life/slash/Justine

/two/hundred/and/ten/

2011-08-29T07:24:00.000-04:00

I've always loved pancakes... banana (these, too) or otherwise and yummy red velvet panckes (except mine weren't red cause I don't have any food coloring).
I made some decent but not great tortillas
Creamy spinach lemon pasta which turned out good but not great...

Go Vogue!

This looks like a cool movie.

Anyone see them?

And this really is amazing

/two/hundred/and/nine/

2011-06-03T05:50:00.000-04:00

Wow. No post since April?. Eeek. Well Korea is treating me well in a nutshell and so is this song. Thanks to Tervel for telling me about it.

/two/hundred/and/eight/

2011-04-16T23:17:00.000-04:00

First things first: I love this song.

Also, this was a weekend of firsts: first jimjilbang (Korean sauna), first Cherry Blossom Festival, and first norebang experience (Korean karaoke). I spent more money than I would have liked, but what can you do? A girl's got to have fun.

I also had an awesome breakfast for dinner (and no it wasn't at Butterfinger Pancakes). It was at The Wolfhound in Itaewon (aka foreigner central) and it was toast, eggs, baked beans, and a fried tomato. Yum!

My personal preference for eating out in Korea is Korean food, but some of my friends don't care for it, so I'm in the minority when we're deciding what to eat. Thai, anything else really, but American/English. My feeling is I can get that very easily back home (and I have to 20+ years of my life). Same with going to bars, but that doesn't always happen...

Just thought I would provide a little update about life in Korea : )

Justine

/two/hundred/and/seven/

2011-04-14T00:11:00.002-04:00

Can you guess where I'm going for vacation in July?

Here's a hint....

/two/hundred/and/six/

2011-04-12T07:35:00.001-04:00

I hate to be all corny and stuff but I kinda like/believe this...

And I like the fact that it's on a postcard and what's better than getting MAIL?

NOTHING. That's what.

/two/hundred/and/four/

2011-04-08T20:17:00.000-04:00

When I went to E-Mart (which is a like a Korean Wal-Mart, but awesome) on Thursday, I was planning on buying more barley, but I found a small bag for around $10. I recoiled, screamed, cried, and then stomped away. Okay, maybe what really happened was I double checked the price, remarked about the high cost to my friend, and moved on in search of other food suitable for breakfast. I never actually did get around to buying a "typical" breakfast food like cereal because they are sugary and more than I would like to spend. The only 2 options that I would consider were around $7.00. Not thanks, I'll make something else on my own, and so I did.
To make my breakfast I began by cooking about a cup or so of brown rice. Then I mashed up two very ripe bananas. You know, banana bread ripe. Brown peel ripe. When the rice was done, I mashed up the two bananas, added them to the rice, and stirred. The mixture was quite thick, so I added soy milk (though regular milk or any other type of milk would be just fine!) until I got it to the consistency that I wanted. And then I ate some. It makes enough for a few breakfasts, it's simple, and easy. It reminded me of rice pudding, but banana flavored. It was really tasty, healthy, you can even use leftover rice to make it even quicker!

I'll try to take a picture of it...

I hope you try it and if you do, let me know what you think,
Justine

/two/hundred/and/five/

2011-04-05T05:39:00.000-04:00

I like:
the adorable and awesome outfits put together by The Velvet Bird, like this one (super cure shirt) and especially this one, probably because I don't think I could rock such bold colored tights.

soup. Pretty much whenever, wherever... Some barley was left at my apartment by the previous teacher and I made this hearty mushroom barley soup (barely is very healthy by the way). I thoroughly enjoyed it even though I didn't have stock at the time and used soy sauce to season/salt it! I skipped the thyme and celery, too because I didn't have any. I'm not really sure about the measurements, though; I just guessed since I have no measuring cups in Korea. I did, however, recently pick up some teaspoons and tablespoons. Another change was I tossed in some cut of sweet potatoes and I didn't have button mushrooms so I used some king oyster mushrooms.

breakfast. This is nothing new, but I've been using the barley (my substitute for oatmeal) and making a sort of breakfast rice pudding with it. I cook the barley then add milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, fresh ginger, and a bit of sugar and cook it a bit more. Sometimes I toss an egg in and stir like crazy and it becomes thicker. Then I devour it. I've also added banana into the mix and I think apples would be equally tasty.

king oyster mushrooms. I am so in love with these. The texture is meaty and filling and a great alternative to meat. I used them when I made this mushroom sauce, minus the lemon and oregano because I didn't have any. Two other changes I made was I used mushroom broth (how appropriate, huh?!) and flour instead of cornstarch. I did plan on eating it with pasta, but I just used rice because I bought a 5 kg bag at E-Mart, so I'm good for rice for quite some time!

<-- King oyster mushrooms look like this (not my picture).

the pairings at the Turnable Kitchen. Music + food = great combination.

bread. I missed it and so I bought a loaf. I ate the whole thing in 3 days. I might have another problem. I would love to be able to make bread and rolls (like these soft whole wheat ones I made a while ago and where quite a hit)

red bean. I mean, this is nothing new, but I thought I should just remind everyone. Since I've been in Korea, I've had 팥빙수, or the dessert known as potbingsu, which has red bean, twice and I can't wait to eat it more. Lots more. Also I have become especially obsessed with soft serve. I smell a new bad habit forming. Especailly since I can get is super easily at the 7-11 for 1,500 won (about $1.50).

Random bits of information for you:
Before leaving, I made yummy happle dapple oat muffins and the were a throwback to fall and very enjoyable!

I made raw cookie dough again. It's so damn easy and addictive. Then I froze it thinking I would forget about it. I didn't. I did make a few small changes: there was no vanilla extract, brown sugar, or chocolate chips in my cookie dough because I don't have any. I also used oil instead of butter because... yup you guessed it: I don't have any. I made up for it my adding a lot of cinnamon and pretending it was snickerdoodle cookie dough. It did the job just fine!

Go to a Korean restaurnant (or better yet, make your ow!) and be like a Korean. Eat banchan, or the little side side dishes, and get a good idea of what Korean food is like. Personally I love it!

Alright, I know it's not very exciting, but that's that... more to come!
Justine

PS- rep your hood at MyCityCuisine! : )

/two/hundred/and/four/

2011-04-02T11:56:00.000-04:00

My new life motto: "Eating Korea, one bite at a time."

I made kimchi pancakes:

the ingredients

in the pan..

and on the plate

I made breakfast barley (my own creation)....

a bunch of random dinners that I haven't will never capture on film...

red bean love in the form of GyeongDan

Not food, but a new headband...

They're everywhere

walnut cake, Hodo Kwaja (호도과자)

at a restaurant in gwangju

Finished.

/two/hundred/and/three/

2011-04-02T11:12:00.001-04:00

Remember those cinnamon hotcakes I talked about? Yeah neither do I but, here they are naked...

and dressed to the 9's, with real maple syrup and yogurt.

*drool*

/two/hundred/and/two/

2011-03-28T00:07:00.001-04:00

Small Pleasures (Μικρές Χαρές) 2008 from MovieTeller on Vimeo.

beautiful.

Also, I'm now in Korea, so I'm not updating. Maybe I will at some point, but I'm not sure when.

Till then,
Justine

/two/hundred/and/one/and/a/half/

2011-02-06T21:19:00.002-05:00

Just an FYI, the breakfast, lunch, dinner, tags are on some posts that I have edited and don't apply anymore. Sorry 'bout that folks.

/two/hundred/and/one/

2011-01-24T21:49:00.000-05:00

Recipes
-OMG dense cheesecake brownies by David Liebovitz
-Banana bread with 5 (yes, 5!) bananas
-I don't really remember making this salmon...
-This cardamom honey chicken was good but not great. It seemed to be lacking something, though I can't put my finger on it.
-I made the Pioneer Woman's coffee (flavored) cake with Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate frosting recipe. Soooo good!
-Paneer + peas + rice = yum! (Matar panner pulao) I've made this several times and the only change I made was to increase the peas (probably more than double the amount called for- I didn't measure it) and paneer (I used a whole block that is sold at Whole Foods).
- I made this molasses fennel rye bread in the bread machine. Something went really wrong and it didn't cook all the way but the parts that did were delicious.
- Chocolate overload with these molten chocolate cakes. Well, almost, but thank goodness it only makes two.
- I made this sesame ginger maple tofu forever ago. I changed something, but I can't remember what. I do remember enjoying it, though.
-This thick hot chocolate is like hot pudding before it sets : )
- Meaty pork spareribs with rosemary (a favorite of mine!) and maple syrup.
- I would have reduced the soy sauce a bit and maybe added a little bit of water, but overall, this chicken terriyaki marinade was great.
-These spicy whole wheat cookies were such a hit during the holiday season.
- Super apple filled pie
- Love oatmeal? Definitely try out the Indian flavored savory version for lunch (or dinner. Or breakfast...)
- Lemon garlic Brussels sprouts are so addictive.
- My dad fell in love with these chocolate chip peanut butter cookies. He even asked for the recipe! Really! My only change was I used smooth PB and added about salted peanut to the mix.
- Nigella Lawson's death by chocolate cookies. Enough said.
- Vanilla spice oatmeal is great for a winter breakfast.

Other
- The Spice Spoon is a great Middle Eastern food blog.

/two/hundred/

2011-01-02T14:29:00.000-05:00

Happy 2011!!

Me with Nadia- 16 years of friendship and we're still on sick of each other : )
(I'm on the right.)

Wow. Two hundred, sporadic posts. Well done, me (I guess). Here's another post about more food and treats I've made, but no pictures. I'm lame like that now.
I've been cooking a few times a week for the family I nanny for so it's great since I don't have time when I get home around 7- I just want to eat!

I don't remember a lot of the thing I've made, but here they are:
- Breakfast oatmeal cookies (a different type than posted before. I prefer the ones in the previous post)

- This is a great simple chocolate cake. Not to rich and I would consider it an anytime cake : )

- I just made these scones yesterday. I accidentally added an egg into it instead of saving it for a glaze, but they were good and ended up more biscuit-y than scone-y (those area real word, right?)

- I made this honey yogurt panna cotta a while ago... I added some cardamom (a favorite spice of mine)

-Nigella Lawson's Chocolate honey cake.
(not the best pic, but check out that sticky chocolate/honey glaze. Goodness gracious!)

- This, however I made last week and am making again on Tuesday! The beef pho is easy and amazingly fragrant and delicious. And I can not tell you how good it made the house smell. MMMMM...

uncooked beef sliced thinly on top of the noodle...

the hot broth cooking the beef

topped off with some bean sprouts and a squeeze of lime

*burp*

- I can never get enough pumpkin. Or oatmeal, for that matter. So I obviously enjoyed comforting pumpkin spice oatmeal.

