Sweet Treats // Cake Pops

(older post + more tips)

New York City

November 2012 in New York, NY.

Favorite eats:
Le Gamin, open-face brie baguette with caramelized onions
Five Leaves, kale salad and the beet root ricotta ravioli
Insomnia Cookies, serving up warm cookies until 3am, go for the snicker doodle
Murray's Cheese Shop, seasonal cheeses such as River's Edge Chevre, Up in Smoke and whole walnut preserves by Harvest Song

Favorite bar:
No Name Bar, great dj and atmosphere, laid back attire, not overly expensive

Favorite shops:
Seven Wonders Vintage, a small, carefully curated vintage shop
Eastern District, fresh baguettes, Grady's Cold Brew, a wide variety of cheeses, beers and specialty food items
The One Well, locally made artesian goods, loved the card selection

Around Detroit // Great Lakes Coffee

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Finding a cozy spot to enjoy a shared cup of coffee and study session isn't necessarily an easy task. Some of the main characteristics I look for in a coffee shop is that it has a good level of energy, laid back environment and learning their approach to coffee roasting and the elements used. In order to become a loyal guest, I tend to ask myself some of the following questions: 

-Are they promoting their community and purchasing goods from local vendors? 

-Do they look out for the environment by encouraging ceramic "for-here" cups, as opposed to the paper to-go ones? 

-Are the tables big enough to be able to spread out school books, laptops, coursework, etc.?

-Do their clientele seem to have the same sort of concerns and value the same sort of purist conventions?

-Do they offer season food choices that are wholesome and from locally sourced farmers and artisanal shops? 

With that being said, I finally found my new coffee shop home at the corner of Woodward Ave. and Alexandrine — Great Lakes' Coffee Roasting Co. completely won me over, first visit. They're actually a coffee shop/bar hybrid and keep their bar stocked with carefully selected beers, spirits and natural wines from small producers, most of which use an organic and biodynamic farming approach. If you find yourself near the Detroit area I suggest their Guatemalan brew, or the Chilly Mexican with a kick of cayenne if you prefer an iced beverage.

Lastly, check out Elizabeth's great short film: The Coffee Experiment.

And her coffee enthusiast blog.

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learn more about great lakes:

-their offerings

-their approach

-their community space

Rouse The Senses

This past weekend I hosted an intimate gathering of some of my closest friends. Although the premiss of this dinner was a class project, it turned out to be more of an excuse to delight in an evening filled with locally grown homemade food, good company and an endless amount of shared stories and laugher. The dinner preparations were a bit hectic due to my car breaking down, and me cutting my finger with the new mandolin I purchased earlier that day, but all of this only resulted in everyone pitching in to help out, making the whole process a successful and collaborative effort.

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a few more links:

-the official kinfolk mag site

-dinner series video, philadelphia

-dinner series video, brooklyn

-recipe for the (vegetarian) 3-onion soup

Simply Breakfast

Jen Causey is the food stylist and photographer behind the well known blog, simplybreakfast. Her ability to style with such eclectic precision amazes me, and she has a knack for making breakfast look simple, quaint and tasty without being overly contrived—the way it should be.

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visit her official:

website.

pinterest. 

instagram.

Light Summer Snacking

With summer being right around the corner and school coming to an end, I've been making an effort to choose healthier food options. I find it odd when so many people hold the ideal of healthy and organic foods being less flavorful, less appetizing and less filling. What these 'healthy' and 'organic' foods are lacking, however, are the high amounts of calories, (bad) fats and chemicals contained in the majority of foods found on grocery store shelves and in restaurants serving your typical American cuisine.

A couple of my favorite foodie blogs filled with delicious recipes (many of which are vegetarian and gluten free) are mynewroots and greenkitchenstories.  Finding  healthy and delicious meal options are much more accessible these days, and the photos below the cut are some of the dishes I've been preparing for myself.

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a few favorite cookbooks and blogs that promote healthy eating:

-greenkitchenstories, written by david and luise promotes vegan and gluten free cooking.

-clean food by terry walters is a cookbook categorized by season and highly regards locally grown produce.

-tastespotting's search option comes in handy when looking for a specific recipe, and the imagery doesn't hurt either.

-if you're interested in my personal choices, I tend post what I'm eating on my instagram, or check out my food + drink pinboard for more inspiration.

(photo source)

Zucchini Cupcakes

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recipe + photos by, green kitchen stories

Grape Fruit Recipes

recipe worth checking out

grapefruit cake | candied grapefruit peels | grapefruit curd tartletts | 

grapefruit and rosemary granita | honey grapefruit oat scones

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and a few more ideas:

-a grapefruit margarita, I would replace salt for the sugar rim though.

