turkey & chorizo burgers with guacamole

I used not to like burgers very much. Something about them made me feel sick every single time. But then I had one at a cookout a few summers ago that didn't make me sick. It was delicious. I learned after the fact that it was a buffalo burger. Then I tried a turkey burger at a restaurant in town, and I felt fine with that, too. Essentially, my stomach is a burger snob. You won't find me complaining about 'needing' to eat lamb burgers, ribeye burgers, buffalo burgers, and now, turkey & chorizo burgers.

I knew I wanted to make turkey burgers without the bun, using guacamole as my only real topping. What came together was 80% me playing around and 20% using the general ingredients you need to make turkey burgers work. I did the same with the guac. It turned out surprisingly simple and fast and mostly healthy. On the side I roasted cauliflower and the remainder of a bag of frozen fries in my freezer (okay, that part probably wasn't healthy... but drizzle olive oil on those suckers, switch to broil the last 5-7 minutes and sprinkle old bay & garlic powder, worth it!). The chorizo adds a ton of flavor, and I used it to inspire the spices I chose - cilantro, cumin, and hot pepper. I will be making these on the regular. I hadn't swallowed the first bite before they became my new favorite dinner.

This recipe is adaptable to the spices you like. I'm a judge-by-sight cook so the measurements are my best guesses. Enjoy!

turkey & chorizo burgers (makes 4 burgers)
1/2 pound ground turkey
2 links hot Mexican chorizo
1/8 cup (a thin layer) of bread crumbs (I used unseasoned)
1/2 egg (feel free to use the white only)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cilantro (fresh chopped or dried)
1/8 cup diced yellow onion
black pepper to your liking
1 minced garlic clove (or sprinkled garlic powder)
additional hot pepper or jalapeno if wanted

mix it all together by hand - breaking up the chorizo and incorporating it into the rest. mold 4 burgers. cook on a grill, grill pan on the stove, or stove-top skillet on medium-high heat until there is little give when you touch the center and the meat is cooked through. set the burgers on a paper towel lined plate to gather any unwanted grease from the chorizo.

guacamole (i made a small batch perfect for the 4 burgers) 
1 ripe avocado - halved and de-pitted
1/4 lime (cut in half, use half of a half)
a small handful diced red onion (maybe 2 teaspoons)
a small handful diced roma tomato, seeded
1/2 diced jalapeno (this is pretty spicy with the kind of pepper i used)
1 small clove garlic, minced or chopped finely
1/4 teaspoon or generous sprinkle of cilantro (diced fresh or dried)
sprinkle of cumin
sprinkle of black pepper

combine all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl, squeezing fresh lime juice over the top. using a fork, mash until the avocado is evenly mixed in with all the other ingredients. scoop a generous dollop on a turkey & chorizo burger. eat! 

ps - I stole borrowed Zan's grill pan two days ago and have already used it three times. Pretty sure my daydreams of us having a place together are 99% about his kitchenware. 

brooklyn with f.r.i.e.n.d.s | the one with all the photos

I'm still surprised at how easy it was to gather eight of my closest friends in New York for a weekend in September. It helps that it was the weekend sandwiched between my birthday and my long-time, childhood best friend Mel's birthday (we're a year and 10 days apart, this is nonessential information that I had to share, anyway), and that everyone was within 4-5 hours of the Big Apple. It worked out even sweeter that it somehow, someway ended up as four couples - Mel and Mike, Matt and Ryan (my roommate and best friend since way back in high school & his boyfriend), my college roommate Ellie and her boyfriend Andy (who live in Brooklyn), and Zander and me. It was the first time Zander and Mike met, and they hit it off right away, which sort of melted me - I think you maybe never think about it purposefully but always just know that someday your significant other and your best friend's significant other will be best friends. Or at least, that's the way you dream life will turn out.

