Confession time – while I eat pretty much anything now, I definitely had my particular food preferences right up until I went to college. No raw fish (including oysters, which are now my FAVE), blue cheese of any kind, spicy food – man, I was missing out! All of these things are on my very extensive list of favorite foods now, along with another later-in-life favorite: caviar. I had my first try of caviar during NYC Restaurant Week at The Russian Tea Room, and I was hooked. The fresh, briny taste that reminds me of the sea, the “pop” texture – caviar is known as a luxury, but such a wonderful indulgence. Plus, who can resist the feature of caviar in one of my favorite scenes in one of my favorite movies – “What ARE you doing? You’re taking all the caviar? That caviar is a garnish!” (Bonus points if you can name that movie). 
What type of salad have you been eating these days? One of my favorite dishes in Santorini was their Greek salad, and though I order it here in NYC as well, it’s just not the same. I like making my own at home – farmer’s market tomatoes, cucumber, onion, feta, oregano, salt & pepper, capers, lemon juice and olive oil. I know it’s a travesty to skip the olives, but I’m not an olive fan. Is it really a Greek salad if there are no olives? Inquiring minds want to know.
Happy day-before-Thanksgiving! I know I’m not alone in saying that Thanksgiving is one of my absolute favorite holidays of the year. My extended family gets together for an eat-stravaganza that includes a turkey (of course), a whole roast suckling pig, ham, sides of all sorts, and a dessert buffet. I hadn’t been able to attend for the past few years because I was in Missouri, but now I am back in NYC! And I can’t wait!!
Every year, one of the most requested recipes is the salted caramel pie – in fact, it is one of the most visited pages on the Big Apple Nosh blog! And with good reason – not only is the pie super simple to make, but it is AMAZING. I’m actually deviating from this old standby this year and making a dark chocolate salted caramel pie. Stay tuned for how that turns out! But in the mean time, I am proud to once again endorse this fool-proof, crowd pleasing recipe. As shared in previous years…
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! 
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…
