TikTok Baked Pasta 'Hack'

I can’t say that I’m a TikTok enthusiast or that I use it at all (I’m a little old for that and don’t need ANOTHER form of social media to burn my time) but I do hear about some trends and this was one I had to give in to and try.

For those who don’t know, there’s a viral trend/hack where you bake a block of feta and 2 pints of grape tomatoes with some garlic and other seasoning then add cooked pasta and mix. Bam. Meal made. This is so appealing because of the ease of the recipe. Throw it in the oven, boil some pasta, and your meal is made, only it looks fancier, like you knew what you were doing all along.

Of course I had to give it a shot but I don’t have the app so I googled it and found this simple recipe from delish.

This is really as simple as it seems. There’s no crazy editing or fake out in the end. I love that its easy and its a mix up of the regular pasta with jarred sauce. For us, the feta/tomato combo was a little too acidic and wasn’t as creamy or satisfying in that way. I know there are a bunch of variations so I might try something else next time but as a tester - this was pretty good. The combo wasn’t bad at all and it was super easy and had minimal clean up. I can totally see the appeal.

Homemade Crunchwraps!

Nothing crazy in terms of recipes today but we decided to mix things up a TINY bit and make our own crunch wraps at home. I know this is super popular and they’re really not THAT hard to make but it’s just time consuming. We usually make our own ‘burrito bowls’ at home and do the veggies, beans, meat, and rice all in a bowl that we mix and eat sans tortilla but Caleb watched a youtube video recently and they made their own crunch wraps so here we are.

I made everything per usual, rice, beans, pork, onions and peppers, and Caleb helped me fry small corn tortilas to use for crunch on the inside.

Then I assembled it (Caleb wasn’t sure he could fold it correctly and I used to work at Chipotle so I’m well acquainted with a tortilla). The problem with making this at home is that the tortillas at Chipotle and Moes are actually bigger than usual ones in the grocery store.

I made mine first as a tester and it worked okay though it was tricky to flip into the pan so that the bottom would seal with cheese and not open up while cooking. Caleb’s came out more aesthetically pleasing though they both tasted equally fine.

It was a good meal but I would say, it’s not worth the effort to do this all the time. Burrito bowls are a weekly staple and they’re much easier with just about the same ingredients.

Final verdict: want a crunch wrap or a stack? Got to Moe’s or Taco bell. They have a system and the time to do it. Fun to try once or twice though.

CORT - Wild Ginger Asian Fusion - Pork Katsu

It’s a sushi kind of day but sushi alone doesn’t sustain me (because it’s too expensive to buy enough to be full…) so today, along with my ebi rolls, I’ve opted for a Pork Katsu Bento Lunch Special.

LOCATION: 47 MAIN ST., CORTLAND, NY, 13045

A bento lunch comes with gyoza, a California roll, white rice, and a side of soup or salad (miso soup not pictured).

Bento meals are what I tend to get when we use to eat there but I haven’t gotten it as a takeout meal before and I haven’t gotten the Pork Katsu before. I love the little take out bento box this meal came in with the cute little compartments.

Everything is pretty standard, it’s hard to mess up a California roll, and white rice. I would also guess they don’t make their gyoza in house that it’s a pretty standard gyoza that’s cooked well but nothing impressive.

The pork katsu was really the leap this time and it did come with a sweet sauce that I dipped the meat into to eat with rice. Overall, the flavor was fine but the pork was dry and I was a little sad. Not a bento protein I would choose again but not inedible.

The reason I go to Wild Ginger so often is because of the wide menu and the fact that it’s the only place that has authentic Asian food that doesn’t make me sad. I can only eat so much American Chinese takeout. Cross Katsu off the list but I’ll be back again for something else.

CORT - Yori House

Yori House is a “want it to be my favorite but it’s not” type of restaurant. I love the concept and the vibe there and the owners are so great but the fusion of Korean food with American ingredients have been leaving my disappointed when I go. Still, they’ve started a new program where they test new menu items with a weekly special and I can’t resist trying their new dishes.

LOCATION: 114 ELM ST., CORTLAND NY, 13045

The very first special this week was a Green Curry Pasta which sounded great to me. I like thai-inspired green curries and with that one week timer on it, I had to give it a shot.

Per usual, I’m not a huge fan of bell peppers and their big chunky cuts are always a no for me so I end up picking them out of all their dishes, but at least they’re easy to get rid of. The mussels were alright, and it makes sense for the area that these would just be frozen and I don’t mind that. At Yori house they use a lot of spaghetti which is confusing to me and not always a great fit but with this dish it wasn’t a big turn-off. I don’t think I have a solid idea of what type of noodle should be used in a green curry so it was easier to wrap my head around it this time.

The flavor was pretty good and while it’s hard to see any type of sauce on the noodles, the flavor is all there and it wasn’t dry nor soggy. The sad part was that I do like this dish and would order it again but since it’s a weekly special it might not come back at all, or at least for a little while. I guess the hope is that other people like it as much as I do and it gains enough traction to be a permanent placement on the menu.

ROC - Cluck if you Buck

It’s Lunar New Year!! So I’m back in Rochester to celebrate and spend time with my parents. Lunar New Year always feel like a fresher start than actual New Year for me. That extra month cushion is really comforting.

While I’m back in town I’ve decided I’m going to go out of my way for some hot chicken!

LOCATION: 30 FAIRPORT VILLAGE LANDING, FAIRPORT, NY 14450

I found Cluck if You Buck on social media through some Rochester food bloggers. They’re actually more of a pop up that shares space at the Landing Bar and Grille which was a little confusing when I went to go pick up my food but not a big deal since they make it clear on their website and on their facebook page.

I am more of a chicken tender person over a sandwich but i didn’t notice their single meal of tenders until just now as I’m writing this. At the time I only saw the family pack which was too much food for myself so I went with a sandwich which I’m not sad about.

I ordered the Spicy Chicken Samich which comes with pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, and their Cluck’s Series Sauce. This came with two sides and I Hand-Cut French Fries and Cajun Sweet Corn. I’m very predicable. I actually ordered the Regular Cluck Chicken Samich as well for my mom so I could try both.

I’ll say right now, the spicy sandwich was the way to go but I’m glad I tried both to test it out. Both sandwiches were super moist and were cooked well but the spicy sandwich just had so much more flavor without being overwhelmingly spicy.

I was also really happy with the corn and the fries. good flavor, well cooked, and they piled it on.

It was a little awkward to walk into a bar just for the chicken counter in the back but the person who was handling my order was really nice and it was well marked so I wasn’t lost or confused about where to go once I was there.

While this was a good sandwich I wouldn’t go out of my way to go back again. If i ever happen to be in that area and need a bite, I would order it though.