Enjoy A Hot Pot Meal In China

Hot Pot is like the Chinese version of fondue, minus the big pot of chocolate or cheese. 

A metal pot is filled up with simmering broth and placed in the center of a table.  The broth is filled with a variety of noodles, veggies, and meat.  Once cooked, the pieces are plucked out with chopsticks and dipped with a sauce.

The Hot pot has been around for more than 1000 years originating from Mongolia and gaining popularity during the Tang Dynasty. 

There are two varieties I was eager to try, the Mongolian Hot Pot, and the Chongqing (Sichuan) hot pot.  One with a subtle broth, and one with a spicy broth.

I had hired a local guide, Cathy during part of my stay in Beijing, and I asked her if she would take me for some hot pot.  It was a blessing to have her along for the ride cause she helped me buy things off the street like these candied hawthorn berries...

Don't mind that I wore everything I had in my luggage to keep me warm!   Also to save you a few bucks, skip the candied hawthorn berries.  It was DISGUSTING!

A Mongolian Hot Pot was exactly what we needed to warm our insides after a day of walking around in the blistering Beijing cold.  It was also inviting when they decorated our dips with a smiley face (see the bottom left of the above photo).    We ordered a variety of veggies, noodles, and meat.  We placed the noodles in first because they took longer to cook.  The meat cooked surprisingly quickly because they were thinly sliced.

The Mongolian Hot Pot was good, but I love my spice so I was super keen to try the Chongqing hot pot.

So during our stay in Chongqing we were treated with a free hotpot meal.  We were able to split the hotpot with one side spicy and the other side a wimpy traditional hotpot.  Guess which one I tried?  The one completely saturated with Sichuan chili peppers OBVIOUSLY!

I love spice, but I will be the first to admit that it was NOT easy!  I add sriracha sauce to just about everything, but this had my mouth on FIRE.  When I get Thai food I usually get a 5 or 6 on the spice scale, but this was easily a 10 on the scale!!  It was still really good, but only with a few Tums tablets as a chaser!

Date Accomplished:  March 2nd, 2012

Eat Stuffed Pigeon In Egypt

This is the story of the day I decided to eat a flying rat.

I'm sure you are quite aware what a pigeon is...

That's my friend Janice at the Piazza San Marco in Venice surrounded by pigeons.  I didn't want to get near them so I offered to be the photographer from a cautious distance.

When I found out that eating Stuffed Pigeon was a delicacy in Egypt I immediately knew I had to try it.  It goes along with my passion for trying weird eats like Guinea Pig in Peru.

Egyptians have been eating pigeon since 3000BC, so it can't be that bad, right?  Right!?!

While in Luxor, Egypt we went to a restaurant by our hotel that specialized in Stuffed Pigeon.  The catch was that you had to order the Stuffed Pigeon in advance. One day in advance?  Did they have to hunt my pigeon down on the streets?  I became weary, but my guide assured me that the pigeons were not like the ones you find on streets, and are bred solely for food consumption.   We then had the choice of having the pigeon stuffed with rice or corn.  I opted for rice because I was craving some rice (yes, I CRAVE rice!). 

Since I couldn't get my stuffed pigeon that day I opted for some moussaka and took a few bites of my friends camel dish.  I was surprised at how tasty camel was!

The following evening I found myself back at the restaurant for my stuffed pigeon dish.....

Before I continue I have to tell you that I have a texture issue when eating any type of meat.  I hate bones!  I'm a boneless type of gal if ordering any type of meat.  I knew the bone-in pigeon would be a challenge for me.

Just before I could start diving into my dinner this happened.....

City Wide Blackout!   Apparently this happens quite often due to the government.   The restaurant owners profusely apologized for the blackout and began a long rant about the demise of their government.  This was a constant topic throughout my travels through Egypt, and I could feel the increasing tension in every Egyptian person I met!

So they finally lit a few candles, and in almost complete darkness we began to eat our pigeon.  Don't people pay big bucks to dine in the dark at those fancy schmancy restaurants? 

Crack, crack, as I heard wings and pigeon backs breaking in the darkness.  I was beginning to feel queasy.  