This weekend felt like three whole days of reaping the fruit of the labor of all that childhood dreaming. Six of us shared an AirBNB apartment in Clinton Hill (minus Ellie and Andy who have their own pad!), and we trudged up a four-story walk up every day, one after the other, laughing at whatever jokes we'd just made and all pretending we weren't gasping for breath at the end. We shut down a new craft beer and artisan wine bar (best. bar. idea. ever.) on the Lower East Side at 4:00am, and I think even then the only reason we finally left is because we drank the bartender out of stock (story has it that Zander ordered another bottle of Champagne at 2:30 in the morning). We stayed up late on Saturday night drinking wine in the apartment, sipping slowly, still recovering from the night before. And we -- okay I -- hungover shopped at the Brooklyn Flea - a five-minute walk from the apartment - until there was nothing left to buy.

We stuffed ourselves silly with bagels and cream cheese from Bergen Bagels, just down the street from our apartment for the weekend, and it's my new favorite New York bagel stop - but maybe that's more for the memories than the bagels themselves? No, the bagels are that damn good, too.

But maybe the best part of it all was our impromptu decision on Sunday morning to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. None of us could say no to the thought of one more outing, one more subway ride into Manhattan, one more morning spent under that impossibly blue sky before heading back to our respective cities and regular lives. I've walked it before at night, but it was a whole other kind of beautiful during the day. We had the world's most perfect weather - sunshine hitting our shoulders and turning our noses pink with breezes cool enough to remind us that fall is coming, it's almost here.

I bought a print from an artist drawing them in the middle of the Bridge. It's of New York in the rain, and it felt touristy and just right, and it's really beautiful - I can't wait to hang it. We took too many pictures, and I convinced everyone to jump - let's get that silly tourist jumping picture. They're so imperfect, and I think that's why they're my favorite photos from the weekend.

We ended our whirlwind weekend that felt like years we'd spent together with a stop at Smorgasburg, the Brooklyn Flea Food Market, at DUMBO, near the Brooklyn Bridge Park. The food blew us all away, as did the view.

It maybe seems cliche and a bit 1999 of me to say, but it felt like a Friends with a capital F - like the ones who hung out in Central Perk and on my TV for 10 years - kind of weekend. Eight of us in the big city with nothing better to do than make memories.

if you go...

old man hustle 

(a gigantic hell yeah and thank you to old man hustle, where the drinks were great, and the bartender practically knows our names) 

*thanks to mel for use of the last 6 photos shown above. photo credits belong to her. visit the things they made for more of her photos and other good things. 

red hook winery might be brooklyn's best kept secret

When I was six, I begged my mom to take me to church. We'd just moved to Newnan, Georgia, and all the new friends I'd made went to church. All of them. But we didn't. My mom didn't seem too keen on the idea. My brother joined the begging, too. We didn't beg like normal kids, though - with "please, please, please" pleading. We were calculated. We listed reasons it would serve our emotional growth and help us adjust to life in a brand new city. We made moral arguments. We went as far as to convince Mom that she, too, needed friends and what better place to make them than in God's House? 

We tried out a Catholic church, and it was the actual worst. My Mom was raised Catholic, so it was a natural first attempt for her. We were forced to dress up, and there wasn't a kid's oriented class so we suffered through what I suppose was a Mass? I don't know - ever since I nearly died of boredom that day, I've subconsciously blocked out Catholicism entirely. 

The second try was a charm. My brother's buddy Joseph said we had to try Crossroads, a laid back place of worship that was fun. (Our friends really had us convinced that church was practically a dance club it was so cool. Peer pressure is very weird in Southern Baptist Georgia.)

The next Sunday, we drove less than a mile from our house and turned left down a quarter mile dirt and gravel road. As we wound through a lane of trees, a concrete warehouse came into view. Surely we were lost. We looked for an address or a sign on the gray building. It wasn't until we hit a makeshift parking lot and saw smiling faces on dressed down in jeans church-goers that we knew we were right at home. 

Fast forward 22 years later (holy shit when did I age that fast?), and I experienced the same wholly happy and perfectly-at-home feeling when Zan's, Andy's, and my cab turned down a street that started off Brooklyn chic and dead-ended into warehouses, small urban gardens, a grungy pier, and makeshift signs with giant arrows pointing to various small businesses.We'd found our way - a no easy feat - to Red Hook, Brooklyn, home of Red Hook Winery, my new religion in this very strange church-winery comparison. 

