L Magazine & an American Description of Yummy Roti

I was reading this month's issue of L Magazine, which I love completely and secretly wish to become a journalist for, and something struck me. One of their sections called "Brooklyn's Best Hidden Restaurants" featured Trinidad Ali's Roti Shop. Gasp! My country is finally getting some, though little, recognition for it's culinary greatness.
I was surprised and excited to read the words about this really good roti shop, and I was very dismayed at the comparisons used to convey what Chicken Roti was.

"Their most popular item, the chicken roti [think a curry-filled burrito].... " Oh the shame and sadness that flooded over me. A burrito? Really? I have nothing against burritos, I love them, but the chicken roti IS NOT A burrito. That's just the way it's packed up for sale. In real life, curry chicken is put separately from the roti on a plate.

"...brimming with tender meat that slides off the bone, your choice of pumpkin, potato or spinach, and soupy yellow curry, all wrapped in a soft, warm naan-like tortilla." Our curry is "soupy"? No, no, no! That's not good, or true! It's curry, which is supposed to have a gravy-like consistency. Also, describing roti as a naan-tortilla hybrid, that's just all wrong. I'm aware that most people are more familiar with naan, than the term roti, due to the fact that popular indian restaurants don't feature roti, but naan instead. They're kind of the same thing. It's just a shame that carribean-indian food doesn't get as much recognition that it deserves.

The point of this is: the descriptions bothered me alot, but to person who is unfamiliar with Trinidadian/indian cuisine, the descriptions are perfect to imagine what the food is like. Its just a damn shame though. A Damned Shame.

Amelie

One of my favorite movies. So original. Don't mind the video lacks subtitles to translate the french. You can do without.

Fake it or Take it.

Ever had one of those nights where you're on the couch all by yourself watching re-runs of insert favorite tv show here all by yourself? Ever felt like you want to ask all the questions you have about the world and life, while texting your best friend? Ever wish you were drunk or somewhat intoxicated so you would be feel like those questions would be totally legit?

Why is it, we feel like alcohol or insert preferred substance or anything is necessary for us to ask those questions that reveal that inner layer of insecurity hidden underneath the fabulous persona we've grown into?

Adult life, which we are all forced to enter whether or not we like it, seems to have drowned our ability to "enjoy". After living for some amount of years, the production of shock and awe have come to a numbing drag. Yes, I am tired. Yes, I am bored.

Shock me.

Really UP

The Pixar film UP! is now on netflix. My friends and I watched it today and my boyfriend shared a hilarious picture concerning the little boy, Russell.




Keep looking back and forth - they look the same!!!

Acapella

My friend Tori posted up some videos of Kelis and I realized that I don't know what she's up to. Searched her up and here it is, a new video:

Melt Your Heart Baby!

Pretty f***ing cute, no?

Yes, I Interact With The Homeless

I ride the train daily because: 1)I am a New Yorker and 2)I have no other mode of transportation. The thing about riding the subway, is that you are putting yourself out there amongst strangers to be interacted with, sometimes against your will.

Everyday that I ride the train, I can say that I will see on average ... about three homeless panhandling people. Sometimes they only ask for money, sometimes they ask for food as well.

Now, I'm a good person with a kind heart (at times) and I want to help out someone who does not have the means to feed them-self. BUT, I have this personal policy that I DO NOT GIVE MONEY - I GIVE FOOD. You can assume the reasons for my personal rule.

Surprisingly, there are times I have offered a granola bar, a fruit or cookies and I get turned down! Yes! Some of them turn down food and it pisses me off. Do not go on the train and tell people you're hungry, when you just want money! Anyways, I like to think that I am exposing their lie.

There was one time a homeless man turned down an apple, and he had a really legitimate reason. He opened his mouth and pointed to his pink toothless gums. Dang, I forgot the homeless do not get dental plans.

Skeletons

I'm a HUGE YeahYeahYeahs fan. This isn't one of their best songs or best videos, but it is new. Personally I think they should make a video for Dragon Queen - they could do something crazy sultry sexy nice.

