Papaya King

There are two hot dog places in NYC that serve this foamy or frothy cold papaya drink. Gray's Papaya and Papaya King. Last night's food journey started at the Papaya King. I have eaten Gray's many times but only a small handful of times from the King. So, we each had two hot dogs with mustard and onions (the kind that's cooked in red sauce). They were piping hot which sorta surprised me. They're cooked on a griddle (not a grill). And I have to say, they were quite delicious. Yum - I'd eat it again in a heartbeat. To continue our journey, we took two steps out of Papaya King and into Sassy Sliders. Okay. Ya'll know what sliders are, right? Little burgers. Think of White Castles'. *deep breath*. Sassy sliders were approx. the same size as the Castle's. However, their meat patties were quite different. White Castle has a thin layer of meat with holes and it's cooked (steamed) on a bed of cooked diced (fine) onions. Then they hit it with cheese (if you want), a pickle and ketchup. So Sassy's: Their patty was really small. I mean, remember that's commercial with the little old lady asking Where's the Beef? That's how I felt. We both felt that way. For real, the patty (apparently hand formed) took up like 1/3 of the burn. And they don't do cooked onions, they do raw. And it's got cheese, pickles, and ketchup. I have to say, they weren't too bad. They were quite good actually. And their fries were just short of awesome. I really enjoy handcut fries with the skin on. But I like the Castle's crinkle cut fries as well. So, afterwards we shuffle around the neighborhood feeling quite full. Then Steve got thirsty and decided to get another papaya drink from Papaya King. He took a little while. Apparently the guy went nuts with my diet soda and spilled it all over the place. Anyway, as I waited, I thought to myself. There's no way Steve's waiting on that line for so long without buying more hot dogs. And I was right. He came back with our beverages in one hand and two hot dogs in the other. The first had chili and mustard on it. It was good. The chili was mild and had a some beans. The second was interesting. It was called 'southern comfort'. They put chili, raw onions and get this, cole slaw on it. As I said, it was interesting but it didn't make me want to eat it again. It wasn't that it was so bad, but you have to admit, the combo's a little weird. Are you following me? The journey ended at Crown's Fried chicken & Pizza. Yes, we'd been there the previous night and feasted. We stopped in to buy like five more of those mini sweet potato pies but they only had two left. We devoured them outside. By the way, we were in Harlem again and our jazz concert (after a 1/2 hour of okay music) was rained out. We went down on the motorcycle and got spritzed here and there. It was a little scarey but we got lucky. And explain this. I was full, pretty darn full, after the first couple of hot dogs but I kept going. I was able to suck down sliders cause there was a decent wait for them and I had some down time. And the fries were impossible not to eat. The chili dogs, I could've done without but I ate some of them anyways. And the sweet potato pie? Let's just say, it goes down pretty easy despite how much you've eaten. So follow my lead and Eat something good!

Papaya King

179 E 86th St
New York, NY 10028

Sassy Sliders

1530 3rd Ave

New York, NY 10028

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Harlem Eating Spree

Last night we went to a jazz concert in Harlem. We only caught the last half but it was good. Afterwards we fell completely off our diet. We went to two separate places and gorged. The first stop was Patsy's pizza. They're known for their super thin crust. And indeed, they have the thinnest crust I've ever had and I've had some pretty thin crust pizza. Anyway, there was a situation. The guy forgot to put our pie in and this other guy (who was waiting for a friend to get money) offered to give us one of his. So we took it though I don't think we should've. The crust wasn't crisp as it usually is - it'd been sitting in the box for too long. Despite all this, the pizza was good. The flavor is darn good. They used very little cheese and the right amount of sauce. You could taste the fresh tomato flavor. Delicious.

The next pit stop was at what I've heard was sometimes called "ghetto" fried chicken. These chains only appear in poorer neighborhoods. Gosh, I hope I wasn't being racist calling it ghetto. I don't mean to be though I know there's a possibility that someone might get offended. Sorry. Anyway we got tons of food from Crown Fried Chicken & Pizza. I had a breast and leg and Steve had a breast and wing. The meat wasn't dried out but it could've been hotter and juicier. It came close to sucking completely but it was edible and we were still hungry after the pizza. The pizza is really for like one person but we split one. So the chicken. It was crispy and a medium-dark brown in color. It was seasoned but not heavily. The mashed potatoes. Ugh. Tasted awful but I ate it. And the cole slaw didn't taste fresh and had a metallic ee flavor.

