"Curried Goat"..."Jerk Chicken": A taste of Jamaican cuisine

In New York, there's more to fast food than just burger & fries
- and if you know how to choose the "right" food, it's easy to eat healthily, even when you're at fast food joints.
I'd recommend "Curried Goat" and "Jerk Chicken" - available at a Jamaican fast food joint -Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill

Whatever your choice of meat is, be it Goat, Beef, Chicken or Fish (yes, they do serve fish :) real fish. Not McD stuff) - they come served with vegetable + bean & rice

The best part of it all - they're all MSG-free
The gravies are flavoured using natural ingredients - spices (cardamoms, anise, ginger, fennel, etc)

I went to the Golden Krust outlet nearby 135 St. station
The ambience is nice
It's quite spacious for a fast food joint
Oil paintings of Jamaica on the walls...

Clean chairs & tables

Why is "Jerk Chicken" called Jerk Chicken?
Well, I don't really know
but from what I found out,..."Jerk" means "spicy"
Jerk Chicken = Spicy Chicken

Blueberry bagel with "egg" & "cheese"???

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The cook gave me a "surprised" look when I asked for a blueberry bagel with egg & cheese.
Okay, I admit that it's unusual... :)

but it's much healthier compared to a blueberry bagel with icing sugar/jam,
plus - I can tolerate that unusual combination.

Of course, an occasional sugary bagel doesn't hurt at all - but you'll feel lethargic if u have just carbs for breakfast.
There's so much to see & do on a fine morning in NY, so I didn't want to ruin my energy level

I've tried all the savoury bagels - sesame, poppy seed, flaxseed, onions/garlic
I just haven't sampled all the sweet variety
I badly wanted to try the blueberry bagel
but I didn't wanna mess up with my breakfast by having it with icing sugar.

This is supposed to be an onion bagel, but it doesn't have a hole in the middle like all other bagels do

 

A black bagel called "pumpernickel" - my favourite

 

Bagel with pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, poppy seed
I had it with chicken (yum)

Sesame seed bagel with cream cheese. I love cream cheese:)
Delis/bagel shops usually have 3 variety of cream cheese
- scallion cream cheese
- vegetable cream cheese
- LOX cream cheese (cream cheese mixed with smoked salmon)

 

In Manhattan, you can go to a deli anytime & there'll be fresh bagels waiting for you

 

This is a pumpernickel with scallion cheese

 

15-minute Dark Choc Brownie recipe :) (Low-fat, reduced sugar)

Dark (60% cocoa) chocs are lower in fat + good for your sex life ;p
I love dessert, but I don't like anything that's tooooo sweet
unfortunately, that's what most ready-made cakes are like
- they contain too much sugar
So, start making your own dessert:)
it's easy
What I have here is a fool-proof dark choc brownie recipe:)
- yes, it CAN'T go wrong AT ALL if you use the 3 key ingredients listed below
& you only need 15 minutes to mix it up & pop it into the oven:)
- and then you can go have a quickie with your partner & practise the Lusty Leapfrog position while waiting for the choc brownie to cook

There are 3 main secrets to making good low-fat choc brownies :)

1) use good dark chocs (Lindt)

- and they'll turn out nice, no matter
(well, it doesn't have to be Lindt, but if you can get some good 50% & above choc bars.. that would do :) )

but of course..if it's for a big party, you may wish to substitute Lindt chocs with dark cooking chocs - eg Cadbury or Nestle
But cooking chocs suck - they render this "waxy" aftertaste in ur mouth

...my advise is - splurge on the dark choc, skimp on the flour/butter
You don't have to buy expensive butter/self-raising flour
they're all the same
- just get the Home Brand items
more people buy them & they're always fresher

2) fresh self-raising flour

- check the expiry date before purchasing.
The fresher the flour is, the more active the raising agents are

- and hence, the cake would rise more beautifully

3) use "salted" butter. real butter. no margarines

- do you know that real butter is actually healtier?

yes, the cholesterol content may be higher compared to margarines, but the calorie amount is about the same + 'pure' butter contains far less chemicals

Salted butter brings out the sweetness of the brownies - and you won't have to use quite as much sugar

