Cocoa Cookie Butter + Crumpet + Fried Egg

Rating: 8.5/10

Chocolate plus cookie butter in a spread! This needs to be on everything. Why not add it to a traditional English breakfast of crumpets and eggs? Kind of turns it into a chocolate chip cookie version of Eggs Benedict minus the bacon. Just spread the awesomeness on top a toasted crumpet and slap on a fried egg sunny side up seasoned with salt and pepper. Hearty and delicious for those with a sweet tooth.

Nutrition:

• Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie & Cocoa Swirl (2 spoonfuls) = 180 Calories, 12g sugar
• Trader Joe's British Style Crumpet = 110 Calories, 170mg Sodium, 2g fiber
• fried egg = 95 Calories, 15% of daily Iron

Total Calories = 385
Not much caloric value, but got in some Iron and sugar for energy.

Blackcurrant Juice + Coconut Meat

Rating: 8/10

My obsession with blackcurrant juice dates back to 2007 when I first came across a bottle of Ribena in London and became instantly hooked. To the extent that the high point of any trip to the UK for me is this delightful beverage. So you can imagine my joy at finding blackcurrant juice in Trader Joe's of all places. Not an exact replica of Ribena but satisfying nonetheless. Naturally, I decided to combine it with my other obsession: young coconut. Slicing chunks of coconut meat into a glass of blackcurrant juice makes for a fun drinking experience. Just imagine if the two were actually one fruit: the mildly sweet and gelatinous texture of the coconut meat plus the fragrantly sweet and sour juice. Trippy.

Nutrition:

• Trader Joe's Black Currant Juice (cup) =  100 Calories, 24g sugar, 110mg Potassium, 70% of daily Vitamin C
• Asia Exotic Corp BL young coconut meat = 140 Calories, 2g fiber, 17% of daily Calcium

Total Calories = 240
Yay for Vitamin C, but not much else of note.

Pear + Pistachios

Rating: 7.5/10

Green pear eaten with pistachios. Both green colored foods. As good a reason to combine them as any. Plus they both start with the letter "P." Meant to be, I say. The crispy, juicy, sweet, grainy pear is a fine counterpoint to the crunchy, salty little pistachios. More play dates for these two!

Nutrition:

• green pear = 102 Calories, 206mg Potassium, 6g fiber, 12% of daily Vitamin C
• Kirkland Signature Salt & Pepper Everybody's Nuts! Pistachios (cup) = 320 Calories, 6g fiber, 660mg Sodium, 560mg Potassium, 40% of daily Vitamin B6, 30% of daily Thiamin, 12% of daily Iron

Total Calories = 422
Chock full of fiber and Potassium with some sprinklings of vitamins and minerals. Not bad.

Giant Pizza + Pirate's Booty

Rating: 6.5/10

Giant pizza topped with Pirate's Booty cheese puffs. What's an afternoon of TV and games with friends without a giant pizza and junk food? Because I can't stand plain-ness of any kind, I must impose toppings on plain pizza even of the giant variety. And what's at hand? A bag of Pirate's Booty. Not bad as toppings go. The crispy, airy, cheesy puffs add some bite to the chewy, salty, saucy pizza. Plain-ness gone! Mission accomplished.

Nutrition:

• slice of giant plain pizza = 720 Calories, 1319mg Sodium, 6g fiber, 70% of daily Calcium, 40% of daily Vitamin A, 30% of daily Iron, 20% of daily Vitamin C
• Pirate's Booty Aged White Cheddar Corn Puff (handful) = 130 Calories, 140mg Sodium

Total Calories = 850
Not the worst thing you can eat when it comes to junk/fast food. More than half the Sodium you need in a day, but decent supply of Calcium, Iron, and vitamins.

Chocolate Truffles + Egg Scallion Pancake

Rating: 8/10

Chocolate hazelnut truffles eaten with a fried multi-layered scallion pancake. Can't go wrong with either here. Awesome contrast of taste and texture. Crispy, chewy, savory pancake with sweet, creamy truffles. And just the way the chocolate melts in the mouth as I'm biting off the pancake, rocks my mouth world.

Nutrition:

• 5 Maitre Truffout Fancy Hazelnut Flavor Truffles = 250 Calories, 14g sugar, 2g fiber, 30% of daily Iron
• whole egg scallion pancake = 850 Calories, 4g fiber, 1240mg Sodium, 60% of daily Iron, 32% of daily Vitamin A, 10% of daily Vitamin B-12

Total Calories = 1090
No one said this was gonna be a light breakfast. Couldn't find nutrition info on egg scallion pancake, so just added nutrition for regular scallion pancake plus one egg.

Cookie Dough Blizzard + Club Sandwich

Rating: 7/10

Nothing like Dairy Queen to finish off a road trip. And can't stop at DQ without getting a ice cream Blizzard, cookie dough all the way. The crispy hot sandwich with all its melted chewy savoriness gives stark contract to the cold, creamy, sweet Blizzard. Really brings out the best in each other. Although the cookie dough of the Blizzard became a bit overpowering and tiring after awhile. So really half a Blizzard plus a whole club sandwich would be the perfect portion.

