Sweet and Saucy Pork Chops

Homemaker Emily is here! Kind of.

I’ve decided to try to do better at cooking new dishes for us to try and add to our weekly rotation. It’s getting hard when all we cook is pasta or rice bowls. I’d like to order out less but that won’t happen unless I get better at meal prepping and planning. It’s not going to be easy at all, especially since Caleb doesn’t like beef or seafood.

This time, I figured I’d try to make Chris Morocco’s sweet and saucy pork chops. It’s a simple recipe with a few ingredients that I mostly had already and didn’t take much prep time in advance. Easy to make after a full day at work. This is adulting.

Chris also has a youtube video on Bon Appetit’s channel which is always helpful and encouraging to have just as a reference while cooking. I’ve had pork chops often growing up but they’re tricky for me to cook without drying out. They aren’t terribly fatty which is also good because Caleb doesn’t like the texture of fat and gets weirded out by bone-in meat sometimes so a boneless chop worked for this recipe and felt doable. I did deviate and left out the capers and rosemary just due to sheer laziness and I didn’t want to buy either and have so much leftover that wouldn’t get used again. Less waste but I’m sure this led to less flavor as well. A sacrifice I deemed acceptable. There’s still shallots, garlic, and red wine vinegar for a flavorful enough sauce that I felt confident about making my adjustments.

Overall, the recipe was easy to follow, it went well with some (pre-made) mashed potatoes, baked zucchini, and the timing of it all was quick. Everything came together well and the flavors worked. I really enjoyed the flavors of the red wine vinegar with the shallots and garlic, the pork was simple enough to cook following Chris’ directs, and I felt I was careful to not overcook it.

Unfortunately, Caleb wasn’t a huge fan and pork chops overall throw him off with their texture. So, while the flavor was good and would eat again, it’s a no-go on pork chops moving forward. I tried. It’s been a few attempts and none of them have been successful so while I like this recipe, I’ll have to keep testing other options. However, I would recommend this to other people to try. It’s pretty tasty and easy to make for sure.

CORT - Wild Ginger Asian Fusion

I’ve been watching too much food TV and too many youtube videos with people eating sushi because I’ve been craving it so often lately. I decided to splurge today too and get a super fancy roll because I deserve it.

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

Enter the special Yummy Yummy Roll at Wild Ginger Asian Fusion. I’ve seen this special on their specials board every time I walk inside to pick up my order but I finally noticed it online when I was ordering. The Yummy Yummy roll is lobster tempura, avocado, crab wrapped in soy paper topped with fresh mango. No surprise that it’s an $18 roll so this was a very special day and the only thing I ordered. Usually, I add shrimp nigiri to my orders to bump up the price and make it worth ordering online for me and for the restaurant but this was all on its own.

I was a little worried about the quantity I would be getting and assumed the lobster was the big price and it would only get 6 or so pieces. I was happily surprised.

I actually ate half of my order then took the photo so there’d be a cross-section to see what’s inside so this was a full 12pc order. 12pcs is definitely enough for me especially since these pieces were actually very very large (more of a two-bite situation for me per piece.)

Overall, it tasted great. I was nervous about the mango being too overpowering but they were actually great and it was a well-balanced piece. I will say, that while it was a solid quantity of sushi and it tasted good, I wouldn’t get it again. The flavors were good but not $18 worth, in my opinion. Lobster doesn’t add too much to the flavor and isn’t worth the cost in this instance. The mango added more to it than the lobster did and I just wouldn’t ever crave this flavor. Worth the try once, just to end the wondering if it’s good.

Pasta e Fagioli

It’s getting cold out and fall is in full swing so it’s soup season!!

My friend Julia makes soup every week when the weather gets cool and I’m super jealous of that consistency and the idea if having a ready to eat soup for the rest of the week for lunch or dinner. The problem I’m facing is that, while I love soup, Caleb is not a huge super person so I end up eating a batch almost by myself all week and boy, does it last. I swear soup is one of those things that you eat and eat and eat and it doesn’t look like you’ve even made a dent. It’s a small hurdle I’ll have to face this soup season, so maybe not soup every week but I’m going to try to make it more of a part of my meal planning schedule.

