Al fornos OMG good

Octopus salad and fennel root

Famous grilled pizza

baked pasta

pear walnut tart...

If you have never been to Providence and/or never have dined at Al Forno's these photos will show you what you've been missing....  www.alforno.com

Sunday Brunch

For those of you who follow my blog, you already know that Armsby Abbey is my favorite new dining destination in Central Ma. In fact, as far as belgian beers and comfort food goes, I would say it is one of the best places I've eaten in New England. Although I'm going to be in NYC this weekend, if any of you are in the Worcester area - you should check out their Saturday/ Sunday brunch. It is to die for.

Above, you can see their Belgian Sugar Waffle - made to order with Ommegang Abbey Ale (Cooperstown,NY) topped with Cinnamon & Brown Sugar Cortland Apples from Tougas Farm (Northboro, MA) topped with Homemade cinnamon Whipped Cream and to the right, the Corned Beef Hash Calzone - Housemade Corned Local Grass fed Beef Hash with Red and Yellow Peppers, Sweet Empire Onions, Red Potato, Vermont Cheddar and local eggs from Gibson's Dairy Farm (Worcester, MA) finished with a drizzle of our Housemade Hollandaise Sauce.

Their food is OMGood! If you're out of town, you should visit - I'll take you! :) 

What I did last weekend...

Last weekend, I helped my friend Shana with her Jute and Jackfruit Holiday Wine and Cheese/ Fashion Show in Depot Square, Lexington! It was really nice that my parents were able to come! If you are looking for any last minute holiday gifts that are eco-friendly, please check out her store by clicking here. 

on the catwalk

we coordinated our outfits (not really, but it looks like we did) 

Argyle is still going strong for 2008-09!

If you want to see more photos from the event, click here. :) 

Retired Song of the week- Week 11- Love Lockdown by Kayne West

I just love this song! :)

My Websites Debut!!!

Dear Friends,

I'm sorry for being MIA. It has been another extremely busy week - I was going to post some fun pics tonight, but the uploading function isn't working on blogspot... so the post for today will be sans multimedia. There will, however, be plenty to look at and keep you busy in this miserable cold rainy icy weather on the following websites that I am debuting. I have to give big props to www.weebly.com - who knew it could be so easy to build a website! Enjoy!

www.feliciajason.weebly.com

www.feliciaykuophotography.com

Sunday dinner!

Jason and I enjoy our rare weekends off together. Although it was not entirely a "rest" day (my dad and Jason spent the good part of the morning installing our above the oven microwave).... we did manage to work on our apartment a little (a never ending project), and cook dinner together. Tonight, we made a 1) spinach, bacon, red onion, mushroom, and feta salad, 2) chicken breast baked in a bag with mushrooms, butter, white wine and thyme, and 3) blueberry/raspberry pie... 

The spinach salad is made just like it sounds, with all the ingredients mentioned above tossed in light italian dressing. The Chicken breast is from "Happy Days with the Naked Chef" by Jamie Oliver - I can share the recipe, if people are interested. For the pie, I combined a few recipes from my google search and came up with the following....

Mixed Berry (Blueberry and Black Raspberry) Pie

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

1/2 cup white sugar

4 Tablespoons cornstarch

1 squeeze of a lemon wedge

a sprinkle of cinnamon

4 small dabs of butter (slivers)

9 inch pie crusts (2) - I used pillsbury ready made

1. Preheat oven to 375 F

2. Mix sugar and cornstarch and a large mixing bowl.

3. Combine berries - if frozen (thaw), you may want to sprinkle some cinnamon or squeeze a tiny bit of lemon juice (1-2 tbsp) for tartness. 

4. Prepare one pastry dough in the pie pan. To keep the crust from getting soggy, you may want to sprinkle some of the sugar/cornstarch mixture at the bottom of the crust before pouring in the fruit mixture.

5. Put the butter on top of the fruit filling

6. Cover with the second pie crust. 

7. If desired, brush with egg wash (1 egg, beaten with some water), and sprinkle coarse sugar on the top.

7. Cover the edges/crust part with aluminum foil - bake 30 min

8. Uncover, bake another 20-30 minutes until the pie looks golden. 

*Cooking time may vary depending on if you're using fresh (25 min) or frozen (up to 50 min)

Recipe adapted from allrecipes, Three Berry Pie

Feathers are so FAB!

