Perks of the Job

The place where I work is an island of sorts – I can’t leave to get something to eat, which is fine since there aren’t places in walking distance. Sure, there is stuff a few blocks away on the main road, but I only get thirty minutes. I have been known to kill at least half of that in the cafeteria waiting for my food or just circling the cafeteria to find something worth eating.

So yes, I am jealous of places somewhat similar to where I work that have shops right outside their doors – Starbucks, restaurants, and ahhhhhh… Panera! Free wi-fi and bottomless cups of coffee and all the hilarious conversations that go on there.

I had to drop M off in Albany for some work training Sunday, and hit up Panera for lunch before going to my volunteer gig. It’s the first time I’ve been to the one over by Albany Med, and it’s nice. The place wasn’t too busy for a late Sunday morning. There was a spattering of law/med students, with the random hospital employee picking up a meal before heading back across the street. I’m pretty sure this place is crazy during the week.




I kept seeing all these signs for their “power” meals, which may be stuff from their hidden menu that is no longer hidden? Who knows… but they seemed to all have meat so I passed on that. Ended up going YP2, with a Mediterranean salad with Salmon and French Onion soup. I can’t remember if I’ve had it before, but it was actually pretty good. Lightly dressed, if dressed at all. Didn’t really taste the mandarin orange, the olives dominated the flavor outside of the salmon. Stilled liked it, though.





The FOS had tons of onion (which I love), and just the right amount of cheese. Their soup was thicker than other places I’ve been to… which is surprising, because I thought most of their stuff was made elsewhere and then shipped to the stores. Which would make you think they would all be uniform. Maybe they just didn’t add more liquid?

And then there was the coffee. Black gold, half & half, sugar in the raw. Can’t even tell you how many cups I downed.

No, Not a Burger

Recently at work it was make-your-own-burger day in the cafeteria. Usually I’m pretty amped about MYOB, but given the Lenten season I am stuck with the sole option of a gardenburger. Resigned to this reality, I went over and asked for said gardenburger with cheddar and fried onion straws.

“We don’t have gardenburgers today.”

What?!?

“Uh… uh… what am I supposed to get then?” There really weren’t other options – the soup had meat in it and the sandwich du jour was a meaty one.

“Sorry.”

So I ended up looping the islands of the cafeteria a few times. Looking, but not really looking. I grabbed a plate and piled it high with salad greens and toppings. Then I remembered the tuna fish salad. It’s not too bad, but the quality changes from day to day. Took a chance, and grabbed a hard roll.

In the end, it wasn’t too bad. And it was slightly cheaper than had I asked them to make it for me.

The Fresh Market’s Seafood Bar

boo. hiss. bad fresh market. what was sacrificed for your space? jewish deli, peter wong’s, antique mall, barber shop.

for what? what? a store that sells items you can buy half a mile down the street. and for cheaper!

what do you have to say for yourself… huh?

oh. a seafood bar? well, I suppose that’s okay.

smoked salmon salad. flaked smoked salmon, mayo, scallions, some other things. tasted weird. ended up giving this one away it was that unappealing.

tuna seaweed salad. the closest I’ll get to poke out here on the east coast. good. really good. I hope they sell this at the latham fresh market, otherwise, I’ll have to go back to fm next time I’m home.

the seafood bar is a little pricey, I think 7.99 a pound. I paid a little over 4 bucks for the two.

Tour de Fish Fry: Second Helpings

The fish fry tour recap seemed pretty lengthy, so I cut out a lot. Mostly pictures. Now before I forget and banish them to my external, here are some more shots from the day. I tried to get candids, but I guess I’m not a sneaky enough shooter.

Gone Fishin’

Curious how the fish fry tour turned out? Well, keep reading and follow the white dog!

Organic Salmon?

I was doing some last minute shopping this afternoon at H Mart before the family NYE party when I came across this. Farm raised, organic salmon from Canada.

All I can think of is... how? Are there standards for organic designation on fish? Wild salmon was cheaper than its organic counterpart, and I'm more comfortable eating that than something slapped with the "organic" label.

Leftover Lunch

So Friday night I had fried catfish and there were plenty of leftovers. I got it in my head that fish tacos would be the perfect solution, and yes yes yes... it was. It's very simple- sour cream, shredded cheese, lettuce, radishes, and of course the fish.

I am really liking this dslr.

Fried Catfish

I was lounging around my parents house when in comes my dad, his hands full of groceries. Italian bread, deli meat, milk, and a large white parcel. Of course curious, I asked him what it was.

"Cajun catfish."

Why?

"Why not? It's different."

Maybe that's where I get it from

After washing and patting the fillets dry, I gave the catfish a nice seasoning with salt and pepper. I've always wanted to try a battered fish, but I never knew how to go about it. Flour seemed too boring, so I went with corn meal instead. It seemed like a good idea...it's corn, and I do like me some corn. I mixed the cornmeal with some Cajun seasoning and hoped for the best.

