6/24/2011 2 Comments RibbonsSo today I ate something that I forgot used to (and still does apparently) take me to a complete state of happiness, even if that state lasted only for as long as the taste lasted in my mouth...And that was Nutella. :)
The last time I ate Nutella was in France (a magical place too good to be true, where you see Nutella in a jar or on a crepe every two seconds) two years ago, and also during the two weeks after I flew back home from France--Two weeks that had begun the moment that I took out the gigantic jar of deliciousness (given to me by my host mother) from my suitcase and into the kitchen, as I decided to devour the Nutella with whole wheat bread for breakfast (and late-night snack, and lunch...) every day until the jar was scraped empty. So, as I took the shiny, smooth ribbon of the deep dark potion of pleasure and wrapped it loosely around my knife before spreading it delicately on my piece of bread, I had no idea what was going to hit me up until that eternally delightful taste hit my taste buds. And then, I found myself in heaven (not literally, obviously, otherwise I wouldn't be here typing this post to you ;) )! Nutella is a great thing to accompany your dessert with, whenever the dessert feels lonely and needs a loyal friend...Or, Nutella could be your entire dessert. :) Enjoy a ribbon (or more than two...) of dark, yummy, hazelnut, ice-cream like luxury! ~~MC
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6/21/2011 0 Comments HorchataYou know when you find yourself reminiscing about a lovely memory of yourself spending time with a loved one, and then you can't help but associate that blurry yet enjoyable vision with something you were eating or drinking at the time?
Well, you probably noticed by now that I do this pretty much all the time in Foods for Fantasizing, as I personally believe that food can powerfully connect a person to his/her life experiences, regardless of how significant those memories may be. This (super early) morning for me became yet again another reminiscent memory, when I met a good friend of mine on campus for coffee (at 8am, since she had class at 9:30), and we ended up sitting on a bench right by the lake (since the restaurant was by the lake as you can see in the pictures). as we laughed about our own quirks and occasionally pleaded the Sun to emerge from the scattered clouds...And in saying that this happened just a few hours ago, I can't say that this memory was blurry, but it definitely was lovely. :) We met up at the to-go window of Agua Verde, a Mexican restaurant that I heard many good things about but where I never got around to having a sit-down lunch/dinner. My friend Jessica and I had come to the window once before, where she ordered a tall Horchata latte (a "Mexican rice/almond drink," according to the to-go menu...Which I guess is just a way of saying a latte but with rice/almond milk ;) ) while I got a Mexican hot chocolate. My drink was delectable and amazingly rich, but I was still so intrigued by Jessica's drink--even just by the sound of its name--that I promised myself to order one at our next visit. And so this morning, I asked for a tall Horchata latte. :) It was smooth, rich but not excessively, and it made me crave for more even as I took in the last drop. The foam on the top was decorated with refreshing cinnamon, which woke me up as much as did the single shot that was subtly blended within the rice milk....But even though I enjoyed this latte, what I enjoyed even more was spending the lovely summer (and semi-sunny) morning with one of the people I most adore! I will remember holding the warm, cozy latte in both hands while hearing the distant rush of traffic along the bridge nearby, and admiring the way the water in front of me was so quiet yet had so much movement, as I had great and pleasant conversation with Jessica about TV shows, our dads, and the joy of relaxing for the next four months. It's obviously not a memory to be reminiscing about so much yet, but it is nice to smile about good times you have even if they have just passed by. :D ~~MC 6/18/2011 0 Comments A Party, a gift, a cup and saucerThis morning, my father and I went on an exciting voyage through the stormy waves of rain that washed over our car, on to a favorite family restaurant of ours called Gilbert's. I usually order a regular latte there, but this time I wanted to try something new...
