Simon's Deli

When my boyfriend and I are too tired, lazy or busy to cook, we usually look to Simon's Deli for an easy take-out dinner solution. It's on the corner on Arthur Ave, right across the street from Mugz. Most people already know about it and have probably been there or ordered from it, but in case you haven't here are some pros and cons...


Pros:
1. The salad never has any brown pieces in it.
    I don't know about anyone else, but I almost always get some brown lettuce in my salads from The Grill.
2. For $7 you get a small salad (it's only $8 for the large), with unlimited toppings AND a bottle of water.
    The salad at The Grille is really big, but your toppings are limited (although I'm not sure the cashiers would know/care if you got extras), and you have to buy your drink separately.
3. For less than $8 you get any of their sandwiches on a hero, a small bag of chips and a bottle of water or can of soda.
4. With the unfortunate closing of Munchiez, Simon's is the next best thing because it's open late on most nights and the "Chubby Subbys" are close substitutes to the "Fat Sandwiches."
5. They always have special deals and raffles going on - follow them on Twitter!

Chicken from the Dirty South on a hero

Two small salads

Cons:
1. You can't use flex dollars at Simon's, so it costs real money.
2. You have to spend at least $10 if you want to use a credit card.
3. One of the employees tends to screw up orders (unless it's just me and for some reason my order confuses him).
4. I've never gotten Simon's delivered, but I've heard that they are very slow.


So if you're looking to avoid Sodexo for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or late at night, Simon's is definitely a great option. Their food tastes good, they have a lot of healthy options, they are reasonably priced and they are close to school =)

Guacamole: The Ultimate Crowd Pleaser

Do you love guacamole? Try making it yourself! Do you hate guacamole? Again, I urge you to try making it yourself! Some of my friends didn't like guacamole, until I made it for them. I actually hated guacamole until a few years ago, when I went to a Mexican restaurant in my neighborhood that made fresh guacamole in front of you. Homemade guacamole is infinitely better than the mush you get from a jar or from most restaurants. And the best part is, it's so simple! 

Guacamole I made for the Super Bowl, with two avocados and no tomatoes.

**I don't measure the ingredients when I make guacamole, and I don't really think it's important to. You can add more or less of any ingredient depending on your preferences in taste. The pictures that accompany this post show approximate portions of ingredients that I used to make guacamole using only one avocado. 


Ingredients:
Avocado
Fresh cilantro
Small yellow or white onion
Jalapeño pepper
Lime
Salt
Tomatoes (optional)


Here's how it's done:
• Cut open the avocado, remove the skin and pit.
• Slice and mash the avocado in a bowl until it is mushy. Small chunks of avocado are okay, in fact they are preferred.
• Finely chop some cilantro leaves. The stems are bitter and should be removed as best as possible. 

• Finely chop some of the onion.

• Finley chop some of the pepper. The seeds are what makes it hot, so if you're not looking for heat, don't put those in!

• Now that the ingredients are all chopped and ready to use, begin adding them to the mashed avocado, one by one, and mixing them in. 
     • The cilantro should go in first, because it is the most distinguishing factor between fresh and store-bought guacamole.
**Be sure not to add all of what you have chopped right from the start! If you're unhappy with the flavor you can always add more of something, but you cannot take it out.
• Add freshly squeezed lime juice. (About a quarter of a lime should do for one avocado.)
• Add salt to taste.
• If you choose to add tomatoes, they should only be added when you are ready to serve.


Once you master it and share it with your friends they'll be begging you to make guacamole for every occasion!


PS. When guacamole is left out for a while, like at a party, it can turn brown. Fear not! Add a bit more fresh lime juice, mix it up, and enjoy :)

Valentine's Day

I have night class on Tuesday nights, and I don't get out until 8:30. So I told my boyfriend that I wanted to order food from Bellini's (which I will be doing an entry on in the near future) instead of actually going out, because after class I would have needed to shower, do my hair and make up, etc. and it would have been 9:30 or later by the time we made it out to Arthur Ave. to go to a restaurant. He said okay to Bellini's, but instead he surprised me with this...

