By Ari, on January 23rd, 2013%
…not everything I make is blog-worthy. In fact, sometimes the things I’m most certain will be ah-mazing fall flat. Like these Thai turkey burgers I made last night.
I love healthy takes on burgers, I love Thai food, and I generally love the blog where this recipe came from (How Sweet It Is). Should be a home run, right? Sadly, like most turkey burgers, they were too dry and lacking that punch of flavor I was hoping for. (Don’t be deterred from visiting her blog, though! The unbelievably delicious shrimp burgers I made a few weeks back were adapted from her recipe.) Continue reading In Case You Were Wondering…
By Ari, on December 3rd, 2012%
I can’t believe it. Our baby boy is 3 months old, and we’re finally finished with the 4th trimester!
Continue reading The End of the 4th Trimester
By Ari, on September 30th, 2012%
Things are crazy. Crazy good, but crazy, nonetheless. My sleep deprivation has been taken to an unprecedented high, my hair is generally disheveled, and I consider it a good day when I eat breakfast before noon.
The culprit of my new lifestyle? This little guy.
Please welcome the newest member of the TR family: Ethan. Continue reading My Little Man
By Ari, on July 19th, 2012%
If there’s one thing in life I’m certain of, it’s that I love food. I love watching it be prepared, I loved eating it, and most importantly, I love to cook. (Okay, I also know that I love my husband, family, friends, and of course, our future child. But that should go without saying.)
Last week, after some minor complications with my pregnancy, I was put on house arrest. Specifically, no cooking, cleaning, or anything strenuous. Continue reading Taking it Easy
By Ari, on June 5th, 2012%
Today marks our one year wedding anniversary! Was it really a year ago that we said, “I do?” This also means that one year ago we were jetting off to Italy for two weeks. I would give anything to be back there.
…but since that is not currently an option, I’ll share a story instead.
Halfway through our trip, we arrived at Cinque Terre (for more on these coastal towns, see here).
If you enjoy hiking or laying out on a beach with breathtaking views, this might be the place for you. If, however, you prefer eating delicious foods, you should probs go elsewhere.
We are the latter. After walking around the town and “hiking” over to dinner, we settled in at a small seafood restaurant, Il Porticciolo.
The food was nothing stellar. In fact, it was mostly forgettable. I went with a small whole sea bass, prepared simply with roasted veggies, while John got cioppino (fish stew) with calamari, clams, some fish, and one langoustine (kind of a cross between a shrimp and a lobster).
As a general unspoken rule, we always share our food. He’ll take a few bites from my plate, and I’ll take the better bites from his. If I order something that I don’t love, we switch. These are simple rules, people! Given that John had a variety of seafood on his plate, it was only fitting that I receive one bite of each item.
And I did. With the exception of the langoustine, which he greedily devoured without so much as a glance in my direction.
Unbelievable, right?! For the rest of our trip (and perhaps, occasionally throughout the year), I’d bring this up and remind him how he stole my one bite of langoustine. How I was robbed of a once-in-a-lifetime seafood experience at his expense! My (over)reaction is usually met with an amused smile and a halfhearted apology. Continue reading Anniversary Dinner at Marea
By Ari, on May 22nd, 2012%
For anyone keeping track, here is a list of food-related items that I am seriously missing during these 9 months (16 weeks to go!):
- WINE
- Goat cheese
- Any unpasteurized cheese, really
- Caffeinated coffee
- Sandwiches with cold cuts (deli meat is supposed to be served warm, not at room temperature)
- Sushi (the raw kind, obvi)
- Runny egg yolks
- Cocktails
Husband, take note: After our little bundle of joy decides to grace us with his or her presence, I request a day of pregnancy-free eating.
What exactly does that mean?
Continue reading What I Miss Most
By Ari, on March 28th, 2012%
I told you we’re moving, right? Leaving the city life behind for the ‘burbs. In just over a month, we’re leaving Queens (and our favorite taco truck) for Westchester County. I’d probably be more sad to leave if I weren’t so unbelievably excited to move into a house! No more worrying about moving the . . . → Read More: A Turning Point
By Ari, on February 28th, 2012%
“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” – John Lennon
So true. So very, very true.
As some of you now know, John and I are expecting an addition to our family this fall (!!). September, to be exact. Which means that as of this week, I have survived the first three months of pregnancy. Hooray!
 (Beign-yay! onesie courtesy of Baby Laing’s aunt from New Orleans!)
My initial reaction to being pregnant was as follows: “Omg, I’m going to vomit nonstop for months while simultaneously becoming a large whale.” (I also imagined my loving, wonderful husband running to the store at some obscene hour to buy me ice cream, but that has yet to happen. No worries, we’ve still got 6 months to go…)
Continue reading Life Changes
By Ari, on January 1st, 2012%
You know the saying, “Don’t wish your life away?” I try not to. I try to live in the present. To soak up whatever joys and sorrows are currently thrusting themselves into my life. But every new year I find myself anticipating what’s next. Last year it was all things wedding-related, my first real job and paycheck, which lead to my first shopping spree (you can see where my priorities lie), and generally enjoying life in NYC. It was a good year – nay, a great one. The highlight was marrying my best friend. (Can you really blame me for thinking that?)
Now we’re jumping head first into 2012. I’m already wishing the months would pass by sooner so I can get to the “good stuff.” (I can’t help it!) Of the many wonderful events taking shape this year, we’ve got even more weddings to attend (my brother’s, our cousins’, and many close friends — so far we’re looking at FL, NJ, RI, MA, and England!), hopefully a pleasure trip or two (all I want to do is eat and travel), which leads to my absolute favorite thing: trying new food, which I intend to do a lot of.
And I’m about to start a new job!
As with anything in life, this year has brought its own fair share of ups and downs. Having a place to divulge those details has been immensely rewarding. I always knew that food could bring people together, but until I began Tasty Retreat, I never knew how therapeutic writing about food could be.
This blog is so much more than a collection of recipes. Every plate of food has a story, and for the last year and a half you’ve let my share my stories with you. Thank you all for every kind word you’ve shared with me. Thank you for trying these recipes and letting me know how they turn out (it means more to me than you know). And thank you for supporting me on this (seemingly unending) journey as I figure out the dos and don’ts of surviving in the food industry. Continue reading Best of 2011
By Ari, on December 25th, 2011%
Twas the morning of Christmas, and all through the town,
Not a creature was stirring, except Jews in nightgowns,
They left in a hurry, from their warm cozy beds,
With coffee in hand, as they ran for their sleds,
To Russ & Daughters, or Katz’s, they flew with delight,
In search of pastrami, and nova, so right!
They pushed Moishe and Miriam out of the way,
To be first in line on this merry Christmas day,
After an hour long wait, they successfully left,
And returned to their kitchen, to fry up the best,
Little latkes in town, (except for her Mother-in-law’s,
Whose recipe is a secret, and guarded with claws),
One latke, two latkes, three latkes, four,
All topped with salmon, and creme fraiche galore,
Then scattered with scallions, and piled up high,
As they both sat down, with a twinkle in their eyes,
Belly lox on the left, Scottish salmon on the right,
And within moments, they disappeared out of sight,
Their stomachs were full, and their kitchen a mess,
The smell of hot oil covered her dress,
They changed into sweatpants, and opened some wine,
And bummed around the house, just killing some time,
With the tv turned on, and marathons playing
Law & Order! NCIS! Their favorites (just sayin’),
They caught up on blogs, and cleaned up their place,
Until dinner that evening, (Chinese food, around 8),
After a long day of eating, they settled down for the night,
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good bite!
 Continue reading On Christmas
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