I took small bites, but it was really difficult to taste the meat because their wasn't much of it.  I got to the rice and I wasn't impressed.  The flavors and spices they used for the rice were not good at all.  As I started really tearing into the pigeon, I was beginning to feel blessed that we were eating in darkness.  My guide noticed I was having difficulty and told me to just hold the pigeon with both hands and just crack the bones to open it up.  I couldn't do it, so I just kinda ate around the bones.

While some of my friends ate it in its entirety with only the bones remaining, I was only able to eat about 1/4 of it.  I'll stick with the camel next time. 

Date Accomplished:  March 27th, 2013

Try Balut In The Philippines

If you have a weak stomach I encourage you to skip this post in its entirety.  

I rarely talk about my failed attempts on my website, but after trying to attempt this list item I completely lost interest and officially tossed it off the list.

Balut is a fertilized duck embryo.   It is a delicacy in the Philippines and my relatives love to eat it.  I like chicken, so I thought I would be okay eating this.  After all, I ate bugs in China.

I hope no one got sick looking at the photo, but don't say I didn't warn you!

My first attempt to eat balut was at a restaurant my aunt and uncle took me to.  They were serving Balut in an Adobo sauce.  I made some lame excuse that I wanted to try it the "traditional way". First Failed Attempt!

A few days later my aunt went to a market and bought a few balut eggs.  She told me that we would eat it as a snack on the way to visit my dad's hometown. 

I asked her to crack the egg shell for me, and when I turned around I saw the photo above.  Yucccccckkk.  The more I looked at it, the more I knew I couldn't eat it.  Any ounce of desire to complete this item was out the window.  I made my final decision to not eat it when I saw its feathers!!  I am a pretty brave chick when it comes to eating odd ball foods, but this is something I will not try! 

It's not a good sign when balut appears on shows like Fear Factor and Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern!  Has anyone else tried this?

Date Accomplished:  NEVER....and officially off the list!  Good Riddance!

Top 10 Things In China That Made Me Say WTF!

March 18th, 2013

Last year around this time I was traveling around China, and truthfully, it was a bit of a culture shock.  These were a few things that made me go WTF......

1.  Glasses With No Lenses-  The first time I saw this was when I was in an elevator filled with Chinese teeny boppers, I looked up at the girl next to me and noticed her lense-less glasses.   The elevator opened up only to find another group of teeny boppers with similar frames. This became an ongoing joke.  So one day while we were out shopping in Shanghai, we found several stores selling lenseless glasses.  We decided to buy a few (after bargaining of course) to "embrace" the culture.

2.  Public Ear Cleaning-  While traveling in Chengdu, China we were approached by men with rusty sticks with cotton like poofs at the end of them (that's what she said).  "Clean, Ear" they yelled.  I was familiar with the practice since I had seen it on an episode of No Reservations.  I somehow talked my friend Rance into doing it, and the look on his face says it all!  The unsanitary rods were placed into his ears, and with a metal instrument they would tap to cause a slight vibration ringing. 

3. The Beijing Nightmarkets- In Beijing, they have dedicated night markets specifically for selling edible bugs.  I even ate one.  It wasn't exactly the bugs that made me say WTF, but it was some of the other things they were selling like Sheep Penis!

4.   Chinese Hitch "Hiking"- While taking a hike in Emeishan I was surprised at the amount of men offering rides up and down the mountain.  The Chinese definitely do not dress to hike.  I saw many women wearing high heels, and fancy dresses as if they were ready to go to the clubs.  Then I saw a man in a full suit and dress shoes taking a ride around the mountain as if he were royalty.  Really people?

5.  The Lack of Western Toilets- Savor that picture, because western toilets can be a rare site in China.  In China, the most popular type of toilet are squat toilets.  It is basically a hole in the ground.  Some places (like in train stations) the "toilet" was a long flowing trough!  So in other words you would know exactly what your bathroom neighbor was doing because it would swim by your stall!   Some bathrooms didn't even have stalls or doors!

On overnight trains the squat toilet would "flush" right onto the tracks.  There was never toilet paper, and rarely could I find soap by the sinks.  At one place I stayed we had a blackout in the communal bathroom.  I had enough practice that I was able to use the squats in the dark with a flashlight in my mouth, and toilet paper and hand sanitizer in the other.    When I arrived in Hong Kong I almost wanted to kiss the first western toilet I saw!  I will NEVER choose a squat over my beloved porcelain throne. 

