life lately: kitchen therapy

In between moments of dissertation craziness, I've been de-stressing quite a bit in the kitchen.

Loving the fiery red-orange hues of blood oranges

 Isn't it amazing that in the darkest, grayest time of the year we are gifted with these amazing colors in citrus fruit?

Prepping for blood orange marmalade

I can't get over these jewel-like hues.

Sliced blood oranges go into a large bowl, to soak in water overnight

Our apartment smelled heavenly while the blood oranges were simmering down in sugar and water.

I'm not a cereal kind of gal when it comes to breakfast. Though I'd love to have cake for breakfast every morning, I really enjoy the simplicity of fresh bread, good butter (Kerrygold or Lurpak), and jam or preserves of some kind.

No-Knead (!!!) whole wheat bread recipe from King Arthur Flour. Darjeeling tea steeping in my new(ish) favorite mug.

That is all.

date night pizza

I'm proud to say that A. and I have gotten quite good at making pizza at home. We have a system going: I make the dough, he rolls it out, I put the toppings on, he puts it in the oven and watches the time (it doesn't take long at really high heat!), then I slice it and we both eat. Extra olive oil for me, and extra hot pepper flakes for him.

San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil. Simple and perfect.

I use Ina Garten's pizza dough recipe - it's pretty simple using a stand mixer with a dough hook. Although her recipe says to let the dough rest for 30 minutes before rolling, I find that the taste and texture improves the next day. When I went back to check her recipe and read that it "serves 6", I chuckled to myself. Ummmm.... not in this household. Although it does make enough for us to have leftover dough for more pizzas the following day.

We like our pizzas REALLY thin, and A. is really good at rolling it out. He wishes he could hand toss the dough the way they do in pizzerias. My rolling skills, on the other hand, leave much to be desired. I still can't roll round roti the way Indian women do - the way they let their rolling motions rotate the dough without having to lift it from the surface. I always have to lift the dough every now and then and move it a quarter-turn, the way you would for pie dough. The last time I was in India with A. and his family, his 7-year-old niece was already learning how to roll roti. I thought, "so that explains it...". There she was beside me, a little apprentice standing on a stool to reach the countertop, doing a roti-rolling throwdown with me. I always concede. But seriously, she was getting quite good. I joked to her that between the two of us, she could roll the roundest roti and I could roll out the best rectangular, square, and oddly shaped ones that resemble the map of India more than anything remotely round. 

I'm much better with a mortar and pestle.

Which is why I prefer to make basil pesto this way, rather than in a food processor (especially if it's just for the two of us). I like the rustic, unevenness of the resulting pesto when made by hand - there's just something indescribably satisfying about it. Though I doubt it makes a significant difference on the flavor - I just find it stress-relieving to do manual labor in the kitchen.

basil pesto and fresh mozzarella

So this is what we did for Valentine's day. It was perfect to just stay at home and cook something together. (Although I did make his favorite chocolate chai pots de creme in advance by myself, because it needs to chill for a few hours.)

Then on Sunday we went to see the world-famous Cleveland Orchestra at the Severance Hall. This concert hall is just stunning.

They played pieces from Mahler and Brahms. Actually, Mahler was the reason I wanted to see this performance. After my first exposure to Mahler - it was Ekaterina Gordeeva's first solo skate in 1996 as a tribute to her late husband and figure skating partner Sergei Grinkov in the "A Celebration of Life" show. The music for her program, Mahler's Symphony No. 5, was so haunting, and her skate so heartfelt that it left an indelible impression - it makes me get choked up and cry every single time. Although the Cleveland Orchestra didn't play Mahler's Fifth specifically, I still enjoyed the performance. Symphonies just amaze me, and not just because I can't play a musical instrument to save my life (I had a short-lived piano career when I was...seven?). It's a different kind of energy. It makes me so grateful that there are people in this world who make music.

a postcard from this sweet friend - wise words indeed

Pizza, a concert, A Valentine's day postcard, and yellow flowers to brighten up those long winter days.

Spring will be here soon.

random

I'm feeling especially grateful for a warm home today.

Deeply grateful that my husband made it to work safely this morning.

And grateful for the people that tirelessly work to keep our roads as safe as possible.

Stay safe out there, friends. 

~

Update on my progress on the 30-day plank challenge: I've been working at or around 2 minutes the past few days. Almost halfway to the five-minute mark. Not too bad for a few days' progress, as I started the challenge pretty late in the game. And I got A. to join me in the challenge - yay!

as of January 27th

~ 

Last Saturday we had dinner with some friends at Crostata's, a nearby restaurant that serves Neopolitan pizza. I've been wanting to go for a long time now, except that we've been loyal to this restaurant for the past couple of years when we have a pizza craving. Lately it seems that A. and I have been into researching and trying different Neopolitan style pizzas like it's our job, going as far as Toronto's Pizzeria Libretto upon the recommendation of this friend. There's just nothing like the simplicity of a really thin crust, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil quickly baked in a 900-something-degree wood-fired oven.

