This infographic shows how the Sailing Chef has evolved over time, starting from Ancient Rome 100BC to The Pirate Chef in 1700AD to today's Modern Cruise Ship Chef.
Source: celebritycruises.com
Source: celebritycruises.com
Showing posts with label random. Show all posts
Showing posts with label random. Show all posts
Funky Food Ilustrations by Anek
Anek's simple and colorful food illustrations are creative and sophisticated. Kitchen art is tough to master. Most are tacky or very mainstream looking, and in all fairness, it's not easy to make a salad, a jar of olives, or herbs look inspiring.
A graphic designer and illustrator in Croatia, Anek primarily focuses her work on food as it has always been a big part of her life (especially her Granny's recipes). Her artwork is featured in restaurants and products across the globe including the UK, New Zealand and Portugal.
Zinio Magazine Giveaway!
I am giving away 10 free Zinio magazine subscriptions to my fabulous readers!
If you've never heard of Zinio, they are a digital newstand and bookstore that offers thousands of magazine subscriptions and books for your computer or mobile device. For magazines, you can purchase either a full subscription or a single issue.
They currently have a holiday sale offering up to 50% off on select magazines such as La Cucina Italiana, Vegetarian Times, Wine Spectator and Clean Eating. This is the time to load up on magazines!
Better Homes and Gardens magazine is also offering special holiday issues at a discount to help you plan for the upcoming parties and festivities.
For a chance to win 1 of 10 Zinio Magazine Subscriptions to any magazine of your choice, leave me a comment and let me know which magazine you've got your eye on between now and Thursday Dec 20. Winners get to pick one full subscription to any magazine of choice offered on Zinio. That's literally thousands of choices. For example, 1 subscription to Epicure will get you 12 free digital issues.
The giveaway ends Thursday Dec 20 11:59PM ET and 10 winners will be selected using random.org.
In addition to leaving a comment, make sure there is a way I can get a hold of you, either by including your site information or by sending me your contact information via the contact form. I know, the blogger comment form is somewhat of a pain. But be sure to leave a comment. That is your ticket for a chance to win. Good luck!
Alfred Coffee Table, Inspired by Waiter Holding a Tray
Smart design hardly goes unnoticed. This Alfred Coffee Table, designed by Italian designer Giorgio Bonaguro, is an elegant table inspired by a waiter's five fingers when holding a tray. It's five legs, all with different dimensions and in different positions, delicately balance a round table top that represents the tray a waiter holds. The plexiglass top comes in different colors - red, orange, yellow, green and white.
Giorgio Bonaguro is industrial and interior designer based in Milan.
Three Muses. Strong Women. Kitchen Items.
We love how a painting inspired by women and kitchen tools can turn into something so artistic and peculiarly beautiful. Three Muses. Strong Women. Kitchen Items. was created by Miami artist Robyn West.
When Robyn was 13, her grandmother moved in with them and brought all sorts of old farm kitchen items. She became fascinated with the tools and what it stood for. To her, they represented strength, both phsyical and emotional. This piece has been shown around the U.S., and when the iconic Philip Pearlstein saw this painting, it made him chuckle. Now that's something to brag about.
Imagine the different conversations this piece would stir up if it was hung up in your kitchen.
This piece and other work can be viewed at her Etsy shop smilingrobyn.
The Persian Banh Mi
I'd like to introduce you to the kookoo sabzi sandwich, AKA 'The Persian Banh Mi'.
A banh mi sandwich is a Vietnamese sub that is served in a French baguette and filled with meats, fresh veggies, pickled veggies and different spreads like butter, mayo and pork pate.
Although very little similarities between a Vietnamese banh mi and the kookoo sabzi sandwich, this sandwich totally screams Persian Banh Mi. Mainly because it is served in an elongated shaped bread with a standard set of condiments.
This really is a delicious sandwich and healthy too! Here is how you put it together.
1. Make the kookoo sabzi.
2. Grab a hoagie bun and slice it down the middle.
3. Spread labneh on the bun, put kookoo sabzi in between and add condiments like tomatoes, pickles and hot peppers.
Noosh-e-jan!
Labneh or Laban (Lebanese Strained Yogurt)
So I've been doing a little digging to see how you guys are finding my site and what pages are the most popular, and surprisingly enough, it is my Middle Eastern/Persian posts that are my top viewed pages.
Here are the most popular:
- Persian Chickpea Cookies - This is a great cookie alternative that uses chickpea flour instead of regular flour.
- Persian Spinach and Noodle Soup - The ones who can't get an exact recipe from their Persians mom go straight to the web for one.
