What is Your Weakness?

As I cam into work today I had prepared myself for a long day of work and an even longer day of homework. I was optimistic that I could get what I had planned done and that everything would go well. What I hadn't planned for was to be assaulted by the smell of my weakness. One of the few things that has, in my adulthood, been both a treat and a curse. Twizzlers.

This candy has been an end to many diets. It has also been a comfort when I was particularly stressed. Either way it has been a weakness for me. I love this candy. It is undoubtedly my favorite candy other than Twix and Take 5. And even though I gave up candy for New Years, I have relapsed. Today I gave in. I got to my office and smelled the candy. My coworker who was eating the Twizzlers and had offered me some, I'm cursing her as we speak. JK., informed me that another coworker was selling the candy. I reflected on my resolution not to eat candy for all of 5 minutes. I weighed the pros and the cons. I could continue to work on my resolution to my personal satisfaction. But in the end I decided that I deserved this treat. Especially because I am planning on doing an all-nighter just to get some assignments in early. That and I know myself. Though I may finish the bag today (it's a small one, so sue me), I won't automatically go back to splurging on candy like I did last year. And because I shop for the household groceries, I have made it a rule not to go down the candy aisle, especially if candy my family likes is on sale. So far so good.

Meh. So I've given up on one resolution. I still have 7 more that I have been working diligently on. One bag or bar of candy everyone once in a long while won't hurt me. As long as I don't make it a habit. I just need to remember that Twizzlers (and my other favorites) are my weakness and that if I don't control myself I'll relapse something bad. It's all about will power and I hope I'll have enough to get through this year.

So ladies and gents. What is your weakness? And how do you handle it?

Cooking for One: Top Sirloin

What's going on ladies and gents?! I'm going to premise this post by saying, for some reason, even with all the grad school work I have to do, I've been finding time to actually blog. It's surprising. Because I seriously thought (and even said) that I would be M.I.A. Maybe my time management skills have gotten better. More than likely, this is just another way for me to procrastinate.

That being said. I've been sitting on this post for a while since my girl Zipporah said she would be starting some Cooking For One posts. I've been waiting for her to deliver but as of yet...nada. Yeah I'm calling you out girl. Throwing mad shade your way.

Just playing. She's been busy so I'm going to hop onto her train and get this thing moving. That being said, my cooking for one segment focuses on preparing and cooking that perfect piece of top sirloin. 

Now I'm a cooker. I will readily admit and boast that I can throw down in the kitchen, any day of the week. I learned from my grandmother and father mostly, and have used my teachings well. I experiment and create fantastic recipes from scratch. And since I'm a huge fan of meat, specifically a good ass rare steak, I take very good care to make sure I don't mess up when it comes to cooking one. 

Step One: Wash that sucka. Now this should go without saying. But I've met some people who don't understand this concept and will slap the meat straight from the package right onto the pan. False boss. I won't be touching your food [1]. Also, depending on how much time you have or are willing to spend, you can also brine the steak. Just set the steak in a salt/water combination for a good hour or 2 before cooking, and the tenderness will definitely be a pleasant surprise. 

Step Two: Ingredients ingredients ingredients! It's all about the seasonings. 

This time I chose to use of combination of sea salt (remember not to add as much as you would regular salt, probably a 1/3 will do), onion powder, Weber Chicago Style Steak Seasoning, and some savory. Umm Umm good. For this particular steak I put each ingredient on one side and on the other I only put the Weber. 

Step Three: Have the right pan! So I've learned the secrets of grilling from my father. We are a big grilling family. He has a huge barrel grill in the back and has even grilled and smoked meats many times during the winter. It's fantastic. That being said, I chose to use our grill pan in order to make sure my piece of top sirloin has grill marks. 

Beautiful ain't it.

However, you can use a regular fry pan as well. Just make sure to add enough oil (I prefer either olive oil or canola) so that it won't stick!

