New York Bites: Xi'an Famous Foods

Hello there Nomsters,

Spicy Lamb Noodles

It's been a while since we last met, but I'm promising that from now on I won't wait two months+ to dish out the latest food porn, reviews and recipes. For many college students, summer is a time to relax, travel, or start that internship that we chased during the spring semester. Personally, I ended up in New York, which is the perfect place to be a foodie in my free time. So over the next few weeks I will be blogging about my fantastical foodie adventures in the boroughs! To kick the summer off I thought Xi'an Famous Foods would be a fun place to visit after a semester spent in Shanghai.

Spicy Lamb Burger

Xi'an Famous Foods was conceived in Flushing, NY, the place to be if you want authentic Chinese food. After gaining a firm following at their location in Flushing, the owner expanded to Manhattan, making it that much easier for those who sought out authentic Chinese food! The menu features mainly noodle dishes along with some "burger options." Xi'an Famous Foods keeps things simple by doing what they do best, noodles.





On my first visit, we went to their Chinatown location on Bayard street. The ambiance of the restaurant is really reminiscent of being in China. The limited seating, quick service, and menu board picturing each item all reminded me of the little hole in the wall food spots in Shanghai! One of the quirkiest aspects of the restaurant was the dumbwaiter in the middle of the room that sent up patrons' meals!


I ended up ordering the Spicy Lamb Noodles ($7.00), featured in the picture above, and we also ordered a lamb burger ($3.00) and a pork burger ($3.00). The noodles were delicious, very fresh and chewy as they would have been in China. There was a generous serving of tender cumin-spiced lamb meat atop my noodles with fresh herbs, but boy was it spicy! If you order any dish labeled "spicy" off the menu, be sure you can commit to it, because once you start, there's no going back. The burgers were also very tasty. Huge portions of both lamb and pork nestled between crispy pancake rolls, like the ones seen being sold in the streets of any Chinese city. The lamb in the burger was also super spicy, the pork on the other hand is a great option if you are not a fan of spice. The pork was tender in texture and had a sweet flavor that contrasted well with the savoriness of the bun.

Overall, Xi'an Famous Foods is a great option if you are looking for an authentic Chinese restaurant for some good take-out. Every one of Xi'an's locations is cash only, so make sure you're prepared. Additionally, psych yourself up for the spiciness!

Xi'an Famous Foods

67 Bayard Street
Manhattan, NY

(212) 608-4170

Keep Calm and Nom On,
GF

As Published by the Georgetown Guide-Easy Bake Without the Oven

Easy Bake Without the Oven

Culinary Quips

By Elizabeth Sabol-Jones

Published: Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Updated: Sunday, March 25, 2012 15:03

Original Link

This week’s quip is mainly aimed at dorm-dwellers but will also appeal to readers who either lack a stove or heavily rely on the microwave for meals. 

We have experienced the hassle of packing up our belongings and moving from home back to Georgetown. By the time we’ve packed, we’re already laden with clothes, bedding and books, so why would we want to add a couple of boxes of pots and pans? Unless you really enjoy cooking, you would not have an incentive to bring kitchen supplies when you have delivery, Leo’s and the restaurants of M Street at your disposal. 

As a result, students’ kitchens are sometimes barren wastelands of Easy Mac boxes, random leftovers and communal forks. Luckily, modern technology gave college students the microwave. There are an array of quick, frozen and often unhealthy snacks. Although these quick-fix meals serve their purpose, often something fresh just tastes best. 

The meals and desserts you can make without using the stove would surprise you. So if you’re not fully prepared to step into the world of stovetop cooking, this is a window into the realm of “microwave magic.”

MICROWAVE MAGIC

Scrambled Eggs:

1. In a small bowl, beat together 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons milk with salt and pepper to taste until blended. 

2. Cook eggs on full power for one to one-and-a-half minutes, stirring once or twice, until they are almost set. Stir. If necessary, cover with plastic wrap and let stand for about 1 minute until eggs are thickened and no visible liquid egg remains.

Instant Chocolate Cake:

1. In a large mug, whisk together 1/4 cup flour, 5 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 egg, 3 tablespoons milk, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, a pinch of salt and a dash of vanilla extract until smooth. 

2. Microwave until puffed, about 2 minutes. 

The Best Oatmeal:

1. Take a 1/2 cup instant or regular oats (regular take a bit longer in the microwave) and place in bowl.

http://www.restaurantwidow.com/images/oatmeal_1_1.jpg

2. Add a dash of vanilla and teaspoon of cinnamon and begin microwaving on high for 1 minute.

Elizabeth Sabol-Jones is a junior in the College. CULINARY QUIPS appears every other Friday in the guide.

Simple Recipes and Common Sense: Sweet Potato Fries

Hey Fellow Foodies and Readers,

Sorry I haven’t been around for a bit. Between Lollapalooza taking over my life and pretending to clean/pack for college, I’ve been a bit consumed. But! I’ve decided to drop a quick post to let you know I’ll have a great Lollapalooza feature soon; for now, I thought I’d leave you with a recipe.

I love sweet potatoes, mashed, chips, baked, and even in muffins! However, something I’ve been craving lately are sweet potato fries. So, I figured I’d experiment with a recipe/common sense to see if I could come up with a recipe that didn’t require the fries to be fried, but rather baked, you know, to at least attempt that healthy alternative!

I found a recipe in Cook’s Country for regular baked potato fries, a recipe online, and a recipe in a cookbook I own. After reading through each recipe, I decided to use a bit of each. This is a great recipe for all you Georgetowners and college students that want an easy recipe that tastes great and will satiate your craving for fried foods or sweets!

My family decided to grill burgers today. So as my mom and dad grilled, I baked up these fries. The overall result was a satisfactory, soft, sweet fry with a nice crisp. Next time, I may add more seasonings (paprika, garlic salt), and also let the fries dry a bit more before I coat them so that I get a more crispy texture, but overall, they were very tasty!

SO here you go!
3 Large Sweet Potatoes, washed, and thickly julienned (cut into spear shapes)
6 tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch (if you don’t have this, I don’t think it’s a huge deal, but let your potatoes dry a bit after microwaving/blotting)
Seasonings (optional: salt, pepper, garlic salt/powder, paprika)

-Preheat the over to 450 (f)
-Microwave sweet potatoes in large bowl covered with saran wrap for 4-6minutes to slightly cook,
-Remove the sliced potatoes from bowl and blot dry (gives fries a crispier texture), let sit for five minutes if you aren’t using cornstarch,
-As fries dry, use 5 tbsp of the oil to coat a cookie/baking sheet, then place sheet in oven for 5-7 minutes (until the sheet begins to smoke),
-While oil heats, mix remaining oil (1 tbsp) with cornstarch (optional) and, then toss fries in mixture, making sure to coat each, add seasonings,
-Place fries in single layer rows on the heated cookie sheet, place back in oven and cook for 25-35 minutes, flipping fries halfway through cooking time,
-Remove from oven and place fries on paper towels to blot excess oil, lightly salt if desired.
-Enjoy!