Nutrition:

• Dairy Queen Small Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard = 710 Calories, 75g sugar, 1g fiber, 35% of daily Calcium, 25% of daily Vitamin A, 15% of daily Iron
• Dairy Queen Iron Grilled Classic Club Sandwich = 560 Calories, 1790mg Sodium, 2g fiber, 15% of daily Calcium, 15% of daily Vitamin A, 15% of daily Iron

Total Calories = 1270
Typical fast food. Chock-full of Calories, sugar and Sodium. Still, got in some vitamin and minerals along with all the junk. That's something.

Coconut Water + Basil + Peach

Rating: 7/10

Got this disappointingly bland tasteless Naked brand coconut water and was looking for a way to spice it up a bit. Had a bunch of fresh peaches and some extra basil lying around. Perfect opportunity to experiment with making my own juice drink. So I diced up the peach, chopped some large basil leaves, tossed it all into the coconut water, shook well, and let refrigerate for a day before drinking. Decided to use an empty glass milk jar for this concoction because glass is sturdy and doesn't pollute taste like paper or plastic cartons. The end product: rather refreshing. The peach flavor sort of overpowered everything else, the coconut of course barely registered, and the splash of basil really gave it character.

Nutrition:

• Naked Pure Coconut Water = 60 Calories, 650mg Potassium
• basil (5 leaves) = 0 Calories
• peach = 60 Calories, 285mg Potassium, 2.2g fiber, 16% of daily Vitamin C

Total Calories = 120
This is like the entire pint's worth, which of course I didn't drink all in one sitting. But this was the total of what I made.

Pierogies + Soup Noodles

Rating: 8/10

Instant noodles and pierogies in a bowl. Addicted to pierogies I am and eating it in any form imaginable. Was in need of a quick noodles and soup fix, so thought I'd combine the three and savor the possibility. Turned out rather delectable, abeit not the most interesting in flavor sensation. Spicy, salty, chewy noodles with chewy, soft, potatoey pierogies.

Nutrition:

• 6 Peter & Pat's Pierogies Potato & Onion = 390 Calories, 450mg Sodium, 1.5g fiber, 15% of daily Iron
• Six Fortune Instant Broad Noodles = 500 Calories, 2000mg Sodium, 2g fiber

Total Calories = 890
Wow that's a shitload of Sodium, and really not much else of nutritional value.

Crumpet + Nutella + Macadamia

Rating: 8.5/10

Toasted crumpets spread with Nutella and topped with macadamia nuts. Quick and delicious alternative to pancakes or waffles in the morning. Love the soft, spongy, crispy texture of crumpets toasted combined with the creamy, sweet, chocolatey Nutella melted on plus the crunchy, smooth macadamia on top. Takes my delight over chocolate-covered macadamia to a new level.

Nutrition:

• Trader Joe's British Style Crumpet = 110 Calories, 170mg Sodium, 2g fiber
• Ferrero Nutella (3 spoonfuls) = 300 Calories, 1.5g fiber, 32g sugar
• Savanna Orchards Gourmet Dry Roasted Macadamias (1/4 cup) = 210 Calories, 2g fiber, 115mg Sodium

Total Calories = 620
That's like a fifth of a day's fiber and just a splash of Sodium.

Potato Chips + Fennel Arugula Salad

Rating: 8/10

Tried this new cheesy garlic bread flavored chips, a bit overwhelming on its own and needed companion foods to balance out the taste. People put cheese on salads, so why not cheesy potato chips? Viola, awesome pairing and balance of flavors.

Nutrition:

• Lay's Cheesy Garlic Bread Potato Chips = 290 Calories, 250mg Sodium, 610mg Potassium, 2g fiber, 15% of daily Vitamin C
• bowl of fennel arugula salad = 140 Calories, 4g fiber, 23% of daily Vitamin C, 12% of daily Vitamin A

Total Calories = 430
Got in some fiber and vitamins.

Pumpkin Seeds + Pasta

 Rating: 8.5/10

Tomato-based rotini pasta topped with roasted pumpkin seeds in shell. The pasta was kind of boring to eat by itself, and the seeds were right nearby, so I decided to sprinkle them all over like Parmesan.  The combo gave just the right amount of tough, salty bite from the seeds and soft, saucy chewiness from the pasta. And always eat pumpkin seeds with shells, adds extra flavor and texture.

Nutrition:

• bowl of rotini pasta with tomato sauce = 450 Calories, 5g fiber, 10% of daily Iron, 10% of daily Vitamin A, 10% of daily Vitamin C
• handful of Trader Joe's In Shell Pumpkin Seeds Dry Roasted and Lightly Salted = 180 Calories, 2g fiber, 10% of daily Iron

Total Calories = 630
Rough estimates here but decent amount of Iron and fiber in this meal.

Nutella + Saturn Peach

Rating: 7/10

Further proof that Nutella makes everything better. Just spread it over saturn peaches and instant dessert. Had a bunch of these flat donut-shaped peaches lying around and couldn't do a thing with them. They're cute but kind of boring tasting. Was almost going to make a smoothie out of them when I came across darling Nutella. Problem solved.

