Newly New York

"Onward and upward..." Willy Wonka once said.
 
Good morning! Having only been in New York since Monday, I'm still getting used to speed of living in Coney Island and working in Manhattan. I am thrilled to be starting my new journey in New York as a culinary student. Since moving here, I've experienced the haphazard driving of the locals, the need for cash and exact change, and the seemingly-infinite subway system.  I've also wandered over to Coney Island beach and amusement park and been equally amused and creeped out by the ambiance and some of the rides/games. (Check out my other blog for photos of the park).

The dinner my host family made was divine: barbequed hot dogs, chicken breasts, hamburgers, huge kaiser rolls, salad, and watermelon. Yum! The next morning, I reciprocated and made breakfast:

apples, sauteed in butter and cinnamon, to be mixed with oatmeal, sea salt and honey

One of my best adventures this week was making it from Coney Island to Manhattan (switching trains once and taking a bus) all by myself! Coming from the DC area, this was certainly a feat. Since I will be working as a freelance photo editor at The Food Network/Cooking Channel New York office, I went to Chelsea Market to meet up with the team. I loved the building! A former Nabisco factory, it is now filled with a walking market and offices upstairs. So beautiful!

I got a garden vegetable sandwich with chummus at Friedman's Lunch and stood at one of the cocktail tables, surrounding the support columns, to eat.

sandwich: toasted rye with chummus, romaine lettuce, tomato, carrot, avocado, sprouts, and cucumber
 
I went upstairs to the Food Network office and who did I see in the lobby? I'm about 100% sure it was Zac Posen! I met with the photo duo with whom I'll be working and they showed me around the place. I'm so excited to work there! 

Stay tuned on my other blog for updates, cool things, and photos from my life as a freelancer!

More adventures to come... Have a happy and relaxing Labor Day weekend!

Chesapeake Bay Flounder

I went fishing with a friend to the Chesapeake Bay (at Snug Harbor) on a skiff on a hot, hot day this summer. We didn't hit any traffic there or back, thank goodness, and it was an ultimately successful day! 

 weights at the equipment rental shed

 the front of the little skiff

 our first catch! the crab was too small, so we threw it back.

 second catch! this is a Maryland blue crab

 it was SO ANGRY. we put it in the cooler with the baby crab before we threw them both back, but they had a constant face-off.

 third catch! another baby crab, so we threw it back also.

 final catch of the day! 17" flounder

 heading away from the island

 look at this guy... chin and tail hanging over the ends of the baking sheet

 I called a friend to help me fillet it quickly before Shabbat. I don't currently own a boning knife, so this was the best I had...

WARNING: The photos below show the fish cleaning and filleting process.

 revealing the heart and inner guts

 We turned the stomach inside out to see what it had just eaten. Turns out, it had eaten a baby Maryland blue crab! I heard a rumor (according to some ideas we threw around on Shabbat) that I could have eaten the crab, because it was caught inside the stomach of a kosher fish. Comment below with your thoughts!

 top fillet off, guts discarded

 flipped over and ready to cook!

I baked it in the oven at 375 for a few minutes and then took it out to rest. I seasoned it with lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a little garlic. We had it as an appetizer for our Friday night meal and everyone had a bite or two. Of course, I snagged a cheek... Delicious!

Interested in portrait/landscape photography, tattoos, or industrial design? Check out my other blog!

Cedar-Smoked Fish Packets

I bought a pack of cedar wood grilling papers to try on a camping trip, but unfortunately, that didn't work out. Instead, I used them on my stovetop grill. I gathered the following ingredients:

-red snapper fillet

-fresh rosemary

-red onion

-zucchini

First, you will have to soak the papers (so they don't burn) and you will get a nice smoke.

 I sliced up the zuchini to fit better inside the packet.

Then I placed the fish on top. Next time I do this, I would marinate the fish in a light sauce, possibly olive oil, vinegar, and garlic. This time the fish was plain: I wanted to see how everything tasted with the cedar flavor.

