Tuesday, November 24, 2015

What's on YOUR menu for Thanksgiving?

As I've gotten older, my interest in cooking (and food in general) has exponentially increased and since 2-3 years ago, I have become the designated cook for Thanksgiving! For a family of 5 people (usually 4 since my dad is working), it's been pretty simple. During the beginning, we didn't bake a turkey since my mom wasn't a fan and we were satisfied with a Steak substitute, but this year, my mom and I are really fired up! During this year's Thanksgiving, my dad is going to be home for the Holidays so we decided to really make a variety of stuff!

Is there anything that is traditional for you and your family during Thanksgiving? We celebrate the Korean Harvest Day in October and make that the major one, (and it's really traditional for us), so this 2nd Thanksgiving for us is room to explore new dishes and stuff!

This year, I have in mind these following dishes:

  • Garlic Mashed Potatoes
  • Sauteed Asparagus with Almonds (may substitute asparagus for string beans though. Haven't decided yet.)
  • Spinach Mac n Cheese
  • Stuffed Pasta Shells
  • Stuffed Mushrooms
  • Either Fried or Pan Fried Shrimp
  • Stuffing
  • Quinoa salad
  • Pan Roasted Cauliflower
  • Individual Beef Wellington
  • Roasted Potatoes, Onions and Carrots
  • Oven baked Turkey (brined for 24+ hrs)
  • Ratatouille
  • Simple Salad
  • Creamed Corn Shrimp
  • Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
  • Sweet Potato Casserole
  • Panna Cotta
  • Orange Cranberry Sauce
  • Apple Tart or Cobbler... maybe neither, but def everything above this one. ;)
Probably so much food for 5 people, but I swear, it's gonna disappear within the next few days, maybe week 1/2. I just finished shopping and holy cow!! So many people!! Ahhaha. I'll be starting my cooking tonight, so for those of you doing the same, LETS DO THIS!

Are there any correlating dishes here with what you're planning to cook? If not, what do you guys plan on making this Thanksgiving? Share with me your amazing ideas in the comment section down below! :)


Happy Eatings everyone!

Friday, November 20, 2015

Lobster Salad Recipe

Doesn't it suck when you go out to restaurants and leave a tad disappointed or feel like you didn't get the bang for your buck? I get that feeling often with lobster dishes. In many restaurants, the lobster dish barely had any lobster.................. Granted, there are so many reasons for limiting how much a guest gets for expensive ingredients, but it still sucks. I mean, honestly... who wouldn't want a little bit more of the good stuff? When I had brunch with my boyfriend this past summer, I ordered Ensalada de Langosta and I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor and the spiciness it packed! However, I honestly felt like the dish could have had a few more pieces of lobster. And for $26, the portion was a bit smaller than expected.
The Lobster Salad I had at Calle Ocho
When I went to the supermarket recently, a sale was going on for lobsters and I thought I'd try recreating the dish! It was my first attempt, but I'm VERY satisfied with the results. It's refreshing, clean and cool with a slight kick to it - and there's a substantial amount of lobster too. The original dish uses Green Papaya, but since I was unable to attain that fruit, I substituted it with cucumbers! Please enjoy and I hope you have wonderful results too!!!

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Smoked Salmon Benedict Spaghetti + Recipe



Hello my fellow Brunchers!

I am here to share with you all the fantastic news of the Smoked Salmon Benedict Spaghetti. I was totally feeling like making a Smoked Salmon Benedict recently but after making the hollaindaise sauce and poaching the eggs, I realized I didn't have any english muffins or toast... just no bread at all (which was a shocker for a bread lover like me). So then I digged through the refrigerator to find some leftover spaghetti noodles that my lovely mother had cooked previously. I stared at it for a little while and decided why the heck not? It became my substitute and I dumped everything together. THAT, my friends, was the best freaking decision ever. I mean, Carbonara works beautifully on its own, but this random ass decision (which can be considered Carbonara's cousin) totally does too.

Friday, October 23, 2015

Easy Peasy Half Moon Tortilla Calzone Recipe!

