Here is a map of a cross country baseball trip. The map will soon be updated with links to the best food in each city.
View The Cross Country Baseball Trip in a larger map
Friday, October 29, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
What Brett Favre Should Have Done
College kids do not get in trouble with naked cell phone pictures. They are much smarter than athletes.
Monday, October 18, 2010
For the dairy free among us
Perhaps I should have mentioned this when I first started off, but I wanted my blog to be about cooking and be funny and enjoyable. In the summer of 2009, right after my freshman year of college, my doctor told me that I could no longer have milk. No milk? Me? The same guy that, by himself went through nearly two gallons a week? Well, as my doctor told me in her Indian accent, "Oh, no, no no. You can have too much of a good thing."
Well that was news to me.
So I thought, "No milk, that sucks. No more milk and cookies, no more cereal. Oh well, it's not going to be fun, but I'll deal with it"
What I didn't realize was that the no-milk, or dairy free, diet was broader than I had anticipated.
No chocolate. No butter. No cheese. I could not eat anything with those or any of these ingredients.
When the nutritionist handed me that list, my anger level was somewhere around here.
But after my splurging on one last large chocolate milkshake made with vanilla ice cream (easily the best type of milkshake), I said my goodbye to the dairy world.
Now, I have replaced cow's milk with vanilla almond milk (my personal favorite of the different milks I tried.)
Butter is easily replaced and has been the easiest adjustment from "real" to "fake", but the different chemical composition in butter and milk makes it difficult to bake with.
I realize now there are a lot worse things than being milk free (though the poor nutritionist that got an earful from me would beg to differ.) Taking my milk away from me was like taking a camera phone from Brett Favre. It might seem tough at the time, but it's for your own good.
So for future reference in my posts, all of my foods are made dairy free, whether I like it or not.
Well that was news to me.
So I thought, "No milk, that sucks. No more milk and cookies, no more cereal. Oh well, it's not going to be fun, but I'll deal with it"
What I didn't realize was that the no-milk, or dairy free, diet was broader than I had anticipated.
No chocolate. No butter. No cheese. I could not eat anything with those or any of these ingredients.
When the nutritionist handed me that list, my anger level was somewhere around here.
But after my splurging on one last large chocolate milkshake made with vanilla ice cream (easily the best type of milkshake), I said my goodbye to the dairy world.
Now, I have replaced cow's milk with vanilla almond milk (my personal favorite of the different milks I tried.)
Butter is easily replaced and has been the easiest adjustment from "real" to "fake", but the different chemical composition in butter and milk makes it difficult to bake with.
I realize now there are a lot worse things than being milk free (though the poor nutritionist that got an earful from me would beg to differ.) Taking my milk away from me was like taking a camera phone from Brett Favre. It might seem tough at the time, but it's for your own good.
So for future reference in my posts, all of my foods are made dairy free, whether I like it or not.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
What a Crock...Pot
One thing that really bugs me about sports fans is when they label a sport as "easy." As a former soccer player but still enthusiast, I faced some of these criticisms. "All you do is kick the ball", "There's no scoring" blah, blah, blah.
The fact is that nearly every sport can be reduced to a simple, moronic sentence. Football would be "hit people, run the ball, kick the ball." Basketball would be "pass, dribble shoot." Baseball would be "throw, hit, catch."
But fans of those sports could easily counter these arguments with any knowledge of the game.
That being said, my next statement may sound hypocritical, but it is true.
Cooking with a crock pot (or slow cooker) is easy. Seriously.
Reducing cooking with a crock pot to putting ingredient A and B into the crock pot and turning it on is really all you need to do.
Today, I took the easy way out and made some shredded beef with my slow cooker.
Here is all I did.
Bought a big hunk o' meat (I used a 2.5 lb round roast, but any type and size of roast will do) and put it in the slow cooker.
Then, I emptied the contents of a mushroom-onion soup into the slow cooker.
Next, I added a can of diced tomatoes.
