my name is yeh

lately

2012-01-29T17:55:00.000-05:00

{lately i've been...}

über excited for valentine's day.

really into black + white stripes and tweed skirts, but not together.

reading that big ass murakami book.

trying to figure out a way not to look pretentious carrying around that big ass murakami book since it doesn't fit in my bag.

shuttling back and forth between lincoln center and times square

for work and this show i've been rehearsing for.

getting a bit plump.

coughing, coughing. still.

listening to the music i listened to in 2007.

-yeh!!!

blob

2012-01-26T16:57:00.000-05:00

today i feel like a blob.

a headachey, coughy, throat-hurty blob.

and it is so pooey.

i stayed home from rehearsal and schnitzel lunch and work,

and sat in bed and ate salami sandwiches

and looked at things on the computer.

i wished i could go outside and play,

and maybe go see antony and the johnsons play at radio city.

but i don't think i will do that...

because i feel like a blob.

-yeh :-/

the chicken egg.

2012-01-25T08:57:00.000-05:00

for weeks i lived off eggs prepared in various ways.

it was the most energetic few weeks of my life,

signaled in part by how great my long runs were. yeah!

would you vote that it is possible to eat a different egg dish

every day of the year?

i would. maybe even for two years.

anywho, i narrowed the possibilities down to four and wrote recipes for them,

as well as a narrative on my relationship

with the egg, and they are now published in the wildly beautiful

winter issue of

the violet

so go get your protein on!

-yeh!

happy new year!!

2012-01-24T18:00:00.001-05:00

"happy lunar new year, erryone!"

says one half of me.

the other half celebrated back in september,

and currently my two halves are battling over which new year was tastier.

oh is it close!

because we're basically talking apple donuts vs. dark chocolate sesame balls,

and pumpkin ice cream vs. orange black sesame ice cream.

alls i know is, i am on dumpling hangover after an amazing chinese new year party last night.
{quoth the invitation, "100+ dumplings"}
there were big dumplings and bigger dumplings and gooey ones and
sweet ones... there were ones i had never had before, and ones that got deformed, so by default we deep fried them.
oh it was great!
my favorite non-edible part was the company,
and how everyone had a dslr glued to their face.
it was camera dumpling shoptalk everywhere and i am unashamed to say i loved it.
p.s. who else is super excited that it's dragon year? i would totally have a pet dragon if i was a mermaid.
-yeh!

note to self

2012-01-22T23:14:00.000-05:00

dear molly-of-two-days-ago:

if you don't stay in and nurse that nasty cough back to health,

and order the cheap wine to accompany your fried pizza,

and then proceed to accidentally stay out until the morning time

playing bocce ball in brooklyn with rob,

and then make a little stop in times square on the way home

during a snow storm,

you will wake up the next morning with a full blown nasty cold.

and you will be forced to take shot after shot of dayquil,

chased by about four different batches of matzo ball soup.

you'll also be forced to stay in and make peanut butter sandwich cookies

{using the treats truck recipe}

and you will be coughing coughing all through sunday football.

and guess what!

it will all be worth it and your friends will take care of you

and, yes, a complete stranger will give you a high five

because he thinks you're pretty.

in two days you will be tired and you will have a hurty throat,

but you'll have a fun little grin on your face because this weekend

was magnificent!

-yeh!!

if i had a dollar

2012-01-20T08:18:00.000-05:00

if i had a dollar and a piece of sushi for every time i coughed in the past 24 hours, i would be rich with an apartment full of contaminated sushi.

this red velvet tea isn't doing its job. i think i'm going to have to bring out the big guns today in the form of halls. ohhh sad coughing panda.