Nutrition:

• 3 spoonfuls of Ferrero Nutella = 300 Calories,1.5g fiber, 32g sugar
• saturn peach = 60 Calories, 3g fiber, 15% of daily Vitamin A, 15% of daily Vitamin C

Total Calories = 360
Decent fiber, some vitamins, sugar energy. Good deal.

Mango + Scallion Pancake

Rating: 9/10

Fried scallion pancake eaten with fresh mango. I have like a whole box of mango I need to finish \]before it goes bad, so trying to eat it with everything these days. Amazing how many things go well with mango. It's been at least two weeks and I'm still not sick of it. Here, the sweet, sour, smooth mango is a fun counterpoint to the salty, savory, chewy, crispy pancake. Each adding what the other lacks and never even thought to find. Personifying my food a bit but whatever I'm sleepy.

Nutrition:

• Ataulfo mango = 107 Calories, 3g fiber, 76% of daily Vitamin C, 25% of daily Vitamin A
• whole Chinese scallion pancake = 840 Calories, 4g fiber, 1240mg Sodium, 60% of daily Iron, 32% of daily Vitamin A

Total Calories = 947
Yeah heavy on the Calories that scallion pancake, but got in some fiber, vitamins, and minerals from it too. Plus, the mango is all about vitamins and fiber.

Hazelnut Chocolate + Greek Yogurt

Rating: 8.5/10

Dark chocolate with hazelnut dipped in Greek yogurt. Accidentally got the plain yogurt instead of the honey one. As much as I still love the texture of Greek yogurt, the taste was disgustingly plain. So I figure the only thing to do is use it as dip for other more flavorful stuff. Chocolate hazelnut was as good a starting point as any. Lo and behold, awesome combo! Perfect safe for an otherwise tragic waste of yogurt texture.

Nutrition:

• Trader Joe's Swiss Dark Chocolate with Whole Hazelnuts (2 pieces) = 220 Calories, 3g fiber, 13g sugar, 20% of daily Iron
• Trader Joe's Plain Greek Yogurt (1 cup) = 120 Calories, 270mg Potassium, 6g sugar, 20% of daily Calcium

Total Calories = 340
Got in some Iron, Calcium, and Potassium. 

Pizza Crust + Babaganush + Cello Radish

Rating: 8/10

Pizza crust dipped in babaganush and eaten with fresh whole cello radishes also dipped in babaganush. I am not a crust person and generally am of the opinion that crust should always be cut off everything because it's hard, tasteless, and possibly carcinogenic. But dipping it in the babaganush has given it newfound purpose. Besides, this crust is rather fluffy and not dry or burnt. As for the cello radish, it's like my new obsession. Random but it's just so tiny and adorable and crunchy I can't help myself. Looking for any and all reasons and ways to eat it. And when in doubt, dip it in babaganush. All together, we have a great mouthful of chewy, doughy, salty pizza crust, plus the crunchy, lightly spicy radish, topped with creamy, garlicky amazing babaganush.

Nutrition:

• 2 Pizza Hut Supreme Pizza crusts = 100 Calories, 246mg Sodium, 10% of daily Vitamin A
• Golden Taste Eggplant Babaganush Dip (4 tablespoons) = 160 Calories, 280mg Sodium, 2g fiber 
• 2 cello radishes = 5 Calories

Total Calories = 265
That radish is pretty devoid of both Calories and nutrients. Eh.

Pizza + Peach

Rating: 7/10

Slice of cold supreme pizza eaten with a fresh white peach. Trying to make a meal out of leftovers from earlier in the day. Normally pizza's like a 5/10 for me, so I'm always looking for something to make it a better eating experience. Well, adding the lightly sweet, juicy, crunchy peach to the chewy umami of the pizza did the job. My taste buds are satisfied. Odd since I'm not a fan of pineapple on pizza and generally don't like fruits mixed with meals. But I guess peach isn't as strong a flavor as pineapples and it just worked. The peach also sort of quenched my thirst that usually follow eating pizza while I was still eating, so two birds one stone.

Nutrition:

• slice of Pizza Hut Supreme Pizza = 280 Calories, 2g fiber, 650mg Sodium
• peach = 59 Calories, 2.2g fiber, 285mg Potassium, 16% of daily Vitamin C

Total Calories = 339

Oreo Ice Cream + Pineapple

 

Rating: 8/10

Oreo ice cream topped with (well, surrounded by, actually) fresh pineapple slices served on a plate by moi. Looked pretty cool like an oreo-centered sun. First off, pineapples are ridiculous to cut (glad I didn't have to do that part of it). Seriously, there needs to be a machine built for cutting this fruit. But anyway, the sweet, creamy, chunky ice cream plus the sweet, sour, juicy, chewy pineapple kind of rocks the summer vibes. A bit tropical island and a bit Alaskan igloo feel to it if you ask me.

