For Thanksgiving this year, I made raspberry, apple, and blueberry pie. I actually also made a pumpkin pie, but sadly the crust burned. Well, these pies do look patriotic. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Today for lunch, I had a mozzarella, tomato, and basil sandwich which was exactly what the doctor ordered. But I have to say the highlight of my day was going to see the new Anna Karenina movie with my mom and our pitstop along the way – hot mochas and chocolate chip cookies at Jacques Torres. The hot mocha was deep, rich, and not too sweet – just the way I like it. And the chocolate chip cookie was absolutely spectacular. It was nice and warm and had large chunks of melting chocolate.
I just saw this sushi photo from last summer, and now I really want more fish. The sushi is from Chelsea Market, and it’s called the High Line. I am not sure why because it doesn’t look like old train tracks, thank goodness. Maybe it’s just because the High Line is close to Chelsea Market?
In any case, I love both the High Line and this sushi which had salmon, avocado, seaweed and salmon roe.
Well you could have guessed it – I ate arctic char for dinner tonight. But I decided to prepare it a different way. Instead of grilling it, I cooked it in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes. Before putting the fish in the oven, I brushed each filet with a raspberry, red wine, and balsamic reduction. (This sounds so fancy, but trust me, it’s so easy to do. Just splash a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar in a small sauce pan with a splash of red wine and 6-8 raspberries. Cook under low heat for roughly 5 minutes under low heat, or until the mixture reduces to half the volume. If you want, strain the raspberry seeds, but I skipped this step).
Alongside the fish, I made some parsnip purée with caramelized onions and asparagus. My dad thought the parsnip purée was mashed potatoes, but seriously, what does he know? (He did like the parsnip purée by the way). My mom and I both prefer the mild sweetness of parsnip purée to the more plain and not as exciting mashed potatoes. And as an added bonus, parsnips are really healthy!
Today for lunch, I ate ravioli primavera. I used the butternut squash and chestnut ravioli I bought from Eataly on Saturday. As for the vegetables, I roasted a carrot, some string beans, and broccoli in a 350 degree oven for 12 minutes with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. I also sautéed two handfuls of chopped shiitake mushrooms for 5 minutes in a lightly oiled frying pan under medium heat. I then added a handful of chopped pecans and stirred the mushrooms and pecans for another minute. I served the ravioli with the roasted vegetables, mushrooms and toasted pecans on top. I ate my ravioli with a little drizzle of olive oil, but butter or even tomato sauce would be delicious too.
I loved the mild nutty flavor of the roasted vegetables and the toasted pecans. The ravioli were the perfect balance of sweet and savory, though I have to say, the butternut squash dominated the chestnut. Regardless, I love butternut squash and can never seem to get enough. I was excited to see that my mom purchased a large butternut squash for me to make soup with. I don’t know how I will hack into the enormous gourd, but I am up for the challenge. (I know I am contradicting my last post where I promised I would never chop and peel another squash).
My parents gave me these chestnut treats from Japan last month, but I forgot to post about them. Don’t be fooled, my poor memory should not shed any light on the taste of these delicious snacks. Soft and doughy on the outside and filled with chestnut paste on the inside, they are perfect for munching on in the fall season. I wish I knew where I could buy them in the U.S.
Missing and craving chestnuts, I bought some chestnut and butternut squash ravioli the other day which I look forward to eating tomorrow for lunch.
I am home for the week for Thanksgiving break, and I have not wasted a minute yet (of eating that is). Today for breakfast, I had some pumpkin bread from Eataly, which is a large Italian store owned by Mario Batali. My roommate can attest to my love of pumpkin-flavored things, as she witnessed my behavior last Thanksgiving.
From the outside, I expected the pumpkin bread to be similar to the texture of pound cake, but it was a little more bready than anticipated. The pumpkin seeds on top added great texture, and I washed down my “breakfast cake” with a cappuccino.
For lunch today, I grilled hot dogs, caramelized onions with red wine and balsamic vinegar, and roasted vegetables – a combination of brussels sprouts, parsnips, and acorn squash. A word of advise – buy your squash already cut because I struggled pealing and chopping it. I feel thankful to be back in the kitchen!
This weekend was parent visiting weekend, so my parents drove up to Amherst. Yesterday, like every other Saturday my parents visit me, we went to Esselon Cafe, the best brunch place in the neighborhood and one of my all-time favorites.
Whenever I go, I always order some form of pancakes – last time, it was apple cinnamon pancakes (yes I remember because they were just that memorable) and this time, I ordered blueberry pancakes. My plate was a blueberry extravaganza with soft and slightly oozy blueberries inside my pancakes and fresh blueberries on top. Fresh strawberries, bananas, and yogurt also accompanied my pancakes.
I legitimately scarfed these pancakes down, finishing every last bit. Not even my dad who ordered the same thing ended up finishing his plate.
I am definitely going to try and make my way back to Esselon sometime this year, and I can say with confidence that I will be going back there when my parents visit me next fall for my last year at Amherst.
The weather was so nice today, so I am sure you can guess where I ran this morning (Atkins if you couldn’t guess). I haven’t been running or exercising lately, and this definitely took a toll on me today. What usually takes me between 28-30 minutes to run took me over 40 minutes. I have no excuse, but to continue running and hopefully improve my pace.
When I arrived at my destination, I bought this delicious loaf of sour dough bread, currant jam, and brie cheese. I ate them in my room (hence the title of this post), but don’t worry I didn’t finish everything. Just give me a couple of more days.
I also purchased a very delicious pistachio walnut loaf. I love texture in my food, and I was definitely happy to get a double dosage of crunchy from the two different kinds of nuts. This loaf is definitely something I will try to make at home!
And here’s a close up if you couldn’t already see how awesome it looks:
Well, it is too dark to look out my window momentarily, but if it were earlier in the day, I could tell you this – the sky would be gray. Both New York and Massachusetts are suffering from numerous consecutive days of gloomy and rainy weather. This is the kind of weather that makes me want to stay in doors, drink tea, and lie in my bed. But alas, I have class tomorrow.
And now that I am done complaining, I will discuss some of the food I ate this joyous weekend. My parents took me for a buffet brunch on Sunday. One obvious issue I face with buffets – portion control. I ate: three mini corn muffins, a croissant, many different salads including artichoke hearts and asparagus, three different types of smoked salmon, an egg white omelette, apple pancakes with lingonberry jam, and berries.
I think I could have broken the chair after I ate all of that food.
And look at the cute fall decorations that lead up to the buffet.
Food Follower 