[This is post #009 towards #100DaysOfFoodBlogging, our goal to do 100 posts in 100 days as part of The 100 Day Project.]

Among MANY attributes that I share with our dog, Cooper, nothing compares with our love of Nathan’s Dairy Bar. As much as we complain about having no restaurants to eat at in the ‘burbs, Nathan’s is by far the exception. This is one of those iconic places that people who leave the area will crave. This is the type of soft serve that you will tell your grandkids about. This is the type of ice cream joint that you wouldn’t mind eating on a cold winter day (although they are closed for part of the winter…and that ends up being a really hard time for us).

And it’s such an inexpensive pick-me-up! After a bad day of work, a strawberry-banana shake from Nathan’s makes it all better. For Cooper, there’s nothing that makes his tail wag harder than a “pup cup” from Nathan’s. Tina’s instant-happiness is found in a Tiger’s Blood shaved ice with vanilla soft serve. I’m smiling just thinking about all these…

Although not available on the day we shot the Tastemade video above, one of their most interesting flavors is Captain Crunch. It tastes exactly like it should, but its smooth and creamy….you can taste the happy, Michael. It will make you feel like a kid again and it will also make you want to come back EVERY day after work. Aside from the cap’n, I’m also partial to their fresh strawberry and fresh banana flavors. I’m emphasizing fresh because these flavors aren’t made with artificially flavored syrups and dyes, and you can tell. I’ll take ten pints, please.

Follow Nathan’s on Facebook to keep up-to-date with daily specials (like Captain Crunch and Nutella) and discounts.

Enjoy the video, but more importantly enjoy good weather, some ice cream, and your favorite four-legged friend.

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#100DaysOfFoodBlogging, Thought Nuggets

The Recipe for Writer’s Block

[This is post #008 towards #100DaysOfFoodBlogging, our goal to do 100 posts in 100 days as part of The 100 Day Project.]

As Tina and I have just rounded out the first eight posts towards our goal of #100DaysofFoodBlogging, blogger friend, Emma @ Fork and Good recently posted “Curse of the blogger’s block,” an honest look at why she hasn’t been posting as much recently due to her war with writer’s block. Let’s hope blogger’s block isn’t contagious…after all, we do have 92 more posts to go!

Emma’s post inspired me to think about my own run-ins with that evil block of the writer. Historically, I haven’t dealt with the same “staring at the blank page” form of writer’s block that most people describe. Rather at my worst, I haven’t even gotten to the point of staring at the blank page, because I’m too busy “working on the idea in my head.” Likely story.

Over the years, I’ve been able to mostly quiet the demon, simply by understanding it. And the best way to understand it, is to know where it comes from; i.e. what’s the recipe for writer’s block?

Get it? Food blog? Recipe? Okay, it is a stretch…

In my experience, writer’s block is simply a way our subconscious works to avoid failure. For example, if I don’t write this post, then I don’t risk someone hating it, and therefore I cannot fail. AND I can use that free time for working on more ideas in my head. See, win-win!

This fear of failure is a result of not believing what we’re writing is good enough, and is a created by a desire for perfection. The late and great author / screenwriter / TV producer Stephen J. Cannell talks about this in the video below:

Cannell says it perfectly when he states that writer’s block is caused by “the desire to be perfect.”

With this desire to be perfect comes self-censorship. We start judging everything we write and before long we’re simply not writing, because by not writing we can’t write something imperfect. And if we don’t write something imperfect we can’t fail.

Once you realize what’s causing writer’s block, it’s much easier to fight. The solution is to create an environment that welcomes–and even encourages–failure.

Hence, our #100DaysofFoodBlogging challenge to ourselves. Because we’re cranking out posts everyday, there’s an unspoken idea that by putting out a post day after day for 100 straight days, it would be impossible to expect that every single one will be perfect. The goal isn’t to have 100 perfect posts. It also flips around the definition of failure, because by the nature of this thing we only fail if we don’t do 100 posts. Thus, 100 awful posts is still a success. It’s a pretty sweet deal that ends up stopping writer’s block before it starts.

It also helps to remember that…

You are NOT out of good ideas.

You will NOT never write again.

You have written before and you will write again.

You will fail.

And you will fail again.

And then 30 more times before you succeed.

That’s okay, because failing is fun…

…and perfection is boring.

(And if you need proof that failing is fun, check out Emma’s Food Photography Blunders series. Failure never looked so good.)

#100DaysOfFoodBlogging, Ethnic Confusion, Recipes

Spicy Shrimp “bánh mì” Tacos

[This is post #007 towards #100DaysOfFoodBlogging, our goal to do 100 posts in 100 days as part of The 100 Day Project.]

Yes, this is an Asian taco post. No, this isn’t 2009.

This taco isn’t inspired by a food truck. It’s not a gimmick post in search of clicks. We’re not the first people to do a Vietnamese taco and we won’t be the last.

So, what’s the deal with these tacos (which might be my favorite recipe we’ve posted)?

Over the weekend we encountered what can only be described as a “perfect storm” of culinary crossroads:

It was 70 degrees and sunny.
Our grill was begging to be used.
There was a significant lack of bánh mì eating in our lives.
We were seriously craving spicy shrimp tacos from Oscar’s Mexican Seafood in San Diego.

