Life of Duaba

Thoughts from one Nittany Lion...

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:42:00 +0000

I'm pretty sure I blew up my friends' twitter feed + fb news feed with all my responses and posting about this whole JoePa fiasco so I might as well just post this on my blog.

This is just my thoughts and outlook so before I begin there are two things I will declare:

I am not a football fan but I am a Penn State student.
Whats the difference? Easy. I know NOTHING about football. A defensive line man could do a chemistry experiment on the 20 yard line and I wouldnt find that odd. I'll just chalk it up to my lack of knowledge to football.
I don't know the facts on the case. I did NOT read the grand jury report (which has graphic details...thus why my hesitancy to read it).

With that said, here's my take on this whole issue.

McQueary witnesses something involving Sandusky and a 10 yr old boy in the shower. He told Paterno. Paterno, who has no jurisdiction on Sandusky, has to report it. University protocol makes it that Paterno needs to talk to Curley (the Athletic Director) and Gary Schultz (in charge of University Police).

Yet Paterno is the one accused of not doing enough.

I get ppl are thinking that Paterno is the 'Big Kahuna' of Penn State so he could've done more. Yes, he's the most famous face on campus and then some. Yes, he does represent a lot of Penn State. But at the end of the day, he's just an 84 year old football coach who has a library in his name..and a damn good ice cream flavor. AND he is just a famous face with not much weight to pull around campus.

It will be like us demanding Lady Gaga to solve this financial crisis. I mean, she's rich so she's somewhat involved. She's famous. Right? SO GO LADY GAGA! ITS UR DUTY!

Do you see where this logic kinda falls apart?

People are all up in arms going "What if it was your kid? What if it was your brother? How could you think JoePa did enough?!"

Okay. I have an 11 year old brother. and if something like THIS happened to him, obviously I would be devastated and furious. BUT my majority of my anger, aside from Sandusky (rot in hell), would be the three stooges - McQueary, Schultz, and Curley.

McQueary was the witness. My questions to him:

WHY THE HELL DID U NOT STOP IT?
WHY THE HELL DID U NOT AT LEAST FIND OUT WHO THE KID WAS AND TOLD THE PARENTS?
WHY THE HELL DIDNT YOU FOLLOW UP WITH THE INVESTIGATION?

As the key witness, he had more to bring to the table than JoePa and less to lose. According to some reports, McQueary discussed this with his father first on how to handle it. So obviously, MORE PPL KNEW ABOUT THIS STORY so do you see THEM getting fired from this? Of course not. Cuz they're not famous.

Schultz & Curley on the other hand. I have no questions for. They are all condemned in my book because THEY are the ones who did not do enough. They had the story, they knew who to go to for the facts (McQueary and Sandusky). They had the resources (one was the Athletic Director who had jurisdiction over Sandusky and the other one was in charge of University Police).

University Police is just the same as a normal police. This isn't a Disney Cop kind of situation. Believe me. I've picked up one of my friends from the University police station on a DUI charge to know that they do not dick around.

Child molestation and rape is a HUGE issue. My heart does go out to the families and I wish that we didnt' have to live in a world where this occurs. but because this is such a heinous crime, people are extra-sensitive to this. They go into panic mode and people do NOT like being in the panic mode. They need a quick fix. They want to get to the root of the problem and solve it FAST.

Unfortunately, the media had decided to point the finger at JoePa and everyone went into mob mode on him.

Am I saying he handled it perfectly? No. Did he try his best? I believe he did the best that he could at the moment. Could he have done more? Probably but that applies to everything and everyone. Hindsight is 20/20. We all know that.

We're not heros. You need to put yourself in Joe Pa's situation and leave out the orchestral swell and the 300 soldiers in the backdrop. If you found out about it, wouldn't you do the same thing? Report it and put your faith in the authorities that they would handle it? Joe Pa isnt a hero. He's not a God. He's not perfect. He's just a man who did what he could.

Here are a couple of posts that I pray ppl will read and reflect on before declaring war on Penn State. I personally have been accused on twitter as a child molester and just as bad as Sandusky for supporting JoePa. If you think that's outrageous, then I'm happy. Proves you are sane.

Post written by a lawyer who happens to be an Ohio State University grad

Huffington Post article about the Media's role in all of this

These are just want I want to put out in the blogging world.

Bitch Hunt

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:49:00 +0000

Back Story - There's a dog in my apartment building who barks sharply and frequently during the day. It's less frequent as before but it definitely can be heard throughout the building. I've heard it many times before and I'm certain it comes from one of the upstairs apartments. I live on the 2nd floor of a 5-story walk up so I have no clue who it is for sure.

My story - I was out of town this weekend. On a trip to Long Island. My roommate and her boyfriend were at home taking care of Mwaji. Thus, they were the ones who discovered an accusatory note written by an anonymous neighbor, who I will refer to as Bitch Hunter

(Quoted directly with typos and grammar errors in its entirety):

-------------------------------------------------------
Neighbor,
I have reported you to the ANIMAL CONTROL.
You constant neglect of the dog is disgusting.
We can't understand why you would leave the doggie aLone continuously!
This is Not the first time we can hear his cries.
Give him up to some-one who cares about Animals,
YOU DON'T!!!
-------------------------------------------------------

My roommate, the calm one, wrote a note in response and taped it on the front door along with the original letter. That way everyone else in the building will know what's going on. Hopefully the actual dog owner will read it and do something about it.

Below is what she wrote. And below that is what *I* would've written:

-------------------------------------------------------
To the neighbor who wrote the above note--

Get your facts straight before accusing anyone of neglecting their dog.

The dog in this apt hardly spends time at home. In fact, she goes with her owner to work almost everyday. When she is home alone, she naps. Any noise she makes is out of excitement at friends visiting. Clearly, she's not a neglected dog.

To insinuate that she cries continuously demonstrates that you failed to realize that there are many other dogs in this building and other adjacent buildings and did a poor job investigating which apt housed the disturbing dog. We have also heard the crying dog you're referring to and are unsure of whose dog it is. But we are not going to arbitrarily point fingers at anyone.

Leaving an anonymous note does nothing to help your situation and is a cowardly attempt to resolve the issue. If you believed we are the source of the problem, then you should have talked to us like civil adults.

Your Neighbor in Apt 9
-------------------------------------------------------

What I would've written:
-------------------------------------------------------
To Bitch Hunter:
3 things:
1) It's not my dog.
2) "Someone" is spelled without a hyphen. Beginning to understand y u're stuck at home during the weekdays trying to identify neighborhood pet noises. Will be willing to look at your resume + cover letter for you if you'd like and point out other typos that are clearly stunting your career growth.
3) If ya got a problem, say it to MY FACE!

-Dog owner of Apt 9
PS - did I mention we're moving out end of November? So if we leave and the dog barks continue, please imagine us saying "I TOLD YOU SO" repeatedly in a high pitch nasally voice. It's what I assume your voice sounds like, cuz you are annoying.
-------------------------------------------------------

Sidenote - The super has brought to my attention couple of months ago that some neighbors were bothered by dog barks during the day. I asked whether he warned the person next door to me about this and HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS HAD A DOG! Apparently, I'm the only tenant who did what was asked on our lease and notify our landlord and super that I am a dog owner. So much for doing the right thing.

