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Snacking in the Kitchen

~ Culinary Adventures In & Out of the Kitchen. Recipes, Reviews, Culinary Musings.

Category Archives: Travel

New Mexico Hatch Chiles: Green, Eggs, and "Ham" Recipe

11 Tuesday Sep 2012

Posted by snackingkitchen in Beef, Breakfast, Cooking, Eggs, Recipe, Travel, Vegetables, Zucchini

≈ Leave a comment

recipe chiles new mexico breakfast eggsI spent the Labor Weekend in Santa Fe, New Mexico, touring the galleries with the Artist, strolling the streets, taking photos of colorful doors, and eating freshly-roasted Hatch chiles outside of the super market, on a bench, lined with newspaper.  Out of the two varieties available, I chose “medium” which turned out to be unforgivably hot. 

Whether due to stupidity, or bravery, you decide, I ate two chiles, straight up, without a single accompaniment, through tears.  I packed up the rest of the Hatch chiles in a plastic bag and took them back on the plane to Seattle.  The chiles did make it out of the bag at the Dallas-Forth Worth Airport, where they accompanied a plate of pulled pork barbecue.

 

Back in Seattle, I made my version of Dr. Seuss Green Eggs and Ham, naming mine Green, Eggs and “Ham”.  The green=Hatch chiles and zucchini and the “Ham”=shredded beef.

Green, Eggs, and “Ham” Breakfast Hash

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 zucchini, diced

6 mushrooms, diced

1 Hatch chile, seeded and diced

1/2 cup shredded cooked beef

salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs
















Directions

1.  Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat.

2.  Add zucchini, mushrooms, chile, and beef.  Stir and saute for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables are tender.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3.  Break eggs into the vegetables, lower the heat and cover the pan with a lid.  Cook until the eggs are your desired doneness.

Are you a fan of Hatch chiles? How do you eat them? How spicy?
 
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Dining out in Portugal: Culinary Adventures in Lisbon

17 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by snackingkitchen in Fish, Portugal, Restaurant Review, Travel

≈ 1 Comment

It’s snowing today in Seattle and I’m reminiscing over sunny and slightly warmer days in Lisbon, Portugal.  One of the joys of travels is discovering new culture, and one of the most delicious ways of doing it is through food!  I wanted to share photos and thoughts of my culinary adventures in Portugal with you, dear snackers!

Portugal is famous for its seafood (proximity to the source) and Vinho Verde (fresh, slightly effervescent wine made from “green grapes”).  Our first meal in Lisbon was at a local restaurant, Restaurante Rio Coura, bustling with jovial chatter of the locals, clinking of glasses,and swishy sounds of paper table cloths turned over to greet new guests.

Unless you have a personal restaurant recommendation, picking a restaurant in a foreign country might be tricky.  Don’t get sucked in by menus written in English or bored waiters standing on the street, begging you to come in and taste their delights.  Instead, pay attention and find out where the locals eat!  If at all possible, pretend you are Rachael Ray and ask the locals for a recommendation (skip your hotel’s concierge).

Our meal started with a basket of bread and Bolinhos de Bacalhau – Portuguese cod fritters.  I’m not sure why, but the bread was stale.  We sipped on a bottle of Vinho Verde and awaited the delivery of our main course.

For the main course, we ordered grilled calamari and a mixed seafood platter.  Talk about seafood delight!  The calamari were some of the best I’ve ever tasted ~ no rubber here!  Grilled to perfection, charred and tender, they were simply delicious.  A healthy sprinkle of lemon went a long way.

The seafood platter had a variety of fish (salmon and white fish), grilled calamari, and boiled potatoes.

 Nothing but the bones were left.  Thanks for a delightful meal.

Have you been to Portugal?  If so, what was your favorite meal?

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Not Your Average Market – Photo Adventures from Mercat de la Boqueria in Barcelona, Spain

11 Wednesday Jan 2012

Posted by snackingkitchen in Farmers Market, Spain, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

In Seattle, we are spoiled by having Pike Place Market right in our backyard, so to speak.  Years ago, I worked within a 2-minute walk from the market and made it my daily lunch destination.  I love taking out-of-town friends to the market to share with them the bounty of the Northwest.  Regardless of the time of the year, you can always be sure to find the freshest and most delicious offerings there.

My love affair with markets must have started in my early childhood.  I remember my grandmother taking my sister and me to the main market in Moscow, Russia where we walked through the aisles and were greeted by old, wrinkly ladies selling sunflower seeds, fat juicy pickles, and my favorite – pickled garlic.