Nutrition:

• scoop of oreo ice cream = 280 Calories, 1g fiber, 27g sugar, 15% of daily Calcium, 10% of Vitamin A
• 8 quarter circle slices of pineapple = 166 Calories, 362mg Potassium, 4.6g fiber, 32g sugar, 264% of daily Vitamin C, 20% of daily Vitamin B-6

Total Calories = 446
Holy Vitamin C! I'm good for two and a half days.

Panna Cotta Gelato + Marcona Almonds

Rating: 6.5/10

Panna cotta gelato topped with Spanish Marcona almonds. Neither really amazing by themselves, so I decided to have them join forces hoping for a better taste experience. Success! And what an interesting taste experience it was. Don't come across too many foods that are both spicy and frozen. While I still don't love this as a whole, it was an inspired taste smash. The spicy, crunchy, roasted almonds definitely adds a kick to the somewhat bland gelato, and the creamy, sweet gelato smooths out the monotonously pungent almond. Wouldn't recommend eating one without the other. They sort of balance each other out in a way.

Nutrition:

• panna cotta gelato (small cup) = 180 Calories, 1g fiber, 20g sugar
• 2 spoonfuls of Mitica Spicy Marcona Almonds = 190 Calories, 240mg Potassium, 3.5g fiber, 28% of daily Vitamin E, 14% of daily Phosphorous

Total Calories = 370
Cool Vitamin E, don't get that from too many places. Skin happy. Not sure what good Phosphorus serves but got some of that too.

Pigs-in-a-Blanket + Salsa

Rating: 7/10

Fresh baked pigs-in-a-blanket dipped in spicy salsa. Ideal companion to a night of beer pong. The spicy, sour, salty, juicy salsa added the perfect kick to the flaky, buttery, chewy, savory, hot mini dogs wrapped in croissant. Me likey, and not even a wee bit drunk 'cause me playz to winz.

Nutrition:

• Tostitos Hot Salsa (4 tbsp) = 20 Calories, 2g fiber, 500mg Sodium, 20% of daily Vitamin C, 15% of daily Vitamin A
• 4 pigs-in-a-blanket = 280 Calories, 1g fiber, 430mg Sodium, 10% of daily Vitamin A, 10% of daily Iron

Total Calories = 300
Not bad, some fiber and vitamins, go figure.

Lobster Guacamole + Yucca Fries

Rating: 6.5/10

Yucca fries dipped in lobster guacamole. You know just to change up the typical chips in guac and fries in ketchup triteness. A promising combo in theory but reality falls short. They're both so mild tasting that it's just bland when together. I mean it's not terrible but there are better combos out there for both of them with more of a punch in flavor. The creamy, chunky guac and starchy yucca just don't cut it in a match. But I tried. Empanadas would probably work better with the guacamole.
(eaten @ La Cerveceria, NYC)

Nutrition:

• lobster guacamole (1/4 cup) = 116 Calories, 342mg Potassium, 3.8g fiber, 10% of daily Vitamin C
• 5 yucca fries = 242 Calories, 3g fiber, 20mg Sodium, 420mg Potassium, 51% of daily Vitamin C

Total Calories = 358
Got in a bunch of fiber, Potassium, and Vitamin C

Babaganush + Multigrain Flats + Cherry Tomatoes

Rating: 9/10

Oven toasted multigrain flatbread dipped in babaganush and eaten with yellow cherry tomatoes. After I ran out of naan, I went on a semi-mad search for a suitable partner for the magically delicious babaganush. Seriously like nothing can beat this dip, it goes with everything and makes them better. But the toasted outside chewy inside multigrain flats top it. So much texture in this flatbread with actual "you can feel it, taste it, and see it" grains and seeds all over. Then add in the sweet, sour, and juicy cherry tomatoes. Wham-o! Killer combo, so simple yet so complexly rich in flavor. Not to mention, quick and easy breakfast for someone on the go.

Nutrition:

• Golden Taste Eggplant Babaganush Dip (4 tablespoons) = 160 Calories, 280mg Sodium, 2g fiber
• OneBun Multigrain Folded Flats = 130 Calories, 2g fiber, 80mg Potassium, 230mg Sodium, 10% of daily Calcium, 6% of daily Riboflavin, 6% of daily Folate
• NatureSweet Sunbursts Sweet Golden Snacking Tomatoes (1/2 cup) = 45 Calories, 3g fiber, 250mg Potassium, 35% of daily Vitamin C, 15% of daily Vitamin A

Total Calories = 335
Pretty light and packed with a bunch of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Watermelon Juice + Macadamia Nuts

Rating: 9/10

Drinking fresh watermelon juice while eating macadamia nuts. Unexpectedly tasty combo. A bit tropical I guess. The lightly sweet, icy, chunky watermelon juice just does something to the flavor of the smooth, crunchy, salted macadamia that makes it amazing. Maybe it enhances an aspect of the nut otherwise muted or maybe the contrast of the two gives the nut an extra kick. Whatever, it works!

