The Food Monster

Happy New Year

2012-01-03T05:16:00.000-08:00

My resolution this year is to blog more, blah blah blah... yada yada. To kick start that, here is our New Year's Eve feast as prepared by Lauren.
Homemade Cocktail Sauce: Ketchup, Horseradish, (maybe Lemon Juice?)
Shrimp: Peeled, De-veined, cooked in a Shrimp Boil with Garlic, Onions, Spices, etc. Then chilled and dried in the fridge between paper towels.
Cannelloni Bean Salad: Cannelloni Beans, Olive Oil, Crushed Red Pepper, Salt, Black Pepper, Garlic, maybe a few other things.
Crackers
Baked Brie, Puff Pastry rolled out, insert Brie cubes Raspberry Preserves (or any fruit or jam here), and Walnuts (or any nuts, shaved almonds also work well). Fold up, Brush with Egg Wash, use a small piece of puff pastry for the bow decoration and bake.

Serve with Chilled Champagne and Pomegranate seeds. Great New Year's Eve!

-The Food Monster

Katy's Grill and Bar - a review

2011-12-05T05:08:00.000-08:00

Katy's, or as the new management would like you to know them as, the KGB has been under new management since late July. From the scruffy front, my wife never wanted to eat there before, not much has changed on that end.
However, I had a hankering for some wings, or something fried, and a pile of Free Fried Pickles coupons and grabbed two co-workers and set out for lunch.

We started off with a basket of Fried Pickles, and Onion Rings, and I will break them down one by one.

Fried Pickles. Most of the reason why I was going. I had some great ones in Los Angeles and wanted more.
They looked good and the first couple were great. The Ranch bottle they brought (yes, like Ketchup, oh they brought that too), gave a delicious homemade tasting Ranch. The batter was light, but I believe the pickles were a little thick, either that or too many were in the basket. Just too much acidity as we got towards the bottom. I would give them a B-.

The Onion Rings. These didn't look that great. Some of the breading was thin or falling off, so I didn't take a photo. But wow, they impressed. They were some of the best onion rings I have encountered and when I go back will order these over the fried pickles. We eat with our eyes first, but taste doesn't lie. Also good in the Ranch sauce, these get a B+

At this point, one of the new managers/owners had found us on his way out and asked us what we were having. He noticed us looking at their menu left over from the old way Katy's did things.
He explained that while they kept what Katy's did, they are also adding to it and removing the items that Katy's didn't do so well. And with that he handed me the special menu that was tucked away at the far end of the table.
This I was not expecting. Shrimp & Griits, Grilled Portabella and BBQ out of the old Katy's? No sir, this is not your old Katy's. I was coming to get my deep fried Seafood on. So I ended up getting the KGB French Dip and a Fried (popcorn) Shrimp and Fries Lunch Special ($4 from the old menu). I ended up with too much food, and it was all really delicious. Rich got the Portabella and that was well cooked and flavored with the RRP and Goat Cheese he said, Wes chowed down on his Fried Shrimp Sandwich which also looked good. I will definitely go back to see how their specials menu and current menu evolve into something more permanent and something with the KGB style we will come to love.

If you haven't been by with the new management, go give them a try, I know they have fixed the frier oil problem, and deep fry different foods in different oil now so that the wings don't taste like shrimp. Let me know what your favorite is off of their specials menu.

-The Food Monster

Buzz Seafood and Grill - World Famous Garlic Cheese Bread

2011-12-02T04:58:00.000-08:00

Recently, The Food Monster was married and spent a lovely time in St. Lucia for a week. Just north of Rodney Bay. To follow is a series of foods and reviews of some of the delicious food that sampled that week. Enjoy.

Buzz Seafood and Grill part 2 - Avocado and Lobster salad
Lobster was in season while we were in St. Lucia and our first night out brought us to Buzz Seafood and Grill. This appetizer of Avocado, Lobster, some sort of very light sauce (probably a citrus based sauce with a hint of cream) was outstanding and one of the best appetizers for the whole trip. Their avocados are enormous and even more tasty than their small North American counterparts. If you can order this in season on St. Lucia, give yourself a treat!

Buzz Seafood and Grill - World Famous Garlic Cheese Bread

2011-11-30T05:18:00.001-08:00

Recently, The Food Monster was married and spent a lovely time in St. Lucia for a week. Just north of Rodney Bay. To follow is a series of foods and reviews of some of the delicious food that sampled that week. Enjoy.

Buzz Seafood and Grill part 1
Their menu claimed that their Garlic Cheese Bread was world famous. So, we decided to have one of the most Americanized Italian foods at a Seafood restaurant in the Carribean. Wow, it really was good. Lots of gooey cheese (probably 2-3 different kinds), lovely garlic flavor. I'm sure it was dripping with butter underneath and a nice light crunch to the outer part of the baguette. Along with the Avocado and Lobster salad, it was a great way to start off the meal.

The Food Monster is now Composting

2011-11-28T05:09:00.000-08:00

This weekend I finally acquired a Compost Bin. There are lots of Green benefits to be gained here, less waste in the landfill, cheaper soil for plants, keeping the nutrients in the soil, less bagged leaves etc, but now I will have nutrient rich soil with which to grow my herbs. It comes full circle for this blog when I eat those herbs and vegetables. I am after all The Food Monster.

Composting is easy, and if you find yourself eating bananas, eggs, and other foods that will leave scraps, maybe you should give it a try.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T05:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving from The Food Monster. Food I lobbied for this year.

Chinese take out.

When that got rejected, Bojangles seasoned deep fried turkey.

When that got rejected, more stuffing. I'll be getting my eat on at the in-laws. So excited for all of the good food!

Guest Post: Party with Ease

2011-07-19T04:25:00.000-07:00

This Guest Post comes from Sara from the One Cup Connection, which comes with a great coupon at the end. Enjoy!

-The Food Monster

I don’t know if you are like me, but the most difficult part of hosting a party comes when
dessert is being served. Some guests need to drink decaffeinated coffee, others want the
real strong stuff, and yet others are requesting hot tea. It always seems like a struggle to get
everyone’s wants out on time before all of the desserts have been devoured. I can never quite
figure out how much coffee to add to those huge pots, and then I am running around trying to
find a way to plug in the smaller pot for the decaf.

I saw the solution at a recent graduation party that I attended. The hostess had a Keurig one
cup coffee machine set outside, complete with a variety of K-cups. A large bottle of water was
set at the end of the table and when the chamber went low, it was simply refilled with ease.
What a great conversation piece it became as well. People seemed excited to try a different
flavor of coffee, while others were happy to have their favorite choices available.

Making coffee for large amounts of people can be a difficult job. Is it strong enough? Is it too
strong? It is hard to please everyone, but the single serve machines take the thinking out of it.
People love to have choices and that hostess gave her guests the ability to choose. The plus
side for her was an easy clean up. No left over coffee grinds to scoop out, or pots to scour!!

Do you use a Keurig brewer? Tell me about it! If you purchase K-cups in bulk, check out One
Cup Connection. Buy 3 Boxes of K-Cups, Get 1 FREE with coupon code KCUP4. Offer expires 7/
31/11. Don’t forget to check out the Coffee Break Blog!

Our Crepes & More - Opening for Sunday Brunch

2011-05-10T05:15:00.000-07:00

Yes Wilmington, you heard that correctly, Our Crepes & More, the best French joint in Wilmington, will be opening for brunch (8am-3pm) starting June 5th, 2011.

Our Crepes and More, Wilmington's newest Crepe Restaurant

2010-08-20T07:16:00.001-07:00

As you can see from the title, this post is going to be all about Crepes. The family Marguerat (featuring French chef Sylvain and Swiss wife Jacqueline) has brought a European flair to Midtown on Oleander. The former Schlotzsky's has been transformed into an adorable express French cafe.

My Fiance Lauren and I went for a breakfast for dinner after an appetizing walk in the nearby park. She ordered the Ham Egg and Cheese Crepe, while I ordered the Spinach and Feta, and the Spinach, Egg and Bacon all in one crepe.

We started off with a delicious carrot salad that Lauren didn't care for (more for me) and then out came our piping hot crepes. Lauren's had a beautiful presentation with the corners folded up to make a square and an egg over easy right in the middle. Her's was excellent. I started into mine and only found Spinach and Feta, it was ok, but not really what I ordered.

Minutes later without prompting, Jacqueline came out and said in a heavy Swiss-French hybrid accent (may not be Swiss or French I can only assume), I am so sorry, I will bring you another. And another one came. Very quickly, and was much more delicious with the other flavors to balance out the sauteed Spinach. We decided to finish off the evening with a delicate helping of Sorbet. Wow, although extremely small (I heard they are making larger portions), this was the most amazing sorbet. Homemade, with a pure creamy texture. I think we got Raspberry, and it had been strained of its seeds (a detail many sorbet makers overlook). I would go again just for the sorbet, or the carrot salad, or Lauren's crepe (mine wasn't bad, I would just like to try everything else on the menu).

The only bad thing I can say about this place is they aren't open on Sunday, which is when we are always looking for a perfect brunch spot. But I imagine as they grow, so will their hours. Hit them up and support this fantastic new restaurant.
Our Crepes and More
3810 Oleander Drive
Wilmington, NC 28409
Phone (910) 395 0077
ocm3810@yahoo.com
OPEN MONDAY THRU THURSDAY 8 AM - 8 PM FRIDAY & SATURDAY 8 AM - 9 PM

Carolina Comedy Show!!! feat. Lewis Black

2010-02-12T07:36:00.000-08:00

I don't normally talk about non-food related items. However, I think I must talk about an upcoming show in Chapel Hill, NC. It's on the campus of UNC and there is an entire week dedicated to Comedy. Headlined by Lewis Black, the week features a show on Friday and Saturday of Lewis and friends, as well as discussions, competitions, and performances all weeks from members of the daily show.

Rory Albanese is one of my favorite comics, he shouldn't be doing something silly like being an executive producer of the daily show, he should have his own show.

Anyway, Lewis is always a good laugh and his friends never dissapoint, so if you are near Chapel Hill February 23-27th, go see, Lewis, Rory, John Oliver, Wyatt Cenac and all the other performers.

Ramble Writers: Bakesale Betty

2010-02-05T07:18:00.000-08:00

Now in California, the Ramble Writers, check out Bakesale Betty, an established joint for Fried Chicken and fantastic desserts. Like Pink's in Los Angeles, there is always a line.

Ramble Writers: The Great BBQ Scoresheet Salt Lick

2010-02-02T07:11:00.000-08:00

Another BBQ review from the Great BBQ Scoresheet by the RambleWriters. This time, they have made it into the great state of Texas. Check out the Salt Lick review.

Ramble Writers: New Orleans BBQ The Joint

2010-01-30T07:09:00.000-08:00

More from the Ramble Writers in New Orleans. This time they continue their BBQ hunt at The Joint.

Ramble Writers: The Muffuletta

2010-01-27T06:14:00.000-08:00

Looking to taste an authentic Muffuletta? Check out the Ramble Writer's post on their visit to New Orleans.

What is a muffuletta anyway? Our first day in New Orleans introduced us to the muffuletta sandwich, a NOLA specialty that is served on a large, round loaf of Sicilian bread. The inside meat and cheeses sometimes vary, but the marinated olive salad is always a staple ingredient. It is usually made with green olives, pimientos, celery, garlic, cocktail onions, capers, oregano, parsley, olive oil, red-wine vinegar, salt and pepper, which is chopped together to make a spreadable mixture. The muffuletta we sampled has ham, genoa salami, pastrami, swiss cheese, provolone cheese, and housemade Italian olive salad.
The muffuletta was “invented” by Salvatore Lupo, a Sicilian immigrant, and served at Central Grocery in 1906. You can still visitCentral Grocery at 923 Decatur Street in the French Quarter.

A great restaurant to taste test a muffuletta is the Napoleon House, also located in the French Quarter. As you walk into the Napoleon House, it is almost as if you are entering Europe. The waiters all wear white button-up shirts and black slacks, the building has tall, crumbling ceilings that show its history, and the courtyard is enclosed from the chaos of the French Quarter, featuring a fountain and potted plants. If you order the infamous sandwich, beware - a full sandwich can easily serve 3-4 people (the menu claims that it serves two, but I beg to differ). Order a pims (a gin and lemonade cocktail garnished with a cucumber), to accompany your meal - it will certainly help to cool you off in the summer.

Need help in the pronunciation? “moo-foo-LET-ta.”

50 Great Sushi Tips

2010-01-27T06:08:00.000-08:00

Janet sent me a link of some great Sushi tips. Of course, once you have been a few times, you will feel much more comfortable and really enjoy eating Sushi in America. If you haven't tried one of the best foods out there, then read over these tips, take a big breath, grab some chop sticks and head out to your local Japanese Restaurant.

If you are in the Los Angeles Area try Niko Niko in Los Feliz,

In the triangle in North Carolina, try Akai Hana.

Where is your favorite local Sushi place?

**************************

50 Sushi Tips for Beginners

Japanese food has garnered a considerable amount of attention in recent years due to its amazingly healthy properties and clean, balanced flavors. Though Americans have grown familiar with sushi and other cornerstones of Japanese cuisine, many still find it difficult to break through all the barriers, protocols, and – yes – cases of mistaken identity that continue to surround the dishes to this day. With these quick tips, those interested in learning more about sushi have a solid place to start before moving on to the advanced courses.

1. Not all sushi is raw fish!

2. Go light on the wasabi at first.

Wasabi is a fluorescent green condiment that kicks like a bronco. There are multiple ways to apply it to a piece of sushi, but try it in tiny doses at first to gauge tolerance. Many a prankster has taken advantage of a naïve friend and found pleasure in their reactions to this pungent horseradish paste.

3. Use the pickled ginger (gari) as a palate cleanser.

Almost all Japanese dishes come accompanied by both a wad of wasabi and a small pile of lively pink or ecru gari. Eat a slice between sushi pieces to keep the palate feeling fresh and clean. Doing so imbues diners with the ability to taste the full complex flavor of every different roll, wrap, nigiri, or other sushi style.

4. Never eat the purple tuna (toro).

Tuna at its freshest and healthiest should be a vibrant dark red color. If served a slice with a purplish tinge, do not even try to eat it. The coloring indicates compromised freshness and quality and could result in violent illness.

5. Want raw fish with no rice? Order the sashimi instead.

Many people unfamiliar with Japanese cuisine usually think of sashimi when the subject of sushi gets brought up. Anyone curious about the simple taste of raw fish without the vinegared rice that qualifies a dish as sushi should order slices of sashimi. Salmon (sake, pronounced the same as the beverage) and tuna are two of the most popular fish in both the United States and Japan.

6. Take advantage of lunch specials when trying new things.

Most sushi bars and restaurants host lunch specials or happy hour deals with discounted food of the same quality served during dinner time. Novices to Japanese cuisine will want to give it a chance when they spend less money on dishes they may not entirely enjoy.

7. Feel free to ask the chef (itamae) for any recommendations.

Most sushi chefs are more than happy to help diners unfamiliar with Japanese food pick out dishes that sound appealing to their palates. Be sure to ask them about their specialties as well if hoping to sample the best sushi the restaurant or bar has to offer.