Clearly this photo has been edited, but the food wasn't photoshopped.
I just wanted to cover up my boyfriend's somewhat messy apartment.

It's homemade penne alla vodka and homemade garlic bread! And when I say homemade garlic bread I mean homemade. He actually spent all day making the dough and baking and making the garlic dipping sauce to put over it. Also on the table is a bottle of [yellow tail] Bubbles Sparkling Rosé Wine. Even though it costs less than $10.00, it's still very good, as are many of the other wines that [yellow tail] has to offer.


*I'm only going to include the recipe for the penna alla vodka, because the goal of this blog was to give recipes for quick and simple dishes that any college student could prepare regardless of previous cooking experience. The garlic bread, while delicious, is very time consuming, and not something that an average college student wants to spend their day preparing.


Ingredients:
1 jar of marinara sauce
1 cup of vodka
1/2 cup of heavy cream
Salt & pepper to taste
Penne pasta


Here's how it's done:
• In a medium sauce pan, combine the marinara sauce and the vodka.
• Bring it to a simmer for about 20 minutes, while stirring sauce throughout that time.
• Add heavy cream to pan and stir. Also add salt & pepper to taste.
• Let sauce simmer for about another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile:

• Bring water to boil in a pot large enough to hold desired amount of pasta.

• Once water is boiled, pour penne in.

• Cook for about 5-8 minutes, or until the pasta is as soft as you'd like it.

• Strain immediately (pasta will continue to cook in the hot water).

And then:

• Once both the penne and the vodka sauce are ready, combine them in the saucepan.

• Stir the penne around the pan to make sure it all gets coated with sauce.

Put all the food on plates, set up your table however you like, and surprise someone you love with this wonderful homemade meal! Put on a favorite TV show or movie while you eat and enjoy :)

Cliché Super Bowl Wing Post

Well the Super Bowl was yesterday, so naturally today's post is about wings and other game day foods. Personally, I hate football and couldn't care less about the game, (I'm sorry if that shocked and/or offended anyone) but I've always loved Super Bowl parties and the food that comes along with them. My friends and I started off the night with plenty of different chips. 

Tostitos, Nacho Cheese Doritos, Wavy Lays, Spicy Nacho Doritos
Salsa, homemade guacamole

We got the rest of our food from Planet Wings on E 187th street (only about five blocks from Fordham). There were twelve of us so we went with their "Hail Mary" Super Bowl Special. That's 150 wings (in 6 different flavors) and 20 chicken fingers. We added two orders of french fries, two orders of curly fries and two orders of mozzarella sticks. 

Cajun, Mild, BBQ
Chipotle BBQ, Hot, Medium

All of the wings were delicious. The most popular of the night were the BBQ (all of them went), followed closely by the Cajun (only 2 were left). The mild were the least popular, mainly because we only ordered them for one friend who sweats profusely when he eats spicy foods.

We absolutely devoured the sides! The chicken fingers were delicious. The fries were all really crispy despite being in the styrofoam containers for a while. The mozzarella sticks were my least favorite item. They tasted like frozen store-brand mozzarella sticks & really weren't up to par with the rest of the food.


My boyfriend and I sometimes order from Planet Wings on nights when we're too tired or busy to cook. We prefer to get boneless wings, but for the Super Bowl they were only making classic wings. They have more than just wings too. Their menu is filled with various other foods including salads, burgers, and even some Mexican dishes. They deliver, so you'll never have to actually go there. You don't even have to call to order your food, you can order online from their website. There are 25 Planet Wings locations in New York and New Jersey, so there may even be one near you! 


Whether it's game day or just a day when you're craving wings I would definitely recommend ordering Planet Wings. Their food is fantastic and they are pretty reasonably priced!