What would you do for a neighbor with food poisoning?

Would you knock on the door and check on him/her? Even more, would you bring over a pot of freshly cooked chicken noodle soup for dinner? Would you care enough to stuff their fridge with Chobani, fruit and OJ for the next morning?

I did all of the above, and suggested him to sue the hell out of the certain food chain (starts with a C) that put him in the miserable state.

In return,  he gave me a box of match sticks that I needed for lighting the lavender scented candles that I just got for insomnia, and even a bottle of my favorite beer.

Now, replace "neighbor" with "ex-boyfriend" (actually he is both). And in case you are wondering, yes, he is the reason for my insomnia, and the reason I like beer to start with. I will probably saving the beer and the match stick box for as long as I can. Pathetic, I know. But this is what I do to move on...

Crunchy Cheese Straws with a Kick-- farewell to cohabitation

This would be the last concoction from the old loft -- the place where cohabitation existed, where there were once upon a time, 2 life to balance. It is coming to an end. I am still a bit sad about how it has concluded, but life goes on. Technically this should be the last post under the current blog name, but I am too preoccupied at the moment to open a new blog, so consider the rest of this blog a not-so-organic continuation, if you will.

I decided to make something a bit different, a savory snack that I have never attempted before.

Heart Warming Chicken "Noodle" Soup with Spaghetti Squash -- for ONE, on a rainy day

As if things can't get worse, I got a cold, with a bloody nose. The rain outside did not help lightening my mood, either. Sigh. I had to do something to cheer myself up. My lunch did the trick -- it was so comforting that it may have cured my cold!

Avocado Muffins -- only for my best friends

I am blessed with the best friends one can ask for -- fun, smart, and most importantly: they will be there for you at times of need. This is no Oscar or Nobel, but I just want to jog down that C,  D, G, M, N, P, S, S etc really got me through the toughest times ( I hope the toughest is over). Especially M & S, who took me out for an all time favorite: oysters (!) + bubbly sangria @ pacifico last night.

I don't think I can ever thank them enough for being good companions, and treating me to the best in town on top of that. Pardon me for not disclosing everything here, but just trust me that they are awesome.

The only way to thank them ( that I could think of) was to make these: avocado muffins. I started wanting make a brownie, and changed my mind half way through, and the resulted recipe was inspired by M&S's favorite food. Here's the whole spiel.

Roast Chicken for ONE -- after a hard breakup

I cried. Hard. For a while. After a 4.5-year-relationship has finally come to an end.

It felt like a whirlwind of emotions, intense and overwhelming. And my nose started bleeding, even more violently than my heart.

Consolation from friends and family has helped me to stand on my feet again. It is becoming clear that taking care of myself is the first priority right now, starting with -- nourishment.

(Addictive) Cured Arctic Char (Gravlax) -- how to cure fish (fast and cheap) at home

Do you like sashimi? Do you have trouble laying your hands on some sushi grade fish (which is quite common in small cities) like I do? Well, I have a solution for you. Actually I have several: from marinated sardine, to drunken crabs. Today, however, it is all about curing fish.

Rye Berry Salad with Grilled (Wine Marinated) Chicken Breast, White Eggplant & Purple Dandelions -- eating with your eye

I have been a lazy bone, especially when it comes to blogging.

It is not that I am tired of cooking -- I still cook everyday, and have managed not to repeat a single dinner for several months (with the exception of ratatouille and fish en pappillot). I'm also not tired of blogging -- it's still in the back of my head. In fact, there are so many pictures of food stored in my phone my local storage is running short.

The problem is: the day is getting shorter and shorter nowadays, and by the time I finish cooking, there simply isn't enough natural light to make the dish look as appetizing as it really is. I would usually spend a good 10 minutes moving the plate from one spot to another, holding down my urge to just devour the dish because it smells so good. Finally I'd be too hungry, and ended up settling on some photo snaps, and finish dinner in 5 minutes, hoping that lightroom will save the world when it comes to under/over/uneven exposure. (Don't judge the fact that it took me less time eating that fiddling with the lighting situation.)

