Tasty Tuesday: Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

If my internship has taught me anything, its that, when I'm bored, I love to eat. Since I'm trying to save my waistline, I try not to take too many snacks to the office as - in my semi-conscious internship induced mind fog - I may eat anything in sight. So, instead of eating, I think about eating. A yummy, though not particularly original, concoction I conjured up one especailly slow afternoon: Rosemary Roasted Potatoes. 

Since I'm cooking for one (and hoping for some leftovers) these days, the ingredient amounts may seem a little measly but measurements can easily be multiplied to suit your needs. 

Ingredients:
1 cup baby new potatoes quartered
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 - 1 tablespoon Rosemary
Sea Salt
Pepper


Recipe


Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Mix quartered potatoes in a large bow with olive oil. Using your hands, toss the potatoes a bit to make sure the oil coats them evenly.
Sprinkle in the rosemary. Start with about a 1/2 tablespoon, and toss the potatoes and rosemary together. Add more rosemary if the mood suits you. In my opinion, the rosemary should add gentle flavor to the potatoes, but not be too overpowering. No one wants to gnaw through dense layers of thick, prickly rosemary leaves to get to the yummy soft potato part!
Finally, throw in some sea salt and freshly ground pepper. I'd say about two or three cranks of the pepper mill should do it and a teaspoon or so of salt, but really its all subjective on this one.
Make sure to toss this mixture well. Lay the potatoes on the roasting pan, and pop them in the oven. Cook until the potatoes are lightly golden brown and soft enough to stick a fork in but not too mushy. I recommend between 20 and 30 minutes depending on the oven and personal preferences.

Note: Though I skipped this step this time, sprinkling a little grated Parmesan over the top before putting in the oven would be a lovely additional touch!

Enjoy!

Music Monday: Lissie

I'm really into this new artist I've discovered - Lissie.

I love her slightly gritty, raspy voice not to mention the great beat she's got going on!

Belated Fashion Friday: Stella & Dot

Ok, admittedly sometimes I can be a little behind the buzz on what's the latest in fashion, but I'm getting much better! So, maybe everyone else already knew about this great site, but I just recently ran into California based jewelery designer Stella & Dot, and I'm in love. Everything on their website is so fantastic - from the spunky wrap-around bracelet/necklaces in great colors, to the charm necklaces (that I've ben COVETING... eh-he-hem... parents, take note). I was having quite a difficult time picking a favorite to share here, but this pearly firework of a ring eventually won out:

I'm picturing it with a fab-o black cocktail dress, killer heels, and a swanky glass of bubbly for the Holidays. 

Cheers!

Tasty Tuesday: Best Brownie I Ever Bought

On Friday, The St. Katharine Docks Good Food Market opened, and boy am I lucky, because the St. Katharine's Docks are spitting distance (if you're really good) from my desk at Dow Jones. The market displayed beaucoups de stalls featuring food from all over the world - and I mean ALL over: from American pulled pork BBQ to Thai green curry chicken and pad thai to vats of Portuguese chorizo dishes and more. UN, eat your heart out!

But let me get to the point - the brownies. Oh my lord!

Usually, I am rather under impressed by purchased brownies. They always seem to pale in comparison to an afternoon of double boilers, cracked egg shells and licking the pan followed by an evening of fresh, warm, perfectly gooey homemade brownies, so I almost passed up heaven when I saw these brownies. Fortunately, a friend of mine brought me to my senses. These brownies, made by UK catering team Tatenda, were absolutely to die for.

Tatenda is apparently famous for their brownies - with good reason -, and they were displaying quite a variety of flavors and concoctions of chocolate-y goodness. Fortunately for my taste buds and my waistband, they were selling bite-sized versions of each. I chose to sample the bite-sized caramel and peanut brownie - I'm a sucker for the salt and sweet combo - kinda like a snickers but WAY better, and the chocolate espresso brownie - because who can pass up nature's two best creations: chocolate and coffee. 

My life will never be the same. 

To Market, To Market...

Last weekend, I headed out to East London to do some field research for my upcoming art history paper. I jumped on the district line and headed out to the Aldgate East tube stop. Exiting the station, I turned left and walked down Commercial Street a couple of blocks until reaching Old Spitalfields Market... I've asked around and, unfortunately, Spitalfields is pronounced just as its written.... yeah. Anyway, the market is caty-corner to the towering gray Christ Church - you can't miss it - and fortunately the market is an infinately more pleasante experience than its name might suggest. Duck under the red brick archway and into a veritable paradise!