- One can of red beans I bought from Chinatown? Check. One love for red bean dumplings? Check. One impatient person who doesn't want to wait for yeast for rise? Check. That's why I made these red bean dumplings. Well, I made them with the help of 2 other friends after a Pumpkinfest dinner I hosted. Pumpkin everything from the chicken to the rice to the pie to the fro-yo to the pumpkin bars. It was a-ma-zing.

The dinner table

Sites I enjoy:
Gourmet Recipes for One - great site for onesie dishes
When Ninjas Cook - a beautiful blog from the Dubai, United Arab Emirates with great recipes like saffron and cardamom ice cream (can I have some, please?!)
Figs, Lavender, and Cheese - I love the name of the blog, too.
Feasting on Art - simply beautiful. They use pictures as inspiratoin for food and their food and recipes really are works of art! (BTW: I made the pumpkin roasted chicken mole and enjoyed that, give it a try)
Something Sweet - a bit of life, family, tatoos, and of course, may favorite: food.

Currently reading: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson; It popular and I want to see what all the fuss is about. I'm not too far in, and I wasn't immediately drawn in, but now I like it.
Just finished: Room by Elizabeth Donaghue; I definitely recommend this.

More to come at some point...

PS- I leave for Korea in 1 month, 2 weeks. I'm getting nervous because it's finally becoming real. Phew! If you would like, any encouragement/kind words would be great. : )

/one/hundred/ninety/nine/

2010-11-02T19:10:00.000-04:00

I made a these 1/2 batch of these simple breakfast cookies. I changed a few things, I:
- used dried cranberries instead of raisins and slivered almond instead of pecans because it's what we had
- added 1/2 tsp, vanilla to make it more cookie like
- switched olive oil for canola oil
- used whole wheat flour
- tossed in about 2 Tbl of cocoa powder which I thought would go well with the raspberry jam I chose to use.

These are big, by the way. About the size of a palm. I tried to ration it out to make 6 (1/2 of what the recipe should make), but I ended up with seven. You may notice that that seventh cookie is not in the picture. I'll just say that these are not only for breakfast.

If you do want these sweeter (they aren't that sweet, especially since I added unsweetened cocoa powder, try doubling the honey). I like the about of sweetness, though.

I also made buttermilk rye bread. My changes were I did 1 cup whole wheat and 1 cup white (to replace the 1 cup bread flour), instead of buttermilk I did 1 cup plain yogurt and 1/4 milk, and I just tossed everything in the bread machine instead of taking the time and making it by hand. It came out as a really nice sandwhich bread. Not very rye-like as I had thought it might have tasted, which was fine because I made a Russian rye bread a few weeks ago (sorry, no recipe).

In the spirit of fall, I made roasted butternut squash soup. I had cooked the squash before (thinking I wold be on top of things) and didn't realize that I was supposed to roast it with garam masala and ginger on it, so instead I just tossed it in the soup when I cooked it. I didn't have whole sage leaves, so I tossed in come small dried ones as well a cooked sweet potato we had in the fridge. Also, To make it almost fat free, I just added some more chicken stock instead of cream.

I've made some more food, too, and I'll update when I feel like it (ie. motivated) : )
Justine

/one/hundred/ninety/eight/

2010-10-24T22:40:00.000-04:00

I'm going to Korea!!!! I got a job teaching in a private English school and I'm so psyched.

I'm liking: Du Jour Magazine, the Boston based blog Mon Petit Chou Chou, and a State of Dress, a blog by a woman who is making a different dress to represent each state.

Recipes I've made lately:
-Addictive whole wheat focaccia
-Apple cider cupcakes though I somehow messed up the frosting, maybe because I halved it?
-Perfect-for-fall pumpkin pie quinoa parfaits
-I made Mark Bittman's light, fluffy, and rich pancakes, though somehow they didn't come come out light and fluffy (I used non-fat yogurt instead of sour cream and fat-free cottage cheese instead of ricotta because it's what we had in the house)
-I hate my waffle maker and since it's the devil, I made pancakes out of the pumpkin Belgian waffles
-Chunky oats with fresh apple and cinnamon was another great breakfast for a cold fall morning. I added a bit more cinnamon and sweetener, too
-Light and super-easy 5 minute microwave chocolate cake

-I haven't made this, but these candied pumpkin bites made with fresh pumpkin sounds like wonderful treats.

/one/hundred/ninety/seven/

2010-10-21T23:43:00.000-04:00

Willow Smith's "Flip my Hair"

Thoughts?

/one/hundred/ninety/six/

2010-10-09T23:50:00.001-04:00

i've made these: healthy tasty brownies with sweet potato
asian swordfish (i used gin instead)
OMG so good but I doubled (at least) the sweet potato in this chili
i kind of used this eggplant dip for inspiration (and as a dip). I used leftover dukkah and some ketchup (i know, lame) instead of tomatoes
crack pie. 'nuff said.
great breakfast porridge made with leftover brown rice (sans blueberries and butter)
lemon mousse, but it definitely needed more sugar (i used splenda so not to change the consistency)
healthy wheat germ yogurt bread
i do love me some brussels sprouts, this time with vinaigrette.
super yummy feta broccoli sauce for your pasta
used this filling for pumpkin ravioli, but i used wonton wrappers (about 1/2 tsp per wrapper; you can add some mushrooms, too)
yummy red velvet pancakes (i used fat free yogurt instead of sour cream and didn't make the topping)
vegan mexican chocolate ice cream. way to go, vegans!
this seriously IS the best broccoli of your life because it's easy and roasted
just made this rosemary bread in the breadmaker last night (i used dried rosemary, about 1/2 tablespoon; i also added some black pepper cause it seemed right...)
single serving muffin to which i added dried cranberries instead of blueberries
another single serving treat: rice pudding!
chicken marinade (i cut down on the oil a lot)
BBQ swordfish with a tzatziki like sauce... yeah. I wouldn't make it again.
wonderful pork loin with win reduction

Easy bolognese (by ME!, but inspired but other recipes)

1 lb hamburger

2 links sweet Italian sausage taken out of the casing

4 cups spaghetti sauce (maybe more?)

1 cup milk

2 cloves garlic, minced

thyme and basil

½ onion chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 celery, chopped

little bit of sugar, if needed

olive oil

Cook onion and garlic in oil in a large saucepan. Add meats and brown. Add tomato sauce and then milk. Cook 20 min – 30 min-ish?

and.... Tess's Japanese Food cause i like food and japan.

signing off till i make more food,
justine

(ps. i really want to teach english in korea. my friend got a job there and is leaving next month i'm going to miss her, but i'm thinking maybe we'll be roomies when/if i get a job there after i'm done with my tefl course)

/one/hundred/ninety/five/

2010-09-09T23:10:00.000-04:00

I'm still alive. I'm still eating and cooking and baking... you know, living my life, but I'm just not feeling inspired to write in the blog and it has become an obligation/chore and I'm not enjoying blogging, so I'm going to say goodbye, though I doubt this will be permanently. Just a while. Perhaps I'll just post the recipes I've made. I don't know. We'll have to see, I suppose...

Justine

/one/hundred/ninety/four/

2010-08-21T18:54:00.001-04:00

As usual, I haven't posted in a while I was in Texas for a wedding, then in Maine for a reunion with my college roommates, and _____________ (insert more excuses i.e. laziness here). Like I usually do, in this post, I'll include the recipes I have made and then add pictures (though I don't have many)/details at a later time.

Zucchini bake from All That Splatters. I was 1 egg short and I added some minced garlic for more flavor and well as flax meal to use it up since it has been sitting for a while. A nice, simple part of a light dinner.

Overnight oats from Kath Eats Real Food. My new favorite way to enjoy oatmeal in the summer! And with many different possibilities for creativity.

PB & J pie from Have Cake, Will Travel. Wow. Rich, tasty, and a-maz-ing frozen.

Chocolate chickpea spread from BitterSweet. Addictive and good on many things: bread, pancakes, carrots, a spoon... Thank goodness I only made 1/2 batch! You could make it nut free if you leave out the PB because I don't think it made a difference. I couldn't taste it, but maybe it helps cover the bean flavor?

White wonder cake from One Perfect Bite. This lovely cake would also be perfect for Spring because it is an airy vanilla cake (I didn't actually make the cake portion of the recipe, I just made a boxed angel food cake because I was short on time/didn't want to waste the yolks) with lemon curd layers and a luscious lemon cream frosting.

Carrot cake oatmeal from Eat Me, Delicious. I made this a few times, but after the first, I halved the recipes because it was too filling for me.

Tofu broccoli stir-fry from Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen. This was perfect because I had broccoli that needed to be cooked as tofu in the (bare) fridge. Kind of a funny thing because I when I was browsing thru the cookbooks at home, I also found it in "The Healthy College Cookbook."

Potato gnocchi from Mango and Tomato. The potatoes were starting to grow eyes and I had to toss out a few, so I decided gnocchi would be a good way to use them/spend a Friday night. Heck yes booming social life.

The single lady pancake from Joy the Baker. This definitely was one large pancake (the size a crepe pan). I would say it serves two one pancake each. I was feeling experimental so I used yogurt + some milk instead of buttermilk and instead of sugar, I used this horchata mix I bought a few month ago and haven't been using because I don't like it so much; very sweet.

And: have you heard about A New Dress a Day? A woman redesigns an ugly, used dress everyday for 365 days with $365. Very neat and green, too.

Keeping with fashion, while I was bored and looking at COACD (stands for Confessions of a Casting Director, fyi, for models), I decided I really liked the resort collection from a company called United Bamboo. It also makes me happy to see they do sell the line here in Boston (not just in NY or CA) at Stels Inc on Newbury Street. Not exactly in my budget, I can still look, right? : )
Pictures from here.

Colorful, printed blazers; I do love blazers and when it starts to get cooler I wear them a lot.

I could never pull this off (unless I broke up the pieces), but I enjoy the school boy look of this.

This looks very "back to school" to me.

I'm not sure it slim khakis are for me, but I do like them.

A print dress with neutral oxfords makes a great mix

More about United Bamboo here and here (pictures, too). Also, this girl looks really young, even for model standards, she kind of looks 12 or 13 even though she's probably 16.

That's all for now. Enjoy the day! -Justine

/one/hundred/ninety/three/

2010-08-01T19:11:00.000-04:00

This will probably be the most efficiently uploaded/created post that I will ever do. I made some yummy PB and J pie from Have Cake Will Travel. It is muy delicioso (for no reason in particular, I just decided to throw some Spanish in there for you).
I used a pre-made granola pie crust (but you can use whatever you like) we had in the house and my only change I would make in the future would to cut the amount of sugar in half because with the jam, there is a lot of sweetness. Enjoy the pictures!

