cosmic cup

Cosmic Cup has been a favorite dining spot for me for many years. Actually, they call themselves Cosmic Cafe now but I like to keep it old school. It's a vegetarian restaurant with an Indian influence. They also offer various activities including yoga, meditation, and poetry readings. I haven't partaken in any of these activities but I was quite surprised how many people were there for poetry tonight.

An interesting fact about the restaurant is that everything on the menu equals nine. For example, my chai tea was $3.06. Until dining here, I never realized there were so many meanings for the number nine- one of them being completion.





There's seating inside and out but I'm always sitting on the porch.



I always start with pappadam. I love that their's is a bit spicy. It comes with mint and tamarind chutney.



I LOVE samosas. I'm going to have to do a separate posts about them but for now, here is a picture of their samosas... so delicious.





I always have to get a cup of chai when I'm here. I buy the teabags but it's not the same as the real thing.



I ordered a Fold in Thyme. It's a nan sandwich with cheddar, avocado, sprouts, onions, tomato, zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms, and honey mustard. I have tried many things here and I always come back to a fold in thyme. It used to be served with tortilla chips and pico de gallo but they've since ditched the chips and replaced it with some pappadam. I kind of prefer it that way.



He always order the Buddha's Special (now called Buddha's Delight). Instead of getting dahl, he asks for a second samosa. The Buddha's Special comes with curried vegetables (today, it was spinach and artichoke), dahl, samosa, pappadam, rice, and nan. The curried vegetables is usually potatoes, peas, and cauliflower. The artichoke was a nice change of pace.



This place makes dining vegetarian style doable. Everything is delicious.

spices are good

It took long enough but I discovered the best way to buy my spices and herbs. Instead of buying a bottle of spices that I will only use a handful of times before they start to lose their taste, I should just go to Central Market or Whole Foods. They have a great selection of spices and herbs in their bulk bins. I buy just what I need and it's fresh every time. But there has to be something a little bit nicer to store them in besides the little plastic baggy that you buy them in.

... So I have been wanting a spice rack for some time. While checking out Design Sponge, I saw the ideal spice rack. It's made up of test tubes. I love the fact that they hold a small amount, they don't take up much space, and have a clean presentation.



This Design Sponge post led to the search for something similar and then I found The Tubular Spice Company. They have the exact spice rack here. It comes with a metal stand and 40 spices and is $141. That's more than the spices I need, I want to be able to pick the spices I want, but most importantly, that's too much money.



Then they also have this. It holds 20 spices which is more like it but it's still $91 and comes with spices.



Finally, I saw this. It comes with 20 empty glass tubes in a wooden rack. I kind of like the wooden rack a little bit more. The best part of it is that it's $47.



All I have to do now is buy it!

meatloaf with mashed potatoes and broccoli PART 1

Tonight, I decided to make meatloaf with mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli. The recipes are going to come to you in three parts. Let's start with the main course- meatloaf.

This is the BEST meatloaf in the entire world. It's a strong statement but I'm ready to back it up. The flavors are so unique and untraditional. The cloves and allspice are the perfect companions for the tomato sauce. The lemon gives the meat a nice kick. I've made it a ton of times and it's divine every time.

You will need 1 1/2 pound ground beef, 4 slices of dried bread cubed, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup onion finely chopped, 1 egg beaten, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.

Today, I used Italian white bread because I got it free from Central Market. Any bread will do though. I also used more onion than directed. There are a few things I believe never hurts to have a little more. That includes onions, garlic, and cheese.



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the ground beef, bread cubes, lemon juice, onion, egg and salt in a large bowl.



Mix well.



Put the meat mixture in a loaf pan. I'm using a meatloaf pan but any loaf pan will work. The meatloaf pan gives you the convenience of allowing the fat to drip. Bake for 15 minutes.



While the meatloaf is in the oven, prepare the tomato sauce. Combine the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, allspice, and cloves.



Mix well making sure to break up the brown sugar as best you can. Don't worry if you still have lumps. It will melt perfectly once in the oven.



Here is the meatloaf after it's been in the oven for 15 minutes.



Cover the loaf with the sauce.





Bake it for 30 minutes longer.



Here it is done and out of the oven. Give the loaf a few minutes to cool so it can hold its shape.




Try it and tell me what you think. Would you agree that it's the best meatloaf?

adapted from The Junior League Centennial Cookbook

awshucks

One of my favorite places to eat is Awshucks. It's laidback and casual. There's no pretentiousness here. It's just plain good seafood.

