You are what you eat....most of the time

I've always found trying new and exotic foods really exciting. During college, I spent a summer studying abroad in Luxembourg. My roommate and I lived in a town house with an 80-something year old couple, Lily & Leopold, who spoke a mixture of German, French and Luxembourgish...there was a huge language barrier between us to say the least. Each morning we would all eat breakfast together and had to resort to communicating via body language. Through the many tried hand motions and attempts not to be rude, we each tried to eat what was served in front of us - from cheese to beef to rhubarb pie to pickled what-not to some foods that were wayyyy past their 'use by' date...we tried it all...and before 8am. It became the talk of our first class every morning - everyone reading our faces as we walked in the room 5 minutes late, asking what was served that day or laughing as I'd run to the bathroom sick about 20 minutes later. I know this sounds like an awful story, but I laugh about it now and had an incredible time living with this couple. It was a true experience into their culture and family; and that summer began my love for exploring international cuisine (minus my upset stomach of course).

I traveled to Australia three years later with this same open mind and now greater appreciation for food and culture. I tried anything from bizarre meat pies to lychees to kangaroo to eating a live 'pippy' out of the sand. All of those were amazing foods in different ways, except for the pippy (mussel), which was way too sandy for my taste. My point being, I think a great part of traveling and experiencing any new city is trying the cuisine...no matter how bizarre. And in my opinion - if you find a food item gross, then it will probably be a pretty good story anyway.

The past week has been crazy and exciting with birthday celebrations and a visit from my parents to Chicago. One of the restaurants I went to for my friend's birthday was Girl and The Goat in the West Loop. Top Chef winner of Season 4, Stephanie Izard, created this modern restaurant described to have a rustic-chic design, that has you waiting months for a reservation. It's honestly well worth the time and money spent! The atmosphere is lively, the bar is full and the food is mouth watering. The chickpea fritters were once described by my sister as 'explosions in her mouth', haha and I don't disagree. I also love the fact that the chef has created shared plates because you can try and spend as much as you are willing or able to do so. This time around my friends and I tried the 'oven-roasted pig face'... probably the most unappealing name choice I've ever ordered, but it was absolutely amazing! A piece of pork served with thinly sliced potatoes, savory sauces & a sunny-side up egg on top, meant to all mix together for a melt-in-your-mouth bite. This was one crazy food that I do NOT regret ordering.

The rest of the weekend was spent being touristy with my parents, ordering our favorite cocktails and exploring some of Chicago's ethnic cuisine. We tried Le Colonial one night, which has a French/Vietnemese fusion. The atmosphere was more intimate than lively, but my parent's and I had a great time trying some of the traditional Vietnamese dishes for our first time. And after a few drinks, we were probably having a bit more fun than was socially acceptable....haha, but when has that ever stopped me before?? All and all it was an amazing week filled with some unusual food, fun cocktails and great company that I was sad to see come to an end :)

Drink of the week: Espresso Martini

2 oz Absolute Vodka

1 oz Kahlua

1 oz chilled espresso shot

splash of simple syrup (optional)

garnish with coffee beans

served up, shaken not stirred

The Tamale Guy

There must be something about humid 90 degree weather in Chicago that makes the sound of an ice cold beer the most refreshing drink in the world. Maybe it's my Irish roots, but come a Friday afternoon in the summer I find myself on my way to a friend's house...past the bars and sounds of flowing drinks on Clark St...running faster than I did down the stairs as a child on Christmas morning. 

