Rise & Shine

This weekend, I accidentally spent an afternoon devoted to myself. First, I went to Via Quadronno, an Italian café in the heart of the Upper East Side that features delicious paninis and the best cappuccinos ever. It cost me a mint (or let's be honest, about eight mints), but the wild boar prosciutto panini was worth it. The cappuccino was light, foamy and rich. It completely lived up to my expectations, and I'm probably going to dream about it for the rest of my life.

It didn't stop there (of course not). I went to Ladurée. Duh. About every other word on this blog is about macarons. During the forty minutes waiting outside on line, I steeled myself to resist temptation and only get five. Once I got inside the actual shop, I gave myself a break and bumped that up to six. And then, when I reached the counter, I ordered eight. One chocolate, one caramel salted butter, and six raspberry macarons later, my bank account is empty and my appetite, satiated. They too lived up to my expectations: melt-in-your-mouth and perfectly sweet.

How was your weekend? Please tell me it was as good as mine or I'll feel awful for having devoted this post to gloating.


[photo cred here and there]

Throwdown: Macarons vs Cupcakes

"The macaron is the anti-cupcake.A cupcake comforts. A macaron teases. Dainty, nearly weightless, it leaves you hungrier than you were before. It is but a prelude to other pleasures. Your slacker boyfriend gives you a cupcake; your lover gives you macarons."

— NYTimes.com







The New York Times wrote a dainty little piece about macarons, in which I learned that I live four blocks from Ladurée and then kicked myself repeatedly with my satin Marc by Marc boat shoes for even finding this out in the first place. Au revoir, waistline. Bonne chance! I'm not the biggest fan of jasmine macarons, but I'll snarf down the raspberry jam-filled kind faster than you can count them. What's your favorite kind? Would you even go so far as to place macarons higher than cupcakes on the saccharine totem pole of drool-inducing yum?


[photo cred here]

Raspberry Red

How genius is the idea to stuff tart raspberries with chocolate chips? You get antioxidants and a fix for your sweet tooth, all for far less calories than inhaling one of the Truffle Pig chocolate bars that I adore. I love you, Truffle Pig, but my little denim shorts do not.

[photo cred, clockwise from left, to 1; 2 and 3 via Cognac and Coffee]

Bacon Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Bacon chocolate chip biscotti was the lovechild of myself and my best friend, as we're big fans of both chocolate and bacon. However, most of our baking is limited to things that exist in boxed form, so we decided to make this from-scratch recipe a collective effort. Some people questioned the bacon-chocolate marriage and/or expressed complete disgust at the idea, but the saltiness of the bacon and sweetness of the chocolate chips complement one another so well. The biscotti was crumbly and not too rich, while the smokiness of the bacon didn't at all overpower it. We loved it, and it was super simple to make.

Bacon Chocolate Chip Biscotti

[adapted from SeriousEats.com]

7 strips of bacon

2 c all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 c granulated sugar

1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened but not melted

2 large eggs

1 c semisweet chocolate chips

1. Fry the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about five minutes. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Allow to cool. Place in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped, then set aside. Feel free to rip open the bag of chocolate chips and drink some wine.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric handmixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat to combine. Add dry mixture to wet and beat to blend. Toss in bacon and chocolate chips. Gather dough into a ball and divide in half. 

3. Divide dough into two balls and roll them in plastic wrap.

4. Place dough in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. Start watching Beauty & the Beast.

5. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Take dough out of fridge and, on a floured surface, roll into two 12" to 14" logs. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden and dry to the touch, about 30 minutes. Continue to watch Beauty & the Beast.

4. Remove baking sheet from oven and reduce the temperature to 300-degrees. Allow logs to cool for 15 minutes. With a serrated knife, cut logs into 1/2-inch slices on an angle. Space slices apart, standing upright, and bake until golden, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Voilà!

Wine & Cheese

A lot of great things happened this weekend — for one, the creepy haze that has been lingering over Chicago finally cleared up — but everything pales in comparison to the most delicious dinner I have eaten in quite a long time. You know that a restaurant is promising if it a) has no website (although this could work against it), and b) the Yelp reviews read something like, "I don't even want to post a review because people are going to come here in droves."

My friend from Allure was in town for the weekend and I chose a place called DiSotto Enoteca. It's an underground cavern of a wine bar that features small antipasti plates, like an Italian version of tapas, with incredibly intimate and old-world ambiance. I ordered a glass of Chianti (my staple) and then tried a spicy French Syrah (decent, but no Chianti or Malbec). Then, I ordered a plate of taleggio cheese and fig compote, which I followed up with portobello, fontina and rosemary bruschetta. I began to miss the taste of taleggio and thus ordered pear, taleggio and toasted pecan bruschetta. Then we shared a chocolate cake. As it happens, saturated fat and I are having a very torrid love affair at the moment..

If you're ever in the Chicago area, go go go. I promise it's wonderful. I'll meet you there. I'll help you out with that cheese and bruschetta and chocolate cake.

