Raspberry chocolate scones

My mother grew up reading and loving Enid Blyton books, so I was introduced to them very early. I too started loving to read about fairies and goblins dancing at moon-lit parties on toadstools and eating elaborate, mouthwatering, very British sounding food. But of course, this was pure imagination. If you, like me, grew up in Kuwait in the eighties- nineties there was no way of knowing if "exotic" foods like kippers, scones or clotted cream were mouthwatering or not. The one remote chance I had of trying it then was on a British airways flight. Scones and clotted cream were on their on-flight menu but they had to cancel the meal service because of extreme turbulence. Instead of being relieved of surviving a 50 ft turbulent drop, I found myself disappointed in missing out on the scone experience. What can I say? My priorities were always spot on! ;)

Fast forward 20 years or so (ok maybe more, but I have a birthday coming up and I'm trying to keep the years back as much as I can!), I finally had a scone in the US, and my excitement was crushed...dry, doughy nastiness that made a globby bolus that you had to gulp extra hard to push down. That was it, I swore off scones forever. TILL I was forced to eat one at a conference in Maine-- that was all they had for breakfast and starvation made me cave. And I'm SO glad I did. Moist, flaky and crumbly with bursts of berries-- delicious. That was it! My hunt began. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a good scone in and around Baltimore that could compare to that scone in Maine. But I DID find this amazing recipe and it totally delivers. I've used the recipe many many times with dry fruit and today was the first time I tried it with frozen berries and chocolate, excellent either way.

Best. scones. ever.    

You will need:

1 stick (8 tbsp) frozen butter
1/2 cup milk (I used skim)
1/2 cup greek yogurt (I used fat free)
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup frozen berries (I used raspberries) / dry fruit
1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional, I used semi-sweet, but you can use whatever you like)
Melted butter and Demerara sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 425F. Grate frozen butter with large holes of box grater. Put grated butter back in the fridge to keep cold. Mix milk, yogurt and vanilla in a bowl and place in fridge. In a medium mixing bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. If using dry fruit you can mix them in with the dry ingredients at this point. Add grated butter to flour mixture and toss lightly till butter is coated with flour but not completely integrated into it. Now, fold milk-yogurt mixture into the flour with a spatula until just combined.  Transfer dough onto a well floured surface and knead few times (5-6 times). Now you have to pay attention, the following steps are what makes the scones flaky. Roll the dough into a 12 inch square. Fold the top third of the dough inwards to the middle. Next, fold the bottom third to the middle overlapping with the first fold. Press down to flatten. Roll into a 12 inch square again. Repeat the folding and rolling process 3 more times and then transfer the "folded" dough to the fridge for 5 minutes. Get the dough out, roll into a 12 inch square again, sprinkle frozen fruit and chocolate chips, gently press them in to make sure they are embedded in the dough. Fold top third to the middle and bottom third of the dough to the middle, gently flatten and shape into a circle about a 1 cm in thickness and 6 inches in diameter (thickness being most important here). Cut the circle into 8 equal wedges. Freeze extra scone wedges in plastic wrap at this point. Or if devouring right away, brush with extra melted butter and sprinkle demerara sugar over the tops. Transfer wedges to a greased baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes. Enjoy!
   

Hot cross buns

My family never quite celebrated Easter but that hasn't ever stopped me from eating! Here's a recipe for hot cross buns that you find everywhere at Easter. I have a problem with raw egg whites thats why I havent used traditional royal icing for the crosses but you are welcome to substitute the icing recipe here with royal icing.

Recipe for buns:

1/3 cup warm milk

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 pack active dry yeast

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 stick butter, melted and slightly cooled

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

An 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, NOT drained (about 2/3 cup)

4 cups bread flour (all-purpose would also work)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the glaze:

1 egg

1/4 cup water 

 

Mix milk, sugar and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for about 5 minutes. Add cinnamon, salt, oil, butter, eggs, and pineapple. Mix to combine. Add the flour 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Knead for about 10 minutes (I just did it by hand). Drizzle a little extra oil on the dough, flip dough over to completely coat with oil. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled. Punch the dough down and divide into twelve equal balls (or you can get creative and make snails like I did). Place in a well buttered 9x13 inch pan and let rise again until doubled (again, 45-60 minutes). Preheat oven to 350ºF. Beat together the egg and water for the top and brush the tops of the risen rolls with the egg wash. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the tops are nicely browned.  Cool the rolls, drizzle icing (recipe below) as a cross over the rolls and enjoy!

For the icing:

1 cup icing sugar

1 tsp water (more as needed)

1 drop of vanilla

Mix all ingredients together. The icing should be real thick and feel like mixing cement, if it feels too watery just add more icing sugar.

Chicken (sort of) tortilla soup

I graduated from grad school last July and am still on the rebound. I never packed lunch because there were so many semi-healthy options mere steps from my office. The Daily Grind (DG as we lovingly called it), had a rotating soup menu and my absolute favorite was the chicken enchilada soup. It was spicy, creamy, chock-full of veggies and beans and simply comfort in a bowl (ok, paper soup carton but whatever!). But now sadly its become a long lost taste memory (its a dramatic kinda day...). So today, thanks to snow-questration and leftover roast chicken, I decided to reincarnate the taste memory with this tortilla soup. I basically threw in whatever was lying around and it was yumm. Its a very flexible recipe so get creative!

Recipe

For Soup

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, 1/2 red pepper and 1/2 yellow pepper, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 pack McCormick Chili spice mix, hot (if you don't have this mix 1 tbsp each of cumin, garlic and paprika powder)
1 cup eggplant, chopped (optional, I didn't have any but its sooo good here) 
3 cups cooked (or 2 raw) chicken breasts, chopped
1/2 jar of salsa (medium heat)
1 carton chicken stock
3 tbsp tomato paste or ketchup
4 cups hot water
3 tbsp corn meal 
1 can of white/black beans
1 cup frozen corn (optional, I didn't have any)
Salt and pepper to taste

Suggested toppings

Green onions, chopped (I didn't have any)
Sour cream
Frito chips/ Tortilla strips
Cilantro, chopped (I didn't have any)
Cheese of choice, shredded

Method

Pour oil in a deep and large saucepan. Add onions, peppers, garlic, chili spice mix and eggplant (if using). Saute till all the vegetables soften. Add cooked chicken and mix well. If using raw chicken, saute till chicken is opaque and cooked through. Add salsa and cook for about 2 minutes. Add chicken stock and tomato paste/ ketchup. Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper to taste. I actually added a few swigs of hot sauce too. Bring heat down real low and simmer the soup for about half an hour. Mix the corn meal in hot water in a separate bowl and add that to the soup, stirring constantly. Add the beans and let cook for another half an hour. Add the corn and let cook for 3 minutes. Garnish with toppings of choice after serving in bowls.




