After 18 days sailing and over one month onboard seeing the small island nation of Mauritius was a welcome sight.

“The island of Mauritius was unknown and uninhabited before its first recorded visit, by Arab sailors during the Middle Ages who named it Dina Arobi. In 1507 Portuguese sailors visited the uninhabited island and established a visiting base. Portuguese navigator Diogo Fernandes Pereira was probably the first European to land on the island at around 1511. The island appears with a Portuguese name ‘Cirne’ on early Portuguese maps, probably because of the presence of the dodo, a flightless bird which was found in great numbers at that time. The Portuguese did not stay long as they were not interested in these islands.”

From 1638 to 1710 the Dutch made attempts to colonize the island but failed due to sickness and frequent typhoons. They did succeed in decimating the Dodo bird before moving on. The French and British would later have succesful settlements before independence in 1968.

“During the Napoleonic wars, Île de France (as it was called during French Rule) became a base from which French corsairs organised successful raids on British commercial ships. The raids continued until 1810 when a strong Royal Navy expedition led by Commodore Josias Rowley was sent to capture the island. Despite winning the Battle of Grand Por, the only French naval victory over the British during these wars, the French surrendered to a British invasion at Cap Malheureux three months later. They formally surrendered on 3 December 1810, on terms allowing settlers to keep their land and property and to use the French language and law of France in criminal and civil matters. Under British rule, the island’s name reverted to the original one.”

We got off the ship late morning and part of the crew was bused to Port Chambly Hotel. After a month onboard I wonder if the company made it point to not put the whole +100 man crew all in once place and spread us out. Either way I feel like our group got pretty lucky as this place was a little slice of paradise before starting a full day of traveling home.

“The cuisine of Mauritius is a blend of Indian, African, Chinese and European influences. It is common for a combination of cuisines to form part of the same meal.

The production of rum, which is made from sugar cane, is widespread on the island. Sugarcane was first introduced to Mauritius by the Dutch in 1638. The Dutch mainly cultivated sugarcane for the production of “arrack”, a precursor to rum. However, it was during the French and British administrations that sugar production was fully exploited. Pierre Charles François Harel was the first to propose the concept of local distillation of rum in Mauritius, in 1850. Bee is also produced on the Island, by the Phoenix Brewery”

My time in Mauritius  was short but it was nice to visit a place with such a rich maritime history. As early as the 1500s ships were pulling into the same harbor we pulled into on that sunny day. During the days of sailing, vessels Mauritius was a regular stop on voyage from Europe to India and the Far East. I don’t know if I will ever make it back but it was great to experience a small slice of what the place had to offer.

Bayang / Balinese Indonesian in Singapore - My visit to a great restaurant in the Clarke Quay section of Singapore

Singapore Street Food -  Tasting some good Singapore street eats.

Chinatown Hawker Stand – One of my many trips to a hawker stand without getting sick the next day!!!

Shiraz Persian Cuisine – Persian food, belly dancing, Clarke Quay, how can you go wrong?

Tan Chin Lee Sea Fresh – Some great seafood and BBQ ostrich

Back to Little India – Some of the best pictures I took in Singapore’s Little India

Newton Food Center – Some great food and beer at this hawker’s stand

Marina Bay / Kinki - Singapore’s high-end Marina Bay and Kinki

Bugis Street Market - My day at Singapore’s largest outdoor street market

Singapore’s Chinatown - Food, cuban cigars and fine cognac in chinatown. What quaility city does not have a chinatown? 

Things You Shouldnt Do in Singapore – self-explanatory

Tiger Beer – YUM

One of the best parts of going to sea is actually being at sea and after a year in the shipyard it was nice to finally be getting underway. I was amazed at how  busy the Port of Singapore and the Straits of Singapore were. The voyage would take us west through the Straits of Singapore, through the Straits of Malacca and out into the Indian Ocean.

It was a bummer being at sea for the holidays but the catering department stepped their game up with this piggy piggy and some other tasties.

Sure going to sea back in the day was more mysterious and dangerous, you didn’t have ships of steel, GPS, or connection with home for years at a time. One thing that will never change is the day ends with the same sunsets early sailors saw everyday and the same sky full of stars follows.

Like most people, there are times when I can’t stand my job. Times that I hate having to pack a bag and say goodbye to everything that makes me comfortable for 4 weeks. Sometimes after 25 hours of flying to get to work I long for a  rush hour traffic crosstown trip. Some of the same reasons I hate going to sea are the very reason I couldn’t do anything else. There is a part of me that loves having a job that most people don’t and cant understand. The 25 hours of flying lands me in places that most only get to gaze at in magazines. The sun will never be able to set at home the way it does in the middle of the ocean where there is nothing else in sight. There is no better reminder to be thankful for the things and people at home than to have them all temporarily stripped away for 4 weeks and then handed back after stepping off a plane.

