Valentine's Day: Now With Truffles

The Food

Sorry this is coming so late.  I have been so busy the passed few weeks that having time to even use the bathroom has become difficult.  But I am back (sort of).  I may write another entry this coming week, but I have so much work that I am taking time out to remember that I am a person and not just a study bot.

But my Valentine's Day was marvelous.  Matt and I were all romantical and took time to appreciate each other.  One of those things was shrimp tacos.  The other was truffles.  And here's the process we used to make them.

TRUFFLE INGREDIENTS: Cocoa powder, cinnamon sticks, whipping cream, cinnamon, and chocolate chips.

The cinnamon sticks made a face.

The smell of heavy creaming being cooked with cinnamon is unlike any other.  I was so excited about that alone that I wanted to eat the heavy cream.  But then I remembered that I had truffles to make.

We thought mixing the heated cream with the chocolate chips would melt them.  Nope.

The return of the ghetto college double-broiler.

Waiting for this to solidify for 3 hours was the hardest part.  But the hanging out while waiting was totally worth it.  You didn't want it to be gooey and sticky, but that ganache was so delicious, I wanted to die.

We decided to roll them up in hazelnuts to help maintain the shape.

I was going to take more pictures.  But our mouths beat my camera to the truffles.

The Fashion
I  like to think of burgundy as pink for girls who don't want to admit they like pink.  There, I said it.  I wear a lot of burgundy because it has the delicateness of a pink but the fierceness of a red.  But it can also be super romantic.  Which is why I wore two different burgundy dresses for my Valentine's day events.

Sweater (from a neighbor), dress (H&M), accessories (H&M), hat (sparkle and fade), slippers (gift from my cousin)

The above outfit is what I wore on actual Valentine's Day.  I love that dress because it is so dang cute.  Since the hem is longer in the front, I feel so much more modest wearing it.  But since Valentine's Day feel on a Thursday, I had to bike to classes.  So I'm pretty sure I flashed half of campus.

Me and Matt at his Valentine's Day formal.  Dress (Free People), necklace (he bough it from Kohl's)

Matt's fraternity had a Valentine's Day formal at a swanky Italian restaurant.  I love getting dressed up and he looks so dapper in a suit that I died.

On Thursday, look forward to a post about the awesomeness of sports bras and trying to cook Asian meals as a European when I attempt to make Peking duck.

Keep it yummy,

Jo

Veselka and the Shoes that Zipper Around My Calves

I have big calves.  Seriously, they're big and muscle-y and I love them, but sometimes putting on boots can be the biggest hassle ever.  But look at these!  They fit and they make my legs look wonderful.

Aren't you excited to be back to awkward mirror pics?  Sweater (Diesel), shirt (Urban Outfitters), skirt (Cheap Monday), tights (H&M), boots (Aerosoles), hat (ASOS), socks (urban outfitters)

I bought them during a recent trip to NYC for my cousin's daughter's Baptism.  That outfit is not the one I wore to the ceremony, but it definitely shows off how the boots fit on my legs.  After the ceremony, we went to brunch at a place called Veselka in the Bowery.  The food is amazing, but most of it is not gluten-free friendly.  So I went with a vegan mushroom soup and eggs Benedict (which was served on toast because I, once again, forgot to be assertive).  Luckily, my allergy is not triggered by food touching, so that's okay.

This is the menu, which, as you can see, isn't very gluten- or wheat-free friendly

Vegan mushroom soup

Eggs Benedict.  You can kind of see the challah bread.

My cousin could not modify the menu too much, but that's okay.  Sometimes it takes a bit of digging and shopping around to find things you can eat (and wear!).

Sunday look forward to a post about no-bake cookies.  I have to cut out Tuesday blogging in favor of homework and having my life together.  Sorry!

Keep it yummy,
Jo

Being Assertive: Gluten-Free in Miami

As I mentioned yesterday, I went to Miami over break and had no access to a computer.  Getting around without one was hard, so that encouraged me to fall asleep early and whatnot.  Anyway, an important lesson I learned was to be more assertive in asking for my gluten-free foods (or foods that inherently do not have gluten in it) for fear of my stomach freaking out.

It starts with me and my friends going to South Beach for the day before going out.  I dressed so cute because I was hoping for some shenanigans.

Tee shirt (urban outfitters), skirt (Pacsun), sandals (century 21), bag (free people)

So Caroline, one of my friends, the one I was staying with the week, proposed going to Mangos, which is this bar/live-music stage/restaurant full of funny people and known for food.  I looked down the menu, which was full of standard bar fare, until I saw shrimp tacos, which said they had corn tortillas.  So I ordered it.  And man, I was disappointed.

