I like mine a little more soupy and salty than the rest of my family, so I find Congee Wong perfect to suit my congee needs... whenever I can't get homemade, that is.

My Flav Raves: salted pork with 1000yr-old-egg, chicken & duck with a raw egg, white fish & pig jello

egad... yet another food blog...

I love food, and I live to eat good food.

I don’t consider myself a foodie or even a chowhound. I don’t eschew fast food, nor do I let the critics tell me where to eat. I might let them guide me once in a while, but often times, they are wrong.

I let my cravings dictate my meals, and my meals dictate my life.

I don’t profess to be a “normal” eater and love that I have a reputation for delighting in the unusual. I’ve been known to eat pork jerky for breakfast, and snack on nori throughout the afternoon. Growing up, my mother used to give us ice-cream for breakfast.

It’s never been a question of what will I eat, more one of what won’t I eat.

I will try everything twice… even if I hated it the first time...