My Favorite Places For…

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Jessica

So I’ve been discussing a lot about my favorite food blogs, my favorite places to eat, my favorite foods to eat and hopefully you’ve enjoyed that. However, I haven’t told you where’s my favorite place for dessert, my favorite place for brunch, my favorite place for pizza, my favorite place for a burger, and the list can go on and on and on.

Today I want to share with you my favorite places for:

Burger

I’ve been going to STOUT since I was about 21 years old and it’s never failed to disappoint. STOUT is an Irish pub and it’s original location is on West 33rd Street and Avenue of the Americas. They have an array of menu items I enjoy, but I always enjoy their burgers and you can different toppings to it. The burgers are massive, juicy, and delicious and their sweet potato fries are amazingly delicious so I guess that’s a +1 for me.

Sushi

I really like the ambiance, service, but most of the all the sushi from Samurai Fusion Sushi. They are beautifully plated and neat. They also come in a variety of sushi rolls. Their rolls are always made to order and absolutely fresh. I can’t seem to find any other sushi that is as good as the ones from Samurai Fusion Sushi.

Ramen

So it’s pretty apparent that I love ramen especially in this chilly weather now. I’ve been to a lot of Japanese and ramen restaurants in the past four years, but the one place I will always love to go for ramen no matter how crazy it can be is: Santouka at Mitsuwa. It’s the first place I’ve ever been to have real and authentic ramen. They don’t have that many broth/varieties to choose from, but the ramen and broth here are full of flavor, deliciousness, and hearty!

Ice Cream

One of my favorite places for ice cream is Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. It’s been around for a long, long, long time and their service and ice cream never disappoints. I always enjoy coming here during the warm weather and it is always packed here! My favorite flavors here are: almond cookie, lychee, pumpkin pie, and green tea! So good, rich, and tasty!

Brunch

I absolutely adore doing brunch with my boyfriend, friends, and family. One of my favorite places for brunch so far is: Cafe Luluc which isn’t so far from City Tech actually. I found out about this little French restaurant on Yelp last year and have been here a few times so far. The food here are rustic, classic, simple yet so delicious and irresistible. They sure know how to make some good Eggs Benedict!

So these are just some of my favorite places to go for certain foods and I do have a lot more I can list, but you can always ask me yourself what do I like and where would I go for it.

Where do you like to go for a good burger, pizza, sushi, brunch, coffee and etc?

My Top 5 Favorite Food Blogs

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Jessica

Stephen King once said, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”

I must admit I am not the most eloquent writer/blogger when it comes to grammar and punctuation, but that’s why I do read a lot or try to make time to read different publications, but most of all food blogs especially my favorite ones. I learn a lot from reading them as well as how other food bloggers write and about their own personal experiences with food.

Today, I’d like to share with you my top five favorite food blogs that I admire greatly and love to read:

I Just Want to Eat is a food blog written by Jean-Philippe and his food blog is all about food, information about places he’s eaten in New York, New Jersey, or anywhere he’s traveled and a various information related to food. I like this food blog because not only is it well-written, but I Just Want to Eat is just everywhere on social media. Most food blogs I read are written by females, but it’s nice to read a food blog from a male’s perspective.

I started reading Let’s Nom Nom earlier this year and I really enjoy this blog because the blog is a vegetarian focused food blog and even though I am not a vegetarian, I do find the vegetarian foods mentioned on this blog are quite tempting and may be worth trying. I also like the simplicity of this blog between colors, layout, and pictures are so clear!

A dear friend of mine has a sister that is owner/food blogger of Feisty Foodie. I absolutely love her blog because there’s just a lot of content to read and this blog has been around for almost ten years – that’s a lot of content! Her food photos are on point, clear, and just makes you salivate. I also love how highly organized Feisty Foodie’s posts are and categorized in different topics.

Another food blog I truly admire and enjoy reading is Chubby Chinese Girl because her blog is filled with lots of content too, just like Feisty Foodie and her food photos just scream deliciousness. She is also highly involved in social media and always posts up lots of delicious foods. Coincidentally, I am connected to her on LinkedIn and found out who is behind this awesome food blog.

