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Crepes galore!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sweet and Savory Crepes

7 crepes

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. water

2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter (plus more to grease pan)

filling: mushrooms, bacon, cajun mayonnaise, nutella, bananas, etc.

Mix crepe ingredients together in a bowl.
Heat a pan on medium-high heat and melt about 1/2 tbsp butter in it.
Pour in 1/4 c. crepe batter and spread evenly to coat bottom of pan.
Watch pan carefully and flip when underside of crepe starts to turn golden (a few minutes).
Cook other side for another few minutes.
Repeat for another crepe.

Fill with savory or sweet fillings of your choosing and enjoy!

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Popcorn shrimp + cornbread = love

Most of the time, dining hall food disappoints, disgusts, and/or depresses me. But the one or two times we've had popcorn shrimp and cornbread, I've gotten MAD EXCITED. Not that it's especially well-prepared or anything (it's hard to mess up popcorn shrimp and cornbread), I just really like comfort food, especially reminders of home. I remember "Little House on the Prairie" days in elementary school when our whole class would dress up like pioneers living on the prairie and cook cornbread and baked beans, mmmm. I never had popcorn shrimp before coming to school...but it just feels like good ol' fashioned home-cooking to me. And that's enough to make me walk out of Lev dhall (3 plates of shrimp and cornbread later) with a satisfied smile, for once :)

A classy affair.

Chocolate-covered strawberries, cheese and crackers, wine & champagne for AAA's Mr. Asian Sensation pageant (yep, you read that right). We spent hours last night chocolate-melting, cheese-cutting, and strawberry-dipping...and our beautiful creations (ignore the disobedient and ugly strawberry "vegetation") were demolished by our surprisingly large crowd in mere minutes (good and bad--everyone loved them, but alas, no leftover strawberries for us boo ) . The contestants were very entertaining and the whole thing went smoothly, even with a VERY packed space and some spills--an overall success!

Saturday night.

The wonderful and beautiful Miss Ivy Pan brought me to Greek Corner, a tiny little place hidden away in the Square that I never knew about but am so glad I found--yummy and authentic (I think...) Greek, which is now officially my favorite cuisine, after Chinese :). Super cheap too (where else can you get a tasty, filling meal for under $10?!!), and plenty of flattery from the middle-aged guys who served us. o_0

All things cute at Hootenanny and Newbury Comics in the Garage, our next stops of the night.

Stuffed from dinner, we still had room for Slurpees and Orangina at 7-Eleven...and spotted Crush- and 7-up-flavored pound cake....sick.

food and politics.

My first piece of work as AAA Publicity Co-Chair--I'm actually really excited about this event and hope others are too! The topic was inspired (I think) by ASIAN POP, a very provocative SF Gate article by Jeff Yang. Check it out, and then come discuss it with AAA on Thursday!

happy vday <3 !

Wendy wishes you a happy happy Valentine's Day!

David and I entertained ourselves by going on a Trader Joe's run and making dinner (read: Christina made dinner. David watched and ate. jkkk... sort of...): tortellini with alfredo sauce, baguette with prosciutto and cream cheese spread, seasoned chicken breast, monterey jack cheese, blueberries with Belgian chocolate pudding and Belgian cognac truffles, and sparkling pomegranate cocktail.

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")!

Oyako don for breakfast

(taken out on our deck this morning. there was a thin layer of snow from last night sparkling on the grass :D)

Lydia from My Kitchen posted a picture and recipe for Oyako Donburi (Japanese rice bowl with chicken and egg toppings) so mouthwatering I had to try it myself. We had most of the ingredients on hand, but I made a few substitutions for Japanese ingredients we didn 't have. Lydia's recipe was "quick and easy" like she promised, even with my adjustments. The delicious result: slightly American-ized and Chinese-ified Oyako Don for breakfast this morning!
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Christina's Oyako Don

(adapted from Oyako Donburi)

4 servings

4-6 c. cooked white rice

1 1/2 c. cooked chicken breast, cut into small cubes

1/2 large onion, thinly sliced

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 c. chicken broth

1 tsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. chopped green onions

Mix together chicken broth and soy sauce.
Bring 1/4 of the mixture to a boil in a small shallow pan.
Add 1/4 of the chicken and onions and cook over medium-low heat until almost done.
Pour 1/4 of the lightly beaten eggs in a thin stream over the chicken and onions.
Sprinkle with green onions and cover the pan.
Simmer on low heat until egg is almost set.
Careful slide the topping onto a bowl of rice.
Repeat for 3 more servings.
Enjoy!

"I'm naked!"

"Now I'm fully dressed...but so high up! o_O"

Yogen fruz--Canada's PinkBerry/Berryline?

Shopping at the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, IL yesterday, I spotted this ad:

I have never heard of "yogen früz" before (have you?), but apparently it is the largest frozen yogurt franchise in the world. Started in Canada, the chain now consists of over 1100 stores in 20 countries. The stores also offer smoothies along with their proprietary Probiotic froyo.

yogen früz (wikipedia article) has captured 80% of the frozen yogurt market in Canada and currently operates in many other countries around the world, including Greece, China, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic. But it only recently entered the U.S. market (probably why I had never heard of it before). New franchises were launched in Florida, California, and Illinois (random?) first, and Virginia and Washington, D.C. are next.

I didn't have time to stop by the store in the mall, but I'm excited to try yogen früz sometime soon--sounds like a great brand from its website and reviews.

Here's an interesting interview Businessweek did with one of the company's founders about their plans for expansion in the U.S: Can Yogen Fruz Gain a U.S. Following? (According to this article, Chicago was their first step into the U.S.)

I also found this fun blog while googling yogen früz: The Midwestern Frozen Yogurt Blog

Watch out PinkBerry and Berryline, yogen früz is here! (Just kidding Berryline, you will always have my heart :D )

Jeffrey's Rosemary Bread

My brother makes this amazing bread at home at least once every couple of weeks, and he just taught me how to make it. Now that we're on break at home with nothing better to do, we're popping out loaves every few days :) Rosemary bread is fragrant and just the right balance of moist/dry--I'll never go back to plain white/wheat!
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Rosemary Bread

(adapted from Jo's Rosemary Bread)

1 loaf (12 servings)

1 c. water

3 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp dried rosemary

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 packet yeast

Add yeast to 1/4 c. warm water, wait about 10 minutes.
Add to a mixing bowl with flour, salt, sugar, and oil. Knead until your arms are tired!
Add oregano, pepper, and rosemary (try other herbs if you like!), knead some more.
Put dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for an hour in a warm place (oven at low temp if you can't find a warm place for it during the winter, like us).
Punch the dough down and let it rise for another hour.
Bake at 375 degrees F until golden brown.
Remove and brush with olive oil if desired.

Burger toys!

SO CUTE. Is it weird that I think they look kind of yummy too?

(Picture from corkydoll's photostream on flickr)

Apparently Newbury Comics sells these "Mr. TTT Burger" plush toys on their website:

"Made from the finest ingredients, Mr. TTT Burger was magically awakened by Bumble Grump's love. He now makes every day filled with delights."

I'll see if I can pick one up at the Newbury Comics in Cambridge or Boston :D

Fun with Wordle

Feed Me by Wordle as of today:


Pretty nifty, eh? Check it out yourself: input text or a url at wordle.net, and Wordle creates a picture of the most-used words. Customize the font, number of words, colors, and more ^_^