 

And I'm back!

Its been so long that I don't even want to see when the last post was. It feels like I've been blogging forever (and I have! 7 years is a LONG time in the blogging universe! Caveforme is practically a fossil!) but apparently we are only 87 posts down. That's kind of sad.  You know what else is sad? The unfairness of life. It was hard to post happy things when a young friend saw the love of her life die and a second cousin in his early thirties is dying of brain cancer. But these sort of things give you perspective. Don't sweat the small stuff-- tough exams, zits or that guy (or girl) who broke your heart. It may seem like the end of the world but these are all temporary, things that you can (technically) forget about and heal from with enough time. You have one life-- its a blessing and its short. Hold your loved ones close, cherish happy times, bask in natures simple pleasures, make someone smile just for the heck of it and fulfill all your deepest desires.

Its not quite a resolution (stopped making those a long time ago) but this is the mantra I'm going to live my life on from now on. I've made a bucket list and am going to share it with you as I go. First up, a marathon in the Spring. Stay tuned!

THE milkshake

If you're looking for the most refreshing way to finish off all those fruit piling up in your refrigerator, well this is it! Our church fundraisers sell boxes of yummalicious mangoes which are perfect the first couple of days but need to be put away real quick. Here's my fool proof milk shake recipe that can be adapted to just about any fruit imaginable. The trick is to use frozen milk, yes, as in a big honking chunk of milky ice! A trick I learned from a small juice shack in Madras, it makes the milkshake thick and creamy even if you're using skim milk! Nobody will know...promise! You can either freeze the milk in small ziploc bags or in multiple ice trays. If following the ziploc method, do your blender a favor and break the ice into pieces. Those of you lucky enough to be in India should try it with either custard apple or chickoo mixed with bournvita (tastes just like the best chocolate milk shake in the world but much more nutritious).

You will need:

2 cups of (skim/whole) milk FROZEN (do your blender a favor and break the ice up into small pieces)
2 cups chopped fresh fruit of choice
Sugar to taste (optional)

Blend first two ingredients together. Taste and add more sugar (if needed), mix again to incorporate sugar.

Strawberry-rhubarb compote

I'm always fascinated by how quickly summer creeps up on us. Its freezing one day, raining for a week and before you know it, its strawberry season and the beginning of summer!!

Munchkin and I went strawberry picking a couple of weeks ago with my parents. And since my mother finally convinced herself that freezing fruit was not a nutritional catastrophe, we hauled home 10lbs of loot! In case you're wondering how much that is exactly, its a LOT! (look below)

About 3 cups of these went into a strawberry-rhubarb compote (delish!) which in an attempt to be healthy I layered with greek yogurt (can be easily substituted with vanilla ice cream) and homemade granola (nothing to write home about so I'll spare you the recipe). The compote is also great spooned over waffles or pancakes or frozen into popsicles.
For the compote:

You will need:

3 cups strawberries (washed, hulled and sliced)
2 cups chopped rhubarb (optional)
1/4 cup of water
1 tsp vanilla essence (or) juice of half a lemon
Sugar to taste (optional)

Bring the first three ingredients to a boil on medium-high heat in a saucepan. Taste the mixture. Add vanilla essence (if mixture is too tart) OR lemon juice (if mixture is not tart enough). If you would like the mixture to be more sweet, add sugar. Refrigerate for about 1 week.

Carrot cake and perspective

Its funny how when you're obsessing about what seems like earth shattering emotional problems, life throws you a curve ball to put everything back in perspective.

That happened yesterday. I was taking my little guy on a routine trip to my parents house before heading to work. It was so routine that in order to leave early enough to miss rush hour traffic I postponed combing my mad jungle mane and just threw a sweat shirt over my pyjamas.

We were three quarters of the way there when the truck driver in front of me was swerving and changing lanes without looking in his blind spot. He almost caused one collision but the guy in the other lane was quick enough to escape. 3 minutes later he does it again, this time the black car in the next lane (in his blind spot again) didnt escape. 50 yards away from us the black car and tractor trailer truck crash! The black car swerves out of control makes a full circle, in the process hitting another SUV and truck before eventually getting to the shoulder. In the mean time I slam the brakes and instinctively look in the rearview mirror and helplessly scream as another tractor trailer truck crashes into the back of my car. I don't even remember how I got from the inner lane to the shoulder but thanks to adrenaline I did. Got out of the car, opened my son's door and got him out of his car seat. There was smoke and crashing noises everywhere, all I could do was hold on to my little boy and hope that nothing near us exploded. When the crashing stopped and people started getting out of their cars I got closer to my car and saw that in addition to other damages, my rear window was completely shattered and panicked because my son was in the back seat. Frantically I check him all over and even got the paramedics to look at him but it was a miracle that my little boy was completely unscathed.

When I think about it, things could have been so much worse. The trucker who hit me braked so hard that his tire wore out till only the metal wheel (core) was left. I really do believe he saved our life. How I changed 2 lanes to get to the shoulder is another miracle...I dont know how it happened amidst all the crashes in all the lanes. There were 6 trucks and 3 cars involved in the accident on I-95 southbound at 7.36am yesterday and not a single person was hurt. If thats not enough to give perspective to life I dont know what is.

This morning as I drank my tea and ate the carrot cake I baked a couple of days ago I couldn't help but reflect on God's wonderful blessing in saving my baby angel's life.

Here's the recipe of the cake I had for breakfast. I really do hope you enjoy this cake, it has carrots and no butter so its practically health food!