First up this year is pasta e fagioli from Carla Lalli Music. I first found the recipe on Bon Appetit’s youtube channel (remember when that was a thing?) and decided to give it a shot last year. It’s been great to make a few times and learn from the process and I feel like it just gets better and better.

I know Carla is huge about soaking beans and there’s a whole thing with it but honestly, I just bought a can of white cannellini beans and went with it. Sorry, Carla. I followed Carla’s process otherwise and pulsed carrots, leeks, and garlic in a food processor and reduced it in a dutch over with hot olive oil. I did find that it took me longer to do than the estimated times in the website but that’s okay. I did get a little nervous about it and rushed the process to fit what the recipe said but I should’ve taken the time to make sure it was right because the end result this time was a chunkier soup that we like but the flavor was all there so it’s a minor adjustment. Gotta follow my gut a little better in the kitchen. It can all still feel intimidating.

I did find a ham hock, to my surprise, at the grocery store, and that worked out well with the beans, kale (chopped finely) tomatoes, and a parmesan rind I saved just for this soup. I let it simmer, waited for the ham hock to get tender enough to pull off the bone and shred, then I cooked pasta on the side and served them together. Since I eat this over the week, I’ve figured out keeping the pasta separate until it’s ready to get eaten or a serving is packed up for lunch is the best way to avoid mushy noodles. There may be a slight miss in the melding of flavors by keeping the pasta separate but this is a choice I’m happy to make.

I actually really love the flavor of this soup and it feels really nostalgic and reminds me of something but I can’t quite put my finger on it. I’m not sure this is going to be in constant rotation because Caleb isn’t totally in love and it’s definitly hard to eat a full pot of soup by myself but it’s in the recipe box for sure, maybe its more of a once a season kind of soup.

CORT - Brix

I have failed to pack lunch again today. I’m understanding why people meal prep and maybe one day I’ll get on board…but until then, we’re still finding new things to try downtown. There are only a handful of places to choose from but I decided to look at the BRIX menu and see what I could find.

LOCATION: 60 MAIN ST., CORTLAND, NY 13045

Brix is a local pub/bar/pizza place and they promote their brick oven pizza. It’s not my favorite place to go but their portions are always large and their menu has a lot of options for everyone. The quality is nothing I’m ever super pumped for but it’s not bad at all, just not very exciting to me. I haven’t found anything I want to order again.

This time I opted for a cup of French Onion Soup and the Fried Green Tomatoes which in found in their menu online and it’s breaded green tomatoes, topped with smoked gouda, bacon, drizzled with ranch and garnished with chives and green onions. I love french onion but my favorite sandwich place nearby is closed for construction so this was the next place to get it. Their french onion wasn’t bad but it was a little salty. A tough thing thats pretty common with french onion soup. Maybe one day my sandwich will be back open again.

The Fried Green Tomatoes were alright. I can’t say I knew there were tomatoes under all that extra toppings but I think with apps and dishes like this, that tends to be the point. The tomatoes are just a vessel for the fun stuff on top. It was a little too ranch heavy for me but the bacon and gouda were a nice pick. For some reason the bed of lettuce that it sat on was a little strong in smell which I found odd and a little distracting.

Along with the soup, I made this app stretch for two meals which was nice especially since it wasn’t terribly expensive. I’m not sure I would ever crave these again so that seems to be the runner with BRIX for me.

I’d also say I gave them the 30mins eta to make my food before I left work to walk the 5mins over to pick it up. When I got there it took another 10-15mins before my food was ready which seemed a little long for an order of soup and fried tomatoes. They weren’t terribly busy that day and I ate lunch a little late and ordered after 1pm that day so I feel like they lost my order and didn’t start cooking until I arrived. The take-out counter workers were nice and I can’t blame them for the longer wait but it was just a little annoying having to wait so long and I’m glad that work isn’t so strict with my lunch breaks.