Spitalfields Market is a haven for consumers and intellectuals alike. Shops, stalls, restaurants, and food stands abound. The shops (permanent) and stalls (Sunday only) at Spitalfields Market sell anything from flowers and chocolate to refurbished furniture to unique wardrobe additions, fabulous accessories and succulent bites to eat. Plus, the scene is ripe for people watching. And, if all that is not enough to entice you, the history and architecture of the place is as rich and vibrant as the weekly characters the market attracts.  

The Spitalfields Market site has been the gathering point for sellers of goods from "bulky vegetables" in the late 17th century to "flesh, fowl and roots" and later silk in the 1800's. The market underwent renovations in the 1990's, and today it reflects the spirit of London through its melding of old and new to create a new, unique space that honors the past while welcoming the future.

A set of modern steal gates usher visitors into the historical market. 

A frosted glass sculpture is etched with the details of some the history of the Spitalfields Market site. 

An iron staircase leads up from the cobblestone floor to rows of colorfully lit frosted windows. 

After I had soaked up my fill of Spitalfields Market, I found my way back to Commercial St., but I wasn't quite through with my exploration for the weekend, so I headed North towards Shoreditch High St. At Shoreditch High, I took a right. 

Passing the marvelously modern stainless steal Shoreditch High Street station, I toook another right at Bethnal Green and made sure to keep to the right on to Sclater St as Bethnal Green split to the left. Finally, after one more right hand turn, I found myself on the famous Brick Lane. 

Though at first I saw nothing but another cobblestone street lined with old houses, to my delight, I could hear the cries of street vendors around the next bend. I followed my ear, and soon the colorful wares of a fresh fruit and veggie market stretched before me.

The colors popped against the day's dreary gray backdrop. 

I wandered down Brick Lane taking in the sites, smells and sounds around me. As I drifted further South, the market stalls lining the street filled out and diversified, but I was only interested in the smells. The slightly prickly scent of curry mingled with pungent smoke that poured off of street grills cooking well marinated pork, beef and chicken. The nostalgia provoking aroma of citrus, cinnamon, nutmeg and wine poured from the copious vats of mulled wine. Whiffs of espresso flitted playfully in between the rest. Grills sizzled, pots gurgled and vendors cackled and called. I beamed. What fun I had stumbled upon!

As I wandered the streets, I noticed that there were pockets of vigorous activity followed by small pockets of comparatively less activity. After further examination, I realized that this was because the Brick Lane market was actually comprised of a series of smaller markets all catering to the same crowd of people ambling down Brick Lane. Some of the markets included the Backyard Market, the Sunday Upmarket, the Vintage Market and the Boiler House Food Hall. 

The Boiler House Food Hall, held in the old Truman Brewery, was, in my opinion, the real gem of the lot. This was an old warehouse filled to the brim with food stalls featuring street food from every corner of the world. And if I thought the smells were titillating before, the fragrances that mingled in the air here were practically orgasmic. I highly encourage everyone to give the Boiler House Food Hall a go. 

Exhausted and full, I wandered my way back to the Aldgate East stop making sure to catch a glimpse of Fournier Street - a street particularly crowded with old Georgian style town homes - on my way.     

Click for more information on Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane.

Paris, Je t'aime!

Bonjour mes amies, et bienvenue a mon 48 heures a Paris!

Despite the persistent and vexing precipitation, Paris was full of sights to be seen, so see I did! 

Obviously, a trip to Paris must include a visit to the Louve. Beware, the prices are steep, the lines long and the galleries crowded. If this isn't you're thing, at least be sure to snag a photo-op with the iconic museum. 

Of course, a trip to Notre Dame is also practically required. Weather you're a history buff, an art fanatic, a religious afficionado or a story enthusiast, there is something that will interest you at Notre Dame. From breath taking gothic architecture complete with stained glass windows, and impossibly vaulted stone cealings, to tales of Quasimodo, a trip to Notre Dame is well worth it. 

If you find yourself needing to take shelter from the elements be they rain, sun, sleet or car exhaust, and in need of a fix of Parisian fashion, head to Les Galeries Lafayette - the fantastically fabulous French answer to Harrod's. Be sure to comb all the floors thoroughly. You never know what sort of treasures you may find!

If you're lucky enough to be in Paris during the Holiday season - which, it seems, starts immediatly after Halloween in Europe as they are lacking the Thanksgiving tradition and distinctive Black Thursday that follows - be sure to look up while in the main lobby to catch a glimpse of the great decorations and oversized tree. 

Should you need to rest your feet and perhaps to refuel, ride the escalators all the way up to the top floor, and grab a table next to a window and a cafe au lait at the food court. Be sure to check out the view from the top. Who knows what you may spot!

Even if you managed to catch a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower from afar, a proper trip is a must. The tower is beautiful at night!

