Burnin’ Love, Whiskey River!

Yes, those were the names of the burgers we had for lunch today :) I had this urge to bite into a big juicy burger and so off we headed to the Red Robin, a wonderful place serving an array of gourmet burgers and spirits….yup it’s Halloween time but nope there we no sights of legless, flying things. This is of course, you know the kind of spirits that you drink and when you do indulge in too much, your eyes might actually make you see things fly around, legless.

Anyhoo, hubby thinks when you really want to eat sandwiches or burgers for lunch, McD, Burger Kings and Carl’s Jr., Subway or Quiznos are out of the question. Maybe okay for an occasional fast-food dinner but not when you are looking for fulfilling lunch. Well, it’s been ages since I have been to McD for burgers. Actually, almost never since I came to the US. There are just so many authentic burger joints around us that for me to try out leaving no opportunity for something that I can get back in Malaysia too.

For instance, I like my sandwiches/burgers at Mimi’s Café or Zous Mediterranean Café and burgers at Fuddruckers and now Red Robin is on the list.

Another restaurant with extensive menu that gives you a hard time selecting the thing you want to it at one particular time. After much serious deliberation, hubby decided on the Burnin’ Love Burger from the Classic Gourmet Burger category.

*I am pasting here the description of the burgers from the Red Robin website. It was the descriptions that prompted us our orders :)

*You’ll get fired up for the crispy-fried jalapeño rings, tangy salsa, and spicy Pepper-Jack cheese layered on top of our cayenne-seasoned beef burger. It’s topped with shredded lettuce and tomato to cool things off and served on a jalapeño-cornmeal Kaiser roll with Chipotle mayo.

As for me, I decided on the Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Burger.

*A tender, juicy charbroiled chicken breast basted with our signature Whiskey River® BBQ Sauce and topped with melted Cheddar cheese, crispy onion straws, lettuce, tomatoes and mayo. Cowpokes and real folks both love this one!

Although we were served bottomless (never-ending) steak fries, we couldn’t move pass what came in together with our burgers! Then we washed everything down with a really large glass of Root Beer float. Yummy! Overall, we liked the service and enjoyed the patio seating where little junior could eat and count on the passing cars.

 

A burger craving well satisfied :)

Traveling the world with just your taste buds…no passports required!

Hubby and I are self-confessed foodies. No, we definitely do not favor bizarre cuisine like Andrew Zimmern (grasshoppers and bugs satay, no thanks!) or pig out like the overly ambitious Adam Richman who basically tries to gobble down enormous sized portions of food on his shows. Now, Jeff Corwin, the Animal Planet guy, is starting this show on Food Network where he travels the world and explores exotic and yes, extreme cuisine. I just don’t understand what’s all the craze about bizarre and extreme cuisine these days!

Along that line, to us Anthony Bourdain is the most original globetrotter who manages to awe his audiences with his love for travel and food without trying too hard. Hubby and I are major fans of No Reservations and feel that he is a natural with what he does. Well yeah, he did eat a raw seal in Quebec but he is so witty and it’s fun watching his shows.

Okay, coming back to us being foodies. Perhaps we are not as adventurous as any one of those highly-paid travel journalists (I’ll eat weird stuff too if it comes with a huge paycheck and fame…at least I’ll try to) but when it comes to trying out new foods with bold flavors, novel tastes and unique preparations, we are all game.

I must say that living in California has made the better out of us foodies because it is the hub for world cuisine. We can find practically all kinds of the world cuisine around us here. Every weekend we eat out to give our palates a break from tasting their regular Malaysian/Indian/American cuisine. Let me see, thus far, hubby and I have “traveled with just our taste buds” to Greece, Italy, Vietnam, China, Thailand, Mexico, Korea, Argentina, France, Persia, Peru, Japan and Mongolia!