In this day and age of needing our time to do more useful things like update Facebook stalking, Words With Friends and sometimes actual work, who has time for cooking. The crock pot is a great way to free up time for these more important things and end up with a meal that it taste like someone slaved over it. So toss some beef in this thing, press start and go back to updating and keeping an eye on how miserable your ex’s lives are going.

This recipe is adapted from the pot roast recipe on the back of the Lipton Onion Soup and Dip Mix:

olive oil

3 lb boneless beef roast

chopped carrots

1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix

 3/4 beef broth

6 or more cloves of garlic (chopped)

bunch of fresh rosemary (chopped)

celery (chopped)

bell peppers (chopped, large pieces)

ground ginger

salt

pepper

flour

Use a long knife to stab a bunch of holes in the beef on both sides. Mix the garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper in a bowl, then stuff the holes with mixture and rub along the outside of the roast.

Add the olive oil (I used a hot garlic olive oil) to a skillet over a high heat. Once skillet is hot add the roast and sear for a couple of minutes on both sides until browned. You can skip this step but a quick searing will carmelize the outside of the meat and adds to the flavor. It’s been debated whether searing locks in the juices as well.

Place the roast in the crock pot on low heat.Over a high heat pour beef broth in the skillet that was used to sear the roast and scrap the drippings from the pan. Stir in one packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix and some ground ginger.

Pour the broth over the roast and cook for 6-8 hours (4-5 on high) in the meat is tender enough to be flaked easily with a fork. I like to add the veggies in the last hour or so because I don’t like the veggies to mushy. If you like a thicker broth you can thicken it up with some flour or corn starch.

I was traveling home from Singapore so I missed Thanksgiving but came home to two man-sized trays of turkey and other Thanksgiving leftovers. I was on the phone with my sister while in Food Lion when she started talking about turkey pot pie which initially made me think of that punk John Bender’s quote from the Breakfast Club “SHUDDUP AND GO FIX ME A CHICKEN POT PIE”. After I got past that I diverted from the beer section to the soup section. I grabbed a couple other things I needed for a pot pie and this is what I came up with

Ingredients:

cooked turkey

chicken broth

water

onions and green onions (chopped)

fresh sage leaves (chopped)

cooked ham (cubed)

celery (chopped)

pie crust

puff pastry sheets

cream of chicken and herbs

cream of broccoli

carrots (chopped)

garlic cloves (chopped)

olive oil

butter

Worcestershire

In a large pot add chicken broth, water and left over turkey (turkey on and off the bone). Boil until the chicken easily separates from the bone. Drain, pull meat, chop and set aside.

Add olive oil and butter to the pot over med-high heat. Add vegetables and saute, adding some Worcestershire sauce to bring moisture. Add the chicken to the pot followed by the cans of cream and stir under low heat. Add some water if it feels to thick. Most recipes call for flour to be added so I added some House Autry Chicken Breader because it has a good flavor. Toss in the ham cubes and more water if needed. If too watery add more flour or chicken breader. Season with Cajun seasoning and garlic salt to taste.

Next scoop the turkey mixture into the pie crust. Top the pie with the puff pastry sheet, cut off the excess and poke four holes in the top so steam can get out. Brush the top of the pie with melted butter and put in a 415 degree oven

Cook for about 20-30,mins until the crust puffs up and is a golden brown color. Let stand for a couple of minutes then bask in your glory. Sorry for no measurements as I was in full wing it mode but I don’t think you can go wrong as long as you just taste it often and  adjust things to how you like it. I bought green peas but forgot to put them in. Then I got to thinking how I don’t even like green beans and who says they have to be in a pot pie anyway. IT’S YOUR THING, DO WHAT YOU WANNA DO.

Where: North Pavilion / 2400 Pratt Steet / Durham, NC

When: Monday, November 28th 2011 – 1:00pm

It would be fair to say I grew up fairly spoiled when it came to pizza. Forty minutes to my east was classic New Haven style pizza like Pepe’s Pizza. To the west was New York City an obvious pizza mecca and everywhere in between descendants of Italian immigrants slinging pies. So when I left the northeast for South Florida I was suprised at the lack good pizza. With all the people from New York down there it was like a sixth bourgh of New York but with only a handful of good pizza spots. The pizza situation became more bleak when I moved to North Carolina. This last year is probably the least I have ever eaten pizza in my life because most of the pizza in the tarheel state has been subpar.

I had been following Klausie’s Pizza Truck on twitter for a while now but they really got my attention when my Bronx, NY born and bred fiancee came home raving about the best sicilian style pizza she has had since leaving the Bronx. When I returned from Singapore I made it a point to find the rolling pizza oven and find out if they were really doing special things out of an old truck.

The first thing I found to be interesting was the sign on the the side of the truck that said “Detroit Style Pan Pizza” because I didn’t know a thing about Detroit style pizza. I figured only angy white rappers and Axle Foley came from Detroit.