Nutrition:

• cup of watermelon juice = 76 Calories, 267mg Potassium, 1g fiber, 38% of daily Vitamin C
• Savanna Orchards Gourmet Dry Roasted Macadamias (1/4 cup) = 210 Calories, 2g fiber, 115mg Sodium

Total Calories = 286
Decent dose of Vitamin C but otherwise trifles.

Honey Greek Yogurt + Hobo Bread

Rating: 8.5/10

Hobo bread dipped in honey Greek yogurt. Such an awesome combo of sweet, sour, creamy, and chewy goodness. Both good on their own but killer when they join forces, without losing what made them so great on their own. I'm so obsessed with the texture of Greek yogurt and the taste of molasses in hobo bread. Ah, mouth happy!

Nutrition:

• Trader Joe's Greek Style Honey Yogurt = 290 Calories, 24g sugar, 290mg Potassium, 25% of daily Calcium, 15% of daily Vitamin A
• slice of Trader Joe's Hobo Bread = 170 Calories, 1g fiber, 23g sugar, 230mg Sodium

Total Calories = 460
Been trying to keep track of my Potassium intake, could be the cause of some muscle cramps lately if my body is low on it. Getting some from the yogurt yay.

Pesto + Steamed Buns

Rating: 9.5/10

Sliced Chinese steamed bun slathered with pesto and pan fried. Like garlic bread but awesomer! I'm so in love with this creation and myself for coming up with the notion of uniting this unlikely duo. It's rare when I'm this self-satisfied about food, I'm going to savor this moment. Ah... Okay so the oily, savory, fragrant punch of pesto plus the fluffy, light bun over fire and pan equals crispy, flavorful fried goodness surrounding a soft, warm, chewy core. Words don't do this thing justice.

Nutrition:

• Trader Joe's Genova Pesto (1/2 cup) = 520 Calories, 2g fiber, 270mg Sodium, 40% of daily Vitamin A, 20% of daily Calcium, 16% of daily Vitamin C
• Chinese steamed bun = 160 Calories, 5g fiber

Total Calories = 680
Basically a meal's worth but worth it.

Cream Soda + Red Bean Ice Cream

Rating: 6/10

Cream soda float with red bead ice cream. Surprisingly, I'm not the biggest fan of floats. I swear at some point I thought I really liked them, or maybe that was just in theory. You know, the whole ice cream melting into soda imagery. Oh well, still a decent combo these two. I hate Root Beer, but Cream Soda and Dr. Pepper work for me. And red bean is a fun ice cream alternative to vanilla.

Nutrition:

• glass of Dr. Brown's Original Cream Soda = 120 Calories, 30g sugar
• 2 scoops of Maeda-en Red Beans Azuki Flavored Ice Cream = 140 Calories, 14g sugar, 1g fiber

Total Calories = 260

Soft Boiled Eggs + Potato Chips

Rating: 7.5/10

Mashed soft-boiled eggs with black pepper and potato chips. Nothing beats a nice hearty egg breakfast (and I'll take soft-boiled if I can't have poached). Part of the way to start a long, sweatt day of mountain hiking. The crispy, crunchy, salty chips gave the gooey, chewy, peppery eggs some added texture and kick. Hey, just brought two otherwise unremarkable foods together into a scintillating combo. What more can you ask for? 

Nutrition:

• 2 soft boiled eggs with pepper = 140 Calories, 24% of daily Vitamin A, 14% of daily Iron, 10% of daily Calcium
• handful of Lays Classic Potato Chips = 75 Calories, 1g fiber,

Total Calories = 215

Chocolate Fortune Cookie + Red Bean Icecream

Rating: 8/10

Crushed chocolate fortune cookie sprinkled on red bean ice cream. Why not combine the two most Asian desserts? They're kind of lonely always on their own. Besides, they do a lot more for the taste buds when they join forces. The crunchy, lightly sweet chocolate cookie takes nothing away from the cold, sweet, chunky-smooth ice cream. This is like the healthiest junk food ever here.

Nutrition:

• King's Chocolate Fortune Cookie = 30 Calories, 3g sugar
• 1/2 cup of Maeda-en Red Beans Azuki Flavored Ice Cream = 140 Calories, 14g sugar, 1g fiber

Total Calories = 170
Light and delightful snack.

Jam + Skillet Potato

Rating: 8.5/10

Strawberry jam spread on breakfast skillet potatoes. The sweet, fruity jelliness only completes the warm, salty, herby, chewy, crispy potatoes. The jam practically melts in like butter on toast. I love combining flavor opposites. Each adds what the other lacks.

Nutrition:

• 2 spoonfuls of strawberry jam = 100 Calories, 24g sugar
• side of breakfast skillet potatoes = 260 Calories, 3g fiber, 437mg Sodium, 30% of daily Vitamin C, 16% of daily Calcium, 8% of daily Iron

Total Calories = 360
Lighter than I thought. And a lot of nutrients in those potatoes.