-yeh

interview: kyle brightwell

2012-01-19T11:08:00.002-05:00

some time during 2008, kyle discovered that if ever i was mad at him {which happened quite a bit}, he could compliment me on my hair and everything would be fine. he got away with stealing a lot of cymbals from my setups that way. regardless of that, he is one of my favorite humans, and i am so proud of him because as of last week, he is part of the boston symphony orchestra!

here is a little interview with him:

what was the first thing you ate after you won the bso audition?

mcdonald's, 6am. only thing vegetarian-friendly was a hash brown. regretted it immediately.

did you ever feel like you were going to vom during the audition?

almost constantly.

malletech browns or innovative rusts or the american drum convertabell mallets?

oh you're just asking for it with this one. i strongly endorse all american drum crotale related products.

if you could choose any processed cheese product, such as kraft singles or ez cheese, to be endorsed by, which would you choose?

never had a thing for processed cheese. however, i am desperate to be endorsed by the forever lazy {available by calling 877-291-8657, or visit https://www.orderforeverlazy.com/, or at all bed bath & beyonds}. pelase check out the dope infomercial as well. mckay and i used these to sleep/practice in for audition prep. we think there is something magic in that made-in-china fleece-wear.

using three words, describe how you felt after that juice cleanse you did in july.

i'd like to make this funny, but honestly, that experience was the best. accomplished, whole, zen.

who was the best cook in the juilliard percussion department when you were here?

aww molly wants a shoutout. who else?? the incomparable YEH.

thanks, kyky!!!

-yeh!!!!

{photo by kevin wong}

homemade sno-balls

2012-01-17T21:55:00.000-05:00

my favorite thing to do when i'm at a bodega waiting for my friends to make a beer selection is waddle on over to the hostess/tastykake shelf and give a little squeeze to the sno-balls. a little pillsbury-esque giggle is usually the sound effect i make for this action. as a texture obsessor, the hostess sno-ball has got to be the most texturally pleasing object i've ever met. maybe this lends insight as to why boys like boobies so much? idk.

when sno-balls appeared on my chrismukkuh list mum was kind enough to buy me some, which is when i realized how terrible they actually taste. the cake is dry like sand and there is only a pea-sized amount of frosting on the inside. no wonder hostess is bankrupt. but the idea is spot on: sugar inside of sugar inside of sugar coated in sugar? HELL YEAH. so i made my own and they were outstandingly messy but delicious and just as fun to smash as the store-bought kind. so if you're feeling nostalgic and also gastronomic {and if you have butt loads of time and your cleaning service is coming tomorrow} make these!

step one: the cake

make a batch of chocolate cupcakes using magnolia's recipe.

let them cool,

and then trim around each cupcake, removing about a quarter inch from the circumference.

set aside.

step two: the marshmallow

make a batch of marshmallows using alton brown's recipe,

but instead of greasing and dusting a rectangular pan,

grease and dust a cupcake pan, and add a cup of shredded coconut to the dusting mixture {powdered sugar + cornstarch}.

once you're done whipping the marshmallow, work quickly and fill the cupcake pan half way, and then press a cake into each cup so that the marshmallow rises around the cake {do this one at a time so the marshmallow doesn't set before you get the cake in}.

step three: the frosting

make half a batch of vanilla butter cream frosting using magnolia's recipe,

put it in a piping bag,

and then fill those puppies up while they're still in the cupcake pan.

step four: flip over the pan and enjoy!!!

-yeh!!!!

boston.

2012-01-16T14:34:00.003-05:00

i took a little vacay to boston this weekend with joanna.

i know, who the eff would want to go to boston in january?

let me rephrase that:

who wouldn't want to see their friend play cimbalom with the bso, sip on the best fig cocktail in the world, purchase some fabulous dresses on newbury street, have an amazing dinner at oleana* {complete with a chocolate tahini tart and halvah ice cream}, gorge on pancakes and linguica with two of the sweetest people on earth, and run into the first dude i ever went on a date with?

my hands are still thawing,

but holy smokes was it worth it.

i love boston. i'd love it more if it were tropical,

but oh is it loverly!

-yeh!!!