So how was your weekend?!


[photo cred to 1 and 2]

Breakfast Interrupted

BSS | Breakfast Interrupted from Bruton Stroube Studios on Vimeo.

Breakfast was already my favorite meal of the day ... and then this happened.

Farmers' Market

How was your weekend? I went to the farmers' market on Saturday morning, where I found fresh eggs, bunches of lilac, and plump mushrooms. I then promptly swept past the kale and spinach and instead, bought my first chocolate cake ball ever (a hunk of chocolate cake smothered in chocolate frosting and perched on a stick ... yep). I went back for a second. And a third. In total, I ate three and a half. They were so good, moist and crumbly and sweet and delicious. A foolproof proposal would be to hide the ring in one of these babies (I don't care if I accidentally eat the ring). I'm having a meltdown just thinking about them. I love you, chocolate cake balls.

Here's a tip, though: it's vaguely awkward when a boy meets you at the said farmers' market and you have to skirt around the chocolate stand because people recognize you and say things like, "Back again?" instead of telling you about the spot of chocolate on your nose. And then HE buys a chocolate cake ball and you stand there trying not to rip it out of his hands.

In other news, I've found what seems to be a foolproof recipe for chocolate chip bacon biscotti. I'll be back with updates on their development tomorrow!

[photo cred to 1 and 2]

Pink Blossoms and Chocolate Mousse

Ahh, the buds on the trees are this close to bursting into whites and pinks, and walking under the canopy of new blooms always makes my stroll to class delicious. From time to time, I take off my headphones and just try to soak it all up: the shimmering puddles, the teensy green buds, and that biting Chicago wind on my face.

What are your plans for this week? I can finally eat cheese again(!), so I'm buying ingredients to make a spinach and strawberry salad with goat cheese as well as orechiette with broccoli rabe, sweet Italian sausage, and parmigiano reggiano (the easiest recipe ever, and so, so yummy). And pizza, I'm definitely making myself an enormous pizza with gooey mozzarella, mushrooms, and onions. I've slid into this awful habit of eating frozen chicken patties with a side of frozen onion rings, and I feel like this is the perfect opportunity to stop.

I also found this spectacularly simple recipe for chocolate chantilly!
Chocolate Chantilly
(by Herve This and Heston Blumenthal, via Cafe Fernando)
9.35 oz bittersweet chocolate (ideally 70% cocoa) chopped
1 cup water
4 tbs sugar, optional

1. Fill a mixing bowl with ice and cold water. Place a slightly larger mixing bowl on top; be sure its bottom touches the ice.
2. Melt chocolate, water, and sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Pour melted chocolate into the top mixing bowl and whisk with a wire whisk (or electric handheld mixer) until the mixture thickens. Over-whipping will make a grainy mousse, in which case you can put it back on the stove, partially re-melt it, and whisk again.
4. Divide into cups and serve immediately; serves 4.


[photo cred to 1 via Dress Design Decor, 2 via Patterson Maker, and recipe via Oh Joy!'s pinboard]  

Say Yes...

...yes to quiet mornings.

Yes to a cheerful Easter brunch with my little sister and close friends.

Yes to my older brother, who sent me a present so I'd stop sulking about not being home for Easter...

...and to the present in question, Beauty and the Beast.
Yes to savory tomato and pesto crostata.
Yes to the kind barista who gave me a free cup of green tea...
...when I needed it the most.

Have a lovely Easter weekend!

[photo cred to here]

Say Yes...

Yes to pastries and espresso.

Yes to Ellen Degeneres...

...and her cameo in Harry Potter.

Yes to softly budding trees.

Yes to cheese...

...fried cheese.

Yes to a haircut soon. Please. Maybe this? Or a bob?

Yes to the sound of rain on a spring evening.

Say Yes...

...Yes to April showers.

Yes to fresh fruit and farmers' markets.

Yes to Prep Talk hitting 2000(!) subscribers.

Yes to professors who make you laugh in class.

Yes to pain et chocolat...

and to blueberry oat crumble bars.

Yes to stretching after a long workout.

Yes to senior spring...

...and to four day weekends!

[photo cred to 1, 2, 3]

A Little Romance

Instead of going on the offensive and launching a staunch anti-love crusade, I'm going to have a very romantic day with myself. I've stocked up on macaroons (lavender, strawberry, and chocolate!), just received the March issue of Real Simple in the mail, and rediscovered this sweet little Pixar short. Maybe I'll paint my nails a punchy red and call my grandma. See, Valentine's Day can actually be the perfect excuse to wake up late, eat dessert, and wear a pretty dress to class!

Do you have any special plans for Valentine's Day?