- Nocochi Cafe in Montreal - This cafe sounds very similar to the chickpea cookies.
- Persian Pastries from Arya Market - Who can resist Persian Pastries!?
- Pomegranate and Jello Dessert - Ok, so this one didn't legitly make it on to the most popular list but its a really great dessert that Persians make that is fun and mind blowingly simple to make.
My latest discovery is Labneh or Laban, a thick strained yogurt spread that is common in the Middle East, in countries like Lebanon, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. It's consistency is right in the middle of yogurt and cheese and kind of resembles a thick cream cheese. It is sour like yogurt and is commonly used as a spread or dip. The fat content is about 10%, which is similar to a low fat cheese.
Although labneh is not Persian, Persians also eat it which is how I discovered it. CK's family uses it as a spread for their Kookoo (omelet) sandwiches, which I will explain more in a later post!
I bought my Labneh from Mid-East Food Centre. I like to buy the freshly made labneh from the cheese counter but they also sell pre-packaged labneh as well.
Check out this cool Majdouli Cheese that I also buy at Mid-East Food Centre.
Mid-East Food Centre
1010 Belfast Road
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Telephone: 613-244-2525
Indie Coffee Passport, Ottawa Edition
Hey, all you coffee and tea lovers from Ottawa, have you guys heard of the Indie Coffee Passport?
If you're the adventurous type and are always seeking out the next best place for tea or coffee, this is a cool thing for you to check out. For just $14, you get to sample tea/coffee from 12 different independent coffee shops in Ottawa. The card is good for one cup of coffee or tea (up to $4.50) from each of the participating shops.
The shops are mainly based in Central Ottawa including Sandy Hill, Downtown, Glebe, Old Ottawa South, Westboro/Hintonburg and Little Italy.Here are the participating shops:
- Alpha Soul Cafe - 1015 Wellington Street W, 613-761-8000
- Cafe Morala - 734 Bank Street, 613-235-4740
- Collected Works - 1242 Wellington Street W, 613-722-1265
- Cyclelogik - 111A Wellington Street W, 613-722-2345
- The Daily Grind Art Cafe - 601 Somerset Street W, 613-233-2233
- Grounded Kitchen & Coffeehouse - 100 Gloucester Street, 613-567-1234
- i Deal Coffee - 176 Dalhousie Street, 613-562-1775
- Le Michel-Ange - 35 Laurel Street, 613-601-4614
- Stella Luna Gelato Cafe - 1103 Bank Street, 613-523-1116
- Sun Cafe & Flowers - 410 Bank Street, 613-422-0642
- T.A.N Coffee - 317 Wilbrod Street, 613-421-0228
- The Tea Party - 119 York Street, 613-562-0352
If you want one, get it soon because the card expires November 30th!
Tecoffee (Tea + Coffee) Anyone?
In 1946 the Evening Standard released an article advising the best way to make and consume a cup of tea. Written by no other than George Orwell himself, the short essay encompassed eleven rules into making the perfect cup of tea with the writer himself stating that, ‘everyone... I regard as golden.’
Of course, out of the eleven fascinating rules in which Orwell wrote, most of them are now redundant to the modern world. Brewing tea within a china teapot for example, is now quite a foreign method to which none of us in the 21st century make much, if any use of. What Mr. Orwell would therefore make of the recipe which you are about to read, could quite possibly force shivers down the spine of the great writer himself.
Spawning from the heartland of Barnsley, far within the depths of South Yorkshire, a new tea drinking trend has started. Forced through the lips at amicable temperatures and brewed in the same style of modern day tea, tecoffee is a surprisingly good yet somewhat bizarre beverage. Combining the elegance of tea and the power of coffee, a cup of tecoffee is certain to give your tongue a twist.
I have to admit, I was skeptical when I first heard about this. Tea and coffee just didn't mix in my mind. Despite what I initially felt, I tried it, and I liked it. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think. Here is a recipe, in the 11-step style of Orwell, on how to make tecoffee.
1. In a kettle, boil water using conventional methods. If of course, you do wish to use a teapot and defy my earlier exclamation, that is fine.
2. Prepare yourself a cup. Orwell himself advised that tea should be made in the smallest of quantities in order to refine the taste; though with the modern advancement of tea drinking technologies, it is fine to presume that a large cup will do just as well.
3. Once the kettle boils, leave it for a minute so that it cools, as a burnt teabag is an unhappy tea bag. Once it has cooled, place a teabag (I like Ceylon or Orange Pekoe best) within the cup and pour in hot water.
4. Stir, squeeze and stimulate the tea around the cup so that the maximum amount of dilution takes place. Once that you feel you have the desired strength of a normal cup of tea, throw the tea bag out.