6.  The Constant Gawking- My previous post about this subject says it all!  The photo above was on an overnight train.  We were surrounded by curious stalking locals like this!

7.  Sichuan Opera- I cannot believe I paid to watch this.  It was one of the most bizarre and random things I have ever seen.  The Sichuan Opera was a collection of various acts, with the acts ranging from acting, very high pitched singing, music, face mask swapping, and even a shadow puppeteer.

8.  The Chinese Version of Online Dating (minus the online part)- While walking through a park in Chengdu we noticed groups of people looking at pieces of paper attached along a line of bushes.  We found out it was like online dating meets old school personals.  Some of the "profiles" even had photos. My friend Emma may have found the man of her dreams.

9.  Public Transportation-  Don't let our smiles deceive you, inside we were terrified! I have never hated public transportation more than I did in China.   The pushing and shoving was insane.  I always had a fear of not being able to get on or off, and being left behind.

In Beijing my friend and I were almost separated while taking the subway.   We were attempting to get off the train when a barrage of impatient people sucked us back in.   We started yelling, and eventually someone that was outside successfully plucked us out.

The subways were always overcrowded, and often times we held onto each other since we had little to no space to hold onto anything.

Taxis in some areas were also very unreliable.  In Xi'an, a taxi driver tried to charge us an extra bogus fee that was not even on the receipt.  We didn't want to pay him the extra amount, in retaliation he refused to open the trunk until we gave him more money.  Because of this incident I ALWAYS have my luggage with me in the back seat.  This proved to be a life saver when I had a massive fight with a taxi driver in Hong Kong that ended with me being dropped off at a random hotel and throwing my bag out of the back seat.  The situation could have ended worst had I placed my bag in the trunk.

10.  Chinese Justin Bieber-  And I was like Baby, Baby, Baby....Ohh.  Last but certainly not least, my last WTF was China's version of Justin Bieber.  This man boy was allllllll over snack bags!  We called him CJB for short.  We created our own little scavenger hunt while at grocery stores, we called it "Who can find CJB."

. . . . . . . . . . .

I leave for my trip to the Middle East and Europe tomorrow morning.  I didn't want to completely abandon my blog while away so I have written a weekly post scheduled to be published every Monday.  If I don't respond to your emails and comments it just means that I have limited internet access, or I am having waaaay too much fun.  I hope it's the latter.  I will be updating my Instagram TripColor feed as often as I can. See you in May! 

Have Tapas, Sangria And Paella In Spain

My taste buds were so thrilled to try some Spanish food while traveling through Spain.  The foods I was most looking forward to were tapas, sangria and paella.

Tapas-  We had our fair share of tapas while in Spain.  Tapas  are a variety of small dishes that come cold (ie. cheeses and deli meats) and warm (ie. fried).   The beauty of tapas is that you can pick a few to make up a meal.  In some areas of Spain, tapas can come complimentary with a drink order.  My favorite place was an outdoor restaurant in Sevilla called Vineria San Telmo.  The ambiance was fantastic, and the food was so savory.  The tapas served were also very unique from other tapas joints that we tried in Spain.  Mmmm...I would love some chiporones (deep fried small squid) right now.

Pinchos (or Pintxos)- I know this wasn't on the list of things I had to try, but I ended up adding this onto the list just prior to my trip after a friend recommended them to me.  Pinchos are more prevalent in Northern Spain, and are similar to tapas because of their tiny portions.  The biggest difference is that they are often spiked with a toothpick accompanied with a piece of bread.  It is often eaten while  standing and surrounded by shelves filled with pinchos.  You then grab the pinchos you want, and collect the toothpicks on your plate.  At the end of your meal you are charged by the number of toothpicks you have accumulated on your plate.  Shortly after we were robbed in Barcelona, we went to my favorite pinchos place called Golfo De Bizkaia. 

I was obsessed from that point on.  I hunted for pinchos everywhere I went in Spain, and if I couldn't find pinchos then I would settle for Tapas.