Finally, I’ve been following and reading Food Intended for a few months now and man the food featured on this blog is phenomenal! The blog is broken down in different sections like – Hidden Gems, F Train Bites, Food For Thought, Pinky Up and a lot more. I recently got friend requested by one of the co-owners of the blog and that’s very exciting and pleasant at the same time. What I really and truly enjoy about this particular food blog is that in each review that’s done, the owners/bloggers leave little tips for their reader, fun facts and also include a map of where the food establishment is. This is neat!

These are currently my top five favorite food blogs, but I do read a lot more food blogs than this. I also admire the fact that these five blogs are highly active on social media which is always inspiring because I am a social media guru as well. Sometimes these food blogs do make me salivate, they do inspire me, they teach me, and they motivate me to not only become adventurous in trying new foods, but also motivate me in becoming a better blogger and writer.

Do you have any blogs that you like to read? If so, why do you like them?

My Top 10 Favorite Foods

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Jessica

Every foodie has their favorite places to eat and foods to eat. I’ve already covered where I like to eat in this blog post. Now, I would like to share with you my 10 favorite foods that I love to eat the most. Enjoy!

1. I’ve never thought I would be a fan of Eggs Benedict until a few years ago. Some people don’t like runny yolks, but I actually like it and don’t mind. Eggs Benedict is my choice of brunch when I am out for brunch with my friends or boyfriend. I think Eggs Benedict are the best when the Hollandaise sauce has a lemony taste to it and they are runny.

2. Dumplings are probably one of my favorite foods growing up and not because it’s a popular Asian food, but sometimes it’s just more pleasant to eat than your regular rice and noodles. I especially love the pan-fried dumplings my boyfriend and I make, fold, and cook together. I like my dumplings both pan-fried and boiled and I also like they come in different flavors.

3. One of my favorite dishes that my mom makes best is braised pig feet with bean curd stick with mung bean sauce. This particular dish is made mostly on Chinese holidays and I always look forward to eating it because it is really delicious and has a bit of sweetness to it from the mung bean sauce.

4. I’ve always had a thing for fried calamari ever since I was high school. However, good fried calamari is hard to come by at times. I’ve tried a lot of fried calamari and they always seem to be bland, tasteless, and overcooked. Good fried calamari should be hot, crunchy, and cooked just right.

5. Pad Thai is not only one of the more popular Thai dishes, but it is one of my favorite Thai dishes that I enjoy very much. I like that you can add any protein you want in it and/or have a vegetable one if you like. I like it not too sweet and with a little tanginess to it.

6. Ice cream is one my weaknesses, but also my favorite dessert. I sure have had a lot of ice cream this summer and so far my favorite flavors are: pumpkin, French vanilla, earl grey, almond, and cookies n’ creme.

7. I think it’s pretty apparent that I love ramen. I mostly eat it hot because it’s just a nice comforting food to have especially on chilly days like tonight or in the Winter. I really enjoy the different types of broth and style of noodles that are available. I haven’t had ramen in a few months, so I definitely need to have a bowl soon!

8. Another one of my favorite desserts is anything that incorporates with fruits and grass jelly. Grass jelly is a jelly-like dessert found in China. The jelly can be cut into cubes or other forms and then mixed with syrup to produce a drink and dessert and it is thought to have cooling properties especially during hot weather.

9. Rice cakes with preserved mustard and shredded pork is a popular Shanghainese dish and also one of my favorite dishes to order at a Shanghainese restaurant. The rice cakes are a little chewy and gummy texture and the preserved mustard is usually served fresh and has a crunchy texture to it. It’s quite a savory dish!

10. Last, but not least one of my favorite Chinese dishes is clams with black bean sauce. I love eating Italian style clams too, but I enjoy eating clams with black bean sauce a lot more and it’s quite tasty too.

What are you favorite foods to eat?