5. Find from the fridge a bottle or carton of milk and stir into the tea. Use as little or as much as you like.
6. Now, this is where the distinction between tea and tecoffee becomes apparent. Place within the cup of tea a teaspoon of coffee (I used fairtrade coffee by Coffechino). Blended and smooth coffee is best as bitter coffee does not mix well with tea.
7. Stir an ample amount of sugar within the cup as defined by your taste. Although Orwell strictly advised the omission of sugar, he was well aware that he was within a minority.
8. Leave the cup to cool for a number of minutes (approximately 3-5 minutes).
9. Once this cooling has taken place, and you wish you make your drink fancy, cover the summit of the cup with a thick head of whipped cream.
10. If you want to make your drink fancier, place a straw in the cup, suck and enjoy.
11. Break any of these rules to avoid doing something outlandish.
Silken Tofu with Pork Floss and Century Egg
Yes, I am posting this dish for the 'fear factor'. It's likely going to gross most of you out, and that's ok! That's probably the normal reaction.
This is a cold dish of silken tofu and century egg, aka preserved duck egg. The color of the egg comes from the the clay and ash that it is preserved in. The tofu is topped with pork floss, and the dish is served in a pool of dark soy sauce.
Do I recommend this dish to the general public? No. Do I dare you to try it? You bet.
Although I like this dish, I don't recommend it because it truly is an acquired taste situation. You really have to love each component of this dish to truly appreciate it. The most bizarre parts of this dish are probably the texture of the pork floss, and that black, rotten looking egg, whose name implies that it has been sitting around for 100 years!
You can find this dish at Din Tai Fung, an awesome dumpling restaurant scattered across Asia and Australia.
You can also check out my previous meal at Din Tai Fung here.
Eurostar Train Meal - London to Paris
Travelling from London to Paris, I decided to take the Eurostar train instead of the plane. The price was cheaper going by train, you don't have to go through the hassle of airport security, and the thought of going through the chunnel was really cool to me!
Paris Gare du Nord
Not knowing when I would be able to do this again, I decided to go all out and travel business class. I'm a sucker for the business class lounges...who doesn't want to feel pamperd and be able to relax over free food, coffee, and magazines before travelling?
The Eurostar menu was designed closely with Alain Roux, chef patron at the 3 Michelin star reastaurant, Waterside Inn in Bray near Windsor.
There were two choices for breakfast. I decided to go with the English breakfast: an herb omelette with a chicken herb sausage, mushrooms, roast tomato, and bubble & squeak. The chicken herb sausage was really good! The rest was good but tasted like any other airline meal.
English Breakfast
The second option was organic ham with red Leicester, and homemade raisin loaf.
Organic Ham, Red Leicester, and Homemade Raisin Loaf
All breakfasts also came with bread, pastries, organic yogurt, orange juice, and your choice of wine, hot chocolate, tea, or coffee.
Winners of the Taste & Travel Magazine Giveaway
The winners of the Taste & Travel magazine giveaway are:
La Table De Nana, Hungry Hippo, Lily, yzhalia, and Just Kira!
If you guys can send me an email at nooschi [at] gmail [dot] com with your mailing addresses, I'll get the magazines sent to you ASAP!
Thanks and hope you all had a great weekend!!
Taste & Travel International Magazine + GIVEAWAY
In addition to great articles on Yucatan, Morocco and South Africa, the upcoming issue also has a write up on Ottawa! YAY!
What I love about this magazine is that it contains intelligent journalism. Something can be learned in every article and recipe; not your typical '75 recipes in less than 30 minutes'!
The mastermind behind Taste & Travel is Janet Boileau, an accomplished food enthusiast and publisher who holds a PhD diploma from the University of Adelaide in culinary history, and a Master of Arts in Gastronomy from Le Cordon Bleu.
Taste & Travel is a quarterly publication that can be found in Chapters stands across Canada. I personally love being able to hold and read a printed magazine, but if you're more of a digital person, you can get an electronic subscription through Zinio at this link here.
The first issue, a collector's special launch edition, flew off the stands in just a matter of weeks. If you didn't get a copy, here's your chance!
I'm giving away 5 copies of the collector's special launch issue to the first 5 commentors. All you have to do is tell me what you love most about the food magazines you currently read. Is it the recipes, chef features, or food porn? For me, it is definitely for the food porn and recipes.
Happy Persian New Year!
Happy Nowruz everyone!
