Canoe-dling

Today marks one of the most depressing days of the year: the last day of summer vacation before school starts. Well I'm not starting school tomorrow, but my younger brother is, and I feel his pain. I used to dread this day every year. I'd lie awake at night, trying to hold onto the last minutes of summer. I even used to cry on the last night of Christmas break, because I didn't want to go back to school. But I don't think it was school that I was actually dreading. I secretly liked doing homework and seeing my friends everyday. I hated the end of summer and winter break because it marked the end of freedom. No schedules, no to-do lists. Each day of summer lead by whatever my heart desired. This, of course, was not true. I always had something going on, whether it was sports practice, voice lessons, or summer reading; but I at least felt most like a free spirit during the summer. So on this last day of summer vacation, my brother and I soaked up the last moments of freedom and sunshine by canoeing.

It was the perfect day to canoe. The air was calm, the sun was shining, and the lake was quite peaceful now that all the summer camps have ended. We rowed out to one of the islands where we ate a picnic lunch of peanut butter and jelly (me) and peanut butter and fluff (Michael) sandwiches. After canoeing some more and working up a sweat, we took a dip in the cool, refreshing water.

Between the peanut butter and jelly sandwich and playfully splashing in the water, it was the most quintessential summer afternoon. I felt like I was back in high school, trying to hold onto every last second of summer freedom. As I sat on the rocky beach I said to Michael, "It was eight years ago that I started high school". Eight years??!! That sounds like such a long time when you say it out loud.

I still remember my first day of high school clear as day. I remember what I wore and what I ate for lunch. And I remember feeling so completely lost in what seemed like a massive school.

It's funny how your perspective of space and time changes over the years. Compared to NYU and BC, my high school is just a little fish bowl. During my senior year of high school, I could not wait to get out my town and move to the big city. Time could not move fast enough. Now I look back and can't believe I was in college for four years. Or how the quizzes and tests in high school seemed to be the determining factor for the rest of my future. And by now I've completely forgotten what these tests were about and probably anything I learned for them.

But no matter what our age or perspective, where we come from, or where we're going, the feeling of summer freedom is ageless and timeless. With all our preoccupations, anxieties, and busy schedules, we could all benefit from taking an afternoon to dig our toes into the sand, soak up the sun, and hold onto summer like we're in high school.

Copy Cat

There is nothing more disappointing to me than having a meal that I'm not satisfied with, especially when it is something I made. I look forward to each meal as an opportunity to feel fulfilled, content, and try something new. So when I eat something that does not meet these expectations it is quite a letdown.

Tonight I attempted to make Ga-ga's (the name I gave to my grandma when I was a baby) veal cutlets. These cutlets have quite the reputation in my family, so I was apprehensive to take on a dish with such long held expectations. When I was younger, my mom and I actually used to fight over who would eat the last veal cutlet. Whenever we have a visit planned to Ga-ga's house and she plans to make veal cutlets, we look forward to her juicy, savory delights all week long.

I have such vivid memories of cooking veal cutlets with Ga-ga in her kitchen. I always dredged the meat in egg and breadcrumbs, while she stood over the hot stove frying them up. Oil splattered all over her house dress, and me in egg up to my elbows, I always snuck a cutlet while they were still steaming hot and extra crispy. (I'm sure this also contributed to my pudgy frame as a child).

In typical Ga-ga fashion, she froze a bunch of extra veal cutlets the last time we visited. (Like many other thrifty, Depression-era grandparents, Ga-ga freezes EVERYTHING--from milk to one scoop of cool whip.) As I planned this week's dinners, my mom reminded me that we had the frozen veal from Ga-ga. And so began my attempt at Ga-ga's veal cutlets...

I looked through several recipes online, and they all seemed very simple and similar: just dredge the cutlets in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, then fry them in the pan. Easy, right?

Well the process itself was a no-brainer. I've breaded and fried all sorts of things before. But in the end, they just did not taste the same!

First of all, the coating did not stick to the meat once it was cooked. Everything sort of fell apart as I tried to cut it with my fork and knife. I think this was due to the fact that the veal had been frozen and then defrosted. Even though I patted the cutlets dry before the dredging process, it's possible there was still extra moisture on the veal from defrosting, which would have caused the breading not to stick.

