Strawberry Season..

Strawberry season has begun! For those of you love strawberries (like hubby and I) and live within the vicinity of a (strawberry) farm, go ahead and start picking your own strawberries! Hubby and I are planning to visit one of these farms soon. With one being just 10 minutes away, we still haven’t found the time to pick our own yet. =P Maybe we’ll arrange something this weekend with a couple friends! =)

Since strawberry are in season, let me share with you some articles I’ve come across in magazines. This article (Health Wise / The Terrific 10) is extracted from Bon Appetit Magazine June 2009; written by Daniel Duane. According to the article about Fresh Strawberries;

“When it comes to healthful eating, color is key. Scientist have found that brightly colored fruits and vegetables contain the highest levels of phytonutrients, powerful disease-fighting compounds. In the case of bright red strawberries, a study conducted at the University of Illinois found that the fruit may fight inflammation, cancer-causing compounds and may even be capable of suppressing the progression of tumors. Adding to the good news is a recent study published in the medical journal Metabolism that found that strawberries may help reduce bad cholesterol.”

Here are some strawberry tips extracted from Everyday Food Magazine June 2009;

“The Basics : Buy Strawberries that are bright red (with no white or green around the them), fragrant and plump with no soft spots.

To Store: If using right away, it’s best not to refrigerate them. Otherwise lay the berries flat on a paper towel lined plate and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Do not rinse of hull until ready to use.

To Use: Strawberries are delicious raw in a range of desserts and sweet treats. Because they are sensitive to heat, the berries are rarely cooked except when used in jams and pies.”

Until, I hit the strawberry farm, I will have to stick to store bought strawberries which are also equally good. =) Besides eating my strawberries fresh, I have also dipped them in chocolate, blended with ice cream as a milk shake, blended with ice and juices as a smoothie, made strawberry shortcake and made jam. Have fun bending over and picking the reddest, juiciest, biggest strawberry! =) For those of you in Massachusetts, check out this listing of Strawberry Farms in MA. I have in previous years been to Tougas Family Farm @ Northboro (Worcester County) and http://parleefarms.com/ (Middlesex County).

Dessert Truck @ New York, NY

After watching Bobby Flay’s Throw Down on Food Network a few months back, I was determined to find the Dessert Truck in NYC and try their $5 desserts. Yup, most of their yummy gourmet desserts are $5 each. During my last trip to NYC, I suggested to Seyda that we ought to try the Dessert Truck and she agreed.. Hehe! After walking around Manhattan, taking subways and having lunch in Chinatown, we proceeded to locate the Dessert Truck which is parked on E 55th St, just off the NE Corner of Lexington St on weekdays from 12pm-3pm. They have a different night  and weekend location.

The truck had like 5-6 different desserts to choose from with the weirdest (to me) was the Goat Cheese Cake (with rosemary caramel and berries) @ $5. Seyda and I ended up having their Vanilla Crème Brulee (with freshly caramelized sugar) @ $5.

The vendor torched the crème brulee right before serving us. And we ate the dessert, standing beside the truck!! There’s no place to sit, most customers buy their desserts to go. The crème brulee was true enough VANILLA! Warm crusty caramelized sugar on the top, with smooth cold vanilla custard cream under it. And when you dig further in, there were tons of vanilla specks that awaits you at the bottom of the cup. It was worth the $5, and worth the subway ride to find the Dessert Truck. Both of us were then contemplating if we should get our husbands some but decided against it as we still have a couple hours of fun time in NYC plus the drive back to Boston. Maybe next time then! =P

If you’re in NYC…don’t forget to check out the Dessert Truck.

3 Months & Counting

Brady has now been with us for 3 months (and counting!), though it felt like we’ve had him for 3 years. Our Brady boy now knows (with treat in front of him) a few commands that we proudly taught him ourselves! Yay!

NYC, Here I Come!

Going for a one day trip tomorrow…………… Leaving early in the morning, and coming back late at night…… I just hope the weather will be on our side! =) This is just the start of one busy weekend ahead!

I Could Eat This Everyday….

Bread and leftover curry chicken!… YUMS! I don’t care if there’s no chicken or potatoes in the curry… Just pass me some bread/toasts/rolls and I’m all set! Toasted some Ciabatini Rolls, slathered some butter on the rolls …. Tear the bread into pieces, dip in reheated curry……….. I’ve got a simple yet satisfying meal!! **Drools** I’m off to the kitchen to get myself more bread and curry! Hehe!!