Guess what? It is weekend today, which means that I got to visit the farmer's market and finish cooking before sunset!

Greek Yogurt Blueberry Muffins -- maximizing goodies from the farmer's market

If you are like me, you will find it hard to resist getting that fresh pint of blueberries from the farmer's market, together with the peaches, nectarines, apples, pears, and strawberries. It is just impossible to go through those fast enough as a two-people household! Still, come the following week, despite the fact you've checked your fridge and warned yourself not to go crazy, you'll grab another pint...This happens every single time. After blueberry pancakes, berry-banana smoothies, berry-topped yogurt, here comes the final bomb: blueberry muffins.

Vegan Wheat Berry and Grilled Vegetables Salad -- holding on to summer

It is labor day. Some may argue that it signifies the start of the fall season. I am not ready to let go of summer yet. Call it wishful thinking if you will, but I can feel the summer air around me, especially after a 90-minute hot yoga full of sweats. Yes, summer is still around.

How else does summer seep through? Take a look at our dinner tonight and you will find out.

Grilled corn, eggplant, and summer squash, with warm wheat berries and crispy italian bread cubes, in a light lemon-olive dressing. What could be a louder shout for summer?

Eat Your Oysters (and Your Greens, too)

I LOVE LOVE LOVE oysters. D, though not a big oyster fan himself, was kind enough to be a good sport and accompany me to the largest oyster festival in New England two weeks ago. 

Here's a snapshot of the shucking contest. You can feel the passion here, can't you?

No-Bake Dried Fruit Coffee Bar -- a perfect post-workout snack

D has started working out again: bought a new bike, and has been going on 25-mile rides on weekdays and 50-mile ride on weekends for the past couple month. Believe it or not, one can easily burn over 1500 calories per ride!

To help with a speedy recovery, I made this yummy treat after reading this article about caffeine and cycling.

Toasted Sesame Hummus -- no tahini on-hand

Last weekend we had some friends over for boardgames, and I had the sudden craving for hummus -- the creamy, smooth, nutritious spread that is perfect on a piece of pita bread that you share with someone. But our pantry was not stocked with tahini. I mean, really, who can use a jar of tahini fast enough, ever? If you read my beer-nut butter recipe, then you probably won't be shocked that I am even too lazy to buy tahini, and this is what I settled with.

I have seen some really tasty food as the product of desperation. This hummus once again strengthened the case. 

the Simplest Homemade Peanut Butter -- the Beer-Nut Butter

Laziness often lead to the creations of something great. Why else do we appreciate the the remote control or a dish washer so much? Today, I may have just stumbled upon another great thing to have in your life (assuming you are not allergic to it): beer-nut butter!

Roasted Beet Pie with Blue Cheese & Caramelized Onions -- simple pie, big flavors

This is another savory pie for the 9th square pie contest. Again, the main ingredients are from the summer farmer's market behind Woosley Hall, courtesy to the Yale dining service. The bundle of beet roots with beet greens were $2.00/bundle. It was just impossible resist those beautiful beets, and as a result, we found ourselves eating beet salad, beet burgers, even beet cakes. And now, it's time for a glorious beet pie.

Pota-toma-to Pie -- a savory pie to celebrate summer (my first pie contest)

9th Square is a fun neighborhood -- bar crawls, soccer village, and now a pie contest! Here is the deal: for $15 dollars, you get to enter the block party with tables piled with pies, where you get unlimited pies, ice creams, live music, and a cash bar. Everything goes to charity, and if you bring a pie to share, you get to get in for free. Sounds like fun huh? I mean, can you think of a better way to start of the weekend than all-you-can-eat pies?