Second, the cutlets did not have that crispy texture like Ga-ga's. Mine were a little too dense--possibly from too much egg and breadcrumbs?--which then lead the coating to soak up more oil and become heavy, rather than light and crispy.

And finally, the flavor. It just wasn't there! A major mistake on my part was using plain breadcrumbs instead of seasoned, which is what Ga-ga uses. The veal itself was tasty, but the coating definitely needed some more flavor. Next time, I will have to add in some fresh herbs to the breadcrumbs, such as thyme or rosemary, or some parmesan cheese.

Making mistakes and trying new things is all part of the cooking process. That is how you learn and develop better recipes for the future. But recreating a dish that comes with such strong memories definitely presents a greater challenge. You may be able to recreate the flavor, but recreating the memory is nearly impossible to do. So while I may never be able to cook veal cutlets the way Ga-ga does, someday I will hopefully have my own dish that will create memories for my own family.

Family Matters

This morning, I awoke from the world's longest food coma. Last night I had one of the most filling, satisfying, and fun meals I've ever had. It wasn't at a restaurant, and it wasn't something I cooked at home. This time, my WHOLE family contributed to the meal in our very own cooking class!

A while ago, I saw a little blurb in the paper for The Culinary Underground--a local cooking school for recreational and home cooks. I looked into taking a class during my ample amounts of free time this summer, but most of the classes available were for kids. So I gave the school a call to find out about any adult cooking classes. Starting next month, The Culinary Underground will offer several interesting classes, from vegan cupcakes to autumn soups. They also offer custom classes for small groups. I was intrigued. I spoke to Lori, the owner, and she said she would put together an entire menu based on my family's tastes, and the rest was up to us.

I was a little anxious going into the class. Would my family even enjoy doing something like this? No one else in my family truly enjoys cooking the way I do. And what if they don't like the recipes Lori put together? Like I've said before, we have some picky eaters in our family.

The Culinary Underground is in Lori's own home--a modern house set into a hill with huge windows. The kitchen was wonderful: beautiful granite

countertops, so much space, and neatly organized--quite unlike our crowded, cluttered kitchen.

Lori and our intstructor, Chef Fred Rubin, presented the evening's menu to us. They explained we could all divvy up the recipes and work together along the way. It was somewhat awkward at first; everyone was too timid to claim responsibility for an entire recipe. But finally we figured it out...My dad would prepare the roasted pepper crostini, my mom and brother would make the gnocchi with caponata, I would cook the pork with fig demi-glace and zucchini with garlic, and my sister would bake the pistachio cake. Off we went!

As much as I loved preparing the food, my favorite part of the evening was seeing everyone else in my family participate too. Watching my mom and brother dice

up all the ingredients for the caponata was a sight to be seen! Not that they didn't do a great job, because they did, but my mom rarely lets my brother use a sharp knife at home, and she does not enjoy spending so much time chopping things into precise cuts.

Overall, we all enjoyed our evening of cooking and eating. We may not all like to cook, and some may be pickier than others, but spending time together and collaborating in such a delicious meal really was a bonding experience. As much as I love to eat and try new foods and recipes, the reason I came to love cooking and food so much was for this reason: its ability to bring people together. Food has a way of erasing our differences, helping us forget our troubles, and uniting us in a shared experience.

A Midsummer Night's Italian Menu

Crostini Peperoni Arrostiti

(Toasted Bread with Roasted Pepper Salad)

Strozzapreti con Caponata e Ricotta Salata

("Priest Strangler" Gnocchi with Eggplant Relish and Ricotta Salata Cheese)

Porco con i Fichi

(Pork with Fig Demi-glace and Fresh Figs)

Zucchini con aglio

(Zucchini with Garlic)

Torta del Pistacchio con Limoncello Glasse

(Pistachio Cake with Limoncello Glaze)

Click here for more info on the Culinary Underground and the classes they offer!

Sweet Obsession

The rainy weather continues, and so does my craving for comfort food. Although today's comfort food came in much sweeter form than last night's pasta: Cupcakes.

I have yet to discuss my cupcake obsession on this blog. Probably because I value the cupcake as such a sacred object that I'm not sure words could do it justice. But here goes...

My love of cupcakes began my freshman year at NYU. This was right around the time when cupcakes started to become the new dessert trend. Carrie served cupcakes to of all her guests at her book launch in an episode of "Sex and the City" a couple years ago, so it was about time the cupcake fad hit New York.