But the cheeseburger we shared was pretty good. The burger patty was cooked up while we waited and wasn't sitting under heat lamps like the chicken. The burger had every imaginable typical burger topping on it. Lettuce, tomato, mustard, mayo, ketchup, onions, pickles and it was sorta like eating a Whopper from Burger King. We split one. Then we had one more side: Mac n' cheese. It looked better than it tasted but it wasn't bad. Steve liked it a lot more than I did. And then to go further off our diet we had warm sweet potato pies. They were the best part of the meal. We bought four more to go and had another one when we got home around midnight. We're gonna go to Crown Fried Chicken & Pizza again tonight because we're going back to the most dangerous part of Harlem to see another Jazz concert.

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Plain Ol' Boca Burgers

I was so psyched yesterday. I went to the grocery store expecting to be disappointed when I spotted them. Beautiful red boxes with the words Boca on them. There's a short story. The previous five, no less than, five times I went there they were always wiped out of Bocas. All kinds including the fake chicken patties. Anyway, I finally put my foot down and decided to call Stop n' Shop (our preferred grocery store.) I was transferred to the frozen foods manager and he said he didn't know what the situation was either. He'd been ordering two cases of them every time he ordered. *scratch head*. So, we thought the factory or something couldn't keep up with the demand. So, yesterday. Ah, yesterday. We had them for dinner with a little salad. Steve had his on a pita and I had mine on multigrain bread with lettuce, red onions and ketchup. Steve also put mayo on his. And the side - what else but salad these days. And the usual salad. I bought an Italian mix salad bag this time and added grape tomatoes that'd been cut in half lengthwise and red onions. Oh, I also added some leftover shells and tossed it all in my usual salad dressing (balsamic vinaigrette.) I felt satisfied by dinner. And it was quick & easy. Ok guys, Eat Something Good!

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Barbecue Eatings

We went to a barbecue last night. It was pretty good. I didn't get a chance to eat a hot dog because I ate too many sides. I heard they were good though. We all like our hot dogs really, really well done. Like almost burnt. The skin gets crispy then. I had a cheeseburger and tricolor pasta salad, potato salad and greens with chopped broccoli, cauliflower, red peppers and stuff. I also had this thin pork chop - it had an asian flare. It was good. And it was cooked perfect. It had nice grill marks and the inside was tender. For dessert, we had this homemade blueberry-peach cake with vanilla ice cream. And the hosts and other guests were like, "did you eat enough?" and they kept offering more food. It was great! hehehe. Eat something good folks!

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Tuna Pasta Salad Shells

Last night, we were all upset because we wanted to have spaghetti and meat sauce but the local store cleared away their meats 1/2 hour before closing. Steve stood there and waited and waited and finally he got pissed and left. He was so upset he didn't want to eat dinner. I had an idea. I formulated something out of leftovers and tuna. I made a tuna pasta salad. Mayonnaise based. I used albacore tuna, mayo, mustard, worchestire sauce, celery seed and s&p. I took leftover grape tomatoes and quartered them. Then I added sliced red onion from leftover salad. I mixed it all together with pasta shells (medium) and added a hint more mayo to coat the pasta.

I wasn't sure if Steve would like it because I think he once said that he likes his tuna fish cold. Confession. Mine was served warm. Okay, so the tuna pasta salad wasn't entirely my idea. I used to go to NYC & Washington, DC deli's with a major buffet selection and they often had something similar with peas. I would've added peas to my salad had we had some.

Steve really liked it loved the tuna pasta salad. I gave Steve two types of shells last night. The tuna one and a serving with just browned (hazelnut they call it - I think) butter and freshly grated romano cheese, s&p. His grandma used to make this dish for him when he was just a little thing. So it's a comfort food for him. Anyway, I'm happy that dinner was a success.

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Wendy's

Thank god for Wendy's super value menu. I had three dollars and change to my name today. And when lunch time rolled around, I was feelin' mighty hungry. I ordered a jr. cheeseburger deluxe, crispy chicken sandwich and small fries. The burger was pretty good. The vegetables were very fresh and they actually put onion on it. Usually, most places don't put onions on the jr. size burgers. That's been my experience anyway. So it was okay but the fries could've been hotter. I won't be having Wendy's for a while but it was nice having it today. Eat something good!

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Trader Joe's Spinach Pie

Thank goodness for frozen foods. When ya don't feel like doing any real cooking, heating up a box of stuff is a good way to go. Trader Joe's - what else? Spinach pie with feta cheese in filo dough. It's pretty good. I've liked it enough to buy it again and I will be buying it again in the future. I served it with a mock greek salad. I used a mediterranean salad bag with halved grape tomatoes, half moon cucumbers, thinly sliced onions and a dressing made with red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, sugar, olive oil, oregano, s&p and most importantly mashed feta cheese. I agitated the mixture in a tupperware container with the top on. It produced a chunky and creamy dressing. I tossed it in with the fixings and we had a nice salad. At first I used just red wine vinegar w/o the balsamic. Bad move. Way too acidic. That's why I added the sugar to try to cut the tartness. Anyway, I really would've liked some kalamata olives and dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) to go with it but it was satisfying on its own. Eat something good!

