I love the BBC and I love food. Duh. So I was pleased to see the BBC had compiled a list of 50 foods one should eat in their life time. Of course the list is somewhat British influenced but I don't care. I like the Brits. I read through the list and was happy to see there were only 8 items I have not tried. I think most people have tried most of the foods on this list though. How many things have you eaten from the list? What are they and do you think you would want to to eat the rest of the items featured?



1. Fresh fish - In Sushi yes. I don't know what else they mean?
2. Lobster - It is awesome! Lobster thermedor. Lobster dipped in butter/garlic sauce. Delicous!
3. Steak - Well done please!
4. Thai food - One of my favorites
5. Chinese food - Authentic and take out I have eaten both
6. Ice cream - Haagen Daaz strawberry welcome to my belly.
7. Pizza - made it from scratch and eaten it at the pizza parlor
8. Crab - anothe shellfish favorite
9. Curry - Oooh curry how I love you!
10. Prawns - You look and taste like shrimp so yes I love you too.
11. Moreton Bay Bugs - Have no idea what this is.
12. Clam chowder - I like New England best.
13. Barbecues - Have tried many different kinds. Armenia, American, Korean.
14. Pancakes - Also tried many different kinds. Love blueberry the best and its cousin crepes.
15. Pasta -Fresh or store brought very good! My mom's spinach lasagna is to kill for!
16. Mussels - Mmmm this Italian restaurent makes them fantastic in marinara sauce. Heavy on garlic.
17. Cheesecake - cherry cheesecake is my favorite
18. Lamb - My favorite red meat. How did I go so long denying it???
19. Cream tea - never had it but sounds interesting.
20. Alligator - kind of chewy tasted like chicken. Had it years ago in a neighborhood next to my parents place.
21. Oysters - Have had yearly at a fair in Brooklyn for about ten years now.
22. Kangaroo - tried a few years ago at a birthday dinner. It's very good.
23. Chocolate - love it!!! It has to be mixed with nuts, caramel or nuget or mint though.
24. Sandwiches - all differnt kinds. Having it all week for dinner!
25. Greek - love my mom's Spinach pie!
26. Burgers - Just like my steak has to be cooked fully. Niel found these neat burgers with cheese and bacon in them. Mmmm.
27. Mexican food - have tried authentic and take out. Both yummy!
28. Squid - Calamari yes!!!
29. American diner breakfast - The best breakfast diner is in Albany!
30. Salmon - I like it smoked or in sushi
31. Venison - Hell to the no!
32. Guinea pig - See above
33. Shark - Tried it at a BBQ last Summer. Niel brought some.
34. Sushi - LOVE IT!!!!!
35. Paella - Yummmmmy!!!!
36. Barramundi - I don't know what it is.
37. Reindeer - No way! Not Rudolph!
38. Kebab - Grew up with it! Love it.
39. Scallops - Tried it not my favorite seafood.
40. Australian meat pie - Thank you Tuck Shop for letting me experience it!
41. Mango - Only the way Craig uses it in a dish.
42. Durian fruit - I don't know what it is.
43. Octopus - too chewy.
44. Ribs - love them!
45. Roast beef - my mom's is amazing
46. Tapas(appetizers)- My favorite on a menu!
47. Jerk chicken/pork - fantastico!
48. Haggis - When I go to scotland or find a Scottish restaurant I will try it.
49. Caviar - Tried it, not really a fan.
50. Cornish Pastry - Delicious. I have also tried other turnover type dishes such as: empanadas(Hispanic), samosas(Indian), Meat Patty(Jamaican/West Indies) pierogi (Polish), piroshkies (Eastern European), and calzones(Italian).

Here is another installment of pics around the city.



A photo exhibit a few blocks from my office. I thought this was an interesting piece.


Different kinds of eggplants at the Union Square farmers market.


Some game show they were filming attached to my building on Times Square.


A lady dressed as Marilyn Monroe outside Planet Hollywood.


A window display about Nachooooooooo Libre also at Planet Hollywood.


The Naked Cowboy-yep a guy in his undies playing a guitar in Times Square.


And of course there has to be a Naked Cowgirl also in Times Square. She had on hot pants and pasties


The Onion was shooting pictures of some actor as Osama across the street from my office. They had signs saying that was an actor in case someone wanted to harm him. Heh heh.


A guy with a snake promoting Snakes on a Plane at the Hardrock Cafe. Downstairs in my building.


There are several train stations with art on the walls. This one had a parrot. The train station at the Museum of Natural History.