Sangria-  I've had my share of good and bad sangria.  Sangria is like a Spanish punch filled with fruits, red wine, and sometimes brandy.  I asked my Barcelona friends to take me to their favorite Tapas place for some Sangria.  They took me to La Bombeta.    My friend and I were the only foreigners in the entire place.  Sangria isn't my drink of choice because I prefer white wine, BUT, during hot summer days sangria with that twist of fruit is just what I need. 

Paella-  Paella is a dish made with rice, saffron, veggies, chicken and seafood.  I love rice.  I grew up eating A LOT of rice, and my mom would make a huge pot of it every day.  While traveling in Malaga we decided to look for a good paella joint.  Since Malaga was on the coast, I was very hopeful that we would get some fresh seafood for my Seafood Paella.  I was wrong.  My paella was served in a paellera (a pan that the paella is cooked on and traditionally served on).  I ate a few spoonfuls before I gave up.  It was awful.  It's not a good sign when you prefer to munch on the stale bread in the middle of the table over your overpriced main entree.  

You can't win them all, but 2 out of 3 isn't half bad!

Date Accomplished: October 27th, 2011

Eat A Philly Cheesesteak In Philly

This following post will display my most recent obsession to Instagram. Anyone else addicted to it as much as I am?

While visiting Philly, eating a Philly Cheesesteak was on the list. I surprised myself by crossing it off my list THREE times!  Philly Cheesesteaks are sandwiches composed of thinly sliced pieces of steak, and cheese inside a large loaf of bread.  It was created in Philadelphia in the 1930's.  Most cheesesteak joints give you an option of having grilled onions, and a choice of cheeses like Provolone, American, and Cheez Wiz!

My first Philly Cheesesteak was at Reading Terminal Market.  My friend and I walked through the endless stalls of eateries looking for a cheesesteak place.  The only cheesesteak joint still open was Carmen's Famous Italian Hoagies.  I had it with grilled onions and Provolone cheese.  This was my most favorite from the three because it was the most fresh, and everything was cooked to order. 

.................................

The couple I was staying with through Airbnb told me about the next two cheesesteak joints that were walking distance from where I was staying.  Each evening I took the walk to 9th Street and Passyunk to try the cheesesteaks at the rivaling restaurants. 

My second Philly Cheesesteak was at Pat's King Of Steaks, which just so happens to be the restaurant of the creator of the Philly Cheesesteak, Pat Olivieri.  Surprisingly this was my least favorite Cheesesteak.  I had it with American Cheese and grilled onions.  The meat was lukewarm, and the meat tasted like it may have been sitting out for awhile.  Disappointed, I was hesitant to try another cheesesteak.

................................. 

The following evening, I decided to give my cheesesteak adventure another chance.  I went to the restaurant across from Pat's called Geno's Steaks.  The people I was staying with had told me that a Philly Cheesesteak is pure junk food.  I didn't realize how true that statement was until I had the Geno's Steak with Cheez Wiz!  Holy Oily Guacamole!  Despite it being oily, the Cheez Wiz Philly Cheesesteak wasn't half bad.

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In the end, the winner of my little Philly Cheesesteak taste test goes to Carmen's!

Date Accomplished:  October 7th, 2012

The Foodie Adventures: New Orleans, Louisiana

August 29th, 2012

When I'm traveling I refuse to go to McDonald's, or just about any place that I can find back home.  Yeah, I admit, I'm a bit of a food snob, however it was no problem avoiding Maccas (Aussie slang!) in New Orleans with its abundance of restaurant choices.

My first stop was Jacques-Imo's Cafe, who claims to have "Real Nawlins Food."  They didn't have me at hello, they had me at free cornbread muffins. They were delicious, and I had no shame asking for a second helping.  For my main entree I got the stuffed pork chops which were okay, not a very Nawlins choice, but after a long day of traveling I was craving some meat!  The other white meat. The portion was huge, and a doggy bag was definitely needed.

For dessert we went to The Creole Creamery for some Ice Cream.  The restaurant had a cute diner feel, and although they had tasty traditional flavors, the winning edge came from flavor choices such as Lavender Honey, Wedding Cake & Champagne, and Thai Basil Coconut.  Cash Only!