This fall, I've been really into feathers and fur. It all started with Galvan-ized Headwear at the boston Ahts fest (not only did I get a feather headband, but I convinced Sarah to get one too!)...then while in Miami, at Urban outfitters, I spotted this fabulously awesome feather "fascinator". Feathers are popping up everywhere.  You can find them at arts festivals, but the best prices and variety of styles are on www.etsy.com and www.urbanoutfitters.com. 

Wear one to your next holiday party! 

Jute and Jack Fruit Holiday Party!

This is a shout out for my friend Shana Yansen who is started a wonderful smart, sustainable and chic online boutique. Devoted to offering the highest quality, eco-conscious and fair trade products available today, Jute & Jackfruit redefines what it means to be a modern boutique. Their uniquely crafted clothing, handbags and jewelry are good for you and the environment while not compromising on style!!!

She is having a Holiday Wine & Cheese party - please stop by if you're in the area!
Location: Lexington Depot, 13 Depot Square, Lexington, MA 02420 US
When: Saturday, December 6, 4:00 - 8:00 pm
Phone: 781-859-5232

Come celebrate the holidays with some wine, cheese, music and holiday cheer. Stop by anytime between 4pm - 8pm at the Depot. Guests and other friends most welcome. Catch a glimpse of our eco-fashion show at approximately 6pm showcasing our bamboo and organic cotton apparel along with candy wrapper handbags. Browse our eco-collection and holiday shop if you wish. Hope to see you there! To visit our site see www.juteandjackfruit.com. We are very excited to announce that Stellar Organics winery will be generously providing their organic and fair trade certified wines at the event. Stellar Organics will be available for sale in Massachusetts starting January 2009.

**psst! I'll be in the fashion show! :)

Retired Song of the week- Week 10- Bruises by Chairlift

Love it! This song is so catchy and sweet!

Apricot White Chocolate Chip Scones

This is probably the best scone recipe I've ever tried- courtesy of my friend and blog guru Sarahsouth. 

Apricot White Chocolate Scones

1 c dried apricots diced

1 c white chocolate chopped or white chocolate chips

3 1/2 c unbleached white flour

2 T baking powder

1/2 c unsalted butter

pinch of salt

3/4 c sugar

1 1/3 c whole milk 

2 eggs yolks beaten (optional for glazing tops)

1. Preheat oven to 400

2. Sift Flour, baking powder and salt together. mix in sugar

3 Rub butter into flour mixture with your fingers until it is crumbly like you would for pie crust. Do allow there to be some bigger pieces of butter in the dough

4. Pat out to about 3/4 thick and cut with a large biscuit cutter. (or use the mouth of a cup) 

5. If desired, brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar crystals. Place on parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Stand for 10 minutes

6. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minute or until golden.

7. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

more sports for a non-sporty girl!

Don't get me wrong, I'm an athletic girly girl - I love to dance, do yoga and aerobic kickboxing, but professional sports have always been a bit foreign to me.  Growing up, I used to sit by my big brother's side (Elbert epitomizes a Boston superfan), watching hours and hours of sports. Some of it must have sunk in, because I do feel great pride to be a Boston sports fan, and although I thought there was "half-time" in baseball the first time I went to a game, I do love my Red Sox! :)  

In the last month, Jason and taken me to the Boston Garden twice! That's more than I've ever gone in my entire preceding 29 years! And I have to say, watching sports live is a lot of fun, especially world champs, like the Celtics. I especially liked the Whoopie pie they served, one of the better ones I've had in New England. :) 

I'm back!!!

To those of you who read my blog (I'm aware of at least three of you -hooray! and thank you :).... I'm back from my holiday hiatus. In the last few days, I have done some drastic things such as woken up at 4:30am to participate in Wrentham Premium Outlets "Midnight Madness" Black friday sale, more or less finished my holiday shopping, completed 80% of my wedding planning and got painfully outbid on a Marc Jacobs handbag on the ebay in the last 47 seconds.  

If I had any tips to pass along in regards to Black Friday shopping, it would be: 

1) If there is a "midnight madness" event, shop between 4am-7am - the sales are optimal, the lines are short, the stores aren't hectic, or on Sunday late afternoon when it is rainy, dreary or icy out.

