Describe the Ken Onion Shun Knives in as few words as possible:  Sturdy, Slick, Sharp, and Downright Sick

My manager at work alerted me to an amazing knife deal and I managed to score 8 Ken Onion Shun knives and the honing steel for almost 65% off retail price.  I would never buy these knives at full retail cost, that’s just crazy, but the deal was too good to pass up.
The set included the following Ken Onion Series Shuns:
6″ Chef Knife
7″ Santoku
4″ Chef Knife
5″ Serrated Utility Knife
9″ Slicing Knife
3″ Paring Knife
Boning …

So there you are, at a dimly-lit restaurant, taking pictures of the food as it is served to you.  You go home to upload the pictures and what do you get?  Either a washed out picture from the bright flash, or a dark picture that looks grainy (lots of noise!).  Honestly, those hand-held compact cameras are lousy when it comes to taking pictures in low light.  While a dSLR camera might just be the solution, it’s bulky and inconvenient to lug around.  Well, not to fear because the Canon S90 …

Last night, I left Pure Food and Wine mildly satiated and was in search of a filling desert joint.  I was craving cake to be more exact.  Plugging in the word “dessert” into the Yelp search bar, Momofuku Bakery and Milk Bar popped up and it was just two blocks away.  Seeing that Angela and I had never been there, there was no better time to go and get a sugar fix.

Upon entering, the senses are filled with scents of butter and sugar, it’s exactly how a bakery should smell.  …

Can vegan food be fancy?  It sure can be.  Can vegan food be tasty? Yes.  Can vegan food be fancy and tasty?  Sometimes.  So was the case at Pure Food and Wine in New York City.  My friend Angela and I went there to celebrate her birthday.  The restaurant specializes in raw food and nothing is heated above 118 degrees so that the enzymes, minerals and vitamins in the ingredients are preserved.  It was a typical Tuesday night and the place was rather barren at 7 o’clock, but half an …

Before hitting the airport, I made sure I had time to fit in breakfast and lunch.  Since I spent yesterday walking mile after mile, today was spent near the hotel area and Michigan Avenue.  Have you seen the water fountain inside the entrance of Water Tower Place?  It’s pretty spectacular.  I was craving something filling, warm, and sweet.  I rarely crave for sweets, but I had decided to give in to the temptation.  Today’s breakfast was at the Original Pancake House.

I arrived around 10:15AM and there was a line.  If …

Today was my second day of the “Getting to Know Chicago” trip. With the apartment hunting behind me, I can finally focus on exploring the city and try out some eats while I’m at it. So far, I’m enjoying the vibe that the city is giving off, but the wind chill and the cold makes it really tough to breathe in a breath of fresh air. None-the-less, the idea of living in the heart of the city is very exciting.
I started the day a bit late. …

Well, I’m exhausted as I’ve been up since 5am, but I’ll do my best to write coherently.
Today marks my first full day in Chicago.  I came to the city with low expectations, well, it’s more like no expectations.  I just returned to my hotel room after a long day of apartment searching with the folks over at Apartment People.  A special thanks to Bruno and Jennifer in the 51 W. Huron office are in order!
I’ve been up since 5am and I took an early flight over from Newark …

I think of all types of pasta out there, macaroni is my least favorite.  I never liked eating it when I was growing up, and when I came across Andean Dream’s quinoa-based macaroni product, I was a bit apprehensive at grabbing a box off the shelf.  I’ve always enjoyed Andean Dream’s other products, so I was willing to throw down $4.00 for a box.
Having low expectations, I wasn’t expecting much, and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was.  It cooked evenly and had a nice ‘al dente’ …

Ever since I went gluten-free almost two months ago, I had to give up the one condiment that I grew up with, soy sauce.  Most varieties of soy sauce found on store shelves contain wheat, so those who are sensitive to gluten are unable to partake on the savory goodness.  After a month of not eating soy sauce, the cravings started to set in and the search for gluten free soy sauce began.  I was surprised by the search results for “gluten-free soy sauce.”  I wasn’t able to find …

So I finally got my hands on a couple bulbs of black garlic.  When I was searching for it months ago, I couldn’t find it, and when I’m not looking for it, it just pops out of nowhere.  Nowhere being Whole Foods.  Black garlic is created by fermenting garlic for a month under a special process where the meat softens, turns black, and the flavor mellows out into a sweet, yet light  tangy taste.
I took one bulb out of the package and brought it to my nose.  After a prolonged …