Cupcakes and Cheese Steaks

Two weekends ago, I decided to make some cupcakes. Scratch baking these really wasn't an option, so I used a box mix with some modifications. First up were Golden Vanilla with Strawberry Frosting. I added a pinch more vanilla to the mix and after frosting them, I added some metallic sprinkles to the top. They looked.......cute. After that, I did Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting. For these I added a bit of ginger and cinnamon to the batter. I also put some heart shaped sprinkles on the top. Cute. I also made a batch of Double Chocolate Chip Cookies with Ginger and Black Pepper. These, surprisingly, came out great. The ginger was very lite, so next time I will increase to 3 tablespoons instead of 2.




August 16 was my first anniversary with Paul. We spent the day together and it was great. The day before that we took a day trip to Philly to see the Cleopatra exhibit at the Franklin Institute. The exhibit was great and I actually learned quite a bit. After that we took a walk over to the fountain, then to Ginos for cheese steaks. I've been there twice now and honestly I'm not impressed. I've gotten better cheese steak in a Jersey diner. In any case, it was a great trip with a great guy :)

Long Overdue Post

Yeah, I haven't posted in a long time. I'm an ass, I know. Here are some updates:

-Current weight loss is at 41 pounds.
-Mad that Aria and Brad got eliminated. Keeping my fingers crossed for Tom.
-Possibility of opening a bakery is somewhere on the horizon.
-Paul and I are coming up on 1 year.
-Pretzel MnM's are the shit.
-I've had multiple suggestions that I market my Paleo-friendly Spice Rub.
-Red Dead Redemption should be crowned Game Of The Decade.
-I was almost rendered unconscious by HORRIBLE tooth pain 2 weekends ago.

Anyway, I'm sure there's more but I can't remember. I've spent more time in the kitchen lately working on some stuff for this diet that actually tastes good. First thing I came up with was my Rub. People seem to really like it, and, it's sodium and sugar free. I also came up with some sort of Honey and 5 Spice Powder Glaze. Not bad either and mom loved it.

Recently I got Paul to watch an episode of No Reservations and he loved it (much to my surprise). We'll be sure to watch more of that sometime soon. That's it for now. I will try my best to update this beast more often for the 2 or 3 people that actually read it :)

China Fun

On Sunday, Paul and I went to the Museum Of Natural History in New York. Neither of us had been there in years, so we were pretty excited about going. We had a great time, and had some great conversations. After the museum, we took a short walk in Central Park, then looked for some place to have lunch. We (actually just Paul) decided on a little place on Columbus Ave that looked and smelled good, China Fun. We both ordered bubble tea. I got the coconut, Paul got honeydew. For our meal, we ordered Beef Pad Thai and Crispy Duck. The Pad Thai was good, but not as good as getting from an actual Thai place. The duck was fantastic. The skin was nice and crispy, and the five spice powder they used on it was delicious. Paul had a tough time removing the meat from the bones, so I had to help him with that. My babe can be so silly at times. In all, it was a great day and I'm looking forward to more.

Monday Night Dinner

I decided to make Paul something nice for dinner, so after watching Secrets Of A Restaurant Chef I had some idea. I ended up making Chicken Milanese with Safron Risotto and Mushrooms sauteed in Red Wine. Everything was pretty good. The chicken was wonderfully tender and very crunchy thanks to using Panko (as opposed to regular bread crumbs). For dessert, I made Panna Cotta. Also very delicious. Once again, I failed to take pictures of it all.

Tower Of India

Okay so, I haven't posted anything in a while. Things have been kind of crazy with my car dying and Paul getting really sick. About a week ago, Alex and I went to a really nice Indian restaurant over in Parlin called Tower Of India. It was a tiny place in a strip mall on Ernston Road. The food was great, the service was fast and very hospitable, and the prices were really good. Alex and I both ordered the Chefs Special Thali for $17. It consisted of Lentil soup, naan, rice, dal, chicken tandoori, seekh kabab, chicken tikka, lamb curry, vegetables, raita, and kheer (warm rice pudding) for dessert. We also shared a Samosa appetizer. All of it was realllllly good and they give you so much. The naan tasted like it was right from the oven and the tandoori chicken was amazingly tender. We will definitely be going back soon.