That, my friends, is a flour tortilla.

 So, I should have been more assertive and asked for corn tortillas, but it was so loud and it was hard to flag down the waiter--crap, I am making too many excuses, but either way, I did not speak up to have it changed.  What's the least logical thing that I did?  Ate it all anyway.  And cuddled with myself for a while.  But, after several trips to the bathroom, I was fine, but it was such a damper on my day.

So the take-home message is: when you're away from home and going to restaurants you've never been to, don't be afraid to change dishes and get what you want!  That's my rant.  And probably the person who had the best time was the waiter who gave me his number...

And this 70-year-old woman rocking her ass off.

Keep it yummy,
Jo

Taka Taka

Sorry for the really late post!  I've had a friend over the past few days and was just everywhere all the times. I did not have much access to my laptop when Jil was over, but now, sadly, she went home and is going to Italy for the whole semester.

But I digress.  I was strolling through SoHo the other day, listening to Grimes, I looked across the street to find a place named Taka Taka, which serves Japanese tacos and Mexican sushi.  I just had to go there.  I went with my friends, Danielle and Jil, and we had the greatest time.  It was a fun-seeming place: the music was trendy and the decor made it seem fun.

Look how trendy!

There was also a conveyor belt from which to take traditional sushi rolls for appetizer.  What they also gave was a sampling of spicy sauces.  When I say spicy, I mean, I wish I had milk at the table to cool my mouth.  And I hate milk.

Conveyor belt sushi color-coded by price.  Avocado, cream cheese, cucumber and crab masado.  YUM!

Clockwise from top: pickled serrano chiles, jalapeno mayo, and chipotle mayo.  Ouch!

I was most interested in the Japanese tacos, so I ordered the Miss Carnitas.  It was a taco with Japanese-style cooked meat with guacamole and pico de gallo.  I loved it!  It was, however, not a lot of food for $21, but I would definitely get it again, considering I was there for dinner, which doesn't necessarily have to be pricey, but if I'm in the city with a friend who I'm not seeing until August, splurging a bit is allowable.

Japanese tacos.  Corn tortillas = delicious + gluten-free

Polka dots have been super popular and trendy over the last few years and, for Christmas, Danielle got me a pair of polka-dot sweater tights.  I wore this outfit the other day, but as with the gray-scale outfit, I think this outfit provide a nice contrast from colors present in the foods.  And if you just stick with tradition sushi, the black bottom and white top mimic the black seaweed and the white rice.  You are what you eat, right?

Hat: Staring at Stars; Shirt: Free People; Shorts: American Eagle; Boots: Minnetonka; Bag: Renaissance Fair; Tights: gift

Keep it yummy,
Jo

Merry Christmas, Y'all!

'Twas the day after Christmas, and on the internet...just kidding, I went shopping today after having a very enjoyable Christmas Eve and Christmas.  I was so hungry, that I legitimately forgot to take pictures.  In addition, it'd be strange to do with my surrogate grandfather and uncle there.  So I took some selfies and a picture of my gifts.

Shirt: Azul, Skirt: Silence & Noise

Look at me, I did my makeup.  You can't tell though because bangs. Collar: American Eagle

Top Row: Sweater, Free People; Sweatshirt, Abercrombie & Fitch; bath & body stuff; pants, Free People (navy); sweat pants, Abercrombie & Fitch (red)
Middle Row: ASUS laptop; pumps
Bottom Row: slippers, Macy's; sweater, Anthropologie; polka dot shirt, BDG; blazer, H&M

I love all the gifts I received, but my favorite has to be the computer.  It is so beautifully efficient and I am actually a big fan of Windows 8.  I am typing on it right now!  Part of the package I wanted to give myself was an updated iPod, with songs I never listen to deleted and new music downloaded.  It is just the way I want it and I could not be happier.

For food, I eat the same dishes for Christmas every year.  In Polish tradition, fish is eaten for dinner on Christmas Eve, Wigilia, when most of the immediate family gather.  We had four different types of herring, a broiled lake fish, barszcz, pierogi, vegetarian bigos, eel, and smoked salmon.  In some houses, they make as many as 12 different fish dishes, but we don't have the space or means to.  I got to enjoy some South African white wine with my eel, bigos, and fish; the meal was delicious and gluten-free.  The whole pescatarian Christmas feast stems from Catholic religious tradition, where eating meat is undesirable on the eve's of major holidays.  In my family, we always offer coffee and tea with the desserts platter.  For me, there was my mother's flourless cheesecake and we also bought chocolate mousse cake from Eataly, this Italian masterpiece of a grocery store.

