Dream Job

(Image from: http://www.travelchannel.com/static_files/tc/images/shows/bourdain/foodporn2/TonysPorn2/bourdain_ss_foodporn2-journal_002_596x334.jpg)

I've decided I know what my dream job is. I want to have Anthony Bourdain's Career. If you've ever watched the Travel Channel's "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations," you'll know that in the intro, he states: "I write. I travel. I eat."

After I've screamed at the television a bit about the unfairness of some people's dreams-turned-reality, I'm usually calm enough to enjoy and salivate over an episode. However, I don't know if I'm willing to go to culinary school or become a chef (which seem to be prerequisites for people like Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern). Sigh...

Foods to try in New York City: Mamoun’s Falafel

Mamoun’s falafel is one of those small joints that everyone in the East Village knows about. Just ask for a falafel and you’ll get falafel in pita with tomatoes, lettuce and a white tahini type sauce. It’s $2.50 for one ( I remember when it used to be $2.00; I also remember when subway fare was $2.00). However, don’t let the increase in price deter you. After you purchase it,make your way over to Washington Square Park (about 2 blocks away) and eat it at one of the numerous benches there (sitting area in Mamoun’s is uncomfortably squished). As a passionate consumer of meat, I have to say that this is one of the few vegetarian foods I enjoy.
Courtesy of R.R. for introducing me to it.

Foods to try in New York City: Chicken & Rice on 53rd St. & 6th Ave.

This is the reputed Chicken & Rice from the stand on 53rd and 6th Ave. There are actually 3 stands within a block of each other all owned by the same guy. True Chicken & Rice diehards say that one of them in particular supersedes the others. I say, go to the the one with the shortest line. Just look for the stands with the yellow umbrellas and bags and you’ll get the same thing. The meat itself isn’t very interesting. I’d say about 80% of the flavor comes from the sauces. There’s one white sauce (just pour it all on) and one red sauce (the method I use for dispersing this sauce: I dip the tip of my fork into the sauce and speckle it on top of the white sauce. Why? It’s super spicy, even for those accustomed to spicy foods). Choices of meat include: Chicken, Lamb or Chicken & Lamb.

Foods to try in New York City: Katz’s Deli

Recommended by my cousin, Katz’s Deli, located in the Lower East Side, is best known for its stacked pastrami sandwiches and for hosting the scene in “When Harry Met Sally” where Sally fakes an…well, you know.
In any case, the inside of the restaurant supports a unique setup. On the right is a counter where a row of workers will take your order and simultaneously cut up your choice of pastrami, corned beef, etc. You can also sample the meat (mine was still warm when it was sliced and given to me). You’ll then be given a tab with your order and the price written on it. There’s a man at the register near the exit who will take the tab and ring the order up on your way out.
I had a pastrami sandwich. The meat was extremely tender. Though I’m a fan of dishes with more complex flavors, the simple pastrami sandwich at Katz’s wasn’t entirely unsatisfactory. If you’re craving something meaty, it’ll hit the spot. I’ve also heard good things about the hot dogs.

Foods to try in New York City: Lombardi’s Pizza

The pizza here tastes as good as it looks. If you want to skip the wait (the place is usually overcrowded with people waiting for a table), I’d say order the pizza to-go and eat at a nearby park (there’s one half a block away on the same street). The ingredients shown above are pepperoni, garlic spinach and ricotta cheese. Lombardi’s is reputedly the oldest pizzeria in New York City (http://www.firstpizza.com/). I would say the taste is similar to that of Grimaldi’s (another famous pizzeria) across the bridge in Brooklyn.

Changing the Title

As I will no longer be using this blog for my spanish class, I've decided to change the title from "arco y azar," translated, "archery and chance," to "cogitatio et cibus," which is Latin for "thought and food." I will be blogging, for now, about food, one of my great interests.

Check out my tumblr of the same name: http://sylviasnonsequiturs.tumblr.com/

My food blog

Check out my food blog: http://sylviasnonsequiturs.tumblr.com