My first real cupcake experience was at Magnolia Bakery on Bleeker Street. A buzz was brewing among students about Magnolia's "amazing" cupcakes, so my friend and I took a walk down Bleeker to see what the fuss was about. We showed up around 8PM at night, and the line was out the door and around the block! I did not understand what could be so good about a cupcake that people were willing to wait outside on this cold night. But my friend and I waited in line anyways, and thank God we did! Never had I tasted a cupcake so light and buttery. It looked just like a cupcake you might see in an American Girl Doll play set. I was in love instantly, and this was only the beginning...

Second semester of freshman year, Crumbs was the new thing. A new shop opened up on 8th street near our dorm, so my friend and I knew it was fate. These cupcakes were calling our names. It was a Thursday night, and rather than pregaming to go out, we ran to Crumbs to get cupcakes to eat while watching Grey's Anatomy. I still remember the massive devil's food and cookie dough cupcakes that we both shared. We devoured the cupcakes like little kids, then passed out in food comas as if we were 8 years old.

My next most notable cupcake memory was not until fall of sophomore year. Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery. This discovery marked the turning point in my cupcake career: from occasional cupcake eater to devoted cupcake fiend. Dangerously close to my downtown NYU dorm, my roommates and I made regular stops here at least once or twice a week. Sugar Sweet Sunshine's cupcakes are no doubt my favorite to this day. I have yet to find a more perfect balance of sweet, moist, buttery cake and fluffy, velvety, melt-in-your mouth frosting. I was so in love with this place that my roommates even bought me a thong from the bakery with a picture of a little cupcake on it that says "Eat Me!". (Don't worry Mom, I've never worn it).

Last summer also marked some serious cupcake discovery and experimentation. My friend and I made a list of every cupcake bakery we hoped to visit, and strategically planned when we would visit each. This was serious research. Here are some of the places we tried and my thoughts on them:

1. Billy's Bakery--I don't remember any specifics about these cupcakes except that I enjoyed them quite a lot.

2. Amy's Bread--probably my least favorite on this list. I remember the cupcake being somewhat dry, although we did arrive just before closing, so they were not fresh. Everything else here looked divine.

3. Sweet Revenge--So indulgent and such rich-tasting flavors. The cupcakes themselves look very sophisticated and sexy. They also offer a cupcake and sangria happy hour, which I of course loved!

4. Buttercup Bake Shop--this is my runner-up to Sugar Sweet Sunshine. Best frosting!

5. Baked By Melissa--mini cupcakes that pack a lot of flavor in such a little bite! I could eat these like popcorn!

The cupcake scene is just beginning to bud in Boston. The only two places I've tried in Boston are Sweet Cupcakes and Flour Bakery. The cupcake from Flour was delicious; but even better from Flour was the fudgiest, most chocolately brownie I've ever tasted! Not bad for Beantown!

Now that I am moving to NY in a couple weeks to start an internship, I must resume my cupcake quest. But in the meantime, some homemade cupcakes will have to hold over my cupcake craving.

My sister and I spent the afternoon baking red velvet

cupcakes with cream cheese frosting from Martha Stewart's "Cupcakes" cookbook. The cake had that perfect subtle chocolate flavor, and was so light and moist. Cream cheese frosting is not my favorite (I prefer buttercream), but this turned out to have the perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess.

Not so sweet that you feel like you're eating pure sugar, and not too tangy that it tastes like a bagel with cream cheese. Delectable!

There is no better way to cheer up a rainy day (or any day really) than with a cupcake!

Recipe Rut Be Gone!

It's been a while since I tried a new recipe. Between traveling, eating out, and not wanting to spend hours cooking in the kitchen during the hot summer, I haven't had the desire to delve into something new and challenging. I've been in a recipe rut. Sticking to meals I've made several times before, or dishes with few ingredients that require little prep time (i.e. asian stir-fry, pan fried tilapia, grilled chicken). The kugel that I made last week was one of the newest things I've tried in a while, but that was extremely simple--just a matter of cooking the pasta, mixing the ingredients, and baking it all in the oven. (By the way, the kugel was a success! Very easy to make, and my whole family loved it. It was almost a little too sweet for a dinner entrée, but with all the sweet tooths in my family, no one was complaining).