2) If you are an online shopper, most things go on sale Monday. or at least they did this year. Although it may be annoying to get "spam", it is usually worth it to sign up for a few stores you may want to purchase things from - they will usually send an extra savings coupon/ code to you that is not released to the public.

3) You will win some, you will lose some. But never give up on trying to get the best sale or savings for what you want.   

I am thankful for...

my wonderful family, my incredible Jason, my amazing and inspiring friends, all the opportunities that I have had over the past year, .... I am a very lucky.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Just not meant to be (sigh)

I would like to think of myself as someone who really appreciates what I have, and who is not particularly materialistic. However, these shoes proved to be an exception. These are the three-strap crystal sandals by Rene Caovilla that I have been lusting after ever since I saw them adorn a girl's feet at a wedding in September. Even Jason will admit, "They're fantastic. A work of art. Shoes to make another girl cry". But alas, they are not for me. When I first saw the price tag on www.saks.com$1275, my jaw dropped. I'm no country bumpkin, but I never imagined a shoe could be that expensive. Fascinated, I started stalking the shoe online, trying to see if it would ever drop to a price I just might be able to afford.

Last week, the shoe went on sale (gasp!) but was still an unattainable  $780.  Then this morning, out of sheer random curiosity (and continued stalking of the shoe), I saw on saks, the price had gone down to $380...AND...there was one pair of size 8 left. So, it was a half size too big, but I decided to go for it. But before I could go from page one to page two of checkout, the Cinderella slippers were gone. I almost cried with disappointment. 

But now that I've had all day to come to terms with my loss, I realize, $380 is still a gross and ridiculous amount to spend on a shoe. Especially when I  1) am a resident 2) live in Worcester where these shoes would never seen the light of day 3) not a socialite 4) spent less than that on my wedding dress . Sigh. While I am okay that I didn't get these shoes, I think I am a bit sad that my fantasy has come to an end, as they have clear sold out everywhere. It was a fun and exhilarating chase.

Yay..he did it again! Seared Tuna Steak Recipe

Jason is starting to take over the kitchen. While I do enjoy cooking, I am delighted by Jason's enthusiasm for making me dinner. This recipe is from Jamie Oliver's Happy Days with the Naked Chef

Seared Tuna with Grated Ginger and Chives  

(Serves 4)

8-10 oz bluefin tuna 

soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 thumb-sized pieces of fresh ginger

1 bunch of fresh chives, finely sliced

Marinate your tuna in a little soy sauce for 1 hour. Pat dry with paper towels, rub with the sesame oil, and sear for around 2 minutes in a very hot nonstick frying pan, turning regularly.  Allow to sit for 1 minute while you peel and finely grate the ginger.  To serve, place a little blob of fresh ginger and a small pile of chives on one side of each plate, with a pool of soy sauce in the middle.  Using a sharp knife, cut the tuna into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices, giving each person at least 3 or 4 pieces.  

Nightlife in Miami

One can not visit Miami without experiencing the nightlife. I stayed out later on the two nights Jason was in Miami with me (Fri & Sat) then I have for years!  I really liked the Miami nightlife - the lounges and bars we visited were elegant, the people were not pushy (like in some cities), and it helped to have the hook-up (thanks Carina) and skip the line at Mynt Lounge. :)

My friend Carina from good old Providence days! 

fancy lighting effects at Mynt Lounge

Jason and Me on Espanola Way

Amy (birthday girl, and friend from Brown '01)

Jason and I visited the Mynt Lounge, and Delano Hotel Bar. On Saturday night, we went out for my friend Amy's birthday, and found this neat wine-tasting bar on Espanola way called CAVA. It was a really neat concept where you purchase a card and put a certain amount ($20) on it, then you can go to each wine bottle and press the botton for a tasting, half glass, or full glass. While I did not find any particular wines that I really liked, it was fun! 

mmmmmm....Cuban food.

We couldn't leave Miami without eating some tasty Cuban Food. Although we had to walk > 10 long Miami blocks (approx 45 minutes) from our hotel to get to Puerto Sagua (700 Collins Ave), and I required a pit stop at David's Cuban Cafe for a papaya batido (milkshake) and guava pastry, when we finally arrived there, we  was starving and ready to eat! 