Carrot cake
(Adapted from David Lebovitz)

4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cinnamon
Generous pinches of cloves and nutmeg
1 tsp of salt
4 cups of grated carrots (loosely packed)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour one 9X13 inch or two 8- or 9-inch cake pans.

Sift together the flour, sugar, spices, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat the eggs until they are pale and frothy in a large bowl with a handheld mixer. Drizzle in the oil and vanilla.

Add flour mixture to the eggs and mix until just combined.

Fold in carrots, raisins and nuts into the batter. Then pour the batter into your choice of cake pan. Bake 30-35 minutes for 2X 8in/9in pans or 55 minutes for the 9X13 inch pan or until the surface springs back when gently touched. Serve at room temperature.

Chocolate dipped strawberries on Valentines day!

I'd always been a jock growing up. Maybe it was my testosterone driven cousins constantly challenging me or maybe it was my sport junkie dad. Either way I'd always be out on the ground playing badminton, throwball, volleyball or soccer. So really no one would guess that there was a helplessly feminine romantic side. I'd eagerly wait for Valentine's day, hoping each year would be the lucky one that I'd magically be bestowed a Valentine. A secret (obviously the most romantic kind) Valentine who would surprise me with a homemade card, a romantic poem and maybe even a rose. But of course high school came and went, its been more than a decade and damn it secret Valentine! Where are you??

At least I'll always have my faithful friend Ghirardelli and... strawberries. Crackly, bittersweet chocolate, covering sweet, tart , juicy strawberries. It really is the perfect drown-your-sorrow-while-waiting-for-that-bloody-secret-valentine food! ;)


You will need:

1 bar of your favorite chocolate (for me thats 60% Ghirardelli)
1lb The most perfect strawberries you can fine. I try to look for deep dark red ones with as minimal a white patch under the green tops.

Break the chocolate bar into pieces and microwave in 30 second intervals till completely melted. Hold strawberries by their green tops, dip into molten chocolate and twirl till completely coated. Place on foil/ parchment wrapped cookie sheet or tray. Once most of the strawberries are coated in chocolate (I usually have a couple leftover, which my little munchkin will happily nibble). Place cookie sheet/tray in fridge for about 5 mins! Woe-be-gone!

Lotsa yummies for a new year!

Phew! I'm back! Happy New Year everybody! Sorry about being away for so long-- my camera never recovered from the shaking-toddler syndrome and had to be put to rest (and replaced by a shiny new one). But instead of lame excuses I'm going to make it up to you. I'm going to catch you up with everything thats been going around here since October, yep, 4 whole months of catch up. Ready? Here goes...

So October was my munchkin's bday month and since his birthday was on a weekday just before the start of the real COLD cold, we stretched out the celebration through the entire week. He had 3 cakes only one of which (thank goodness!) came out of our home kitchen. Given his current obsession with Toy Story and the release of the 3rd sequel, I thought I'd be clever (Toy Story 3 and its the little guys 3rd birthday, get it? my creativity is shocking at times ;) )Thanksgiving was in November and this is usually spent between the two homes-- my parents and in-laws. Lucky for me though this year I didnt have to make the turkey for either homes. I did however make this outrageous cheesecake. Deep breath. A kahlua- chocolate ganache cheesecake with a chocolate cookie crust. It was delicious! I don't know what Deb was talking about but I had no trouble whatsoever polishing off a huge honking slice. But maybe skipping the turkey completely helped a little (was only able to get pics of this one on my phone and am too lazy to upload pictures from two devices in one day).

December was of course Christmas month. Aside from the constant sickness in our home, I made my directoral debut with a nativity skit in church, including a special appearance as the camel. My little Joseph had to be taken to the doctor for an emergency visit (ear infection) on the day of so we had to borrow a substitute for the next class. Its a blurry picture for a reason but if you look real close there is a camel head somewhere!

And then there was my cousin who notified us just 4 weeks before his December wedding (why in the world would you get married in winter!!) in CANADA! But the wedding was great and turns out said cousin is actually pretty connected-- we got to rub shoulders with Roger Mooking of Cooking Channel's Everyday Exotic.


Back to Christmas. The general season was fun with a boat load of parties, an award for (second) best dessert at the office party (my three layer peppermint-chocolate cheesecake lost to green rice krispie treats, go figure!!), and some fun times with family and friends (again pics on phone, sorry!).

New Years eve was real quiet with hubby grilling us a surf and turf dinner of herbed lamb chops and crabcakes accompanied by a gorgeous bottle of bubbly while the little guy feasted on Toy Story mac and cheese and sprite. For dessert, I had to, had to, HAD to try Georgetown cupcake's peppermint-white chocolate and strawberry champagne cupcakes so I went to their Bethesda location on New Years eve and came back with a dozen and a half. You know, half for the eve and a dozen for New Years day when we had to spend time with family. Those cupcakes btw were divine! 4 cupcakes later, the frosting got to be a bit too much, but I think those of you with normal appetites, ie who can stop at one, will be fine-- the cake to frosting ratio is cupcake perfect (1:1) and completely yummy.

How can you not start a new year with a breakfast of champions. The grown ups had french toast made with fresh brioche while the little man feasted (read: barely nibbled on) blueberry waffles. I'll give you recipes for these real soon too, they were sooo good.



January is almost over and I'm such a slacker but I promise you with many many new recipes that are itching to be seen! Here's wishing you a wonderful and prosperous 2011!

South Indian chicken curry

4-day work weeks should be made legal. I'm not particularly politically oriented but any candidate that lobbies this will have my vote, no questions asked. It makes plenty of sense, right? With computers doing a lot of our heavy lifting, we get more done any given day than ever before. Say good bye to Manic Mondays and by the time Wednesday rolls in, its not a hump anymore, the weeks almost 50% over! You can take decent weekend trips with plenty of time to come back, do laundry, make chicken curry and get ready for work first thing Tuesday morning. Perfectly logical...if only I can find a presidential candidate who agrees with me.