Zan has been an urban winery enthusiast for some time now. He's such a big city guy - down to his very core - and sees the genius in bringing grapes and wine-making to concrete patches and small garden swaths. After taking in Red Hook Winery - located on a pier in an old warehouse, I fully agree. While the winery grows its grapes in Long Island, wine-making happens on the premise. The open space feels like a loft with urban chic influences, tons of cork, and a barrel room in plain sight. The wines are reminiscent of the Finger Lakes and even the ones we tasted in Niagara - regions where cold-weather grapes do well. 

Red Hook opened in 2008 and has cultivated a loyal following. Two Napa wine makers run the show - Abe Schoener and Robert Foley, both really interested in eclectic, unique wines. But they don't run it in tandem... instead, each makes his own wines with separate labels. It's like two wineries in one. It'd be so rad to be trained and experienced enough to do a blind tasting and be able to pick their wines apart - is that just me? 

I thoroughly enjoyed the Reserve Tasting of 6 wines. It was laid back - just the three of us with the general manager and one of the wine-makers coming in and out telling us tidbits about one wine or another. After, we wanted to continue to enjoy the view and the day on their comfortable pillows and couches with a full glass, but they aren't allowed to serve full pours, only tasting. It's interesting - and a bit strange. But they are generous about allowing you to re-taste wines until you figure out just the ones you might want to purchase.

The entire Red Hook neighborhood experienced significant damage from Hurricane Sandy over a year ago. Impressively, the entire place felt rejuvenated, nearly completely rebuilt, and ready to keep growing. We wandered into a handmade chocolate shop and distillery, where tours are offered, and tastings are up for grabs. After, we grabbed sandwiches at Defontes, one of Brooklyn's best. 

Industrial neighborhoods with character and style get me every time- from a warehouse church when I was 6 to Red Hook - Brooklyn's best kept secret. 

if you go...

red hook winery

regular tasting: $5 (3 wines)

reserve tasting: $12 (6 wines)

my pick: 2010 seneca reisling (dry, fruity nose, complex)

get there: ikea ferry from manhattan

cab, bike, or bus B61 from brooklyn heights/downtown brooklyn

friday photo | golden hour on the national mall

I had to give it everything I had. If I failed, I could accept that. But I knew that if i did things halfheartedly and they didn't work out, I'd always have regrets. -Haruki Murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

Since I've lived in DC, I've wanted to be a great many things: a journalist working at overseas bureaus, a public relations problem solver, a diplomat, a student, a bartender, a writer, and even an actress. All my childhood dreams collided the moment I stepped foot in this city. It's a cerebral city that feels like a small town; it fosters ambition and makes you want more.

DC drives aspirations because so many talented, smart, well-connected people live here. But ultimately, DC isn't a city for dreamers; even its most iconic monument is on the straight and narrow, structured, designed to aesthetically please without breaking any rules. It endlessly appeals to the intellectual and realist and very soul in me. I think I learned to be a dreamer and a romantic, but I was born with my nose in a book and my sights set on somewhere and something that was more.

I have such big goals for the next few years: expanding my freelance writing career, taking the GRE, graduate school, and joining the Foreign Service. And for the first time ever, I see how all the seemingly arbitrary choices I've made along the way - studying in South Africa, teaching English in Japan, starting this blog - have led me to this moment right now.

bylines...

5 things you probably didn't know about kyoto 

scenic drives in the dc area 

trius winery's market brunch | niagara on the lake, ca

I grew up on fried bologna sandwiches, and Zander grew up on soft shell crabs. I'm overjoyed every time I tweak my recipe and taste my homemade red sauce, and Zander feels the same way as a first course is set before him at a new restaurant from an esteemed chef. When it comes to food, he and I come from different worlds. We're both "foodies" in our own right - he's more adventurous than me and loves anything straight from the sea, and I appreciate classics and southern comforts upped to the next level with fresh, local ingredients. We got the best of both words - well-known favorites with a twist and cultured offerings - with an added bonus of exquisite preparation - at the renowned Trius Winery brunch.

