Check Out My Eating In Submission Video - Wish Me Luck

I am hoping to be on an Episode of Eating In. Eating In is an online blind dating show and it looks like so much fun. Wish me luck and please check out my submission video and post comments. Who knows maybe I'll meet Mr. Right ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwDjEoGkmQw

I am Writing for Under The Tuscan Gun

I am now writing for the wonderful e-zine called Under the Tuscan Gun. It was started by Gabriele Corcos, who you may know from his hit Cooking Channel Show Extra Virgin. If you haven't seen the show it is hilarious and filled with incredibly simple and delicious recipes. Garbiele and his wife, the extremely talented Debbie Mazar are so much fun to watch.. I'm so excited to be a part of the Under the Tuscan Gun family.

Check out my article and leave comments please!!!
http://underthetuscangun.com/talk/foodography/urbanspoon-%E2%80%93-a-modern-day-genie-granting-your-culinary-wishes/

The Rusty Knot - My New York Birthday Celebration

                  

This Friday I went out with my amazing co-workers to celebrate my birthday at The Rusty Knot. The Rusty Knot is a Tiki inspired bar all the way west of the city, pretty much right on the water. 

When you enter it’s like you are in a bar that would be on Gilligan’s Island. From the Fish tank in the back, to the Barracuda hanging on the wall, The Rusty Knot’s nautical theme helps transform it into an oasis in the Urban Jungle. 

Besides the fun atmosphere my two favorite things at The Rusty Knot are the Spiced Coladas and Pretzel Dogs.

    

What’s especially nice about their Tiki drinks is that they make them to order, so you can get them with or without alcohol. Some of the more popular drinks are the Spiced Colada, Signature Rusty Knot, Dark and Stormy, and the Pickle Back Shots.

The Rusty Knot is similar to a Frozen Mojito, but don’t say that to the bartender or you may receive a verbal lashing.  The Captain to the right seems to be enjoying it. 

For The Dark and Stormy they substitute the usual Ginger beer with a house made Ginger Syrup. According to the Bartender, “it adds a nice, fresh sweetness and heat to the drink.”They serve it in a really cool Polynesian Tiki Totem God glass, one word, awesome. My girl Kim, who I will miss because she is moving to LA soon, is a fan of the Dark and Stormy. 

The Pickle Back Shots are a Southern Classic brought up North. A shot of Whiskey followed by a Shot of Pickle Juice. Apparently, they are supposed to compliment each other but I have not tried it.

The Spiced Colada is a wonderful frozen treat.  It comes in a coconut cup, complete with an umbrella and Maraschino Cherry.  When I took my first sip, I was transported to the white sandy beaches of Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. And as the icy drink climbed up my straw, familiar Pina Colada flavors like coconut and pineapple were kicked up a notch with some additional special ingredients, that the Bartender would not tell me. But I think I tasted some nutmeg in the mix. 

 The Pretzel Dog or as I like to call it “Devil Dog” is nothing short of amazing. A delicious beef hot dog with all its juicy, salty gloriousness is wrapped in buttery, flaky pastry dough and served with a side of mustard. 

The ends of the hot dog are slightly crunchy and perfect for dipping. But don’t worry all my ketchup lovers, they have the tomato goodness you just have to ask.  

The pretzel dog is a crowd favorite and will be running through your mind all the time. Sadly, after this grown and sexy snack those little pigs in a blanket just won’t do it for you anymore.

After a few hours in this nautical playground I was feeling like the Little Mermaid and right then my Prince Erics walked in, aka the British Navy. It wasn’t one of my finer moments but I couldn’t resist testing out my various dialects with an English accent. Yea. I was that girl. But they were really good sports about it.
All in all I had so much fun and was so happy to celebrate my NY birthday with such incredible people.

Stay tuned for the rest of my birthday celebrations – Atlanta here I come!

Filipino Food - Arianna's Christening

{Pork Adobo}

{Chicken Stew}

{Chicken Pancit}

{Beef Adobo}

{Shrimp Stir Fry}

{Crispy Tilapia - Pineapple Relish}

{White Rice}

{Sweet and Spicy Soy Sauce}

{Sweet Chilli Sauce}

{Beautiful Fruit Platter}

{Pineapple Punch Sangira - Non-Alcoholic}

{Flan}

{Ariana's Christening Cake}

It's Tuesday and Time To Have A Laugh- Giving some Shine - A Really Funny Blogger Writing From Libya

When I first found out we were finally going to Libya, I started doing some research about the country and what to expect. My Dad regaled us with stories growing up but a lot of times they seemed made up. However, later I found out they were actually true.

I wanted to get the perspective from people living there and what better way than through a blog.  The first  one I encountered was Khadija Teri's blog. It was hilarious. She has an uncanny ability to make you feel like you are right there with her. Her stories give you a personal and unique look into her life and the culture of Libya.  I have been following her blog ever since I first stumbled upon it. It has really helped me get through this horrific time, and deal with all the anxiety, worry and anger I feel.

