Tag Archives: Pinterest

L’Apicio in the LES

I am a bit embarrassed to admit how behind I am on posting this — but, better late than never! 2012 flew by so fast AND I have a feeling that 2013 is going to be an amazing year in so many ways! So, what was my final dinner of 2012? ITALIAN, of course!

So here we go … my final meal of 2012 was a great one! My boyfriend and I headed downtown to the Lower East Side for dinner at L’Apicio — the sister restaurant to L’Artusi. It opened only a couple of months ago and we have been excited to head on down to the LES to get a taste of the menu.

L’Apicio’s menu is set up the same way as L’Artusi’s — reasonable sized plates that you share with those you are dining with. Italian cuisine and tapas style… what could be better than this?

When it comes to tapas, I will admit that I go a bit crazy ordering. It first usually starts out with the two of us looking over the menu, eying down what we have to have then we come together to share our choices, we narrow it down to a handful of plates then we confuse ourselves by asking the server what he/she prefers on the menu. Usually we end up picking a plate or two that the server prefers, I pick a plate, my boyfriend picks a plate then we decide on one final dish that looks good. Every once in a while I see something that I know I would love to eat but I know my boyfriend is going to be difficult about trying something new; and I am totally guilty of giving a specific look to my server when I say “so, how is the Mezzalune? I bet it’s delicious — right?!” My non-verbal communication through my wicked eye-glare will tell any waiter that he/she needs to respond “Oh yes, it’s fantastic, and a popular dish ordered by many!” All it takes is for my boyfriend to hear a rave review by the server and he’ll order the dish. A girl has gotta do what a girl has gotta do … for delicious food ;-)

We started with a delicious cheese plate — my guess is the restaurant changes this cheese menu based on what they are able to order / what is fresh. I would suggest ordering 2-4 different types of cheese to start. They go beautifully with wine as well!

hamachi

Then, we ordered a couple of appetizers — but there is one specific plate I have to rave about. The Hamachi was out of this world! Hamachi is also called yellowtail (click here for more info). This dish was made with apple, jalapeno, and chives. All of these ingredients made each bite full of fresh and vivid flavors. The funny part about ordering the Hamachi is that I was hesitant about eating it — I wasn’t too sure about the description on the menu but boy am I happy I gave it a try! It might be my new raw obsession!

cauliflower ravioli

Another dinner favorite was the Mezzalune — ravioli stuffed with cauliflower and topped with pinenuts and capers. The capers added the perfect amount of salt, the pinenuts made the ravioli texture unique and the cauliflower made me feel like I was eating something healthy! The plate was small and something I wish I could have devoured all on my own. If I went back and had to order only one plate — this would be it! Who would have thought how flavorful a cauliflower ravioli would be!?

beefy gnocchi

Another great order — the Osso Bucco Ragu Gnocchi. Gnocchi is already a very filling food, and paired with hearty meat you are bound for a food-coma. It’s also very easy to screw up cooking gnocchi and the chef at L’Apicio cooked this plate perfectly.

maple squash

And, last but not least, the perfect side dish — the Delicata Squash. The squash was made with hazelnuts, sage and maple. All of these sweet flavors made the vegetable taste like candy. It’s the perfect side dish to order when you are eating such savory main dishes. This is also an inspirational side dish that I would like to recreate at home!

We also ordered polenta but it was not something we enjoyed. I believe the consistency of polenta is either loved or hated — and in a nutshell, it’s something I really don’t like. But, if you do like polenta, the restaurant gives you a few beautiful options to choose from!
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Mele Kalikimaka

This Christmas holiday was filled with just pure excitement — great food, amazing friends, and loving families. After spending a spectacular holiday with my family, I was surprised with a last minute trip to Hawaii. Or, I should say, Hawai’i.

Long story short, every year for the past 15 years my boyfriend’s family goes to Hawaii for the holiday but for the past 5 years my boyfriend hasn’t joined them because it’s a crazy time of year for him at work. But this year he pulled a huge surprise for his family and for me — we flew to the South Pacific for some fun in the sun and quality family time.