I think BRIX will forever be one of those places I go to when other people pick it out but I’ll happily be the odd man out and pick other restaurants when I’m eating/ordering on my own.

CORT - Gorgers

The perks of being back in the office is that we’re located right at the corner of downtown Cortland meaning I get a pass at all the restaurants on Main Street whenever I manage to not have leftovers for lunch. Today, I decided to go to Gorgers right across the street and order a side of Panda Wings and small French Fries.

LOCATION: 101 MAIN ST., CORTLAND, NY 13045

Gorgers is a local sandwich shop that has a few locations in the surrounding area and they have a pretty extensive menu though right now it’s a little limited due to the pandemic. Still, there’s some nice options and their portions are always quite large. I tend to get fries whenever I go because I love potatoes and they season them like crazy and fry them extra puffy and crunchy. It can be a little much sometimes especially since I’m a potato-y fry kinda of person but sometimes the extra crust is nice.

I’m not a huge sandwich person in general so I decided to check out the limited menu and looked at some reviews and went for an order of Panda Wings, which are fried eggplant coated in buffalo sauce. They’re basically a vegetarian buffalo wing and I love the idea of a panda munching on these so I had to give it a shot. I’ve also been craving eggplant parm since people I know have been posting about it a lot recently so this was my eggplant fix. Not exactly the same as a parm but it’ll do.

I ordered it to go for lunch so one of the guys at the counter who was making my meal gave me the side of buffalo sauce instead of coating them to make sure they stayed crispy and not soggy which I did appreciate though since they have a tendency to fry extra crispy I think it would’ve been okay if they were tossed as well, especially since my commute back to work is a total of 1 minute walking.

Overall, these were pretty great. The order was well worth the $5 of fried eggplant and I can’t complain about it at all. Like I said with the fries, they can be a little salty and heavily seasoned so I don’t tend to eat tons of it but it was really good and I was happy with this choice. It’s a great alternative to eating buffalo wings if you’re not into chicken wings and it’s very filling.

ROC - Old Pueblo Grill

I’m back in Rochester for my Mom’s birthday weekend which means catching up with old friends!

Last minute plans when visiting home are the only way I get to see people so I was super excited when my friend Andy texted me and told me to come out for dinner with him. Andy and I are old RIT Hockey buddies so I haven’t seen him in literal years although we have our nerdy Snapchat streak going full of office dogs and getting through our 9-5s we don’t actually see each other very often.

Andy isn’t actually from Rochester but after college I left and he stayed and has been a great source for food recommendations so he picked the place for dinner.

LOCATION: 55 RUSSELL ST., ROCHESTER, NY 14607

I’ve never been to Old Pueblo Grill before and it’s never actually come up in any of the food blogs I follow but that’s not uncommon. Rochester always has new little spots popping up and I feel like there’s always a ton to discover and find. I’m never against tacos and Old Pueblo actually has the ever elusive elote that I always crave and can never find so I was ready to go!

When it comes to tex mex style food I’m always more of a fan of tacos vs. burritos though Andy said everything at this place is good so I couldn’t pick wrong. I decide to go for a taco bundle and got 3 for $13 which isn’t a bad deal. Of course I had to pick the Baja Fish Taco, and the Al Pastor. Both of which are my go to choices when trying new taco places to get a feel for the flavors. I find this deal often and usually that third option is my wild card where I pick a special for that place or see if there’s something different that they’re doing. I had a few options but decided to go with the Chorizo N’ Potato Taco. I love potatoes, of course, so that’s usually the draw for me.

