The Mill

Whole Wheat Bread with butter, almond butter, and sprinkle of salt

Iced Coffee

The Mill, a joint venture between Josey Baker Bread and Four Barrel Coffee, opened recently with rave reviews. Aptly labeled "Hipster Toast", the toasts at The Mill are incredibly good. Because toast and coffee are my two favorite things in the world right now, I went one afternoon and ordered an Almond Milk Cappuccino and crusty Whole Wheat Bread with butter, almond butter, and a sprinkle of salt. The toast was INCREDIBLE. The almond butter was good but the homemade bread was the real deal and the sprinkle of salt definitely enhanced the flavor. Hard to see in the pictures but the slice of bread was pretty thick and there's a thick slather of almond butter.

After that one visit, I went again two more times but after that, declared that I was over it. The coffee and toast are good but it's making me broke. I did at one point want to try the other varieties, such as the dark mountain rye with cream cheese and country bread with cinnamon and sugar, but at the end of the day, I can make the same thing at home for way less money. Good bread though.

Taqueria el Buen Sabor

Randomly wandered into this taqueria after being told at Tacolicious that the wait will be over an hour. Walked in so hungry but still couldn't finish the food. I left super content.

Carne Asada Dinner Plate with Rice, Beans, Salad, and Tortillas

Recipe: Taco Party

Wish I could tell you how I made it but I can't remember.

All I know is that the ingredients consist of:

taco shells

ground beef

taco seasoning

refried beans

lettuce

salsa

guacamole

shredded cheddar cheese

Just season and cook the ground beef, stuff the taco shells, and assemble all the toppings. The end.

Genki Ramen

I'm not a ramen person.

Chashu Ramen with boiled pork, half-boiled egg, bamboo shoots, green onion, and red ginger in a tonkatsu base; Takoyaki: deep-fried octopus balls slathered in mayonnaise and dried bonito flakes

Recipe: Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts have a bad reputation. Very rarely do I encounter people who consider brussels sprouts their favorite vegetable. In most cases, these vegetables are eaten hurriedly (or not at all) just to get to the good part of the meal. That's how I used to be at least when I first had them at my college's cafeteria. But then I discovered what wondrous things roasting can do for these little mini cabbage-like vegetables. Since then, I've experimented with adding ham, bacon, onions, and even kimchi to the roasting pan with the brussels sprouts. But I've found that the key to delicious brussels sprouts is to keep it simple. A LOT of salt and a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese make this recipe the one I keep going back to.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Adapted from Simply Recipes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound brussels sprouts, rinsed and ends trimmed

1 tbsp garlic, minced (~3 cloves)

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp salt & pepper

¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Place brussels sprouts in a roasting pan. Toss in the garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil so that the sprouts are well coated. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Put brussels sprouts in oven on top rack, cook for 20 minutes, then stir so that the sprouts get coated with the oil in the pan.

Cook for another 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and cook for another 5 minutes.

The sprouts should be nicely browned, some of the outside leaves crunchy, the interior cooked through.

Add more salt to taste. Salt sufficiently and serve immediately!