But with all the snow we've been getting, we decided to stay closer to home. I now regret taking this long to try this restaurant. In the spirit of research, I memorized browsed through the menu and Crostata's uses 00 flour and San Marzano tomatoes, so I trusted that they take their pizza seriously. We sampled the burrata (can't resist) to start, and for pizza we had the Margherita D.O.C. (D.O.C. is a designation or standard for Neopolitan pizza) and Amalfitana. Both were excellent, and so was the ravioli. I love that the food here has as its foundation good quality ingredients. Everything we tried was uncomplicated, fresh and delicious. The tiramisu and cannoli we had for dessert were excellent as well. The tiramisu was so flavorful yet light, like you were eating a cloud -- a cloud of coffee-soaked ladyfingers and creamy mascarpone. The cannoli was up there with one of the best cannoli we've had so far, which is from Mike's Pastry in Boston. If not for it being in the evening I would have had affogato as well, but I'll reserve that for when we visit again, and I'll make it a lunchtime visit.

I don't have pictures, but I'll direct you to their website.

I'm glad we went, snow and all. Not just for the pizza but also because I was able to get this:

Agrumato. Or what I call liquid gold.  All for the low price of $11. I know, it sounds like a lot for a small bottle of olive oil. But olive oil is just my thing. And this kind of olive oil makes my heart skip a beat.

I've been intrigued about this ingredient ever since I tried an appetizer at Michael Symon's Lolita restaurant that used agrumato as a finishing oil. When I spotted it at Crostata's last Saturday, it was a no-brainer. I had to buy it. I was like a kid in a candy store.

The things that excite me...

It's not the more commonly found "olive-oil-infused-with-lemon-flavor." This is actually olives and lemons crushed together. Olives and lemons married to produce this bright, citrusy finishing oil that I've been adding to almost anything - including avocado toast, white bean and vegetable soup, salads...

Avocado on toast, drizzled with agrumato

(I may or may not have eaten mashed avocado with agrumato directly from the bowl, with a spoon.)

"In Abruzzo, on the Adriatic Sea, at the end of each harvest, farmers create a special oil for their family and friends. In their "frantoio" (olive mill) on the farm, the farmers crush and press small amounts of hand-harvested olives with fresh citrus fruit to create oils such as Agrumato. Agrume means "citrus". The crisp freshness of Agrumato is achieved by the whole-fruit crushing process, which cannot be duplicated by the more common infusion method of other citrus flavored oils. By crushing the olives with the citrus, the purity of each fruit flavor is maintained. The resulting oil is an exquisitely versatile condiment." (description from here)

Doesn't that sound amazing? And trust me, it is.

I did a quick search, and it's available online as well. You need to try this.

~

In other news... so I wrote about taking the Krav Maga Level 1 test this year, right? So as if on cue, I get an email with news that the next test is on February 22nd - that's less than a month away, and realistically, I know I'm not ready yet. So I'm aiming for later in the year.

To get there, I really need to meet my sub-goals of increasing my classes from 2 per week to 3 or even 4 per week. Some weeks I've been able to do 3 classes a week. But this snow and sub-zero weather has not been on my side lately and I just don't want to be out there driving right now. I'll try to stay at 2-3 classes a week for the month of February and if the weather subsides in March, I'll increase to 4 classes. I am really, really, really hoping the training center opens in their new east side location in May, which I believe has been in the works. The potential location is 10 minutes from where I live, and A. jokingly worries that I might start living there. He started calling me a little ninja.

~

Speaking of little ninjas. If I could be a cartoon character, I would be this:

Source unknown

She's not exactly a ninja but she does look like a fierce little character, doesn't she?

I wish I knew where this came from so I could credit it appropriately, but it's a picture that's been passed around among A. and a few other friends after I jokingly said that I'd like to go around with a spatula when eating out so I can scrape every last bit of food (if it's life-changing food, that is). They all joke that no one should mess with me lest the spatula comes out from my purse. So the "five spatulas of fury" has been a running joke for a while now.

~

How's that for a random list of updates and stories. Stay warm, wherever you are!

wonder

"He who marvels at the beauty of the world in summer will find equal cause for wonder and admiration in winter.... In winter the stars seem to have rekindled their fires, the moon achieves a fuller triumph, and the heavens wear a look of a more exalted simplicity."   ― John Burroughs

I've come to appreciate the four seasons. Although Cleveland has more than its fair share of snow, complaining about it doesn't do any good. I love that each season is distinct here, and I've been learning to appreciate the winter maybe almost as much as the other seasons. There's a certain quiet quality in winter that you just don't experience at any other time.

shift in seasons... and in life

Tonight I subbed for another yoga teacher and had one person show up to class. While there is a certain energy in large classes, I do like having small groups, and every now and then, when only one person shows up, it creates an opportunity to really get to know someone in your class and tailor the class to his or her needs. The sweet lady (I will refer to her as M in the rest of this post) who came to class had just retired and was getting more and more into yoga. Fantastic!

