Guest Blog Post: Dining in Japan

Posted on April 24, 2012 by admin

Miss Liz just got back from Japan and has all sorts of food/meals to share!

I must admit I was nervous about the food in Japan. I went with two friends from work-Bekka and Rachel. I thought there would be sushi everywhere and I’m not a big sushi fan. Turns out, Japan has a wide variety of food and I was pleasantly surprised. Of course, there were lots of food that I was not ever going to try-ie horse meat.

My favorite meal was at a tiny restaurant that only serves dumplings in the Harajuku region of Tokyo. We found the spot courtesy of Lonely Planet. We ordered some of each type of dumpling-plain and garlic and leek. They were warm, tender and delicious. I loved the garlic and leek dumplings. Our meal also came with pickled cabbage (which you see every where in Japan) and cucumbers with miso sauce. The miso sauce was the perfect mixture of tangy and spice with the crunchy cucumbers.

We tried soba noodles for dinner one night. They are cold buckwheat noodles. You dip them into soy sauce. Honestly, I wasn’t into it.

Tokyo is famous for its fish market. All the surrounding side streets have tiny stalls selling food. Rachel was adventurous enough to have a huge oyster (again with soy sauce) at 715am. Some things, none of would try, like the chicken feet.

We were always nervous when trying street food. It was never labeled in English and the people selling it rarely spoke English. One day, people were crowded around a stall, we figured it had to be good. OH MY GOD. This was my favorite food in Japan. Problem is, we still don’t know what we ate. It tastes like fried dough filled with sweetened black beans. Now, that sounds like a silly combo and nothing they would eat in Japan, but it was amazing and the Japanese were lining up for these little snacks.

It took us a few days to realize, Japan stops serving lunch at 2pm. Unfortunately, one day, we were really hungry and it was down pouring. We were desperate to find a restaurant that was open and had an English menu. After 20 minutes of walking around in the rain, we settled on the only open restaurant we could find. They did have a menu with pictures, but no one spoke English. I asked 2 young men in the restaurant what the pictures were and they were able to tell me the following: “Beef, Bird (with a guy moving his arms like the chicken dance) and Shrimp”. Bekka and I got beef. Rachel decided on “bird” ie chicken fingers.

Before leaving for Japan, I heard about rice balls. I thought I was going to be in heaven. Turns out, its densely packed rice and then fried/grilled and then sits in your stomach like a hockey puck. They sell rice balls, which are not fried but wrapped in nori at convenience stores for quick snacks and breakfast.

Rachel did some research in Kyoto in found a really fun local restaurant where we got to sit on tami mats. Kishakura specializes in chicken. They offered tofu as an appetizer, I passed on it but it looked really pretty. We share a bottle of local Sake.

One day, we needed to grab a quick meal. So, we had Ramen that we ordered from a vending machine. This is pretty common in Japan for causal restaurants. You order at the vending machine with help of plastic food showing you what your order will look like. The ramen was great. The noodles were thicker than ramen we make a home with boiling water.

Finally, sushi! I don’t like sushi, but I tried it in Tokyo at convoyer belt sushi place. Bekka and Rachel enjoyed it.

All in all, it was a great vacation and we had some interesting food!

Would you like to be a guest blogger? Email emily@thethreebiterule.com for more details!

Guest Blog: Veggie Rangoons

Posted on February 22, 2012 by admin

Today I bring you a guest blog post from a college student in Austin. Joseph Ver is not only learning lessons in the classroom, but he’s learning his way around the kitchen. Without further ado, here he is:

I can give you a long list of my grievances in having to live in dorm conditions, from loud running and screaming in the middle of the night to my heightened mysophobia, but I feel the winner of the worst reason to live in a dorm is the lack of kitchen. I remember dorm shopping with my mother. I was excited to buy skillets and cutting boards, which is possibly a strange thing for a college bound guy to be excited about. Imagine the tears I shed when I found out that the kitchen was on the fourth floor. Nevertheless, I did try to cook tofu curry on the first week of school. It was a disaster to say the least, and successfully kept me away from that kitchen for the rest of the year.

Fast forward to today, a few semesters later, and I am now living in an on-campus apartment. Sure, I still have to hear my loud peers in the parking lot during thirsty Thursdays, but at least I now have a kitchen to myself (and a roommate). Maybe I should have prefaced this post by saying that I have little to no culinary experience. My training has consisted of helping my Filipino mother cook dinner, experimenting with eggs, watching cooking shows on PBS and the Food Network, and drawing inspiration from religiously watching Top Chef. To say the least, I’m a scrappy cook. I’ll find and follow recipes and add my own little twists.

Starting from the beginning of this school year, I’ve tried my hand at mashed potatoes, chicken teriyaki tacos, mapo doufu, French toast with my very own egg bread, and chicken tikka masala among many other dishes. You can probably tell that I cook a lot of Asian inspired dishes. I think my proudest moment actually stemmed from having to salvage vegetables. Now, I’m stereotypical poor college student on a strict budget. Throwing away food does not make me happy in the least bit.