Clearly, these tacos are PACKED and I’m totally here for it. I honestly only ate two tacos at dinner and took the last one home and these are not clean tacos to eat. They’re so full that it’s hard to eat everything cleanly but it’s worth the money. Everything has amazing flavors and the right amount of sauces so nothing felt dry. They use corn tortillas which are a must for me and I would order all of these again. Even the Chorizo and Potato taco held up for a late second dinner reheat. It still had great flavor later and even after a quick microwave it wasn’t dry or gross in texture. Love that reheat test.

Now, as I mentioned before, old Pueblo also has elote which I haven’t really been able to find around Rochester at all (though I can’t say I’ve looked TOO hard recently) so of course I had to order one to go too. However, instead of a regular elote, which is a corn on the cob with crema, cotija cheese, and tajin, I had to go the extra mile and try the Flamin’ Hot Elote. Which, as you can probably guess, is elote rolled in flaming hot cheetoes. I was not disappointed.

This corn was a hilarious color that I was a little embarrassed to eat outside around people judging me so this was also part of the late night snack. The corn itself was pretty good as we are in summer and are in the midst of corn season and this thing had a kick to it! I enjoyed it though I would say that the cheetoes did get a little soggy in my reheat and travel time letting it sit so I won’t really knock it because if I ate it fresh, it probably would’ve been better. It was a little too creamy for me and I wanted to feel more of that crunch from the corn but it was really good in flavor. I love this so much and it was fun to try one time. I would absolutely go for a regular elote next time and now that I know where I can get one, I’ll be back to Old Pueblo Grill for sure.

Dessert Person - Funfetti Birthday Cake

It’s Caleb’s birthday and while he’s not a cake person, I was talking about making myself a funfetti cake for my own birthday in September and he though that sounded nice for his birthday now instead. I didn’t think he would want a birthday cake but I was happy to make this for him instead.

It was a little nerve wracking because I was making it for us to bring to his parent’s house and if it wasn’t good, there would be no other birthday cake. Pressure.

I took the recipe from Claire Saffitz’ book Dessert Person and this was my first cake I’ve ever made from scratch so it wasn’t anything I’d had in my wheelhouse. Luckily Claire had a video as well and I followed along with her cookbook.

Caleb did wan’t a 2layer cake instead of a 3 layer and Claire calls for 9in pans for this recipe but I got 8in pans so I was really testing myself with this one. Luckily Claire does it the pro way where she measures all the ingredients by weight so it was easier for me to divide into thirds and adjust it that way. I just had to adjust the timing of my bake because of my differing pan size and because my oven is old and is finicky with heat.

I also gave myself time and baked the cake the night before we left for his parent’s house and frosted it there.

I did have a minor issue with the cream cheese frosting and didn’t incorporate everything perfectly so mine did have very small lumps of sugar and whatnot. it wasn’t really an issue with the overall texture of the cake and in the end, I covered it in sprinkles so it worked out great.

The cake as a whole came out better than I hoped. It wasn’t dry or overly sweet. WIth the frosting, it was well balanced and it was a good cake. I’m no pro but I’m not bad either.

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.

Dessert Person - Focaccia!

It’s a new year and for Christmas Caleb got me “Dessert Person” by Claire Saffitz. I’m pretty sure Caleb got this cookbook more for himself because he loves Claire and wants me to make him desserts but here we are with “my” present.

I do also love Claire and like to bake so this wasn’t a huge stretch and I’m pretty excited for this cookbook as well.

First up was a savory bread recipe which Claire also covers in her book as well - Focaccia!

My friend Julia and her husband Dan also got this cookbook recently and made focaccia so I took some tips from them and started on my way.
I love focaccia and ate it almost every day were were there when I went to Italy in high school as well as when I did my month long work/study in college too.

Claire makes it super easy to follow along in the book with photos but also had her videos which are fun to watch and use during the process as well.

Focaccia is pretty open ended and you can top it however you’d like so I decided on this first run that I’d do a simple garlic and rosemary version with chili flakes for a little kick as well. I realized I had some leftover fingerling potatoes that I needed to use up as well and I LOVED this focaccia with potatoes on it when I was in Italy too which was unexpected so I wanted to try to recreate it.