Finally, I put in a little water. Why? I am not sure. I remembered my mom at some point in my life telling me to do this so it seemed like I should. (In the end, I used a little bit too much water. But the good part? It didn't matter! And why is that? Because cooking with a crock pot is easier than LeBron's decision to go to Miami. (Honestly, would you rather live here or here? And I even picked the most flattering picture I could find of Cleveland.)
One thing to remember in cooking with a crock pot, it takes a while for your food to cook. If you are cooking it on high, it takes about 5 hours. If on low, about 10 hours. But on the plus side, it makes your kitchen smell awesome throughout the day!
It's a quick thing to prepare and good to make before class, put it on while your at class, and then it will be ready when you return.
Here are some helpful links for crock pot cooking.
This aptly-titled blog is exactly what it sounds like. Favorite Slow Cooking recipes
To be honest, I just thought the name was catchy. A Crock Cook
Lastly, here is a list of 10 crock pot recipes with photos
The fact is that nearly every sport can be reduced to a simple, moronic sentence. Football would be "hit people, run the ball, kick the ball." Basketball would be "pass, dribble shoot." Baseball would be "throw, hit, catch."
But fans of those sports could easily counter these arguments with any knowledge of the game.
That being said, my next statement may sound hypocritical, but it is true.
Cooking with a crock pot (or slow cooker) is easy. Seriously.
Reducing cooking with a crock pot to putting ingredient A and B into the crock pot and turning it on is really all you need to do.
Today, I took the easy way out and made some shredded beef with my slow cooker.
Here is all I did.
Bought a big hunk o' meat (I used a 2.5 lb round roast, but any type and size of roast will do) and put it in the slow cooker.
Then, I emptied the contents of a mushroom-onion soup into the slow cooker.
Next, I added a can of diced tomatoes.
Finally, I put in a little water. Why? I am not sure. I remembered my mom at some point in my life telling me to do this so it seemed like I should. (In the end, I used a little bit too much water. But the good part? It didn't matter! And why is that? Because cooking with a crock pot is easier than LeBron's decision to go to Miami. (Honestly, would you rather live here or here? And I even picked the most flattering picture I could find of Cleveland.)
One thing to remember in cooking with a crock pot, it takes a while for your food to cook. If you are cooking it on high, it takes about 5 hours. If on low, about 10 hours. But on the plus side, it makes your kitchen smell awesome throughout the day!
It's a quick thing to prepare and good to make before class, put it on while your at class, and then it will be ready when you return.
Here are some helpful links for crock pot cooking.
This aptly-titled blog is exactly what it sounds like. Favorite Slow Cooking recipes
To be honest, I just thought the name was catchy. A Crock Cook
Lastly, here is a list of 10 crock pot recipes with photos
Monday, October 11, 2010
Eating on a Tight Budget. Well, almost.
After posting that I was going to chronicle what I ate and the price of what I ate in a recent post, I had a very pleasant wrench thrown into my plans. My parents and sister came down to visit and my mom prepared a delicious spaghetti dinner.
So my plan on chronicling the price of everything I had to eat that week will have to be postponed.
That being said, some useful things came from the spaghetti and meatball extravaganza. (Extravaganza may be a bit of an overstatement considering I am used to eating it, but I have been subjected to my own cooking for a month or so now and I realize how much better my mom is at cooking than me.)
One thing to remember to try and do at college: eat at the table.
While I have been known to eat my cereal on an ottoman in front of the TV, I enjoy it when I get to eat like a civilized human and not like Donnie from the Wild Thornberrys.
This next part will sound cheesy, but I am the same guy that seriously contemplated buying this CD.
Get your roommates together and eat at the table. Now if you have roommates you can't stand, this obviously does not apply. But my roommates and I sit down for a "family" dinner once a week, and it is always a good time.
One good thing to think about cooking for a family dinner is hamburgers. They are very easy to cook and are always a crowd pleaser.
My simple recipe is this:
Buy lean ground beef, but not too lean. Ideal meat to fat ratio is 92% meat versus 8% fat.
Make sure to use seasonings. McCormick's Steak Seasoning is my go-to seasoning for burgers, but I also add in a couple of Italian seasonings occasionally. Also, do not forget a little salt & pepper.
