Taste of Home

I walked into the grocery store today and noticed that eggplants were on special.

Memories came back to me of sharing the grill with my dad, charring my beloved combination of eggplant, asparagus, red onion and sweet potato alongside his steak. Then I remembered roasting entire baking sheets full of eggplant for shared weekday lunches with my mom. And I thought of all the fantastic Mediterranean mezze we've discovered together, one of my most favorite being baba ganoush.

And then I got hungry and decided to forget my original grocery list and instead buy some eggplant to roast in the oven, which I tossed with spinach and hummus. Sometimes you just need a little taste of home. For the sake of good memories.

CANNED - white beans and cabbage

Truth be told, cabbage is not the most glamorous vegetable out there. Aside from channeling the Irish famine of 1845, it permeates every single room in your apartment with a faintly rotten smell when cooked. But I happen to love it - raw in crunchy, vinegary slaws; pickled in spicy kimchi; meaty in braises; saucy in sweet and sour cabbage. And I think this recipe, which creates a light, fresh stew while drawing out an inherent sweetness to the cabbage, could get anyone to appreciate it too.

MMMM cabbage!

Sunny and Annie's Pho #1 Sandwich

As part of my application for a food website's editorial opening I was asked to review a sandwich I love. As per a friend and ex-boss's fervent recommendation, I tried the pho sandwich from Sunny and Annie's in the East Village and instantly knew it was worth praising and sharing. Here is my little submission, hope you enjoy!

Pho #1 at Sunny and Annie’s Deli

I am on somewhat of a budget and love to cook for myself anyway, so I don’t often go out to eat. But when I do, I strive to pack as many flavors, textures, ethnic aromas and deliciously satisfying mouthfuls into my meal as possible.

That’s why I know to get the pho sandwich at Sunny and Annie’s in the East Village. It’s got all the makings of a hearty bowl of pho seducing you as soon as you unwrap the package – fragrant basil and cilantro leaves, crunchy bean sprouts, thin slices of tender beef, sweet hoisin sauce – PLUS the essentials of any great sandwich: a soft roll, slices of juicy tomato and chunks of avocado. Really, they’ve only left out the steaming broth, too hot to handle with this spring weather anyway, and the mayo, mustard and sliced cheese that so often run the risk of turning a tasty little sammie into a lead puck. Need I mention this sandwich only costs $6.99? And on top of all that you’re guaranteed more than a few bites of sriracha-covered avocado delicious bundle, really one of life’s greatest pleasures.

Sunny and Annie’s Gourmet Deli

94 Avenue B, New York, NY 10009

212-677-3131

Scottsdale Promo Event at the Saveur Test Kitchens

The GT Lucia lemon-mint-gin cocktail and Fiery Mandarin cranberry-jalapeño-tequila cocktail

Last night was probably my favorite in New York so far.

A supervisor I worked for back in Los Angeles invited me to a press event sponsored by the Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau and hosted at the Saveur test kitchens. We sipped custom cocktails and Arizonian wines, savored hors d'oeuvres that showcased flavors of the Southwest, wandered around the test kitchens (!!!!) and chatted with Scottsdale reps and fellow journalists.

Among the best tastes (because honestly, I was all about the fantastic food and drink) was a Palomino cocktail courtesy of Chad Elsner of Bourbon Steak Restaurant, whose coriander and star anise-scented acquavit and mole bitters still stand out to me, as well as lobster deviled eggs, Kobe beef tartare and mounds of guacamole.

Oh, and I got a mirrored cocktail shaker in my gift bag. Looks like Scottsdale is where it's at.

Kobe Beef Tenderloin Station 

Lobster Deviled Eggs and Chop and Pop Salads

Quite the Liquor Cabinet

Saveur Test Kitchen Pantry

Getting It Together

Six weeks ago, I moved to New York with plans of pursuing my career in food writing and editing. I don't think it will come as a surprise to anybody that I am still looking. Or waiting to be found, since it seems to be the case these days that many jobs are found as a result of being at the right place at the right time.

And what am I doing in the meantime to keep busy and buy groceries? I work in a restaurant and act like a college kid. My shift ends past midnight then I go out with coworkers to de-stress, end up eating late-night pizza or tacos and come home as the birds are chirping outside only to wake up in the afternoon. Then I repeat. This cycle becomes particularly vicious on weekends when 15-hour shifts are separated by the excitement and anticipation of partying until dawn with friends you don't see during the week because they hold more normal work hours. Luckily, I pride myself as being a self-motivated and diligent person and therefore manage to get emails and applications out almost daily, along with updates on my social media platforms, job search profiles and blog. In the long run, however, living at night while persistently scavenging for jobs are not super compatible activities. And that's what hit me yesterday - I felt tired, sluggish, and not in the mood to send another email that will undoubtedly go unanswered.

Then I realized that this mindset was exactly what I needed to avoid. Yes, I need a job for money and I crave the routine, social interactions and familiar faces. Working in my restaurant fulfills these goals. But I can't lose sight of why I moved here. I need to be focused and motivated, to keep sending emails and applications with a positive outlook, and to stay driven.

A kickboxing class, several steaming bowls of butternut squash soup, a good night's sleep (tucking in before 2am), a yoga class and this broccoli, lentil and arugula salad later and I feel infinitely better. I got started on a freelance assignment, I sent multiple emails and applied to contribute to an online publication focused on the East Village. Now I just need to make the rest of this week as productive and keep next weekend's nonsense to a minimum. I need to always remember why I'm here.