The Recipe:)

a) The bottom layer

2 cups plain flour

1 1/2 cup melted butter

Mix well & line the bottom of the cake tin with the pastry

Prick the pastry with a fork

b) The middle layer

1 1/2 cup pure butter

+

1 1/2 cup icing sugar

+

5 large eggs

+

1 cup high-quality cocoa powder (Hershey's)

+

1 teaspoon 'real' vanilla essence ( not the fake vanilla flavourings, please. it's gonna spoil the brownies)

Mix the above ingredients. Then add

2 cups self-raising flour

Pour into the cake tin. bake at 180 degree Celsius for 40 minutes

Melt 300g dark choc (Lindt) with 1/2 cup skim milk and pour over the brownies

Put the tray in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Then add chopped almond, pecans, hazelnuts or any other kinds of nuts that you prefer

'Weird' Pumpkins are so 'common'...(no pun intended);p

It's not difficult to come across weird-looking pumpkins:) lol
In the past 6 months, I have seen at least 10 unsual pumpkin shapes
These are some of the beauties...

It looks a bit like a teapot
of course, those of you who are mischievous enough might notice the phallic extension ;p

... and this looks like...(it won't be appropriate for me to mention it here)

Flower-shaped pumpkin

Spicy "Ma Po" beancurd: Best dish on a cold winter night :)

Mapo tofu owes its unique taste to "Szechuan peppercorns"
- which renders a numbing feeling on the tongue
it's spicier than curry
more lethal compared to wasabi
I love it! :)

It is a combination of tofu (bean curd) set in a spicy chili- and bean-based sauce, typically a thin, oily, and bright red suspension, and often topped with minced meat, usually pork or beef.

Mapo dofu is probably one of the best stuff to eat in the winter:)
keeps you warm

Whether you're in Europe, Asia or America...you can easily find Mapo dofu in Chinese restaurants

Low-fat snacks @ Choice Bakery, Auckland

Ever wondered how Chinese girls manage to stay so slim (despite eating like horses)?

Well, they don't have super-high metabolic rates

The secret is in their choices of food..especially Taiwanese desserts, which are literally like 'diet food' - yummy, but almost fat-free

If you're in Auckland, good news:)

You can easily get those fat-free cakes at Choice Bakery outlets
The one that I normally go to is at Newmarket
The Japanese Cheese Cakes (no added butter)
are light, fluffy... :))
(ohh yumm, I'm in heaven - just thinking about it)

"Butter-less" cakes

Now, instead of having the usual pound cake, you eat 200-300 calories less per serving with these:-

These cakes have a higher protein content

(more egg whites used in the recipes, to compensate for the fat reduction)

Wife cakes aren't exactly my favourite...but I'm including the pics here just in case you might wanna see what they're like :)

and then tehre's something similar to the "wfie cake" except that there's "red bean paste" inside the pastry

not very healthy - it's just lots of sugar, oil, flour & boiled mashed red beans

Pastizzi: Ricotta-filled traditional Maltese snack :)

Pastizzi (cheesecakes or peacakes) are ricotta or pea filled pastries which are the most popular and best known culinary export of Malta).

(Image source: farm2.static.flickr.com/1375/145...65f6.jpg)

Pastizzi (singular: pastizz) are popular amongst Maltese people, and are also produced amongst the immigrant communities of Maltese in Australia, the US and Canada.

In Aus, traditional handmade pastizzis are available at Pepe's Pastizzi (http://www.pepespastizzi.com.au/)

Pastizzi lend their name to "pastizzerias" - the dozens of fast food outlets dotted around Malta which primarily sell pastizzi (along with pizzas, qassatat, timpana and sausage rolls).

 

(Image source: http://worldhaveyoursay.wordpres...assallo)

Pastizzerias also do a rice dish called Ross il-Forn (Maltese for Rice) that is rice cooked in the bolognese sauce and has a pastizzi pastry topping.

In recent years, an inter-family chain "Maxim`s" has taken a dominant share of the pastizzi market, though most pastizzerias are still small, local family concerns. Although a matter of personal taste Maxim's are considered to do the best pea cakes on the island.

(Image source:everywheremag.com)

Pastizzi are typically cooked in batches of 30 on wood furnaces on black metal trays. Pastizzi come in the two standard ricotta and pizelli (pea) varieties, with the ricotta version notably the more popular of the two. Pea pastizzi's are also called pea cakes, which is easier for tourists to say.

