Halloween!

Oh Halloween...

For those of you who don't know this is a deadmau5 head (my halloween costume...)
For those of you who do know, yeah BADASS!

Halloween has been hectic and I apologize for the absence of exuberant gastronomic display. No reason to panic for the daily posts will resume, and don't worry they will be worth the wait. The hungrier you are, the better it'll taste!

Cold Stone!

Ice cream is a treat I don't treat myself to enough. If you don't know, Cold Stone mixes ice creams on a cold marble counter top as you order. This gives you the opportunity to be creative and blend flavors together while adding diverse toppings. I try to keep my creations simple.

This here is a blend of chocolate (would have preferred dark chocolate) and sweet cream ice cream, with frozen strawberries mixed in. During a hot Texas afternoon nothing feels better then slowly letting a sweet ice cream concoction melt in your mouth, and that's exactly where Cold Stone put their money.

Algae is... Delicious?

So this was a left over lunch from a previous Japanese restaurant meal. The dish isn't exactly what you would expect from a Japanese restaurant, except one thing. The algae salad. Am I the only one who loves this? It is absolutely one of my most favorite sides, and it can only be found in Japanese restaurants (that I know of...). I need to learn how to make this. So refreshing, so delicious...

There it is on the left! The algae salad, then center in on some fried rice, and finish with some fried chicken breast pieces.

Bitter Sweet Love

Lemon tarts, what a tease. You think its sweet, but it's just slightly bitter. Words just don't do you justice, my love...

A little dessert never hurt anyone right? Not if you been exercising daily! Sometimes, you walk into a bakery and you just can't resist the sweet treats under the flashy lights, it's ok, we have all been there. Just try to keep those bakery visits after hitting the gym.

Sweet and Sweeter!

Sometimes you just need a little sugar rush, and nothing does it like a sweet peach with ice cream.

This time I diverged from my standard vanilla and peach combo to shake things up. Serve up some strawberry ice cream and throw that peach in there. This combo was great, two distinct tastes that share a sweet... well sweetness.

Grimaldi's!

In my opinion the best pizza in the woodlands is from Grimaldi's Pizza. The price is a little high for pizza, but it is well worth it. You also get to make your own pizza's, pick your base and toppings from a list and sit tight while your pizza bakes in their brick oven. The small salad is a good size starter...

The pizza had ricotta cheese, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and ham. on a tomato sauce mozzarella thin crust base. I don't quite remember what salad we ended up getting... All in all a great meal. If you like pizza, you must check this place out.

Big Treat in Little China!

What is more exciting then skydiving?! Skydiving then going out for great Chinese food!

So, last Saturday me and some friends went skydiving, and that adrenaline rush worked up a good appetite. My good Chinese friend suggested we go to China town grab some grub. He took us to Fu Fu's, and ordered everything in Chinese so I am not entirely sure what I ate. What I do know is that it tasted good.

Going clockwise from the top left we have some fried tofu, followed by spicy orange glazed beef strips, then a pork dumpling and finally some garlicky hollow stem and spinach.

Shank you Very Much!

I really hope cheese word play or bad photographic lighting doesn't put off your appetite.

This here is a slow cooked lamb shank covered with a selection of diced vegetables and accompanied by a side of linguine aioli. The veggies were soft and had picked up loads of flavor from the meat. The shank would literally melt in your mouth. Lastly the pasta was cooked 'al dente' and gave something for your teeth to dig into. All in all an spectacular dinner.

That's Just Fruity

I love the presentation that a good fruit assortment will give to your dessert. Just take in this vibrant display of color.

A simple fruit tart. The fruit assortment not only make this a great looking dessert, but also gives it just enough variety to keep it from being a monotone dessert. The glaze works with the cream to ward off any bitterness from the fruits. Go ahead, judge it by the way it looks.

American BBQ

American BBQ, it has grown on me over the years. Gives me a great excuse to pig out on some potato salad and coleslaw. But of course the main is the meats. Brisket and pulled pork are my go to meats.

