an afternoon on the upper east side

Last week, I spent a few days in New York for work. The weather was perfect and although it was busy, I was able to hit a few great restaurants and sights. I started with lunch at Candle 79, a vegan restaurant on East 79th. I can't tell you how much I loved this place - stuffed avocado with quinoa, black beans, corn, radish, tomatoes, spicy pepitas and cucumber with a chipotle dressing. I will absolutely go here again. I attempted a recreation at home this week - tasted good, didn't photograph so well.

the nicer looking original, instead of home chop-shop job

I walked to the Guggenheim and saw James Turrell's exhibit, Aten Reign. The installion fills the rotunda and there is large mat for visitors to lie down on and look up at the ceiling.

I took my spot on the mat, surrounded by German, Japanese and French tourists. The rotunda color changes from pink to purple to blue to grey and so on. Very calming.

After the museum, I headed to Sarabeth's, where I had a pot of tea and a current scone.

It was a great New York afternoon; the Upper East side can be so quiet. Later that night, back in mid-town, I went to Vitae for dinner. I had the most delicious shrimp risotto. The week got busier as my colleague and I were taking students to corporate visits on Wall Street - lots of rushing around but a great time.

lots of this and lots of suits

vacation 2013...and other spring fun

The past month has flown by! Lots of events and travel - here is my catch up in photos.

Planted basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme & mint this spring.

Short recruiting trip to DC in April - brunch at Teaism - always so good - cilantro & jalapeno eggs with tea-cured salmon.

Vacation at the Outer Banks with Mom, Dad, Bill, Kathleen & Vance.

Manhattans and Bacardi 'n tonic

Kill Devil Hills, NC

Enjoyed so much seafood! Great dinners at Owen's and the Colington House.

The biggest asparagus I have ever seen.

Tomorrow I am off to LA and San Fran for a few days, then Jordan & RJ's wedding in NC on Saturday! Can't wait to catch up with some great friends!

Bama

Last week I went to the deep south for the first time. Here, I had thought I was in the deep south all along, but my Nashville friends explained that Alabama is the deep south (and I might need a translator). I really enjoyed going to Birmingham and then visiting the University of Alabama - where we toured the football stadium. 

roll tide!

Mussels for lunch at Chez Fon Fon - amazing.

Beef carpaccio at Bottega.

and aracini - insanely delicious.

I do have a recipe to share - a cous cous & wheat berry salad. My friend Jill had dinner at her house last week and everything was delicious! This is a light and easy side.

2 cups cooked cous cous

1 cups cooked wheat berries

1/2 large red onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled & diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded & diced

1/2 cucumber, diced

1/2 cup Craisins

1/3 cup almonds, sliced & toasted

1/3 cup parsley, chopped

1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup EVOO

3-4 tablespoons maple syrup

fair amount of course salt and fresh ground pepper

1/3 or so cup goat cheese, crumbled

Whisk vinegar, oil, syrup and S&P in bowl. Combine all other ingredients (except goat cheese) in large bowl. Pour vinaigrette over salad. If it seems a bit dry you can make a bit more dressing or add some EVOO. Top with goat cheese.

Enjoy!

welcome to the world of antiquing

I haven't posted in a number weeks - things at work have kept me so busy! In the last month I have been to New York for a few days, spent two night in Richmond (where I stayed with my amazing friend, Courtney, in her adorable new house and fell in love with her pup, Nash. I also saw a grad school friend Megan and a very-missed friend from Nashville, Shana). In Richmond, we drank...

Lily Pulitzer at Acacia - vodka, cactus pear, strega, lemon, rosemary. Love.

Then I was off to DC for almost a week. So happy to eat at Zorba's with Josh, Margret & Jaimie - this group is amazing about taking time of out their busy schedules to see me when I come to town. I am so lucky to have these friends! It was great to catch up over delicious gyro! One of my DC best, Jen, and I were also able to meet up for lunch. Rosa Mexicano - table-side guac makes you re-eavaluate everything you hold dear. And of course, some great family time! My parents, Bill, Kathleen and I enjoyed dinner at Green Pig Bistro in Arlington and then brunch at Tunicliff's, complete with Eastern Market ravioli buying.

Eastern Market food vendors are amazing and the ravioli shop is the best!

Once I was back in town, I had a bit of fun volunteering at Whole Foods for a Knife Skills class. The menu was delicious as usual. Below are goat cheese crostini on a simple vinaigrette salad. Lightly toast your French baguette and then top with small pats of goat cheese. Melt at about 400 degrees for a few minutes and serve on salad.

In home cooking news, new fav wine, Broadbent. Lightly fizzy and semi-dry. Served with apple, brie & honey panini.

We had a few large events for work in February so the days have been full of guest lists,  invitation sending and presentation-prepping followed by nights of meeting new people, chatting about how great Nashville is and lots of eating! Vance and I did celebrate Valentine's Day with a nice dinner at home.

