Smooth Moves

With summer fast approaching and attempting to wind down from far too much (or not enough) traveling, I have been cultivating a deep new bond with my vitamix. It was only through going cold turkey (the 13-pound contraption was the equivalent of at least one pair of leather boots, 10 cardigans, and a hair straightener), that I realized just how wonderful a delicious smoothie is to start your day. While I do love my vitamix for the quick concoctions of hummus-y, pesto-y, and soup-y variety, I have recently become obsessed with the smoothie. Not only are they deliciousfantastic, but they can be super healthy, packed with tons of yummy good stuff, and keep you full for a while. Let me break it down for you:

The Liquid (about 1 cup - 1 1/2 cups):

Since I have been attempting to restrict the amount of dairy in my diet, and because I really love the flavor, I usually use unsweetened vanilla almond milk (I recommend blue diamond, but any will do). Another yummy, lighter solution is coconut water. If you haven't caught on to the Rihanna-inspired trend, I highly recommend you do - it's great for rehydration after some hot yoga (or even a light jog around the park) and adds a little something extra flavorwise.

The Fruit (1/2 cup - 1 cup)

Go crazy. I prefer my fruit frozen because I like the consistency of the smoothie better, but get creative. My latest obsession is mango, peach, 1/2 banana and some raspberries. Beware of blueberries - they stain your teeth. SO if you are going to add them, I would supplement them with other fruits as well.

The Veg

I like to throw a little something in that I have in the fridge. I highly recommend kale - super-power packed with everything good for your body and doesn't have an overpoweringly 'green' taste. Carrots and beets add a bit of sweetness. Cucumbers are deliciously refreshing.

The Herb

I love to add mint - it soothes the tummy and is incredibly refreshing.

The Protein Punch

I like to add a scoop of protein powder. I recommend a whey protein with not too much other stuff in it. They have some great options that are low in carbs and calories that help you stay fuller for longer. I prefer vanilla, but they have some yummy other options too

The other goodies

I recently went on a whole foods shopping spree and picked up some fun new things to add in
1. green vibrance powder - you can never have too many greens
2. cacao powder - delicious taste and filled with antioxidants
3. maca powder - a hip new supplement that supports energy and hormone levels without a strong taste (add 1 tsp)
4. bee pollen! a high-density superfood that supposedly does everything wonderful for your body (1 tsp, too)
5. flax seed powder and flax seed oil!
6. 1/4 avocado or a spoonful of coconut oil for something a bit more substantial
7. almond butter! (especially with cacao powder and banana)

Sweetness Note

Depending on your sweet tooth, some healthier ways to sweeten up these smoothies is agave, brown rice syrup or dates!



ENJOY!

Sweet Things Down Under

For the past two weeks I've been in Australia with my mom, visiting my sister who has been studying for the semester at the University of Melbourne.  Melbourne is a great city - full of sophistication, trendy styles, AHmazing foods and a booming coffee society. I'm not the biggest coffee consumer when I'm home. I typically drink tea and occasionally have the morning latte from the coffee shop across the street from my office. However, while in Australia we would stop for a coffee anytime of the day and I would have no objection. Melbournians definitely know how to make a good coffee. It could be due to the fact that a) it's from great coffee, or b) the baristas know how to artfully craft a good latte, or c) because I never ordered one with skim milk and the whole milk made it more creamy and yummy. Who knows, maybe d) all the above. So while I was there I took many photos of my food adventures. Below are a few of the delicious coffees I had. And I can't forget to show you the delicious cakes we often had with our afternoon coffees. (If you can't guess by now, we went from meal to meal, eating our way through the city).
The most exciting discovery was iced coffee. Now you're saying, "yeah yeah yeah, I know what iced coffees are. I get them at Starbucks during the summer." NO. You don't. On the first day in Melbourne, we were out at a bakehouse/café near my sister's apartment and due to the jet lag I didn't know what to order to drink, so my mom told them I wanted an iced coffee. And I turned to her and told her I don't like iced coffee! And she replied, "well you'll like this." And I was so tired and hungry (if you know me, you'll know if I'm hungry, I have a slightly grumpy temperament) I said, "don't tell me what I will like and not like!" Moments passed, and the coffee arrived. Oh boy, was I wrong. She did know what I would like, as most mothers do. It was not coffee with ice in it. It was vanilla ice cream, with a shot of espresso on top with a bit of steamed milk. America needs to do this. I predict it to be my summer drink. I'm going to try it at home and see if I can replicate it.
Lastly, a regular sized coffee there is small, not American-sized. This shocked me at first. It's a smaller cup if you take it to go or in a small glass if you stay and eat-in. There large sized coffees are similar to a Starbucks' 12-oz "Tall". Also, a reusable coffee mug, one you could take to a coffee shop and take to-go, is called a "keep cup" down under.

