happy holidays

 

the recipe that made me a pumpkin pie convert

Happy Thanksgiving weekend everyone!

I hope you all had a great time giving thanks with your family and loved ones over delicious, coma-inducing food.

I have to admit I was never a big fan of pumpkin pie. Or sweet potato pie. It may sound like a crime to those of you steeped in Thanksgiving tradition, but I only started celebrating this holiday when I moved to this country ten years ago. So I don't have a lot of memories attached to pumpkin pie. Apple pie, however, is a different story, but pumpkin pie just didn't appeal to me that much.

Until I tried this bourbon pumpkin pie from Harvest Moon Cafe , this delightful cafe and restaurant (with an attached garden herb shop) in Columbus. Since then, I've been determined to re-create it at home. A friend of mine joked, "maybe it's the bourbon?" Ha! Maybe it is. The funny thing is, I don't even like to drink (alcohol). My body just does not tolerate it well at all. I do like to use it in my cooking and baking though, as the heat allows the alcohol to evaporate, leaving behind some good flavor.

This recipe has been adapted from a couple of different recipes, including this one and this one. I use a deep pie dish for this as I like a thick crust, and also because the recipe makes a pretty good amount of filling.



This pie is insanely addictive. I even had it for breakfast. You've been warned. (Hey, pumpkin is a vegetable, right?)

breakfast of champions

Bourbon Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust and Pecan Streusel

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Crust:

• Crushed/ground gingersnap cookies (about 1 ¼ cup crumbs, ground in a food processor)
• 10-12 graham crackers (ground in a food processor) - you could also use more gingersnap cookies in place of the graham crackers, but I found that the cookies were already very sweet and I didn't want an overly sweet crust. I suggest you taste your ginger cookies first :) You'll want to end up with about 2 cups of crumbs total (gingersnaps and graham crackers combined)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Filling:

• 1 ¾ cup whole milk
• ¼ cup bourbon
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated makes a world of difference, trust me)
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• a dash of allspice
• ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 whole egg
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ¼ cup granulated white sugar
• 1 ¼ cups pumpkin puree (from one 15-ounce can)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

Streusel:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
• ½ cup flour
• ¾ cup chopped pecans

Topping:

• 1 cup heavy cream, whisked to medium peaks (make sure your cream is very cold when you start; I also like to keep the bowl and beaters in the fridge to keep them cold before I whip the cream)

1. Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine gingersnaps, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in melted butter. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie dish (use a deep pie dish). Refrigerate for 15 minutes, then bake until the crust is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
2. In a medium bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of the butter and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar with the flour and pinch into moist crumbs. Stir in the pecans.
3. Make the filling: Bring milk, bourbon, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks and whole egg with cornstarch and granulated white sugar in a medium bowl.
4. Gradually whisk about 1/2 cup milk mixture into the egg mixture. This process of adding a small amount of a hot mixture to eggs is called tempering - instead of mixing the egg mixture directly into the hot milk (which can result in the eggs getting scrambled in the hot liquid), we need to slowly bring up the temperature of the egg mixture. Slowly add a little more (about a quarter to a half cup) of the milk, stirring to blend. Gradually whisk in remaining milk mixture. Return entire mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until bubbly, about 3 – 5 minutes. Remove from heat. 
5. Immediately whisk in pumpkin, stirring until no longer lumpy. Then add 1 tablespoon of butter, for good measure. Julia Child would approve.
6. Pour the filling into the cooled gingersnap crust, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the pecan streusel evenly over top. Bake for 45 minutes, then let cool on a wire rack.
7. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours. Serve with whipped cream.   

Recipe adapted from Camille Styles and Food & Wine magazine

i will be your witness

Ok, so before our Catholic wedding ceremony, and before our Hindu ceremony (I promise, we are not really wedding-crazy ;-) )... this happened exactly two years ago. A. and I made a promise - to be a witness to each other's lives.