The other Friday as I was feeling this craze, I headed to my friend's place to catch up and soak up some late sun on her porch. The night started out like any other - talking away, laughing about college stories and eventually heading to our usual hangout bar across the street. We got a bit carried away in the excitement of the night and pours of beers and soon found ourselves at the Old Town Ale House. Now, if you want to go to a classic dive bar, this is it. Crowded hole in the wall building, cash only, standard cheep pitchers of beer, and funny cartoons & pictures depicting highlights of Chicago and it's celebs through the years. It's a fun time if you're in good company and don't mind sticky tables or a beer or two being splashed on you by the over served guy next to you. But what really made this night came around 1 am when we witnessed a short man standing on a stool with a red cooler yelling "tamales! TAMALES!". I looked on a bit confused as Lindsay turned ecstatic - little did I know, this guy had earned some fame in the Chicago area. "The Tamale Guy" travels bar to bar late night around Chicago and if you're lucky enough, you might just run into him. I tried the queso tamales and they were delicious! You get an entire bag of authentic tamales, wrapped in corn husks, for less than $5. The late night munchies and overexcitement that comes when one spots the short man sneaking into the bar may more than likely be the cause of this food's appeal...but even so I feel one step closer to becoming a true Chicagoan after my run in with The Tamale Man!

Here's a link to his Yelp page - I've read some amazing reviews, so next time you find yourself late night at a bar, craving some authentic Mexican, keep your eyes peeled for that red cooler.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-tamale-guy-chicago#query:the%20tamale%20man

*pattycakes* well one of these days...

So the word is out. I started blogging again! If you read my previous post, cheers to you! This is my first attempt, however, to stop journaling about my life adventures and focus more specifically on a favorite topic of mine....food! One reason for this, I don't think my woes and daily routines of Chicago life will nearly thrill any reader as much as my nomadic lifestyle back in Oz (though don't think I won't throw some updates in here). Second, I'm passionate about living a healthy lifestyle through food, fitness and the people you love. Lastly, it's almost embarrassing how much I love food. I was standing on a stool, kneading dough with my grandma by age five & following recipes in terms of "egg shell scoops" instead of measuring cups. My parent's kitchen has always been and will always be the most energetic room & favorite place to be in the entire house. Baking is meditation for me, cooking is a challenge and I aspire to be half as good as a cook as my mom one day. Taking pictures of food comes as second nature to me and I have the unfortunate curse of helplessly calculating the nutritional content of most meals even when I reallllyyy don't want to know!

My favorite thing to do when moving to a new area is taking an afternoon to explore. Back in April, during my move to my new studio (I feel so grown-up!), my boyfriend and I took a walk up and down the main strip near my building. Let's just say, within 2 blocks there are at least 20 cafes, bars, restaurants and take-out places of all various ethnic foods. I love the feeling of becoming a local - when you know where the hidden gem of a cafe is to enjoy a latte while catching up on emails or the excitement of knowing the perfect place to take the out-of-towners. Any day of the week I rather spend a pay check on trying a new restaurant than saving it for a much more practical use... hah I never said I was perfect :/ I have a continuous wish list on my phone of restaurants and trendy hot spots around Chicago that I've learned of through various social media and friends...and I am dying to try them all out! However, to balance the cost of food and my high intake of martinis, I've also taken on the challenge of learning how to become a better cook. I've gained some great survival skills through college and backpacking through Australia, but I'm finally ready to go beyond my frugal days of baked chicken and spaghetti bolognese!

I hope for this blog to be about sharing my life as a foodie, nutrition enthusiast and 20-something year old trying to make my way. So cheers to my tiny kitchen and exploring Chicago's finest to dingiest....with always of course a beverage in hand :)

The life of a Twenty-Something Year Old

Throughout Middle School, High School and College even, I always had a class at the end of the year in which I would have to answer that ever so mystifying question "where do you see yourself in 5 years? in 10?". My answers varied from ages 11 to 16 to 21 as I realized I probably shouldn't be a veterinarian just because I liked puppies or couldn't become a photographer for national geographic without an art school degree. However, when I looked at that far off age of 25 (come on, even at 21 it's impossible to think life existed past senior year of college) I always thought people had it figured out by then. HAH. Pretty sure I'm still foreign to the concepts of "steady career, "dental insurance" or "suburbia".....and really, until I'm 26, independent of my parent's lovely insurance & need a root canal (thanks Obama for that one!)....the unpredictable life of your 20s is pretty awesome.