*a thousand zillion thanks to jess for this recommendation

zenkichi

2012-01-13T11:21:00.000-05:00

there were so many opportunities for the waitstaff at zenkichi to make me feel like a bimbo. like, when i put my limited japanese vocabulary to use {i can say hello and thank you and small lonely object}, and when i asked to substitute the mushroom thing on the vegetarian omakase for a chicken thing. i would have made me feel like a bimbo. but instead, the waitpeople were outstandingly accommodating and lovely and every one of my midwestern-twanged arigatos got an excited don'ttouchmymustache in response.

i was in love even before i got the house made tofu and super sweet yummy sake.

and potato mochi donuts. that came with just enough spicy mayo.

and the most classy onigiri i ever had.

and...frozen black sesame mousse!!!!! it was so good it deserved italics.

this meal was such a delight.

i mean, just look at how delighted i look.

and then when you factor in the private little coops that are equipped with little bells that ring the waitress,

the possibilities to use the garnish to give yourself bunny ears without being embarrassed in front of strangers are endless.

this is the kind of place i'd want to have my birthday party at.

-yeh!

zenkichi is in williamsburg on north 6th and wythe.

grow

2012-01-11T14:43:00.000-05:00

one day my little herb pots will morph into a balcony greenhouse,
which then might become a rooftop garden.
i'll have little cherry tomatoes and perhaps a carrot...
maybe some kale, which i'd make into chips.
after that i think i'll acquire a farm with a cow.
my farm will make potatos and my cow will produce
the best ricotta in all the land. it will be a perfect farm
for ricotta gnocchi. if the cow allows, i'll build a mustard
yellow chicken coup and fill it with chickens that all have names
that begin with "n." nina, nathan, nora, nabulung.
all of my farm friends will come over for dinner every night,
and we'll have a feast of everything that was picked that day.
it will be so tasty!
-yeh!!

homemade nutter butters.

2012-01-10T12:06:00.000-05:00

about that new year's resolution with the cookies:

i've been failing gloriously and i love it!

my biggest ~~failure~~ success yet has been

homemade nutter butters!

omg.

peanut butter and i have this special relationship

because for the longest time i couldn't have it since

mum is allergic.

{it is kind of like jack and rose from

the titanic, except jack is peanut butter}

so now that i don't live at home anymore,

i do just about everything with mr. pb.

+++

for these off-the-hook/unbelievable/light & fluffy sammich cookies

i used bouchon bakery's recipe. and i quartered the recipe because

i don't know there is just something about a recipe that calls

for a pound of butter that screams i am not part of a new year's

resolution. i also made them smaller than bouchon's, and there

were still more than enough for my office mates and the like.

+++

they are extremely delicious and worth every brussel sprout.

-yeh!

JAPADOG

2012-01-08T21:20:00.001-05:00

1. can we all take a moment to look at this menu and brainstorm how in the world anyone could have come up with it without being under some sort of influence?

2. center: fries with butter and soy sauce.

a. is this a joke?

b. why didn't anyone come up with this sooner?

c. three weeks of my life were just removed but it was worth it.

3. unlimited wasabi mayo, honey mustard, little pickles, and lotsa other stuff. the thing is, nothing really needed additional condiments because it was all so good on its own. however, wasabi fries dipped in wasabi mayo are a ball!

4. the hot dog i had was the terimayo {teriyaki + mayo + seaweed + onions, pictured at the top of this post}. it was amazing. the bun was thick and doughy, and the dog was big and juicy. i wanted to try all of the different ones that my friends got, but i was unwilling to trade a bite of mine... so i will just have to go back a million gazillion more times.

everybody, go here.

it is a little difficult to say this as a chicagoan,

but i think japadog is the best hot dog place in the world.

-yeh!!!!

speculoos

2012-01-05T21:29:00.003-05:00

can we talk about speculoos spread for a second?

and how it is totally the answer to all of life's questions that nutella doesn't address? ok, that's mean. this yummy gingerbready spread isn't the second choice. it is the really awesome exchange student, that unbelievable restaurant that doesn't have a website, your favorite green pants that are just a teensy bit too casual for casual friday. it is spunkily unpretentious, it's probably never had a commercial in the u.s. before {but then again it wouldn't know because it doesn't have a t.v.}, and its texture is so welcoming and smooth.

the fellows at the wafels + dinges truck introduced us about two years ago. at the time i wasn't sold, i don't know why. {maybe i was a judgmental go-with-the-flow butt face}. but in march, when i was in france, i bought a jar of it because i hadn't seen it at any stores in new york-- and it was love at second tasting. then tout à coup it was at whole foods, and gristedes, and now trader joe's. officially, no one has an excuse not to have some.

here are some things i like to do with it:

-put it on bread

-eat it with a spoon or fork

-stir it in greek yogurt

-tell mum to make rugelach with it

-at midnight, turn on gossip girl, and spread it on the entire batch of peanut butter brownies that i'm about to eat.

