Fat Pig

Yesterday was the ultimate lazy day, there was no contact with the outside world until about 6pm. It was the perfect antidote to a stressful week.

My hubby had the brilliant idea of trekking into Brooklyn for dinner. To where, you might ask... well, we had no idea. We wanted to check out Williamsburg--a neighborhood we knew little about. First stop was to pick up Kate, my friend who had a similarly lazy day, as we knew she'd be down for the adventure.

The only restaurant we had heard about in W'burg was Fette Sau (fat pig in German), a BBQ joint that opened about two years ago. Fette Sau's address was entered into Maggie (the Magellan GPS) and off we went.

Fette Sau is located in an old auto-body shop, the garage door and metal fencing are still in tact. We waited approximately 15 minutes to order our meat by the pound (pastrami, pork ribs and spicy pork sausage) with baked beans, pickles and potato salad on the side... Mmmm. The communal picnic table seating was all filled up, but we managed to snag the best spot in the house--two, old metal lawn chairs and a bench to hold our dinner.

The food was amazing, definitely the best ribs I've ever had. The pastrami was flavored to perfection and very tender. The beans, clearly a homemade recipe, were sweet with a nice punch of spice. Rob, a man obsessed with barbeque, left a very happy customer. I think he may be looking for an apartment across the street. :)

Fette Sau

354 Metropolitan Ave.

Brooklyn, NY 11211

718-963-3404

http://www.fettesaubbq.com/

Mexico in Manhattan

Authentic Mexican food found.

The hole-in-the-wall Mexican deli that has a taco counter hidden in the back brought us right back to our honeymoon... cheap food, Mexican soap operas on TV, Spanish rock music blaring from the radio and very little English spoken.

We tried several tacos--Chorizo w/ Potato, Cecina, Al Pastor, Carnitas, Spicy Pork, and Rob even attempted the Pig Ear taco (he only managed two bites). The Cecina (salted beef) was definitely my favorite, very flavorful. The corn tortillas were fresh, the salsas spicy, and the counters sticky--it was perfect.

Definitely check it out, it's my new go-to spot for Tacos. Tehuitzingo. 10th Ave. b/t 47th and 48th. Sorry, no pics of the tacos, we were too busy eating. :)

Chilly Weather = Chili for Dinner

What's better than a hot bowl of chili when it's chilly outside?

Rob first made this chili in the summer (not the greatest idea) when it was too hot to be eating anything above 32 degrees.

This is one of the most flavorful chili recipes I've ever had. The first time we (and by we, I mean Rob) made it we followed the recipe exactly. It was SUPER spicy and a bit chorizo heavy, although still amazing. Tonight, I suggested we cut down the amount of chorizo a tad and cut the spice in half--amazing again. Now that it's not hot and humid, I actually think we could have kept the full amount of spice in there.

This recipe is a keeper! All you need is some cheddar and sour cream on the side, and a large tupperware for the fabulous leftovers.

Here is a link to the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/interstate-chili-recipe/index.html

Oh, almost forgot, I need to plug our local meat market. I've never been, but I hear only positive reviews from the chef. Check it out... Casablanca Meat Market on 110th between Park+Lex.

Breakfast

What does everyone have for breakfast?

I start my day the same exact way every single day. One cup of very strong coffee with one of two foods: Whole grain toast with natural peanut butter or, when I'm feeling lazy, Cheerios and sliced banana.

As much as I love food, and enjoying all sorts of unique and diverse meals, I only consume one of these two foods each morning. I wonder why? Maybe it's too early for interesting cuisine, or perhaps it's the creature of habit in me. Surprisingly, I don't tire of these choices and I think I'll be eating the same exact thing for a long time to come.

Lazy Monday, By Accident

Sunny Monday turned into rainy Monday as the afternoon wore on... after a long day at work I managed to maintain motivation to get to the gym. What do I find when I get there... my water bottle had been slowly leaking all over my gym clothes on the subway ride uptown. Next move--head home! There was no way I was going to work out looking like I didn't make it to the bathroom.

Tonight's dinner was takeout. Mondays are either cooking or takeout, never eating out. We ordered in from Yo In Yo Out. It's a great, new cafe in SpaHa (Spanish Harlem). A Parisien crepe for me and a chipotle chicken sandwich for my hubby.

The food there is consistently good, and always fast. The crepe could've been hotter and the sandwich pressed harder, but it's hard to complain when we now have local restaurants to order from.