Category: FOOD

A Taste of Ireland

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Who knew you could have beans for breakfast? Well, I guess the Irish did. I’m Puerto Rican, my beans go with rice and I have them for lunch or dinner (or both). You can imagine my puzzled look when beans were part of my first Irish breakfast in Dublin this past summer.

Let’s go back a little before this moment, just so you can understand where I was coming from. Picture this: it’s about 9am in Dublin, we just arrived from New York (#TeamNoSleep) and I’m feeling like I have not been fed in ages. Food depravation is always dangerous for my temper, but add in no sleep and I become someone you definitely want to stay away from. This said, my first reaction when we finally got to eat was … beans? Seriously?

YES. Beans.

I was too stubborn to admit at the moment, but damn, those Irish know how to make a nice breakfast.

So it began, my short but lovely stay in Dublin, Ireland.

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This may not be the most Irish-looking breakfast out there, but it was my first. This place had a buffet and it was 3 items for 4 euros, not too bad if you ask me. Being cranky as I was I decided not to venture too far of my comfort zone, but I still gave the beans a try.

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Now THIS was more adventurous, Guinness braised beef pie with vegetables and mashed potatoes at Merchant’s Arch Bar. Was this a tourist trap? Who knows, but it was not crowded, it had live music and it smelled good.

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Walking around Dublin, still trying to make sense of where I was.

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On day 2, we rented a car and explored a little bit of the countryside. I was both afraid and amused at my new spot by the driver’s seat.

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We were not really looking for this waterfall, neither did we get lost, it just happened to be on the way.

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Walking around the Glendalough trails, feeling like I was in some medieval movie.

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I believe no trip to Ireland is complete without a taste of some good Irish whiskey. A rum drinker myself, I found the classic Jameson and ginger to be my favorite. Yes, I can drink whiskey. No, the pink drink was not mine.

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Talk about a #TBT. Established in 1198? That is 816 years ago! Insane, if you ask me. The Brazen Head was everything you hoped a classic Irish pub would be: good food, good drinks, good people and good music.

Ireland left me wanting more, I was only there for a few days, not even a whole week. I was only able to get a taste of this beautiful country. I must say the people were probably the best part, they were nice and seemed to be genuinely interested in befriending you. I can’t wait to go back and experience more of this country, together with off-the-beaten-path adventures.

Slàinte!

Butternut Squash Ricotta Stuffed Shells

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Yes, this just happened today. I feel really proud of my solid chef attempt and I wanted to share the magic with all of you. There are leftovers I would love to share as well, but I guess some pictures and the original recipe will suffice.

My best friend Pinterest led me to discover an awesome recipe by Rachel Schultz. I honestly pin more than what I can handle, but today I was feeling adventurous and decided to try something new. After experiencing quite some confusion while cooking my first set of sausages as part of the recipe, I must say it was a success. My boyfriend and guinea pig can attest to it.

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Otto Strada Brunch

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It’s been a few weekends since I’ve tried a new brunch place. Ideally, I would love to try a new one every weekend, but that would leave no space for me to return to the ones I already love! Yes, I know, #firstworldproblems.

That’s why I was excited to find out that Hoboken restaurant Otto Strada was introducing a new brunch menu. A place I already visited and liked, together with a new brunch experience? Of course I was in.

I was delighted to see so many options on the menu and I was even more excited to be there with my boyfriend because that meant we could order a few things to try and eat it all together! You know I get very excited for food.

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I ordered the Frittata di Asparagi, an egg-cake made with potatoes, asparagus, onions and topped with basil pesto and parmesan.

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I forgot the name of what my boyfriend ordered and the brunch menu is not up yet, but you can see it’s quite a breakfast pizza!

I loooove breakfast pizzas and this one did not disappoint.

 

Best Places to Have Lunch in SoHo

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This list should actually be called: “Best places to have a delicious and “ok” priced lunch around my old office in SoHo”. I’m no expert, but I know what I like and I know what my wallet doesn’t.  Below are my favorite places to have lunch in SoHo, this list has been in development since I started working in SoHo almost two years ago. Some places are cheaper than others, but one thing they all have in common is they can provide a delicious lunch in less than an hour. This list has been evolving since I started the post, since sadly some places closed.

La Esquina

My all-time favorite is the “Pepito” and fries with chipotle mayo. Note that the fries do not come with chipotle mayo, but I highly recommend you order it for the ultimate experience, you can thank me later. If you can’t really sit down they also have the option to order to-go on the outside, slightly different menu, still amazing.

la esquinaPhoto from La Esquina Facebook

Delicatessen + MacBar 

Every time I go to Delicatessen I fight the urge to order cheeseburger mac and cheese, because why not, right? Their special mac and cheese plates are to die for and honestly, totally worth it. If you are feeling like going against your heart’s desires, then I recommend the award winning pan roasted chicken thigh sandwich with cerignola olive pesto, sweet pepper aioli, burrata cheese & french fries.

macbarSome of the delicious mac and cheese plates offered on the menu! Photo from Delicatessen Facebook

SoHo Park

I’ve been here over 10 times and I always order the same thing, classic cheeseburger. It’s that good. The extra fun thing about SoHo Park is they have an amazing selection of dipping sauces for the fries, roasted pepper aioli is my dipping sauce selection. This place is also fun for outside seating and actually feeling like you’re in a park, so creative of them, right?