The 10 Best Things I’ve Ate This Summer

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Jessica

Welcome back to Fall 2015 all faculty and city tech students! It feels good and exciting to be back at City Tech as this will be my last year at City Tech and of college. It’s exciting and scary at the same time.

Anyway, hope your summer was blast and you had a chance to eat a lot of yummy foods! I know I did. I had a list of places I wanted to try this summer and I was able to accomplish most of it as well as get to try foods I never tried before. I’d like to share with you the 10 best things I ever ate this summer –

1. Strawberry Refresher from Starbucks

I love almost all foods and drinks that are strawberry related, so when I heard Starbucks came out with a Strawberry Acai Refresher – I was ecstatic. I gave it a shot and fell head over heels with it. There’s a slight tartness to it, but you can definitely taste the strawberry-ness in it and it’s absolutely refreshing. If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a shot.

2. Bisque Mussels from Mussels & More

During the summer, I ate at Mussels and More with my friends and boyfriend twice because it was just that good! One of the items we tried was the Bisque mussels (lobster, brandy, garlic, tomato, and cream) and it was truly the best mussels I’ve had so far. It was rich and savory. The mussels were cooked just right!

3. Linguine with White Clam Sauce from Mussels & More

Another item I’ve tried at Mussels & More is Linguine with white clam sauce in many restaurants, but none as good and savory as the one from Mussels & More. You can just taste the love and effort that was put into this dish.

4. Steamed lobster from Larchmont Yacht Club

Over the summer, I attended my boyfriend’s company picnic at Larchmont and that’s where I had one of the best lobsters of my life! They were serving steamed lobsters with butter and I had two lobsters to myself and they were absolutely tender, moist, and with a little sweetness as well. So simple, yet so delicious!

5. Rice Cakes with Shredded Pork & Preserved Mustard from Nan Xiang Dumpling House

This is one of my favorite dishes that I love to order at most Shanghainese restaurants! Last month, my boyfriend and I had dinner at a Shanghainese restaurant in Flushing and that’s where I’ve had one of the best rice cakes with shredded pork and preserved mustard. The rice cakes weren’t soggy and cooked just right and the preserved mustard, weren’t preserved this time, in fact it was fresh and crunchy.

6. Roast Pork Taco from Tacos El Bronco

My friend introduced me to Tacos El Bronco and I tried the roast pork taco. It was hands down the best taco I’ve had so far. It was warm, vibrant, and delicious! The guacamole had a nice and rich creaminess to it and the taco wasn’t spicy at all. The roast pork was really tender and moist. Everything was on point!

7. Cookies n Creme Ice Cream

Ice cream is one of my weaknesses, but I forgot how much happiness an ice cream on a cone can bring to me. My manager treated my company to ice cream and Italian ices one afternoon and I got myself a cookies n creme ice cream and boy was I happy.

8. Roasted Corn & Jalapeno Crab Bisque from Hooked

I normally don’t order soups at restaurants, but I decided to order the roasted corn & jalapeno crab bisque from Hooked as many of my friends did to while we were in Ocean City, MD for Labor Day weekend. The bisque was surprisingly not spicy at all, despite jalapeno being in the name of the bisque. I really enjoyed the bisque. It was hearty, warm, creamy, and irresistibly delicious!

9. Affugazi Affogato from Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain

I always wanted to go to Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain and I did go this summer not just once, but twice! The first time I went with my friends, I ordered the Affugazi Affogato which was absolutely delightful. It was like chocolate and espresso heaven! I really enjoyed the large scoop of vanilla ice cream encased in the hardened chocolate shell. The chocolate shell was difficult and almost impossible to break through. The two shots of espresso was good and powerful stuff!

10. Horchata from Las Margaritas

I’ve always been curious about horchata, so I gave it a shot at Las Margaritas when I was out with friends one night. Every Spanish/Mexican restaurant has their own way of making horchata I am sure, but the one from Las Margaritas was very refreshing and perfect for a summery day. The horchata I had a bit of cinnamon or maybe nutmeg in it and it was a nice touch to it.

