tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33346014543601549922024-03-14T02:10:35.522-07:00"Eat. Cafe. Love."Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-73794538938937003802013-07-12T11:51:00.000-07:002013-07-12T11:51:13.291-07:00Boulder: Tee & Cakes
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As each day passes, I grow a little more in love with the
Mile High city. Everything here, from the people to the attractions, is exactly
what I’ve always imagined my ideal city to be like. And I absolutely love that
it’s a norm to travel outside the city a good couple of times every month. So this past Tuesday, my friend and I decided
to spend some time in the city of Boulder.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Just forty minutes north from Denver, this quaint city sits
on the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. As you stroll along, you’ll notice
that it’s the perfect mix of simple civilization and nature. Running through
the city is Boulder Creek where you’ll see people wading in the river, children
tubing, and even a man canoeing. Right alongside it, you’ll notice a ton of bikers,
which is no surprise at all. Colorado probably has the most bikers out of any
city; so much so, that the cities were designed so that people could bike
through it with very minimal contact with auto traffic. And of course, Boulder
still has the popular outdoor shopping strip, Pearl Street Mall. Walk through the street and you'll be entertained by two or three musicians who will transport you back to the wild, wild west. So during our time here, we just walked around and went into
any place we happened to go into. We were told before hand to check
out this bakery that also sells art and tees. So finally, we hit one of our pit
stops: <a href="http://www.teeandcakes.com/">Tee & Cakes</a>. The minute I walked in, I felt like I was part of a Tumblr photo (I think only some of you will understand what I mean by that).</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFL5lx8Jc4PunEsy9G6-Wtp3bWtsK4c8b7YcNugTSick4PaOjmGeMp7iMdntPpsVJYFTDslRpxf5nyuQKvMKOjbml2x7Zpn5mp9C5hGJfBplgiMhGFwp9JnW35VY1Zi1HL2CQ8lTuXo9c/s1600/997995_2283354083328_1621939235_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFL5lx8Jc4PunEsy9G6-Wtp3bWtsK4c8b7YcNugTSick4PaOjmGeMp7iMdntPpsVJYFTDslRpxf5nyuQKvMKOjbml2x7Zpn5mp9C5hGJfBplgiMhGFwp9JnW35VY1Zi1HL2CQ8lTuXo9c/s400/997995_2283354083328_1621939235_n.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFyx05ruGOPVGFAnHAQ_EeOp9cxI-5wA1L8Cd4svCevEeOT1y3Gjfy2WtsA3CB64W92pV0ft9wZ1XLFjv-TIom0YIEir5GH2OCvClT4TexwpshvAnbK9icVNp-McgxrppcTrQ8paulRM/s1600/1069254_2283354163330_466479043_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFyx05ruGOPVGFAnHAQ_EeOp9cxI-5wA1L8Cd4svCevEeOT1y3Gjfy2WtsA3CB64W92pV0ft9wZ1XLFjv-TIom0YIEir5GH2OCvClT4TexwpshvAnbK9icVNp-McgxrppcTrQ8paulRM/s400/1069254_2283354163330_466479043_n.jpeg" width="210" /></a>This bakery won a piece of my heart right at the get-go with
their brick wall. Hanging up on both sides were various pieces of art;
paintings, wall decals, even a funky skateboard. On the right were also
merchandise from tees to pins to cake décor. They provided sleek and simple
white tables and black chairs for seating. A small white vase and a cute flower
arrangement on each table brought it all together. And finally, the best part...the food!</div>
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I felt like I was in wonderland! Inside the bakery case were
cupcakes, cake pops, various fruit bars, and cakes. But that wasn’t it: on top
of the case were more cupcakes, mini-cupcakes, and macarons. And like any other
bakery, they served coffee and teas as well. I was really excited because
everything about this bakery was perfect. So after probably ten minutes of
thinking and deciding, I ordered several things. I ordered a regular sized
strawberry cream cheese cupcake with a cone sticking out from the top. I also
ordered a mini red velvet cupcake, a mini raspberry chocolate cupcake, a
lavender macaron and a key lime macaron. On a side note, if you ever get to
visit this place, you should probably try their chocolate bacon cupcake. This
is one thing they were known for. The only reason why I didn’t order it was
because I actually forgot to. I know, I’m totally guilty! But I also decided to buy a wall decal for my place back home. It's this cool, funky colorful framed design that says "But First. Coffee." Touche! <o:p></o:p></div>
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But on the flip side, you all have to give me some kind of
props. I didn’t eat everything in one session; they actually lasted until late
at night. Though they were all eaten in one night, I still saved them for a
later period. I consider that an accomplishment for myself! But anyhow, the one thing I love about Boulder is that it has so many small coffee shops, bakeries, and stores with novelty items. It almost reminds me of small towns back home like along Cape Cod, Marthas Vineyard, or Ogunquit, Maine. </div>
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This is probably the midpoint mark for my internship and therefore, my time in Denver. This experience to travel to a whole new city alone has been remarkable and it isn't even over yet. For me, whenever I go anywhere new, I like to live like a local. </div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">When you travel, what do you like to do? What's a place you immediately found yourself in love with?</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-59822105604125736852013-06-21T12:05:00.000-07:002013-06-21T12:05:26.939-07:00Have you seen the...Cookie Lady?I have been waiting for this moment for quite awhile: the first blog post in Denver! And I must say, though I have been to many worthy cafes already in such a small period of time, I'm glad I waited. This bakery hole-in-the-wall is just the perfect segway into my adventures here by the Rockies. So I realized I haven't had any bakery sweets in the longest time; I don't know if anyone else ever has these epiphanies but I certainly do. So I asked my best friend Yelp to help me find "cupcakes" and the first thing at the top was Sante Fe Cookie Company. Now none of you know this, but the first and last time I was mesmerized by delicious cookies was in Boston when me and my friend discovered a place that <i>delivers</i> cookies. I don't know how many boxes of twelve we've ordered but that can stay confidential. I guess within five seconds, I forgot about cupcakes and went with cookies instead.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSt4y06-2X0H2t2EfI3LQb3ZA11mRRl8A8QY0InIYIu8CRmTKUFgML-0BDWKyaEr0LRbHZC1NCMFSmcXsFlCxJoj-Is8PD5wQ6mRpfG9VIjNiXKOPjtor7jNheDnEx-GseNOvnVpI-ms/s1600/10648_2259707292173_506493726_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSt4y06-2X0H2t2EfI3LQb3ZA11mRRl8A8QY0InIYIu8CRmTKUFgML-0BDWKyaEr0LRbHZC1NCMFSmcXsFlCxJoj-Is8PD5wQ6mRpfG9VIjNiXKOPjtor7jNheDnEx-GseNOvnVpI-ms/s320/10648_2259707292173_506493726_n.jpeg" width="283" /></a></div>
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Prior to coming to Denver, I made a travel plan of some sort for myself. On my day offs I will engage in touristy attractions. But on days when I do have work, during my time off, I will find things locals do during their spare time. I did have a couple of hours to spare before my PM shift for my internship. I headed down towards 16th Street Mall where this secret cookie place lies. At first I couldn't find it because it wasn't on the main street, but of course it was on a lower level. It totally adds to how discrete it is. I walked in and it was everything but also nothing like I thought it would be; the shop itself was small with the actual kitchen itself taking the majority of the space. So from a customer standpoint, there wasn't much to see: essentially, you walk in, grab what you want, pay and leave. And even though the process itself is meant to be quick and easy, it has the experience of any awesome bakery. Behind the counter, you can see the owner and baker rolling dough with cookie prowess, placing a tray into the oven and then taking out a fresh batch full of warm cookie-goodness. Don't even get me started on the smell. How can you not like fresh-baked-goods-smell?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsj-vBZ7DtsgIuS21mo2JoEwPXnBp3vd2vBzX8Qdt-oNT81JxJgiOFy_4eonvYFEcWVIcJ4YSD4WnU5a5vWP3NB9khUVXZZhHO61mAvTxTa0tVNl-ONV82S46NQdcFNd64ydTPJNGOBg/s1600/1010036_2259706452152_1738481533_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsj-vBZ7DtsgIuS21mo2JoEwPXnBp3vd2vBzX8Qdt-oNT81JxJgiOFy_4eonvYFEcWVIcJ4YSD4WnU5a5vWP3NB9khUVXZZhHO61mAvTxTa0tVNl-ONV82S46NQdcFNd64ydTPJNGOBg/s400/1010036_2259706452152_1738481533_n.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And if you ever experience this for yourself, don't be fooled. The owner and baker herself lays out a very wide variety of sweets for you to grab-and-go. There are cupcakes, brownies, muffins, roll-ups, bars, and of course, at least twelve different flavors of cookies all bagged and ready in groups of three. So despite everything being great already, what really put the cherry on top for me was the method of payment. I know, weird right?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPaflZfmdKpR7h_ELE_uhiuRiPTikpiF0tXzLlTJXUUZ3mI1cvvKTNxR0P0DJp19ElwXnH0IGF9U5VnNEkqlk-5tqRt1DpCmiaOSz5ojPZTITZAKJf7smwwvwL2r9iU1NYylDT4j-H2Y/s1600/1012797_2259706492153_1694092208_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPaflZfmdKpR7h_ELE_uhiuRiPTikpiF0tXzLlTJXUUZ3mI1cvvKTNxR0P0DJp19ElwXnH0IGF9U5VnNEkqlk-5tqRt1DpCmiaOSz5ojPZTITZAKJf7smwwvwL2r9iU1NYylDT4j-H2Y/s320/1012797_2259706492153_1694092208_n.jpeg" width="234" /></a></div>
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I didn't really know what to do so I honestly stood there awkwardly because she was busy speaking over the phone. While I was browsing, a gentleman came in, tossed a few coins into a jar, and grabbed a bag of cookies, and left. A part of me was like "Wait...did he just steal cookies..?" Another woman came into the store and I just greeted her because why not. She asked if this was my first time here and it certainly was. And just like every friendly person here in Denver, she welcomed me and also gave me a rundown of how it works at Santa Fe Cookie Company. So the sign you'll see in the front is "3 Cookies for $1" which is a ridiculously crazy deal. These aren't puny cookies; these are large, freshly baked, warm cookies. All you have to do is pay however much you need to pay and grab whatever you want to eat. So for example, if you want a bag with three cookies already packed, just put a dollar into the jar and you're good to go. </div>
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I personally have never seen this ever before and I think it is the coolest concept ever. But I this was so risky to me! It's so easy for anyone to come in and grab whatever they want and leave without paying. While I was in that bakery, I saw about ten people come and go; each and every single one of them paying. And though ten people isn't the greatest pool for any probability testing, there's really something fundamentally humane about this place. If anyone were to ask what the secret ingredient is, I really think it would be <i style="font-weight: bold;">trust</i> and <i style="font-weight: bold;">loyalty.</i> It seems like the owner just continuously bakes as people come and go and to make it easier on herself, she just puts her trust in her customers to pay. She bakes the best cookies Denver has ever tasted and in return, everyone stores her trust by paying. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoD9Mp_SyBfQXKrOnYfEUYTy0SroCPbQa-ZCv2gI5rihZzq_L950VH3VLfg9Q6nAbdC4UoKYUI8qgYtpPNLaKeq85paPtfNgThIbxGLTQ7WBribFPNWTSfMUDhqRbUui5ShAS7RxC_K98/s1600/1044730_2259706372150_990102442_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoD9Mp_SyBfQXKrOnYfEUYTy0SroCPbQa-ZCv2gI5rihZzq_L950VH3VLfg9Q6nAbdC4UoKYUI8qgYtpPNLaKeq85paPtfNgThIbxGLTQ7WBribFPNWTSfMUDhqRbUui5ShAS7RxC_K98/s320/1044730_2259706372150_990102442_n.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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With cookies, I always start with the classics first. After four quarters tossed into the jar, I grabbed a bag with three chocolate chip cookies. And just like I expected, they were warm, crunchy on the outside but warm with chocolatey gooeyness in the inside. And to my readers, this is what my definition of control is. Luckily, I didn't have much cash on me because imagine if I had like five dollars? I could have potentially left with fifteen cookies. Trust me, this is ordinary for me.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8o6WRRcZzk_ubPREnookrLEE3TpVPgVE4mmuBoRZZanOD1M9GVGM94_xc8lsA41quhVpSJy10nDu3T1Ngvj1OHF2c6yxI_g4mH7PT_1Qfldd17YasZ5PyOfFHXQQtqjNIKM2fc-bryI/s1600/983969_2259707172170_569336905_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8o6WRRcZzk_ubPREnookrLEE3TpVPgVE4mmuBoRZZanOD1M9GVGM94_xc8lsA41quhVpSJy10nDu3T1Ngvj1OHF2c6yxI_g4mH7PT_1Qfldd17YasZ5PyOfFHXQQtqjNIKM2fc-bryI/s640/983969_2259707172170_569336905_n.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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So all in all, what makes this place so great is that it's the epitome of a hole-in-the-wall. Santa Fe Cookie Company doesn't have a website and doesn't even have its own Facebook page or Twitter handle or anything. The only way for you to really find out about this place is either through true word-of-mouth or I guess customer-lead sites like Yelp. Tucked away along one of Denver's biggest tourist streets with one of the smallest spaces ever, it sure packs a huge punch in not only sweetness but also experience. If you're interested in learning more about the history and background, visit Denver Post's blog <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/ci_12497797">"The Best Secret Cookie Place in Denver"</a>. I love reading about upbringing of places like these because it helps you understand the owner and it makes the experience that much better. </div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">Have you ever been to a place similar to Sante Fe Cookie Company? And for kicks, what's your favorite cookie flavor?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-72130645477459046112013-05-21T09:38:00.001-07:002013-05-21T09:38:39.367-07:00Clear Flour Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XGQjwabCmu3l62-SLcT4XHYDDC0X-D9l7hmM7vWrP2uNrpYGLRZvaDWZKuJEhXtI6VqVeSsOIwRRemWsf4ydm_PBTQoVcDx9tOm0ZKdhFXpz3hGXdgFl98UuMUwzjabxBL7zTPfWFOc/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-05-21+at+12.35.51+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XGQjwabCmu3l62-SLcT4XHYDDC0X-D9l7hmM7vWrP2uNrpYGLRZvaDWZKuJEhXtI6VqVeSsOIwRRemWsf4ydm_PBTQoVcDx9tOm0ZKdhFXpz3hGXdgFl98UuMUwzjabxBL7zTPfWFOc/s640/Screen+shot+2013-05-21+at+12.35.51+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sometimes, it's nice to walk off the beaten path and stroll through the roads less traveled. On a beautiful afternoon, my friend Mazy (author of the blog <a href="http://smneversleeps.blogspot.com/">Social Media Never Sleeps</a>) and I decided to walk through the back streets of Commonwealth Avenue. We've always wanted to just wander aimlessly and see what we come upon. At this point, we were technically walking in Brookline and what we ultimately found was the perfect portrayal of the eclectic, boutique-y nature of Brookline. After only about a five minute walk behind the Comm. Ave. apartments, we found a beautiful, little bakery called <a href="http://clearflourbread.com/">Clear Flour Bakery</a>. </div>
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For a small bakery, they sure packed a lot of...everything! The minute you walk in, you see merchandise on the right, an entire bakery rack full of pastries, and an extremely wide arrangement of freshly baked bread. I absolutely loved it; everything looked so fresh. And if just seeing it for your own eyes isn't enough, then the open kitchen in the back says it all. I realized that I actually haven't seen an open bakery like this in a very long time. Isn't that the essence of any bakery? I think it's safe to say that the scent of bread baking in the oven is a natural wonder. Though I have never been to France, I'd like to think that I was transported to Europe for about ten minutes. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDNWJinaFiMoOB-Ojov-kSwV46EH6zGROpa2wB3wtdT4RHjvRWCHs2uixc7EMagQE6wAAEx0J691l7VUJuVg15uRa-H3U1WbI3mVlulbYVHc3Q3hHNkZhRl0v7Hb9VXWPK39AeAKLCyQ/s1600/photo+(92).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDNWJinaFiMoOB-Ojov-kSwV46EH6zGROpa2wB3wtdT4RHjvRWCHs2uixc7EMagQE6wAAEx0J691l7VUJuVg15uRa-H3U1WbI3mVlulbYVHc3Q3hHNkZhRl0v7Hb9VXWPK39AeAKLCyQ/s640/photo+(92).JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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So my friend and I, as per usual, decided to purchase an array of goods. We bought a bunch of desserts and bread. We bought everything from chocolate cakes, a crumb bar, a tart, brioche, and a fresh french baguette as well as sourdough bread. I really do feel like bread is a culinary trip for all five senses: the scent of fresh bread, the sight of a whole baguette, the sound when you break a piece off, the crunch after one bite contrasting with the warm interior, and I don't even need to go into the taste. And once again, just like old times, we ate it all with a mini charcuterie spread: prosciutto, two types of pate, and camembert. </div>
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I did go back for a second round but I had to ask the employee how long this bakery has bene here for. To my surprise, it has been there for over 25 years. Where have I been!? I guess better late than never. I must say, it's a little dangerous that this bakery is so close to home. Now that I know an authentic bakery is just around the corner, I could see myself visiting quite often. And if you want to have a better idea of what exactly they sell, just visit their website. Their list of breads alone will have you salivating.</div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">So what do you like most about bakeries? And just for kicks, what's your favorite kind of bread?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-22388426604504129142012-06-10T04:38:00.000-07:002012-06-10T04:38:41.480-07:00New Obsession: Macarons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8vBnd8NqOIosPJ5Ec9fk9yh8H0X-k69mSj3-b3j_o6I86j-s2QsRk8jsTuu8-9RTDpC8SfYInljfS0Xpv6_F5d6Q5MVMB9sWQPa8-s6eesg3-yBB05-3i1bzNioCkyIRA0_vhBJLSoQ/s1600/photo+%252824%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8vBnd8NqOIosPJ5Ec9fk9yh8H0X-k69mSj3-b3j_o6I86j-s2QsRk8jsTuu8-9RTDpC8SfYInljfS0Xpv6_F5d6Q5MVMB9sWQPa8-s6eesg3-yBB05-3i1bzNioCkyIRA0_vhBJLSoQ/s640/photo+%252824%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Macarons are still a new concept for me personally. I was introduced to them relatively later than compared to other folks. Besides the typical confusion with "macarOOns" or the quite frequent sighting of these morsels on my Tumblr dashboard, there wasn't much talk or "eat" around macarons. It wasn't until I visited New York City that I was so determined to find a bakery that sold macarons. About a couple of months ago, I had my first macaron from <a href="http://www.bouchonbakery.com/">Bouchon Bakery</a>. The minute I bit into that almond goodness, I was sold. They're just amazing! And of course, being typical me, instead of buying one my first time, I ended up buying five!<div>
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So my family friends and I have all been obsessed with macarons to some degree by this point. It was our very goal to find a place in Massachusetts, preferably not too far from Boston, that specialized in authentic, French, delicious macarons. After quick research via our friends Google and Yelp, we found a seemingly promising cafe in Lexington, a town about twenty minutes out of Boston. <a href="http://www.macaronsweeterie.com/">Macaron Sweeterie</a>, a very adorable gem in a very adorable town, is a cafe that sells not only macarons, but also gelato, teas, coffee and espresso. The store may not have too much space but their attention to detail and authenticity of their products are what really makes this place so successful. The minute you step through the door, you just already have the gut-feeling that this is the place to be if you want high-quality sweets. </div>