The video and recipe were simple to follow and It was exciting to make a bread without having to worry about all the overnight proofing and resting and kneading and more proofing which I’m too impatient for.

I did have a mishap where the extra olive oil in the pan that gives the bottom and edges a nice crispy-ness that is a signature of focaccia started to bubble over in the oven and set off the smoke alarm and make our kitchen smell like wax very early on in the process. I’ll have to prep the oven better next time and figure out a game plan to prevent this because it was really stressful and made the end of the process horrible.

In terms of the actual bake of the bread though, it came out really really beautiful and I was really proud of myself with it. The potatoes weren’t a success and were cut a little too thick and over-salted for sure. I ended up picking them off the final bread and the bread underneath was perfectly fine. It was worth a try but I guess I’ll have to go back to Italy for that.

The rest of the bread was so soft and fluffy in the middle and had a great crips on the edge and bottom. A huge successful outcome for a first attempt. I want to make it again soon because I LOVE eating focaccia but I’ll have to give myself some time to forget the olive oil smoke mess.

ITHACA - Luna Street Food

It’s Christmas shopping season and we’re looking for presents for Caleb’s sister, mom, and grandma so we’re headed to the Ithaca commons to do some shopping in local art/craft stores. We don’t tend to go down there because parking isn’t fun and it’s always crowded with the college kids but we didn’t have any other ideas for presents so this is gonna be a nice little shopping trip.

Of course, we went early in the day and were finished by lunch time after going into two or three shops so we decided to get lunch.

To be transparent, we also stopped in a small asian take out place so I could get sushi but while we were waiting for our order we went outside to walk around and spotted Luna Street Food.

They had menu’s posted outside and we weren’t apposed to street food so we decided to order from there too. This is why they tell you not to shop hungry but it’s also a perk of being an adult. Want to eat sushi AND tacos? Two restaurants for take out it is!

LOCATION: 113 N AURORA ST., ITHACA, NY 14850

Since we also ordered sushi, I decided to only get two tacos instead of my normal 3 and it came with a side. This was a silly idea since I’m eating the sushi as a second meal but let’s not worry about that. The prices at Luna Street Food are a little high so two seem fine along with the addition of street corn.

I’ve been craving a good elote but can’t find it ANYWHERE so this is as close as I can get right now and I’ll take it. The Street Corn Side came with local greens, charred street corn, cilantro, pico de gallo, ny cheddar, and chili lime chili dressing. Honestly, this street corn was pretty disappointing. The corn tasted really watery and was clearly just from a frozen bag of kernels. I know it’s not in season right now, but I was still sad that it wasn’t charred more to have the water evaporate from them. For the amount and the quality, it wasn’t worth the money.

BAJA FISH TACOS - blackened Mahi, charred pineapple salsa, slaw, charred lime crema, tomatillo, guacamole, avocado

As my taco I ordered Baja Fish Tacos because I have to try the fish tacos as a gauge for tacos at a restaurant. Fish tacos don’t tend to disappoint me but this wasn’t great.

This mahi mahi wasn’t tender or flavorful and it was really disappointing that it was cut up into chunks instead of having one large flaky piece of fish like I’m used to. That big piece of fish that is tender and moist is the best part of having a fish taco and this was the first one that I’ve had where the fish was cut like this and it wasn’t not a preference or choice I would’ve made otherwise.

Everything else inside was lackluster. The tortilla wasn’t great, the pineapple was a little strong and not balanced well as a whole, and the avocado/guac wasn’t even noticeable.

TACOS AL PASTOR - Slow roasted pork shoulder, flame kissed pineapple, diced red onion, fresh cilantro

Unfortunately, the Tacos al Pastor was pretty similar in review because of the similarity of ingredients. As you can see the onions were supposed to be red onions but they used a white onion that day which is not a big deal but I can’t say that it helped the flavor. The pork was dry and while it was fine and edible, it wasn’t a great taco. I usually love tacos al pastor because the flavors are so good and juicy but this wasn’t it.