Salmon Steak en Papillote with Spinach, Summer Squash and Cherry Tomatoes -- dinner in a packet

Believe it or not, the all time most popular post on this blog is about using the "en papillote" method to cook whiting fish. It was among the first few posts that I wrote, the formatting was a mess, the pictures were directly from a low-quality cell phone camera, and I didn't even write out the recipe in the end! I don't feel my post  did the method justice -- it is a fool-proof method to cook a delicious fish (and a ton of other things).

There are three things about "en papillote" that I love. It is easy -- all it takes is some assembling and you can just throw it into the oven. Done! It is also pretty hard to mess up. Cooking fish can be hard because it gets dry quite easily. But with all the juices sealed in, it almost guarantees the moist fish with packed with flavors. I like the fact that I get to OPEN something as well. If you get it at a restaurant, it is like a surprise parcel. Even when making it at home, it is still mysterious as you never know how things will turn out exactly. It also reminds me of Christmas time and makes me very happy.

Want to guess what is "en papillote" this time? (Technically one would use parchment paper, I am cheating a bit with heavy duty aluminum foil here. )

Oven Roasted Ratatouille -- affordable farm to table cuisine

If you are like me, you probably watched the infamous Disney movie featuring a mouse chef before having tasted the dish. I still remember the night I went and watched this American film dubbed in French during my year in Montpellier, and coming out of the movie theatre, hungry for a plate of ratatouille. I was somewhat shocked, a couple days later, to found out that this dish was such a pantry stable, that it actually came in a can (just like tomato puree)!

Never the less, if made right, this dish is a killer. My good Swiss friend Stephanie brought it over for a Thanksgiving's dinner once, and oh mine, the nicely roasted turkey found itself neglected that night.

Open Face Chicken Naanwich -- leftovers are wonderful for lunch

I love dining out in summer time -- sitting out on a patio with a glass of white sangria or margarita. I also love the numerous barbecue parties -- blue cheese burgers, grilled steaks, corn on the cob, and of course, lots of beer. My point is, with the increasing dining options, I tend to cook formal meals less frequently in summer. Heating up the stove twice a day is just not that appealing somehow.

So when I do cook, I make more than enough for a meal, and rely on the leftovers for a while. Trust me, leftovers can be very tasty! Here is a lunch we have been having for lunch ever since I discovered the fun of making naan at home.

Homemade Naan Bread -- for dinner, lunch & BREAKFAST!

What do you think of when it comes to Indian cuisine? For me: aromatic spices, crispy veggies and tender meat, and NAAN!

I had always thought that naan would be unattainable without a clay oven, until I stumbled upon this. It seemed so simple that I ought to try it!

Secret Chocolate Birthday Cake -- shh...don't tell anyone

When it comes to birthday cake, I constantly find myself debating between lemon, chocolate, and coconut. Really, it is just too hard! In the end, chocolate wins 80% of the time, as it is rich, scrumptious, and very seductive.

It turns out that I am not alone! Not long ago, when my dear friend S wanted to make (for the first time) a birthday cake to surprise her boyfriend B, she opted for CHOCOLATE (black forest to be exact).

We had a practice run at my loft a week before the actual birthday (S is the best girlfriend one can have!), and since it was meant to be a surprise (and ok, I have been a bit lazy these days), here comes the delayed post.

Herb Roasted Split Chicken Breast -- end-of-the-week dinner hack

It's that time of the week again -- we departed from the excitement from the last weekend; lunch rotation has made a full round from sandwich to wraps to salad to leftover casseroles, and dinner had gone through beef/pork/salmon/tofu, yet the next grocery trip is not quite here yet. You wanted to make something delicious but am already somewhat worn-out. It's high time, to pull out some chicken breast from the freezer, again.

A life-changing trick I learned recently was to defrost meat in the fridge with added spice and herbs, which forms a pseudo-marinade -- The flavors sink in while defrosting, and no additional time is needed at all. 

Healthy Crispy Beef Sliders with Homemade Buns -- perfect for a summer picnic

I love everything that summer brings us -- the sun, the beach, music festivals, county fairs, vineyard trips, fruit picking, and picnics! The ladies from D's family is going to have a girls' night out tomorrow with some great poetry and delicious food. I have been so excited that I started the food preparation way far in advance.