I realize I haven't shared pictures from that amazing day - March 19th, 2011 - except for a few here. Partly because I wanted to treasure the memory to myself or to just the two of us (and the few people who were there), but partly because it was hard to choose which photos to share here on the blog. Even if I only have a handful of readers, A. had some reservations about posting "people pictures" on cyberspace - especially close-up shots - and I don't blame him. In fact, I also don't post many pictures of myself here either, so this is me going out on a limb. But I also want to look back at this, years later...

So, all that to say that this is the reason the pictures here don't show us directly looking at the camera, or were taken from a little more discreet, not so in-your-face close-up angles. I had to be selective :)

Auburn Twin Oaks Winery, Chagrin Falls, Ohio. A. and I had been to this family-owned winery a few times before and met the owners, who are just lovely people. They are not actually open to the public every day, but on some weekends they have food and wine tasting events. We talked to the owners to reserve this location, and had the whole place to ourselves! It felt like we were in Northeast Ohio's best kept secret.

It was a beautiful, clear day, on the cusp between winter and spring. So fitting.

I think "walking with a purpose" would be a fitting caption for this photo, don't you think?

The interior of the winery was drenched in sunlight. I had to squeeze in a few minutes to take photos of my own. :)

My bouquet of happy yellow flowers. My sister-in-law took care of this, aghast after hearing me say I would just pick up flowers myself from the store (I was trying to keep things as simple as possible). She had it executed perfectly. When asked what kind of flowers I would like, all I said was, "yellow and spring-like". I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful arrangement. Thanks so much, G.!

Photo-op of photo-op. I can take pictures at my own wedding, can't I?

We stood in a room on the top floor, with large windows that give you an almost 360-degree view of the grounds. The room was bathed in afternoon sunlight. We took turns reading verses of Oriah's The Invitation, which is one of my favorites. No matter how many times I've read the poem, reading it aloud on this important day got me all choked up and teary-eyed. We said our vows and exchanged rings, then we were married in front of 8 witnesses (8 including the marriage officiant, that is).

After we exchanged vows, we took a walk outside. My brothers asked A. to carry me for some goofy pictures.

It was a beautiful day - the sun was out, but do not be deceived... it was actually quite cold!

We went back inside to enjoy wine (for them) and cake (for me! Ok... for them too). I had no idea my friends were baking a chocolate cake in my kitchen while I was out that morning getting a haircut - which, in my world, is my version of getting my hair "styled" (I know... clueless.). It didn't occur to me when I got back home, why they were both standing in the kitchen, leaning strategically on the oven door so I couldn't see what was baking inside.

So happy.

(Photos taken by my brother, a dear friend, and me.)

As I look back, I think one of the reasons this day was so special was that the whole ceremony was stripped down to the bare essentials - without any extraneous details that could potentially take away from the essence of what was happening. And yes, this is coming from a detail-oriented person such as myself. Even my mom was amused that I didn't buy anything new to wear. We only bought very simple wedding bands. The place was already beautiful and needed no additional decorations. And everything else (flowers & food) was taken care of by family and friends. 

It wasn't about the details this time.

~

I'll end with one of my favorite quotable movie lines - from the movie Shall We Dance.

Susan Sarandon: "Why is it, do you think, that people get married?"
Richard Jenkins: "Passion."
Susan Sarandon: "No."
Richard Jenkins: "It's interesing, because I would have taken you for a romantic. Why, then?"

Susan Sarandon: "Because we need a witness to our lives...there are a billion people on the planet, I mean, what does any one life really mean? But in a marriage, you're promising to care about everything...the good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things...all of it, all the time, everyday. You're saying, 'Your life will not go unnoticed, because I will notice it. Your life will not go unwitnessed, because I will be your witness.'"

~

Happy anniversary, A... here's to being each other's witness.

All my love.

plans derailed

So I had all these plans of making a nice meal for tonight. Warm marinated olives, spaghettini with garlic, arugula, lemon zest, and pine nuts (a dish in our regular pasta rotation, and one of A.'s favorites), and chocolate chai pots de creme - essentially a French-style custard or pudding, made with some good quality chocolate and chai spices (cardamom, ginger). We first had this chocolate chai pots de creme at one of our visits to the Greenhouse Tavern two years (minus 5 days) ago. I don't think I ever posted pictures of that meal...and I thought today would be a good time to go down memory lane.