Recently, I experienced a market in Barcelona, Spain and was blown away.  La Boqueria Market (Mercat de la Boqueria) was within a few blocks from our hostel and was a must-see on my nonexistent itinerary.  I could’ve spent hours, or even days, in this magical place, but there were churches to see and museums to browse, and so I snapped a few photos and breathed in the market magic during the allotted time.  If you are lucky enough to spend time in Barcelona, Spain, be sure to visit the market.

Welcome to the market!

Before…

… After
Seafood Galore!

For MangoTomato

Caliente!

Nuts, Chocolates, and Dried Fruit

Fruit Selection

Turned into juice!

What is your favorite market?

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Happy New Year ~ Ringing in the 2012 in style, in Barcelona, Spain

03 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by snackingkitchen in Cooking, Holidays, Russian, Salad, Spain, Spanish, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

This year, I found myself ringing in the New Year in Barcelona, Spain, with the artist and his family.  We joined the masses of Spaniards at one of the city’s squares, by the water, with a bottle of champagne and a stack of plastic glasses. 


Counting down to one, the cork was popped, and the champagne poured freely, sending tiny bubbles to the top of the glass.  It did not matter that we were drinking from plastic glasses and not the finest crystal.  The fireworks lit up the sky, a few Spaniards jumped into the water, and we started the year with a kiss.

Being away from my family for the New Year celebration, I was determined to keep at least one of the family traditions – the Russian potato salad to celebrate the passing of the old year and the start of the new one.  Luckily, every tapas bar in Spain serves the Russian potato salad.  Slightly altered, with the addition of tuna and olives, the salad still reminded me of home.  Our New Year dinner table also included a large pitcher of red sangria, olives and feta, chorizo, fish, marinated artichokes and bread.

The next day, early at 4am, we embarked on our 24-hour return trip to Seattle.

And just like I thought it would happen, back in Seattle, I was greeted by a large plate of Russian potato salad and a piece of bread with butter and salmon roe caviar – thank you, parents!  It’s going to be a good year!

Please, share your family traditions for celebrating the New Year.  I am wishing you all, my dear snackers, a happy, fulfilling, delicious, and healthy 2012.

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Good morning – all inclusive breakfast in Lisbon, Portugal

27 Tuesday Dec 2011

Posted by snackingkitchen in Portugal, Travel

≈ 3 Comments

You probably don’t want to be too hungry while looking at these photos.  I snapped a few shots from our breakfast at the Internacional Design hotel in Lisbon, Portugal.  Mimosas, cold cuts, quiche, pastries, and coffee!  Makes me one happy girl, and perhaps just a bit tired and hoping for a nap that is not going to happen.  Notice the orange accents at the bar.  I have to say, I haven’t seen that much orange everywhere in a long time.  It makes me feel right at home.

Enjoy!

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Culinary Adventures in Portland, Oregon

05 Monday Dec 2011

Posted by snackingkitchen in Chocolate, Coffee, Portland, Restaurant Review, Sandwich, Travel

≈ 2 Comments

We left the turkey, cranberry sauce, and stuffing behind, packed our bags and headed out to Portland for a post-Thanksgiving weekend away.

Magically, after days of never-ending pouring rain in Seattle, the sky cleared up, the sun made its much appreciated appearance, and the traffic cooperated nicely.

On the way to Portland, we made a stop in Olympia, Washington to pay our respects to the Washington state capital and walk around.  Not wanting to leave right away, we drove to the downtown area and missed it.  That’s right – the downtown is literally just a few blocks in length.

Looking for fuel in the form of caffeine, we stopped at Bonjour Cupcakes bakery.  The bakery had an old charming feel and decor, with scattered cupcake-related merchandise.

We chose two mini cupcakes: red velvet and chocolate mocha, adorned with a chocolate covered coffee bean. While I can’t vouch for the red velvet cupcake (someone is still learning how to share), the chocolate mocha cupcake was a perfect two-bite delight.

Our first meal in Portland was just a few blocks from the hotel (we stayed at the fancy Historic Governor Hotel – thank you http://www.priceline.com).  Kenny and Zuke’s Delicatessen serves up pastrami sandwiches, lots of local beer, and plenty of pickles.  Unfortunately, they were out of latkes for the night, and the gefilte fish has yet to make its appearance on the menu, but the place was bustling with happy customers and we were ready to order.

Pardon for the quality of the photo. The photos in this post were taken with my new phone and could use some work.  Back to the food.  The chicken liver sandwich with pastrami was my favorite.  I honestly would’ve loved it without the pastrami, and will order it plain if I return to the deli.  The pickles were crunchy, and as addicting as ever.  I did like the potato salad and coleslaw, but my body was craving something hot and slightly more nurturing – perhaps a bowl of matzo ball soup would’ve done the trick.