The restaurant where You Got Mail
was filmed. Upper West Side.


A close up.


Pictures of the movie are on the outside of the restaurant.

I enjoy The Office. Whether it's the BBC version or the NBC version; both make me laugh and sad at the same time. For fans of the BBC version, the hysterical comedy duo of Ricky Gervais and Stephan Merchant have created two new skits about former boss David Brent(played brilliantly by Ricky Gervais) giving a presentation to Microsoft. Here is the link enjoy! Thanks to Dave for it.



And on a funny side wierd side note there is a rumor that Ricky Gervais said no to Paris Hilton who asked to be on his HBO show, Extras. Bahahahahah!!

I hope everyone had a good weekend. Niel had an all boys weekend this past weekend. He, his brother, Mike, their friend Dave whom they picked up in NY's capital, drove up to New Hampshire to hang out with their friend Kelvin. I don't know how Shawnda(Kelvin's fiancee) dealt with all that testosterone. I think she was working most of the weekend. Fortunately and unfortunately. But Niel had a good time.

Friday night I occupied myself with cleaning, watching television, and chatting on the phone. My family came back from vacation a day early, luckily, because my parents basement was flooded. The cat is fine thankfully. A pipe had broken from the washing machine. My cousin walks into my parents house and hears a gushing. My mom thinks their was over a foot of water. Luckily they came home when they did because the next time I was going to go over to check on things was Saturday morning. By then I am sure the water would have reached the first floor and their basement is pretty deep. So my mother lost her mind and thankfully there were people around who knew what to do. People being my uncle, my dad's (brother in law). He is a very handy person. They turned off all the water, got rid of the water and are drying their salvageable possessions in the back yard. Later on I spoke with Jennifer and we laughed on my ability to be an utter scaredy cat. More on that eventually. We also had visions of my parents cat finding a life vest of some kind and floating in the water. That made us laugh too. I then made myself some crepes and fell asleep on the couch watching television. I caught pieces of a few movies but based on the few moments I watched didn't like them and I really thought I would: In Good Company, Ladies in Lavender, Christmas with the Kranks. I did see Monster in Law in its entirety and laughed my butt off.

Saturday morning I spoke to Niel for a bit, ran some errands, came home and made a cheese cake and went over to hang out with the family for a bit. While I was over at my parents my bread machine was making some olive bread for me. Mmmmm. In the evening my dad drove me and my cousins around Manhattan so they could take see the city. We had a good time and laughed so much. They dropped me off and I made some banana bread for Niel. I always do whenever we have extra bananas. Spoke to Niel again and passed out.

Sunday I hung out some more with my family since they were going back today. My aunty made me Dolma(stuffed grape leaves). I prefer the cold kind with just rice and she made it great. There is also the warm kind with meat and yogurt sauce. Talked to Niel throughout the day. We watched a lot of the Food Network, the Game Show Network and got some visitors from my mom's cousins. I will miss my California family so much. I was trying to soak them in as much as I can. Remembering they stood in this room and sat at a certain spot. It's rough being so far from them. Niel then came home and cheered me up. I was so happy to see him. He brought back some Maine Blueberry Jam for me, which I have never tried before.

Week four of Bloggy Parade of Homes 2006. And its all about our kitchens. Below of course is what our kitchen looks like. To the left is our kitty keychain hook, fridge, sink, counter top, more cabinets, stove top and next to it our stove. I like that I don't have to bend down to take things out of the oven. I hope our next place has the same feature. In addition to a dish washer and washer/dryer. To the right is a little cabinet with Mickey handles, a rack with our cook books, spices, cookie jar(although we don't have any cookies in, phone books, plants, more spices, and on the bottom our beverage stash. Next to that is a table with our microwave and mixer underneath is more kitchen equipment and the very back of the kitchen is the window, garbage can and radiator which I put some decorations back there too. We do have an airconditioner in there but never used it. I guess its one of the kitchens in the boroughs that is large. Besides our old apartment in Manhattan which had a pretty big kitchen for average apartments in Manhattan go, the only other large kitchen I have seen is my friend Jennifer's.



The kitty key chain. You see it to your left when you walk in. We purchased it at the Mark Twain House in Connecticut. The sunflower glass hangy thing is made of recycled car lights. We brought at one of our many visits to Disney at the Canada Pavillion.


Our fridge also to the left. As you can tell we like magnets. Most of them are the places we've been together.


On top of our fridge. Our wine rack. From Ikea. And little tea cups from Chinatown.


We have a little bar above of our sink. The sink is right next to our fridge. So of course I have to cover every bit of extra space. LOL.