Featured Designer: Samantha Hahn

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:31:00 +0000

I came across Samantha Hahn when Oh Joy featured the Brooklyn artist in May. She had a showcase at the Gallery Hanahou this week, which one of my friends invited me to. Her artwork of mostly ink and watercolors are beautiful and inspiring. Enough talking. I must show!

Some of the prints up close and personal:

For more information on the artist, go to her website. Enjoy!

No More Jobs

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:13:00 +0000

If you currently live in a bubble and your only source of information is through my blog, then there are two breaking news that I am obligated to bring to your attention.

1) your life sucks. Seriously. Add at least another blog to your blogroll (may I suggest Perez Hilton? he's very insightful. ha!)

2) Steve Jobs died last night due to health problems. (Cliffnotes - He was the CEO of Apple. most likely the guy who made the electronic u r reading this with. unless u use a blackberry/android/pc/other-uncool-devices. if my explanation is not good enough you can wiki him. I linked it somewhere on this page but you'll have to read thru the whole blog to find it. YAH! not giving u an easy exit out of my blog. your eyes and attention are MINE for at least another couple paragraphs, bullet points, and fancy video.)

In reflection of Steve Jobs' life and to help you get started on adding more blogs, here are some of the things that are floating around the interweb paying tribute.

Steve Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011)

via Photojojo

Perez Hilton (Ultimate entertainment news source) - "Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to Steve's family, friends, and loved ones."

Steve Wozniak (Apple Co-founder) - "People sometimes have goals in life. Steve Jobs exceeded every goal he ever set for himself." via CBS News

Bill Gates (PC maker) - "I’m truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs’ death. Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work.
Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives.
The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come.
For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely." via his blog
If you're wondering, Melinda is his wife. OH and newsflash: if Steve Jobs didn't make the electronic you are currently using, then Bill Gates did.
Barack Obama (Leader of all 50 states plus Puerto Rico) - "The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Steve's wife Laurene, his family, and all those who loved him." (via Perez Hilton)
Compilation of Celebrity Tweets (via Popwatch, but their twitter accounts are linked) -

Alec Baldwin: “Sad about Steve Jobs. On par with Henry Ford, Carnegie and Edison.”

Jimmy Fallon: “Thank you, Steve Jobs, for all of the fun and amazing ways you made our lives better….Sent from my iPhone.”

Dianna Agron: “We never met, yet I stand beside members of this giant playground that you discovered for us. We use it every day, never tiring of the sand.”

Tory Burch: “Saddened by the loss of #SteveJobs. A true visionary and inspiration.”

Jesse Tyler Ferguson: ”So sad to hear about the brilliant Steve Jobs passing. RIP. Sent with love from my iPhone.”

k so if you're still wondering who the hell is this guy, i begrudgingly give you the link to his wiki article...but its not here. i put it somewhere up there. OH WHAT? mind games!

Having an Epiphanie

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 22:59:00 +0000

Yes, I spelled it right. Let me explain.

When I first got my Panasonic GF2, I wanted a safe place to transport it but all that I could find are generic camera bags like these:

Do you see my frustration? Thus, after further digging, I found Epiphanie. This brand sells a line of camera bags that are to die for. These are fashionable bags that a woman can tote around without looking like they are working on a shoot and/or a tourist.

How can you not love these?

(Lyric/Lola/Clover)

These are just a few. They have a total of 7 different styles for you to rock. Can you guess which one I decided to rock with?

Meet Lola, my new travel buddy. Best part about these bags is that I don't need to use it only for a camera. Love the little compartments inside the bag in case I want to separate my wallet from my keys. Notice the cute little front pocket to slide your iPhone in?

Yes, I got it in red because it reflects my love for this bag.

Actually that's a lie. I got it in red because it's a color that will punch up my fall/winter wardrobe and I don't have any other red bag. So why not? :)

Authentic Happiness

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 20:43:00 +0000

My roommate's boyfriend is a soon-to-be PhD of Clinical Psychology. Ergo (yes, I'm using big words because this is an educational(ish) post), a common topic in our conversations involves behavior and personality.

During a lunch today, with my roommate, she mentioned a personality test that her and her boyfriend took a couple of years ago when he was studying "Authentic Happiness", more commonly known as Positive Psychology". It's a test of individual character strengths, developed by Marty Seligman. To avoid this being a psychology lecture, I'll keep this brief: Seligman theorizes that there are 24 core strengths in every individual and he developed a test for people to see how strong those strenghts are within themselves. (Each person has all 24 it's just the level of each strength that is different.)

Anyways, I took the test (after my roommate divulged her results). Here are my top 5 strengths:

1) Humor and playfulness - You like to laugh and tease. Bringing smiles to other people is important to you. You try to see the light side of all situations.

2) Appreciation of beauty and excellence - You notice and appreciate beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in all domains of life, from nature to art to mathematics to science to everyday experience.

3) Capacity to love and be loved - You value close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated. The people to whom you feel most close are the same people who feel most close to you.

4) Curiosity and interest in the world - You are curious about everything. You are always asking questions, and you find all subjects and topics fascinating. You like exploration and discovery.

5) Gratitude - You are aware of the good things that happen to you, and you never take them for granted. Your friends and family members know that you are a grateful person because you always take the time to express your thanks.

My weakest "strength" is my modesty and humility (ha! didn't need a test to tell me that) and self-control and self-discipline (again, what a shocker).

I am a little bummed by these results. Mostly because my roommate's top 5 were all based on cognitive thinking (eg: prudence, critical thinking, etc) and her boyfriend's top 5 were based on leadership skills (social intellegence, future mindedness, etc).

So here I am with the valedictorian (roommate) and the class president (roommate's boyfriend)...and I'm the class clown. Do you sense the irony that Gratitude is a supposed strenght of mine yet I am not that grateful of these results?

I mean yes, I'm glad I have a strong sense of humor and I am aware of all the blessings in my life. But couldn't I be just have one characteristic that will help me get a promotion? I mean, knock knock jokes don't pay rent...

I will admit, though, that this test is accurate and showed what I always knew about myself (being very funny and have a short attention span?). I lack discipline and the ability to forgive and forget. (It's the forgetting part that I have trouble with.) Oh well. Something to work on.

Try the test if you're interested: http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/

Register and take the VIA Signature Strengths Questionaire. It's 240 questions (I got through it in under 20 minutes so it's doable). Enjoy!

Project 3Q

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 02:55:00 +0000

Because I have ADD and because I have a new toy in my life (Panasonic Lumix GF2), I have decided to take on a Photography Assignment. (Capitalized first letter for emphasis).

Introducing Project 3Q. Here are my rules (because I would need rules to set limitations and keep me disciplined and focused):

take a photo every other day.
use the same subject(s) - my 3Q dolls (McCoy, Mo, and Clark - introductions of a later date)
a. one or more doll need to be in the photo (not all 3 are required)
post the photo within 48 hours (aka before the next photo is taken)

So far that's all I have but I'm sure more rules will follow when I get more involved.

Anyways, let me introduce to you my brave test subjects. Meet the 3Qs:

Yes, they are Kidrobot's Totem Doppelgangers, which I drew on using sharpies. How'd you figure that out?

I decided to refer to them as the 3Q's because in the Chinese language, "Q" is what they say to describe something that is gummy or has a gelatinous quality (think jello). There's 3 thus 3Q. Also, in Chinese Internet slang, "3Q" = "Thank you" because saying 3Q in chinese sounds like how you would say "thank you" in English. Don't get it? Thats okay. Just nod along.