The Cuban sandwich, Croquetas, and Ropa Vieja and Arroz Moro were muy delicioso! Does anyone know of any good Cuban near Boston? 

Miami Art Deco

Some art deco shots from our stroll down Collins Ave and Ocean Drive, South Beach.... 

Back to the Brrr....

In honor of my fabulous weekend in Miami...A1A Beach Front Avenue...Ice Ice Baby

Miami baby!

Catching up with my MTA '97 roommate...

I am in Miami for a conference and I am loving it! This is my first time to Miami, and I had been looking forward to visiting Miami for many reasons. To mention a few: 1) to catch up with a few of my good friends Tina, Amy, and Carina 2) good cuban food, 2) sunshine and warm weather 3) palm trees 4) beaches 5) bright colored daring outfits (though I have a feeling I will chicken out). 6) clubs are reportedly fantastic if I can manage to stay up that late, and of course 7) the mini donuts.
Haha. So, the story behind the mini donuts is that I forgot to pack a snack or eat prior to, or on my flight from BOS --> MIA and once I landed, I had to rush to the hotel and attend the conference. From 8am to 5pm, all I had to eat was a complimentary bag of doritos, a granola bar and a latte! When I finally had a moment of downtime, I walked (sprinted) from my hotel to the Bayside Marketplace where I was captivated by the aroma of these delightful deepfried nuggets. I had to have them, and let me tell you- these miami mini donuts sure were heavenly.

Once my gnawing hunger was somewhat abated, the rest of my evening was great! Tina came to pick me up and we went to Coconut Groves. For dinner, we sampled several different spoonfuls of uniquely prepared ceviche at the Jaguar Ceviche Spoon Bar and Grill . 

Moral of the story: Bring or buy food for plane rides.
Lesson learned: Mini donuts are divine! (esp with cinnamon sugar)

Retired Song of the week- Week 9 - The Perfect Lie - The Engine Room (Gabriel and Dresden remix)

This is a pretty bada** song, the video is a little racy, but nothing too scandalous. :)

The way to a woman's heart..

..is through her stomach. Flowers help too. :)  

20 cards for 20 cents!

In case any of you like to order photo greeting cards, Snapfish is having a great sale. It ends on 11/23 so hurry! :)  Use the coupon CARD08 at checkout!!! 

sunday funday: Brunch, (rock)Band, Babies, Buddies

A fabulous way to spend Sunday

Brunch at Lisa and Indy's: Belgium waffles and Rock band 2!

 We visited Irene, Ken, Isabelle and adorable Sebastien. His sweater is French, so chic!

We ended the day with a delicious dinner with our dear friends Miguel and Liv

at Stella, in the South End. 

Two thumbs up for hearty Italian Fare and our witty Bulgarian waiter!

Pumpkin Muffins!

This weekend, I made some pumpkin muffins to bring to a brunch party at our friend's place. They were super easy to make -probably took 5 minutes of prep time, 15-18 min to bake. I have made pumpkin muffins from scratch before... but the Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread Mix is pretty darn good and very very quick! Run out and get some if you're looking for a warm, hearty and satisfying breakfast!  Add some chocolate chips for some extra pizazz! 

 Perfect for snuggling on the sofa with a blanket and glass of milk.  :)

Relax and Eat

Every now and then, Jason and I get a day to just veg out and relax. Today was one of them and it has been fabulous! To those of you out there who are feeling tired or stressed, my doctor's advice is "take a break". It's funny, we don't give ourselves breaks enough. Most of us have fast paced lives that are go-go-go, and even when we recognize that we are feeling worn out, we don't take the time out to take care of ourselves. Well, there is no good time so I say, do it soon!

We started out the day with a fabulous homemade brunch - one of my favorite British inspired staples. Fried egg with baked beans and toast. We learned the hard way that doing bacon on the stovetop sets off the fire alarm, next time we'll stick to making it in the oven (place in foil covered bacon sheet) at 400, depending on number of slices, 10-15 min or until done). other than that minor snafu, everything was great.

To make yourself this hearty and tasty breakfast: 1) Fry egg 2) open a can of baked beans (we like country style), place in microwave safe container and heat 3) toast bread 4) make bacon (optional - the rest of this recipe is vegetarian:). 5) Place your egg on the plate, then cover with warm beans. Enjoy with toast and bacon!

