Sporatic Summer Sampling

My roommate Alyssa and I find ourselves constantly hungry-- possibly due to the fact that our kitchen and living room are connected so there's no avoiding the bombarding thoughts of food within arms reach. I do give us props, however, because recently our snack choices have been very health conscious. Rather than giving in to the temptation of junk food, we've been utilizing vegetables as substitutes for our favorite snack foods. 

Recently to fight our salty cravings, we made baked chickpeas lightly seasoned with everyday spices, a tad bit of fresh Parmesan & dipped them in sriracha. Cook time was only 30 minutes and they reached a desirable crunch. Highly recommend these especially if you already have a liking towards chickpeas. 

However, tonight while sitting down to unwind from a long day turned into a whirl wind of experimentation. Alyssa and I looked in our fridge to discover what we could whip up this time. Our end result: kale chips, spinach chips, and radish chips.

To begin, we lightly tossed the spinach and kale in olive oil. Then, after spreading the leaves on a cooking pan we added light salt, garlic powder, and tiny sprinkles of cheese. 























Ten minutes of baking at 325 did the trick and this was our end result:

Crispy, guilt free GOODNESS. 

Although the kale chips were the winner in my book, the radish chips came in close second. 

These suckers had little preparation besides thin slicing. All we had to do was pat the slices dry, add a tad a lemon juice, salt & pepper and bake them at 375 for 20 minutes or until crispy. 

The end result tastes so similar to a potato chips it's astonishing--especially since radishes have a spicy & strong taste to begin with. The initial tastes of radishes is lost once baked. 

As I sit here writing this we are currently on our second round of kale chips...we can't get enough.

That's all for now.

-K



Instagram account: @savetheflav

Spice Up Your Life-- No, Really.

I tend to get worrisome looks from others when I’m eating and at this point I’m used to it. 

This is not due to sloppiness or odd food choices, but my ongoing committed relationship with hot sauce. More specifically: Sriracha chili sauce or chipotle smoked Tabasco. (Yes, I am dating them both). People constantly judge my frenzy and frankly I don’t blame them. 

I quite often speculate how my taste buds evolved to withstand the amount of spice I voluntarily bestow upon myself, especially being the only person in my family who smothers their food in such painstaking spice. My fridge has a rack dedicated to a variety of hot sauces that satisfy every craving, and I even have a ‘Sriracha2go’ key chain gracing my keys-- yes, this way I can bring my boyfriend with me everywhere I go. So, you get the picture. I consume an abundance of hot sauce.

However, don’t be quick to judge. There are hidden benefits to consuming spicy foods. So listen here, people:

Capsaicin, the active ingredient in chili peppers, contributes to numerous health benefits such as increased metabolism, increased heart health, the ability to kill cancer cells, & a decrease in blood pressure. Even if you don’t like or can’t tolerate spicy, I highly encourage you to add more tolerable spices such as curry to your food to increase the hidden health benefits

This past May I spent two nights in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia while traveling in Southeast Asia. Between street food and local eateries, there was no lack of extra spicy food, the kind of spice that can even make me sweat a little. In short, I was in absolute heaven. While getting dinner at an eatery, there was a language barrier between my waiter and I, and the menu was entirely in Malay. Therefore, I chose to eat buffet style, although I still could not accurately decipher what I was eating. Despite being clueless, I plated an assortment of meats, chili sauces and rice. Luckily the woman sitting next to me was from Switzerland and spoke pretty fluent English. We bonded over the fact that we had little idea what we were eating and both thoroughly enjoyed suffering through the Malaysian spice. 

To add a little Southeast Asian spice to my life once back in America, I decided to grow Thai peppers. Tonight I was able to enjoy them for the first time--it took me right back across the world.

-Kyra

Props, Cincinnati

I have spent quite some time in Cincinnati over the course of the past year and a half making frequent trips to visit my boyfriend. Each time I’m there we aim to do something new—which for us typically involves food, beer, & the night life.

Even as an avid Clevelander, (who refuses to admit that other cities can have amazing food and beer too) I have to give Cincinnati some well-earned credit.