Thus the 3Q very much slogan has been born. I've already uploaded two pictures on the tumblr site: 3Qverymuch.tumblr.com. Feel free to follow them/me!

Fashion Night Out 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:35:00 +0000

I've been to 3 years of Fashion Night Out. This year is their 3rd year, thus I have never missed a Fashion Night Out in New York City. I feel like this is something to be proud of. I mean, I've bragged about doing less. True story.

For the record, I do NOT consider myself a fashionista. I do subscribe to many styling blogs but that doesn't give me the authority to give out any styling advice anytime soon (besides to avoid panty lines, ladies and boy-ladies). However, I love going to Fashion Night Out events because you get to see New Yorkers at their best: materialistic and hungry.

I can't pinpoint an exact reason for my love of FNO. It might be my partial love for celeb spotting (Tyson Beckford, spotted TWO YEARS IN A ROW. its a sign. im gonna marry that man.). Maybe it's because they serve free food (truffled grill cheese @ tory burch!). Or it may be because I get to mingle with the rich (ah. who am i kidding? they smell me a mile away and know I'm just there for the truffled grill cheese, yes it made a lasting impression on me).

Anyways, I managed to make my way to many stores and events, including Dolce + Gabbana (had a chance for a Justin Bieber spotting but teeny boppers beat me to the punch and I'm not brave enough to battle it out with them), the carnival at Alice + Olivia (debated getting my face painted but again...teeny boppers), and the Hester St fair (which I've previously blogged about) hosted at Henri Bendel. Needless to say, this was my favorite event of the night.

But enough talking. Here are some visual aids!

This Tory Burch store seemed like it was opened in someone's townhouse. The displays of clothes and shoes gave it a feel that I was walking in someone's 4 story closet, with waiters at every corner serving sparkling water and something else...what was it? Oh yeah, the truffle grilled cheese (you may have heard me mention it a couple of times? Just a guess).

If I had the money, Alice + Olivia would definitely be where I spend it. Holding cotton candy in one hand and lovingly holding the sleeve of a dress in my other, I wanted to stay there forever. But too many people, both young and old, were overcrowding the joint. Thus I needed to leave before I sweat or die of claustrophobia.

Live models seemed to be the theme for window displays this year. (Maybe for previous years too but the last FNOs, I was downtown so I can't say this with certainty).

3 words: Shit. Was. Bananas. So many people. So many vendors. So many tickets. You have to get a written order from each booth that you want something from, take the order(s) to the cashier, have them ring you out, and then show the receipt to each vendor that you orderred from before claiming your item. That's how you pay. Luckily I settled for only 3 items: macaron, pie, and mac+cheese. Yes, I know. Being fat is so anti-fashion but whatever. I planned on working it off at the gym (which I did, Judgy McCritical).

Long story short - lots of photo ops. lots of ppl. lots of food (for the last time, people, TRUFFLE.GRILLED.CHEESE.SANDWICHES).

Can't wait for next year!

Lemon Ricotta Pie Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 22:18:00 +0000

Don't you just hate it when you have a container of Ricotta in your fridge and you have no idea what to do with it? I know. It's such a common problem that I'm surprised there's no sellable solution to be bought at the "As Seen on TV" stores.

I am being sarcastic, as per usual, but the ricotta-presence-problem was something I had to face with this past weekend. To explain this situation, we would need to rewind a couple weeks back to when Hurricane Irene greeted Manhattan. Sunday morning, (after Irene took her leave), my roommate's boyfriend offered to "brave" the wind and go out to buy whatever I needed to cook a lunch. I was in the mood for pasta so I asked for ricotta, pasta sauce, some milk (because I was brewing coffee and I take my coffee with lactose), and other ingredients I can't remember. He went out but when he returned he informed me that New Yorkers went ape AND bat poop crazy at the grocery stores in prep for the Hurricane. To the point that the only two items he could come back with was ricotta and milk. Needless to say, I can't boil pasta and mix it with ricotta bathed in milk. I'm experimental in the kitchen but I'm no mad-scientist.

Anyways, fast forward to this weekend and you see me, standing in front of my fridge, checking the expiration date of my container of ricotta cheese (Oct 2011) and thinking that I really need to figure out something to do with this.

Thus, lemon ricotta pie w/ blackberries was created.

Here's a visual aid:

**Please keep in mind that this picture only shows the ingredients needed for the filling. This does not cover the ingredients needed if you want to make your own pie dough or want to add fruit into it (as I did)**

Okay if you REALLY want to make your own pie dough, please google the recipe, because I don't go down that road. I'm too lazy and too impatient to eat pie for all the craftsmanship and work that goes into a home made pie crust.

Anyways, here's the recipe that I used: *please note this makes TWO PIES*

Ingredients for TWO PIES:

15 oz ricotta cheese (or 1 pound) basically one container of ricotta cheese
5 eggs (separate whites and yolks)
6 tablespoons of sugar (or more, to your taste)
1 lemon (will need the zest and the juice from it)
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2x store bought pie crust
2 cup of berries (I used blackberries for mine)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
Beat ricotta, yolks, and sugar until well mixed (a nice pale yellow color). Add lemon juice, zest, and vanilla.
In another clean bowl, beat whites until stiff (use a spoon to test it if you are unsure of the stiffness. When you take a spoonful, turn the spoon upside down and it should stay on the spoon. Also see if where you took the egg whites from has kept a hole where you spooned or if the mixture has pooled back and smoothed out. It should not move.)
Fold the egg whites into the lemon mixture (from step 2).
Pour mixture into the prepared pie shell. When it is halfway up the pie pan, put in some of the blackberries. Fill the rest of the pie pan/shell. (Do not over fill the shell, it rises slightly when baking. I filled it to the point that it is eye level to the top of the pie pan/shell) and top it off with more blackberries.
If you are making two pies, just repeat step 6 in another pie shell.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 to 50 minutes. When you take it out, the pie(s) should be inflated like a souffle. Let the pie(s) cool then refrigerate to set, the pie will become creamy and dense. Serve cold.

The results (visual aid):

Doodle Print

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 22:44:00 +0000

Since it was suggested that everyone stays indoors during Hurricane Irene, I decided to put my time to use and get re-acquainted with my stylus and tablet. After 6 hours of doodling, here is what I have. 3 separate prints that would look nicely once printed and framed above my bed :)

Lets get up close and personal with this:

If you can't tell, its doodles of standard kitchen tools I use.

Hope everyone stays dry and safe!

Art Museum

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 01:51:00 +0000

Museums can be a tricky place. It's not as clear cut as "either you hate it or you love it". Even if you do like museums (like I do) not all museums are your cup of tea. It's a grey area.

For instance, my favorite museum in New York is the Cooper Hewitt. It's part of the Smithsonian and is a design museum. I went there for the first time when it was holding an exhibit on American design. It explored a lot of areas from fashion, architecture, to even the iPod. I guess that's what makes that museum stand out to me. I understood the exhibit. I mean, who can deny the effect an iPod had on American culture?

Back to my point about tricky museums. I feel like your personal preferences to museums (may it be a specific one or the entire idea of it) stems on your appreciation of their pieces and ideas. I mean, you don't necessarily need to understand the piece you need to at least understand the importance of the piece. The importance might be something as big as "it impacted a whole revolution" (like a book) to something as small as "I really like it". I mean, your personal taste is important right? It's important to be inspired.

