How To Tell If Your Pet Reptile Likes You

I would say that most herpetologists may not be too concerned about whether or not their reptile likes them. They usually have quite a collection of snakes, lizards, turtles and even frogs. They may appear to be well cared for on a physical level and neglected on a personal level. Reptiles are also known as “exotic pets.” The reptile trade is appalling and many people including myself do not support this trade. Around ninety five percent of animals will die being poorly transported and insufficiently cared for on their journey to and from different countries.

Like children, animals are a reflection of their home life, and their happiness and contentment will depend largely on the quality time you are prepared to give them. Reptiles are very ancient creatures they go back a very long way in history. All reptiles are ectothermic’s therefore they display affection a little differently than a cat or a dog. In the wild they can almost stop their heart from beating. They have the ability to slow down their metabolism in winter to hibernate, this is also known as brumation. Continue reading “How To Tell If Your Pet Reptile Likes You”

6 Secrets to the Most Fun Places to Eat in NYC

Taking a bite out of the Big Apple is an entertaining and satisfying experience. There are so many places to go in the city that it can make your taste buds go into overdrive. But if you’re like me, New York City is always calling my name and persuading me to visit again and again. This famous place known for making dreams come true is also quite famous for its culinary experiences. And that is what I love about eating in New York. Whether it’s catching a hot dog in Manhattan on your way to a show, finding a little hidden away Tai restaurant in Chinatown or even hitting a chic supper club like Jekyll and Hyde right in the city, it’s no secret that the sky is the limit for fabulous food.

1. Gorilla Cheese NYC:

I love a good trend and I also love a good grilled cheese sandwich There is a place in our hometown whose menu centers around this all-time favorite so I wanted to check out NYC’s version that goes on the road. Gorilla Cheese NYC is one of the most famous food trucks in the city and for good reason. The sensory overload menu is full of aromatic cheeses, fresh bread varieties and toppings so you choose just what you want on your sammie. I ordered the feature of the day, the Brooklyn Special, a perfect combination of asiago, prosciutto de parma on a carefully crafted inside out panini. It was the best-grilled cheese I think I ever had. And then I topped it off with their Mac and Cheese bites. They were two thumbs up. It’s a good thing this meal was a “roader” and I had a few blocks to get to my next location so I could walk off every over the top, satisfying calorie.

2. Jekyl & Hyde Club:

OK, Jekyl & Hyde Club is not a location for those who are faint of heart. Located at 91 7th Avenue, their slogan is anything can happen at their dining club and it’s true. Prepare to be scared to death or entertained, whatever you want to call it! I was on pins and needles and not sure my mind was just on the menu. It’s dark, low lit atmosphere reminds me of Halloween and the old 60’s television series, Dark Shadows. Creepy actors/ wait staff interacted with us while we ate creating a one of a kind, “what’s going to happen next vibe. But I was very happy with the delicious, yet spooky menu. The Create Your Own Monster burgers, Frankenstein’s Favorite and The Mummy left my mind wondering about the ingredients and who was cooking in the kitchen. The burger is bandaged with cheese for heaven’s sake! We ordered the pizza with the Cannnibals’ sausage, pepperoni and meatballs. Then washed it down with a familiar bottle of beer. They have a huge, monstrous sized drink menu that won’t scare your pants off! I recommend making reservations especially if you are taking a group that includes your “mummy.”

3. The Garret East Dinnertable:

Wow, nothing like searching for your food. This little, but infamous joint is hidden so only those in the know, know about this little gem. Fortunately, we did. Our colleague knew someone who knew someone who snagged reservations for us. It only seats about 20 guests and reservations are a must have. It reminded me of Carrie and the gal pals from Sex and the City who loved to hit the newest, hot spots. Dinnertable’s Mexican fare was delicious and was ready in a New York Minute, which is great news when you are starving from a long day in the city. The seafood was extraordinary and just the fact that we were behind an unmarked, closed door, it made the experience ultra cool.

4. Freeman’s:

This little delicious out of the way beauty is down the alleyway off the Bowery and has been offering spectacular food since 2004. Hmm, just the thought of eating in an alley might not be up your alley but think again. Freeman’s Restaurant is rustic and inspired by Old World American traditions so there’s a little bit of American history incorporated into each dish. I was enticed by the Whole Grilled Edenbrook Trout, Beluga Lentils and even their popular half a roasted chicken. My favorite was the Pan Roasted Tile Fish crispy potatoes, black lentils, saffron aïoli, spring onion vinaigrette that I shared with my sister. Once you finally snag a table you don’t want to leave. The sensory experience is like no other and the service is tip, top notch. Freeman’s accepts reservations… get this… one month in advance and for groups over 13, you have to reserve your table one year in advance. That is planning! They say a part of the dining room is or walk-ins, but if you decide to visit on a whim, you might find yourself waiting and waiting and waiting at the bar and then eventually eating there too.