To the right in the kitchen are these wooden spoons I found. Next to it is a calendar.


Our Mickey cabinet as I call it. Also decorated with a cook book, little cute cabinet I found, sign about coffee, and a bottle decoration. Next to it as a metal cart that holds our garlic, potatoes, onions, etc.






The back of the kitchen next to the window is our oven, range top, radiator. Our protective gloves, measuring page and little plaque my mom gave us.


On top of the radiator was a table top setting I took. The colored glasses I brought from Michaels.


And our metallic garbage can.

My new favorite snack is cheddar Chex Mix. I like to eat all the cheesy bits first though.

We have a DVR on our living room television. A DVR is like TIVO. Niel was watching television one day when he saw a commercial that got him curious to try a product. He paused the commercial and called me in. We're always pausing the TV to show each other stuff. DVR/TIVO as some might know has the ability to pause, rewind, live television as well as tape something when you are watching something else. Or tape two shows at the same time, while hopefully you watch TV in another room. And tape only new episodes of your favorite shows. Anyway the commercial was for Listerine's Agent Cool Blue. It's made for kids so they will get into brushing their teeth. It's a mouth wash of sorts. You rinse it in your mouth, spit of course, then you see how much plaque is on your teeth because your teeth turn slightly blue. It's mascot is a detective. Kids mission is to find and get rid of the plaque. But we wanted to try it for ourselves. I brought some the other day when I went grocery shopping. It was creepy how teeth do turn blue. Makes Niel want to brush more now. Heh heh.

I ordered some earrings from Shannon's jewelry shop Bellatini. She makes such pretty and delicate pieces. The earrings came in cute little boxes with ribbon. Go on over to her shop and take a look for yourself.

Hope everyone had a good weekend. It seems like the weather slowly but surely is getting cooler. There was a nice breeze when Niel & I were walking to the bus this morning.

We spent the weekend running errands and cleaning but also squeezed in some time for fun. We ate a good lunch at Panera. This is our second visit there. I tried their French Onion soup. I thought it was really good. After lunch we saw Taladaga Nights. So disappointing. Niel was right. It will be better on cable.

Sunday we went to the Sands Point Preserve in Sands Point New York. It used to be Rockefeller's Long Island estate. It's a large piece of property with three ginormous homes, walking trails, museum and they host various events yearly. Niel and I took a nice stroll in the trails and beachfront. It was nice and relaxing. Afterwards we went to get icey's at Rita's. He was introduced to Rita's when he and Squilky went on a golf weekend a few years ago. Rita's also has really good custard too. Niel was glad a Rita's opened up relatively near us. We ate in the car though because they were spraying for bugs and the smell was just too much. Pictures here.

We also finally watched Corpse Bride It was very good once I got passed the first ten minutes of the aristocratic banter. And we caught Gene Simmons Family Jewels. What a normal family the Simmons are. I love how they keep him grounded by always keeping his ego in check.

It's Bloggy Parade of Homes 2006 Week 3 and its dining rooms! I don't technically have a dining room. My dining table and chairs are also in my living room. When you first enter my living room its to your right. Niel picked out our dining set at Sears. It's a pretty light colored wood. With a nice design on top of the table. I keep it covered because I don't want the design to get mucky. The table cloth changes depending on the season. We have extra chairs(folding) in case we have a large crowd hidden in a closet. On top of the dining table and chairs is our wedding photo. The candle is a pretty permanent fixture on the table. It is apple cented and was givne to us by the Squilkys. It does change for Christmas, Easter and Halloween. I think the Squiky's gave those table top decorations as well. Behind the table is a photo we brought when we went to see the Munch exhibit at the MOMA. Niel really likes the photo. Next to it is our Ikea lamp to give the entire room more light. Anyway have a good weekend everyone.

When I was in California last Spring I got to try Purple Basil. Just like it's greener cousin it is part of the Mint family and both are native to India originally but it have become popular in Mediterranean countries.

Purple Basil is said to be more intensely flavored but I didn't feel like it was. I found it a bit milder and really enjoyable.

I like it so much I asked my aunt to bring some seeds over with her so I can try to grow them. I would love using it in Asian cuisine, specifically Summer rolls.