For dinner, Jason surprised me by making crepes! He made them from scratch on his crepe-maker, and we had savory (ham, red onion and cheese), apple and cheddar as well as sweet ones (Crepes Suzette). They were sooooo good. I ate them before I could photograph them! If you'd like the recipe for those, you'll have to ask ironchef J yourself. :)

Wishing you all a restful and delicious weekend. Even better, do it with a bottle of Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvee (at Trader Joe's for $5.99 it's a fun and refreshing sparkly).

How to make a tutu

Wow. Youtube is so impressive. You can find information on anything on that site! So the back story on this is that I asked a couple of my cousin's daughters to be flowergirls for our wedding yesterday. I suggested that I thought it'd be really cute if they wore tutu dresses! Within 24 hours, my cousin Marcella emailed me this.



If only I knew how easy they were to make when I was a little girl, I would have worn a tutu every day. :)

Give and Get - 30% off Banana Republic, Old Navy, GAP

I got this email and thought I'd pass on the savings, if you would like me to email you a coupon, just leave a note and I'll send one your way. I'm supporting the Boys & Girls Club. :)

"We'd like to offer you 30% off¹ during our best-ever friends and family event. We're calling it Give & Get, because for every purchase you make from November 13-16, we give 5% of the amount you spend to your favorite nonprofit. Plus, as one of our best customers, you'll not only enjoy 30% off, you'll also get to share this discount with your friends and family. 5% of the amount they spend goes to your nonprofit too! During our August Give & Get event, we donated $1.3 million. So share the love with as many people as you like. And don't forget to pick your nonprofit. "

Share the Love.

Retired Song of the week- Week 8- TI Whatever You Like

More Lykke Li

I feature a lot of Lykke Li on my blog- she is simply fabulous. She is perhaps the Spazziest artist I know. I love her. My friend Sarah just sent me this video. Now, I'm sharing it with you. She is so entertaining. I may just like her as much as Britney (gasp!)

A Tribute to Mac and Cheese

I am not a cold weather girl. If I could have it my way, it'd be sunny and warm every day of the year. Sure, foliage is pretty,  snow angels are fun...but having the wind whip your face is not. As much as I do not look forward to winter, there are some positive aspects of cold weather. One of my favorite reasons for living in cold New England...is comfort food. And of comfort food (short ribs, apple strudel, hot chocolate...) Mac and Cheese is King.

Tonight, I met up with my friend Jess to try out the new restaurant, Persephone. It's a neat concept of a boutique/restaurant/gallery.  The food was delicious. We ordered the mac and cheese, meatballs, crabcake and brussel sprouts. The brussel sprouts were quite divine too - B.S. seems to be the "IT" vegetable of Fall 08. 

Anyhow, after tonight's M&C, I felt inspired to create a top 5 Mac & Cheese list.

1. The Smith -  East Village, NYC.

2. Farmstead - Providence, RI

3. Persephone - Boston, MA

4. Armbsy Abbey - Worcester, MA

5. Chat N Chew - Union Square, NYC

Click on the name of each restaurant for more info. For those of you who can't make it to any of the above soon.... there's always Auntie Annie's microwaveable organic mac-n-cheese. :) 

My first NHL game...

Please take note, this is a rare sports-related post! Jason took me to my first NHL game on Saturday night at the Boston Garden. The Bruins won! It was pretty exciting, and the sausage and hot dogs were quite tasty. :) 

sunday morning

Ahhh. Sunday mornings. :) I love lazy Sunday mornings. I slept in, then started my day by baking a pear cranberry coffee cake (customized from the Sunday Special Coffee Cake, my go-to coffee cake basic recipe - see below) that Jason and I will be bringing to brunch at a friend's house today. As I was waiting for the cake to bake, I swept the leaves off the patio. And now, I'm sitting by my computer, relaxing, enjoying my coffee and listening to songs on Itunes, something that I haven't had the chance to indulge for a while! I was thinking yesterday how long it has been since I've had two weekend days off (meaning Sat and Sun) and stayed in Worcester.... Sept 20th! Anyhow, I thought I'd share this beautiful song - Sunny Road by Emiliana Torrini - perfect for a Sunny Sunday morning. :)