When I returned Stateside from my year in Australia, I had an early onset case of a quarter-life crisis. I had to answer the burning question in the back of my mind, "WHAT now". Luckily my experience abroad gave me a fresh perspective to the way I wanted to lead my life....and one of them being that I wanted to take another leap of faith with my so called career. As a newly Registered Dietitian, I wasn't quite sold on working in the clinical setting & didn't want to get stuck in a path that wasn't going to make me happy. Also, sorry Columbus - but after falling in love with Melbourne, I was already itching for a big city! I decided to take the non-traditional route and go for a nutrition internship at a PR company in Chicago. I got the job and with a one week notice I moved to the Windy City last October! Again, this may be from Oz, but I have a habit of just thinking "ehh, things will work out".... and so far so good, mate. I had an amazing roomie (shout out, Andrea) that let me crash in her second bedroom for 6 months and it was the best situation I could have asked for. I once again found myself exploring a new city, making incredible friendships and dabbling in a whole new industry of public relations. My first winter in Chicago was a whirlwind of long work hours, well deserved happy hours, terrifying weather (Australia didn't really help to acclimate me to the cold), road trips and fun adventures to look back on. Chicago is a vibrant city like Melbourne - full of food lovers and people craving excitement & activity. I've now moved East by the lake in Lincoln Park to my own place and couldn't be happier with the constant rush of people around me. Despite the cold of winter, Chicagoans always seem to find a good time and now the summer brings a whole new energy with all the festivals, sunshine and bbqs coming up. 

So back to the whole concept of "having your life together at 25". As you can see, career-wise that's definitely not the case for me. I'm still searching for my next step to take as a dietitian....but no worries, I'm loving the journey it's taking me to get there. I couldn't be happier with where my decision to move to Chicago has led me so far & the people it's led me to.  I love talking to my best friends in LA or Atlanta or China and knowing that even though we seem to live worlds apart, we all relate in the fundamental fact that we're twenty-something-year olds trying to find our way through this crazy thing called life....and having a damn good time doing it :) 

"The best advice I can give my friends is lie, cheat, steal, and drink. But if you have to lie, lie to save a friend. If you have to cheat, cheat death. If you have to steal, steal the heart of the one you love. And if you have to drink....then drink with me." ~Irish Proverb

The drift of life.

I think everyone should have a bucket list - a list of things they have to accomplish in their lifetime. I'm not trying to be morbid or anything....this should be exciting! During the months of July and August, I successfully was able to check off a handful of items off my list. Even better, I got to do it with two of my best friends. If you asked me about my bucket list a mere two years ago, half these items wouldn't be on it....yet, that's the fun thing about it. Your list can be private, public, silly and serious all at the same time. It is always changing and growing, especially if you throw traveling into the mix. Here's a few of mine that I've gathered from my last six weeks in the Land of Oz.

Bucket list number #24: Living in a van.

During the last week of July, one of my best friends, Christa, came to visit for our final month in Australia. Living right near the "gateway of the Daintree Rain forest" in Port Douglas, Queensland the three of us went on a day trip into the wild. We were packed into a tour bus and had a hilarious Aussie tour guide about our age....so no, it wasn't quite like crocodile hunting with Steve Irwin. We walked through the rain forest, went on a 'croc spotting' tour and I was even chased by an Emu at the koala sanctuary. The following day, the three of us said our goodbyes to Port Douglas and headed to Cairns. We hopped on another tourist opportunity and took a boat to Green Island - where the Rain forest meets the Great Barrier Reef. I wasn't too impressed with the snorkeling as I had already dived in a much more secluded area...but all and all, we still spent a gorgeous day on a island in the inner reefs :) Now the adventure begins. For the next three weeks, we rented a campervan to drive down the East Coast to Sydney. We lived, breathed, ate, slept and drove 2500 km in this car. And did I mention it was only meant for 2 people?? It was a tight fit, but we managed. Check!