We just got back from an awesome trip to the Outer Banks. The south is such a different world, everybody is so nice, warm and laidback. We can't wait to go back again. But I have to admit, after 2 days of fried chicken, fried fish, hush puppies and sweet iced tea we were ready for some good ol' southern cooking-- south Indian cooking, that is.

There's no universal Indian chicken curry recipe, in fact, this is very similar to my mother-in-law's recipe which is completely different from my mom's. My mom's recipe has less gravy and no pepper. This curry is perfect for soaking rice in or for sopping up with chapatis. Although I've split the recipe into sections, it's not that complicated at all and is very quick. Oh and I forgot to mention the added bonus...clean up is a breeze! Sorry the picture looks like crap, my poor camera is still recovering from its shaken-by-toddler syndrome.

You will need:

For gravy:
1 large tomato (quartered or cut into large pieces)
1 large red onion (quartered or cut into large pieces)
2 inch piece of fresh ginger
5 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp of dessicated coconut powder

Throw all ingredients into a blender and grind till smooth. Add 1/4 cup of water if needed to blend uniformly. In the mean time make the dry spice powder.

Dry spice powder:

2 tsp fennel powder
2 tsp black peppercorns
1 inch piece of cinnamon
5 cloves
4 cardamom pods

Grind all ingredients in a dry grinder till smooth. Save till its time to make the curry.

For the curry

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 handful curry leaves
2 tsp chili powder (or more to taste, I add about 2 tbsp)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1.5 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast (cut into medium cubes)
2 medium yukon gold (or similar) potatoes (cut into medium cubes)
Salt to taste
Green chilies, cilantro, curry leaves (Optional, for garnish)

Add vegetable oil to a pressure cooker on medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds. After they finish sputtering, add the curry leaves. Pour in the tomato-onion paste from the blender. Add the ground spice powder from the dry grinder. Next throw in the chili powder, salt and turmeric. Let this mixture cook for a few minutes uncovered till big lava bubbles form and burst. The chicken and potatoes should be added at this point. Cover the pressure cooker, reduce heat to medium and let curry cook for about 20 minutes or till 3 whistles from the cooker. Once done, take off the heat, wait till the pressure cooker cools off completely. Check and add more salt if needed. Garnish with more curry leaves, split green chilies or cilantro.

Good things...and pie

There are times when you can actually look at life and think, hmm things are not so bad after all. This summer was just like that it was full of... well, life. My little munchkin is phrasing sentences, helping pick fruit, watering the vegetables, swimming and being the best friend a mom could ever ask for.

School is chugging along and I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, with experiments falling into place.

I've also been teaching little kids (newborns- 3 year olds) in church this year and its so wonderful to see the little babies make their milestones-- going from staring and smiling to helping out with all the props we play with. I've never been one to coo and coddle random babies on the street (at least till I had my own) so this side of me was quite a revelation.

Another new thing we did this summer was to camp, yes, with the little guy. It was so peaceful and rejuvenating, no cell phone reception or internet, just unadulterated family time. I highly recommend it, and in fact believe it improves productivity when you get back to the real world!

Then theres the usual travel. Our goal is to mould little man into a beach bum as early as possible. And I think its working, he was enjoying Bermuda's legendary turquoise waters as much as the locals. The legendary pink sand was another story though... that he wasnt crazy about.

On the kitchen front many happy things have happened as well. I found the perfect chocolate chip and leige waffle recipes. But those will have to be for another day because they fade in comparison to mastering the elusive science of the perfect pie-crust, my nemesis for a very long time. Its finally done, I now know how to make impossibly flaky, all butter pie crust. And summer is such a great time for pie with all the different fruit you can throw in. I've already tried it with peaches, nectarines and apples, with success each time. You should definitely give it a go. Its fool proof, really it is. Pim is genius! And really how bad can life be when you have pie?! I hope you've enjoyed your summer as much we have, if not, hurry up theres still a wee-bit left!


For the pie crust (makes for a double pie crust, or 2 single layer pie crusts):

2.25 cups of All purpose flour
8 ounces salted butter (cold and sliced into 6-8 big chunks)
1/4 cup of cold water

Additional:
1 tbsp All purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar

Its all in the technique here. Pim has an awesome video that you can look at. But basically, you smoosh the butter till flat into the flour. Then with a pastry scraper in your right hand (if right handed) you scrape the flour from the edges into the middle where your left hand is continuing smooshing butter chunks into the flour. When you finally see more shaggy butter "sheet-lets" than flour, you pour on the cold water. Quickly gather the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and throw in the fridge for 30 mins.

After 30 minutes, sprinkle flour on your rolling surface. Get out the dough from the fridge and roll it out into a rectangle. Fold top 1/3rd in to the middle. Brush off excess flour. Fold bottom 1/3rd up to the middle, overlapping with first fold. Brush off excess flour. Turn 90 degrees and roll out into a rectangle and repeat the folding. Repeat this whole process of folding and turning for about 3-4 times. Divide the dough into 2 parts and refrigerate for 30 mins. In the meantime make the filling. After time in the fridge roll out one part of the dough into 1/16th of an inch and place it on greased and lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle rolled out dough with a mixture of 1 tbsp of flour and 2 tbsp of sugar. Preheat oven to 375F.

Rustic caramel apple tart filling

6 tbsp butter
6tbsp sugar
6-7 ginger gold/golden delicious apples, sliced thick
Juice of half a lemon

For egg wash:
1 egg beaten with 1 tsp of water

1bsp sugar for sprinkling over tart

Melt butter and sugar together on low-medium heat. When the mixture starts bubbling and has become a bit thick add the apples and lemon juice. Let cook for about 3 minutes. Dish out the apples and lay them in concentric circles around the pie dough (over flour and sugar mixture that was previously sprinkled on dough). Make sure to leave about 0.5-1 inch around the edges, depending on your taste. Fold the dough on the edges over the apples, making sure they're nice and snug. Bring the pan with butter, sugar and now apple juice back to heat. Increase temp to medium-high. Let cook till mixture becomes golden brown. Take off heat and pour over apples in the tart. Brush the edges with eggwash and sprinkle with sugar. This tart dough is a little bland so be generous with the sugar sprinkle. Place in 375F oven for about an hour or till the edges are nice and golden brown. Enjoy warm with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream!