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Jerk Chicken

Dinner came out good even though the combination was a little weird to me. I wish I could say I made the chicken from scratch but I didn't. I used World Harbors jerk sauce & marinade. It was my first time trying it. The bottle looked sorta interesting. And instead of grilling the boneless chicken breasts (organic from Trader Joe's), I broiled them. I "basted" (more like spooned on) the breasts three times in total. I served it with saffron basmati rice. And mediterranean salad with grape tomatoes and feta cheese (sheep's milk, I think) and tossed it in balsamic vinaigrette.

Steve liked the dinner overall and so did I. I put all three things on one plate at one time. Every now and then I'd get a bite full of rice with a hunk of feta cheese. Yum! The jerk part. It wasn't a strong marinade. It didn't penetrate the meat. But from what I could taste of it, it was pretty good. I think next time we will do the grilling thing and baste even more often and more liberally. Hey! Eat Something Good!

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Turkey Chili

We haven't had chili in ages. I wanted to make a healthier version of it using ground turkey. Steve objected. We went to the store and decided to get an extra pound of ground chuck to add to it. I wasn't sure about the meat combo. I wasn't loving the idea. But we made it. And half way through eating it, Steve removed a large hunk of "meat" from his bowl and cut it in half. He guessed it was turkey, not beef. I tasted my portion and couldn't really tell the difference initially because of the heat and spice. Then the turkey flavor comes through at the end but not too much.

Steve, with all his protests, decided that next time we could use all turkey because it wasn't that bad. Right before we started eating, I thought twice about the chili. It didn't smell delicious. It smelled like chili. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I think the word depth can be used here. The aroma was just not enticing enough for me to want to choke it down and lick the bowl clean. However, after I took my first bite, I realized that I really did like it. It was good. Not great, but good. We have so much of it left I don't know what to do with it. I wonder if it freezes well. Anyhow, eat something good!

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Nestle Toll House Cookie Attack

We were so naughty last night. We made chocolate chip cookies! I must've had like ten of them. No, we didn't make it from scratch. We bought one of those pre-made rolls of nestle toll house cookies. Steve baked 'em up while I fell asleep. When I awoke, there was a plate of cookies on my stomach and a tall glass of low-fat milk shoved in my face. I had several cookies before I went back to sleep then I woke up again before midnight and the rest of the cookies disappeared. I was half asleep and the cookies were making me so thirsty but I fell completely asleep and never got to drink anything.

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Quinoa Pilaf

So last night's dinner was a success. It was a partial cheater's dish. I made low cal oven-fried boneless chicken breasts. The breast are rolled in a combination of bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic powder and black pepper after they take a little swim in ceasar lite dressing. Then they're topped with a little melted butter and baked.

The side. Ah, the side. I haven't had quinoa in over five years and Steve has never tried it. I made a pilaf with carrots, onions, red peppers and mushrooms. It turned out pretty good and Steve liked it. I liked it but I didn't love it. I made it once in a lime vinaigrette and that was better. We also had grilled zucchini, squash and red & green peppers tossed in balsamic vinegar, olive oil and s&p. They turned out nicely. We'll definitely have a repeat of the chicken, I'm not so sure about the quinoa. By the way, it's a grain and it's really good for you. You can find it in health food stores or in spanish markets. Okay, so eat something good!

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Meat Craving

Everyday, I make my honey the exact same lunch. Reduced-fat Peanut butter (or almond butter - his latest fave) and low sugar jelly or preserves on multi-grain bread. With it, he gets a banana, yogurt, ground flax seed (for the yogurt) and a handful of raw almonds. He just told me moments ago that he got weak. He was bad. He went downstairs to get a soda at lunch and the guy was like...we have one reuben left. He was good and went back upstairs and did some work. But he could not get the reuben out of his mind. So after eating his own lunch, he finally gave in and bought the reuben (hot pastrami, swiss, sauerkraut and russian dressing on rye) panini. He said it was really good. I wish I had one. I'm having a meat craving. Alls I had today was carbs and dairy it seems like. I need meat sometimes. I just like tearing into it with my teeth like a savage. I once ate an entire sirloin steak with my bare hands. It was a dream of mine and when my then ex walked in with a few pounds of cooked steak, I was loving it. I sat down on the floor of my tiny, studio apartment in the East Village. I picked up the warm steak and tore into it. Juices flowed and I was loving it. I was being barbaric. The steak was pretty big so I was quite satisfied for the evening. Awe, don't be shy and Eat Something Good!

