Spring Fever and a Sandwich in my Belly

Hi everyone~

How has everyone been?  I have been very busy with work and life as usual.  It's been very pleasant weather wise and sunny here in Durham. 

I must apologize for not being so active on my posts lately  but I have not forgotten about my bi-weekly reviews~!  I will try to get back on that task after June or so.  It's going to be pretty hectic for me for the next few months.  I've got family coming to visit the U.S. and lots of traveling to do. 

I'll keep you posted about my travels and delicious things I eat and see~ ^^

I was wondering if you have stopped by my Facebook page lately? http://facebook.com/LifestyleofaFoodieLOAF.  This is where I post most of my recent cooking adventures in a quick format.  I present my how-to recipes in a single frame photo with basic steps.  I started thinking about people wanting recipes for the food that I make.  I would like to eventually evolve into posting recipes with the food but there are thousands and thousands of recipes out there on the world wide web.  Everyone has different tastes and prefers different ingredients. My primary focus is to show you the basic steps so that you can make that dish your own.

If you love a variety of Korean and Asian cuisines, I am the one to follow.  :)

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Today feels like it's Saturday~! Well, it's actually Friday~

I've been getting some rest and relaxation by doing completely nothing until I got the sudden growl in my tummy. :)

I've been meaning to make a banh mi sandwich for sometime.  My very first experience was a lemongrass chicken banh mi that was so tender and Mmm Mmm~ delicious~!!

If you've read my previous post about the food truck rodeo, you'll see that there is a photo of the second banh mi that i've ever tried. 

It's a delicious sandwich filled with meat and pickled vegetables.

I love the taste of pungent fish sauce with the garlicky and sweet carrots and daikon.

I've noticed some banh mi's have pickled cucumber slices and I love that too~!!

Today's banh mi that I made was with the ingredients I had in my fridge and pantry.  I used a piece of ribeye steak, cilantro, Mu (Korean radish which is like daikon), carrots, fish sauce, sugar, minced garlic, vinegar, crushed red pepper, cucumbers, jalapeno, Hellmann's mayo, apple vinegar, honey wheat bread, soy sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper. I have to confess, my mom just went grocery shopping for dinner and also had some radish left over from making Kkak Du Ki (radish kimchi) so I just took some of her ingredients. :)

I went ahead by prepping the pickled vegetables first because they needed time to get tasty.  I used a mandoline and thinly shredded the carrots,cucumber and mu.  You can slice the vegetables any way you like as long as it's thin enough to become pickled quickly.  I made the marinade with the vinegar, fish sauce, water. sugar, garlic and crushed red pepper. The cucumber was pickled separately with salt, vinegar and a paste of the jalapeno, sugar and garlic.  I did not have any lime or lemon juice but the original recipes ask for it.  I put in a splash of the Korean apple vinegar in place of the rice vinegar for the carrots and mu pickles.  Lets just estimate it should sit for about 15-30 minutes depending on thickness. Next, I sliced some of the ribeye steak thinly on the bias and marinated it in a little bit of soy sauce, organic cane sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper. I didn't let that sit too long, maybe about 5 minutes since the slices were thin.  I substituted fresh garlic for the garlic powder because I only wanted to use a little and the pickled vegetables already had enough garlic in them. I would have loved to add lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves to this marinade but I could only use what I had. :)

I sauteed the beef in a frying pan with no oil because the ribeye is generally a fatty cut of beef and I didn't want to add extra calories.  You can use a leaner cut of beef, pork or chicken breasts to make this dish  .  

The assembly: I toasted the two slices of honey wheat bread and put a thin layer of mayo on each side. I added a few slices of the cooked beef, topped it with the pickled cucumber, then the pickled carrots/mu and then some cilantro leaves and jalapeno slices.  I put the second slice of toast on top and sliced it in half. 

The ending result: A smile on my face and a party in my mouth~! :)

Hope you enjoy~ Let me know when you've made your own banh mi~

All photo credits:  LifestyleofaFoodie.