One of my favorite posts was this one where she talks about all the myths and Old Wives Tales that people have in Libya.
http://khadijateri.blogspot.com/2008/11/old-wives-tales.html

She is in Libya now and writes daily about what is going on there... Here is a link to her blog:
http://khadijateri.blogspot.com/

berber village

Libya - A Libyan American Perspective

Gadaffi Billboard - Destroyed  

I just got back from Libya a few months ago and I must reflect for a moment on how quickly things can change. 

I remember when I first landed at the Tripoli airport, I was astounded by the exorbitant amount of Gadafi billboards. I’m talking about hundreds of billboards everywhere.  His face was on almost every single advertisement and billboard in Tripoli and he wore the most unusual outfits. 

 In another he would be wearing a safari inspired outfit complete with matching hat and his little green book. The posters of him were so ridiculous that I remember finding them funny and bizarre. I thought to myself who could be afraid of a guy that puts up these super cheesy billboards of THEMSELF. I mean I heard all the stories growing up about what a monster he was, yet I remember thinking “Really. This is who everyone is afraid of.” But I soon learned firsthand there was a reason to be afraid.

Growing up, my family in Libya and America always had a strong dislike towards Gadafi. My dad came to the United States as a political refugee and filed for political asylum in the 80’s. And It was hard growing up because me and my brother’s could never visit Libya due to the sanctions and for fear that Gadafi would imprison my father. I yearned to see and meet my father’s side of the family. But I could only connect with my Grandma, cousins, Aunts and Uncles via telephone and when technology improved through Skype. 

King Idris (center)

 Out of the hundreds of Libyan people I know, I have never known one that liked Gadafi so I was always confused why he was still in power. My Dad would tell us stories about the things Gadafi did, his infamous "hit squad" and how he came into power. Thinking back it blows my mind because I am sure my Dad never thought he would see the day when Gadafi would be gone. Even recently when I was there, the sentiment was passive and fearful. It was as if the people just tolerated it because they had no choice.  

To give you an example about how strict Gadafi’s regime is My dad brought some of Libya’s old currency that he had for over 40 years. It was the currency that was used when King Idris was in charge; before Gadafi overthrew the Kingdom by staging a military coup, when he was 25 years old. My mom and Uncle yelled at my Dad when they saw it; because if a Libyan police officer found the money on him, my dad would have been  taken to jail or worse. I thought they were joking but they were very serious.

Another example is one night I was filming a documentary about the cuisine and history of Libya. My uncle was driving when we came to a road block. The police were stopping everyone and immediately my Uncle starts shouting to me “Put your Camera down. Put your camera down.” I immediately dropped my camera and just in time because the police started tapping on the glass and looking in the car. I was very scared because I had no idea what was going on.

The police were clearing the streets because Gadafi and his entourage were about to drive past. The streets were completely clear when all of the sudden about 20 little kids started to cross the street. The police immediately pulled out their guns and were about to shoot the little kids. The kids threw their hands up in the air in surrendering. They thought the roads were clear for them  to cross. They had no idea what was going on. Then my Uncle told me that a few days ago a group of children were shot dead for the same thing. I remember thinking how awful that was. He further explained “That’s the law. No one gets close to Gadafi or they will be killed. Even if it is an accident. The government does not need to explain.”

Gadafi passed by and about 10 minutes later we were allowed to continue on our way. We drove into the main downtown area of Tripoli and were passing by Gadafi’s compound. I picked up my camera and started shooting again. About 20 seconds later, my Uncle almost rears the car off the road and starts screaming again: “What are you doing?!? Put your camera down! Are you trying to get us put in jail?!?.” I was completely confused. “Why would we go to jail?” To which my Uncle said “We would go to jail, if we’re lucky?”

People Protesting

That’s when I understood why everyone was so afraid. To Gadafi life is cheap. I think that’s what make the entire situation going on now so admirable. Finally, Libyans are taking a stand. They are tired of what Gadafi has done to their country, their families and they want to have their voices heard now.

I implore anyone reading this please take a moment and send out positive thoughts to the people in Libya, to my family, my friends, and to anyone who stands up in the face of adversity when it could cost them their life. I feel like a lot of Americans are taking a very blasé attitude towards this. And I can understand why. We have it really good here in America. It’s easy to take our freedoms for granted.

I have all these emotions going on now that I feel like only my family can understand. To some degree I feel like most people I know don’t really care what’s going on. They ask to be polite but in the end don’t really want to hear about it. But I feel worried, anxious, sad and angry and I have been thinking what can I do? How can I help? In talking to some people here in New York I realize how little people actually know about Libya. So I am going to share some of the things I know. The food. The Culture. The History. If there are questions you have or things you’ve always wanted to know please ask.