Momofuku whole rotisserie duck
August 4, 2014 § Leave a comment
Three months later…another large format meal at Momofuku Ssam (I swear that I eat at places other than Momofuku).
This time, we had the whole rotisserie duck stuffed with duck and pork sausage (and served with chive pancakes, bibb lettuce and four flavorful sauces) with the broccoli salad (smoked bluefish vinaigrette and crisped duck skin), spicy rice cakes and sausage (because it’s too good to not order), pork belly buns (for the Momofuku virgins), and crispy fingerling potatoes (with crab mayo and chili).
Yet again, so much food for the five of us (the maximum allowed is six), even with multiple rounds of eating, but we still managed to knock back a few Blood Mary’s (which had country ham in them) and dig very deep when it came to the dessert of Concord grape sorbet with black sesame and peanut crumble (in other words, the best iteration of the PB&J ever) and mint julep truffles (which were a little too dense and sweet for my taste).
Afterwards, I wanted to pass out so badly but amazingly, an iced coffee from Third Rail and a 45 minute walk all the way downtown managed to keep me upright for the rest of the day.
A Day in Newport, RI
March 1, 2013 § Leave a comment
The weather in Ithaca has been especially miserable lately, not extremely cold or anything but just disgusting and sloshy. Also, I feel like I haven’t seen the sun in ages, so these photos from a family day trip to Newport, RI are a welcome reprieve.
We left home early in the morning and arrived in Newport at around 9:30 in the morning. We spent some time just driving around a beautiful, secluded Hampton-ish neighborhood with shingle style homes and private coves before doing the requisite Newport Mansions tour of the Breakers, Elms, and Marble House, dug into some delicious seafood (lobster mac ‘n’ cheese anyone?) at Brick Alley Pub downtown, took a detour at a local farm stand, and then ended our day with a scenic stroll on the Cliff Walk. After years of practice, I’d say our family has become seasoned pros at the jam-packed day trip.
Brick Alley Pub
140 Thames Street
Newport, RI 02840
401.849.6334
Christmas with the six
December 27, 2011 § Leave a comment
A little late, I know, but here’s a glimpse of how our family, just the six of us, celebrated Christmas this year. It was the first time in a long time that we were able to relax and enjoy the holiday together, and I hope it’s only the first of many fun, family-filled Christmases to come.
Christmas Eve Eve dinner
Empty stockings on Christmas Eve
Our Christmas tree aglow
Window decoration
Our Christmas Eve spread
Cheers
Chinatown, NYC
Dim sum at Oriental Garden
Four sisters in Central Park
Family photo at Bethesda Fountain
Inside St. Patrick's on Christmas Day
Ssam bar and a stop at the Bergdorf windows
December 22, 2011 § Leave a comment
Few things are lovelier and richer than a pork belly bun from Momofuku. I don’t care if they’ve been hyped to death, they’re still a well-executed morsel of fat and savoriness and that’s what Laura and I wanted last night. I could probably just have two orders of these and go home a ridiculously happy person.
Pork belly buns
We also love the spicy pork sausage and fried rice cake dish, with lots of sliced and stir-fried chinese broccoli. Spicy, chewy, meaty, and crunchy, the dish has so many different textures and tastes that a couple bites will satisfy. I especially love the little hit of Sichuan peppercorn.
Spicy pork sausage and crispy rice cakes
This time, we also tried a new dish of poached chicken, sticky rice, maitake mushrooms, and spring onion. It was a richer version of my mother’s chicken noodle soup, with a very milky and flavorful broth and sweet, almost creamy rice enveloping a tender piece of chicken. Comforting, but not too heavy either.
Poached chicken
Even though it was a bit rainy, we spent the rest of the evening oohing and aahing at the beautiful windows at Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Tiffany, and the weather actually worked in our favor since there were less people congesting the sidewalks. Our family used to visit the window displays every year, but for whatever reason, stopped the tradition in recent years, and it felt great to spend time in the city with my sister again before the holidays.