Then, simply make the patties, fire up the grill (or frying pan) and cook. (My suggestion? Once you think they are done, cook them another five minutes at least. I am notorious for eating mildly raw meat, and it is not something I am proud of.)
As I mentioned in previous posts, baked beans is a perfect complement to burgers.
For more adventurous recipes, the folks at allrecipes.com have compiled a good list of different burgers. But for my money, I'd just keep it simple. As my grade school teacher Ms. O'Brien always said, keep it simple stupid. (She wasn't the nicest lady.)
So my plan on chronicling the price of everything I had to eat that week will have to be postponed.
That being said, some useful things came from the spaghetti and meatball extravaganza. (Extravaganza may be a bit of an overstatement considering I am used to eating it, but I have been subjected to my own cooking for a month or so now and I realize how much better my mom is at cooking than me.)
One thing to remember to try and do at college: eat at the table.
While I have been known to eat my cereal on an ottoman in front of the TV, I enjoy it when I get to eat like a civilized human and not like Donnie from the Wild Thornberrys.
This next part will sound cheesy, but I am the same guy that seriously contemplated buying this CD.
Get your roommates together and eat at the table. Now if you have roommates you can't stand, this obviously does not apply. But my roommates and I sit down for a "family" dinner once a week, and it is always a good time.
One good thing to think about cooking for a family dinner is hamburgers. They are very easy to cook and are always a crowd pleaser.
My simple recipe is this:
Buy lean ground beef, but not too lean. Ideal meat to fat ratio is 92% meat versus 8% fat.
Make sure to use seasonings. McCormick's Steak Seasoning is my go-to seasoning for burgers, but I also add in a couple of Italian seasonings occasionally. Also, do not forget a little salt & pepper.
Then, simply make the patties, fire up the grill (or frying pan) and cook. (My suggestion? Once you think they are done, cook them another five minutes at least. I am notorious for eating mildly raw meat, and it is not something I am proud of.)
As I mentioned in previous posts, baked beans is a perfect complement to burgers.
For more adventurous recipes, the folks at allrecipes.com have compiled a good list of different burgers. But for my money, I'd just keep it simple. As my grade school teacher Ms. O'Brien always said, keep it simple stupid. (She wasn't the nicest lady.)
Sandwich Time
As any fan of the TV show Friends is aware of, people can have very strong feelings about sandwiches. Ross turned into "Mental Gellar" after the heist of his beloved moist-maker sandwich. Joey would risk his life for a sandwich.
And to be honest?
I can't say that I wouldn't act the same.
Sandwiches are one of the most versatile foods and not to mention one of the most delicious when prepared correctly. "Veggie" and sandwich should not be combined together. I worked at Einstein Bros. Bagels for two years and made all kinds of sandwiches. (In fact, my official title was Sandwich Artist. Translation: I am THE authority on making a solid sandwich.) Veggie sandwiches should be eliminated from all diets. (If you are vegetarian, good for you. But I propose that if you are vegetarian, you are not allowed to eat sandwiches. "Veggie" gives the honorable name sandwich a bad reputation.")
Well here are some quick tips when making a sandwich.
1.) Keep A Solid Selection of Lunch Meat
Some personal favorites of mine: Salami, Capicola, Mortadella, and Roast Beef. (Have I mentioned I'm Italian?)
2.) Grilling is Thrilling
A quick way to add to your sandwich? Toss it on a frying pan for a couple of minutes and voila! You have an even more great sandwich. This is also a great way to spice up traditional favorites. Try grilling peanut butter and jelly (or peanut butter and banana, a personal favorite of mine and Elvis), and you can thank me later.
3.) Wear a Condim...ent
My Italian heritage innately makes me reach for olive oil or Italian dressing to add to any sandwich, but there are plenty of great condiments that can make a big impact on the sandwich. These great condiments include: Thousand Island dressing, brown/spicy/dijon mustard (yellow can get boring), and horseradish (particularly excellent with roast beef.)