Overall, this place was disappointing. The pricing wasn’t crazy expensive but it wasn’t cheap and for the price, the food wasn’t up to par. The ingredients felt cheap and not cooked well. It was basic overall and I wouldn’t go back.

With an open menu of ‘street food’ there are so many choices and I love street food so this felt like a fun place to go to get a little bit of everything or to fill an odd craving but the results were disappointing. They didn’t hit the spot at all and felt like a waste of money in the end.

ROC - Roc City Ramen

I’m back in Rochester for pre-Christmas Christmas! My family isn’t big on holidays anymore and while we celebrated Christmas we stopped doing real presents when I was 12 and haven’t had a tree since about then too. So, I decided to go to Christmas with Caleb’s family but wanted to stop in to see my parents before then as well because it feels wrong not to.

This trip I decided to make a Ramen run. Lack of food variety in Cortland makes me crave food hard when I’m back in Rochester but it’s still hard to go out because I miss my parents cooking too. One or two take out meals during my trips depending on length and this had to be the one.

LOCATION - 215 ALEXANDER ST., ROCHESTER, NY

I’ve been to this place before in the past (and written about it) but it popped up on my social media feed recently. They’ve expanded to different locations and increased their menu but I went to their first location and go the SPICY MISO TONKOTSU Ramen. I don’t recall this being on the menu before, and if it was I decided to try something else and save this for another trip so here I am. The spicy miso tonkotsu ramen is a creamy pork bone broth & miso paste with wavy noodles (of course), Chashu/Pork, Scallions & Sweet Corn topped with Ichimi Spice & Spicy Sesame Oil. I HAD to add AJITSUKE which is a Japanese Soft-Boiled Egg, Infused in a Soy-Sake Marinade (worth the $1.25).

This ramen didn’t fail me. While their origin is that the owner studied in Brooklyn ramen shops and decided to bring it to Rochester, I can’t say this is as good as restaurants that I’ve been to in NYC but for Rochester, this is it. The flavor is on point and the noodles are nice and chewy. This hits the spot and is of course elevated from instant ramen. This has everything I want too, chashu, corn, and egg, and a little kick to the broth. I wish this was available in Cortland. My life would be so happy.

Pasta e Fagioli

Winter is here and that means it’s SOUP SEASON! My friend Julia makes soup every Sunday during the winter and they eat it all week and I wanted to follow suit so I decided to start off with this Pasta e Fagioli from Carla Lalli Music.

Of course, I found this recipe on the Bon Appetite youtube and bookmarked it to try and the recipe in full is something that Caleb and I would eat without modification so it was as simple as following along.

I did cut corners and I know Carla would not be proud but instead of using dried white beans, I just used canned. Sorry Carla, I’m not committed and prepared enough to soak beans overnight… I was also worried about finding a ham hock but it actually was easy to get at the local grocery chain so that made things easy.

After that I just followed along with the video and recipe. I pulsed the carrot, leek, and garlic and then cooked them down in a dutch oven. I added my ham hock and cooked it down then added the beans, tomato, and kale. I had a parmesan rind, bay leaves, and let it simmer all together. I was supposed to discard the rinds after a few hours but I hit it too late and they were soft and mixed in with the rest of the soup i had a hard time finding it. Critical mistake.

I did fish out the ham hock and it wasn’t terribly difficult to pull the meat off the bone after such a long slow cooking time.

I decided to use little pasta rings which I love for soup and cooked them al dente like instructed and then added them to the soup. Then we were finished!

This was a really great soup experience and it made the kitchen smell amazing. I loved making it and it was well worth eating throughout the week. My one preference was that I should’ve shredded the kale smaller because I didn’t like eating the large chunks and ended up eating around them. I’m not a huge kale fan overall but I wouldn’t omit them totally since they were a nice addition. So maybe a little less or just cut down better.