Before baking (BB)

A lil bit of strawberry jam peaking though...

After baking (AB)

A slice of happiness.

/one/hundred/ninety/two/

2010-07-30T18:10:00.000-04:00

I made bread. Savory onion loaf to be exact. It was delicious and gone in 3 days. All of it. Seriously that tasty, even if it was deformed. [More info on the recipe here along with a sort-of explanation of braiding the loaf, though I was beyond guidance/help]

Oh look! I "braided" it.

Note to self: don't make bread on wax paper because you're lazy and want to avoid clean up. You just get stuck trying to peel off/pick out bits of wax paper form the bread = waste of time...

Super delicious bread though!! I would definitely make it again.

/one/hundred/ninety/three/

2010-07-30T18:03:00.001-04:00

This is anther sort of "catch-all" post of random things I've made: a summer fruit salad consisting of mango, pears, strawberries, peaches, and crispy apples; wonderful on yogurt...

Oh and here's a bird I spotted while ~~stuffing my face~~ hanging out in the kitchen.

Cookies! Fudgy, chocolatey goodness that is made with yogurt and you can't even tell! These are amazing and make a wonderful ice cream sandwich cookies. They're good with all types: vanilla, mint chocolate chip, rocky road...

This is not the best picture because I'm not good at taking pictures when the sun isn't out aka night time.

I made really easy tilapia tacos with peach salsa, using this panko (available here and here as well as other places if you google it; their site is here).

I've also made cardamom iced coffee because you can never o wrong with cardamom, pork roast with mango salsa ('tis the season... for fruit salsas), and avena (an oatmeal breakfast shake because I still want my oatmeal even though it 80 degrees outside), but I have not pictures of these.

Have a good day!!

Justine

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2010-07-27T15:51:00.002-04:00

this is for now. food related posts will come later...

Enjoy! Justine.

/one/hundred/ninety/

2010-07-23T14:49:00.001-04:00

Chock Full of Veggies Stir Fry
adapted from Parents magazine (which, side note, I randomly get in the mail. I'm definitely not a parent, but thanks?)

4 zucchini, cut into long thin strips (or you could do a combination of other veggies like summer squash, peppers, and/or carrots)
4 tsp sesame oil
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed (or minced)
3-4 tsp grated ginger
1 cup green beans (fresh or frozen; if using frozen defrost before hand in the microwave)
3 cups cooked noodles (I used spaghetti because it's what we had, but the recipe recommended Chinese egg noodles or linguine)
2 Tbl soy sauce (reg./low sodium)
1 Tbl hoisin sauce
Optional: - shrimp or other protein of your choice, maybe even edamame
- hot sauce
- parsley, chopped

Heat the oil in a large pan/wok and add the chopped onions, cooking until softened. Add ginger, garlic, zucchini, and green beans and cook till almost done. Mix in soy sauce and hoisin sauce and then toss in noodles. Simple!

A lot of fresh tasty veggies

I used multi-colored fettuccine

Buried underneath the veggies lay the noodles. I swear.

/one/hundred/eighty/nine/

2010-07-18T16:31:00.002-04:00

A few days ago, we were running out of cookies here (!!!), so in an attempt to save my parents and myself from near starvation (slight over exaggeration, perhaps) I baked up up a batch of Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies from Crepes of Wrath. Only 1/4 cup of oil which pleased my mom and my dad said they reminded him of the cookies his mom used to make, so that's not a bad thing in my book. They were easy to make, soft, and tasty. I was initially looking for something more chewy, but this fulfilled my chocolate chip cookie craving/empty cookie jar. I baked mine for 10 minutes with good results.

I don't think I'll make them again, but only because I like my cookies chewier. I don't think I need the milk that the recipe called for and wonder what difference it made. I used a tablespoon to scoop out the cookie dough (heaping tablespoon) and got about 30 cookies. Be forewarned that they spread out in the oven. If I were t make these again, I think I would add some more chocolate chips; I felt that more were needed. Also, for easier cleanup, I put waxed paper on the cookie sheet because the less dishes I have to do, the better/I'm just lazy.

Currently on repeat: Tighten Up - The Black Keys

Chocolate Chip Cookies

/one/hundred/eighty/eight/

2010-07-14T15:41:00.000-04:00

Summer is definitely here. We've had ourselves a nice (ha) little heatwave here in Boston and we even installed the AC in the house to deal with it.

I've been taking a break from the usual breakfast of oatmeal- it's just been too hot. And I needed a break because I was getting slightly bored of it (hard to believe). So, to change it up for I've been on a smoothie kick lately (I tend to get kind of fixated on a specific breakfast and eat it until I'm sick of it). However, after seeing Jacqueline Pham's (of Pham Fatale) Sweet Lassi recipe, I knew I wanted to make this. I made just one serving for myself and was not disappointed, and with cardamom providing the flavor, there is no way this could be bad. My only changes were I used soured milk as a substitute for buttermilk and didn't make a simple syrup, I just added the sugar to the lassi.

She also has a yummy sounding mango lassi recipe that I will definitely try at some point.

Speaking of breakfast, I made Gingerbread pancakes from Closet Cooking last week. Not really a summer-themed breakfast treat, but tasty nonetheless. I think it would be nice to try it with buttermilk syrup next time I make it. I topped mine with black cherry jam : )

The kitchen counter is often my morning backdrop when I take pictures.

In the spirit summer (but without pics), I also made lemon thyme chicken drumsticks on the grill (I was proud of myself for doing it by myself) and broken glass jello (super fun and easy!) for a fourth of July potluck BBQ I held.

And: I like how Mia Wasikowska a) rocks the super short hair and b) wears the sheer trend without looking trashy

Picture from here

Plus:

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2010-07-14T15:36:00.000-04:00

I used my new Planet Barbecue cookbook by Steven Raichlen to make Cambodian Grilled Ginger, Garlic, and Honey Grilled Baby Back Ribs. I actually used a different cut of pork, but used the results were delicious!

For the ribs and spice paste:
- 4 racks true baby back ribs (3/4-1 lb) or 2 racks American baby back ribs (each 2-2 1/2 lb)
- 6 cloves garlic, coarsley chopped
- 1 piece (2 pieces) fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 tbl sugar
- 1 tbl coarse salt (kosher or sea)
- 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbl honey
- 1 tbl soy sauce
- 1 tbl Asian fish sauce or more soy sauce (I did more soy sauce)

For the dipping sauce (I didn't make this but it sounds like it would provide a nice contrast)
- 4 tsp coarse salt (kosher or sea)
- 4 tsp white pepper
- 4 juicy limes

Advance preparation
1-4 hours for marinating the ribs

1. Prepare the ribs and spice paste: if necessary, remove the thin, papery membrane from the back of each rack of ribs- some store sell baby backs with the membrane removed. If you are using the larger rack of ribs, cut each rack in half. Place the ribs in a non-reactive baking dish just large enough to hold them in a single layer.

2. Place the garlic, ginger, sugar, 1 tbl of salt, and the black pepper in a mortar and pound to a paste with the pestle. If you do not have a mortar and pestle, puree these ingredients in a food processor. Work in the honey, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Spread the spice paste over the baby back ribs on both side. Let the ribs marinate in the fridge for 1-4 hours; the longer the ribs marinate, the richer the flavor.

3. Prepare the ingredients for the dipping sauce: place 1 tsp of the salt and 1 tsp and white pepper in neat mounds side by side in each of 4 tiny bowls for the dipping sauce. Place 2 lime halves next to each bowl.

4. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium heat.

5. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill plate (hmmm... I didn't do that.) Place the ribs bone side down, on the grill plate ad grill until golden brown and cooked through, 8-12 minutes per side, a little longer for full-size ribs. Watch for flare-ups. Should they occur, move the ribs to another section of the grill. When the ribs re done, the meat will have shrunk back from the ends of the bones by about 1/4 inch (I didn't know that!).

6. Transfer the ribs to a cutting board and cut them into individual ribs, then arrange them on a platter or plates for serving. Just before eating, instruct your guests to squeeze -2 tbl of limes juice into their bowls of salt and white pepper and stir them with chopsticks until mixed. Dip the ribs in the sauce before eating.

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2010-07-08T17:03:00.000-04:00

Because I'm lazy, but still should update:

and I've made cajun popcorn (for the girls when we watched True Blood), walnut mochi (sans kinako), caramel corn (I wanted to eat the whole thing), broken glass jello for the 4th of july, grilled honey, lemon, and soy drumsticks (the author used wings, but we don't buy those...), and last but not least: lightly spiced whoopie pies (using previously frozen dough from when I made cookies a while back) and this frosting.

Also, is anyone else getting this heat wave we're experiencing around Boston? It makes riding my bike back and forth from the T not quite as pleasant!

Justine

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2010-06-27T10:02:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited I won (and how perfect is a BBQ book for summer?)! The book is called Planet Barbecue by Steve Raichlen and I won just by commenting (um, easy!).
Thanks Foodie Blogroll!

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2010-06-27T09:55:00.001-04:00

So I check my photo library and *poof* a whole lot of my pictures are gone. Dang. So much for a photo post. I did get one of my steamer cooking the putong puti.

I have a few of the lovely farm fresh eggs my parents got from their friends. I made a simple fried egg and although I don't have a picture of it, the yolk was beautifully vibrant and high, unlike the regular ones from the supermarket.

I liked how they were different colors

Oh yes, and I forgot to say I made yummy, chewy mochi brownie bites : )

Here's a picture of the absolutely AMAZING checkerboard cake ("Alternating rows of yellow and chocolate-flavored cake batter are baked and stacked to produce the alternating squares."*) I got from Sweet Spot Bakery in Melrose. I would get it again, without a doubt.

I also made hot and sour soup from Martha Stewart's cookbook, "Great Food Fast." I doubled the recipe which makes a lot, but it's healthy and delicious. I also added other ingredients which I have italicized.

Hot and Sour Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) [I somehow figured out it out for bouillon cubes and water]
2 tbl soy sauce
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes [I added a bit more]
8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps thinly sliced (about 4 cups) [I omitted these]
3 to 4 tbl rice vinegar
2 tbl cornstarch
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 package (7 ounces) soft or firm tofu, cut into 1/4 inch cubes, drained well
2 tbl finely grated peeled fresh ginger [I used pickled ginger, because we didn't have any fresh]
3 scallions, thinly sliced [I also omitted this because I didn't have any]
I also added to my doubled batch a can of: straw mushrooms, bamboo shoot, water chestnuts, and 1/2 can of baby corn which made this more hearty.

Directions
1. In a large (5 quart) pot, combine the broth, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tbl of vinegar and cornstarch. Add the mixture to the pot; simmer, stirring until the soup is thickened, about 1 minute. Mine didn't get thick; maybe I forgot double it?