The following day I had some beignets at Cafe Du Monde, and some jambalaya, gumbo and pralines in the French Quarter.  

During the evening it was time to feel like a princess at Commander's Palace.  Commander's is one of the more popular, and fancy schmancy restaurants in New Orleans.   No sporting my flip flops here.  I love to wine and dine, but considering that I travel a lot I do still have to watch my credit card use.  Thankfully, it was restaurant week, and for less than $40 we were able to enjoy a 3 course meal (plus a cocktail).  SCORE!!

I really enjoyed the entire experience and ambiance.  When they brought over our appetizers we were surrounded by a mob of people, they had three people each holding one plate, and a few additional people trailing behind them offering us condiments, "Hello madame, would you like some sherry with your turtle soup?"  Okay, I'll take some sherry, just because you made it sound so fancy.  I kept waiting for them to break out in song and dance to the tune "Be Our Guest" from Beauty and The Beast.  It would have been so fitting.

The Bread Pudding Soufflé topped off the evening.  Divine.

For brunch we went to Refuel, the name being so appropriate since we needed some refueling after our crazy night on Bourbon Street filled with Hurricanes and Hand Grenades.  I settled for a simple grilled sandwich with a side of grits.  My friend decided to have something a bit heavier and got the brunch special called a Hans Solo.  The description ended with, "May The Force Be With You."  Tee Hee. Geeky, I know.  The pancake was bigger than her head, and I think it was made only for Chewbacca to finish.

After pretty-fying ourselves, and washing every inch of our bodies after our little airboat ride through the swamp,  our appetites were ready for more food.  We headed to Boucherie, a tiny house turned restaurant extraordinaire.  We didn't realize how tiny the place was, so it was no surprise that we were told we needed reservations to eat inside the house.

Feeling defeated, we were quickly offered a spot on the patio. Besides battling the occasional insect now and again, we had a great meal.  The winning dish for me was the Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding.  I don't even like Krispy Kreme donuts, but it was easily the best bread pudding I've ever had!  With thousands of calories raging through my system, it was time to burn some of it off on  Frenchmen Street.

Speaking of donuts, the following day for breakfast we indulged on more sweet succulent goodies at Blue Dot Donuts.  Maple Glazed Donuts sprinkled with crispy bacon bits (way better than Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland!), and Red Velvet Donuts.  What is it about red velvet donuts that makes me smile like a 5 year old child at Disneyland? 

For lunch we were in dire need of some Po-Boy's.  Prior to going to New Orleans a friend highly recommend getting some Fried Oyster Po-Boy's.  I got just that at Freret Street Po-Boy. While eating one of the best sandwiches I've ever had, we watched the New Orleans Saints play football with a room full of locals. There is no question that Nawlin's folk LOVE their football.

The downfall of eating the Fried Oyster Po-Boy?  The huge disappointment that we have not one decent Po-boy place in San Diego.  I know, I know.  Cry Me A River.

My last dinner in New Orleans *sob sob* was at Dante's Kitchen.  Another house turned restaurant joint.  Not only do they give you free Molasses Cornbread, but the food is finger lickin' good.  I tried justifying my disgusting finger lickin' habits by ordering an appetizer called Pot Likka.  I mean, come on, the name of the dish is pretty much asking me to lick all the amazing flavors off my fingers.

For my main entree I got 'Chicken Roasted Under A Brick,' and if simply cooking chicken under a brick makes it taste that good then I am headed to Home Depot right now! Okay, maybe it involves more than just roasting it under a brick.

New Orleans food certainly did not disappoint.  I'm excited to go back in January, but this time I'll be attending a little event called Mardi Gras.  Maybe you've heard of it?

Eat A Bug

Yes, you are reading that title right.  Eat A Bug.  I'm all about eating weird, adventurous and out right odd things.  I'm no Andrew Zimmern (meaning I would never eat a cow's freshly extracted placenta that is still laying on a manure filled ground), but when traveling I do try to eat what the locals eat.

In Beijing the streets come alive after 5PM with an assortment of weird and odd delicacies.  The Night Market is home to freshly cooked dumplings, noodles, candied fruits, and bugs!

