Sticky Toffee Pudding

Warning: You may gain weight just looking at this picture. This may be the best dessert I have ever eaten. This photo probably doesn't truly capture it, and my description might not either, but believe me, it was amazing. I tend to like my desserts over-the-top sweet and rich. Then I usually only eat a couple of bites and that is just about right. This time, we ate the whole thing. Sticky toffee pudding is sponge cake, smothered in toffee sauce, which is basically melted butter and brown sugar, or caramelized sugar. This cake was swimming in it. Topped with a lovely dollop of real whipped cream. The sauce, the sauce, oh sweet baby Jesus, the sauce. For serious, y'all, the cake soaks up a ton of it, and there was STILL a bath for it to sit in. I wanted to drink it with a straw after we ate all the cake.

Seitan Buffalo Wings

This was at a restaurant called Merge in Buffalo, NY, August 24, 2011. Pretty good, clumps of wheat gluten smothered in barbecue sauce. The dipping sauce was meh, some sort of vegan ranch dressing. But at a vegetarian restaurant, that's what you get. The salad on the side was just carrots and celery, but in a totally delicious vinaigrette type thing, almost like it was pickled. Really good.

Strawberries and Blueberries

I just adore taking photos of fresh fruit. They always look naturally beautiful and amazing. I mean, look at that contrast of color! And you don't have to do anything more than chop them up and throw them in a bowl together. Perfetto!

Burger by Andre

Monday August 22, 2011. This burger was basted with some awesome sauce, I don't know what, but it was so delicious, even without any condiments added. So great. We were in Buffalo and Andre and Marilyn had the whole family over for dinner.

Red Pepper Gouda Bisque

This was from Coffee Culture in Buffalo, NY on Sunday August 21, 2011. I had just flown there from NYC to meet O and family, and we had to kill time while the rest of the family was still asleep. This soup was yummy and filling.

More Nachos from La Paloma

This time I told them to hold the jalapenos and chowed down with relish on the entire plate.

Cold Noodles

From Empire Szechuan, August 17, 2011. Like I said, these will be on here a lot.

Eggo Waffles with Peanut Butter and Real Maple Syrup

August 17, 2011. Not the greatest thing to eat after jogging...but also not the worst...

Entenmann's Donuts

Plain and Rich Frosted, my two least favorites.

 Crumb and Glazed, my faaaaaaves.

 Rich Frosted has grown on me, though. I used to think the coating just tasted like wax and made a mess in your hands.

 Oh, lordy, the Crumb donut by Entenmann's is my undoing on the days when I'm craving donuts. Which is not often. But when I do, I have to work really hard NOT to eat the whole box. Luckily I don't like plain, so in a combination box, that would leave only 6 donuts. Which is totally less bad than 8!!

Sticky Bun from Amy's Bread

Yum yum yum, what is not to love about this. It's from Amy's Bread in Hell's Kitchen on April 21, 2011. Of course the sticky part is great, all caramel and gritty and nutty, but the roll part is also amazing. It's yeasty and chewy and I would totally eat it plain.

Flex Donuts at Grand Central

Flex Donuts had a pop-up restaurant in Grand Central for a couple weeks in January. These pictures were taken January 26, 2011. We tried spicy chocolate, salted caramel, raspberry, and I think we went back the next week and had blueberry or blackberry. Totally amazing and indulgent. And cool to try something that was only available for two weeks, a real New York thing.

Cereal

Smart Start, January 16, 2011. I loves me some cereal.

Hot Chili Oil & Hot Chinese Mustard

These are two of the first food pictures I took, December 9, 2010. The pattern of the sauces and the distinct lines between them just struck me as so beautiful. The surface tension between them stays intact. The mustard looks almost like a crescent moon, and the whole thing looks a bit like the yin & yang symbol, which is fitting for a Chinese restaurant. I also love that there's no sense of scale. This could be a full size soup plate, or a little condiment plate. You don't know!

