Game on

And so the festivities begin... HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

What better way to start everything off than by make cookies?

Off-to-bed butter cookies, from Epicurious

BEFORE

AFTER

Wonderfully light and not too sweet, considering that the dough consists of flour, sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt. The cane sugar on top provides a kick of molasses-y sugar and crunch... The dough I made was enough to fit onto 2 trays, both of which were done in 15 minutes. Total. My least favorite thing about baking cookies is putting anywhere from 6-8 on a tray, and waiting for around 9 minutes, for a total of 5 of 6 trays. This, on the other hand, requires that you put both trays in at the same time and rotate midway through, hence it taking 15 total minutes.

And now, moving on to the actual Thanksgiving noms... I don't think you're ready for this jelly:

Cranberry sauce!

I always include a whole satsuma tangerine rind, to add citrusy sweetness. It's setting at room temperature, and I'm hoping it'll gel a bit more by tomorrow.

OK, Thanksgiving menu to come tomorrow, with pictures, no doubt.

Get your eyes and tums ready for this feast!

Disagree.

"Let cool completely" is one of the silliest, most frustrating baking instructions ever.

Not really silly. It makes total sense. I just want to eat pumpkin pie. Now.

Home is...

kitty cats.

slipper socks.

hot tea and croissants in the morning.

miso soup with rice.

a comfy bed.

a luxurious shower.

the sound of my mom gardening.

a full refrigerator.

a list of foods to cook, bake, and eat.

Good morning, world

Spending 12 hours of my day in an airport/airplane is not exactly my idea of fun... Neither is watching the sky brighten as the sun rises.

Hi from SJC, where my flight to Phoenix (and getting a connecting flight to Pittsburgh) doesn't leave for another hour and a half.

Yay for free wifi.

Boo for the Starbucks scone that leaves a slick coating in my mouth of whatever kind of fat they use in it. Gross.

I wasn't as diligent about posting yum Thanksgiving recipes as I thought I would be... Not to fear, much to come about actual baking and cooking in the upcoming week.

Yesterday, I drove up to SF to spend time with my bros. Actually. Yoga (vinyasa flow) with my adopted bro in the morning and brunch at Bar Tartine with the biological bro (and adopted bro).

Walnut french toast... marscapone, pears, and candied walnuts. Mmm. Drizzled with maple syrup.

Timbo's hog jowl tartine. The rustic bread soaked up the fats from the jowl, turning it into fatty, soggy perfection. Fatty? Soggy? Don't sound like good descriptors... oh. But they are. I'm not much a fan of radicchio, but it added nice color and texture. Roasted baby potatoes with rosemary on the side.

And for dessert, a seasonal rice pudding. It tasted like Williams-Sonoma smells during the holiday season: like mulling spices and yum. Persimmon and pomegranates on top, with a "fall" compote beneath it (essentially cinnamon + nutmeg + stewed apple and pear--not sure about the fruits, but they were mmmmgood.)

By the time I got home that afternoon, it was about 3:30, and I was ready to start my day. I took a nap.

OK, caffeination time. I need to wake up and cheer up.

I had typed the above, but going back and talking about my day yesterday made me infinitely happier. It's also a lot brighter than when I initially began to type this post out.

Cook more! Bake more!

Why cooking is a good idea

Chicago

Hi from Chicago!

It's cold here. It's supposed to snow on Thursday, so good timing on my part.

Things I've learned about this area:

-Highest per capita concentration of cafés. That's awesome. Chai? Hot chocolate? Yes please.

-Buses stop every block.

-The closest Anthropologie is 6.5 miles away.

-The closest Trader Joe's is 7.1 miles away.

Insightful? Yes.

P.S. The tap water? It's ok.

Update @10:16pm CST-- I am baking cookies with my student hosts. WIN.

Update @10:58pm CST-- My toothbrush does me no good when it's 2000 miles away. Sigh.

Sunday Styles

NY Times Sunday Styles experienced a little differently this morning: view of the San Jose Airport runway.

Art supplies

There's something about walking into an art supply store that sort of overwhelms me. I get the itch to be artsy. I want the whole spectrum of those those wonderful markers with the brush tips to draw and write in every color imaginable. I imagine drawing and writing to my heart's content on a big pad of blank sketch paper.

But, as with almost all sets of pristine art supplies I acquire, it stays that way. Such a silly thing, that I don't want something so perfect to run out. Guess I just have to bite the bullet, be super artsy, and get over my silliness.