Niagara on the Lake is a short 20-30 minute drive from Niagara Falls, Canada. It's a gorgeous old town with a main street lined with boutiques and gathering places. From the town center it's an easy walk to the lake, where baby blue water stretches into the horizon. I wandered into a boutique clothing store and left with two dresses. I get more compliments on those dresses than just about anything else I own. It's a nice reminder to shop local and not to solely rely on my staple of J Crew.

I read a few places before our trip to Niagara Falls that Niagara on the Lake has been voted Canada's most beautiful town. It attracts retirees with enough money to buy old houses and keep them functioning like new. It's also known for its wineries. With more than 30 within and on the periphery of the town, it's one of Canada's premiere wine destinations.

When I started mapping out a wine-tasting route for Zan and me, I stumbled upon Trius Winery's farmer's market brunch. Not the wine tasting. The brunch. Everywhere I looked, I saw reviews and comments and blog posts and articles about the quality of this spectacular brunch with a wine pairing. Zan took one look at the prix fixe menu, with several options available for each of the three courses, and just like that, we had a reservation.

We were seated outside on a covered patio overlooking a fountain and endless rows of grape vines. Our server greeted us warmly and poured us welcome, complimentary glasses of Trius's sparkling rose. We could have ended the experience right there, and I would have left happy. I've never had a drier, crisper, more refreshing sparkling wine - and a rose at that! I left with two bottles and wish I had purchased even more.

As we, okay I, gushed over the wine, a food runner set a basket of homemade breads and red wine-infused butter in front of us. She quickly but calmly and thoroughly explained each of the varieties of bread and the butter. Her explanations were one of my favorite parts of the experience.

For our first course, Zander chose salmon and crab rillette served with Niagara cherries and house made Focaccia bread. It was paired with a late harvest Vidal wine. I chose the crisp romaine hearts with smoked bacon with a creamy parmesan dressin wrapped in prosciutto and served over lentil du puy with a hen's egg. I was served an off-dry Gewurztraminer with the salad. Can I just say that I'm writing this at 10:15pm, and I'm salivating thinking of this salad. It is, hands down, one of the most delectable courses - and by far the best salad - I have ever had in my life. A later blog post will be my attempt to recreate it.

Our second and main courses blew us away, as well. Zander opted for the Bradford Bay capon with fresh Ontario mozzarella served alongside an Ontario mushroom and sweet pea quiche with smoked bacon and apple and raisin dressing. I'd never tried capon, and I thoroughly enjoyed it - it was light but filling, tender, and tasted like the end of summer. His dish paired perfectly with a Sauvignon Blanc. Knowing that we'd be wine tasting after all the wine we were already drinking, I went for the heartiest option - a ribeye burger slider and Icewine pulled pork slider, both with maple peameal bacon, blue haze cheese, and spring cabbage slaw. It came with hand cut truffle fries and house ketchup, and those fries were gone faster than it took me to type this sentence. They are that incredible. Trius's medium-bodied, dry Cabernet Sauvignon complemented the rich red meat perfectly.

For dessert, I went with a homemade ice cream bar served with local fruits and a Reisling Icewine. I have never developed a taste for Port or other dessert wines... but I enjoyed the Icewine. The bitterness of the dark chocolate cut through some of the sweetness of the wine. It was delicious and indulgent. Zander devoured a peach and caramel laced dessert paired with a Cabernot Sauvignon Icewine. I found the Cab Sauv Icewine infinitely sweeter than the Reisling variety.

After brunch, we strolled stuffed to the gills into the tasting room to try the wines we hadn't already. The winery is one of the larger ones in the area, with multiple buildings, an ample tasting room, and vines that extend for ages.

The Chef at Trius Winery knows what he's doing. He has created a brunch with local flavor, stylized touches, and food so versatile it'll make a couple who comes from different food worlds wonder if maybe they didn't, after all. 

 if you go...

trius winery

farmer's market brunch menu (changes seasonally)

cost: $50/$75 with wine pairing

the time it cost $100 to go to coney island... from brooklyn

I did some quick mental calculations. It was going to cost us over $100 to cycle from Brooklyn to Coney Island, New York using Citi Bike NYC, New York's new bike sharing program. Zander and I looked at each other and shrugged. "We're too close to turn back now." 