My big mistake, as mentioned before, was that I didn’t pull out the parm rind and it ended up in Caleb’s bowl and he didn’t not have a great time with it. He’s very sensitive to food textures and accidentally finding that in his mouth ruined his first bowl experience and I felt really bad about it since the rest of the soup was so good.

This is on the list to make again for sure, especially since I have another ham hock in my freezer just hanging out. Soup season! Let’s gooooooo!

Soondubu

I’m having major withdrawal and cravings for BCD Tofu and their Soondubu but since I’m not planning on going to NYC any time soon I’ve had to figure it out for myself. Karie gave me a quick recipe that she makes which was a true homemade recipe and indicate a splash of this and a little bit of that. So we improvised.

I decided to use Impossible plant based meat substitute instead of a ground pork or beef since I had a pack in my freezer then went and found some soft tofu. I also bought green onion and added an egg but I should’ve added in shiitake or enoki mushrooms as well.

I also didn’t add enough liquid for my soup base but used a stock as a base, chili powder/oil, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil. I’m not a huge Kimchi fan and I know it would make the soup base taste more like what I’ve had ad BCD before but I didn’t want to be left with a whole container of kimchi just sitting in my fridge forever.

Of course, I also ate this over rice because that’s the way I like to enjoy it. I wish I had a stone pot to cook this in like real restaurants do but that’s a specialty cooking vessel that I do not have extra space for in my kitchen. I also made a ton and Caleb wouldn’t come near this so I had to eat it on my own for the rest of the week and I wasn’t mad about it.

I wish I had been more adventurous and made it spicer and aded in kimchi and more stock. For a first attempt it wasn’t bad but I’ll have to try to make it more authentic next time to hit the mark. I would also prefer using real ground meat because the smell of the impossible ‘meat’ wasn’t great after awhile even though it tasted fine.

I give myself a 3/5. I can do better.

CORT - Wild Ginger Asian Fusion - Poke Bowl

From the pattern of it all, I would have to admit that this restaurant is my favorite place to order from in Cortland and this makes me a little sad. I feel like Wild Ginger doesn’t get enough hype and most people don’t actually LOVE it but whenever I’m craving something, this is the place where I’m going to find it. I wish it was more well liked.

LOCATION - 47 MAIN ST, CORTLAND, NY 13045

Usually, when I get take-out from here it’s because I’m craving sushi or Udon. I always order bento boxes when I’ve been inside to eat but today I really wanted a Poke Bowl.

Seeing as I’m not a huge raw fish fan, I don’t usually want Poke bowls but thankfully, most places also offer shrimp and/or scallops. Wild Ginger is no different but their shrimp bowls also come with White Tuna which I was nervous about. However, I REALLY wanted a poke bowl so I took the leap and made the order hoping raw White Tuna would be okay today.

I ordered my bowl with sushi rice, avocado, edamame, crispy onion, and fresh ponzu sauce. This is a standard combo for me whenever I get a poke bowl. I’m usually pretty adventurous with new foods and want to try a lot of things but when it coms to Poke Bowls this is what I want.

Of course, I mixed everything together and inhaled this bowl as soon as I got home with it. I was really happy about this since I was worried about the White Tuna but it ended up mixing so well. It didn’t taste fishy at all and the texture was great and just melted in my mouth. I didn’t even notice it was there.

I’m so excited this worked out well and it’s so easy to eat and carry around that I can just order it again whenever I’m in the mood for a poke bowl. My fondness for Wild Ginger continues to grow.

Thanksgiving!!

It’s Thanksgiving!! While my extended family tries to do Thanksgiving, more-so since they’ve started having their own kids, Thanksgiving is a huge mish mosh of hot pot and a turkey that may or may not be burned to a crisp. If we want mashed potatoes, we better bring our own, and cornbread is a thing of mystery.