8. Order sake with sashimi. Sushi tastes best with beer or tea.

Because sake is made from fermented rice, most sushi connoisseurs consider drinking it with sushi a redundancy. It complements sashimi fine, but those hoping for a beverage best suited to accompany nigiri, maki, or other sushi dishes would do best to drink hot tea or beer instead. Try to avoid rice beers, of course.

9. Never be afraid to ask questions of an itamae or waitron.

Beyond inquiries into food, it is never taboo to ask the staff about etiquette protocol or any taboos when it comes to dining at a sushi bar or restaurant. They are usually perfectly happy to help with anything from pronunciations to how to properly use chopsticks.

10. Chopsticks are optional when it comes to sushi.

Sashimi should be eaten with chopsticks, but it is not considered rude to consume nigiri or maki sushi without any utensils whatsoever. There are several different accepted techniques to hold the pieces and keep them together with the fingers.

11. Dip pieces of nigiri sushi into soy sauce (shoyu) topping side first.

Rice soaks up shoyu quickly, overpowering the delicate vinegar flavoring. While it may be awkward at first, turn nigiri pieces upside-down so that the sauce covers the topping instead. This allows diners better control of their condiments and does not compromise taste.

12. Eat nigiri pieces upside-down.

Doing so brings out the complex, carefully balanced flavors in the sushi best. Eating nigiri rice-first may cause palates to predominately taste the light, starchy vinegar over the topping.

13. Eat nigiri pieces in one or two bites.

Most nigiri comes with a subtle smear of wasabi between the topping and the pillow of rice. One to two bites ensures that the diner consumes the piece as it was meant to be tasted – with all ingredients painstakingly playing off one another. Three or more bites may mean missing out on all the itamae’s carefully constructed crafting.

14. Place several small orders instead of one large order.

Even with specials, sushi is not cheap or easy to make. Ordering too much early on could result in a very expensive waste of time and pricy ingredients. Some places even charge extra for uneaten food because of this. Ask for sushi pieces a few at a time and dine at a pace that works with both time and budget in order to prevent such squandering.

15. Pour shoyu sparingly.

Again, prudently utilizing condiments minimizes waste, but cultural implications are also at play here. Pouring too much soy sauce may be interpreted as an insult to the sushi chef’s abilities, implying that his skills at balancing flavor are sub-par and require masking with liberal amounts of shoyu.

16. There are several ways to use wasabi…

Some sushi fanatics swear by the smear, placing a little bit of wasabi on top of a piece before consumption. Others swirl it into a tiny puddle of soy sauce. There is no love lost between the two groups, who argue over which method is proper. In reality, both techniques work just fine.

17. …but please don’t go overboard.

As with the aforementioned shoyu example, an overuse of wasabi potentially signals a displeasure with theitamae’s culinary prowess.

18. Sit at the sushi bar.

Any newcomer to the sushi scene must sit at the bar itself. This allows for a firsthand glimpse of the chef at work, familiarizing them with the process and facilitating conversation with the itamae when he or she has a moment to talk. Watching the amazing artistry behind the food certainly nurtures an appreciation for Japanese cuisine and everything that goes into crafting it, regardless of whether or not a diner ultimately enjoys sushi.

19. When sitting at the bar, only order sushi or sashimi from the itamae.

Every other request, whether for drinks, soup, tempura, noodles, or other dishes, should be directed to the waiter or waitress. Leave the chef to pay attention to doing what he or she does best.

20. Never inquire about freshness.

Asking outright about the freshness is rather insulting to the hardworking men and women who must pick out the best fish, shellfish, and vegetables available on a daily basis. There are ways to inspect for freshness simply by observing the pieces served and the ingredients themselves on display at the bar. If ever there are doubts about the quality of the ingredients used at a sushi bar or restaurant, do not even bother eating there at all.

21. Do not take food off a dining companion’s plate with the eating end of chopsticks.

Pick up food of other people’s plates with the other end of the chopsticks, which does not touch the mouth. Doing otherwise compromises sanitation and cleanliness.

22. Never pass food with chopsticks.

Instead, pass the plate and allow dining companions to pick up the food themselves. Passing with chopsticks resembles the bone protocol during traditional Japanese funerals.

23. Buy the itamae a sake or beer to show appreciation.

Doing so does not take the place of a tip, of course, but many enjoy establishing a rapport with the sushi chef and treating him or her to a sake or beer as a way of showing appreciation for an exquisite meal.

24. If drinking from a carafe, dining companions should refill each other.

This typically holds for alcoholic beverages, but it also a nice, polite gesture when consuming tea from a shared container as well. Individuals must serve others before serving themselves, and wait patiently for their dining companions to follow suit when in need of more drink. Alternately, if serving oneself, be sure to offer others a refill first.

25. Never stick chopsticks straight up in a rice bowl.

Instead, place them over the shallow shoyu dish or a provided chopstick rest. Making them stand upright in a bowl of rice recalls the incense sticks burned at funerals.

26. Be sure to tip both the waitron and the itamae.

At sushi establishments, it is advisable to leave tips for the waiter or waitress as well as the chef. If there is not a tip jar available at the bar, simply add it to the bill and indicate the split.

27. Make sure the fish does not have an overly pungent odor.

Though some seafood does naturally admit a slightly fishy smell, a pronounced bouquet of rancidity indicates compromised freshness. It is not considered rude or wasteful to skip over a piece of sushi due to safety concerns.

28. Fish flesh must be firm.

This can be tested by pressing it with a finger. If the flesh feels mushy or does not spring back (as it were) from denting, then it is not fresh and should not be eaten. The only exception to this rule is sea urchin, which has a naturally soft, buttery texture.

29. Do not eat raw fish if pregnant.

In spite of all the health benefits of raw fish, pregnant women are discouraged from indulging. Slices of sashimi, nigiri topped with sake or toro, and other dishes still pose a risk – however slight – of causing damage to unborn children.

30. Do not eat raw freshwater fish.

Far more parasites are present in freshwater fish than those residing in saltwater because the majority cannot handle the high salinity of the latter’s environment. In fact, certain breeds of tapeworms explicitly thrive in the muscles of some freshwater species. Because of this very high risk of infection, it is never safe to eat raw fish from freshwater habitats.

31. Never eat fugu from an unlicensed chef.

Gastrointestinal daredevils hoping to indulge in the controversial and highly dangerous blowfish fugu must never – under any circumstances – consume the creature from a chef without the license and ten years of training necessary to serve it as safely as possible. Unless diners somehow wish to nosh on neurotoxins, recklessness when it comes to fugu literally means the difference between life and death. There is a very good reason it is the only delicacy explicitly denied to the Emperor.

32. If offered a hot towel (oshibori), practice proper protocol.

Some sushi bars and restaurants proffer hot towels to patrons before or after a meal. Clean hands, perhaps lightly and subtly pat around the mouth, then fold the towel neatly before returning it to the waitron.

33. Chopsticks should be set down in the preferred manner when not in use.

There are generally a few different ways to put chopsticks down when going unused. Some may elect to set them on their small saucer for shoyu, though sometimes special chopstick rests are available as well. At some bars or restaurants, the waiter, waitress, or sushi chef will create lovely origami knots from the paper chopstick holders for use as a rest.

34. Do not be afraid to ask for anything off-menu.

As with many restaurants, sushi establishments may very well have the ingredients on hand to create a multitude of dishes not explicitly on the menu. If curious, ask and see if the itamae enjoys slicing up anything special that he or she does not get a chance to make very often. This makes for an excellent method of learning more about Japanese cuisine as well as striking up a familiarity with the chef.

35. Both hot and cold sake complement sashimi.

When ordering sake, diners have the option of enjoying it either hot or cold. Neither temperature particularly affects the flavor of the accompanying food in a positive or negative manner – it is purely a matter of preference. Those new to Japanese food ought to try both temperatures to figure out which they like more.

36. Never eat day-old sushi.

Many sushi bars and restaurants – even grocery stores – have take-out options. While it is okay to leave nigiri, maki, or other dishes in the refrigerator for a few hours, doing so does alter the flavor and freshness a bit. However, keeping it overnight severely compromises the overall quality and poses a much higher risk of food poisoning than eating it immediately.

37. Frozen sushi tastes as awful as it sounds.

As one should never eat sushi of questionable freshness, likewise it is inadvisable to eat frozen sushi. Although the freezing process remains far safer than refrigeration, doing so with sushi inherently damages the carefully orchestrated balance of flavors – rendering it a cold, watery, and almost tasteless shell of its former self.

38. If leery about raw fish, start off with cooked pieces.

Everyone has their comfort levels when it comes to food, and those eager enough to dive into trying raw fish without hesitation ought not be stopped. So long as they are practicing good judgment when it comes to quality and freshness, of course. However, diners with hesitations regarding the consumption of uncooked fish should start off sampling the myriad cooked sushi pieces available – or, alternately, a piece featuring vegetable or egg toppings. Many people do not realize this, but there is sushi out there to appeal to any palate, just as long as it does not mind the vinegared rice.

39. Feel free to slurp noodles.

Some diners may appreciate a side of soba or udon noodles to accompany their sushi meal. Slurping them is not considered taboo in Japanese etiquette protocol – in fact, it helpfully sucks in air to cool off the usually piping hot dishes. Soup, however, is generally enjoyed in a far quieter fashion.

40. Miso soup may be eaten without a spoon.

Occasionally, sushi bars and Japanese restaurants will serve their soups without a spoon. This may seem unfamiliar to American diners, but it is actually not a mistake on the part of the waitron. If handed a bowl of soup that lacks any sort of utensil, simply lift it up and drink it directly from the bowl. This is not considered an etiquette violation in Japan, nor will it in an explicitly Japanese environment.

41. Start off with familiar foods.

Another good rule of thumb for hesitant novices is to order sushi pieces with ingredients they already enjoy. Calimari fans could order squid (ika, which is served raw); people who enjoy shrimp would find interest in sweet shrimp (ama ebi, served raw) or regular shrimp (ebi, served cooked), and so on. This will help foster comfort with Japanese cuisine and pave the way for more adventurous dining.

42. Make a few trips to the sushi bar with a seasoned veteran.

Individuals interested in learning more about sushi should take advantage of any friends or acquaintances with knowledge of the food and etiquette protocol at Japanese restaurants. Considering how popular it has become due to its health benefits and overall pleasant, simple flavors, this should not be too difficult to do.

43. Learn to use chopsticks beforehand.

Every “Westerner” is understandably awkward with chopsticks the first few times they use them due to their unfamiliarity. But regular practice gradually makes it much easier to grasp food and eat it with chopsticks. Though most sushi bars and restaurants provide diners with the knives, forks, and spoons to which they are accustomed, some do not. Because of this, it is advantageous to learn how to use chopsticks prior to sampling Japanese food. A number of tutorials abound online, and those learning do not even need to purchase their own pair to take advantage of them – even pencils and pens may be used in place for practice.

44. It is safe to eat most of the garnishes.

Unlike many restaurants, the garnishes at Japanese restaurants are perfectly fit for consumption. They frequently employ radishes (the red and the daikon varieties), shiso leaves, oranges, and other vegetables as edible aesthetic elements that offer a number of health benefits.

45. If making sushi at home – DO THE RESEARCH…

Making sushi at home is an excellent way to eat healthy on a tighter budget. However, anyone wishing to bring raw fish into the equation ought not embark upon this undertaking without extensive and thorough research on how to pick the freshest, safest specimens for consumption. Not taking advantage of the books and websites with valuable advice on the equipment and ingredients necessary for homemade sushi could very well compromise a diner’s health and safety.

46. …and be sure to set aside a few hours.

Part of what drives up the cost of sushi is the intensive labor involved in its creation. The rice especially takes at least one hour to make properly. When making sushi at home, it is always best to do so on a day without a time crunch to account for this.

47. Order pieces of nigiri in pairs.

The tradition of serving sushi two at once comes from a time when diners would have to cut their pieces in half to eat them without choking. Beyond that, ordering one piece of nigiri or ordering four of something have unfortunate etymologies attached to them in Japanese. It is generally recommended to order in pairs to avoid awkwardness.

48. Try and become familiar with the terminology beforehand.

Most menus at sushi bars offer up explanations of what word translates to what particular topping or filling. However, it is advisable to try and learn the difference between dishes that have no direct translation, such as nigiri and maki. This will help save time and migraines when it comes to finally ordering those first pieces of sushi.

49. Be sure to read reviews of restaurants.

As raw fish does pose a health risk, it is integral that novices know exactly where to patronize in order to avoid any potential hazards. Scout online at websites that allow customer reviews or peruse the local newspapers to see what the professional food critics have to say. This should offer up a clear idea about where to try and where to ignore.

50. The only steadfast rule is practice common courtesy and politeness.

In the end, though, just about the only thing that truly matters in the sushi experience is whether or not patrons treat themselves and everyone around them with respect and courtesy. Being awkward with chopsticks or using too much soy sauce or flubbing pronunciations are window dressing, really – it will not carry any truly inescapable or demonizing stigmas. Relaxing, being polite, being nice, and having a great time is truly the spirit of eating sushi and eating it well.

Taking all of these tips and tricks into consideration will hopefully help maximize the sushi, sushi bar, and Japanese restaurant experience. In doing so, one can appreciate the true art that goes into every healthy piece – even if it does not ultimately prove a gustatory fit – and the ancient culture from which it came.

BBQ from RambleWriter

2010-01-07T06:37:00.000-08:00

Check out this short video on some Tennessee BBQ. Pig on Beale, A & R, and the highly rated Rendevous, as reviewed by the Ramble Writers.

Rambling in Memphis, Tennessee from Rochelle Woodward on Vimeo.

Christmas Gifts

2009-12-29T12:26:00.001-08:00

Ok, so I admit it, I'm a terrible blogger. I did however, get lots of goodies in a foodie filled Christmas gift exchange. Lauren's parents decided to upgrade our pots and pans with the signature edition from Paula Dean, robin's egg with copper accents. I've only made a turkey tacos and a fried egg in them, but so far, fantastic. From her brother I received the long-awaited Sushi set with plates and soy sauce saucers, new chopsticks for four and a spice grinder with 3 storage cases. While these might not help me blog more, I will sure enjoy cooking food more.

Happy Holidays from the Food Monster

Moving again...

2009-11-16T18:50:00.000-08:00

I see I haven't made a post in a long while. Not since back in early July. It's now November. The past couple of months have brought me to Wilmington, NC as I took a job as a retail store manager. This has left me with little time to go out to eat at delicious places. However, Lauren has kept me fed well, although I don't have any pictures, I'm not going hungry.

I've also been slack about keeping up with Nick and Rochelle as they ramble along at www.ramblewriter.com Hopefully, soon you will able to read all about their food posts here at the Food Monster. Stay tuned...

The Angus Barn

2009-07-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend did some cool things at work and was rewarded with a Gift Certificate for The Angus Barn. I promised to foot the rest of the bill and off we went.

For those of you not from the Raleigh area, this is the place to go for a steak. It may cost an arm and a leg, but i can guarantee you, that it will be delicious. I got my reservation in a week or so in advance. We arrived and were greeted by a hostess who sent us down to a second host/manager in front of another computer who promptly showed us to our table. There we were greeted by Doug, our friendly and knowledgeable Server (and certified Sommelier).

