Are you ready for a throw down?

After watching Bobby Flay's show "Food Network Throw down" its hard not to want to try the food of those who are kings of their craft. Although the contestants on this show come from around the country, with only a short drive to a few major cities, some of these are definitely attainable. This winter break we tried out two in New York- both were awesome, and here's why.

1) Caracas Arepa Bar from the "Arepa" throw down. Arepa's are cornmeal pancakes that come with a variety of ingredients wrapped inside of them, usually some form of meat or fish as well as beans, vegetables or cheese. This restaurant is tiny and located in alphabet city New York. It was completely understated, but the food was completely awesome. Start out with the YoYos- fried plantain balls stuffed with white cheese. They are amazing; sweet, savory and filling. The best Arepa? De Pabellon. Made with shredded beef, white salty cheese, plantains and black beans. The meat was cooked perfectly, and the cheese and plantain combo was incredible. Not only is this place incredibly tasty but also pretty cheap. The meal I just described costs under $14.00 and the appetizer is really for 2.

http://www.caracasarepabar.com/index_2.php

2. Melba's from the chicken and waffles throw down. This restaurant, located in Harlem NY mixes southern staples with classic diner favorites for a delicious meal. You'll want to come for brunch to taste the famous chicken and waffles or the delicious sweet potato pancakes, but the dinner menu also has so southern classics like catfish. While the menu is limited, you come to Melba's for one thing- chicken and waffles, so it's really all you need. Its a great way to try this delicious treat, especially if it's your first time.

http://melbasrestaurant.com/

Both restaurants are truly at the top of their games and a great way to try acclaimed cuisine without the expensive price tag. If you're near NY, definitely give these a try, and until next time, keep craving!

Game Day

We were looking for some awesome game day treats when we stumbled upon these:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/holidays-and-parties/wing-it/pictures/page-2.html

- Bobby Flay doesn't make any mistakes on the grill, and these look no different. A classic hot wing with yogurt sauce. Yum.

For some wing variations go to foodtv.com. They have a ton of amazing looking wings that are sure to satisfy any appetite.

Keep Craving!

Choose This not That

With February fast approaching, students will be clamoring to get into the bob carpenter center to shed off the unwanted holiday pounds. Exercise is incredibly important, but obviously, so are the right food choices. At college it seems incredibly difficulty, and sometimes impossible, to eat healthy. There are however, a lot of great alternative healthy options on Main Street.

Here are some easy switches you can make:

Starbucks:
CHOOSE: tall skim vanilla latte NOT: tall white mocha

Home Grown:
CHOOSE: Green Apple Wrap NOT: The Fighting Blue Hen

Wings to go:
CHOOSE: Jersey Chicken Club Wrap NOT: BBQ Chicken Cheesesteak

NDB:

CHOOSE: Whole wheat bagle with low fat cream cheese NOT: Plain bagel with bacon, egg and cheese

Klondike Kates:

CHOOSE Basil Pesto Roasted Salmon NOT: Chicken Parm

These are just some examples of easy substitutions you can make, but even the smallest step up can help you in the long run.

Keep Craving!

Most Expensive

We're used to reasonably priced college foods, lets face it- it's pretty much all we got at this point. But sometimes its fun to see what its like on the other side of the tracks. We did some research and found some of the most expensive foods products in the world: check them out, they'll blow your mind.

Cheese- The most expensive cheese in the world costs $500 per pound. Its made with moose milk, and specifically only three of them actually produce the milk, on a farm in northern Sweden. Only 660 pounds are produced per year!

Mac & Cheese- Only available in Santa Monica, for $95 a plate! The reason: they're covered with white truffle, brown butter truffle froth and parmesan cheese.

Ice Cream Sundae- Found only at Serendipity 3 in New York City. Its called "Golden Opulence" made with Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream, madagascar vanilla, covered in gold leaf and drizzles with the most expensive chocolate covered in chunks of more rare chocolate and suffused with exotic candied fruits, truffles and marzipan cherries. Wanna buy? $1,000.

For more of the world's most expensive, check out

http://most-expensive.net/category/cuisine

Until next time keep craving!

Books for Foodies

Schools still out (for UD at least) so while most of you are probably at home enjoying the big perk of break- home cooked meals, we've found some books to read while you're on vacation (we're jealous), or just hanging out at home with nothing to do. Here are some great books written by well known food critics and writers.

1) Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl- Ruth is the Editor-in-Chief of Gourmet Magazine and has written a book on her life and her experiences with food. Growing up with a mother who was only able to cook really disgusting and sometimes unsanitary dishes, she learned quickly the power, and the dangers of food.

"Food could be a way of making sense of the world, If you watched peopleas they ate, you could find out who they were."

This memoir is both funny and enlightening.. and only $15.95 at Borders

2) Insatiable by Gael Greene- This book is a definite must read for the food snob. Gael Greene, who is and has been a food critic for New York Magazine for years upon years, and was also a judge on Top Chef Masters, discusses her life-long passion for great food and great sex. This memoir covers both her career in food and history with men in a book that is interesting, but at points a bit much. Never the less it's an incredible look into an amazingly delicious life of luxury.

3) The Nasty Tidbits by Anthony Bourdain- Bourdain hosts No Reservations on the Travel Channel, a show about the food in different cities and regions throughout the world. He is both funny and awesomely sarcastic on the show and luckily he writes exactly as he speaks. This book is a collection of outrageous stories about his travels and his meals. He is refreshingly opinionated and this is a great read for those of you who like funny books.

Keep Craving!