Random acts of kindness: Cupcake street art

Doesn't this just make you go "awwww"? From Cakespy:

In other news: "miracle berries" that make sour/tart foods taste sweet?! Check it out at no recipes.

Starbucks.

I hate like dislike love hate love Starbucks.

We have a love/hate relationship...I hate it for being so commercial, expensive, elitist, and unhealthy...and I will criticize its sucky business practices as much as any Starbucks-hater. But somehow I still can never resist a tall Caramel Apple Spice or Chai Latte for more than 5 seconds...the drinks are just too tasty, especially the holiday specials. I know they're loaded with calories, and I'm supporting a "corrupt" business by drinking them, but come on, I'm only human. And I know you do it too :P

Even when I don't get coffee from Starbucks (just Izze and madeleines on Newbury St. today), just being in the store makes me happy. Something about the brand and atmosphere of the stores makes me feel like my day has been improved just by including Starbucks in my schedule, however minimally. Of course, this only means that Starbucks' evil scheme to take over the world is working...

NYC weekend

The best weekends always include too much eating, drinking, and sleeping :)Clockwise from top left: Columbia crown chocolates made by Mike's friend--aren't they amazing?; baby goat at the farmer's market!; yummy meatballs at a Greek restaurant called Kefi; colorful mochi at the Asian supermarket

omfg JG

By far the best restaurant I've been to in a long time: Jean Georges in the Trump International Tower, NYC

Lunch at Jean Georges with fellow Northampton baby Mike Linshi and a couple of friends made the 4.5 hour ride from Boston completely worth it :) Our menu:

Amuse-bouches
Salmon Roll-up with Kumquat Sauce
Shrimp Spring Roll with Lettuce Wrap
Chicken Broth with Kaffir Lime
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Avocado Salad
Clarified Lemon Grass Consommé

Plates
Skate with Chateau Chalon Sauce
Sea Scallops, Caramelized Cauliflower, Caper-Raisin Emulsion
Foie Gras Brulee, Pineapple-Meyer Lemon Jam
Arctic Char, Roasted Cremini Mushrooms, with Jalapeno and Garlic
Butternut Squash Soup with Black Trumpet Mushrooms
Halibut with Honshimeji Mushrooms and Lemongrass Consommé
Goat Cheese Royale, Roasted Beet Marmalade, and Crushed Pistachios
Tangy Glazed Short Ribs... and something...

Dessert (Themes)
Winter: Cranberry Parfait, Walnut Nougatine, Soft Meringue; Cinnamon Doughnut and Prune-Armagnac Jam
Caramel: Chocolate Pop, Coffee-Cardamom Ice Cream; Caramel Curd, Dehydrated Sponge, Roasted Pineapple Sorbet
Chocolate: Jean-Georges Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream; Warm Chocolate Gnocchi, Grapefruit, Gianduja, Basil
Apple: ???

Mignardises
Macaroons
Chocolate bonbons
House-made marshmallows

An absolutely wonderful meal--some highlights:

The amuse-bouches were excellent--well, the spring roll was nothing special, but the salmon was perfect with the tangy kumquat sauce, and the chicken soup was piping hot with a refreshing tang--tasted like ginger, but I think there was only lime in it.

All the main plates were delicious, but my halibut was one of the best I think. Especially the lemon grass consommé that was poured over the fish as it was served--citrusy and light, it was so tasty I wanted to lick my bowl clean (but reluctantly resisted to avoid looking like a caveman).

I am very against foie gras because of how it is made, but I must say, it tasted much different (better) than I expected. Of course, I got mostly jam from the spoonful I stole from Mike, but the creamy almost butter-like texture of the foie gras was unmistakeable. Much too rich for my taste, but I didn't hate it.

Dessert was surpringly un-amazing. Everything tasted good, but nothing was "ooooh" worthy...except the seasonal Winter tasting: in particular, the cranberry parfait definitely deserves a mention. The cold, firm center contrasted spectacularly with the warm, puffy meringue outside, though the cranberry flavor could have been much stronger--I couldn't tell that it was supposed to be cranberry. It was a relatively large portion, too, so all of us got a good taste of the best dessert.

The mignardises were a fitting way to end the meal. Again, nothing amazing, but everything was still tasty. And I loved watching the colorful marshmallows being cut right in front of us.

All-in-all, an unforgettable meal. Much pricier than I usually go for, but definitely worth it as a rare splurge. Note to self--go back soon to try everything else on the menu :D

Donut bash

...in Leverett House :D

Boston cream is my favoriteeeee.

Our benevolent house masters set out boxes upon boxes of delicious donuts in the dining hall a few days ago to "celebrate" the end of reading period and start of exams. Some of my classmates looked like they really needed the sugar/comfort from a large donut ... luckily, my first exam isn't until Saturday. But that definitely didn't stop me from gobbling up a donut (or two. or three...) as soon as they landed on the table :D

Mwahaha!

Say hello to my new BFF (Canon EOS Rebel XS):

Excited for better food pics to come!

Soft-boiled eggs to ring in 2009

In Chinese culture, chicken and eggs symbolize prosperity. They are often eaten during Chinese New Year celebrations to welcome a prosperous new year...so why not eat chicken and eggs during our celebration of the international New Year too?

I made chicken and vegetable soup (literally just dumped a bunch of veggies and cut up chicken into a pot with chicken broth and some milk) and soft-boiled eggs for our New Year's Eve dinner last night. It's the first New Year's Eve my family has spent at home without company, which sounds sad but was actually really nice. Plus, making only 4 soft-boiled eggs is a heck of a lot easier than making one for all the guests we usually have over :)

Making perfect soft-boiled eggs is notoriously difficult and all about timing. I have never made a perfect one myself and gave up on them ages ago...but I stumbled upon Urban Foodie's recipe for The Perfect Soft Boiled Egg a few days ago and got the urge to try again. The recipe was clear and simple, and immensely successful! I made just a few minor modifications:

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Soft-boiled Eggs

(adapted from The Perfect Soft Boiled Egg)

Room temperature eggs (take them out of the refrigerator at least 30 min. before cooking)

Pan or pot big enough to hold all your eggs without stacking any

Water

Fill the pan or pot with just enough water to cover the eggs entirely. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat until the water is simmering gently (tiny steam bubbles still forming).
Carefully lower eggs, one at a time with a spoon, into the water.
Simmer for 1 minute.
Remove pan or pot from heat and cover. Leave covered 5 min. if your eggs are medium sized, 6 min. if they are large. Leave covered a minute or two longer if you prefer firmer yolks.
Serve eggs in egg cups (or I found some tiny wine glasses that worked too). Tap top of eggs with spoon and peel shell from the top. Dig in!

These are so good, especially with strips of buttered toast ("soldiers")!