You are allowed to bring in your own wine, for a small corking fee, and we did just that. Doug properly introduced us to our first glass of wine, as well as the hors d'oeuvres on the table. Two cheese spreads, one of Cheddar/Bleu and a Sharp Cheddar, along with homemade crackers, and let's not forget the relish plate complete with jumbo stuffed olives and pickles. I heard this place was expensive, but this whole spread was free, I couldn't believe it, free.

I could have just finished up there, paid for the check and left, but Lauren insisted we order some food. A Shrimp Cocktail later and I was warming up to the idea of the main course myself.
She decided on the 7 oz. Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon ($32) and I got the 13 oz. Ribeye ($34) with Roquefort Cheese and Balsamic Glaze topping ($4). They each came with a salad and a side. She grabbed up the Spinach salad with warm Poppyseed Dressing while I got the wedge, "for the Bleu Cheese lovers in the group", which contains (Bleu I think) cheese crumbles well as a chunky Bleu Cheese dressing. I simply loved it, that is until I tasted her Spinach salad. Then I wondered why I didn't order one myself. The warm poppyseed dressing was one of the top 3 dressings I have ever had. Boy am I glad I got to finish off the other half of her salad.

The steaks came, perfectly cooked, Medium Well for Lauren (hates blood in her food), and Medium Rare for myself. We both got the loaded baked potato, which Doug personally stuffed full of Cheese Bacon and Sour Cream, table-side. The Ribeye was great, but I guess I like Filet better and wished I had ordered the 10oz. instead. I would like to note, I was able to enjoy this meal again the next day for lunch, when I was glad I got the hefty Ribeye. Also, at dinner the Roquefort Cheese was a little overpowering, although a tasty delight the next day. The next time I will get it "Oscar", with Asparagus, Crab and Hollandaise, that can't possibly disappoint. Lauren was thrilled with her Steak and we were off to dessert. Oh no!, I almost forgot the bread. An abundance of Texas Toast soaked in butter made its way to our table, during our Steak, err main course, and was another treat the next day when I crisped it up in a frying pan.
Doug presented an enormous array of delights, from the Gran Marnier Parfait, to the Sawdust Pie, they all looked like I should take them home with me. We decided on a piece of the Chocolate Chess Pie and Blackberry Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream. However, at the slightest mention of my love for Cinnamon Ice Cream, Doug made sure to include a small scoop on the side when the desserts made it to the table. Perfect, full, but a perfect ending to a lovely night. Afterward, we were personally escorted on a tour of the Barn, the kitchen, wine cellars (complete with their own kitchens and dining rooms) and upstairs Wild Turkey Bar & Lounge. Hopefully, it won't be as long until we can get back for another Filet. Got something to celebrate? take it to The Angus Barn.

The Angus Barn
9401 Glenwood Avenue
(Highway 70 at Aviation Parkway)
Raleigh, North Carolina 27617
TEL 919-781-2444

M- F 5:30 - 10:30 PM
Sat - 5 - 10:30 PM
Sun - 5 - 10PM

Wild Turkey Lounge
M - F 4:30 - 11PM
Sat - 4- 11PM
Sun - 4- 10PM

Ramble Writer, quick video of Brooklyn

2009-06-10T13:56:00.001-07:00

Here is another post from Ramble Writer. A short video shot in Brooklyn.

Enjoy,

-The Food Monster

Welcome to Brooklyn from Rochelle Woodward on Vimeo.

Free Kentucky Fried Cruelty

2009-05-06T14:19:00.001-07:00

I happened upon this link to a site that helps shed some light on Yo Soy!'s comments to the previous post regarding KFC's animal practices.

Again, I strongly encourage you, if you go to KFC, only go for the free food, and even then, only eat the biscuit. Some of the things they are doing remind me of The Jungle.

Read more here...

Free Kentucky Grilled Chicken from KFC

2009-05-06T12:29:00.001-07:00

Free Chicken at KFC. They have a great marketing strategy to get people to try their new Grilled Chicken. Go on the oprah show, and give it away. Thanks to my mom and Joe for sending me the links.
Free Chicken as seen on Oprah!
But you have to download it by tonight, limit 4 per ip address.

Enjoy!!!

Guest Blogger: Ramble Writer, Virigina

2009-05-04T06:21:00.000-07:00

Continuing on the trip, Nick and Rochelle of RambleWriter.com headed north through Virginia. Here is their post on Charlottesville, Virginia and surrounding areas. Enjoy.

-The Food Monster

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Charlottesville, Virginia, and Surrounding Areas

On our way to Charlottesville, from Abingdon, we stopped at Rockbridge Vineyard, which is a little over an hour outside of Charlottesville. We tried a variety of wines in their tasting room, which is free to the public. I especially appreciated this wine tasting because most of the wines were dry. In fact, nine of the 11 wines that Rockbridge currently offers are dry. I am acquiring a larger palate for dry wines, and have grown to enjoy a full-bodied, dry red to accompany a meal. We bought the Tuscarora Red, which is only $10. The Tuscarora Red compliments a wide range of meals, especially Mediterranean food. It offers berry flavors and is medium-bodied.

I recommend that you stop at Rockbridge for a wine tasting, buy a bottle or two, and walk around the vineyard. The farm and vineyard are on a renovated 1800’s dairy, and the view of the rolling hills is beautiful.

Rockbridge Vineyard | www.rockbridgevineyard.com
35 Hill View Lane, Raphine, Virginia | 1-888-511-WINE

A NOTE ON VIRGINIA WINE:
I had no idea that Virginia was not only a beautiful state to drive through, but has over 140 wineries. Thomas Jefferson even attempted to grow European grapes at Monticello from 1774 to 1816, but it wasn’t until the 1970’s did Virginian winemakers succeed with grape variety experimentation.

For information about Virginia wine and wine trails, visit www.virginiawine.org.
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When in Charlottesville, it is helpful to be acquainted with the town’s “districts”: the Downtown Mall, The Corner, Belmont, & The University of Virginia campus.

Here are a few stops we made while rambling through Charlottesville:

Blue Mountain Brewery and Hop Farm
www.bluemountainbrewery.com
9519 Critzers Shop Road, Afton, Virigina
540-456-8020

If you haven’t noticed by now, Nick and I love to drink. Not just to drink, but to drink great beer, wines, and liquors of different varieties and from interesting places. Fortunately, our host in Charlottesville, Sean, had the foresight to take us to Blue Mountain Brewery and Hop Farm, located in Afton, Virginia (about 20 minutes outside of Charlottesville).

We each ordered the Sampler, Blue Mountain’s flight of all 6 drafts for $5. We all were not enthusiastic about the lighter beers in the flight, but the darker beers offered a few unique twists. I enjoyed the experience of Blue Mountain Brewery, which offers a view of the farm and a pleasant atmosphere, but I was a bit disappointed with the beer.

Of the flight, my favorite was #6, the Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout. I don’t think I would particularly enjoy a full pint of this beer (due to it’s sweet and strong flavor), but I do appreciate it’s taste. “It smacked me upside the head,” Sean said. This beer is aged in oak bourbon barrels from the Wild Turkey distillery in Kentucky, which explains my reaction to the initial sip. I immediately thought, “This tastes like liquor,” but I could not pinpoint the specific liquor. I liked the unique taste of this beer - what a great idea to utilize the flavors trapped in the oak barrels!

Para Coffee | in The Corner
A colorful little coffee shop that offers decent espresso (which is hard to find), and friendly baristas behind the counter. I recommend getting the bran-raisin muffin, which is the best I have had in quite a while (great muffin top, moist inside, and filled with carrot and raisins!). Serves Shenandoah Joe coffee and has free wi-fi.

Miller’s | in the downtown Mall
Stop by Miller’s to people-watch outside while sipping on a $2 PBR draft.

Beer Run | Belmont (above)
Since Beer Run lacks the yuppies and undergrads of typical Charlottesville bar clientele, this is Sean’s favorite bar. Beer Run is the best of many worlds; it is a beer store, a coffee shop, a restaurant, and a bar. The beer store has so many different beers that you are sure to find something new, and the bar is a great hang out spot. I especially liked our bartender, who poured me a Guiness with a giant D in the head to represent Durham.

South Street Brewery | downtown
South Street is a bit more upscale, with a selection of microbrews to accompany their meals.

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SEAN’S PICKS FOR CHARLOTTESVILLE
Since Sean has lived in Charlottesville for a few years now and I trust his judgment, I took note of his top picks for Charlottesville that we were unable to see:

The best area to hang around is Belmont, which is about a mile from downtown. Stop in at La Taza for coffee, go to Mas for tapas or Bel Rio for American fare. Afterward, grab a drink at The Local. “If I am going to put my nice shirt on,” Sean said, “I go to Ten.” Ten is a posh sushi restaurant which just happens to a favorite of Dave Matthews, a UVA alum.

Guest Blogger: Ramble Writer, Back in Asheville

2009-05-03T06:10:00.000-07:00

Finally, another Ramble Writer post. They are finding gem after gem, and I haven't been able to keep up with their posts. They are well past Texas and I've only left Pisgah, North Carolina. Here is their last stop in NC, back to Asheville, where they list off a whole lot of great places. Definitely, a post to read before you visit the land of the skies.

Follow all of their travels in real time at www.RambleWriter.com
Discoveries in Asheville is the original post.

-The Food Monster

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Discoveries in Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville is a wonderful city. It is laid back, is full of great restaurants, has a creative flair, and offers picturesque mountain views. I enjoy simply walking around downtown Asheville, and over the past week Nick and I have visited quite a few restaurants and shops. Below is a quick list of every place - click on a business name to visit their website.

Jack of the Wood :: 95 Patton Avenue
Their Green Man microbrews hit the spot, there is live music playing every week, and bar food to fill your belly. The bar is smoke-free, by the way, which is a bonus in my book.

Zambra Spanish Wine and Tapas :: 85 W Walnut Street
This restaurant is a bit pricier than our trip budget allows, but fortunately Matt, a friend who happens to work at Zambra, took us out. I was excited to have a tasting of various menu items. We sat in the back, where luscious pillows cushioned us as we laid back while enjoying our meal. It was great. I do remember coming to Zambra years ago with my family. The night we visited, belly dancers danced throughout the restaurant. If you visit Asheville, make sure to stop in for at least a couple tapas and a drink.

12 Bones Smokehouse :: 5 Riverside Drive
If you visit Asheville, at least three or four people will tell you that 12 Bones needs to be a stop on your trip. Nick and I split a barbecue plate with cornbread, collard greens, baked beans, and cole slaw. I love the atmosphere - sit down to a picnic table of your choice (each with it’s own napkin dispenser), and chow down on your meal, which is served on a round aluminum tray.

One Love II Jamaican Restaurant :: 42 S Market Street
Great Jamaican food. Nick and I split the jerk chicken large plate (around $11) accompanied with collard greens, rice, and cornbread. I was too chicken to try the oxtail stew, but the option is there, along with curried goat.

The Noodle Shop :: 3 SW Pack Square
It was so cold at the beginning of the week, and a steaming hot noodle bowl was exactly what I needed. Nick and I split a bowl of noodles (around $6.50), and it was served split for us. The meal was wonderful.

Early Girl Eatery :: 8 Wall Street
This is a well-known restaurant famous for it’s brunch. Early Girl Eatery serves local meats and other eats, offering a homey ambiance perfect for a weekend meal. I have heard that Sunny Point Cafe is even better than Early Girl Eatery, so I plan to scope out the competition for breakfast. Check out the comments for my verdict.
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Pisgah Brewing Company :: 150 Eastside Drive, Black Mountain, NC
Check out Nick’s post: Pisgah Brewing Co. Brewery, Black Mountain N.C. He gives this beer rave reviews!

The Thirsty Monk :: 92 Patton Avenue
The Thirsty Monk offers a great selection of Belgian (and other) beers on tap. I especially appreciated their menu. Its detailed beer descriptions helped me in my decision, and the half-pint option for each beer are convenient for us light-weight customers! Get the spicy nuts to share to accompany your beer. And for you mommies and daddies, head to The Thirsty Monk on Tuesdays, 4pm-7pm, for Babies ‘n’ Beer night. It may sound like an odd combination, but I think it is a great idea.
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Chocolate Fetish :: 36 Haywood St
Need I say more? Ok, I will then - dark chocolate covered caramels (and I’m talking about a chewy caramel… not some liquid excuse for caramel).

French Broad Chocolate Lounge :: 10 South Lexington Avenue
I hung out at FB Chocolate for a few hours this week, sipping on my lavender and honey “Liquid Truffle” while using their free wi-fi. For those of you who have had European hot chocolate, this is what to expect at FB Chocolate - thick and rich (yet with a few flavor twists).
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Frugal Backpacker :: 2621 Hendersonville Rd
After walking in a snowy city, I started to realize that my cold toes needed wool socks. So we headed to the Frugal Backpacker. The Frugal Backpacker offers outdoor gear at discounted prices - don’t expect SUPER discounts (I think I am an even more frugal backpacker), but you will definitely save a little extra cash.

Curtis Wright Outfitters :: 5 All Souls Crescent
Nick bought these awesome gloves at Curtis Wright Outfitters in Biltmore Village. Its a fly shop (or you could even call it a boutique), but also carries useful items for a trip such as ours. Nick’s gloves, made by Choti, are mittens that fold over to allow you to use your fingers. Not only are your fingers available, but the thumb piece is foldable as well. AND… they’re windproof.

Three Dog Bakery :: 21 Battery Park
I just browsed this store, but I couldn’t resist writing about it. Look at these “pastries” - these are dog treats! The “chocolate” you see is carob, and they are all sugar free.

Amazing Savings :: 3018 Us 70 Hwy, Black Mountain, NC
It’s amaaaaazzzing! A great place to stock up on discounted health-food, but make sure to check the expiration dates before making your purchases. Nick and I plan to buy some staple items here before leaving Asheville.

Foodbuzz: Growing and now 2,000 strong

2009-04-27T06:12:00.000-07:00

Check out this press release from The Food Monster Blog's Publisher Foodbuzz. Now a very real force in the foodie community.

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2,000 FOOD BLOGGERS FLOCK TO FOODBUZZ FUELING
1000% ANNUAL GROWTH AND CREATING THE THIRD
LARGEST ONLINE FOOD PROPERTY

San Francisco – April 23, 2009: Foodbuzz announced today that is has surpassed 2,000 food bloggers in its online food community. These partner food blog websites, when combined with the foodbuzz.com “hub” website, reached 6.7 million people per month according to third-party traffic measurement service Quantcast. This ranks Foodbuzz as the third largest online food property after less than two years of operation. (See Quantcast Media Planner.)

“Our goal is to be the number one online food community by promoting the talent, enthusiasm and knowledge of food bloggers around the globe,” said Ben Dehan, founder and CEO of Foodbuzz. Of the top three properties, Foodbuzz is the only true community that combines social networking for foodies with food content search for everyone. “Both our monthly users and page views grew over 1000% in 2008, and we are on pace to reach the number one spot within the next 12 months”, said Mr. Dehan.