We were torn between what we thought were several different options. Breaking out the grill meant an infinite number of possibilities from BBQ chicken to a thick burger (stuffed with bacon of course). Shrimp tacos would help calm a craving that had been stuck with us since last fall. And it’s hard to really beat a homemade Vietnamese bánh mì on crusty bread, which always seems to find that perfect combination of sweet, salty, spicy, and tangy.

Choosing one meant leaving the other options on the table and with only one day of the week that we can entirely dedicate to cooking, we didn’t want to squander the opportunity. Like Spider-Man’s uncle said, with great power, comes great responsibility. He was definitely talking about food.

So, as we pondered over this Sophie’s Choice, Tina had one of the best ideas in the history of our kitchen: Grill the shrimp, make the do chua (pickled daikon and carrots), and serve it on a taco with Awesome Sauce, and queso fresco. A Spicy Shrimp “bánh mì” Taco.

If we weren’t already married, I would have proposed on the spot.

Actually, if we weren’t already married, I’d propose to these tacos.

Or at the very least, I’d take them behind the middle school…

Spicy Shrimp “bánh mì” Tacos

Makes between 6-8 Tacos

Shrimp & Marinade Ingredients:

1 lb Raw Shrimp, peeled & deveined (30-40 count)
1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro
1 Garlic Clove
1 Jalapeño w/ seeds
1 Green Onion
1/4 Cup Tamarind Concentrate
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Sriracha
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1/4 Cup Hoisin Sauce

Do Chua (Pickled Daikon) Ingredients:

2 Medium Carrots, peeled
1 Medium Daikon, peeled
1 1/2 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Cups Warm Water
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon Sugar

Taco Accoutrement Ingredients:

3 sprigs of Cilantro
6-8 Corn Tortillas (12-16 if you’re doubling up)
Queso Fresco
Awesome Sauce (recipe)

Do Chua (Pickled Daikon & Carrots)

1. Chop the daikon and carrots into matchsticks and place into a bowl with the 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Knead them with your hands for approximately three minutes to pull out some of the water. Afterwards they should have more flex and be bendable. Rinse the daikon and carrots under running water to remove the salt and sugar.

2. Place the daikon and carrots into a resealable plastic container. In a separate bowl, dissolve the 1/2 cup sugar in the warm water and add the vinegar, now you got yourself a pickling liquid. Pour the pickling liquid into the container with the daikon and carrots and refrigerate. Let sit for at least two hours before eating.

Spicy Shrimp Marinade

1. Blend the tamarind concentrate, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, garlic clove, green onion, cilantro, jalapeño, Sriracha, and vegetable oil in a blender or food processor.

2. Pour the marinade on the shrimp and let sit at least two hours

Taco Time

1. Skewer the shrimp and grill until you have a nice char. Cooking time will depend on how hot the grill is; hotter and faster is better. Test a few to get the time right. You can also cook the shrimp on the stove with a cast iron skillet, but I wouldn’t recommend a non-stick pan.

2. Heat up the tortillas on the grill, in a microwave, or on the stove.

3. Now build your tacos any way you want! We used 4-5 shrimp per taco, topped with the pickled daikon and carrots, crumbled queso fresco, Awesome Sauce, and garnished with fresh cilantro. If you want more heat, slice up another jalapeño and throw those on, too.

HEY! Let’s be electronic pen pals:

#100DaysOfFoodBlogging, Recipes

Buffalo Wing Tacos

Recipe: Buffalo Wing Tacos

[This is post #006 towards #100DaysOfFoodBlogging, our goal to do 100 posts in 100 days as part of The 100 Day Project.]

Are you tired of burning your precious fingers on scalding hot chicken wings?

Have your health insurance premiums skyrocketed as a result of accidentally swallowing too many buffalo bones?

Is your wife threatening to leave you because your buffalo-sauce finger prints are clashing with her white herringbone throw pillows?

THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY!

Every year, millions of lives are ruined as a result of unpredictable buffalo wing consumption. That’s why I recommend Buffalo Wing Tacos.

The tortilla acts as a barrier between your hands and all that is evil, while serving as the perfect transportation to your mouf. And the best part is that the integrity of the original product isn’t lost, as it still tastes like a buffalo wing.

It’s not fusion food, it’s making the world a better place one taco at a time.

BUFFALO WING TACOS

If you’re looking for a tried and true recipe to feed your family tonight, you might want to try Google. However, if you’re looking for something to do with all those leftover buffalo wings in your refrigerator, you’ve come to the right place! Improvisation is not only encouraged, but mandatory.

Makes ONE taco. Sharing is optional.

4 Buffalo Wings (preferably flappers and not drummies)
1/4 Celery Stalk
2 Tablespoons Ranch or Bleu Cheese Dressing
Two Corn Tortillas
Grated Cheese
Lettuce

1. Warm up the chicken wings in a microwave and de-bone them. You can de-bone before heating them up, but I find the meat and skin come off easier if they’re warm.

2. Dice the celery, mix with the dressing, and set aside.

2. Heat up the tortillas, then build your taco.

And if you really want to make these awesome, add a little AWESOME SAUCE.

Get in my Mouf

Food Stories

Tastemade Video: Nathan’s Dairy Bar – Manassas, VA

The Recipe for Writer’s Block

Spicy Shrimp “bánh mì” Tacos

Buffalo Wing Tacos