You go to the counter to order and you find a table. They have a counter for indoor seating but most of the people sit at the outside tables. Then, you just wait for your name to pick up your food. Here, they practice the honor system so before you leave, you let the cashier know what you've ordered and pay.

Be warned if you try to come here on the weekends. The place gets über packed. It's every man for himself when finding a table. You're like a lion on the hunt. You see people start leaving and you jump. Luckily, the staff is watching, too, and they are right behind you to clean the table.

I'm addicted to the summer platter, fish tacos, and fries. Next time, I'm going to order their hot wings (has nothing to do with seafood but I've been told they are amazing).

Since we arrived during happy hour, oysters were half price. We ordered a dozen. I don't usually partake but I enjoyed a couple. An oyster atop a cracker with hot sauce, lemon, and ketchup is not half bad.



Here's the summer platter. YUM! YUM! Don't be mislead by the name because it's available year round. It's a mix of crab legs, shrimp, and sausage. We usually ask for more crab legs for the sausage. They put the perfect amount of seasonings and spices. If you share this with me, don't be mad if I hog the crab legs.

bo luc lac

This is one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes growing up- bo luc lac. It's literal translation is shaking beef. You can say it's a kind of comfort food for me. Luckily, it's also very easy to make.

I've looked online and found many recipes for it. Each one has been very different from the next. This one comes from my mom. I consider her a reliable resource.

The recipe comes in two parts: a marinade and a dressing. To feed about four, you will need a pound of beef cubed (the cut is your choice; I used top sirloin) and one bunch of watercress. For the marinade, you will need Maggi, 4-6 garlic crushed, and cracked pepper. Maggi is a type of seasoning. It's very similar to soy sauce but, in my opinion, much better. This bottle is imported from Europe.



Since this recipe comes from my mom, I don't have exact measurements for the ingredients. I just shake enough Maggi on the beef so that it's covered. Then, I mix in the garlic and lots of cracked pepper. I prepared it early so that the marinade has time to be soaked in by the beef.



With about two tablespoons of olive oil, I saute the beef for about 5-8 minutes over medium heat.



For the dressing, you will need about 1 part olive oil and 1 part vinegar to about 1/2 to 1/3 part Maggi. The Maggi pictured below is what is readily available in the States. You will also need crushed garlic, sugar, cracked pepper, and yellow onion sliced thin.



You'll add the sugar and garlic as needed to balance the dressing. You can also add water to make it suit your taste. At the last minute, add the slices of onion. It will look something like this.



When it's ready to serve, place the beef on top of the watercress and pour some of the dressing on top. It's also great with sliced tomatoes. Like every other Asian dish, I like to compliment it with some steamed rice, too. Enjoy!

cheese please

I was shopping in Highland Park Village and I decided to stop into Molto Formaggio, a local cheese shop. I wish I had my camera because I had so much fun looking at everything. I even left with some cheese and olive oil. I already let them know that I'll be back with my camera.



Besides carrying a plethora of cheese, they have an olive oil buffet. I picked up a bottle of filtered EVOO that's good for cooking. They have plenty of condiments to compliment your cheese purchase. They have crackers, flatbreads, breadsticks, and biscotti. They also have a ton of tools and accessories including a girolle (which is something I really want because of LuxiRare).

Look forward to a future post with pictures.

the magic bullet

Last summer, my family had a reunion in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico. For the last few days of the trip, I stayed with one of my aunts in a timeshare. They packed a crazy amount of stuff including food and appliances for the kitchen- rice cooker and the Magic Bullet. During the whole time, my aunt would use the Magic Bullet to make all kinds of drinks- margaritas, piña coladas, etc. I wanted to watch every time she used it. It would quickly crush ice and make drinks. I also love the idea of making a drink just the right size for me (and pulling out my heavy blender is just no fun... it either stays out on the counter forever or in the cabinets forever).

When I was finally back home, I looked up this miracle appliance but forgot about it as soon as I thought about it. Well... recently I was in Macy's picking up some sheets and I saw the Magic Bullet. Suddenly, I remembered the days in Mexico and my need for the Magic Bullet. It got me looking it up again. The reviews are mixed. People either love it or hate it. Knowing that it's a mere $60, I don't expect it to do everything in the kitchen or that it will last forever. I do expect it to make a quick smoothie. I know it's been around for awhile but I've never been one to be sold on "As Seen on TV" products.

What are your thoughts? Am I dork for wanting one? If you have one, what do you love about it? Is it a guilty pleasure?