This particular time I found myself pigging out at Dickie's BBQ in the Woodlands. Hopefully I'll find myself at Salt Lick in the near future....

Salgadinhos Revisited

So if you are still curious about salgadinhos and you weren't able to go to a Brazilian restaurant or Brazil itself in the past couple of weeks then here is another take at 'em...

Now you can clearly see what they look like inside and out. The left one is a coxinha, in the middle with have a cheese rissole, and on the right a esfiha. Hot sauce (like Tabasco or similar) go really well on the coxinha.

COAL Burger

So there is this new burger joint called Coal Burger, it is a organic natural food burger paradise. Even the soda is their own blend with cane sugar instead of HFCS (high fructose corn syrup). The weird thing is they charge more for the 100% organic grass fed burger, which I feel like should just be incorporated into the price and served as the first and only option. That's just my opinion though. I got the organic classic burger, half pound with swiss cheese, feast your eyes on this...

Their special house sauce on the burger sets it apart from other burgers. Their fries, there in the background, are also crispy and very good.
This is a great burger joint, but it is a little pricey when compared to other burger joints. However, if you are willing to spend a little extra to get a healthier great tasting option than what you will get elsewhere, then this is the place to do it at.

Nice Rice

Rice pudding or arroz doce was one of my favorite desserts growing up. Now it's still one of my favorites. It is easy to make, easy to garnish, and tastes like delicious with a little of awesome on top. It is not too sweet and its very light, which means it can be enjoyed in moderate portions after just about kind every meal.

If you are wondering that is cinnamon on top, gives it a good contrasting garnish, and changes up the taste enough to keep your taste buds guessing.

New Pizza joint!

So me and my parents went out for lunch on  a past Saturday and we decided to go to Crust Pizza Co.

Feast your eyes on these beauties...

 The first is the Pinky (w/ pink sauce, caramelized onions, chicken, bacon, cheddar and mozzarella) and the second is the Tuscany (w/ spinach, artichoke, tomatoes, olives, onions and feta and mozzarella). I am not going to lie I prefer veggie pizzas, but they both tasted as good as they look!

Another One Bites the... Chicken?

Chicken is a go to meat. It's hard to come across someone who doesn't like chicken. One of my favorite methods of preparing chicken breast is oven baking it with a onion soup seasoning. Gives it a lot of flavor. Here is a dish with some great sides to boost...

The green stuff is mustard, in the back is some plain rice (mixed with the chicken's onion soup seasoning is absolutely amazing...), in the front we have some pan fried potatoes with bacon (cook the potatoes in the fat and oil from the bacon, healthy? no not really, delicious? YES absolutely) only if you have been doing your physical activities (I have!), and finally the chicken on the right.

6pack or not

Whether or not you want to say I have a 6pack is really up to you, and really makes no difference to me. My goal is to have a fit and healthy body. In this blog I am trying to spread the message that it is possible to keep in shape and enjoy wonderful foods. Most of the posts will continue being about different foods, but I will also start incorporating some workouts that I like to do.

*Please refrain yourself from inappropriate comments.

PSH... Place the Strawberries Here?

Ever since I can remember I have loved strawberries, probably because they were red, I like red foods. Anyways, strawberries aren't all that sweet, especially the mutant giant monstrosities, but there is hope for your sweet tooth. I find that a great combo is strawberries and caramel ice cream...

Some complain that caramel ice cream is too sweet, some that strawberries aren't sweet enough. Well please everyone by mixing the two together. And if you belong to that special category of "I like both of them", just remember that two good things mixed together have to taste good. If you have doubts, just ask a kid who just mixed all the sodas from the drink fountain into his cup.

Run, Burn, Score!

Sorry, no food in this post.

