Author: Sanura

Radicchio Chicken Salad with Rosemary Vinaigrette

Sanura

Radicchio Chicken Salad Sandwich

My boyfriend and I are both strong forces of nature. He’s always right. I’m always right. Learning to let go of expectations and going with the flow of life is more gratifying as winning a fight with my planned solution. As the “foodie” in the relationship, my tastes are quite difficult, confusing, and demanding. It’s not just about the food. There are opinions about synthetic perfumes. Using natural cleaning products that are better for the environment. Purchasing unhealthy snacks for the midnight hour. Buying mattresses made with natural materials. After all, my opinions are always right. Read more →

Appetizing Thoughts: Dance Africa 2011

Sanura

The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) at sunset.
Dance Africa is the unofficial Memorial Day event commencing Brooklyn, New York’s summer festivities. For the last 34 years, The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) has successfully organized this dynamic festival celebrating the African Diaspora. We had the pleasure of attending the dress rehearsal to this year’s dance performance, “Expressions and Encounters: African, Cuban and American Rhythms.” Lively dancers and musicians in colorful costumes danced, leaped, sang, and pounded drums in a fluid choreography of grace and strength. The other large attraction to Dance Africa are the various vendors selling furniture, vintage music, clothing, West African musical instruments, jewelry, and food. Read more →

Chicken Thighs with Ginger Rhubarb Sauce

Sanura

Baked Chicken Thighs with Ginger Rhubarb Sauce over Brown and Wild Rice

One of the initial plans when returning back to a full-time career was to immediately start saving for a washer and dryer for our apartment. There were few times in my early life I remember going with Mom to the laundromat. As a young child, laundry day was dreaded. It’s a boring place. The afternoons were worst, because the televisions only ran soap operas. Back then, there were only a few channels. The wash and spin sound was irritating. The combination of various dryers turning consistently was boisterously loud. As a young family working hard to better our lives, we eventually moved out of apartment living into a newly constructed house with our own laundry room. Even in college, I would come home on weekends to do laundry to avoid the school’s laundromat. Today, using a public laundromat at my age is beyond the farthest imagination of how I was going to live as an adult. Read more →

Quinoa with Roast Vegetables, Kalamata Olives, Black Beans and Feta Cheese

Sanura

Quinoa with Roast Vegetables, Feta Cheese, and Chicken

Oh, holy grain, its quinoa! As one commenter on MyLifeRunsOnFood’s FaceBook page mentioned, it’s the fuel of marathoners. In America’s advancement of fast food that is supposed to save the world (it’s destroying it, but that’s another discussion), we’re missing out on interesting and natural ingredients that are also quick to make. People are increasingly curious about alternative choices outside America’s monotonous food system of taste. Quinoa first appears as tightly wound, packed grains (they’re actually seeds). After they cook, they become translucent and spirally. As mentioned before about seeds and grains, quinoa has a slight corn and nutty taste, for it mostly supports flavorful ingredients. Read more →