A slightly different puff pastry version of the snack is sold at more stylish cafes. Pastizzi are particularly popular snacks on Sundays in Malta, with vendors all over the islands opening in the early hours to cater for late night clubbers and early morning hunters alike. Pastizzi have a particular place of pride in Maltese culture and are light-heartedly considered one of the nation's unique achievements. Locals consider no visit to Malta to be complete without eating some pastizzi.

Hooters Girls :) (@ Aloha Tower Drive, Honolulu)

To be honest, the food at Hooters aren't exceptional.

But no matter how unimpressive the cooking may be, it's still worth a visit

- just to see the sexy Hooters Girls ;)

(Image source: http://www.sporttruck.com/pinups..._16.html)

;P *salivating*

They look so sexy that even the mediocre "KFC-quality chicken wings" taste so heavenly!

...and of course, I love the colourful wall decorations at the restaurant

This pic was taken at the Hooters outlet @ Aloha Tower Drive, Honolulu

Some pics of the food:)

My favourite is the "Mahi fish fillet" - which is only available at the Hooters outlet in Honolulu

What I like most about Hooters - no matter which restaurant you go to, the girls are very nice and friendly :-) With me in this pic is Brianna

Over the years, the issue of Hooter Girls have attracted a great deal of controversy - criticisms from extreme feminists

(Image source: http://www.ebcak.com/archives/399)

Well, so what if Hooters Girls are for decoration?;)

I enjoy looking, & I'm not even a guy or a bi! ;P

There are also many guys out there who are for decoration, lol - like David Beckham, Andy Roddick, the Calvin Klein models

(Image source: http://euroross.blogspot.com/200...ive.html)

Well, so what if Hooters girls or 'guys' are for decoration? ;p

It just makes life more interesting!:)


Website: http://www.hooters.com/

Umeke Market & Deli, Honolulu

Umeke Market Deli is my favourite place for yummy organic food :)
The food's so good that I went there at least 5 times!

My favourites: Tofu lasagna, spinach casserole, turkey meatloaf & "Naked" natural fruit juice ;p

(Yes, it's 100% natural! Preservative free. Unlike "Simply Squeezed" - the organic impostor)

For those of you who wonder what Umeke means, it is the Hawaiian word for "calabash". It literally can be translated to mean "wooden bowl". In ancient times, Hawaiians used the umekes for medicinal purposes as well as for cooking. Nowadays, umekes are often given as gifts or awards in both cultural and business gatherings. Umekes are also used for keeping favorite items (e.g. small keepsakes and treasures).

The deli section at Umeke, filled with dozens of salads and side dishes

Preservative-free pomegranate & blueberry juice

Trying out the yummy Free-range Chicken Curry Salad

(Cotton shirt by Arcadia, Sunglasses by Elle)

Clockwise, from top left: (1) Free-range Chicken Curry Salad, Squash & Butternut Casserole, Turkey Meatloaf

Clockwise, from top left: (1) Turkey Meatloaf, (2) Spinach Ricotta Casserole, and (3) Grilled Veggie Lasagna

Parking space for "bicycles" :)

Umeke Market is located along the Kalanianaole Highway (nearby Kahala Mall).
Address: 4400 Kalanianaole Highway, Honolulu

Plenty of parking spaces for cars too!

Website: http://www.umekemarket.com/

Umeke Market and Deli is a family owned and operated business by husband and wife team, Daryl and Michelle Yamaguchi and sister, Debbie Yamaguchi. The Yamaguchi family has had long-standing roots in the Hawaii food industry, as far back and the mid 40's. Their grandparents operated the "E.S. Yamaguchi Family Market" in the old Farmer's market building in Kakaako.

Daryl and Debbie Yamaguchi opened the Kaimuki Health Market in 1997 and have grown and renamed the business and added Michelle's expertise in the kitchen as a mainstay of their deli. Michelle has created many tasty and delicious menu items, including her own recipe for her tantalizing "veggie burger", the ever so popular Turkey Focaccia Sandwich, Chicken Adobo and Veggie Foccacia Sandwich.

Articles about Umeke Market & Deli:

http://www.midweek.com/content/columns/maincourse_article/fresh_natural_plate_lunches_on_bishop_street/

http://kgmb9.com/main/content/view/8193/108/