Meme: 6 Quirky Things I Do
October 27, 2008 | Filed Under Memes | 13 Comments
Mikky of My Finds has tagged me for a meme called 6 Quirky Things I Do.
Here are the guidelines to the meme:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you – that’s me.
2. Mention the rules on your blog.
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 6 bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the blogger’s blogs letting them know they have been tagged.
Hmmm… Let me see… I’ve done several similar memes, which you can find here, but I’ll try to come up with some more quirky things for you. 
1- I like to face my dollar bills according to its color — black side or green side.
2- I prefer to use only black ink pens.
3- I’ve started talking to the birds. In the morning, I wish them good morning.
4- I can’t get rid of my books (except for school books).
5- I like to eat french fries with ketchup and mayo.
6- I still like to watch Little House on the Prarie and it still makes me teary-eyed.
I tag anyone interested in participating in this meme. Please let me know that you’re doing it, so that I can read it. Thanks Mikky for the tag!
Paz
New York Monday #146: Le Pain Quotidien
October 26, 2008 | Filed Under About New York blog, Fellow Bloggers, New York Monday, Other NY Photos, The House in Marrakesh blog | 18 Comments
Beligium Hot Chocolate — the messy looking one was made by yours truly.
Last weekend, Elizabeth of About New York and (The House in Marrakesh) and I had planned on meeting and going to Central Park to take photos. However, it was extremely cold and neither of us felt like wandering around in the chilly weather. Instead, we decided to do the next best thing — find a nice warm place to sit, eat and talk. We found the place at Le Pain Quotidien — a comfortable bakery/eatery with long communal tables. There are several locations in the city. We went to the one in the Gramercy/Flatiron area.
They have an extensive menu of different foods. We talked over Belgium Hot Chocolate and a basket of different delicious rustic European breads. The waiter brought us cups of hot milk with the melted chocolate on the side and we poured the chocolate into the milk. I made the crazy design you see in the above photo. The breads were served with different jams (apricot and raspberry) and a hazelnut-praline spread. Very nice!
Afterwards, we went next door to browse in ABC Carpet & Home. It’s a huge store filled with everything from chandeliers, candles, books, carpets, furniture, jewelry and more.
If you’re in the neighborhood, you may want to check both places out.
Paz
Le Pain Quotidien
38 E 19th St, New York 10003
Between Broadway & Park Ave
212-673-7900
ABC Carpet & Home
888 Broadway, New York 10003 (19th Street)
212-473-3000
Melted dark chocolate to make hot chocolate
Basket of different delicious rustic breads
A small portion of ABC Carpet & Home
I’m back — THANKS!
October 20, 2008 | Filed Under Baking | 34 Comments
Hi everyone!
I’m back!
While I was recuperating from my surgery, I want to thank all those who helped me out as guest bloggers — Mischief Mari of Cha no ma-ri, Layla of Laylita’s Recipes, Simona of Bricole, Ilva of Lucullian Delights, Elizabeth of The House in Marrakesh and About New York, Sra of When My Soup Came Alive, Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen, Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once, Lydia of The Perfect Pantry, Rebecca of From Argentina with Love, Christine of Christine Cooks, Amy of The Heart of a Seed, and Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict. Everyone readily agreed to help me, without hesitation. I appreciate it so very much, especially since I know you’re all very busy. Thank you so very much!
Thank you to the readers who stopped by here with kind comments and get well wishes. Also, thanks to those who emailed me privately. I think your good wishes did the trick in helping me feel much bettter, real fast.
I can’t thank you all enough. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I’m feeling much better now and have returned to work. I’m still a bit tired but I think that’s just my body getting used to more physical activity and all.
For my first post back, I wanted to share the cookies that I’d ordered from Mischief Mari. She really does make the coolest cookies on the planet. When I saw the presidential candidate Barack Obama cookies that she’d designed on her blog, I knew my mom would love them and decided to order them for her. She did love them. She shared them with her friends and they loved them, too.
Mari also designed some very nice presidential candidate John McCain cookies. She’s so talented.
I’m so glad that I feel well enough to enjoy Mischief Mari’s cookies. Not only do they look good, they taste good, too. Thanks, Mari!
And thank you all, again, for your support and well wishes.