In my opinion, no social gathering shall be complete without some good bread and cheese, and of course we need to make our own bread. 3 days before the event, I had to drag D for some groceries, most importantly -- flour. Between the D&D sessions and Game of Thrones parties, we ran through a whole 5 pound of flour within a week. Record usage within one day: three loaves of crusty bread + home-made pasta + Arya's lemon cake = 12 cups of flour/day! We also hulled home six packs of cheese, some greek yogurt, crab sticks, ground beef, and the regular salad stuff. I became immediately happy 5 hours after the grocery trip, because of these cute slider buns came out lovely.

Lemonade Chia Seed Muffins -- we all have lazy days

It's time for breakfast again, and I had NOTHING prepared. Digging through the fridge, I found nothing but eggs and milk, along with some cabbage and dried shrimp & squid (!) What can I do?!

Luckily, D has got some lemonade in stock, way way in the back. How lucky! With a pantry stocked with flour, baking powder and vanilla, I could totally pull it off -- or could I?

Gluten-Free Corn Muffins with Chia Seeds -- start your day with a smiley face

It's 2 o'clock in the morning. I'm not sure how many of us would stay up to write or read about food. But if there's a group of such, then I'm one of them.

As you may have already guessed: breakfast is the most challenging meals to make for me. D doesn't really like the eggy flavor at all, and I can never get up early enough for a gourmet morning deal. So I made more muffins. Day after day until we ran out of flour! The horror! Out of desperation, I whipped up some corn muffins with fresh blueberries, and oh my, they were good.

Farm Fresh Hangover Detox Smoothie -- for someone you love

One perk of being a graduate student here is the numerous social hours -- monthly happy hour and First Friday at Five, biweekly TGIF, spontaneous outings, etc. It also helps to have brilliant and generous friend who offers to pay for beer as his new Science article is getting super hot. It's no surprise then we got to kick start our weekend with some free pizza and beer, from where D and others moved on to a restaurant downtown for dinner, and continued with flowing delicious beverage, until...until it's time to crash. (I got home early, not 100% by choice -- I was still recovering from the night before, from pitchers of Negra Modelo at the allegedly best Mexican restaurant in CT.)  D's hangover today was only natural -- I just need to find a CURE to it.

This brings me to another perk of living here -- an awesome food co-op and a great farmer's market a few blocks away. Fresh from the market today -- garlic greens, rapini, and a cherry tomato plant.

Simple Stuffed Mushrooms with Minced Pork-- fancy dinner?

I know, I know -- it was Memorial Day yesterday, and I should have posted something about grilling. The fact is, we did have an awesome BBQ event in Wooster square: from a delicate salad with pomegranate to freshly baked bread to a 2 lb turkey drumstick to numerous hotdogs and hamburgers and kebabs to home-made  graham crackers and marshmallows among a gazillion awesome things. Unfortunately though, all of us were too busy consuming, and none of us took any foodie pictures!

So I'm here to talk about something else: stuffed mushrooms. Just slightly a different vibe, but I guarantee you'll like it!

Fresh Herb Roasted Chicken Thighs with Asparagus and Cauliflower -- quick (and balanced) weeknight dinner

I was going to write the past weekend, including the last show of the season at the Yale Rep, hanging out with friends at our place catching up till 3 a.m., a tasty Mother's Day brunch with D's family, a great run of Dungeons and Dragon's, and a Game of Thrones viewing party...Then I quickly realized that we were so busy DOING things, that we only took ONE photo, for all that have happened!

Though this photo is of my favorite people -- J&C enjoying their fluffy chocolate pancakes at the Mother's day brunch. The pancakes were bigger than their faces! J kept saying that his hands got dark (because of the melted dark chocolate chips), yet both seemed to have enjoyed lunch very much. They finished the pancakes without a single drop of maple syrup. I love how they stuck to the true taste of a plain old chocolate chip pancake! The brunch for adult included bacon & salmon eggs Benedict (with homemade hollandaise sauce), hash browns, more bacon, and mimosa (of course)! We were too busy eating and chatting for pictures. So...I won't be writing about that.