Crab curry

I did some of my schooling in New England and there was introduced to lobster. My cousin P took me to this place in Boston’s Chinatown called Hong Kong Eatery or Cafe or something like that. It was one of those communal eating places where when things got busy anybody could sit next to you. Yes, I've been there a lot and experienced this way too much. But the very first time we were there, it wasn't crowded and P and I feasted on our own 4 person table, allowing plenty of room for all the food we ordered. We maneuvered juicy, savory chunks of lobster out of their shells, scraping bits of the amazing ginger-scallion batter with our teeth. And just like that I was hooked to lobster! I’ve taken everybody I’ve known to that little shack and they have always loved it. I've since eaten lobster many different ways and it was my most favorite crustacean for the longest time. Was you ask? was.

You see, we moved to Maryland (MD) and some of the world's best crabs come from here. I've had some really nice crab cakes but never manned up to the entire crab. I'd keep remembering the time in Kuwait when my father ordered crab, which according to his chef-friend was fresh caught from the sea surrounding the restaurant. The crab came to our table complete in its shell-y glory and my Andrew-Zimmeran-wannabe father didnt know what the heck to do with it. We tried to help using our butter knives and forks...but nada. Even the chef-friend cowered saying that although trained to cook, he'd never actually eaten it! Finally my father sent back the crab and settled for a dinner of lamb kebabs and fries. In retrospect though, what a waste of good crab!

Back to Maryland, circa 2009. My boss, turns out, is a big crab buff. Every summer he throws a crab fest and everyone working with him is invited. Novice unsuspecting moi, was a little late getting food, so I took a paper plate, got some pasta salad and sat at the only empty spot which turned out (fortunately!) to be next to people from coastal China. To my plate I gingerly added a male and female crab, not really knowing the difference other than that they were in different boxes. And then out of nowhere, I hear stern commands, “No, NO, NOOO plates!” It was the boss. After a quick apology I dumped the crabs onto the paper lined table and… got savage. My very skillful table-mates gave me the lowdown on dismantling a crab and how to even tell the gender by looking at their flip sides. The soft, sweet meat was delicious without being masked by fillers usually found in crabcakes. The flavor was enough to beat lobster, but the work involved in getting to the good stuff was too much. There was absolutely no way I could make it at home, or so I thought. Till I decided to meet my fears head on and made Crab cioppino. It was gone before I even had a chance to take a picture. Last night however, I made an Indian-ized curry version which was perfect for drowning rice. I've got to tell you, there's no point being dainty getting the meat off the shells, the best (and only way) is to get dirty. If you're too tired to crack the shells and scoop out the meat, I found that violently shaking is pretty effective in getting the meat out (with a bonus of curry splatter on your walls). As for the claws, making an indentation with your teeth and using that as a hold to pry out the shell seems the way to go. It really is a labor of love-- a love for food, which is why inspite of having two fingers pierced by the spines of the Alaskan king crab (a completely different beast from the snow crab I first cooked), I know I will make it again!
















Recipe

Dry roast (on shallow pan without oil) and then powder:
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp whole black peppercorns
2 tsp corriander seeds

Grind in a blender with half a cup of water till the following resemble a paste:
6 small yellow onions, quartered
4 green chillies (thai peppers)
5 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp dessicated coconut

For the curry:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp of ginger garlic paste
2 tbsp chilli powder
2 cups water
2 big clusters of alaskan king crab (about 2.5 lbs) pre-steamed and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 tsp tamarind concentrate diluted with 1 cup of water
Salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a shallow, wide pan. Add ground onion paste, ginger-garlic paste and chilli powder. Cook the mixture till it becomes thick, brown and leaves an oily smear when mixing around. Add the freshly roasted spice mixture. Add 2 cups of water. Check seasoning at this point and add salt, making sure that the gravy is slightly undersalted as the crab is a bit salty by itself. Next arrange the crab pieces in a single layer around the pan and then add the tamarind "water". Cover the pan and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro if desired and serve with rice.

Daring Bakers February Challenge-- Tiramisu

My little man had a stomach virus the week before and the poor baby suffered as I'd never seen him and hope never to again. And when we finally managed to nurse him back to health, I got the bug! I've never gotten a stomach bug ever, EVER. All those years of roadside feasting in Kuwait and India, never! Anyways, we are all better now and its time to think about cooking, baking to be precise.

The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.

Here's their recipe and my pictures! The pictures are a bit sad but were the best I could do under the circumstances. Better ones next time, promise!!


Ingredients:
For the zabaglione:
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar/50gms
1/4 cup/60ml Marsala wine (or port or coffee)
1/4 teaspoon/ 1.25ml vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

For the vanilla pastry cream:
1/4 cup/55gms sugar
1 tablespoon/8gms all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup/175ml whole milk

For the whipped cream:
1 cup/235ml chilled heavy cream (we used 25%)
1/4 cup/55gms sugar
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract

To assemble the tiramisu:
2 cups/470ml brewed espresso, warmed
1 teaspoon/5ml rum extract (optional)
1/2 cup/110gms sugar
1/3 cup/75gms mascarpone cheese
36 savoiardi/ ladyfinger biscuits (you may use less)
2 tablespoons/30gms unsweetened cocoa powder

Method:
For the zabaglione:
Heat water in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, place a pot with about an inch of water in it on the stove. Place a heat-proof bowl in the pot making sure the bottom does not touch the water.
In a large mixing bowl (or stainless steel mixing bowl), mix together the egg yolks, sugar, the Marsala (or espresso/ coffee), vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk together until the yolks are fully blended and the mixture looks smooth.
Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler or place your bowl over the pan/ pot with simmering water. Cook the egg mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes or until it resembles thick custard. It may bubble a bit as it reaches that consistency.
Let cool to room temperature and transfer the zabaglione to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the pastry cream:
Mix together the sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. To this add the egg yolk and half the milk. Whisk until smooth.
Now place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling.
Add the remaining milk a little at a time, still stirring constantly. After about 12 minutes the mixture will be thick, free of lumps and beginning to bubble. (If you have a few lumps, don’t worry. You can push the cream through a fine-mesh strainer.)
Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the whipped cream:
Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or immersion blender until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Set aside.