Foodbuzz digs deep into the “long tail” of food publishing to discover and promote thousands of small, yet high-quality, food bloggers. “We are providing a platform for food bloggers to pursue their passion in a community that nurtures and encourages the sharing of quality food and dining content daily,” said Ryan Stern, Director of Publishing. Foodbuzz offers these bloggers a compelling solution for building their traffic, connecting with like-minded foodies, and making money. Foodbuzz has exclusive advertising relationships with partner bloggers which provide brand advertisers the reach and share-of-voice they need to effectively engage the food community.

About Foodbuzz
Based in San Francisco, Foodbuzz is a global online food community of over 2,000 food bloggers connected by the foodbuzz.com “hub” website. In the past month, this community reached 6.7 million people and 33 million impressions according to Quantcast. Foodbuzz.com provides a full suite of social networking features enabling foodies to interact and share their food experiences. With over 900,000 high-quality food blog posts in its searchable database, foodbuzz.com is an essential resource for everyone interested in exploring the world of food. Foodbuzz is a 2009 Webby Awards Honoree!

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Philly Steak Factory, a review

2009-04-21T17:06:00.001-07:00

Each and every time I return to the triangle, the first place I try to get to is the Philly Steak Factory in Durham. I also think to myself, that it will be good like I remember.... and then I take a bite, and it is never like I remember. It is always 100% better, and I try to figure out why I don't go more often.
I have recently moved to Raleigh, and thus don't get over to Durham as easily anymore. However, this past Friday, I was planning on heading over to the campus at UNC, for the annual Carolina Comedy Festival with headliner Lewis Black. This particular night featured Keenan Thompson, who did a fine job, although, I am looking forward to Rory Albanese of the Daily Show, returning to his role as Emcee.
My friend Joel accompanied me and suggested our favorite restaurant so we hit it up on the way.
My order always seems to be taken by the same guy each time (the owner) which gives it a great community feel. We got 2 whole (Philly Steaks) with fries and a drink. They have other items from salads, to Pitas, but I've never bothered to try anything else. I'm sure they are amazing but, if it isn't broke, don't fix it.
As noted in my previous posts on my short Philly Steak Tour, It's all about the little things. The fact that the marinated (hot) meat juice is poured over the hand-chopped meat to melt the cheese, the cajun seasoning for the fries on every table, the fresh brewed sweet tea, you just can't find these things in PA. Above is some great hand chopping going on.
As Joel and I tasted our fresh made sandwiches, we both remarked out loud how it was better than we remembered. I vow to be back, soon, very soon.
As I brought along my camera this time, and we had some time to kill before the comedy show, we walked by Time Out for a Vanilla Chipper. Basically, it is 2 pints of Vanilla Ice Cream sandwiched between two enormous chocolate chip cookies.
Although it takes awhile to eat, as you can see from the pictures, it isn't possible for this to a bad tasting dessert. Enjoy.

Philly Steak Factory
(919) 490-9753

5410 New Hope Commons Dr
Durham, NC 27707

Time Out (open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year)
133 W Franklin St # D
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
(919) 929-2425

Guest Blogger: RambleWriter, Pisgah

2009-04-16T10:17:00.000-07:00

Our Ramble Writer series last left off in Asheville, NC. Near there in the Pisgah National Forest, is Pisgah, NC. Let's see what Nick has to say about the Pisgah Brewing Company (follow this link, or the post is below).

And with moving and taxes and now working taking a toll on my time, I'm a few ramblings behind, as they have been to NY, through Memphis and worked their way south already. I will try and catch up this week.

Enjoy,

-The Food Monster

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Pisgah Brewing Co. Brewery, Black Mountain N.C.

March 7, 2009 – 3:11 pm

By: Nick

Last night I had a chance to make the 20 minute ride east to Black Mountain and check out the tap room at the Pisgah Brewing Co.’s brewery. Pisgah prides itself on brewing great, entirely organic beer (with primarily American-bought ingredients). I went with some friends, all of whom told me they had been meaning to get out there, but hadn’t. In fact, everyone I talk to about the place says that same thing. My advice to those people is lie to your husband/wife/girlfriend/probation officer, make any excuse you have to, and get yourself out there post haste.

Upon arriving, we turned into a large dirt parking lot with surrounded by looming warehouses. It felt a bit like an old detective film scene down by the docks. We eventually found the brewery by the fire burning out back. Inside it was a warehouse. I don’t mean it was an old warehouse that had been converted into a bar and designed to retain it’s cool ‘warehouse’ feel. I mean it was a working warehouse… with a bar along one wall. There were 20 or so people hanging out and drinking beer, a guy playing well selected soul numbers on a set of turn tables on a small stage and some art on the wall opposite the bar. There were a few folding tables, not nearly enough seats for everyone and the general atmosphere of a speak easy. In other words, it was rad.

The beers at the bar were (for the most part) very reasonably priced and you could sample all sorts of stuff that isn’t readily available anywhere else. I made the mistake of not realizing it was cash only, and so was forced to appeal to the generous nature of my friends Eruch and Isaac. I started with a porter and headed out to sit by the fire. The porter was good. Not amazing, but a good solid example of a porter. Outside there was a fire pit and some seats. People passed by us, heading to a little shack out back that houses a pool table and arcade games. This is clearly a company run by guys… young guys.

Dave Quinn (pictured left) is one of those young guys. He was tending the fire and happy to talk to anyone who would listen about his beer. He is quite passionate about it, and it shows in the beer. We chatted a bit and he kindly bought me a pint of Vortex II (an 11% imperial stout). It was great. Wonderful beer. It tasted of burnt caramel with maple on the finish. The Saison (a raspberry farmhouse ale) was excellent as well. It would hold it’s own with any number of more expensive Belgian farmhouse ales. In addition to the great beer and the friendly people, I liked that the place wasn’t overdone. There was a smattering of decorations, and a good pot of beef chili in the corner on a Bunsen burner for all to eat. It wasn’t any more organized than a good college party. I like that.

I hope that as this brewery expands (as they certainly will), they manage to hold onto that patchwork, salt of the earth feel that fits them so well. If you are in the area, get out there and check it out while it still has that wonderful, youthful, organic feel (no pun intended). Starting next week, they are expanding their hours to include Saturday, and adding tours of the brewing facility 2 days a week.

Check out their wesite at www.pisgahbrewing.com for directions and news about whats going on at the brewery.

Denny's Free Slamwich

2009-04-07T12:51:00.001-07:00

Denny's if you recall, offered us a Free Grand Slam. And now, the diner chain famous for baseball themed breakfast plates and smokey late nights is offering a Free Slamwich with purchase of a Grand Slam. While it is not as good as just free for showing up, I still expect a great turnout April 8th from 6am - 2pm. Get them while they are hot, as they say.

Quaker True Delights: Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia Nut

2009-03-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

Great!.... Here we are with the last flavor in the Tastemaker Program sample bars. Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia Nut. One of three bar flavors in Quaker True Delight's new product line featuring premium delicious ingredients. Last time, I wasn't looking forward to this flavor and saved it for last. However, once I tried it. I changed my mind. It was by far my favorite. There was zero coconut flavor, and it ended up tasting like a Banana Nut Bread bar, I'm not sure how they did it, or if it was on purpose, but it worked. A great surprise ending to my first food sample from Foodbuzz. I am looking forward to the next item that arrives.
$3.49/box (5 bars)
140 calories
0 trans fat
Cholesterol-free
3g of fiber

Guest Blogger: RambleWriter.com, Asheville

2009-03-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

The next installment from RambleWriter series, comes from Asheville, and blogger Nick, as they are already several days into their trip. Follow all the action at RambleWriter.com

A big thanks to Nick and Rochelle, for getting out there and providing great food coverage on their trip.

-The Food Monster

previous posts can be found on Greensboro, NC and New York, NY
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Eats and Drinks :: Asheville, North Carolina

By: Nick

As you may have noticed, I am not often inspired by something enough to write about it. Today was one of those occasions that inspired me. I was out walking around downtown Asheville with my good friend Matt Shepard. He suggested a turn down a side street and led me into a door on our right to grab a light bite to eat and a beer. The place we went into was called The Vault, located at #7 Rankin Ave. in downtown Asheville. I suggest you go and find it for yourself. Few are the times that so many pleasing aspects can be found in one bar (they refer to themselves as a cocktail lounge, but any restaurant would be proud to serve their fare). The decor was just classy enough to remain playful in it’s art decor style without trying too hard or being pretentious. The sidewalk out front extends out into the street to make a great outdoor seating area, and had me wishing that it was spring so I could sit out late into the evening drinking 20 oz pint after pint. There is very pleasant afternoon light in this place because the whole front wall is made of glass block, which if I had heard about I would have thought would be cheesy, but in fact is not at all cheesy. The french onion soup I had, however, was cheesy in the best of ways. Top notch soup. Anyone can make french onion soup and anyone can slather it with bad cheese. This was not any cheese, though. It was excellent. The combo of the half crisp half soup-drenched croutons and the subtle smokiness of the cheese was spot on. At $4 it was also a steal. However, the soup is not what inspired this posting. It was the beer…….and the service. Matt slid up to the bar and exchanged some small talk with the bartender Dustin, and upon hearing that they had Valdez Coffee Stout, promptly ordered two.

I break the paragraph here to further accentuate the following statement:

The people at Pisgah Brewing Co. in Black Mountain N.C. know how to make beer.

At least stout. Pisgah Brewing Company‘s Valdez Coffee Stout is without a close second the best coffee stout I have ever had. It is not at all the sickly sweet that I have come to expect when I’m presented with a coffee stout. This is truly what coffee stout is meant to be. A cross between the taste of fine malt, and good coffee, lightly hopped and ever so slightly nutty. Not Folger’s. Good coffee. Those of you that know me will understand the gravity of the those two words used together.

Our very reasonably priced ($5) 20 oz. pints of Valdez were served to us by a seasoned professional. Dustin, who is a local artist, is one of those bartenders from the old days when bartenders made you feel at home - like you were in your own living room, and he just happened to be there making you drinks. He was attentive, present and put me totally at ease from moment one. He also made the apt comment that if he didn’t work there five nights a week, he would still be there nearly as much because the place is great and they are virtually giving their excellent food away. Actually they are giving the food away. A sign on the wall behind the bar reads:

At this point if you are reading this and you are less than a 3 hour drive from Asheville, you should be lacing up your shoes and heading out the door, calling good-bye to whoever isn’t moving fast enough to keep up.

In addition to a visit to The Vault Cocktail Lounge (www.rankinvault.com) I strongly suggest you head over to Black Mountain (a short drive east) and check out Pisgah Brewing Company (www.pisgahbrewing.com), who are after only a few short years in operation putting out beer that I forecast will shortly be receiving national acclaim. Their taproom is open Tuesday thru Friday and if the rest of their organic beer is as good as what I had today……… well let’s just say if you come this week, you’ll likely see me there.

UPADATE:

On a return visit to the Vault (after hearing my review Chelle wanted to see the place) I discovered why it has the name Rankin Vault. I was so taken with the beer and the soup last time I didn’t really get a chance to look around. This time I did and it seems that the lounge is part of what used to be an old bank building. It has a huge vault in the back that has been turned into a private room with a big screen TV, couches, and curtains that remind me a bit of twin peaks or vaudeville. Sort of otherworldly in it’s quietness too. Definitely worth checking out.

Pictures from rankinvault.com and organicfest.org

Free Chick-fil-A for the faithful fans promotion Cancelled

2009-03-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

In case you were looking at my last Chick-fil-A post and were going to go get yourself a free sandwich or biscuit by saying the phrase "Tarheel (Wolfpack, Blue Devils) Fans eat more chicken" and purchasing a large drink, you would instead be paying full price and wasting your breath. The triangle area Chick-fil-A's have halted the promotion in wake of the economic recession. They need all the money they can get apparently. It was fun while it lasted, now eat more beef.

Quaker True Delights: Honey Roasted Cashew Mixed Berry

2009-03-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

The second flavor I tried from the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program's Quaker True Delights was the Honey Roasted Cashew Mixed Berry. Honestly I couldn't tell a whole lot of difference between this bar and the Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almon d bar I started with. They both had a base of Granola, coupled with something sweet, crunchy, and berry. Underwhelmed I was. Looking down at the last bar, Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia Nut, left me feeling like I wasn't going to like this start to the Tastemaker program. I'm not a huge fan of Banana, less of Coconut, and used to hate nuts as they got stuck in my teeth when I was little. I would recommend trying the flavors, maybe they will strike a chord with you.
$3.49/box (5 bars)
140 calories
0 trans fat
Cholesterol-free
3g of fiber

Ghetto Big Mac

2009-03-10T11:55:00.000-07:00

These guys are all about creativity when it comes to the Ghetto Big Mac. Remember, the McDonalds employees are there to serve you, so small requests should be granted. I have found this to be true across the board.

Ghetto Big Mac
Ingredients
Double cheese burger, small fries (value menu)
Ask for Seeded Bun, Big Mac Sauce, and large cut sliver onions.

Enjoy!

Guest Blogger: RambleWriter.com

2009-03-10T07:10:00.000-07:00

You may recall the first post that I put up from RambleWriter.com author Rochelle. Here is another guest post from February, before she and Nick started their long road trip. You can follow their adventures here. This will also become a regular series as I highlight the food portion of their journey here on The Food Monster Blog. I hope you enjoy this one about their activities in Greensboro, NC

-The Food Monstser

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A Day of Activities in Greensboro, North Carolina

G R E E N S B O R O , N O R T H C A R O L I N A
Since I grew up in Greensboro, I almost overlooked it’s rambling potential for newcomers to the city. Greensboro’s restaurants and nightlife have multiplied since I lived here. I created a day’s worth of activities for those interested in spending time in Greensboro:

CLICK ON THE BLUE BUSINESS NAMES TO VISIT THEIR WEBSITE

GREEN BEAN | 341 S. Elm Street
Get your day started with a shot of espresso or a cup of coffee at the Green Bean. The Green Bean serves Joe Van Gogh coffee (the best coffee in the area - and its roasted in NC!), as well as pastries and bagels, and offers free wi-fi. If you don’t make it to the Green Bean in the morning, you can stop by in the evening - they serve beer and have live music during the week.

SIMPLE KNEADS | 227 S. Elm Street
If you didn’t have a chance to eat at the Green Bean, walk down Elm Street and pick up fresh baked goods at Simple Kneads.

GUILFORD COLLEGE | 5800 W. Friendly Avenue
If it is nice outside, drive over to Guilford College to enjoy the campus. Guilford has trails and fields where are great to hang out, throw a ball around, or just to explore.

PIEDMONT TRIAD FARMER’S MARKET | 2914 Sandy Ridge Road
While you are on Friendly Avenue, you can drive up to the Piedmont Triad Farmer’s Market. If you take I-40 to this farmer’s market, you can see it’s blue rooftops from the interstate. The Piedmont Triad Farmer’s Market has fresh produce and flowers year-round, including A.B. Seed, the garden center located in the center of the market. Come out and support your local gardeners and farmers!

