Year: 2011

Fried Cornmeal Okra

Sanura

Fried Okra

During the month of September, MyLifeRunsOnFood.com is part of New York’s Locavore Challenge. This is the first of a few posts dedicated to using produce supporting local, sustainable farms and food businesses. I know it’s almost mid-month, but it’s not too late to sign up for this educational challenge. For this post, I write about a familiar experience of being reintroduce to unpopular produce by my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, Bedstuy Farm Share. Visit NOFA-NY.com to learn more about additional events and join their cause.
…

Okra and I have a score to settle because of its slimy ways. It’s true, first impressions are important, for my first bite of okra wasn’t pleasant. Just like beets, it’s a vegetable some people love. While others, such as myself, dislike it. How does this story of reconciliation start? Read more →

Mediterranean-Inspired Open-Faced Sandwiches

Sanura

Mediterranean-Inspired Open-Faced Sandwiches
At this time of year, the energy switches from laid-back, long days of summer into tightly packed schedules for the fall. For the kids (and adults), it’s back to school time. Maybe, it’s back to work after returning from a relaxing vacation. It’s about organizing and preparing for the future, including packing healthy lunches. Read more →

The Ultimate Hoagie Sandwich

Sanura

The Hoagie Sandwich

My Pre-Kindergarten days have a dark side. It starts with a single file line walk towards the cafeteria. We were place in pre-assigned small chairs at low-rising tables to anxiously wait for lunch to arrive. I prayed for my favorite lunch, for there was a rule: No recess until plates are clean. My prayers were answered on some days. On other days, my classmates and I were served a baloney and mustard sandwich, and I wasn’t blessed with recess. It was also the moment, where my teacher and I lock eyes. Read more →

Deviled Eggs with Smoked Paprika and Peppadew Peppers

Sanura

Deviled Eggs with Smoked Paprika and Peppadew Peppers

How well do you know Labor Day? I thought it was a military holiday honoring soldiers. For someone else, it’s the last time to wear white. Maybe, it’s the last barbecue of the summer. It actually honors labor unions. Ironically, many unions today are aggressively fighting for employees’ rights, without majority public support. Most people think of them as a nuisance. Au contraire…

This isn’t a political or social blog, so the rest of my thoughts are kept to myself. Let’s just say, I’m working harder—around the clock–for less money and benefits than years before. These past few months are a whirlwind of busy projects. They’re fragile like eggs, for not one can crack. Read more →

Zucchini Tomato Ricotta Pizza

Sanura

Zucchini Tomato Ricotta Pizza

Since moving to New York, Dad calls to brag about his homemade pizza with vegetables from his garden every summer. I always beg him to freeze a pie and overnight it on dry ice. He laughs. I naively wait.

While waiting, I’ve tried various restaurant-style regional pizzas. My favorite style is Chicago’s thick cornmeal crust. Each slice is the equivalent to one meal. As for New York’s thin-crust pizza, I initially didn’t like it. New Yorkers brag about it being the best, and they often take out-of-town guests to their favorite pizza place. It’s definitely a ‘place’, because it’s really a fast food version of hamburgers. The ingredients are canned tomato sauce, dry cheese and flavorless dough. It’s doesn’t taste special. A New York restaurant-style pizza specializing in fresh ingredients, especially with homemade mozzarella cheese, is a true delight. However, one slice is a snack compared to Chicago’s hearty version. In recent years, as the food movement as spread, more New York restaurants are making pizza with fresh ingredients. Read more →