I really enjoyed this summer and give myself a lot of credit for trying a lot of new foods, drinks, and restaurants. It’s been an exciting experience!

Why I Love Food Blogging

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Jessica

Wow I can’t believe the semester is coming to an end already, can you? Since the semester is coming to an end, I thought it would be appropriate to write a post about why I love to do what I do and that’s food blogging.

I started blogging when I was 14 on Xanga.com, but at that point in my life and the earlier years of my college life I wasn’t blogging about food nor did I have a niche. I would blog about my life, challenges as a freshmen, and a lot more. It wasn’t until around 2009 or 2010 I discovered I had an extreme passion for food and became very opened to trying new foods, restaurants, and cooking.

I had a growing passion for food, for writing, and for blogging so I decided to combine all three and that’s when I started blogging for food blogging communities and after learning a sufficient amount of information about how to start a food blog, what type of content I would post up, and etc. I created Ambitious Eats with the help of my boyfriend.

I’m very happy to have and write for my food blog because I love blogging and it’s just a nice feeling to be writing and sharing content with a little mystery of who will be reading or who will be finding my food blog. I like sharing my experiences, thoughts, ideas and etc. I feel there’s a lot of good food in New York City and all around, but there’s also a lot of bad food and friends shouldn’t let other friends eat bad food.

Food blogging and just blogging itself has changed my life because it’s made me become a little more opened to my friends and just people in general. I am very passionate about food and I think it shows very clearly through the series of posts I’ve published here, on my food blog, my Yelp reviews, and much more.

I hope you enjoyed reading my series of posts about food and my passion. I wish you best of luck on your finals and a great summer!

Why I Chose Hospitality Management

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Jessica

When I first started to attend City Tech, way back when when I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, who I would end up meeting, what would happen, would I hate college life and so much more. I began City Tech, majoring in Communication Design because at that point I liked art and design, but when I got a taste of it I wasn’t happy

All of my family and friends say that I had a knack for going out to eat and cooking.. My family and friends told me maybe I should pursue a degree in Culinary Arts, I knew at that point City Tech offered a Hospitality Management program so I began exploring this option and asking around about what can I expect.

I changed my course of study and decided to begin a new journey to find my passion and to see if I was happy in Hospitality Management. At first I didn’t enjoy it because I didn’t have much people skills and was going through a tough time in my life. I picked myself up one day and told myself that I needed to really get the ball rolling and immerse myself more into Hospitality Management.

One class I have taken was Dining Room and I really enjoyed it. I liked that everyone had a chance to be a different role, person each day whether it be a front server, back server, captain, dishwasher, and etc. Our final project was to design a table for a choice between 4 to 6 guests and we also had to have a theme. The theme my group and I did was a vintage, classic look which I thought was very beautiful and elegant.

I am all squared away with my Baking and Culinary classes and I miss it. I honestly enjoyed Culinary a lot more than Baking. I’ve never seen myself as a Baker or Pastry Arts type of person. I was fortunate enough to have Culinary 1 & Culinary 2 with the same professor (Professor Tomlinson) both classes on a Saturday. Culinary 2 is suppose to be a lot more intense, but he made it very enjoyable and not crazy.

Culinary class opened my eyes and heart up because there were a lot of foods that I thought I would never enjoy like Salad Nicoise, deviled eggs, French onion soup, polenta, and a lot more. I ate things I never thought I would and because of that I am a little more accepting in trying new foods.

This semester and for my last two semesters, I am or will be taking all lecture classes. I must admit it’s different, but it’s a lot to learn and a lot to take in.

I like hospitality because I get to explore different areas of the business and I’ve found that I enjoy marketing/social media.

I like hospitality because it allows me to share my creativity and love for food and marketing.

I like Hospitality because it’s about providing an unforgettable experience for guests.

What are you majoring in? Why do you enjoy it?

