Street Food: NYC

In the city known to never sleep, it is easy to find food to eat wherever you go. From high-end to fast food then street food, New York City is a foodie haven.

Have you watched Street Food: USA on Netflix? One episode featured food trucks in NYC. It is quite common to see them on the sidewalk while walking in the city.

I have always wanted to try NYC's street food after watching the Netflix series. I finally did when one time we were in such a rush when we had to meet a cousin.

I chose something that was easy to eat while standing. It turned to be too spicy and I forgot to bring water with me. Good thing I was able to buy one right away.

If you want to buy from food trucks in NYC, it is easier if you have cash with you. Most food trucks, if not all, do not accept cards or are cash-only businesses.

Chicken and Veggies

If you asked me if I can cook when I was younger, the answer was definitely a no. I could cook rice and fry anything from eggs, hotdogs, and fish, among others. However, I was not confident cooking dishes that required more ingredients. 

When I settled down and had my own little family, I took cooking more seriously. There were some hits and misses. I learned to love the process as time went by.  

I have shared some easy to prepare dishes that are tasty, simple, and affordable. For this week, I am sharing my simple chicken and veggies recipe. Enjoy cooking!

CHICKEN AND VEGGIES

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 chicken breasts thinly sliced

one medium onion sliced into rings

one medium carrot diced

1/3 cup corn

1/3 cup green peas

For the sauce:

3 tablespoons Kikkoman soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon iodized salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Procedure

1. Mix all the ingredients of the sauce.

2. Heat the pan with olive oil.

3. Cook the onion rings and wait for them to turn soft and translucent.

4. Add the thinly sliced chicken and cook until both sides are slightly brown.

5. Add carrots, corn, and green peas to the mix and sauté for 5-6 minutes.

6. Pour the sauce into the pan and let it simmer for a few minutes.

7. Once cooking is done, serve your chicken and veggies with rice.

In my case, I served it with rice and the bean soup that hubby loved to cook.

Homemade Filipino & Thai Food

Several things happened these past few months. Last August was the saddest after my grandma was rushed to the hospital. After more than two weeks of clinging to that hope of her recovery, she passed away. One of the most important people in my life is now gone. I would no longer see her again cook rice using wood in her back kitchen or prepare ripe papaya and other fruits. Things would never be the same.

I was born in the Philippines but lived in Thailand for several years when my grandma was in Canada. I visited her during the holidays when she went home to the Philippines. I wish I was able to cook for her. She usually insisted on cooking. I am grateful for being her granddaughter.

People usually compare Filipino and Thai dishes although they are quite different. Thai food is spicy and uses more herbs. Meanwhile, Filipino food is normally not spicy, but I like both. I do try making it less spicy so I add fewer chili peppers.

For this week's blog, I share easy-to-cook Filipino and Thai dishes. They both use long beans. The Filipino food is called adobong sitaw or adobong batong. Sitaw is the Tagalog word for long beans and batong is the Visayan word. Meat like pork and chicken either cut into small pieces or grounded can be added to this recipe. 

Meanwhile, Thai food is called pad krapao moo because it uses krapao (holy basil). Moo means pork in Thai. I use ground pork for this pad krapao moo recipe. If chicken is used instead of pork, it is called pad krapao gai. Gai means chicken in Thai. If holy basil is not available, Italian basil is a good substitute because it is much closer in flavor. However if both are not available, use Thai basil instead.

Tender Juicy Chicken BBQ

Who wants their chicken barbecue tender and juicy? Me! If you have been following this blog, you may have seen posts about food recipes. It has been quite a while since I posted one so I would like to share my latest chicken marinade.

I usually marinate the meat hours before I cook food or before my hubby cooks. When it comes to grilling, he is the one in charge these days and not me. My main role is to prepare the marinade. I have done a few experiments to come up with a mixture that would make the meat not only tasty but also tender and juicy.

When I was young, I used to observe my late father when he cooked. He was one of the best when it came to meat, however, I never really took cooking my own food seriously. When I got married, I started cooking more. I tried to remember how he did it, but there was one thing I did not know until I asked my mother.