Having bought a bunch of vegetables the week before, I remembered that I had to eat my spare broccoli and asparagus ASAP before it truly went bad. I wanted something more exciting than steamed vegetables, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but merely something I wasn’t in the mood for at the time. I had bought wonton wrappers and a block of cream cheese when I realized that I could make crab rangoon. Having learned how to make this simple Chinese-American restaurant staple a few years ago at an Asian Festival back in San Antonio, I decided to do my own vegetarian rendition of it with a twist. (Keep in mind that this was me throwing things from the fridge together, so ingredients are approximate and rather spontaneous)

Broccoli and Cheese Rangoons

Ingredients:

-A pack of wonton wrappers (Found in an oriental store, but your local supermarket may have them)
-A block (16 oz.) of cream cheese
-A head of broccoli, chopped up into very small pieces
-Three sprigs of finely sliced green onion
-Cooking oil for deep frying
-Salt and pepper to taste
Optional:
-Finely chopped asparagus
-Finely sliced sundried tomatoes
-Finely chopped up of any vegetable that you think would fit in a small pocket of fried goodness

Directions:

This recipe is very simple. Just soften some cream cheese in room temperature, place it in a bowl and mix in all of your veggies nicely.
Now, there are many ways you can wrap the wonton wrapper. The best way is to put around a tablespoon of filling into your wanton wrapper, and fold it diagonally into a little triangle. Seal the wrapper with water.

I don’t have a deep fryer, so instead I just put a considerable amount of cooking oil into my wok and fried it that way.

Be afraid of getting hit by crackling oil- it really hurts!

It’s really easy to tell when they’re finished. It’s not like you have to worry about having the filling uncooked and getting sick since it’s merely cream cheese. Go ahead and place them on a plate with a paper towel to cool and enjoy! (One looks like a tiny egg roll, hehe)

Once again, this is a really simple recipe and thing to make and my main point for making it was to salvage vegetables that were going to end up in the trash in a few days. Are there any other recipes that you make on the fly because you want to save certain ingredients? Let me know!

Joseph Ver is an SEO intern at SpareFoot.com. He attends Saint Edward’s University in Austin, TX and, aside from cooking, loves watching reality shows (Top Chef, Project Runway, Survivor) and befriending various people on the bus. He also blogs when he actually remembers that he has one right here.

Would you like to be a guest blogger? Email emily@thethreebiterule for more details!

Ima Guest Blogga

Posted on August 17, 2011 by admin

I occasionally have guest bloggers but today I am one! Check out my guest blog post on Wicked Good Travel & Activities. The blogger Amy and I are virtual friends and I’m sure you’ll see her guest post here sometime too. Maybe we’ll get a chance to meet in real-life too! I think we could have some amazing themed parties based on some we’ve each had. Check out this one she did!

And how can you resist this guy making an appearance on there too?

Interested in being a guest blogger for The Three Bite Rule? Email emily@thethreebiterule.com for more info!

Guest Blog: Beantown’s Italian North End from a First Time Visitor

Posted on June 27, 2011 by admin

Readers, please meet Mr. B. He was visiting Boston and wanted to share a guest post with you!

Growing up in Chicago was amazing. The only problem was that I was spoiled by all of the amazing food Chicago has to offer. Chief among these delectable offerings is Italian food. I live in Houston now, and unfortunately, I cannot get really exceptional Italian food in the Lone Star State.

I started my day by going on a Freedom Trail Tour learning about the early days of the American Revolution. At the conclusion of the tour, the guide asked if we had any questions. I told him that I had a very serious question: where could I get the best Italian food in the North End? He directed me to a small restaurant off of Hanover Street called Trattoria Il Panino. I sat in the “giardino” or garden room at Trattoria Il Panino.

Normally I order Fettuccine Alfredo or Chicken Parmesan at Italian restaurants, but Boston is known for its seafood, so I decided to try a special called lobster fettuccine with chopped scallops in a “Fra Diavolo” sauce. The waiter described the dish as being a lobster-infused fettuccine with a spicy tomato-based sauce. He further explained that “Fra Diavolo” literally means “with the devil.”

The dish arrived, and I was surprised at the size of it. In parts of Chicago, you get an overflowing helping of pasta. At Trattoria Il Panino, the portion seemed small. Halfway through the dish, it seemed like I had not made a dent in it. When I finished the dish, I thought I had eaten all of the pasta in Boston! The dish was very colorful and appealing. The chef included chunks of lobster along with the chopped scallops. He also included jalapeno peppers. The waiter said that this was nontraditional, but the chef wanted to make sure the dish was spicy enough to do the devil justice.

The bread was amazing as well. That’s one of the things I really miss about Chicago Italian food. In my opinion, the bread makes the meal, and Trattoria Il Panino offered excellent bread. I overheard the wait staff speaking to one another in Italian, which added to the ambience. All in all, I recommend Trattoria Il Panino for its wonderful bread, authentic ambience, and creative dishes.

While I was walking from Faneuil Hall to Trattoria Il Panino, I asked for suggestions on twitter for a place to eat in the North End. One of my friends tweeted that I should try Regina’s Pizzeria. I made my way there after first lunch. For second lunch, I had a delicious slice of pepperoni pizza. The pizza was a large slice of thin-crust pizza. The pizza was dripping with pepperoni, cheese, and grease. Although it wasn’t the healthiest choice, it sure was delicious. Predictably, the entire restaurant was packed with to-go orders coming in frequently and hungry patrons waiting outside for a table to open up.