{learn how to make the above speculoos swirls here}

everyone, screw yr resolutions and buy lotsa speculoos.

-yeh!

ohhh january

2012-01-04T09:37:00.000-05:00

it appears that it is january already.

january, the monday of months.

the one with short days, no gift-giving holidays,

and so many reasons to feel guilty for not going to the gym.

all i want to do is hibernate with mumbles until april...

but i can't,

so instead i'll just look at this ridiculous picture of rob and me

from last spring at sammy's roumanian steak house,

listen to richard goode play brahms,

and bribe myself with a spoonful of speculoos to get out of bed.

-yeh

i resolve to...

2012-01-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

say hello to my new year's resolutions.

they are not actually that ambitious,

because (a) brussel sprouts are my new fave

and (b) there is in fact a question mark after

"run a half marathon." it is covered by my finger,

and it leaves me unbound to actually running the thing.

but still, i fantasize.

-yeh!

p.s. go see the violet's post with this

and other contributors' resolutions!

chicago

2012-01-02T07:41:00.000-05:00

first of all, f.m.l.

here is a pizza at great lake.
the thought of waving down a server to ask
for a paper napkin to blot the absurd amount of grease
gave me anxiety. however the cheese and tomato sauce were
delicious!! but was the two hour wait and that awkward
moment of realizing that it is b.y.o.b. after being seated
better than sitting in my jammies and telephoning lou mal's?
probably not.
better than keste?
i don't think so.

a sit with stoop's doggie, audrey.

a boozy lunch at longman & eagle.

another lunch at urban belly.

{short rib fried rice,

piggy cilantro potstickers,

the best edamame i ever had...}

happy 2012, everyone!

i am back in new york. these photos are from my last

few days in chicago, spent in the city, crashing at

stoopie's. and getting fat!

-yeh!!!

the best things i ate in 2011

2011-12-31T10:45:00.000-05:00

tapas in barcelona, sugar coated pork buns in hong kong,

crickets in bushwick, camp food...

my belly is full after this year.

though i've yet to train myself to really enjoy mushrooms and seafood, i'd say this year was pretty successful, tastily speaking.

here are some of the highlights {in no particular order except

the fried green tomatoes should probably be at the top no

matter what}:

fried green tomatoes at sel de mer {williamsburg}

literally, marry me.

brussel sprouts

i can't believe these weren't in my life before this year.

everywhere i had them, they were so yum: swimming in mustard at

buttermilk channel, with bacon at rubirosa,

with spätzle at ditch plains, fried at rye...

maybe i'll be one for halloween.

chocolate chip cookie from birdbath {manhattan}

i don't know. there are unicorn tears sprinkled on these things

or something. but you taste one and you're confused because

how can a thin cookie be like that.

the fried mac + cheese i made for the violet

i am naughty for being so wasteful and forcing

myself to throw most of them away.

but it was for my own good because self-control

goes out the window when these are in house.

brioche + ricotta at blue hill at stone barns {the stix, ny}

pretty much everything at blue hill was the best thing i

ever ate. but the brioche and ricotta is what i dream

about regularly.

crispy duck + maraschino cherry salad at torrisi {manhattan}

i never thought i'd have a salad on this list,

but there it is. the duck was perfectly salty and crispy,

and the cherries were like candy.

stuffing in the summer camp cafeteria {the stix, ny}

if there was one reason why my taste buds didn't up and jump

into the lake this summer, it was because of the one day a week

that we got stuffing. on these days i commandeered the entire bowl

and ate enough stuffing for my entire bunk.

steak buns at crystal jade {hong kong}

mind blowing and yes, i'd go back to hk just for these.

sugar coated pork buns at tim ho wan {hong kong}

shockingly good. like a barbecue pork donut.

sesame gelato from xtc {hong kong}

this not-too-sweet gelato was packed with full

black sesame seeds. smokey and amazing.