Gowns galore
Golden birdcages
Aquatic fantasy
Black and white luxury
Polar party
A tiny pop-up book style window
Gorgeous ring display at Tiffany
Dress courtesy of Olivier Theyskens
Quans #1 and #3 at Rockefeller
Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10003
http://www.momofuku.com/restaurants/ssam-bar/
Sparkling cocktails and stromboli
December 20, 2011 § Leave a comment
We girls love our fruity cocktails. Yesterday, some of us (and Phil) went into New Brunswick to take advantage of the 4-7pm happy hour at Clydz Restaurant, where it’s half-off on all fancy drinks. Below, we have Phil’s Russian Winter (Zubrowka, nocello, dark and white chocolate liqueurs), Tonia’s Apple Pie (apple vodka, apple schnapps, apple liqueur, apple juice, honey, and cinnamon), and my all-time favorite, the Destroyer (sweet tea vodka, elderflower liqueur, lemonade, cucumber, and club soda). So sweet, so damned good.
Cocktail trio
I do have to say that sipping on the Destroyer was a bit of tease though, because all of the flavors are so refreshing and remind me of summer, evoking images of people sitting on their porches in rocking chairs and just watching the clouds float by.
The Destroyer
My second drink of the evening was a lovely sparkling drink called the French “55,” with something called Zubrowka, elderflower, pineapple, lemon and champagne. Slightly tropical and not too sweet, the drink’s lemon element also gave the cocktail a heady aroma just as you sipped it. And because we didn’t know what was actually in Zubrowka, we Wiki-ed it and discovered that it’s sometimes referred to as Buffalo Grass vodka, distilled from rye and known to have flavors of woodruff (whatever that is), vanilla, coconut, and almond. Yummy.
French 55
Tiff also got a beautifully colored drink called the Sparkling Sunrise, with Chambord, peach schnapps, and champagne. I’m all about the sparkling cocktails at Clydz now. Something about champagne always makes the occasion a little bit more special.
Sparkling Sunrise
But because we can’t live on cocktails alone, after happy hour, we walked over to Stuff Yer Face for some piping hot strombolis. I ordered my classic, chipotle pork with cheddar, and happily dug into some meaty, cheesy bliss.
Chipotle pork stromboli
Clydz Restaurant
55 Paterson Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
732.846.6521
http://www.clydz.com/
Stuff Yer Face
49 Easton Avenue
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
732.247.1727
http://www.stuffyerface.com/
Laduree
October 21, 2011 § 2 Comments
New York City is currently experiencing a macaron (and that’s macaron, not macaroon, which is another thing entirely) craze but unfortunately, many of these new places are really not up to snuff. Not surprising that according to this Serious Eats post detailing the best macaron sources in the city, the top two (1. Laduree and 2. Maison du Chocolat) by far both have their pastries flown in directly from the source, Paris.
Laduree
Inside
Macarons, sitting prettily in columns
Last month, soon after Laduree opened up shop on the Upper East Side, Laura and I paid a visit to eyeball these delicious confections and get ourselves a sampling, pretty box included.
Packaging
Box of 15
I believe there were 14 flavors in total, so we did get one repeat of the salted caramel. From what I remember, there was salted caramel, black current, raspberry (a favorite), vanilla, chocolate, cherry and almond, coconut (so good), green apple, lemon, pistachio (my favorite), rose, cinnamon raisin, strawberry mint, and coffee. Although I definitely had my favorites, each and every macaron was delicious, with a perfect cookie to filling ratio and a contrast between crunch and chewiness in the meringue. The prices are definitely very steep, but I think it’s definitely worth a splurge now and then.
Laduree
864 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10021
646-558-3157
Laduree
Brunch at Riverpark
July 24, 2011 § 1 Comment
Last weekend, Katie and I ventured all the way to the east side of Manhattan for a beautiful brunch at Riverpark by Tom Colicchio, located in Murray Hill, where we met up with friends who are getting married in October! Although the restaurant is literally plopped in the middle of nowhere, it does boast some great views of the East River from its two outdoor dining sections: the Terrace (communal seating with long picnic tables) and the Patio (a more formal setting).
Outside
As a starter, we ordered simple grilled bread topped with a generous amount of creamy avocado, something that seems easy enough to make at home but never tastes the same as in a restaurant, possibly due to the fact that this version was drizzled with a fruity olive oil and sprinkled with fat shards of coarse sea salt. I could eat this alone as a meal and be perfectly content.
Grilled bread and avocado with olive oil and sea salt
Normally, I’m not a huge fan of brunch because many restaurants just go with the old standbys – eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles, some kind of omelette with everything thrown into the mix – without applying their own interpretation or a little twist. But when I was looking at the menu for Riverpark beforehand, I knew this would be a real treat, not just because of its affiliation with great chef Tom Colicchio but also because it actually had a brunch menu that piqued my interest.