Bucket list #31: Living the life of a Gypsy

To backpack down the coast of Australia, everyone has to do it the "right" way at least once. It took Em and I almost a year to get it right, but we finally decided to take the plunge and do it. Well, and the fact that we were trying to stretch our hard earned Australia dollars as far as possible....For our first stop, the three of us took the van and headed down to Townsville and on to Magnetic Island. I think simply driving on the opposite side of the car on the opposite side of the road to get there deserves a spot on my bucket list alone. Magnetic Island was one of my favorite spots in Australia. It is a small island with secluded beaches and amazing wildlife...there's not even a traffic light in sight. Our thought process - A. we paid heaps for this van. B. secluded beaches?! C. we have goon, a stove, a cooler of food and a sink with a bucket of water all located nicely in our trunk......so yes, D. we're camping out for free by the beach!!! In the 15 days we stayed in this van, we slept in a hostel a total of 2 nights. We became pros at sneaking into random hostels to use their hot showers and kitchens. "Pay $10 for a campsite? Why? We have a van! That 10 dollars should go towards something much more useful than a place to sleep!" That's how our vacation worked. No more lapse of luxuries like in the old days of family vacations, steady houses or regular meals....we lived the lives of 3 gypsies and had an unforgettable experience. Most nights were spent by a beach - simply talking, enjoying semi-cold beer, making backpackers food and meeting other people from around the world doing the exact same thing we were. As they say, we were *living the dream*

Bucket list #16: koalas, emus, kangaroos, wallabies, pythons, huntsman spiders, crocodiles...and other Australian creatures

I can now say that I've officially seen all of these animals in the wild! I've seen them all the way from the Great Ocean Road, Victoria through the Nullarbor Dessert to Perth, WA to Port Douglas, Queensland and to the Daintree Rain forest in the north. I'm not going to lie, spiders terrify me. Growing up, I was that squeaky voiced girl that would yell for my dad every time I spotted a spider the size of my thumbnail in the tub. I never used to believe in desensitization of phobias, but after my experiences I'm a firm believer. In Perth, we had a "common house pet" - a huge funnel web spider with a body at least 2 inches in diameter above the kitchen sink. Only in Australia would you keep this in order to kill the other poisonous spiders....ask any of my roommates, I was not happy about it! One night in July in Port Douglas, I stopped by Em's work because she had something cool to show me - a gigantic python snake that was hanging out on the tree next to the entrance of the restuarant. I was so excited that I just wanted to get a better view...it didn't occur to me that I should probably back away NOT towards the deadly reptile! Flash forward to back home just last week, my dad yelled to me about a big spiderweb blocking the doorway to the outside patio. My response, "no worries, it doesn't have a colored stripe. It's not even poisonous!" I guess I've come a long way in one year :)

Bucket list #63: Sunset at the Opera House

It had been a 15 long, incredible days living in a van and we had finally made it to Sydney! It was a bittersweet feeling entering the city - I was excited to once again enter into city life, but also couldn't shake off this feeling that it was the beginning of the end. The three of us tried to cram as much touristy stuff into our 3 days as physically possible....we walked through the Botanical gardens filled with bats, ran up the stairs of the Opera House, took a ferry to Manly Beach and even made the hike to Darling Harbour. It was great to see many of the sites that Em and I missed out on during our last visit on New Years Eve. The last afternoon in Sydney, Em and I both decided to do our separate things for the day. Odd, I know. I called her up - she said, "Hey I'm sitting right next to the Opera House overlooking the Harbour Bridge, writing down quotes. The sun is about to set. Want to join?" I hung up the phone and was immediately on my way. When I got there we both started laughing....when, WHEN will we ever be able to have a phone conversation like that to one another again??"

