Tomatillo Yuzo Kosho Tsukemen with Pan-fried Mushrooms

Freshly returned from Austin, I was obviously very inspired by tex-mex flavors when making this dish. I had my first birria ramen from a food truck called Los Danzantes and realized the intersection between Japanese and Mexican flavors can actually make a lot of sense. Enter Tsukemen: a dipping ramen where the noodles are served cold with a warm side of broth. With the looming heat of a NYC summer in mind, I take shortcuts so as not to have to spend a lot of time over a hot stove, while also delivering a lot of refreshing acidity in this preparation. 

Dining Out: Launderette

The Sunday come-down after the fun-but-intense music marathon that is the SXSW pushed me to seek refuge in a meal that might pull me back into active consciousness. I was alone after the band I was staying with left that morning and while I wasn't too hungry, I was on a mission to put some vegetables in my taco meat-soaked body. Launderette was in walking distance of my airbnb and to my surprise their menu revealed very reasonably priced veg options. I jogged over to prevent the unseasonably cold weather from discouraging me, the neon pink sign drawing me to the washateria-turned-restaurant from blocks away.

Easy Chicken Ramen

Nothing hits home like a hot bowl of delicious ramen. When I make this recipe for others, everyone thinks it took way longer than it actually does because the return on flavor is worth the minimal effort it requires. All you need is pre-cooked chicken and some chicken broth. I always use the rest of a rotisserie chicken to save time, but you can cook your own before hand. If you wanted to make this vegan, just use more pan-fried mushrooms and mushroom broth instead.

Dining Out: La Vara

suckling pig, anyone?

Had a lovely little bday dinner for G at La Vara over a week ago that I thought was worth taking notes about for later reference. I'd been years ago but could only afford a cocktail and the fried chickpeas they're known for. What makes this Spanish restaurant worth the price and hype is the creativity around Jewish and Moorish-inspired dishes. The cocktails were standard for the price but the food really surprised me.