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Step up onto a dark wooded-floor and you'll discover that, yes, there isn't much space. It only takes about one extra step or two to hit the cashier area of the counter after walking through the doors and the customer space in front of the counter was only about seven or eight regular strides wide. But the area behind the counter was wide open giving it almost like a workshop feel. It was kind of neat considering you could see everything that the counter staff was doing. The only available seating were two light-blue booth seats separated by a suspended sugar and mixer area for your beverages on-the-go. There were many shades of blue throughout the store all adorned with dark intricate designs. On the far left of the counter was a simple flower accent with a description of the store's macarons and gelato and on the far right was a nice display of suspended macarons inside a glass cover. But the decor doesn't stop there: it seems that their macarons are more versatile than we think! There were macaron tiers, macarons in a bird's nest, macaron towers, and even macarons hanging from strings in the front of the store. It still doesn't stop there. The lady in the store was extremely friendly and so informative. She let us know that they also sell <i>affogatos</i>-espresso poured over gelato-and <i>macalatos-</i>gelato sandwiched between two macaron shells-as well. She even told us how to care for them in terms of how long they would last for: about a week kept in the refrigerator and about four months kept in the freezer. Of course, time must be given to them so they can reach room temperature before eating. It was all very clear in the end: they live and breathe macarons! </div>
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Now, not everyone knows what a macaron is. It's a sweet confectionery supposedly originating from France that is glutton-free that is made with almond flour or ground almond. Sandwiched between two macaron shells is commonly ganache, buttercream, or jam filling. Food coloring is what makes them all so colorful. What sets Macaron Sweeterie's macarons apart is that each one has their own personality, "made to be savored for their delicacy and unique character." They have about twelve to sixteen different original flavors a day including rotating seasonal flavors. You can purchase their macarons in sets too-mainly one, two, six, twelve, or twenty-four packages. I'd let you guys guess how many I bought but you'll probably get it right because it's so predictable. I actually bought a doppio espresso with six macarons: vanilla, nutella, caramal fleur de sel or salted caramel, rose petal, honey lavender, and pistachio. (Fun note: my family friends and I bought in total thirty-eight macarons.) A simple description of what it's like to eat a macaron is just basically heavenly. For starters, there are so many textures going on at once: the flakiness of the outer coating of the shells, the crunchy nice of the macaron shells themselves, and then the sweet creaminess of the filling. And of course the flavors are just out of this world. What I love about macarons is that the almond taste just adds a hint of nuttiness to the overall specific flavors. So in the end, everything is just absolutely perfect. In my opinion, when you're eating a macaron, you're pretty much on cloud nine!</div>
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Macarons are honestly a bit hard to find in the city itself. In the course of a whole semester, I found only about three places in Boston that sells macarons: <a href="http://cakeology.com/">Cakeology</a> in downtown, <a href="http://thinkingcup.com/">Thinking Cup Cafe</a> by the commons, and <a href="http://cremacambridge.com/">Crema Cafe</a> in Cambridge by Harvard Square. I haven't tried them all but I must admit, the Macaron Sweeterie is a force to be reckoned with. I realized that it is always the small hidden gems of local towns that have the best of the best because they tend to specialize in one item and put the most care into being as authentic as they can be. And what else is great? Being able to enjoy them right in the vicinity of your own home! I have a lot left to eat. So...<br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Have you ever had a macaron before? If so, what is your favorite flavor? If not, GET ONE!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-5803654843812649772012-05-29T21:29:00.002-07:002012-05-29T21:29:42.774-07:00Zest Up the Chocolate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So first I want to just apologize for not blogging in awhile. College and real life got in the way! But no worries to all my amazing readers because after a twenty-minute driving slash contemplative session, I decided to put a twist on a classic! So it has been a pretty slow Tuesday; just one of those days. But I figured since I had so much free time, why not and bake something? It has been awhile too so why not right? Now I'm not sure if I've mentioned it yet, but I'm a hardcore chocaholic. But ironically, I actually don't like eating chocolate cake that much because in my opinion, it's not smooth enough! But I will eat a chocolate cake if the frosting and toppings are crazy good. So this is exactly what I decided to bake. How about some <b><i>orange-infused dark chocolate cupcakes with whipped cream topping and a generous sprinkle of chocolate wafer bits and orange zest</i></b>? Yup, we're putting the zest in chocolate!<br />
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
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<li>A box of chocolate cake mix (<i>or you could do it from scratch; I used cake mix to save time and for my mother's kitchen's sake</i>)</li>
<li>Three eggs</li>
<li>1/2 cup of oil</li>
<li>1/3 cup of milk</li>
<li>1/3 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice (<i>or bought with no pulp</i>)</li>
<li>Whipped cream (<i>I used store bought but you can certainly make it yourself by whipping together heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract</i>)</li>
<li>One full ripe orange</li>
<li>Chocolate wafers</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGDjCzj3NdSWU3ZYU7xLcHKbjp5Km9iPr1zeynIY3lWp_QeRGSEfGVjKq8xvKj9ky9al2IewOyxvK2aBGYc3QVLP6kuBtKp0n92XhYjh4qTl6kib0ytv92ayEgRIXcys0oQx4ZBazjUo/s1600/photo+(10).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGDjCzj3NdSWU3ZYU7xLcHKbjp5Km9iPr1zeynIY3lWp_QeRGSEfGVjKq8xvKj9ky9al2IewOyxvK2aBGYc3QVLP6kuBtKp0n92XhYjh4qTl6kib0ytv92ayEgRIXcys0oQx4ZBazjUo/s640/photo+(10).JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xj7W_QOtF1elXoAhWUjXmTmMT_03iwJk9d6neuMhRVJX_8tLSQzrTkCKmzT1q8gK6-uOYPYsP1xd2kGx6YXl0jFIGLZf0bY74DjMTL7tYn9L9j2laJDg2EdkxR4mw0D6VMnsUIDi2sQ/s1600/photo+(11).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xj7W_QOtF1elXoAhWUjXmTmMT_03iwJk9d6neuMhRVJX_8tLSQzrTkCKmzT1q8gK6-uOYPYsP1xd2kGx6YXl0jFIGLZf0bY74DjMTL7tYn9L9j2laJDg2EdkxR4mw0D6VMnsUIDi2sQ/s640/photo+(11).JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
<u>Procedures</u><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and make sure your cupcake wrappers are prepared in advance inside the cupcake pan.</li>
<li>Wet ingredients: crack and beat three eggs then add the oil, milk, and orange juice. Blend everything together well. The orange juice is what's going to add that zesty flavor to the chocolate mix.</li>
<li>Next, add in your dry ingredients slowly. In my case, I just slowly added the cake mix in and kept on mixing until everything was blended in nice and thoroughly.</li>
<li>Poor the mixture into eat cupcake cup about 2/3 of the way up so that when you bake them, they do not overflow too excessively. Bake for about 22-25 minutes!</li>
<li>While you wait for your cupcakes to finish baking, you can prepare your toppings!</li>
<ul>
<li>For the chocolate wafer bits, just put chocolate wafers into a plastic bag and smash them until everything is course and fine.</li>
<li>For the orange zest, just zest up one full orange (<i>Tip: Before you squeeze your orange juice, zest the same orange first in advance to save oranges and money!</i>)</li>
<li>Put the whipped cream into a plastic-lock bag and squeeze all of the contents into one corner. When you're ready to frost the cupcakes, just snip the end of the bag and you have yourself a quick and easy pastry bag!</li>
</ul>
<li>After your cupcakes are finished baking, pull them out and let them cool. </li>
<li>Now the fun part can commence: whip those cupcakes and sprinkle a healthy dose of chocolate wafer bits and orange zest for a colorful and crunchy dessert!</li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEOCSKpqItcN8dsPSo-apxjEApsGN8rhHe7uY4KD_RBhBjQm5ytqvdg2bMLlJH4Np508stOMAYPJzESMlLQ8S-uuB-V3Kp7htsuEAGG-wPEN6gfSOWvBb7aGNrCLV0qkKSNBOaHzcVp-o/s1600/photo+(13).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEOCSKpqItcN8dsPSo-apxjEApsGN8rhHe7uY4KD_RBhBjQm5ytqvdg2bMLlJH4Np508stOMAYPJzESMlLQ8S-uuB-V3Kp7htsuEAGG-wPEN6gfSOWvBb7aGNrCLV0qkKSNBOaHzcVp-o/s640/photo+(13).JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div>
I actually didn't frost all of my cupcakes because I left one or two of them for me to taste. When I was younger, I never really liked the idea of something fruity mixed into my chocolate. I only liked pure chocolate and nothing else. But as I grew older, I somehow developed a palette for fruit and chocolate whether it is fruity-infused chocolate cakes, chocolate covered dried fruits, or even simple Raisinets. So this orange-infused cake was actually quite delicious! There wasn't a powerful orangey burst in your mouth of course, but the hint of orange was just enough to give the classic chocolate cake something out of the ordinary. The whipped cream was light, the wafers added a crunch all together and the orange zest was definitely a great way to add some zest overall. The cooking time wasn't very long at all. For something that only took about half an hour at the most, it looks good enough to EAT!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6iQQqz1QQ9yP4C7AeSvIzTpv1mSY88kxYUwv_MMlaiep04J0Tx_raiRp2CabX0L9AURWuhjP0DpMJzVsR6QS4diwqoK3lKuXo4oMEodg37zlY4E_U82b9TU5CBl5AbTj9SRVWwep59M/s1600/photo+(15).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6iQQqz1QQ9yP4C7AeSvIzTpv1mSY88kxYUwv_MMlaiep04J0Tx_raiRp2CabX0L9AURWuhjP0DpMJzVsR6QS4diwqoK3lKuXo4oMEodg37zlY4E_U82b9TU5CBl5AbTj9SRVWwep59M/s640/photo+(15).JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I definitely went a bit out of my zone for this time around. I'm not the most skilled baker in the world, but I do like to try making food visually appealing and tastefully amazing the best that I can. I actually had my first orange-chocolate twist at a candy shop here in Boston called <a href="http://trufflesboston.com/">Truffles</a> and yes, it is one of the few fruit-and-chocolate blends I loved! </div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">What is your favorite fruit-and-chocolate goodie?</span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-49834202238689076812012-02-22T07:25:00.000-08:002012-02-22T07:25:02.531-08:00{Travel Size It} Sontuoso Illy Issimo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3XG_3TkbjuAnAtMIW8d7TBXKhEj3qWsJDPD0gnE5h7i8K2WfCG0O3jeAzw5ZSwYVnZRYLmqYkUDnAsFZXni57njV_86daGVNocsEd5_EYyrH0qdZWTgw6MtpY06QjjNXxzoxg_PCzQM/s1600/IMG_8412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3XG_3TkbjuAnAtMIW8d7TBXKhEj3qWsJDPD0gnE5h7i8K2WfCG0O3jeAzw5ZSwYVnZRYLmqYkUDnAsFZXni57njV_86daGVNocsEd5_EYyrH0qdZWTgw6MtpY06QjjNXxzoxg_PCzQM/s640/IMG_8412.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlWD4i6H5GOfIw0dQMVvudkkrk_pSoAcukVohUnJsAnd5DyvsNygvmcZ5dhUYqVu7lxbzNL12cUPgoaXiF2Q-9MBxpwb-MLToCCes2Wsoiwt3j5aIT0MbnBzGQMe4O5ur2qyoJz67_J0/s1600/IMG_8427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlWD4i6H5GOfIw0dQMVvudkkrk_pSoAcukVohUnJsAnd5DyvsNygvmcZ5dhUYqVu7lxbzNL12cUPgoaXiF2Q-9MBxpwb-MLToCCes2Wsoiwt3j5aIT0MbnBzGQMe4O5ur2qyoJz67_J0/s320/IMG_8427.jpg" width="213" /></a>What does a long weekend mean to me? What else than an opportunity to travel? During the President's Day weekend, I had the privilege to attend an amazing opportunity. I am a member of the executive board of Boston University's chapter of the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality. To make a description of an amazing networking, professionalism developing, all-kinds-of-fun packing organization short, we plan and attend site visits to a vast array of hospitality brands, social events, community service opportunities, as well as major annual conferences. Recently, I just returned from <a href="http://nsmh.org/">NSMH</a>'s Nationals Conference which was held at the Hyatt Regency in Crystal City near Washington D.C. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life!...But I'll leave it at that, because I want to get to the munchies!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiUAc9FwkWVdwbDdI8ZYTqEg_uGXDX6AdQns2nyVHpv_fmkVkUcUdjawNnvWoNih8a9DQ_ikHNRhkdd4KhA9s7Z_vWNN_egH1C1FhzRlGQZ2OlAY6LTKsh5zpvEGLgSviY-zzNP9g4cE/s1600/IMG_8424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiUAc9FwkWVdwbDdI8ZYTqEg_uGXDX6AdQns2nyVHpv_fmkVkUcUdjawNnvWoNih8a9DQ_ikHNRhkdd4KhA9s7Z_vWNN_egH1C1FhzRlGQZ2OlAY6LTKsh5zpvEGLgSviY-zzNP9g4cE/s320/IMG_8424.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>So across the street was the Renaissance and I couldn't help but notice a sign that says "Illy". <a href="http://www.illyissimo.com/">Illy Issimo</a> cafe isn't something new to me; we serve the coffee at <a href="http://sweetcupcakes.com/">Sweet Cupcakes</a>! But I've never seen a Illy Issimo coffee shop! For those who are unfamiliar, it is basically a luxurious brand of Italian coffee where the packaging is different; "in steel containers pressurized with inert gas rather than air."A friend of mine gave it great remarks so as you all know, I just had to see it for myself. Turns out, the name of the cafe was <a href="http://www2.illy.com/wps/wcm/connect/us/illy/away-from-home/espressamente-illy/">Espressamente Illy</a>. Walk into a contemporary haven of bright whites, bold reds, and splashes of black. As you greet the knowledgeable barista, you can't avoid the sleek-silver coffee and espresso machines ready to be handled with cafe expertise. Now, I've had Illy Italian drip coffee but I have never had their specialties; espressos, lattes, macchiatos, freddos you name it. My friend got himself a single espresso with a dollop of whipped cream on top; an Espresso con Panna! Served in a mini-espresso coffee cup, just the right amount of bitterness and earthiness to have just about anyone wired for a fully packed day. For me, I wanted to try something that was out of the box; so I went for a single <i><b>Greco All'Italiana</b></i>. If the exclusive Illy freddo cup wasn't enough to catch your attention, then the perfect balance between ice, milk, and espresso had to do the trick. You even have a nice dusting of chocolate powder on top! It had the chill of a cappuccino and the energy-inducing power a cold espresso treat should have. I just couldn't get over the freddo glass; how neat! But just to note, you don't want to miss the classy goods the cafe has to offer. There were desserts that resembled a chocolate cake cylinder elegantly garnished with a long chocolate shaving and even pies! Unfortunately, I had to abstain myself but I promise you all, I won't be holding back next time. But as great as the experience for the palette was, there was much more to appreciate.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN45gNH80aPrlZHeQ5mLlRUgdUwYQkJqFpT5ngNsmedyO7OarLnWtP-42MLevj6RhITa633DiDa9P_NwNZPpS6auGuIyC1fSomRq8Tou9crXJkDNQGduhoabuMX7K5PXB6dEXkOCDS_JM/s1600/IMG_8410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN45gNH80aPrlZHeQ5mLlRUgdUwYQkJqFpT5ngNsmedyO7OarLnWtP-42MLevj6RhITa633DiDa9P_NwNZPpS6auGuIyC1fSomRq8Tou9crXJkDNQGduhoabuMX7K5PXB6dEXkOCDS_JM/s400/IMG_8410.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0W6FIKQHH5pTUnBywpXWGYXNPTuWIvja2ed-QKG2cKiESb_FVVtB8wkBaaOZj8OkvGbBjfCSwiujBTztfT3esA6c6I6CT3DIRrw0WB8NwL9QOUwiwkjzEsUw2IubELVCvOfPRIdjGkE/s1600/IMG_8417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0W6FIKQHH5pTUnBywpXWGYXNPTuWIvja2ed-QKG2cKiESb_FVVtB8wkBaaOZj8OkvGbBjfCSwiujBTztfT3esA6c6I6CT3DIRrw0WB8NwL9QOUwiwkjzEsUw2IubELVCvOfPRIdjGkE/s640/IMG_8417.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQTpNB6YEI6JWCN2eqyOXfSb_ocBHixUzaPYWujPkgeyg2Z6grci4OG8Sn-JR_F-VOxAbjnUOAHU-Jn7czQC9TG_Ayk-lwbWn7kaPG7LxURYh0vIGoOuW10nS1ZId95w4qCTgH3sUNh4/s1600/IMG_8421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQTpNB6YEI6JWCN2eqyOXfSb_ocBHixUzaPYWujPkgeyg2Z6grci4OG8Sn-JR_F-VOxAbjnUOAHU-Jn7czQC9TG_Ayk-lwbWn7kaPG7LxURYh0vIGoOuW10nS1ZId95w4qCTgH3sUNh4/s640/IMG_8421.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
If it isn't food, then it's art that has me marveling at any coffee shop. It's ordinary for a coffee brand to have art incorporated into its mission and values; almost every one I've been to has showcased a local artist of some sort. Illy's <a href="http://www2.illy.com/wps/wcm/connect/us/illy/art/project/">art project</a> is derived from an ancient Greek philosophy called <i>kalokagathia</i>; "what is good cannot but be beautiful, what is beautiful can only be good." When applied to the Illy experience, "<a href="http://www2.illy.com/wps/wcm/connect/us/illy/art/project/">taste and beauty are inseparable</a>". So Illy has chosen creativity to express its values and philosophy, "for a complete coffee experience involving the eye and the mind." As you walk around Espressamente Illy, you will notice a series of cups all designed by contemporary artists, all of which are miniature versions of reputable pieces and wholly contribute to the <a href="http://www2.illy.com/wps/wcm/connect/us/illy/art/illy-art-collection/Cup-gallery/">Illy Art Collection</a>. Illy has also given artists the opportunity to design onto their cans, which they call the<a href="http://www2.illy.com/wps/wcm/connect/us/illy/art/illy-art-collection/"> </a><a href="http://www2.illy.com/wps/wcm/connect/us/illy/art/illy-art-collection/Can-gallery/">designer coffee cans</a>. I find it absolutely unique; it adds a different perspective for coffee drinkers. The art on all of these coffee cups just added a cultural element to a very modern place.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrdttU-aDxhNEbgdB-x2hlu634HIPBZkznQEOT0j_y7HkidIRqVUuz7TiZS6OC_OznOisMKkj_Fo4QNFEQeLJr1P10vh7PwT0ho3TYsRcSsNApuSRMmq57fXV6oUeCb1uxOVaYewvpYY/s1600/IMG_8415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrdttU-aDxhNEbgdB-x2hlu634HIPBZkznQEOT0j_y7HkidIRqVUuz7TiZS6OC_OznOisMKkj_Fo4QNFEQeLJr1P10vh7PwT0ho3TYsRcSsNApuSRMmq57fXV6oUeCb1uxOVaYewvpYY/s640/IMG_8415.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