Zan and I spent the weekend in New York with friends to celebrate Mel's and my birthdays. We drove up on Thursday night and planned a grand Brooklyn takeover for Friday. We woke early and cemented our plan to find bagels (most important) and then rent bicycles.

Brooklyn to Coney Island, New York is one of the nation's most iconic urban bike rides. I read it on multiple websites, and the internet only tells the truth so I know that to be fact. After having done it, I can attest to its veracity, although I'll be honest - I don't have a lot of iconic urban bike rides to which to compare it. I do know that it's stunningly beautiful with views of the Manhattan skyline, Prospect Park (Brooklyn's Central Park), tree lined streets, diverse neighborhoods, a beach, and the famous Coney Island boardwalk. It's mostly flat, around 12-14 miles roundtrip, and whole lotta fun. 

As we walked out of Bergen Bagels, home of my new favorite New York bagels, I mapped our way to the nearest bike shop. It'd be a mile walk, and after spraining my ankle on a yoga hike (I'm still embarrassed about that), and failing to properly wrap or ice it for days, Zan was trying his best to limit how much I was walking. As we crossed the street, he pointed out Citi Bikes, the sister program to DC's BikeShare. I hemmed and hawed. This wasn't the plan. 

"Do they even have gears?" 

Zan checked. "Yes, they do." 

"Yeah but they're not meant for trails."

"We're in New York. Everything is paved," he countered.

"But they're way more expensive!" I saved my best argument for last. 

He leaned in to check the pricing. "A 24-hour pass is $10." 

A bicycle rental was $35 from the bike shop. 

And just like that, I was sold. The idea sounded great. As he inserted his credit card for our $20 ride out to Coney Island - for both of us - I read the fine print. The 24-hour pass is good for unlimited 30 minute rides. Every 30 minutes, we'd need to dock the bikes or pay late fees. 

"STOP DONT DO IT!" I animatedly yelled, my arms flailing, trying to pull him away from the machine. 

"Oooops," Zan said as his receipt popped out with codes to unlock the bikes. 

We paused, staring at each other. 

"Let's do it," I said with a shrug. "We'll find stations along the way. It'll be an adventure!" 

The full ride starts on the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge, allowing cyclists to see the Statue of Liberty in the distance, Governor's Island, and Manhattan behind you. We started closer to Prospect Park, about 2 miles into the ride. We breezed through the city streets, thankful for fairly consistent bike lanes. 

When we reached Prospect Park, we watched in awe as serious cyclists zoomed past us, bent in perfect posture over the handlebars. Runners kept pace on the trail by the road or on the paved lane itself. The tree-lined lane with large, manicured acres of green curved around a small pond on one side and a lake on the other. We stopped to take in the view and take a few photos. We heard music jingling from a carousel nearby.

Out of the Park, we swerved around a traffic circle onto Ocean Parkway, which took us over the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, through a Hasidic Jewish neighborhood, down into an old part of Brooklyn with houses that looked out of place amongst the brownstones we'd seen where we started, and finally, when we could go no further, the ocean. 

But before we reached the ocean, people kept honking at us. Young men and old women and teenagers and everybody in between stopped us in their cars and on the streets to ask us, "Where'd you get those bikes?" About five blocks from Coney Island, we started to feel uneasy. More and more people were approaching us, so incredibly excited, about these bikes. I pulled out my phone and motioned Zander to stop.

We hadn't seen a station the entire way, but we figured - we're only 30 or 45 minutes over time, and the fees at that time range aren't too big, and we'll be able to re-dock them on Coney Island. I looked at the Citi Bike's website and found the station map. I scrolled... and scrolled some more. 

"It must not be loading right," I said to Zan, confused. "It's not showing any stations." 

I scrolled up all the way back to where we'd started. And there, a little dot appeared. We had rented bikes at the last station in Brooklyn. We would have to get back to where we started to dock the bikes. 

I looked at the time. We'd rented the bikes at 10:15, and it was now... 11:20. After the first 90 minutes, late fees cost $13 for every half hour. I did quick math and guessed that for both bikes would cost around $110 by the time we got back to a station. We were screwed. 

