I am exactly half-way done with the semester. Time is really flying by, but I am currently counting down the days until I get to go home for spring break and eat sushi. Just one more week. I can’t wait!
So I seem to be deceiving you all because I did not eat this today. I am dreaming of it – arctic char with crispy spinach and rice on the side. It’s perfection on a plate and in a bowl as well!
I went running this afternoon with my friend, and the weather was absolutely perfect: not too hot, and the wind seemed to be blowing with us. After a 3 1/2 mile run, our final destination was a frozen yogurt place called Go Berry. The treat that we knew would follow our running motivated us, and we shaved minutes off of our last running time. (A run which did not entail dessert after).
I had maple frozen yogurt with mango as a topping. The delicious yogurt was tart and had a hint of maple which did not overpower but actually enhanced the flavor of the yogurt. Even though the yogurt is not as healthy as the arctic char, it’s definitely better than the six desserts I had a couple of days ago. I felt great after eating the yogurt, and my friend and I decided we have to do yogurt / ice cream runs every week.
The weather is absolutely glorious today, and I am in a great mood. This just reminds me how much I am affected by the weather, and sometimes I wonder why I chose I college in the northeast rather than the west coast. In any case, this morning marked the transition from warm to cold beverages. I ordered an iced coffee from Starbucks, and though it was rather good, I remembered why I make my iced coffee at home. There was so much ice in the cup and so little coffee. What a rip!
When I prepare my iced coffee, I like putting foam on top and a little cinnamon; my concoction reminds me of an iced cappuccino. It never fails to quench my thirst, and it saves me almost $2.00. With that kind of money, I can buy half a cupcake.
This was a delightful and healthy egg scramble with chicken, sauteed mushrooms, and other veggies. My favorite part about this dish was the presentation: the eggs were served inside a bowl that looked like half of an egg shell. The question in the back of my mind while I ate this – which came first, the chicken or the egg?
I thought it fitting to post about dessert today since I ate literally 6 cookies and ice cream yesterday. So far, my attempts to eat healthier have failed, but I have been going to the gym, so that counts for something right?
My last post was about the cupcakes from Two Little Red Hens, but I didn’t think it was sufficient to have just one post on cupcakes. For some reason, cupcakes have become so popular in NYC over the past couple of years. They are delicious, but I still don’t understand all the hype about them. My old boss told me that New Yorkers are accustomed to small things: just like we live in small apartments, we now have small desserts like cupcakes. By this logic, we should also have low costs.
But you will discover that cupcakes in New York are around $4 each. That is quite expensive for a dessert I can hold in the palm of my hand and finish in a few bites. Though I consider myself a spendthrift, I am definitely not one when it comes to food, especially desserts. So bakeries in Manhattan will profit from me regardless of the prices they charge.
The cupcakes in the picture above are from Sprinkles. Though I find them to be not as moist as the ones from Two Little Red Hens, they are just as tasty, and the plus side is I don’t feel heavy after I eat one. Even my wallet feels lighter after I buy one of these for $3.50.
I have eaten some of the best cupcakes from Two Little Red Hens Bakery. They use seasonal and fresh ingredients, and you can really tell when you bite into one of their delicious baked goods. In the fall, I was addicted to pumpkin – I couldn’t get enough pumpkin bread, soup, and anything pumpkin. Thus, I was pleased when I found out that Two Little Red Hens had pumpkin cupcakes (shown above).
This pumpkin cupcake was rich in pumpkin flavor. The cake was moist, and the pumpkin cream cheese frosting was light but not too sweet, just the way I like it. Though Two Little Red Hens serves seasonal cupcakes, they have some classics that they sell year round. My favorite is the carrot cupcake. (I know, it’s a bit surprising that it is not a chocolate one). This cupcake is perfection: the black walnuts add texture to the moist carrot cake and the cream cheese frosting is divine. This treat is worth every calorie.
I seriously don’t know what I would do without carbs. I even eat bread and pasta for Passover. Back in high school, I played soccer and ran track, so these sports were excuse enough for my high-carb diet. My running coach even told me to eat a big plate of pasta the night before a meet. Coach’s orders, right?
Well now that I am in college, I don’t partake in any sports though I really should since I really enjoy them. Also, roughly 60% of the student body here at Amherst is on a sports team. To get physical activity, I either go to the gym or run outside on the trails. (I prefer running outside, but I currently put this on hold now that there is snow on the ground).
Today I went to the gym, so I didn’t feel too guilty when I downed a heaping plate of very tasty tortellini with bolognese sauce for dinner. Maybe next time, I will be inspired by my photo (shown above) and put vegetables on my pasta to attempt pasta primavera. I am making tiny steps to try and be healthier in college.
I know I am getting way ahead of myself. I usually start thinking about Thanksgiving when the leaves change colors, come early October. However, this morning, I don’t know what has come across me, but I am already thinking of my favorite holiday practically 8 months in advance. A little pathetic, no?
But seriously, Thanksgiving is the best. It’s the only day of the year when you can eat as much as you like without any judgement. I usually make two pies for Thanksgiving, but this past year, I went all out and made three – pumpkin, strawberry rhubarb, and blueberry.
I have a confession: Thanksgiving was one of the deciding factors as to which semester I would study abroad. The thought of not celebrating a Thanksgiving seems so foreign to me that I am going to Paris second semester. Just 3/4 of a year left till I get my hands on an assortment of pies and then off to Paris!
When I got to a restaurant, I generally don’t order an appetizer, so I can save room for dessert. (Yes, I am still a believer of the statement “There is always room for dessert.”) However, practically every time I go to a Turkish or Greek restaurant, I order mezes (which are equivalent to appetizers). I don’t know why but these appetizers are my favorite part of the meal.
I particularly love hummus, baba ganoush, spanakopita, and cacik (yogurt with cucumbers). Beyoglu is one of my all-time favorite restaurants in NYC. They serve Turkish food and some of the best mezes I have ever eaten. Their bread is exceptional and served warm. Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of the food from Beyoglu, but it is very likely that I will go back there in a couple of weeks, so I will post one. Make sure if you go to Beyoglu to make a reservation beforehand because it is likely you will have to wait a long time to get a table otherwise.
Every Friday lunch in the cafeteria is salad day. Yes, that’s right, salad for the main meal. Don’t get me wrong, I love salad, and there are definitely times when that’s all I want to eat for lunch. However, today was just not one of those days. They had salad niçoise with seared tuna. I love seared tuna, but I really don’t feel comfortable eating practically raw fish in the cafeteria. (I’ve already gotten food poisoning from the cafeteria food, and it was from lasagna if you can believe it).
The salad got me dreaming of this awesome appetizer (not main course) I had at Nobu during restaurant week last summer. It was sashimi salad with matsuhisa dressing. Everything about this salad was delightful- the fish, the greens, and above all the salad dressing which was sweet and savory. The presentation was also glorious, and I could barely differentiate between the red tuna and the red matsuhisa dressing. This was truly a memorable salad and proof that eating healthy can be enjoyable too.
Food Follower 