Maybe it was also because I had watched a video recently about the origins of coffee names (like Caffe Latte and Mocha), and so I wanted my taste buds to take a risky adventure to visit something refreshing. And so instead of a tall decaf latte, I somewhat cautiously yet excitedly asked for a tall decaf breve. The lady at the cashier (sweetest lady I know; we always have a conversation about the weather or how our days have been going before I order from the menu, and she never gives me the feeling that I need to rush or stop talking :) ) explained to me that a breve is just like a latte, but you are presented with a foamy fusion of coffee and half & half in the place of coffee and milk. I couldn't refuse this opportunity to throw a party for my taste buds, where they could bask in the ultimate creamy richness of this drink I have just heard about! When I heard 'half & half', I almost immediately said 'yes please!' The drink was brought to our table ten minutes later in a slender, elegant glass (which looks like the skinny version of the glasses we have at home...And so now I feel bad that they have only been used for iced water or random fruit juices), filled to an inch under the rim with the life of the taste-bud party, above which sat the confetti (...the foam, my favorite part of any coffee drink!)...I feel like I could write an entire blog post (or even an entire blog, but let's not get too carried away) about foam in coffee drinks, because I love it so much I can almost say that it can make my day! The first sip of the breve took my breath away. Twirls and swirls were happening, explosions and fireworks took off, and paint ball fights were erupting all at the same time! I could not stop the party in my taste buds, it was almost getting out of control! I was overwhelmed by the dominating taste of the half & half, though it was slightly balanced by the fluid texture and yummy bitter taste of the espresso shot. I walked out of Gilbert's with my dad with a very full stomach, a calm heart, and a taste for more breve. I had actually found the taste so rich and satisfying that I could not finish it, and so I asked a waiter for a to-go cup with a lid, delicately poured the rest of my steaming heaven into it to make sure the 'confetti' wasn't going to disappear, and closed the lid to wrap my gift. I carried that bundle of joy out the door with me and into the rain, as we were both sheltered lovingly by the umbrella my dad brought and shared with us. The breve now sits in a creamy-though-not-as-creamy-as-the-breve cup and saucer that I found most adorable. I had unwrapped the gift, and the party shall once again begin. :) So enjoy a cup of breve when you get the chance, so that you can throw a lively party of your own filled with as much confetti and paint-balling as I had experienced! ~~MC 6/13/2011 0 Comments What You Call Lunch: Twist CafeMy mom, brother and I spent the entire Saturday together in downtown Seattle. :)
We visited the Pacific Science Center, where we got a very educational perspective of fear in the Goosebumps exhibit...Then, during the next half-hour we spent on our scavenger hunt for a parking spot in Queen Anne, we reminisced of the past adventures we made in Seattle...And finally, after a lovely peaceful walk in the adorably crowded and chic Queen Anne, we ended up being magnetically drawn to the place where we ate our late-lunch (or rather, VERY late lunch, since it was 5pm)--at an tiny, adorable place called the Twist Cafe. I can't say 'adorable' an enough number of times to describe this cafe--It is a place for comfort food that is honestly organic, as it has an area specially made for little kids, so they could have their playtime while their exhausted parents get the time to be grateful for the break they have in eating a delicious meal. With my drive to try something new, I ordered a panini that had apples with dijon mustard and cheese. I never ate apple slices in a sandwich before, and to my surprise it tasted delicious! ...And it wasn't just because I didn't feel guilty from eating this healthy food, but also because the sweet tang of the apple delightfully complemented the rich texture of the cheese, all mushed into a yummy combination by the warm-as-a-winter-night, almost fluffy potato bread. I also enjoyed the green salad, with its healthy deep greens springing from the plate and decorated by the shining vinaigrette dressing. My mom enjoyed her order as well, which you can obviously tell by the first bite gone from the sandwich. ;) ...And my brother ordered a cheese-bacon quesadilla, which I didn't take a picture of since he had eaten most of it by the time I was ready to take pictures. :) We left Twist Cafe full, satisfied (especially because we hadn't eaten since the morning, and the closest thing we had to lunch was Top Pot Doughnuts...= Yummy, but not lunch), and already set to feast there again soon! ~~MC 6/8/2011 0 Comments A Late-Night AdventureToday, I made a simply yummy what-you-might-call late night snack. :)
All you need is a fluffy slice of whole wheat baguette (or regular baguette, if you are in the mood for something extra indulging...), dark chocolate, and rich olive oil. I actually started making this a few months ago; I would cut the whole wheat baguette in cloud-like slices, shower each in delicate drizzles of the olive oil as they sit silently and patiently on the cookie sheet, and then toast the little boat-looking snacks in the oven for a few minutes; then, the final flourish would be plopping the deeply pleasurable dark chocolate squares on top of the bread slices, and letting them melt smoothly all over the bread during an additional minute in the oven. In this picture, I was slightly overcome by a case of laziness. I had decided to toast one gigantic bread slice, as I had microwaved the chocolate squares instead of using the oven at all. The only thing I left consistent was drizzling the olive oil over the bread before adding the chocolate. But regardless of the way you make it, the purpose of this snack is to wrap yourself in an effortless pleasure that takes you away on a smoothly rendered, rich late-night adventure, before you take the adventure from the TV screen (where you were watching Late Night with Jimmy Fallon or some other late-night TV...Or Frasier, if you ask what I'd watch :) ) all the way to your comforting bed. ~~MC 6/8/2011 0 Comments Frosting to My CakeYesterday, in our spontaneous quest to celebrate getting over the anticipated hill of the art history final exam, my friend Stephanie and I ventured on to one of our favorite places near campus...Oasis.