To assemble the tiramisu:
Have ready a rectangular serving dish (about 8" by 8" should do) or one of your choice.
Mix together the warm espresso, rum extract and sugar in a shallow dish, whisking to mix well. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese with a spoon to break down the lumps and make it smooth. This will make it easier to fold. Add the prepared and chilled zabaglione and pastry cream, blending until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set this cream mixture aside.

Now to start assembling the tiramisu.
Workings quickly, dip 12 of the ladyfingers in the sweetened espresso, about 1 second per side. They should be moist but not soggy. Immediately transfer each ladyfinger to the platter, placing them side by side in a single row. You may break a lady finger into two, if necessary, to ensure the base of your dish is completely covered.
Spoon one-third of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers, then use a rubber spatula or spreading knife to cover the top evenly, all the way to the edges.
Repeat to create 2 more layers, using 12 ladyfingers and the cream mixture for each layer. Clean any spilled cream mixture; cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight.
To serve, carefully remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the tiramisu with cocoa powder using a fine-mesh strainer or decorate as you please. Cut into individual portions and serve.

MASCARPONE CHEESE

(Source: Vera’s Recipe for Homemade Mascarpone Cheese)
This recipe makes 12oz/ 340gm of mascarpone cheese

Ingredients:
474ml (approx. 500ml)/ 2 cups whipping (36 %) pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized), preferably organic cream (between 25% to 36% cream will do)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 F. If you do not have a thermometer, wait until small bubbles keep trying to push up to the surface.
It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating. Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.
Vera’s notes: The first time I made mascarpone I had all doubts if it’d been cooked enough, because of its custard-like texture. Have no fear, it will firm up beautifully in the fridge, and will yet remain lusciously creamy.
Keep refrigerated and use within 3 to 4 days.

LADYFINGERS/ SAVOIARDI BISCUITS
(Source: Recipe from Cordon Bleu At Home)
This recipe makes approximately 24 big ladyfingers or 45 small (2 1/2" to 3" long) ladyfingers.


Ingredients:
3 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons /75gms granulated sugar
3/4 cup/95gms cake flour, sifted (or 3/4 cup all purpose flour + 2 tbsp corn starch)
6 tablespoons /50gms confectioner's sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C) degrees, then lightly brush 2 baking sheets with oil or softened butter and line with parchment paper.
Beat the egg whites using a hand held electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually add granulate sugar and continue beating until the egg whites become stiff again, glossy and smooth.
In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a fork and fold them into the meringue, using a wooden spoon. Sift the flour over this mixture and fold gently until just mixed. It is important to fold very gently and not overdo the folding. Otherwise the batter would deflate and lose volume resulting in ladyfingers which are flat and not spongy.
Fit a pastry bag with a plain tip (or just snip the end off; you could also use a Ziploc bag) and fill with the batter. Pipe the batter into 5" long and 3/4" wide strips leaving about 1" space in between the strips.
Sprinkle half the confectioner's sugar over the ladyfingers and wait for 5 minutes. The sugar will pearl or look wet and glisten. Now sprinkle the remaining sugar. This helps to give the ladyfingers their characteristic crispness.
Hold the parchment paper in place with your thumb and lift one side of the baking sheet and gently tap it on the work surface to remove excess sprinkled sugar.
Bake the ladyfingers for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets and bake for another 5 minutes or so until the puff up, turn lightly golden brown and are still soft.
Allow them to cool slightly on the sheets for about 5 minutes and then remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet with a metal spatula while still hot, and cool on a rack.
Store them in an airtight container till required. They should keep for 2 to 3 weeks.

Bye Bye Brioche!

'

Its a slightly misleading title, but what I really mean is "bye bye old, quick and easy recipe for brioche". With all due respect to the folks at Cooks Illustrated, Dorie Greenspans recipe kicks their behind far and beyond to another galaxy.

I'm never usually in a rush to eat brioche right away and dont mind letting the dough sit overnight for far more buttery delicious goodness. The hands on time is relatively the same. Although I must admit that this time around there was a lot of unnecessary hand kneading. Why? Because my Kitchenaid stand mixer died on me!! I dont understand how! I've had it for about 2 years but dont nearly use it as much as I should... nonetheless it happened. The hubby couldn't deal with the cries of disbelief and subsequent pouting, so replaced it the very next day with a brand spanking new professional version. I've been too intimidated to wrestle the 3 cubic foot box, so its been sitting there on the living room floor for a while now. I should get it out soon, I have to make some more brioche dough so I can make these sticky buns again, just toooo good! I've been eating them for breakfast, lunch and dinner 2 days in a row...they are that good (and yes, I do tend to overdo things, but just a bit ;) ). Make sure you have a glass of ice cold milk handy, you'll need it to cut through the sweetness. Enjoy!

Brioche dough (recipe makes for 2 batches of sticky buns)

2 packets active dry yeast
1/3 cup lukewarm water
1/3 cup lukewarm whole milk
3 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
3 large eggs at room temp
1/4 cup sugar
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp

Put yeast, milk and water in the bowl of stand mixer and stir till yeast dissolves. Add the flour and salt. Attach the bowl to the mixer and pulse for 20 seconds. Dough will be very shaggy and dry. Beat in the eggs one by one till fully incorporated and then add sugar. Beat on medium just till a ball is formed (I tried following the recipe to the t and tried kneading the dough ball for 2 additional minutes when my mixer died!). Reduce the speed to low (or in my case, throw caution into the air and get your fingers in) and add the butter in 2 tbsp chunks till all the butter is used up. You will end up with a very runny dough, don't be afraid you're on the right track. Transfer the dough to a greased clean bowl and let rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, punching it down periodically. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Or freeze dough in a ziplock bag with excess air removed for about 3 months.