I went to the Museum of Modern Art last week and it was exactly what I thought it would be - not entirely my cup of tea. There were some exhibits that I thoroughly enjoyed (we would get to that later) and then there were exhibits like this:

Neon lights in a corner...hrm. You could argue to me that the artist is playing with light itself and using something intangible and making it a medium but...all I'm going to see is neon lights in a corner.

There were also pictures of white canvases. Just plain white canvases and I'm pretty sure everyone in there stared at at least ONE art piece and thought "I could've done that". This is the part where modern art has lost me. I mean, it doesn't need to be a oil painting of a woman dressed in a gown in front of a fire place, but...at least make it something...

Don't get me wrong. I did enjoy a few pieces. There was this chest of drawers, designed by Tejo Remy, that utilizes pre-used drawers and putting them together to make a very unique piece.

\
(For a pretty penny, you can choose the drawer designs and make your own here).

And imagine my surprise when I saw this artist's works on display:

(Psst, it's Van Gogh's Starry Night and Olive Trees)

My favorite exhibit was the Talk To Me exhibit in which it displayed different forms of technology we use (and will use in the future) to communicate.

Obviously the social networking obsessed me found this to be the most intriguing (and FUN!) part of my grown-up field trip. If you're in the NYC area, I strongly urge you to go in and look around. They had all sorts of websites, games, and even a slingshot that uses TEXT MESSAGES as their weapon of choice, sending your msgs and splattering them on the side of buildings!

Here is a video of it being used around the world before finding a temporary home in Manhattan:

Pretty nifty eh?

Tying it all back together. I guess what I'm trying to say that "art" is so hard to grasp. It's not just beauty that's in the eye of the beholder but "importance" and "meaning" too. I used to try to find appreciation for every piece in a museum but now I'm over it. You look at it, if it doesn't hit home, you move on.

You don't have to like the whole inventory to like a certain store, right? It's not like when you go shopping you want to buy every single piece that Saks 5th Avenue sells (you could try to actually buy it but that would be foolish).

Ceci Cela + Japanese Fluffy Cheesecake w/ Chocolate Chai)

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:56:00 +0000

What's not to love about pastries? You have cakes, cookies, danishes, pies, macarons, macaroons, etc. God, I can just sit here and list out all the pastries. But I won't. You're welcome.

One of my favorite places to go in New York is Ceci-Cela, a french bakery in Soho (right by my subway stop to work). I mean, just look at what's pressed up against the window, saying good morning, good afternoon, and good night to me every week -

*sidenote: notice the better quality of my photos??? my DMC-GF2 FINALLY arrived. been waiting for it since MARCH! Panasonic nightmare but thankfully Amazon saved the day. Okay, moving on...

After salivating over the window displaying (and treating myself to a cookie), I went home and decided to bake. I tried my hand at Japanese style Cheesecake, which has a fluffier and lighter texture than normal NY cheesecake.

To amp up the decadence, I melted chocolate using the ol bowl-over-a-pot-of-simmering-water-trick (How to Melt Chocolate) and mixed in some chai-infused caramel I bought at a food fair from Herbin' Spoonful. You can buy it online OR make your own. (Here's a recipe for making ur own chai-spiced caramel).

I drizzled the chocolate caramel into the batter before baking for this result (yes, the recipe makes TWO cakes):

After it's cooled, I poured the rest of the chocolate over the cheesecakes. End result:

So without further ado, here is the recipe from Christine's Recipe. Enjoy!

Japanese Cheesecake (Fluffy & Creamy)
(via Christine's Recipe)

The difference between a NY style cheesecake and a Japanese cheesecake is that the Japanese style cheesecake emphasises more on the cake part than NY. You can add more creamcheese if you want a creamier texture. The cheese taste is more subtle so if you want more of the tartness, add in more cream cheese. :)

Prepare two baking pans, lined with baking paper (each size 11.5cmx22cmx6cm)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup milk
1 cup cream cheese, cubed and softened at room temperature
4 tbsp butter, softened at room temperature
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup cake flour**
**(to use all purpose instead of cake flour, take out 1 tablespoon of all purpose from the 1/2 cup and replace that with 1 tablespoon of corn flour)
1/8 cup corn flour aka cornstarch
1 lemon zest (i left this part out)
6 egg whites
1/4 - 2/3 (pending on ur taste) cup of sugar
Optional: Bowl of melted chocolate (How to Melt Chocolate)

Method:

Preheat oven to 150C (302F).
Use a large bowl, pour in milk. Place the bowl over simmering water. Don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Add cream cheese, stir occasionally, until completely dissolved and the mixture turns smooth. Stir in butter, till dissolved. Remove from heat. Let cool down a bit, then add the egg yolks and combine well. (Note: Make sure the mixture is not too hot, as you don’t want to cook the egg yolks at this stage.)
Combine cake flour and corn flour. Sift in the flours into the cream cheese mixture, a small amount at a time. Mix well between every addition, and make sure there aren’t any flour lumps. Stir in freshly grated zest. Set aside.
Place egg whites in a large clean bowl. (Note: Make sure there’s no oil or water in the bowl at all.) Use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites for 3 minutes, then add cream of tartar and blend again. Pour sugar in the egg whites and blend until very stiff peaks form.
Fold-in the egg whites into the cream cheese mixture gently with a rubber spatula just until all ingredients are incorporated. Do not stir or beat. For a better result, fold in egg whites with a small amount at a time, at least for 3 times.
Pour the mixture into the two baking pans. (If you have melted chocolate, here is where you drizzle it in with a whisk or spoon.)
Place the pans into another larger baking tray. Add hot water in the tray up to half way. Bake for about 50 to 60 minutes. Test with a needle or skewer that comes out clean.
Turn off the oven. Leave the oven door ajar for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove from the pans. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Chill in a fridge for about 3 hours. Enjoy!

Notes:

The delicate, velvety smooth texture of this cheesecake is produced by two low-protein flours, cake flour or corn flour.
The beaten egg whites generate very small air pockets in the inner structure of the cake. So, when it comes to making this cake, it’s very important to know how to beat egg whites and how to fold-in egg whites properly. I’ve uploaded two videos on youtube for those who need them, here and here.
To prevent the surface of the cheesecake from cracking: use low temperature and water-bath method during baking. The surface of the cake has a tendency to rise high to a point that breaks the structure. So, the basic principle is to keep the oven as low as the recipe suggests as 150C (302F). Mind you, every oven is so different, know your oven. And you have to keep an eye on it when baking. When the cake surface rises too high, that means the temperature of your oven is too high. Reduce the temperature accordingly.
To prevent the cheesecake from shrinking: open the oven door ajar for 10 minutes or so, and let your cheesecakes cool down gradually. But don’t keep them there too long because moist would develop at the bottom of the baking pans.

Home Coming

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 08:50:00 +0000

Made my yearly trip back to my homeland - good ol' Taipei, Taiwan and now I'm in the room where I spent my teenage years (and a few others) sweating bullets and drinking sugarless green tea.

For the first time, I flew Cathay Pacific rather than China Airlines or Eva Air. I booked early enough (way back in January) that the ticket prices were the same for both. I finally understand why my friends usually splurge and take Cathay! Oh let me list the ways...