My Top 5 Favorite Places to Eat

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Jessica

Every foodie has at least one or two places they love to eat at frequently besides their own home. I think that growing up in New York City there’s a lot of different restaurants and foods that I’ve grown to love and deeply enjoy.

As a foodie and a person that loves trying new things and adventure, I’d like to share with you my top 5 favorite places to eat.

1. Cocoron has been one of my favorite Japanese restaurants so far. They have two locations in the Lower East Side/Chinatown section of Manhattan. Cocoron is unique and different from other Japanese restaurants because they are best known for soba noodles (Japanese name for buckwheat noodles).

I love the dip soba sets they have because it’s cute, exciting, and a do-it-yourself meal. The dip soba set includes a mini burner with a bowl of boiling broth filled with meats and scallions and a plate of soba noodles. Basically, you will dip your noodles in the boiling broth for a minute or two and then eat it.

Recommendations: Chicken meatball dip soba, Grilled duck with blueberry jam, Warm Japanese style curry soba, Coconut milk with frozen berries

2. STOUT is my go-to-sports bar and also a place to sit back and enjoy delicious foods. They also have two locations in Manhattan, but I’ve only been to the one in Midtown. I find it more enjoyable and relaxing to come during lunch time rather than dinner time. Lunch time is a laid back and not rowdy. Dinner time can get crowded, rowdy, and less enjoyable. The food here is absolutely delicious and I sometimes come here just for the Wisconsin style thin crust pizza because it’s that good!

Recommendations: Fried calamari, Wisconsin style thin crust pizza, Sweet potato fries, Stout burger

3. Cafe Luluc has become one of my favorite brunch places! I am so glad I found this gem because their brunch is amazing. I’ve been here twice so far and the service has never disappointed and the quality of the food is top notch and inexpensive. I really enjoy their Eggs Benedict and Eggs Florentine and how it’s accompanied with fries and a refreshing field greens salad. Cafe Luluc isn’t too far from City Tech, so if you ever find yourself wanting brunch or any type of meal, just pop in to Cafe Luluc.

Recommendations: Eggs Benedict, Mixed berry Pancakes, Mimosa, Brioche French toast

4. Ramen Misoya happens to be one of my favorite ramen restaurants. It’s located in the East Village on 2nd Avenue and just off of St. Marks Place. I like that their ramen is different from other ramen restaurants I’ve been to because their style and presentation is a lot more vibrant and warm. The service here is pretty on par, but it’s the food that’s the most up to par.

Recommendations: Miso chicken curry ramen, Kome miso ramen with cha-shu, Gyoza

5. Another favorite restaurant of mine is Maharlika. I never thought I would enjoy Filipino cuisine, but I do. It’s completely different from other Asian cuisines that I’ve tried so far. At Maharlika, I love their spam fries and kare kare (oxtails braised in peanut butter sauce w/ grilled bokchoy, roasted eggplant, & long beans). Everything here is just pure comfort food and full of deliciousness.

Recommendations: Spam fries, Lumpiang Barquillos, Kare kare, Sisig

What are some of your favorite places to eat?

The Best Spring Eateries

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Jessica

I can’t tell you how happy I am that Spring has finally sprung! Now that the warm and beautiful weather is here, it’s definitely time to take advantage of it. Spring means more reasons to be outside, more reasons to enjoy outdoor dining and try out different restaurants without having to worry about the cold weather.

I have come up with a list of eateries that’s worth checking out as the weather is warming up. Hopefully you will be inspired to try these eateries out.

1. Dinosaur BBQ in Gowanus, Brooklyn is possibly one of Brooklyn’s hottest restaurant! It’s been around for almost two years and each time that I’ve been here has never been a disappointment. There’s indoor and outdoor dining available. It’s very cozy and laid back here and a great place to come with family, friends, or anyone really and enjoy some insanely good barbecue food.