It was like a brief moment of perfect pleasure. An hour out of a busy day to just enjoy a small glass of espresso and marvel at each and every single piece of art displayed. And to discover and understand Illy's connection between taste, the cafe experience, and beauty, the art on the coffee cups, made me feel nothing short of appreciation. I love when art is showcased because it shows an appreciation of culture from not only the people purchasing the coffee but also the brand itself.<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">I think people just enjoy art for various reasons. But when they are displayed in cafes, it adds a different vibe. Why do you like the art in cafes?</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-64975158457310974652012-01-31T08:54:00.000-08:002012-01-31T08:54:03.199-08:00Home Edition: Classy in Minutes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjc4Fnp5gxY93DveUkSVk58iYtJCs3IvoXiOGpNxvm0XQ0DrK2TVTSj2mSPpJppTfwxpHXFeXA4sG29URxdo4wwhfREzS0JUNANsSzDit_q7IDfiTW9QdBWZSYxpP0RH_FBkNgcUVPMrA/s1600/IMG_0290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjc4Fnp5gxY93DveUkSVk58iYtJCs3IvoXiOGpNxvm0XQ0DrK2TVTSj2mSPpJppTfwxpHXFeXA4sG29URxdo4wwhfREzS0JUNANsSzDit_q7IDfiTW9QdBWZSYxpP0RH_FBkNgcUVPMrA/s320/IMG_0290.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>I feel like I am on a long-term journey through some rough terrain. I'm like a traveller carrying a huge sack of heavy objects through a world we call <i>college</i>. And in that huge sack are classes, the unlimited amount of work, the commitment to the organizations I am a member of, the constant search for internships, and now juggling all of that with a part-time job. And in that world, there can never be enough twists and turns and ridiculous obstacles to overcome. The one thing that isn't as prevalent anymore is free time. But oddly despite all of that, I absolutely love it! This is something many of us could easily relate to whether it was back in the day or even now. So my friend and I have been planning to create a "culinary masterpiece" for the longest time but finding time between our busy schedules to actually do it was pretty rare. Finally, on a rainy thursday evening, we had the opportunity so we got right to it! Here's our dirty twist on an Italian classic treat.<br />
When you combine a packed schedule with the extreme desire to cook and eat, it only makes sense to find short-cuts. And I must include, short-cuts to cooking and baking does not necessarily mean sacrificing flavor, presentation, and a proud heart at the very least. We decided to make light and creamy tiramisu in minutes: quick, easy, cheap and if you really take the time, still potentially extravagant in aesthetics.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCG3F9MEnOy6o0ohSfN0c4iKl61CUktcyo-DID5sfmnZy1OpsSlvP3CiSjXW7mbiImPq9QEj5iIXxQaFV_6KosOZJmFykxR8n1LRbq5G8meDankQBCc2DOPkxYfGcjoqICMs56YABM_7s/s1600/IMG_0286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCG3F9MEnOy6o0ohSfN0c4iKl61CUktcyo-DID5sfmnZy1OpsSlvP3CiSjXW7mbiImPq9QEj5iIXxQaFV_6KosOZJmFykxR8n1LRbq5G8meDankQBCc2DOPkxYfGcjoqICMs56YABM_7s/s320/IMG_0286.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><b><u><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Dirty Tiramisu</span></u></b><br />
<u><b>Ingredients</b>:</u><br />
- Cups, glasses, shot glasses etc. (your choice depending on what occasion you are making this for)<br />
- Pack of lady fingers<br />
- Freshly brewed espresso and/or coffee<br />
- Whipped cream (we used store-bought whipped cream, but you can definitely make it yourself)<br />
- Brown sugar<br />
- Classic cocoa powder<br />
....and that is all she wrote.<br />
<u><b>Procedures</b></u><br />
<b>1.)</b> First, brew a pot of fresh, earthy, and hot coffee or espresso and let it cool down afterwards<br />
<b>2.)</b> Soak about 12-15 broken up pieces of lady fingers in the coffee/espresso for about a minute or two<br />
<b>3.)</b> Add about 3-4 tablespoons of pure brown sugar into a bowl or container of whipped cream and mix until the brown sugar is evenly distributed throughout the whipped cream<br />
<b>4.)</b> Now you can start to layer: start with the lady fingers soaked in coffee/espresso at the bottom of your containers then layer the whipped cream mixed with brown sugar on top. Alternate these two until you reach the top of the glass.<br />
(<b>Optional</b>: you could also include a small dusting of cocoa powder to fulfill your chocoholic needs between layers as well but we decided not to.)<br />
<b>Note</b>: If you really want to take your presentation to the next level and create clear, distinct layers, when you are layering the whipped cream, be extra careful that it does not touch the sides of the glass while you are spooning it in because that is what will make your layers more swirly and random.<br />
<b>5.)</b> As a garnish, dust cocoa powder on top of the last layer of whipped cream and a last small dollop of whipped cream on top of that.<br />
<b>6.) </b>Place your glasses into the refrigerator so they cool down a bit and everything comes together nicely.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Okv_ex7i0BbvhDZvSUZfayi9OrfcT0lgK8Flw60DVyiTU9Mt4Ic3J8WEdhiVMhOFagX2oO9jCprJNaqsT3C5OozQrJk-p7ZduSrfr1gNigmiTpho2fmxY8HGCZuyOG_nCoqQ7udsoy0/s1600/IMG_0282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Okv_ex7i0BbvhDZvSUZfayi9OrfcT0lgK8Flw60DVyiTU9Mt4Ic3J8WEdhiVMhOFagX2oO9jCprJNaqsT3C5OozQrJk-p7ZduSrfr1gNigmiTpho2fmxY8HGCZuyOG_nCoqQ7udsoy0/s400/IMG_0282.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcEvVzmsHa8ORJTcjsSB34WWrrg5_oKHzmEB_uDLufRmGvXVhW5yzXQKbVEqVEbGf90DFbmW8q9bWLJJcZZP7WIvpspAz76j5YqhfFp_nWuru3Al57cC-oGeBqs80ZGuFo_1RIUlYc8k/s1600/IMG_0285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcEvVzmsHa8ORJTcjsSB34WWrrg5_oKHzmEB_uDLufRmGvXVhW5yzXQKbVEqVEbGf90DFbmW8q9bWLJJcZZP7WIvpspAz76j5YqhfFp_nWuru3Al57cC-oGeBqs80ZGuFo_1RIUlYc8k/s400/IMG_0285.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
The short ingredient list and the near lack of work may make people seem a bit skeptical about how good the tiramisu actually tastes. And if it does taste good, how much does it actually taste like a classic tiramisu? But I must say, if you judge your measurements right and experiment, it tastes absolutely delicious and it took less than ten minutes. The use of the brown sugar made the ordinary whipped cream taste a bit more butterscotch-like and combined with coffee--perfection! My friend and I decided to layer the tiramisu into wine glasses which proved to be a bit excessive for a pre-dinner treat. But let's say you are having a small get-together with some friends or maybe even a cocktail party. The ideal way to feed your guests are through small appetizers that are easy to just grab and eat in one bite rather than holding something huge in their hands. For a dessert platter, you could use this simple recipe and layer tiramisu into clear shot glasses or mini plastic cups. It is a small dessert that will not be too heavy on your guests and they would look absolutely cute on a white plate and still keep its class and elegance.<br />
<br />
I think the one thing this confirmed for me is the fact that just because dishes have ingredients that are mostly store bought, ready to eat, and can be made in minutes, does not mean that you are sacrificing flavor or class at all. Authentic tiramisu is usually associated with high-end Italian restaurants but you could still have that luxury in the warmth of your own home. And trust me, eating that huge glass during a rainy evening was nothing short of being amazing.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKb6RBtM9ziR3qg-J13oOqWWckMBAoOE_yX90nWSoXyInjc-1zYtHM1ScGUibXaR8txzZvXUmwJWmGVyFqrMYV9P65cerbLGjpmPUGWpTl2kuL4NKhxDAmCcgnw1Ns_6QwiJFpHYWhXyo/s1600/IMG_0287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKb6RBtM9ziR3qg-J13oOqWWckMBAoOE_yX90nWSoXyInjc-1zYtHM1ScGUibXaR8txzZvXUmwJWmGVyFqrMYV9P65cerbLGjpmPUGWpTl2kuL4NKhxDAmCcgnw1Ns_6QwiJFpHYWhXyo/s640/IMG_0287.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I'm reading this post over again just to proofread and I feel like I sound almost like Sandra Lee from "Semi-Homemade". Her concept is actually a smart one because her dishes still embody the real tastes of a dish that had complete organic ingredients, but it is extremely useful for college students, mothers with children and busy schedules, and in the end, just perfect for anyone out there.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And also, just because you made something so extravagant and luscious in minutes, doesn't mean you have to tell everyone that right? </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-16696274197866075322011-12-06T12:11:00.000-08:002011-12-06T12:11:53.910-08:00Home Edition: Pop it<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesua7WkNfY_4RNv9Stw5f3WGZMLnd_Tcv9U8Ag_u1kYSrpRTLpprE_kjxQuCq3J6OrVzy1KmBas3LL8rR0yv6rPnkVhap9Tfz7R3jJSsVgO7ifeWWvvMg1CpqCFVQlXstanmCGJss2Tk/s1600/IMG_7761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesua7WkNfY_4RNv9Stw5f3WGZMLnd_Tcv9U8Ag_u1kYSrpRTLpprE_kjxQuCq3J6OrVzy1KmBas3LL8rR0yv6rPnkVhap9Tfz7R3jJSsVgO7ifeWWvvMg1CpqCFVQlXstanmCGJss2Tk/s200/IMG_7761.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Baking: there's nothing better than a batch full of fresh, warm desserts ready to be devoured, especially ones that are homemade. Unfortunately, seeing that I live in a kitchen-less dorm where even noodle-cookers are banned, I basically never have the opportunity to bake. But Thanksgiving break finally came and needless to say, there's a kitchen with all the baking tools I need! For awhile, my sister and I have been wanting to try making cake pops and finally, we have! So I must admit, we used Betty Crocker cake mix. And though it was our first time making these decadent desserts, it was surprisingly easier than we anticipated. Just to give a quick rundown of the ingredients and step-by-step process.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Ingredients</u></div><div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">A box of cake mix (and whatever you need through the request on the box, so basically two eggs, water, and oil)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">A tub of egular vanilla frosting</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Bags of melting chocolate (we used white chocolate and milk chocolate)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Toppings: sprinkles, jimmies, cookie crumbs, chocolate drizzle</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Lollipop sticks</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">A styrofoam board </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Aluminum foil</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFo_z-HiBC77JhtBbO8ToCqE0qBAS_vD5d0KmRTmLp2n6XIsB8yKgIFYHkUJY8s7T61MD75GM2BsZKA_hwVf-dSnt5gH-TP_ppcV0_32GutDPNKosRnpVYChFv2Y6dhyphenhyphenWbpZ5kxYSc_Y8/s1600/IMG_7731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFo_z-HiBC77JhtBbO8ToCqE0qBAS_vD5d0KmRTmLp2n6XIsB8yKgIFYHkUJY8s7T61MD75GM2BsZKA_hwVf-dSnt5gH-TP_ppcV0_32GutDPNKosRnpVYChFv2Y6dhyphenhyphenWbpZ5kxYSc_Y8/s640/IMG_7731.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMD4oyhMoh-Y7TrK6uMh7XWgcRvKgAKRyaNaBmg3sf5obnNewILKtGlb08c_58ceKp0pxZ1UMNra_vQS6KbfW-Xy0FOczHeFKPl-8zQXDfmdT5op2tIEZD62Z6gCq4GS5Tcfqmpx04p9A/s1600/IMG_7740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMD4oyhMoh-Y7TrK6uMh7XWgcRvKgAKRyaNaBmg3sf5obnNewILKtGlb08c_58ceKp0pxZ1UMNra_vQS6KbfW-Xy0FOczHeFKPl-8zQXDfmdT5op2tIEZD62Z6gCq4GS5Tcfqmpx04p9A/s640/IMG_7740.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBD38hGR848HToYh_UDsLBauiaa_Q59E3qlPPSRS73YWowlA-epTHQX37GyUv9OvmQfkdaSOWmdrhdPDbDyd7Mbuq5wYKGhtUrMFSOA001E7w8VTTy5veMlKjheJMR5su-evnXw5QnHaw/s1600/IMG_7744+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBD38hGR848HToYh_UDsLBauiaa_Q59E3qlPPSRS73YWowlA-epTHQX37GyUv9OvmQfkdaSOWmdrhdPDbDyd7Mbuq5wYKGhtUrMFSOA001E7w8VTTy5veMlKjheJMR5su-evnXw5QnHaw/s640/IMG_7744+2.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuth2T2YZSDdND00oUPDBbEK9hO8LvbutU73VKY2g3LhvHzCEY-7eVG9HzJ_5qH8ChPJOm6HsntkJ9r6TPQcsxIq4-3qIoN2cIz5F72eviNao8yl9ncFV6OcXC89KHKxMiewnzwTrdCc/s1600/IMG_7747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuth2T2YZSDdND00oUPDBbEK9hO8LvbutU73VKY2g3LhvHzCEY-7eVG9HzJ_5qH8ChPJOm6HsntkJ9r6TPQcsxIq4-3qIoN2cIz5F72eviNao8yl9ncFV6OcXC89KHKxMiewnzwTrdCc/s640/IMG_7747.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5mfTiO5hLeapOLqSyV20jTLblVb8XUonKJkO6RcPSFDc9kDRDPjzlxrvrye1tF3wx3drq-6pOKk06E4FQLaI6nm1N7vE1MN0lcCswEsTVDLzOHA_FFql1xk-xdGn6Paj8npfYtJK3v0/s1600/IMG_7750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5mfTiO5hLeapOLqSyV20jTLblVb8XUonKJkO6RcPSFDc9kDRDPjzlxrvrye1tF3wx3drq-6pOKk06E4FQLaI6nm1N7vE1MN0lcCswEsTVDLzOHA_FFql1xk-xdGn6Paj8npfYtJK3v0/s640/IMG_7750.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<u style="text-align: justify;">Steps:</u></div><div><ol><li style="text-align: justify;">First you have to make the cake like you would regularly. Just follow the ingredients and the steps on the back of the box. If you prefer to make your own cake out of scratch (probably because you have insane amount of culinary expertise or you're just skilled like that), you can certainly do so.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">After baking the cake and letting it cool, break the cake up into little crumbs. You can use a food processor, but I personally think it is a lot easier to do with you hands. Plus, you know what they say: your hands are the best tools given to you!</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Put in about 2-3 spoonfuls of vanilla frosting. This is what will bind the cake together and help maintain that ball shape. Depending on how much cake you have, the amount of frosting you need will vary. Basically, add frosting at your own risk (of potentially being on a sugar high.)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Form little cake balls! We formed ours to about the size of a tootsie-pop. Make sure you handle them lightly because they are still delicate enough to easily break. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Gently stick in the lollipops into the center of the cake balls. You will then put them into the aluminum-wrapped styrofoam board standing up so they stay up and out of contact from everything else. Let them cool down and harden a bit in the refrigerator.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">In the mean time, you can melt bowls of chocolate for dipping. We used milk chocolate, white chocolate, and also pink chocolate (we put red food coloring into a bowl of white chocolate.) Also, pour your toppings into individual bowls. Basically, you want to set up an assembly line of some sort. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">You can now just dip your cake pops into the chocolate, decorate them with your various toppings, then stick them back into the styrofoam board!</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Put them back into the refrigerator to cool down a bit and then eat until your heart's content!</li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbWBtJnvE1VZuJlcbmyPsde58t5JUPhIXWtM-sDhWsSVN_uvr_hCE6OZIEV2OCvrucoNkkZ4mdzkpA7U0LlsobLzWvYGUUxVzcMXaCxf4cBC86Oasqdckss3RIhl2f2V4AJYkIPqIorQ/s1600/IMG_7752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbWBtJnvE1VZuJlcbmyPsde58t5JUPhIXWtM-sDhWsSVN_uvr_hCE6OZIEV2OCvrucoNkkZ4mdzkpA7U0LlsobLzWvYGUUxVzcMXaCxf4cBC86Oasqdckss3RIhl2f2V4AJYkIPqIorQ/s640/IMG_7752.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIvphMUcyxyH-iEbwjnwdy_gfvI1Ec-2X-CbjMGaC-CYSfwVDOHWP6OhbP_4-7DGkVWHrx7r8fQj6VV1mLPToqQghYRjVAx7aNVLqe0ES1W6coBOJW5EhAqODh4AZXbp4q1ES2vh1awM/s1600/IMG_7755+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIvphMUcyxyH-iEbwjnwdy_gfvI1Ec-2X-CbjMGaC-CYSfwVDOHWP6OhbP_4-7DGkVWHrx7r8fQj6VV1mLPToqQghYRjVAx7aNVLqe0ES1W6coBOJW5EhAqODh4AZXbp4q1ES2vh1awM/s640/IMG_7755+2.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTvU3FGlk6667c1oJrI5GW342fsscLiQDSQRgFiJssCOieHsC2Hr8XTJ9R2NKpFw85BqhyVDosKYYgDHie9Og8L0boHtn8RhSwhp46d0mDkQQUtNww7V5iH2_JwDIsyYcf-w82w-MoNk/s1600/IMG_7759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTvU3FGlk6667c1oJrI5GW342fsscLiQDSQRgFiJssCOieHsC2Hr8XTJ9R2NKpFw85BqhyVDosKYYgDHie9Og8L0boHtn8RhSwhp46d0mDkQQUtNww7V5iH2_JwDIsyYcf-w82w-MoNk/s640/IMG_7759.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjU_LF1GNXeizyze_F4TMclcMpBB_LqtjCb9Mn8PyESL5dQTmjy4UwWs6eGmXqEnnVHahjnktH4kTNYOhoC7NCzlH6Yhq_L2LSftsE79sGiIKwQSiLk2fSZDZxCZ8YKDgpvrQ7yADHdw/s1600/IMG_7776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjU_LF1GNXeizyze_F4TMclcMpBB_LqtjCb9Mn8PyESL5dQTmjy4UwWs6eGmXqEnnVHahjnktH4kTNYOhoC7NCzlH6Yhq_L2LSftsE79sGiIKwQSiLk2fSZDZxCZ8YKDgpvrQ7yADHdw/s640/IMG_7776.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We made exactly forty-two cake pops, half of which we gave to our cousins and the rest we kept for ourselves. I couldn't stop eating them which is kind of sad but I was on break: it's a good enough reason for me to indulge. After making the pops, I became so excited for Christmas to roll. Every year, my sister and I always make some desserts to bring over to our family's houses and what not. But this year, we're going professional: christmas-themed cake pops. What better way to stay festive than to keep the food shouting the holiday cheer? </div></div><div><div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Cake Pops: check! Next endeavor? Perhaps brownie pops! I love trying new things and I'm so glad I finally made these cake pops. If you've made cake pops before, I would love to hear your stories! What kind did you make? How did you decorate them? And for the punch, how did they taste? Also, if you have any other fun suggestions to bake, let me know, because I am always all ears for more creative things to do! </span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-66369693446654416732011-11-10T00:58:00.000-08:002011-11-10T00:59:28.811-08:00Eat Boutique Local Market: Meet and Greet, Wine and Dine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBjYPKLqLz4Zd1UdMWuI22hNXfuBgrN_uzQkuugt9BY_0b-e2Ik5KH_xZcVmhMYRZCBR3Pppe8TF0yreAwW_N7lR01FbU-GcOMmTpf9rXFf51npo5Pgd1Yd9W7WlRycy4AkSIHoVlWRU/s1600/IMG_2441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBjYPKLqLz4Zd1UdMWuI22hNXfuBgrN_uzQkuugt9BY_0b-e2Ik5KH_xZcVmhMYRZCBR3Pppe8TF0yreAwW_N7lR01FbU-GcOMmTpf9rXFf51npo5Pgd1Yd9W7WlRycy4AkSIHoVlWRU/s640/IMG_2441.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcDNFgnENBEldazhEjA30KCqL5h0Qec3432GTXHpWw5T89VNPAq_lKGsRElnpgVE3LT9uRsLnJ29ZQaW7PGAphovH4igldd75-RoHK2z7wV_mHH5eosOXy_TXWDar2wUVwf7rwcpe0hQ/s1600/IMG_2431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcDNFgnENBEldazhEjA30KCqL5h0Qec3432GTXHpWw5T89VNPAq_lKGsRElnpgVE3LT9uRsLnJ29ZQaW7PGAphovH4igldd75-RoHK2z7wV_mHH5eosOXy_TXWDar2wUVwf7rwcpe0hQ/s320/IMG_2431.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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I guess you could say that my love for all-things-related-to-food has always existed. Growing up, food was pretty much one of my major hobbies; obviously eating it everyday during multiple meals and snacking periods, from listing it down as my interest on Facebook to actually developing the passion to something beyond the surface. A blog post and a photo of a coffee mug later, I made it clear to myself that venturing out to local cafes and small boutiques was something I enjoy on a leisurely basis. Then I discovered the <a href="http://www.sowaopenmarket.com/">SoWa Open Market</a>, a gathering of farmers, artisans, vendors, and boutique owners all there to sell their vast array of goods, creating what I think is the ideal world for a shopper's experience. I loved it. And it was then that the possibility of perhaps other gastronomic events being held somewhere in the city could hold true. And long and behold, it did.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XD4V3425owiUA_UXZMvOKXA-LyARpKSlc0d0PaD57-rYV5Qq7o8Ga9FyRl_JCo5k8D7CKu4XP2Vzr3o-pIai9DEVYCQjAUUBfo3hdAjMN6ZGQ-_nk9EL0bsJy8W_DztcQU8wrI4WDF8/s1600/IMG_2438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="491" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XD4V3425owiUA_UXZMvOKXA-LyARpKSlc0d0PaD57-rYV5Qq7o8Ga9FyRl_JCo5k8D7CKu4XP2Vzr3o-pIai9DEVYCQjAUUBfo3hdAjMN6ZGQ-_nk9EL0bsJy8W_DztcQU8wrI4WDF8/s640/IMG_2438.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIOtzbhvTou9mRG12EZD5hWklAoN_yvfd9qZrYYb9oTFV3B36gNHF6k3eW4ULmojmgMmRMsdiD1CiXDEETKfdwN4KAOmgcMJCh3xJzx0a_pO9xbou1jbh9PedTg5c9Tx2MJrT_Hn6hqFY/s1600/IMG_2437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIOtzbhvTou9mRG12EZD5hWklAoN_yvfd9qZrYYb9oTFV3B36gNHF6k3eW4ULmojmgMmRMsdiD1CiXDEETKfdwN4KAOmgcMJCh3xJzx0a_pO9xbou1jbh9PedTg5c9Tx2MJrT_Hn6hqFY/s320/IMG_2437.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>From a simple tweet I found out about <a href="http://www.eatboutique.com/">Eat Boutique</a>, an online food magazine focusing on "authentic food, independent vision and old-fashioned hospitality", and that is what i find extremely heartening. And after surfing their site, I found out that they were holding their first <a href="http://www.eatboutique.com/2011/09/25/eat-boutique-local-market-brians-photos/">Boston Local Market</a> event at <a href="http://www.twelvechairsboston.com/">Twelve Chairs</a>. I couldn't miss this; so I immediately responded to reserve a ticket. So finally, on September 24th at 1PM, I attended my first ever food event and let me just put this out there, I was so so SO SO nervous.<br />