3. Add the egg through a slotted spoon and stir to form ribbons. If using the extra ingredients like I did, add them now, too. Stir in the tofu. Remove from the heat; let stand, covered, for about 1 minute. Put the ginger in a small sieve, and squeeze to release the juice into the soup (discard the solids). Taste; add the remaining vinegar if desired. Serve with sprinkled with the scallions.

I'm also including a few pictures of an adorable bunny that was on campus because... why not? I want to get one someday even though I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to them.

I got nice and close to it.

And there was a turkey. Random, right?

*information from here because I was too lazy to describe it

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2010-06-22T15:35:00.000-04:00

What I've made lately/within the last month:

* scrumptious seared sea scallops with briny tarter sauce
* fantastic chicken with forty cloves of garlic
* perfect soft whole grain bread (wonderful for sandwiches or eating plain; I actually made this twice!)
* addictive, yet healthy spicy roasted chickpeas with rosemary
* simple coffee jello to cool you down in the heat
* rich ricotta sformata which I made for my graduation party last month
* heavenly honey peach cake with yogurt cream and sugared pistachios (sounds fancy, but really is quite easy)! They have more ideas here, too
* yummy putong puti

I'll add pictures at some time in the future...
sorry for the lame post!

Justine

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2010-05-16T11:43:00.000-04:00

Hi. Sporadic post because senior week is starting up, which means I graduate on FRIDAY. Wow. I recently went out with my friend Mary when we met up on Tuesday. We bypassed Chinatown's lovely restaurants and shops (bubble tea was our original plan) and went to the South Street Diner.

Mary and her plate of home fries, bacon, 2 eggs, and white toast.

Ummm where does that girl put it, because she ate it all.

I got the super delicious Monte Cristo sandwich, which I put some maple syrup

(this photo is courtesy of Mary- thanks!)

Close-up!

Definitely go if you're in/live in Boston, it's just a street over from the bus terminal and a short walk through Chinatown/from Boylston.

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2010-05-12T12:31:00.000-04:00

So the other day I asked myself: "What can I do to with leftover rice and a microwave? Make rice pudding of course!" So, I made up a rice pudding recipe based on this one (for the proportions, at least). The only thing is this recipe is kind of specific to the way I did it that day, so if you're using sugar, I guess you'll have to test out what tests best to you.
Chocolate Rice Pudding
(serves 2)
-1 cup leftover rice (can be regular white, brown, jasmine, basmati as long as it is not seasoned)
-1 Tbl cocoa powder
-1/2-3/4 cup milk (any type will do; can use soy milk to make it vegan, too)
-3 packets of stevia sweetener (I used PureVia)
-1/4 tsp cinnamon (you may want to increase this or save it to sprinkle on the top at the end)

Mix everything in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 1.5-2 minutes, keeping an eye on the pudding so it doesn't boil over; stir. Do the same thing again one or two more times, stirring in between. When it's creamy, take it out and enjoy hot or out of the fridge if you like it cool.

(You are probably wondering why it's in a measuring cup- it was what I had on hand when I was transferring the leftovers!)

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2010-05-08T13:12:00.000-04:00

It's a rainy Saturday, I'm not doing anything, so I decided now would be an good time to update le blog. Last Monday I went to La Voile (a lovely French restaurant on Newbury Street; go if you want a nice lunch or dinner) with my dad for no reason other than spending time together (the best reason). Here he is:

It was a wonderful, relaxing, delicious dinner.

First the waiter brought a type of salami and bread with tapenade.

My dad order an appetizer, the beet salad with fried goat cheese.

Along with it he had a rose.

The flavors were great and you were still able to taste the sweet earthiness of the beets

For dinner, my dad order the veal stew with basmati rice.

It came in individual serving dishes and the dish was put together at the table by the waiter

I order the duck breast with honey and spices. The smell was just a mouthwatering as the dish itself.

I also had an amazing Cot de Rhone with my meal.

The little bird my dad keep feeding bread to : )

Boston's famous Citgo sign

Au revoir, mes amie...

(let's hope that's right; I took German in high school!)

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2010-05-05T18:29:00.000-04:00

I'm feeling joyful.

I took this yesterday on Newbury Street while eating dinner at La Voile

Enjoy (this/the day/music/LIFE)!

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2010-05-03T15:49:00.001-04:00

Hi.

Gorgeous weather we've been having here in Boston, huh? Still no drinkable tap water (without boiling it, that is), but, hey we're surviving.

Went to Berryline yesterday and got myself an awesome PB frozen yogurt with chocolate chips, shredded coconut, and crushed graham crackers. Divineeeee. : ) I should have taken a picture of it's yumminess.

I've been doing a lot of walking aroud lately as an excuse to be outside and enjoy myeslf. Especially since there is only 7 more days before my final class as an undergrad. Me oh my!

I decided that I miss cooking/baking, but I remember that I had a no-bake cookie recipe from Everybody Likes Sandwiches and decided to make half a batch. Let me tell you why it is good:
a) the way I did it doesn't involve an oven or a stove- just a microwave
b) peanut butter
c) chocolate

Yup, that pretty much covers it. Oh yeah, and they must be healthy because they have oats in them. Right? I say so, so why not?

The way I did it in the microwave if you choose thus option is by microwaving the butter until it was melted, adding the cocoa, and mixing until the cocoa is dissolved into the butter. I then added the sugar, milk and salt and mixed it all up. Next, I microwaved the mixture for about 1 minute and a half, to bring to a full boil. Make sure if you do it not to cook to long that the mixture burns. I added the vanilla, peanut butter and oatmeal, stirred well, and dropped them on a plate. I used a teaspoon to do this, but you can use a tablespoon, too.

A funny thing happened when I was making them though. I didn't have enough oats! So how did I rescue what could have been a horrible situation? I used almost a whole packet of some quick maple brown sugar oatmeal from Target that I had. I shook it until the maple sugar powder went to the bottom and I used the oats on top. I also scooped some of the chocolate mixture out because I was lacking in the oats department. I ate the chocolate mixture. It was like fudge sauce. And delicous. Don't judge me.

I also made something with the bit of oats and flavor. I used 1/2 a red delicious apple, the other 1/2 or so packet of oatmeal, about a tablespoon of raisins, and few good shakes of cinnamon.

Then I microwaved it for about a minute and a half, added a few tablespoons of milk and enjoyed my treat.

Alright, we'll I'm not sure when I'll post again, so in the mean time , check out these other food blogs which are way cooler than me:

Golubka: a mother daughter team with great recipes

Dandy Sugar: I looked through every single page of the blog

KO Rasoi: a nifty blog full of yummy Indian treats

and, just for fun, Edible Crafts, where a recent post was how to make you own Poptarts!

Until then, au revoir!

Justine

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2010-04-26T18:21:00.000-04:00

Hola,

I'm laying low on my blog for a while because I have another blog I have to do for school and they don't need to find out about this one. I'll resume posting at some point.

As you can tell there weren't very many good results for pictures when I typed in "laying low" into Google...

/one/hundred/seventy/six

2010-04-21T07:44:00.000-04:00

My computer hates me. I try to click or highlight or select and it just has it't own mind. I will try to post when I can, but for now.... my computer is just making me sad.

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2010-04-18T14:29:00.002-04:00

Currently Reading/almost done with: Immovable Feast: A Paris Christmas by John Baxter (not quite the right time of the year, eh?).
Past Book: Fangland by John Marks

This post is about oxfords! I was going to get a pair for Spring and went on a trek a about month ago to find a pair, but I think I started a bit to early before many were in stores. Now I've relaxed my search and they seem to be popping up more. I'm not sure if I want to get a pair anymore because I want a pair of plain flat black boots, but it's not exactly boot season anymore. I have been seeing a lot of people with boots like these, however....

Alright, enough talking. Here's the eye candy.

Alice & Olivia for Payless; $30

Joan and David from Piperlime; $160

Steve Madden at Zappos; $63

Louie Louie at Piperlime; $198

Belle by Sigerson Morrison at Piperlime; $220

Exhilaration at Target; $25

Stuart Weitzman at Zappos; $330

Franco Sarto at Zappos

Deena and Ozzy at Urban Outfitters; $48

Dolce Vita at DJ Premium; $220

Fancy Oxfords! I couldn't get the picture to display, but they are metallic wedge oxfords from Rachel Comey at Bergdorf Goodman.

You can also check out Anthropologie, I saw a pair at H & M (in store because there is not online shopping for H & M in the US), and Forever 21 (mostly for high heeled oxfords more than flats).

Not sure, how to wear them? Here are a few links to help you out.

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2010-04-18T14:29:00.000-04:00

Yesterday after some shopping with a friend (Molly) at the Cambridgeside Galleria, we went to The Similans, a Thai restaurant located on First Street in Cambridge and situated between Boca Grande (Mexican) and The Helmand (Afghan). From the Green line you can take the T to Lechmere or you can take the Red line to Kendell/MIT and walk a bit.
I always pass these restaurants on my way to work (I watch a nine month old) five hours a day from Tuesday to Friday. When ever I walk by, it always smells delicious. There are the different scents of the different cuisines mixing together and I enjoy trying to identify the scent as I pass by.
We went at 4 because we had such a large, late breakfast and found that we had the place to ourselves. Really. The only other people there were the people who worked there. The atmosphere was nice- there were two beautiful fish tanks and a lovely chandelier. There was Thai and English background music which sometimes reminded me of slow-dance prom music.

The staff was very nice and came over twice to make sure everything was okay. I also never had an empty water glass. Molly and I just got entrees and no appetizers, though I did get a brown rice tea to warm me up (where is Boston's nice weather go??) and she got a Thai iced tea (always delicious; I got a few sips). When it came time to order (which came out super quick, probably because we were the only people there!), Molly got her regular stand-by, Pad Thai, and I got a dish from the "Vegetarian Corner" called "Paradise Garden." The description says the dish is made with

"sauteed zucchini, bamboo strips, summer squash, Thai eggplant, cauliflower, snow peas, broccoli, carrots, celery, green beans, green & red peppers and sweet basil leaves in mild red curry sauce."

I also got a choice of white or brown rice- I chose brown.

It was perfect. The vegetables were cooked till they were tender and the green beans still had a bit of a snap. They were full of flavor and went so well with they creamy, curry sauce. The flavor of the coconut, curry, and Thai basil all mixed wonderfully together. I can't believe it, but I ate the whole things along with the bowl of brown rice (also cooked well), which I kept spooning the sauce onto. I also just ate some spoonfuls of the sauce by itself, too! I tried a bite of Molly's Pad Thai (she's very good at sharing), which had chicken, shrimp, and egg mixed in the rice noodle and it was also tasty.
I would definitely go to The Similans again for the delicious food, pleasant atmosphere, good service, and right price. Check it out if you're ever in Cambridge!