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Salud

This place recently opened and although I have only been there once, I’m planning to return soon. I love their tagline, “a Latin-take on organic”. It’s really what Salud is all about. I had the quinoa veggie burger and I never expected it to be that amazing. The owner was very nice and even treated me and my friend to some homemade brownies that I believe were made with a chocolate he prepares himself. Salud also has a brunch menu, which obviously, I need to try.

saludnycPhoto from the Salud Instagram, the veggie burger I had at Salud looked so delicious, I totally forgot to take a photo!

Cafe Habana

I’m Puerto Rican, so I love everything our neighbors in Cuba have to offer in terms of food. Cuban food hits close to home and always makes my soul happy. This spot offers a variety of Cuban food, with some other Latin American touches as well, including tacos. If I could, I would always go for the skirt steak, but their Cuban sandwich is also delicious and rumored to be one of the best ones in the city. See for yourself!

habanaGrilled corn, so delicious. Photo from Cafe Habana’s Facebook

Emporio

If you don’t like pizza don’t bother coming here, or being my friend, for that matter. With a nice selection of brick oven pizzas, this place is a great place to go with a few coworkers and share some slices during your break. You can also eat the pizza all by yourself, no sharing required.

emporioMy choice of prosciutto and cheese, classic & great – Photo by Cristina Nogueras

Bread

This cute Italian restaurant is as charming during lunch as it is during dinner. I’ve been able to make my way through the menu and I must say, I can’t get enough of it. If you are having lunch there, the tomato soup is a must. Oh, and in case you were wondering, they do have bread and it is very delicious.

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Parm

If you go to Parm, you get the parm. The folks there are extremely good on making these chicken parm sandwiches, so ordering anything else seems like a crime. I have, however, ordered the garlic bread knots and they were very good… followed by a chicken parm sandwich, of course.

parmParm from parm – Photo from Parm’s website

Grey Dog

Looking for a quick, yet nice place to sit down and have lunch? I’ve only been here once, but I had a very delicious sandwich that left me feeling satisfied.

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 presetQuite frankly, I forget what this sandwich was all about, but the pesto was absolutely amazing. – Photo by Cristina Nogueras

Spring Natural

To be honest, this one is making the list because I wanted to reach to 10 and I figured I had to get in a place that was healthy overall, just to ease my guilt. It may be a little overpriced for certain simple items, but after all, it’s SoHo. Their salads are really good (yes, I said that) and the bread they start you with is really good as well.

spring street I’ve tried to kept my photos to what I have tasted, but this looks delicious, could not overlook it! Photo from Spring Natural Facebook

 

What are your favorite SoHo spots? Share them with me below!

Follow @peaceloveanddietcoke on Instagram for more.

¡Buen Provecho!

Otto Strada, New Restaurant in Hoboken

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A few months ago, Otto Strada opened up its doors in Hoboken. If you are looking for delicious Italian food and good ambiance, this is your place. My personal struggle when visiting an Italian place is that I am never sure if I am going to want pizza or pasta, but Otto Strada had solid choices for both desires.

Another plus? It’s BYOB, bingo!

I also expanded my Italian vocabulary by learning that Otto Strada means Eight Street, which, voila, is where this new spot is located. Ah, the genius.

Although my food comma kept me away from ordering dessert, I was drooling over a gigantic dessert calzone. That’s right, calzone for dessert. I was creeping, but I could not look away from the Nutella drizzling from the inside of this wonderful thing. I recommend you leave room for dessert, highly encouraged.

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One of the specials for the day: a delicious pesto with roasted tomatoes

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My boyfriend is trying to learn to take food pictures, he is getting there very slowly, so cut him some slack! – Pollo alla Milanese con Prosciutto: breaded chicken pounded thin, pan seared, topped with prosciutto, homemade mozzarella and tomato bruschetta over a bed of arugula tossed with a lemon vinaigrette

Look mama, I can be healthy too

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Veggies are good for your health and French fries are good for your soul.

You can imagine how excited I was to hear there were new prepared frozen veggie fries available in a freezer near me. You may think the idea is a little gross, but it’s actually quite delicious. As you know, I am no chef, but I can get creative.

Thank you to Veggie Fries for sending a variety of bags for me to sample and experiment with, definitely made my Monday night more interesting!

