August 9, 2010 9:41 am

Product of the Day: Buddha Belly Plate

There are moments when I'm home early, or hanging out alone, when I just do not want to sit at the dining room table and have a full meal solo. Instead, sitting on the couch watching Mad Men, I find myself balancing a plate on my lap, or eating awkwardly from coffee table to couch. In order to avoid the inevitable lasagna-in-lap scenario, I recommend Buddha Belly Plates. Adorably named and very durable, this plate has a finger hole that allows you to hold your plate with one hand and consume with the other without worrying about awkward placing and crumbs all over the couch.

It's quite easy: fill your plate with whatever meal you've chosen for the evening (such as this awesome Chacarero, Chilean street food, by Chef Pilar Rodriguez), place your thumb through the hole attached to the plate, rest it in the palm of your hand and use a fork, or your other hand, to consume your dinner delicacy. Enjoy!

Trick: Use your non-dominant hand to consume your food rather than hold your plate. After awhile you'll be amazed at your dexterity! And if you're feeling like some good Buddhist reading, sit down with some plain noodles with sesame seeds and a copy of Siddhartha.

Photo credit: thegreenhead.com

— Written by Kaitlin A. Lipe

0 Comments >

Tags : Buddha, Belly, Plate, Chacarero, Pilar, Rodriguez, chef, dinner

July 26, 2010 12:11 pm

Dish of the Day: Chilean Chacarero

One of my favorite ways to experience foreign culture and cuisine when traveling is eating like the locals do— which means exploring restaurants off the beaten path, food shops, outdoor markets and of course, sampling the street food. I haven't made it down to South America just yet, but New York being the holy land of food vendors, snack trucks and culinary expos, I had the opportunity to taste a traditional Chilean street food favorite at last month's Fancy Food Show: The Chacarero.

Chacarero comes from the word chacra, which means "vegetable garden" because this classic South American sandwich is plump with fresh avocado, tomato, banana chili peppers and green beans, along with beef tenderloin marinated in Merken-infused olive oil. Chef Pilar Rodriguez likes to add red onions and fresh greens to hers for extra color and crunch. Tip: Merken is an aromatic, hot spice from the Araucanía region in southern Chile.

Food bloggers, show us your culinary prowess and come up with a unique recipe featuring at least one Chilean ingredient for a chance to win a 7-day trip to this fabulous country. Hurry, the contest ends July 31st! For inspiration, check out our hands-on sandwich making video with Chef Pilar Rodriguez.

Photo credit: Behind the Burner

— Written by Mona Buehler

0 Comments >

Tags : Chile, Chacarero, Pilar Rodrigez, Flavors of Chile, Merken, Avocado, Banana Chili Peppers, Green Beans, Mona Buehler