Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I….

1. Have been on an avocado toast kick lately. I know…I sound like every blogger out there but it's actually really good. But then again, anything that involves avocado is most likely going to taste good to me so there's that. It's been my breakfast of choice for the past week and have been toying with the idea of posting a "recipe" for it because it's so stupid simple and doesn't involve much steps or ingredients. Thoughts?

2. Checked out the new Founding Farmers restaurant that opened in Tysons Corner, VA for dinner. The restaurant is fairly spacious and was bustling. I've been to the original location in Washington, DC several times along with their MD location and prefer their breakfast/brunch menu; however I've never quite understood the hype behind this restaurant. They are probably one of the earlier restaurants to grasp the farm to table gimmick but beyond that this restaurant is just okay (minus their fried green tomatoes). Not worth the 2 hour wait I overhead while getting seated to my table.

3.  Celebrated the end of a chapter and the beginning of a new one in terms of my career. I'm fairly private when it comes to my professional career but I will say that I am very much looking forward to new beginnings and challenges with my new job (it's been an anxiety-ridden 6 months in the making). My new position will be vastly different from the job I have been at for the past 5.5 years but eager to keep growing professionally. I'm also looking forward to being a lazy bum for the next couple of weeks! Kidding…kinda…I suppose this would be the ideal time to organize my closet and start on my taxes.

4. Have been wearing these Blank NYC ripped jeans constantly. My uniform as of late for this bone chilling weather has been these jeans and cozy knits (with layers underneath).


How was your weekend?

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I…

1. Woke up to leftover Georgetown cupcakes from the previous day so I had it for breakfast, naturally. Not pictured are the crumbs from the 4 other cupcakes I devoured the day before. Oops.

2. Had Spring on my mind when I received the prettiest bouquet of tulips for Valentine's Day. This frigid weather we've been having for the past couple of days has got me in serious hibernation mode.

3. Dined at Little Serow (sorry for the blurry pic but it's extremely dim lit inside). It's been a year since I've eaten here and once again, this place did not disappoint with their Thai dishes.

4. Started to organize some neglected travel photos from my phone and DSLR that I haven't had time to get around but will hopefully upload on the blog soon (picture taken from my Japan trip in April '14).


How was your weekend?

NomNom: Brazilian Truffles

Since Valentine's day lands on a Saturday this year that means you have time to spend in the kitchen (or not) and put extra love into that meal or in today's case, dessert. This sweet truffle concoction, called a Brigadeiro, comes from Brazil and requires just 3 ingredients. They are so easy to make yet yields something so pretty that also looks like much effort was put into it that you're going to look like a dessert hero. I got you, friend.

This is a very adaptable truffle recipe when it comes to toppings. Since Valentine's day is tomorrow I figure it would be fitting to add heart shaped sprinkles and anything red/pink. Very girly. Very Valentines Day. However I like chocolate flavors mixed with nutty flavors so I included chopped walnuts in my toppings (a personal favorite). Feel free to get creative and cover these addicting sweets to your hearts desire with other nuts such as pistachio, peanuts, or almonds. These truffles don't taste like the standard rich truffles but lean towards the caramel-y ooey gooey goodness side--totally not a bad thing.

However you spend your Valentines day or this weekend, these truffles should be included in your plan. Have fun decorating and enjoy eating these treats.

Have a great weekend. Xo.


Ingredients (Adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/brazilian-style-truffles.html) Yields: 24 truffles
1 can of sweetened condensed milk (14-ounce)
2 tablespoons of butter, plus extra for your hands
2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
sprinkles, for coating
chopped walnuts for coating

Procedure
1. Combine the condensed milk, butter, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt in small saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue stirring until the mixture thickens and when stirred, pulls away from the bottom of the pan, about 10 minutes.

2. Remove from the heat and place the mixture in a greased shallow pan. Refrigerate until chilled all the way through about 2 hours.

3. Lightly butter your hands. Using a tablespoon or small scoop, scoop some of the truffle mixture into your hands and roll into a bite-size ball. Roll the truffle in one of the coatings and place on a plate. Continue with the remaining chocolate. Store the truffles in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I….