Greenhouse Tavern dinner, two years ago. Clockwise from left: bread and housemade ricotta, grilled padron peppers (with lots of garlic! How's that for a romantic meal), tofu, and "very very very spicy greens n' beans". Apparently my photography style at that time was influenced by the misconception that I should get as close as humanly possible to the food all the time. Ha!

After a delicious meal, we decided to just split one dessert. It was so good, that we decided to order another, stat. Much to the amusement of the server, listening to us claim we were already so full and yet couldn't help ourselves.

Left: chocolate chai pots de creme. Right: each table has a bottle of water like this. No more waiting for the server to come around and refill your glass!

And actually, if my food memory serves me right, this is the weekend he proposed... (ok, so my memories revolve around food... don't judge.)

And then I decided to re-create the chocolate chai pots de creme at home, and A. said it was even better (he's sweet like that). And since chai is such a big part of his food culture, being Indian, he just LOVED this.

[Side note. Please, for the love of all that is delicious, it is not "chai tea" because chai = tea, so the "chai tea" that you see in coffee shops is like "tea tea". That was one of the first lessons in Hindi that I learned. (End rant.)]

So anyway... that was my plan for today. We really don't do anything elaborate on V-day - we don't do expensive gifts and fancy dinners out. I usually just like to cook/bake something delicious for dinner. Unfortunately, this is the second day of my cold (ugh). Four cups of tea and half a box of tissues later, and I am resigned to this stuffy feeling in my head. I wanted to go to a yoga class this morning for some self-care, but that got derailed as well because my almost-incessant sneezing will be very distracting to everyone else.

If I had all my ingredients, I would have gone through with my plans, but on this freezing day I really didn't feel like going out to the grocery store with this cold, headache, and body aches. So instead, A. said he would get soup and sushi on his way home from work. When I'm sick, there's nothing better than miso soup. So takeout it is. 

At least I have a really great greeting card to give him...

It doesn't always have to be grandiose displays of love. Although I must say, this is quite spectacular:

The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal really must have had something special. 

But... so do we. Thank you, A.

(Photos taken during our recent trip to India last December)

happy thanksgiving!

Not having grown up in the US, I don't have a specific attachment to Thanksgiving as a holiday. I do however, love the idea of having a day to focus on gratitude.

mehndi (henna) on my 5-year-old niece-in-law, India | May 2012

I have to admit, I don't get excited about turkey and stuffing. So instead, I'll share what I'm reading and reflecting on today:

My Heart Brims with Affection and Expansion

I am committed to gratitude in my life. This choice opens my perceptions to receive the good. This choice shows me the inner doorway through which abundance comes to me. My heart is connected to universal love. Opening to my inner connection to Source, I receive an inflow of love and further gratitude. I give out an outflow of love and further gratitude. Gratitude for me is active. It is an inner decision to name and cherish what I love. It is a recognition of the many ways in which I myself am loved and cherished. In committed gratitude, I strive to touch all with the loving-kindness which touches me. I practice the principles of love in action. I am kind and compassionate first to myself and then to all others. I cherish our worth, our dignity, our shared path as co-creative beings shaping our shared world.

- Julia Cameron, Blessings: Prayers and Declarations for a Heartful Life

one year later...

...and I grow more and more thankful each day.

September 24th, 2011

I never felt magic crazy as this

I never saw moons, knew the meaning of the sea

I never held emotion in the palm of my hand

Or felt sweet breezes in the top of the tree

But now you're here, brighten my northern sky

- Northern Sky by Nick Drake, 1948-1974
(the song for our first dance)

Every day I have with you as a gift.




Happy anniversary, A.
You brighten my sky.

~

All photos captured by a dear friend, Debra-Lynn Hook

freedom and independence

Earlier today I had a conversation with someone who asked me, "so how are you celebrating the Fourth of July?" Nonchalantly, I responded, "well, I'm not too big on the Fourth of July... It's an American holiday." Granted, I was in the middle of dusting and doing 3 loads of laundry.

