Denna galna drakfrukt låg och väntade på mig på hotellrummet i Honolulu en dag. Det vackraste jag sett i matväg på länge. Tyvärr så smakade den mest vattnigt. Men hur fin?

TRANSLATION:
This crazy dragonfruit was waiting for me in the hotel room in Honolulu one day. The most beautiful edible thing I have seen in a while. Unfortunately it tasted very watery and bland. But how pretty?

Att äta mat från en food cart, dvs en ambulerande matvagn, är något som är väldigt trendigt här i New York. Det hålls till och med en årlig prisceremoni, The Vendy Awards, där årets bästa food cart utses. Det finns inget ställe att bättre uppleva denna matvagnskultur än i vid fotbollsplanerna i Red Hook där matcher spelas varje helg och hela latinosläkter kommer för att kolla. Allt i taco och burritoväg funkar, jag satsade på en huarache. Efter den var slut så blev det en majskolv med majonnäs, ost och paprikapulver och en horchata, vilket är en sorts risdrink som smakar som en tunn kanelmilkshake ungefär. Yum.

TRANSLATION:
Eating from food carts is something that’s very trendy here in New York. There is even a yearly awards ceremony, The Vendy Awards, where the best food cart of the year is crowned. There is nowhere better to experience this food cart culture than by the ball fields in Red Hook where games are played every weekend and entire latino families come out to watch. Everything in the way of tacos and burritos is a sure bet, I went for a huarache. After that was finished I also had a corn on the cob with mayo, cheese and paprika and a horchata, which is a kind or rice drink that tastes kind if like a thin cinnamon milkshake. Yum.

På onsdagar mellan kl.16 och 19 infinner vi oss på en bar i Williamsburg för att hämta en veckoranson av grönsaker från vår CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). På bilden ser ni vad vi får en typisk vecka (vi har även lagt till ägg). Innan säsongen börjar betalar man sin bonde i förväg för 22 veckors leveranser. Vi får dagsfärska grönsaker varje vecka och bonden får en säker inkomst, win-win! Nästan alla bönder som driver CSAs är ekologiska, och man vet ju verkligen var maten man äter kommer ifrån. Tror inte att det riktigt finns samma system i Sverige, men jag vet att man kan köpa lådor från Bondenära, prova! Det är det bästa i matväg jag gjort på länge.

TRANSLATION:
On Wednesdays between 4 and 7 we go to a bar in Williamsburg and pick up a weekly veggie share from our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). In the photo you can see what a typical week’s share looks like (we also added an egg share). Before the season starts you pay your farmer in advance for 22 weeks of veggie deliveries. We get day-fresh veggies every week and the farmer gets a secure income, win-win! Almost all farmers who run a CSA are organic, and you really know where your food comes from. Find one near you, it’s the best thing ever!

Jag älskar när min älskling lagar mat till mig. Den här shrimp rollen var absolut det bästa jag åt förra veckan, kanske nånsin.

TRANSLATION:
I love when my love cooks for me. This shrimp roll was by far the best thing I ate last week, maybe ever.

TRANSLATION:
The most wonderful thing to eat in Germany in the summertime is asparagus (spargel in German), the white kind is most common there. In the main square in Heilbronn i lunched on amazing asparagus soup (3,50 Euro), asparagus pie (5,80 Euro) and apfel strudel (4,00 Euro), and with that a glass of prosecco (3,80 Euro). Food and drink is really cheap in Germany! I like.

Nån som vet vad de där taggiga frukterna i näten är?

TRANSLATION:
Sure you can shop for clothing in Chinatown as well, just don’t ever buy fakes! It’s tacky, and you are supporting organized crime and child labor — not cool. But, the food shops that line the streets of Chinatown should not be missed. There’s everything from vegetables to live fish (not so nice in my opinion). We always go into a fish market, which feels a bit like a dare since I have a bit of a fish phobia. You can hear stuff splashing around in various containers and I just hold my breath and hope that nothing will jump out. Next time I’ll try to muster the strength to take some photos. We rarely buy any fish since it is nearly impossible to figure out where it comes from. This time, though, we sprung for veggies, bok choy and kohlrabi.

Anybody know what the spiky fruits in the nets are?

TRANSLATION:
I made two Swedish smörgåstårtor (seafood sandwich cakes) to bring to our Scandi Staycation BBQ today. Was a bit scared that it wouldn’t really work, but they both turned out well. A hit among Swedes and others alike. I sort of followed this recipe (let me know if you’re interested and I can translate it for you), but used Hällakaka (which you can buy at IKEA) instead of the recommended bread and did not include kaviar. Yummylicious!

Idag så blev det, förutom ostron, jordgubb, ricotta och saffranscrostoni, murkeltoast (att dö för!) och softshell crab sandwich. Mmmm.

TRANSLATION:
My absolute favorite restaurant in New York is Marlow & Sons in Williamsburg. Everything they serve is organic, local and fresh, which means the menu changes daily. For you meat-eaters they also have their own butchery a block away. I love sitting outdoors late on a summer afternoon, eating oysters and drinking bubbly. It’s very cozy inside as well, and they even have a little store where you can buy all kinds of goodies. A must when you’re visiting NYC!

Today we had, besides oysters, strawberry, ricotta and saffron crostini, morel toast (to die for!) and a softshell crab sandwich. Mmmm.

Quickie Curry:
Stek upp tärnad tofu och frysta ärtor i typ tio minuter, krydda lite med curryn.
Ha i hackade 2 hackade tomater, jag hade i lite strimlad kale (kål på svenska?), och stek ett litet tag till.
Häll i en burk cocosmjölk och mer currypulver (smaka av så det inte blir superstarkt!) och låt det puttra ett tag.
Servera med basmatiris.

TRANSLATION:
Have been out all day looking at apartments, hoping to have good news soon but don’t want to jinx it.Earlier this week I threw this quick curry together using some veggies and stuff that I had at home as well as a curry powder that I bought in the East Village the other day (mostly for the pretty packaging but it turned out to be really yummy).

Quickie Curry:
Fry up some diced tofu and frozen peas for about ten minutes, sprinkle some curry powder on top.
Put in 2 diced tomatoes, I also added some chopped kale, and fry for a while longer.
Pour in a can of coconut milk and more curry powder (taste so you don’t make it super spicy!) and let it simmer for a while.
Serve with basmati rice.

TRANSLATION
Bought these pretty green(!) eggs at the farm we went to this weekend. (There’s one white one in the pic for comparison.) They are naturally green and come from the Araucana chicken. Farm fresh eggs are just so much tastier than the ones from the store.