Dessert - chocolate cherry cordials and a red zin.

We had friends, Erin & Josh, over for dinner this weekend and we roasted our Vanderbilt Turkey! I made an orange maple glaze with used lots of herbs. The turkey was quite good, and we also had mashed sweet potatoes and roasted asparagus with Parmesan and lemon zest.

1 lb asparagus, trimmed

2 tablespoons butter

zest of one lemon

1/2 shredded Parmesan

S&P to taste

On a cookie sheet, assemble the asparagus in one layer and dot with butter. Roast at 425 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and top with cheese and zest. Serve at room temperature. Top with a bit of S&P if you would - so easy and delicious!

One of most exciting things (and the namesake of this post) was an amazing find this weekend at the Tailgate Music Valley Antique Show. 

Two Piece Cherry Corner Cupboard, circa mid 1800's - Freeport, OH

As soon as it was delivered, I started snapping photos for my parents, cleaning, shining and filling. I love having our glassware and China displayed. I can't look at this corner cupboard and not smile. Apparently, the dealer pulled it out of an old Ohio farmhouse. If it is possible for furniture to have a soul - this one does. I can feel it in the room. How weird is that? This piece makes me very happy. I can also feel our house becoming a home; I love it. When I spoke with my parents (at the height of my excitement), my dad's closing words were "welcome to the world of antiquing."

she's got Seoul

The past month has flown by! I just got back to Nashville after a wonderful week in Phili, DC, Hershey and Lancaster. I was able to see great friends in my favorite cities and visit with family. I am happy to be home though and now need to catch up on my Asia blog entries!

...after we left Taipei, we headed to Seoul, Korea, arriving at Incheon International Airport. A colleague, whose family is from Korea, suggested we have a Korean Barbecue dinner and it was absolutely delicious.

This dinner was fantastic. The grill was in the center of the table, and we had beef and pork belly with assorted vegetables, noodles and sauces. The Korean women can definitely be a bit motherly, coming around encouraging us to clean our plates and making sure our glasses were full. We (of course) had kimchee, a Korean dish of fermented cabbage in a spicy marinade. As the meat cooked, we pulled off pieces and assembled lettuce wraps with chili sauces, kimchee and onions - so tasty!

No matter where we went, we always figured out how to order beer. We also enjoyed some Soju, traditional Korean rice liqour (almost similar to Japanese Sake).Our schedule allowed for a free day in Seoul, and we visited Gyeongbokgung Palace (Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven) and Jongmyo Shrine. The Palace was built in 1395 and was sadly destroyed during Japanese occupations throughout hundreds of years. Jongmyo Shrine is where the spirit tablets of deceased kings and queens are housed. According to Confusian beliefs, this shrine was built to the East of the Royal Palace (also built in 1395 - apparently, a big year for Seoul).

Gyeongbokgung PalaceWe had a great day touring and were able to do a bit of shopping at the market. We also had an (incredibly) authentic lunch that was perhaps a bit too authentic for most of us. As one would imagine, we did find some good beverage options.

beer = maekju
After a few long days, my friends Kelly and Christine and I wanted a nice relaxing evening at our hotel (Millennium Seoul Hilton). A girls night was definitely in order as we closed in on a week on the road. We enjoyed the complimentary lounge at the Hilton and had a good Italian dinner in the hotel. 

We topped off the night we a delicious cocktail, She's got Seoul - equal parts vodka and ginger ale, wedge of lemon and one ice cube. Seoul was great and after a few days we headed off to the highlight of the trip (for me), China!

When in Taipei...

I feel like we said that phrase a lot...after a few days in Tokyo, our group headed to Taipei, Taiwan. We landed at Taipei Songshan Aiport, centrally located to downtown. Our hotel, the Grand Formosa Regent, was beautiful and was located in the heart of an expensive shopping district. Rain had picked up around our arrival time so my friend, Christine, and I decided to spend a little time at the hotel spa. Little did we realize that "spa time" really meant, "fully naked with a group of Taiwanese women time." The spa attendant (a rather stern old Taiwanese woman) using hand gestures, instructed us to strip down and get into the various baths. After jumping in and out of hot, mild, cool and cold water, we spent some time in the sauna and then in the relaxation room, sipping green tea.
Our time in Taiwan was definitely full of food and Taiwan Beer. The first night, we had a delicious dumpling dinner at Din Tai Fung.

The dumplings were all delicious, but one of my favorite parts of the meal was chilled cucumber in a chile oil. 

There is a right way to eat a dumpling.

This would our first visit to Din Tai Fung - the next would be in Shanghai. The second dinner I enjoyed in Taiwan was definitely authentic, and I shared it with an old friend from Hershey High! Jaren, a classmate from Hershey, is working in Taipei and we bumped into each other at the MBA fair. The world is so small! It was great to see him and hear about his adventures. We had a great dinner with some locals.