For the sticky buns

1/2 the dough from above

For the glaze

1 cup granulated sugar (Dorie asks for light brown sugar but I was out)
1 stick butter
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 cup cashew nuts (D says pecans)

For Filling

1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp salted butter
1 cup of raisins


Making the glaze

Melt butter, sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the honey. Pour the mixture onto a greased ovenproof 9x13 pan. And then sprinkle the nuts over it.

Making the buns:

Roll the dough out, roughly into a rectangle about 1 mm thick. Spread the 3 tbsp of the salted butter over the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon, sugar and raisins over the dough. Roll it along its longest edge to get a nice long log. Cut the log into 1 inch pieces and arrange them on the pan with the honey glaze and nuts. Let the buns rise in a warm place for about an hour or till doubled in size. Bake in a 375 preheated oven for 30 minutes. Once the buns are out of the oven, let them sit for 20 minutes. Then place a platter over the still hot baking pan (use oven mitts!) and flip the baking pan over the platter. Serve sticky buns warm with whipped cream or a glass of milk.

Chicken enchilada soup for a snow day lunch

We've been getting a lot of snow around here lately, record breaking amounts in fact. Warnings have been issued to allow only emergency vehicles on the roads. My window and the street outside are covered by this thick fluffy blanket of pristine snow. So beautiful. Its the perfect weather for a bowl of piping hot and spicy chicken enchilada soup and a grilled cheese sandwich dunker.
Chicken enchilada soup

1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 small yellow onion chopped
4 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 of a chicken breast (chopped to small bitesize cubes)
2 tbsp cumin powder
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp of salt
1 red pepper deseeded and cut into strips (or you can chop depending on your preference)
1 yellow pepper deseeded and cut into strips
2 cups of frozen roasted corn kernels (I used the Trader Joes brand, but can be substituted with regular corn kernels)
1 small can white lima beans (substitute with black beans or cannellini beans)
1 tbsp of tomato paste
4 cups of low sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp sour cream (or more to taste, substitute with heavy cream or even whole milk yogurt)
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil

Add about 2 tbsp of vegetable oil to a medium to large sauce pan. Turn on heat to medium. Add cumin seeds to the oil. Let them fry for a few seconds, then add onions and garlic. Cook till the onions are soft making sure the garlic doesnt burn, turn down heat if necessary. Add the chicken, salt, cumin powder and chili powder. Fry till the chicken is cooked through. Add the tomato paste, peppers, corn and beans (you can add other veggies like zucchini if you prefer) . Stir fry for about a minute. Add the chicken broth. Bring the soup to a boil, cover and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and seasoning accordingly (as in more chili powder). Mix in the cream just before serving. Garnish with cilantro if you like (I do, but ran out). Enjoy hot. Soup tastes even better the next day when the flavors have time to meld. Leftovers freeze nicely too.

Nanaimo Bars

Happy New Year everybody! Its been a hectic couple of months around here-- with the holidays, our babysitter traveling, school, work, etc etc. Not that I'm whining...because I'm not...its my resolution not to whine... so I couldn't possibly be whining-- just stating facts :) . But I do have to keep this short. I will be back later and fill you in on what's been happening around here and also give you boat loads of new recipes, because, yes, the cooking never stops! Now down to business.

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.

I did really try to go gluten free but hunting down the different flours proved too much of a hassle. So I settled for a mix of all purpose and whole wheat flour. The crackers are not only delicious and semi healthy, they are also terribly addictive.

As for the Nanaimo bars, they seem absolutely decadent. I just finished making them this evening and am too scared of coronaries to try a chunk so late at night. But I did taste the individual layers and they taste divine. Tomorrow though, with some company and a cup of black coffee, I will attempt it and let you know and you, for your part, call the ambulance when I'm down.


For the graham crackers I followed this recipe:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a food processor, mix together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the cold butter and process for about 30 seconds until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the honey, water, and vanilla. Mix for a few more seconds until the dough starts to come together in a ball. Scrape dough out of the mixer and onto one sheet of parchment paper. Place another sheet of parchment paper over the dough and roll to 1/8-inch thick (I'd never tried this before and my thickness was way off, so the crackers were slightly chewy but still yum). Chill for an hour or more.
Preheat oven to 350F. Get dough out of the fridge and with a pizza cutter cut into uniform squares. Nudge the squares apart on the same parchment paper (if uncut) and bake till you begin to smell the crackers and the edges are lightly brown (about 12 minutes). Cool and store in an airtight container for about 2 weeks.

For the Nanaimo bars

Bottom Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup (50 g) (1.8 ounces) Granulated Sugar
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Unsweetened Cocoa
1 Large Egg, Beaten
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) (160 g) (5.6 ounces) Gluten Free Graham Wafer Crumbs (See previous recipe)
1/2 cup (55 g) (1.9 ounces) Almonds (Any type, Finely chopped)
1 cup (130 g) (4.5 ounces) Coconut (Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened)

Middle Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons (40 mL) Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Vanilla Custard Powder (Such as Bird’s. Vanilla pudding mix may be substituted.)
2 cups (254 g) (8.9 ounces) Icing Sugar

Top Layer
4 ounces (115 g) Semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons (28 g) (1 ounce) Unsalted Butter

Directions:
1. For bottom Layer: Melt unsalted butter, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch pan.

2. For Middle Layer: Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light in colour. Spread over bottom layer.

3. For Top Layer: Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill.

Plane ride back

Every so often the perfect song plays itself at the right time. Just as the plane speeds up on the runway with its nose slightly tilted upwards, this song comes on Airtran's sirius radio. Its as if my heart was read like a book and re-written in song. The plane cuts in to the nightsky, leaving Boston and everything it represents below-- beautiful and glittering, traffic flickering on the roads like strings of Christmas lights. Me? I can't hold back the tears trying to hide them in the shadow my long hair. I'm so glad that the guy next to me is on his iTouch. I increase the volume on my headphones somehow thinking its sounds will drown my vulnerability. The blinking CITGO sign, color in a sea of yellow lights, starts another round of sobs. Such deep, sad loss.