This Half Moon Tortilla is made with a Whole Wheat Tortilla
HELLO BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE! I have not blogged in awhile and let me blame it on all the work I had and the shows I've been watching! (*high five to all the drama addicts out there!*) I've been really into food based shows and there's a Korean drama called Midnight Diner about a diner that's opened from Midnight to 7am. How surprising, right? But I was surprised to see how fun it is and really captures a lot about life. It goes really deep into the stories of the customers that come to the midnight diner and it's a feel-good, feel-hungry type of drama that I suggest when you're in the mood to try something new. It's originally based off of a Japanese drama, which I will probably watch... hopefully soon. Anyways, I digress. The recipe I am sharing with you guys today is one of the recipes from the show (I tweaked it a bit for my tastebuds + kept in mind the ingredients I had)! It's super easy, doesn't take too much time and the results are AWESOME. Just so good for a quick meal or a midnight snack. ;)

Here's what you'll need:

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Chris' Special Burger Sauce Recipe




In the past few years, I've come to appreciate and really love/enjoy burgers. Burgers are packed with flavor and are the embodiment of awesomeness, but adding extra sauces or different cheeses definitely gives it an extra boost in flavor! When I first had Shake Shack, I was just in love with how delicious their burgers were, and their "secret" sauce was definitely the hint of magic that made it extra tasty (at least for me). I figured it would be great to make a sauce like that to keep at home for the days I craved a burger and gives it that extra mile of deliciousness! So, I googled for Shake Shack's sauce recipe, and there wasn't an exact one but since they were relatively similar, I decided to use those recipes as a base to make my own sauce to cater to my and my families' taste buds! I'm very glad to share this easy peezy recipe with you guys, and it's a burger sauce but it also pairs well with fries, tater tots, gyros & hot dogs! ENJOY!

Total time: 5 Minutes
Serving Size: 4-6

Here's what you'll need:  (these are estimates of what I put in, I usually taste it and add more of the ingredients if I want - it really all depends on what YOU like, so cater to your taste buds :)

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Pic Series of Jeju: Ossulloc Green Tea Garden

A beautiful place I went to when I visited Jeju Island was Ossulloc! They are well known for their delicious teas, green tea ice cream, green tea sponge cakes (like the picture I have on my header), and for their big tea garden! There was a particular tea garden I wanted to visit in South Korea but since I wasn't able to go there, having this opportunity was the perfect replacement! I had a lot of fun here and I hope you're able to see the scale and beauty of this place! Enjoy~



Tuesday, July 21, 2015

NYC Restaurant Week 2015

Hey everyone!

NYC Restaurant Week started yesterday until August 14th 2015! If you've never heard of Restaurant Week, it's when a ton of restaurants serve lunch and dinner at a prix fixe price, and some restaurants develop new menus specifically for this week!

Lunch 3 Course prix fixe = $25

Dinner 3 Course prix fixe = $38!

This is the perfect time to try out restaurants you've never been to before, or go to your faves for a great price! There are so many participating restaurants so check out the list at:

http://www.nycgo.com/restaurant-week 

http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?pid=69&m=8

Happy Eatings everyone!

Sunday, July 19, 2015

Hello, Zora Dora!

Grapefruit Ginger Honey Paleta
My boyfriend recently took me to the colorful, delicious ice cream/ice pop store in Beacon, NY called Zora Dora and I immediately knew I had to tell you guys about it! It's a while away from the city, so it can be perfect for a day when you feel like visiting New York outside of the city - you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much there is up north!

Zora Dora produces micro batch ice creams and paletas, a Latin American treat made with ice and fresh fruit. It's a small shop along the Main Street in Beacon, but it has a pretty big selection. This cute shop seems to be well-known in the town for making their signature ice pops with all-natural ingredients.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

A Dash of Sugar: My Childhood Reminder

I'm not much of a cereal person, and I don't eat it often... In fact, it's quite rare. It's easy to just pass the cereal section without much thought while food shopping but when I saw the box of Rice Krispies my mom bought, I couldn't take my eyes off it.

A few days ago, I posted this picture (above) on to Instagram. It's a bowl of Rice Krispies cereal with some fresh strawberries and blueberries sprinkled with a dash of cane sugar on top. Fairly normal, pretty and tasty looking, but it was so much more than that.