This was actually the first time I’d ever had shrimp grits, so even though I had no base for comparison, I thought this dish was very well executed. The shrimp were fat and tender, and my favorite part was sucking the brain juice out of the heads. And to all the people who squeal at this, let me just say I feel sorry for you because you’re clearly missing out on the best part of this tasty crustacean. The grits, very similar to polenta, were very creamy and luxurious for such a simple grain and tasted even better when mixed with that reduction of shrimp stock, butter, and whatever else.
Shrimp and grits with pulled pork, charred tomatoes, scallions
Other dishes included biscuits and gravy with Berkshire sausage and sage, Katie’s pork belly sandwich with a fried egg (can you say decadent?) and fries, and fried chicken sliders with honey and pickled vegetables. Everyone raved about the food, as well as the excellent coffee.
Biscuits and gravy with Berkshire pork sausage and sage
Pork belly sandwich with fried egg, cheddar, and frisee and fries
Fried chicken biscuit sliders with honey, cheddar, and pickles
It was one of those perfect, leisurely meals. Great company and conversation, excellent and comforting food, beautiful weather and a great view. Even our waiter was extremely cute. So although this restaurant was somewhat hard to find (we took the 4, 6 subways to 28th and walked from there), I’d definitely go back again, no question.
Riverpark by Tom Colicchio
450 E. 29th Street
New York, NY 10006
http://www.riverparknyc.com/
Goodbye 1L
May 18, 2011 § Leave a comment
What a crazy, challenging, and eye-opening year.
I’m not gonna lie, during the last 15 minutes of our criminal law exam, the grin on my face just got wider and wider and I barely registered what I was typing. Handing in that exam felt like a huge weight lifting from my shoulders, which have gotten more and more hunched over the course of this year.
Goodbye to all those hours slogging through casebooks, goodbye to those hellish evenings before memos were due, when everything inevitably went apeshit. And goodbye to those nights before exams when I’d go over outlines and notes and still feel like I knew absolutely nothing.
But of course, there were many great things that came out of this year as well. Former law students don’t lie when they say that the intensity of law school fosters a strong sense of camaraderie within the class, and I feel that at Cornell, this is especially true because of the small size of our class. I’ve met some amazingly open, smart, and generous people this year and they made all those tiring hours in the library so much more tolerable, and dare I say, sometimes, even fun.
And I did learn. A lot. I don’t know if I could necessarily say that I “think like a lawyer” now but I definitely understand the world differently. And I don’t think that I’ll ever feel comfortable with the Socratic method, but there is something to be said about this style of teaching that, when done effectively, makes students learn much more than they ever would from a simple lecture.
As cheesy as it may seem, though, I think the most noted thing about this year has been my personal growth. Maybe it was because I was surrounded by people who were on average 4 to 5 years older than me or because there was a lot of money invested in this decision or because the workload was so demanding or because I was truly living independently for the first time, but I do think getting through this year has made me much, much more mature than an average 21 year old and I’m quite proud of that.
True, there’s the writing competition and two more years to go. But for now, I’m just going to soak in the fact that the worst part is over. Even crappy Ithaca weather can’t ruin my mood. And I’m looking forward to a productive and relaxing summer and actually focusing on things other than contracts or civil procedure.
To the end of 1L. We did it.
reOrder and Rockwell
March 27, 2011 § Leave a comment
On Friday, during a day trip to Brooklyn, Laura and I were greeted by some giant, white fabric mushrooms in the Great Hall of the Brooklyn Museum. The installation by Situ Studio, a Brooklyn-based creative practice specializing in design and fabrication, is intended to serve as a hub for visitors to congregate, relax, and view the occasional performance.
Inside the Great Hall
reOrder is the first installation in the newly-renovated Great Hall, completed by Ennead Architects.
There was also a fascinating and memorable Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera exhibit that featured the artist’s illustrations from The Saturday Evening Post and described the painstaking process he took to compose each painting, which took a lot more work and meticulousness than one would imagine. Some of my favorites included The Tattoo Artist and The Maternity Waiting Room. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take photos, but this exhibit is definitely one that you have to see in-person.
Admission to both exhibits and the rest of the museum is $6.
reOrder: An Architectural Environment by Situ Studio and
Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera
Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn, NY 11238
http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/
Notes on Food 