Home Economics | Hope for the Best Veggies, Meal Plan for the Worst

All single-occupancy dwellers know how much food you waste when you're living alone. Your eyes are a lot bigger than your stomach come market time. If you want to avoid food spoilage, I think it's important to plan your meals for the week even if you don't have an army of children. It may even be more important if you're just a household of one. Meal planning helps you avoid waste and ultimately, save money.

Resturant Review | Milk

Restaurant | MILK
Location | 7290 Beverly Blvd  Los Angeles, CA 90036

Ok, this review is for a dessert shop in Los Angeles. I plan on reviewing this place a few times because there are so many things I have to try. The reason I came here was rumors they had a Thai Iced Tea Macaroon ice cream sandwich. Yep, you read that right.

Marketplace | One World Market

 Location | 8466 Castleton Corner  Indianapolis, IN 

Forget the groceries at this place - the little cafe alone is more than worth the trip! The tempura is so oishii, what more can you ask for? The tonkatsu hits the spot. And I hear the sushi is better than any sushi bar in town. And there are the groceries! The market is small, but it has all the Japanese cooking supplies and snacks you can ask for - takuan, hondashi, gomadare, Pretz, Black Boss, baumkuchen, etc. They even have my favorite chapstick, Shiseido's Water in Lip, in the cosmetics section. 

Restaurant Replica | Zuppa Tocano

Dish | Zuppa Tocano

Restaurant | The Olive Garden

Just went to The Olive Garden for the first time in many many years, and had the most delicious soup. Zuppa Tocano... potatoes, bacon, spicy sausage, kale and a touch of cream. 

For my version, I used some spinach and left out the bacon. I thought about using milk instead of cream, but nah...

Restuarant Replica | Shabu Shabu

Dish | Shabu shabu

Restaurant | Shin-Sen-Gumi

Location | 1695 W. Artesia Blvd.  Gardena, CA

I miss all-you-can-eat shabu shabu in Japan. I miss all-you-can-eat anything in Japan. I miss eating in Japan. Boo hoo. Anyhow, if you can find the sliced meat for shabu shabu it's one of the easiest meals you can make. The hardest part is slicing the veggies. Unfortunately, there weren't a lot of interesting vegetable choices at the market because of the season. I really wanted corn but couldn't find it anywhere.

Recipe | Chipotle Marinade

This marinade is smokey, sweet and spicy. I found this recipe on So Delushious. This is the perfect marinade to keep in your freezer, its great meat, seafood and veggies! Its a simple marinade, in which you may already have most of the ingredients at home: brown sugar, vodka, ketchup, olive oil, garlic, cilantro and canned chipotle peppers.

Recipe | Mango-Lime Cheesecake

Because I don't own a mixer, my cheesecake comes out a little less than smooth sometimes, but it's no less delicious. And because it's one of few baked goods that doesn't require an arsenal of kitchen appliances, I actually enjoy making it. The key without a mixer is to get the cream cheese at least to room temperature. I was in a rush here because we had people coming over, but if you have the patience to let the cream cheese really soften up you can do it all by hand and have it come out perfectly smooth. Appliances or not, take advantage of all the mangoes on sale lately!

Restaurant Review | Curry House CoCo Ichibanya

 Location | 2455 Sepulveda Blvd  Torrance, CA 90501

CoCo Ichibanya is a popular Curry house chain in Asia. They have a location in Torrance, that is about a year old. Here you can customize your curry, you pick the spiciness level of the curry, and all the toppings you want.   The more toppings you add, the more expensive your meal is. 

Recipe | Irish Blue Cheese Soup

I was in Panera the other day and a woman told the cashier that she didn't like soup. The cashier made a funny face and asked who doesn't like soup! Personally, I wouldn't affiliate myself with someone who doesn't like soup. Blasphemy! The Old Man was sick last week so I decided to make a soup that had some flavor, but was quick and easy to make.