Cooking is not cooking if you don't get your hands dirty. However, if you need to take pictures of the cooking... it's probably best to keep your hands clean. I set up everything, and left the actual wet and dry steps for my dad. Someone needs to document it all.

The wet was simple, two beaten eggs. One would have been enough, or I could have skipped the eggs and did a buttermilk thing. But alas, no buttermilk. The dry was cornmeal and seasoning. Looking back, I think I should have used a finer cornmeal. When it first comes out of the pan, it's incredibly crunchy and may confuse your mouth for a quick second. Wet to dry, and sides stay on their respective sides (I vaguely remember AB mention it on Good Eats).

Yay, look at all that catfish with the pretty coat. Makes me want to fry them to golden goodness!

The end result of the pan fry? Crunchy on the outside, tender and flaky on the inside. Once I got past the new texture with the use of cornmeal, I was in fried fish heaven. There was two pounds of fish, and I think my Dad and I ate about half of it. I'm thinking they'll be good tomorrow as fish tacos!

I think Gizmo approves.

DePiero's Again

Some text messages I sent today:

Me: We gotta do lunch @ DePiero's Farm. So freaking good!

S: Sure. Where's that?

Me: Montvale. Grand Ave. Having their fish and chips right now. OMFG dude. OMMFG. And that ain't a typo.

S: lol. cuz i was wondering.

It's only been in the last year or so when I finally tried fish & chips. I never was interested in it before, but sometimes it just looks so good... and hello! Fried!

The seafood section of DePiero's is called Off the Hook Seafood, and for being a small section, it offers a lot. I got there just in time- a line formed after I placed my order. You can get seafood to bring home to cook, or have it cooked for you there. Cooked to order. I wasn't paying too much attention, but I did see the fry guy coat big pieces of fish into some flour mixture before dipping in batter and dropping into the fryer.

As you can see, it came out beautifully golden and crunchy! Real crunch... not like some other battered fish I've tried. I was able to finish 3/4 of it before throwing in the towel. Reheated, it doesn't have that crunch (oh well) but it wasn't bad. And the fries re-heated? Surprisingly good.

The bakery line was too long for me, so I went with some plums. Very sweet.

Steamy

Simple steamed fish:

1 grouper, cleaned
black bean sauce
scallions, cut in thirds
ginger, minced

In a baking pan, place cleaned fish. Top with the rest of ingredients. Cover pan with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven until the fish is cooked. 30-45 minutes maybe?

Nathan's (Yonkers, NY)

Normally I see Nathan's in the mall. But a stand alone? In Westchester no less?

A and I went estate sale shopping over in Scarsdale and on the way back she wanted to hit up Nathan's for lunch.

The store is ginormous. It is big enough to have a children's play area and arcade. And not only is Nathan's sold there, but also Arthur Treacher's and generic pizza (which was closed). A ordered the hot dog combo, and I stuck to the meatless Friday rule and ordered a Fish sandwich. Not too bad.

Madison Brewing Co. Pub & Restaurant (Bennington, Vt)

Second day in April and I'm only getting to posting what I did for St. Patrick's Day? Sheesh. Talk about lazy.

The weekend leading up to St. Patrick's Day I had to work, so I missed out on Kegs and Eggs. Not that I was all that upset about it, I haven't done anything for KnE since senior year in university... and that was the one and only time I even cared about it.

Needing to get out of town, M and I decided to drive out to Vermont for lunch.

Things I really need to remember:

1. There is not really much in Bennington.

2. Sunday is worst day to realize this.

We walked up and down Main St. Nothing. Most of the places were closed, so our options were limited. We ended up picking Madison's because it wasn't as packed as the place across the street (chock full of St. Patty's Day revelers, I might add) and M was curious about their beers.

M ordered their Scottish stout, I had the Raspberry Ale. Both beers were decent enough, but not something I would have again.

M had very few options, and picked the nachos. Good sized order and tons of cheese.

I was thinking about ordering something from the Irish specials, but I went with the fish and chips. Beer battered fish is just so right. And the right amount- I actually finished my meal. Wait... didn't I give up french fries for Lent? Whoops...

Madison Brewing Co. Pub & Restaurant
428 Main Street
Bennington VT 05201
(802) 442-7397

Frog Legs, Goby, and Curry... Oh My! (Monday Thunder Mountain Curry Menu)

Are you ready to try some frog? I might... it's supposed to taste like chicken, right?