Bucket list #42: Unofficial, Secret Tour of Melbourne

Back to my home away from home. I love this city. Melbourne is infamous for it's unreliable and often rainy weather, but somehow it pulled through and was sunny and warm for our last four days in Australia. It was perfect. The greatest part about this city - so many places are hidden or simply known by word of mouth, sort of like speakeasies. I truly believe one can live here for fifty years and still find out about a new restaurant or area of town that they've never been too. On our last Saturday in Melbourne, Em and I met up with our two friends (shout out, Jamie and Jess) in our favorite alleyway while getting "the best soup in Melbourne" for lunch. That was the beginning of one of my favorite days in Australia. From then on out, Jamie decided to take on the role of our tour guide for the day. We strolled around the city center, drank "the best coffee", acted like bogans on the tram, busked for money....we were trying to accomplish as much as possible on our "Melbourne bucket list". We had a notebook going so Em and I could make sure we made it to our old houses and favorite streets to say goodbye. It was one of those unique days where you simply go exploring with your friends and see where the day takes you. At one point, Jamie took us to a pub behind an old record store...somewhere I walked by each week in St. Kilda and still never knew it existed. We were the only ones in the secluded beer garden, but had a great time. The owner came up to talk to us about the music and little did we know - he was the son of the lead signer of ACDC! At sunset, the cheesy English writer that she is - Em, wrote a wish, “My wish, right now, in the here and now – is to cherish these fleeting moments, for they end too fast. As well as to love and appreciate the people, because even the smallest impacts last a lifetime. ‘To think in such a place, I lived such a life.'"

Saying Goodbye to Oz. I was holding back tears. It was our last night in Melbourne and I was sitting there hard as stone at our friend's apartment - not able to grasp that I was leaving this country of Australia in a mere 5 hours, not wanting to realize that I had no idea when I'll next see my friends....not fully understanding how I felt about leaving. I was tired and exhausted. I had just spent the last month couch surfing and living in a van! I couldn't wait to see my family and friends from back home...and at the same time, I didn't want to leave this place. My friend, Jamie, was about to head out. This is a guy that had to go back home in April from Melbourne to Ecuador - I never thought I'd see him again. But here we are. He says, "Patsy, it's just the drift of life. Man, goodbyes happen - but hey, I have no doubt that we will see each other again down the road." I've finally realized he's right. If you're adventurous in life and truly doing what you want- what's holding you back? I believe if you're smart and want something enough, anyone can save money and make it happen. It might be a challenge, but would life be as exciting if it wasn't? If my friends from Australia want to have a reunion in Spain in 2, 5 or 10 years, I'm already planning for it because I'm not going to miss it! I used to think that you had to wait for that "perfect" time in life for things to work out - the perfect time to go to school, the perfect time for relationships, the perfect time to move....my experiences this past year and the friends I've made along the way have changed that perception for me. It's not what happens to you in life, but it's what you do to make life happen. So thanks, Australia, it's been incredible :)

Above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the

greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in

magic will never find it.

~ Roald Dahl

Beetroot, Pumpkin & Lychees

During one of my many flights to Australia, a nice middle aged woman told me during conversation "to take pictures of all the strange things throughout your travels. You won't notice it during your time in Australia, but it's very easy to forget all those small, everyday things that you come to love."

As you know from my last blog, Em and I made it out alive from WA and are now soaking up the sun in Port Douglas, Queensland. With the remaining weeks hanging over my head, I've started to think of all the funny things in Australia that I've come to adapt to...and even think as normal. I'm actually worried - am I going to go through culture shock when I get back to Ohio?? I thought it was supposed to be in reverse!