Here are some solid links to great sandwiches:
Esquire put out a list in 2008 of The Best Sandwiches in America. (Cleveland makes three appearances.) The magazine also has some cool sandwich links here and here. I even learned something from them.
Make sure to check out the Primanti Bros. Sandwich on that list, a favorite of Pittsburghers (my hometown.) For those of you not from Pittsburgh, first of all, I'm sorry. Second of all, you can attempt to recreate the Primanti Bros.
To conclude, here is another list of best sandwiches in America. (So what if I couldn't resist using the list that ranked Primantis No. 1?)
And to be honest?
I can't say that I wouldn't act the same.
Sandwiches are one of the most versatile foods and not to mention one of the most delicious when prepared correctly. "Veggie" and sandwich should not be combined together. I worked at Einstein Bros. Bagels for two years and made all kinds of sandwiches. (In fact, my official title was Sandwich Artist. Translation: I am THE authority on making a solid sandwich.) Veggie sandwiches should be eliminated from all diets. (If you are vegetarian, good for you. But I propose that if you are vegetarian, you are not allowed to eat sandwiches. "Veggie" gives the honorable name sandwich a bad reputation.")
Well here are some quick tips when making a sandwich.
1.) Keep A Solid Selection of Lunch Meat
Some personal favorites of mine: Salami, Capicola, Mortadella, and Roast Beef. (Have I mentioned I'm Italian?)
2.) Grilling is Thrilling
A quick way to add to your sandwich? Toss it on a frying pan for a couple of minutes and voila! You have an even more great sandwich. This is also a great way to spice up traditional favorites. Try grilling peanut butter and jelly (or peanut butter and banana, a personal favorite of mine and Elvis), and you can thank me later.
3.) Wear a Condim...ent
My Italian heritage innately makes me reach for olive oil or Italian dressing to add to any sandwich, but there are plenty of great condiments that can make a big impact on the sandwich. These great condiments include: Thousand Island dressing, brown/spicy/dijon mustard (yellow can get boring), and horseradish (particularly excellent with roast beef.)
Here are some solid links to great sandwiches:
Esquire put out a list in 2008 of The Best Sandwiches in America. (Cleveland makes three appearances.) The magazine also has some cool sandwich links here and here. I even learned something from them.
Make sure to check out the Primanti Bros. Sandwich on that list, a favorite of Pittsburghers (my hometown.) For those of you not from Pittsburgh, first of all, I'm sorry. Second of all, you can attempt to recreate the Primanti Bros.
To conclude, here is another list of best sandwiches in America. (So what if I couldn't resist using the list that ranked Primantis No. 1?)
Monday, October 4, 2010
The Quest to Eating on a Tight Budget
When the younger of my two older sisters was in college, I would always hear her complain, "I'm a poor college student."
My thoughts?
Stop whining. You are not that poor, you have plenty of money, blah blah blah.
Well, here is my formal apology Angela, because I now see what you meant.
I am a poor college student.
(Side note: here is a link to my sister Angela's blog, featuring some crazy Korean food. She is currently teaching English in South Korea).
That being, being a poor college student (PCS for future reference) does not necessarily mean being a cheap college student when it comes to food.
Being cheap when it comes to food is easy. There is Wendy's, $5 pizzas and frozen food at your fingertips, and that often sounds more appealing than actually cooking a meal. But is being cheap always going to be affordable? That's what I plan on finding out.
Over the next week, I plan on figuring out what is the least expensive way to eat. I am going to document what I eat compared to what a "cheap" version of that food would have cost me.
Now this mission may not be on par with this guy's quest to eat on a budget, but it should be a good test to see how much college students waste on certain types of foods.
(In the meantime, here is a list of "cheap" foods)
My thoughts?
Stop whining. You are not that poor, you have plenty of money, blah blah blah.
Well, here is my formal apology Angela, because I now see what you meant.
I am a poor college student.
(Side note: here is a link to my sister Angela's blog, featuring some crazy Korean food. She is currently teaching English in South Korea).
That being, being a poor college student (PCS for future reference) does not necessarily mean being a cheap college student when it comes to food.