Monday McNeil Room Menu Pan-Asian Cuisine


Mango Lassi 3.50
Smoothie like drink of mango, yogurt, fresh mint, honey, and rose essence

Thai Iced Tea 2.50
Traditionally brewed and served

Pakoras 4.00
Onions and potatoes in a spicy chic pea batter crisply fried to order served with two dipping sauces

Street Basket 6.00
Pakoras and dumplings crisply fried and served with three dipping sauces

*******Today’s Specials*******

Frog & Goby Fish Curry 8.25

Froglegs simmered in a Thai Hot and Sour Curry with Vietnamese Grilled Whole Goby Fish served over sticky rice with Asian Vegetable Stirfry

Tom Yum Soup 7.25

Thai hot n’ sour soup prepared to order please choose:

Chicken - Froglegs - Goby Fish - Pork - Vegetarian

The Daily Sampler 7.25
Three or more of today’s dishes served over basmati rice with Malaysian fresh pickle, coriander mint chutney, Indonesian hot n’ sweet sambal, and toppings

Today we are serving:

Pakoras
Thai Corn Fritters
Thai Cashew Chicken Curry
Sweet Potato Poriyal
Mixed Vegetable Stirfry
Thai Sticky Rice
Basmati Rice

Monday Rathskeller Menu Pan-Asian Cuisine

Pakora 4.00
Onions and potatoes in a spicy chic pea batter crisply fried to order served with a choice of dipping sauce and chutney


Fried Dumplings (6) 4.00
Filled with roasted corn and peanuts, spinach, water chestnuts, and Thai seasonings or pork filled served with sweet chili sauce


Street Basket 6.00
Pakora and four dumplings served with three dipping sauces


The Daily Sampler 7.25
A combination plate of today’s dishes with coriander mint chutney and Indonesian hot n’ sweet chili sambal

Pakora
Dumplings (2)
Thai Cashew Chicken Curry
Asian Vegetable Stirfry
Chili Roasted Potatoes
Basmati Rice

The Long Journey to Lunch **MENU ADDED** Redwood Diner (Schenectady, NY)

 

 Sadly, I cannot be one of those people who can just jump in the car and find a place to eat. I found myself in a situation where I was starving and M's kitchen was devoid of anything that seemed appealing. Amazingly, M was as hungry as I, and off we went to find lunch.

Originally I wanted to check out Marisa's Place in Guilderland. Unfortunately, it was not where I thought it was (I passed it by one strip mall) so instead of turning around I insisted to keep driving on and we would find something.

Two things to keep in mind *especially here in the Capital Region*

1. Many places are closed on Mondays.

2. It is not unusual for places to close by 3PM

At this point I was in full hangry mode.

Somehow, we made our way to Schenectady and finally, finally, (finally!) we came across the Redwood Diner. The food gods directed us to a place that was open. I really like their sign. Very old school, and makes me think of a bowling alley. The parking around the building was not clearly marked, so watch out if you go... you may be parking in a handicap spot.

The menu is decent enough, with plenty of specials. I ordered the fish sandwich special and a cup of chili. M chose a breakfast platter of scrambled eggs, home fries, and rye toast.

The chili was good, with plenty of meat and beans. I spied a couple of people at the lunch counter eating chili dogs and wished I had ordered that instead of fish. If I only knew...

... that the fish fry would not be good. It was bland. There is not enough tartar or cocktail sauce in the world to fix the blandness of this fish. Whatever happened to seasoning? And the hot dog roll? Are they not even trying? I gave up all attempts to eat this as a sandwich and did my best to finish. It does have one thing going for it- the fish was very moist.

Either M was very hungry, or the food was really good. His plate was empty not too long after the picture was taken. I do remember him saying that the home fries were better than most, but what is this? Rye toast is extra? Is there a rye shortage out there?

Lunch for two came out to $21.00 (including tip).

Redwood Diner
2688 Hamburg Street
Schenectady, NY
(518) 355-9522 

Click on images below to see menu.

Bangus

Pre-grill. I didn't get to try it though.

Lasang Pinoy

After being contacted by Karen of The Pilgrim’s Pots and Pans, I decided to do a late entry for Lasang Pinoy. According to the website, Lasang Pinoy is a “food blogging event to promote Filipino food.” Somewhat similar to Is My Blog Burning? where people make food around a certain topic (at least I think that’s how the ISBB thing goes).

This first event was timed to begin on the 22nd anniversary of Ninoy Aquino’s assassination and the events that followed. Participants were asked to pick foods that were associated with the years 1982 – 1986. From his imprisionment, to his death, to People Power, this event is to recall the food, people and feelings of the time.

Unfortunately, I was too young to understand what exactly was going on. I was only three when he died, and I don’t remember my parents speaking much about it (but how much can I remember from when I was three?) I do remember looking at pictures of my dad and his yellow shirt and a picture of Ninoy. I wish I knew where that shirt went! I remember vaguely hearing about it on the news, the uprisings and when Corazon became President.

Of course, when you get older, you slowly understand the importance of things. I’ve always thought of myself as a proud Filipino-American. But I really didn’t appreciate being Filipino until I was college bound. You can go to all the Philippine Independence Day parades, hang Filipino flags on your wall, but that doesn’t guarantee you understand what it’s all about. I knew that my mom used to protest back when she was in University, and that she had escaped martial law. What I didn't know was that her first time back home 1998. She went twenty years without going back. I remember one of my family members telling me it was because of her activist past. How crazy.