PS- this adorable, I wish I needed a new lunch-bag!

(from Baby Cashmere)

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2010-04-09T18:58:00.000-04:00

I got it! My stand mixer arrived in the mail and I was super excited to use it when I made lemon squares for Easter. Buuuut... the recipe didn't require and use of a mixer!! This means that I will have to wait. Ah well. It will just have to sit safely in my closet until I come home again and have a chance to make something that does require the use of a mixer. Here are a few pics of it anyway in it's majestic yellow (according to Kitchen-Aid) splendor. I chose the color because it looked retro to me.

Do you think it holds enough? : )

Onto what I made and the recipe. Lemon squares.

And boy were they good. Tart, yet sweet, with a crunchy buttery bottom

I made a double batch because my dad was afraid that there wouldn't be enough for the whole family, but there was no issue with that so we ended up keeping on batch for ourselves. When making the bars I made two mistakes

1. Be aware that a thin crust forms on top. I wasn't. I tried to get rid of it and ended up with some silly looking (but still tasty) bars.

2. This was a personal error: in the "ugly" batch I only added 1/2 the amount of lemon juice, but they still were lemony and delicious.

Here's an example of the "ugly" no as lemon-y squares: "Hmmm, that doesn't look right." I thought to myself.

And then when try to gently poke it, the fork somehow flew out of my hand...

and landed like this:

But

the damage was already done.

I ended up just pushing all of the crust in and baking it for a bit longer.

But moving on to the batch that actually came out the way it was supposed to. First, you make the crust and bake it for 20 minutes to get it crispy (so soggy lemon squares here)

Lots of lemons because I doubled the recipe.

The lemons are the right are naked! Well actually just zested...

The zest

A very full bowl of the lemon filling. I actually had to transfer it to a bigger one because this is before I added more ingredients.

Mix it up!

After adding the filling to the pre-baked crust, you get this:

Then, cut into squares and ENJOY!

It was also my Grandma's 81st birthday, hence the candles stuck into the bars

When I made the second batch, I had to use a slightly smaller baking dish and had some leftover, uncooked filling. Did I toss it? NO WAY! I cooked it on the stove and

got a lovely, lemon curd-like treat. Mmmm.

Off to watch Spice World (remember it?), later!

Justine

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2010-04-07T21:42:00.000-04:00

New post and pics coming soon: luscious lemon bars! You won't want to miss it.

in the mean time I'm lazy, so here are some links:

I love these socks and tights. I want them all!

Do check out cool Danish singer, CALLmeKAT

(you can also listen to her album here)

I love music. I love food. This blog combines them both.

I'm not sure when this came/comes out, but it looks cute!

Enjoy and have a beautiful night!

Justine

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2010-03-29T13:14:00.001-04:00

Spring on a Rainy Day

I chose these pictures (taken by my Dad from a recent trip to Barcelona) because think they show the newness and beginnings that nature and Spring together represent.

A few presents from my parents trip, a lovely, small bowl

and some almond and sesame seed candy

I've already eaten almost 1/2 of it!

The edible "paper" on the back

Look at the delicious chunks and whole pieces of almonds flecked with sesame seeds in a crunchy, sweet bar form.

Heaven : )

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2010-03-24T08:42:00.000-04:00

Pics from over spring break. Now I'm done with my backlog!

I used plain yogurt instead of buttermilk because it's what we had.

Recipe from here:

This lil' old book was my dad's and is from the 70's

I made mine into two loaves

I love bread. I ate almost one entire loaf in three days. By myself.

How I feel sometimes...

Maybe I'll get this shirt...

and make breads like this...

and find a man who looks like this...

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2010-03-23T10:09:00.000-04:00

Hi, it's raining and don't like that. The cure? Soup will definitely be on my menu today. I wish I could have a bowl of the one I made below, again.

Elegant beet soup with rye recipe originally from elle magazine. I used a piece of regular bread, we had no rye.

roasted beets

in the blender

lovely color

it's good hot or cold

Another thing I made over spring break and am posting now. Kabe Morg, a persian chicken recipe with fruit stuffing. The recipe is from In A Persian Kitchen by Maideh Mazda. I highly recommend this easy to follow cookbook with yummy recipes.

I doubled the stuffing recipe and the leftovers were great. I also made another batch of the spices and rubbed it on top for extra flavor, though I would decrease the salt next time. I also threw in some white wine in the bottom of the baking dish for flavor/moistness. The results were delicious.

The stuffing

Mushroom ragout from Sea Salt with Food (I didn't have fresh herbs, but it was still very good)

I got sucked into the Amish friendship bread thing and was given a starter by my mom's friend. They say the starter recipe is a secret, but apparently not.... The recipe makes 2 loaves.

I used cardamom instead of cinnamon because it's one of my favorite spices; I also used french vanilla pudding instead of regular. Anyone know the difference? Never mind, I just found my answer.

bad lighting at night = not so great pictures

Next post, belated pics of Irish soda bread!

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2010-03-22T16:35:00.000-04:00

I've decided to do a little post with few words and more pictures, so here you go

Breakfast one day over spring break. leftover gulab jamun (a yummy indian fried donut in syrup) syrup, pumpkin butter, and plain yogurt.

A mini pistachio macaron from Burdicks in Harvard Square

the cute take-out container from Wagamama

free pastry from starbucks tomorrow
free ice cream at ben and jerry's tomorrow

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2010-03-21T13:26:00.001-04:00

I'll work backward from last night to yesterday morning but before I do. The weather yesterday? A-MAZ-ING. The proof:

(the thermometer was in the sun, but it was still gorgeous even in the shade)

from the kitchen window

the first flowers!

the weather had me overjoyed and loving life

I went to The Paramount, a restaurant in the Beacon Hill area which serves American cuisine, last night with a group of five other friends for a birthday. We got there around 7 and had to wait about 30-45 even though they said the wait would be about 15-20 minutes. It was okay for me because I had a lot of food earlier in the day (including and not limited to: a cupcake and cookies for breakfast, salmon and hummus on pita for lunch, snack snack snacking....).

It was really busy, loud, and small. Nice energy, but on a Friday night, it get loud, so I wouldn't recommend it for a quiet date night or a good heart-to-heart conversation. We had all had plenty of time to look at the menu, so we ordered right away after being seated.

They had some good specials, but a few of them were all gone. Thankfully I got the last P.E.I. mussels and baby shrimp in a white wine and butter sauce with onions and herbs. It was an appetizer, but I got it as my entree. It was really nice. The mussels were huge, but still tasty and tender and the shrimp added another nice texture. The broth was pretty good too and I wished I had asked for a spoon to drink some up : )

Three of my friends got the Paramount Burgers and the other 2 got chicken piccata. Not very original options, but hey, it's their choices and they looked very good and everyone said their food was very good.

The service was very good, too, despite the busyness of the restaurant. There was never and empty water glass and when my plate was taking a while (something happened in the kitchen), the waitress was very apologetic. Also, there was no problem with substitutions. Mashed potatoes instead of fries? Sure. Sweet potato fries instead of regular ones? No problem.

Overall, I liked small like The Paramount': l appreciated the service, enjoyed the food, and had a good time with friends.

Moving back some hours to Saturday morning. I made Beatty's chocolate cupcakes (I halved the recipe) with vanilla whipped buttercream frosting (no rosewater in mine, though). I also found another recipe for super soft chocolate cupcakes, which I would like to try sometime. My only change in the cupcakes, I used plain yogurt instead of buttermilk and the for the frosting.... Well, I messed something up, but it was okay in the end.

Since I halved the cupcakes recipe, I did the same with the frosting and I think I forgot the reduce the milk, maybe? I don't know. But I fixed the frosting by adding more confectioner's sugar, butter, vanilla, and a bit of almond extract just for fun. I would like to try to make frosting again so I can see how it turns out when made correctly. I would also definitely make the cupcakes again; they were chocolatey with a great texture. Great recipe.

the cupcakes before being cooked (with my homemade cupcake wrappers, aka wax papers)

after being baked

I also made herb beer bread. I used this beer:

Next time I would try a lighter beer because I didn't like the flavor it added to the bread after it was cooked. It was still pretty good, though. I wasn't sure what herbs to use or how much (the recipe just says Italian herbs) so I used these:

the fizzy, bubbly batter

very sticky

see?

in the pan

done...

and out of the pan

the inside after my first slice

my bread is fairly light because I forgot to put the butter on the top until there were five minutes left

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2010-03-18T21:45:00.000-04:00

i'm dead tired and it's only 9:37. long day and late night working on an assignment.

saturday i'm going to the paramount to celebrate my roommate's birthday. the menu looks tasty but i'm not sure what to order. it's extra nice because the restaurant is across the street from a friend's apartment and it will be nice to hang out there after dinner and eat some cupcakes i'm planning on making (i'm going home tomorrow to babysit, which = oven and cooking supplies. yessss). will post more at a later date. i'm going to do abs and go to bed!

my bed is calling, i will answer.

justine

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2010-03-15T16:44:00.001-04:00

It is so incredibly gross outside. Rainy. Cold. Windy. Rainy. The Muddy River has overflowed and filled the park with water. The ducks and geese don't mind of course, but it sucks for everyone else.

What also sucks it my parents are in Barcelona for a week where it is probably nice and dry and warm. Humbug. (Can you tell I'm jealous?)

Well I'm now back at school after being off for a week for break, though it wasn't very break like because I still had to go into Cambridge to watch the 8 month old like I usually do and there was just general business in my life. But that's okay. It was still not too bad of a break. I did do a bit of shopping. My original intention was to find a cute pair of flat oxfords, but no luck so far. I think I'l have to shop around Boston a bit or just wait a month or so until more stores get in their spring/summer lines. If anyone sees a pair under $100, let me know where you found them and I may be able to check them out if the store is in Boston of the surrounding areas, including the mall in Burlington, Saugus, or Danvers.

I ended up getting a few fun things at Forever 21, including this romper, two pairs of patterned tights from Gap in tan and light gray, a black slightly puffy sleeve dress from H & M, and a mini challis skirt from Nordstrom.

One to food. Oh dear, being home = eating. Lots of eating. And the eating is good, too. Not the mediocre cafeteria food we have at school (though I did have the lentil vegetable soup this afternoon and I was happy with that...).

The first night I was home I made blackened salmon (changes: I skipped the white pepper because we didn't have any, cut the amount butter in half, and baked it instead of cooking it in a skillet) with avocado remoulade, couscous, and hashed brussels sprouts with lemon (changes: we didn't have an black mustard or poppy seeds, so I left those out). I very much enjoyed making a yummy dinner and sharing it with my parents.