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Here are some combinations that I tried out, nothing too complicated here, but my tummy was happy and that is what matters. Mind you, while I was waiting for the chicken to cook, I basically ate all of the veggie fries… hence the small samples (they are that good).

  • Blue cheese and honey – Veggie fries topped with blue crumbs and honey, this was my personal favorite. My roommate loved this one, and ended up just dipping her veggie fries with honey. Let me tell you something, they are addicting

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  • A side to the classics – Chicken and mushrooms, with a side of veggie fries. You can’t go wrong with that and if you do, just add bbq sauce

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  • Just dippin’ – Edamame hummus is my current personal favorite, but of course the night that I want to make all of this happen, there is no edamame hummus at my local grocery store. You can also dip them in good old bbq sauce, as I said, you can’t go wrong with that

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I’m all for finding that perfect balance between healthy and delicious, although I usually go for the delicious side, let’s be honest.

To learn more about Veggie fries, visit their website. If you’re too lazy, here’s a little bit more about them here:

Veggie Fries are made from all natural USA grown potatoes, carefully selected real farm-grown vegetables, beans, spices and herbs to provide the most authentic and delicious flavors. Each batch follows a unique patent-pending process to give you the perfect fry texture – crispy on the outside, fluffy and tender on the inside. Each variety contains at least 25% of non-potato vegetables and beans for a substantial amount of extra vegetable nutrition in every delicious serving. Every ingredient is all natural, non-GMO and contains no gluten or wheat.

Disclosure: Veggie Fries provided me with free product for review. All opinions, ideas, and stories are 100% my own.

 

[Brunch] The Elysian Café

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The fact that I love brunch is nothing new, so when last week various articles came out saying that bottomless brunches were illegal, you can imagine I started freaking out. Big thanks to The Huffington Post for letting me know that it’s going to be ok by sharing the State Liquor Authority’s statement here.

To celebrate, today I tried out brunch at Hoboken’s Elysian Café. (Mind you, this is not in New York City and I actually just drank coffee, but in the books it’s still brunch!) I had never been to this place before, it’s actually very cute. Turns out The Elysian Café is the oldest continually operated bar/restaurant in Hoboken. I have not had dinner there yet (hint hint to my boyfriend) but I can imagine that with the antique ambiance and the live music they have some nights, it has to be really nice.

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Egg White Omelet with Spinach, Tomato, Goat Cheese and a side of Lyonnaise Potatoes (Yum!)

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I Love Brunch.

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I especially love Sunday brunch.

There’s something magical about having no rush to get breakfast and the security of knowing you will be able to get bacon no matter what time you are seated at your table is simply delightful.

I know it’s only Monday, but the idea of a good breakfast can make me happy at any point of the week.

Cheers to good food and a new week!

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Classic scrambled eggs, baked pancakes & an exquisite oyster omelet.

Sunday Brunch @ Prune in NYC  – Totally recommend this place!

 

Sometimes, I Bake

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Last year, my friend Lindsay and I won our office holiday bake-off under the creativity category. Pretty sweet little reindeer cookies, if you ask me.

This is how the cookies looked at the recipe website…

 

This is how our cookies turned out. Not that bad, considering I owned an android camera at the time.

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2012 Winners in the creative category – Cristina Nogueras ©

This year, when my office announced we would be having another bake-off to celebrate National Dessert Day (which by the way, it’s a thing) I knew I had to retain my title as the creative cook. My coworker Lina and I decided to team up and get creative.

Mind you, this comes from the girl that knows how to cook, however, limits herself to the same five basic recipes. I have big ideas in my head, but they always somehow end up as some variation of chicken, rice and beans.

I knew flavor was not going to be my strength, so we went for creativity. Thanks to the wonder that is Pinterest and the many amazing and creative human beings out  there, I found a twist-off to my favorite childhood dessert: Tierrita Dulce.

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Rest in Bliss Vanilla Pudding – Photo & Edits Cristina Nogueras ©

I took some creative license rights and decided to call our creation: Rest in Bliss. I know, I’m no artist, but I’m really humbly proud of the results.

Plus, guess what?

WE WON!

Yes, that’s right, this girl over here is the current two-strike undefeated baking champion! (May I say we did not even have to technically bake anything?)

What’s the recipe for success? We literally followed the instructions on the Jell-O vanilla pudding box and added food coloring. Then we crushed a bag of cream-less Oreos and added layers of Oreos to the bottom and top of the cups. I know, rocket science. We added gummy worms to give it the Halloween look and Lina went all out with the frosting drawings in the vanilla wafer cookies.

Besides bragging rights and high-fives (which are always welcomed), we also received a nice bottle of Aviation Gin! Thinking of going classy and trying out some nice cocktails soon.

Desserts & cocktails? Not bad, right?

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Cristina Nogueras ©