On this dreary, rainy Sunday with nothing to do, I figured this was no better time to bust out of my recipe rut. Lazy, dark days always make me crave hearty, comfort food, which in my family always means Italian. So to my Giada cookbooks I went! This already posed a problem, because I've cooked so many of Giada's recipes, I really had to comb through to look for something new. Finally, I found the perfect recipe: Bucantini all'Amatriciana with spicy smoked mozzarella meatballs.

A while ago, I saw the episode in which Giada cooked this dish with her Aunt Raffy. I remember thinking it looked like such a hearty family meal. A friend of mine also tried this recipe earlier this summer and said it was delicious, so I knew this had to be it.

The recipe calls for bucatini pasta, which is a thick, spaghetti-like pasta with a hole running through the center. Unfortunately, our grocery store does not carry bucatini, so I resorted to one of my favorites: linguini. I also decided to leave out the pancetta in the sauce. Pancetta is one of the crucial ingredients that makes an amatriciana sauce amatriciana, but knowing the picky eaters in my house, I decided I could do without it. I also used ground turkey instead of ground beef and ground veal as in the original recipe. This was another decision made based on the somewhat limited

palates I was serving, and also to lighten up the already hearty meal a little bit. So after I completely changed the recipe, it was time to get started!

The sauce was very easy. Just sauté some onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes, add crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper, and some Pecorino Romano, and voila!

The meatballs were also fairly simple, just a little more time consuming. I had to grate an onion, which I've never done before. It was a little tricky, especially when I got to the end of the onion and struggled to grate it without getting my fingers as well. But luckily, I managed the grate the onion, with all my fingers still intact.

One of my favorite things about making meatballs is mixing together all the ingredients with your hands, and then rolling out the little balls. Cooking is always more fun when you can get a little messy! The best part about the meatballs was the smoked mozzarella inside. With my finger, I made a little depression in each ball and stuck a little cube of smoked mozzarella inside. As the meatballs baked in the oven, bits of cheese popped out like a little surprise!

In the end, it was a delicious meal. My whole family loved it, and I welcomed their praise. No need to be humble when a dish is undeniably good! I was worried that the meatballs might be a little dry because of my decision to use ground turkey, but they were surprising moist and had so much flavor from the smoked mozzarella, fresh parsley, and red pepper flakes! And even though it might not have been a traditional amatriciana sauce, the pancetta was not missed at all. The sauce was so rich and thick from the romano cheese, and had a subtle kick from the red pepper flakes.

Bucatini (er, linguine) all'amatriciana with spicy smoked mozzarella meatballs fulfilled both of my goals for today: 1. To serve a hearty, comforting dish to my family on such a miserable day; 2. Get out of a recipe rut!

Here is the link to Giada's original recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/bucatini-allamatriciana-with-spicy-smoked-mozzarella-meatballs-recipe/index.html

Disney Dilemma

With nothing better to do tonight, I decided to watch one of my all-time favorite movies: Clueless. I have seen this movie so many times that I can pretty much recite the lines even though it's been at least a year or so since I last saw it.

My obsession with Clueless began in 4th grade. My best friend and I admired the pretty actresses and their "like totally stellar" clothes. I dreamed of owning a revolving closet with a computer system that would put together outfits, just like Cher. We laughed at the jokes, even though we didn't understand half of them. I certainly did not know that the movie is based off of Jane Austen's "Emma". At age 10, "Clueless" was nothing more than pure entertainment and fantasy: picturing myself as a matured 16 year-old, driving an awesome car, wearing stylish clothes, and kissing boys. But what may seem like pure entertainment, can actually become quite toxic, especially for girls so young and impressionable.

During my last semester at BC I took a class called "Disney and the Wondertale". We watched several of the classic Disney animated movies then analyzed them for sexist/racist/prejudiced/etc. themes. Sounds pretty tough, right? The class was by no means challenging, but we did discuss some interesting topics that caused me to reflect on how such movies may have influenced my own self image as a child.

Take a look at all of the Disney princesses. As far as we know, none of them are meant to be any older than 16, yet all of them have the body of a 25 year-old Victoria's Secret model. Huge breasts, impossible waist, perfect hips, luscious locks, and big, round eyes. If you put any one of them in a bikini, they would fit right on the cover of Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Is this what we want young girls (and young boys) to think is normal?