House work is mundane but necessary. But I found these cute O-Cel-o scrub sponges recently and they make washing dishes or cleaning off counter tops a little bit not boring. Because the scrubby part is designed in different shapes and colors. From my beloved polka dots, to 50's styles, to flowers. They even have designer Betsy Johnson come up with some. And of course there are Sponge Bob themed sponges too. It's never too early to get those little ones to do your chores for you;)

My first taste of pizza was not the Italian kind with cheese, tomato sauce, and basil. It was Lahmajoon. Or as I like to refer to it Armenian Pizza. A thin crust dough topped with ground meat, tomato sauce and Middle Eastern spices. It can be found in the freezer section of Middle Eastern shops. Just pop one or two in an oven and bake till warm and enjoy. It is served individually instead of a slices. Niel enjoys it as much as I do. Lucky cause our freezer usually is stocked with it. If you want to make one yourself try this recipe.

Hope everybody had a nice weekend. My dad's side of the family came into town from California. My aunt, uncle, their two grown daughters, and one of their husband's. Unfortunately their kids didn't come with them. My parents and father's side of my California family are going on vacation together. This is why they are in town. I took of Friday to cook and clean because Niel and I hosted lunch for them on Saturday. I was so very happy to see them. They even brought us presents. Which was totally unnecessary. Seeing them really perked me up. They are just nice, appreciative, generous, funny, kind people. I was glad everyone was together. What would have made it only better is if their kids were here and my mom's side of my California family. I wish we all could live closer together. I am glad my parents are taking a trip. It will be nice for all of them to be together and have fun. Niel was a great help cleaning and running errands after he returned from golfing with Squilky who was in town visiting family.
Niel and I served broiled chops marinated with McCormicks, baked potatoes, Chicken and veggie shish kebobs marinated with Zatar and olive oil, zucchini fritters, lamb kebobs seasoned with Cumin, whole wheat Lavash, whole wheat pita, hummus, eggplant dip, red pepper Dip, Salad, Taboule, Basterma(Armenian dried meat), pickled veggies, fruit Terrine, and a honey mousse. We ate, laughed, took naps, looked at photo albums, help straighten up and my uncle even fixed my kitchen lamp. It was great seeing them. In the evening Niel and I went over to the inlaws house to celebrate his brother's 30th birthday. Besides a bicycle as a birthday gift we brought over food. Hummus, salad, wraps, shish kebob, mozzarella with various colored tomatoes and pesto, wings and the birthday cake. Their mom made roast pork, sweet potatoes, asparagues and beans. Sunday we did absolutely nothing. It was awesome. Now back at work after a great three day weekend. Take a look at Niel's new website Wheat Soda, dedicated to him trying 100 different beers in 2006. It's a fun idea and page!

It is week two of Bloggy Parade of Homes 2006. Shannon asked us to take photos of our living rooms/family rooms. I only have one living room. I don't know if that is because I live in an apartment or not. Although I think some rich individuals who do live in apartments in Manhattan do have a formal living room and a family room. Most houses I have seen in Queens do not come with both. But don't know that to be true for all the houses in New York city or state. Anyway below are pics of my living room. The hallway leading to it is a medium brown color. Milk chocolate I would call it. And the living room is a pale yellow. There is an AC in every room but the living/dining room because it was too big of space to keep cool so now it's just a nook. I like it. I think I overdid it with the photos. I wanted to show the little nooks and crannies. Have a good weekend everybody! Loving this new Autumn like weather!


This is the light right above the hallway that leads to the living room. It's Ikea. There was another light there before but it broke.


We hung posters and photos. To the left is the door to my craft room.


The first poster is of Niel and me in Victoria, B.C. We went to a shop where you can get dressed in different era photos. We were from the Wild West. Next to it is a poster of the Napolean Dynamite movie. Gosh!


This is a Cracker Jack poster Niel thought was cool and purchased. Mmm Cracker Jacks.


This is another poster Niel liked and I got for him.


Photos of Niel with his friends.


Photographers that we got from Squilky.


You can buy them here.


The love seat used to face the front but now sits in the back of the living room.


The door to Niel's "man room". Ooooooh. And a topiary.


A little nook we have of our wedding stuff. Pictures of of our wedding day, when Niel proposed and my bouqet dried.


Our entertainment center. We have photos of friends and family. Also trinkets.


A painting by Niel's brother. The other painting hung in my grandmother's and great granmother's houses for 80 years.


This photo we got at a photo booth and it sketched us. Part of our surround sound.


A picture Niel got for me a few Christmases ago. I like Klimt.


Two neat paintings we combined into one that we brought in Seattle.


Our Popazon.


Our plant


The gnomes that live underneath it.


Our coffee table.


Our sofa.


Our remote controler holder.From Ikea.


Our loveseat. They both get covered sometimes.