The Foo Nation

Balancing the act of healthy nutritious eating and not resembling a Brussel sprout with glasses. 

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Waited 40 minutes for my #ribeye sizzling stone bowl. Luckily, I stuffed myself with Japanese small bowls beforehand so the hanger monster never appeared. Rating: 7.5/10 . . . #lunch #nyc #nyfoodie #izakayanomad #japanese (at izakaya NoMad)

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Some beef tongue Reuben please. It was so tender I'm glad I stopped that gluten-free/ pescatarian nonsense. Rating: 8/10 #beeftongue #reuben #sanfrancisco (at ABV)

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Mozzarella and Basil Pizza Recipe 

Classic homemade thin crust pizza - the epitome of ‘rustic’ food. The ingredients can be found in most supermarkets and hey, rolling out pizza dough is the same as pumping your guns at the gym. Back in Hong Kong, a friend of mine introduced me to my first pizza party. What that entailed: drinking wine with friends while we created our own personal pizza with plentiful topping choices... I might try to organise something similar back at home. 

Serves 1 hangry soul

Prep time: 1h 15m, Cooking time: 15m, Total time: 1h 30m

Ingredients:

For the pizza dough:

120ml luke warm water

2 tsp dry yeast

125g plain flour

1 tsp sea salt

3 tbs extra virgin olive oil

For the toppings:

120g fresh mozzarella

1 bunch of fresh basil

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

50ml tomato paste

Method:

To make the pizza dough:

Preheat the oven to 230॰C

Mix the warm water and yeast in a small bowl. Let it stand for 5 minutes until the yeast dissolves

Mix the flour and salt

Add the oil and mix thoroughly with your hands. Add the yeast mixture and mix until the dough forms

Turn the dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 1 minute

Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl and turn the dough to coat with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm area until the dough doubles in volume for at least 1 hour

After 1 hour, punch the down the pillowy dough

Sprinkle some flour onto greaseproof paper on a clean flat surface

Roll out the dough using a rolling pin or clean wine bottle until it is ¼ inch thick

Transfer the dough with the paper underneath onto a baking sheet and pop into the oven for 10 minutes

After 10 minutes, carefully take out the pizza

To decorate the pizza:

    12. Drizzle the olive oil over the pizza

    13. Spread the tomato paste and season with salt and pepper

    14. Break up the mozzarella into chunks and scatter on the pizza. Then place           the basil on top of the cheese

    15. Cook for another 5 minutes

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Chive pancakes standing next to each other with some pickled carrot and cabbage. Slightly chewy, dense and finger lickin’ good. Rating: 7/10 #thaifood #nyc #nycfoodie #yumnomfoo (at Esanation)

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Honey Lemon and Ginger Chicken Rice (or Buddha) Bowl Recipe

There’s a fad going on where if you replace the words ‘rice bowl’ with ‘Buddha bowl’ the dish is instantly more suave and generally thought to be more zen. Whatever makes you feel happy. This is a quick and healthy dinner to make during the week and it won’t make your wallet cry. 

Gluten free Serves 4 Prep time: 5m, Cooking time: 15m, Total time: 20m Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts (bite sized chunks)

Salt and pepper

1 tsp olive oil

3 cloves of garlic (minced)

2 tsp grated ginger

120ml honey

3 tbs fresh lemon juice

zest of one lemon

1 tbs apple cider vinegar

2 tsp cornstarch

200g broccoli (chopped into florets) 

Method:

1. Heat a medium saucepan with olive oil

2. Add garlic, ginger and sautee for 2 minutes

3. Add honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and cornstarch. Bring to boil and reduce to a simmer for 3 minutes

4. Add the chicken to the sauce and stir

5. Cook for 4 minutes until chicken is full cooked (you can check by inserting a knife down the middle. If the juice comes out clear then you’re all good)

6. While the chicken is cooking, place the broccoli into a pan of hot boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain. 7. Serve with brown rice and a slice of lemon

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Albeit a little boojie, this place sure does make a good beetroot hummus toast. Rating: 8/10 #breakfast #brekkie #nyc #nycfood #eater (at Citizens of Chelsea)

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Laksa Recipe

As my cover photo suggests: I am a Laksa fanatic. Every time I take a bite into this Malaysian coconut curry seafood bliss with rice noodles I’m immediately transported back to the nights when Dad would whip this up. For a brief hour, it was as if my doubts and fears disappeared with each spoonful of this glorious dish. Some recipes call for egg noodles but I find that to be too heavy. The broth coats the rice noodles effortlessly so the noodles don’t undermine how scrumptious the broth is. Remember: Spicy food needs beer. 

Serves 5

Gluten-free recipe

Prep time: 5m, Cooking time: 25m, Total time: 30m

Ingredients:

400g rice vermicelli or Penang laksa noodles

200g laksa paste

200ml coconut milk

10 curry leaves

5 tofu puffs (halved)

10 fish balls (halved)

3 eggs

100g beansprouts

15 raw prawns (deveined and shelled)

Some coriander to garnish

Method:

1. Pour 1500ml of boiling water into a pot and add the laska paste, coconut milk, curry leaves and tofu puffs then reduce to a simmering heat

2. Soak the vermicelli in warm water for 10 minutes

3. In a separate pot, pour another 1500ml boiling water and add the eggs. Cook for 11 minutes

4. Add the prawns and fish balls and cook for about 5 minutes

5. Drain the vermicelli

6. Add the beansprouts and vermicelli to the pot for 2 minutes (or cook according to the instructions on the packet)

7. After 2 minutes, carefully tip the contents of the pot into a colander

8. Run cold water over the eggs, peel off the eggshells and cut in half

9. Divide the vermicelli, egg halves, fish balls, tofu puffs, prawns, beansprouts into 5 bowls

10. Cover with soup

11. Garnish with some coriander

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Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid

Albert Einstein