Millions of people love coffee, although some just don’t know why they do. Some people find it fun to go into a coffee shop and have a cup with their friends. Some find it is sweet while others just feel like it should be part of their diet and cannot go a day without having at least a cup.
However, the love and attachment to coffee make some wonder why people love it so much. Here are 4 reasons that might help you understand why people find it such an important drink.
If you’ve read our Jitlada review, you know we are a sucker for well-made mango sticky rice. What is mango sticky rice? It’s basically sweet sticky jasmine rice flavored with coconut with fresh mango on top. It’s simple, it’s sweet, it’s satisfying. It is especially satisfying after a spicy meal that you usually find at most Thai restaurants! Mangoes have been off-the-chain in season right now in California, meaning they are cheap and taking lots of room in our pantry. I’ve wanted to make my own mango sticky rice, but I was always too intimidated about the rice part. That is, until I found my hack.
Jet Tila is one of our favorite chefs and he came out with a stellar cookbook a few years ago called 101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die. And guess what was in there? Yup. Mango Sticky Rice. Still, I was nervous about the rice. I didn’t have a bamboo steaming basket and I had no sticky rice. So, I went to the grocery store and I got creative. I scoured the Asian foods aisle, hoping that some divine idea would strike from the florescent lights above. And it did! There it was. VeeTee microwavable Thai Jasmine Rice. Yes, yes, I know it’s not authentic, and it’s not nearly as good as doing it right, but I needed a shortcut and I found it. This isn’t a sponsored post for VeeTee, so really any Thai jasmine rice will work. And you know what, the dish turned out pretty dang good and took hours less time and fewer contraptions. Sometimes, I have time for long, intricate recipes, and sometimes, I, well, don’t.
We’re not Hawaiian, but as you’ve seen on the blog, we’ve spent some time there and Hungry is a huge fan of Hawaiian food. Why? The answer is simple. Hawaiian food screams love and spreads the aloha spirit. Hawaiian food embraces the mana of the islands, from the mighty volcanoes to the powerful yet serene oceans. Every time you grab a plate of loco moco from the local family restaurant, or a pile of pancakes covered in lilikoi and macadamia nuts from the town’s diner, you want to throw up the shaka as you walk out the door. There is just something magical about the Hawaiian culture because of the loving people that you’ll find there.
Next up on our must-visit restaurants of Los Angeles, we visited a breakfast joint! We went to Division 3 which is a tiny hole-in-the-wall place in Hollywood. It was suggested by Alton Brown, a culinary great we have followed, respected, and admired for a long time. He said the biscuits were to die for, of something of that vein, so we decided…we must try it!
Does it bother me that maybe there should be a hyphen in the title? Kinda. But I actually purposefully left it out to keep it vague and free. Anyhow. I bring you Honey Spiced Cookies based on the Honey Biscuits recipe from A Feast of Ice and Fire (aka Game of Thrones cookbook for those of you who *scoff* didn’t read the books). This is an incredible cookbook! I can’t recommend enough. It’s all based on foods that George RR Martin wrote into the books, and it splits the recipes into the different regions of Westeros. I’ve made several recipes from this cookbook such as applecakes and bread (both recipes serving the faithful Night’s Watch at the Wall). This recipe comes from the South from Lord Caswell’s kitchen.
These honey spiced cookies are warm, soft, and wonderfully potent with spices like pumpkin and ginger. The recipe takes under fifteen minutes and does not have a long ingredient list (honestly, if it’s too complicated, I don’t even want to make it). This recipe is probably best suited for warmer months due to its fall/winter-like spices, but I made this in a California heat wave (90 degrees F, ya’ll), and we still finished all of them in 1.5 sittings between the two of us. I mean, who says no to cookies based on the season?! Get real.
This is a heavy, heavy day in Los Angeles. While I was watching (on television) a hostage situation wrap up at a local Trader Joe’s in Silver Lake, I was scrolling through my Instagram, when I saw more horrible news. Jonathan Gold dies at 57. What?! That must be a joke? He’s been fine. However, apparently, he hasn’t been fine. In early July, Gold was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and, damn, it must’ve been aggressive for him to be gone already. This is devastating for Los Angeles. Devastating for us at Hungry & Fit too, he was a hero in the food industry. He even inspired us to do our LA’s Must-Visit Restaurants quest.
Who was Jonathan Gold? He was a Pulitzer-prize, James Beard-award winning food critic, but that doesn’t even cover it. He drove a green pick-up truck and barely turned in his articles in on time. He used his art–and it was art–to shine light on small “ethnic” food joints and lift Los Angeles up to be respected across the food industry alongside New York and San Francisco. Jonathan Gold focused on being positive, unlike many food critics (or critics in general). As he became more and more popular, he knew that his voice was powerful, and he used it for good.
July 4th is literally tomorrow and I bet a good amount of you are going to some kind of event. Do all of you have the dish in mind that you will bring? If the answer is no, we are here for you! July 4th is for relaxing, catching up with family and friends, and usually consuming food and alcohol. At most of these events, be it party, BBQ, whatever, there will certainly be lots of food. And a good amount of it will not be healthy. And you know here at Hungry & Fit, we are fine with living it up. But what it’s all about is moderation.
So, we have come up with a list of 5 Hungry & Fit healthier (but still very tasty) recipes that you can whip up and bring to your event. Your friends and family will be impressed that you made it yourself and didn’t just buy from the store! We’ve brought you a mix of savory and sweet dishes perfect for this American holiday. You can thank me in advance for saving you some recipe-scouring time.
1. Cannoli Dip
While trying to get through the hustle and bustle of living in these fast-paced times, you might find that something as simple as meal preparation can be a luxury. That’s where meal delivery services come in. The value of convenience can’t be overlooked in today’s world. Meal delivery services are great time savers and even greater proponents of convenience. In addition, if you get the right service, you will enjoy healthy and tasty meals at a great price.
It’s been a while since we posted regarding our epic eating tour of Los Angeles (gotta-eat-em-all). Remember that one where we made a list of the must-visit restaurants of 2018? There have been a few things that have gotten in the way since then like our honeymoon, but have no fear, we have stand-out restaurants to review for you! Next stop on our tasting-the-best-of-Los-Angeles list is Lukshon.
Lukshon, a modern restaurant focused on Southeast-Asian flavors, was brought to life by the same chef who opened the famous Father’s Office, Angelenos’ favorite burger & beer spot–Sang Yoon. This man knows how to hit you with flavor and keep your palette guessing and craving for more. The creativity of his work is out of bounds and stunning. Don’t get tricked by the menu prices–this place is pricey because “hot plates” and “cold plates” are small plates and you’re bound to get a good amount of them. Even though we weren’t ready for the price of the meal, we can sit here and tell you that it’s worth it. It’s a dining experience you aren’t likely to forget.
There truly are only a handful of individuals in the culinary world that truly brought something new to the table. One of those individuals, Anthony Bourdain, has left the table, and with that, a seat that will be extremely hard to fill.
While I enjoyed cartoons and sports growing up like every other kid, I watched more food television than most kids my age. For Christmas, I’d ask my mom for microplanes, honey dippers, and other obscure cooking utensils to feel more like the chefs that I idolized on television. She’d let me help with food prep in the kitchen and might even let me make my own dish from time to time, knowing full well that it’d end up being inedible. (Note, I was VERY young when this started.) My fixation for in-the-kitchen cooking shows like Emeril Live, Good Eats, Two Fat Ladies and many others, over different channels, never completely faded, but after watching these for years and years, I need new inspiration.