All photo credits:  LifestyleofaFoodie.

Snowed in keeping the kitchen hot

Hi everyone~!! 

It's been such a long time since we've last seen each other. The temperature has been below freezing on and off giving us some weird winter weather in NC. We had snow on Monday night and now it's falling again. It's beautiful but it's keeping me from work which is a bad and a good thing. It's good because it gives me more time to focus on my cooking and blogging. So it's definitely a good thing~

Maybe it's "snowmaggedon" again?? The puffy flakes of snow are falling fast and piling up~. Since it was confirmed today that I would be off again tomorrow I decided to cook pork tenderloin. I haven't cooked this in a while and I am trying to give red meat a break. I've been eating red meat like there's no tomorrow. :)

I found this recipe off FoodNetwork.com 

I scaled the recipe to 1lb of pork and used pork tenderloin tips. It has a bit more fat between the meat. Don't forget that fat equals flavor~!!

It calls for the meat to be pounded a 1/2 inch thin and rolled with the stuffing. I didn't grill my meat because of the electric stove that I have but I'm pretty sure if you grilled the roulade it would have been extra flavorful because of smoke~!  

Here are my photos of each step of the cooking process. Enjoy~!!

3-4 slices of bacon, 1 clove garlic, 4 oz mushrooms

Sauté bacon in olive oil until crisp, add mushroom

Add breadcrumbs, parsley, s/p, let cool

Pound meat 1/2 inch thin

Add cooled stuffing to center of pork and roll. 

Drizzle olive oil and season heavily with s/p

Cook at 425F for 10 minutes and finish at 375F for 10-15 minutes depending on thickness of the roll. After 5 minutes move rolls to cutting board to rest for about 10 minutes. 

Make a gremolata with olive oil, grated lemon zest, parsley, s/p

Cut rolls on the bias. 

Drizzle the gremolata mixture on the sliced rolls and serve with your favorite vegetable. 

All photos were taken by LifestyleofaFoodie. 

Recipe retrieved on 2/25/15 from Foodnetwork.com. "Mushroom-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin"

Chef's Night Out at Bar Virgile

Hi everyone~!

A lot of things have happened since my last blog post and I've been so busy that I've been unable to keep everyone updated. Sorry~

As I mentioned recently on my Facebook page, I will be to reviewing on a bi-weekly basis many hot spots in and around Durham. 

The first place that I am reviewing will be Bar Virgile. 

This place actually was not on my list of places to visit because I didn't know it existed. I came upon the place while driving past the building and saw their sign. The photo of the sign was retrieved online. 

I met one of my schoolmates at this place on Friday night after 7pm.

To my surprise it was really small inside and there was a long wait. I wasn't sure if you needed reservations or if you could make them. I figured it's a bar and you could probably get seated quickly.  The space between the bar and the wait line for an actual table gave little leeway for guests leaving the establishment to actually leave with out bumping shoulders with other guests. After about 20 minutes we were able to be seated at the bar. The host who seemed like he could be the general manager was very pleasant. The bar seats were near the entrance and less suffocated because people didn't have to be standing directly behind us while eating. My schoolmate and I ordered a few things to share. We ordered the Fried Oysters, Chicken Confit Wings, Spiced Pecans and Dried Cherries and Bowl of Ribs. 

My drink of choice for the evening was a lager beer. I believe the bar tender said it was cranberry but it was not over powering. The ice cold beer was very refreshing.

The exposed brick behind the bar and lighting gave it a pleasant atmosphere. The music was very vibrant and fun. There are coat hooks against the walls where people are standing in line for a table and hooks underneath the bar tables for us ladies to hang our purses. This is a detail I love because I dislike sitting on the edge of my seat to accommodate my purse that might fall on the floor. 

On a scale between 1 to 10, I would give this place a 7. I enjoyed the food that was served and the service was decent. The bar tenders were more attentive than most bar tenders usually are filling drinks for other people and table guests. 