For starters, you get your own personalized tv screen (like China Airlines) but the entertainment selection is just SO.MUCH.BETTER! I got to watch the Big Bang Theory Season 4!!! Yes, I had a marathon while 3000 feet up in the air!!! I also watched a bit of 30 rock and they also had Modern Family available. So many options!

Secondly, when you sit down you get a menu! I haven't seen had that in so long! I don't know why I got super excited over it...actually, yes, I do. I'm a pig. Love food. Anyways, the menu was a good kickoff. Here is the menu and what I ended up eating.

Did u notice the best part of the menu? the.ICE.CREAM. Yep, you get a haagan daz bar at the end of the meal when your dinner tray is cleared away. (I would like to think it's a reward for finishing your questionable chemically processed veggies).

Anyways, after my 5 hr tv viewing extravaganza (spent the other 10 hrs sleeping, obvi), I landed in Hong Kong. Waited about 2 hrs for my transfer to Taipei. I landed around 5 AM which meant all the stores were closed. Thankfully, there was a Starbucks near my gate so it was like the heavens parted and the angels came singing. I took advantage of the airport's free wifi and checked up on my friends who are in the 5 PM part of the world.

The transfer was on Dragon Air and they served a mini meal on their 1.5 hr flight to my final destination - dim sum, natch. Didn't eat it all cuz I was too tired but it was okay. I mean, it's still airplane food.

Finally landed in Taipei at 10am. Parents and brother were at the airport waiting for me. Gonna be here for 2 weeks (with a 5-day tour of Malaysia). Nothing much has happened. Just getting settled and adjusting to the time. My dad went out and bought me this little treat while I was unpacking:

Green tea latte from Coco. I'm one spoiled little girl.

Picnic Friendly Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:31:00 +0000

This is a follow-up post of the recipes I used for my day in the park -

French Potato Salad (courtesy of Martha Stewart w/ a few tweaks):

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds fingerling or small new potatoes, halved (quartered if large)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons mustard (Martha listed Dijon but I used a spicy grain type that I found at Whole Foods)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 small red onion, sliced

Directions

Place potatoes in a large pot; cover with cold water by 1 inch and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Run under cold water to cool slightly, then drain.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together oil, mustard, vinegar, shallot, parsley, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Add potatoes and onion and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature.

Baked Polenta Fries:
Sidenote: Fun to serve with various dips and condiments so that your picnic party have options! I baked this the day of so that the fries were nice and warm when served (instead of cold and stale).

Makes around 2 dozen wide-cut fries or around 50 small cut fries. Warning, if you make small cut fries there will be some that fall apart when slicing.

Ingredients:

2 cups organic milk
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups polenta
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup melted clarified butter or olive oil

Directions:

Bring the milk and water just to a boil in a large saucepan. Slowly stream in the polenta while stirring constantly. Stir in the salt and turn down the heat a bit if needed (you don't want the polenta to scorch). Continue stirring until the polenta thickens up (see picture), this can take anywhere from just a few minutes to much longer depending on your polenta. Stir in the cheese.
Remove from heat and spread out 1/2-inch thick onto a baking sheet using a spatula (although I feel like I get a better shape by letting it cool a minute or two and then using my hands). Chill in a refrigerator for at least an hour, or overnight. (I left it overnight since I prepared the mixture the day before the picnic)
Cut into wide-cut "fry" shapes using a straight-edge for guidance and uniformity (or opt for a more rustic cut). Rub each fry with a bit of clarified butter or olive oil and sprinkle with some salt.
Bake in a 450 degree oven, middle rack, for 20 minutes or until golden and crispy. Flip the fries once after ten minutes.

Quinoa and Sweet Corn Salad:
Sidenote: Can be mixed with any other vegetable to make the salad heartier (I chose cherry tomatoes)

Ingredients:

4 cups of Quinoa
1 can of sweet corn kernels
1 shallot, minced
1 cup of olive oil
4 tbsp of apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
lemon juice
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp oregano

Directions:

Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions
In a separate bowl, put in the sweet corn and shallot
Once the quinoa has been cooked, pour that into the bowl and mix together with the corn and shallot.
Drizzle in the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and the rest of the seasoning. Mix well.
Put in fridge for an hour to cool before serving.

Picnic in the Park for Puppy

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 20:12:00 +0000

Mwaji turned 2 years old on Thursday (June 30th). I decided, as the proud mama, that it was my duty to throw her a birthday party. Since it's summer, the best way to celebrate is with a picnic in Central Park. Mwaji gets to run around with her favorite human friends (aka MY friends) and I get to have a nice relaxing day under the sun (w/ the help of sunscreen, of course).

Since it was the first picnic I've ever been to (let alone be in charge of), I did a lot of research. What's the best food to prep, what tools I needed, etc. There are so many things to consider that I never even thought of! I thought just whip out a blanket and have a few sandwiches would be enough. NO. That's mediocre and Duaba does not do mediocre when it comes to food parties.

I went out and bought a picnic basket (that can also work as an eco-friendly grocery basket) and a water proof picnic blanket so that my tushy will be grass stain free:

The hard part was deciding on what to serve under the blistering summer heat. I can't serve soup. That would just accelerate the impending heat stroke. Hot foods was not an option and ice cream is just not sensible. After a lot MORE research (mixed with self doubt and reassurance from roommate and sister), this was the finalized "menu":

Quinoa and sweet corn salad
French potato salad (courtesy of Martha Stewart) - MAYOLESS
Polenta fries (w/ a bottle of curried ketchup and a bottle of BBQ sauce for dipping)
Assorted cold cuts + cheese slices paired with two loaves of freshly sliced bread for a "Make Your Own Sandwich station", also provided lettuce and sliced tomatoes
Two chunks of cheese (brought along my mini cutting board and sheathed paring knife)
Mango vanilla cupcakes w/ a lemon curd filling and a buttercream frosting
Banana Carob cupcake for the birthday puppy (chocolate free and completely healthy for dogs)

I was so busy trying to lay out the spread and make sure everyone had something to eat that I completely neglected to take pictures of the food!!! I know what you're thinking and I totally agree. SO out of character for me!

Luckily, my friends took a lot of pictures so all was not lost. Unfortunately no close up of the food but here's some captured memories -

The birthday girl with her Banana and Carob cupcake (w/ a topper in salute to the 4th of July)

Some pictures of the spread. The make your own sandwich area was right in front of me. (Can you spot the potato salad, polenta fries, and quinoa salad?)

The gang:

The birthday girl prowling around the grass:

If you wondered whether or not Mwaji had fun, here is a picture of the birthday girl sleeping on the bus ride home:

The food was a hit and everyone seemed to have a good time (at least to my face..so that's all that counts right?). The birthday girl got to run around the park and meet new friends. She even fell asleep a little bit during the picnic. Overall, success!

Must note that friends were suggested to bring their own beach blanket/towel and beverages. Nothing was required though.

T minus 30 = 24

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 22:34:00 +0000

In 30 days, it will be July 20th. My 24th birthday, to be exact.

I am almost hitting my quarter century mark and I know that its not a big deal. I know that there are plenty of more people older than me (my parents, my sister, Joan Rivers) and that whatever I expected my life to be at 24 was based off of a mix of societal expectations (aka my mother's) and naivete. I know. I get it.