a ladies lunch at paco meralgo {barcelona}

there is no one dish that i salivate about {although

the fried spring onions were damn good},

but the company + conversation + ambiance

made this one of the best meals of 2011.

quiche at cours saleya {nice}

there is just something about romping around old nice

and chomping on a homey farmer's market quiche

that is so giggle-worthy.

apples and apple cider donuts at all seasons apple orchard {illinois}

an apple straight from the tree,

in fall,

with mum.

yes, please!

and melt-in-your-mouth donuts made from them? uh huh.

crab donuts at hurricane club

i know, what was i doing at hurricane club?

but someone make more savory donuts.

breakfast sandwich at m. wells {r.i.p.}

my birthday breakfast is regularly a big fat breakfast sandwich.

i didn't have this on my birthday, but it might as well have been.

it was so fat and doughy and amazing. too bad m. wells went byebye.

dinner at home restaurant

squash ravioli, perfect spiced cider, cozy seats... fall in a meal.

liddabit's beer + pretzel caramels

salty, crunchy, chewy, sticky. addictive.

hey, dentist.

...............

this is all making me want to steer my

new year's resolution towards the gym,

or fresh vegetables.

what's the best thing you ate this year??

-yeh!!!!

under the hanukkah bush

2011-12-28T14:53:00.000-05:00

happy end of hanukkah everyone!

{or sad end of hanukkah}

harry was good to me...

he brought me a healthy amount of new mustards,

including one with saffron and one with truffle,

both in stylish tubes.

but do you know how painful it is to restrain from eating them

so i can ship them back to myself in new york?

really, really.

-yeh!

the annual dumplings of the world festival

2011-12-26T12:09:00.000-05:00

the festival started at sunrise,

with a bacon + egg + gruyère version of these cornish pasties.

from there it was uphill into a mess of doughy outrageousness.

the barbecue carrot buns,

spätzle + brussel sprouts,

and samosas

were the tastiest.

and after those i vowed never to eat anything every again...

until the pierogi came out and all bets were off.

accompanied by marshmallow peppermint martinis?

oh yes, please.

repeat that last step until we realize that

we've completely forgotten about the black sesame mochi. oops!

oh but it was a very successful festival indeed...

complete with four puppy sous chefs,

old ice skating videos,

and stoopie's face breaking out in a glorious rash!

{but p.s. utter the words "soup dumpling" and i might vom.}

-yeh!!!!

meet the gingers.

2011-12-25T08:57:00.003-05:00

they are a very stylish family!

they reside in milwaukee.

esther and sima are mrs. and mrs. ginger.

esther is a cantonese translator and sima is a stay-at-home cookie.

zoe is their oldest female-bodied offspring.

he is an expert yoga practitioner and a hoarder.

j.j. and peter were adopted from canada.

they are twins.

...i think

marla is tanning off her weight.

and soo young is the baby,

and also an aspiring rabbi.

they wish you a happy christmas!

-yeh!

hey, yehs!

2011-12-24T16:51:00.000-05:00

an ann sather cinnamon roll,

lou malnati's deep dish,

dim sum,

and mum's famous sesame noodles...

are all in my belly.

yes, i am home!

prep for the annual dumpling festival is well on its way,

and holy moly is it gonna be good this year.

also, santy clause better get ready because

he is getting some tasty treats tonight.

-yeh!!!!!

{p.s. the meringues in that photo are marzipan meringues. i used this recipe but added almond extract and substituted the chocolate chips and walnuts for little marzipan nuggets. so much yum.}

soup dumplings.

2011-12-22T09:59:00.000-05:00

check out this little video where i teach you how to make soup dumplings!

christmas soup dumplings from jewish daily forward on vimeo.

{family: pay attention, you will get quizzed on this

at the dumpling festival this weekend}

-yeh!

this morning

2011-12-21T10:34:00.000-05:00

this morning i sat in my cozy room,

listened to ane brun,

and made holiday cards.

then it occurred to me: is giving someone {that's not your mom}

a homemade card instead of a present better or worse

than making a tax-deductable donation in someone's name

instead of a present?