But, I ended up thinking a little more about it. The truth is, my not being a born-and-bred American does not mean that the Fourth of July isn't important in my life. I came here nine years ago in the hopes of professional growth and opportunities. And without a doubt, I have grown tremendously here. I am incredibly thankful for every opportunity, even every challenge and setback that made me who I am today.

Perhaps my recent change of status to "permanent resident"  helps me feel more "free". I have to admit that after recently traveling overseas (finally!) and returning to the US, it felt great to go through immigrations at the airport with just a passport and greencard in hand, without having to pull out document after document that proves our legal status. I'm grateful that I was able to experience this freedom after what seemed to be a several-year journey in uncertainty.

But in the grander scheme of things, I am thankful for so much more. Thankful that I was free to experience higher education with a scholarship, have a fulfilling job, and go through higher education (yet again) in a field/profession of my choosing. I am free to pursue the hobbies and activities I want, be it the arts and culture, volunteering, a social life. I can exercise my independence and I'm free to walk or drive alone, realizing that in some other contexts or cultures women cannot be out unchaperoned. I'm free to go outside and not fear for my safety. I am free to believe what I want to believe, and practice my faith without persecution. I can read what I want to read, say what I want to say - verbally or in writing. I am free to have my own identity, even as a woman in an ethnic minority.

Despite not being an American, I too am celebrating my freedom today. Because I'm free to make choices and to evolve into the person I want to be. I am free to create my future.

photo by Jenni from Story of My Life

Sure, I miss home and my home country terribly. But just like Americans, today I will say: Happy Fourth of July!

May we not take our freedoms for granted...

happy summer solstice!

image source

The longest day of the year...

And we're having what seems to be a heat wave (90+ degrees) in Cleveland. It's usually more pleasant than this.

I've been working my butt off this week to meet some deadlines... and realize I haven't blogged at all this week. After we hit "submit", I have some really fun things to look forward to!

~Visiting my friend who just had a baby last weekend! She also asked me to take photographs of her little newborn Beatrice. The pressure is on...I hope I'm up for the task! I haven't taken any pictures of anything this week (SAD!) and I'm feeling a void... but a photo session with a sweet little newborn more than makes up for it. And I'll get to hold a baby - a tiny, yet incredibly amazing miracle. Can't wait!

~Our weekly produce pickup is on Friday. We are getting fresh peas again! Oh, and tofu - made in Cleveland! (By the way, I found a great resource on how to store produce in the fridge without plastic - there's a printable pdf file on the website)

~Harvesting fresh cilantro from our balcony herb pots - my herbs are growing! (with my not-so-green thumb, I can never tell what plants will make it... and of course as I'm typing this, I feel like I just jinxed it and now for sure my cilantro is going to bolt. Ok, think positive...)

~Joining a yoga class on Friday evening and we'll be doing 108 sun salutations for the summer solstice. (I'm sure I'll take a break and do child's pose here and there, so it won't actually be 108... but you get the idea)

~A. and I are going to Cincinnati this weekend to visit some of our old friends... who I miss dearly... and I miss my old stomping grounds.

Meanwhile, I am craving Jeni's grapefruit frozen yogurt. I don't think I have time to re-create it at home this week... a run to the store might be in my near future. And hopefully soon I can dig into this book.

Stay cool and hydrated, friends!

weekend snapshots... and a recipe at the end

I'm all about pink flowers lately.

gerbera daisy

I'm usually more into yellow flowers. But it must be the baby girl fever happening all around me. I know 4 women around me who either have given birth to a baby girl or are expecting a baby girl this year. There's something in the water in Cleveland :)

peony petals starting to open...

I don't usually buy flowers for myself, but I went ahead and got some pink peonies... they truly are special, being available only once a year.

peony in bloom

 Last weekend a group of us hosted a baby shower for a friend, due in the end of July. It was an all-Indian group (except for me - although I've become an honorary Indian now, I guess!). So the weekend involved making a triple batch of palak paneer (spinach and cheese dish) - using 2 bunches of fresh spinach from the CSA and 3 packages of frozen spinach. But it turned out to be a hit - yay!