Today is Persian New Year, also the first day of Spring! Eid-e Nowruz (Persian New Year) is the biggest holiday for Persians, celebrated in many countries including Iran, Albania, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
This is the first year that CK and I are celebrating Persian New Year without his parents, which means that we (including his sister) had to do all the New Year prep ourselves. All the prep revolves around the idea of starting the new year with a fresh start: a thorough Spring cleaning of the house, purchase of new clothes, and the purchase of new flowers.
Another major prep for Nowruz is the Haft Sin spread (pictured in the title photo), a traditional table setting reflecting the major symbols of life and signifying all the things we want in life.
Sabzeh: signifying Rebirth and Renewal
Haft Sin means seven 'S', and everything displayed on the haft sin table starts with the letter 'S'.
The Haft Sin is the focal point of the New Year celebration, and families take pride in displaying beautiful, elaborate settings. I think the three of us did a pretty awesome job with our haft sin this year.
The seven major haft sin items are:
1. sabzeh - legume sprouts (symbolizing rebirth and renewal)
2. senjed - dried fruit of a lotus tree (symbolizing love...my favorite one!)
3. sib - apple (symbolizing health and beauty)
4. samanu - wheat pudding (symbolizing fertility)
5. serkeh - vinegar (symbolizing age and patience)
6. somagh - crushed sumac berries (symbolizing the color of sunrise...sun conquers evil)
7. seer - garlic (symbolizing medicine and good health)
Additional 'S' items are optional such as eggs (fertility), candles (energy), gold fish (life), hyacinth (life and beauty), coins (wealth), mirror (cleanliness and honesty), and pastries (sweetness).
One of my favorite parts of eid is the egg decorating. Every year, we all compete for the best decorated egg.
Decorated Eggs
The winning egg, hands down, is CK's 'kumbaya' egg. Isn't this the cutest egg you have ever seen? He has never been the artistic type, so I'm impressed that we even got him to decorate an egg. Thank god for March Madness...he decorated his egg while watching basketball. I'm so proud of him for doing this! His egg just makes me smile.
Kumbaya Egg
My sister-in-law, naturally, creates the most symbolic and thoughtful egg of the bunch. This year is the Year 1390 in the Persian solar calendar.
1390 Egg
And this was my egg! No significance, it's just what came to mind.
Peacock Egg
It is also important to eat a traditional New Year's dish for Nowruz. In CK's family, it is traditional to have lentil rice with sauteed onions, raisins, and dates. A very simple yet delicious dish.
Lentil Rice
Sauteed Raisins, Dates and Caramelized Onions
And Nowruz is all about visiting family and friends (which we did). It is also imperative to eat something sweet to ensure a sweet year to come!
Pastries to Start a Sweet Year
Fruit and Nut Pringles
My friend busted these Pringles out while I was visiting at her place one day. Her brother had just gotten back from Vietnam and brought back these fruit and nut Pringles for her as a gift. When she asked if I wanted to try some, I was like "heck ya!" As some of you know, I'm a sucker for International edible goodies. Check out these Skittles and Kit Kats I've written about.
Were the fruit and nut Pringles good? I wish I could say yes, but they really weren't. The whole nut & fruit concept was a good one and they were cool to try, but it's not something I would buy again.
The two flavors we had were blueberry & hazelnut and lemon & sesame. The fruit taste was very artificial in both, kind of like candy flavors on chips. Of the two, the blueberry and hazelnut was the best. I expected to like the lemon & sesame better but it just tasted like lemon candy with sesame. The blueberry was at least a bit more subtle.
Updates and Talk to You Soon...
So lots of updates and changes coming my way...
I know I've been a little MIA lately, but with good reason. I have been travelling non-stop for the last few weeks, and it is finally catching up to me. I wish I could share more meals with you from Vegas, Hong Kong, and Singapore, but I am just pooped.
Aside from being tired, I have important news. I will be moving to Australia! CK and I have been talking about this for a while now, but I recently made the decision to go for it. It is official, and I have informed my family, friends, and work!
It's all been very emotionally taxing really. I feel like I am stepping off an extremely long road, and that I'm about to take a turn on to a new path.
I have decided to take a small break from blogging. I want to be free from it for a little while, and just be me.
I look forward to eating freely without worrying about taking photos of everything. I look forward to working out regularly again. And, I look forward to just relaxing during my hours off.
À bientôt...ta!
I know I've been a little MIA lately, but with good reason. I have been travelling non-stop for the last few weeks, and it is finally catching up to me. I wish I could share more meals with you from Vegas, Hong Kong, and Singapore, but I am just pooped.
Aside from being tired, I have important news. I will be moving to Australia! CK and I have been talking about this for a while now, but I recently made the decision to go for it. It is official, and I have informed my family, friends, and work!