Over the next week I’m going to post a few times about our trip to Hawaii — it was a short 3-day trip because we both needed to get back (for him he needed to get back for work, for me I wanted to get back to my family). I hope you enjoy the posts — be sure to keep a look-out for an exciting recipe that will tell you how to make my new favorite mojito! I promise you, you won’t be disappointed!

four seasons wailea

Above you’ll see a view of our hotel’s beach in Wailea. The side of the Maui island we were on had calm waves — the perfect water for snorkeling, paddle boarding, and other water sports.

hawaiian green turtle

We learned some rowing techniques on a traditional Hawaiian canoe called The Canoe of the Red Sea. Rowing with 2 other locals, we were able to learn some interesting history of the island as well as see some gorgeous wild life. Above, you’ll see a photo I took of a Hawaiian Green Turtle. I was able to capture this picture at a spot the locals call “The Cleaning Station” — it’s where the turtles swim to to have their shells cleaned by the fish. If their shells don’t get cleaned, the algae acts similar to mold and will destroy their shell by making it too soft.

fish tacos

Nothing is more satisfying for lunch than some fish tacos! The flavors came together beautifully — especially once we squeezed the lime juice over top of the fish!

hawaiian sunset

I can’t wait to get back for more Hawaiian sunsets! Everything about the island was so magical — it truly is paradise!

ahi tuna tacos

These Ahi Tuna Tacos almost look fake — don’t they? The fish was so fresh — I don’t think any of us ever saw such exquisite seafood! The taste on these tacos was fresh and savory — look closely and you can see the sesame seeds on top and the drizzle of a special sauce that added the perfect kick to the tuna.

Be sure to check back next week for more Hawaii posts and that mojito recipe I told you all about!

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How Are You Celebrating?

So, Hanukkah ended this weekend. I loved hearing all of my friends talk about how they were spending their holiday and what they are going to do the rest of the holiday season. Some celebrate with friends, and others with their family. To me — a mix of both sounds perfect. So, for those who celebrated Hanukkah and those that are about to celebrate Christmas — how are you spending your holidays? And, most importantly… what are you planning on cooking?
hanukkah

For more holiday inspiration — be sure to follow on Pinterest for some yummy recipes and fabulous decorating ideas! (Thanks to all of my fellow Pinners for some fantastic ideas I can wait to try out this season!)

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Festive Holiday Inspiration

You can’t really miss holiday inspiration “this time of year” — it’s every where! And I love it, it’s exactly what we need. And, when I say “we” I mean — “we, people, that live in cold locations”. Holiday cheer excites almost everyone and it’s that perfect joy I need — it lifts my spirits in the dead of winter.

So, I thought I’d share with you some of my holiday inspiration that has kept me excited for Christmas and Hanukkah this year — remember, folks, Hanukkah starts this Saturday!

home alone soundtrack

I heavily rely on my Pandora radio, it’s free and it seems to play the music I like (most of the time). But it’s always right on the money with my favorite holiday songs. This past weekend some Home Alone music popped up on my Pandora Christmas station and it inspired me to watch the movie. I was flooded with nostalgia as I watched Kevin set up the house to scare off “the bad guys” — I watched this movie ever year growing up, it’s such a classic!

holiday glitter tree

Check out this adorable mini Holiday Glitter Trees I came across at Trader Joes! How darling and festive! They are real trees and need to be watered, hopefully mine won’t fall over from thirst! A bigger hope I have is that I won’t continue to find the glitter around the house far after the holidays are over.

holiday food network magazine

The one thing I rely on every year is my Food Network Magazine — this never lets me down on great inspirational recipes to make for the holidays. One recipe I am obsessed over this winter season is the Oatmeal Lace Cookie recipe I can’t seem to stop making. Seriously, I can’t stop making it; I have made this recipe 4 times since my December issue arrived in the mail and I think I may have gained a couple cookie pounds.

Something cute I thought I’d share is this really fun pin I came across on Pinterest. Last year I had a very New York City festive seasonal/holiday card and when I saw this pin I thought how perfect it would be to turn into greeting cards.

christmas color palette

Be sure to follow me on Instagram for some of my personal Holiday photos! And of course, be sure to follow on Pinterest too, I can’t help go a little crazy over all of the seasonal ideas — from baking to decor, I love (and pin) it all! Above is a color palette I adore, Design Seeds has some fantastic ideas for color palettes — I promise, you’ll be inspired!