These Boots...

I want them:


Don't they look spring, summer and fall friendly?

Pretty Picture

Google "Snippet Preview"

Some things in this world are absolutely useless. One of those things is Google Books "snippet preview" of books.

So I was on the internet hoping to find this book The Goat or Who Is Sylvia? for my class, and I tried reading the previews on Google Books. One of the search results turned up this:



Do you see those three useless things? Like ripped out pieces of paper from a book?

The part that upset me most about this wasn't the fact that it wasn't what I was looking for - It was the fact that they would present anyone with such useless information!

Clean&Cute Outfit

I was flipping through the new Urban Outfitter's Catalog for May '10. I must say, after looking at $19 bottles of nailpolish, frankenchicks in their catalog and not so inspiring styles, I saw something that just blew my mind away.

Something about the simple colors, straight lines and contrasting shapes made it noteworthy. The pieces individually aren't really impressive, see it here, it's number 9.

They Taste Like Chicken

We've all seen little moments on television where someone eats something exotic and their first description is, "It tastes like chicken." I have to tell you, that most things probably do.

A few years ago I tried frog legs at a thai restaurant. It tasted good. They were like minature versions of drumsticks, with lots of little bones in them and they tasted like chicken! Why is that? I did a bit of research on the internet to find out. Apparently, these meaty muscular pieces on the frog's legs is actually bland in flavor, like chicken breast is before it's seasoned and whatnot. It also has to do with the animal's ancestors. If they come from a common branch in the evolutionary chain, then they'll probabaly taste the same.

Look, frog meat vs chicken breast meat. Similar much?
&

Fun Fact: Did you know that we humans taste like pork? We've been described to have that flavor by cannibals and are reffered to as "long pork".

reference

Have You Tried The "NEW" Domino's Pizza?

I was not paid nor sponsored in any way to proclaim my findings.



Recently, I'm sure you've seen the new commercials where Domino is jesting at their terrible pizzas of the past and hailing their brand new recipe. It's true, it is not a lie.
Their old recipe made the sauce taste like a 45cent can of Krasdale Tomato Sauce. Their cheese was just cheese and their crust was well...crusty.Now their new pizzas feature a rich thick sauce, and a crust that'll make you rethink the goodness of generic garlic bread.

I know this sentence is a bit offensive to the reigning champion of pizza - Papa John's, but Domino's is on that level now.

P.S. What's up with KFC's new disgusting chicken sandwich without a bun?

For Four Short Hours, I become the most powerful woman in the world...

I am the hostess at a restaurant.

It’s a little restaurant located in downtown Brooklyn and for four hours on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, I become the most powerful woman in the world. You need a table – I’m the one you find. I find it astounding how my words can be set in stone when I speak to people. “The wait is forty minutes”, I would say and they’ll believe me! Ha!

There should be some rules set in place when it’s super busy and the wait is super long:

• Do not relocate yourself after you’ve been sat. I have a certain seating plan going on in my head to accommodate the other five parties after you on my waitlist, and doing this messes me up completely.
  
  
• Do not spend ten minutes deciding on whether or not you’ll stay and wait or go to another restaurant. I’m a busy girl and I will walk away.
  
  
• Please refrain from forcing your orders on me. Your waiter is going to tend to you soon.
• Do not leave coins. Sometimes I have to bus tables myself and it’s so annoying, because picking up coins can really slow a person down.
  
  
• Wait to be seated! If you go off and sit down, no one will know you’re there and you’ll feel like a fool waiting for service.
  
  
• After I have told you how long the wait is and written your name on my waitlist, please do not harass the waiters about how long it will take to be seated, they don’t know shit!
  
  
• Stop yourself if you’re calling to make a reservation ten minutes before you actually come in. If it’ll take at least thirty minutes till a table clears, your lil’ ten-minute-before phone call is not going to help you. Try a day in advance.
  
  
• Do not get upset with me if your waiting time is longer than expected. I can only seat you if people leave, so, if they’re not leaving then there’s nothing I can do, can I?

Have a Happy Wait. =]