Fat Friday

This past holiday weekend went beyond gluttony. Between the array of chocolate covered snacks provided by my mom to the three plus glasses of celebratory wine a night, I packed on more than a few extra pounds for the upcoming winter season.
I’ll begin with the holy grail- Thanksgiving dinner. Even though my Aunt acts as the mashed potato monitor only allowing us one scoop each, somehow I still ended up with two potato heaps. Please take note of my meticulous color palette and complementary flavor placement. A sandwich that reminds me of my high school years and escaping theater rehearsals in order to get my hands on this delectable sammy. With all their sandwiches made on the fluffiest bread you’ve ever tasted, The Garden in Nashua, NH names all their sandwiches after sport hall of famers. This one is deemed “The Larry Legend”.A college roommate reunion brought me to The Foundry in Somerville, MA. The overeating continued as I order the breakfast sandwich consisting of a buttery croissant, sausage, egg, Vermont cheddar and spicy home fries.

I’ll be back in New Hampshire in just a few short weeks for Christmas where I’ll take part in Holiday Gluttony Round 2.

Birthday Brush up

My 26th birthday was a roaring success so much so that it took me this this long to recover and put together a follow up post. Now I’m not so self-involved that I believe people actually care what happened on my birthday, but I do believe you’re all going to drool over the delectable treats I consumed during this year’s celebration.

It all began with a surprise (two week early surprise) gathering when I went home to NH for Labor Day. 10 balloons, 3 bottles of champagne and 2 of my best friends equals birthday bliss.

To kick off my birthday week I received a box of Birthday Cake Cookies from my best blogging friend at brunchforeverymeal. A woman after my own heart, she knew confetti cake batter and rainbow sprinkles from The Cravory would make me smile. It was the perfect way to kick off my week. I averaged 2 cookies a day for the following five days.

The treats continued Tuesday night with Mrs. Prindable’s candied apples. This was my mom’s way of providing a “healthy” birthday treat. With flavors like triple chocolate fudge and milk chocolate walnut, these were unlike any caramel apple you could ever imagine.

The gluttony continued on my actual birthday when treats from Dough Boy Bakery graced our office. After devouring a pizza, my coworkers and I enjoyed some red velvet cake, a marshmallow rice crispy treat and a peanut butter marble brownie.

Along with  pumpkin ale and a tapas dinner out, I received my favorite: yellow roses.

And just when I came out of my diabetic coma, the sweets returned. On Friday my college roommates travled to NYC to celebrate and they brought with them a dozen cupcakes from Zabars.

Finally a meal without sugar. My friends and I enjoyed a messy bellini brunch with one of the best eggs benedict I’ve ever had. The reason for its success? This benedict comes with thick cut bacon and is served over a freshly baked biscuit.

The weekend ended with a competitive birthday scavenger hunt where I was able to burn off some of the calories I consumed throughout the week. My friends and I ran all around the city searching for clues. This final clue brought us here, to Strawberry Fields- John Lennon’s Memorial, where you can find me giving a peace sign.

The week was hectic and gluttonous and I can’t imagine it any other way. Thanks to everyone for not only increasing my waistline, but making this past birthday a week to remember.

Snacking

I’ve been traveling a lot lately and when I travel, I snack. Recently for long plane rides and traffic ridden bus travel, my go-to snack has been Chex Mix. What’s not to love about this delicious treat? It’s sweet and salty and let’s be honest, there’s something in that bag for everyone. I will fight anyone who tries to take all the bagel chips my bag! My cravings for Chex Mix has taken a toll on my wallet so I decided to search for a recipe in order to make my own. Here are four unique and mouthwatering Chex Mix recipes I found. Comment below and help me decide which one I should make for my Saturday brunch this weekend!Better Than Sex Chex Mix via Quick Dish

Lemon Chex Muddy Buddies via Little Bit Funky

Cake Batter Muddy Buddies via The Girl Who Ate Everything

Cinnamon Churro Chex Mix via Just Another Day in Paradise

Which one will it be? Let’s be honest, I’ll probably just make them all…

Fat Friday

Even though I left Austin two weeks ago, I’m still salivating over my delicious meals. Here are my three Austin restaurant reccomendations:

1. Justine’s

Nestled in an unsuspecting part of town, Justine’s is an adorable brasserie with a great cocktail menu. Clearly refurbished from an old house into a restaurant, Justine’s is complete with a garden, hanging lights, and electronic pin-up girl signs.

