Make New Dreams

006/100 Foods Pizza Empanadillas

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 22:51:18 GMT

Origins: Galicia and Portugal with one of the earliest recipes found in 1520.

Where to find it: Easily in Latin America or areas with latin american markets. They sell a frozen version that is usually what people sell. Anywhere else, you'll probably have to order the frozen version shipped. In Puerto Rico, street vendors will sell them (though finding this SPECIFIC flavor will depend on the place) again, probably the frozen version fried.

My first experience: My first experience with empanadillas was my parents making a corned beef version (w/ canned corned beef) at home when I was very young. Unfortunately I don't really like that flavor so I would just eat the shell. Then they'd make cheese ones but since that's American cheese I don't eat those anymore either.

Think of it like a calzone but smaller and fried. It can be filled with either savory or sweet. The ones I prefer are the ones filled with marinara and cheese (hence "pizza") which I first discovered existed when I found the frozen version at a Sams Club.

Last time I've had it:
Just now.

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005/100 Foods: Churros

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 23:40:22 GMT

Origins:
Either Spain or Portugal.

Where to find it: The best place would probably be a vender but I THINK there may be a frozen version you can buy (not the same) but really it's similar to a doughnut so just get a hot and fresh donut and it's almost the same thing.

My first experience: Probably Puerto Rico. It's described as a Spanish doughnut and that's close however it's like a doughnut plus..

If you haven't seen one, here's what it looks like:

Well one variety. The standard one is the straight one pictured above. It'll be crunchy on the outside and doughy and is typically covered in sugar and/or cinnamon. Sometimes served with chocolate sauce or like in this picture, covered. It's a breakfast food in some places and a snack/dessert in others.

Sometimes they're twisted or they're just a twisted version without the lines and sometimes it's just the harder outside in a oval and deep fried.

Some places will carry a variant that you can FILL with chocolate (or vanilla, but who'd want that) so it's nice and gooey and chocolately.

Last time I've had it:
Eh.... today. >.> <.

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004/100 Foods: Chicken Nuggets/Bites/Similar Things

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:55:37 GMT

Origins:
Robert C. Baker, a food science professor at Cornell University.

Where to find it: lolz, everywhere.

My first experience: I'm quite sure McDonalds is the first place I've had chicken nuggets that I remember and to this day I still find them delicious.

However, anywhere else? Gross and disgusting. I can only assume it's because they switched to only white meat while everybody else still uses the meat slurry of mixed... meat. Or McDonalds simply deep fries it with drugs and I'm just addicted to it.

So I will usually only eat chicken bites or popcorn chicken elsewhere, which are breaded pieces of chicken breast but NOT slurry and are very tasty.

I will usually eat them by themselves (normally), barbeque sauce, or what else... General Tso sauce.

Last time I've had it:
Eh.... 11pm on Thursday IIRC. >.> <.

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003/100 Foods: Pineapple Juice

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 03:52:39 GMT

Origins:
South America apparently. Though for the US, it's Hawaii.

Where to find it: Grocery stores should carry it tbh. Otherwise buy a pineapple and juice it yourself.

My first experience: I'd say truly sometime this year. I will admit I have a rather... mixed feeling toward pineapple. I do not like how it's always portrayed as "exotic" and "tropical" and then... it's like 90% of any tropical or exotic drink/food/dish. It's from Hawaii. I've had pineapple all my life. We've had pineapple all over the U.S. for years now. It's no longer exotic. Stop pretending it's something new, advertisement!

It also REALLY pisses me off that pineapple is the number one ingredient in PASSIONFRUIT JUICE FROM WELCHES. I know they are similar tastes (passionfruit can best be described lemon + guava + pineapple but it's lazy as fuck if passionfruit is like the fourth thing on a item DESCRIBED AS FUCKING PASSIONFRUIT. Hint: I really like passionfruit, expect to see it a few times on this list)

But anyway, I do eat pineapple on occasion but I do remembering it's not so much "exotic"

My mother, however, likes pineapple juice. Last time it was on sale she bought like 6 cans. The large ones. It's one of the things she'll use to quickly raise her sugar. So anyway, I had a sugar drop and I tried it.