Last week we visited the newly-opened Elephant Bar Restaurant (http://www.elephantbar.com/) located at Laguna Hills here in California for lunch. It’s a place serving Western and Pan-Pacific foods. The ambience of the restaurant was rather interesting (although the interior was a little too dark for taking pictures with iPhone) with a full bar and open kitchen and a very (I mean really very…) extensive menu! The food was good but it was difficult when we had to choose from such an extensive menu. I guess we'd have to go there again then!

Here are the cocktails we ordered (cocktails for lunch – sure, why not!):

Mai Tai (left) and Raspberry Mojito…

Appetizer:
Crab + Lobster cakes on Fresh Mango-Ginger Sauce…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Entrées:

Oak Grilled Chicken Medallion and Prawn Skewer with Marsala sauce served alongside steamed rice and warm salad...

Mongolian Noodle Soup and Crispy Salmon Sushi...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Skipped the dessert menu to allocate more indulgence for dinner :)

Wonderfully Fishy!

Kitty cats love ‘em. The Eskimos live on ‘em. The Japanese love ‘em raw. Pregnant women (in the U.S especially) fret about having too much of ‘em due to mercury level alert. On a non-dietary level, most people just love having ‘em swimming around in prettily decorated aquariums. I love ‘em both ways! Ahh…fish, glorious fish!

Hailing from Malaysia, where fish and all other seafood entrées are very often the centerpiece, I am very fond of the versatility, taste and flavor of palatable fish dishes. With the various methods – fry, sear, grill, broil, boil and mash (the South Indian dish, fish puttu and the Malaysian specialty, otak-otak call for this method), steam, bake, sauté – I am never jaded when it comes to preparing a fish dish in my abode.

Enjoying fish doesn’t come as easy as…let’s say…enjoying chocolates for many of us. I must say, though, that the reservations some have about eating fish are mostly valid. Most commonly, one can be put-off either because it’s too smelly, too scaly, too bony or sometimes for some people, there’s this thing about the fish that they are about to consume appearing too unsightly to be considered as a delicacy. I too have that thing about eating weird looking fish. What, have you not seen a whole catfish close-up? With the whiskers and all…it’s a firm “no thanks” for me. Luckily for me and people alike, there are just so many other edible species of aquatic vertebrate out there to choose from.

The fish sold in American markets are mostly in the form of boneless and skinless fillets. We usually purchase our fish (namely Tilapia, Cod, Salmon, and Orange Roughy) in this well-cleaned way. They make preparing fish dishes easy breezy. However when we decide that it is time to take our fish-loving palate to a more exciting level, we drive to this place called the Asian Ranch Market where we can pick our catch imported from various Asian countries. So far this week, we filled up our fish quota with these dishes:

• Fish biryani (made with mackerel)
  

and

• Indian style fish curry (made with boneless, skinless tilapia fillets).
  

We also love to indulge in delicious sushi every now and then. Actually our indulgence is very much limited to California Roll sushi. In fact, it’s the only type of sushi roll I eat (hubby has tried other versions) because NO raw fish for me, thanks. It’s a pretty-looking delicacy and has a flavorful combination of imitation crab meat (fully-cooked, minced white fish, usually Alaskan Pollock), mayonnaise, avocado, carrots, toasted sesame seeds and seaweed. Once you try this sushi, with the accompaniment of pickled ginger and wasabi (for the wild at tongue!), you are hooked! Enjoying fish cannot get easier than this for sure.

Troublesome bones, irritating scales and unslighty whiskers aside, it has been substantially proven that eating fish provides supreme benefits. There’s just so much evident on the greatness of omega-3 in fish (especially in fatty fish – mackerel, trout, herring, sardines, tuna, salmon) these days. So if you are still balancing the risks and benefits of eating fish, fret no more! The verdict is out: fish is good for you and the benefits outweigh any drawbacks related to concerns about toxic matter in fish. Here are just a few reasons for you to go fish:

1. Asthma - children who eat fish may be less likely to develop asthma.
2. Brain and eyes - fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids can contribute to the health of brain tissue and the retina (the back of the eye).
3. Cancer - the omega-3 fatty acids in fish may reduce the risk of many types of cancers by 30 to 50 per cent, especially of the oral cavity, esophagus, colon, breast, ovary and prostate.
4. Cardiovascular disease - eating fish every week reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke by reducing blood clots and inflammation, improving blood vessel elasticity, lowering blood pressure, lowering blood fats and boosting 'good' cholesterol.
5. Dementia - elderly people who eat fish or seafood at least once a week may have a lower risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.
6. Depression - people who regularly eat fish have a lower incidence of depression (depression is linked to low levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the brain).
7. Diabetes - fish may help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels.
8. Eyesight - breastfed babies of mothers who eat fish have better eyesight, perhaps due to the omega-3 fatty acids transmitted in breast milk.
9. Inflammatory conditions - regular fish consumption may relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and autoimmune disease.
10. Prevention of premature births - eating fish during pregnancy may help reduce the risk of delivering a premature baby.

Hey, it's Turkey Day!

So, it's Thanksgiving Day today. It's the fourth Thursday of November every year in the US where the fate of millions of turkeys end up on elaborately decorated dining tables. Actually, it's not that bad coming to think of it because on this day, a turkey happens to be the single most celebrated ingredient. It's almost like these birds die a meaningful death. For instance, a turkey doesn't just get slaughtered, cooked and eaten up ordinarily on Thanksgiving Day. It's cleaned, pat-dried, seasoned, stuffed, glazed and then roasted to perfection (with in-between basting).

Then, it's prettily decorated, complete with cute paper booties for the drumsticks! Wait, there's more. At the dining table, the succulent-looking, all stuffed-up turkey is carved with special utensils. On top of that, the side dishes are planned accordingly to match-up to the majestic centerpiece - our dear, roasted, feathered friend. (Visual aid: see before-after pics below)

Still feeling bad for 'em turkeys? Fine, go ahead and knock yourself out with 'tofurkey', the tofu-based vegetarian faux turkey! Meat-free, guilt-free :)

BEFORE:



AFTER:
Anyhoo, turkeys and tofu aside, let's delve into the actual meaning of thanksgiving now. Actually, the history behind this special day is very interesting. Basically, it started as a day where people get together to say thanks to God for the bountiful harvest. Being a Hindu, I can relate to this because even we have a special day called the festival of harvest (Ponggal in Tamil) to be thankful to God for an abundant harvest. Special prayers and family get-togethers are held on that day. I went on to read more on the most celebrated autumn festival in North America and got myself some interesting facts (www.ehow.com):

• In ancient times, people of many cultures (including the ancient Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, Egyptians and Chinese) gave thanks to their god or gods for a successful harvest, and some of the traditions associated with modern Thanksgiving celebrations have their roots in these ancient festivals. In 1621, near the end of the Plymouth colony's first year in America, the settlers gave thanks for a plentiful first harvest. The pilgrims and the natives celebrated together (they had arranged a peace treaty), and everyone feasted on geese, ducks, deer, corn, oysters, fish and berries.
• In 1863, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that Thanksgiving should be a national observance. To some degree, this was a way to brighten the spirits of the American people, who were dealing with a great deal of difficulty and deprivation.
• Despite the harmonious relations that may have existed between natives and pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving feast, many subsequent American Thanksgivings involved settlers giving thanks for victories over the natives. Recently, efforts have been made by the American government and people to apologize for past discrimination and violence.
• The wild turkey is native to the eastern states and northern Mexico, and while it probably wasn't served at the first Thanksgiving feast, it has become a symbol of the holiday.

However Thanksgiving may have been celebrated in the past, nowadays it's all about celebrating family togetherness, being thankful for having enough to eat and remembering to do something for those with less. Now that's something very noble anyone can relate to.
My hubby and my little hero are my source of life. And if I were a cupcake, my family back home is like the colorful rainbow sprinkles that adorn a cupcake. Therefore, I am extremely thankful to God for keeping me alive to enjoy them all. I am truly blessed!

P/S: We are having some turkey kheema for dinner today. Nope, I am not going to garnish my turkey dish. I want to enjoy my dinner guilt-free ;)