The baby shower was pretty fun. I planned a few baby games, and thankfully everyone was up for it...

Left: Each guest wrote a suggestion for the baby girl's name on a piece of paper, put it into a jar, and the mommy-to-be opened them one by one to guess who suggested the name. The most fun name in the bunch was Mirchi (spicy!). We all got a kick out of that.

Right: Guests cut a piece of string according to their best estimate of the size of the mommy-to-be's baby bump - without actually measuring her belly. The one with the closest estimate won a prize - a chocolate bar from yours truly. The one who won had the exact measurement! The others were pretty close. Well, what do you expect when half the group are engineers!

 Left: Indian tradition to bless the expecting couple

Right: guests wrote wishes for the baby, which will go in a scrapbook later

I ate. A lot. After coming back from India, I took a break from Indian food (believe it or not!). I do love it and typically crave it at least once a week, but I realized that eating it everyday 3x a day for 2 weeks (in India) took its toll on me. On our way home from our travels, even A. said, "I think we're both Indianed-out" (yes, that's a new technical term he came up with) and decided to have Chinese noodles and dimsum at our Mumbai airport layover.

But at the baby shower, everyone brought food and I ate a little bit of everything - samosas (dumplings with spiced potatoes), pakora (stuffed peppers, battered and fried), channa masala (chickpeas), dal (lentils), the palak paneer A. and I made, gulab jamun (doughnuts in syrup - like their version of beignets, I suppose). Whew. Everything was really good.

So the next day, I needed some lighter food again...

spring salad with radishes and minted peas

Just a few handfuls of lettuce, sliced peppery radishes, and minted peas...

Minted Peas, for the party-food-hangover

about 2 cups of fresh peas, shelled (or frozen peas)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
zest of half a lemon
a few squeezes lemon juice
chopped fresh mint

I got these peas from last Friday's produce pickup. I realized later that I should have cooked these the very same day I got them - as fresh peas start converting its sugars into starch the longer it sits. Which is why frozen peas actually tend to be sweeter - because they are shelled and frozen right after they are picked. Although these peas were still good and had a nice snap when you bite into them, they had already lost some sweetness. Note to self...

(On a side note. I'm so thankful to have a husband who is not above shelling peas with me.)

Anyway...

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt the water (season from the start!), then add the peas. Meanwhile prepare a bowl of ice water. Once the water comes back up to a boil and the peas are bright green (this happens fairly quickly!), take the peas out of the boiling water and plunge them into the ice bath to stop cooking.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet - I like combining the two for flavor, and also because the olive oil helps with the butter's low smoke point (so the butter doesn't burn quickly). Drain the peas and add them to the skillet. Let cook until heated through, then season with salt (if needed) and pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice to taste. Add the chopped fresh mint at the end.

This can be a great side for another entree, or as a salad mix-in as we did. I didn't even need extra dressing for the salad, as the peas already had a minty and lemony olive oil and butter flavor. Just a tiny pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper over top, and it was good to go. It made for an easy, fresh, and light Sunday dinner after the (over)eating the day before. ;-)

Have any of you eaten fresh peas the same day they were picked? I'd love to hear, as it seems like a luxury nowadays - unless you grow your own, that is.

Off to work. Have a great week!

finally...dinner at Lolita

I had been wanting to eat at Iron Chef Michael Symon's restaurants for a while. Since I moved to Cleveland last year, I was probably checking his restaurant menus every season to see if there were enough offerings for A. and me to enjoy besides his meat-centered dishes. I have always enjoyed watching Michael Symon cook on TV, his trademark infectious laugh a clear indication of his enthusiasm for cooking. His recent love letter to Cleveland makes him even more likeable as a celebrity chef. I love when people are proud of the cities in which they live - especially a city like Cleveland, which seems to have gotten a bad reputation in the past.