Then Christmas day, my aunt came over for some roast ham, potatoes, South African red wine, meat bigos, and leftover smoked salmon.  It was a pretty relaxed day.  I hope you guys had relaxing Christmases/holidays as well!

Keep it yummy,
Jo

I Eat Meat Sometimes

The glorious thing about living in a city where there is literally some form of a grocery store on every corner is wonderful because if you are lacking an ingredient, then you can easily get it.  The downside?  No one buys food in advance.  So, for dinner Friday night while my parents shopped for food in Greenpoint to prepare for Christmas Eve, I had to run to the grocery store to get myself a meat product.  It was pretty weird buying only one thing, but I already have my staple foods at home: quinoa, rice, green beans, colored peppers, and leafy greens.  The meat product I chose: lamb.

Seared lamb chops, sauteed string beans, kale, and pepper, boiled quinoa stir-fried with soy sauce.

To me, the most delicious gluten-free meals are the ones that do not replace foods with substitutes.  My mother thought that this plate had too much food on it, but most of it was green and, using little oil, could be healthy.  Also, the more colors, the more nutrition you're getting and who doesn't love that?

Since this plate had so many different colors on it, I wore a single-pallet outfit to balance it out.  I love gray, white, and black, so I combined all the colors.  Matt suggested I buy these particular jeans because he thinks my legs look good in them and the design is pretty cool.  I have to agree with him.

Hat: Pins and  Needles, Coat: COOPERATIVE, Jeans: BDG, and Boots: Minnetonka

I think Matt is getting pretty good at taking pictures of me.

Since Christmas is just two days away, I want to wish you all a merry, delicious, and stylish Christmas!  Happy eating and spending time with friends and family!

My Christmas tree!

Keep it yummy, 

Jo

Burrito Bowl-Pies

I experimented in making my own recipe last week and here is the product.  I bring to you Burrito Bowl-Pies!  They have all the filling-goodness of a pie and the holding capacity of a bowl.  And you can eat the bowl as part of your dinner.  How cool is that?

The finished product with a glass water splashed with lemon juice.

Ingredients:

• 5 tortillas (corn because wheat sucks)
• 1/2 diced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon of Old El Paso taco mix
• 1 chicken breast for the whole diner
• 1/4 cup of rice (uncooked)
• 2 teaspoons of La Preferida refried black beans per tortilla
• 1/2 teaspoon of cilantro paste per tortilla
• 1 teaspoon of Goya pico de gallo per tortilla
• Pinch of Mexican cheese blend per tortilla

All the ingredients.  Except the garlic paste; I never wound up using it.

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Cook the rice before you do anything else.  Caramelize the onion on a pan with olive oil.  Then "bread" the chicken with Old El Paso taco mix and pan-fry until half-done after you have removed the onions.

Your "breaded" chicken.

Cut a tortilla and wrap it into a muffin tin.

Cut...

...and wrap

 Add one teaspoon of rice for each tortilla.  Add a few chicken strips and onions.  Then cover in 1 teaspoon of refried black beans.  On top of that, put the cilantro paste and the pico de gallo.  Top with cheese.  Place in the oven for 15 minutes.  The tortillas should be ready to go become friends with your taste buds and tummy.

Before the oven.

Continuing with the spirit of experimentation (no, not that kind), I decided to give myself bangs and dress cooler and edgier.  Since this dish involved many layers working together to create something wonderful, this outfit reflects that spirit perfectly.

Hat: ASOS, Sweater: Free People, Necklace: Anne Taylor LOFT, studded cuff, Jeans: BDG

I'm also practicing taking pictures of my outfits and looking awesome while doing it.  Let me know on my Lookbook or comment on how I'm doing!

Keep it yummy,
Jo

A Gluten-Free Thanksgiving

Since I had no way of uploading pictures to my computer back home, this post is several days late.  But I was pretty excited to hear that my cousin would be accommodating and make all this gluten-free stuffing that she and I can eat for the Turkey Feast.  I just loved that my family took such good care of everything and it's exciting to know that marketplaces and restaurants have gluten-free options for those of us who want traditional foods, but cannot eat them.

Clockwise: Corn bread stuffing, corn pudding, sweet potatoes, wild rice stuffing, turkey.

Everything was so delicious!  I'll be totally honest, I could not enjoy the meal as much as I wanted to because of the allergy medication I took that morning because my cousin has a dog in the house.  Being drowsy does not make me very hungry.