Following the meal, we walked around the downtown area of Portland, taking in the holiday lights and the ever-present determined Black Friday shoppers.  I won’t lie – there was a mandatory stop to the Macy’s shoe department, but somehow I ended up purchasing zilch and taking no advantage of tax-free shopping the entire weekend.

On the way back to the hotel we stumbled across Voodoo Doughnut shop. Along with the glaring neon sign and the long line of patrons that extended outside, the sweet smell of doughnuts beckoned us to come in.  We settled on a Mango Tango (raised yeast doughnut, filled with mango jelly and topped with vanilla frosting and tang!) and Raspberry Romeo’s (raised yeast doughnut, filled with raspberry jelly and glazed on the outside).  

I did enjoy the unusual flavors of Mango Tango and the tanginess that mango added to the doughnut.  I dedicated the doughnut to my sister of MangoTomato and my good friend, and tango extraordinaire Lera.  Unfortunately, Raspberry Romeo’s didn’t fare as well and ended up composed, hardly eaten.

The next day’s adventure started at Fuller’s Coffee Shop.  This traditional, cash only, diner served up heaping plates of eggs, crispy potatoes, and bacon. 



I went for a Mexican-style breakfast of potatoes, smothered with tomatoes, mushrooms (clearly canned, not fresh), spinach, salsa, cheese, and sour cream.  My partner, once again, chose a more delicious option of spinach and sausage scramble with crisp potatoes on the side.  We finished with country white toast smothered with homemade raspberry jam and headed for a 3-hour adventure at the Portland’s Museum of Art – or was it the Portland Art Museum?


The day’s culinary adventures ended at Hollywood Bowling with the mandatory White Russian and a plate of nachos.


The next morning, with the return of rain (I think the city was mourning our departure), we sipped on a cappuccino and a mocha at Portland’s Pearl Bakery cafe.



I got into a heated debate over heating up my chocolate croissant, but the service was refused, and I missed out on warm chocolate, oozing between the thin layers of flaky puffed pastry.


Our adventures of eating ended at a nondescript, perfectly delicious, family-run pho shop with heaping bowls of steaming broth, rice noodles and a few meatballs.  We bid farewell to Portland and headed back to Seattle.


And before I tell you all good bye, here is something we did not eat (found in Olympia, the Washington state capital).



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Lunch at Jose Andres’ Oyamel in Washington DC

25 Monday Apr 2011

Posted by snackingkitchen in Avocado, Mexican, Restaurant Review, Travel, Washington DC

≈ 2 Comments

I heard Chef Jose Andres speak while attending the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park New York.  It was a few months before I was to leave on my externship, and I was very looking forward to hearing what Chef Andres had to say about the restaurant industry, the culinary scene in DC and his outlook on food.  Although I was not planning on doing my externship at a restaurant, hearing Jose speak sparked and inspired something inside of me, and made me wonder whether, perhaps, a restaurant externship could work for me afterall.


On my visit to Washington DC to see my sister, I arranged for a meeting at one of Chef’s restaurants – Zaytinya – with Mike Isabella, executive chef at the time (yes, the same Mike Isabella who was on the Top Chef and Top Chef Masters on Bravo).  The restaurant setting was incredible, and the offering of Turkish, Greek and Lebanese tapas made my mouth water.  While, I decided to do my externship elsewhere (I spent four months in Des Moines, IA working for Cuisine at home, developing recipes and writing) my dinner at Zaytinya was one of most enjoyable and delicious I have had in Washington D.C.


On my recent return to D.C., I was happy to try one of the other Chef Andres’ restaurants – Oyamel.  In fact, Oyamel was a location for my farewell lunch in D.C. along with my sister and one of my dear friends from the CIA.

The lunch started up with quintessential chips and salsa.  If you think that all chips and salsa were created equal, you’re quite mistaken – a lot could and often does go wrong.  This duo, however, was quite perfect.  The chips were thin, not greasy and lightly salted.  The salsa was nice charred and spicy just enough to please everyone at the table.

Since this was afterall our farewell lunch, we decided to have a cocktail.  Olga chose the Oyamel’s Ponche –
 Azul blanco, white wine, triple sec and fresh fruit and I selected The Classic – El Jimador blanco, triple sec and fresh lime juice.  Later, during our lunch, our server presented us with a taste of Oyamel José Andrés’ personal favorite with Siembra Azul blanco,  Luxardo Triplum, fresh lime juice and salt “air” – thank you chef!