Jalapeno Poppers

Just like the beef roll, this was another idea I got from Diners Drive Ins and Dives. Tuesday night, I made Jalapeno Poppers wrapped in bacon and stuffed with cream cheese, as well as some pan fried chicken. I didn't cook these in a smoker like I saw on the show, but I baked them first, then threw them in the frying pan for a bit. Unfortunately, I didn't take and good pictures of the peppers, just one crappy picture with my phone. I thought they were really great, had good heat, and tasted pretty damn amazing. Paul, on the other hand, couldn't take the heat and whined like a little girl for about 20 minutes. Later in the week I also made a German Black Forest cake for Paul's mom :)

Beef Roll

Tonight for dinner I made Paul and I a beef roll. I took a flank steak, pounded it out really thin, and seasoned it with salt, pepper, and basil. Then I started to layer it. First was thin slices of garlic. After that, a layer of spinach followed by roasted red peppers. Finally, a layer of fresh mozzarella. Then it was time to roll it up, which was not as big of a pain in the ass as I thought it would be. Instead of using string to tie this thing up, I used silicone ties and they worked very well and held better than I initially thought they would. After it was all tied up and ready to go, i threw it in the pan for a little bit, just to crust up the outside of it, then put it in the oven on 375 for about 40 minutes. It came out a little higher than rare, about 180 degrees. So then we cut it up and it was, surprisingly, really good! The meat was nice and tender and the filling was really tasty. We also had creamed corn, biscuits with gravy, and mac and cheese to go with it. In all, it was a pretty good night with great food and even greater company <3

Dinner At Dads

Yesterday was a really beautiful day and Paul and I took a trip to upstate NY to visit my dad. We got there in great time and hit zero traffic. My dad was happy to see us and had a great meal planned. When we first arrived, he had some sausage, cheese, crackers, gherkins, and homemade bread and butter pickles out on the table. Dinner was great. He made a roast beef, seasoned with just salt, pepper, and garlic powder which made a nice crust on the outside. There was also peas, mushrooms sauteed in butter, biscuits, and mashed potato with peppercorn. Everything was delicious. For dessert we had my blueberry pie with some whipped cream my dad made. The pie turned out to be really good, and Paul actually had a second piece (seeing him have another piece made all the hard work seem worthwhile). When Paul and I got back to Jersey, we collapsed onto the bed watched the Oscars together. In all, it was a fantastic day :)

Grease Trucks Video Highlights

The Grease Trucks Challenge!

So today was it. Alex took the Grease Trucks challenge. We were a decent size group: Kim, Jenny, Jen, Ryan, Paul, Vick, Peter, Alex, and myself. We all had a blast. For his challenge, Alex decided to go with the Fat Darrel, the sandwich that started it all. The Darrel consists of fries, mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, and marinara sauce. Not a bad combo. I had a Fat Elvis: gyro meat, white sauce, lettuce, fries, and something else that I can't remember. Alex did pretty good! He got through four sandwiches before putting up the white flag. A respectable, if not gross, job. He didn't throw up, which shocked the hell out of me. I definitely have more respect for him after watching him go through this :)

Frog Legs For Dinner!!

My friend Alex wanted to get dinner tonight, and wanted something....meaty. I suggested this Chinese buffet that also has the meat carving station, he said yes, and off we went. What did they have when we got there? Frog legs, one of my favourite. I'm sure at a real restaurant, the quality and preparation would be much better, but these weren't too bad. They were lightly breaded and fried, and seasoned with salt and pepper. There was even a decent amount of meat on the bone. I know frog legs aren't for everyone, but honestly they taste and have a texture very close to chicken wings, but slightly firmer. Alex refused to try them, because he is a wimp. Okay, so MAYBE I shouldn't say he's a wimp since Saturday he will be taking the previously mentioned Grease Trucks Challenge, but still. Have some sense of culinary adventure.