TAQUERIA EL AZTECA | 5605 W. Friendly Avenue - In Quaker Village
While driving back from the Farmer’s Market, you can consider a few lunch options. If it is Tuesday, go to Azteca Grill for $1.00 tacos. Awesome tacos at a great price - don’t pass it up. Azteca Grill also has free wi-fi.

SOUTHERN LIGHTS BISTRO | 105 N. Smyres Place
Not in the mood for tacos? Head to Southern Lights Bistro. Southern Lights serves great sandwiches and always has new specials on the menu. They have wonderful desserts, too!

YUM YUM BETTER ICE CREAM | 1219 Spring Garden Street
This is a Greensboro favorite. Its not just better ice cream; Yum Yum’s serves better hot dogs as well. To ensure you have an authentic Yum Yum’s hot dog, look for the bright pink center of the dog. I recommend the chili dog along with chocolate chip ice cream for dessert.

TATE STREET & WEATHERSPOON ART MUSEUM
If you are at Yum Yum’s, walk over to Tate Street and check out the shops. You can also view the art exhibits at the Weatherspoon Art Museum.

FAMILY DOLLAR STORE | 2318 E Market Street
I know this is a weird stop in this tour, but this is a great Dollar Store. I have so many plates, mugs, and bowls from this store in my kitchen!

THE SHOPS AT FRIENDLY CENTER | Friendly Avenue
Apparently Greensboro is now on the map - Friendly Center has exploded! Friendly Center now features the trendiest of the trendy; Anthropologie, a new Apple store, REI (which I now know like the back of my hand), and many other shops and boutiques now grace the streets of Greensboro.

TASTE OF THAI | 1500 Mill St # 101
Taste of Thai is one of my favorite restaurants in Greensboro. This should be enough said. Order the fresh shrimp spring rolls as an appetizer (loaded with fresh basil, glass noodles, celery, lettuce, and shrimp) and sip on a Thai iced tea while you wait for the main course. You will not be disappointed! My parents have recently switched to Rearn Thai at 5120 W. Market Street. I have not eaten at Rearn Thai, but they like it even more than Taste of Thai. I trust their opinion, but the choice is up to you!

LIBERTY OAK | 100 W Washington St # D
If the taste of Thai doesn’t make your mouth water, go to Liberty Oak in downtown Greensboro. Featuring a constantly changing menu, Liberty Oak offers ingredients that uniquely compliment each other within each meal. This is the priciest restaurant on my list, but the dishes are definitely worth the extra few dollars.

THE GREEN BURRO, LONGSHANKS BILLIARDS & M’COUL’S IRISH PUB
106 W. McGee Street, 110 W.McGee Street
Now its time to have a few drinks! Head over to Elm street and bar hop through The Burro, Longshanks, and M’Coul’s. They are all very close together (The Burro is literally located on top of Longshanks), and all have a laid back atmosphere. McCool’s, an irish pub, features a variety of European beers on tap and 2 stories of bar space.

JAN’S HOUSE | 3932 W Market St # B
If you are not ready for the night to end after the bar crawl, head on over to Jan’s House. This 24-hour diner will serve you a greasy breakfast meal that is a perfect after-drinking dining.

I hope you enjoy my picks for Greensboro. If you are familiar with Greensboro and would like to comment / suggest other must-sees to our ramble readers, feel free to comment on this post!

Valentine's Surprise

2009-03-08T05:35:00.000-07:00

This February 14th, or as some of you know it, Valentine's Day, I awoke to the smell of Bacon... well Turkey Bacon. Lauren got up extra early, went to the store, and made a delicious breakfast. Before I get to the breakfast, a quick side note about her trip to Harris Teeter.
Lauren later told me that it was a very odd assortment of people. Unusual for our Harris Teeter, other than one or two other female customers, the store was filled with males doing some type of last minute shopping, getting flowers, balloons, cake, who knows what at 7:30am. Just interesting and something to think about.
Back to the breakfast. So we have the Turkey Bacon at bottom, going clockwise, the bowl on the left has some delicious biscuits beneath the cloth. The glasses and carafe are filled with fresh squeezed orange juice, pulp in. I mention that the pulp was left in because Lauren hates it, and as an act of compromise I ended up straining the rest of the carafe (luckily I got to keep all the pulp for myself, some would call it selfish, but I think of it as a compromise) for a pulp-free end to the meal. Continuing to 12 o clock, is a delicious fruit salad, with banana, apple, strawberry and yogurt. There may or may not have been other fruit, delicious though and it was the gift that kept on giving for a few days. The omelets are next with mushroom, cheese (not sure what kind), onion and basil. Last but not least a nice card at my plate. What a sweet girlfriend.

I hope you had a fun day of St. Valentine yourself.

Spring Ahead

2009-03-07T20:33:00.001-08:00

This is a friendly reminder from The Food Monster to set your clocks forward one hour tonight. Hopefully, everyone will be on the same schedule come Monday morning. Have a great weekend!!!

Random Picture #3: Alice's Egg Sandwich, Mayview Style

2009-03-06T08:38:00.000-08:00

One of the local restaurants (you could say favorite for many) in Los Feliz is Fred 62. A diner, known for slightly overpriced American fare that may or may not fill you up. Consequently, it is also the place known for a few celebrity sitings. I am terrible with names and faces, but was able to recognize Glenn Fitzgerald from Dirty Sexy Money. I wasn't like, "ooh, I am stalking him and have to meet him." It was more of an, "I think I have seen him before, oh yeah, Dirty Sexy Money, have no idea what is name is, glad to see he gets out and about and eats like the rest of us."
Long story short, Fred 62 does make one delicious Alice's Egg Sandwich. Which happened to be the first thing I had when I arrived in Los Angeles my first night. Goat Cheese, Avocado, Tomato, Eggs, and Hash Brown, served on a buttery bun sounds great. It was, even though it was tiny. When the bill came at $7.85 per, The Food Monster was grumpy.A few months later, we set out to make our own. Thus, we come across Random Picture #3, from my photo archives. I remember John David made the hashbrowns, and we all helped out to make a better sandwich, for way cheaper.From the looks of things, the ingredient list included:
Tomato
Basil
Avocado
Hashbrowns
A Cheese (probably goat)
English Muffins
Scrambled Egg

Quaker True Delights: Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond

2009-03-04T09:54:00.001-08:00

As my first treat from the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received 6 bars of Quaker True Delights Granola Bars. Two for each of their new flavors. In terms of the Dark Chocolate Raspberry with Almond, I have no complaints. It wasn't super spectacular though. There was the right amount of moistness and flavors from the name, but it wasn't very large or filling. If you normally buy granola bars, these are great ingredients and seem to be good for you. You should at least try it out once instead of your usual to see if it will work for you, but I'm not going to put these in my daily life.
$3.49/box (5 bars)
140 calories
0 trans fat
Cholesterol-free
3g of fiber

Free Chick-fil-A for the faithful fans of Carolina

2009-02-26T09:48:00.000-08:00

Tarheel Fans. Apparently, if you "borrow" a state shirt, and a dook shirt, you can get a free chicken biscuit or sandwich with the purchase of a large drink at non-campus triangle area Chick-fil-A locations, three days a week.

I got the following story from my friend Joel.

Joel: "just letting you know I happened to be wearing a UNC t-shirt today when I went to the chick-fil-a on a lunch break. I asked for a number 1 combo for here when the employee asked if I knew the phrase, to which I obviously did not. She helped me out and informed me that if you wear UNC apparell to chick-fil-a in the triangle area (not on campus locations) on Thursdays and say "Tarheel fans eat more chicken", you get a free chicken sandwich [or biscuit] with the purchase of a large drink. I got my free sandwich and googled for an announcement which I found on the News and Observer site."

Or just look below, I have pasted their post on the free chicken.

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Here's a good one for fans of Duke, NC State and UNC... Our area Chick-fil-A franchisees are inviting you to earn a freebie by showing your team spirit and purchasing a large drink.

Each school has been assigned a day of the week (Duke is Mondays, NC State is Wednesdays and UNC is Thursdays). On those days, if you show up at Chick-fil-A wearing school apparel and declare at the counter that "Duke Fans Eat More Chicken," "Wolfpack Fans Eat More Chicken" or "Tarheel Fans Eat More Chicken," you will be rewarded with a free chicken biscuit at breakfast time or a free chicken sandwich if you come later in the day. Like I said, a large drink purchase is required, but that seems like a decent deal to me.

The offer is good at participating stand-alone Chick-fil-A stores in the Triangle (but not the ones on the college campuses) It is also a limited-time offer, though no ending date for the promotion has been set yet.

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So, to recap,

Monday: wear navy blue

Wednesday: wear red

Thursday: Any heels paraphenalia will work

Head to Chick-fil-A, say "[insert appropriate mascot] fans eat more chicken"

Buy a large drink

Enjoy your free Chicken Sandwich or Biscuit.

A good steak, just needs a good rub

2009-02-25T09:46:00.000-08:00

Recently I rediscovered The Wicked Noodle. A great food blog with many, many appetizing treats, dinners, and snacks. If you are hungry for a steak, then check out this particular post titled mmmmm...cow. With a recipe for a rub that I thought was worthy of sharing. NSFV (Not Safe for Vegans/Vegetarians. Enjoy!

CiCi's Pizza Buffet Special $3.99

2009-02-23T10:17:00.000-08:00

Yes, you read that correctly. CiCi's in a(n economic) promotion, is offering their eat-in buffet for $3.99 for a limited time only. According to Jim, at the CiCi's in Durham, the special will last for at least 60 days, and he isn't sure of an end date at the moment. They have pizza, pasta, salads, and wonderful dessert pizzas. Go try a plate full and maybe see The Food Monster out at CiCi's.

Random Pictures #2: Hamburger

2009-02-18T16:13:00.000-08:00

Following up Random Pictures #1, is this mysterious plate. Let's break it down and see what The Food Monster has eaten.
I believe this Hamburger or Turkey Burger was grilled on a George Foreman Grill, served with lots of goodies on a wheat Hamburger Roll with Djion Mustard, Mayo, Lettuce, Freshly sliced Roma Tomato, and Ketchup. However, The real gym of this photo, and the reason I now remember why it was taken is the object in the foreground. That mega Salad and all of its toppings. Start with a bed of Hearts of Romaine, or mixed greens, add fresh sliced Cucumber, Chopped Tomato, Feta and Goat Cheese, Beets, pine nuts, sesame sticks, seasoned croutons, dried cranberries, mozarella cheese, the list goes on and on. And that's all that I can remember/see what's in this fantastic side dish. Get creative, get out the nuts/fruits, dressings, leaves and make something delicious tonight.

***Dressing, I believe was some sort of Asian Ginger Dressing, as I do love them.

Easy Broiled Mahi Mahi and Spinach with Pine Nuts

2009-02-17T17:48:00.000-08:00

Lauren and I are big fans of Harris Teeter in these parts. We just got a new one where 751 and 54 cross. A weekly weekend shopping trip has become a time when we can go up and down each aisle, joking and picking up things that we have printed out on our list (Lauren is way more prepared and organized in regards to shopping.) You see, with working all week she likes to plan out 2, usually three meals that are homemade, so we can eat those and the leftovers. By the way, I am a Leftover King (a little hint about an upcoming post).

We had Haddock on our list to make the Easy Broiled Haddock. Unfortunately, the fish wasn't fresh, or was all bought out, so we swapped out fish on sale and picked up a couple of frozen Mahi Mahi fillets. Excellent choice indeed. The recipe, (starts below asterisks) is taken off of About.com Southern Food section, and Lauren paired it with an excellent Spinach and Pine Nuts dish, which we have had before, and when I get good enough pictures and a recipe will blog about. Until then, pick up a fish, and follow the below directions for some Easy Broiled Blank (Mahi Mahi).

********
Haddock fillets [or any fish] are broiled and basted with a soy sauce lemon juice mixture.

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound haddock fillets [or any fish]
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

Cut fillets into serving pieces; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine the soy sauce and vegetable oil.

Arrange the fish pieces on an oiled broiler rack; broil until golden brown, basting frequently with the soy sauce mixture. Turn and broil for about 5 minutes longer, basting. Place fish on a warm platter.

In a saucepan, combine remaining oil and soy sauce with drippings; heat. Add lemon juice and parsley. Pour over fish.
Broiled haddock serves 4. [or two and 1 Food Monster]

Random Pictures #1: Pizza

2009-02-16T10:52:00.000-08:00

While moving from Los Angeles, to North Carolina, I wasn't able to post as often as I would have liked. Unnamed pictures began piling up in folders with dates added on my computer, or stuck on my memory card during the transition. Needless to say, lots of details about what I have been eating may be lost forever. Lucky for you, you are going to get a few Random Pictures posts. This one, is entitled Pizza. It is obviously a homemade pizza, I believe with one of the fantastic doughs from Trader Joe's and their pizza sauce as well. The toppings probably include Feta, Goat Cheese, or both, and what else I cannot remember or make out. I do remember it being fantastic and non-vegan. So, vegan's don't try this at home. In the spirit of random pictures week, get out there and make something of your own, forget about it and then try and think about what you had several months later.

Denny's Free Grand Slam

2009-02-03T11:02:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone enjoyed watching the "biggest game of the year". I didn't find the commercials as good as years past except for the one by Denny's. Anytime you offer free food to all Americans, I think you are a good commercial. So with that, I hope you made it out today between 6am, and 2pm for your free Grand Slam breakfast.

a review: Momoyama Japanese Restaurant

2009-01-28T16:05:00.000-08:00

I don't have an official review of Momoyama, or as we refer to it Yoyo Mama. Particularly, due to the lack of pictures. Lauren and I just went there on Tuesday this week and it was good. A little bit on the pricey side for what you get but good. The hibachi was ok, I would probably get sushi next time. The sushi was above average. I still think across the board, Akai Hana is cheaper and just as good, but Momoyama now holds my #2 roll over all, the Crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll. And #1 roll in the triangle, narrowly beating out the Crunchy Shrimp roll over at Akai Hana. I still think Akai Hana is the go to place until Momoyama drops their prices a little bit, but glad to have it in the neighborhood. Go and check it out!

Guest Blogger: Rochelle from RambleWriter.com

2009-01-27T12:34:00.000-08:00

Two of my good friends are hitting the dusty and not so dusty trail soon, and will be travelling in a big truck across the US and down to Buenos Aires, Argentina. As a good farewell, I figured I would put up a guest post which pertained to food. To read more about their adventures and this particular trip, check out www.RambleWriter.com

-The Food Monster

Good Eats and Drinks in New York City

Trip to New York City: September 12 -15, 2008
A short trip to New York City always reminds me how much I love to visit. Nick and I flew up to NYC for a long weekend, and we ate/drank at a few restaurants that are definitely worth checking out:

Spuyten Duyvil
359 Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY, USA
http://www.spuytenduyvilnyc.com (pictures shown are from this website)

Josh Barton, a Durham native, introduced us to the Spuyten Duyvil. You can find Josh working behind the bar about 3 nights a week. Thanks to Josh’s stellar beer recommendations, I sampled some of the best beers I have ever tasted (this, I am sorry to say, now blows the World Beer Festival in Durham out of the water… and I am going to this year’s fest October 4th). Thiriez Xtra and Thiriez Blonde (France), La Choulette Framboise (France), Fantôme Saison (Wallonia), Green Flash Imperial IPA (California), Monchshof Schwarzbier (Germany), Ivanhoe Pale Ale (England), Caracole Saxo (Wallonia), Mahr’s Bräu Ungespundet and Mahr’s Bräu Pils (Germany), De Dolle Ara Bier (Flanders—this is the hoppy Belgian beer) are some of the beers I tried.This is the only bar I visited with clientele that closely resembled Durham folks. Everyone was pretty down to earth and wearing casual clothes. This may be the result of such an inconspicuous location. The Spuyten Duyvil does not have a sign on the front door. In fact, I am sure that many of the people in the bar did not even know the bar’s name.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

If you want to grab a bite to eat before hitting the bar, you can walk across the street to Fette Sau. A fantastic barbecue joint with family style seating, Fette Sau is owned by Joe and Kim Carroll, who also own Spuyten Duyvil. Fette Sau allows you to select a sampling of different meats for one dish. I ate brisket, beef ribs, pulled pork, sausage, and a side of pickles. Yum!