-yeh?

park güell

2011-12-20T10:47:00.000-05:00

if ever i want to laugh until i'm about to pee,

i think back to that time when maria, hannah, and i

visited park güell, in barcelona.

perhaps, on this gloomysome new york day,

i will pack a bit of this silliness in my bag and be off to work.

-yeh!

the chrismukkah list.

2011-12-16T16:33:00.001-05:00

-yeh!!

marzipan cookies, trombones, etc.

2011-12-15T09:51:00.002-05:00

yesterday included two of my favorite holiday things:

marzipan cookies and the annual trombone choir holiday performance.

and then i got to experience my very first office holiday party!

it had sushi, so i was impressed. but more importantly it had pigs in blankets {!!!} and fried mac and cheese. i would have spent even more time by the pigs and blankets, but there was no mustard, so i felt a little awkward.

my marzipan cookies were a success, methinks. i basically used this recipe {minus the peanut butter, with a little more real butter in its place, and with a little almond extract} and then i added a thin layer of marzipan over the top. oh, they were scrumptious! i am really enjoying this #mollymariamarzipanfestival.

{i am also enjoying my new hand mixer.

i feel as though i can conquer the world now.}

-yehhh!

p.s. you should all go see new dances.

it is the most fun dance performance i ever seen.

p.p.s. the we bought a zoo soundtrack is what's playing right now

and i recommend you play it too.

yay, trombones!!

shameless loves, by cliff

2011-12-14T08:55:00.000-05:00

things that cliff loves

{but really probably shouldn't}

1. putting the tv on mute and adding my own words to television shows and commercials...not gonna lie, the dialogue i make up is extra vulgar and out of pocket, but it's pretty funny (well...to me at least)

2. reading and watching anything anthony bourdain is a participant of/in.... i swear i wish that man was my uncle

3. listening to the jackson 5 christmas album anytime of the year.... yes i know it might be july and 80 degrees outside, and i'm singing "have yourself a merry little christmas" in 9-year old michael jackson falsetto....don't judge me.

4. judging restaurants by the type of lemonade they serve...

5. eating peanut butter cookies ONLY if they have criss-cross fork marks in them...

6. looking up old clips of michael jordan from the 90's....he was so great!

7. rooting against the detroit lions every sunday. i was a die-hard fan back in the day, but when barry sanders retired, the team broke my heart.

8. randomly singing cannonball adderley solos note-for-note

9. habitually lifting my feet when i'm in car crossing train tracks...even if i'm driving. in 3rd grade, my best friend told me that the devil lives on the train tracks and will try to grab your leg and drag you to hell when you drive past. it has messed me up ever since, haha...

10. RED. LOBSTER. BISCUITS. ....that is all.

thank you, cliff!!!!!!

and a very happy no shame december to you!!

-yeh!!!

marzipan doughnuts

2011-12-13T22:32:00.000-05:00

if ever you feel pooey and don't want to go to work, you should.

because there might be two marzipan doughnuts from your

favorite maria sitting happily on your desk.

and they will be festive and tasty and squeal-inducing.

#mollymariamarzipanfestival has officially begun.

-yeh!!!!!!

rolf's

2011-12-12T11:25:00.003-05:00

when what you've eaten for a weekend has consisted of three lenny's bagels, a frozen tofu burrito, and a slice of koronet pizza, it is only appropriate to top it all off with a schnitzel,

as you enjoy the corner of the universe that can take down any suburban christmas-crapped lawn in a battle of i have more ridiculous christmas shit than you...

rolf's!

actually, this just occurred to me: does anyone remember that 90s kidsongs show or whatever where the kids shrink and then ride an ornament {or a sleigh} into the insides of a christmas tree?

well, i do, and that's exactly how it felt.

justit h8ed it.

but that's what happens when you're 100% vegetarian in a german restaurant.

i thought it was deeeelicious! the spaetzle nubbins were big and doughy and buttery, just how i like em. and the paprika sauce is exactly like kuhn's, in illinois. it made me even more excited to go home for the holidays and have a mum and me schnitzel.

the schnitzel {i got chickens} was yummy. maybe not yummy enough to come here when it isn't christmas time, but still tasty.

this is what happens with a slow shutter speed and the ability to turn your head on the axis of your left eye. idk.
anyways, i am realllly into the christmas vibe right now.
my schedule is color coded with christmas colors,
my tree is doing mighty fine,
and oh yeah i'm jewish.

