Moved to New York--This One's for Foodies

Given the title of this blog, it seems time to mention that I have achieved the titular goal. On June 12th I got on a train bound for Penn Station and arrived that night in my new home in New York. It has now been two weeks since I first laid eyes on Queens, and in that time it has become home. 

There are two things immediately apparent about Queens, and our neighborhood, Astoria: wide cultural diversity and the incredible food that comes with it. After arriving on the 12th Cassie and I ventured one block over to a hole in the wall eatery owned by a very friendly Syrian man. I enjoyed my first falafel sandwich. If you have never partaken in this delicacy you are missing out. Falafel is deepfried chickpeas, and the sandwich was stuffed with fresh lettuce, tomato and a hot sauce to give it a kick. The ingredients combine to give the feeling of a fried chicken sandwich, but without the heavy feeling that fried chicken brings. 

PITA HOT, 30th Avenue between Crescent and 29th Street

The second culinary discovery I have made, with Cassie's guidance, is the lentil. It is a delicious bean, available cooked and uncooked. We prefer the cooked variety for convenience. I have had more time to experiment with cooking, so I thought I would share something I have come up with. Listed below is a recipe for a lentil flatbread wrap. Serves 2.

Cook Time
Ten minutes

Ingredients
(2) Flatbread wraps (adjust depending on size and appetite)
(1/2) package Trader Joe's steamed lentils
Hummus of your choice
Sriracha Hot Sauce

Directions
1. Thaw lentils.
2. Set your oven to 400°F.
3. Place flatbread on cooking sheet with three spoonfuls of lentils each.
4. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until flatbread edges begin curling.
5. Remove cooking sheet from oven.   
6. Apply hummus and hot sauce to taste

That is the working recipe. I'm sure it would be excellent with tomatoes, lettuce or different sauces. Stay tuned for more insights from New York City rookie in the next few days.