iamsangsouvanh:

Marché - Nashville, TN.

Write up on this place hopefully coming soon!

And now, on to something home-made!

This was my lunch the other day, I started with these Gardein bbq skewers (click for their website) which are a soy protein based meat-free meat alternative. I rinsed off a lot of their bbq sauce because I’m not really a huge fan of that flavor (which seems weird considering I live in Nashville). I sauted it, and placed it inside of leaves of lettuce to make lettuce wraps. The best part of my lunch however, was the perfectly ripe avocado I had. Cutting into it was like cutting into butter, and I think it’s safe to say eating that avocado made my day. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as a perfect avocado. I topped it off with sliced cherry tomatoes, and some crumbled feta(the only not vegan part of the meal). The best part was that I didn’t even need any dressing or sauce because of the flavor still left on the skewers. I’m excited to try more of their products for meat alternatives. Let me clarify really quick, although I do eat meat, I try to limit my meat intake. Anyone else try these little guys or any other gardein products?

-J

There’s this place on Thompson Lane in Nashville called Gojo Ethiopian Cuisine, that I have been wanting to try for years, luckily I got a phone call from one of my favorite partners in crime the other day inviting me there to try it. I walked in not expecting much, due to the somewhat shady storefront. My friend who had spent time in Ethiopia ordered for us. She ordered only vegetarian dishes, which I was entirely okay with, however next time I plan to at least try some chicken. When you eat Ethiopian food you don’t use any utensils. Instead you tear pieces of injera, which is a pancake-like sourdough bread. It is made of fermented teff flour, and seems to be the base of a basic Ethiopian meal. You dip it in these wonderful little piles of different vegetables. My personal favorite was the Miser W’et, which is split lentils. The taste was definitely different from anything else I had ever eaten, but still tasted familiar in a way. The taste wasn’t so far from thicker split pea soup. The bread definitely had a distinct sourdough taste, but it worked well with all of the other things on the platter. I highly recommend this place if you’re wanting to try something different.

-J

This is that baked good I was talking about in the Fido post, It’s the PC muffin, or Pumpkin Chocolate muffin. It is extremely moist and delicious. I got this today at Bongo Java, which is owned by the same people who own Fido, and some other places around town. This muffin, ridiculous as it may sound, changed the way I thought about muffins. I always thought they were usually dry and were just a good backdrop for butter, but this muffin is so satisfying alone I suggest it to anyone. Also, side note, there will be two people running this blog. So, I guess I’ll start signing my stuff so you know which post is done by which one of us.

-J

Let’s talk about one of my favorite places to eat in Nashville, Fido. You don’t really live in Nashville until you have eaten at Fido. Even if the food was awful (which luckily it’s not) it’s worth it to go to see most of the hip people who live in Nashville (who knows! You might even see Tay Tay Swift and J Gyllenhal on their first planned public appearance, ehm, I mean date, er something crazy like that.) Anyway. Their food is consistently pretty yummy. This is a veggie scramble with their cheddar jack grits (which are so good and cheesy I actually have cravings for them). Fido makes food you could make at home for the most part, but their specials are usually just that, special. They have great baked goods, but I’m sure I’ll do a separate post just on a specific muffin later. Their veggie scramble is my breakfast of choice, nice fresh veggies mixed with scrambled eggs. A healthy breakfast of champions.

Let’s start off this blog with one of my favorite things to make, baked apples. Nothing seems to remind you of how cozy home can be quite like a baked apple. It’s not too fancy, but definitely not plain. This blog will be a mixture of posts of home-made (because who isn’t on a budget) goodies and some food from all around Nashville.

To make this easy treat:

You need: An apple (McIntosh is my preferred type) & Cinnamon. Pretty simple.

All you need to do is core the apple completely, put a little water (1/4 cup or less) in the bottom of a microwavable bowl and put the apple in there and sprinkle with cinnamon, however much you like. I like a lot of cinnamon so I am generous with the amount I put on. Microwave on high for about 2 minutes, uncovered, and Voila! Simple baked apple, with no sugar or butter. I drain out some of the water usually and then top with non fat ice cream and more cinnamon. Yum!