The minute people walked in, they were greeted with an <a href="http://www.eatboutique.com/2011/09/29/eat-boutique-local-market-marthas-photos-recap-2/">Eat Boutique</a> volunteer/representative offering sweet (gourmet) marshmallow squares in little plastic cups: what better way to set the tone? And as soon as you walked up those steps you enter a sizable room, adorned with furniture already placed, tables all ordered with several boutiques showcasing their delicious goodies all reflecting the talent and care for food. And the best sight of all, crowds of people from all different backgrounds: foodies, gastronomers, food bloggers, food photographers, all under the umbrella of being food lovers. I was just nervous: a newbie and youngin' like me amongst such sociable, hip, knowledgeable, experienced people. I'm not going to lie, I was just plain awkward. But I tried my best to explore and take pictures and talk to at least ONE person. I was happy to have a small conversation with the founder of Eat Boutique, <a href="http://www.eatboutique.com/team-2/">Maggie Battista</a>. It was so great to be able to speak to her and gain insight on how and where she started with food blogging etc. She was absolutely adorable and she did an amazing job putting together a fantastic event. You might be wondering which vendors were present. Well, this is most, if not all, of them: <a href="http://www.fattoadfarm.com/">Fat Toad Farm</a> known for their goat dairy, <a href="http://www.salttraders.com/">Didi Davis Artisan Food</a> and their condiment blends, sophisticatedly sweet <a href="http://www.ehchocolatier.com/">Elaine Hsieh Chocolatier </a>, <a href="http://www.chococoabaking.com/">Chococoa's</a> whoopie pies, <a href="http://www.yummymummybrownies.com/store/">Yummy Mummy Brownies</a>, <a href="http://www.larkfinefoods.com/">Lark Fine Foods</a> and their "cookies for grown-ups", the care for cupcakes from <a href="http://www.cupcakory.com/">The Cupcakory</a>, the best nuts for snacking from <a href="http://www.qsnuts.com/">Q's Nuts</a>, <a href="http://thestandny.com/about-us/">The Stand's</a> concoctions, <a href="http://thewinebottega.com/">The Wine Bottega</a>, and <a href="http://equalexchangefreerange.tumblr.com/">The Equal Exchange Free Range</a> coffee truck. And how could I forget the <a href="http://poorgirlgourmet.blogspot.com/"> Poor Girl Gourmet</a> cook book by Amy McCoy and a signing with <a href="http://flourbakery.com/">Flour Bakery's</a> owner Joanne Chang. Long story short, there were a ton of things to see, taste, smell, enjoy, appreciate, and to savor the memories, BUY!<br />
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Originally, I wasn't going to blog about this event because I felt that my photos weren't up to my potential and that I didn't interact as much as I would have liked. But I realized that it was probably one of the greatest experiences for me as far as my food blogging goes. It was a first for me so I guess I have give myself some relief. To me, that's something worth talking about! And fortunately, very recently, Eat Boutique has officially announced the date, time, and place for their <a href="http://www.eatboutique.com/2011/11/01/eat-boutique-holiday-local-market/">Eat Boutique Holiday Local Market</a> event. The more and more I eat, the more I hear about and attend such amazing food events such as these, and the more I blog about how much I enjoy everything about it, I feel that I am slowly becoming more reassured that this is truly a passion for me. I am most definitely going to the Holiday Local Market without a doubt. And this time, things will be different. With a more open mind, a new camera, and a stronger desire to taste food handled by great craftsmanship, I simply cannot wait for this event to come!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-30380548603585587312011-10-20T15:17:00.000-07:002011-10-27T11:38:56.112-07:00Cupcakes Galore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxsKsIl8ThhfIkofsTAF9NTf_tLNNx1-0XMyWIf2BCjsAnA4WcTFgIJjmGDELGDTk0YzjmEaR1gfPy_wEwiu1fSw8NqWq3xinvxFNiyPeAeCxAFDoKXB2HmJl_DtbuLAVtliPSheB3dc/s1600/IMG_2675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxsKsIl8ThhfIkofsTAF9NTf_tLNNx1-0XMyWIf2BCjsAnA4WcTFgIJjmGDELGDTk0YzjmEaR1gfPy_wEwiu1fSw8NqWq3xinvxFNiyPeAeCxAFDoKXB2HmJl_DtbuLAVtliPSheB3dc/s640/IMG_2675.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWtcXE3RjawJEo4ykOy8rn4_FBjCProRw0-LzozlrmI2PAGZFT0wklsIDWfbfDxT9OFEjtmcMD4yPH5VgWeZnxf_ewCbmT8Xda1h73COMv7gcyupHwsWyGsspWEX9PferHp_qG1aRQTk/s1600/IMG_2666.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWtcXE3RjawJEo4ykOy8rn4_FBjCProRw0-LzozlrmI2PAGZFT0wklsIDWfbfDxT9OFEjtmcMD4yPH5VgWeZnxf_ewCbmT8Xda1h73COMv7gcyupHwsWyGsspWEX9PferHp_qG1aRQTk/s400/IMG_2666.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ob_IhgxTdrHY0jmO3KrmpSGWvjTn5MfL_zHNwxiRoTXaJAfqC5EicfK677VtjjnXA9jFnDdYifymQaeLUlmyDv_QP3klipE-gdoBIPn4sTW3sTCWlsI032N4g1u2zg8oWK7knRshqV4/s1600/IMG_2667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ob_IhgxTdrHY0jmO3KrmpSGWvjTn5MfL_zHNwxiRoTXaJAfqC5EicfK677VtjjnXA9jFnDdYifymQaeLUlmyDv_QP3klipE-gdoBIPn4sTW3sTCWlsI032N4g1u2zg8oWK7knRshqV4/s400/IMG_2667.jpg" width="260" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Being deprived of sweets is probably the worst thing that could happen to me. I know, I am well aware there are much worse situations out there, but in a simple sense, if I don't <b>have</b> sweets, then I won't <b>be</b> sweet. Hmph! (At least not as sweet as I could be!) Being at school, it's a given that we are spoiled with the occasional brownies, cookies, parfaits, and soft-serve frozen yogurt. I'll admit I haven't been totally out of sight from desserts, but I don't know how long it has been since I've devoured good-quality, delicious, luscious desserts made with culinary prowess. So I had some free time: it was an absolutely beautiful day after a stormy, rainy day before; the sun was out, there was a gentle breeze, and everything that was happening only meant that autumn was around the corner. What else could make you this cheery? It was finally a perfect day to indulge and go to <a href="http://www.sweetcupcakes.com/">Sweet Cupcakes</a>.</div><br />
<div><div style="text-align: justify;">It wasn't my first time here; for a cupcake shop that's just around the corner from where I reside, there's no way I haven't already checked it out. But I just never gave it a good observation. It's hard to miss: if you see a giant window with the lower border adorned with white, vinyl cupcake stands, you hit the spot! <a href="http://www.sweetcupcakes.com/index.html">Sweet Cupcakes</a> was extremely aesthetically appealing. Walk in, and be invited to a pretty pink world with the wall-design being exactly the same as their website background; pink and black laces intertwined. Your attention is immediately drawn to the counter: various boxes for packaging, cupcake pillars of various heights, and two creatively set cupcake stands: your stereotypical pyramid stand and a ferris wheel with the cupcakes substituting the booths. <a href="http://www.sweetcupcakes.com/gallery.php?begining=0&end=23&direction=less">"Cute"</a> would definitely be the best word to describe everything. It appeared they had their Fall-themed desserts put out: orange, brown, yellow colors, from pumpkin to apple flavors, even warm spices like spicy ginger. And for those who prefer to stick to the classics, vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet. And if you're looking for something light, you could always order their miniature cupcakes. And all their cupcakes were simple in design: the cake, cloud-like frosting on top, and a small garnish to hint a flavor. So any regular person would probably order one cupcake just for a small treat. Instead, I bought four: eat two, save two. I always prefer to go outside my comfort zone and try new fusions of flavors, so I got their least conventional cupcakes: <i>Chocolate Orange, Red Velvet, Caramel Apple, Molasses Ginger.</i> I think sweets taste better with something hot so I also got a small cup of black coffee. You can also get tea but, I was feeling some caffeine. And if you're in the mood to just lounge and eat, you most certainly can on their pastel-pink booth and square white tables.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI40nOtPduW9jcZ7zPPIBw72irhQURV9b8yLS9C5kUf7EZBPWsMg0g8YLLTieWCzIxqHVR2k9bibcqQZoMDpWu2Os0J9f1GSwO9BBc2GvKQQqqD1BBGAJ0PnFwQiBX4U7BWVuFD9oEr6Q/s1600/IMG_2673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI40nOtPduW9jcZ7zPPIBw72irhQURV9b8yLS9C5kUf7EZBPWsMg0g8YLLTieWCzIxqHVR2k9bibcqQZoMDpWu2Os0J9f1GSwO9BBc2GvKQQqqD1BBGAJ0PnFwQiBX4U7BWVuFD9oEr6Q/s640/IMG_2673.JPG" width="640" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a></div><div style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmXlVnQncF4ltw5_lrKSG1C_-hfQPbM7D6GmRTuwrY1cZsJrVECKo_NUZuKD0t3aU0wwkKgbtyEJrn7-ZvdvDMUsUQ6lBclXVIiJtjD7zhMHov6P4z_4KUulgoBjPy0uhyphenhyphenC8vtcY3-nk/s1600/IMG_2665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmXlVnQncF4ltw5_lrKSG1C_-hfQPbM7D6GmRTuwrY1cZsJrVECKo_NUZuKD0t3aU0wwkKgbtyEJrn7-ZvdvDMUsUQ6lBclXVIiJtjD7zhMHov6P4z_4KUulgoBjPy0uhyphenhyphenC8vtcY3-nk/s1600/IMG_2665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmXlVnQncF4ltw5_lrKSG1C_-hfQPbM7D6GmRTuwrY1cZsJrVECKo_NUZuKD0t3aU0wwkKgbtyEJrn7-ZvdvDMUsUQ6lBclXVIiJtjD7zhMHov6P4z_4KUulgoBjPy0uhyphenhyphenC8vtcY3-nk/s640/IMG_2665.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GlpUcufsXxqAuvozCj8wBPUnJ-ze-FFdEcF9laOq0bApjz3xv18K5P7WHXPv4anfFsJNusbMtX1dHSdYgEP1BJRkhOLdOwTChyphenhyphenyA2pVTdSoOsgBbkgaYm8qh1s1GhT0Khq0u8C5TK_k/s1600/IMG_2668.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GlpUcufsXxqAuvozCj8wBPUnJ-ze-FFdEcF9laOq0bApjz3xv18K5P7WHXPv4anfFsJNusbMtX1dHSdYgEP1BJRkhOLdOwTChyphenhyphenyA2pVTdSoOsgBbkgaYm8qh1s1GhT0Khq0u8C5TK_k/s320/IMG_2668.jpg" width="183" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Out of the four that I bought, I decided to first dive into the Chocolate Orange; a chocolate cupcake with citrusy orange-infused frosting, with a candied orange peel on top half-dipped in chocolate ganache. The hint of orange really blended well with the chocolate: I've actually never had a chocolate-dipped orange/orange peel before and this "twist" on candy was quite pleasing. The second cupcake I ate was the Caramel Apple; it was a vanilla cupcake but when you bite into it, you feel the bite of apple preserves hidden inside, all sweetened up with caramelly frosting and drizzle. And to emulate an actual caramel apple, they put a popsicle stick poking out from the center. The apples were a fun surprise; natural sweetness combined with gooey caramel. Unfortunately, I would love to talk about the other two cupcakes, but all things in moderation. Those I shall save for tomorrow. I'm super excited to take a bite into the Molasses Ginger cupcake though. And red velvet: classic, who doesnt' love it?</div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sweet Cupcakes is really such an enjoyable place. It was nice taking pictures while lip-syncing the oldies playing from the speakers and looking up at the TV and seeing an old classic film. It was like a modern twist on a classic treat. And even if you don't live close to one of their locations (Mass. Ave, Newbury Street, Harvard Square and Downtown), you could always order for an event, party, and even for self-indulging. Sweet Cupcakes usually has you on your toes waiting for the next round of cupcakes to come because every time I've been there, they always have a different theme going on. So I'm eyeing the other two cupcakes right now and I find myself typing faster and faster with intentions of getting my hands on them. With me, you just never know: put a treat in front of me look away for a second and it's magically gone. It's a guilty pleasure!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9dzTSlsv4dxuoI8FD1rMfzPO-qILaufQcW-fXMBtOBi9DJuzWnRjzJ8kbrk7AaHONMwllXPaJe4f5ALV4sq2y5JfN6TT0LRezRYs18MFGPiT7262RGtQ53V1wzlOpGg2xyd7Xo2wWbI/s1600/IMG_2670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9dzTSlsv4dxuoI8FD1rMfzPO-qILaufQcW-fXMBtOBi9DJuzWnRjzJ8kbrk7AaHONMwllXPaJe4f5ALV4sq2y5JfN6TT0LRezRYs18MFGPiT7262RGtQ53V1wzlOpGg2xyd7Xo2wWbI/s640/IMG_2670.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>So we all love desserts: what's your favorite dessert? And if you're a huge fan of cupcakes like I am, what are some of your favorite cupcake shops?</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-71491308995348535182011-10-06T18:58:00.000-07:002011-10-06T19:04:15.220-07:00The Wired Puppy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKX4Oz_JR2PO21V6nsa2sjvC8ZFy3mDnP1gg6bLr6vTPBJEiAHKX0YF_EZ1wLvRxgqEJv3RuAEh6PqYSlr3_1od1lvvak0IO2eoZi_C8OhNg2ChP8ZjqTf5ukUebHlgfwlcvfAj63dLVA/s1600/IMG_2563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKX4Oz_JR2PO21V6nsa2sjvC8ZFy3mDnP1gg6bLr6vTPBJEiAHKX0YF_EZ1wLvRxgqEJv3RuAEh6PqYSlr3_1od1lvvak0IO2eoZi_C8OhNg2ChP8ZjqTf5ukUebHlgfwlcvfAj63dLVA/s320/IMG_2563.jpg" width="219" /></a></div>For most of us Bostonians, the usual go-to spots were always Copley Square, Prudential Mall, or somewhere along Newbury Street. So I've definitely walked up and down that fashion strip countless times. The thing with Newbury is that there are nearly an unlimited amount of stores and restaurants you could shop at to your heart's content. But some people forget that there aren't only shops side-by-side one another, but there are also stores that are on top of another store below. So even for someone like me who has been here his entire life, there are a lot of places I haven't either been into or even knew existed. For about a year now, I have always walked past this one place that had a cute picture of a yelping puppy in a blue-bordered circle. I wasn't sure if it was clothing shop or if it was something else. So one day, I finally looked it up online and behold, it was another cafe! I guess it's not too hard to guess where my next cafe adventure took me...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FUUnEyMq0v696EoUXoA9O9RbVH90hHs7469ozRXZTErDE392dqY7brZDtN_k_cZX3qd1Z7tt8NwD_egu3UH1bU6DAHh-SKWn3ieQp-UdjMo2dL9m5HDTYT8kUUQobxdfr5GEMgS1sk0/s1600/IMG_2559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FUUnEyMq0v696EoUXoA9O9RbVH90hHs7469ozRXZTErDE392dqY7brZDtN_k_cZX3qd1Z7tt8NwD_egu3UH1bU6DAHh-SKWn3ieQp-UdjMo2dL9m5HDTYT8kUUQobxdfr5GEMgS1sk0/s320/IMG_2559.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>First established in one of Cape Cod's thrilling towns, Provincetown, <a href="http://www.wiredpuppy.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/">The Wired Puppy</a> is a local favorite having been voted as Best of the Cape and Islands for four consecutive years. And finally, the founder opened one in Boston. They serve Organic Direct Trade Specialty coffees and teas. I must say, the perfect spot to start a cafe! The ambiance reminded me of a vintage scene but a bit warmer in tone. (Not even sure if that conveys it right.) The lighting was minimal, it was darker than most cafes. The walls were brilliant scarlet if not bold red, plastered with advertisements for various local activities. In front were two small round tables surrounded by mini-ovular orange chairs. My eyes were immediately drawn to the pastries: some in the display glass and some cookies and goodies in separate jars on top of the counter. And next to that was a wide range of The Wired Puppy clothing and accessories.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwAZIsfHH4344L2_lG8tSvFqajwEfdpugVGD9gSTYdG9y_-X4HLQlXWQyovlJiXQu1Z7lhr4UkgEE6dQvo-JCkniWK6CFrCru08WgMTKc6lDuojkRVKDZ0qNYbVNF5UXWTZ7auHVrbro/s1600/IMG_2562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwAZIsfHH4344L2_lG8tSvFqajwEfdpugVGD9gSTYdG9y_-X4HLQlXWQyovlJiXQu1Z7lhr4UkgEE6dQvo-JCkniWK6CFrCru08WgMTKc6lDuojkRVKDZ0qNYbVNF5UXWTZ7auHVrbro/s640/IMG_2562.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMlIR5k0GgIUSkDgQzgcHKPX-4hwlx6l7qeJo8ynUYq8x2PDNiStdoYEEXaxkpHvbH-MSuTdLM0iDFCo0mQRwhh9KUWucbvUQlNJIQZx8tvpqTtrXTy20uWkUeG1eZpBHfVR5L1zrvNk/s1600/IMG_2560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMlIR5k0GgIUSkDgQzgcHKPX-4hwlx6l7qeJo8ynUYq8x2PDNiStdoYEEXaxkpHvbH-MSuTdLM0iDFCo0mQRwhh9KUWucbvUQlNJIQZx8tvpqTtrXTy20uWkUeG1eZpBHfVR5L1zrvNk/s320/IMG_2560.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>If you kept on walking towards the back, you will notice a little inlet leading you into another area with more seating. The two sides were aligned with a long counter top and chairs. The cafe even offered its own computer for customer usage! What I liked about that room was the very minimal lighting: the sunlight shining through the windows was the main source of light. Since it was a mild Tuesday afternoon and neither me and my friend had anywhere to rush to, time to chillax with something to drink! My friend ordered a <i>Super Fruity Freddo</i> which is basically a "super fruity" chilling smoothie. I decided to go on the warm side and ordered a <i>Milkyway Steamer </i>to go<i>. </i>It was perfect for a chocoholic like me: I described it as your unordinary hot chocolate with milkyway flavor and a hint of vanilla. There was a tranquil feeling to the ambiance of the cafe; a little darker, brick walls, and just natural light to really bring everything together. There is one question that lingers though: why is the cafe called "The Wired Puppy"? I'll have to ask the owners or employees because I'm just that curious. I took a guess: maybe the way they specially brew their coffee keeps people not only alive and awake, but also energetic, as if we're all "wired"! Why do you think it's called "The Wired Puppy"?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kPEolFF5mu94YUKGntOOqijSUwYy-L25orALt9hYhfBALYCIOvM3WQ7MeLn8AG2tixPMCFD7Z7mVAs04B3N61z9EMIEdWBUWQzvg9PqSLXhyphenhyphen3WW27QrKD_HqDl__R3ZfQm5nE_7nyAM/s1600/IMG_2561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kPEolFF5mu94YUKGntOOqijSUwYy-L25orALt9hYhfBALYCIOvM3WQ7MeLn8AG2tixPMCFD7Z7mVAs04B3N61z9EMIEdWBUWQzvg9PqSLXhyphenhyphen3WW27QrKD_HqDl__R3ZfQm5nE_7nyAM/s640/IMG_2561.jpg" width="632" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-15139509372498980672011-09-27T21:04:00.000-07:002011-09-27T21:09:58.244-07:00"Plate to Pixel": Photography Practice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">WARNING: Lots of Apples.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBJt1OVAjshJVylPmK5IlC2NPXLJoF7PmadEanmuOKzPbiFUW3BkabRkt0PgZUV1ry7CUtZ5N0jGSa9qNGbULeqkv54vsNrlNXL7_91yVZG1UqFLlQCVIUZxkLXTJobI_syuuP4CefCs/s1600/IMG_2524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBJt1OVAjshJVylPmK5IlC2NPXLJoF7PmadEanmuOKzPbiFUW3BkabRkt0PgZUV1ry7CUtZ5N0jGSa9qNGbULeqkv54vsNrlNXL7_91yVZG1UqFLlQCVIUZxkLXTJobI_syuuP4CefCs/s640/IMG_2524.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">About a week and a half ago I entered a giveaway sweepstakes on one of <a href="http://bittersweetblog.wordpress.com/">Bitter Sweet</a> Blog's post. The blog is written by <a href="http://hannahkaminsky.com/">Hannah Kaminsky</a>, who is a food photographer, recipe creator, and author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Desserts-Sumptuous-Sweets-Season/dp/1616082208">Vegan Desserts: Sumptuous Sweets for Every Season</a> and <a href="http://www.mysweetvegan.com/">My Sweet Vegan</a>. Per her request, I commented with my name, email, website, and the type of camera that I use. And in a certain amount of time later, a lucky winner will be drawn to receive a free food photography and styling book. <a href="http://www.google.com/products/catalog?client=safari&rls=en&q=plate+to+pixel&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=9861221157401922412&sa=X&ei=mY6CTpnbKYru0gGc34ySAQ&ved=0CEMQ8wIwAQ#ps-sellers">Plate to Pixel: Digital Food Photography & Styling</a> is an insightful book written by the well-known <a href="http://www.helenedujardin.com/">Helene Dujarin</a>. She is an amazing and inspiring food photographer and stylist, having been featured in numerous magazines and cookbooks. I highly recommend going through her portfolio because they truly exhibit realistic features: "natural lighting, seasonal and fresh ingredients." She also has a rewarding winning blog called <a href="http://www.tarteletteblog.com/">Tartelette</a>. So this food photography book is her first she has written.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I am only two chapters in, but I can already tell that the book isn't only fit for beginners, but it's also great for bloomers and a useful reference guide, if you will, for even professionals. She slowly builds up from photography basics and camera modes up to actual food photographing and styling. For a while, I used the auto setting on my P&S camera. But my best friend <a href="http://www.atranphoto.com/">Alex Tran</a>, who is an amazing photographer himself, told me to experiment with the other settings. Helene says the same thing: when you remove yourself from auto settings, you gain "more control over your camera and open the door to greater creative freedom." And that's exactly what I did: I got right to it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