To be honest I'm not 100% content with where I am in life but I am definitely above the 75% mark. I might not be exactly where I want to be in the long run but I'm on the right path.

With that being said, we're back to my yearly dilemma - I have no idea how I want to celebrate my birthday. My birthdays are generally low key. So low key that you wouldn't even know it was my birthday unless you saw my Facebook wall and/or you are an immediate family member (Mwaji doesn't count). (Please reference: Confession #1)

I hesitate to organize a "drinks for my birthday" thing where we all go to a bar/lounge and just sit down and throw back a few. I mean, what if all my friends can't get in? What if drinks aren't cheap? What if the venue is grimy and creepy? I mean, this is New York...it's hard to pick one place. Esp since I do not go out to drink often so my choice would be the overdone and obvious locations (Hiro, anyone?).

I would probably have a mini stress-induced hernia from a dinner party. What if I pick something to fancy and they feel obligated to pay for me because i'm the birthday girl? Does that mean I can't order the steak and then TWO desserts plus expect a birthday cake? What restaurant will seat 10+ people? Do I even know 10+ people well enough for them to come out for my birthday?

Even if we go the simple route and just go for a movie and pizza thing, I'd be perplexed. I'm TWENTYfour, not four. Shouldn't I start having birthday celebrations soon before I start dreading birthdays and announcing my real age to the world?

Ugh it's just easier to just leave it into the hands of someone but who do I know that knows ME well enough to know what I like? NO ONE because I don't even know what I like.

Facepalm.

Is there a book that made you a better person?

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 23:26:00 +0000

Prompt courtesy of NaBloPoMo

As a woman who likes her options, obviously I'm not going to choose just one book. I want a whole series.

I'm pretty sure I didn't read the The Baby-Sitter's Club books and go "Gee willikers, it's cool to be responsible, take care of kids, and have a job!" BUT it did expose me to things my 10 year old self was not aware of (eg: diabetes, divorce, fights with friends (OH THE STACY DRAMA...), and being a castaway on a deserted island).

The book series definitely taught me that friends come and go but sometimes they return (again, the Stacy drama). It also taught me tolerance and having an open mind about new things (Matt the deaf kid, anyone?).

There were so many personalities and characters in the club itself that it's hard, as a girl, to read it and NOT find someone you could relate to. I related to Claudia because she was Asian (natch) but also because she wasn't the brains of the family AND she snacked a lot. On the other hand, I also related to Mary-Anne at times, with her shyness and her overprotective dad.

One of my secret wish is to have a bookshelf just filled with the BSC books from 1 to however much they have now. All the same edition so that the covers match, obviously. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Maybe Not but Maybe Yes

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 22:13:00 +0000

So I did something random. I entered myself into a giveaway (organized by Oh Happy Day). It's a "luck of the draw" kinda thing but the winner gets a week in PARIS!

Here's the link if you want to enter too: http://ohhappyday.com/2011/06/goes-to-paris/

K, did you enter? Good, cuz if you did, please have the courtesy to invite me as your +1 since I did kinda give u the heads up about it.

Like the majority of the world, I have a fascination with Paris. Not because it's "tres chic" or is the fashion capital of the world. Nor am I dying to see the Eiffel tower.

My interest in Paris comes from two sources:
1. Julia Child
2. Chocolate

Julia's book "My Life In France" was just so inspiring to me. She was an amazing woman whose culinary career started later in life. She didn't even know how to cook until after she married. I know I am not a middle aged, white housewife but still. I mean, if she can do it armed with nothing but determination and a personality spark, why can't I? Read the book and watch the movie (Julie&Julia...except focus more on Meryl and less on Amy Adams...as I'm sure people, those who watched the movie already, did anyways)

And also, Paris is the dessert capital of the western world! I wanna go there and get fat. Forget the Fashion. (altho a short stop at Dior/Chanel would be nice...I'm a woman living in NYC after all...)

What is it about Paris? Why do you want (or not want) to go to Paris?

**SIDENOTE: A must read, for dessert + paris interested people, is David Lebovitz' "the Sweet Life in Paris". He not only shares his recipes (that have been tested out and perfected) but also some insight into everyday life in France, as an American. It is highly amusing and very informative. (I subscribe to his blog, as you can see from my subscription list on the right of this blog).

What food are you really not a fan of?

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:35:00 +0000

Question courtesy of NaBloPoMo
It is common knowledge among my friends and family that I detest raisins and coconut (shaved and coconut milk). So I think I'm going to talk about a lesser known food: boba.

Boba (or pearl tapioca) is just not appealing to me. It's too chewy and not exactly what you want in a DRINK. Call me crazy but I just don't think chewing should be the main physical action when you are consuming a liquid. Yes, I do admit that I do like to add aloe vera, mixed jelly, and/or nata de coco (meat of the coconut) to my tea but those ingredients do not involve 3 minutes of chewing!

Another factor is that if you don't chew it enough, you risk choking. It's high maintenance and the outcome is just not worth it to me! By the time your done chewing the pearl, you've already drank the mouthful of milk tea so there's virtually no flavor left. In the end, you're just left with what feels like a very mushy wad of gum in ur mouth. YUCK!

I hope the Asian Police doesn't revoke my license or take away all my Asian credibility. It's just one of those things I just don't like. Never saw the appeal. Never will.

Strangely, I like eating mochi and tangyuan. Hrmm just one of my many quirks, I guess.

Shed some Light

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 19:48:00 +0000

This Memorial Day weekend, I went to Florida. I arrived Friday night to visit my sister (3 hr flight delay because the stair/gate lost power and latched itself onto the door. They didn’t want to just push it off because it might damage the door (dramatic gasp) so we had to wait for the mechanic to come in and “fix it”. The pilot reassured us and said “the mechanic lives nearby so he should be here any minute now” -__-) .

On Sat, her and her boyfriend, Jason, drove my little butt 1 hr to Orlando to meet up with my roommate and her boyfriend. We all went to Harry Potter World (at Universal Studios). The plan was to go to Disney World on Sun and Mon.

In short, I spent the entire trip as a “5th wheel” or (as Mandarin speakers will call it) the “lightbulb”. But to be honest, none of us minded. We all had fun, we enjoyed each other's company, and hey! There's always a spare pair of hands to help take couple pictures (and people who offer to take pictures of my narcissistic self). Case in point:

(Picture i took of the couple in front of their designated houses.)

Which brings me to the point of today’s post....

It takes a special skill set to be able to be a “lightbulb” often. I mean, I’m not saying this to make myself feel better in any way shape or form. Honest. Think about it. You are entertaining and social enough to keep multiple people entertained. And everyone is at ease.

It also takes a special skill set in the couples to be able to have a “lightbulb” around. You (you and the couple) are comfortable enough around each other not to make each other feel awkward. The couple aren't "those people" who only have eyes and ears (and tongues eww) for each other. You don’t ostracize nor do you gross out your friend.

I mean yes, I am often a “lightbulb” but I do it voluntarily (most of the time) because I am blessed to have some friends who happen to date each other. I very much like to hang out with these groups because I’m enjoying their company as 2 separate people not one entity, joined at the hip (among other body parts).

Don’t get me wrong. I do have some friends who I hesitate to hang out with if their “significant other” happens to be there. However, I would like to think I’m not the one who makes the situation awkward. If anything, if I wasn’t pleasant to be around, they wouldn’t invite me.