So this week, I checked the website of one of his restaurants, Lolita. My mouth was watering as I read about all the fresh spring flavors in his dinner offerings. Yesterday when I called to make the reservation, I also asked whether all the seasonal/spring dishes I had planned to try were in fact on the menu (many of the chef-run restaurants around here change up their menus seasonally - which is how it should be!). And indeed they were.

I try to have an open mind when I visit a restaurant for the first time, because I don't like feeling disappointed. But I couldn't help having great expectations; this was a highly-anticipated meal. 

starter at Lolita

 Bruschetta with fava bean puree, arugula, sliced red onion, meyer lemon, shaved pecorino Romano, and agrumato. The perfect homage to spring.

The bruschetta was charred at the edges, yet still chewy in the center. It had the perfect texture contrast of crusty outside and airy crumb inside.

The fava bean puree was sweet - in that vegetable-sweet, not sugar-sweet sense. It even tasted green. A. and I both love baby arugula, so that was a no-brainer. The red onion slices were so thin, they were translucent; so they did not overpower the mild fava bean puree. The shaved pecorino Romano added a nice bite; the agrumato gave a perfect citrusy finish. I can probably sip agrumato with a straw if I could; it's more than just lemon-flavored olive oil, but lemons and olives actually pressed together for the fullest extraction of flavor.

The dish was delicate, yet flavorful, with none of the ingredients overpowering any other. You could taste each individual flavor, yet the whole was more than the sum of its parts.

My only regret is eating it too fast. A. and I inhaled this thing.

salad

 Next we had a spring salad, with a variety of baby lettuce, asparagus, peas, garlic vinaigrette, and crunchy breadcrumbs. Now this sounds like a simple salad that you might get anywhere. Yet it was absolutely not. The difference was in the thoughtful preparation and execution. The lettuce tasted like they were just picked. The dressing was creamy, but not overly so and didn't weigh down the delicate leaves. The rest of the vegetables were blanched (I think) as they were tender yet had a nice snap, and remained bright green. The crunch of the fresh breadcrumbs added another layer of flavor and texture.

entree

Pan-seared halibut with fava bean puree, peas, mint, radishes, and preserved lemon. Another beautiful execution of the season's bounty.

(Yes, I eat fish occasionally now...)

I actually first ordered the pappardelle with peas, ramps, oyster mushrooms, house ricotta, and truffle, as it had all the ingredients I love; and the server confirmed that the pappardelle was house-made. Then I changed my mind just a minute after placing my order and went for the fish instead. Thankfully the server was very nice (even after our requests, like no prosciutto on one of our dishes), and they hadn't started on my entree yet. 

The halibut was seared to a golden brown, so there was a crunchy crust giving way to a moist, flaky interior. The fava bean puree somewhat echoed the flavor in the bruschetta, yet the dish was distinct with the fresh mint and flat-leaf parsley. The preserved lemon was just right, not too acidic that it overpowers the mild-tasting fish. The radishes added color and a subtle peppery flavor.

sides

And the sides. My goodness. Other restaurants might take side dishes for granted, but these were so good, they could have been my meal. We had the fried brussels sprouts with capers and walnuts, which even A. loved - despite the fact that he usually doesn't go near brussels sprouts unless I cook them like this, which I don't do often - the reasons for which are obvious when you read the recipe.

These brussels sprouts were caramelized so well, they were almost sweet. The outer leaves became crunchy, the insides were soft yet not mushy. The walnuts added another crunch, and the capers gave it a bit of a punchy tang. There was also a very, very subtle heat, possibly from a hint of chilies.

Creamy polenta with mascarpone and parmesan. Oh. my. goodness.

This polenta was so creamy. I think it might be more fair to say mascarpone with polenta.

But the nice thing about this polenta is that despite the incredibly creamy, silky mouthfeel, you could still feel a bit of the cornmeal here and there, adding more rustic character to an otherwise decadent dish. A. and I each took one bite and just looked at each other without words, needing a moment of silence to contemplate the deliciousness of this polenta.

I also loved how both sides were served in little pots - it was an unpretentious way of serving it, but more importantly it helped keep the food hot longer - because sides do have a tendency to get cold. Even towards the end of enjoying our entree, there was still steam rising each time we took a spoonful of polenta.