So first I tried experimenting with the Aperture Priority mode. I set the camera to ISO400 for a comfortable amount of light sensitivity. Unfortunately, the range for my camera's f/stops' minimum and maximum is very great. Because I wanted to notice a difference in the depth of fields in my pictures, I took three pictures with three different f/stops: f/3.1, f/5.6, and f/8.0 respectively. So I actually used a <a href="http://www.target.com/p/OTTOMAN-STORAGE-GREEN/-/A-11253098">Target ottoman</a> as my "table"and draped over a white t-shirt to make it look like a table. And because I wanted to keep my picture constant, I elongated my music stand to recreate a fake tripod. So creative right? Kind of weird I know. The differences here are so subtle but it is particularly noticeable when you contrast the tree branches with the leaves outside the window. Perhaps I need to work on this a little more!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJLRA-AEfGqcM_fWM78tjNF4hqCi0yftaFwyG2Povy_3NU5UNy8CiKg_KWnMCy73vM-CD7U3lM-nxk2a5Zi0wbi9uqP8LP8Q80QtVKc3oNUiYT97c3_BQp-JiIrqmfb9OWc74lB2020I/s1600/IMG_2503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJLRA-AEfGqcM_fWM78tjNF4hqCi0yftaFwyG2Povy_3NU5UNy8CiKg_KWnMCy73vM-CD7U3lM-nxk2a5Zi0wbi9uqP8LP8Q80QtVKc3oNUiYT97c3_BQp-JiIrqmfb9OWc74lB2020I/s320/IMG_2503.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyNY0HOXeZhuw0DuR0TLgUmMm34Wl6jYAAbm40p0yyQeNAF_AnChbdIPJ7cuC52hfBU0mYpYvCbD35juXJihOIkFa799X1U8kQvM28MVMOStL_Ui6JnN8Ko2M13VChIhFEI0D_zDG6lE/s1600/IMG_2504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyNY0HOXeZhuw0DuR0TLgUmMm34Wl6jYAAbm40p0yyQeNAF_AnChbdIPJ7cuC52hfBU0mYpYvCbD35juXJihOIkFa799X1U8kQvM28MVMOStL_Ui6JnN8Ko2M13VChIhFEI0D_zDG6lE/s320/IMG_2504.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNUs7UhyphenhyphenSn6J60TqlSlmI2OkYvb6sEZPl3qz66T_9cyOaoDiWWVAsq7aIo1CiI1jCHp2vtQTu-r7g3ycdNo92jLsplSOsUWYoubdFff5K1hqY7GtbdIUVq9HIGwNpRqRUTBRJ1z4Ta9U/s1600/IMG_2505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNUs7UhyphenhyphenSn6J60TqlSlmI2OkYvb6sEZPl3qz66T_9cyOaoDiWWVAsq7aIo1CiI1jCHp2vtQTu-r7g3ycdNo92jLsplSOsUWYoubdFff5K1hqY7GtbdIUVq9HIGwNpRqRUTBRJ1z4Ta9U/s320/IMG_2505.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I then wanted to test clarity using shutter speed. I didn't do any movement pictures but I wanted to test out definition in a picture for fun. I also wanted to see if I could focus on making the water droplets on the apples clear. So one picture had a faster shutter speed than the other and that one is actually a lot clearer. Can you guess which one had the slower shutter speed?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyb_FLJ0pb1PwKGQ0TULVU0ZUQzlSnCr2QtPXPLOLg0ecIVIUiZK3Dzw74AvB-osfvSkPNgrX9_nKoJ6z8k-EtW9GbgEhhNFFEylPJ8ZnyxWjX-X5-FTPc1_9MZiU9hqTCEn2dBbujChk/s1600/IMG_2519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyb_FLJ0pb1PwKGQ0TULVU0ZUQzlSnCr2QtPXPLOLg0ecIVIUiZK3Dzw74AvB-osfvSkPNgrX9_nKoJ6z8k-EtW9GbgEhhNFFEylPJ8ZnyxWjX-X5-FTPc1_9MZiU9hqTCEn2dBbujChk/s320/IMG_2519.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nt3jqtVlYLa94tltXjfI1LojdS5uDEfJi4Bgxmzg_7KxHRdUtUoecArZPC7EtnoQ7xzunA8WUvIYZwk-F9AKiFQ5XnjbQJdsFdsF48za1tYR0MMZiiec0ynQOSt2fNkB45dDHs5n-58/s1600/IMG_2520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nt3jqtVlYLa94tltXjfI1LojdS5uDEfJi4Bgxmzg_7KxHRdUtUoecArZPC7EtnoQ7xzunA8WUvIYZwk-F9AKiFQ5XnjbQJdsFdsF48za1tYR0MMZiiec0ynQOSt2fNkB45dDHs5n-58/s320/IMG_2520.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Then I finally experimented a bit with the Manual setting. I tried remembering everything that I read in the camera settings and modes chapter. I wanted the picture to have a warm tone to it, so I changed the White Balance to "Cloudy Day". Since I wasn't using any artificial light and mainly natural light coming through a window, I thought it was fitting. I then changed the setting to ISO200. I kept the shutter speed the same for both pictures, but I varied the aperture; one was f/3.1 and the other was f/8.0. So you will notice that the left picture's f/stop, or the wider opening had a slightly shallower depth of field even as close as the green apple.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FintIDIHevd3EQ4jsfyZ_bD5VrXNeL4JJIdz2FLDiOFL3Et-4woVxRdshdCw9ZkG-6X7Pc9TL7Mxwou2imwJg7PMkOUdu7Iybj_0TL-Q1Fl9x-ZFaQR-nF8vqmGpsIRUvYM6JPjyrF4/s1600/IMG_2508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FintIDIHevd3EQ4jsfyZ_bD5VrXNeL4JJIdz2FLDiOFL3Et-4woVxRdshdCw9ZkG-6X7Pc9TL7Mxwou2imwJg7PMkOUdu7Iybj_0TL-Q1Fl9x-ZFaQR-nF8vqmGpsIRUvYM6JPjyrF4/s320/IMG_2508.jpg" width="240" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LHzmYBHMqMshBwDDQsyf8vF-CzNlurYuOZivD-PwGkochLdeTKVKBF4XokpMWWpMaxMTpV30RUvtvhQN3Rm2zp7yIhb8CYQTsbrRE3_dUGZfVv7pEpHqcb4BZydIE7qODIQLK7ixVHQ/s1600/IMG_2509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LHzmYBHMqMshBwDDQsyf8vF-CzNlurYuOZivD-PwGkochLdeTKVKBF4XokpMWWpMaxMTpV30RUvtvhQN3Rm2zp7yIhb8CYQTsbrRE3_dUGZfVv7pEpHqcb4BZydIE7qODIQLK7ixVHQ/s320/IMG_2509.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
So what did I learn so far? Sometimes, the differences between your photos will be so subtle to the point where it is almost eye-straining to really notice them. But it's so fascinating, because these variances dintinguishes a great photo from a not-so-great one. Don't be fooled now, I took way more photos than the ones posted here. I took a ridiculous amount before deciding which series I wanted to put u[. Helene Dujarin's right: it's all about experimenting--"you can erase and start over." You just have to keep taking photographs until you find one that you really like. There are just so many settings and modes, but once you get the hang of them, you can "develop the story you want to tell." <br />
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I just want to say thank you so much to <a href="http://hannahkaminsky.com/">Hannah Kaminsky</a> and <a href="http://www.helenedujardin.com/">Helene Dujardin</a>. Both of you are honestly inspirations for beginners like me. I have never enjoyed doing something so much; I love blogging about food now and just learning about how to photograph any type of food better. I have so much to learn. I'll put this book up to great use! Time for Chapter 3: Natural Light Photography!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-84787780136229955792011-09-24T12:59:00.000-07:002011-09-24T16:05:57.091-07:00Jaho: "Live Slow"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNcbgzsGJIwxf2c38SMKG1CcHqeTVhamy6BArkNJyvasYe_yg-hx9IHSe4YXfPJdU02L4M1pLpkQ6aFaGuFbN8tpBRVEugG5VksudIl90kVD_O6Lcn_LfkQqCXBgPCQXVqipJqXyVgpc/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-09-20+at+9.32.46+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="601" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNcbgzsGJIwxf2c38SMKG1CcHqeTVhamy6BArkNJyvasYe_yg-hx9IHSe4YXfPJdU02L4M1pLpkQ6aFaGuFbN8tpBRVEugG5VksudIl90kVD_O6Lcn_LfkQqCXBgPCQXVqipJqXyVgpc/s640/Screen+shot+2011-09-20+at+9.32.46+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>It was a sunny and slightly breezy Sunday afternoon and I just finished my morning scavenging around <a href="http://www.sowaopenmarket.com/">SoWa Boston</a>. I didn't have any plans, meetings, or commitments for the rest of the evening, so I figured why not go somewhere and get some coffee! Being on our feet all day, my sister figured driving would be best. We were originally going to hit up Flour Bakery in the South End, but I suddenly remembered that there was another cafe up the block from it that I wanted to check out. I always traveled past it but never actually went in. All I remember outside was a simple store sign, two metal round tables and matching chairs. So finally, my next cafe adventure takes me to a place that not only sells a vast array of coffees, but also culturally-influenced tea.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdPxH7Hw6gcQboL2BohAc_C85yqVmtzim3bhfSc5mdnHiesyYoHTK1JrMW0lwfzyZawrR9SHEXNV-G1mjy6Wd85FdvXocmXx1xkk3psO2GPpWAGKOR9xolcumkmLmMt4oJdcSnzh5tmo/s1600/IMG_2426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdPxH7Hw6gcQboL2BohAc_C85yqVmtzim3bhfSc5mdnHiesyYoHTK1JrMW0lwfzyZawrR9SHEXNV-G1mjy6Wd85FdvXocmXx1xkk3psO2GPpWAGKOR9xolcumkmLmMt4oJdcSnzh5tmo/s400/IMG_2426.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><a href="http://my.jaho.com/">Jaho Coffee & Tea</a> is definitely the most cultural cafe I have been in so far. The interior is definitely influenced by Middle Eastern themes and adorned with Asian flair. Bold red and orange walls, intricately printed fabric on dark, wooden chairs, low tables and a high counter top, it was fit for those eclectic intellectuals. Also, while I was waiting in line to order, couldn't help but notice the typical, Asian cat statue on top of the tea shelf. Judging from the menu, it seemed that the cafe specialized in not only coffees and espressos, but also teas. The founder, Anil Mezini, traveled all across Italy experiencing the joy of the deepest and finest espressos. And after a short pitstop back to his hometown, his journey across Japan, Korea and Thailand opened new doors to the concept of tranquility with a simple cup of tea. After accumulating all of the knowledge from his trips, he founded Jaho Coffee & Tea in his hometown of Salem, Massachusetts in 2005. Ever since then, it has become the locals' favorite cafe. Thankfully, he opened one in one of Boston's most relaxing areas. I went with my sister and my friend and we each ordered a different beverage. There are other cafes that offer tea as well, but it was clear that Jaho served their tea with pure authenticity. So instead of coffee, I got tea this time! I ordered a <i>Maple Soy Latte</i>: a sweet drink with a hint of spice for a bite. My friend ordered a <i>Green Tea Matcha Latte</i>: your typical green tea thickened up into a foamy latte with mild sweetness. And my sister ordered their <i>Vietnamese Coffee</i>: coming from Vietnamese people ourselves, it stayed loyal to the motherland's coffee. Our hot drinks came in boldly colored mugs and saucers: mine was dark blue and my friend's was the bright yellow. And for extra brownie points, not only do they do coffee art, but they also do tea art!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59WGTd5QCVO4OiLl9VNpeJafHrYxNvhuMNk6Cn61Oc33fbCFtukPDcMs8Bk577hEk24vIMc_N7SrtraT9bEg5Og5WULEZyzX1SUsVQ4ic5mK4A3Sak3IDbmoUhCroWFebYn0uW9O6WbI/s1600/IMG_2423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59WGTd5QCVO4OiLl9VNpeJafHrYxNvhuMNk6Cn61Oc33fbCFtukPDcMs8Bk577hEk24vIMc_N7SrtraT9bEg5Og5WULEZyzX1SUsVQ4ic5mK4A3Sak3IDbmoUhCroWFebYn0uW9O6WbI/s640/IMG_2423.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
What's more important to capture about Jaho is the concept they like to foster. The idea of going into a cafe to order a hot beverage is simple enough in it of itself. But it's more powerful in feeling than anything else. To just sit in a cafe with a hot cup of coffee or tea in your hand in an ambiance naturally made for relaxing. To savor each sip and relish the warmth in your body. Once in a blue moon, people should fully appreciate and enjoy a slower-paced life. What better way to be welcomed? Right when you step into the shop, there's even at mat welcoming you! And to allow you to do the minimal amount of work, the baristas serve your coffee straight to your table. Lots of people like to go to a cafe to relax, to do their work, to socialize because it contains a friendly atmosphere. And after doing so, it leaves a positive impression on the rest of your day. I think all together, this the perfect concept to nurture in a cafe and Jaho definitely does it right.<br />
What do you think is your perfect cafe? Why do you like to go to a cafe on a easy Sunday morning? Share your stories below!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qwdMS0YSNg3VY9KYjE5MZhaqcKAgeebOtelPkiLk21sJE-2KO4JrbU42e_W3oYRTWCUCb60g1upgBgp6jQnvxgtpaWl0aelxDyLvSlFN7WLUTXyudDGXUWIxaKPT38-46kBODrfR0aM/s1600/IMG_2424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="451" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qwdMS0YSNg3VY9KYjE5MZhaqcKAgeebOtelPkiLk21sJE-2KO4JrbU42e_W3oYRTWCUCb60g1upgBgp6jQnvxgtpaWl0aelxDyLvSlFN7WLUTXyudDGXUWIxaKPT38-46kBODrfR0aM/s640/IMG_2424.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-54966759989702793232011-09-17T08:56:00.000-07:002011-09-17T08:56:33.379-07:00My Memories Suite Sweepstakes!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.mymemories.com/"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0KigJfu4OenCRby-UDWZDxgWxbCKACMt7K3kTvILdr2sR4RkUV6U_mov7AZtd2nIluRABtylQ74oeDZwUBlqGqWqRqN8ei7bqIQZXIF-9pQvcaYKC0BbFE0rXpO2adtNZ8EATG9VdQPU/s640/STM-EmailHeader_NEW.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm a reminiscent young man; talking about good times with my friends and family is always fun. I wish I could keep all my memories in a box so that I could remember every moment vividly. But there are alternatives that are just as perfect. What better way to capture a precious moment than a snapshot? We all know that saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words". So that means a book of pictures could tell a story. Why not kick it back and do it the old-fashioned way: scrapbooks! But forget about the mass amounts of paper, fabrics and sticky glue; we live in a technological age. Why not make a scrapbook straight on your computer; a lot cleaner, more affordable, and your options in creating a beautiful keepsake is unlimited. Nothing says artistic talent more. This is exactly what I did using<a href="http://www.MyMemories.com/"> My Memories Suite</a>. And now you can do exactly the same by entering the My Memories Suite Sweepstakes! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/sq1nXI8k7Pc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCEy7jrWtYFqi0vJ2GJoXEK7uX7-Ok0tv4MoRISIEBVXphsqpLNPBpJ2Skaf9MY8JsTeIxpJW2C8RBPqa_H9x1u6M8qua5z5AYu9eAUUO-vwYxYchdOQ-mmE4-WtXViUWcUhquAtIqok/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-09-17+at+11.36.41+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCEy7jrWtYFqi0vJ2GJoXEK7uX7-Ok0tv4MoRISIEBVXphsqpLNPBpJ2Skaf9MY8JsTeIxpJW2C8RBPqa_H9x1u6M8qua5z5AYu9eAUUO-vwYxYchdOQ-mmE4-WtXViUWcUhquAtIqok/s320/Screen+shot+2011-09-17+at+11.36.41+AM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Designer Pack -- Isn't it amazing? </td></tr>
</tbody></table>With this <a href="http://www.mymemories.com/">digital scrapbooking software</a>, you can design on a template using photos, embellishments, shapes and colors, and a wide variety of fabric choices. Or you can even create your very own scrapbook from scratch. What's even better is that straight from the website, you can download additional templates and designs for free or with additional charges! And think you're having an artist's block? No worries, you can view professional designers and their scrapbooks for a nudge of inspiration. Want to remember those priceless faces on your friends during Halloween? Or capture every moment of your newborn, from the time they start walking to the time they spilled all of that apple juice? Or maybe create a keepsake for that romantic wedding? You can make scrapbooks, layouts, photo books, cards, videos, you name it! There aren't a lot of <a href="http://www.mymemories.com/">scrapbook softwares</a> out there and<a href="http://www.mymemories.com/"> My Memories Suite</a> is rated #1 on Amazon and and TopTen Reviews, and is definitely top on my list!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">As a special for all my awesome readers, you can all receive a $10 discount off the purchase of the <a href="http://www.mymemories.com/">My Memories Suite Scrapbook software</a> and a $10 coupon for the store. All you have to do is to go onto My Memories Suite link below and enter my "Share the Memories" code to receive your discounts! You can share the code with your family and friends, post it on your Facebook, Twitter, and/or blog sites. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.mymemories.com/digital_scrapbooking_software"><b>My Memories Suite Link</b></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>My Share the Memories Code: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">STMMMS95532</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>And now it is time for the Giveaway sweepstakes:</u></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b>What</b></i>: One of my blog readers will have a chance to win a My Memories Suite digital scrapbooking software totally free!<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b>Who</b>: </i>Anyone can enter to win so spread the word about the sweepstakes to all of your family and friends.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b>When</b>: </i>The sweepstakes will last two weeks, giving everyone a good time frame to enter. It will go from September 17th to October 1st.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b>How</b>: </i>There are a number of ways you could enter this giveaway.</div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Visit the <a href="http://www.mymemories.com/store/designers">My Memories Suite</a> website and look at the amazing designer creations. Pick your favorite and comment below which one is your top pick</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Like My Memories Suite on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/MyMemories/140359372717593">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/mymemoriessuite">Twitter</a>, and read their <a href="http://blog.mymemories.com/">Blog</a> for extra entries</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Follow and Tweet me your favorite layout or design on My Memories Suite at @mrnifty246 or email me at cnguyen11491@gmail.com for extra entries and for follow-up posts</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b>Results</b>: </i>I will decide the winner at the end of the day on the last day of the sweepstakes. I will decide randomly. Remember, the more you interact to enter to win, the higher your chances will be!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So I played around with the software a couple of times before reviewing it and I think I like where my creativity went. It may not be as great as the designers, but you know what's great about it? The fact that I made it myself from scratch, designing a scrapbook the way I want it to look. Eventually, I'm going to publish it so that I can remember someday in the future my mini expeditions to hundreds of cafes!