Recommendations: St. Louis Ribs, Brisket, Chili, Mac-n-Cheese

2. Hanco’s has a few locations in Brooklyn, but the one I normally go to is located on Montague Street which is very close to school. I like Hanco’s because it’s not your typical Vietnamese eatery. There’s indoor and outdoor dining. There’s no charge for tip and there’s a good variety of simple and traditional Vietnamese foods from banh mi’s to spring rolls to summer rolls to vermicelli to pho. I also like Hanco’s because it’s a very laid back environment and the food is tasty!

Recommendations: Classic Banh Mi, Shredded Chicken Banh Mi, Grilled Chicken over Rice Vermicelli, Vietnamese Iced Coffee

3. Munchies Cafe is located in Bensonhurst,Brooklyn and is definitely one of my favorite places to visit. Their menu include a BBQ section, Hong Kong style munchies, cold dishes, pudding, bubble tea, and a lot more. I typically come here for their desserts because they are fresh, tasty, and refreshing. In addition, it’s a very laid back environment and very warm and welcoming. I like coming here a lot especially during the summer when it’s hot and I am craving for a cool, light dessert.

Recommendations: Papaya sago with grass jelly, Mario Brothers, Mixed fruits with grass jelly

4. HOPHAP is located in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn and a great and unique Thai restaurant that’s worth visiting. The atmosphere is very calm and relaxing. Food is authentic, fresh, and full of flavor! I’ve been here twice this year and it has never disappointed.

Recommendations: Crispy calamari with sweet chili sauce, Pad Thai, White lychee sangria, Red mango sangria, and Golden Curry Puffs

5. Just Desserts is another one of my favorite dessert places in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn! I like this dessert place because on most days it closes pretty late between 10:30PM-12:30AM, has a wide variety of desserts and bubble teas, and it’s inexpensive. Just Desserts is a cute place to come for desserts especially during the Spring and Summer time.

Recommendations: Mango Sago with Grass Jelly, Watermelon Shake, Red Bean Ice, Toddy Palm with Grass Jelly

Hope you found this list helpful and try out a few of these places.

What are a few restaurants/eateries you like to visit during Spring?

March 11th is Eat Your Noodles Day

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Jessica

Today is Eat Your Noodles Day and what your about to read and see will make you hungry and possibly salivate for noodles.

Growing up in a Chinese family and being exposed to predominantly Asian and Italian cuisine in my neighborhood, you can bet that I love noodles and eat it quite often. Since today is Eat Your Noodles Day, I would like to share with you a few of my favorite noodle dishes.

One cuisine I love the most is Thai and the most popular and recognized dish of all is Pad Thai. I absolutely love Pad Thai and the best one I’ve had so far was from BKNY Thai. I ordered Chicken Pad Thai during my first time at BKNY Thai. The Pad Thai was on par and had just the right amount of sweet and tanginess to it.

If your not familiar with Pad Thai, it’s a stir-fried rice noodle with eggs, chopped firm tofu, and flavored with tamarind pulp, fish sauce, garlic or shallots, palm sugar and often served with lime or lemon and crushed roast peanuts. It also contains bean sprouts, garlic chives, fresh shrimp, crab or chicken or any other protein.

I think it’s pretty apparent to you that I love ramen. One of the best ramen I’ve had so far is the Syo-Yu Ramen from Ramen Takumi. It is a soy sauce flavored broth with two slices of pork, bamboo shoots, soy sauce flavored egg, seaweed, scallions, and onions. Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? I fell in love the first time I had this because it was so hearty, warm, and just amazing!

I don’t eat mac n’ cheese very much, but there is one mac n’ cheese that I have had and really enjoyed and that’s the Short Rib Mac n’ Cheese from Fatty Cue at the Barclays Center. This was possibly the best mac n’ cheese I’ve ever, ever had! It contained boneless short rib, shredded mozzarella cheese, chopped tomatoes, and scallions. It was like absolute heaven!

Another noodle dish I really enjoy is this Baked Minced Beef with Spaghetti from Hong Kong Tea & Sushi. I never thought spaghetti can taste so good with this Asian twist. This dish is spaghetti topped with corn, peas, carrots, minced beef and light tomato sauce and cheese! Doesn’t that sound yum? I like that this dish is very filling, but also filled with vibrant colors and it’s mouth-watering delicious!