-yeh!

shameless loves, by feifei

2011-12-09T11:23:00.000-05:00

{lou mal's, f yeah!}

things that feifei loves

{but really probably shouldn't}

1. using my baby sisters as an excuse to buy ice cream

2. rekindling my love for mcdonald's

3. using christmas and thanksgiving as excuses for trying and buying wine.

4. buying coffee in the morning even though there's free coffee brewing at work.

5. "forgetting" my packed lunch so i'd "have to" get lou malnati's for lunch.

6. fangirling about klaine

7. watching hulu every night instead of getting 6 hours of sleep

8. wearing my ravenclaw hat every day...and don't take it off until i'm in my office.

9. geeking out and being too enthusiastic at work

10. buying a new wardrobe for my trip to europe just so I won't get judged for "dressing american"

thank you, feifei!!!!!

who says you can't celebrate no shame december?

-yeh!!!

where mustard belongs

2011-12-08T09:12:00.001-05:00

this is a menu from a brat restaurant in hong kong.

notice how their are no mustards under "condiments,"

but rather they are in an elite little group

under a separate title.

oh boy this really cheers a girl up on a drizzly day.

...

i have been lacking in the mustard department of my life.

which is not as bad as, say, lacking in the family or the work

department. but everyone needs balance, you know?

my 94% vegetarianism has made a comeback since returning

from hk, and the 6% is strictly devoted to taste testing

soup dumplings for a story i am writing about them.

{i know, i lied when i said i was never going to eat dumplings

again. i am a dirty liar. there are 30 freshly made dumplings

in my kitchen right now.} and i'll be the first to admit that

dumplings and my lunches of brown rice and veggies are not

a mustard's best friend, unless it's the spicy chinese one.

...

and even before that, i found myself continuously returning

to the same mustard. i felt bad, like i was choosing a favorite

child. but it became a comfort mustard and i stuck with it.

i wonder what it means.

i think your girl needs mustard therapy.

-yeh

honk honk sugar

2011-12-07T09:23:00.000-05:00

one day i will stop pretending like life after hong kong

doesn't exist. but today is not that day. today i am dreaming

of black sesame gelato that is rich but not too sweet,

that is a little bit smokey and filled with full black sesame seeds,

and that makes you pray you won't immediately run into maestro or your kindergarten best friend and her entire family {that actually might have happened} before you have time to floss,

lest you have a massive black speck in your teeth.

...and i am also reminiscing over the egg custards

that cost the equivalent of about 50 cents,

that i ate on a boat. that were extremely eggy tasting.

and, of course, the little cake from ms. b's that was

worth every bit of the embarrassing amount that i spent on it.

{it is not every day that a boutique cake shop has a vertical

garden on the exterior.}

the sweets that i ate in honk honk were never too sweet.

they always kept their distinct flavor.

even their 16 handles equivalent {where i got

blueberry mochi on black sesame, almond, and taro yogurt}

kept it's tasty integrity.

it was subtle... and fascinating...

-yeh!!!

sweet places i lurved:

xtc gelato: marry me, black sesame gelato

australia dairy company: sweet warm {almondy??} egg custard

ms. b's cakery: go, if even just to look and drool

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2011-12-07T09:17:00.003-05:00

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shameless loves, by bethani

2011-12-05T23:47:00.001-05:00

things that bethani loves

{but really probably shouldn't}

1. enjoying a cup of sleepytime tea anytime of day. even for breakfast.

2. feeling & acting like i’m at a nightclub while jamming out to lmfao’s party rock cd in the car

3. already making a christmas décor plan. i mean paper chains don’t make themselves.

4. eating anything that contains peppermint, just because it makes it feel like christmas is coming quicker.

5. feeling like a total nerd when buying armloads of used books at the bookstore.

6. laughing hysterically while watching the cats chase the laser pointer. it never gets old.

7. watching countless reruns of criminal minds.

8. wearing my loafers every day. even if they don’t really go with my outfit.