Similar to Cleveland, the Queen City has experienced a culturally drastic transformation that is constantly attracting millennials to the region. One of the up and coming hot spots that I truly enjoy is the historic district called Over the Rhine, or OTR. This once deserted area now holds a vibrant community with much to offer. OTR is home to local shops, independent eateries, art galleries, theatres, markets & so on. In OTR, Vine Street is the place to be.

Cincinnati Burger Week July 20th-26th:

For Sunday brunch, Braden and I tried a brand new eatery in OTR called Nation. And man, it’s safe to say we will be returning the next time I’m in town. Nation is housed in a building in the flats that is more than 115 years old, and also includes an outdoor patio. However, Nation houses more than great food & local beer.

Here is the history as stated on their website www.nationkitchenandbar.com

“At the turn of the 20th century, 6' tall Kentucky-born Carrie Nation ravaged bars across America. Wielding a hatchet, she claimed a divine ordinance to promote temperance by smashing any tavern and saloon that crossed her path. The slogan All Nations welcome but Carrie became a bar-room staple.

Between 1900 and 1910, Carrie was arrested 30 times for her 'hatchetations' until she arrived in Cincinnati. Receiving word of her impending visit, Over-The-Rhine bar owners braced for the worst. Yet upon her arrival Carrie took one step onto Vine street, turned around and left. When asked why she did not follow her usual path of destruction, Carrie's response was

“I would have dropped from exhaustion before I went one block for all the bars in this city.”

Nation serves as a tribute to the rich history of this city and neighborhood. It is meant to be an extension of your living room, a place for gathering neighbors, and a foundation for building community.”

Burgers are the main focus of the menu accompanied by a variety of fries served numerous styles. They even have sriracha ketchup which is a huge win in my book. I truly admire the fact that the menu is only 6-10 items because it allows them to specialize rather than bite off more than they can chew—all about quality not quantity. In addition, they offer a black bean burger and other vegetarian options which are crucial.

Now, their brunch menu, that’s a whole different load of excitement. Nation offers ‘Bottomless Brunch’ for $25 which consists of one brunch food item & unlimited mimosas, bloody ‘carries’, or screwdrivers until 2 pm. Although I was very tempted to order the Hangover Burger with my current state...

 I tried the breakfast burrito with eggs, hashbrowns, and chorizo, topped with queso, pico, & jalapenos only for $7. Unreal.

The local environment, the friendly staff, and the damn good food make this place a go-to.

Brunch Wrap Supreme-Smoked sausage patty, pepper jack cheese, bacon, queso, tater tots, egg, and jalapeño relish.

Happy Eating-- Kyra

Ohio Brew Week 2015 (It's a must)

Craft Beer Lovers,

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Ohio Brew Week, you better do your research before next July. Since 2005, Athens, Ohio has hosted a week long festival dedicated to craft beer-- pretty damn awesome, right? The festival showcases hundreds of beers from breweries all over Ohio. Many local restaurants, bars, and venues participate in brew week events, such as outdoor beer gardens & BBQ's. There's even an app for your phone where you can click on the participating businesses and see what beers they'll have on tap that week. You can then check off the list as you go, even "favoriting" ones you enjoyed the most.

Although the entire week was fun-filled (beer-filled), I was spoiled early in the week. Last Monday, Pat Conway, the co-founder of Great Lakes Brewing Company was giving a keynote speech, presentation, & a beer tasting. GLBC opened in Cleveland, Ohio as the first craft brewery in 1988, and continues to grow in popularity despite the increased number of microbreweries in the area. My admiration for Pat Conway and GLBC as a whole now goes far beyond the taste & styles of the beer. Conway stressed many ways that his business promotes environmental sustainability, and how other businesses can do the same. For example, Great Lakes has a ride service called Fatty Wagon that takes customers from the brewery to Cleveland sporting events. The best part is...the Fatty Wagon runs purely on vegetable oil from leftovers in the kitchen. Also, low filled bottles (beer bottles that aren't filled up to 12 oz during the bottling process) are sent to                                                           Mitchell's ice cream for use rather than throwing them away.