Sunday Special Coffee Cake

1/2 c plus 3/4 c sugar

1/4 c plus 1 1/2 c flour

1/4 c plus 1/3 c butter, melted

1 tsp cinnamon

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg (the recipe says egg white, but I never bother separating)

1/2 c milk

1 tsp vanilla

1. Combine 1/2 c sugar, 1/4 c flour, 1/4 butter and cinnamon. Mix lightly with a fork until crumbly. Set aside for topping
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, grease 8'' square pan
3. Sift 1 1/2 c flour, baking powder and salt
4. in a medium bowl, beat egg with a rotary blender until frothy, beat in 3/4 c sugar, 1/3 c melted butter until well combined, add milk and vanilla.
5. With a wooden spoon, beat in flour mixture until well combined; pour into pan.
6. Sprinkle topping evenly over batter.
7. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
8. Cool partially in pan or on a wire rack. Cut into squares while still warm. :)

Awesome Armsby Abbey

This must be my lucky eating week. 

I can not believe it, but Jason and I have stumbled upon yet another fabulous foodie find in our very own neighborhood!  Located in Downtown Worcester on Main St, is Armsby Abbey - a brewpub and New England, local products inspired, Farmhouse style menu featuring slow (= yummy comfort) food. 

I've already been there twice in 48 hours, and I was on call for 24 hour of those hours! :) So far, everything I have eaten has been fantastic! I tried the Coffeehouse porter on draught which was creamy, delicious in smooth. I've had the corn chowder which was the best I've ever tasted featuring (I stole their menu so I know the details) superfresh perfectly crisp sweet butter/sugar corn kernels (from Northboro, MA) in a creamy soup base with roasted red potatoes, and "Green mountain Maple Cured bacon" (Ludlow VT). It was so good, I had it boht Tuesday and this afternoon (Thursday).  I've also tried the mac and cheese (super good crunchy crust, blend of 5 cheeses), the BBQ pork sandwich and the Portobello Foccacia.

I can't wait to try the rest of the menu. For those of you lucky souls who live in the area, I recommend you check this place out! And if you want the corn chowder, you better hurry because they are about to rotate their menu to the next offerings. Bon Appetit!

A Central MA/ Boston Foodie gem

I am very sleepy, and still have to respond to Sarahsouth's tag, but I feel compelled to share a fabulous foodie find with those of you who live in the Central MA/Boston area.  Tonight J and I went to the Natick mall to do some shopping - (ps. Banana Republic has a promotion that started today for BR card members- an extra 25% off everything!).  Afterwards, we decided to try the Sel de la Terre for dinner. OMG. It was one of the best meals we have ever had! And, it's closer to Worcester than Boston! Who would have guessed....fancy food at a mall?! It was a wonderful and delicious surprise, and I highly recommend it to you all  :) 

Red Velvet Cake - An Update, the Latest taste test

Of course I had to try the red velvet cake at the Southern Gourmet Pantry in the West Village as I strolled by it Sunday afternoon. I stopped Jason in his tracks and said, "Although I've eaten more cake than I ever have in the past week...I absolutely must try the red velvet cake there!" Alas, the quest must continue.

Since we had stuffed our self with a decadent brunch (meatball sliders, poached eggs on sausage biscuits and home fries/brussel sprouts - all were fantastic) - at the Little Owl and then had OMG smooth gelato at Grom (I had sea salt caramel and venezuelan chocolate)... I got a red cupcake to go.

Alas, I did not try it until we got home to Worcester late last night (after, yet another fantastic meal at Supper restaurant - lower east side)... and....the RV cupcake was kind of disappointing. It actually tasted just like dry yellow cake. I did not detect any buttermilk or touch of cocoa. Sigh. Not all red velvet cake is made equal - and hence, that is what makes the quest for the "Best RV", a continuous and suspense-filled quest.

However, I must share that the woman behind the counter (?the owner) of the southern Gourmet Pantry had the most extensive and passionate knowledge of hot sauces and offered perfect descriptions like it "gives a punch, then pulls back", so if not for the RV, I would recommend visiting the cozy and quaint store if you are ever in need of some hot pepper.