It's a bubble tea place that I recently found out gets crowded at 11 at night...Which still leaves me to ponder why students would energize themselves with sugar at that time of day...But I digress. Over the last month, Stephanie and I have practically made this place our second home (instead of studying like normal students at any library on campus). But who could blame us? because as soon as you walk in Oasis, you are surprised by the warm, inviting atmosphere in the smiling faces of employees, the dim yellow lights that bounce off the calm yellow walls, and of course the randomly quirky and adorable framed photos (of Paris, and also of Johnny Depp :) )...And also, you are captivated by the incredibly ginormous menu that mentions every flavor under the Sun! I personally made the ambitious goal of trying a new flavor every time we visit. So far, I have been under the spell of the Lavender, Coconut, and Barley Chocolate flavors of milk tea. I'm sure you are thinking, 'Barley Chocolate?? Why would a person want barley in their drink?!' But really, this drink tastes inifinitely better than it sounds, especially if you're someone like me who loves to be as healthy as possible, even when not necessarily eating/drinking something healthy. :) And each time I go, I never forget to ask for tapioca balls, because they are my absolute frosting to the cake. :) This picture you see here is the result of the eagerness to forget as much about the final exam as possible! It is the avocado smoothie...And although I was taken by surprise by how it actually tasted like avocado(!) instead of having artificial, overly-sweet tones hit my taste buds like sharp bullets, I decided at the end that I preferred try more flavors of just milk tea, and nothing too complex like smoothies. I can end this post by saying that bubble/milk teas have become my new obsession...And I can prove that easily by saying that last week I had three milk teas, all at Oasis. ;) Have a (bubbly) day! ~~MC I literally have posted this picture after taking my first delectable, foamy chocolate sip of this latte. :)
I came to Ugly Mug Cafe once again, this time to fulfill my last-minute studying for my art history final that is taking place about 5 hours from now...I could have studied a bunch yesterday since I had no class, but due to my utter and complete exhaustion from the flash mob that was on Sunday in the downtown area (since we did intense practicing for hours and performed the mob on the same day...in 80 degree weather), I needed to rest instead of reading about art work. So here I am, more energized and motivated as I should be, while hearing the lovely echoes of a Bossa Nova song throughout the cafe, as I am ready to crack open that book you see in the upper part of the photo. ;) Wish me luck! ~~MC 6/4/2011 0 Comments An Omelette-Filled DayTwo days ago, I came home after another long (fun, but long) day on campus, feeling like my legs were on the treadmill for every second and like my stomach was begging for food after what seemed like an eternity.
...So as I greeted my dad who had just come home from work and was eating a meal of his own, one of the first things I said was asking him if he could make me a cheese omelette. And my dad, being the adorable health freak and natural cook that he is, asked me repeatedly if I was sure I didn't want any colorful vegetables or spices to go with the egg; and I said no, I just want a plain folded omelette with feta cheese melted in the middle. :) And so he made me what was practically the best. omelette. ever... Maybe it was only due to my hours of starvation during the day, or maybe it was just because it had been awhile since I last sat down to enjoy a lovingly-crafted omelette made just for me--but stuffing my face with that large golden-yellow fluffiness sandwiching a sea of melting happiness took me to my calmest state of mind, physically (..by having a satisfied stomach) and mentally/spiritually (well...I just love food). I guess this blog post could have gone into the Life au Cochon page of this site, because I feel like I've typed some sort of a tribute to how wonderfully my dad was ready and happy to make me anything on the imaginary menu, as he did so after we both had an endless day at work/school :) ...but I thought that my description about the delicious egg-infested dish should belong to the page that's specifically dedicated to people who just love drooling over images of food created in their minds! ;D So maybe after you have had one of those rushed, hectic, can-I-even-last-through-this-whole-day-because-I-have-too-much-to-do days, take time to make yourself an omelette, any way you like (or ask a loved one to make one for you ;) ), and take even more time to take in all the scentful and textural pleasures that overtake the scene of a dish that's ready to be devoured and enjoyed by you. Have a lovely omelette-filled day! ~~MC |
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