However, my favorite takeaway from his presentation was GLBC's unofficial slogan:

"Moderation can be overdone"- Pat Conway

After the presentation, I had the opportunity to chat with Conway. What a cool start to the week.

Later on in the week my family drove down from Ann Arbor and Cleveland to join me in my OBW festivities. Friday night after we went to the beer garden BBQ, we visited to our usual stomping grounds-- Jackie O's Brewery. There's nothing like drinking beers with the people you love on a Friday night. 

One of Athens' hidden gems is the Cider House, a neighborhood corner pub with homemade cider. Knowing how much my sister and her fiance would enjoy the environment, we went Saturday afternoon for some cider and time out of the heat. Later on we ended uptown to the Last Call Festival where there was live music, beer/food trucks, and an abundance of people celebrating the end of brew week. My sister Alli loved Cider House so much we ended back there again that same night.

It's safe to say beer isn't on the menu for me this week... 

Cheers & Happy Monday.

Don't forget to support your local breweries, people!


Kyra

Unbeatable Eats-- Happy July!

Many good eats have taken place since my last post and I have been so giddy to share. Holiday weekends always create a monster out of me because I find an excuse to make an abundance of food.

 Starting on Thursday, I decided to make my own marinara sauce for the first time when my boyfriend came to visit. Canned sauce absolutely never compares to the taste of homemade sauce and meatballs (especially my moms). I have never been a fan of red sauce with ground beef mixed in, but I decided to use up some sausage that I had in my fridge. 

1) To add texture to the sauce, I sauteed green pepper and onions on a lower heat with a touch of 
olive oil
2) Seared two sausages in a separate pan that I would later cut into small pieces
3) Added crushed tomatoes to the vegetables and let simmer for fifteen or twenty minutes
4) Threw in chopped up garlic, parsley, and fresh basil from my pot
5) Lastly, I added the sausage to the sauce and VUALA.

BUT the meals of the weekend just keep getting better. On Friday night I tried another new recipe. I love the concept of wrapping anything in lettuce as a substitute for a bun, bread, or wrap. Therefore, I think whoever invented lettuce wraps is absolutely brilliant. I typically enjoy the Asian-style lettuce wraps, but I decided to try something different. 

[Baked buffalo chicken lettuce wraps]

Ingredients; Chicken breasts (we used three for two people), breadcrumbs, buffalo sauce, bleu cheese dressing, head of iceberg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, avocado, white beans (my addition). The original recipe called for quinoa which I did not have.

To begin, I marinated the thawed chicken breasts in buffalo sauce during the day

• Added breadcrumbs to both sides of the marinated chicken
• Baked the chicken in the oven for 30 minutes on 375 (I added a little extra buffalo sauce after I added the breadcrumbs)
• Peeled apart the head of lettuce into lettuce wrap-able pieces
• Diced the tomatoes and avocado

Once the chicken was ready, I sliced it into smaller pieces. 

Then came the fun part...adding everything together and drizzling bleu cheese on top. 

By far, this was the best simple meal I have ever made. The combination of heat from the sauce paired with fresh vegetables and bleu cheese brought together by the crunch of the lettuce was unbeatable. I highly suggest you try it for yourself! If you aren't a fan of buffalo sauce, or even bleu cheese, this recipe can be easily altered.

The fourth of July menu was a winner as well. 

We made a rack of ribs,  sausage, hot dogs, roasted garlic & ricotta salad, accompanied by watermelon. I was so anxious about trying to recreate my mom's ribs which I have never made before but they fell right off the bone. My mom made it clear that I could not share her recipe with anyone and I'm obliging (but I will tell you they were not made on a grill). Everything turned out a success, but due to hosting people at our apartment, I was too distracted from taking pictures of the food. 

Happy 4th of July :)

Come Monday another new recipe was put to the test with the help of Alyssa. 