 Coffee time with gorgeous latte-art

 Iced coffee

 More coffee

 A german cake called Kugelhopf 

 Found a small van selling "Hot American Doughnuts" - we couldn't resist.

 Cakes!

 And more cakes!

 Happened upon a Dutch festival and tried poffertjes (light, fluffy, tiny pancakes made in a cast iron griddle). Ours were with lemon juice and powder sugar.

And more cakes. 

 Tiramisu cake, with candied nuts as a crust

 Iced mocha! With whipped cream. 

Oreo mousse cake - rich and decadent.

Melbourne has a large Greek population which meant lots of Greek cakes.

Spritz

On a weekend trip to Venice a few weeks ago, I came to discover the Spritz. A bubbly apperitif with Campari (or Aperol for those with a sweeter tooth) mixed with Prosecco, sparkling water, and served with an olive (yum) and orange. These delicious drinks are found everywhere in the city - from the ritzy cafés on the piazza to tiny local bars - and are appealing to any budget. I fell in love with the Spritz because I am neither a fan of the overly sweet cocktails (see Cosmos, etc) or the overly alcoholic ones (see Martinis). They are balanced, a tad bitter, and happily bubbly.

When you can't jet set to Venice for the weekend, you can make these wonderful drinks (perfect for a boozy brunch or a picnic) from the following 'recipe':

1 part Aperol/Campari
3 parts Prosecco
1 part Seltzer
Add olive and orange (preferably blood orange) for some sass

Gobble Gobble

Since I have visited three continents since my last post, I feel obligated to share some of the culinary highlights. (Preview: cooking class in Thailand with recipes to come). As delicious as the baguettes, cheese, pastries, and cheese are in France, I always love to freshen up my plate with some mediterranean food. I spent a week in Istanbul in December and had the pleasure of staying with a friend and her amazing family. With a wonderful farm (fresh pomegranates, peppers, and olives**... yum!), I sampled some of the best of turkish cuisine. I also got to learn a few tricks, including how to make Dolmas. Using grape leaves from her garden that were preserved from last summer, we stuffed and rolled them with a delicious mixture of rice, currants, peppers (both sweet and spicy), garlic, lots of lemon and herbs. Other delicious additions include mint, basil, onions, and diced cucumber for a bit of a crunch. Also, don't cook the rice fully before stuffing the grape leaves since you will cook them again after and don't want them to be too soggy. While I don't have an exact recipe with me, I recommend looking around on some blogs and playing around with the ingredients.

Unfolding the leaves.

Rolling them up. Adhering to proper folding techniques, of course.

The final product!

Our mixture

To accompany our dolmas, we made a garlic yogurt which seems to be a delicious side for practically everything. Purée some plain yogurt with garlic (to taste) and a pinch of salt and pepper.


**Olives are a staple in my diet. As of late, I have become particularly in to olive oil tasting. Not only is olive oil practically the best thing ever for you (see: shiny hair, detox, lower cholesterol, delish), but it has some amazing flavor as well. Olive oil boutiques are popping up all over the states with plenty of spices, richness, and body. I have also found some in France - O & Co was opened by the 'creators' of l'occitane and is an adorable space with a great selection that tided me over until I made my trip to Italy last month. My personal favorites are the darker ones with a richer, more full body taste.

Winter Warmth

Dear world,

We are terrible bloggers. We haven’t posted anything for a couple of months, and we humbly apologize with out deepest regrets. Though, I’m honestly not sure anyone reads this. But I can say on behalf of all the other Global Eatery ladies, we love our blog. Or perhaps we just love food and have forgotten about our blog. In any case, I will revitalize our dormant blog. Let’s just say it was hibernating, and now that we all want winter to be over, we need to wake this little blog up!