Finally, I’d like to share with you another noodle I like to have every time I am craving for Korean food and it’s Japchae. Japchae is a Korean dish made from sweet potato noodles, stir fried in sesame oil with vegetables and sometimes served with beef and flavored with soy sauce and sweetened with sugar. It is usually garnished with sesame seeds. It can be served hot or cold.

I like the sesame taste in the Japchae because it makes the noodles taste a lot richer. I’ve had it hot and cold before and I think I prefer to have it cold. It just tastes a lot more refreshing and pleasant that way.

Now that I’ve named some of my favorite noodle dishes, maybe you will be inspired to give one of my favorites a shot.

Do you eat noodles often? What are you favorite noodle dishes?

The Best Cold Weather Foods

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Jessica

It’s no surprise that this month has been nothing, but an icebox outside. However, this icebox-like weather shouldn’t put a crimp in your food plans. If anything, this freezing month and weather means it’s the perfect time to embrace and enjoy hot, hearty, and comforting foods.

I’ve compiled a list of warm, mouth-watering deliciousness you can bask in during these subzero temperatures at least until spring is finally in the air. All of these foods make for a great idea on any cold day or night.

Chicken pot pie is a true, classical, and harmonious comfort food. This is the chicken pot pie I made in my Culinary 2 class last semester. It’s a completely different version of the chicken pot pie you may be used to seeing. I really enjoyed this version of the chicken pot pie because it was based from my own creativity, but also because it’s a feel-good dish!

Hot Pot is definitely one of my favorite style of cooking and eating. If you don’t know what hot pot is, it’s really simple because all it is really is a simmering metal pot of stock and ingredients are placed into the pot and cooked at the table. Typical hot pot dishes include thinly sliced meats, leafy vegetables, mushrooms, dumplings, seafood, and much more. The cooked food is usually eaten with a dipping sauce. Hot pot is commonly eaten in the winter during dinner time.

I love hot pot because it’s considered to be healthier, it’s a feel-good dish and style of cooking, and versatile. Hot pot is especially more fun when your doing it with family or friends.

Pho is a classical Vietnamese noodle soup and specialty of a number of restaurants. It consists of an amazing broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat. It’s primarily served with either beef or chicken. It can be garnished with lime, bean sprouts, cilantro, and cinnamon basil. The broth is heaven! It’s full of beef and herb-like aromas and absolutely Vietnamese comfort food.

Every once in a while, I crave for Cuban cuisine and I usually would order a hearty beef stew with rice and beans. I love it when the beef stew are big and juicy and the sauce is drenched over the rice and beans which makes it more exciting and enjoyable! There’s nothing like staying warm with a warm and tasty dish!

If you haven’t noticed by now the popularity of ramen is booming! The truth is ramen has always been around, but after it’s booming that’s when I really developed a love and excitement for ramen. It’s become a comfort food and a food that many have learned to appreciate and admire because not only is it delicious and savory, but ramen is a process and layers of different flavors and textures.

Another food that is perfect for a chilly winter day is a bowl of creamy, velvety grits. I’ve had grits 2-3 times in the past two or three years and not only will it fill you up, but it’s real a pleasure to eat. There’s no real taste to grits like oatmeal unless you add in your own flavoring, foods, and garnishments. Wouldn’t you want to have a hot bowl of creamy goodness in front of your face right now?

These are soup dumplings also known as xiao long bao. They are traditionally filled with pork and a solid meat aspic. When you take your first few bites into the xiao long bao, a savory pork soup will explode in your mouth. Xiao long bao is best consumed when hot.

I hope you’ve found this list of foods to be helpful especially with the days we have left of this frigid weather. If you haven’t tried any of these yet, I think you should at least it give a shot at least once and see if you may enjoy it.

What kinds of foods do you enjoy in the cold weather?

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