Step Four: Cook that sucka! Now as I mentioned above, I fucks with the rarer side of steaks. I like my steaks bloody and the cow still mooing when it's on my plate. I find it to be oh so delicious when I can dip my steak in the juices, like a sauce. So I chose to cook it for about 3 minutes on each side at medium-high temperature. It is a thick cut steak so I allowed for a bit extra time. However, most prefer their steaks a bit dryer, so allow for a longer cook time. And if you can't gauge the temp of the steak/if it's cooked to your preference, just cut into it while its on the pan. We're not gourmet chefs folks; do what you gotta do. 

Step Five: Plate it and enjoy. 

Yeah, I realized that the steaks are not one in the same. I made two steaks that night but they both came out with the same taste and look, just a lil different in size. And you can choose how fancy you want to plate your food. That night I was ravenous, so I slapped my steak onto the plate and then commenced dying over how yummy it was. It was definitely the best homemade steak (that was not grilled/bbq'd) I've ever had. Sorry dad, I win. 

And there you have it peoples. Simple top sirloin. It took me about 10 mins total with preparation (as I chose not to brine it) and cooking. It was so tender, perfectly rare, and perfectly seasoned. I was in heaven after each bite. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did. Get to nomming!

[1] Same goes for not washing vegetables. I know this one woman who just takes the mushrooms, dirt and all, chops them up and goes with it. HELL TO THE NAW. Wash my shit. If I wanted dirty food, I'd eat out of a damn dumpster. That is not the business. 

.....wassup...

So, you know, I haven't been around. Made big promises and what not and did not follow through. Shit.. I"m on my grind. I'm trying to be a medical anthropologist and what not...

On the real I'm sorry and it will happen again.

On the bright side, here are some soon-to-be posts to look forward to:

1. Oh, word? [About my...interesting...date]

2. How to Cook For One [one of my delicious and healthy dinner/lunch recipes]

3. How to Tell If He's Gay

4. Girl, Should I [dudes to say yes to...dudes to just run from]

Excited? Me too.

Why Yelp Works.

There have been plenty of articles since it's inception which detail the faults, evil genius, marketability, problems, and perfections which encompass the scope that makes Yelp what it is. Many tend to constantly point out the faults and problems, which usually come from their own failed experiences with the website. Some just appear to dislike the reviewers and reviews themselves. And there seems to be no end to journalists critiquing reviewers for their "uselessness". There is even a tumbler dedicated to posted reviews it identifies as "douchebaggery". And let's not forget the growing market for businesses helping other business deal with bad Yelp reviews:  



How To Handle A Bad Review On Yelp? by marlonbaugh1
Sure I've seen the annoying spammers who ruin the experience for some and create fodder for funny Yelp talk discussions for others. And I've also gone to some Yelp high starred places and had mediocre/bad experiences, but I wouldn't necessarily blame Yelp or the Yelpers for that.
My experience with Yelp has by far been way more pluses than minuses. I admit that I am a bit biased since I have become a Yelp elite, but even before I could fathom being in the in-crowd, I loved what Yelp had to offer. It was a place where I could write. I had, once upon a time, a blog which I had started with high hopes of actually doing something with. But I got caught up with college and my blog suffered as a result. But then I found myself unemployed, out of college, and needing an outlet other than hanging out at home watching Korean dramas. And there was Yelp. I loved to party, go out, and hang with my friends- and though I had only used the site to see reviews on businesses I planned to visit, I found myself wanting to write about my experiences. 
This was a definite after my ridiculous run-in with Vango. I had had such a bad experience that I just needed to let everyone else know and hopefully help save someone else's night. And using Yelp has definitely made my night many times and also saved me from sure disasters. 
I've found some fantastic restaurants and have some really great experiences because of Yelp. Since I've become elite I've even been able to meet some other fellow Yelpers and they are extremely awesome. Extremely. They welcomed me with open arms and I have had the pleasure of throwing down on the dance floor with some seriously fun people, eating delicious food, and boozing with people who I hope to be like when I grow up. And boy do we Yelpers booze. Be jealous. 