What is also noteworthy is their impressive whiskey selection - I did not try it, but Nick highly recommends it. Check out Beef Aficianado (an NYC beef blog) for pictures and detailed information about the meats.

Fette Sau
354 Metropolitan Ave Brooklyn, NY 11211

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Just last week, I mentioned to Nick that I missed the noodle dishes we had while traveling in Japan. And then we went to Momofuku. Momofuku served the best noodle bowl I’ve had since Tokyo. I recommend the Momofuku Ramen ($16) - includes pork combo and a poached egg, although their menu changes daily. Momfuku also has a ssam bar and a restaurant called Ko, which is American food. Check out their website for more information.

Momofuku
171 First Ave, between 10th and 11th
http://www.momofuku.com (pictures shown are from this website)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I can’t wait to visit New York again once we start the South America trip. And Domino will be with us too! We have only had our dog for 3 days, but I missed him a lot while we were in NY. If you have any links to great restaurants and bars in NYC, please feel free to comment.

Anotherthyme a review

2009-01-23T18:09:00.000-08:00

Friday night is a big date night here in the triangle. My girlfriend and I decided to join the crowds and head out to a well recommended establishment, Anotherthyme. Cute play on words, I know, especially after I read more about its predecessor, Somethyme on their website. The recommendation I got was, "... great food, you will probably get terrible service, but great food."
I neglected to tell Lauren about the bad service part. Off we went. The drive wasn't too bad, and Durham is either up and coming, or up and came and now blooming. The amount of money that went into the historical downtown district was worth it. Nice restaurants, restored Tobacco Warehouses complement the new buildings like the Durham Performing Arts Center. Get out to see a show if you haven't yet. That's for Anotherthyme. On to the restaurant.

We showed up 5 minutes before our reservation at 7pm and were promptly greeted and seated. Anotherthyme has a normal menu along with a specials of the week menu, which gives it some spice, if you are interested in never eating the same plate twice.

We started off with a plate of "Crispy Calamari ~ with Fire-Roasted Tomato Salsa & Cilantro Aioli" ($7.50)The tiny Calamari, about the size of jawbreakers, were perfectly cooked, lightly breaded, and the sauces provided two great flavors. I only wish there were more sauce served with it. It was some of the best Calamari I have had. A

On the the entrees. Forgive the pictures, it was low-light with little more than candlelight, and Lauren strongly discourages the flash at restaurants. Lauren had the market price ($23.95) Seared Pumpkin Crusted Yellow Fin Tuna. The tuna came cooked medium, and was divine. Served on a bed of greens, Yicama, and naval orange sections, it was quite the combination of flavors. I'm not one for Yicama, but thoroughly enjoyed the Tuna with the Citrus. Lauren enjoyed it all and even brought home half.

That was probably in part due to the fresh bread that was warmed and served with a pad of butter. We went through 8 pieces (2 baskets) of this complimentary delight.

My plate was disappointing. I ordered the Indonesian Curried Vegetables. ($16.95) It tasted like a bunch of nicely cooked vegetables thrown onto a plate with a tiny bit of great tasting chicken, and a tablespoon of a rich curry sauce on top. The cashews were huge and didn't feel like they belonged. Nothing really gelled with the dish. The rice was mostly overcooked. And I was really expecting more curry sauce. It lacked in the full flavor I have come to expect for dishes with curry in the title. I was just glad the rest of the plates were great.

We also ordered a cute half-bottle of Collovray & Terrier St. Veran, Burgundy, France '05 ($18). I'm not a wine expert but enjoyed it, as did Lauren.The service left a little to be desired. Although, I must say it got better as the evening wore on. As soon as the waitress saw how fast the water disappeared the first time, she kept up, while still giving us space.

Other than the Curried Vegetables, I would recommend this restaurant as a great place for date night in Durham. We are both looking forward to trying the other places in town.

Got a recommendation, email The Food Monster at thefoodmonsterblog@gmail.com

Akai Hana - The Sushi spot in the triangle

2009-01-13T13:19:00.001-08:00

I was worried that after leaving Los Angeles, the city known for great Sushi, that I would come back to my favorite NC spot and it be a big disappointment. Luckily, that was not the case.

One night after work, my girlfriend and I went to our favorite Sushi restaurant in the triangle, Akai Hana. Unfortunately, their website is listed as a possible attack site with Firefox, so I won't be linking it until it is fixed.
We started things off with a bowl of Miso Soup for each of us. See picture above. It isn't the best Miso Soup in the world, but it has it's own unique spin on it, and helps fill me up so I don't need to order too much Sushi. But that is afterall, the reason for the visit, so let's get on with it.
My favorite type of roll is Crunchy Shrimp, so I always order at least 1. This time we ordered 3. Looking at the plate from the top left, they are every other roll. The second roll in is my girlfriend's favorite, Spicy Tuna. The fourth roll in is a Philly Roll, anything with cream cheese is alright by me. The last and final roll is a Yellowfin. Which turned out to be a slight dissapointment. I'm not sure if they didn't get enough this week, but it wasn't near as filled out as the Spicy Tuna roll.
It turned out the Crunchy Shrimp Rolls were just as good as I remembered them, and only Niko Niko in Los Angeles has anything on Akai Hana. I recommend going during lunch to make sure you are able to get a table as soon as you get there. It can get packed in the evenings.
Akai Hana
206 W Main St
Carrboro, NC 27510
(919) 942.6848

Carousel Restaurant

2009-01-07T10:48:00.000-08:00

I was looking to eat at a nicer middle-eastern restaurant than a Falafel cart, before I left Los Angeles. Von Scrumptious recommended Carousel Restaurant on Hollywood and we were not disappointed. They officially serve Middle-Eastern food, although I believe that it is also Armenian, or at least Armenian influence.Von Scrumptious, her brother Peyton, and man friend Joe, and I were all in attendance. Although I can't find exactly what we ordered on the menu (I believe it is slightly different than their Glendale location, which also has belly-dancing), I believe there were several Kebabs, including, Lamb, Sausage, Filet, and Vegetarian The food came out partially family-style. Your meat and rice were on your plate, but the feta, olives, and several other accompaniyments were all on one large platter. There ended up being much more food than the four of us could eat, every dish I tried was well seasoned and worth a second look. I would highly recommend this restaurant for an evening of delight!Carousel Restaurant

5112 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027

(323) 660-8060

www.carouselrestaurant.com

The Sun Sets on Los Angeles

2009-01-06T10:31:00.001-08:00

Well, I finally got my computer up and running here in North Carolina and am starting to look back on some photos I have recently taken. You can look forward to a series of foods from a Christmas party my girlfriend and I hosted in NC, and one final L A eatery. I will leave you today with a few crazy sunsets I captured in my last few weeks in Los Angeles.

It is also time again to update the Food Monster banner for the New Year, if you would like to contribute a design, please email us at TheFoodMonsterBlog@gmail.com

A New Home

2008-12-18T14:26:00.000-08:00

After a long drive across our beautiful country, The Food Monster now finds himself in North Carolina. Don't worry, I will continue my culinary exploits but will take a little break while I setup my blogging station. I wanna give a big shout-out to all of my food blog friends of California, you will be missed.

See you soon,

The Food Monster

A Review of a Vegan Favorite in Los Angeles: Doomie's

2008-12-12T13:28:00.001-08:00

This morning, Yo Soy!, my roommate and I were faced with our usual dilemma. Where to go for lunch? We broke it down (for quite awhile) and ultimately decided on the Vegan friendly and supposedly carnivore-pleasing Doomie's Home Cookin. I even read many blogs praising the food at Doomie's, all of whom I have the utmost respect for, and usually am happy with their recommendations.

However, this time it was different. Where should I even begin. I guess I can start from the begininning. After picking the place, I remembered reading about it being dog friendly, so we brought along the pup as well. After making our way through the crowded Chinatown area we managed a parking spot close by. Then a quick walk up the flight of stairs, then nothing... No people, just an abandoned night club, with a sign informing us that Doomie's is not serving French Onion soup today. I was well aware of the fact that the interior left everything to be desired, but having no sign of life was a little bleak. After poking our head inside, we were met with a friendly waitress who was patient and happy to answer our questions. We sat at an outside booth overlooking Chinatown. .

It was nice to have the place to ourselves, and the waitress instantly brought Hayley a bowl of water, after our round of waters. She was was one of the high points of the meal.

Actually, let me go ahead and list the rest of the high points of the meal, before I start railing.

Waitstaff
Not Crowded
Fresh Air
Comfortable Booth
Great View
Onion Rings (These things were fantastic, almost rival Home's)
Onion Rings, they were good enough to list twice
Fries, they had a seasoning on it that was similar to the Philly Steak Factory's. A non-vegan heaven.
The ability to split half fries, half onion rings, lots of restaurants are sticklers about this. It's not hard to do people, thank you Doomie's. I would also like to add, that for Quarry Girl, they were able to make the philly steak without the peppers, I myself can't stand Bell Peppers. This was a major positive.
Doomie's now accepts credit cards, which made paying much eaiser for the group.
Pet friendly
Simple things like providing the dog with water.

I started watching, and recently completed the series Arrested Development, so in that vein, I will now downgrade Doomie's from a "Don't Buy" to a "Sell".

Here's why.

Both Von Scrumptious and To Live and Eat, raved about the Mac and Cheese. We ended up splitting a bowl as an appetizer. What a mistake that was. The whole bowl was exactly as Yo Soy described it, "absolutely flavorless." This fake cheese sauce, was the consistency of sticky orange water, that miraculously coated the macaroni in a slimy bath. There were even some of the elbows in the bottom that missed the sauce bath. These tasted about the same and were a healthier alternative than the rest of the bowl.
To Live and Eat, said this about the mac and cheese, "the best way I can describe it to you is to say that it tastes exactly as if it had come right out of a blue Kraft mac & cheese box." As a non-vegan, I know what Kraft mac & cheese is out of the blue box. This wasn't even close, there is no way a vegan switcharoo could ever be pulled on anyone who has had the real thing. Let me repeat that, it was not even close to Kraft. Not that Kraft mac & cheese is something that I would go to a restaurant hoping to be served. The level of acceptability is set at what Taste of Life makes. All other mac and cheese should be as good or better, or not consumed by non-vegans.

My roommate JD, got the BLT.
The main response I got regarding it, was underwhelming. Every meat eater knows, that there is no substitute for Bacon. Tempeh Bacon, Turkey Bacon, nothing else cuts it. Having a menu based on imitating meats, is instantly considered a failure as soon as "Bacon" is added to the menu. It was also underwhelming in portion size. Come on Doomie's, throw some more "Bacon", Lettuce and Tomato on there, aside from the bread and veganayse, it only has three ingredients.

Liz ordered the Philly Steak Sandwich. Bravo for trying to recreate meat. That's all the praise this sandwich will receive. The meat didn't come close. The texture was only a few hundred yards off, and the look was within the vicinity, but this isn't an art gallery people. Try any other Philly Steak, even the bad meat ones, and they will blow this sandwich away. Why on earth would you smother it in the bland cheese sauce that accompanied the mac and cheese? At least there were onion rings and fries on the plate. If you don't know where else to turn try any of these posts.

Onto, the Chili Cheese Burger. This was a terrible burger. The burger itself, was an unpleasant consistancy, complete with tough edges that often comes with microwaving foods. There was less flavor than in a fast food burger. I opted for Provelone cheese. I was horrified to read that the only two options of cheese were Vegan, and American. Neither of which is cheese. Luckily, I saw that Provelone was an option on another plate. The Chili, was to die for and not in a good way. I have tasted some very great vegetarian chilis. This was an imitation of meat chili. Why would you try to imitate a meat chili, when a vegetarian chili is perfectly acceptable and expected from a meat eater at a vegan joint? Grade F on this plate. The lonely slice of tomato covered almost half of the burger. This item needs some real work, or should be taken off the menu immediately.

Finally, we get to the twinkie. I was in utter amazement at this piece of work. First of all, this picture was taken close up, but I think that the plate was close to the size of a saucer, which gives you an idea that this twinkie was no bigger than a cell phone from 2002.
As you can see, the cream that Yo Soy mentioned, is harldy present. Some has sunk down to the bottom, but this Twinkie was drier than my burger. It also tasted like an oddly made cornbread roll. This item, which cost an arm and a leg at $3, was so far away from mimicking an actual twinkie. Again, like the mac and cheese, not something you would want to duplicate anyway, but this item was simply terrible. I don't know how else to describe it. I couldn't wait to get the check and get the hell out of there. Hoping to spot a Pork Bao cart on the way to my car, to feed my hunger that never threatened to leave. Even after a split appetizer, small plate of food and a piece of twinkie.
As one of my last meals in Los Angeles, I was dissapointed and hope this is a warning to all of the meat-eater friends of Vegans out there. Quarry Girl said "i think any meat-lovin’ carnivore could dine out a[t] doomie’s and completely forget they are eating a vegan meal." This couldn't be further from the truth. Please don't be dragged to Doomie's. Go to Flore, Pure Luck, Taste of Life, anywhere else but here. I love the vegans for building such a supportive and friendly blogging environment, but they seemed to have strayed a little from the truth at times. I hope this serves as a wake up call and people can be a little more honest in their assesment of Vegan establishments.

Restaurant rating: D--

Doomie's
686 N Spring St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(714) 883-7657

www.myspace.com/doomieshomecookin

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

2008-11-30T22:28:00.000-08:00

Finally, I am out of my Thanksgiving food coma enough to type on the keyboard. Wow, what a holiday, 5 days devoted to Food, Sports, and Family/Friends.
Here in Los Angeles, the three roomates, Yo Soy and her mother, a couple of friends, and I all gathered for a spectacular feast of gluttony. I will try and talk about some of the dishes in the next couple of posts including this one about Crab Stuffed Mushrooms.
I originally used the recipe for Christmas last year, and it was such a hit. A simple recipe which can be expensive if your crab isn't on sale, but it is worth using real meat. Enjoy!

New Banner: Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-22T07:20:00.000-08:00

Turkey day is coming up, and with it comes a new banner at the food monster. I borrowed this .jpg from Amber, whoever that is. So, thank you Amber, and enjoy the new banner. If you would like to make a Christmas Banner, I will be happy to display it. Enjoy all the traditional and non-traditional recipes.