Seafood Paella, Part 1

I've decided to make Paul a nice dinner and I'm gonna be making Seafood Paella. Regionally the ingredients in paella vary, but consists of a base of rice. For mine, I've decided to go with lobster tail, shrimp, mussels, squid, bacon, scallops, and little neck clams. The last time I made this was a few years ago, and I want to make something different for Paul, so I figure this is the way to go. I've never added bacon in the past, but I'm on a bacon kick so why the hell not? I'll probably do this next week at some point, and when I do pictures will be posted of the prep and cooking process, as well as pictures of the completed dish.

Treasure Garden And The Perfect Night

Yesterday was a great day. Paul dyed his hair black for me because he knows I love it. He was also very cute and sweet with my all day, and I loved every second of it. He accused me of being in love with him again. I'm not. I love him, very much, but I'm not "in love" with him. Part of me wants to think he wants me to be, the other part thinks he's just entertained by the thought. Anyway, for dinner we went to Treasure Garden in Colonia, located at 616 Inman Avenue. It's a cute little Chinese restaurant and bar with a very intimate setting. Paul had the beef and broccoli with white sauce. I didn't get to try his, so I'm not completely sure what the white sauce was. It looked good thought. I had the sesame chicken with broccoli and pineapple. Very good. I also had a glass of plum wine, which smelled like cough syrup but tasted fantastic.


After dinner it was off to another movie, The Crazies (yet another remake). We met up with Paul's friend Peter (insert Peter, Paul, and Mary joke here), which is always a treat. Peter is a very sweet and fun guy and I enjoy when I get to see him. The Crazies was alright. Standard horror film predictability but with decent acting. I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Alice In Wonderland comes out Friday, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing that. Until next time....

Grease Trucks Round 2..........And 3!

Grease Trucks, again. Twice in one day for that matter. Not that I'm complaining, I'm just saying. I went there for lunch today with my friend Alex. I had the same thing I had last time, the Fat Moon, and Alex had....a beast wrapped in wax paper. The Fat Russian. A monstrosity of a sandwich consisting of cheese steak, burger, fries, onion rings, chicken fingers, and hot sauce. If my sandwich could kill a man with one blow to the head, Alex's could have caved a mans skull in completely. Terrifying. Later on that evening, we went BACK to the trucks, this time with Paul and my good friend Vick. Again I got the Fat Moon, but after sitting through the 2.5 hour monster that was Shutter island, I was too tired to even notice what anyone else got.

The Grease Trucks started in the early 80's as food trucks around the Rutgers area. They have since evolved into the Fat Sandwich Mecca that they are today. Seriously, where else could a broke college student get an extremely filling meal at midnight for less than $6? Not many places, but at the trucks...have at it. Stay tuned! Somewhere in the very near future my friend Alex will be attempting the 5 Fat Sandwich, 45 Minute challenge!! Paul and I will be there snapping pics and getting some video, so it should be plenty of fun :)

First!

Hey there. I've never been much into the whole blogging thing, but recently my boyfriend has urged me to blog about my cooking and our trips to different places to eat. My name's Chris and I'm a 28 year old, unemployed former retail manager and I happen to love to cook. Whether it's a simple meal for just my boyfriend and I, or a backyard bbq for my friends, I love it. I also love new dining experiences and trying foods from different cultures. Some figures in the culinary world that I look up to are Andrew Zimmern, Anthony Bourdain, Guy Fieri, Mario Battali, Nobu Matsuhisa, Alton Brown, and as much as I hate to admit it, Bobby Flay.

I chose to name my blog "It's A Texture Thing" for a pretty silly reason. I hate onions, but I love onion rings. When people ask me why, my reply is "it's a texture thing". It's true. I cannot stand the way an onion feels, whether it's raw or cooked. But in onion ring form, that I can stand. Kinda odd, I know.

My most recent creation in the kitchen was a sort of south-western (I think) styled salad. It had the basic ice burg lettuce and carrot mix, with mandarin oranges (not very south western, I know), corn, taco seasoned shredded cheese, grilled chicken, cilantro, and ranch dressing. I had also bought an avocado to put in it, but it wasn't ripe enough. Paul, my boyfriend, insisted on adding crushed tortilla chips to it. They pretty much just got soggy and soft, but still added an extra bit of texture to the salad. It was pretty good! I suppose that's it for now. Until next time...


That's Paul making a very valiant attempt at being remotely domestic. Kinda funny, completely hot.