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO13t0B6bub7qqQdTjzwxgKLAcTPgqaH9Ywb1hFUurvOdqW2aP2sWoWdRRKLCnkPAOB8yJJxzgEieAyIgLS-zzOwyj6Nv4vtUphRhKtqWMQEXompRrFsTSuxSLQb-QGmHFUZVwHBv2yYA/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-09-14+at+10.19.03+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="635" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO13t0B6bub7qqQdTjzwxgKLAcTPgqaH9Ywb1hFUurvOdqW2aP2sWoWdRRKLCnkPAOB8yJJxzgEieAyIgLS-zzOwyj6Nv4vtUphRhKtqWMQEXompRrFsTSuxSLQb-QGmHFUZVwHBv2yYA/s640/Screen+shot+2011-09-14+at+10.19.03+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-53408064028224611062011-09-15T11:08:00.000-07:002011-09-15T11:24:32.501-07:00The Cupcakory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir9q6ZeFz7xsfnCUnNrsCv9jscAqAzERDFlGuEaePsBf-tGP62MKYolJ3xXs50lyTGnEIh2y-3DI26xTjl5mEbDXByZFx9uzZcc1jrNEQ0hnB6eF5BW2VZsPZlRLWlKNvUdQHXLNpeA-E/s1600/IMG_2399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir9q6ZeFz7xsfnCUnNrsCv9jscAqAzERDFlGuEaePsBf-tGP62MKYolJ3xXs50lyTGnEIh2y-3DI26xTjl5mEbDXByZFx9uzZcc1jrNEQ0hnB6eF5BW2VZsPZlRLWlKNvUdQHXLNpeA-E/s320/IMG_2399.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>When you go to a university that is stretched out all long one long street, there are plenty of pros and cons that come along with it. The only thing I consider a con when it comes to Commonwealth Avenue is the distance between classes and housing. But my oh-so adventurous self is already so used to strolling around aimlessly, so a fifteen minute walk from here to there isn't so bad anymore. I think there are many pros, from having the thrill of going to a huge urban university to being able to grasp a collegiate culture. But best of all, the endless options you have for food! Now, I could either utilize my meal plan at a dining hall or go to a well-established restaurant or fast food joint. But when you are class-free (or stress-free) for the day, cheerfully strolling along to relaxing acoustic music on a beautiful, sunny afternoon, you can't help but maybe spend a couple of dollars and treat yourself! And that's exactly what I did: I treated myself to a classic, well...treat! Knowing the hustle and bustle at BU, many food trucks actually settle in from time to time around noon to 3 p.m. So I happened to pass this smaller, cute, pastel-yellow truck and I couldn't help but stop to see what it had to offer. The first word that popped up in mind was <i>simple</i>; simple colors, simple designs, and simple desserts. If this truck could transform into a house, I honestly would imagine it to be a peaceful suburban house where grandmother just laid a warm pie out to cool on the windowsill. Perhaps the time period would be between the 70s and 80s? I'll stop from getting ahead of myself...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJJ1vjXGanN8FimtEj2sTLyO8sXVPgpTyKJkE6s2IP_cL2nPP5kNVe9Ig5k7rCNWtnp0OxSPvEgGOp1Y8dUg2xEAIwIw3WQUQmP2B6roN7DaPhcgMs5tA8NryYKEmpRTh2WDZ8q-Zdpo/s1600/IMG_2396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJJ1vjXGanN8FimtEj2sTLyO8sXVPgpTyKJkE6s2IP_cL2nPP5kNVe9Ig5k7rCNWtnp0OxSPvEgGOp1Y8dUg2xEAIwIw3WQUQmP2B6roN7DaPhcgMs5tA8NryYKEmpRTh2WDZ8q-Zdpo/s400/IMG_2396.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I think <a href="http://www.cupcakory.com/">The Cupcakory</a> truly understands cupcakes. Their top priorities are "quality and taste": to use the best combination of organic ingredients to create original cupcakes. They're also simple when it comes to design as well; a classic cupcake with a swirl of buttercream frosting on top. No embellishments. Oddly enough, its actually more attractive to true dessert lovers! Because of the minimal colors and garnishes, it forces you to focus more on the taste and flavors of the entire cupcake rather than the physical appearance. And let me tell you, these cupcakes are so moist and the frosting is so creamy. There aren't an insane amount of choices, about 6 to 8 kinds to be exact. But they usually keep their original favorites, <i>double-vanilla</i> and <i>double-chocolate,</i> and alternate the ones made with more culinary prowess. I ordered three cupcakes in total: N<i>utella cupcake</i>, <i>Salted Caramel,</i> and <i>Lemon-Ginger.</i> I figured since I've obviously had an everyday vanilla and chocolate cupcake before, I should go for something finer. The nutella cupcake was basically your twist on a chocolate cupcake, but instead of chocolate frosting you have nutella-infused cream. Like I said before, who doesn't love nutella? The salted caramel cupcake had its flavor in the buttercream. This was actually the first time I've had something salted-caramel flavored that wasn't actually caramel with a sprinkle of sea salt on top. Since the buttercream had both flavors evenly blended throughout the buttercream, it was a delicious balance between sweet and salty. And for my favorite out of the three: the lemon-ginger cupcake. Excuse me if I'm incorrect, but it seemed like the flavor was both in the cake and the buttercream. The buttercream had both lemon and ginger but the cake itself tasted more like a lemon cake. The lemon really cut the ginger flavor and I thought that was a great idea because ginger could easily become overpowering. It's kind of weird because as I'm typing up this post, I can taste bits and pieces of ginger somewhere in my mouth. It's awesome: everlasting dessert! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jsXCk8SRJ6sJfd_CyQYVxcWZuPVGEEBBmgunU_k4MoW7DaVsfzYyZb9E96526EC1m-7pyfDYrHa5gxliBWX-5X32tiLeK0-m6k_6-deW0yjs_131nFO8JSacrOPJsETnumUtF4j99Ck/s1600/IMG_2398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jsXCk8SRJ6sJfd_CyQYVxcWZuPVGEEBBmgunU_k4MoW7DaVsfzYyZb9E96526EC1m-7pyfDYrHa5gxliBWX-5X32tiLeK0-m6k_6-deW0yjs_131nFO8JSacrOPJsETnumUtF4j99Ck/s400/IMG_2398.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So all-in-all, you could make some generalizations: the cakey-part is simple, the flavor is mostly in the buttercream, and when it comes to sweetness, it is perfectly mild. Oh and one more thing: each time you take a bite, it's impossible for the cream not to smear a bit on your upper lip. But don't worry, it's all part of the fun; just lick it off! If you happen to be having a ridiculously happy day like I was, why not treat yourself to something good. If you ever happen to past by The Cupcakory, stop on buy and get yourself a cupcake! And it's purely a moment for you to savor all of that sugar because I think we could all agree that a simple cupcake with some good buttercream on top can, more or less, fit into your mouth. I walk past quite frequently so, I wouldn't be surprised if I bought a cupcake maybe one or twice a week. That's not so bad right? So what's the best cupcake you've ever eaten? Comment below and share your stories!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRx5kw_-Mie13FJgUPk30F6cdkLuExp5ViASHnyd-tVjCeTR8RJDJ6vaoT7r9B_m7dR8sOmQxw7JffpvzpGH-4CtcN_OarHVjVhdPvlbkHpZu1Uninx-n7XDkAczfUxAj4yPvn6FQMie4/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-09-15+at+1.17.19+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRx5kw_-Mie13FJgUPk30F6cdkLuExp5ViASHnyd-tVjCeTR8RJDJ6vaoT7r9B_m7dR8sOmQxw7JffpvzpGH-4CtcN_OarHVjVhdPvlbkHpZu1Uninx-n7XDkAczfUxAj4yPvn6FQMie4/s400/Screen+shot+2011-09-15+at+1.17.19+PM.png" width="358" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-1214706619340488232011-09-13T12:08:00.000-07:002011-09-13T12:08:29.215-07:00Four Luck Clover Truck<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyFEWgjIWKl7gUrf1cUeiLHrupSdKNqrZcfxMju_pwhw2iSnV8OwBahfbfVYW2qD7yyMEs-ziMLDMmsI1k8iOdurZGnU5hkMG5oe7i92MgLWibGPvvQduQJB6y6OounE9SS99JDcrItc/s1600/317477_10150371357071163_647551162_10413333_1924648109_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyFEWgjIWKl7gUrf1cUeiLHrupSdKNqrZcfxMju_pwhw2iSnV8OwBahfbfVYW2qD7yyMEs-ziMLDMmsI1k8iOdurZGnU5hkMG5oe7i92MgLWibGPvvQduQJB6y6OounE9SS99JDcrItc/s320/317477_10150371357071163_647551162_10413333_1924648109_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I consider myself an artsy person but if not that, then I'm definitely someone who appreciates craftsmanship and artistic talent. It's why I love going to farmer's markets, fairs, and small-towns in the Cape because the streets are aligned with boutiques and small businesses. I love seeing the different things people make hand-made and sell. Boston has this well known farmer's market every Sunday from May through October called SoWa, which stands for "South of Washington Street". Local farmers and boutique owners gather to showcase their products for people to basically walk around, marvel, and hopefully purchase. And surrounding the entire market are all these different food trucks, savory and sweet, as well as one fashion truck. My friend and I made plans to finally take a trip here and it was actually not that far. We took the bus fifteen minutes there and we took a nice walk back. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf2ncGKPGV5ipWaZV5bOI8wCV0Fy_mKTzHR_XRCQ1TTLFDkRVGJM8RtlR2yo4S5Nnn2Vpbhg8NYWU_9CxCa3BQfClPFgm4JfK_OXjRAWoA4Jz64CO1S5jc0FwTAkZBT7AtliymV7tI8tk/s1600/298385_10150371358486163_647551162_10413368_1403344058_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf2ncGKPGV5ipWaZV5bOI8wCV0Fy_mKTzHR_XRCQ1TTLFDkRVGJM8RtlR2yo4S5Nnn2Vpbhg8NYWU_9CxCa3BQfClPFgm4JfK_OXjRAWoA4Jz64CO1S5jc0FwTAkZBT7AtliymV7tI8tk/s320/298385_10150371358486163_647551162_10413368_1403344058_n.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">The first thing you enter is the actual farmer's market with tons of different produce to see; fresh greens, plump grape tomatoes, and warm breads of all kinds. At the end was an Indian/Mediterranean table with samples of pita bread, hummus, and other spreads. I sampled pita bread with original hummus and a good spoonful of tabouli salad. I absolutely loved how fresh the mint made it! So I bought a bag of pita bread and a case of tabouli salad while my friend bought Kalamata Olive hummus. Since it was my first time, I thought this was all there was. But if you continue along, there's a small walkway you can go through. I was so surprised because I noticed an even larger market down the path! Here is where all of the arts, crafts, bags, furniture, clothes and tons of other things were being sold. And this was also where all of the various food trucks were parked waiting for people to crowd around and grub on their delicious gourmet foods. Though it wasn't my first time eating here, my friend and I decided to buy a sandwich from the vegetarian <a href="http://www.cloverfoodlab.com/">Clover</a> food truck. I cannot stress enough how amazing the food here is.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQsnKG7ka9leuDFqVkptNBuVeRqDJKSvJqBRUHJPmF9YiJ3FTPGhlkxIhx0HzbzqKlOOsCtAxWGeB5gKeXwLCzCjB2I49CH92xKolU7AqjRfUuSEK4k6w7-mu7zA_aNouyh8jtO0OXMQ/s1600/311059_10150371357721163_647551162_10413347_223442629_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQsnKG7ka9leuDFqVkptNBuVeRqDJKSvJqBRUHJPmF9YiJ3FTPGhlkxIhx0HzbzqKlOOsCtAxWGeB5gKeXwLCzCjB2I49CH92xKolU7AqjRfUuSEK4k6w7-mu7zA_aNouyh8jtO0OXMQ/s320/311059_10150371357721163_647551162_10413347_223442629_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This truck defies all those stereotypes about vegetarian food. So if you're a vegetarian or a vegan, this would be pure heaven for your taste buds. And if you're a raging, meat-craving carnivore? Slide that slab of steak over because I still recommend you trying out one of these sandwiches. The actual truck is actually referred to as a "food lab", testing out different combinations of the most organic produce varying from season to season. Their endeavors in making all of their meals healthy is stimulating; they cut down on as much fat as they can, lots of their meals are glutton free, and they barely use any chemicals if not any at all. The vegetables are so perfectly seasoned and so fresh and you cannot go without trying one of their iced teas. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JMEftviaCqRnIbt_aXdplK1yCX1yMS5dv7xwJwUq2meyhuiO2WlEZ3OGXQ5TTf_H5gIevvG_cgwluhKa8k74kr0FbUuCzfxnEpL4PkiJT6b5dVZY9R7gtZf7KH4WfDO1BTtuTv8OyIY/s1600/317748_10150371358116163_647551162_10413356_1837224402_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JMEftviaCqRnIbt_aXdplK1yCX1yMS5dv7xwJwUq2meyhuiO2WlEZ3OGXQ5TTf_H5gIevvG_cgwluhKa8k74kr0FbUuCzfxnEpL4PkiJT6b5dVZY9R7gtZf7KH4WfDO1BTtuTv8OyIY/s200/317748_10150371358116163_647551162_10413356_1837224402_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13XytAkFcAdtG469V580VlExv-nG3T5PD9edKDHgGJwg4RhANGSe9xHclzgdxwtKMOQoNaKgPg70B8T3q-Ba9rPzDqUXe-KfsWm1aGJJd4GbMUSE0NWYFy8tn5aZcRLKs68Al-IWRJ9I/s1600/316482_10150371358736163_647551162_10413373_1217356688_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13XytAkFcAdtG469V580VlExv-nG3T5PD9edKDHgGJwg4RhANGSe9xHclzgdxwtKMOQoNaKgPg70B8T3q-Ba9rPzDqUXe-KfsWm1aGJJd4GbMUSE0NWYFy8tn5aZcRLKs68Al-IWRJ9I/s200/316482_10150371358736163_647551162_10413373_1217356688_n.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_lFwogqzV634cf8G5lGUzHm_wkIOLpJc_0_NkE1AbMTCWJdBrEqIqoPlZ-PfhivZIcIZjKrPWZ7uK-Fc-cqDlrKpkeFnzgA618ALw2akhza_MxdWRHcHOt2vHXuOvshjCBV0KJAo7x8/s1600/301546_10150371358686163_647551162_10413371_1059977735_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_lFwogqzV634cf8G5lGUzHm_wkIOLpJc_0_NkE1AbMTCWJdBrEqIqoPlZ-PfhivZIcIZjKrPWZ7uK-Fc-cqDlrKpkeFnzgA618ALw2akhza_MxdWRHcHOt2vHXuOvshjCBV0KJAo7x8/s200/301546_10150371358686163_647551162_10413371_1059977735_n.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6D7yawZwwGh-04HUWN4R1IIq_jDFumQcdiprnFdC0wXdnfKmNUv0EwhBVUQJnTbLJ_4agHGvxUD32fgH9lqgi6AQZLUZPj7gECMhs-Z2YxWaHjFV6CVNr6bJutf_ji7A_kKkyx14DmQc/s1600/293573_10150371358221163_647551162_10413360_631982740_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6D7yawZwwGh-04HUWN4R1IIq_jDFumQcdiprnFdC0wXdnfKmNUv0EwhBVUQJnTbLJ_4agHGvxUD32fgH9lqgi6AQZLUZPj7gECMhs-Z2YxWaHjFV6CVNr6bJutf_ji7A_kKkyx14DmQc/s200/293573_10150371358221163_647551162_10413360_631982740_n.jpg" width="200" /></a>My coworker recommended me this sandwich for so long, so I finally ordered <i>The Chickpea Fritter: whole wheat pita with hummus spread, stuffed with shredded carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, red cabbage, and "chickpea fritters", and all dressed with a lemony paste. </i>The sandwich tasted very Mediterranean or Israeli-influenced. My best friend ordered the <i>The Egg and Eggplant: nicely seasoned eggplant (</i>and we all know how hard it is to cook eggplant<i>) with cucumber-tomato salad, and a hard-boiled egg all in a hummus-spread whole wheat pita bread. </i>And while we were waiting for our names to be called, the employees were handing out free sample plates of their <i>Rosemary French Fries. </i>So these weren't just any regular fries; seasoned with the rosemary, the flavor was mildly earthy. And I've noticed an interested trend with these food trucks: they experiment a lot with their lemonades! For that afternoon, I had a nice cold cup of <i>Blueberry Lemonade</i> which I have never ever heard of before. My friend had a <i>Hibiscus Iced Tea.</i> And I must say, that was the best I've ever had because there was a strong distinctive hibiscus flavor. That meal was probably the epitome of what they call a satisfying meal. I was full but not overpoweringly stuffed. Also considering how health-conscious the food is, I felt like I could've been losing weight while eating. If I could have access to that kind of food for every meal everyday, I wouldn't mind being a vegetarian at all. Now to wrap this post up, I would like to just talk about how unique this Clover "food lab" is. If you go on their website, like most, there's an about section as well as a nutritional section. If you read their posts, the way they test and trial their meals sounds exactly like what scientists do in their labs. For example, their method of making rosemary french fries has been though through so seemingly strenuously. First off, the clover chefs consider the width and length of the cut of the potato strips. They try to use a minimal amount of oil and a perfect medium of heat to fry their fries nice and crispy. So all combined, they create the typical fries everyone loves to enjoy! They even have a bar graph measuring the fat content of their french fries compared to other fast-food chain restaurants. So as soon as you look at that dry-erase board menu on their truck, you can trust that you are in good hands. You are being served by people who have your best health in mind, from the initial point of ordering their produce, through the testing and creations of their meals, to the last moment they hand you your sandwich wrapped in easy foil. Follow them on twitter and Facebook to see where their truck is heading to next. Who knows, maybe you'll be the next lucky customer!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-64653915055841095212011-09-07T11:48:00.000-07:002011-09-07T11:50:43.349-07:00Home Edition<div style="text-align: justify;">Despite the fact that I rarely cook a meal for myself, I actually enjoy doing so! But when I'm at school, even though I have access to a kitchen, I rarely buy groceries because I already have a meal plan for the school's dining halls. And when I'm home, my mother fears my presence in the kitchen because to her, that means a whole mess. Even if that weren't the case, I already eat my mother's cooking so there's no need for me to cook. But this one time, I finally had the opportunity to put something small together. My mom doesn't always want to cook, especially on rainy, muggy nights. I offered to put together a salad to go along with this rotisserie chicken she bought at the local supermarket. The only way for me to acquire all the ingredients that i need, is to go grocery shopping with my mother and sneak some produce into the cart. I know, it's kind of bad but she doesn't mind it. Plus, it's not like I'm putting crazy expensive items into the cart. So to keep it simple and cheap, I made a <i>Caprese Salad</i>: fresh mozzarella on juicy tomato slices and an aromatic basil leaf (or two) on top. For the dressing, we happened to have balsamic vinaigrette in the refrigerator, so that worked perfectly! I must say, it wasn't bad; probably one of the best caprese salads I have ever put together. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjaX1uyFN8Yd8Ui4WmMkEwwWWjtlMOsDV1RnJGEWZUT-FJh6-xwBJ5R-romha3TN0VmaoG2wMtEuDpjG4eULCIpCvSEr1H0wmLS3DJTbjMetbhaD0-6_cG4O0o3oBGEWzwyxSbXr62R0/s1600/IMG_2178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjaX1uyFN8Yd8Ui4WmMkEwwWWjtlMOsDV1RnJGEWZUT-FJh6-xwBJ5R-romha3TN0VmaoG2wMtEuDpjG4eULCIpCvSEr1H0wmLS3DJTbjMetbhaD0-6_cG4O0o3oBGEWzwyxSbXr62R0/s400/IMG_2178.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBMevXq_1at4ri-MC-fmV6lkoCnEVJxrI7YPWrLxqMb1CdlUx2iCC5Fr6stadQW_Y-HqqlAPgKeepHda4_XQOKBYqbJOEEvG1LO6j9L0x6cnxF0C6CwBLDdbMKm30Zf4Go6GkU9mdHBg/s1600/IMG_2180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBMevXq_1at4ri-MC-fmV6lkoCnEVJxrI7YPWrLxqMb1CdlUx2iCC5Fr6stadQW_Y-HqqlAPgKeepHda4_XQOKBYqbJOEEvG1LO6j9L0x6cnxF0C6CwBLDdbMKm30Zf4Go6GkU9mdHBg/s400/IMG_2180.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8GhPcgGl3wrI_Ja1adcKpX8Dp8AFCiWuI5_SvHeW7zJfKDroyNRKvYD8o0kT6Q1BJAJRkvRL86jFoWF-XltOMjf-SoYDueaZeFIIROTAXG4XjaihmtSOJndr4uTdXDlVGSm5DLeKB8M/s1600/IMG_2184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8GhPcgGl3wrI_Ja1adcKpX8Dp8AFCiWuI5_SvHeW7zJfKDroyNRKvYD8o0kT6Q1BJAJRkvRL86jFoWF-XltOMjf-SoYDueaZeFIIROTAXG4XjaihmtSOJndr4uTdXDlVGSm5DLeKB8M/s640/IMG_2184.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8GhPcgGl3wrI_Ja1adcKpX8Dp8AFCiWuI5_SvHeW7zJfKDroyNRKvYD8o0kT6Q1BJAJRkvRL86jFoWF-XltOMjf-SoYDueaZeFIIROTAXG4XjaihmtSOJndr4uTdXDlVGSm5DLeKB8M/s1600/IMG_2184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">But it didn't just end there. There was plenty of ingredients left for me to toss the salad together again. But I wanted to switch it up a bit. My mother also happened to buy an italian baguette. So I made myself a fresh caprese sandwich for lunch. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of my sandwich but I can promise you, it was the perfect light sandwich for lunch! I guess even for a "broke-college student" like me, you can still cook something quick, simple, and cheap while still keeping it sophisticated!