Friday, July 10, 2015

Pic Series of Jeju: The Spirited Garden

The Spirited Garden was a beautiful place shown to me by my uncle, and it was one of the most beautiful and serene gardens I've ever been to. The serenity I felt and the experience isn't easily described by words for me. It was an experience that was above peaceful and cool, it's hard to explain. I hope you enjoy these photos and catch a glimpse of the extraordinary experience I had here.


Sunday, June 21, 2015

Greetings from London

Hi Everyone!


I am the New Contributor Phoebe! I am delighted to add my input and support to this blog, because I
am passionate about all things food, and also I feel Chris is the perfect foodie counterpart!

I will lead you through my sweet recipes, (occasionally some savory, but I fear that I am not as good as Chris when it comes to that!) and enlighten you on what London has to offer!

I am constantly on the move as my main work is as a musician, but through that I hope to go on many culinary adventures, and find all sorts of new places to eat, and review, perhaps through Europe as well as just London! :)

You will be hearing more from me soon, as I plan to add a recipe (as promised on our facebook page #pleaselike) for some Madeleines!

Thanks for reading!




HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! Quick, Cheap & Easy Gift Ideas

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all the dad's out there!

2014-06-12-happyfathersday.jpg
Courtesy of Google - Huffington Post
Please continue to be an inspiration and a source of pride, courage and love for your kids and a guardian for your family. 

In honor of Father's Day, here are a few Easy & Quick Gift options:

New Contributor!

Hi everyone!

I'm super duper delighted to tell you guys that a friend of mine, Phoebe, will be contributing to this blog as well! Since she's in the UK, we'll be providing you guys with two different food realms and we're both super excited about joining forces!

Although I love to eat baked goods, sweets, etc. I cannot bake for the life of me. :( I've gotta say I'm not bad when it comes to cooking savory foods, but the sweet realm is a whole different ball game for me. HOWEVER, my new contributor is GREAT with the sweets so she'll be posting recipes on sweets, as well as additional content that will help BLOOM this blog even further!

We also have a Facebook page now, so please check it out and like it - Facebook Page for Blog !

I'm super thankful to all of you guys who read this blog, so please look forward to it even more!

Please follow us or subscribe via email to this blog & Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @wondersforthesoul!

For any inquiries, please direct them to: wondersforthesoul@gmail.com

THANK YOU!

Happy Eatings!

Friday, June 19, 2015

Pic Series of Jeju: Citrus Museum

I can sit down and eat a box of clementines by myself with no remorse - and this is has been the case for the past 20 years! I love fruits but I really do love my citrus fruits above all! Oranges, clementines, mandarin oranges, sunkist oranges, grapefruits - all - make me super happy and refreshed! When I saw a map of Jeju that highlights a lot of the tourist spots, I noticed that there was a Citrus museum!!! I thought it was super cool and begged my family to go! 

Today's Pic Series of Jeju is meant to highlight my time at the Citrus Museum! It was such a lovely place to visit and made me feel so tropical! I hope you enjoy these pictures, and please, look forward to my future Pic Series' of Jeju! :) 

Friday, June 12, 2015

Pic Series of Jeju: EcoLand

EcoLand was one of the first places I went to while visiting Jeju Island. For nature lovers, this is definitely for you but even if you're not, it's such a fantastic place that fills your heart with peace and tranquility. I think it's a great place for families, friends, couples and even schools to bring their students for school trips! The way that they cultivated and planned out the park was superb. It's just beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! I love how they made it like an "amusement park" although it's less roller coaster rides and more nature. Nonetheless, I'm all about this place. I won't say much more because you guys need to see and experience the place for yourselves, but here's the first step to a Pic Series that will take you guys one step closer to Jeju Island. :) Enjoy!

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Jeju Island, I Miss You

Back in January, I went to South Korea to visit my family after 8 long years of being away from the motherland.

I was nervous and excited to see everyone since it had been so long, but I was super stoked about the food! I watch a lot of Korean cooking shows and food shows so I was excited to try to visit a 맛집 - which means, "a-really-good-food-place" or in a very casual and relaxed sense - "hot spot." Sadly enough, I wasn't really able to go out and search for some hidden gems but one of the most memorable moments I had while I was in Korea was going to Jeju Island.