Panko-Crusted Turkey Breasts with Pomegranate-Pear Sauce

2008-11-20T23:22:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday this week, The University of North Carolina Tar Heels faced off against they Wildcats of Kentucky in a good old fashioned game of Basketball. The place to watch Carolina games is down at Von Scrumptious' apartment, and luckily for the food monster, she decided to whip up her entry into the Pom Wonderful brand Pomegranate contest. Thanksgiving it seems came early when she decided to create what she calls, Panko-Crusted Turkey Breasts with Pomegranate-Sauce. She details how to make the Sauce, which combines pears, pomegranate seeds and a pomegranate juice and cranberry reduction. The Turkey Breasts were moist, juicy, and covered in Panko (or as I like to call it, Plinko, a la The Price is Right), which gave it a lighter healthier flavor than breadcrumbs.

Unfortunately, her Rosemary Red Potato dish that accompanied dish is only briefly mentioned. They were fantastic in their own right, and even better with a little sauce over top as well. To top it all off, she served homemade pumpkin bread to make sure we were all in the holiday spirit. The heels looked like they hadn't eaten in awhile, playing with a hunger to win that Kentucky obviously lacked. The bad news, the freshman seven footer, Tyler Zeller, will be out with a wrist injury for most if not all of the season. Well, at least I have delicious comfort food in Panko-Crusted Turkey Breasts with Pomegranate-Sauce. Seriously, get over to Von Scrumptious' page and try the recipe, you will not be let down.

Frozen Iced Peach

2008-11-16T22:26:00.000-08:00

Apparently I love smoothies. This was an attempt at the Frozen Iced Peach, as served at Home Restaurant in Los Feliz, Los Angeles.
Coconut Milk
Ice
Peaches
Mangos
Agave drizzled on top
Strawberry slice

Good Morning Beach Breakfast Biscuits, Los Angeles Style

2008-11-12T07:15:00.001-08:00

Remember the Good Morning Beach Breakfast Biscuits? Well, here I was on another vacation, this time in Los Angeles. My girlfriend flew out for 4 days, and we went to the Getty and hosted a brunch among other things. Our teamwork paved the way for some Beach inspired Ham Steak, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Biscuits. For the fruit salad, we added, Blackberries, Raspberries, 2 Oranges, and a large Apple, a little lemon juice and a generous drizzle of Vanilla Yogurt. Enjoy!

A Quote About Vegans

2008-10-30T22:41:00.000-07:00

"Talking to a Vegan about Food, is like, talking to a Prisoner about Freedom"

-The Food Monster

New Banner: Happy Halloween

2008-10-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

The Food Monster got a Halloween face lift. I was over at Von Scrumptious' apt the other day enjoying some killer Vegan Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta, whole wheat bread, Italian Salad, Champagne and Vegan Horchata Cupcakes (compliments of Yo Soy), and I decided to break out the old Microsoft Paint. As you can tell from the past two banners, I'm no banner expert. If you think you can make a better The Food Monster banner than I can, I will happily put it up and give credit where credit is due. Email submissions to thefoodmonsterblog@gmail.com

Until then, get out those pumpkins, carve them up, put out the candy, and feliz dia de los muertos.

-The Food Monster

On The Beat: Smoothie

2008-10-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

Momma Fran got me two cookbooks for my birthday. One is Smoothies and Juices: Delicious and luxurious recipes for indulgent drinks. It turns out, the smoothie that I couldn't recognize in my last post about Chili, was in fact an On the Beat Smoothie, straight from the book.

Serves 2
1 cup cooked beet, chopped
1/2 cup Orange Juice, Chilled (I refrigerated oranges and fresh squeezed the juice/pulp)
5 TBSP Plain Yogurt, Chilled
2/3 Cup Still Mineral Water, Chilled
Salt

Garnish
Slices of Orange

Basically blend and serve. I usually have to double or triple any recipe that serves two. The smoothies on a whole tasted healthy. Enjoy!

Foodbuzz 24: 24 meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs

2008-10-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

Foodbuzz recently launched as we all know. And to get the festivities going, they held the first annual Foodbuzz 24, where 24 blogs, made a meal, supported by Foodbuzz.

Watch the video for inspiration or head on over to Foodbuzz.com

Chili, Red Potato Salad with Sour Cream and Dill, Salad, and Smoothies!

2008-10-20T17:15:00.000-07:00

I was talking to my girlfriend one evening. She mentioned that for dinner, she was planning on making Turkey Chili. That sounded good to me, so I got her recipe, went to the store, got some ingredients, then whipped up some Red Potato Salad with Sour Cream and Dill (per Joe's request), made some fruit smoothies, and toasted some lavash bread.

Turkey Chili, Lauren style:
Ground Turkey,
Tomato Paste
Tomato Sauce (I used one can, and one can of Indian Curry Simmer Sauce from Trader Joe's)
Spices
Tomatoes
Onions
GarlicRed Potato Salad with Sour Cream and Dill. Turned out to be one of the best parts of the meal. It truly complemented the overly cayenned chili.
I believe that I used a bunch of Strawberries. I don't remember the other ingredients.
Our friend, Derrick, threw together some Lettuce, Tomato and a light drizzle of some type of dressing for the salad.
The meal was fantastic, lots of food, balanced, soothing and comforting. Make up some Chili and enjoy in the fall or winter!

Foodbuzz Publisher Community Launches:

2008-10-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

The Food Monster's Publisher, Foodbuzz has made its official launch today. They have been super supportive over the past three months, and even sent me an apron and spatula. Which I recently used to create Vegan Pumpkin Ice Cream. I will have that post up as soon as I get my food photographer's photos uploaded. Until then, wanderer over to foodbuzz.com and enjoy all of the wonderful blogs, photos, and the foodie community! Press release below:

LAUNCH OF GLOBAL FOODBUZZ BLOGGER COMMUNITY

LEVERAGES REAL-PEOPLE, REAL-TIME POWER OF FOOD PUBLISHING

San Francisco – October 13, 2008: Foodbuzz, Inc., officially inaugurates its food blogger community with more than 1,000 blog partners, a global food blogging event and an online platform that captures the real-people, real-time power of food publishing in every corner of the world. At launch, the Foodbuzz community ranks as one of the top-10 Internet destinations for food and dining (Quantcast), with bloggers based in 45 countries and 863 cities serving up daily food content.

“Food bloggers are at the forefront of reality publishing and the dramatic growth of new media has redefined how food enthusiasts access tasty content,” said Doug Collister, Executive Vice President of Foodbuzz, Inc. “Food bloggers are the new breed of local food experts and at any minute of the day, Foodbuzz is there to help capture the immediacy of their hands-on experiences, be it a memorable restaurant meal, a trip to the farmers market, or a special home-cooked meal.”

Foodbuzz is the only online community with content created exclusively by food bloggers and rated by foodies. The site offers more than 20,000 pieces of new food and dining content weekly, including recipes, photos, blog posts, videos and restaurant reviews. Members decide the “tastiness” of each piece of content by voting and “buzz” the most popular posts to the top of the daily menu of submissions. Foodbuzz currently logs over 13 million monthly page views and over three million monthly unique visitors.

“Our goal is to be the number-one online source of quality food and dining content by promoting the talent, enthusiasm and knowledge of food bloggers around the globe,” said Ben Dehan, founder and CEO of Foodbuzz, Inc.

The Foodbuzz blogger community is growing at a rate of 40 percent per month driven by strong growth in existing partner blogs and the addition of over 100 new blogs per month. “The Foodbuzz.com Web site is like the stock of a great soup. The Web site provides the base or backbone for bloggers to interact as a community, contribute content, and have that content buzzed by their peers,” said Mr. Dehan.

Global Blogging Event

Demonstrating the talent and scope of the Foodbuzz community, 24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs offered online food enthusiasts an international, virtual street festival of food and diversity. The new feature showcased blog posts from 24 Foodbuzz partner bloggers chronicling events occurring around the globe during a 24 hour period andincluded:

· Mid-Autumn Festival Banquest (New York, NY)

· The "Found on Foodbuzz" 24-Item Tasting Menu (San Francisco, CA)

· Aussie BBQ Bonanza – Celebrating Diversity (Sydney, Australia)

· The Four Corners of Carolina BBQ Road Trip (Charleston, SC)

· Criminal Tastes – An Illegal Supper (Crested Butte, CO)

· From Matambre to Empanadas: An Argentine Dinner (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

· A Sweet Trompe l’oeil (Seattle, WA)

“24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs” captures the quality and unique local perspective of our food bloggers and shared it with the world,” said Ryan Stern, Director of the Foodbuzz Publisher Community. “It illustrates exactly what the future of food publishing is all about – real food, experienced by real people, shared real-time.”

About Foodbuzz, Inc.

Based in San Francisco, Foodbuzz, Inc., launched its beta Web site, foodbuzz.com, in 2007. In less than a year, Fooduzz.com and its community of over 1,000 exclusive partner food blogs have grown into an extended online property that reaches more than three million users.

# # #

Photo Essay: Sweet Fr î tes! Part 2

2008-10-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

You can find Sweet Fr î tes! Part 1 here.
This will be a photo essay of photos John David took on a beautiful afternoon when flowers were in bloom outside, making the famous Sweet Potato Fries. Enjoy his food photography skills.

5,000 Hits at The Food Monster

2008-10-07T07:07:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody,

During my brief Food Blogging hiatus, The Food Monster Blog reached another benchmark, 5,000 hits! (hits from the former address, http://reviewsandrecipes.blogspot.com don't count). In order to celebrate, I will leave you with some photos of our best looking posts.

-The Food Monster

Panqueques

Dark Chocolate Almonds
Asian Themed Night Part 3: Sushi, Crab and Crunchy Shrimp Roll
Good Morning Beach Breakfast Biscuits
Mango Smoothies

Sweet Fr î tes! (Sweet Potato Fries Part 2, Still to come)
What were your favorite posts/photos?

Food Break

2008-10-04T17:16:00.000-07:00

Don't worry, The Food Monster hasn't been taking a food break He is still eating, cooking, and reviewing places. He has just been a little busy. He spent about a week on the East Coast helping to celebrate and attend the wedding of his new sister-in-law Lauren, and his brother Adam. Congratulations to them!
There will be lots to come as soon as The Food Monster gets back into his work schedule and finds some free time.

-The staff at The Food Monster

Homemade pickles

2008-09-15T07:25:00.000-07:00

Pickles are easy to make. At least, they were once my girlfriend had taught me. You just need some sort of vinegary solution and some cucumbers. For added flavor, slice a few onions and throw them in too.

Ingredients:
Cucumbers, sliced
Onion slices
Apple Cider Vinegar (although, I didn't have any and used 90% rice vinegar and 10% balsamic)
Water (equal parts to vinegar)
Salt and Pepper

Put them all in a tupperware or a bowl with a seal, and throw in the fridge overnight. The serve as a side to anything from burgers to brauts.

Guester Blog: Yo Soy!, Rosalind's a review

2008-09-11T23:34:00.000-07:00

Here is a post from Liz, the author over at Yo Soy! the vegan blog of choice for Los Angeles. Well, at least the east side. She helped ring in The Food Monster's birthday.

When we asked The Food Monster what he wanted to do to celebrate his 24th year on the planet, he said all he wanted was to find an All-You-Can-Eat mecca. We all did a bit of research but didn't find anything that looked too appetizing (to my disbelief, I couldn't even find a decent looking all you can eat Indian buffet!!! Anyone know of a good one in town?! Preferably on the east side?). Further brainstorming brought us to the idea of Ethiopian Food. What better place to try Ethiopian for the first time than in Little Ethiopia?! With a little more research, we decided to make a rez for ten at Rosalind's.

Not all of the minions in our party were new to Ethiopian cuisine, but we still couldn't really figure out how the hell to order in a way that would satisfy everyone at the table. We ended up just having the waitress bring us three big sampler platters. While we waited, we ordered a couple bottles of vino, including a traditional Ethiopian honey wine which was crazy tasting. It was as if someone had emptied the entire contents of a plastic honey bear into the bottle and mixed in three or four drops of white wine. T'was definitely too sweet for me, but everyone else seemed to really enjoy it. As the food arrived, the vegetarians positioned themselves far from the carnivorous Food Monster and got to work chowing down on the veggie platter.

Ah but first there were the yam balls. This little app was basic but good enough--just balls of yam, lightly fried. Nothing to write home, or even blog, about. So on to the main digs...The platters each had a big huge crepe with dollops of various mushes which one eats with the bread that is provided. That's right baby--no utensils in Ethiopia--you have to tear off chunks of the bread, called enjera, to use as a scooper. Basically, this is a dieter's worst nightmare as it means you have to have a big load of white carbs every time you take a bite of anything. How do those Ethiopians stay so svelte?! The enjera is spongy and sour and has a texture that is strikingly similar to neoprene. So much so, that by the end of the meal we were saying "Hey Food Monster, quit hogging the wet suit!"

The dishes that came on the veggie sampler were collard greens, lentils in red pepper sauce, split peas with onions, steamed carrots, and a sort of pickled slaw. Basically everything tasted good but it was all just different variations on a mush theme. By the end of the meal I felt like I had eaten about twelve times as much bread as anything else. The more experienced Ethiopian diner's among us seemed to conclude that this wasn't the best example of the cuisine, but I think Ethiopian food may just not be for me. It's just a blander version of Indian. At the end of the day, there wasn't really enough substance to satiate all the people we had--just a whoooole lotta bread. Good thing The Food Monster had planned for our next stop on the b-day tour to be at Mashti Malone's!

Guest Blogger: John David, Sweet Frite!

2008-09-11T17:52:00.000-07:00

A photo essay of Sweet Fr îtes Part 2 can be seen here.

Sweet Fr î tes!

So now that everyone’s closeted away all their white and come to terms with the dwindling days of summer, I thought I’d finally write my guest blog post on our labor day cookout…now only ten days too late J

The Labor Day weekend up at our little hill-top hideaway was eventful. On Sunday, the whole gang participated in an annual Echo Park Scavenger Hunt—legs were shaven, tattoos were inked, and certain teammates wound up making out in a dumpster. L.A. fun at its finest.

Needless to say, we were all a tad tuckered come Monday. And so the idea of a cookout met only half-hearted enthusiasm and ill-attempts at actually putting together an official mayview barbeque. But of course, the evening rolled around, the food monster and his goons got hungry, and we decided to throw together a late-night, labor day cookout.

One trip to Von’s and one disgruntled phone call to the Von’s manager later—don’t ever solicit a food monster on an empty stomach—and we were back in the compound kitchen, cooking up a spread of Labor Day deliciousness. Uncle Cray made his carnivorous burger bliss; the food monster stirred up some sweet sangria, per my request J; and I tried my hand at hamburger sans viande…a.k.a homemade veggie burgers.

