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Lucky Rice Cookthrough: Macanese African Chicken

Cooking / Eating In, Events / Giveaways / Partnerships September 28, 2016

If you’ve been following along on the blog, you’ll know that I’m slowly but steadily cooking my way through the Lucky Rice cookbook. If you haven’t heard of the Lucky Rice cookbook before, I’d highly recommend checking it out – not only have the recipes been delicious yet straightforward, the vignettes and captivating style resulted in me reading this book cover to cover. Yes – I read cookbooks cover to cover when warranted!

As I was digging through the recipes, one especially caught my eye – the recipe for Macanese African chicken. Despite its name, Macanese African chicken is not actually African in origin; instead, it is a Macanese classic incorporating both Chinese and Spanish spices. How it got its name? Well, the jury is still out on this one. In the mean time, you can try this dish for yourself – the ingredients can be easily found at your local grocery store and the steps are pretty simple.

I made this dish for an eating buddy who used to visit Macau when he lived in the area and loved this dish. He gave my version the seal of approval, and I, who had never even heard of Macanese African chicken before, wholeheartedly agreed. But don’t take OUR word for it! Continue Reading

Chicago: Doughnut Vault

Eating Out, Food September 26, 2016

Shut up and take my money! Yes, I may or may not have said this (or at least felt it) when I stepped into Chicago’s Doughnut Vault during my recent visit to the Windy City. In today’s short but sweet post, I’m happy to share these doughnuts that were not only amazingly delicious but also as big as my FACE. Literally located in a teeny tiny vault space, Doughnut Vault offers a small but well-curated doughnut menu. The menu of course offers fan favorite glazed (in vanilla, chocolate, and chestnut), a seasonal jelly filled doughnut, buttermilk old fashioned, a gingerbread stack, doughnut holes, an apple fritter, and a rotating daily special. Short of ordering them all, what’s a girl to do? Continue Reading

Chicago: Acadia

Eating Out, Food August 30, 2016

A few weeks ago, I made a short weekend trip to Chicago – one of my favorite cities in the world! I know I’m from NYC and now live in KC, but Chicago is seriously amazing – the extensive food, arts, and culture scene would keep me busy for ages. Not to mention that the city itself is picturesque, with its location right on the lake. I can’t wait to make a return visit!

Although our schedule was pretty packed, we did have an evening free for an indulgent dinner. We were lucky enough to score reservations for Acadia, which not only received two Michelin stars, James Beard recognition, and numerous distinction, but also has a reputation for delicious yet unpretentious fare presented in a welcoming, non-stuffy setting. We were psyched for the experience! And since we were making the trip, we went with the 10-course tasting menu. I mean, why not!

My eating buddy for the evening and I both agreed after the meal that it was one of the best tasting menu experiences either of us has had. So, I can’t wait to share my photos with you! Unfortunately, the printed tasting menu lists only the featured ingredient of each course, so the details I provide below are from my memory. But, let’s be real here – you’re mostly here for the pictures anyway, right? Let’s get started then 🙂 Continue Reading

Lucky Rice Cookthrough: Tea-Smoked Eggs

Cooking / Eating In, Events / Giveaways / Partnerships, Food July 28, 2016

I know 7-Elevens sometimes get a bad rap here in the U.S. (nevermind the prepared foods that are offered within), but I discovered a few years ago that 7-Eleven’s are legit in Asia. I’m talking about pretty good sushi in the Japanese locations (not the best sushi, like, ever, but surprisingly delicious), prepared hot meals in Taiwan, and the like. The stuff is actually good. One of the snack foods that was especially popular in the Taipei 7-Elevens I visited were tea eggs marinating in a cauldron of delicious broth. Hard boiled eggs from 7-Elevens? You betcha! Don’t knock it till you try it (in Asia, at least – can’t speak for the eggs you get here in the American 7-Elevens!).

Luckily for me, my recent discovery of the fabulousness that is Asian 7-Eleven was not my first foray into the world of tea eggs. My mom used to make tea eggs when I was a kid, before my capricious young self decided I didn’t like them anymore. Silly me – I tried them again as an adult, and tea eggs are pretty much the best way to prepare hard boiled eggs. The soy/tea/spice “broth” in which the eggs steep is intensely flavorful and lends a warm and spicy aroma that I haven’t seen replicated elsewhere. And from a purely fun standpoint, the rolling and cracking of the shell before steeping yields some pretty cool looking eggs! When I saw that the Lucky Rice cookbook featured a recipe for tea eggs, I knew I had to try it for the second recipe of my Lucky Rice cookthrough.

As you’ll see from the short ingredient list, you can probably find all of these ingredients in your local grocery store… Continue Reading

Kansas City: Shio Ramen

Eating Out, Food July 21, 2016

One thing that’s been pretty fun (and delicious) here in Kansas City is the recent rise in popularity of ramen shops. When I lived in NYC, I had my pick of ramen joints, with varying degrees of quality and popularity, from “sure, I’ll pay 6 bucks for izakaya ramen at 2am” to “omgggg Ippudo best ramen EVER!” When I moved to the Midwest last year, I was pleasantly surprised with my go-to ramen joint here in KC, the relatively new Columbus Park Ramen shop. Their tonkatsu ramen is the bomb! However, recently Shio Ramen Shop opened up, and I knew I had to try it out. So which noodles reigned supreme? Read on to find out. Continue Reading

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