Recipe | Pasta a la Grad School

The basis for this recipe comes from an Italian cookbook, The Food of Italy, that I got from Borders in the bargain section a long time ago. (It was not $65! It wasn't even $15. RIP Borders.) I really like fresh tomato sauce recipes and it's not as difficult and time-consuming as you'd think (especially is you don't spend time peeling and de-seeding the tomatoes).

Tips & Tricks | Raw Onions

Adding raw onions to salads adds a nice flavor and texture. However, I am not a fan of super strong onions and onion breath!

To mellow out the onion flavor, place the chopped onions into a bowl of room-cold temp water. After a minute or two, drain and the onion is ready to go. The texture and flavor of the onion is perfect for salads, especially pasta, chicken, tuna and quinoa! You'll definitely notice the milder flavor.

I learned this tip from Sandra Lee on her Food Network Show "Semi-Homemade."

Product Review | Reusable Produce Bags

I have severe anxiety about being green. I try. I really try. Plastic is one thing that scares me. There's no research on it. No one really how long it will last in the environment. I bring my own shopping bags to the grocery store, but I was still stuck with the plastic produce bags because the cashier didn't seem to appreciate handling wet lettuce and loose lemons. And usually you can't really reuse the plastic produce bags like you can reuse a plastic shopping bag. I first saw these little nylon produce bags at Crate & Barrel. I got a pack, which came with five bags for about $11. I really like them, but thought they were a little expensive. Then I saw some others at Target for almost half the price. I keep both brands in the fridge just like I would the plastic version and they're washing machine safe, which comes in handy if you let something linger past its expiration date.

Recipe | Sweet Potato & Quinoa Salad

This is my first time cooking with quinoa, and this recipe turned out fantastic!

I came across this recipe just the other day, and since I had already had most of the ingredients at home, I decided to try it out.

Home Economics | Make the Bread, Buy the Butter

I was really excited when I heard about this book by Jennifer Reese - Make the Bread, Buy the Butter. As an economist and a foodie, what more could I ask for in a book? However, as an economist, it's glaring that she doesn't include the price of anything other than the ingredients to the homemade recipes. These aren't even externality costs, these are just plain ol' costs she didn't include!

Recipe | Chimichurri & Sirloin Steak

Yum, yum, yum. Chimichurri and steak! I've never been to South America, so I've only ever had Central American chimichurri. I think it's a little more tangy than the traditional recipes I found online, so I spruced up a recipe to increase the spice and the tang. You can really make it to your own tastes though. Either way, it's a great little dressing to jazz up grilled meat, veggies, and even tofu.

Restaurant Review | The Tripel

Location | 333 Culver Boulevard  Playa Del Rey, CA

My brother is a total food snob and picked this place for his birthday dinner. Honestly, I liked the atmosphere and if I stilled lived at home, we'd have to try to avoid seeing each other here. The place is very dark and there is group seating around big tables, which makes for fun socializing with strangers.

Restaurant Replica | Breakfast Bars

Dish | Breakfast bars
Restaurant | Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

If I could, I would have a delicious pastry with coffee every morning. Once a week I usually hit up Whole Foods or Coffee Bean for a latte and a sweet treat. On other days of the week I either have a bowl of cereal, or a smoothie when I have time. Coffee Bean had a "wholesome" breakfast bar which was pretty tasty, I'm sure it was healthier than a blueberry scone or piece of pound cake. It had some oats, cranberries and granola in it, it was moist and not hard like a granola bar. So, I decided to look up some recipes online for some "healthy" breakfast bars. I came across two recipes which I decided to experiment on to make them a bit more substantial for my morning meal.

Product Review | Magic Bullet

 I would take a bullet for my Magic Bullet! Okay, no, I wouldn't - but maybe a BB. 

I generally do not believe in kitchen appliances. I don't own a microwave. I don't own a hand mixer. I don't own a crock pot. Although, there's a small coffee maker and a George Foreman grill belonging to the Old Man that he never uses. And I may give into a meat grinder with a sausage attachment to make my own sausage. (I love hot dogs!) Anyhow, I really enjoy owning a Magic Bullet.