Instead, I will be writing about random dinner, that I happened to snap a couple shots before it was gone.

One-step Cocoa Frosting for a Chocolate Birthday Cake -- birthday recommended but not mandatory

We've been having too much fun since last Friday -- so much that I have not yet got a chance to update about our beer hopping and a joint birthday party.

I arrived at the beer hopping late, thanks to a hectic clean room schedule. Nonetheless, I had LOTS of fun, discovery local businesses and such. The most impressive pit stop would have to be our local brew shop luck &levity without a doubt. The six home brewers there brought over a dozen tasty beer, from bitter stout to sweet rhubarb to Belgian wheat. What a great treat!

(I found this picture of us chilling from the brew shop website.)

Pig Roast with Old Friends!

Some friendships are meant to last -- you don't necessarily have to talk every day, but in the bottom of your hear, you know the bond is and always will be there. Last weekend we drove down to Dobbs Ferry, NY to visit a friend that we hadn't seen for 3 years, over an awesome pig roast!

It took us a while to get there (Friday traffic is always the worst), plus it took a long time for us to find a parking spot. We kept circulating a block down from the eatery, and the smell just made us salivating.

It was so nice to see L, J and their lovely lovely boy N. N is the first baby that D and I have ever held. I still remember how nervous we were since last time we saw him, he was still a tiny baby with a wobbly head -- we were so afraid of breaking him that we held our breath having him in our arms. I couldn't believe that he was a real boy, talking and singing and all that!

I ordered the swine and wine dinner, which includes a three-course dinner with a wine pairing for each. D opted for the hogs and hops (beer pairing) instead, and we were able to have the "full" experience both.

Ladies Love Meatballs -- one-step recipe

It's been almost two months since I last got together w/ S. Man, how I miss it. We click so well when it comes to movies, dramas, wine, food and our boyfriends -- did I mention our boyfriends are actually best friends? Let alone the fact that we live less than 2 blocks away from each other!

I am so happy that we got to have our ladies night last Thursday. S must be the best guest ever -- not only does she always show up with a bottle or two of delicious wine, but she was also a great and talented help in the kitchen.

That night, we had oven-baked cajun meatballs, quinoa loaf with green peas, stove-top popcorns, and home-made macaroons. Couldn't have made the dinner without her!

Chocolate Covered Matzo with Coconut Flakes, Dried Fruits and Seeds -- we are so ready for the passover party

We have awesome friends, J being one of them. Not only is he a master griller, a talented brewer, but also a great Jewfest thrower. (Yeah, also a big fan of making up funny words that conveys the meaning so well that I think some of those should be added into the dictionary.) For the Jewfest tomorrow, he let me help with the dessert. The instruction I received was "The dish I've generally made in the past is just taking maztah and covering it in melted chocolate then dried fruit or whatever else, etc...or if you have something else in mind I'm sure that's cool too." This is total trust I'm talking about, man. I'm was so excited to see the great opportunity to take a run with it.

I started with four sheets of Matzo, as an experiment. D had half of a sheet for dessert tonight, and thought it was pretty good. So happy it worked out. So I made more, but ran into a very practical problem quickly -- we were out of surface area! 

Thick Cut Bacon, Parsley Hash Brown, and a Sunny-Side Up Egg -- I earned my first tip!

Ah, Sunday is finally here, together with the nice spring weather! We woke up well rested, to a sunny and warm day.

D is hungry, as I am taking a break from making a batch of these muffins every other day, which is why I am making him a hearty breakfast while he is out getting us some coffee from the Starbucks around the corner.

