Oahu

So I am way overdue on this post but here I go. I was in Oahu a few weeks ago and ate lots of delicious food. Here is an overview:

Leonards: delicious malasadas, possibly the best doughnuts I have ever had. I ate mine so fast I didn't get a chance to take a picture.

Opal's Thai Food = AMAZING! I went there twice and had pad thai and

eggplant and string beans

There is an amazing concoction called an acai bowl in Hawai'i, it's similar to Jamba Juice's parfait but better. I wish we had them in New York, they would be fairly popular I am sure!

Good sushi at Mitch's Fish Market near the Honolulu Airport (uni, anago, toro and spotted sardine)

abalone sashimi (I had already eaten half of it so the picture looks a bit anemic)

more abalone, this time grilled, at the Kapi'olani farmers market

drunken noodles at Opal's Thai Food

roasted pineapple and tomato curry :) as delicious as it sounds

the best summer rolls I have ever had and the peanut sauce was to die for

Last but certainly not least the azuki bowl (lilikoi and green tea shave ice topped to azuki beans, condensed milk and mochi) at Waiola's Shave Ice. AMAZING!

I loved all the great food in Hawai'i; I miss shave ice the most, especially given this hot weather today. I also wish Opal's was around the corner from me, such great food and a really friendly chef--the second time I went there he wouldn't let me order and just made a bunch of things for us to share! Stay tuned for my posts on my greenmarket cooking endeavors!

Ramps!

Yes, I know, they are everywhere but I wanted to see what they are all about. I never had any interest in paying $4 for a small bunch of alliums. Instead of buying them at the greenmarket I asked my mom if she had noticed any growing on our farm since our soil is conducive to growing these wild leeks. She called me during the work day to say that she had found a huge patch of ramps growing on the south side of the farm! So, this past weekend I was home and unearthed a few. They are quite beautiful when torn out of the ground but made the car ride back to New York rather pungent. Onto my endeavors of preparing these:

I decided to make ramps with pasta and adapted a recipe from Mario Batali:

Spaghetti and Ramps

Ingredients:

3-4 handfuls of penne

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

10-12 ramps

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

sea salt

parmegiano reggiano

Prepare the pasta as indicated on the package (cook until al dente). Meanwhile, separate the white bulbs of the ramps from the green leaves and chop into pieces about 1 inch long. Saute the white parts in the olive oil and add salt and chili flakes; when they are tender add the green parts and cook until they are wilted (I only added the green parts when I knew the pasta was nearly done). Drain the pasta and add to the ramps. Finish with the parmegiano and drizzle with good olive oil.

I still had ramps leftover so I made pesto with the raw ramps. Strong but delicious!

15-18 ramps

1/2 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

In conclusion, they are a lovely way to usher in spring and have a unique flavor which is a balance of onion and garlic. I still don't understand the fanaticism over them but maybe I am just spoiled. Happy eating!

My First Post

For my introduction into the blogging world I would like to introduce myself and give some background on how I got here today. I have always been a lover of all things food and since I moved to Manhattan that love has been expanded upon and my knowledge base has become much wider; growing by the day. Growing up on a farm I always knew where my food came from and how much work it took to get the finished product to the table. Now that I live the antithesis of a rural life I still try to maintain my connections with farmers by frequenting the greenmarket and buying ingredients there. I am a self-proclaimed novice at cooking but I love to experiment by using ingredients that inspire me. I also spend a great deal of time eating out (as is the norm for most people in this city). This is where I get to try different cuisines and dishes and expand upon my own knowledge; hopefully attempting to emulate a dish that inspires me. So here I am, an amalgam of city and country trying my hand at writing about my food experiences in the city and beyond. I hope you enjoy!