Next week, I kick off my 2011 travels with a trip to South America. I’ll start with a red-eye through Miami to Brazil, with a few nights in Sao Paulo, Manaus and Rio de Janeiro. I’ll then fly to Buenos Aires for five nights.
When I finish my cost-of-living work in Argentina, I will ride a three-hour ferry to Montevideo, Uruguay. A few nights later, I’ll fly back to Boston.
Excited? You betcha.
At just three weeks and some change, this survey is a bit shorter than most of my trips. Still plenty of time to do some stuff worth writing about. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you.
January’s Challenge: Cook 5-10 Recipes You Have Never Made Before
So far, the January Challenge is off to a great start. Some of you have already published your efforts! Big kudos to Elle for teaching me how to properly grill wings. The hustle and flow of cooking is something I’ve always enjoyed, but sometimes it takes a little push to remind me. Hence the challenge. As always let me know what you’ve been cooking.
Here’s are a few of the dishes I’ve made:
Moroccan Quinoa Salad: link to recipe
Roasted Brussels Sprouts: link to recipe
Seafood Pasta (no recipe, just made it up)
Quarter-Life Crisis
Today is my twenty-fifth birthday. Giddy up! Instead of waiting until I’m fifty to have a mid-life crisis (I wonder if I’ll be able to afford a Porsche by then?), I decided to go ahead and have my quarter-life crisis tomorrow. I’ll be celebrating at Boston’s first trampoline park. Video footage on the way!
I hope your year is off to a healthy and productive start. If there’s anything I can do to help you out, let me know!
The trampoline park again? NOOOO. You’re gonna come out with a broken leg this time :). And if you have to keep going to the hospital, there’s no way you’re going to be able to afford a porsche when you’re 50 *shakes head disapprovingly* :).
Wah wah wah. Live in the moment Runyon! Live impossibly!
Wow, that trip sounds awesome!
I have been mostly cooking old favorites recently, but I did make a really tasty turkey tortilla soup the other day that was new for me.
roasted turkey thigh – diced
1 onion – diced
1 bell pepper – diced
3 cloves garlic – minced
1 28 oz can of diced tomato
1 cup chicken broth
pepper
salt
cumin
1 tbsp lime juice
1 heaping tbsp red pepper (I used a combo of mild and hot peppers I picked up in a cooking school in Santa Fe).
Cook veggies, add tomatoes and liquid and spices. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add turkey. Let simmer for an hour. Delish with some cheese, tortilla strips, and a touch of sour cream.
1. I have no idea how I didn’t know that trampoline park existed. I’ve been wanting to go to one of those places since I saw an outdoor one in London on ’06. And there it is! In ma citay!
2. Moroccan Quinoa Salad looks delish, was it?
3. Happy birthday!
Trampoline Park? I am intrigued!
Roasted Brussels sprouts are awesome, and I never liked them before my wife made them a few months ago, now, I love them!
Next thing to go with your newfound ability to BBQ wings, is a homemade sauce for it.
Have a freakin blast in South America. Lookin forward to the report from the trip!
Happy Birthday Alan! And enjoy your time in South America!
I made the roasted brussel sprouts last night, they were delicious!!! Thanks for the recipe! It’s the first time I ever cooked brussel sprouts and I’m happy to say I’m a fan. In addition to pecans, I added some chopped dates which were a great addition. Probably better to add them halfway through roasting since they cook faster though..
Hey! Loosen up! You say, “I decided to go ahead and have my quarter-life crisis tomorrow”. What will you do when you are 30 then!!!
i love to eat and i came to the point in my life that i love to cook. I am interested about this seafood pasta that you are making. I both love seafood and pasta. You gave me the idea to just cook for myself without the recipe. i take this as a challenge!