Gluten-free pumpkin pie.  YUM!

I like to dress up for family occasions.  I could have worn something fall-themed, but decided not to.  I just wanted to look nice for spending time with my family.

Tobi dress, lace tights, Bonanza shoes from Steve Madden

Keep it yummy,
Jo

Stuffed Squash

Squash had not been a food commonly consumed in my house in NYC.  The only time I really ate pumpkins was in pie at Thanksgiving and that was about it.  Through the C.S.A. weekly box of vegetables, though, we received an acorn squash.  I had never seen one before and Andrew and Andrea were fans of roasting them and/or putting stuff in them.  So, I decided to use the "and" function.

Finished product!  Acorn squash stuffed with rice, scallions, carrots, colored bell peppers, and topped with Parmesan cheese

I wasn't expecting it to be so sweet on the inside, I was pretty proud of myself for preemptively adding spices like curry powder and turmeric to the rice to add some kick to the meal.  I admittedly added red pepper flakes which are quickly becoming my favorite flavoring.

With this meal, I would try to pair it with like colors.  I usually dislike yellow, but I have this one tank top from Free People that is to die for. I have a similar skirt that's corduroy with buttons from Forever21 and a BDG olive-green cardigan to match the colors of the squash skin and the scallions. I usually wear my Minnetonka moccasins as comfort-shoes, but sadly, I will have to retire them soon.  I'll probably just replace them with a similar pair from the same brand.

Keep it yummy,
Jo

Cupcake Bouquet

Sorry about being a butt and not posting on Sunday!  I'm feeling somewhat better, but I'm really just using my blog as stress.

Anyway, I saw this post on Tumblr and was absolutely inspired.  I really wanted to do this one day, but did not have the resources.  On the day celebrating our first month together, Matt and I decided that we wanted to get crafty.  So we went to A.C. Moore, and later Wegmans, to acquire supplies with which to make a Cupcake Bouquet.  I also really wanted to make cupcakes anyway, but he took it the extra step.

Gluten-free chocolate cake mix.  More on this later.

Milk, eggs, butter, and cake mix.

Matt adding the mix to the dry ingredients.

No blog entry is complete without a picture of me eating something.  H&M beanie, AE blue tank top, pink ring that I got from Tobi

Cupcakes, cupcakes, CUPCAKES.

The cupcakes were delightful.  The cake mix had the prefect consistently.  Though, I will be honest, baking non-vegan was different for me.  I hadn't done it in a while, but thank God that this mix was so easy to use, because I would not have been able to figure out how to use eggs.  Then again, that was Matt's problem, since he was doing most of the baking.

We also bought a fancy pastry bag with tips in order to the frosting on artfully.  Matt is pretty boss at frosting, but unfortunately, we were completely winging the recipe and it got really runny and, after adding more confectioner's sugar, super tough.  You can't have all the nice things, can you?

Here we have the Matt in his natural habitat of frosting.

Close enough.  But the wrappers are cute.

Finished product and I look so happy.

Unfortunately, I got a phone call from Wegman's indicating soy lecithin in the cake mix that was not previously listed as an ingredient.  Excuse me while we bury yet another fantastic product on the long list of things I can't eat.  Lovely.

Keep it yummy,
Jo

Thin Mints!

Due to the fact that Girl Scout Cookies have crack in them (not really, at least, I hope not) and wheat flour, I can't eat them.  So I was so happy that BabyCakes came out with a recipe.  And what better way to surprise someone for their birthday besides baking them cookies!  Matt's birthday was last week (I am the worst blogger; the passed two weeks have been super busy and rough) so I decided to bake him thin mints.

The recipe!

Dry ingredients

Dylan trying to do soil science over a cup of oolong tea

Wet and dry ingredients together!

Makeshift double-boiler for melting chocolate.  It worked, so whatever.

The cover of the plastic case with the thin mints.

Making these was a lot of fun.  But it took about an hour and a half because I was trying to do too many things at once and even though I have a bigger kitchen, there never seems to be enough space.  But they received rave reviews from Matt, my housemates, and Dylan.  So, I'd call it a success!

Dress from Tobi, tights from Steve Madden, boots from Steve Madden, socks from Urban Outfitters, and the hat is from H&M

Since black is associated with dark chocolate and green is associated with mint, this dress I think goes with the concept of thin mints.  I was pretty excited that it was the first day of fall weather, because I love boots and tights.  It makes me feel more stylish and creative than just wearing a dress with sandals.  Bring on the cold, Ithaca!

Keep it yummy,
Jo