Author: cia
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Jetblue had a nice sale to the west coast, so we took advantage of the promotion and paid $250 each for round-trip tickets to Oregon. Portland was on my list of places to visit this year and the Dr. really wanted to go snowboarding, so we spent a long weekend with friends even though the…
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I was doing my grocery shopping in Chinatown when I came across a pack of extra small chicken drumsticks. About a dozen pieces were tightly packed for about $1.50. At home, I opened them up and realized they weren’t chicken thighs but the other half of chicken wings–the arms, I call them. I had two…
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At the New York Times Travel Show, I watched Chef Prudhomme make gumbo. I’ve never been to New Orleans, but I’ve always been curious about homemade Louisiana cooking. We recently got a fresh dump of snow in New York City and gumbo was just the right dish to eat for dinner. The secret here is…
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We left Morgan’s Rock feeling a little spoiled. The manager gave us a ride to San Juan which helped us save $60. From San Juan, we got on a cab to the Rivas bus station. Along the way, we were stopped by some cops doing routine inspection. All six of us showed our IDs and…
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The bus ride from Granada to Rivas was about two hours. Taxi drivers swarmed as soon as we got off the bus. One of them started to take my backpack. Espera, I said, almost pissed off. Calm down and wait for us to hire one of you before you take our bags. We needed a…
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47 Bond Street between Lafayette and Bowery 212/533.1932 $180 for four people with a bottle of wine, without tip ♥ We wanted to eat at Il Buco ever since we walked by one night and took a peek inside. Candles were lit that made the ambiance romantic and rustic at the same time. We just…
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As soon as we landed in Managua, we were picked up by Victor and driven about thirty minutes to Granada, the oldest city in Central America and yet the most developed destination in Nicaragua. Our home for three nights was Hospedaje La Siesta on Calle El Almendro, a modest room with private bath for $15…
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Now I’m on a smoking binge. The pulled pork was such a success, I decided to smoke some chicken, too. It’s from the same article by Dana Bowen in The Times. This didn’t require the hickory-wood smoking chips, only ingredients I already had in my pantry. I loved cooking this because it turned out beautifully.…
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The Dr. called it dedication to my meat. When a friend asked me if I was interested in going out on Saturday, I had to decline. I said I was going to be busy smoking and roasting an eight-pound pork shoulder. I don’t know why that sounds funny, but it does, because I think I’ve…
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The couple of days we had TV access while in Nicaragua, I watched a few shows that originally air in the South Pacific. Surfing the Menu features two hot boys who travel, surf and cook. I saw the episode shot in Otago and Canterbury in New Zealand where they roasted pork ribs on the bone.…
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It always tempts us: that clear, glass jar stuffed with peppers, carrots and onions, drowned in vinegar. We know it’s going to hurt, but it’s one of those things we can’t help but eat when we’re on some island in Central America. The coasts of Belize, Costa Rica and most recently, Nicaragua, reminded us that…
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108 West 44th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues 212/302.0707 $190 for two people with sake, without tip ♥ ♥ ♥ You have a favorite spot when you’re craving something and you just know that whenever you go, it would not disappoint. This is how I feel about Sushiden, my restaurant of choice when I…