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Penn State Football Tailgating

There have been 3 football seasons since I have graduated from Penn State — and I have only gone back for two games. State College is a tough place to get to, it really is. From New York City you either have to rent a car and drive the whole way (that includes rental expense, gas, tolls, junk food for the car, and a driving buddy to help you stay awake), or you can take the train 3.5 hours from Penn Station to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and from there you can rent a car or if you’re lucky like me, ask to borrow a car from mom and dad. But once you have a car, the drive up to State College is about an hour and forty five minutes — but that’s without intense football traffic. With that being said, that’s why I have only gone to 2 games since graduation!

This year, I went up for the big PSU vs OSU game. Lots of my friends went up as well so it was a fun reunion (minus Alexandra and Bill though, that was a disappointment) — but overall we all had a great time. My friend Renny and I seemed to have a million tailgating invitations so we paired up and jumped around to all of them. Two tailgates specifically, I think we’d agree, were the best: our friend Marcus’s tailgate, and my former Penn State academic advisor Jamey’s tailgate.

Jamey has had the most outrageous tailgates since the beginning of time. He is a Penn State man (he was a PSU student, and a cheerleader back in the day!). Honestly, if it wasn’t for him, I may have transferred universities after my freshman year — this man changed my academic life, he helped me make sure I took all of the best classes in my major with all of the best professors. This helped me in so many ways — it lifts your spirit when you are taught by passionate professors, but it also helps you learn about what it is you want to spend the rest of your life working in. There are those people in your life that you feel so grateful to have — in my life it’s my family, a few of my closest friends, and of course there is Jamey!

Jamey and his buddies bought one of the Penn State buses that used to transport the players to Beaver Stadium in. Now it’s a party bus (with a bathroom for the girls!) Outside of the bus is where everyone is — the grills are set up, people are cooking away, everyone at the party is really hosting the party… “You don’t have a beer? Let me get you one!” …



At Jamey’s tailgate, I couldn’t help but eat — meatball hoagies and a cheesesteak! Oh, so yummy! I was telling Renny how delicious my cheesesteak was, I whispered that it was obvious that whoever made the meat had it slow cooking for hours — the meaty juice kept all of the ingredients so flavorful! Luckily, the right person overheard me say that — the chef of the dish said she slow cooked it for “manyyyyy” hours! (Yes, folks, Penn Staters take pride in their tailgating food.)

After putting some food in our stomachs, it was “communion time”. This is a tradition at Jamey’s tailgate where everyone gathers around with a shot of Jagermeister; Jamey leads several Penn State chants, everyone joins him, and at the end everyone takes their shot of Jager. Lets just say I cringe every time (then I gag).

(Please note: Jamey does not serve underage people at his tailgate)

After Jamey’s tailgate we headed over to spend time with Marcus and the rest of the crew. It was fun to see everyone, although I wish we were all able to have more weekends like it! Everyone lives scattered across the States — I guess that’s just what happens after graduation.


But Penn State tailgaters are always so friendly — everyone is always welcome, there’s always food, beer, (wine drinkers, sorry, go home), games, and everything Penn State-themed! People customize their RVs to have Penn State designs on them, then there’s the beer pong tables that dub PSU or PENN STATE across them, everything at this University’s tailgating is themed to a T.


This year, a student painted his outfit and himself GOLD and posed in the same position Joe Paterno was in in his famous sculpture — everyone lined up to take a picture next to this guy. Obviously I did the same thing!

Into the game we went where I bought (of course) my Penn State hot chocolate collectors mug — yup, I’m a dork!

Being inside of Beaver Stadium before kick-off — your heart races, you join in on all of the chants and cheers. Now I know what it specifically feels like to be there and be an alumnae — you look at the student section and remember a few things: that joy of being there and being a “Penn State student”, the energy of all of the students around you, and then there’s that horrible feeling in your feet you experience towards the end of the second quarter.  Every game, whether you’re a student or an old-fart, you are high-fiving everyone around you when there’s a touchdown, you’re screaming in disappointment when someone fumbles or a ref makes a bad call, and you are always yelling at the top of your lungs “WE ARE … PENN STATE!”