Shout out to my NYC ladies

To round out my stretched out birthday celebration, Jason took me to NYC this weekend. I love NYC. It is my favorite city in the world. For so many reasons, but mostly because so many of my favorite people in the world live here.

It's been an exciting weekend. We got in late Friday night and witnessed NYC's enthusiasm for unique and interesting halloween costumes. Then today (Saturday), has just been jam packed. To start, we went to Bronx to pick up my wedding dress which was a steal at $300 (yes. that is right. three zero zero. craigslist, baby :) After that, Jason and I had divine pork buns and ramen at Momofuku in the east village and strolled through Soho to windowshop in the balmy 60 degree Nov 1st weather. For dinner, we met up with my friends at "The Smith" in the east village for a feast of comfort food (the mac and cheese..OMG).

Anyhow, we are finally back at the hotel now after a wonderful dinner and post dinner St Alps teahouse conversation - and I am so happy. Thank you my NYC ladies (from Science camp, Chinese Camp, MTA, and Brown) for coming together tonight to see me, and for reminding me how creative, fun,and limitless life can be. Thank you to all my friends for constantly inspiring me and dreaming big dreams with me. :)

Retired Song of the week- Week 7 Aceyalone Moonlit skies

I love RED VELVET cake

I can't remember exactly when I fell in love with Red Velvet Cake, but I think it was some time two years ago, and in New York City.  I think part of my fascination with Red Velvet Cake is that it is so unique, and so inconsistent...thus making it not just a simple task, but a quest to search for one that is flavorful (buttermilk and cocoa undertones) and moist. For the past two years, I have searched out red velvet cake/ cupcakes in nearly every city I visit (though I did not find them in Taipei or Tokyo). So far, my favorites are: 1) Memorial Sloan Kettering Cafeteria Red Velvet Cake, Manhattan, NY; 2) Red Velvet mini cupcakes - Kumquat Cupcakery, Brooklyn, NY; 3) Les Glaceurs: Glaces and cupcakes Montreal (see first photo).  

Recent Red Velvet Cake: Lulu's Bakeshoppe

For my 29th birthday, Jason searched all over Boston to find a Red Velvet Birthday Cake and he scored big with a delicious, moist, richly flavored one from Lulu's Bakeshoppe in the North End. For now, this one just may take the cake, but if any of you out there have any secret knowledge about Red Velvet cake/cupcakes, please share. :)

Chictopia

I love fashion. I find it fascinating and fabulous! One of the most striking parts of the 6 or so hours I spent (11pm-5am) in Tokyo city was the incredible fashion. The women and men were totally decked out. I saw combinations of trends that were fearless and whimsical. For example, the above outfit witnessed in the subway station was "average" for a Saturday night in Tokyo. I've never seen so many false eyelashes, designer handbags, funky vests and hats, and over the knee socks in such high concentration before. It was awesome. Sometimes I wish I lived in Tokyo I could play dress-up everyday.

The other day, my friend Jess shared the following website with me. http://www.chictopia.com/ There you can check out some more interesting looks to inspire your next trip to the mall. :)

Crunchy Crullers

I have a lot to share about Taiwan - but I thought I'd start with these photos of our final breakfast, and favorite meal of the trip. Crunchy Chinese Crullers and Soymilk! Also in the first photo, are other tasty Chinese breakfast treats, rice rolls, steamed mini buns, potstickers....

You can sometimes buy frozen crullers and pancakes and make your own breakfast sandwich to eat with soymilk at chinese grocers. I hope you all get to taste this deliciousness. The crullers can be dipped in soysauce if you like it salty, or dipped in sugar if you have a sweet tooth! Yum!

Where was this photo taken? - ANSWER HERE!

I've done a lot of traveling lately - but I thought before I go ahead an post my Taiwan trip, I should answer "Where was this photo taken?" from early October. I want to thank Laurent for his guess, and for his enthusiasm. He was the only person who guessed, and it was a good guess.

The photo was taken at the bean sculpture in Chicago's Millennium Park. Also known as Cloud Gate, a public sculpture by British artist Anish Kapoor. For more photos from my weekend of shoe shopping, reception venue searching, popcorn eating, fireworks, and fancy drinks in Chicago with my fabulous girl friends Sara and Eylul, click here