If you're into trying new places and love enjoying good food with drinks, this is a happening spot and is the place to go~!

One word of advice: parking is typical downtown parking. Can't find a place on the side streets? then you might have to walk a few blocks over. The night I went, DPAC had a show going on so the parking deck next to the courthouse was being used for paid parking. I paid $3 which was not bad compared to walking three blocks in high heels~! Ouch~ 

Fried Oysters with Bacon Jam and Pickled Green Tomatoes 

Confit Chicken Wings

Bowl of Ribs

The Fried Oysters were my favorite dish I had. This was the dish I chose to order. The oyster were super fresh and cooked perfectly!! The batter was crunchy and well seasoned. The bacon jam.. (Let me catch my breathe..) it was unlike any jam that I've ever tasted. It was sweet, tangy and bacony. I enjoyed it so much with the oysters.  The pickled green tomatoes were interesting and had a very distinct flavor that kept my fork going back for more. 

The confit chicken wings were very tender and almost falling off the bone. The sauce was exactly what I would want on Korean fried chicken wings.  If you've ever had Korean fried and marinated chicken you know what I'm talking about.  It was sweet with a bit of tangy goodness. I could taste the hint of ginger or citrus on the sauce. I would have liked to have a small bowl of the sauce served along side the wings which were already tossed in the sauce. The sauce made the tender wings even better. 

The ribs were a bit different and my least favorite. The ribs were smoked and served with a tomato sauce. It was almost like having your favorite marinara on the ribs. The smoked flavor overpowered and was a bit offensive. 

Overall, most of the dishes were seasoned just right with just enough seasoning and sauce. I would have preferred the ribs to be seasoned a bit more because even with the tomato sauce it seemed a bit under seasoned. 

I hope that your enjoyed my first review of 2015 ~! 

If you have any suggestions of places you would like for me to review please let me know~! 

Don't forget to subscribe to my blog and follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instragram. 

All the photos were taken by LifestyleofaFoodie. 

Sunny Sundays at the Durham Food Truck Rodeo

Hi everyone~!

Sunday was such a gorgeous day~! How did you spend your day? 

I was at the Durham Central Park for the Food Truck Rodeo last weekend. There was beautiful weather, good company, and of course great food~!!

I'm such a big foodie that I love going to the food truck rodeos to try different foods. My favorite trucks were there such as The Humble Pig, Chez Moi Bakery, and my new favorite truck is Bang Bang Banh Mi~!!

Bang Bang Banh Mi food truck serves Vietnamese cuisine that is gluten-free~!  I was a bit hesitant at the sound and words of "gluten-free" but none-the-less, I wanted a banh mi sandwich so I tried it. Can I say that I loved it~!  I ordered the Spicy Chili Beef Banh Mi and it was super yummy. The spices reminded me of eating Dwae Ji Bul Go Gi, which is Korean Spicy Pork.  The meat was sweet and spicy and nicely charred. The sandwich also had grated carrots, sliced jalapenos, cilantro and I topped it off with one of my favorite hot sauces, Sriracha~!

Man, oh man~ was it yummy~!! My mouth is watering at thought and sight of the photo, ^^

For dessert, I visited my friend, the owner of the Chez Moi Bakery food truck. I love her rum cake~! Her rum cake was the first that I tried over a year ago and I have been a fan ever since.   I got the opportunity to ride in, I mean sit in my very first food truck and I was kind of really excited.^^  Yes, I know it sounds cheesy to get excited over sitting in a food truck but I did. We were chit chatting about the cakes with her other regular customers and I said "you had me at rum cake~!" but when my friend gave me the sticker with her logo later on that afternoon, I saw that the motto was "you had me at cake".  We chuckled about it because I didn't realize that was her motto.
I had the pleasure of introducing my friend Shay to her rum cake and told her that "it's sex in a to-go bowl~!"  It was a very funny conversation and you had to be there.