Visiting Jeju Island was never in the books. It was an impromptu 2 night 3 day trip with my mom, cousin, aunt and uncle and it was the best trip ever! Jeju Island gave me one of the best impressions of Korea while I was there. It was D-E-F-I-N-I-T-E-L-Y WORTH it and I'd go back in a heart beat.


If you've never heard of Jeju Island, it's an absolutely GORGEOUS island off the Southern tip of South Korea. In other words, Jeju Island can be described as South Korea's Hawaii, but why limit it to Hawaii? The experience at Jeju Island is one that can only be explained by GOING THERE. I'm not a representative of Jeju Tourism but holy shit, this place is awesome.

Jeju Island is the land of mouthwatering, sweet, juicy clementines, oranges, hallabong, and other citrus fruits. They are also the land of delicious, fresh seafood and black pigs (didn't get to taste any pork but I hear it's one of the must-try items to taste at Jeju).

Aside from the food though, I was really surprised by how packed Jeju Island was with things to see and places to visit! There are various museums, trails for hiking and walking, activities, restaurants, art galleries, mini islands and just beautiful sceneries to stare at. I could tell that they strive hard to keep the environment one of the main points of visiting Jeju. The Halla Mountain of Jeju is at the center of the island and you can see the mountain from various points but with different perspectives. It's really great to see the same mountain but in a different light, weather, angle, etc. Law has been set up as well so that when people are building new places, they don't go higher than about 5 stories so it doesn't block the Halla Mountain.

The serenity I felt at Jeju Island was a beautiful experience and I would REALLY, really love to go back again. I really miss you, Jeju Island. <3

I will be uploading a few mini Picture Series on the different places I went to while in Jeju, so please look out for them!

In the meantime, check out these photos I took while I was in Jeju:

Saturday, May 23, 2015

155 W 51st: Le Bernardin - My Time at the 3 Stars

A couple of months ago, I went to Le Bernardin, a 3 Michelin star restaurant that focuses on making their seafood dishes a meal to remember.

To celebrate the end of a fun cooking class with some friends, we decided to go to Le Bernardin. It was a very formal setting with a comfort level at around 6/10. At first, I felt out of place because everyone seemed so business oriented (and much older) while I wanted to eat and take photos. Soon enough though, we were in our own bubble. I was really impressed by the design of the restaurant and how simple, yet beautiful it was. Even the plates in front of me were simply stunning.

We went for lunch, which meant $80 for a 3 course meal.

For starters, I decided to get the Bay Scallop-Sea Urchin. It was absolutely refreshing. The Nantucket bay scallops with the sea urchin and Meyer lemon vinaigrette tasted clean, crisp, and sweet. I really wished there was more of everything,

Saturday, May 16, 2015

The Beauty on Cornelia: Palma

Courtesy of Shammara Lawrence (@fashionpopqueen)
Palma is a small, cozy Italian restaurant hiding on Cornelia Street, with an unexpectedly mesmerizing setting. 
My friend and I sat in the “garden” area. It’s an open area further back that has been decorated with plants, flowers, and beautiful string lights that hang below a clear roof top adding a touch of romance.
It was a Saturday night and the crowd seemed to be between their 20s and 50s.  Their attire leaned towards the casual side. The overall ambiance was very cool and relaxed, but the noise level was on the higher side. 
When we opened our menus, the waitress came over and greeted us.
“How are you doing today? I just wanted to let you know some of the specials for today!” she said with a smile.
She continued

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe

Where are my fun-guys out there?!

Today's recipe is dedicated to the mushroom lovers! I love almost all mushroom based dishes and this is one of my favorites! I'll be sharing with you today an easy STUFFED MUSHROOMS recipe. I fell in love with The Cheesecake Factory's stuffed mushroom appetizers a while back and I really wanted to make my own. Through many trials, this recipe has become the final end result of "making my own stuffed mushrooms journey." With this basic recipe you can probably play around with it and add or take out ingredients. I've added shrimp to this recipe before and it turned out to be a big hit! This dish is great to have as an appetizer or as a side to steak, fish, pasta and so much more! This'll be a very rich and creamy stuffed mushrooms recipe that I recommend for special occasions - definitely not an everyday food to have but totally worth it at the moment! It's pretty simple to make and the results will be fantastic! 