</span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Just down the street from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is a purple and green froyo shop called Wooberry Yogurt. Just like other froyo shops, it upholds the same guidelines. You get in line, pick your flavor of froyo, and choose your toppings! But it's a little different here. If you follow them on Facebook and Twitter, you'll notice that they actually rotate their flavors almost everyday. For example, today's flavors are Original, Chocolate, Passion Fruit, and Peanut Butter. Considering the complications and the financial strain acquiring another frozen yogurt machine would have, it's a great way to let people try out new things. But here's the best part: the way they add your toppings. Some froyo places manage their toppings differently. For one fixed price, some allow you to pick as many toppings as you'd like but they partition them to fit the cup. Others charge you additional for each topping you choose. At Wooberry, they charge you for each additional topping but they give you heaping scoops. Never will the word "stinginess" come across your mind there because they are extremely generous with their toppings. I was one happy customer with my small original froyo with creamy cheesecake bites, crunchy smores bites, and drizzle of honey. And if you're there with a group of friends socializing around their white tables, go ahead and pick a board game. That's right, just around the corner are board games for you to take out and play a good round with some friends. Who doesn't love board games? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ogjvSUZMNck4KdJQDuSMelsihEJwrUPf4n0wUSz8Si-c5F70wtyIRWPh6GqIo4ANXZC-X6pP9MQi5fyVEnqf1EbkxyQwZPq4NJ8aJGW6qAEeZqj3k2XojJerxaLgcwyC95wEc2kJK7A/s1600/wooberryLQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ogjvSUZMNck4KdJQDuSMelsihEJwrUPf4n0wUSz8Si-c5F70wtyIRWPh6GqIo4ANXZC-X6pP9MQi5fyVEnqf1EbkxyQwZPq4NJ8aJGW6qAEeZqj3k2XojJerxaLgcwyC95wEc2kJK7A/s640/wooberryLQ.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">) ( (Photo Credit: atranphoto.com, see below)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It seems like Wooberry is going to be the next spot to hit up for many people in the college area. The line was long but it was definitely worth every scoop. This only forces me to reorder my list of favorite frozen yogurt places. Though Wooberry takes second place after Pinkberry being first, if one ever opens up in the Boston area, I may have to reconsider. What's your favorite frozen yogurt shop?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mention: I have to give mucho photo credits to my family friend Alexander Tran. It wasn't too long ago that he gained a new interest in photography and from his creativity, harnessing the ability to take incredible shots came naturally to him. He goes to WPI and was offered an opportunity to do a photoshoot for Wooberry. These are the shots he has taken so far of the store, but there will be more to come. But definitely take the time to visit his photography site <a href="http://www.atranphoto.com/">http://www.atranphoto.com/</a> because his photos are unique, from levitation to twists on everyday stills. You have to take a look!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-60291825878488254572011-08-30T10:35:00.000-07:002011-08-30T12:13:29.344-07:00Simple Here and There<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkOKa2-9Ana7mbv1Ttzq3HmhGM5u8-wn7GadtvIY4SijCR5jyts3bUFM5CYVQGlMX_E44E4YNuNC83WJT5a70uablYVwgtOyzot_hcuZl8aHVvuRgKeZd3Da0jO9XwefIMoh8ohBN-SWw/s1600/IMG_2190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkOKa2-9Ana7mbv1Ttzq3HmhGM5u8-wn7GadtvIY4SijCR5jyts3bUFM5CYVQGlMX_E44E4YNuNC83WJT5a70uablYVwgtOyzot_hcuZl8aHVvuRgKeZd3Da0jO9XwefIMoh8ohBN-SWw/s400/IMG_2190.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>So all of my friends have either moved back into their college dorms, finished their internships, or stopped working before the upcoming Fall academic year. I, on the other hand, am still working at my internship at Likeable Media until the end of this Friday. So at a 9 to 5 job, it's typical to take my lunch break at noon and since it's at a great location surrounded by plenty of restaurants, cafes, food trucks, and what not, I decided to meet up with a friend then. So just like I said I would, I returned to <u><a href="http://thinkingcup.com/menus.shtml">The Thinking Cup</a></u>. And just like I said I would, I finally got the <i>Affogato</i>. Just to reiterate what that is, it's essentially authentic, sweet vanilla gelato deluged in hot espresso. I have only had pure espresso once and I have to be honest, it was too bitter and bold for my taste. But with the vanilla gelato drowned in the espresso, you have a combination of contrasting ideas. The hot espresso with the cold gelato was like drinking a warm cup of hot chocolate on a frosty winter day. And then you have the sweetness counterbalancing the bitterness. It was amazing! I don't know anymore, <u>The Thinking Cup</u> could be my new favorite coffee place. If only they had one around Boston University campus. It's alright though, if I'm ever around the area I'll stop by and have a small cup of something-something!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-64136687640646494192011-08-25T11:06:00.000-07:002011-08-26T09:26:35.691-07:00The "Flour Power" House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtCa4wdh-1OUi2AfqdPIGxd5d70OgYzkNUqQ49yklCTOJ9in_kKTGtlbN8i3tuP1QHRYyGg4m8z4rFpmejq11iEPdpbyEspfDWUAEmo4mAj8cmXgpIso_jK-rspfzJXfW2GoYdT7D9ZA/s1600/IMG_2161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtCa4wdh-1OUi2AfqdPIGxd5d70OgYzkNUqQ49yklCTOJ9in_kKTGtlbN8i3tuP1QHRYyGg4m8z4rFpmejq11iEPdpbyEspfDWUAEmo4mAj8cmXgpIso_jK-rspfzJXfW2GoYdT7D9ZA/s320/IMG_2161.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This post will be a long one because I have to try to do this bakery justice. During my high school years, I used to come home and watch Food Network just to see chefs cook their five-star meals and basically drool. As soon as it hit maybe around 6PM, Food Network at night would kick off. One of the shows was "<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/throwdown-with-bobby-flay/sticky-buns/index.html">Throwdown with Bobby Flay</a>" where he travels the country to challenge acclaimed masters in baking, burger building, dessert making and many other culinary skills. There was one episode where he traveled to Boston to go head-to-head with Flour Bakery's owner, Joanne Chang, in a Sticky Bun challenge. And as a result of this ever-so-grueling battle, it is to no surprise that Joanne Chang came out as the champion! Poor Bobby Flay--looked like the Iron Chef had to resharpen his recipe. But ever since I watched this episode, I have always wanted to try these popular sticky buns! After settling in my college dorm and living on my own, I finally had the chance to check the bakery out!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIbtgQPbXRzWm2AMACKDdlPjARARdfRpss7AFyY04v6vLLTNVJry0f4MoSOOeTSHfafM10t7AWElRzU-0DyThDcfWwCfu3S-EcT1dQo3Zm973bGzXqpriLOkAmXZSOBF8xLwsLwBlxOo/s1600/IMG_2157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIbtgQPbXRzWm2AMACKDdlPjARARdfRpss7AFyY04v6vLLTNVJry0f4MoSOOeTSHfafM10t7AWElRzU-0DyThDcfWwCfu3S-EcT1dQo3Zm973bGzXqpriLOkAmXZSOBF8xLwsLwBlxOo/s320/IMG_2157.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For the first time, I went to the one in the South End along Washington St. since my dorm was closest to it. I've been to that location three times; clearly it's a guilty pleasure. And just two days ago, I went to the one at Fort Point Channel for the first time since it's close to work. Both places: equally friendly, equally adorable. I'll talk about the Fort Point one. First off, there's an outside seating area which was perfect for the sunny day I went during. Go through that glass door and step into a dream store. While you're in line, there's a lot to see on the way. Let's just talk about how much I loved the design. The furnishing was simple: dark floor, light walls and ceiling with great lighting, some clean wooden tables, and some shiny metal bar-tables. But the detailing was what brought the place together. You will notice the chalk board listing the bakery's selection of sandwiches and salads, varying teas hot and iced, with breakfast choices on one side and daily specials on the other all adorned with cute little doodles. (This is random but that chalkboard was so clean. I notice this stuff.) Their attempt to be as friendly to different eating habits is so considerate. For example, "nf" stands for nut-free for those allergic to nuts and "v" stands for vegetarian and there were much more. As you continue along, there's another chalkboard with a "Quote of the Day" written on it with the weather forecast. Thanks for the inspiration! Then you'll finally hit the spot that you've been waiting for. It is sweet treats galore! I swear Joanne Chang bakes like everything. There's home-made oreos, raspberry crumb bars, ginger molasses cookies, ooey-gooey caramel nut tart, and of course, sticky buns! When it was my turn to order, I had to tell the girl to just surprise me with whatever because there was so much to choose from.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYfb2SrAytmYHRLoL3u2ajSv0hJXeyhHTGqIBc7TECcjl_r_QRoeONU9JyHl0mTyC6GgwSLq9YPRyQ1OFU3z_QW_415HjOI-N2tM9GIRyrNmzvztzCb_3WW8RWB6r_yC6tOsexccTOkgE/s1600/IMG_2158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYfb2SrAytmYHRLoL3u2ajSv0hJXeyhHTGqIBc7TECcjl_r_QRoeONU9JyHl0mTyC6GgwSLq9YPRyQ1OFU3z_QW_415HjOI-N2tM9GIRyrNmzvztzCb_3WW8RWB6r_yC6tOsexccTOkgE/s400/IMG_2158.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="300" /></a></div>There were two things that set this bakery apart from others. The pastries were in organized chaos formation. They didn't have some fancy display where each good is placed neatly behind the other. I liked how their baked goods were neatly placed in no order, with some cake risers for the tarts, and some baskets for muffins and what not. And instead of your typical printed label, you have name tags sticking out of the containers. It made it seem like there were a ton more to choose from and it was just so much more jovial. Second of all, in most bakeries, all of the action is behind the scenes so you don't see how things are made. Here, it is all visible from the time the pastries are in its doughy state to the moment they come out of the oven fresh and warm. Plus, there's an up side to having your bakery open for people to view. If people notice fresh goods coming out of the oven, they can request those instead of the ones sitting on the display. It makes them happier as customers and it gives the business a great reputation. Together combined, it felt exactly what a bakery should feel like.<br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDB9UU7iOjI9A6p3tZnRs3F0CVwLUNincJPok0uigF3A2fw6EkTMLtWoSoIfyLWOqvpEPO0RMksC_-gxwbqhUw9i3QcMSOs6l3GdaQTH_2Uen0wigYrOi5ErJr5M1_INmI95tSrRkNu4/s1600/IMG_2159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDB9UU7iOjI9A6p3tZnRs3F0CVwLUNincJPok0uigF3A2fw6EkTMLtWoSoIfyLWOqvpEPO0RMksC_-gxwbqhUw9i3QcMSOs6l3GdaQTH_2Uen0wigYrOi5ErJr5M1_INmI95tSrRkNu4/s320/IMG_2159.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>So you must be wondering, what did I order? It was lunch time, so i decided to go for a full meal. I wanted to save room for my pastry as well, so I decided to order a half-sandwich of the <i>Roasted Lamb with tomato chutney and goat cheese.</i> The lamb slices were perfectly roasted with a little pink color in the center and it worked so well with the chutney. The chutney had a sweetness that was almost close to the sweetness of chutney made with fruit. With that, I originally wanted the peppermint tea but I guess they didn't have it, so the worker recommended the <i>Moroccan Mint Ice Tea </i>which was so refreshing. I would love to figure out the recipe to it and make a batch of it for a party or something because it's such a great Summer beverage. And lastly and certainly never least was my dessert. I wanted something I haven't tried before, but I didn't know which to choose. So I just told the girl taking my order to recommend something to me. We both agreed that nutella is probably the best spread that exists out there, so she gave me a <i>Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie </i>in a basket. It's pretty straightforward if you ask me: milk chocolate and crunchy hazelnuts. I'm just going to stop there before I start to crave a whole bunch.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbc6lOmWcNVm8wvWn4zXVbzEUxE-7ph4M1t3NHDvdJv7xarTqF7cVe6cKnLsO80XtFChDz4mqwao7ZhyphenhyphenaCHu2MUGzRm65aggi7XAplhq9yE2s1oi-oVOdGWdZpn5JiqQOO_gvES5v0N5Y/s1600/IMG_2160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbc6lOmWcNVm8wvWn4zXVbzEUxE-7ph4M1t3NHDvdJv7xarTqF7cVe6cKnLsO80XtFChDz4mqwao7ZhyphenhyphenaCHu2MUGzRm65aggi7XAplhq9yE2s1oi-oVOdGWdZpn5JiqQOO_gvES5v0N5Y/s400/IMG_2160.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-sUsYiECCDjlSXfOogC09V8GTWDwViCwOpn7-iglUe2dyDTSdgr6tsQCIOzdMb2XE6hfRFUhfl-WziH8p2XLuH66FqG2ARntTq1qDaeg-OMug1Y-sX3yuR03CWCGRXyrnaWoVr2HFCY/s1600/IMG_2163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-sUsYiECCDjlSXfOogC09V8GTWDwViCwOpn7-iglUe2dyDTSdgr6tsQCIOzdMb2XE6hfRFUhfl-WziH8p2XLuH66FqG2ARntTq1qDaeg-OMug1Y-sX3yuR03CWCGRXyrnaWoVr2HFCY/s400/IMG_2163.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Here's a funny story: I work not too far from Dewey Square in the financial district. Sometimes, they have a farmer's market going on. One day, there was a Flour Bakery stand and Joanne Chang was sitting underneath it promoting her cook book. I was pretty excited, actually maybe a little too much. I asked if I could take a picture with her and she was so cool about it. I was slightly awkward and I think a bit overbearing because she looked a little nervous and overwhelmed. I wonder if she remembers that. Sorry Joanne!<br />
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I think Flour Bakery understood the idea of an ideal bakery and added its own flavor for uniqueness. I've been telling my friends a lot about this place and they all really want to go. The atmosphere is just so amiable: friendly staff and sociable people. It's really the perfect place to sit back, relax, and enjoy company, all with a cookie in your hand of course. Their concept is to promote the "pure pleasure that mouth-watering pastries and foods and warm hospitality can bring into your life" and I think they do a phenomenal job of doing so. Everything about it is just so authentic and real to the human experience. No matter how much I like other cafes, I still consider <a href="http://flourbakery.com/">Flour Bakery</a> my favorite. Actually, maybe the next time I decide to go, I'll check out the one in Central Square so I can say I went to all three. So how about you guys? What are you going to get when you go to Flour Bakery?</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"></span><br />
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</span></span></div></div></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-84583206908581280972011-08-22T08:50:00.000-07:002011-08-22T08:50:36.109-07:00The Bald Man Knows Chocolate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhofvAfHQ_2IpdTra5IpY3czfY-F2JFsiYTU1mzHyUZG2kDqHhYuxM-KTunJ5v1PHZJ5QJ1-Rob5eK3yJdg3CzHcNq6erM1kZnGSap5O8A7qOh55eJcLvVbj2qnnvA4fPlFuEoFANub8/s1600/IMG_1143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhofvAfHQ_2IpdTra5IpY3czfY-F2JFsiYTU1mzHyUZG2kDqHhYuxM-KTunJ5v1PHZJ5QJ1-Rob5eK3yJdg3CzHcNq6erM1kZnGSap5O8A7qOh55eJcLvVbj2qnnvA4fPlFuEoFANub8/s400/IMG_1143.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><b>Unfortunately for sugar gluttons, it's just standard to eat the appetizer, entree, then the dessert. Well, in my utopian world, things are a little different. Dessert isn't just last, it's also first. And if you're really in the mood for pure sweetness, why not have some delightful truffles as an appetizer, a fruit-filled crepe as an entree, and then a big piece of red velvet cheesecake for dessert. Oh I forgot to add: health wouldn't be an issue in my society. Don't we all wish?</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RRFOw-jmBeTa8kCl1fixcIjmxEEtFwvXZ1C44OVQft-OuhOx-2To-RqL4HfTOKDxFWdWJCoxcR5twsFv7RoXlgwIbZHs-upoVGniubWJ4VeNIJVeyd_gf_PDPlmcB8d3HqJ4Jsv7aCs/s1600/IMG_0655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RRFOw-jmBeTa8kCl1fixcIjmxEEtFwvXZ1C44OVQft-OuhOx-2To-RqL4HfTOKDxFWdWJCoxcR5twsFv7RoXlgwIbZHs-upoVGniubWJ4VeNIJVeyd_gf_PDPlmcB8d3HqJ4Jsv7aCs/s320/IMG_0655.jpg" width="240" /></b></a></div><b>It seems like "The Bald Man" has already gotten a head-start on this idea. </b><u><b>Max Brenner</b></u><b> is a chain restaurant founded in 1996 in Israel, specializing in chocolatey concoctions and dishes. But you could still order your juicy burger and fresh salads to keep a real meal. The venue is barely lit, just enough to see your fellow peers. But its design is almost playful while still keeping its sophistication. It actually reminds me of "Willy Wonka the Chocolate Factory" but with class. Not only is it a restaurant, but it also has a store on the side where you could buy Max Brenner novelties, from its specialized cups to T-shirts. Better yet, you can purchase bonbons! So even when you come in for a night out and you have to wait a bit for a table, you can always look at all the chocolate in the store. I'll tell you now though, your mouth will water. It's a form of mild torture. </b><br />
<b>One night, my family friends and I decided to hit the Boston nightlife and treat ourselves to some good dessert. The first thing that popped up in my head was Max Brenner. It was a Wednesday night, so luckily our wait wasn't too long. As always, our waitress took our beverage order. My friends ordered water, but I ordered a glass of milk. I don't know what it is, but Max Brenner has some pretty bomb milk. But it wasn't poured into your average glass cup. Max Brenner has a cup which they call the "alice cup" which is a tall, white glass. The straw is metal so that your drink stays as cold as it can be from the bottom of the glass until it reaches your mouth. It may not sound like a big deal, but when you're eating heavy chocolate, it makes a huge difference. So do exactly what is says: "Drink Me"!</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1TOVr6ayy3MV3ZbWGMYovKkgpp7iSVg0TtBu-Rra1b5xLri5sfyTM5K1XwkrD3hjZhwIdyVwQU-VoQph4vXgaWM7MP-G6-D0CoaxfI6jyWHudPGesNJUv3GAMMskhWIRY6CayaXotg1E/s1600/IMG_0652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1TOVr6ayy3MV3ZbWGMYovKkgpp7iSVg0TtBu-Rra1b5xLri5sfyTM5K1XwkrD3hjZhwIdyVwQU-VoQph4vXgaWM7MP-G6-D0CoaxfI6jyWHudPGesNJUv3GAMMskhWIRY6CayaXotg1E/s640/IMG_0652.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><b>For our meal, we each ordered something different. I got the </b><i><b>"Max-Wich"-- chocolate cookie sandwich with chocolate ice cream and chocolate ganache all over. </b></i><b>I don't think I have ever eaten anything so chocolatey in my life. I'm not the biggest fan of chocolate ice cream, but when it is sandwiched between cookies, I just love it. I had to use a fork and knife to eat my ice cream sandwich because it was pretty much impossible to pick up and bite off a chunk. My sister ordered their infamous </b><i><b>Chocolate Pizza with chocolate spread, marshmallows, hazelnut bits, and banana slices.</b></i><b> I liked this better than what I got! Every bite adds more chocolate around the edges of your mouth, and I loved the crunchy hazelnuts. This was actually a great dessert to pair up with milk. My friend ordered the </b><i><b>Chocolate Cake Heart Truffle with a side of vanilla ice cream, a mini shake, and a filter of pure chocolate syrup. </b></i><b>This was different because the dessert was split into three different elements. You have the shake which is obviously a liquid form of chocolate. You then have the cake itself with melted chocolate lava flowing out. And a cold vanilla ice cream scoop to go along side it. And if that's not enough chocolate for you, just drizzle some extra syrup all over everything! </b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1TOVr6ayy3MV3ZbWGMYovKkgpp7iSVg0TtBu-Rra1b5xLri5sfyTM5K1XwkrD3hjZhwIdyVwQU-VoQph4vXgaWM7MP-G6-D0CoaxfI6jyWHudPGesNJUv3GAMMskhWIRY6CayaXotg1E/s1600/IMG_0652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b></b></a></div><b>Ever since my first appearance, I have returned three more times ordering something different each time. I ordered the </b><i><b>Fondue for Two (European style). </b></i><b>We chose dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and caramel. The order came with strawberries, bananas, toffee chunks, brownie chunks, and marshmallows. And for a little bit of a camp-fire feel, they put a blue open-flame cauldron for you to melt your marshmallows! I have to say, the fondue for two is cute order for couples going out for a date at night in the city. Chocolate is all I ever need and if I could, I would come to Max Brenner every night. We'll see what I get the next time I go!</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHhqBITpZ6s98KP6eUmqM7vv6JxQx2nYd90VtA0oKw096dsyd0t85osmMcLTtJF882KB0LKdPJHVCVNtz7459IZFuDKBeHlp1EX9EVRlCL4gHsBRrwGuu9RW7NBhmlA9MrsBWmeZKUm4/s1600/IMG_1159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHhqBITpZ6s98KP6eUmqM7vv6JxQx2nYd90VtA0oKw096dsyd0t85osmMcLTtJF882KB0LKdPJHVCVNtz7459IZFuDKBeHlp1EX9EVRlCL4gHsBRrwGuu9RW7NBhmlA9MrsBWmeZKUm4/s640/IMG_1159.JPG" width="640" /></b></a></div><b><br />