Fall is such a time of transition - in nature, in our own schedules. Gone are the long, idyllic days of summer; they have now been replaced with this seemingly constant state of busyness.

Not that I even really had many of those long, idyllic summer days. Somehow this fall - and this semester - just started with a bang and my work seems to have quadrupled. And I feel my lack of focus as I am pulled in many different directions. My energy level seemed to change with every change in direction of the wind. I felt like my energy was all over the place, and yet at the same time, I felt exhausted.

M was in a time of transition herself, having just retired. I can't imagine what a challenge it must be to let go of something that has been part of your identity for years, even decades.

So we did a lot of grounding in our yoga practice. And during our opening meditation, I read this excerpt from one of my favorite bedside books, Transitions: Prayers and Declarations for a Changing Life by Julia Cameron:

"The natural world teaches us the power of change. As seasons shift, I see the purpose and beauty of life's cyclicality. I see the promise of spring, the ripening of summer, the bounty of harvest and the mysterious containment of winter. All seasons work for the good. So it is, too, with the changing cycles of my life. As I surrender to the wisdom of a higher plan, I discover in all circumstances the opportunity for growth and expansion. There is no season in my life that is without worth. There is no season in my life that does not unfold my highest good. Challenged by difficult times, I choose to affirm the goodness of life's timing. 

Today I commit myself to actively seeking the benefit hidden in adversity, the wisdom inherent in all timing."

This is one of my many dog-eared pages from my book. I love the universality of Julia Cameron's words.

At the end of class, M said to me: "That sounded like it was written just for me."

Truth be told, I felt the exact same way.

tribute to summer food

It's been a hot and muggy week here, and the cool rain this morning was a blessing. As much as I wanted to stay curled up under the covers, I got up to teach my 10 am Slow Flow yoga class. I've been teaching on Saturday mornings for a few weeks now, and I've been loving it. It truly was a "Slow Flow" kind of day. I actually felt a little chill in the air. Fall is coming...

But we are still being blessed with the late summer harvest. Thought I'd post some Instagram snaps here.

I love summertime produce... it's nature at its fullest expression: sweet, juicy, and colorful.

one of many, many tomato salads: heirloom tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper

yellow heirloom tomato with purple basil, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper

more purple and yellow - color wheel contrast perfected by nature

a tabbouleh-inspired salad: Israeli couscous, cucumber, grape and yellow pear tomatoes, lentils, EVOO, lemon, parsley

shisito peppers, blistered in a searing-hot cast iron pan with olive oil and whole cloves of garlic, plus lime squeezed over top

green and purple basil - so pretty!

crunchy and peppery radishes, enjoyed simply with butter and coarse salt

And let's not forget the fruit, enjoyed in different ways...

jewel-like blackberries in a simple cake, about to go into the oven

apricot jam - a hint of black pepper and lemon was just genius (recipe here)

the best thing about August: peaches!

can't get enough...

chilled canteloupe and basil soup

the gifts of summer

There is no doubt that summer is upon us in full force. It is mid-July, after all. While it's easy to complain about the heat, summer is most certainly a gift here especially when we are prone to tons of snow during winter (thank you, lake effect). But enough about that. I'm not ready to think about the cold yet.

I'm grateful for summer because of...

... the scent that lingers on my fingers when I pick fresh herbs from the balcony.
...wildflowers.
...alfresco lunches.
... long days and cool evenings, when A. and I can take a walk outside after dinner.
...the summer harvest: Zucchini. Beets. Cucumbers. Mint. Basil. Tomatoes. Berries. Stone fruit.
...the daily opportunity to wear breezy dresses and sandals on pedicured feet (and related to that, toenails painted in bright summery colors, like here and here.).
...icy-cold green tea with honey and lemon, and fresh fruit smoothies.
...energizing sunshine on my bare arms.
...afternoons to enjoy ice cream while sitting on a bench outside.
...outdoor summer concerts, like here (did I mention they are FREE!) and here, where you can sit on the grass and enjoy a picnic while listening to some great music.
...weekend road trips.
...the breeze through the car's sunroof. 
...the chance to be by the water. Even if it's Lake Erie and not my beloved tropical beaches back home. It's still water!  
...sunlight through the trees.
...the tickle of warm grass beneath bare feet. 
...no-fuss meals, like here and here.
...the sound and smell of summer rain.


What are you savoring this summer? I'd love to know...

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!

a day of too much perfection

I love those transitioning spring-to-summer days.