On the other hand, we were so close to Coney Island that it felt more foolish not to finish than to head straight back. So onward we went, cruising through the last five blocks until we hit the sand.

It was Zan's and my first time on Coney Island, and we enjoyed seeing it quiet, the rides closed down, out of season. Sunbathers still lined the sand and jet skis sprayed wake into the sunshine, and we shared an original Nathan's hot dog covered in chili and got it on our pants, and held hands and shared a kiss in front of the Ferris Wheel. 

And we did all that in five minutes because good God, we had to return these bikes. 

We pedaled as fast as we could, and Zander has thighs of steel from years of playing rugby and baseball and all of the sports in the world, and he lapped me 15 times in Prospect Park up a hill, and it felt like a race against the clock and like a scavenger hunt trying to find the closest station. When we docked the bikes, I breathed a giant sigh of relief and started laughing because the second Zan's bike clicked into place, he threw his fists in the air in triumph. 

It was the most expensive bike ride of our lives, but in a way that only some misadventures can be, it was totally and completely worth it. 

But please, don't rent Citi Bikes to go to Coney Island.

if you go...

check out ride brooklyn for bike rentals

distance: 12-15 miles roundtrip, depending on where you start

difficulty: 2/5 - mostly flat, going back up prospect park is the only real hill

directions! this detailed guide is great

28 is for it all

I'm 28 years old today, as of 1:16pm, as my mom just texted me, and that feels as old as it does young. I'm solidly in my late-20s now, there's no denying it. I'm ready to be at that place where dreams take the shape of a set of tangible goals, and where I know myself well enough to stop second guessing my choices and instincts. I'm young enough to still think a bottomless brunch and impromptu dance parties in my underwear are good ideas, and I'm old enough to know that vodka makes me have to pee every 10 seconds and should be avoided unless I'm at a party in a bathroom.

Two of my closest girlfriends in college and I have a birthday tradition that is even better than cake. In college, on all of our birthdays we'd go to our favorite bar - The Watering Hole - where our server Molly would serve Ellie and Vanessa beer and me a vodka cranberry. We'd share wings and fries and ask the birthday woman - what was the best thing that happened this year, and what was the worst?

Tonight I'm heading to New York for the weekend. Zan and I are staying with Ellie and her boyfriend Andy tonight, and tomorrow night Mel and Mike and Matt and Ryan are all coming up to join us. I can't even believe we're all going to be together. While Ellie and I are together tonight, we'll raise a glass and carry on our birthday tradition. I thought today I'd share it with you all, as well.

The worst: 
Dealing with The Slumlord at 302. My roommate Matt and I started off the year living in a dump in DC. We didn't have heating, and the landlord rigged an illegal gas line that leaked so badly we were evacuated when we brought in the local housing authority. The landlord threatened to take us to court if we pursued action against him, and he tried to bully us into signing a nondisclosure that we'd never mention his name or what went on in that house. We called bullshit, refused to sign, and got the hell out of there.

Refusing to sign the agreement and being approved for an apartment on my credit alone (that I've worked to build for years) were huge boosts to my confidence and made me feel incredibly empowered - after dealing with that maniac, I feel positive Matt and I can do anything.

The best 

• Apple picking with Zan and his brother and sister-in-law. It's so cool how close Zan and his brother are, and I love being welcomed into that family. 
• Getting lost in a corn maze and pumpkin patch with Zan, Matt, and Whitney. I can't wait to do it again this year!
• Hiking Old Rag in Shenandoah National Park - I finally hiked SNP's most iconic trail, and it was technical and challenging with tons of rock scrambling. I loved it.
• Finishing my first race, a 10k 
• Jumping into the refreshing, cold water of a cenote in Mexico 
• Seeing Niagara Falls
• Starting my freelance writing career
• Zander meeting my family at Thanksgiving in Georgia 
• Catching up with college friends in Kansas City and Nebraska

If I have to just pick one... Getting lost in Mexico and jumping into a van on the side of the road tops the list. It was adventurous, spontaneous, involved a hidden turtle beach, and it was perfect. 27 was good.

28 is going to be even better.