And it was so fucking good. That's basically my list. Things that are my favorite/things I have at one point CRAVED. That I have/could have woken up one day and say "...Makes me want a ~~hot dog~~ glass of pineapple juice real bad" (/Paulette, Legally blond.)

I can't explain it but that's what it is. There's a bunch of small cans in the car and I'm tempted to go out right now and get one.

Last time I've had it:
Probably last month.

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002/100 Foods: Mango

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 03:08:08 GMT

Origins:
India, though the specific one I'm writing about is the version made in Mexico.

Where to find it: Grocery stores will have the common one (which I believe are mostly in season during the summer), I found these in Sams and I THINK they're the same ones I get in Puerto Rico which can be found in grocery stores to people selling them in the street.

My first experience: Good question. I've eaten mangos for years so I couldn't tell you. Probably given a piece of one as a child. I prefer the smaller ones than the common one because in my opinion they're more flavorful but there are many varieties.

The mango I'm talking about versus the common one:

While you could just peel off the skin and start eating the flesh (if it's not soft to the touch or green, it's not ripe yet), apparently the CORRECT way of eating it is to cut into the mango (avoiding the GIANT seed) and then cutting a square grid into the mango and... well let me just show you a picture.

Then you nom on that. Except after you do that four times, you're left with the seed and some quality fruit and no instructions on how to eat it there... so eat it how you wish!. lol

Last time I've had it:
A few days ago when my sugar dropped.

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001/100 Foods: General Tso Sauce

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 22:29:22 GMT

Origins: The United States. Yeah it's not actually from China. It's either from Chef Peng Chang-kuei, T. T. Wang, or Chef Peng Jia who apparently all invented General Tso's Chicken first and was copied. Most Chinese dishes served in the US are modified for US consumption so I'm not entirely surprised.

Ingredients: Here are the General Tso Chicken ingredients that I found on wikipedia: Chicken, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Shaoxing wine or sherry, sugar, sesame oil, scallions, hot chili peppers, batter... So I'm assuming remove the chicken and the batter and that's the sauce.

Where to find it: If you do take out, you can get it on chicken, pork, shrimp, or tofu. Most Chinese buffets I've gone to also have it on chicken. The sauce by itself can be found at various stores, I get it from BJs Warehouse.

My first experience: I originally had it as General Tso Chicken served with pork fried rice from Chinese take out.

I've always enjoyed it because it's a sweet spicy. I don't always care for spicy things but adding a sweet component really helps and that's probably the reason I eat this so often. The chicken is supposed to be served crunchy from the batter but I... don't always see that meaning they've probably been sitting too long before getting to me. But despite that, my mother and I would order this (ALWAYS EXTRA SPICY, ALWAYS) for years. Though 4 years ago, we discovered you can buy the sauce by itself and this is when the greatest creation was made: General Tso Meatballs with the added bonus of being insanely easy to do and hard for me to fuck up.

I get a bag of frozen meatballs that can be nuked in the microwave, cover it with the sauce and just cook'em until the sauce is nice and hot and the meatballs are moist and warm. You can serve it as an appetizer at this point or serve it along rice. When we have it as a meal, we serve it with white rice. I'll use a spoon to break each one into fours and eat each piece with a bit of rice. It's HEAVENLY.

Other things I've eaten it on:
Steak, ribs, chicken wings, pulled turkey, cubed spam, edamame.

Last time I've had it:
A few minutes ago.

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100 Favorite Foods

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:59:44 GMT

{Take the 100 Things challenge!}

Index:
001/100 Foods: General Tso Sauce

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Flexible Squares to DW

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 07:13:04 GMT

This link is actually better as it fixes the friends list and lets you click titles:
http://starlit.dreamwidth.org/272.html

Thanks to virkatjol for bringing it to my attention and skieswideopen for apparently finding it in the first place!

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Okay

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:16:15 GMT

It's like I never left livejournal!

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