Anyways, what I’m trying to say is that when people tease me and say I’m always the 5th wheel or a “lightbulb”, I do not take offense. It’s not like I don’t have options. I mean, if I wanted to bring a date, I could. I also trust my friends enough to know that if they invite me to something sans date, it won’t put me in an awkward position (eg: positioned right in front of a macking session) and that they are inviting me to hang out with me and not to showcase their “love” to my eyes. (if it’s on facebook, I believe it. No other proof necessary. Honest.)

For the record, I hope this blog post doesn’t make me sound like I’m heading down a road of spinsterhood. I do want to find someone and hopefully that person will get along with my friends (and not stick their tongue down my throat while in public. I’m not a PDA type of person).

Also, please note this is not an open invite to assume for the near future that I will not need a "plus one" for events. I mean, I'd like the option. K thx, friends. :D

(Me @ Hollywood Studios in WDW)

All is Fair in Love and Food

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Sun, 22 May 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Spring time has come to NYC. I know this not just because my hay fever is here (but now sedated. thank god) but because street fairs have come out of hibernation. They have set up their tents and gathered the vendors.

Today was 78 degrees (with a chance of rain, which it did but very briefly). I decided to take advantage of this and brought Mwaji to two of the fairs - Madison Square Eats (daily from 11am - 6pm until June 3) and Hester St Fair (11am - 6pm every Sat and Sun until Dec).

Today happened to also be the New York Dance parade, so Madison Square Eats was jammed full of people. I had to carry the Mwaj around so she doesnt get trampled on! It was so hot (no shade for us, because the tented tables were already occupied) that I had to spend $2 on a water bottle just for Mwaji so that she wont dehydrate. (My spider-mommy-sense told me to bring her metal water bowl just in case. Love it when I'm right.)

Okay enough background information. Let's get to the food.

Due to the crowd and my bigger interest in the Hester St Fair, I only bought 3 things from Madison Square Eats - all natural ginger soda from P&H Soda Co, lamb shwarma from ilili, and cookies for Momofuku Milk Bar (cuz nothing says NY to me than organic ginger ale, mediterranean street food, and momofuku).

The lamb schwarma -

At the Hester Street Fair, I really put my game face on. It helped that my roommate and a couple of other friends joined me because I consumed SO MUCH food!

Part of the reason that I brought Mwaji (not just to spend quality time) was because Bocce Bakery sold puppy/dog friendly treats and "pupcakes" however by the time I got there (3pm), Bocce had already packed up and left. :( In the end, Mwaji was still happy though because she got to be outside and meet new friends (both human and canine)

For lunch, I got a pork taco w/ guacamole and mango salsa and a chicken taco w/ guacamole from the Brooklyn Taco. I also got beef meatballs w/ spicy feta and not your average brown sauce (yes, that's the actual name) from Mighty Balls (again, actual name). All 3 dishes were pictured below. I washed it all down with guava soda (also bought from Brooklyn Taco).

For dessert that I ate on-site (i say that because i bought an assortment of sugary treats to eat later...we'll get back to that), I got taiwanese shaved ice - w/ mixed jelly, red bean, strawberry, and mango sorbet (they ran outta mochi).

Another dessert that I ate there (i can't help it!) was the banana-nana split from Melt Bakery, who specializes in ice cream sandwiches!!!

Right next to Melt Bakery was Wonder City Coffee and Donut Bar. Of course, me being the coffee addict, I was a sucker for that stall, esp when you see how they filter their coffee (with actual cups with holes on the bottom. SO CUTE!) . Of course I also had to try the donut holes.

Needless to say, after the donut hole, we were stuffed and ready to nap off our food coma.

After giving Mwaji a bath and resting our tired feet, I finally looked through my bag to see my sugary purchases. I present to you my loot - 2x pies from First Prize Pies (the smore pie looks SO good doesnt it? kinda dont want to eat it and ruin it), momofuku cookie, and bourbon soaked cherry brownies and bacon blondie from Girl Next Door Bakery.

Dog Days Aren't Over

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Tue, 17 May 2011 18:47:00 +0000

I have a pooch. No, not the muffin-top kind. Okay, yes I have that too, but not what I'm talking about.

I have a little dog named Mwaji (pronounced as like swahili...except if u take out the middle syllable..so swali...if that makes sense). That's not her to the left, by the way. She's pictured below. She's approaching 2 years old (june 30th!) and I'm one proud mama (srsly, there r ppl who try to convince me that shes the best dog ever. im asian. im naturally skeptical of my own).

Been feeling kind of guilty recently because my work schedule has been crazy and havent been able to spend a lot of time with her. Thus, I decided I was going to throw her a birthday party (afternoon in Central Park w/ some of my dog lovin' friends + mebe pack a picnic). But whats a birthday without a cake? Esp for the birthday girl? I needed to learn how to make dog snacks.

Thus, I decided to try my hand on making doggy treats today. I did some research and found a recipe online. I also did some more research on what other ingredients are good for dogs and encouraged to put into their diet. With a quick stop at a local health store, I got all the supplies I needed.

For all you dog-owning bakers and/or the naturally curious, here is the recipe and photos to follow:

Note - I added in the wheat germ and carob, which is a dog friendly chocolate substitute. Whats peanut butter without chocolate in a treat?

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 cup peanut butter (it could be either chunky or smooth. im a smooth kinda person)

3 tbsp of carob powder

1/4 cup of wheat germ

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375'F. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder.

In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk, after you've given it a couple of stirs, mix in the carob powder and wheat germ.

Add in the flour and baking powder and mix well.

Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Add in some more flour if the dough is too wet for your liking. Roll into little balls and place on cookie sheets OR roll out the dough and use a cookie cutter to make shapes that would amuse you. (I used a mini heart shaped cutter I had, meshed 2 hearts into one to create a doggy bone.)

Bake for 20 minutes on a greased baking sheet until lightly brown. Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight container. I chose a jar, that I then decorated with a yellow ribbon because I was bored and needed to wait for the treats to cool before feeding it to the Mwaj.

After the first batch cooled, I gave the Mwaj one to try. After that she was hooked and followed me around the kitchen until the last cookie was dropped in the jar and the lid was firmly closed for the night. (By that time she already had 3...These treats are good but like all dog foods, good in moderation. I gave her 3 because she only ate half of her dog food today. Otherwise I'd just narrow it down to 1...2 if she was really good.)

Sidenote (in case you were wondering) - Yes I also made macarons afterwards (again practice makes perfect, see previous post). Coffee flavored macarons with a marscapone vanilla creme (I was going for a tiramisu thing...actually it was cause I ran out of cream to whip into the filling. only had marscapone on hand). It was a semi-fail - egg whites were not beaten enough BUT I did give it plenty of time to set so it was REALLY thin but it had the little footies and was shiny on the bottom.

Everest in my Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Tue, 17 May 2011 03:42:00 +0000

I have found my everest in the kitchen. No, the himalayans did not sprout in my Manhattan apartment. Last week I decided that I wanted to make macarons. Not macaroons but macarons. For the record, I don't eat coconut. Not on my menu of life. My one exception is coconut jelly in my iced tea (asian style :D)

Okay back to the point. I wanted to bake macarons and I did a little research. I searched the blogs, I combed the shelves of Barnes&Nobles, and I mentally prepared myself. I realized to do this I have to be patient, attentive to the small details, and not lose my temper.

I failed twice and semi-failed again today.