{Pork chop with scalloped potatoes and scallops with fingerling potatoes}

2. Snack Bar: 

Located on South Congress Avenue Snack bar was the perfect relaxed lunch spot for a nice clean meal. It was just what we needed after two nights of heavy (but delicious) Southern food. The restaurant itself had a retro vibe with a health conscious menu. After a bit of shopping and sightseeing on South Congress Ave, Snack Bar was the perfect spot to rest our feet and detox with some greens.

{chilled organic quinoa, arugula, avocado, grilled pineapple and chicken with
house roasted pepper-pineapple vinaigrette}

3. Lamberts:

Our last night in Austin was our night to splurge on BBQ. After some serious deliberation we decided on Lamberts becuase of their reputation for upscaled BBQ. Between the live music, bubbly mac’n cheese, and the cowhide leather chairs-I was sold. Lamberts was by far our best meal in Austin.

I cannot say enough good things about this mac n’ cheese. I would pay for a plane ticket back to Austin just to taste this again.

{Country Style Pork Ribs, Fennel & Coriander Rub, Maple Glaze, Apple & Roasted Fennel Slaw}

Sweet Fat Friday

I have to take a minute to give a shout out to my favorite Food Network Show.

Sweet Genius, hosted by Cake Master Ron Ben-Israel, is a pastry competition show where chefs compete for a $10,000 cash prize and the esteemed title of Sweet Genius.  It is thrilling, playful and totally hilarious. Not only do I tune in every Thursday at 10pm to watch, but I’m  partial to this Food Network show because I work to help cast the contestants.

We are currently casting for a new season and I could’nt be more excited. I’m so proud to be involved with  this show that I figured I’d use this blog to promote the highly anticipated third season.

We are in search of Pastry chefs and those who have MASTERED THE ART OF SWEETS.

If you or someone you know has the skills, personality and passion for pastry, please check out www.sweetgeniuscasting.com  to see how to apply!

I’ll leave you with three sweet photos from my favorite host, Ron Ben-Israel.

Check out more of Ron’s gorgeous work on his website.

Austin

I just returned from my two week work travels. The first stop was Miami and the second was Austin. The results are in and I have to say that Austin wins hands down. Don’t get me wrong Miami was gorgeous, but Austin’s old time flair and hilarious locals won me over. Here are a few things I liked most about my adventures in Austin.

Electronic Signs:

Glitzy things that light up happen to be a weakness of mine so naturally I took to all the electronic signs. Unlike the tackiness of Vegas signs, the old-fashioned Austin signs were perfectly placed throughout the city.

Austin ATM:

If NYC had fun barn-styled ATM’s I might be  more excited to withdraw from my bank account.

BBQ:

County Style Pork Ribs, Chicken with lime rub, and creamy mac n’ cheese from Lamberts. There are no words to describe the deliciousness of this meal.

Cowhide:

I now want to redecorate my apartment in leather. I was so obsessed with these Cowhide leather chairs at Lamberts restaurant that I spent half the dinner photographing them. Home decor is about the only thing that will tear me away from food.

Antique Stores:

We walked into a few on South Congress Ave. but my favorite was Uncommon Objects. It was like a museum of recycled artifacts with each room being a different theme. It is an Austin must-see.

Food Trucks:

If you know me at all, you know that I love food on the go. The rows of food trucks in Austin made my day.

I particularly liked the inventive names.

Honky-tonk:

Entering Broken Spoke was like walking onto the set of Thelma and Louise. It is the only place where it is acceptable for sixty-year old cowboys to ask you to dance without it seeming pervy.

Maybe it was the cowboy manikin or maybe it was the bathroom walls plastered with magazine cut-outs of cowboys, but either way Broken Spoke was the best part of the entire trip.

Can’t wait to return to Austin again for that second dance I promised cowboy Tino.

Sweet Tooth

Everyone deserves something a little sweet on a Monday morning.

This weekend my childhood friend and token second sister introduced me to Sugar Sweet Sunshine bakery on Rivington Street. I almost passed right by this cozy little shop, but the witty sign outside caught my attention.