It took some self-restraint for me to not ask for a flexible spatula to scrape that pot clean and enjoy each bit of it.

Then, dessert.

Dessert # 1

Chocolate pots de creme with whipped cream and salted caramel.

The chocolate was slightly sweet, with a coffee-like finish lingering on the tongue. I wish they had added a little more salted caramel than that little dollop on the center.

Dessert #2

Strawberry pots de creme with vanilla whipped cream, fresh strawberries, balsamic vinegar, and mint. It was sweet yet also tart, the balsamic cutting through the rich and creamy texture.

I have to admit I wasn't completely blown away by the desserts as I had been with the rest of the meal. They were both good, but perhaps I was too full. But then again, I always find room for good dessert. We only finished half of each, as the servings were also larger than what we were used to from other chef-run restaurants.

happy :)

My pink top just happened to match the bright pink gerberas A. gave me. :)

(One of the rare photos of myself on the blog, in which I'm actually looking at the camera. Collage photo inspired by this friend, who executes "picstitch-ed" photos so amazingly well)

Aaaahh... after a day of self-care, time with my amazing husband, incredible food, and phone calls from family and friends, my heart (and belly) is full.

I give thanks.

celebrating 33 years, savoring meals for one, and learning new lessons

It's no secret that I seriously, utterly love food. I can spend time thinking about it, reading about it, shopping for it, cooking and experimenting with it, and finally eating it. I even dream about it. One night, I dreamed I was back home and planning the menu for a dinner party in our garden - the setting of many, many dinners with family and friends. I miss this place, so carefully tended by my late grandparents.


So it was only appropriate the I celebrated 33 years with some seriously good food. Although I firmly believe that we should celebrate with good food every day as best we can, birthdays are a cause to up the ante, right?


Typically on a weekday I just have a simple breakfast of tea, and a piece of sprouted grain toast with butter and jam. But yesterday, I craved a heartier breakfast, with some polenta as the base. Usually this would be a weekend brunch... but why not on a Thursday?

birthday breakfast

So. Creamy polenta cooked in vegetable broth and milk, with grated pecorino Romano mixed in. Cremini mushrooms and Swiss chard sauteed in olive oil and garlic, leftover from the previous night's dinner. Then topped with a poached egg (I think I've realized that I can top just about anything with a poached egg), freshly grated pecorino Romano and cracked black pepper. A douse of bright green, fruity-yet-peppery extra virgin olive oil to finish.



I was so full I thought I wouldn't make it to my 11 am yoga class a couple of hours later.


Thankfully I did make it though, because there ended up being only one other student in the class - so it was a semi-private class and I got lots of individual assistance from the instructor. A birthday yoga treat.


I debated whether to get a pedicure or not, then decided against it. In favor of more food, of course. Thankfully I had some errands to do after yoga, to walk off my big breakfast and also to replenish some staples we need at home after our trip (essentials like toothpaste and TP - not so fun shopping, but required).

long noodles for long life! (as our tradition goes)

Lunch was linguine cacio e pepe. Despite having been used to cooking pasta for a crowd when I was back home and the designated pasta cook for my big family, I have now discovered the pleasure of cooking pasta for one. It's up there with the tea-for-one ritual.

Waiting for water to boil, salting it, dropping the pasta in, swirling it after a minute to make sure it doesn't stick. Five minutes into cooking the pasta: toasting the freshly ground black pepper in a skillet (to release the fragrant oils - I learned that I end up needing less pepper for this dish when I do it this way, yet I still taste the heat in the final result). Saving about a cup of the starchy pasta cooking water, to make the pan sauce. Draining the pasta just shy of al dente, adding it to a skillet with the pepper. Then dropping the butter into the skillet, letting the heat of the pasta melt the butter. Over medium heat so the pasta continues to cook gently, stirring and lifting the pasta with tongs to coat each strand with the butter. Mixing in a small cupped-palm-full of freshly grated pecorino Romano and parmigiano reggiano. Adding only enough  pasta water to loosen the pasta a bit so that it's not clumpy. The silky noodles are transferred to a favorite pasta bowl. I sat down at the table to enjoy my linguine for one, looking out onto the great big tree outside, all lush and green. For a moment I was transported to a trattoria in Rome, imagining that I were enjoying this quintessential Roman dish alfresco. Yet at the same time I was grounded in where I was in the present moment - savoring the meal I had made for myself.