For dinner, be sure to hit up Le Refuge des Fondus. As the name suggests, fondue restaurant in Montmartre. They don't take reservations - as far as I can tell - and the place is tiny and packed! The atmosphere is festive to say the least. 

  

If you choose to dine at popular meal times, be willing to wait outside for a bit. It is well worth it. As soon as a spot big enough for your party opens up, you are whisked in and directed to one of two long skinny communal tables. Both are pushed up against the wall with only enough room for a person to squeeze in behind. You may briefly wonder how one gets into this small space between table and wall, but in one swift motion, the waiter pulls out a chair and holds out his hand indicating that you should take his hand, stand on the chair, and climb over table and fellow diners into the nook behind the table. 

Warning: if you are wearing a short dress or skirt, you may want to request that a more appropriately dressed dining mate do the climbing bit - unless of course you would like to attract cat calls and whistles from the international male clientele. 

Once seated, you are quickly presented with a platter of aperitifs and what I'm guessing is a taste of a cognac sort of drink. Your wine order, served in a baby bottle, quickly follows as does a bubbling pot of cheese and meat fondue complete with bread, steak and potatoes for dipping. Dessert, if you choose, is also included in this quite reasonable fixed price feast. 

Whether intoxicated by food, drink, atmosphere or all of the above, a night at Refuge des Fondus will culminate in much laughter and merry making and is well worth the trip. 

Check out this review at Where Are You, Olga?

For those whose stomachs aren't too full for a bit of drinking and dancing after dinner, Montemartre has quite a few clubs and bars that will satisfy your party bug. Stumble into almost anyone of them and you're sure to be in for a fun night and to meet quite a few characters. 

It's also worth spending some time in Montemartre during the day. In fact, this is my absolute favorite area in Paris. The streets are winding and narrow and bustling with out door cafes, street performers, artists etc. The energy is high, and you get the feeling that you will find something fantastic around each bend. In fact, this is probably the truth. 

I love the way the green from the oxidized copper contrasts with the surrounding grey features and dribbles down the roof here. 

Be sure to visit the beautiful, all white, church - Sacre Coeur. 

And, take in the breath taking view of Paris from the steps of the church. 

Au revoir, mes amies!

A happy cappuccino for a happy Tuesday!

Fashion Friday: Whit Pozgay

So, this week I have been obsessing about fashion. The obsession started when I re-stumbled across website Daily Candy (as mentioned earlier this week). Since then, I've been scouring blogs, perusing websites, and browsing glossy pages all the while trying to pretend that I actually know what I'm looking at, talking about and reading about.

All this obsessing and incessant blog searching, googling etc has led to some major inspiration and even some cool finds. One of my favorite finds has been the work of emerging designer Whit Pozgay. I love the clean lines and sophisticated yet fun femininity of her first ever Fall 2010 line!

This coat is one of my favorite pieces from the collection. 

Check her out, and enjoy!

Cheers!

Chunky and Funky

No, I'm not talking about something disgusting that may be staring up at you from the toilet bowl after a particularly wild night at the Pub. I'm talking about this fantastic new jewelry line I found thanks to my rediscovery of the brilliant website Daily Candy.

I am absolutely in love with this ring by Sylvie Markovina:

I'm totally envisioning wearing it with something casually sweet and feminine like leggings and a comfy long sweater with flats...

Mock Chicken and Butternut Squash Casserole

One of my new favorite fall flavors is butternut squash, and I have taken to using it in as many dishes as possible. Here is one I made a few nights ago that I think turned out particularly well.

Mock Chicken and Butternut Squash Casserole


2 cups Wheat Pasta of choice. I used fusilli but penne or any similar shape should work just fine.
1 Chicken breast
1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1 cup Butternut Squash chopped
1 clove Garlic
Parmesan Cheese
Sea Salt
Pepper
Garam Masala

Since I was just cooking for me, I roughly used the measurements above and had plenty left over for lunch the next day... and then some, but the measurements can easily be adapted to accommodate as many people as needed.

1. Cook the pasta following the directions on the packaging.
2. Coat your favorite pan in non-stick medium of choice - non-stick spray or olive oil.
3. Sprinkle both sides of chicken breast with salt, and pepper (optional) and place in pan on medium heat. Cook completely.
4. Place butternut squash on roasting pan. Lightly coat with olive oil. Sprinkle roughly 2 pinches of salt, pepper, and garam masala and add chopped garlic clove. Mix completely and place in oven on high heat until squash can be easily poked with a fork.
5. Layer the bottom of casserole dish with pasta. Shred chicken breast. Add chicken, squash and tomatoes to pasta. Mix. Grate a thin layer of parmesan over the top.
6. Bake in oven on medium heat until pasta begins to brown slightly.
7. Remove and serve!