I started to take more pictures. No, not like the million and one photos I have with Emily....but of cafe menus, street signs or odd things that catch my eye. A "sushi and waffle" place or an ice cream shop half turned into an Internet cafe....what strange combinations. On the other hand, how genius! Just think about it, if I have to run to an Internet cafe to print my resume, do you really think I'm going to pass up that mouthwatering milkshake that's staring me square in the face, especially when it's so easy to eat?? I love the fact that Australians are very much European when it comes to presentation. Colorful menus and chalkboard signs can be seen outside almost every cafe. Wide open displays of sandwiches and morning pastries. Even in cold Melbourne, outdoor seating would always be occupied - people enjoy being out in the crisp air and seem perfectly content reading the specials penciled on the window or scrawled on a large board by the door. The signs are both eye catching and HEALTHY. The biggest seller, which I just recently realized was a bit out of ordinary from home, is juice. Different concoctions of apple, watermelon, orange, pineapple and mango advertised as an "immune booster" or "liquid breaky!"....or ones that I'm not a big fan of - containing carrots, beetroot, ginger and honey to help those horrible hangovers or gain some antioxidants. The biggest difference from these cafes than the ones back home is the fact that they are simply juice. You watch the employee put the steroid size carrot through the juicer. You could even choose which apple out of the dozen if you're really that picky. No fake supplements or essential amino acids thrown in there to false advertise and bring up the price. It's just pure goodness and tastes delicious :)

I've also adapted to funny things like pumpkin used as a savory ingredient verses a sweet one. For the last time - no, I would not like pumpkin on my pizza! I don't even want to get started with beetroot. In my previous knowledge, I thought this was a favored vegetable of the older generations and maybe that odd family member. I stand corrected. Salads, sandwiches, dips, juice, pasta....you name it - it's there. Aussies could just eat this up. As for me, I'll be happy to make it back to my land of pumpkin pie and green colored salads.

I've tried to taste as much of the different foods 'down unda' as I can during my time spent in this country. Lychees are a very popular tropical fruit, eaten whole or found in sweets and martinis. It looks like a clear, egg shaped jellyfish to me....but if you get past the gooey texture, it has a nice sweetness to it. Add it to my martini, but that's about it for me. Kangaroo is an obvious popularity. My first meal of kangaroo wasn't until Perth, eight months into my trip! My main reason being how expensive it is. However, Little Creatures is known all over Perth for their kangaroo skewers...and with my employee discount, I couldn't pass it up! It has a slightly gamey flavor and unique tenderness to it that's unlike any meat I've ever had. Kangaroo also has the least amount of fat and highest amount of iron in comparison to any meat source...so it's definitely high on my list!

Meat pies. Sausage rolls. A full English breaky. Chicken/avo/capsicum toasties (aka avocado and peppers). Steak sandwiches. Kangaroo skewers. Wedges with sweet chili sauce. Olives and feta. Fresh Juice. I feel like I'm a fat girl trapped in a skinny body. I'm starting to make a list of my favorite meals that I know won't be the same when I get back home....hahah unfortunately, my list looks like it's made up of the unhealthy bar food and pastries. I haven't been good at keeping up a food blog, because honestly - I never eat out! The last time I've enjoyed "fine dining" was at a wood fire pizza place, celebrating our second night in Perth. On the other hand, if the life of a backpacker has taught me anything, it's how to eat on a budget. The key is friends....between four people and a bottle of wine, you can make a tasty spaghetti bolognese or vegetable curry for less than five dollars. Perfection.

I think that's enough rambling on food...I'm getting hungry and the last of my groceries are a tin of baked beans and half a loaf of bread to share with Emily. On a exciting note, Christa Rossell is on a plane to Australia at this very moment!!! It's been almost a year since we've seen one of our best friends and I couldn't be more happy to see her. The three of us have rented a camper van to take us down the east coast, stopping at all the hot spots, and ending in Sydney. We're saying goodbye to normal living, as we'll pretty much be living out of this van for three weeks!!! On August 17th, Christa heads back to the States as Em and I fly to Melbourne to say our final goodbyes to Australia. I'll try to write during our last adventure - but realistically, I'll be living out of a van....so don't be surprised if my next big blog isn't for a few weeks :)

~ Cheers ~