Sex with Strangers

This past Wednesday, we saw the play, "Sex with Strangers" at Cleveland Playhouse.   It was actually about books, the internet, and what is considered public and private.  It was an amazingly moving show.   Not crying emotional, but definitely passionate.  The two actors are incredibly believable.  It's about where generations collide and have their differences, and of course, sex.   It's intelligent and witty, with extreme moments of clarity.

Try the World: Spain

Hello everyone!   Our latest Try the World box arrived on Thursday.   This time, the country is Spain.  We haven't gotten to open any of the products yet, but I am definitely looking forward to it.

They changed up their packaging a little.  No special fold out box this time.   Now there are packing peanuts in a regular box.   The old packaging didn't have any buffering materials.   I wonder if others had their boxes damaged in shipping, hence the change.

This box has two types of sweets in it.  Pictured below is the citrus crumble cake.

The other sweet item was the almond cookies.

I've had almond cookies in Chinese restaurants before.  Looking forward to trying this take on them.

Now this should be interesting.  It's rose jam.   Not a fruit, but a flower.   Maybe I'll make some sort of pancake to eat this with.

This cute tin contains hot paprika.  I'll have to find some good recipes to use it with.

This tomato paste should go well with toast or pasta.

Extra virgin olive oil from Spain!   I've heard that many olive oils sold in US markets aren't really olive oil.   Can't wait to see if there is a difference.

Lastly, we got a can of mussels in pickle sauce.   I'm not sure the best way to eat these, but they look intriguing.  

Try The World: Japan

Hi everyone!   I know it's been a while, but our new Try the World Box arrived and we finally had time to eat some of its contents!  This time, the country is Japan.  Admittedly, it's a little less exotic for us because we are already familiar with many foods from Japan.   Still, it's worth the purchase price.

I love the packaging of the boxes.  It's like getting a present.

The playlist for this box was already up and running on Spotify.   Nice mix of modern music and traditional melodies.

The first item, okonomiyaki flour!   I've made it a few times with standard flour, but this was a real treat.

Steve and I buy these gummy candies regularly.   Yummy!

Ginger paste.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this.  I usually toss out the ginger when I have sushi.

Soba noodles.   I'll probably go and purchase some cold dipping sauce for these.

Seasoned seaweed snack.  This will go nicely on its own or with some rice.

These are soft caramels.  I've never had these before.

Lastly, blueberry matcha tea.   This dissolves completely in hot water.  This will be different.

We decided to have the okonomiyaki.   Here are the instructions in the packet:

It comes with tempura crunchies, seaweed garnish, and the flour and yam paste.

I forgot to buy the scallions, but the recipe still turned out delicious.   We used bacon and mushrooms as our toppings and garnished with spicy mayo and hoisin sauce.   Next time, I'l going to purchase soup stock, standard Japanese mayo, and okonomiyaki sauce.

The instructions ask for a pan with a lid.  Fortunately, we have one.

This is the finished product:

It's not that difficult and very delicious.  Infinitely customizable, a Japanese pizza as it's often called.

Try The World: Argentina

It's no secret that Steve and I are quite adventurous when it comes to food.   That's why we subscribed to Try The World as soon as we saw the advertisement.   It's similar to Loot Crate, but instead of nerdy nick knacks, they send you a bi-monthly box of delicacies along with cultural information about the country of origin.   Our first box arrived on Tuesday and we finally got to enjoy more of it today at breakfast.

The Argentina box came in an unassuming brown box.   I was really surprised at the print on the inside of the packaging.

The first thing you see upon opening is the cultural leaflet on Argentina.  It suggests a playlist to listen to and a few recipes to try with the items shipped.

Then you have description of the foods:

The first thing we tried were the cookies.   No real effort on our part.   Instant gratification and mild coconut flavor.

For breakfast this morning, we put on the playlist and made pancakes.   We then topped them with the Dulce de Leche jam and quince spread.

We also tried the tea.  I was pleasantly surprised to find three different types in the packaging.

Steve had the mango and I had the dulce de leche with red fruit.   Both are nice.

The last three bottles in box are savory items that will require more meal planning.   A marinade, an olive paste, and some wine sauce.   I'll post again once I've done something with them.

I'm looking forward to the next box already!  This is so fun!