We couldn’t pass on the guacamole – made directly at the table.  Lunch & a show at once – why not?  I love seeing exactly what goes into my food (that’s one of the benefits of cooking on your own).  This guacamole couldn’t be any easier – avocados, lime, red onion, jalapeno and cilantro.  The extra ingredient – fresh Mexican cheese.  End result – delicious.
 
For the lunch itself, we all decided to go with the Almuerzo Rapido – a selection of any two antojiotos and one taco for $20.

Albóndigas enchipotladascon queso doble crema
Meatballs in chipotle sauce with crumbled ‘double cream’ cheese and cilantro
I would love these meatballs over polenta on a cold, winter night.  Comforting and flavorful!


Cayo de hacha con pipián de chile pasilla
Seared scallops with a pasilla chile and pumpkin seed sauce, orange segments, pumpkin seed oil and toasted pumpkin seeds
I was honestly blown away by these scallops.  Not only were they beautiful to look at, they were creamy on the inside, tender, and well seared on the outside.  I could easily go for a few more!

Arrachera con salsa molcajete y nopales escabeche
Grilled skirt steak with a sauce of grilled tomatoes, tomatillos, green onions,  cilantro and green chiles, garnished with pickled cactus paddle
This was my first time trying pickled cactus – reminded me of pickled okra and if you know me, I love anything pickled – this was not an exception!

A plate of gourmet tacos: 
Lengua guisada
Braised beef tongue with radishes and a sauce of roasted pasilla chili, tomatoes, onion and garlic
Cochinita pibil con cebolla en escabeche
Yucatan-style pit barbecued pork with pickled red onion and Mexican sour orange
Tacos de hongos
Sautéed seasonal wild mushrooms with garlic and shallots, served with guacamole

Pastel de tres leches con piña
A traditional cake soaked in Coruba rum and three kinds of milk, with a rum and milk foam, 
fresh pineapple gelatin and a pineapple salsa.  Served with  a scoop of dark caramel ice cream.
Jericalla de chocolate con maracuya
Oaxacan chocolate custard with a Mexican origin chocolate sorbet, passion fruit 
gelatin, chocolate and pumpkin seed crumble and fresh passion fruit seed
I definitely loved the presentation and the creativity of the chocolate custard, but the traditional tres leches stole my taste buds.

At the end it was time to go.  Thank you for a delicious lunch and attentive service.  We shall be back!
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Quintessential New York Breakfast – White Fish Bagel at Pick-a-Bagel

21 Thursday Apr 2011

Posted by snackingkitchen in Bread, Breakfast, Coffee, Fish, New York, Restaurant Review, Travel

≈ 1 Comment

I’ve been thinking about breakfast a lot lately.  I just recently wrote about my idea for savory cottage cheese with vegetables and poached eggs in green olive caponata.  And today, I’m thinking carbs!  I might be thinking, craving, and dreaming about carbs especially since this is the first year I am trying to observe Passover rules.  Not as easy as I thought.  So as I’m sitting here, thinking about bread, I thought I would share with you the quintessential breakfast I had just a few weeks ago in New York at Pick-a-Bagel.

One might be overwhelmed by the options – the variety of bagels and flavored cream cheese looked endless.

What a girl to do?  My sister and I decided to share.  We opted for a larger in diameter, but thinner version of  the bagel with a very generous schmear of White Fish spread and sliced tomatoes.  Add a side of sour and half sour pickles, a cup of coffee, and breakfast is served!  

Do you like your bagels toasted or not?  I’m a big fan of a toasted version and these New York bagels were perfect!  Lovely and crisp on the outside, they had a perfect barrier against the white fish spread – no soggy bagels here!

If you are lucky to live in New York city, stop by and pick up a bagel.  I would love to hear from you what’s your favorite combination is.
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Vacationing in Madrid, Spain

15 Thursday Apr 2010

Posted by snackingkitchen in Travel

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A proper holiday is starting tomorrow bright and early.  Right now I’m doing laundry, cleaning and packing for a fun trip to Madrid, Spain with my sister and our frined.  First time I’ll be using my passport following a trip to Paris 4 years ago (I’m not counting several trips to Canada).

Looking forward to exciting culinary experiences.  I’ve already decided that my first meal in Madrid (upon 7am arrival) should be churros and hot chocolate.  Salut to making it happen.

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Weekend in San Francisco

05 Thursday Nov 2009

Posted by snackingkitchen in FoodBuzz, San Francisco, Travel

≈ 1 Comment

Time to pack and fly to San Francisco for a Foodbuzz Blogger Festival. Lots of eating, tasting, sipping, and meeting others who are passionate about good food. Plus I get to see my sister and a few friends.

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