Pu-Er Tea + French Vanilla Creamer

Rating: 10/10

A cup of hot Pu-Er tea with French vanilla coffee creamer. Eh whatever works for coffee works for tea. Basically just tea with milk English style here. But oh so delicious! So! I'm practically addicted. I think it's just that the sweet, vanilla-y creamer blended with the odd oaky, roasted flavor of Pu-Er makes the whole thing taste like chocolate to me. Yet not quite like hot chocolate. It's got such a unique character to it I just can't get enough.

Fried Catfish + Jambalaya Pasta

Rating: 9/10

Fried catfish eaten with jambalaya pasta. Cajun style, baby! The crispy, tender, and savory catfish rocks with chewy, saucy, spicy, and savory pasta. Who knew catfish could tastes so good? Or jambalaya could be in pasta form? Well, day of firsts today. I say if you travel to a new place, try some new food. Otherwise, what's the point? Catfish, looks like chicken tenders but way more moist in texture than chicken and not even the least bit fishy tasting. I also tried the jambalaya with some fried alligator but not as rockin' a combo as with the catfish. Alligator meat is surprisingly rubbery, interesting but not worth repeating.
(eaten @ Pier 424, New Orleans LA)

Hobo Bread + Cantaloupe

Rating: 7.5/10

Hobo bread chock full of molasses/raisin/walnut eaten with cubes of cantaloupe, or vice versa if you prefer. Can I just say how much I love molasses as sweetener, second only to malt powder and ways better than white sugar or honey could ever hope to taste. And the image of baking bread in a tin can over garbage fires makes me all fuzzy inside towards hobos. Anyway, the sweet, chewy, sticky bread adds a certain delightful consistency to the sweet, juicy, smooth cantaloupe. While all sweet flavors, the variety in texture makes this an interesting and surprisingly delightful mouth experience.

Macadamia Nuts + Spicy Ramen

Rating: 8.5/10

Salted macadamia nuts eaten with spicy soup ramen. Ever since I bought a bag of this my favorite nut yesterday I've been trying to work it into everything I eat (Nutella, chop salad, danish, etc.). Macadamia truly makes everything better. So while I was eating some ramen this morning/noon, I thought why not, no reason this won't work. Yep haven't disproved my theory that there's nothing edible macadamias don't go with yet. The salty, soft and crunchy nuts only added to and enhanced the otherwise bland experience of instant ramen despite its savory, spicy, soupy, chewy palatability. Me likey.

Nutrition:

• Savanna Orchards Gourmet Dry Roasted Macadamias (1/2 cup) = 420 Calories, 4g fiber, 230mg Sodium, 8% of daily Iron
• Nissin Demae Satay Flavor Ramen Noodle = 480 Calories, 1380mg Sodium, 3g fiber

Total Calories = 900
Damn that's a lot of Sodium and Calories to start the day. Tasty though. And got in a decent amount of fiber.

Longan + Goji Berries + Dragon Well Tea

Rating: 8/10

Longan fruit. Dried goji berries. Dragon Well tea leafs. Add hot water. And presto! Delicious, nutritious tea drink. Stole this concoction from my mother actually, she swears by this stuff. Longan has basically the same succulent texture of lychee but with a softer, less obnoxious taste. Goji is sweet and tart with a hint of bitter that fades into tea flavors. And really all teas tastes pretty much the same to me, so Dragon Well basically tastes like any other green tea. These three things combined make for amazing, smooth, richly flavored tea for a non-tea drinker as myself. It doesn't even have that icky bitter I despise in most teas. And I would say the actual tea leaf is what's most interchangeable here. I don't see why any other green tea won't do the trick too. Though Dragon Well does do that cool vertical floating leafs thing in water that's pretty entertaining to watch.

Young Coconut Meat + Yellow Cherry Tomatoes

Rating: 9/10

Coconut meat (scooped from a fresh young coconut I hacked to pieces for juice) eaten with yellow cherry tomatoes (ways more delectable than the red ones). The mild sweet, gelatinous coconut blends so smoothly with the juicy, sweet tartness of the tomatoes. Feel so rejuvenated eating this I can't even explain why. Yep, still on this vegetarian kick. Don't worry, not swearing off meat. Would never think of restricting what I can eat in the world. Omnivores for a reason, baby! And plan to take full advantage while I'm still young and healthy enough to enjoy food.

Nutrition:

• Asia Exotic Corp BL young coconut meat = 140 Calories, 2g fiber, 17% of daily Calcium
• Zima Seriously Sweet yellow cherry tomatoes (1 cup) = 70 Calories, 2g fiber, 80% of daily Vitamin C, 20% of daily Vitamin A

Total Calories = 210
Some fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Yay for digestion.

Fried Egg + Super Chop Salad

Rating: 10/10

Fried egg dripping in yolk tossed over a salad of baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, avocado, basil, mozzarella, garlic croutons, dried cranberries, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, sautéed tofu, and thousand island dressing. Been totally obsessed with salad creations lately. Funny I've never been much into salads until I realized I can add anything I want into it and still call it a salad as long as it has some basic raw vegetables in the mix. So began my awesome salad journeys. First up, topping a super-salad with a crispy, yolky sunny-side up egg. So much taste and chew in this masterpiece. The key to deliciousness is really to chop it all up with a giant knife while in a giant bowl to get all the flavors mixing before tossing it with the dressing. Can't wait to try more new salad combos!