The remoulade

My mom's birthday was last saturday and she decided to have a party with her friends at the house and served Flemish Beef Stew with Apples and Beer. It is so delicious. Amazing. Warming. Flavorful. And I could go on but won't. The recipe is by Arlene Jacobs and is from the Boston Globe some years ago. She recommends you "serve this hearty dish over mashed potatoes" (we usually do garlic mashed potatoes) and that it serves 4 people. And don't be afraid of leftovers. The flavors just combine and marinate more as the times passes. If there are many leftovers, that is.

Flemish Beef Stew with Apples and Beer

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons corn oil

2 cups dark beer

1 tablespoon butter

4 shallots, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup pitted prunes

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 medium apples, peeled, cored, seeded, and sliced

1. In a bowl, combine the beef with brown sugar, and nutmeg. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

2. Remove the beef from the marinade and dry it on paper towels (reserve the marinade). Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper.

3. In a large skillet over high heat, heat the oil until it is almost smoking. Brown the beef in two batches, turning constantly until they are golden all over. (The beef will brown quickly because of the sugar in the marinade).

4. Remove the beef from the skillet.

5. Add 1½ cups of beer and let it bubble while you scrape the bottom of the skillet; set it aside.

6. In a large flameproof casserole, melt the butter and cook the shallot and garlic for 5 minutes or until they soften.

7. Add the flour, turn up the heat to medium high and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Lower the heat and add the cinnamon stick, tomato paste, salt, pepper, the beer mixture in the skillet, the marinade in the stock.

8. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, partially cover the pan, and simmer the beef for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally, or until the beef it tender. Add water to the pan during the cooking if the sauce seems too thick.

9. Add mustard, prunes, and apples and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat.

10. Add the remaining ½ cup of beer and cook for 1 minute more. Serve at once.

My mom also made 2 types of cookies and a jelly roll (1/2 of it with apricot jam and half with pumpkin butter!) instead of having cake. One of the cookies I fell in love with after just hearing the name: cardamom pepper cookies. She found the recipe in More magazine and decided to give it a try. I'm so glad she did!

Music: free SXSW (South by Southwest) music sampler from npr (here).

I'll do another post about the rest of what I whipped up and scarfed down possibly tomorrow.

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2010-03-14T01:05:00.000-05:00

be back soon!

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2010-03-02T12:57:00.000-05:00

Random thought #1: my mom is trying to eat oatmeal a few times a week because she said her good cholesterol is 2x what it is supposed to be. I told her I would give her some ideas to make her oatmeal fun and tasty : ) She said she though of me while making her oatmeal with peanut butter today. Way to go mom! (Not my picture below, by the way)

Random thought #2: What are people's thoughts on flexitarianism? You know, those almost vegetarian people who are almost vegetarian, but still eat a bit of meat and fish? I guess I considered myself a flexitarian. My reasoning behind this I feel healthier and if I want some meat, sure, why not? I'm not going to deprive myself. I usually just want to try things for the flavors, so I'll serve my self a bite or two of the meat or fish. For example, today at lunch I had baked beans, spinach, an apple, some cooked onions, and polenta (which had no flavor and I didn't end up eating). My friend had chicken nuggets and I thought, "Hmmm, the last time I had chicken nuggets was when??" So I went up and got one. Just one. Enough to satisfy my curiosity of the mystery meat inside and the crunchiness on the outside. A bite here, some chicken in my soup... I do enjoy my choices I make.

More about being a flexitarian here (article), here (wiki), and here (Mayo Clinic).

Random Thought #3: I'm not religious and Lent already started, but as I was laying in bed trying to make myself go to sleep, I had a thought. I'm giving up... ready for this?.... Tastespotting for Lent. GASP! The horror! I know, crazy, huh? For those who don't know what it is, it is place close to heaven. And where I go at least 2x daily to see if there are any new delicious looking picture for me to look at, click on and bookmark.

My recipes bookmark collection is seriously too large. I have a p-r-o-b-l-e-m. Because it is so large, I have (being the organized person that I am) made a recipes folder (well, duh, Justine) and then created 12 categories (most with subcategories). I will divulge my organization of my recipes here (this is embarrassing):

appetizer

bread (3subcategories: challah, rolls/biscuits/etc., scones )

breakfast (9 subcategories: bars/squares, granola, muffins, oatmeal, pancakes/waffles, sweet, savory, yogurt, other)

dessert (12 subcategories: add ons (syrups, whipped cream, cannoli cream etc.), bars/brownies/squares, cakes, candy, cookies, cupcakes/whoopie pies, frozen (ice cream/sorbet/etc), fruit based, pies/crisps/tarts [which also has another sub-sub category of non-fruit pies], puddings/custards, brulee, rolls/bun, and other)

drinks (2 subcategories: alcoholic and non-alcoholic. both had hot and cold sub-subcategories.)

glutinous rice flour (3 subcategories: dango, mochi, other)

entree (13 subcategories: egg, beef, fish, lamb, pasta, pizza, pork, poultry, soup, seafood, tofu, vegetables/vegetarian, other)

pumpkin (6 subcategories: bread, breakfast, entree, muffins, sweet, other)

side dish (5 subcategories: potato/sweet potato, rice, salad, veggie, other)

snack (subcategory: 1; popcorn)

misc

I also have a "useful links folder" which has sites like a food freezing guide, conversion calculators (four. Why so many? I wish I knew), British kitchen terminology, translated into American English, and two sub-categories: "pasta making" and "substitutions." I need to do some spring cleaning, checking for outdated link, stupid bookmarks I don't want, recipes that don't actually some good/feasible and so on.

Oh yeah. All the bookmarks are alphabetized, too.

Two words describe all of this thought: SAD LIFE.

Random thought #4: I really like these Vivienne Tam tights.

I'm been getting into colored tight, but nothing dramatic or too daring- cranberry, deep green, dark brown- just a bit to add something to an outfit.

Food related links:
The difference between cupcakes and muffins: solved.
A discouraging trend: snacking means kids are moving towards "constant eating".

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2010-02-27T11:15:00.006-05:00

Hi and good afternoon! I got my hair cut this morning at Phillipo Salon, which is a modern, fun salon, on 1369 Boylston, opened in the past year I believe.

It's close to school and I had a coupon for $25 wash, cut, and style, so I figured why not. I walked in and a nice woman from the front desk asked me if I wanted anything to drink (I asked for water, didn't get it and when my stylist, Janice, asked if I wanted anything and I said no). I filled out a small questionnaire with basic info (name, address, etc) as well as style (modern, funky, classic,) and drink preference (coffee, water, champagne). I was shown where to put my coat and where to put my robe on. The appointment started promptly at at 10, which is nice because I like punctuality (even if I'm not in rush or time constraint).

Janice asked what kind of style I wanted, how I usually wear my hair, what my hair is like, how often I wash it, dyeing my hair, and during the cut she mentioned a bit about what she was doing and why, told me a few tips, and gave me suggestions of services (two: a gloss and making my hair chocolate brown, which I'm not considering except with a wash out one from the drugstore). We made a bit of small talk, but not too much, which is okay, because I generally don't really want to talk a lot while getting my haircut. Janice did a dry cut, which I hadn't experienced before. I was worried she wasn't going to wash it, but she did, after the cut.

After she washed it, she asked if I wanted to wear it and I decided on straight since I never do this. Here are some pictures...

before (how I usually wear it; wavy/natural)

front

side

back

I don't think I like it with a blowout that has this much volume. It feels helmet head-y. It's okay, though, like I said, I don't wear it straight ever (except for my bangs) because I'm lazzzy : ) It will be intersting to see what it comes out like when (and if I ever) do it myself. I bought two products (so that's where my money went!), Articulate and Blow Out. Articulate is used to "increase curl and wave definition" and I'll try this instead of gel. Blow Out is a "thickening and texturing cream." If I don't like it, I'll give it to my mom, I guess!

Moving on to one of my favorite topics: food. I made a soup the other day. I used some butternut squash soup (which was way too sweet, even with the addition of chicken soup broth and some cumin for flavor) and mixed veggies (lima beans, green beans, carrots, onions, summer squash, and zucchini), all which I got from the cafeteria. To that I added Thai Kitchen spring onion instant rice noodle soup, which is gluten free and vegan, by the way)

The result was tasty, flavorful, warm and comforting without being heavy. And that was just what I wanted.

Now: eating soup and watching the latest episode of Skins!

Later on: going to see Valentine's Day with a friends. Should be a fun, light, romantic movie. We'll see!

PS- I'm glad the rain has disappeared (for now, at least)!

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2010-02-26T23:22:00.000-05:00

Spring break countdown:

one week.

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2010-02-25T21:14:00.003-05:00

Remember that healthy eating thing I was going to do ? Yeah. That's an epic fail (inother words fatfatfatfatty). In other news, glasses look good at any size.

the "zag"

"miles"

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2010-02-21T21:42:00.005-05:00

I just made half the recipe portion of black and white popcorn using the recipe I found from The Whole Kitchen and it is yummy! I also added some white chedders Cheez-its, peanuts, cinnamon Life cereal, and a small handful of mini-chocolate bits.

(picture from The Whole Kitchen)

Lord knows I don't need anymore snacks (but that didn't stop me from making it and 1/2 of the recipe eating). This is making me think I might have to... duh duh duh... go to the gym. Blech. Maaaaybe on Tuesday. Maybe.

Tomorrow starts a new week and I'm starting the week with a new, healthier attitude. This is also inspired by Michael Pollan's Food Rules. Easy to read and understand and makes a lot of sense. Check it out.

I'm going to try not snack. There's really not a need for me to do this because I just eat when I'm bored. Not a good idea, Justine..... Anyway, as I read in Pollan's book, if you're not hungry enough to eat an apple, don't eat. Makes sense to me! (now let's see if I can stick with it)

I'm also going to try to pay more attention to the portion size of what I'm eating. I do eat pretty healthy, lots of fruits and veggies, oats (like this breakfast "cookie" from fitnessista I've been making for the last few weeks; I'm on a kick and use 1 tbl to cocoa powder instead of protein powder), legumes, too...

Oh and I just remembered that tomorrow I'm going out to dinner to a Tibetan restaurant called Rangzen in Central Square. Not the best time to go out to eat when starting a health kick (not diet. I don't do that), but I made these plans a while and haven't seen my friend in over 6 months. Okay, we'll I'll let you know what I got and how it was!

Justine

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2010-02-15T13:59:00.006-05:00

Hello, blogosphere. It's been a while, hasn't it? Well I'm back with a post of 2 types of cookies: Honey Bee cookies and safe-to-eat-raw cookie dough from The Cupcake Project. I also havesome recipes that I made, but didn't take pics of.

The cookbook is form my Grandma. She got it for me when I was in elementary school : )

I decided to decorate the Honey Bee cookies, too!