Heaven.

This is such a humble pasta dish, but it's elegant in its simplicity. Sure it's got butter - but how else would you make it?


(Don't worry, I don't love butter quite as much as Paula Deen.)

I have to say I do enjoy my own company as much as time with my loved ones. Birthdays, while memorable celebrated with others, are also a time to pause in solitude. I went back to a phrase I had been reflecting on:  

Surrender to grace.

Something I want to practice in the years ahead.

It's like surrendering to child's pose in a yoga asana practice. It's a simple pose to do, yet a difficult one to actually practice.

But surrendering in this sense doesn't mean admitting to weakness.

I remember the times I was in limbo right before a big decision or transition. Does excessive worrying improve the outcome or increase my chances at getting the results I want? No. So, after doing everything I can, in the end, I need to let go - to surrender to grace - and have faith.

A lesson for my 33rd year. 

Later: a detailed account of last night's birthday dinner. 

happy mother's day

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers everywhere... and all those acting in a maternal capacity towards others.

with my mom, circa 1979 (?)

Thank you, Mom...


... for letting me "bake" with you when I was 3, while you baked the highly delicate and sensitive Sans Rival, a recipe that almost requires a "do not disturb" sign for utmost concentration... and thank you for letting me have fun and make a mess in the kitchen.
...for letting me try different things as a kid - whether that was ballet, jazz, gymnastics, piano, tennis, swimming, etc... until I found what was right for me.
...for working so hard, along with dad, so that we could have a quality education, and travel the world as education.
...for showing me your eye for art, color, and design while I tagged along with you as you shopped for fabric and other design items for our home or for your friends' homes that you helped design.
...for teaching me the value of DIY projects, and how to grocery-shop on a tight budget. 
...for trusting me to find my way as an adult, and encouraging me to spread my wings - to succeed, or fail and get up again.
...for being with me on the phone despite being half a world away, so that I could cry to you.
...for instilling in me that the greatest wealth lies in our relationships and experiences, not in things.
...for teaching me that class and elegance is not what you wear or what car you drive, but what you say and do - and most importantly, how you treat others.
...for showing me that family takes precedence before all other things.
...for showing me how to be graceful under pressure (something I'm still constantly learning).
...for showing me how to have unshakeable faith in the darkest of days.
...for showing me how special the friendship is between mother and daughter.

And Happy Mothers' Day as well to my mother-in-law in India... who treated me like a daughter from day one.

happy anniversary

circa 1970's (?), photo taken by...?

Celebrating 41 years...

And celebrating with wanderlust, as always. My parents are now in Hong Kong en route to India. I hope I get to travel even half as much as they do when I retire 40 years from now. 

Photo by eyesopenwide

 I love this photo of my parents (above), from my wedding. They are not facing the camera, yet I know they are smiling.

Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad!

You truly raise the bar. Much love.

happy birthday, dad

Happiest of birthdays to you, Dad...

You deny yourself things, yet you give the world to Mom.
You were a tough disciplinarian, yet you let us experience life and make mistakes.
You taught us to have high ambitions, yet keep our feet on the ground in gratitude.
You worked hard and came home tired, yet you gave us quality time.
You raised us with simple things, yet you gave us the luxury of traveling the world.  
You stand tall, yet you are not afraid to shed a tear (or two).

You have every gadget, mobile device, and communication app imaginable, but we know it's because you want to be present in our lives, no matter where we are... you are the glue holding us together.

my dad "giving me away" at my wedding, photo by Debra-Lynn Hook

You "gave me away" to get married, yet I know... you'll always be there to move mountains for me, as you always have.

Thank you, Dad. Much love.

Easter

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of all nothing--human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

- e.e. cummings 

a blue true dream of sky ~ e.e. cummings