Being cheap when it comes to food is easy. There is Wendy's, $5 pizzas and frozen food at your fingertips, and that often sounds more appealing than actually cooking a meal. But is being cheap always going to be affordable? That's what I plan on finding out.
Over the next week, I plan on figuring out what is the least expensive way to eat. I am going to document what I eat compared to what a "cheap" version of that food would have cost me.
Now this mission may not be on par with this guy's quest to eat on a budget, but it should be a good test to see how much college students waste on certain types of foods.
(In the meantime, here is a list of "cheap" foods)
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Tastes Like Chicken
I have now reached the one month point in my cooking career, so i decided to commemorate the occasion by stepping out of my comfort zone and try something that I have never cooked before.
Now I am not a person that likes change very much. Any person that knows me can attest to that. I am the same person whose mom packed him a peanut butter and jelly for lunch every day from about 7th grade until I graduated high school. (Here is more than you ever wanted to know about PB & J, probably my favorite combination of all time. Other favorite combos: Eminem and Jay-Z, Aaron Neville and Linda Rondstadt (I swear), and MJ and Pippen)
That being said, making new dishes was not in my comfort zone. But hey, you have to grow up sometime, right?
So I decided to try and make a chicken dish. Even though I am partial to red meat and noodles more than poultry, I thought that a change in food would be good for me. Plus, my mom said that cooking chicken was easy.
So I set off this afternoon, scoured the internet and blogosphere before settling on this: If I am going to make something new, I want the recipe to come from a pro.
I turned to the Food Network's big headed personality, Giada de Laurentiis. (And I don't mean big headed as in cocky. She seriously has an enormous head to body ratio.)
After looking through numerous recipes, I settled on Roasted Chicken with Balsamic Vinaigrette. (The name makes it sound a lot fancier than it is.)
I would explain how I made it, but I just followed this recipe, with a few changes. I just bought four chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken and kind of ignored the whole chicken broth part.
Well, it turned out to be quite a success. The chicken was delicious and I even had my roommates verify that it tasted great.
The chicken was not difficult to cook at all, consisting of soaking the chicken in the marinade and cooking it for 50 minutes (10 minutes less than the recipe indicates.)
I highly recommend it to any student with some time to cook. It's great to make on weekends because the leftovers should last until about Wednesday (if you make it on a Sunday, like I did.)
Here is evidence of the cooking.
My first solo expedition into cooking was quite a success.
Now I am not a person that likes change very much. Any person that knows me can attest to that. I am the same person whose mom packed him a peanut butter and jelly for lunch every day from about 7th grade until I graduated high school. (Here is more than you ever wanted to know about PB & J, probably my favorite combination of all time. Other favorite combos: Eminem and Jay-Z, Aaron Neville and Linda Rondstadt (I swear), and MJ and Pippen)
That being said, making new dishes was not in my comfort zone. But hey, you have to grow up sometime, right?
So I decided to try and make a chicken dish. Even though I am partial to red meat and noodles more than poultry, I thought that a change in food would be good for me. Plus, my mom said that cooking chicken was easy.
So I set off this afternoon, scoured the internet and blogosphere before settling on this: If I am going to make something new, I want the recipe to come from a pro.
I turned to the Food Network's big headed personality, Giada de Laurentiis. (And I don't mean big headed as in cocky. She seriously has an enormous head to body ratio.)
After looking through numerous recipes, I settled on Roasted Chicken with Balsamic Vinaigrette. (The name makes it sound a lot fancier than it is.)
I would explain how I made it, but I just followed this recipe, with a few changes. I just bought four chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken and kind of ignored the whole chicken broth part.
Well, it turned out to be quite a success. The chicken was delicious and I even had my roommates verify that it tasted great.
The chicken was not difficult to cook at all, consisting of soaking the chicken in the marinade and cooking it for 50 minutes (10 minutes less than the recipe indicates.)
I highly recommend it to any student with some time to cook. It's great to make on weekends because the leftovers should last until about Wednesday (if you make it on a Sunday, like I did.)
Here is evidence of the cooking.
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