Another of my friends wrote on facebook that I should go to Mike’s Pastry for dessert. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Mike’s Pastry has two long large display cases with just about any type of pastry you could possibly want including cannolis, cupcakes, and Boston cream puffs. They were super busy. They had at least six employees taking and filling orders and couldn’t keep up with demand.

I decided to go with a Boston cream puff…since I was in Boston! The puff was very large with a Boston cream filling and a dark chocolate shell with white icing. The amount of cream was overwhelming. I think the puff should have been served with a spoon, so you could eat enough of the cream to make the proportion of puff and dark chocolate to cream a little more manageable. I was able to make a complete mess of the situation with cream all over the place!

Finally, I made my way to Gigi Gelateria for some gelato. What’s a trip to an Italian neighborhood without some gelato? I chose a small cup of mint chocolate because it’s my favorite. The gelato was overwhelmingly minty. It was even a little too minty for me, and that’s saying a lot. Other than the mintiness, the gelato was very smooth and creamy. The small cup was also a very healthy serving. I was unable to finish the small cup. The furnishings were very contemporary and did not fit into the mold of an old Italian neighborhood. When I was inside, I could have been anywhere in the country that sells gelato, but not specifically Boston’s North End. I think my next trip to Boston will include a search for better gelato in the North End.

Overall, I have to say my experience in Boston’s North End was a success. Hearing people speaking Italian as I walked through the neighborhood reminded me of some of the little Italian neighborhoods in Chicago. The food was authentic and excellent. I give Trattoria Il Panino, Regina’s Pizzeria, and Mike’s Pastry A pluses for their outstanding cuisine and neighborhood charm. I give Gigi Gelateria a B- for the overpowering flavor and lack of neighborhood charm. I am anxiously awaiting my next trip to Beantown!

Thanks Mr. B! Would you be interested in being a guest blogger? Email emily@thethreebiterule.com

Guest Blog: The Fabulous Food Truck Festival

Posted on June 13, 2011 by admin

Allow me to introduce a guest blog post from Justin! Justin writes:

Lately, I hadn’t been out taking as many photos as I usually do, and when I saw The Fabulous Food Truck Festival advertised on Boston.com, I knew it would be a great opportunity to get some photos and try some local food truck fare.

It was advertised that all items were $7 and under, and that quantities may be limited, so it was encouraged to arrive on the earlier side of the day. I am definitely glad I got there when I did – about 30mins after it started – because it gave me a chance to get some photos and still have time to get in lines for food.

I walked around taking photos for a bit, then decided to get into the line at Grilled Cheese Nation. It was the longest line at the time, so I thought it would be good to get that one out of the way. I also thought it was a good plan to start with a grilled cheese – not too heavy – before going on to something else. I went with the Brie Me Up – Blythdale Farm Brie with sliced local Asian Pear on Iggy’s Organic Pain de Mie Bread. I wanted to go with something a little more daring than a traditional grilled cheese and was glad I tried this. My only critique would be that Brie doesn’t hold up well when melted, so the sandwich looked a little bleak when it was handed over. The flavors were great, though, and I love pear.

Brie Me Up

After that, I noticed most of the lines getting longer and longer, as it was around a typical lunchtime by then. I got into the line at The Eat Wagon and quickly realized that the sun was more intense than I thought, as I ended up standing in line for at least 30mins and got a little burn on my head, neck and arms. When it was my turn, the staff let me know that they were out of cheese, and I could wait or have it without. I decided a burger without cheese just isn’t fair, so I waited another 10mins or so. I went with the Eat Burger – Grass fed beef, lettuce, cheese, onion dip, potato chips. I’m not sure if it was the long wait or that the ingredients were that good, but it was a GREAT burger, cooked to a perfect medium as I like it. The onion dip and chips were such a great idea, and a great combination of textures. I normally eat my burgers with blue cheese dressing, so I was especially partial to a burger with a dip for a condiment.

The Eat Burger

I originally had wanted to get a couple things for dessert – there were cupcakes and a frozen yogurt truck on site, so I had to choose one first. I went with The Froyo Truck first, as the line was a little shorter. By the time I was done there, Kickass Cupcakes had sold out; I was a little bummed that I missed them because I haven’t had them since living in Massachusetts. At The Froyo Truck, I had California Tart, with dark chocolate chips and mango. I would typically go with a chocolate option, but because I don’t regularly eat a lot of fruit, I thought Emily would be proud that I hopped off the normal path and went with a lighter choice. The staff at The Froyo Truck mocked me a bit for getting the small size, but I was trying to eat from as many trucks as possible, and it turns out the small was a little bigger than what I would picture.

California Tart

It was a great day, and the weather was perfect. I got some good photos, and got to try some great mobile food. Emily wasn’t able to make it, and I know she would have loved it, so I will be sure to keep my eyes peeled for another event like this.

Would you like to be a guest blogger? Email emily@thethreebiterule for more details!