Charles Bridge in Prague

Moonrise over Florence

Backyard Visitor

Barn

Ceviche

Wine Tour

Classy

Lamb, etc.

Spring!

Carne Asada

Now, we wait...

Tasty Beverages

Senior year is tough.

Snowpocalypse

Midnight Snack

Hash brown with pancetta, cheese, coarse salt, and ground pepper.

Leftovers

Rosemary and lemon salmon on a spinach and potato pancake.  An incredibly simple and delicious recipe.

Maple Glazed Salmon with Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Spam Musubi: Best Comfort Food Ever

I know the presentation is lacking, but in all honesty, there was only about 30 seconds between cooking it and stuffing it in my face.  It's definitely an "eat immediately" type of food.

I think I'll make another one...right now.

Soba!

Soba noodles, prosciutto, cherry tomatoes, garlic, parmesan cheese, and a fried egg.

Late Night Improv

It was late and I hadn't eaten dinner yet.  It actually turned out pretty well.  Although, next time I'll add more cherry tomatoes and some sun dried tomatoes, and maybe some crushed red pepper for heat.

Bacon makes everything delicious.

S is for Sick...and Soup

Perhaps one of the only benefits of getting sick is an excuse to make some chicken soup, not that I particularly need an excuse, but you know what I mean.  Luckily, I'm not sick, but one of my friends is, so I made her some.

I think I made too much.

According to MayoClinic.com, chicken soup actually might have some medicinal properties good for relieving colds.

"Generations of parents have spooned chicken soup into their sick children. Now scientists have put chicken soup to the test, discovering that it does have effects that might help relieve cold and flu symptoms in two ways. First, it acts as an anti-inflammatory by inhibiting the movement of neutrophils — immune system cells that participate in the body's inflammatory response. Second, it temporarily speeds up the movement of mucus, possibly helping relieve congestion and limiting the amount of time viruses are in contact with the nose lining."

Turns out Mom was right.  Again.

Patagonia

I traveled to Patagonia this winter break with my father and brother.  The scenery was absolutely unreal.  For such an isolated and natural place, the food was actually pretty good.  Here are a few of the meals I had while I was there.

Lamb stew

Argentinian pizza

Cured ham

My father is the surprised looking man in the center, my brother is to the right, and I'm on the left.

Patagonian lamb...by far the best lamb I have ever had.  It's roasted over an open flame like this for hours.  It's crunchy, juicy, and tender--everything you could ask for.

Some glamor shots of the lamb.

Argentinian ice cream was a mix between gelato and traditional ice cream.  It was fantastic.

Breakfast.  Any effects the caffeine should have had was completely overpowered by the sheer volume of food that came with it.

This sandwich, though lacking in presentation, taste, and just about every other characteristic you use to rate food, was the most satisfying sandwich I have ever had.  Why is that?  We had to hike over a mile in elevation before we could eat.

 Was it worth it?  Absolutely.  Here's the summit.

Keep in mind this entire landscape is over a mile above sea level.

The Superbowl... and chili

I resisted the urge to make some terrible pun about the Superbowl and a bowl of chili.  I think I'm growing up.  Well, anyway, here it is--my first attempt at homemade chili.

First post!

It seems only natural to introduce the two main tools that will be accompanying me through this blog.

I'm a big boy now (emphasis on the boy), so I decided it was time to buy a big boy knife.  It's a solid investment that I'm sure I'll appreciate more and more as I improve.

So, here it is:

Second, is my camera.  I recently purchased a Canon Rebel T2i, and it's already traveled with me to Patagonia in Argentina and Chile.  I'll be blogging about the food there soon.

Here's a picture of the camera in use.  In case you're wondering, yes, that is a Christmas tree ornament and yes, I'm using it as a mirror.  Original, right?