Businesses often offer Yelp deals and you can sometimes even swing with some freebies.  Yelp, in my opinion, is good for business. Shoot, they've got me feeding my hard earned money back into the economy as often as I can. And I rarely regret a penny lost or moment spent out. I've met some fantastic fellow Yelpers and experienced some bangin' food and drink. I have become a real foodie and I thank Yelp for the extra push. 
So how do you feel about Yelp? Do you Yelp or do you know someone that does? Have any good or bad experiences with it? Speak on it.

The Famine in Somalia and What You Should Do

Two days ago, the United Nations finally announced that a famine was occurring in southern parts of Somalia. Although initially reluctant, the UN hoped that the declaration would galvanize the international community to respond to the crisis that is also affecting neighboring countries Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. A famine is defined as:

• More than 30% of children must be suffering from acute malnutrition
• Two adults or four children must be dying of hunger each day for every group of 10,000 people
• The population must have access to far below 2,100 kilocalories of food per day

The last time a famine was said to exist was in 1992 and it was in Somalia as well. The country has struggled with acute poverty, conflict and drought ever since. The capital, Mogadishu, was once evacuated because of civil war but now thousands from the southern regions are retreating in a desperate attempt to receive some sort of aid. Relief efforts have been difficult because the country has become a stronghold to terrorist organizations who either bribe agencies or subject them to taxation for the goods they bring. It's all just really, really awful.

When disasters occur in places where structural poverty is prevalent, it is almost impossible for us to not reflect on our relative privilege. How can you not feel hopeless when already downtrodden people are forced to endure to worst of tragedies? The possibility of that hopelessness being valid is even more troublesome. 

I always find that what little you can to help out always makes me feel better. Your donation to Doctors Without Borders may be modest but hope can only exist with effort. You only bask in pessimism if you sit back, read depressing news stories and bitch about how terrible the world is. Don't get me wrong, I am notorious for being vocal with my complaints about various injustices the disenfranchised face. Yet, we should not allow our cynicism to take the place of our humanitarianism. 

So please, I know the economy is still shitty and we all want to enjoy our summer. But please, considering donating to an organization- a reputable one-that is on the frontline trying to save lives. Here is a list of some via ABC.com:

World Food Programme You can donate online to or you can make a $10 donation to the World Food Programme by texting AID to 27722.Charges will appear on your wireless bill, or be deducted from your prepaid balance. All purchases must be authorized by account holder. Message and Data Rates May Apply. Full terms:www.mGive.org/T & Privacy Policy

Doctors Without Borders

International Rescue Committee (IRC)

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

CARE

World Vision's Horn of Africa response

UNICEF

Save the Children You can donate online or text SURVIVE to 20222 to donate $10 (Standard message rates apply). Legal disclosure:www.savethechildren.org/legaldisclosure

MercyCorps

Oxfam America

Also, if you want to evaluate the effectiveness of the charity you donate to, Charity Navigator is a great resource. 

In Defense of Soul Food

Up until about two months ago, I was a vegetarian for almost four years. My decision to return to a diet including meat was caused my increased boredom with vegetarian food and the inconvenience it was to adhere to such a diet when living with two big meat eaters. I live at home with my two lovely parents and am responsible for much of the cooking, especially in light of my father's recent sickness. My mother is from Harlem and my dad hails from a modest farm in McKinney, Virginia and for them, food's purpose goes beyond providing nutrition. For black people in America soul food is arguably the best preserved of our many traditions. Soul food is the story of black people's resilience against the attempt to erode our ancestral history while lacking adequate access to one of life's basic necessities, food.

Our cuisine has become an integral part of our culture, but it has also led us to become vulnerable to diet-related illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. So despite its deliciousness, soul food is often the subject to criticism regarding its unhealthiness. However, many people incorrectly criticize the nature of soul food and not the true sources of our poor health issues.