Nutrition:

• 2 cups of Earthbound Farm Organic Baby Spinach = 14 Calories, 2g fiber, 112% of daily Vitamin A, 28% of daily Vitamin C, 10% of daily Iron
• cup of Nature Sweet Cherry Tomatoes = 27 Calories, 2g fiber, 25% of daily Vitamin A, 32% of daily Vitamin C
• 1/2 Calavo Avocado =  140 Calories, 5g fiber, 15% of daily Folate, 13% of daily Vitamin C, 10% of daily Vitamin B6, 10% of daily Riboflavin
• sprig of Lucinda's Specialty Produce Basil = 1 Calorie
• thick slice of Formaggio Fresh Mozzarella = 160 Calories, 300mg Sodium, 30% of daily Calcium
• cup of Fresh Gourmet Seasoned Organic Croutons = 280 Calories, 560mg Sodium, 16% of daily Iron
• 3 spoonfuls of Kirkland Signature Fruit & Nuts = 150 Calories, 2g fiber, 11g sugar
• 2 spoonfuls of America's Choice Roasted Salted Sunflower Seeds = 170 Calories, 115mg Sodium, 3g fiber
• 1/2 block of Soonyeowon Soft Tofu sautéed = 270 Calories, 2g fiber, 32% of daily Iron, 20% of daily Calcium
• 6 spoonfuls of Walden Farms Thousand Island Dressing = 0 Calories, 870mg Sodium, 30% of daily Vitamin B12, 30% of daily Vitamin E
• fried egg = 95 Calories, 15% of daily Iron

Total Calories = 1,307
Not skimping on the Calories here. But totally worth it. Super nutritious and kept me full for half the day. A lot of Sodium though, no wonder I was so thirsty afterwards.

Rainbow Milkshake

Rating: 8/10

Jammin' homemade milkshake. Just toss an Italian rainbow cookie, some gelato, milk, and ice in a blender. Voila! Icy, creamy texture plus the cakey bits of the cookie that adds some colorful specks of pink, green, and yellow amidst the frosty white. Pretty and delicious.

Banana Chips + Dark Chocolate

Rating: 7/10

Bar of dark chocolate with almonds eaten with banana chips. A bit like trail mix, minus all the other stuff. I'm no fan of the banana taste but in chip form I can tolerate. The sweet, lightly bitter, smooth bar stacks up well against the crispy, chalky, sweet chips.

Nutrition:

• 1/2 Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate With Almonds = 125 Calories, 8.5g sugar, 2g fiber, 17% of daily Iron
• 1/8 Trader Joe's Banana Chips = 160 Calories, 3g sugar, 2g fiber

Total Calories = 285
Some fiber and Iron. Eh, not terrible.

Babaganush + Baby Cucumbers

Rating: 8/10

First off, SNOW BABY SNOW! Love being snowed in during blizzards! And after an afternoon of surprisingly nostalgic Blossom episodes on Youtube and Googling the word "fiefdom," I was in the mood for some odd vegan snacking before a messy meaty dinner. Baby cucumbers dipped in babaganush hit the spot. Not the most exciting combo but the cool, crispy, juicy bite with the cool, creamy, savory, garlicky, eggplant flavor was awfully refreshing. So adorable too these tiny little un-pickles.

Nutrition:

• 4 spoonfuls of Golden Taste Eggplant Babaganush Dip = 160 Calories, 280mg Sodium, 2g fiber
• 2 Sunset Mini Cucumbers =  30 Calories, 2g fiber, 340mg Potassium, 20% of daily Vitamin C

Total Calories = 190
Light and nutritious. Plus, good in the taste department too.

Pumpkin Butter + Mini Fried Dumplings

Rating: 8/10

Mini dumplings fried pot-sticker style dipped in pumpkin butter. These tiny little fried things filled with chives, pork, and cabbage are just precious. The savory, salty, chivey crispy, chewy flavor is totally complemented by the pumpkin butter's sweet, jamy, pumpkiny zest. It's like one supplies the taste the other is missing, and together they complete each other to make for happy mouth.

Nutrition:

• spoonful of Trader Joe's Pumpkin Butter = 40 Calories, 9g sugar, 10% of daily Vitamin A
• 15 CJ Pork & Vegetable Dumplings = 360 Calories, 2g fiber, 10% of daily Vitamin C, 10% of daily Iron

Total Calories = 400
Some sprinklings of vitamins, fiber, and Iron but nothing to write home about. 

