Serious Eats: jillybean081's Profile

What Foods Do You Miss Most as an Expat?

I've been in Istanbul for about three years and the list of foods I miss is long! Tortilla chips, tortillas, black beans, peanut butter, good crackers, a DECENT SANDWICH FOR CHRISSAKES IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK!!!, cheddar cheese (available but insanely overpriced, like all imported stuff), PORK of all kinds, spices (here they only use like 3 spices for everything), Butterfingers...the list goes on.
Thankfully, my mom and sister send me a box a couple times a year loaded with goodies. On my annual visit home, the first two meals I eat are Mexican and Korean!

jillybean081 at 3:25AM on 10/15/10

From Serious Eats

Cook the Book: 'The Book of Tapas'

crispy bread spread with creamy cheese and topped with an anchovy!

jillybean081 at 1:26PM on 05/25/10

From Serious Eats

Have You Mastered the Art of Eating Sunflower Seeds?

I had never known how to eat them properly until I moved to Turkey. I think "by the cheekful" is pretty gross, though admirable in the amount of skill it takes.
The Turkish way is one at a time, but very rapidly. You place the shell between your teeth (seams touching your teeth, of course) and bite lightly twice: first on the thinner end of the shell, then once way toward the thicker bottom of the shell and the seed should fall out into your mouth.
Learning this was a revelation for me.

jillybean081 at 2:30AM on 04/29/10

From Talk

Your childhood favorites: Are they still guilty pleasures?

I used to love Twinkies and Snowballs but my mom would only buy them for me on occasion.
My favorite meal growing up was Kraft Mac and Cheese (spirals), Schwan's frozen chicken nuggets drowned in ketchup and canned green beans. I live in Turkey now (where I can't get any of those things) and my mom still makes this for me when I go home for a visit!

jillybean081 at 11:09AM on 02/06/10

From Serious Eats

Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 82: Peanut Butter Portion Control

My dad LOVES a toasted English muffin with crunchy peanut butter and a slice of bacon. The man knows what's good!

jillybean081 at 12:52PM on 09/05/09

From Serious Eats

Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 82: Peanut Butter Portion Control

One of my all-time favorite foods ever is just a nice piece of wheat toast with peanut butter. it's something I eat almost every day. Living overseas as I have for the past few years, peanut butter is something I am always searching for. In Turkey, I happily pay 3X the price for a jar because I just can't live without the stuff!

jillybean081 at 12:50PM on 09/05/09

From Talk

Foods from you childhood you don't miss.

Anything with "cream of...." soup in it. I grew up in Minnesota and that seems to be a common ingredient for "hot dish" and just about everything else. I don't think my mom knows how to cook anything that doesn't contain a pound of ground beef and some kind of condensed soup. Gross.

jillybean081 at 5:03PM on 09/04/09

From Serious Eats

Do You Eat or Email First?

I start the coffee maker, then sit down at the computer til it's done. Then I drink my coffee while checking my mails and Google Reader (where all my food blogs are!) Sometimes I finish the coffee and get hungry before I'm done, so I often eat in front of the computer. There are crumbs in my keyboard. Gross, I know.

jillybean081 at 9:22AM on 08/11/09

From Recipes

Sunday Brunch: Louisville Hot Brown Sandwich

A couple questions:
How much bacon should I use?
I'm not sure what you mean by "bracket" each sandwich.

I look forward to trying this recipe. Thanks!

jillybean081 at 8:42AM on 08/02/09

From Talk

The Double Double, a national canuck treasure rejected?

I'm from Minnesota but I get the chance to visit Toronto a couple times a year. I really like Tim Horton's and wish there were some in my area.
I get so bummed at the Toronto ariport when I'm waiting for my flight and they put me on the American side of the terminal, where the food sucks and they won't let me go to TH on the other side! I can see it but I can't go!!

jillybean081 at 1:46AM on 07/04/09

From Recipes