The raw cookie dough was tasty, but I found that since I was only stirring it with a spoon and fork (no mixer in the dorms at school), I had to add a bit more milk. The second time I tried it I did 2 things differently: I added some tablespoons of PB (I used Teddie old fashioned smooth PB, ) for PB cookie dough (yum!!) and I also forgot to get some packets of butter from the cafeteria, so I used vegetable oil. I actually used less oil than there would be tablespoons of butter and it furned out just fine, to my surprise.

My roommate and I tried to cook one in the microwave. Umm it didn't work...

Food Items I Have Made:

-I was trying to use up some egg yolks so I made chocolate mousse with a cinnamon mousse layer and the results were delicious (other ideas here)

-Adding cream to a typical typical apple pie makes it a yummy German apple pie!

- Kris Kringle cakes, not really worth it; just average pancakes, but with apple sauce and cinnamon

- I halved the recipe and reduced the sugar a bit (I think I used only about 1/2 cup) for baked oatmeal and it was very good, even the next day cold or reheated

- Crispy baked cauliflower was like addictive and healthy. The slight change I made was I used a combination or Total whole grain cereal and unseasoned bread crumbs because I ran out of the bread crumbs.

- The Pioneer Woman's sour cream pancakes: yes, please!

-I made cornmeal buttermilk pancakes, but I think since I used masa harina, not real cornmeal, this is the reason they came out weird. When I added extra milk, it was better, though.

-I got the idea for Savory Pumpkin Dip and saw the ingredients and added them without measuring till it tasted just to my liking. I added powdered garlic instead of the 2 heads and a bit of polive oil to make it smoother.

Also, Obama Foodorama keeps the world up to date on the eating and goings on of food in the White House and beyond

Fashion-y links:

Cute Olympic-theme ballet flats: which country do you support?

Hermes or not, this is just ridiculous

I went to the Marblehead store Bobbles and Lace and loved it! Cute clothes, shoes, and accessories. There's one in the North End, too, but I haven't gone to it. Perhaps soon....

Lara Stone stealing from Chanel? Mon Dieu!

And can I Just say that I love this outfit I found on The Satoralist?

Adorable!

Okay, that's it for now. I'll update when I have something interesting to post!

Justine

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2010-01-16T11:53:00.004-05:00

Hi. I just made another batch of pumpkin granola. I made one last night. And it was really good. I was looking forward to bringing it to school with me: 4 cups of oats, orange pumpkin, yummy nuts, all that jazz... But now there's only about a cup left over. Why is there so little left? Was I such a piggie that I ate almost all of it?? No (for once). I went out with my friend for dinner and when I came back my mom and her friends had eaten almost all of it. Pshhh. The nerve. I got the yummy recipe from here. I left out the raisins because we don't have any and just used an assortment of nuts (peanuts, almonds, walnuts, cashews, macadamia nuts even) we had laying around. Also instead of rice cereal I used a remaining cup or so of some raisin bran crunch cereal no one likes/doesn't eat. I wish I had taken a picture for you all to see the granola in all it's glory, but alas...

Anyway, the newer batch I made today is based on Emily's. The changes I made to the maple pumpkin granola were based on what we did and didn't have. The changes are:

- I put down wax paper on the baking sheet for easy clean up,

- I used 1/2 maple syrup (grade A, it was on hand) and 1/2 honey (to get rid of the little bit we had left),

- I had none of the nuts or dried fruit she had so I used sesame seeds (I didn't measure, I just did it till it looked good) and about a 1/4 to 1/3 cup of chopped dried apricots,

-I used more than a teaspoon (didn't measure) combination of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom (looove it), cloves, and allspice instead of just cinnamon. I like a lot of flavor. Can you tell?

-and lastly, no Grapenut cereal to I used a cup of whole grain Total.

At the last 10 minutes I turned up broke up the granola a bit and put it back in the oven at a hotter temp (325 degrees) for extra crunchiness. The results: tasty : )

Mehhh the first pic is blurry.

Also, anyone know anything about teaching in Japan I have hope to do this next year and any information would be very much appreciated!!!

Justine

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2010-01-04T15:42:00.003-05:00

January by John Updike

The days are short,

The sun a spark

Hung thin between

The dark and dark

Fat snowy footsteps

Track the floor,

The parkas pile up

Near the door

The river is

A frozen place

Held still beneath

The trees' black lace

The sky is low.

The wind is gray.

The radiator

Purrs all day.

Happy January,

Justine

/one/hundred/fifty/seven/

2009-12-31T10:52:00.003-05:00

HAPPY (ALMOST) NEW YEAR!

Here's all the pictures of food I made and promised I would put up. I thought perhaps before a new year is upon is might be a good time... should that be my resolution? no, i don't make them. do you if you do, what's your resolution. if not, why?

light as air chocolate cake which I made into cupcakes. I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I just kind of realized that cupcakes aren't mini cakes. there are differences in the recipes for lightness and texture, etc. took me long enough!

mug brownie = delicious. wonderful for dorm cooking because it only requires a microwave. sometimes i'll add in mini chocolate bits i've snatched form the cafeteria and put in a to-go cup or i'll put in pieces of reese PB candy. you can add whatever candy you feel like. and i just thought of adding peppermint extract instead of vanilla so make it like a peppermint pattie.

hmm. who's reflection is that in the microwave?

reeses mug brownie!

microwave apple butter. i made it for the kids at the school i was working at for snack. we put it on tortillas. i put a pear because i was missing an apple and i knew it would really make a difference. i wrote more about my experience making it here.

a huge apple!

i wanted to make candied/spiced nuts in the microwave so i used a spice packet from i don't know where and the leftover syrup from my apple butter making experience. they came out really well. sweet, salty, and herb-y. yum!

my own take on pumkin butter (made in the microwave, of course, because of my lack of access to anything else)

save those seeds! i have a tasty plan for them later.

sugar and spice and everything nice...

mini and illegal food processor to do the dirty work. if i didn't have it i probably would have had to mach it with a work. tediousssss.

i just added some soy sauce, butter, and sugar and got addictive results.

thanksgiving feast!

my dad making gravy

roasted vegetables

a huge salad

mashed potatoes

my mom and went to a b & b for my christmakkah and did some shopping in marblehead. the bathroom sink in the b & b was so cool so i just had to take a picture

the big tasty breakfast. the other morning we had almost the same thing except the eggs were poached.

below is me being a geek and trying on a blazer and vest with a dress i'm getting rid of. they looked pretty good with it, but i'm not going to wear the dress again and instead of having it sit in my closet taking up space, i would rather someone else wear it by selling it at a local consignment shop.

me in a new dress (which i wore for christmas) and my new boots

the details of the dress on the sleeve

another new dress that i'm wearing for new years, probably with the shoes i have on in the picture, too, but i might not because i have issues with being taller than people.

close up of the front

now for some christmas cooking. i made an appetizer and hasselback potatoes. both were great and I would make them again. more on that here.

taters before

and after

dukkah pork

caramelized onion dip

the cold appetizer plate: carrots, hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, stuffed zucchini, pickles, and marinated mushrooms

a spread of the food

le table

moi

no, we didn't eat these. i just took a few shots of birds outside the kitchen window while i was cooking christmas day.

my (new: gift to myself) glass and cup i keep by my bed. i just like it : P

i love light

red velvet cake

messy baker/bad photographer. i had flour all over me hehe

the finished/frosted product

i've only had sme crumbs because wearing saving it until new years eve for my mom's party but what i did have tasted great and i hope there are leftovers!

below is my mom's vanilla cake. she put chocolate on the side and put flowers in a vase in the center. i think it's sort of ridiculous. it makes the think of the scene in my big fat greek wedding when the fiance and his parents go to meet the greek family and the mom brings a bundt cake. the greek woman think the cake has a hole in it (not on purpose) and but a vase in it. you can see part of the clip here (skip to 1min50s)n. although they don't show the flower part, it's still funny.

i'll conclude with a picture of me and all the girls (except for one) out to eat. i love us!

wishing everyone a happy new year to start the new year with a good start!

/one/hundred/fifty/six/

2009-12-28T23:07:00.004-05:00

DECEMBER 29th-

High: 28°F RealFeel®: 10°F

Winds gusting past 45 mph; partly sunny and colder

My tomorrow will be chilly. I won't lie. I'm looking forward to it.

listening to: angel in the snow by elliot smith. random itunes song, but appropriate for the weather..

now for some inappropriateness. i found this after using google image search for angel in the snow:

hmmm. moving on.

any plans for new years?

me, well i'll be going to the joshua tree with a few girls. hope it's fun!

list of recently downloaded songs:

-daylight- matt and kim

-get it on in my mind (pixies vs. marvin gaye)- dj zebra

-slow hands (interpol cover)- zee avi

-no christmas for me- zee avi

-how do you spell channukkahh?-the levees

-whatever you like (t.i. cover)- anya marina

-alice- pogo (sick youtube vid, too)

-satellite heart-anya marina

-where is my mind (bassnecter remix)- pixies

- heaven can wait- charlotte gainsbourg and beck (weeeeird vid)

-empire state of mind- jay-z feat.alicia keys

work-ciara feat. missy elliot

i've made: balsamic roasted brussels sprouts, (i loved them. and all brussels sprout recipes), caramelized onion and cream cheese bites (i changed them a bit. i tossed in some parmesan and shredded "pizza" cheese into the cream cheese and left the crackers on the side for people to dip themselves so they wouldn't get soggy. it was all gone and super tasty and easy!), hasselback potatoes (took a while to cut the potato, but well worth it in taste and presentation), and my dad made dukkah crusted pork (we used almonds and didn't have any mint, but it was still a delicious recipe. it was a big hit at christmas).

eh, maybe pictures that i took later, but we'll see. just thought i should update since it's been a while.

hope you had some nice holiday and will have a great new years!

justine

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2009-12-08T17:19:00.004-05:00

So I got chose for the random foodie blogroll and haven't updated in forever. My apologies. It's been a crazy busy semester to say the least. I just added some new pics here (under fall 09) and I will post with explanations later in the month (sadly, not sooner). Links I used for my recipes include: pumpkin cobbler at good life eats, pumpkin gingerbread ice cream (no pics were taken, sorry!) from pastry studio, david lebovitz's info about making ice cream without an ice cream machine, and pumpkin mac and cheese from the crispy cook. I also made seasoned pumpkin seeds, apple butter, and peanut brittle (sort of) . By the way, did you notice a special ingredient that kept popping up? : )

Also, I got my hair cut! Majorly.

Before:

After:

As you can tell I love it. It's so easy and my hair is wavy and it looks good au natural, too. I'll try to post pics of my inspiration for the transformation when I have a chance, too.