The outcome of the game. We lost.

All I have to say is… we better win next year!

LETS GO STATE!

ROAR, LIONS ROAR!

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My Penn State Pez Dispenser


Heck yeah I own a Penn State themed Pez dispenser! Not only do I love sporting this wicked cool candy gadget, but I have actually managed to control my sweet tooth long enough to put the Pez candies inside of the dispenser (this is something I couldn’t seem to do as a kid, and I consider it now an accomplishment). I admit though, I always end up eating Pez just as fast as I eat orange flavored Tic Tacs.
I wanted to share with you my athletically-themed Pez contraption mid-way through Football season — just looking at it is getting me pumped for this Saturday’s football game (PSU vs. Ohio State at Beaver Stadium). Not only am I planning to consume massive amounts of fantastic tailgating food, but I also can’t wait to buy my seasonal Penn State hot chocolate mug — something I have managed to collect over my 4 years of college! (At Beaver Stadium’s concession stands you can warm up with some toasty hot chocolate, the best part is it’s always served in a take-home collectors mug!)
This upcoming weekend is going to be outrageously fun — I’ll have my friends, tailgating food galore, (naturally, a beer), and of course my swanky Pez dispenser!

Rock Candy in a Refined Way

Growing up I had a candy crush on three specific sweets: rock candy, Nerds, and Sugar Daddys.

I’ve always thought of rock candy as the boring old “white” flavoring, aka raw sugar without any flavor — and the grape flavor that would turn my tongue, teeth, and lips purple. But, it wasn’t until I moved to New York when I realized that the boring ol’ white crystal rock candy could be used to sweeten up a cappuccino or latte. When I ordered a latte at my corner block’s pizzeria they delivered my mug with a stick of rock candy. It dissolved beautifully into my hot espresso and milk.

This made me think: how fantastic would it be to arrange these on a plate to serve after hosting a dinner? It takes ordinary tea and coffee times and puts such a chic and at the same time childish spin on the candy. I love it!

You can organize them in several ways, but my favorites are placing them in a small hurricane glass that is filled half way with sugar. That way the sugar crystals won’t crack and break if they get moved around in the hurricane.

I also love just delicately placing them on a plate. In this photo, you’ll see a combination of both the white and brown rock candy. I love this because it shows that sugar comes in two different ways. Just make sure you don’t serve some random flavored rock candy — you want them to be the original sugar-tasting flavor rather than something like cherry or bubblegum (my bet is that would taste nasty with coffee or tea).

(Note: these photos were taken from Pinterest. Take a look on my site for further references! And be sure to follow me, I’ll follow back! I’m always interested to see what everyone is pinning about!)

Recipe: Artichoke Cheese Bread

I feel like food inspiration is every where these days! And especially since I started using Pinterest I feel like I am surrounded by foodies that know what good food really is.

I was inspired by this recipe I saw pinned on a food board on the Pinterest website and I figured I’d give it a go. I had almost all of the ingredients (I needed to pick up a can of artichokes and some fresh french baguettes) and it seemed like putting together the breaded appetizer would be fairly easy.

draining artichokes

So first thing is first… I needed to crack open the can of artichokes. Gag. Have you ever taken a whiff of canned artichokes — again, gag. I love the taste of artichokes but I was practically dry heaving over the smell when they were drained from the can. (I react the same way when I am opening a can of gorgonzola beans.) Note: this is why I am not the one in culinary school, I’ll leave that up to my good friend Stef.

After getting past draining the artichokes, everything was a breeze. For a serving of 4, here’s what the recipe called for:

2 whole grain french baguettes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 14-ounce can of artichokes in water or brine, drained and chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs
fresh parsley for garnish

I decided I’d leave the panko bread crumbs out but you’re welcome to keep them in. After draining and rinsing the artichokes, here’s what the instructions said to do:

Cut the baguettes in half lengthwise and brush with the olive oil. Equally distribute the minced garlic and chopped artichoke hearts. Top each with a good handful of cheese, about 1/3 cup each. Sprinkle on a few breadcrumbs. Bake for 8 minutes, then heat the broiler and broil for 2 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown. Garnish with chopped parsley.