Vegan Tofu Udon Soup

This was at The Loving Hut in NYC on Seventh Avenue, November 16, 2010. It's a totally vegan restaurant, if you're into that sorta thing. Everything I tasted was very good, full of flavor. And this picture, I just love it. Such a great presentation, and that little glint on the left - like it's saying, "Yes, I am delicious vegan soup *ding*"

Making Applesauce

From start to finish. We picked these apples in Warwick, NJ on October 6, 2010, and I made this applesauce on October 8, 2010. The pan in front is with cinnamon, the pan in back is plain.

Chopped Tomatoes & Cheddar on an English Muffin, with a Hard-Boiled Egg

January 28, 2011. Just a good breakfast.

Eggo Waffles with Blueberries

January 28, 2011. Basic - frozen waffles with fresh blueberries. More delicious and satisfying than syrup.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Farmers' Market Tomatoes and Mozzarella

August 2, 2010. This was so delicious and fresh-tasting, it totally blew my mind. I don't know if I had never realized how amazing vegetables taste when they are picked that morning or what, but you could just taste the fresh. So easy, too. Just cooked some pasketti, threw in the fruit and cheese with a little garlic salt - yum.

Indian Fry Bread

This was from the International Food Fair in Salt Lake City, UT, May 22, 2010. That luscious substance dripping all over it is honey butter. WHY is this so good??? You take dough, which is basically flour and water, fry the hell out of it, and put sugar and butter all over it - and it becomes greater than the sum of its parts!!

Dinner at Veselka in the East Village

 Carrot Cake - very delicious.

 Meat Pierogi Platter - You get three or four meat pierogis and a serving of stuffed cabbage, which is stuffed with beef and pork and covered with mushroom gravy.

This is the Vegetable Pierogi Platter - three or four veggie pierogis and a serving of stuffed cabbage, stuffed with rice and mushrooms (I think) and covered with mushroom gravy.

We had dinner with our friend, Nadav, at Veselka on February 1, 2011. We love this place, but the food is heavy, so we only really crave it during winter months. Also, around Christmas, the traditional Ukrainian food is vegetarian, so it's really a great option for O. We like to go there on Xmas day.

Buffalo Wings

A plate of buffalo wings from the Anchor Bar in Buffalo - Home of the Original Buffalo Wing! We were in Buffalo for Thanksgiving 2009, we went to the Anchor Bar November 28, 2009. The wings were ok, but just ok. O said the restaurant smelled - I don't remember if he meant like cleaning fluid or like burned cooking oil. I'm glad we went, but once was enough.

Pan-Fried Noodles and Vegetables

At the Golden Unicorn for Chinese New Year, February 12, 2011. We go each year with O's Tai Chi group, and the nephew of the founder of the group orders all the best stuff.

Chirashi Sushi

In Albuquerque, NM, June 23, 2008. It was really good sushi, especially for being in the middle of the desert. I was there with my sister and her daughters. While Sis was doing her nursing conference, we went to the Zoo and hot air ballooning!

Tostada-like Dish

O is really good about using whatever we have in the house to make meals. He's also good about NOT wanting sweet for breakfast. This was tortillas, beans, salsa, spinach, and cheese, in the toaster oven for a few minutes, and that was breakfast for him, April 29, 2011. I was probably saying, c'mon, let's go to the diner for french toast and bacon, c'moooooonnnnn....

Coffee Ring

This was at a diner on the UES, May 19, 2011, while O and I killed time while his mom was at the Met Museum. Not too bad with coffee.

Corn Muffins

Corn Muffins by Jiffy, March 31, 2011. O can't eat these because there's lard or rennet or something non-vegetarian in them. Too bad, because they are pretty good.

Sour Cream Apple Walnut Pie

Yum. This is from the Little Pie Company of New York, relished by me on August 12, 2011

The Progress of a Filet Mignon

  Here she is in the wrapper, having been thawed overnight.

 Mmmmm, naked, fresh out of the wrapper.

 A little bit of salt and pepper, and a brushing of oil.

 And into the pan!

 A few minutes on each side makes it medium rare, pink and warm in the middle.

 Seriously, isn't that gorgeous?

 That is exactly the way I like my steaks done.

And a close up view. Aaaaahhhhhh!

This is another steak from Misty (see "Omaha Steak" post) and these photos are from April 4, 2011.