Jambalaya + Pierogies

Rating: 8.5/10

Creole jambalaya eaten with potato pierogies. This is kind of feeding my two new food obsessions of late: colorful rice dishes and dumplings of any variety. Plus, the contrast between the strong flavor of the salty, savory, chunky jambalaya and the mild, soft, and chewy pierogies only heightens the experience of both in my mouth. Makes me want to stalk befriend more Caribbean and Polish people so they'll invite me over for dinner.
(eaten @ Hell's Kitchen Lounge, Newark, NJ)

Oreo Gelato + Deep Fried Wonton

Rating: 7/10

If I can't get fried ice cream I'll settle for fried stuff dipped in ice cream. Hence the deep fried wonton with Oreo gelato. Okay combination. Neither did much for the other, but both still delicious. The gelato with its sweet, chewy, chunky creaminess. And the wonton with its crispy shell and salty, sour cream cheese filling. Really can't go wrong taste-wise with deep fried stuff and ice cream. Dependably good every time.

Tiramisu + Kimchi Fried Rice

Rating: 8/10

Tiramisu eaten with kimchi fried rice. Such an abundance of distinct flavors here. The salty, savory, sour, mildly spicy, chewy rice. The sweet, coffee, creamy, moist, cakey, cool tiramisu. So much going, mouth thoroughly stimulated. I'm not much a coffee or kimchi fan (one's too bitter and the other too sour for my taste), but in these particular incarnations and eaten together I could happily overindulge.

French Roll + Japanese Sausages + Swedish Lingonberry

Rating: 8.5/10

It's like an international festival here. Not really, but that was fun to say. Basically a sandwich of little Japanese sausages and Lingonberry jam in a half-baked french roll. I basically just saw some random leftover pieces of meals throughout the day lying around on the counter and decided to turn it into dinner. The salty, herby, teriyaki-sweet sausages plus the sweet and sour lingonberry jam on soft, fluffy, chewy french roll is a pretty delicious fluke I must say, and easy. Just heated up the sausages and bread and spread on some jam.

Nutrition:

• 2 Berkshire Japanese Sausages = 170 Calories, 480mg Sodium, 8% of daily Iron
• Trader Joe's Half Baked Idea French Roll = 130 Calories, 300mg Sodium, 10% of daily Iron
• 2 spoonfuls of Ikea Food Sylt Lingon = 70 Calories, 7g sugar

Total Calories = 370
Some Iron, some Sodium. Not much of value or interest here.

Lingonberry Preserve + Crueller + Arugula

Rating: 8/10

Man, I ate so many random combinations of food this morning, I can't even narrow it down to one. But I guess I'll start with all lingonberry related stuff. Cruellers dipped in lingonberry jam eaten with arugula. So much divergent flavors here my mouth was genuinely confused but in a good way, I think. The lingonberry really gave the crispy, chewy, mildly sweet crueller a hit of tarty sweetness. Then, the punch in the mouth that was arugula was like whoah where did that come from? Taste buds slightly shell shocked.

Feta Cheese + Garlic Noodles

Rating: 7/10

Stir-fry garlic noodles sprinkled with feta cheese. The lightly salty, garlicky, chewy, smooth noodles only benefits from the strong flavor of salty, sour, chalky feta. Adds a real kick and texture to the meal. I'm trying to figure out more things to go with feta because it's awesome and I have like a whole tub of it I want to finish before it goes bad.

Grapes + Milk

Rating: 7.5/10

Eating grapes and drinking lactose-free milk at the same time. On a milk binge lately because this gallon I have in the fridge is expiring in 2 days and also I could use the Calcium (slightly paranoid about growing into a brittle-boned old person). Not that I'm lactose-intolerant, but this milk is sweeter maybe from the lactase enzyme added and I like it. So I'm trying to drink it with basically everything I eat right now. Fruits are not exception. And to my delight, the sweet, tart, juicy but fleshy grapes added a wonderful splash of subtle flavor to the smooth, slightly sweet but ultimately plain milk; while the milk just washes over the grape taste without dulling it completely. It's a lovely mutual effect.

Nutrition:

• handful of red grapes = 62 Calories, 15g sugar, 1g fiber, 6% of daily Vitamin C
• glass of Lactaid 1% Milk = 110 Calories, 125mg Sodium, 30% of daily Calcium, 25% of daily Vitamin D

Total Calories = 212
Cool this milk has less Calories and more Calcium than regular milk. And a handful of grapes really don't add much to my nutritional needs.

Leek Boxes + Ranch Dressing

Rating: 9.5/10

Hot off the stove leek boxes dipped in ranch dressing. Love leek boxes, sans shrimp flakes of course. Just the name is adorable. I've heard they're like a Shanghai specialty or something; only in China would food be called boxes. I can still remember the first time I tasted one. I was 19 and hanging out in the basement of some guy's house where slasher films, ping-pong, and DDR were taking place. Then there they were on the kitchen counter, best midnight snack surprise. So began a life-long craving. Anyway, the hot, crispy, chewy, juicy, salty savory, leek boxes rock so hard with the creamy, sour, salty ranch dressing I could kill.

Linzer Tart + Italian Wedding Soup

Rating: 7/10

Great way to start a day in Sleepy Hollow. Italian Wedding soup eaten with a Linzer Tart in lieu of bread or crackers. I'm no fan of crackers unless it graham and bread is boring, so cookie to the rescue. Not a bad mix these two with the Tart's sweet, tarty, crunchy, powdery consistency and the soup's salty, chunky, chewy, smooth consistency.