1. Got back from my two week trip from Paris/London. Already missing the city of love, fashion, and art.

2.  Went to dinner at Crane and Turtle, a fairly new French-Japanese fusion restaurant that opened up in the Petworth area in Washington, DC. It's a small restaurant that probably seats around 25 people with an open kitchen where you can see the chefs prep your meal. We ordered the tuni and hamachi tatataki, scallops, pork belly salad, duck schezuan style and a savory dessert of petit pont-l'eveque. The stand out dishes of the evening were the tuni and hamachi and the dessert which was melted pony-l'eveque and gougere stuffed with pear mostrada (I could've easily eaten another one of these dishes). The service was attentive and top notch and when our server asked us how our dishes were as they came out, I mentioned to her that the pork belly salad was a bit too salty for me and found out later she took it off our bill. I was pleasantly surprised and very impressed at her gesture.

3. Added this Caudlie elixir to my skincare routine after picking it up in Paris. This is a French brand that's also sold in the states at Sephora and Nordstrom. I've been spraying it on my face before my serum every morning and it's extremely refreshing and hydrating.

4. Was unpacking my suitcase from the trip and wanted to share my favorite Uniqlo down jacket I brought with my on my travel. Because we were walking around everywhere, we would have to be out in the cold all day so bundling up was a must. Though this down jacket feels ultra thin, it keeps you extremely warm--I would even say that it's on par with North Face jackets. The great thing about this coat is you can easily pack it for travel because it comes with a pouch so anything that saves space in my suitcase is a win for me. I bought it for $89.90 several months ago but it's currently reduced in price to $39.90(!!!) so if you're looking for an affordable down jacket that will keep you warm, I highly recommend this one. Melanie ended up buying one at the Uniqlo in Paris after she saw how warm it kept me.

How was your weekend?

NomNom: Cauliflower Garlic "Mashed Potatoes"

So I just realized that my first food post of 2015 is a vegetable dish. Serious identity crisis going on over here....who am I?

But this recipe is special--so much so that I unknowingly decided to feature it as the first food post for the new year because it's just that solid. No potatoes were used in this recipe unlike other "mashed potato" recipes I came across which used a mix of potatoes and cauliflower. The crazy awesome thing about this recipe is that it mocks the exact taste and texture of garlic mashed potatoes. Winning.

I first utilized this recipe two Thanksgiving ago and totally tricked my sister and dad into thinking they were eating mashed potatoes throughout dinner. It was hilarious. During the meal I was asking my sis what she thought about my new recipe and she was like "this is pretty good! What different ingredients did you use?" I 100% lied to their faces and told them it was a new mashed potato recipe I used and omitted that teeny tiny important fact that I only used cauliflower. Boom.

If I could trick the two people I know who have strong aversions to foods that are characterized as healthy, then you know this recipe is a good one. Since that thanksgiving dinner, this recipe has been on heavy rotation and whenever I make it for the family, I always remind my sister of that time I tricked her into thinking she was eating mashed potatoes....because that's just what older siblings do. Le duh.

On a side note, the blog will be on hiatus for a couple weeks because I'm leaving for Paris/London this weekend! Looking forward to this trip especially because it will probably be one of the last international vacations I will take for awhile. More on that later;)

Have a great weekend. Xo.


Ingredients (Adapted from Food Network) Yield: 4 servings
1 medium head cauliflower
3 tablespoons cream cheese
2 tablespoon Greek yogurt/light sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon straight chicken base or bullion (may substitute 1/2 teaspoon salt)
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh/dry chives (for garnish)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Procedure
1. Set a stockpot of water to boil over high heat.

2. Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Cook in boiling water for about 6 minutes, or until well done. Drain well in colander; do not let cool and pat cooked cauliflower very dry between several layers of paper towels.

3. In a bowl with an immersion blender, or in a food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, Parmesan, garlic, chicken base, and pepper until almost smooth.

4. Garnish with chives, and serve hot with pats of butter.

**Try roasting the garlic and adding a little fresh rosemary for a whole new taste.