Soy Ginger Marinated Salmon -- I want this every day

To put everything in context, I just got back from a fancy 3-course from the top French restaurant in town, that's been rated "excellent" by New York times, and I'm still salivating when writing this post.

As always, the main dish itself was easy enough to prepare. You need a piece of very fresh salmon. I was browsing in the Asian grocery and saw the WHOLE fish, and just simply could NOT resist purchasing 2 pounds, even though I had no idea whether it is wild-caught and that it is more expensive than the regular Stop & Shop.

It just looked too good to pass.

Skin on, bone in, as raw as it can be -- just how I like it!

Please forgive the picture quality, as it was quite late when we ate (and that I am still living with iphones instead of a fancy DSLR as a poor graduate student...)

Chicken & Wild Rice Skillet -- stretching the leftovers into a tasty one-pot meal

You may have already known how a great roast chicken is done, but do you know how to transform the leftovers into a magnificent dish? Guess what, we are going to show you a way!

Roast Chicken -- start it on Monday so you can have leftovers all week long

I have been plotting. What is the most effortless way to have delicious meals all week long? We used to get rotisserie chickens on Friday night, which means a relaxing weekend of chicken pot pies and whatnot, and maybe even lunch for a day or two throughout the weekdays. Though it does get a bit boring. We have tried all chickens in major grocery stores. Of course we have our favorite, though the most convenient store tend to provide overcooked/dried ones. So we took a break from rotisserie chicken for a month. Now we miss it! Luckily, we had a bird in our freezer -- a hearty 6 pounder. The plan was to cook it on Saturday night, so that we can have it over the weekend, and stretch it for lunch through mid-week. Well, it turned out to be a bit more complicated...

After pulling the bird out of freezer EARLY Saturday morning, I realized that it would take more than 24 hours to defrost. No worries. We would just have some pork chops (aka D's favorite dinner) and roast the bird on Sunday. But we forgot that we had a BBQ lunch on Sunday! It was quickly decided during the BBQ that we should all gather at our place to watch the new season of Game of Thrones over pizza. So instead of roasting a big bird, I made three whole wheat bacon & onion pizzas instead. Do not worry about our cholesterol level please, we did have a kale & spinach salad on the side.

Finally, after days of planning, I got to roast the chicken tonight! Woo-hoo! And it turned out well!

There Is No Cure for Veggie Fries -- this is more than just St. Patrick's

We are in a veggie fries frenzy. It started as we were experimenting with a healthy version of 50/50 fries a while back. The dish itself was simple -- oven baked fries consisting of 50% of potato and 50% of sweet potato. We would eat a whole tray during dinner, and another tray afterwards while watching certain Netflix shows.

It took 5 minutes to prepare but the enjoyment lasted hours. Eventually we asked ourselves, is potato & sweet potato really the limit? Of course not! We have had great success with carrot sticks, kale chips, asparagus, and many many more.

 Here is a snap shot of a version for St Patrick's Day. Did you notice the color semblance between the dish and the Irish flag?

Braised Beef Shank in the Slow Cooker -- something good to have (especially when you are exhausted!)

D and I spent the past whole weekend moving and cleaning. Yes, we are officially out of our cute studio downtown! Both of us are thrilled about the upgrade to our downtown loft, though I wish the cleaning process was easier!

Smart of us to plan ahead! We ate out on Saturday, simply ran out of time to cook lunch. On Sunday, we had brunch from leftovers, and planned a hearty dinner worthy of the hard work, and this is what our typical second (or third or fourth) serving looked like:

Not too shabby, huh? Let me tell you, D had to fight for his share on this one. Beef shank is the most precious cut in a lot of Asian countries, and I was not being polite when it came to tasty dinner!

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Banana Muffins with Chia Seeds -- 5 muffins a day is not too crazy

I am convinced this is D's new favorite. Every now and then I would whip up a dozen of breakfast cookies or muffins, which usually last for a longggg time. Usually after day four they stop being attractive -- not as moist, soft or fragrant. Then I'd grind them in a food processor to make a pie crust or something, or they'd sit in a freezer forever, together with the failed bread attempt, because I hate wasting food.