[Avocado & Lime Chicken Salad]

Our plan was to make the chicken salad and eat it as a cold, open-faced sandwich. 

It was a damn good plan. 

Ingredients; chicken breasts, avocado, lime, cilantro, green onion, mayo, salt & pepper, garlic.

However, we made slight changes. Instead of using mayo we substituted plain greek yogurt, and instead of lime we used lemon juice (just because we forgot to get a lime). 

To begin, we finely chopped the cilantro and green onion and diced the avocados.  

In a bowl I added about two cups of greek yogurt, 2-4 teaspoons of lemon juice, the chopped greens, avocado, garlic, & a pinch of salt & pepper. 

During this time, we pan cooked chicken breasts on low heat (keeping them tender). Once finished, I threw them in a pan and proceeded to shred them using a fork on a knife. 

Lastly, I added the chicken to the bowl of other ingredients and mixed everything together. I ate my chicken salad on wheat bread and added chipotle Tabasco on top. 

Incredible to say the least. 

The original recipe I found was found at: 

 http://sweettreatsmore.com/cilantro-lime-avocado-chicken-salad/

Bon Appetit-- Kyra

Cleveland, You Spoil Me.

I was very much looking forward to my weekend at home in Cleveland with my family...and with all of my home town's immaculate food. Anytime anyone asks me my favorite thing to do in Cleveland I immediately tell them the West Side Market. The WSM, Cleveland's largest publicly owned market, was opened in 1912. Over 100 food vendors of great ethnic diversity have booths at the market. You can find fresh sea food, meats, dairy, fruits & veggies--pretty much anything you need-- at unbeatable prices for such outstanding quality. This market is very well known, and draws in millions of customers yearly due to being featured in numerous shows on the food network. Every time I get the chance to visit the market, I have a set agenda of the booths I visit which typically consist of Ohio City Pasta, Noodlecat, Fresh Enchiladas, Mediterra Bakehouse, Steve's Gyros, Crepes de Luxe, and many more. HOWEVER, Noodlecat, my all time favorite booth that serves asian steamed buns no longer has a booth at the market. Yes, there were literal tears when I discovered this. 

Naturally, this weekend my older sister Alli and I made our routine stop at the market on Friday. I made her try Cambodian fruit called Rambutans which she thought were interesting...but good. I was happy she had the chance to try them since I bought them quite frequently on the streets of Asia. 

After our market excursion, we made our way over to East 4th and the theater district. Across the street I spotted the Noodlecat restaurant, and my weekend was immediately complete. I kid you not I ran across the street because I was so happy...Alli has the pictures to prove it. Her and I both ordered three steam buns each. Mine were Ohio City BBQ pulled pork (the best there is), onion tempura, and spicy fried chicken. While scarfing them down, we people-watched for about an hour. It was shocking how booming downtown Cleveland now during the lunch hour. Can't wait to live down there at some point. 

 

All around stuffed...

I owe this one to my roommate Alyssa for spoiling me last Thursday night with this delicious meal which I've been craving for months-- stuffed peppers. She even used a green pepper (my favorite) specifically for me while everyone else used red. 
--Filled with ground turkey, rice, chopped onions, topped off with cheese and sriracha, of course. The peppers were first boiled in water to become soft, then after the ingredients were added, she baked them in the oven. 

The peppers were SO filling and perfect washed down with a GLBC Commodore Perry IPA. Thanks, Lyss!

Kyra

Stirring it up!

Last night I felt like mixing it up and adding a little Asian zing to my week, so I decided to make stir fry for the first time ever. I've never attempted to make it because I truly believe nothing comes close to the stir fry dish my mom made in the wok growing up. Although I wasn't able to velvet my chicken (how chicken is normally cooked for stir fry in boiling water), it turned out to be quite a success. 

1) heated up the wok with oil
2) cracked an egg into the wok and let it cook for a few seconds
3) steamed an Asian medley consisting of broccoli, snow peas, carrot, & baby corn
4) added brown rice
5) sauteed chicken with a stir fry sauce, soy sauce, and sriracha
6) mixed it all up!

