Bizarre Foods Survival Special

No, he is not going to be doing a guest appearance on Survivor. But instead, taking a one-hour boat ride from Puerto Vallarta, to a remote island where he fends for himself. Basically Man vs. Wild minus that British nut job. A sample of the survival menu includes coconuts (nothing scary there), grasshoppers (okay...maybe a little scary), wild lime (hmmm), pig weed (not a clue), and opihi (YES)! Okay, I lived off opihi back in Hawai'i and I gotta say, one of the best creatures the ocean has to offer. If you love sea snails, this is a must. The best part is prying those little suckers (literally) off the salty rocks while clinging onto the rocky edge and being pounded by waves. Man, I miss Hawai'i! Okay, I'm going off track here. Here's a 2 minute sneak-peek of Andrew with a survival guide (an actual guide as in human, not a book) before he's left into the depths of the jungle to do who knows what.

Now, if you actually watched the clip, did he seriously just eat that LIVE baby lizard??? Now, here's the man that is freaked out by SPAM, but will eat a baboons butt. Okay, I don't know if he actually has eaten that but you never know with this guy! And that's why we love him.
So tune in folks, Tuesday night at 10 E/P, to see what craziness he gets into. Maybe when the boat goes back to pick him up, he'd have gone all Lord of the Flies with the camera crew. FUN!!!

Bizarre Foods- Singapore

You don't hear much about Singapore. Except for the strict cleanliness laws that they're famous for. But really, how many Singaporean restaurants do you know of? Me? Nada. That's why I'm pretty excited about watching tonight's episode where Andrew will enlighten us on the food of Singapore. So tune in tonight, Tuesday 10 E/P! Here's a clip with Andrew with some mutton that looks absolutely de-lish!

just salad

organic greens. avocado. onions. capers. feta. papaya seed dressing.

Bizarre Foods- Appalachia

If you haven't noticed by now, I'm a food fanatic. I've also become obsessed with The Travel Channel and the food programs on that blessed channel. One of my absolute faves? Bizarre Foods! Andrew Zimmern, the shows host and co-creator, always has this high and positive energy, and is always very respectable of the people and their cultures whether he digs the food, or not. Remember, you're on their turf. Tonight's episode is focused on the Appalachia region. Should be interesting. As all of the episodes are. What can I see the locals cook up for him and his crew? Squirrel? Possum? Raccoon? Maybe all of the above! So watch it with me tonight, Tuesday, May 5 @ 10 E/P! Here's a clip of the leg-slappin' banjo-playin' fun, Andrew's gonna be cookin' us tonight!

got asian?

My Asian blood is in full force today! I went crazy on some blue crab I picked up from K & S World Market yesterday. What's the best part of the crab you ask? The head! That's where the Asian part kicks in. It's a pain in the neck to pick through the little bodies, not like king or dungeness crab. But once you taste the succulent sweetness of the meat, the two hours you spent is totally worth it!

I also had made some tofu with a HOT chili sauce that I never get tired of eating since tofu itself is so light. My first taste of this simple side dish was back on Kaua'i at Kalena Fish Market. A small eat-in and carry-out joint that is owned by a Korean family and specializes in plate lunches of Hawaiian and Korean food. Menu of lau lau, kalua pig, meat jun, etc. So what was I talking about? Oh yeah, the tofu. The light and spicyness is a perfect compliment to the slight heaviness of the meat. And so I attempted to make my own and finally found the chili paste that is used. I use the Kikkoman brand shoyu (soy sauce) for this. I believe that's what they used as well. The soy sauce brand can make a difference in the taste for sure, since this isn't cooked. Here's the recipe:
1 tray firm tofu
1/4 c. Kikkoman soy sauce

1 tsp. Sambal Oelek chili paste

green onion for garnish

1. Cut tofu into 1" square pieces. Put in a tray. (I use a rectangular tupperware container with lid for easy storage.)

2. In small bowl, add the soy sauce and chili paste. Mix well. Evenly pour over tofu.

3. Garnish with green onion.

4. Refrigerate at least an hour.

So that's the tofu. Good stuff. Especially if you're a lover of tofu and spicy foods like me, this is perfect.

I also picked up some red bean mochi at the market. This I don't have a recipe for and am going to definitely find one to try it out! But it was so reasonable for a tray of fresh mochi that maybe I'd better just stick to the pros at Mai's Bakery. Thank you Mai, whoever you are.....

And to finish off all of that yummy goodness in my tummy, I had a grass jelly drink that brought me back to my childhood in the Philippines. Yes, I lived in Philippines for a while and visited there often as a kid but that's another blog entry in itself I will share later. And with one sip, you get the jelly bits and banana (comes in different flavors), entertainment for your taste buds.

And it doesn't stop there people! Guess what mama's cookin' up for dinner?! Korean Chicken! Woohoo! One of my favorites. I am such a fan of Asian foods. So stop at your local Asian market today!

lobster and linguine

So J brought some lobster home the other night. He knows the way to my heart. I wanted to cook up something with the lobster tail meat and so came the linguine. Here is my recipe, which may I add, can also be used with crab, mussels, or any other seafood your stomach desires. I'm not big on measurements like, teaspoon, tablespoon, yada yada yada. Unless it involves baking or ingredients with very strong flavors. I do apologize for the picture. I could've presented it better but i'm a hungry girl. This dish is simple, yet plate lickin good.

(for 1-2 servings)
1 lobster tail (cooked in the shell, then cut into chunks)
olive oil
3 garlic cloves (chopped)
crushed red pepper flakes
pinch of kosher salt
freshly grated parmesan
linguine
lemon wedge

1. Boil water and cook linguine until al dente.
2. In pan, heat oil, add garlic and cook til slightly tender. Do NOT cook til brown or will have a slightly bitter taste. Unless you like that then go right ahead.
3. Add crushed red pepper to bring out the heat of the pepper, then add the lobster meat, kosher salt. Saute for a minute.
4. Plate linguine and spoon lobster on top.
5. Squeeze out juice from lemon and grate parmesan all over.
6. Eat.

Buon appetito!