I made the first batch last Saturday. To get to the point because it's just too painful (to my pride) to dwell on it - I did not know how to pour the batter neatly into a piping bag. Batter got everywhere. It was a eggy, sugary, sticky mess.

Second batch came up to bat Sunday. In short, I did not beat the eggs long enough (WTF do "stiff peaks" mean in egg whites??!?!?). Batter was too watery and macaroons dint set. And the little 5 cm/2 in. circles I piped ran along the baking sheet and ran into just 3 inch thing cookies that melded together.

3rd batch was tonight. My egg white was whipped perfectly but I did not bake it long enough on the first cookie sheet. The 2nd time it came out better. I did not let the piped cookies sit long enough for it to get the iconic little footies they have at the bottom of each cookie.

K so....the results revealed...

Mango Macarons w/ a Lemon Curd Filling

I'll get better. Practice makes perfect. My roommate told me she hopes I keep failing that way I can keep making them. (She ate one macaroon as a taste test. She represents my target demographic.)

Friday the 13th

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Sun, 15 May 2011 01:40:00 +0000

Last night was Friday the 13th. It was also National Apple Pie Day and Top Gun Day. Most importantly, though, yesterday was Date Night for me. I've had a lot of date nights before but this one deserved a capitalized status because this night would be different. I was cooking.

My date happened to live close by to an Amish market so we decided that it would be nice to buy fresh ingredients and cook. It would be done in his kitchen, which would be a first for both him and me. As far as I know, the only food that came out of his kitchen were steak cooked on his foreman grill and pre-packaged food (aka frozen dinners bought from Trader Joe's). I could be wrong but so far I have not seen otherwise.

I was extremely nervous because the only people I've ever really cooked for are people who shared a lease with me. Basically, my roommates and/or sister...Actually, I don't even know if I've ever cooked for my sister. Anyways, tons of pressure.

I decided to make bruschetta to start (easy, simple, and makes use of his foreman grill), lamb chops with a veggie medley (not just a side...it's a whole show going on next to the meat) as the entree, and apple pie for dessert (since it's National Apple Pie day).

Of course, my date wanted to lend a hand but my control-freak-self really did not want him in the kitchen watching me. I mean, what if I screw up? My pride is at stake. To keep him busy and away from the stove, I gave him the task of peeling, slicing, and prepping the apple slices for the apple pie. So while he was working on that, I could focus on the savory dishes.

I could go on and on about the process yesterday (including cutting myself with the knife while cutting the bread for the bruschetta because I was busy watching the Thunder vs the Grizzlies) but in short, everything turned out great, both in taste and in timing. (I took out the lamb chops and was able to pop the apple pie right into the oven. No wasted time!)

And to really embrace the day, we watched Criminal Minds. It was a compromise. He wanted to watch Paranormal Activity and I refused. I despise scary movies.

Okay enough words. Photo time:

Bruschetta (grilled ciabatta bread w/ diced tomato garlic salsa and store bought smoked salmon pate)

Lamb chops with a veggie medley (carrots, brussel sprouts, and crimini mushrooms) in a white wine reduction

Overall table setting (we were drinking ginger ale, btw)

Apple pie crumble

Body vs. World

noreply@blogger.com (Duaba) — Wed, 11 May 2011 21:36:00 +0000

My body is rebelling against the world. Seriously. I have been suffering from insane allergies for the past month now. If we want to really split hairs, I've been dealing with allergies for a long time now.

Here's a brief medical history (skip to next paragraph if you want to just take my word for it that my battle with the world has been a long and tough one) - I used to get itchy eyes when I was a kid living in Seattle. My mom had to chop the big tree in our front yard (and several small ones in our backyard) just so that she and I would have some sanity. When I moved to Taiwan, allergies were gone so I thought I got over it. Jokes on me. Moved to Penn State, allergies came back with new symptoms - no itchy eyes but nasal congestion and runny nose. When I moved to New York, my allergies got worse. Nasal congestion so extreme it felt like my entire front face had become concrete. Could not breathe in, could not move my nose even a smidge. This year, my itchy eyes are back PLUS the extreme nasal congestion and runny nose.

Zyrtec, Claritin-D, and many other standard allergy medication have been used and tested. They work the first day and then the next day, my body catches on to my devious plans and decides not to react to it. In short: Dead woman walking.

I finally threw in the towel last week and said enough was enough. I went to the allergist on Monday who took some blood samples (6 vials to be exact) and gave me the strongest antihistamine she had. She also threw in nasal spray and eye drops into my goody bag. Yesterday, I still felt like death. Clearly these medications are just not working. My doctor did warn me that if that failed, I would have to consider immunotherapy.

In short - go to the doctor once a week and get injected with a small dosage to what I'm allergic to so that my body will get over it eventually. This process takes at least 3 to 5 years. I repeat, ONCE A WEEK FOR THREE TO FIVE YEARS.

I decided to call that Plan Z....I posted my woes to my facebook status and a friend suggested acupuncture. I decided it was worth pursuing because western medicine was not working on me and I was running out of options.

I must point out that I have ZERO fear of needles. Growing up as a doctor's child, getting shots were more common in my household than chicken noodle soup. Staying home with a fever meant sprawling on the living room couch, watching tv, with an IV drip on my outer arm. Getting used to needles came with the territory of being parented by a medical professional, along with the talent of swallowing giant sized pills. (Also why I prefer taking shots than drinking cocktails. I don't like the taste so might as well jsut throw one back and get it over with. Btw, shots in this case, mean the alcoholic beverages. I do not want to get injected in a bar. That just sounds not kosher.)

Anyways, back to acupuncture. Even though I was willing to try it, I still had some hesitation. I mean, I'm not afraid of needles but I'm not going to go hug a barrel full of it. I couldn't shake this image:

But I did book an appointment the same day and I decided to push away my doubts and try it out. At first, the doctor(?) put needles on my face, ears, arms, and legs. She told me to lie there for 30 minutes. I fell asleep within the first 2 minutes, courtesy of the previously prescribed allergy mediction that makes me drowsy. I woke up and my nose was still stuffed like a turkey except my eyes weren't itchy anymore.

The doctor came back and asked if it helped my nasal congestion. I told her no. She was shocked and started feeling around my nose (after taking away all the needles, of course). She gasped and exclaimed "You are a serious case!" (Erm duh. It's why I'm here....). She told me to flip over and proceeded to put needles down my spine.

She asked if the needles felt sore in anyway on my back. I said no, she pushed the needle further in and I did feel a bit sore at that moment. I guess that is waht she was looking for because she said good and left me there for another 15 minutes.

She came back later and removed all the pins and told me I was done. My nose was still congested. She told me to come back on Friday for a follow-up and gave me some chinese herbal supplements to help my nasal congestion. She assured me that it will not affect the meds I'm already taking so I can take whatever meds I'm already on along with what she was giving me.

I left not sure whether or not acupuncture was the right way for me but I found my answer later on the subway ride home. My nose was definitely less congested and less runny than it was the entire week. My eyes were not itchy AT ALL and my sinus pressure was gone.

I am not completely cured (hopefully my follow-up on Friday will help relieve the rest of my symptoms) and I am still allergic to tree pollen. But I'm still very happy with the outcome. Given the fact that strong meds did not make ANY difference in my suffering, the fact that acupuncture relieved a lot of it is success for me.