I was bummed that I didn't have pineapple or water chestnuts because those are my favorite additions to stir fry. Looking forward to my next attempt! 

Stay tuned...

-Kyra

Up North

There is nothing I crave more in the summer than a bowl of fresh cherries. In fact, while I spent my month in Asia I honestly thought of cherries quite often. Although the fruit there was exotic, the taste wasn't nearly as satisfying as the variety of fruit I usually eat at home. However, I contribute my cherry craving to the summers in Traverse City with my best friend Tia. Her family owned a cherry orchard up north, and for those of you who don't know, Traverse City, Michigan is incredibly well known for their cherries. They produce 70-75% of the U.S. tart cherries and nothing even comes close to tasting as tangy as they do. Usually around sunset, her and I would take buckets to the orchard and fill them up past the brim free of cost (the picture below is me in 2011). I even managed to smuggle at least a bag full home for my Dad every year, since he loved them just as much as I did. Today while I eat cherries out of my mason jar at the Athens Health Department, I can not help but miss those summer nights (and unbelievable cherries) I was able to experience in northern Michigan. I owe thanks to Tia and her family for those invaluable memories.

  
 

The Best Taste of Summer: Charcoal

Despite the horrendous weather we got in Athens this weekend from tropical storm Bill, we still found some sunshine to grill in. Alyssa's family (my second family) came to visit us on Father's Day and brought so much food to spoil us with!

We had...

• an orzo salad with fresh spinach, tomato, & Feta
• Grilled sweet potatoes dusted with brown sugar-- thanks to Alyssa
• Taco dip
• Pasta salad with mozzarella and peppers
• Watermelon
• Turkey Burgers on the charcoal grill
• Sugar cookie cake with a cream cheese spread topped with kiwi, raspberries, & strawberries-- also thanks to Alyssa

I wish I was able to be with my dad on Father's day but it was still such a great weekend to say the least. 

Saturday morning breakfast: avocado toast with a fried egg

Happy & Healthy Eating!

Over the course of the next two months I am interning for the Athens City County Health Department under the health education sector. Therefore, I am surrounded by "health" and even more motivated to eat healthy and aspire get creative with food at a low cost!

At the Creating Healthy Communities coalition meeting this past week, a plentiful amount of local food was served for lunch. There was black bean hummus, watermelon tomato & basil skewers (my personal favorite), snap peas, and salad with bean sprouts.  

The goal of the coalition is to create policy, system and environmental changes to increase access to healthy food, increase opportunities for physical activity and eliminate tobacco use. It is so crucial to address these issues in Athens because the region suffers from limited access to health food, high use of tobacco rates, and low physical activity...all of which increase the chances for chronic disease. 

As my supervisor Ruth Dudding said at the meeting,

 "We want people here to live healthy because we love Athens."

Yup, we sure do!

Health is something I am so passionate about. Therefore, I am thoroughly appreciative of the opportunity I have to experience the environment of a public health setting. 

Anyways, today I was running slightly late and didn't have time to prepare any extravagant breakfast and lunch (and I forgot to make my overnight oats last night that I typically eat for breakfast every morning). Instead I made two eggs for a quick breakfast and used half of them to put on my spinach salad for lunch!

In addition to the egg, I added some cherry tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, mozzarella, dash of Heinen's strawberry dressing, garlic red wine vinegar & balsamic.

I'm starting to worry about my egg consumption, but they're just too damn good...

-Kyra

P.S. Still recovering from Taco Tuesday.

EGGS!

As I mentioned earlier, breakfast is one of my favorite meals to make due to the endless possibilities. Here are some of my other egg dishes I have made recently. (If you haven't noticed yet, I put sriracha on everything!)

Omelette garnished with my mom's homemade salsa, red pepper flakes, cilantro, & sriracha

More sunny side up eggs with sauteed spinach, basil, cherry tomatoes, sriracha, and baguette slices

Starting Tuesday with a bang!