 Next I placed a slice of red onion on top of the fish:

 Lastly, I put a sprig of fresh rosemary on the onion. Next time, I'll throw on some sea salt, pepper, and maybe a drizzle of olive oil.

 Then it was time to fold and tie up the packet.

I pre-heated the stove top grill to medium-high and let the packets sit for about 8-10 minutes.

 This is what the fish looked like inside the packet after 10 minutes:

 The fish was done, but the veggies definitely needed more time.

 I ended up eating the packet with a side of corn slaw. Delicious!

Happy eating!

Interested in portrait/landscape photography, tattoos, or industrial design? Check out my other blog!

Keeping It Cool in Culinary School

I am thrilled to share that I will be attending the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts this upcoming fall! There, I will be learning the basis principles of food preparation, how to plate and serve many types of traditional and global cuisines, and become certified in food safety and storage. I decided to start this journey with the encouragement from my parents who urged me to research the opportunity since I was unhappy with my job situation. I was constantly throwing parties, hosting meals, etc., and creating beautiful dishes or finger food for my guests.

Over the past almost two years of living in a one-bedroom apartment by myself, I've enjoyed having friends over for theme parties, girl's night, or just a Friday night meal. It gives me such pleasure to feed people: to learn what they like, to get creative around food sensitivities and allergies, and to surprise someone with their favorite dish.

* * *

I was dating a guy whose mother had passed away many years ago, and in commemoration, her family collected her recipes and posted them on a blog. That blog is referred to on special occasions and for routine Shabbat dessert prep (mandelbrot). For his birthday, I invited 20 of his (and my) closest friends to dinner at my apartment to share his favorite dish, fettuccine alfredo, with us. After motzi on homemade french bread, we dug in, and while everyone was taking food, I went back in the kitchen to get the recipe I'd used. When he saw that the half-sheet of butter-spattered computer paper had his mother's recipe on it, he almost broke down, which in turn made me tear up as well. It was an honor for me to make that recipe, unadulterated with spices or vegetables (just a simple recipe using cream, butter and fettuccine noodles), and to serve it to him as a reminder of his mother on his birthday.

* * *

Getting uncharacteristically "spiritual" for a minute, I'd like to make these here declarations:

I start my journey into the world of food as a constant reminder to be selfless. 

I am thankful to be given these skills and this opportunity to share what I have.

I will stick to tradition while pushing the boundaries of kosher cuisine.

Using my knowledge, I will teach others how to prepare food, learn the rules of kashrut, and how to respect the kitchen.

Here are some of my favorite food snaps from experimenting with recipes over the past year:

starts with a snack: apple and peanut butter sandwiches

 roasted chicken with lemon, salt, and pepper

 hosting a shabbat meal requires giant challahs and several rolls

 hand-rolled vegetable sushi at a neighbor's all-girls sushi night

 lemon bars (pareve)

creamy roasted tomato, onion, and garlic soup with fresh scallions

 breakfast: flaked salmon, fresh cubed zucchini, and kiwi salsa with a hint of vinegar

 best appetizer winner! at the DC JCC's Top Nosh competition: 

olive oil crostini with honey-cinnamon-cream cheese spread, roasted sweet potato chunks and pomegranate seeds

that time when I made sweet potato mini doughnuts 

vanilla meringues

veal soup with noodles

 chocolate-dipped and drizzled pretzel rods

 Pinterest edible pinecones for a lumberjack theme party

 Pinterest fruit palm trees for tu b'shvat

 dried figs stuffed with pecans, rolled in sugar and sprinkled with sea salt

 first attempt at homemade pickles and carrots

 cauliflower with curry and cayenne

hamentaschen

 for pi day on 3/14/15: Berry pie: Whipped cream spiked with lime juice, fresh blackberries, and a surprise raspberry cream layer

breakfast smoothie: peanut butter, strawberries, banana, and milk in a mason jar

Interested in portrait/landscape photography, tattoos, or industrial design? Check out my other blog!