Shakshuka

I just got my hands on some farm fresh eggs and wanted to make a yummy brunch with them. The first and only time I had shakshuka was last year at Sonny's Place. Having eaten it some time ago, I find it odd that it was the first thing that came to mind when I wanted something different for brunch today. But I am glad it did because it was just what I needed to satisfy my craving.

Essential Ingredients

• onion
• garlic
• zucchini
• canned tomatoes
• tomato sauce
• eggs
• salt
• pepper
• cumin
• cayenne (optional)

The dish is rather simple. It's eggs cooked in a tomato sauce. I started by sauteing diced onion and finely minced garlic in olive oil.. I then added some zucchini until they were just about fully cooked. Next came canned whole peeled plum tomatoes (I think mine were "Italian style" which just means it had Italian herbs in it) and regular tomato sauce. I seasoned it with salt, pepper, cumin and cayenne pepper (for a little kick). I let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes breaking up the tomatoes with my spoon. I gently cracked my eggs into the sauce letting them cook until the egg whites were no longer clear. I like my egg whites more cooked than not so I put the pan under the broiler for just a couple of minutes. Be careful when doing so because you don't to overcook your yolk. the beauty of this dish is the combination of the creaminess of the yolk with the sauce. Once your eggs are cooked to your liking it is ready to eat!

You can eat it with any bread of your choice but pita bread is suggested. I had none so I used some naan I had in my pantry. Im sure this would be good over rice as well but I prefer the bread because I like to sop up the yolk and sauce with it.

I wanted to add mushrooms and green bell pepper but I didn't have any so I worked with what I had. This is a really quick and easy dish to make when you want to break away from more traditional brunch meals.

Let's Play Catch Up

Although I have been absent from my blog, I have not been missing out on good eats. Below is a photo re-cap of some of my favorite indulgences of the past few months.

Secret Garden Pizza - Broadway Cafe (Atlanta, GA)

 Raw Oysters- Coast Seafood & Raw Bar (Atlanta, GA)

 Gnocchi- ONE. midtown kitchen (Atlanta, GA)

Turkey Burger with onions, mushrooms and fried egg - Yeah! Burger VA-Highlands (Atlanta, GA)

Coca de Pato (duck confit on flatbread with onions, cheese and arugula)- Eclipse di Luna (Atlanta, GA)

Salmon and Israeli couscous- Sun in my Belly (Atlanta, GA)

 Animal Style Burger- In N Out Burger (Los Angeles, CA)

 Hot n Juicy Crawfish- Hot n Juice Crawfish (Las Vegas, NV)

 Shiu Mai- Noodles Restaurant at Bellagio (Las Vegas, NV)

Singapore Curry Rice Vermicelli- Noodles Restaurant at Bellagio (Las Vegas, NV)

 Steak and Eggs- West Midtown Corner Tavern (Atlanta, GA)

 Italian Sausage Calzone Rollup - Gino's NY Pizza (Atlanta, GA)

Pho- I Luv Pho (Norcross, GA)

Brunch in New York City

It has been quite some time since I have posted and I apologize. Life has gotten in the way. Since my last day off I hadn't had a day off between work and rehearsals until last Sunday. I did, however, get an opportunity to take a long weekend trip to New York City. While in the big city, I had two great brunches I thought I would share.

NOLITA HOUSE

 I met an old friend from high school for eat just north of Little Italy at Nolita House for their Bluegrass Brunch. Due to change of train schedules for the weekend, he was running a tad late so we arrived at the tail end of the brunch service. I knew exactly what I wanted for my entree but the waitress convinced us to try an order of sticky buns. Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of this sweet treat but it was due to it being devoured so quickly. I am not big on sweets for breakfast or brunch but the sticky buns were a good call.

For my entree, I went for my go-to... the classic benedict. It was the usual two poached eggs, canadian bacon and hollandaise on toasted english muffin. All served with a side of house fries and fresh fruit. Nothing particularly stood out about this benedict but it was just what I wanted. My friend had the breakfast burrito which looked very filling and had a nice spicy kick to it.

If you check out Nolita House, you are in for a good time and good food. Oh and if you order a brunch, you get a complimentary brunch cocktail (score!).

The Sunburnt Calf

The next day I met up with an old theatre buddy from college. He highly recommended The Sunburnt Calf on the Upper West Side. Boy am I glad he did. This Aussie establishment offers bottomless mimosas or bloody marys with lunch. I was sold at that fact alone but when I heard the waitress describe the Heart Attack special it got even better. The Heart Attack was a steak topped with bacon, poached eggs, hollandaise and crispy onions with a side salad. There was a bit of a wait for the food but we didn't mind because they kept the drinks flowing. I was feeling a bit toasty when the food arrived and was ready to indulge myself. It was delicious- a nice twist on your regular benedict. I did not leave one scrap on my plate.

I would definitely head back to The Sunburnt Calf for the staff, the food, the drinks and the complimentary shot when your check is brought to you.

Chicken Arroz Caldo

Yesterday the weather in Atlanta made a change for the better. We went from sticky, hot 90 degree weather to cool, rainy 70 degree weather. This change in climate made me crave something my mom would make often when I was younger- Chicken Arroz Caldo (or as we called it Chicken and Rice). This is a Filipino rice "porridge" dish that is so comforting and delicious on a day like yesterday and today.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 6 chicken wings, cut to separate drumettes, flats and tips
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 1 cup short grain rice
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• hard boiled eggs, for garnish (optional)
• green onion, sliced for garnish
• lemon wedges (calamansi if it's available to you)

In a large pot heat up 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. Add the onion and ginger and cook until the onion is translucent (approx. 3 minutes).

Add the chicken and cook for about 5-7 minutes. They should start to turn a light golden brown.

Add the stock, rice and fish sauce. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Make sure to stir often- you want to release the starches from the rice so that it thickens the stock.

If you prefer the end product to be thinner, just ass more stock. While your arroz caldo is cooking, heat up the last 1 tbsp of vegetable oil over medium heat in a separate pan. Saute the garlic until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.

Serve the chicken arroz caldo in bowls topped with fried garlic, green onions, a lemon wedge, a boiled egg and a dash or 2 of fish sauce. When my mom made this for me growing up she never used boiled eggs but I have seen many photos with the egg that I decided to give it a try. I really liked the addition of it to the meal.

Masarap! Definitely satisfied my craving.