 

In addition to selling bugs they also sell sheep penis, snakes, starfishes, sea horses, and balls (of a few different animals).  I wasn't interested in all that other stuff, I wanted to try a bug!  Umm...and by chance did you notice how long the sheep penis is?  Just sayin.'

Truthfully, I always get a tad bit nervous eating street food even in my own country. So the first night I went to the market I played it safe (a.k.a. chickening the f*** out) and got some hot steamy dumplings instead.  I knew I would be back, so it gave me some time to ask people around about the best bug choice (if one even exist).

My friend Steph was also interested in trying some bugs, and we were told that the Scorpions were probably our best bet.  She was extremely nervous, but braved it out and bought a stick with two scorpions on it.  The cook deep fried it (not alive) for a few seconds before handing it to her.  The arrangement was that if I tried one she would try one, but I insisted that she go first.....

Then it was my turn, and without hesitation I put it in my mouth.  Crunch.  Hmm...it taste like a chip (or "crisps" as some of you people call it)!  Not bad at all!  In fact, Steph said the scorpion was the tastiest thing she had in all of China!

Date Accomplished:  March 5th, 2012

Eat Kangaroo

Kangaroo Pizza

While I was in Sydney, Australia I met up with a friend, her husband, and another one of their buds for a fun night in the city.  They told me that since I was in Australia they would take me to a place that served things I probably would only find in Oz.  I was a little weary, as I was still a pretty young "Daring Foodie"  but I was open to trying something different.

We took a taxi to an area known as The Rocks and stopped at the Australian Heritage Hotel.  The restaurant prides themselves in serving Australian food with a twist, as well as local beers and wine.  I looked down at the menu and saw a few of my choices.....

I'll have Little Joey please, I mean the Pepper Kangaroo Pizza.

Before my dinner arrived I had one local beer and wine in hopes to numb a bit of that fear of eating a cute little animal.  When my food arrived it had huge pieces of Kangaroo all over the pizza.  I shuddered for a second, as I was expecting smaller pieces of meat to cover the pizza.

It tasted a little gamey and too chewy for me.  It wasn't a good sign when I started picking off the Kangaroo meat from my pizza and handing it over to my friends.

I'm convinced that the Kangaroo meat gave us a different type of energy though, we ended up hopping all over Sydney; from bar hopping at Circular Quay and to a party in an abandoned church.  Hoppity Hop Little Joey!

Date Accomplished:  March 20th, 2009

P.S.  I normally use only my photos on this site, but the photo of my Kangaroo Pizza was so horribly taken as it was pitch black outside.  The photo was so bad it would deter anyone from ever trying the pizza.

Try Belgian Chocolate And Waffles In Belgium

One of my several definitions of being a Foodie is traveling for food.

 Macaroons from Del Rey Chocolates

While traveling to Amsterdam I decided to escape for a day and venture over to the neighboring country of Belgium.  Belgium is more notably known for two types of food, Belgian Chocolates, and Belgian Waffles.  It wasn't exactly a $20 bus ride over to Belgium either.  It was a steep $80 roundtrip train ride from Amsterdam to Belgium.  So it definitely wasn't cheap, but again, I am a Foodie and I will travel far for edible delights (the more I tell myself that the easier it is for my wallet).

The train ride to Antwerp was an easy two hours each way, and the train station alone was worth the visit!  It was monstrous, clean, and beautiful designed.

Antwerp Central Station

As soon as I stepped off the train I quickly discovered little waffle stands scattered around the station.   I wanted to try a more mom-and-pop type place so I skipped the ones at the station and explored the city on foot.  I managed to find a pleasantly nice shopping area that seemed like a pretty  happening place.  It was lined with charming old buildings and statues, so I crossed my fingers and toes in hopes of finding a waffle place.

Hunting for waffles in a shopping area of Antwerp

I guess before I move on I should give you some Waffle history.  Believe it or not there are several types of waffles.  For instance, in The Netherlands I tried the Stroopwafel which was nothing to write home about.  Then we have the American style waffles which are topped with maple syrup, or fried chicken if you desire a more heartier alternative.  Belgium has two popular styles of waffles, the Brussels Waffle (which is how they typically serve Belgian waffles in America), or the Liège Waffle (which is coated with bits of pearl sugar that carmelizes on the outside when baked).  I'll take the one I can't find back home please!  Liège it is!

