Fifth of July BBQ

While there are plenty of benefits to living in NYC, there are definitely some downsides.  The biggest downside that I see is not having a backyard, especially in the summer! Sure there’s the deck outside my window, but we’re not allowed to use a grill out there!

Lucky for me, home is just a short ride away and going home was just what I needed today.  First I made a trip to the grocery store where meat and fish was so affordable it was unbelievable.  

After picking out a few items, I headed home where things were already happening in the kitchen.

My younger brothers were on a mission to make some great burgers.  I didn’t get any videos but I took several shots.

Yup they decided to throw some cheese in the middle and a dollop of BBQ sauce.  Looks like everything turned out fine.

Mama bear also decided to make some chicken skewers.  Not sure what she put on them but they were de-lish!  I made some BBQ chicken.  Seasoned for a bit in a Ziploc bags with salt, black pepper, BBQ sauce and chili pepper. 

Magic on the grill.  We also had some shrimp skewers seasoned in store bought jerk sauce that was nay the best, but it did its job.

I love going home, I love backyard BBQs, and I love food!

Hungry yet?

BONUS: I stopped by to say hi to Z&Z and was happy to eat the most delicious and moist piece of pumpkin loaf I have EVER had!  Courtesy of Ms. E’s mom. YUMMY!

Heat Wave

Another ridiculously hot day.  So hot that I could barely bring myself to leave the apartment or even get up to eat.  At some point I finally decided to get up and make something.

Plantain and eggs.  Truth is plantain goes with just about everything.  As a child this was one of my favorite combinations.  As an adult, it’s a quick and easy meal, especially on a day when it’s too hot to do much else.

Hungry yet?

A Day in Port Washington

Mr. G and I headed out quite early this morning so we could head out to Port Washington and hang with Dr. and Mrs. G.  Penn Station was a zoo! Luckily Mr. G was quite savvy (read: cut the line!) and we got our tickets just in time to get on the train.

Port Washington is a picturesque little town on the water with views of the City from different parts of the town.  I wish I had pictures of all the wonderful sites I saw, but lets be honest, food is the real reason I blog and boy did Mrs. G hook it up!

When we arrived (in the middle of Germany going to town on Argentina), Mrs. G was already making it happen in the kitchen.  She fried up some delicious eggs (now I see where Mr. G gets his egg making skills from).  These were no ordinary eggs.  Ladies and Gentlemen she put in fresh shrimp!!! A woman after my own heart!

The eggs were accompanied with toast of course.  She also prepared a fresh fruit plate.  I was in awe.  

Happily fed, Mr. G and I headed out for a bit.  It was a lovely walk around town but it was an even better drive (so hot out there!).

We returned after a couple of hours and Mrs. G was almost done preparing dinner.  While we waited, she served a refreshing watermelon juice and moi moi (Nigerian bean cake that I’ll make some day and share the recipe with you). 

Although I was already full, dinner was soon served and I was thrilled to have another fantastic meal.

Rice and beans.  These rice and beans were special because it was jollof style rice with black eye peas.  She also included pieces of chicken.  This rice was very substantial and I really didn’t need anything else, but I was sure to add tons of plantain to my plate as well as chicken and spinach.

Port Washington was fabulous.  Mrs. G kept my stomach full and Dr. G made sure that I didn’t miss a minute of the world cup.  Overall, a fantastic day and the best part is Mrs. G gave us several bags to take back. Score!

Hungry yet?

Spice - New Location!

Apologies in advance for all the backdating you are about to experience...

Mr. G and I decided to meet for dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant, Spice.  As I approached the corner of 22nd and 8th, I noticed that Spice was now there! WHOA! I called Mr. G and he was already at the other one.  So we had a decision to make, stick to what we know or try the new version of what we already love.  Being the adventurous ones that we are, we decided to try the new location.

It is far more spacious than the one that we are used to.  They have a bar area at the entrance and a couple of tables in that area.  Further into the space, they have a more expansive dining room that probably sits 60 or so, but I didn't count.

We started off with the Crispy Calamari which we've had before, but this was served with a peanut honey chili sauce instead of the usual tamarind.

I was pleasantly surprised by the sauce.  Not as delicious as tamarind, but it did its job.  I'm glad we started with something we knew.  Next up, Cornmeal Crusted Shrimp with Sesame Vinaigrette.

One word says it all...GROSS.  The cornmeal was offensive.  So thick and grainy.  I was definitely not a fan.  The vinaigrette was okay, but a little tangy.  Thankfully our server was very kind and gave us a couple of free items to make up for the taste.

We were both not that hungry, so we decided on rice and noodles.  6 o'clock Train Spicy Chicken Fried Rice and Drunk Man Noodle.

The rice was amazing.  Chili pepper with egg, bell pepper, onion and sweet basil.  It had a great kick to it and was also pretty moist.

The Drunk Man Noodle was also incredible.  It is usually served with chicken, shrimp and squid, but we decided on just chicken and shrimp.  The broad noodles were well coated with eggs, sweet basil and chili sauce.  It wasn't quite as spicy as the drunken noodle at Land, but it still hit the spot.

The new location of Spice is certainly more roomy and definitely worth the trip.  Same price as the less glamorous 19th street location and a wonderful space for dinner with your fave(s).  Definitely not as cozy as the other location, but still a delicious meal.  If you happen to make the trip let me know what you think!

Hungry yet?

Cafe Duke

My appetite has been off this week for some reason.  I waited until 3pm for lunch and I still wasn't very hungry.  I decided to go to the Cafe Duke on 51st between 6th and 7th.

Cafe Duke is a fabulous option for lunch because of the variety of dishes.  Sushi, Salad, Sandwiches and much much more.  I couldn't decide so I went with the buffet.

Rice and Beans, Buffalo Wings and Broccoli.

I know it is quite the odd combination, but that's the best part of a buffet.  You can mix and match!

The wings were pretty spicy and the rice and beans actually tasted home made!

On a day when you can't decide what to eat, Cafe Duke is the best place to go.  So many options, it's hard to go wrong.  I'm sure I'll be posting about it again soon.

Hungry yet?