This morning I was pretty motivated to get creative with the ingredients in the fridge before heading off to work. Breakfast is one of my favorite meals because there are endless combinations you can make-- even with eggs alone. I even decided to spoil my roommate Alyssa and make her this plate as well:

Two sunny-side up eggs garnished with parsley & pepper

Colbyjack toast on everything bread with sriracha

Cucumber salad with red wine vinegar, pepper, salt, garlic powder

Cherry tomatoes garnished with purple basil 

It was a big success. GO CAVS! - Kyra

Tomatoes, Tomatoes, & Tomatoes

Tonight I was craving something fresh to help deter my long, rainy day at work. After a procrastinated trip to the grocery store, I decided to make a simple and tasty summer dish incorporating my basil plant: tomato, mozzarella, basil, balsamic, & sea salt (washed down with a Southern Tier IPA, naturally). My mom would ALWAYS make this growing up...it's definitely a Hall girl favorite. The picture on the bottom is actually from a few years back when I was asked to prepare this dish for a party-- & on the top is what I enjoyed tonight although it doesn't look as mouth-watering...but believe me it was.

A Taste of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

During the month of May I was fortunate enough to travel abroad to Cambodia, Malaysia, and Thailand with the Global Leadership Program at Ohio University. After returning from my trip, the most frequent question I've been asked is "what was your favorite dish you ate in Asia?"  Luckily, since I took pictures of every damn thing that I ate, I was able to quickly decide. Out of all three countries, my palate fell in love with the kick and spice of malaysian foods. In Cambodia, I was unable to fully satisfy myself with the level of spicy I normally make my food (which is super, super, spicy). When I was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, two friends and  I ventured our way to the Chinatown that was just a few minutes away from our hostel. Since we were unsuccessful in locating a specific food vendor serving the famous malay dish "laksa"-- a spicy noodle dish- we came across a mother and a son next door who were cooking a variety of soup dishes. My dish contained homemade noodles, cabbage, dried fish, fish cakes, and pork. I wanted this to last forever. Though my spicy ego won't admit it, the spices in here sent me off to chug a bottle of water! This huge portion cost me $1 USD, and they even put my leftovers in a ziplock bag for me.

Front Porch Cookin'

This past week I have finally moved into my first apartment here in Athens, Ohio. Besides the many luxuries of living in your own  apartment (shared with awesome roommates), I am most excited about having a kitchen and not the restriction of  a dining hall meal plan. On the way down to Athens from Cleveland, my mom and I made a pit stop  at a local plant market in Marietta, Ohio where I picked out jalapeno and basil plants to grace my front porch. Despite how hectic my week began by jumping into the start of two jobs and an internship, I found the time to spoil myself with the help of my new friends jalapeno and basil.

With leftover noodles I brought home from Thailand, I made myself spaghetti using an organic tomato basil sauce, fresh basil & jalapeno from my plants, accompanied with some garlic bread-- feels good to be back in action!

My Food Frenzy

I grew up in a household where new and wonderful fumes constantly bombarded my nose, and where testing unfamiliar tastes was quite common. For as long as I can remember, I have loved cooking & food so relentlessly. For this, I have my mother to thank (and blame). My mother's passion as a pastry chef and a cook has evolved and spurred my passion for it as well. After years of observing, asking questions, and nagging my mother about her cooking techniques, I like to think I've adopted her cooking touch. On the other spectrum, my father has always had such immense passion for photography, and spent endless moments of his time capturing memories of my childhood behind a lens. Therefore, I've always felt connected to pictures and the sentiment attached to them. So, what's the connection here? For those of you who know me  (and know me well ), I have quite an obsession with taking pictures of food. Though to some people it may seem like such an odd concept, I truly love having the ability to "savor the flavor" and hold onto memories through pictures of my food extravaganzas. I have compiled hundreds of pictures of meals I've made with my family, meals I've cooked with my friends, food from abroad, and food that has simply blown my mind. Besides keeping pictures for my own liking, I enjoy sharing with people who appreciate them just as much. If you are one of those people I hope you enjoy.

Bon Appetit! - Kyra