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</span></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-9225538180168896392011-08-16T13:46:00.000-07:002011-08-16T13:47:08.838-07:00Thinking "Stumptown Coffee"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYL2-p1fG0NIvytAXMVX1yTjf0R-0zwJrZ99-VQT9O4i7aUWs1vebTR83vGOZsRd30i9qhT8am1O7MRlznJ_Da89jeS8XwMIqcWrVAIqCf0yrsP6W55IhnKj0uGP9PpS6Pl-oG6baQtc/s1600/IMG_2028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYL2-p1fG0NIvytAXMVX1yTjf0R-0zwJrZ99-VQT9O4i7aUWs1vebTR83vGOZsRd30i9qhT8am1O7MRlznJ_Da89jeS8XwMIqcWrVAIqCf0yrsP6W55IhnKj0uGP9PpS6Pl-oG6baQtc/s320/IMG_2028.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>As some may know, you could never predict Boston weather. Unfortunately, the weather's wheel of fortune landed on a rainy note. A chilly, wet day could only result in a warm cup of coffee. My next cafe adventure takes me to one of Boston's historical spots: the Commons. Alongside is the Loew's Theatre and several places to grub, one of which is the <u><a href="http://thinkingcup.com/about.shtml">Thinking Cup</a></u> just a few steps away. I learned that it is Boston's first cafe that brews "Stumptown Coffee". Stumptown, tracing its roots back to Portland Oregon, was named "Best Coffee in the World" by notable media outlets. I must admit: there was a distinct taste to the coffee there. Not only that, but the atmosphere itself was noticeably different the second you step through those doors.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9R8pxkRCPrThkgt7Kt2PABp-SJIZgHrZnM56HLEcBDvwKD0oVDSMVaIjau-ThmwII2OQzHkr2oP8fXeY12jODNzKH2fPoLxkVUFqAcYcpc87VmTf80ac-L8Gz9stIwIaaO_B7Viwxh4/s1600/IMG_2027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9R8pxkRCPrThkgt7Kt2PABp-SJIZgHrZnM56HLEcBDvwKD0oVDSMVaIjau-ThmwII2OQzHkr2oP8fXeY12jODNzKH2fPoLxkVUFqAcYcpc87VmTf80ac-L8Gz9stIwIaaO_B7Viwxh4/s320/IMG_2027.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The cafe wasn't exactly traditional; it was reminiscent of the past. The room was dimly lit; in some spots, it looked like light emitting from a fireplace. The wooden furniture and brick walls gave the room a warm tone. Basically, it almost felt like I was in a cabin (especially when I looked outside, and all I saw was a rainy jungle of a city). Each table had an old newspaper article pressed on top with a glass covering. I thought it was pretty cool! And addition to all that, you had the usual chalkboard menus and pastry presentations. When it came to the beverages, they had the classics: hot coffee, cappuccinos, macchiatos, and lattes. There were two things on the menu that caught my eye though. One was the <i>Affogato,</i> which is normally a scoop of vanilla gelato/ice cream and "drowned" in a hot espresso. The other was <i>Hazelnut Latte</i> and that was what I decided to order, only because hazelnut is my favorite nutty flavor. The pastries here were what impressed me. They had your usual pastries and baked goods, but they also had cannolis, mini-cupcakes, brioche, and even cheesecakes and mousse cakes. From just looking at the way they were garnished, decorated, and presented, I was already salivating. So I decided to go simple and order a mini-cupcake. When the barista asked me what flavor I wanted, I just said "Surprise me!" to keep me on my toes. From what I could taste, it was your simple vanilla cupcake. Needless to say, I fell in love with the coffee art. I must say, props to the guy who made the near-perfect shaped heart on my latte!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3V6YgpA9ysAr3K14yq4HsEwUJYpePMKLi5rVAfD0KEs-fCpphU47VJLO5D8ZTrEPmv_bw2Q88a2bSrwHFY9-j4Fhu-9cdYaXk0jaUfljixqNVH_7-wgd5Nw16twmVGn9NIAg5SzOhjdw/s1600/IMG_2031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3V6YgpA9ysAr3K14yq4HsEwUJYpePMKLi5rVAfD0KEs-fCpphU47VJLO5D8ZTrEPmv_bw2Q88a2bSrwHFY9-j4Fhu-9cdYaXk0jaUfljixqNVH_7-wgd5Nw16twmVGn9NIAg5SzOhjdw/s640/IMG_2031.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>So my best friend, just as much of a lover of cafes, accompanied me on my mini travel. She ordered a cappuccino, but as a side she got a M<i>ousse Cake</i>. Words will never justify how creamy and chocolatey this dessert was. Not only was it delicious, but it was full of surprises. I think it put me in a state of sweet delirium. Presentation wise, the cake was naturally brown and adorned with shiny gold. This small cake looked like it belonged in a gourmet 5-star restaurant. Each bite around the edges of the round goodie was better than the last. And each piece taken out revealed a column of golden cream. My friend then dug her fork to savor her next bite and then probably the best thing happened on my side of the cake. A small waterfall of caramel oozes out, trickles down the cake, and slowly osmoses throughout the plate. Pure chocolate ganache over chocolate mousse, golden goodness, and good old caramel: I was one happy camper! I vow to return to The Thinking Cup Cafe probably after I complete this post. I already know what I'm going to order: affogato and brioche.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-19108476005744920052011-08-14T15:51:00.000-07:002011-08-14T15:54:12.207-07:00The Breakfast ClubOn day one of my vacation in Cancun, we jump-started our all-inclusive deal by going to a breakfast buffet in <u>La Casona</u>. The restaurant-scape reminded me of a vineyard of some sort. Just a clean white table cloth with white plates, a wine-glass for water and a small basket with four little, adorable jars of Smucker's jam. For the meal, there was such a vast array of selections, from your everyday scrambled eggs to something more cultural: Mexican chorizo! There was an open grill in the middle of the spread of cuisine where you could request a fresh omelette filled with whatever was available. There was so much food, let's just say that stuffing yourself was the only option.<br />
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Now, I'm not sure if it's something everyone does or if it's just between me and my cousins, but there is this "game", if you will, that we play when we are at a buffet of any kind. Here's the breakdown:<br />
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<b>Create a Plate</b><br />
<i>Goal: </i>To create the most original and beautiful dish using whatever the buffet has to offer.<br />
<i>Rules:</i> To venture out to the buffet, grab whatever there is, and use your creative mind. Simply speaking, do whatever you want.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1-8uqYZWineI6hMR3bWYtXCI7mcbEQvndJOh-a9rLySH9MBes0z4W_073AgBJl-c845hYKoozuwjf0HiJ_3eqwoQ-xYl52vxvL8Q8iv21pogDoZRMQZXsV9QPvDKTJEWaIaR92UtZZyY/s1600/IMG_1667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1-8uqYZWineI6hMR3bWYtXCI7mcbEQvndJOh-a9rLySH9MBes0z4W_073AgBJl-c845hYKoozuwjf0HiJ_3eqwoQ-xYl52vxvL8Q8iv21pogDoZRMQZXsV9QPvDKTJEWaIaR92UtZZyY/s640/IMG_1667.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Call us weird, call us spontaneous, but it's actually pretty fun! I decided to roll around the sweet side of things. I grabbed a mini, flaky bun and cut it in half. I then sandwiched it with some luscious nutella. To finish it off, I drizzled a good spoonful of sweet condensed milk and sprinkled crunchy hazelnut bits on top. And because I simply love croissants, I put one besides my dessert. Did I win? We never know, but everyone's a winner to me in this game. Plus, does it matter? We all devour our creations at the end anyways! And after eating my delicious dessert, I had to down it with--yup, you're right--cold milk! My favorite!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCNIs5Ru3ashfbHzykLpXnLGNaNM4vEftAA1hBV8ehynvNxzxk_YbAMh3pe_Ei6uhJX5SQ_PrvSKk-_B5zvnEsd8XI18Guyw77A7ASetdx91iUeUArdB0y2Or2v8BFRhO4_nsqLD60fs/s1600/IMG_1668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCNIs5Ru3ashfbHzykLpXnLGNaNM4vEftAA1hBV8ehynvNxzxk_YbAMh3pe_Ei6uhJX5SQ_PrvSKk-_B5zvnEsd8XI18Guyw77A7ASetdx91iUeUArdB0y2Or2v8BFRhO4_nsqLD60fs/s640/IMG_1668.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-39657479390278759992011-08-05T07:44:00.000-07:002011-08-05T07:52:29.438-07:00Ben and Jerrys: LIFESAVER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2BnJm6yOZFdZk5-6_7Tk9JyRtxsv8Kto69ZFUM1G-CsuAwmkptSkgZDkJKJ8mW0B1JTexgD7aJcG8R2vHEhKhxZ_cwNnPGgXk3gBJooe8snbznrnVozzvSv7tVtZlc79TwpWQhWPSTo/s1600/IMG_1555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2BnJm6yOZFdZk5-6_7Tk9JyRtxsv8Kto69ZFUM1G-CsuAwmkptSkgZDkJKJ8mW0B1JTexgD7aJcG8R2vHEhKhxZ_cwNnPGgXk3gBJooe8snbznrnVozzvSv7tVtZlc79TwpWQhWPSTo/s320/IMG_1555.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>I cannot stress enough how much of a sweet-tooth I have. I could probably devour a stack of pancakes deluged in maple syrup, eat one or two chocolate bars as a simple dessert after lunch, and assemble a tall post-dinner sundae with everything including the cherry on top. (Not to mention the small bits of sweets I sneakily inhale between meals.) The whole point is that when there is an opportunity to eat something with sugar, I'm all for it. So recently, the Ben and Jerrys ice cream truck has been touring around cities and giving out free samples of ice cream. <a href="http://www.benjerry.com/flavors/feature/2011-truck-tour/">Check to see if you're city is part of the tour!</a> Fortunately, Boston is one of these cities and they have been and will be touring throughout the month of August. How do you get yourself some good ice cream? Well, here's a hint:<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 15px;"><a class="tweet-screen-name user-profile-link" data-user-id="63792724" href="http://twitter.com/#!/MrNifty246" style="color: rgb(0, 64, 255) !important; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Christopher Nguyen">MrNifty246</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 15px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="tweet-full-name" style="color: #999999; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Christopher Nguyen</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 15px;"> </span><br />
<div class="tweet-row" style="color: #444444; display: block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="tweet-corner" style="display: inline-block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="tweet-meta" style="color: #999999; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="icons" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span><br />
<span class="icons" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span><br />
<span class="icons" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span><br />
<span class="icons" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span><br />
<span class="icons" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="extra-icons" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 2px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; right: 5px; top: 0px;"><span class="inlinemedia-icons" style="display: inline-block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 2px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span></div></span></div></div></div><div class="tweet-row" style="color: #444444; display: block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="tweet-text pretty-link" style="font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">A boy with a huge sweet tooth definitely wants the <a class=" twitter-atreply" data-screen-name="benjerrystruck" href="http://twitter.com/benjerrystruck" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0040ff; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;"><span class="at" style="display: inline-block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 0.5; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">@</span><span class="at-text" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">benjerrystruck</span></a>to come to <a class=" twitter-hashtag" href="http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23Likeable" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0040ff; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;" title="#Likeable"><span class="hash" style="display: inline-block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 0.7; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">#</span><span class="hash-text" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Likeable</span></a> cause I'd eat everything in there <span class="hash" style="display: inline-block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 0.7; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class=" twitter-hashtag" href="http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23OMGFREEBenJerrys" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0040ff; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;" title="#OMGFREEBenJerrys">#</a></span><span class="hash-text" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class=" twitter-hashtag" href="http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23OMGFREEBenJerrys" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0040ff; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;" title="#OMGFREEBenJerrys">OMGFREEBenJerrys</a></span></div><div class="tweet-text pretty-link" style="font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><br />
</div><div class="tweet-text pretty-link" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's right! All you have to do is follow @benjerrystruck on twitter and tell them where you think they should go. So the entire Likeable office tweeted them an ICE CREAM TRUCK load of tweets and long and behold, they came! They gave us three different flavors: </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cookie Dough, Cherry Garcia, and my favorite Americone. </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They came in little sample cups with a mini spoon: it was too cute! Ben and Jerrys, what a smart move. It's a pretty good marketing tool: utilizing social media to accumulate more followers and also, introduce potentially new flavors. I've never tried the Americone before and after trying it, I think I'm going to buy a bigger tub next time. From the description, it is a sugary mixture of vanilla ice cream, caramel swirl, and fudge covered waffle cone pies. Does that not sound to-die-for or what? This is why we love you oh-so-much! Thank you so much for the ice cream, we all really appreciate it! COME BACK SOON! </span></span></div><div class="tweet-text pretty-link" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvF8MAlCYU2YVGSnGNJegZ8U-zZBIy-DzjJon9tBPkcgBz6GIRPCZpQm3Se3pDkeGBwUWep0dgG2kSChDRf1CDiUohlWdxYAqSBqmeUTopwssH-EQ2NUQukEdQXrqt5R48bQtrlaHAI0/s1600/29242417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvF8MAlCYU2YVGSnGNJegZ8U-zZBIy-DzjJon9tBPkcgBz6GIRPCZpQm3Se3pDkeGBwUWep0dgG2kSChDRf1CDiUohlWdxYAqSBqmeUTopwssH-EQ2NUQukEdQXrqt5R48bQtrlaHAI0/s640/29242417.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></span></span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334601454360154992.post-87805417689385625812011-08-03T10:51:00.000-07:002011-08-15T13:01:56.993-07:00Cafe L'Aroma<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOc0cFvnXUqVlWKeRSZZyVRMKml_pC1lkwDNG0A6Bnn6lU9Hq8aMA9-q10Vp7SqdkHMCgoxQRqA704wS4_6sYFYjB805gwiM5u6jMMVUskGSIH-o8V4Da47zU7Gr08i29mH_BbyEk24IM/s1600/IMG_1524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOc0cFvnXUqVlWKeRSZZyVRMKml_pC1lkwDNG0A6Bnn6lU9Hq8aMA9-q10Vp7SqdkHMCgoxQRqA704wS4_6sYFYjB805gwiM5u6jMMVUskGSIH-o8V4Da47zU7Gr08i29mH_BbyEk24IM/s400/IMG_1524.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>My cafe adventure continued along the most fashionable street in Boston, the center for shopaholics and city strollers. Newbury Street is known for its vast array of shopping stores, boutiques, and gourmet restaurants. It could be an intimidating street after seeing all of the brand name bags and the high-end yuppies dining outdoors. But that's not to say that there are't any affordable places. If you continue down, near second-to-last block, next to Marc Jacobs is a cafe called <u>Cafe L'Aroma</u>. This was the first time I've ever encountered it and I had to try it! The decor and atmosphere felt very Italian; it was definitely a classier cafe. The minute you walk in, a quick observation of the typical decor, the warm woody colors, the menu suggested a European-style eatery. I was very ecstatic to find out that they poured their drinks into actual mugs. Not a lot of places do this regardless of whether or not you order your coffee "for here" or "to go" but if you get it "for here", they put it in a coffee cup. The cafe offered your usual differently brewed coffees, espressos, and pastries. But they also have different flavors of italian soda. Definitely a nice spritzy beverage for a sunny day.<br />
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This time around, I ordered a <i>single espresso macchiato. </i>The espresso came in a smaller glass, almost as petite as a shot glass. But don't let the size fool you; it surely packed a full punch!<i> </i>I thought their espresso was pretty bold compared to other cafes but it definitely kept me awake for the rest of the day. My friend ordered a <i>tomato and cheese quiche with a hibiscus iced tea. </i>For those who aren't so flower-savvy, hibiscus is a fairly large, bright pink flower. The hibiscus iced tea was very refreshing; the barista said there was ginger in it too. At first, this made me a bit reluctant because ginger has a tendency to be overpowering. But this wasn't the case at all. Just a small hint of ginger with the sweetness of the tea itself was perfect. The cafe overall was pretty cute; I'd definitely come back while shopping a bit. <a href="http://www.laromacafe.com/">Check the website here! </a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2UAJinqYCpNzwmyT7HU6u1nKY6vGeqwV2HBK71yskT8uuvoQ7-xP0WBZoUKBd25d4ZroSiStiXlVxfFMYKyZ7WM8Wo0AtmS09MbAoe4h2FLNsC3wJWHGnUSl8GE-_rSjH1zbkk-DtmY/s1600/IMG_1520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2UAJinqYCpNzwmyT7HU6u1nKY6vGeqwV2HBK71yskT8uuvoQ7-xP0WBZoUKBd25d4ZroSiStiXlVxfFMYKyZ7WM8Wo0AtmS09MbAoe4h2FLNsC3wJWHGnUSl8GE-_rSjH1zbkk-DtmY/s640/IMG_1520.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvAzYjrShhCBnEh5Yw3JXngamc0sjJYrSkf-wTV4VGctrbKm2Bs0-l7a3F8w038fzQFe_HWFB0QJEy8ZyidPtTsHoMmmUyjXrZ9O6MbsYBLrwE2ze8k5uz3teau4-sgKXBzeEZREIjVE/s1600/IMG_1521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvAzYjrShhCBnEh5Yw3JXngamc0sjJYrSkf-wTV4VGctrbKm2Bs0-l7a3F8w038fzQFe_HWFB0QJEy8ZyidPtTsHoMmmUyjXrZ9O6MbsYBLrwE2ze8k5uz3teau4-sgKXBzeEZREIjVE/s640/IMG_1521.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07153961044071051435noreply@blogger.com0