 My Liège style Belgian Waffle

After scowering the area I finally settled on a little food truck that had locals running to it.  The nice old man took the money out of my palm and in exchange handed me my waffle wrapped in a napkin.  In Belgium, waffles are considered street food similar to hot dogs in New York.  I sat by a fountain and took one bite of my still warm waffle and my eyes widdened stunned at how yummy it was!  It was perfectly sweet without it being smothered by fruits, chocolate, syrup, etc.  If I had 5 thumbs I would give it 5 thumbs up, and then I would try growing a sixth thumb just for extra credit.

Then it was time to hunt for some chocolate.  Before arriving in Antwerp, I went on TripAdvisor to search for Chocolatiers near the train station.  I found one chocolate shop that had locations in Amsterdam, but I didn't just spend $80 to travel to Belgium to buy chocolate I can get in Amsterdam.  Then just around the corner from the train station I found Del Rey Chocolates, a local chocolate shop that takes pride in creating pieces of edible chocolate art.

Chocolates from the store window

I walked in the store to find myself surrounded by beautiful morsels of chocolate heaven.  The people at the shop were quite friendly, and helped me pick out a few things to take back to Amsterdam with me.  I decided on a small box of assorted chocolates and macaroons (the fun colors were calling out, "EAT ME!").  The chocolates were not cheap, but it was still worth the money in my book (then again I am also the crazy fool that just spent $80 to buy chocolate and waffles).

Works of Art from the window of Del Rey

The Votes are in, and the Winners are:

Chocolate Category- My vote still goes to Swiss Chocolate.  Belgian Chocolates were more rich (concentrating more on the cocoa flavor), while I favor the more milky smooth taste of Swiss Chocolate.

Waffle Category-  The Belgian (Liège) Waffle wins by a landslide.  Now it's time to search for a place in Southern California that makes them!

Date Accomplished:  October 19th, 2011

Try 52 New Recipes For One Year

I attempted this goal in 2010 and failed miserably!  Since 2011 was the first year of having my very own kitchen loaded with new appliances and cookware, I thought it was better now than never to get this goal completed!  I chose the number 52 in order to average one recipe per week, which seemed much more realistic since more often than not I was cooking just for myself. I only had two rules to complete this goal and they were that every recipe had to be something I had never cooked before,  and only meals that could be eaten as a main dish were allowed.

The first recipe of the year...Cheesy Bacon & Hash Brown Casserole

I got a quick start by signing up for Dream Dinners, which allowed me to prepare my meals at a store and place them in Ziploc bags to cook at a future time.  My cookbooks were now in my kitchen, so seeing them everyday inspired me to cook. 

 My Cookbook Collection

I was doing fantastic the first two months, and ended up being way ahead of schedule.  I was really enjoying experimenting with my recipes and exploring different ways of cooking like using a broiler, grill, and crock pot.  I was also loving that I was spending less money on food, eating relatively healthier, and not having to eat cafeteria food at work.

I loved making Asian Food, and I got to really practice cooking stir fries which are quick and easy if you are on a time crunch.  I made recipes from all areas of Asia including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Indian Food. 

I was convinced that I would finish my recipe challenge much earlier than planned.  I was rocking it! 

Then the obstacles started hitting me one at a time.  One morning when I went into my kitchen I noticed some sprouts growing from the corner of my kitchen.  It was growing out of my tile!  I noticed the floor was wet and so were my cabinets.  I pinpointed that the source of the water was the water line behind my refrigerator.  The valve had somehow failed and had leaked (rather soaked) into my walls and cabinets.  I called a water damage company and the following day my kitchen looked like this....

Is this my kitchen or a bio hazard zone?

My kitchen totally gutted out!  There is another 6 feet of wall on the right that is gutted out!