I love the flavor of the cheese, garlic, and artichokes. But here’s what I think should be noted for the recipe… Be sure to keep the spread pretty thin, I might have order done it by piling on the ingredients. The flavors were fantastic, but I could hardly take a bite without making a mess! If you can master that (which is no big deal), then these will make for a perfect appetizer or side dish for an Italian meal!

Put The Lime in the Coconut

After writing the post’s title I now have the song stuck in my head…

I’m trying to branch out from my obsession over lemons and put some lime in my life. Done correctly, lime in food is fabulous! I’m such a zesting machine — I love to zest citrus into various dishes (from pasta to salads, it really spikes the flavor).

If lime is so fantastic in food, then why not add a little color punch to the rest of my life?

Below are some inspirational lime photographs that I am excited to share with you!

Super retro — and super fabulous!

The incorporation of a lime-green on the exterior of this building is done perfectly! The color accents the shrubbery around the building and is incredibly vibrant in many ways.

I feel like in my home I would initially take a more subtle route when it comes to picking out back-splash, but this green tiling is so beautiful I might break out of my comfort zone for some lime-green colors!


The soft lime-green ribbons are elegant and graceful around the cake. And the sliced limes add some extra color to the dessert. I can picture myself using this idea for a short single tiered cake for practically any occasion!

I feel like green can be overwhelming and my immediate interpretation of “lime green” is an obnoxiously bright shade of green. While I browsed around to check out the color I discovered you can really brighten up your home without over-doing it. This green color palette is the perfect example on how I would love to add some green into my life.

Ultimately, I have been overwhelmed with green accents in the past — but I have come to discover the beauty of color’s shades.

And remember from one of the funniest movies ever, “Meet The Parents,” Jack tells Greg, “Well they say geniuses pick green.” (So true!)

(Note: these photos were taken from Pinterest. Take a look on my site for further references! And be sure to follow me, I’ll follow back! I’m always interested to see what everyone is pinning about!)

The Refreshing Satisfaction of Mint

I feel like I have grown to appreciate mint. When about 10-years-old I scooped a spoonful of mint chip ice cream out of a carton and quickly discovered that minty desserts just wasn’t for me. But when I became a teen I couldn’t get enough of Andes mints. Had mint been meant to be an adult treat for me? Possibly.

Now I enjoy a hint of mint with my creamy chocolate desserts, or some minced mint in my cocktail. And now I am beginning to develop a love for the color of mint. I believe it should look the way it tastes — crisp, cool, and refreshing. Whenever I get the taste of mint in my mouth I can’t help but love my first next breath. My mouth gets this sensational cooling feeling while I sip in the air through my lips. Might sound crazy, but it’s the only time I think air is actually delicious in itself!

Below is a variety of inspirational mint items — from art to jewelry to interior design, I just had to share my favorite images with you!

As silly as this might sound, I love the color of mint on walls. I think this picture is the perfect piece of art that shows how mint chip ice cream might just make for fabulous decor!

I am in love with this pillow from Anthropologie! I have been searching for a perfect decorative pillow for my apartment’s sofa and I think this might just be it!

Who said drinking straws are for kids? I’ve been searching for chic straws for an event that’s coming up and I think these are perfect! I’ve been finding things like this on Etsy fairly often!

Another Anthropologie favorite… I can’t help it! I love these mint-colored bowls! Perfect to hold my mint-chip ice cream!

I’ve been searching for the perfect image to display why I love mint on a wall in a home. This is perfect to show you all! It’s not too over-done and the color is just right. With the perfect accents and room accessories I think the mint colored walls make this bedroom luxurious and at the same time practical.

How fantastic are these earrings!? I love gold, and it seems to be making such a come-back too! I see earrings like this all the time at a jewelry market on 14th street between 8th and 9th avenue. It’s located underneath a church and they have this jewelry market set up every Saturday!

It might be retro (with a modern design and modern technology) but I love it!

(Note: these photos were taken from Pinterest. Take a look on my site for further references! And be sure to follow me, I’ll follow back! I’m always interested to see what everyone is pinning about!)