Here's what you'll need - many of the measurements are estimates since I don't usually measure the ingredients:
1 pack of Mushrooms
1 whole Onion
1/4 of Red Cooking Wine - For filling
4 tblsp of Cream Cheese
1/3 cup of Bread Crumbs (have some extra to top the stuffed mushrooms for baking)
1 tblsp of Parmesan Cheese
2 tsp of Onion Powder
2 tsp of Garlic Powder
2 tsp of Parsley
1 tsp of Paprika
1 tsp of Dried Oregano or 2 tsp of Fresh Oregano
1/4 of Red Cooking Wine - For sauteing onions and mushrooms
2 tblsp of Butter
1/4 of Milk or Heavy Cream
2 tblsp Olive Oil
Pinch of Salt and Pepper

Thursday, February 26, 2015

KIDS FOOD FESTIVAL! THIS WEEKEND -- Feb. 28th + Mar. 1st


If you have nothing planned or have some time while you're in the city THIS WEEKEND, why not check out the KIDS FOOD FESTIVAL!


It's going to be whole loads of fun with family-friendly activities, entertainment, and FREE goodies!

DON'T MISS OUT ON THE FUN! :D

For more information, check out : www.kidsfoodfestival.com 

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Minetta Tavern Mini Review

Back in December 2014, I had brunch with some friends at Minetta Tavern - located on the corner of MacDougal Street and Minetta Lane (in the West Village).

The entrance was really cool! When I opened the door, there was just another curtain covering the interior, like I would walk into another dimension when I uncovered it, but that was certainly not the case. I rushed over to where my friends were because I was a little late, and the interior I saw was very classic and modern at the same time.

Since I was going to be a little late, I messaged my friends about what I wanted to have so they could order on my behalf - and when I sat down, I didn't have to wait an extra few minutes.

The dish I decided to have was:

Eggs en Concotte

It wasn't WOW-ing and I can't say it was fantastic. It was a very interesting dish and it was my first time having eggs like this so it was definitely uncharted territory - perhaps if I try it again my opinion will be different then.  

What I think would have made the dish a little better was cooking it a little more, adding a little bit more of seasoning and definitely more baguette soldiers. Giving a whole mini baguette would be better though.... but this is my bias because I love bread. The eggs were much more watery than I expected it to be - there were barely any firm bits to the dish but if there were, it probably would have tasted a bit better --- but is this how 'eggs en concotte' is supposed to be? I've never had this before so if it is, please let me know! 

The overall taste was pretty bland and although the richness of the yolk was there, that was a very familiar taste that wasn't enough to make this dish worthwhile. I wasn't even given a spoon so I had to ask for one.

I tried some of my friend's pasta - PASTA ZA ZA and it wasnt bad but wasn't that great either - better than my dish though.

I've seen some good reviews on this place and I wish I could say the same great stuff, but it sucks that I didn't have that super positive experience. I may try my luck with Minetta Tavern again some day but from what I had, I can't say that that'll be real soon. If you decide to go, I hope you have a great experience and please write in the comment section below about what you thought was great/bad/etc!

Happy Eatings Everyone!!


Instagram


Sunday, February 15, 2015

RESTAURANT WEEK!

To all the wonderful foodies out there, Restaurant Week is Feb. 16th - Mar. 3rd!

Lunch is a fixed at $25 and Dinner is a fixed at $38

These fixed prices will not be available on the weekends -- although, Sunday dinner would depend on the restaurant you go to!

There are over 300 restaurants participating in Restaurant Week so you if you have time between tomorrow and March 3rd, check out a new restaurant or go to one of your favorite restaurants for a pleasant day out!

To see if the restaurant you like is participating, check out http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?m=8&ref=412&pid=69 or http://www.nycgo.com/restaurant-week/

HAPPY EATINGS EVERYONE!