Trust me when I say I wasn't expecting this during my first year of being a homeowner!  The kitchen nightmare lasted for another 6 weeks.  After I finally got the cabinets back in I decided to get new countertops.  I eventually wanted to get new countertops, and since 75% of my counters had to be removed, it made no sense to have them place counters that matched the ones I wanted to horribly replace.  So after finding a granite countertop contractor I asked him if he also did tile flooring.  I then decided to get the floor tiles replaced in my kitchen, including all three bathrooms and the entry way.   For nearly two months my house was a construction zone!  My fridge was in the living room, my stove in the backyard, and my only means of cooking was a microwave on the floor.  I ate out a lot!

Once my kitchen was all done I ended up spending a lot of time out of my kitchen doing what I love most, traveling.  I calculated that I was out of town for approximately five weeks in 2011.  After getting back from my Europe trip in November I was still a little behind on my recipe challenge.  I decided to upgrade my appliances to stainless steel.  I sold some of my appliances on craigslist, and had my stove picked up two days before my expected delivery date (my appliances not a pregnancy delivery date).  Just a few hours before my delivery date I got a call that one of my appliances was back ordered and they wouldn't be able to deliver  all my appliances until after Thanksgiving.  WHAT?!?!?!  So I naturally threw a fit, and somehow managed to get a few discounts and a stove that I had originally wanted more but was not in the budget!  I was still stove-less for over a week and just a month away from my 2012 deadline. 

My new appliances and my finally finished kitchen transformed me into a little Martha Stewart.  Knowing that all the holiday parties were looming I knew I had to finish well before Christmas.  I cooked and cooked, sometimes making three recipes in one day.

The last recipe...Parmesan Chicken!

Here are the list of the recipes.....

1. Cheesy Bacon & Hash Brown Casserole
2. Parmesan Pesto Salmon
3. Cider Braised Pork Chops
4. Buffalo Ranch Chicken (made 2x)
5. Asian Lettuce Wraps
6. Sweet and Sour Chicken
7. Turkey Enchiladas
8. On The Border Pizza
9. Steak Salsa Verde
10. Slow Cooked Pork Chops 
11. Basil Pork Chops
12. Seasoned Tofu
13. Indian Turkey Curry
14. Lime Chicken Tacos
15. Basil Chicken
16. Super-Spicy Mongolian Beef
17. Korean Beef Rice Bowl
18. Baked Wrapped Tilapia
19. Curried Coconut Chicken
20. Mini Burgers Wrap with Spicy Mayo Sauce
21. Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Kebabs
22. Broccoli & Beef
23. Thai Shrimp Curry
24. Turkey Empanadas
25. Sweet, Sticky, and Spicy Chicken
26. Caramelized Baked Chicken
27. Mushroom Pork Chops
28. Curried Honey Mustard Chicken
29. Taco Pie
30. Cashew Crusted Chicken
31. Polenta Tamale Pie
32. Jalapeno Cornbread with Chili
33. Seasoned Turkey Burgers 
34. Homemade Black Bean Burgers
35. Garlic Egg Chicken
36. Key West Chicken
37. Assorted Sushi Rolls and Hand Rolls 
38. Spicy Egg & Cheese Omelet Sandwich
39. Coconut Curry Tofu
40. Spicy Basil Turkey
41. Crab Fettuccine Alfredo (made 3x)
42. Beef Bulgogi
43. Turkey Stroganoff
44. Toasted Pecan Chicken with Mashed Potatoes
45. Sage Crusted Pork Chops
46. Mexican Meatballs
47. Chicken Yakitori over Jasmine Rice
48. Cola and Lime Tender Pork Roast
49. Chateau Chicken with Almond Butter Sauce
50. Szechwan Shrimp 
51. Ginger Glazed Mahi
52. Parmesan Chicken

Even though I didn't include desserts onto my recipe tally, I still made a few and enjoyed eating them. 

Extra Sides & Desserts

1. Nutella Cookies
2. Coconut Rice
3. Garlic Fried Rice
4. Toffee Butterscotch Pie
5. Mango-Pineapple Smoothie
6. Butter Pecan Ice Cream  (made 2x)
7. Cheesy Biscuits (made 2x)

Despite not having access to a functional kitchen for 12 weeks I am proud to say I completed this goal three weeks before my deadline!

Date Accomplished:  December 10th, 2011