Two days ago I made some muffins, and this time I learned from the past and became smarter: instead of fill an entire muffin pan, I halved everything and made six only, so that there would not be any waste. (Our freezer was getting pretty full!) To avoid muffin piling up in our apartment, I took one of those to work the next morning and gave it to a fellow grad student. Her reaction was -- " OMG this is so good! What did you put in this!?" I was happy -- these muffins would disappear within three days for sure!  Boy was I wrong. When D asked about breakfast the following morning, I reached out to the cookie  jar (yes, we store muffins in our cookie jar), only to find it empty!

-Where were all the muffins? (I was in disbelief)
-Well, those muffins are tiny and I had snacks! (D always has good reasons)

Five muffins in one day? That means SUPER good by D's standard.

(Warning!) Addictive One-step Green Hummus

I used to laugh at folks making a big scene about coffee addiction, until I started to get headaches in Asia without it. I realized I was having five mugs (not cups) of coffee a day, finding it soothing to have a cup of joe in my hand. I sort of sensed it was not a good thing but simply could not stop.  Finally, I decided to give it up for two weeks during Christmas break for a change. The first couple days were TOUGH. I was never aware how MUCH I was relying on those cup of dark liquids that pulled me through numerous papers and assignments in college, and warmed my spirit and soul through many winter days. I have given it up almost completely now, except for the occasional treat of a foamy cappuccino.

Last weekend, I found myself in the very same situation: I was UNABLE to stop eating the green hummus made for St. Patrick's Day gathering. Danger! Danger!! Lights started flashing. I was glad that our guests were willing to take some home, so that I was not exposed to long term seduction. Though on a second thought, it easy quite healthy and easy enough to make, so...

Family Gathering for St Patrick's Day with an Awesome (Healthier) Soda Bread

This post is a bit delayed -- we've been having guests over for dinner EVERY SINGLE NIGHT since Saturday, and there was simply not enough time left for blogging besides all the lab stuff and fun gatherings. But I'm ready to share the party that kick-started everything -- the family gathering to celebrate St Patrick's Day. D's got some real Irish blood in his vein, have lived in Ireland, loves a real Guinness and has a harp tattoo on his back -- in case you are wondering why we were so eager and had the celebration party way before actual day and the parade! Our guests were awesome -- they spread green and joy everywhere in our loft. 

Together we shared corned a great time over black velvet, green hummus, beef and cabbage, Irish flag oven fries, almond butter coconut cookies, and this Irish soda bread.

Roasted Pork Chop with Sautéed Cabbage and Mushroom -- 30-minute one-pot dinner

The past week has been exciting: we are moving into our new loft downtown! While the new place is absolutely amazing (for example, besides a huge kitchen island, we also have a walk-in pantry with motion sensor now), we are still missing some odds and ends in terms of living. We left our bed in the old apartment for the subletter, which translates into us sleeping on an air-mattress for three months. Not ideal but doable. We spent our free time furniture shopping and assembling. We jointly designed convertible coffee table made of walnut and maple. We went to five different stores so far for a ton of new furniture/household goods. What I am trying to say is, we are excited about our new place, though there are plenty challenges yet.  What powered me through, is the aspect of cooking, in a huge kitchen equipped with everything I could ask for. So far I have been making a different breakfast bar/cookie every day, plus our three course dinner and two course lunch. I have also made some almond butter which turned out pretty well. 

Tonight is the first night we are downsizing, from three course to one: pork chop with sautéed cabbage and mushroom. 

50/50 Meatball Stew -- give me some tasty meat on a budget baby!

Chewing a bone is nice. In my opinion, the best part of the meat is always connected to bones -- ribs, any kind, are tasty without a doubt. So are rack of any animal, ham hocks, beef tendons, among many other tasty cuts. But sometimes, we just feel lazy. Won't it be nice just to bite off a big juicy piece of meat without worrying about bones? That's why I love meatballs -- just as meaty as anything can be, and with a little bit more surface area to soak up all those heavenly sauce. And, since it's made of ground meat, you can pack the flavor of beef/pork/turkey/chicken all into one very tasty bite!