Food to make

I promised that I'd post recipes of yummy Thanksgiving dishes. Here are some I've spotted that are good for any time, honestly.

What better place to start than with dessert?

Fudgy brownies

Whipping half of the egg mixture is intriguing... I don't like particularly dense brownies, so this may be nice.

Noah's Silky Pumpkin Pie
I'm going to be selfish and not share the recipe. I got it from my friend Noah, and it's the BEST pie I have ever had. (If you ask really nicely perhaps I'll share...) Note: the picture comes from Thanksgiving last year.

Brussels sprouts with bacon and figs
The sign-in question for my sections this past week: what is your favorite vegetable? Potatoes. Avocado. Green beans. One out of only about 60 students put Brussels sprouts. It is one of my favorites, when done right. And, how could they be better, with bacon AND figs? My oh my. A must try.

Wild mushroom and spinach stuffing
If you're not a fan of mushrooms, perhaps ignore this. But, the recipe sounds simple and delicious, if you are.

Finally, a slideshow from the NY Times. I know, I know. I'm a NY Times nut (surprise), but it puts together a bunch of delicious photos with recipes... How could I resist. Enjoy!
The one that made my heart stop: Caramelized Apple-Pecan Cake

Good morning

Start the day out right with a civilized breakfast: butter croissant, raspberry apricot jam, earl grey tea.

I like that heating the butter croissant took a shorter amount of time than making oatmeal. Note to self.

One of these days, I will conquer the croissant recipe in my Tartine cookbook. Mmmm. So much butter :)

And finally, sorry, dear computer, for these silly buttery fingerprints I've left on your keys. I have to say, however, that this was well worth it.

Artsy fun

Every once in a while, when I'm in the mood, I'll change the header/look of the blog. Sometimes it'll be a slow change; other times, it'll be rapid.

Let me know what you think, starting with this one!

Enjoyments for the day

Paris vs New York, a tally of two cities

A blog to admire (aside from mine :)). Thanks Andy for sharing. It's succinct, pretty to look at... Enjoy!

Also, a great song and a fun video:

BEN L'ONCLE SOUL -SOULMAN- (Official Music Video) from // Videodrome on Vimeo.

Soggy

A lazy Sunday.. What better way to spend it than at a cafe? At Peet's, where the wifi is free. Now, if only I could have the Peet's internet and Coupa's hot chocolate... I'm thoroughly addicted to that stuff. (Also, Peet's serves in house orders in paper cups. Sad.)

I bought a new 2011 planner! Sad that Moleskine no longer makes hardcover weekly notebook planners... so I had to settle for either a softcover weekly notebook (18 month... what? Who needs July 2010 to December 2011 when you always buy it at the beginning of each year?) or a hardcover weekly diary (12 month, at least no paper waste here). I got the latter, and while there won't be as much room for me to jot down random to do lists, I'll make do, somehow, sigh.

I had my first session of Restorative Yoga and Meditation yesterday. It was nice, another reminder of acceptance and non-attachment. Had to do a lot of accepting that my mind was in a wandering state last night :)

Enjoy the rain! Maybe yoga later? Maybe nap later?

P.S. Begin the countdown to Thanksgiving! I'll post intriguing recipes that I find between now and then, and I think I'll pick and choose which ones to use. Yum...

P.P.S. A picture of my new love:

Chocolate school?!

The privately held Valrhona, which does not release revenue figures, has been dominant in the campaign for chefs’ loyalty. Since 1988 Valrhona has had a French training center — L’Ecole du Grand Chocolat — next to its factory in Tain L’Hermitage, 70 miles south of Lyon.

The school offers intensive three-day courses taught by 15 chefs in nine languages including English, Japanese, Russian, Italian, Spanish and German. The instruction costs 1,000 euros, or $1,387 (some students receive housing stipends and other assistance), and attracts 1,200 professionals each year. The company even employs two pastry chefs to provide technical support to the trade in the United States.

Hoping Chefs Will Melt for Tcho Chocolate

Chocolate school? Valrhona? Yum. Yes please.

Schumann

It's the 200th birth year of one of my favorite composers: Schumann.

A great piece that dissects Träumerei (and allows you to listen).

While you're at it, check out the whole Kinderszenen work. (Once upon a time, I played the first piece.)

Also, attention attention: I'm going to break my gchat addiction.

Last time I said that I was not successful. This time, I will prevail.

Another item of note-- it's November! Oof.