WHAT I ATE:

Klausie’s Loaded Bread, Sexy Sal – This was five slices of crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside bread loaded up with salami, ham, tomato, pepperincini and italian dressing. When the bread was on its way out the window to me he drizzled some balsamic vinegar over the top and it was excellent.

Super Meatie - This came as one large square piece of pizza topped with pepperoni, sausage and bacon (with mozzarella and tomato sauce). It only took me one bite to realize this was the best pizza I have had since moving and I couldn’t believe it came out of the window of a truck. The crust had the airy and crunchy texture of some greek style pizzas I remember from home but was quickly followed by the fluffiness of the inner dough of a good Sicilian piece. The toppings were great and I was highly impressed with the sausage. I snarfed down the pizza (in a fit of greed I twice mistook my lip for the pizza which Serena found pretty amusing) and couldn’t wait to get home to find out what the deal was with Detroit style pizza and why Detroit is hiding it….in Detroit.

Wikipedia had this to say about Detroit style pizza:

“Detroit-style pizza is a style of pizza, developed in Detroit. It is a square pizza similar to Sicilian-style pizza that has a thick deep-dish crust that is crisp in texture, cooked toppings such as pepperoni and olives, and is served with the marinara pizza sauce on the top of the pizza. The square-shaped pizza is the result of being baked, not in a pizza pan, but an industrial parts tray.”

“The crust of a Detroit-style pizza is noteworthy because in addition to occasionally being twice-baked, it is usually baked in a well-oiled pan to a chewy medium-well-done state that gives the bottom and edges of the crust a fried/crunchy texture. Some parlors will apply melted butter with a soft brush prior to baking.”

One of my favorite things is eating something that motivates me to dig deeper and learn something new about food. I ended the day having found out the best pizza in the Triangle (and one of my new favorites anywhere) is coming out of a truck and discovered there was such a thing as Detroit pizza and it deserves more respect.

QANTAS AIRLINES – Novermber 26th, 2011

One of the more interesting meals I have had on a plane. It was an indonesion style beef and green beans with a spicy gravy. I was pretty shocked that they would give all of us such a spicy meal on a thirteen hour flight. It sounded like a recipe for disaster but luckily the lines to the bathrooms didnt seem longer than usual.

These ladies were on their way back to Liverpool, London and they were  a riot. We laughed, drank wine and rum laced hot chocolate until (to the joy of people in front and behind us) we all knocked out.

Before arrivial they served fruit, baked eggs, bubble and squeak with beans and spinach.

THE BREAKFAST BURGER, BREAKFAST OF THE GREEDY

After a long flight from Singapore a single egg sandwich wasnt going to cut it so lucky for me I fell into this place and my eye locked immediately on the Breakfast Burger.

Breakfast Burger – beef burger topped with burger relish, bacon, mature cheddar cheese and fried egg served with skin on fries. This hit the spot and is a nice combo. The relish was a nice touch. The only negative was the fries were a bit soggy.

A while back when I was living in Norwalk I walked around the corner and stumbled on this place and was blown away. The food was so amazing and tucked between a tatoo parlor and seedy bar and  wasnt  surprised years later when I saw Valencia on one of my favorite shows, Diners, Drive-ins and Drives.

Naturally, when I go home to Connecticut I try to make it to Valencia. This time I ordered to go and when looking at the menu its easy to get carried away…”lemme get a few of those empanadas, some of those arepas a couple of pork sandwiches, rice, plantains” and before you know it you have ordered enough food for the Venezuelan Army.

After lunch I was stuffed and happy that despite the being on TV and all the hoopla the place has received, it was still awesome. The only thing left to do was to slip into a food coma.

Making stuffed pretzel dogs is a good way to bring out your creative side and its pretty easy.  Just find a pretzel dough recipe or get some from your local grocery store then stuff them with whatever makes you happy.

For a pretzel dough recipe click here.

I stuffed this guy with shredded mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and ketchup. The one that is already wrapped has deli mustard, cheddar cheese and onions.

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 8-10mins, grab a beer and eat up.

All this grub and a soda for $4.95

8925 Fallbrook Dr Ste 200
Houston, TX

I was starving when I stepped off the plane in Houston a few hours ago but did not stop at any of the vendors in the airport. McDonald’s, Sbarro’s, Burger King, despite my hunger pangs I refused because I was now in the Lonestar State and planned to let my Tex-Mex on.

I dropped my bags at the hotel and made my way to the strip mall around the corner to Los Burrito Meat Market and Taqueria. For less than $5.00 I fully stuffed myself on a sausage taco, shredded chicken taco, beef gordita and a side of yellow rice. This is a special little place that you can get your grocery and meat shopping done, buy a 40 ounce and stuff your gut under the same roof.

This feeding made me happy to be back in Houston and I thought about the Taco Bell I passed on the way from the way from the airport. It made me wonder how Taco Bell can exist down here in the land of cheap and awesome Mexican eats.