It's all been very emotionally taxing really. I feel like I am stepping off an extremely long road, and that I'm about to take a turn on to a new path.
I have decided to take a small break from blogging. I want to be free from it for a little while, and just be me.
I look forward to eating freely without worrying about taking photos of everything. I look forward to working out regularly again. And, I look forward to just relaxing during my hours off.
À bientôt...ta!
Postcard from Las Vegas
Hello from Las Vegas!!!
I'm having a great time in Sin City but you know what? I hated Vegas the first time I ever visited. The only explanation I can come up with was that I was overwhelmed by the tackiness and grandness of it all.
Vegas has definitely grown on me. It is still tacky, but it is also a lively and fun city. Plus, the food is GREAT here. Can't wait to show you what I ate.
We are staying at the newly opened Aria Hotel, a contemporary development that also happens to be the largest LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Ceritified development in the world. Aria Hotel is the first hotel on the strip to generate its own electricity, and all of their limousines are clean fuel vehicles.
Aria Hotel
What's really cool is that all the rooms are controlled by touch screen tablets. The lights, temperature, TV, curtains, and music are all controlled by a touch screen remote right beside your bed. I've been hooked on their soul shack music station. Lovin the tunes by Barry White, Marvin Gaye, Ben E. King, Donna Summer, etc. etc.
Check out my awesome view overlooking the strip and surrounding mountains.
View From Aria Hotel
Upon my arrival, I was greeted with chocolate dipped strawberries, fresh Fiji water, and a thank you card. How nice!!
Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
I never left the strip on my last trip to Vegas, so this time, I made sure to check out the surrounding area.
On the first day, I went to El Dorado Canyon to Techatticup Mine, the most famous and most successful gold mine in Southern Nevada. It is now a ghost town that mainly caters to tourists.
Techatticup Mine
The Techatticup Mine was also the set of the movies 3000 Miles to Graceland, and Breakdown.
Techatticup Mine
Look how old and charming everything is!
Barn at Techatticup Mine
Techatticup Mine Museum
An old milkshake maker. How neat.
Old Milk Shake Maker at Techatticup Mine Museum
They also offer really cool mine tours where you get to experience first hand what it was like being a miner in the 1800's.
Techatticup Mine Tour Entrance
Other activities included ATV'ing and horse back riding. Techatticup Mine is a really fun and interesting place to visit. So glad we stumbled upon this charming little area.
ATV and Horse Back Riding at Techatticup Mine
Aria Hotel
3730 Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Telephone: 702-590-7757
Top 5 New Zealand Road Trip Food Products
If you ever travel to New Zealand, chances are you will be doing a lot of driving. The country is much larger than most people realize, and getting from point A to point B is normally a few hours drive.
The country is very spread out. A trip to NZ always ends up being a big long road trip for CK and I, which means we are living out of a car for the majority of the trip. As a result, we have seeked out the best food products that not only keep well, but are also a good source of energy.
Here is a top 5 list of our favorite New Zealand road trip products. These goodies are now the first things we grab when we walk into a NZ grocery store.
Number 5: Seafood in a can. Although I have mussels pictured below (only picture I had), they are actually my least favorite. The best seafood in a can is the sardines in tomato sauce. They are great for sandwiches, and a great source of protein.
Seafood in a Can
Number 4: Mother Earth Baked Oaty Slices. These are full of fibre. Each bar is made with wholegrains, rolled oats, and wholegrain meal flour. Our favorite flavor is Anzac: a nice blend of butter and coconut.
Mother Earth Baked Oaty Slices
Number 3: Tasti Raw Snacking Scroggin. If you're not familiar with the term scroggin, it is equivalent to the North American term, trail mix. This particular brand comes in little individually wrapped snack size scroggin bags, and this flavor combination has proven to be the best of the best: almonds, dried apricots, banana chips, cashews, peanuts, and dark chocolate.
Tasti Scroggin
Number 2: Mainland processed cheese. They have different flavors so you can switch it up to avoid boredom. CK and I usually rotate between the regular, black pepper, and smoked flavors. Although the real deal is always better, processed cheese keeps much longer.
Mainland Processed Cheese
And, drum roll pleaseeeeeeeeee..............
Number 1: MacKenzie High Country Bread. This is probably the one product that we cannot go without. This bread ROCKS, and nothing compares. Each loaf comes in a brown paper bag, and there are five flavors to choose from. Our favorite is the Southern Grain.
MacKenzie High Country Bread
If you are ever stuck looking for some good tunes to drive with, check out dDub. They are an awesome Kiwi band whose music style is a combination of reggae and instrumental mixes. Their music is upbeat and catchy, which is great for long drives.
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