But my pride and joy was beside the soy on my plate: the homemade side sweet potato fries. And so I’ll keep my first guest blog post short and sweet. I know you’re all on the edge of your seats, mouths-watering and patience-waning. Without further ado, the recipe for the perfect post scavenger-hunt, oh golly I have to go to work tomorrow with no eyebrows, late-night, bittersweet, labor day’s almost over and we’re not gonna get another long weekend ‘till thanksgiving, Sweet Fr î tes Sweet Potato Fries:

Ingredients:

· 4 or 5 Large Sweet Potatoes

· Olive Oil

· Honey

· Cinnamon

· Sea Salt

Instructions:

· Slice the Sweet Potatoes into hefty slices, based on the particular size fry you fancy.

· Scatter the slices across a greased baking sheet.

· Generously shower the wedges in olive oil.

· Bake at around 375-400 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

· 5-10 minutes before removing from the oven, swizzle honey over your wedges and powder them with cinnamon and sea salt.

· Remove, let cool, and enjoy.

Sangria

2008-09-11T08:30:00.000-07:00

I spoke in an earlier post of Sangria. John David requested that I bring the concoction to our Labor Day Cookout. Which incidentally was basically another family dinner. Here is what I threw together. 1 Bottle of Charles Shaw Chardonnay
1 Glass of Angel's Juice White Wine (Leftovers)
Grapes
Orange Rind
Orange Chunks
Mango Chunks
Frozen Strawberries
Orange Juice from Concentrate
Lemon Rind
Lemon Juice
Agave Nectar
Sparkling Water
Ice
After mixing all of the ingredients, I put it in the fridge to chill and for about 30 minutes, then served with the fruits of Uncle Cray's Hamburger Bliss.

Brautwurst

2008-09-10T17:14:00.000-07:00

The best thing about going to a MLB game is definitely the food. Now while I haven't been since I was around 14, I can always pretend, in doing so, Stadium style brautwurst is what I bring you today. I like to simmer mine in beer, saurkraut and onions. To start things off I sliced a whole white onion and added 2 TBS of minced garlic. Then I sauteed the mixture and split it up into a baby pot for the vegan brautwurst (you can find them in Von's), and real brauts. I had two different kinds of Brauts, stadium-style, which I assume means untouched and normal, and then brauts with pieces of cheddar inside, so when they are fully heated up, you have gooey melted cheese flavoring it from the inside.

I used a cheap beer in Foster's, which isn't actually anywhere close to Australian for beer, and an Oatmeal Stockyard which was in my fridge and Joe hadn't consumed yet. I added the beer and saurkraut and simmered the brauts for about 20 minutes,then I removed the brauts with tongues and put them in a pan on high heat to sear in the goodness and brown the outside.Seared Vegan Brauts

Then I drained most of the beer out of the saurkraut and onion mixture, and returned the brauts to keep warm until they were served. Vegan Brauts, returned to saurkraut

I love them with mustard, mayo, ketchup, and some cheese sprinkled on top. Here, one is shown with mustard, cheese, and homemade pickeld cucumbers and onions. Which my girlfriend taught me how to make and I will share in a future post.
Get out there and pretend you are at a game, and enjoy!

Guest Blog: Housemate Joe: The Oinkster, a review

2008-09-08T15:45:00.000-07:00

As featured on Foodgawker.com

My house mate Joe decided to try his hand at food blogging. For awhile, everyone around him had one, and he had considered starting an anti-food blog, the problem was he likes to eat everyday. Anyhow, here is his review of the Eagle Rock restaurant, The Oinkster.

Hello internet –

If you didn’t already know, it was the Food Monsters’ birthday on Sunday, and after spending the previous evening in a monster-mandated cyclone of Ethiopian food, Persian ice cream, and long-winded, occasionally disturbing party games, the monster and I gathered ourselves together on his birthday afternoon and embarked on a late day lunch quest.

I had heard stories of a hamburger renaissance in Eagle Rock and thought Sunday would be just the time to see what all the nonsense was really all about. A message board on Chow.com recommended The Oinkster, a “slow fast food” restaurant on Colorado Blvd. and, with the help of the monster’s trusty GPS device and my hastily scrawled directions, we took off in search of a delicious burger.

[Photo Courtesy of Flickr]

However, once there, we decided to blow off our original hamburger idea and try some of the other, more interesting items on the menu. First, we got the Oinkster pastrami sandwich,

which came topped with Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and red cabbage slaw. While it was a little pricey for your typical fast food meal ($8.99 for the sandwich, $11.99 if you want the combo meal), the meat was so perfectly tender and flavorful that the sandwich would not have been out of place if served at a much “fancier-style” restaurant. You know, the kind where men have to wear tuxedos, women have to wear ball gowns, and all of the waiters have chandeliers instead of hands. Everybody knows those kinds of restaurants, right? Anyway, moving on…

Next, we got the pulled pork sandwich ($6.99), which the menu described as being “brined with soy and honey then slowly roasted and smoked” and topped with red cabbage slaw, caramelized onions and Carolina BBQ sauce. It was exceptionally tasty with the pork itself being very high quality and well prepared. The monster pointed out that he didn’t think it measured up very well to authentic Eastern North Carolina-style BBQ. I told him to shut up and we proceeded to slap fight in the restaurant for the next forty-five minutes. It was really embarrassing. Anyway, in the end, I think we both agreed it was still a good choice considering how rare good, carefully made BBQ is to find in Los Angeles. [The Food Monster: I meant, in a comparison with Eastern NC BBQ it would be considered terrible. If you put it up against a normal sandwich, exceptional]

Both sandwiches came with a side of Belgian fries, which were fresh, crispy, and -- if the Food Monster is to be believed -- authentically Belgian. Oinkster also apparently makes all of their own sauces, including a couple different variations of ketchup and mustard, which were good for dipping the fries. [From top to bottom: A combination of honey mustard and The Oinkster mustard, BBQ Sauce, The Oinkster Ketchup]

The menu also lists a garlic aioli sauce and a lime mayonnaise but we didn’t get a chance to try either of those. [The Food Monster: Having the lime Mayonnaise would have helped the Belgian fries in there authenticity, still, they tasted like how I remember them.]

The “slow fast food” slogan made me think that we could be waiting a while for our meal, but it arrived about only 5 or 10 minutes after we ordered, though I’m sure the wait time can be longer if the place is crowded. Also, I wish we could’ve tried the angus beef burger (which is seems to be a signature item), or the Oinksterade (their combination of lemonade and orange juice), or any of the several beers they had on tap (including one of my favorites, Arrogant Bastard), but I needed to keep the F.M. out of a food coma so that he could drive us back home.

Overall -- and I don’t know if this counts as official “Food Monster” opinion -- I thought it was a great meal and definitely worth the trek over to Eagle Rock if you’re in the mood for a good sandwich. Consider The Oinkster Food Monster roommate approved! [The Food Monster: As well as TFM approved!]

The Oinkster

2005 Colorado Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90041

http://www.theoinkster.com

I hope you enjoyed Housemate Joe's approach to food blogging. I did, almost as much as the meal itself. I would like to try one of their Milkshakes next time, but the Ice Cream maker I got for my birthday, from Housemate Joe, Von Scrumptious and her little brother, should keep me at home for awhile.

Mushroom Basil Goat Cheese Pizza

2008-09-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

Mushroom Basil Goat Cheese Pizza

We got the hankering for some pizza one night. I will tell this story through pictures, the final products being from two different nights. The Pizza sauce made two pizzas, we used 2 crusts. . Ingredients came from Trader Joe's.

Mushrooms, cleaned, sliced, sauteed with minced Garlic
Basil, cleaned, ripped
TJ's Whole Wheat Crust, rolled out according to directions
TJ's pizza sauce Mushrooms and Garlic
Herb Crusted Goat Cheese from TJ's
Shredded Whole Milk Mozzarella

1/4 of the pizza was made without the cheeses for the Vegan that ate with us.

For an a little something extra,
rub a drizzle of Olive Oil into the crust, then a few drops of Honey, and a sprinkle of Cinnamon, which gives a slight sweetness to the crust and balances out any savory pizza.

Enjoy!

- The Food Monster

Base White Sauce Recipe

2008-09-04T13:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a great white sauce base recipe, that will have you eating more pasta. Just add creativity.

Recipe:
1 part Butter
1 cup Milk (may need more)
1 cup Flour

Start by getting your ingredients ready, then start cooking your pasta according to its directions.
Then with equal parts, I used 4 TBS of each, add the butter to a non-stick pan until it is just melted. Add your flour until it is well coated.
Then slowly pour in your milk while stirring, once you add the milk, you want to keep stirring throughout the rest of the process. Your mixture should look like this.
If it is too thick, add some more milk and keep stirring, I used up 2 cups total. The goal is to have it simmer with bubbles popping for 1 minute, then once it gets to the consistency you like you can remove it from heat and serve. To spruce things up a bit, I sauteed up some Broccoli and Peas in a pan and added them to the pasta dish. I used enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, so the broccoli could absorb some of it. To finish off the meal, I plated it and put some Quatrro Formaggio cheese on top and some chopped tomatoes. Enjoy!

Town and Country - a Review

2008-09-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

Town and Country was a recent place we stopped to get some brunch. Located in the Silver Lake area of Sunset, it has a nice feel to it, with outdoor seating and a deli case featuring lots of goodies.

The other good thing about this place was the awesome blackberry jam/preserves/compote/concotion.
Unfortunately, that's where the good parts ended. It wasn't a hectic morning, half of the tables were empty and we were lucky enough to get two waiters. They were both unattentative at best and we couldn't figure out which one was the real waiter. It took a long time to get an extra set of silverware, I had to get up to get some salt from a table across the room that nobody was using and to top it off, they could only accept two forms of payment. Either Cash and one card, or two cards and no cash, but definitely not 5 cards.

Listen, we are trying to pay you money, if you do not have the means to accept it, i.e. no credit card machine then that's one thing, call yourselves cash only, but if you are half empty and can't take the money that I want to give you, then don't charge for the meal.

I skipped one part, the food, it was pretty good, despite it being overpriced, and outrageously priced for add-ons.
The tiny fruit salad cup that comes with the pancakesdoesn't even come with it unless you ask for it. I understand you are trying to save money and all, but at least accompany the pancakes with it, as somebody else at the table will probably eat the poorly assembled blend of melons. While I am at it, making the $5-6 pancakes cost an extra $3-4 for an egg and some bacon on the side is a bit much don't you think?

The other people at my table got some sort of breakfast burrito which wasn't bad, and what appears to be eggs and avocado.
I can't exactly pinpoint what it was, but there were a lot of things off about this place, and you should never leave with several bad tastes in your mouth. I rate this place slightly above average for the food, poor for service, below average for value and the experience. If you have the guts to venture in here, let me know how it goes, otherwise save yourself the trouble and money and walk down the street in either direction and find something better.

Guest Blog: Uncle Cray, Hamburger Bliss

2008-09-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

Today's Guest Blog was written by my housemate Craig, who decided to go by the pseudonym Uncle Cray in his Hamburger recipe post entitled "Hamburger Bliss". Without further introduction, here is Uncle Cray's Hamburger Bliss.

Uncle Cray here, writing my first ever blog of any kind. I've got a quick recipe for some hamburgers that are so good you'll spit on a vegan passing by in the street for missing out on this true Hamburger bliss. Anyway, here goes...
Start with whatever amount of hamburger meat [ground] you want. Add enough Worchestershire sauce to soak the meat. Well saturated is the goal, not dripping wet with the stuff, the meat should smell like the sauce or the flavor won't survive the grilling, and you DON'T want that.

Next add about a spoonful or two of minced garlic or garlic powder and/or Mrs. Dash will do the trick.
Next chop up half of an onion (or more depending on your taste), doesn't matter if it's red, yellow or white, although I prefer red. Add this to the meat and hand mix, making sure the garlic, onions, and any other mixins that you desire are evenly distributed throughout the meat.

Finally, add in three or four shakes of pepper to complete the concoction, hand mix thoroughly again.
Now that the meat is mixed you're ready to grill. Make sure the grill isn't on too high or you'll end up with hockey puck burgers. I'm sure you aren't down for eating hockey pucks unless you hail from Canada or Detroit like Yo Soy!
Make sure also that you don't squish the patties down on the grill or you're just gonna squeeze out all that delicious Worchestershire sauce flavor, and possibly scorch the meat too when the sauce causes huge flames to rise and burn your burgers...this ain't Burger King people, no flame broilin' necessary, only krunkliciousness. So, for lazy folk here's the simple recipe laid out in short bus form for all to enjoy.

Recipe:
Hamburger meat: evenly mix in minced garlic and/or garlic powder, worchestershire sauce, pepper, chopped onion....then grill to perfection and enjoy. The amounts of each ingredient aren't scientific, it's purely a personal choice, just make sure to account that a bit extra is perfect as some of the flavor cooks out on the grill, although I've found a George Forman grill is a bit better about keeping the flavah.
Anyway, there you have it, Uncle Cray's Hamburger Bliss, coming in via The Food Monster, this is Uncle Cray saying "food is good eatin', Family Guy is bad writing". Mwaaa Haahaa!

There you have it, a simple hamburger recipe that roused the crowd here last night at our labor day Barbeque. You can look forward to recipes for Sangria and Sweet Potato Fries (pictured above).

Broccoli, Pea, Tomato Omelet with Avocado and Rye Bagel

2008-09-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

I made pasta with white sauce, and threw in some broccoli and peas. I over estimated the amount of veggies to use, and ended up with a large container of leftovers, which fueled my broccoli and pea omelet craze.I cut up some tomatoes, threw in a small handful of broccoli and peas, 2 eggs, splash of milk, salt, pepper, quattro formaggio cheese, and a tsp of Garlic. In a bowl I whisked with a fork until well blended.

My pan was at medium heat and in went the omelet mixture:
After one flip and a little bit longer to cook, The omelet came out of the pan. While it was cooking I had prepped a rye bagel, with melted butter and seedless boysenberry jam, and a ripe avocado.
But really, you can have any bagel, with any condiment, a side of your choice, and any combination of omelet ingredients and you would end up with a healthy great tasting breakfast.

Enjoy!

En Sushi - Review

2008-08-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Von Scrumptious' Mom came to visit her, partially out of vacation and if I were to guess, partly because Kirby recently had a birthday. She treated us to a delightful sushi meal at En Sushi. This was the first time I met the foodie's mother, and I can see where Kirby gets her kindness from. If you were ever in a bind, they would do anything for you.
This time, they were kind enough to share a meal with me. Kirby did all the ordering, but I think we have a Crunch Shrimp Roll, a Spider Roll (Soft-Shell Crab), Philadelphia Roll, Yellow tail, Salmon Skin, and Avocado and Eel roll. My favorite by far was the Crunchy Shrimp Roll, but you guy's probably already knew that. I really enjoyed the Philadelphia Roll as I love my sushi with avocado or Cream Cheese or both. The Eel and Avocado was ok, as well as the Salmon Skin. The Yellow tail was a surprise hit for me. I reminded myself, that eating Soft-Shell Crab doesn't do it for me.

I don't know whether it was the atmosphere, or the waiters, or what, but something was severely lacking for me. I loved the company (Kirby, Kirby's Mom, Joe) but I would never rank this place higher than Niko Niko Sushi which is about a block away. I will leave this as an average Sushi place, if you usually find bad places to eat, go here, otherwise be adventurous and try one of the other thousand sushi places in the city.