5. Bohemian:

Exclusive, trendy and private is how I would describe the Bohemian, a Japanese Restaurant and Bar. This hidden gem is coincidentally located behind a Noho, Manhattan butcher shop. The catch of the day is that you have to know someone to get in. I can’t even believe we were able to score a table because it is so exclusive and mysterious. I immediately fell for with the low couches, artistic atmosphere and the Asian ambiance. The historical building used to be the home of infamous artist, Andy Warhol and then to the popular 1980’s graffiti artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat. As one who appreciates the arts, the creativity and history of this building was overwhelming and a bit humbling. Now for the food. Get your chopsticks and your appetite ready because everything on the menu is extraordinary just like the surroundings. I ordered a bucket of oysters and enough saki for a sailor. Andy Warhol would have approved.

6. Tehuitzingo:

Que Pasa! OK, I can never say it but I can certainly recommend it! This unique palate pleaser is hidden in the back of a bodega (a small grocery store in a Spanish speaking neighborhood), open until midnight and get this, you only have to dish out $3.00 for one of the most memorable tacos of your life! This secret is located inside the Tehuitzingo Deli and Grocery in Hell’s Kitchen making the experience even more memorable. Trust me, you won’t walk about hungry, far from it. The portions are family sized and deliciously authentic. Note, there are no tables. That’s right. You get a stool to belly up to the and counter or to lean on. All you need is your appetite and sense of Mexican adventure. You can also grab a jar of salsa or other grocery items for a take-home snack attack later.

Source by Douglas Helal

It Was a Shoofly Pie Moment

During holiday seasons, I enjoy indulging in special food. My favorite during this time of year is the Shoofly Pie. Nothing hits the spot quite like this.

Although the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage restricts this kind of culinary activity during the rest of the year, I tried to get a pass for it during the holidays. I don’t care what holiday it is, a holiday is a holiday and deserves special food.

I don’t remember when I had my first shoofly pie, I only focus on my next piece.

When I first brought it into the home, my wife asked me what in the world it was. I told her it was a Shoofly Pie..

Looking at me rather quizzically, she said, “What is a Shoofly Pie??” Continue reading “It Was a Shoofly Pie Moment”

Obesity And Fast Foods – The Lethal Link

Obesity and fast foods – there’s little doubt about the link. Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United states. And it’s an epidemic that has grown side by side, step by step with the the fast food industry.

Eric Schlosser in his brilliant and shocking book, Fast Food Nation, describes the US as “an empire of fat,” and he lays the blame for this clearly and convincingly at the door of the fast food industry.

Obesity Fast Food Data

Twice as many American adults are obese today as in the 1960s. More than half of all adults and a quarter of all children are now obese. Over this same period, fast food has become cheaper and easier to buy.
Further evidence for the link between obesity and fast food can be found outside the US. Since the early 1980s, American-style fast food culture has spread like wildfire around the world… And obesity has followed, accompanied by its many unwelcome side effects: heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and other ills. Continue reading “Obesity And Fast Foods – The Lethal Link”

What Is The First Thing You Should Have When Cooking Thai Food?

Today is a first lesson. Oh! I do not want to call it a lesson because it sounds too formal. It is our first chat about Thai cooking. My friends always keep asking me if they want to cook Thai food, what is the first thing they should have? That is my topic today. When you see my question above. What is your answer ? you might think about something like cooking skills, inspiration, creative idea or any other big words. No! it is not what I mean. Actually, I just want to ask you what you should have (in the kitchen) when cooking Thai food. Basically, there are 5 things that you should have in your kitchen when cooking Thai food. These are:

1. Fish sauce

2. Light soy sauce

3. Dark soy sauce

4. Oyster sauce

5. Garlic

Continue reading “What Is The First Thing You Should Have When Cooking Thai Food?”

Should an Artist Mold Their Life Around Art, or Art Around Life?