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Meatless Easy Burritos

Yes, we had burritos last night. It's a total cheaters' dish. We use canned refried beans (usually Old El Paso brand) and mix it with canned diced potatoes (Del Monte) and heat it in a pot. That's the "meat" of the dish. We warm the tortillas on an electric griddle. One side then the other. We put slices of american cheese (sometimes cheddar) on the tortilla. Spoon on a thick (not too much though) line of the bean & potato mixture in the center. Then top it with thinly shredded iceberg lettuce, diced red onions, diced grape tomatoes, cholula hot sauce and a few dollops of sour cream. Then ya roll it up and serve.

Steve said they were yummy and I thought the same. We each had two and they're good sized. Well, actually, I had 1 1/2 and Steve had 2 1/2. Yeah, I was stuffed after the first one but kept going. And you'd think my eating for the evening would've stopped there. But almost immediately afterwards and much to Steve's surprise, I started eating light strawberry banana yogurt. And while he was in the computer room, I snuck in 1/2 of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and I was liberal with the fillings. It was on multi-grain bread. *oink*

Eat a meatless easy burrito; Eat Something Good!

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Cutlets Paprikesh "First Time"

The other night I made a new dish. It's called Cutlets Paprikesh. This recipe called for turkey cutlets not chicken cutlets. I seldom cook with turkey. Other than on Thanksgiving, I think the only other turkey dish I made was the turkey scallopini with capers and lemon. I made that twice. Delicious. Anyhow, I had to dredge the cutlets in a combo of flour, paprika, black pepper, thyme, red pepper and salt. I reserved the remaining flour for the sauce. After browning cutlets, set aside. To the remaining oil, add the flour mixture and thinly sliced onions. Allow that to cook for a bit before adding the wet ingredients. Chicken stock, tomato paste and later fat free sour cream. Cook it til it slightly thickens. It should happen quickly. Add turkey cutlets to sauce and heat through. I would've served it with rice but we didn't have any so Steve picked up a nice loaf of seeded italian bread. And on the side, we had a nice salad with arugula, greens, red onions and grape tomatoes.

It was good but I don't know if I'll make it again. It had a strong paprika flavor. Steve was liking it but I wasn't loving it. Initially, the sauce tastes great. Then the paprika kicks in and finishes with its after taste. Maybe if I use less paprika and more sour cream (which is stirred in at the end), it will mellow the flavor out. Yes, I think I'll try that because Steve wants me to make it again. He wants to Eat Something Good!

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Mom's Meatballs

Last night, Steve's mom invited us over for dinner. She made pasta with meatballs. I love her meatballs. I'm not sure what it is. It was a little salty, a little parmesan cheesy with bits of dried parsley. Normally, I'm not a fan of dried parsley. I don't have any in the house; I won't allow it. But her meatballs are special. Maybe because she makes them. She served it in a heaping bowl with ziti. She also had a nice salad with iceberg lettuce, raw onion, green pepper, chick peas, swiss cheese and an assortment of dressings. I had mine with ranch. Haven't had it in a while. I ate four good sized meatballs. Mmmmm...meatballs. Eat something good!

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Palermo Pizza

We went grocery shopping last night. Finally. We bought almost $200 worth of goods. They were promoting a new thin crust pizza. They were selling it for $2.50 a pie when the regular price is $4.99. Well, the pizza. We got two of them. One was margherita and one was grilled chicken cesar. The flavors of both were good, pretty good. Not really, really good. The chicken cesar one was a little better than the margherita. The crust. It was thin alright. But it was like eating pizza on a matzo. For real. I wasn't loving it. I don't think we'll buy this pizza again because of the crust. So you guys, buy a better frozen pizza and Eat Something Good!

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KFC

Oooops! We messed up our dinner last night. We went for the worst. Kentucky fried chicken. Yes, the colonel was calling us. I had a breast and leg, extra crispy. Mashed potatoes with gravy, cole slaw and corn. Oh, and we shared a small order of hot wings. Okay, where do I start. I was ok with the dinner; Steve was not. Admittedly, the mashed potatoes could've been hotter and wings were just dried out. Just garbage. Of course that didn't stop me from eating them. The corn wasn't warm enough to melt what they call 'butter sauce'. The cole slaw was good though. Steve doesn't like his sweet so I usually make him a different kind at home. I was ok with my breast and leg. We felt unsatisfied by this meal and so...what did we do? We went to the pizzeria just next door. I had a regular slice and Steve had a sicilian slice. I couldn't finish mine so Steve ate it, but then he had no room for the rest of his slice. After the pizza, I was partially disgusted by myself. What were we thinking, KFC? Those damn commercials! Sigh. Eat Something Good!

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