Growing up, almost all of my friends were a Disney princess for at least one Halloween. I, myself, was Jasmine. I, of course, looked nothing like her, with my frizzy hair popping out of a ponytail, and my chubby potbelly poking out from the teal bikini top and pants. (I was also wearing a nude-colored leotard underneath. It would have been quite inappropriate, and unsightly, to see a robust kindergartner trick-or-treating in a two piece). Not only is it extremely culturally inaccurate to think that a woman in the Middle East would be able to prance around with her breasts and stomach hanging out, but also quite a risque role model to set for young children. Although at the time I wasn't even aware of what breasts or hips were, seeing these images repeated over and over throughout each movie certainly creates a lasting image of what beautiful and feminine should look like.

This image is not just in Disney, it's everywhere from Barbie dolls, to "Clueless", to newscasters on TV. And unfortunately I don't think this will ever change. As media and technology become even more inescapable in our everyday lives, standard images of "sexy, beautiful" women will imprint in the minds of children and adults.

In our final class the professor asked us, "So are you all going to forbid your kids from watching Disney movies one day?" The majority of the class, including myself, admitted "No". The gendered and racial stereotypes portrayed in such movies are quite disgusting, but c'mon, it's DISNEY!! A childhood without Disney is not a childhood at all! So while I do think it is important to build an awareness of such stereotypes and prejudices in children at an early age, children should also be able to just be kids and enjoy Disney for the pure magic and fun that it is.

I'm sure "Clueless" may have skewed my own body image in some way, but am I going to boycott a great movie just to prove a point? As if!

Eat Eat Eat

After much anticipation, I finally saw "Eat Pray Love". I read the book en route to Florence this summer, and have been waiting ever since to see the movie.

Overall, the film lived up to my expectations. Julia Roberts was all that you would hope to be: charming, emotional, and captivating. I actually enjoyed the character of Liz more in the movie than Elizabeth Gilbert in her book. The book Liz annoyed me at times. She could be overly dramatic, always crying whether she was happy or sad, and kissing a tree? It was a little too much for me to handle at times. But Julia eluded a much better and more likable balance of vulnerability and passion in the movie character.

I don't think any woman would complain about the casting of Javier Bardem as her Brazilian lover Felipe. Bardem captured all the sensuality and yumminess that I could have hoped for. However, I do feel pretty bad for Gilbert's ex-husband, wherever he is. The movie portrayed him as a complete weirdo-loser. The scene where he starts screaming and breaking out into song with the divorce lawyer was quite odd.

The scenery in all four locations--New York, Italy, India, and Bali--was beautiful and breathtaking. My least favorite part of the book, the "Pray" section set at the Ashram in India, was made much more relatable and enjoyable in the movie. The characters of Richard and Tulsi really brought this part to life, rather than reading about her meditating for hours and making out with trees.

But of course, my favorite part in both the movie and the book was "Eat", set in no other place but Rome. It is hard not to fall in love with the city, the people, and the food she encounters in this section. Everything is just so sensual and lovable, from her adorable tutor friend Giovanni, to the laundry hanging in the streets of Naples. And don't even get me started on the food! The simple plate of spaghetti in a perfect little round, topped with the greenest leaf of basil had me hypnotized instantaneously. I loved the arty juxtaposition between Liz's meal with friends and the tender preparation shown in the grilled artichokes and linguine with clams. Not only was the food beautiful to look at, but also symbolized how good, loved food unites people from different countries and languages.

Besides salivating at the food, what I loved most about Liz's time in Italy (in the book and the movie) was the Italian way of life. Living for pleasure and enjoying each pleasure like its the best thing you've ever tasted/seen/experienced. One of my favorite quotes comes from her friend Giovanni: "Il bel far niente"--the pleasure of doing nothing. This is a concept that is so foreign and unknown to Americans. What does doing nothing even mean? We are constantly wired to phones, computers, TV. A type-A person myself, I struggle to empty my mind and savor a simple moment of nothingness. I think we could all learn a lesson or two from those Italians.

While most of us can't afford to give up a year of our lives to travel the world and find ourselves, a trip to see "Eat Pray Love" can get us around the world for about 1o bucks in only 2 hours. I wouldn't say the movie or the book moved me to find my inner peace and happiness, but both helped me to savor "il bel far niente" just for a few moments. Ciao!