Boston Revisited-part 2

I had a good day today as far as food foraging is concerned, but pretty bad on all other accounts. In all my youthful enthusiasm, I logged in about 14 hours of walking between yesterday and today but since I'm not as youthful anymore my thighs and ankles feel like they are tied down to gigantic spiked lead balls with iron chains. And while we're on the topic of age, today... finally today... I felt like my time has passed. You know what I mean? 3 years ago it would be rare to walk down the street and not see somebody I knew. Now I don't know anybody and everybody looks about as old as I was when I first started school here. Everyone I once knew have left. 7 years of my life, gone just like that! Poof!

Everything's such a blur, I still remember coming to Boston for the first time with my dad. There was the gut sinking anxiety of starting life in a new place, a new country. Learning to speak in a way so people would actually understand what I was saying, absorbing people's lives around me, their habits, trying to fit in. Tired of walking back and forth from one building to the other registering for classes, my father finally asked somebody how (trying to be one of them) we could use the train that seemed to be running right through the campus. One of the girls explained that for $1 (then) you could go anywhere in Boston by T (metro). The T seemed so intimidating, we held tightly on to the map she gave us with criss-crossing red, green, yellow and blue lines only parting with it when back in Maryland. Then as time flew on by I became one of them -- well versed with T and bus routes even where to stand at the stops to guarantee a seat, the best places to eat, the cool touristy places my family loved to see and the way to trail by the Charles river from Boston to the Cambridge side for a fantastic walk.

But now things seem a bit bizarre-- I know the roads- the major ones at least but have forgotten which buses stop where and even the buses seem a foreign concept-- so many pushy shove-y people! In fact, thats why I figured it was safer to walk even if it meant that I wouldnt get my moneys worth out of the newly institutionalized $20 Charlie pass.


Some places stay comfortingly the same but other favorites are sadly replaced. Just keeping up with school and work always kept me so busy that its surprising how many little details of stores/places that I still subconsciously remember. For example, the bagel place with the awful poppy-seed bagel-- still open, the middle-eastern place where the one-eyed owner flirted with me for an hour instead of making my shawarma-- closed, the place my roommate and I drowned heartaches over chocolate fudge sundaes-- open but with a name change, the bubble tea place which sold spicy popcorn chicken then (at $4.00) considered an expensive treat --open, the Turkish grocery store that sold sweets that I took back to my parents-- open... you get the picture, so many happy memories that in spite my stone feet I want to drag myself out to be surrounded by them. Oh the beauties of old age!


Here are some pictures I took around here today. Brioche at Tatte's for breakfast, a duck crepe at the Harvard St. creperie for lunch and the most amazing lobster ever at Brown Sugar-- which towards the end of my stay became my favorite campus Thai place after Dan's cafe closed. I was hoping to get some pictures of the cutest dog in the world but her owner was being a bit of a pain in the behind, so I couldn't. But theres still plenty to keep you happy.

No, I wasn't sharing with anyone that was all mine!

Mixed Nutbox to go from Tatte

Duck Crepe from Paris Creperie

Lobster in Red curry from Brown Sugar--yumm!!

Boston Revisited- Finale

Eating alone is the curse of American society. Why cant we be more like the Europeans and go out every day for communal meals?? Being alone in Boston, I had to do just that and its plain sad. To add insult to injury I was practically sitting on the laps of two couldnt-be-more-than-21 year olds out on what seemed like a date. I had to sit through 20 long minutes of conversation that comprised of intellectually stimulating material such as "you think I'm stubborn", "no, but do you think I'm stubborn", "no, but you are...I cant find the word to describe you", "But do you have anything naughty in your room", "no, I cant my mother is always in my room", "oh but I'm sure you must have something in your room", "oh no, do *you* have something in your room". Finally, the guy tells the girl just as she begins to make her move that he is "sort of" seeing somebody in NY, so nothing could happen between them. OUCH! The poor girl attempted a recovery but mumbled something pitiful like, "oh no, I didnt, I mean, I dont know where I'll be next semester but [getting down to business] who is she?". Poor kid. The guy seemed as dumb as mud anyway, am sure she'll recover.




Anyways coming back to dinner, I ended up going to Finale for dinner and dessert. Dinner of pasta called something or the other with tomatoes and broccoli and a side of chicken was blah. But the molten chocolate cake with coffee gelato totally hit the spot. I recommend having dinner elsewhere but you have to come here for dessert.

Boston Revisited

Do you know what its like to go back to a place you havent been to in a while? To be a "guest" in a place that was once home for a very long time? You do? Well I didnt quite know what to expect.
There were butterflies in my tummy as I got off the plane. Which were quickly replaced by the excitement of getting on public transport again... something I havent done in almost 3 years. I'd picked a hotel that was close to where I went to school, the Brookline Marriott Courtyard. I must have lost my touch and got off the T one stop too early and had to drag my bag about 2 blocks. It was such a gorgeous winter day and the roads were still bare at 11am making the walk pleasantly brisk. I didnt think I'd remember anything but walking outside felt like being back home again, fast forwarding a wee bit of time. The hotel itself was great-- warm, cozy, inviting and they were kind enough to let me check in early.

After checking in, I took a looong walk on Beacon St and discovered that my favorite hole-in-the-wall bakery Savoy (which always ran out of its buttery delicious pastry well before noon) was replaced by a much more hip and organized place called Tatte's. But a cup of white chocolate and a nutbox-- a tart shell filled with nuts (in my case pecans) with just a drizzle of caramel more than made up for the loss of the old place. Still walking, I made my way to my art supply source in Boston, a store I finally realized to be called Blick (have always been hopeless with names). Still on a mission to get familiar I made my way to Harvard St. and had lunch (a spinach, pesto and tomato slice) at Upper Crust, one of the best pizza places in town. Next I walked on to Commonwealth Ave and made my way to BU's Registrar's office, the main reason for my visit. Once done there, I was too tired to walk back so actually had to ask the kid who worked there which bus I had to take. Sad, I know, once upon a time I knew bus routes and schedules by heart.

Now I'm back in the hotel enjoying free internet and left with the difficult decision of where to have dinner, I've already picked Finale for dessert :). Maybe I can even squeeze a stopover at Brookline Booksmith, the cutest, quaintest bookstore in Brookline. I'll take some pictures and put them up here so you can see [post updated and pictures shown below].