We selected fresh (some live) seafood outside of the restaurant and then the kitchen prepared the food for us. 

This guy was swimming around, until we got there.

Bamboo with a sweet mayo.

This meal is as authentic as it gets (I think). Our table was jam packed with interesting dishes - a few were just a little too out there for me, but all in all, a great experience. A group of us ended the long day with a visit to a massage parlor. The foot reflexology and shoulder massages were amazing and much needed. After enjoying, Taipei, we headed to Seoul, Korea. 

From Nashville to Tokyo and back again

The past few weeks have been full of flights, new food, new friends, Asian beer and lots of layovers. After 30 hours of travel, I returned home from Vietnam. My jet lag is pretty significant, but getting to enjoy an evening with my Vance definitely helps! August 27 kicked off my Asia tour, starting in Tokyo, then Taipei, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai and Vietnam. It was an amazing trip, and in an effort to help me remember where I went and to share with friends and family, I am going to dedicate various postings to my trip. First up, Tokyo!

Nashville to Chicago - one and a half hours. Three hour layover at O'Hare. Chicago to Narita airport - 11 hours. I arrived in Tokyo in the afternoon and took the Friendly Bus Airport Limousine to the Tokyo Hilton. I met up with my new friends Kelly and Christine for dinner. As a side note, I was a little stressed about getting from Narita to my hotel in central Tokyo, but this bus system is so straight forward. Flying into Narita is a pleasure! The staff at the airport and bus terminal are helpful, and they make sure you get on the right bus. For about $30 U.S. dollars, this is the way to travel. 

Kelly (from Pittsburgh) and Christine (from Minneapolis) and I walked around our hotel - located in the Shinjuku business district in Tokyo. Between the jet lag and overwhelming hunger, we ended up back at the Japanese Steak House in our hotel - Musashino.

Scallop, tuna and shrimp with caviar - first Japanese sushi and it did not dissapoint!

Our dinner was at a private hibachi table and consisted of a sushi course, soup, crunchy fish salad (the little buggers still had eyes and all), seaweed salad and then shrimp and Kobe beef hibachi with rice. It was a delicious (and expensive) welcome to Japan. One questionable part of the meal were little pieces of fat that were grilled for quite some time - those didn't go down so well. The next night, we had a group dinner at Oto Oto Restaurant. This multi-course meal is a bit of blur, but I do remember great tempura and even better beer. 

Adjusting to the time made enjoying Tokyo a bit of a challenge, but a group of us did get out to see some sights including Meiji Jingu shrine. The shrine is from the Meji Era (1865 - 1912) under Emperor Meji, a peaceful emperor who promoted friendship with foreign countries and cultural development. Unfortunately, the original shrine was destroyed in fires during during World War II. The reconstruction was completed in in 1958. 

When entering a shrine (in proper dress - "shrine shoulders"), rinse hands and face in the Temizusha (fountain above). I opted to just rinse hands, there are directions as to the proper rinsing procedure. En route to the shrine, there were lovely Japanese structures.

Sake rice wine barrels, given as a gift by sake brewers in Japan. The wine is used for shrine ceremonies and then the decorated barrels are put on display. 

The shrine, located in Meiji forest, is a peaceful and calming place within the chaos of Tokyo. I purchased a plaque to hang on a prayer tree. After the shrine, we headed to Takeshita Street, full of Japanese fashion and food. Definitely some really funky stuff down this little alley.

A few days in Tokyo is not nearly enough, but I really enjoyed this introduction to Asia. We headed to Haneda Airport and took the short flight to Taipei, Taiwan where more adventures (and an old friend) awaited me!

No matter how far you go, you'll most likely have access to Vogue and Starbucks.

windy city

I spent a few days this week in Chicago for an industry conference. What a city - manageable and fun, we had a great time.

Good drinks, great company, wonderful few days.

We started off with lunch at Markethouse Restaurant in Streeterville (north of The Loop and off N. Michigan Avenue). For a pre-shopping lunch, this farm-to-table style eatery hit the spot. Then off to Michigan Ave for some shopping - I could go nuts here! Nordstrom's Rack was a particular highlight. Dinner on Wednesday was amazing - Sunda New Asian restaurant had unique sushi and asian specialties.

Thursday was a long day of conference sessions and networking followed by cocktail hours at Quay Restaurant and Bar and C-View rooftop bar at Mile North Hotel. Our dinner was delicious and relaxing at Bandera on N. Michigan Avenue. We had a corner table over-looking the bustling Magnificent Mile. This restaurant was a suggestion from my brother's girlfriend - she gave us the perfect place for an amazing dinner. My entree of butternut squash and white cheddar enchiladas was delicious. We finished up the night at Vertigo - oh the dancing. Our Chicago escape was busy, but it was so great to explore the city with friends and reconnect with some former colleagues. Until next year!