But what I really want to say is...

Thanks Foodie Blogroll for featuring me!

/one/hundred/fifty/four/

2009-11-03T20:11:00.004-05:00

I made apple butter in the microwave. The only change I made was I just did a few shakes of cinnamon instead of measuring it. If you do make this, I would recommend peeling the apples because it would make the consistency more like real apple butter. It's still quite tasty, though. I tihnk I'll add some to my oatmeal sometime later this week and maybe some PB, too.

I also made "maple syrup." I used quotes because I used vanilla extract so it's not maple flavored. I used a maple syrup substitute recipe because I didn't have any and it's called for in the apple butter recipe. I also didn't have any butter and it still came out fine. Since I was planning on using it in the apple butter I substituted water for apple juice. Also, I microwaved everything instead of doing things on a stove.

Because I don't have one. Sadness.

The life of living in a dorm. Lovely.

I especially like this outfit that Diane Kruger is wearing. She has a great style and perhaps I'll do a post of some of her looks I really like...

I wish I could say that I found these myself, but they're actually photos taken from Look of the Day app on facebook.

A video of a guy who took pictures of himself: one for each day, for 8 years. In a minute and a half. Change much?

I have been making a collection of these:

I have three of the coffee mugs with black tops and two Slurpee cups (sans drink), the one on the left and the one in the middle. (article here)

Top 10 most (USA is #5) and least carnivorous countries (here).

Tea cozies!! I would looove one of these!

Speaking of homemade stuff... PS I Made This. Inspiring me to learn how to sew/knit/do something with my life. Like not fall alseep at 7.15 on Fridays. Ummm not like that happens...

/one/hundred/fifty/three/

2009-10-26T19:04:00.006-04:00

Sporadic post.

Worth seeing? "Bright Star" and "An Education" (both girly movies, by the way). A movie that a guy might actually go to: New York, I Love You.

I made these this summer (seems so long ago, no?), but got around to mentioning it. They are mild and creamy with the light flavor of avocado. I bet you could add coconut extract or vanilla extract if you wanted a more flavorful creamy treat.

I also made custard oatmeal (tasty, even in the summer heat and I'm sure will be even better in the winter), raw broccoli salad, simple and delicious nut-free (including pine nut) sun-dried tomato pesto: because I didn't have any in the house. To go with the pesto (or actually, the other way around): ricotta gnocchi. (Semi) Fail. Ugly little guys that didn't really stay together, sadly. Also yummy saffron scallops : ) Maybe someday I'll put pictures up that I have actually taken of the food... Maybe.

This fall I made apple crumble. Does it get more fall than that?

I love these pants.

You can check out Fierce Style by Christian Siriano (the full book!) online. Or buy it here.

Silly, but useful (?): temperature controlled butter dish.

Perfect for Halloween: scary candy apples.

Speaking of which...

I'm being Amelia Earhart for Halloween. No connection to the movie coming out, though.

/one/hundred/fifty/two/

2009-10-21T20:21:00.001-04:00

if you don't laugh, you must be dead.

/one/hundred/fifty/one/

2009-10-10T11:05:00.003-04:00

Currently Baking: Lighter than air flourless (yup, gluten-free) chocolate cake. Well, actually I'm making them into cupcakes. More on it later and we'll see how they turn out, but from my "safety samplings" of the batter (you don't want to bake something that doesn't taste good, right?), I think they'll be delicious!

Justine

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2009-10-01T15:55:00.002-04:00

Currently, "Bulletproof" by La Roux is on repeat. What are your thoughts?

Also, I am currently liking the deals Groupon has been sending. $30 worth of food at Tasca for $15? I'm planning on using it this weekend! And $100 spa services for $30? Um, yes. Is it too early to think about other's b-day's and x-mas. No. Well, maybe x-mas...

Here are also a bunch of Mash ups using "Bulletproof"

/one/hundred/forty/nine/

2009-09-28T19:01:00.004-04:00

Drying the tofu with a paper towel

Marinating....

Cookin' it

A while back I made cumin spiked tofu from 101 Cookbooks. It was healthy, tasty, and flavorful.

I also made beet salad with a citrus vinaigrette. Recipe from I don't know where (a cookbook maybe?), but this was a yummy summer salad.

/one/hundred/forty/eight/

2009-09-15T16:25:00.002-04:00

when will I really be back/catch up on all the unpublished food i made/ pictures? beats me.

but here's this:

i do love this song. video found on eyes of the beholder.

and also here is a catchy asher roth video

want to get on the satorialist? here's how.

when pasta met sauce: which type of sauce is best for which noodle.

do you have a printer? well then do your part! use an eco friendly font (yes they exist).

OK. now i'm either going to take a nap/work on homework b/c i'm dead tired from not being able to go to sleep until 1.30 or so last night and having to get up at 6 to work at a school in cambridge (which i absolutely looooove).

justine

/one/hundred/forty/seven/

2009-08-24T10:34:00.005-04:00

(not my pic, from here)

Okay, so me say I would post soon was a lie, but it was unintentional. I'll be in NYC for a few days, getting ready for back to school, being busy in general, and then actually moving and that hubbub, so I think it will be at least a few until I post next.

But in the meantime, I'm enjoy my last week of summer and later today taking a stroll into town with my mom and watching my favorite show of the moment, True Blood. When I do get back to posting, I have pictures and recipes to share, so be ready!

Justine

/one/hundred/forty/six/

2009-08-18T23:24:00.001-04:00

update soon. lots of yummy food was made for my dad's b-day. plus pics. it'll be worth it.

also:

how to get on the sartorialist (here).

and...

/one/hundred/forty/five/

2009-08-12T10:38:00.010-04:00

Music I'm currently enjoying: Carmen - Lush

On Saturday, I made chicken kebabs with yogurt sauce (which was basically tzatziki). I ripped out the recipe is from an old copy of Lola it was really nice and simple- everything can be made the day before. The only thing I really did differently was I grilled the chicken, but not in kebab form, just on the bone like any other chicken recipe on the grill. The think there recipe for the sauce was way too much. It made a lot and there was lots of leftovers, so I might halve it next time. That being said, it was really good and it was nice in a sandwich with the leftover chicken and good with veggies as a dip or dressing (if you thin it down a bit with some milk/buttermilk). Here's the recipes:

For the Kebabs

8 oz plain whole-milk yogurt [all that the grocery store had was low-fat and non-fat, so I went for low-fat]

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbl grated onion [I used dried onion]

1 clove garlic finely chopped

2 Tbl dried oregano

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 lbs skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch chunks [I used about 2.6 lbs chicken thighs and drumsticks]

12 bamboo skewers

1 sweet onion

12 small pita rounds

For the Yogurt Sauce

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped [we had a big English cucumber so I used half, and didn't de-seed it]

salt, to taste

16 oz plain whole-milk yogurt [again, I used low-fat, but it tasted just fine]

1/4 small red onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped [this said it was optional, but I included it]

1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped [ours was right from the garden!]

Directions for the Kebabs

In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, oil, grated onion, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.

Add the chicken and stir well. Cover the bowl the plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or las long as overnight [which is what I did]. Meanwhile, soak the bamboo skewers in a bowl of cold water.

Set the over at 300 degrees F.

Light a charcoal or gas grill. Thread the chicken on the skewers, alternating piece of chicken with onion, beginning and ending with piece of chicken. Don't pack the chicken too tightly on the skewers, or the meat will will take too long to cook.

When the coals are gray or the heat medium, cook the kebabs, turning them often, for 8 minutes, or until they are cooked through, but still moist.

Meanwhile, arrange the pita on a baking sheet and heat the rounds in the oven for 5 minutes, or until warm. The bread harden quickly, so use immediately.

Remove the chicken and onions from the skewers and serve on the warm pita with yogurt sauce.

Directions for the Yogurt Sauce

In a strainer set over a bowl, layer the cucumber with salt. Set the bowl aside for 15 minutes to let the liquid drain [almost no liquid came out of mine].

In another bowl, stir the yogurt until smooth [pointless because you'll be stirring everything together anyways, but whatever....]. Add the cucumber, onion, garlic, and mint. Stir well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or as long as several hours.

A few days ago I went shopping at got a few things...

and also... this

You're probably thinking WTF is that? Well, it's a Nana Saver, as in it keep 1/2 a banana fresh if you only eat 1/2 of it. My dad doesn't tend ot eat a whole banana, so we often have 1/2 a banana sitting around for a few days looking sad and brown. I'm giving this to him as a (sort-of) joke gift for his birthday on Friday.

While perusing the wonderful world wide web, I decided that I think these are some awesome cuffs /bracelets by Vita.

Doesn't this one remind you of Gucci?

I had plans to see the new Harry Potter movie (don't judge me) this summer, but it hasn't worked out thus far and now I refuse to spend another $10 on an overpriced movie ticket. Instead I saw Julie and Julia yesterday with my mom and it was great- it had funny moment and included many of the things that Julia Child's wrote about in My Life in France (a great book, by the way), so some of the things were familiar. I just loved it!

Meryl Streep was amazing as Julia Child. Her performance was so inspiring, that I called my dad at work at did my best at a Julia Child voice. I kid you not. I guess it must have been pretty good/funny because a. my dad thought someone stole my phone (he picked up and I said "Bonjour!" with all my Child's like gusto) and b. he cracked up, which doesn't happen often. It also got me wanting to write in this lil' blog o' mine, too, which I had been avoiding for no reason in particular. Go see it and then tell me you don't want to make a meal. Even if it is a bowl of microwave mac and cheese : )

Link: the real Julie/Julia project blog.

Lastly, I thought this was cute and just wanted include it...

(from Kitchen Scraps)

/one/hundred/forty/four/

2009-08-06T16:44:00.007-04:00

Hipster glasses: yes...

or no?

I own a pair actually, so my vote is yes...

Nice glare from the computer screen.

Speaking of hipster wear, what's people's take on the new headband trend? Well, I guess it's not really new considering that Nicole Richie and Mischa Barton have done it for a few years, but I feel like it's more mainstream now. More styles here, here and here.

I made vanilla spice cookies using a recipe from Food Loves Writing. They're good with a cup of tea and I really enjoy the cardamom flavor.

No picture of the end results, sorry. But I do have a picture of mochi ice cream!

Red bean mochi ice cream from Chinatown Eatery (40-44 Harrison Ave, #1A, Boston, 02111) last Saturday.

Today is a lazy day. Not much to do around here, but tomorrow I'm looking forward to going into Boston and checking out the Sowa open market, which is a weekly artisan market in the South End. I went last year and it was nice and so I thought I might check it out again, this time with my friend Rene and possibly also Mary (if she recovers from her food poisoning. Eeek! I hope she feels better.)

Now, time for other stuff... ciao!