Cloudless blue skies, 72 degrees. Everything just feels... alive.

infinite blue sky

It was one of those perfect days, in which I just wished I could spend the entire day outside (alas, I needed to work too...).

I walked for 15 minutes to the yoga studio, loving the warm sunshine on my bare arms. Attended a 75-minute vinyasa class. Walked back home afterwards, and on the way stopped at a store to pick up something we needed at home.

Made dinner. Without a real plan, but somehow it all came together. Don't you love when you end up with a delicious meal through improvisation? We had leftover tortillas from a previous taco night. Leftover Cuban black beans from another night. I had a potato. Some frozen spinach. Pureed tomatoes which turned into a mole-inspired sauce. We ended up with spinach, black bean, and potato enchiladas. Yum.

Ate dinner.

Went on another 30-minute after-dinner walk with A. Enjoyed the cool evening while laughing at silly jokes, as we always do.

Came back home and had some lavender honey mascarpone ice cream. (It was good, but I'm still making some tweaks and adjustments to the recipe... will post another time.)

I love days like this.

"Thank you for a day of too much perfection." (from the old movie Bed of Roses)

reflecting on this today...

North Carolina Arboretum ~ Spring 2009

It's not what you give up, it's how you reach out.

love letter to spring

Aaah, Spring. You really are magical.

I start sensing your subtle hints as the days get longer, the sky looks infinitely bluer, the sunshine feels warmer, yet the breeze still stays cool and refreshing. So I wait in joyful anticipation.

And then one day I wake up, and you are in full bloom.

It seems that you are always even more glorious than the last time. I know...I say that every year.

You always come, year after year, yet I never tire of seeing you. From the humble, hopeful beginnings of your budding blossoms to your fullest expression.

And just like that, you are gone before we know it. Perhaps it is your fleeting nature that makes me appreciate your magic even more.

And so I wait, again. For another year. And sure as the sun, about twelve months from now, you return, and grace us again with your magnificent presence.

Just once around the sun*, I remind myself. Just once around the sun.

~

* From a scene in Gattaca, one of my favorite movies. Vincent: "It's funny. You work so hard, you do everything you can to get away from a place...and when you finally get your chance to leave... you find a reason to stay. A year is a long time." Irene: "Not so long.... just once around the sun." (watch here)

a year later...

Tomorrow is the vernal equinox - the first day of spring! Oh, the joy. Here comes the sun, doo doo doo doo... (quoting The Beatles)

This time of year is especially meaningful for me... as A. and I got married on the eve of the first day of spring last year - just the two of us plus eight of our nearest and dearest as witnesses, on a sunny, end-of-winter day in a beautiful winery, with the whole space to ourselves. I love that we had a quiet, intimate wedding before our "big" church wedding  (and by "big" I mean 90 people).

I never really posted our "first" wedding photos here other than the picture of the happy yellow flowers I held as my bouquet. I guess the memory was something I just wanted to hold close to my heart. But here are a few more pictures of that very special day...

exchanging rings... photo by this friend

This song, by the Beatles, just puts a smile on my face. And... I recently found out that Coldplay has a live version too!

Can't wait for longer spring days, and more warm sunshine! The first day of spring has always been magical for me... but even more so since March 19th, 2011.

Happy first anniversary, A... you light up my days.

officially married!

happiness in a sun-drenched room
(Photos c/o my brother)

weekend recharge

This weekend has been amazing - sunny, breezy 70-degree weather! It can't get any better than this. 

I had been craving the food at the Greenhouse Tavern for the past week, so early last week I made reservations for a Saturday dinner. Not having grown up here, I did not realize that Saturday the 17th was St. Patrick's Day. We decided to go ahead and brave the craziness downtown to go to one of our favorite restaurants. In the end we were both glad we went, as the food did not disappoint.

Citrus salad: grapefruit, fennel, Chef's Garden field greens and racing onion soubise; Very, Very, Very Spicy Greens n' Beans with pickled red chili paste, crispy shallots and white beans

Mushroom Risotto with truffles, candy cap mushrooms, chives, and Parmesan. The most earthy-delicious mushroom risotto I have ever tasted.

Buttered Popcorn Pots de Creme with Caramel and Sea Salt. No, there wasn't any actual popcorn in it, but popcorn was steeped in the cream. The dessert really captured that sweet and salty goodness.

 Then Sunday started with a quick breakfast...

blood orange olive oil cake with an extra pat of butter and orange marmalade

Then an afternoon hike at the South Chagrin Reservation...

light and shadows

I can hear the water!

getting closer to the river

green and yellow moss

muddy trails and happy feet

And lastly...our favorite pasta dish for Sunday dinner.

whole wheat spaghettini wtih wilted arugula, garlic, toasted pine nuts, and parmigiano-reggiano

Ending the weekend on a very thankful note. Ready for the week ahead...