I have spent several weeks pondering this question and the unrelenting response has been “I think an artist should allow the art to flow from their life freely and not so much about the molding and trying to fit it into a box”. When I think of the word molding, it makes me think of something stretched to fit into a form or to conform to that which it would not necessarily be found in nature or otherwise. It is not something that is organic. Art is an extension of the individual. It is like air, water and food to the artist, one cannot exist without the other. The person and the art share a symbolic coexistence. Without the art the individual would suffer and without the individual the art would not be created.

So how can you separate the two? Should you even try… ? For me, art is a way to create balance and work out internal conflicts in my mind that I may not understand currently. In the beginning it is a way to explore ideas and concepts that may have never occurred to me. It also provides a method for me to work through things that might produce anxiety or offer the chance to shine the light of clarity on things that are fear based. It allows a symbiotic process to explore and it gives me on many levels permission to play and explore. Without worrying about the finial outcome(s). Continue reading “Should an Artist Mold Their Life Around Art, or Art Around Life?”

Why Craft Beer Is Sweeping the Nation

Every single year around the first week of February, the entire American football-watching world comes together to watch the one game that seems to matter the most. Along with the meeting of the minds are the usual staples: chips, dip, meat and cheese products, and… craft beer?

Oddly enough, even though ‘The Big Game’ is filled with commercials touting the greatness of some of the most recognizable beers on the planet, the craft beer explosion is sweeping the nation in a way that has put the big beer players on notice. What once seemed like a little hobby that made some local noise is now a full-fledged movement with little to indicate a slow-down.

If you’re a beer drinker, you’re probably partial to a particular brand. Maybe it has a nostalgic quality to it, or maybe it just happens to be what’s cold most often in your fridge. Either way, you’re pretty much a one-brand kind of person. What could be so great about craft beer? Is it worth checking out?

Continue reading “Why Craft Beer Is Sweeping the Nation”

Turkey or Lamb? The Great School Senior Formal Food Debate

In 1978, I was the year coordinator for the senior year 12 cohort at the high school where I taught. I was responsible for all things related to the extracurricular activities which involved the senior students. This included the overseeing of the arrangements of the Senior Formal. This night was a celebration of their time together at high school. Our school was one of the first to introduce these nights in the mid-1970s. Formal occasion like this had gone out of vogue in the 1960s when schools often had a ball to end the school year.

This Senior Formal was to be the school’s third such occasion. It was my desire along with that of the principal to make the organisation of the formal the responsibility of an elected committee of students with me as an advisor. The venue was decided. It was a function room in a leafy environment overlooking a pool and the Brisbane River. Continue reading “Turkey or Lamb? The Great School Senior Formal Food Debate”

"Chez Slah" Joins The Ranks Of North Africa’s Best Restaurants

Food is a major part of Tunisian life; Tunisians love to eat. A catalog of restaurants in Tunis alone would fill a substantial book. I asked some of my Tunisian friends recently, and some frequent American visitors to Tunisia, if we could agree on the best restaurant in Tunis. Of course, we could not agree, but I was not at all surprised at how many votes (there were more than 20) picked Chez Slah, a wonderful eatery hidden away down a tiny side street at 14 bis, rue Pierre de Coubertin near the exact center of town. You’ll probably need a good taxi driver to find it.

Like most high-end North African cuisine, the cooking at Chez Slah has deep French roots and focuses mainly on seafood and simply prepared poultry and lamb dishes, but what sets Chez Slah apart is the fastidious care with which the chef personally selects fish at waterfront markets every day. This is an art, and to do it well takes experience and great skill. Continue reading “"Chez Slah" Joins The Ranks Of North Africa’s Best Restaurants”

The Slanted Door: Neo-Vietnamese Cuisine

I visited Vietnam for the first time in September 1996. I was impressed in many ways, but I was impressed most by their cuisine. My friend, who was stationed in Ho Chi Minh City, took to me several restaurants he knew. The food I experienced in those restaurants was excellent. Their dishes were very well presented and visually enjoyable. The spring rolls, which were made rice paper, were fresh and lightly seasoned; they were best suited for people had newly arrived in the country and who were tired after their long airplane ride. Chicken-based rice noodle soup was also lightly salted and tasty. Later I learned that the Vietnamese are proud of their cuisine since it is a mixture of Chinese, French, and native Vietnamese influences. Their pride is quite understandable.

Although it is not easy to find an authentic Vietnamese restaurant in Japan, I have found many good Vietnamese restaurants in San Francisco and in the Bay Area. They are generally good; however, I was looking for something more. There had to be a restaurant in this area that served the same amazing food I tasted in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Continue reading “The Slanted Door: Neo-Vietnamese Cuisine”