[photo cred, clockwise from top left, to 1, 2, 3, and 4]

Penne with Chicken and Arugula

When I'm back at school and faced with the proposition of having to cook for only myself on most nights, I end up curled into a ball in my desk chair with an enormous hunk of Meunster in one hand and a box of Kashi crackers in the other. It's so much nicer to cook for my family, with a set of good knives that aren't from Ikea and the redeeming knowledge that it helps my parents immensely. Since moving into my apartment, I've begun adjusting my favorite recipes to make them a little kinder on my wallet and really awful time management skills. I adapted this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis's (my Food Network crush) original.

Penne with Chicken and Arugula

1 lb whole wheat penne pasta

1 box pre-grilled chicken, like Perdue Shortcuts

2 cups baby arugula

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbs dijon mustard

1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

1/4 cup basil, finely chopped

salt, black pepper

Bring water to a boil and add pasta; let cook for 10 minutes. While penne cooks, chop chicken into bite-size pieces. Whisk together the oil, vinegar, dijon mustard, parsley, basil, salt and pepper to taste. Strain pasta and  put it directly on top of chicken and arugula (it'll heat the chicken and wilt the arugula). Add oil and vinegar mixture and toss.

Do you have any tips for making dinner a little less stressful but just as delicious?

[photo cred to Design*Sponge via French by Design]

Italian Tuna Salad

I'm a huge tuna fan: I eat so much of it that the odds of having pure mercury coursing through my veins are extremely high. After awhile, though, and around the same time that hell experienced a large dip in temperatures, I became bored with the heaps of mayo I inevitably scooped into my tuna salad mix. This event, combined with a full raid on my fridge and herb garden, resulted in a light, Mediterranean-inspired tuna salad.

Italian Tuna Salad (four servings)
2 cans of white albacore tuna, in water
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 can of cannellini beans, strained and rinsed
handful of Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
handful of basil, chopped
1/3 cup of shredded cheese (white Cheddar is a good pick)

Open cans of tuna and push down on top to squeeze out excess water. Toss tuna in a bowl and add every single ingredient. Mix extremely well and sample. Grin. This tastes fantastic on a slice or two of toasted bread, but if you have the time, the salad can be stuffed into tomatoes or red bell peppers.

[photo cred to Philippa Brathwaite, via Realsimple.com]

Happy Monday!

Last Tuesday, boyfriend and I went hiking at Mohonk Mountain in New Paltz, New York. Isn't it gorgeous? Being there feels like taking a mini-vacation, away from Condé Nast and internships and the real world. I love to climb up the enormous rocks and soak up the sun before dipping my feet into a lake. If I close my eyes and concentrate, I can pretend that I'm anywhere.

I love quiches more than anything - large quiches, mini quiches, quiches with things I usually don't like baked inside of them. Maybe it's the crust, or it might be the cheese. Do I care? No. Just hand me a quiche and there's a 100% chance that I'll eat it.

The good thing: I have a repertoire of two incredible quiche recipes.

The bad thing: When I'm grocery shopping and don't have said recipes on hand, I mix up the ingredients.

The other good thing: Once, this resulted in a new and even more delicious quiche recipe.

By once, I mean Wednesday night. I accidentally combined the best components of both recipes and ended up with what I'd like to call a Quiche Lorraine, But Better. On account of just how good it is, here is the recipe. Try not to salivate on your keyboard.

Quiche Lorraine, But Better

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons butter

5 or 6 strips bacon, depending on the size

1 cup Swiss Gruyère cheese

1 cup whole milk (you can also substitute 1-1/4 cups of half-and-half)

1 pre-made pie crust

- Pop the pie crust in the oven at 375-degrees for 8-10 minutes, until it's a pretty golden shade.

- Heat the butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Throw in the onion and sauté until very fragrant, soft, and golden -- about 4-5 minutes. Let cool.

- Cook the bacon. I do this in the microwave because I can only stand to be burnt by oil drops for so long. Sandwich it between paper towels; tuck the top paper towel well, or else the bacon fat will spatter and require a half hour of clean-up. Give it 15 seconds for every strip of bacon. If not cooked, continue to heat for 15 second intervals until crispy-ish. Crumble and let cool.

- Beat the eggs and the yolks (to separate the yolks, I suggest cracking the eggs and transferring the yolk back and forth between the two halves of the broken shell, because you can then use the edges of the shell to cut the yolk from the white as you do it)(I don't suggest plopping the white in the sink, because it'll clog the drain)(my mother wasn't happy at all). To the eggs, add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, whole milk, sautéed onions, and crumbled bacon. Whisk well.

- Add the cheese to the egg mixture, saving a handful. Pour cheesy egg mixture into the pie shell, spreading the onions and bacon. Top with the handful of cheese and bake at 375-degrees for 30-35. The end result should be wiggly but quite firm, and when you slice into it, it ought to be liquidy but still able to retain its shape. Let it cool for five minutes or else it will fall apart; try to resist inhaling it as soon it comes out of the oven. It's okay if you don't -- I wasn't able to either. Happy eating!

[photo cred to Kate Silberger, Chaucercat, and Pillsbury]