During the dreary winter months, what makes your soul warm up? Besides, Jolly Ol’ St. Nick. Well, alcohol, of course! Who wouldn’t pass up a special cocktail? I know I wouldn’t. So this winter, I enjoyed concocting and consuming cocktails. Well in full disclosure, I did not do any creative concocting, but instead made up already well-known specialty drinks, such as (in)famous margaritas, a classy Kir Royale and Friday Night Cosmos.

Margaritas – The death for some people, but oh so tasty and reminiscent of Mexican themed college parties or summer bbq’s where beer is the only other drink served. There are a variety of ways you can make them, and once the summer gets going and more fresh fruit is in season, I’ll start experimenting with mangos or strawberries, rather than the original lemon-lime taste.

Kir Royale – This classic champagne cocktail puts a twist on a tradition class of bubbly, making it special. And it’s so simple to make. Just add a touch of crème de cassis to a flute filled with champagne and add your preferred garnish – I used a blackberry. Others use cherries, raspberries or small strawberries. Take your pick!

Cosmos – When I’m feeling adventurous on a Friday night, instead of pouring myself a glass of wine, I’ll pull the cocktail shaker out, some cranberry juice, lime juice, triple sec and vodka – voilà! The traditional Cosmopolitan! (I apologize that I don't have any photos of my own cosmos. I must drink them too quickly before realizing I should snap a pic.)

photo courtesy of wikipedia

Now that you know what I’ve been making. Here’s what’s next:

Campari Mimosas – Add some color to a little prosecco with campari and then add some vit-C filled OJ. I might even try to make the garnish look pretty, like in the photo!

photo courtesy of userealbutter.com

So, finally, on behalf of my fellow bloggers, we promise to try our best to update this site more often with fun foodie stories, memories and cooking trials/failures.

All our flavorful, spicy and delicious love,

Global Eatery

Lettuce Try Something New!

Lettuce isn't just perfect for a salad, but great for wraps. I've heard of lettuce wraps before, primarily with tofu inside, which is still delicious, but I've discovered you can use lettuce as a wrap with so, so much more.

I was out to lunch with my dad over the Thanksgiving holidays and we shared an appetizer which caught our attention when we looked over the menu. Elk lettuce wraps. Sounds good, right? This was new to me in two ways: A new kind of lettuce wrap and eating elk. I've never had elk before, but it was good. After a bad bite of tough meat, the rest of the elk was tender and delicious. The restaurant made these wraps southwestern style with a chunky mango salsa and cotija cheese. I had never heard of cotija cheese and learned later that it's a cheese from Mexico and is only produced between the months of July and October because the cows that produce this kind of milk are only fed the kind of grass necessary to make the cheese. It's a salty, grainy, firm cheese and is most similar to feta or some Italian parmesan. Anyway, getting back to the elk wraps, they were a creative way to eat elk as an appetizer. The only problem was that they were hard to eat when wrapped up and with hands - everything fell out and the lettuce easily ripped. But I could try and make something like at home. Definitely worth it.

My second recent experience with lettuce wraps was inspired from another restaurant outing. After going out to dinner with my parents, I tried to recreate this dish. Quinoa Lettuce Cups. This was essentially a lettuce wrap instead of a cup. Using a large piece of bibb lettuce as the base "cup" I put a spoonful of quinoa first, then marinated finely chopped tomatoes (I marinated the tomatoes in balsamic vinegar for about an hour or so before putting them in the wrap) and chunky-chopped avocado. Roll it all up and there you have it. I had the same issues with the elk wraps about the lettuce easily ripping, but it's still so good. Maybe next time I should try using two pieces of lettuce to make it a stronger wrap?

Obsession: Chez Robert Rodriguez

A few weeks back, my mom and I took a trip to the French country side. Without much planning, we ended up in Carcassonne - an old fortress town. While the town itself was quaint, but underwhelming, the meal we had made up for it. Chez Robert Rodriguez (this place) was one of the most spectacular meals I've had in a while. The chef's focus is on local products, changing menus, and creativity. Also, the wine selection is amazing.  This tiny five (or six) table restaurant is kitschy, warm, and totally worth the trip.

 Scallops with Local Veggies 

Saumon Fumé

Escargot

Veggies and Quinoa Pancakes

Goat Cheese with Honey, Fig Reduction and Almonds