-this grapefruit creme brulee dessert sounds wonderful.

-make your own grapefruit soda.

-a grapefruit + avocado + mint salad makes a simple + sweet salad.

(photo source: 1 / 2)

A Loving Mixtape

I put together a small valentine mix together for you and your loved one to listen to while prepare a homemade dinner. The following are a few recipe ideas I recently came across: a clam linguine , a roasted cauliflower sage and almond risotto, and for dessert these dark chocolate strawberry cups look  utterly delicious. Enjoy!

Track listing:

thieves | she & him

by your side | cocorosie

there is a light that never goes out | the smiths

i want to sing | regina spektor

you and i | wilco

cupids chokehold | gym class heros

you will be loved | death cab for cutie

merry happy | kate nash

little bit | lykke li

can't stand it | nevershoutnever

sea of love | cat power

anyone else but you | michael cera & ellen page

toothpaste kisses | the macabees

popular mechanics for lovers | beulah

if i ever leave this world alive | flogging molly

the reasons | the weakerthans

us | regina spektor

love will come through | travis

i really do | seapony

xo.

(photo source: 1 / 2)

Valentine-ish Images

Don't get down on yourself if you're single, as I am. I haven't made any special plans for tomorrow night at all. Instead, call up a few close friends and spend the evening preparing a simple dinner and watching a heartwarming film.

Sometimes it can be nice to look back on old memories by rummaging through valentine cards and sweet notes from past loves. I tend to keep a modest collection of heartfelt pieces from past relationships. It can be painful too look at these soon after a breakup though, so you may find it wise to tuck them away for a while before being able to fully appreciate them again.

The following is a letter from years ago that made me smile...

August 2005

 Renee,

Ever since the day I met you, my heart has pounded through my chest. You can make me smile when I am in the worst mood, you have the most beautiful personality of anyone I have met, there are just so many great traits about you that it would take me a week to write them all down. I have never been happier or more satisfied than I have been with you. You truly are a one-of-a-kind girlfriend. You mean so much to me that I am at a loss of words. Thank you for letting me hold you in my arms. I have never felt so complete.

Sincerely, 

A.L.

I do hope everyone has a nice valentine's day!

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a few related links:
- a collection other people's love letters
- a decadent french recipe for coeur a la creme
- dear old love may leave a melancholy aftertaste
- one, two, three, four, five love quotes
- a love letter written in one sentence

(photo sources: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7)

A Toast to the New Year

Since I'll be in Barcelona for NYE, I thought I'd share a cocktail recipe and a few links to check out in the meantime.

This kir royale cocktail makes for a perfect new years gathering. It's simple, sweet and easy to make. Gather: a bottle of French champagne, chambord and a handful of fresh raspberries. Place champagne flutes into freezer 15 minutes prior. Remove flutes, pour in champagne and one tablespoon of chambord to each flute. Toss in a raspberry or two to each glass and enjoy. 

p.s. best if served immediately

-these refrigerator magnets make a neat diy project.

- tiny armour is a new(ish) jewelry line with lots of one-of-a-kind pieces.

- this was my favorite Christmas movie when I was younger.

- a recipe for homemade hot cocoa.

(photo source: 1 / 2)

Festive Hors D'ourves

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Two simple + delicious looking hors d'ourve options for a friendly holiday gathering. In part I post these to my blog so I can easily reference back to them when needed, and I hope to have a reason to reference back to this post. Cheers!

Find more great recipes on my FOOD + DRINK pinboard! 

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

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more breakfast ideas:

-lemon ricotta pancakes with a blueberry sauce, from two peas & their pod.

-blackberry topped ricotta pancakes, from annie's eats.

-orange in chicago is a gem of a brunch spot, and you have to try the frushi.
-this blog, simply breakfast by jen causey.
-buckwheat porridge for the more health conscious folk.
-if you're nyc bound, re-visit this post of mine.

(photo & recipe source)

For The Mushroom Lover

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(top photo surce)

Seasonal Sips

Fall, as you may have noticed, is my favorite favorite season; it's just such a nice change of pace after a long hot summer. With school taking up so much of my time though, sometimes the best way to wind down after a stressful day is to grab a drink with a friend and catch up. Whether the drinks are rich in flavor and spices, hot and steamy, or topped off with a dollop of whipped cream, there's so many yummy choices to pick from! 

Here are a few of my favorites:

Hosting an autumn gathering? The above are imagery inspiration for seasonal beverages. 

(photo sources)