The owner of Chez Moi bakery introduced me to the owner of Sweet Traditions, a cupcake food truck and bakery.  He was so very kind to let me have a cupcake after my visit.  I chose a Chai flavored cupcake because I didn't want pumpkin or peanut butter.  I liked the flavor of the butter cream and the cake was "can't get any moist than this cupcake~!"  He he.  I mean the cake was perfectly moist.

Here are some photos from my visits.

Oh, by the way, I am finished with my list for Thanksgiving dinner and there are 11 items on there not including the gravy. I'll be posting photos of the prep and the final presentation. Comment or e-mail me if you would like any recipes.

Have a great week~! Eat, Talk, Dream FOOD~!

The Banh Mi 

Rum cake

Chai cupcake. 

These three photos were taken by me. 

This photo was taken by my friend Shay. ^^

Fall Days

TGIF ~!

The beautiful fall weather is upon us and the leaves are ever changing their clothes of green to beautiful reds and oranges. 

Today was a wonderful day for a long awaited birthday visit from my best friend and her daughters. I had the pleasure of making some simple, yet yummy food for the girls. Last week I asked my niece what she would like for me to make her when she came to visit. She said that she wants fried rice. 

I made a simple fried rice with potatoes, onions, and red bell peppers. I also made my version of a Waldorf chicken salad minus the nuts. I figured the girls wouldn't be fond of biting into crunchy walnuts. You can't complete a meal with out dessert~! I made an apple crostata. The buttery, flaky crust with cinnamony apples. It was a perfect ending to the meal. The girls were hesitant to try the apple crostata because it's something they haven't tried before. Once they had a bite, they were hooked~!  The girls finished their piece. I was so glad my girls loved their lunch. It was a wonderful birthday present just to be able to spend time with them. 

Here is a photo of the apple crostata I made today. 

Until next time. 

Comfort Food for My Soul

What is considered comfort food? 

Is it the rich and fattening spoonful of mac and cheese? Is it the baked lasagna?

Anything these days is considered comfort food. People interuse soul food as comfort food. It isn't the case all the time. 

Comfort food is what makes you smile. It's food that makes your heart skip a beat and shriek at the smell and sight of it. It's food that brings you, your mouth, and your body at peace..more like pleasure. 

For me, comfort food reminds me of the times with my family and loved ones. 

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy a nice, piping hot, baked mac and cheese every once in a while. That warm full belly gives me undeniable pleasure. It's only you're comfort food if it lends you a shoulder. Hehe :) 

Let's not forget the holidays are coming up. This is a good excuse to get together with your loved ones and have some delicious comfort food. 

I'm thinking about making a beautiful roasted chicken or maybe a roulade of turkey. Add some yummy sides like sweet potato casserole and roasted garlic and herb potatoes with some homemade apple turnovers and you're set~! 

My mouth is watering~! ^^

See you soon~!

I'll be sure to post up lots of photos and recipes for the meal coming up ~!

Hunger is motivation

Do you ever notice that you are starving from eating so little or nothing at all? This is when hunger makes you motivated. You're motivated to go in search of that something to satisfy your craving. I went to satisfy my hunger last night. The idea of having hot, deep-fried empanadas. Who could resist? Not me. I had an order and I devoured each and every bite. The salty, flaky bites of golden crust with ground beef. Yum~ I needed an ice cold beer with it. Unfortunately, it was from a food truck and they didn't sell beer. I started my critiquing after I ate all of it. I could find so much wrong with it but at the same time it filled my craving so I let it slide. Food trucks are like a nice pair of black stilettos. They are all the same yet they're so different. The food is either good or disappointing. Sometimes, I just want to give you my critical opinion even if you don't care. Sometimes, I have to fib a little. Honestly, the empanadas did not meet my expectations. I had the best empanadas in Brazil and nothing compares. 

Time to go in search of something else to feed my hunger. Food motivates me and I hope it motivates you~! ^.~