Do you hate running laps? dislike endless treadmill?
I do, that is why I play soccer. Take a little time off and reward yourself, doesn't matter what it is, just has to get your heart rate up and you moving about. Find an activity you love doing. Swim, play sports, do zumba (will instantly make you look hot! Yes even guys). Regular physical activity will also help you relax, and will make you feel better about yourself. The key is to change exercising from a chore to something you love doing.

Esfihas!

I learned from one of my best college friends that there are more Lebanese in Brazil then Lebanon itself (Brazil also host the second largest Japanese and African populations, outdone by Japan and Nigeria respectively). I was surprised to find out that several foods also migrated and blended into Brazilian society so succinctly that Brazilians consider it their own. Among these is the esfiha...

These are closed esfihas, think of mini pies. The filling is usually seasoned meat, cheese, or vegetable. The open esfihas look like mini pizzas, but with the filling as the toppings. If you have never tried this originally Mediterranean treat, you should.

Mellow Mushroom!

A person once said: You are who you eat.
Well then I must be a philosopher, because at Mellow Mushroom I ate the amazing philosophers pie.

If the picture doesn't already make you salivate a little then close your eyes and imagine a crispy crust with an olive oil and garlic base, topped with grilled steak, portobello mushrooms, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, provolone, feta  AND mozzarella...

Yes, I agree. You should consider becoming a philosopher as well.

Morning Rush

People these days often find themselves in a bit of a rush. That leads to cutting corners (meals), which lead to rounder edges, and not in a good way. A filling and balanced diet is essential to a healthy lifestyle. Strangely enough, if you don't eat enough, you will gain fat. By eating very little, you only trick your body into trying to preserve every ounce of energy it gets by slowing down metabolism and creating energy stores (fat). This is why it is so easy to gain back the pounds lost by dieting. To avoid cutting corners I suggest fast ready to eat foods. Fruits almost always come ready to eat which make them ideal compliments to quick meals or snacks, but if you are looking for something more wholesome try a power-bar or a muffin from a local bakery. Speaking of muffins...

What's Your Favorite?

I don't like it when people ask me what my favorite food is. Why do I have to have only one?! Though last night I can safely say that I had a dessert that is certainly up there.

The creme brulee custard brings a lively natural taste to your sweet after meal debauchery, and the sugar crisp adds the little crunch that keeps it interesting and gives it a unique presentation.

Perfect, or should I say Parfait!

I'm not going to lie. My brother introduced me to the deliciousness of yogurt, but since that fateful day I have made my fair contribution diminishing dairy stocks all around the world. Mostly in the form of parfait consumption. This is my most recent venture into "perfection".

Two peach halves, lots of granola, and a healthy serving of honeyed Greek yogurt. This is a very satisfying breakfast meal, and takes no time at all to prepare.

Merci, Bon appétit!

Cold Cut

Sandwiches are great! So easy and fast to prepare, you can have one out in under 5 minutes, and I am not talking about Subway. These homemade sandwiches are way better!

Take this for examples

Pita bread, italian dry salami, havarti cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and some delicatessen mustard (I use Boar's Head). Toasted in a mini-oven for about 2.5 minutes. Quick, easy and delicious!

Why is There no STRACCIATELLA?!

OK... So growing up as a kid in Brazil I loved Flocos ice cream, or as know in most of Europe Stracciatella gelato. They need to bring this ice cream to the USA stat... Wait is that... YES!!!!

Ok Ok so it is not exactly identical to the Brazilian Flocos or the European Stracciatella, but it is the next best thing in the USA. The Phoenicia specialty foods market has created its own version, available in pints. This is my favorite flavor... In fact I just might make a trip over to the fridge.

Brunch Anyone?

After a long Friday night partying like crazy working, there is nothing better then sleeping in late and then going out for a great brunch.

This particular weekend I was thinking 3 eggs, spinach, Swiss cheese, bacon bits with a side of toasted English muffin.

Oh yes...

If you are wondering, its a chipotle salsa in that little silver container.

Compliments of H&H