This is why I opted for Thanksgiving at Caleb’s parents house. Things are weird with the pandemic but the one thing it’s helped me with is easing me into holiday’s with his family. It’s much easier to prep myself for a Thanksgiving with just his mom, dad, sister, and maybe a grandma versus three thanksgivings back to back with aunts, uncles, and cousins galore. Getting thrown into a whole new family and being the only non-relative who also happens to be not white in a room full of only white people can be very nerve racking (as if I didn’t spend my whole life at friends houses and events where this was the case.)

Still, this is a little different and a small Thanksgiving was exactly what I needed. Caleb’s mom still managed to make a customary Thanksgiving for us with his sister coming in CLUTCH with the sweet potatoes. Apparently, his mom usually only has to bring a side and maybe some store-bought pie to his uncle’s house so this was a big step up for her having to make a full meal but it turned out great.

I love thanksgiving. It has everything I want, Potatoes, veggies, and stuffing are all amazing. I love carbs and starch. They turkey came out great and while there was a small mishap of turning on the oven then not actually putting it in the oven and not noticing it for a little too long, if this was the yearly Thanksgiving disaster, it was very mild and almost unnoticeable. (Cue my cousin’s Turkey last year that was burned to a charred black crisp on the outside).

While I have no idea what to expect next year during a normal Thanksgiving with his family, this was a really good one.

DRYDEN - Village Taqueria and Grill

We’ve been searching for some solid Mexican inspired food and our friends keep recommending this place to us every time we see them and talk about food. Honestly, Moe’s doesn’t quite cut it and I’m excited for some good recommendations that aren’t all the way in Ithaca or Syracuse.

LOCATION: 2 E. MAIN ST. DRYDEN, NY

Not a terribly far drive and we pass this restaurant every time we drive to Ithaca so it felt like it was about time to give it a shot. We weren’t actually planning a trip to Ithaca so this was our destination but due to everything going on, we opted for take out so I gave them a call.

I was pretty excited looking at their menu and checking their facebook page. I noticed that they sometimes have tamales, which I LOVE, but couldn’t find it on their main menu so I didn’t order it this time but there was much regret about this situation. Caleb ended up going to pick up our food and he even mentioned he say tamales on the counter for sale and almost got me some. Missed out twice in one day.. next time!!

I usually get 3 tacos for myself and knew from looking at then menu I wanted to try their Baja California (fish) Taco which has freshly battered fish, cabbage, citrus chili aioli, and pico de gallo. I planned on getting a street taco and asked the girl on the phone what she recommended but she ended up telling me to get the Baja California Taco with shrimp so I did that instead. I’ll get meat tacos next time.

I also knew right away that I wanted to try the Crispy Potato Taco with smashed potatoes, cabbage, crema, and pico de gallo (not pictured). I am nothing if not a potato lover so I have to give it a try.

The tacos’ weren’t bad at all. I was more fond of the fish taco and it wasn’t fishy and the proportions were great. The slaw was fresh and everything was balanced well. The potato taco was a little bit of a let down and was a little too soggy and not as satisfying. The shrimp wasn’t really memorable either.

We also decided to order 5 Chicken Taquitos to share which came with sour cream and salsa. These taquitos were huge. Honestly, I’ve only ever had taquitos out of a box from the frozen section of the grocery store so thats a different thing to compare it to. The chicken was seasoned well inside and had a slight kick which was really nice but it’s made with a flour tortilla and I’m a bigger fan of corn tortillas across the board. Because they were filled so much the ratio of meat to tortilla was a little unbalanced for me but more meat for your money is not a bad thing and they were tasty in the end.

Overall, I’m excited to order from them again. The portions were good for the price and the food was great. When the bar is to be better than Moe’s, it’s not that hard to impress me but that’s the deal out here in Cortland and I’m not afraid to admit it. I think the real test will be the tamales. Hopefully, next time!