Aside from not over-grilling the meat, it is important to marinate meat with the right amount of salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder (if there is no minced garlic). What else? What about vinegar? It is up to you, but I use Sprite (the original flavor). What about soy sauce? Yes, you can add but not a lot. You can also add fish sauce instead if it is okay with everyone. The amount for each ingredient depends on the size of the meat or the number of slices you are going to grill. The next question is, "What should you eat with chicken barbecue?" 

Have you heard of rice? Nah, I am just kidding. Of course, you do! The question is, "Can you cook rice without a rice cooker? I am grateful that my parents trained me when I was a little to cook without it, but for convenience's sake, it is nice having one. Believe it or not, it took me a long time to decide which one to buy because I was looking for a trusted brand with stainless steel. After reading all sorts of reviews online (it needs patience!), I finally found the one online. 

What about beans? Yes! If you have been also following my food posts on Instagram, you may have noticed that we are a household of bean lovers. We eat different types of beans. Beans are a good source of protein, fiber, iron, folate, and antioxidants. They are a healthy addition to your diet but in moderation along with fruits. I eat cakes from time to time, but fruits like avocados are healthier.

By the River

While walking by the Mekong, we reached a restaurant overlooking the river. I wanted to explore it, but we already found a restaurant near we were staying.

I still wanted to explore it the next day so I used Google Maps to look for it because I took another way. After walking for about twenty minutes from our hotel, I finally found Savan Sumran. It had a beautiful view of the Mekong.

Sawan Sumran was also a hotel with a vintage style. Its location in Mukdahan overlooking the Mekong River made it ideal for a relaxing getaway in Thailand.

Since it was too early for lunch, I decided to order an iced mocha and honey toast. After almost an hour of exploring the place, we walked back to our hotel.

Grab and Cook!

When staying at hotels, we normally book those that have free breakfast or at least have their own restaurant where we can eat. It is a very important factor to consider. However, this time it is different. Personally, I want to see the unit in an ongoing development somewhere in Parañaque so we book one that is already finished and ready for occupancy. I am glad it is available at the time of our stay.

Actually, this happened last month so I am going to write in past tense from now on. My cousin (both on Mama's and Papa's side) picked us up from the airport in Manila upon our arrival from Bangkok. We were very thankful. His family hosted sumptuous dinners and breakfast for us and later drove us back to the airport.

Okay regarding the unit that I booked, it was in the first tower of the development and our check-in was smooth. The staff was friendly and accommodating. We did not meet the owner of the unit (no need actually), but it was easy to communicate with our host through the booking app. We had everything we needed for a comfortable stay except that there was no free breakfast and we had to cook.

I did not mind cooking as long as I had all the things I needed in the kitchen. I used Grab to buy groceries online from stores including fresh pandesal from Pan de Manila. Deliveries were on time and glad I got some discounts too.

We were told that there would be at least a grocery store within the property when all the towers would be finished. Not sure exactly when that would happen, but if one did not mind walking, there was a Family Mart not that far. There was also a Wendy's Drive-Thru near the store. Max's Restaurant was a 4-minute walk.

Food Scene in Ao Nang

It took me a long time to decide where to stay in Ao Nang after I canceled a booking. I thought that staying in Railay for a few days would be better than being in Ao Nang for a week. It was a good decision because we had fun in Railay.

Finally, I was able to find a place to stay for the rest of our time in Krabi. The reviews were mixed, but it checked all the boxes and I got a good deal on Agoda just like in Railay. I did wait for quite some time. Patience proved to be a virtue. Our room was facing the limestone cliffs. The view every day made me thankful for booking it. The rainy season was not over yet. There were times when a blanket of fog covered the cliffs and it felt like we were on the top of a mountain. 

Unlike in the resort in Railay, the hotel had only one outdoor pool for adults and a smaller pool for kids next to it. Nonetheless, our little one was not bothered even in moments when it became a bit crowded. She had fun swimming every day. There was free breakfast every morning in the restaurant next to the pool. Food was a mixture of Thai, Indian, and Western. We opted not to, but it was also possible to order breakfast in a basket on the pool and enjoy the view of the cliffs.

Centra by Centara Phu Pano was not near Ao Nang Beach but also not too far. We realized this after hiring a ride one time. We decided to walk on our way back and we discovered several restaurants offering different food choices along the way.

We ate twice in a restaurant very near the hotel and once in a smaller one not that far away as well. On our last night, we walked much further and chose an outdoor restaurant near a mosque. We also tried delicious southern Thai desserts.