Cornmeal Craisin Sunflower Seed Muffins -- we heart breakfast

It's been a while since the last update. A LOT has happened. D and I just signed a new lease last Friday for an awesome/spacious loft downtown. I can't wait to move into that space with 20-fee-high ceiling and the two skylights. The best of all? We are finally going to get a nice kitchen -- a kitchen island, a real pantry, and a DISHWASHER!!! We have also just put a down payment for a walnut top/maple base coffee table, which converts into a huge dining table for dinner parties. I can't wait to move in, seriously, the walk-in closet is bigger than our current kitchen, with a motion sensor! What a life!

Besides all the excitement, we've been working working working. Lab stuff has been demanding as usual, and I tried to pack in as many as recruiting events/fun social gathering as possible. I attended a political conference about Mexico with D last weekend, which totally opened my eyes. (The only conferences I had been to were full of science/math geeks.)  I was shocked at how poetic and enjoyable the opening speech could be. One of the side benefits of attending events was free food. As a result, our grocery bill for February was only $260, for the two of us! Granted we ate out several times, but still, less than $5/person/DAY!

The down side of attending all those activities was we were constantly on the run. Hot breakfast became a luxury and D had lived on pre-made breakfast muffins and cookies a lot. Though I tried to cook every night, it was hard to remember taking pictures for blogging cuz we were usually so hungry that we didn't even bother to plate dinner -- we devoured everything in the pan as soon as it's cooked! I was going to write about some awesome breakfast cookies, but realized that we usually run out of those within two days that I had NO pictures. Lesson learned. Today, before it's too late, I managed to photograph some tasty muffins. Yay, finally I can blog about SOMETHING.

Here's the ONLY shot of the muffins. Have you noticed that they are heart-shaped?

Orc's Desire -- Pork belly braised with Chrysanthemum coronarium

Our Valentine's Day dinner turned out to be great -- both in taste and in terms of ease of cooking. The main dish was done mostly by a slow cooker, while both of us were at work.

The pork belly turned out tender, and the crackling very crispy. I simply could not find a single thing to complain about.

Planning for Valentine's Day

I'm not really good at planning. Valentine's Day is tomorrow and I have NO gifts prepared. In fact, I am going to a play by myself at 4p.m. while D is going to stay at work till at least 5. But but but, I'm not such a bad girl friend at all, as I have spent some time planning for a perfect Valentine's Day dinner...for nerds like us.

The No Fail No Knead Homemade Bread

I love bread, especially when it is freshly out of the oven. Nothing opens up my appetite more than the aroma of a newly baked loaf.  In France, I had the luxury of living close to a neighborhood boulangerie, from which I'd pick up a small baguette on the way home almost every single day.

Perhaps because it was so readily available, bread has been one of the things that I never even bothered to learn how to make. Years later, it came back to bite me. After our local bread place went out of business last year, I found myself in despair. When I really crave for a fresh loaf, I have nowhere to turn! Even worse, I cannot make a good loaf by myself! The horror!

Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Catfish Nuggets -- One for You and Three for Me

It has been a very cold couple of weeks here in New England. My lips are cracked, hands are dry and everybody is coming down with some sort of cold. Last Wednesday I was not even motivated to cook dinner! The horror! Coming to the weekend I still felt not 100% back to normal, but somewhat regained some momentum. As a result, we were able to try some daring dishes again! Here's what we had for lunch yesterday: Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Catfish Nuggets. Yep, you heard me right. Not filled with the regular prawns, or the rarer shredded chicken. But catfish nuggets. And it was delicious! It was so good that instead of the intended two rolls/ person, I ate three without even thinking!

The choice for the filling was obvious and yet not entirely so.