I particularly like the #1 reason the best: because it tastes better than a radish

From cupcakes to pies, this 70’s vibe bakery had everything including a very friendly and informative staff. Everything from the decor to the desserts felt homemade. There are hundreds of cupcake shops in the city and I feel like I often leave disappointed. The cake is typically dry and the frosting tastes too sweet. Once you’ve tasted one, you’ve tasted them all. I’d much prefer some boxed Betty Crocker than most of the chain cupcake shops in NYC. With that being said, Sugar Sweet Sunshine couldn’t have impressed me more. My friend suggested the bread pudding,which is something I wouldn’t typically order. I ordered a small shot of it and I found myself immediately wishing I had asked for a larger size.

The chocolate chip extravaganza bread pudding was delicious with chocolate chips, cookie dough, and caramel. It made for the perfect after brunch treat and a delicious downtown walk.

I wish I had the recipe to share with all of you, but I guess the secret of the recipe is what makes it so special. Here are 3 other bread budding recipes I’d love to try to make on a rainy day.

Paul Dean’s Best Bread Pudding

Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

White Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding

Fat Friday

I should literally be arrested for the lies I tell myself about food.

So for this weeks edition of Fat Friday the topic is: Lies I tell Myself in Order to Justify What I’m Eating.

Exhibit A:

The Bacon Wrapped Date

{Scene of the Crime: Pipa in NYC}

This little nugget is always on my to-order tapas list. It’s fruit, right? So what if it’s wrapped in fatty bacon and stuffed with goat cheese. I’m getting a good source of fiber.

Exhibit B:

The Shake Shack Veggie Burger

{Scene of the Crime: Shake Shack}

This is a veggie burger therefore it must be good for me. After all, it is a portabella mushroom…that just happens to be deep fried to perfection and stuffed with melted muenster cheese.

Exhibit C:

The Crispy Artichoke appetizer with Basil Aioli

{Scene of the Crime: Bocca East}

Just because they’re called “crispy” doesn’t necessarily mean they’re fried. Artichokes are a great source of Vitamin C. I mean I gotta get my daily dose of Vitamin C and it might as well be in a crispy form.

And with that being said, I’m off to breakfast to justify my bagel by ordering it with vegetable cream cheese.

Happy Eating!

Fat Friday

The approaching summer season has me craving fresh vegetables. I’m not sure if it’s the warm weather or the fact that it’s going to be beach bod season, but I’ve been dreaming of a delicious salad.

I had one of my most memorable salads in St. Louis, MO at a quaint farm-to-table restaurant called Farmhaus. Our meal went so far as to turn my anti-veggie coworker into a salad fan. From the arch to Farmhaus we went. As an office we like to share food. This is partly because we’re a generous group, but mainly because we’re looking for an excuse to try everything on menu.

The salad came out in a mason jar heaped with goat cheese. Our waiter suavely poured the contents onto our plate. The dish consisted of okra, yellow wax beans, heirloom tomatoes, carrots, shaved fennel, grilled corn and thyme. All the ingredients were local and fresh. I’m not sure what I liked more the salad or the presentation. We dug in and had to duke it out for the last bite of goat cheese.

We  obviously couldn’t eat a salad without ordering something fried to go along with. We tried the Conch fritters.  They were light and lovely served with grilled corn, jalapeño and Sriracha mayo.

 

 

Whenever I see scallops on a menu, I have to them. They were served with creamed sweet corn, bacon,poached mushrooms and heirloom tomatoes.

It was the ideal light summer meal…until we went out afterwards for margaritas and dessert.

Fat Friday

This delicious looking feast could only come from one place and one place only-

In-N-Out Burger.

After two years of being red meat free (a silly college decision I cannot begin to fathom now) I ditched my vegetarian ways for this burger palace. A hectic work trip to Los Angeles brought me to In-N-Out Burger. I had heard the stories, but had my doubts. Was it worth ending my two year veggie streak? The minute I bit into my cheeseburger I never looked back.

The reviews were true. In-N-Out made me completely rethink my notion of Fast Food. It was unbelievably fresh, cooked ready to order. I, of course, took note of the packaging. Each burger is wrapped up tightly, like a little present. I’m a sucker for the 1950’s drive-thru flair. The simple menu, the little red tray, and adorably packaged burger had me ready to pack my bags and move to LA permanently.

If I took the redeye to LA tonight, I could be there by the time they open their doors tomorrow…..