Wait! Don't eat that...Let me document it first.

Ok, I love to read cooking & dining blogs...but can you imagine keeping track of every single thing you put in your mouth, and then posting a picture of it online? This concept seems pretty bizarre to me, but apparently it's becoming pretty popular. 

This guy posts pictures every week of EVERY single thing he eats. There are no explanations as to why he does what he does on the website, just pictures. 

Then there is a Flickr group dedicated to people sharing pictures of their meals, and I have to admit that I found this website way more appealing. Some of the pictures, like the ones below, are pretty fantastic, not to mention make stomach growl. 

There is also a website called "Tweet What You Eat" which helps people keep track of their food & calorie intake. I admire the originality of this website and how it makes people feel as though they are part of a community of others who are trying to lose weight. Keep in mind how much you would have to stick to this website for it to actually work though...which is where I would get lost and most likely be unsuccessful. 

The world of food blogging is rapidly expanding and it's pretty exciting! And the idea that food photography is taking on its own art form is pretty cool. I think I might need to start taking more pictures... and possibly join that Flickr group! 

What I'm reading...

I started reading Julia Child's My Life In France this past summer, and I'm finally getting around to finishing it (although probably not until I finish the 3 research papers due in the next two weeks...yikes). Everyone knows that Julia Child was one of the most accomplished chefs of all time, and an inspiration to American women who wanted to pursue their dreams of becoming professional chefs. The book is a memoir of her early years learning to cook at La Cordon Bleu in Paris, and falling in love with her husband Paul. Not only do you see how she learned to cook, but you also see how her love of food was born when she moved to France. The descriptions of the food she both cooks and eats are mouth watering, so you might be in a constant state of hunger while reading, but it's definitely worth it. She writes in a way that makes the reader feel like Julia is right there with you, telling the story of her life...maybe while she's cooking you an amazing meal...I wish!

2,000 calories for an omelette?

After posting about Jamie Oliver and his "food revolution" I stumbled across this. A list of the 20 worst sit-down restaurant foods. I'm really not one to count calories but this is a little sickening. I know I've probably had a lot of things on this list too...How does a grilled chicken & avocado sandwich come out to 1,752 calories?! Check it out for yourself.

Jamie Oliver-Food Revolution

Most people know that America is considered the most unhealthy country in the world. Our eating habits aren't exactly admirable when fast food is the cheapest and most accessible option for meals. I've started watching Jamie Oliver's new show "Food Revolution" and I've been shocked to say the least.

Jamie Oliver is a famous British chef who has done a lot of work in Britain to change school lunch menus to be healthier and for kids to become more educated about eating healthy.

In the show, Jamie travels to Huntington, West Virginia which is considered the most unhealthy city in the US. His mission: to improve the eating habits of this town and educate people about healthy foods.

The first place he visits is the elementary school, where it was shocking to see that the kids' breakfasts were comprised of "breakfast pizzas" and chocolate milk. Then the kids would proceed to have another pizza for lunch; never any fruits or vegetables. I feel as though most people would agree that their experience in elementary school was similar to this. When I think about what I ate for lunch at school, chicken fingers, french fries, hamburgers, and soda fountains come to mind.

The problem seems to be that these kids just knew nothing about healthy eating habits. In this clip, Jamie goes to one of the classrooms to test the kids to see if they could even identify different types of vegetables.



Pretty shocking, huh? The show is actually kind of a tear jerker (okay, so I cry during every episode) but it's actually pretty scary how many people in America die of obesity simply because they don't know how to cook and eat healthy. I obviously don't think that Jamie Oliver can single handedly change the people eat in the US but I think it's great exposure and a huge reality check as to how many people are killing themselves because of the way they eat. It also really makes me want to try one of Jamie Oliver's recipes...which I'll post when I do. But definitely check out the show...I watched all the episodes on Hulu but the show is on every Friday night.

YOU'RE WELCOME

My mom's infamous cupcake recipe. You WON'T be disappointed, trust me. I probably shouldn't even be posting this because the recipe is so valuable, but I'm feeling generous. Cupcakes are meant to be shared and enjoyed by all! So here it is! (BTW...you kinda need a food processor)

Mombard's Famous Cupcakes

You'll need:
6 oz. butter
6 oz. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
6 oz. self rising flour
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Place butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs, & vanilla in bowl. Process for 15-25 minutes until well mixed. Cook at 325 degrees for 15 minutes or until ready.



*Okay, so that's kind of the easiest recipe of all time. But aren't the best recipes always the simple ones?

Tilapia w/ Black Beans and Kale

I made another great recipe from Women's Health last night and it was a big hit with my roomies! I feel like we never cook fish in our apartment, probably because we never buy it. But I really do love seafood. So, on my way back to the BX yesterday I picked up some tilapia fillets and some kale...one of new favorite vegetables. If you've never had it, it's kinda like a mix between spinach and broccoli and you can sautee it in about 5 minutes. I recommend trying some, its delicious and sooo good for you. Anyway, the recipe took about 15 minutes to make in its entirety and I served it up with some brown rice! Here it is....

Skillet Tilapia w/ Black Beans and Kale
You'll need:
-A few fillets of tilapia
-1 cup of chopped kale
-1 cup of black beans, rinsed and drained
-1/2 cup of chopped red onion
-2 tbsp of tomato paste
-1 tbsp of olive oil
-red pepper flakes
-salt & pepper to taste

1. In a skillet, combine onion, oil, and salt to taste. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add kale and stir to coat with seasonings. Cook until kale starts to wilt, about 2 minutes. Stir in beans and tomato paste. Set tilapia on mixture. Dust lightly with red pepper flakes.

2. Cover and cook until tilapia is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve with lemon.

*I apologize for not having pictures, I forgot to take them...It is a beautiful looking dish though!

Paella for all!

Happy Easter everyone! For me, holidays are always about spending time with people you love...but also about sharing an amazing meal as well. Last night, in celebration of the beautiful weather my family had a little bbq at our house in Jersey. It seriously felt like a summer night, I almost forgot that I would be going back to school in a couple days and worrying about research papers and getting ready to graduate (a scary thought). My parents are huge foodies as I've mentioned in the past and they love trying new things. So they decided to make a huge paella on the grill for all of their guests. If you don't know what paella is (you should because it's delicious) it's a Spanish dish that consists of a mixture of saffron infused rice, seafood, chicken, and chorizo sausages. And it looks something like this: 

You basically put the arborio rice, along with mussels, scallops, shrimp, and calamari into a HUGE skillet along with chorizo, chicken,  tomatoes, chicken broth, onions, and peppers and season it with saffron, garlic, and parsley. It's seriously one of the best things I've eaten in awhile and it was so easy to make. I'm actually really upset I didn't take a picture of the final product but it was a beautiful sight, not to mention it smelled amazing. Unfortunately I don't have a grill in the bronx, but you can just as easily make this recipe on a stove top. Ours fed 8 people. I don't have the exact recipe because this was kinda a improvised trial run but I found this recipe that looks almost exactly like the one we had. 

Tyler Florence's Ultimate Paella