Paz
New York Monday #145: Four Buildings and a Tower
October 19, 2008 | Filed Under New York Monday | 10 Comments
Located in the Washington Heights area, uptown — four apartment buildings and a tower, which is no longer in use. I’m not sure about the history of the tower. I’m sure it’s interesting. One of these days, I plan on getting a closer look and finding out more about it.
Happy New York Monday, everyone! Have a great week.
Paz
Ed. Note: Based on a question by Tanna, I did a quick research on the tower and just as I thought, it does have an interesting history. It’s the old Highbridge Water Tower, built in 1872. It’s located in Manhattan’s Highbridge Park and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. I’ll post more photos and info in the future.
A Pudding for Paz
October 13, 2008 | Filed Under Baking | 12 Comments
Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict surprised me with this special post on her blog in August. She has kindly allowed me to repost it here. Thanks again, Jasmine!
All these special recipes by my awesome guest bloggers and well wishes from everyone has definitely made me feel much better. I’ve actually returned to work and expect to be blogging soon.
Paz
Originally posted at Confessions of a Cardamom Addict, August 3, 2008
2008 © Confessions of a Cardamom Addict – All Rights Reserved.
If you’ve ever wanted to visit New York City, but can’t afford the time or the fare, there are a number of sites you can visit to aid your armchair travels. One such site is a bit of a travelogue disguised as a foodblog run by our most lovely Paz of The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz.
Each Monday she posts a photo of her fair city — a sort of everyman’s photojournal of The Big Apple. Yes, there are some shots of touristy targets like The Russian Tea Room, Grant’s Tomb and carriage rides; foodie obsessions like pizza, markets and cafés, and of course everyday images of architecture, wildlife and people.
Anyway, Paz isn’t feeling the greatest, taking some recuperation time and is taking a bit of a blogging break. Right now a number of her bloggy friends are helping out and guest starring on her site until she’s up for more cooking and photography.
I can’t remember exactly when we discovered each others blogs, but our sites are roughly the same age (about a month apart) and she was one of my first bloggy friends. We’ve laughed and snarked at one another over this and that and she electronically knocked me on my plumptious behind when she gave me a flying tackle of a return hug.
As much as I’d like to be in NYC to cheer her up in person, I can’t get away–besides, I’m sure all the laughing we’d do wouldn’t be good for the sutures
So instead I offer here a comforting little seasonal pudding for a comfy recovery. A cherry dulce de leche croissant pudding based on Nigella’s Caramel Croissant Pudding, as seen in Nigella Express.
I’d gone to the good farmer’s market and picked up a punnet of the sweetest and juiciest cherries. Even though I like fresh cherries, there’s something about having them in a simple baked dish–pies, studded in breads or unfussed cakes. When set in the smokey custard, some juices release, leaving a burgundy streak, but some–those that are sunk in the pudding and cocooned in sweetened eggy goodness–still burst when bitten. It’s quite nice.
My version was thrown together in much the same way most of my bread puddings are put together. I had about half a dozen mini croissants in my fridge, along with a stress-releasing, sadness-fighting, comfort-inducing jar of dulce de leche.
I’m pretty much a purist when it comes to the custard part of my bread puddings–vanilla, please. I don’t normally go for flavourings, but right now caramelly goo and fruit are my choco-substitutes, so Nigella’s version that incorporates caramel made me sit up…Oh and I suppose I could have made this into a greedily portioned single serving, but I decided to break it up into four ramekins.
Cherry Dulce de Leche Croissant Pudding
adapted from Nigella Lawson’s Caramel Croissant Pudding found in Nigella Express
6 mini butter croissants
2 bulging tablespoons of dulce de leche
125ml milk (don’t bother with 1% or skim milk)
50ml heavy cream
2 well-beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
pitted sweet cherries.
water from a freshly boiled kettle.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
Tear the croissants and scatter the pieces into a butter a baking dish (or dishes). Scatter some of the cherries over top.
Heat the dulce de leche in a small pan. When it’s loose and drippy, add the milk, cream and vanilla.
Temper the eggs with some of the heated sweetened milk, stiring the eggs constantly so they don’t scramble. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and heat on a low flame, stirring constantly. Let it thicken until it coats the back of the spoon.
Pour over top the cherries and broken croissants, top with more cherries. Put the dish(es) in a roasting tin and fill the tin with hot water until it comes to the half-way point of the baking dish(es). Pop into the oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until the custard has just set.
cheers!
jasmine