9. putting flavored lipgloss on just to lick it off.

10. hoping and praying for more snow this winter. Please oh please!

thank you, bethani!

who says you can't celebrate no shame december?

-yeh!!!

yardbird {hong kong}

2011-12-04T23:38:00.001-05:00

referencing momofuku to describe a restaurant is like a tv show being advertised as "sex and the city meets whatever whatever." does that make any sense? in other words, it should just never happen. but of course the possible exception arises when a restaurant on the other side of the world kind of resembles noodle bar, has a forward-thinking asian-influenced menu, and leaves the vegetarian guest with few options... and so one has to ask, at which point chef says "no i h8 david chang." for real, that happened.

the vibe was so so hip. it was like an alternate universe: an entirely western staff, hong kong's most casually stylish people, and a local beer selection of rare asian brews whose names escape me but hey this isn't the distilled life. oh and did i mention i went there on thanksgiving? so at least i had bird: hong kong chickens! and more parts of the chicken than i ever thought i'd eat. chicken oyster, chicken liver, chicken liver mousse, chicken neck... it was a nose-to-tail yakitori dream feast. additionally, i ate cauliflower for the second time in my life. k.f.c., or korean fried cauliflower-- it was more like if panda express did cauliflower in that melty saucy delicious fried way. i liked it lots. the chicken meatball skewer was accompanied by a special sauce with an egg yolk floating around, and the chicken liver mousse was served with milk bread {!!!!} those won me over. the chicken oysters were tasty, but texturally confusing. in my excitement that me and my two dates secured two of the last orders left for the evening, i think i et them too quickly to really appreciate them :-( the sweet corn tempura balls were fun, and the chicken and egg fried rice was pretty delicious. the meal involved a ton of really moist, really tasty chicken. it was almost too much animal, but it made me excited about chicken. excited about chicken!

i mean who gets excited about chickens when you can get excited about pigs?

this guy!

and i'm glad he did because it was a tasty meal.

-yeh!!

{that is a chicken oyster}

yardbird is in sheung wan, hong kong.

'tis the season

2011-12-02T20:48:00.000-05:00

for the little chubby christmas tree in my window

for marzipan hot chocolate

for the annual dumplings of the world festival

for snuggly socks and gingerbread transgenders

for the elvis christmas album,

and sufjan's,

and, ok, the o.c. one...

for latkes!

for watching elf and the santa claus

oh, for joy!

-yeh!!!!!

shameless loves, by courtney

2011-12-02T00:45:00.000-05:00

things that courtney loves

{but really probably shouldn't}

1. eating the leftover-from-halloween reese's peanut butter cups i hid from myself in the freezer that are so solid i almost crack my teeth on them.

2. reading blogs instead of vacuuming. or dusting. or doing the dishes.

3. dressing my daughter in outfits that coordinate with mine when we go out somewhere just in case the sartorialist happens to be in my tiny little town.

4. wearing my favorite brown sweater, embarrassingly purchased at forever 21 eight years ago, so much that my elbows are starting to poke through but figuring elbow patches will make it even cuter.

5. pretending that all of the clothes on my pinterest board were actually in my closet.

6. ordering a nonfat pumpkin spice latte from starbucks and acting like i have to think about it when they ask if i still want whip. (um, duh.)

7. calling my mom every. single. day.

8. watching king of queens reruns every night even though i've already seen every episode. at least twice. love me some jerry stiller!

9. heels. pretty much every day. even when i was pregnant.

10. taking home my veggie tempura roll from the sushi bar at hy-vee and daydreaming that i live a super swanky life in a way swankier place than i actually do.

thank you, courtney!

who says you can't celebrate no shame december?

-yeh!!!

honk honk sandwich

2011-12-01T03:26:00.000-05:00

imagine your girl {the queen of everything doughy}

craving a crusty baguette like its the rose cafeteria honey mustard. maybs it was the jetlag, maybe it-- no actually it was because crust really does not exist in hong kong. in the grocery stores, yeah, bread has a dark brown layer around the edge, but the texture never changes. in restaurants? forget about it. twice i was tempted to ask them to leave the crust on, until i realized that, wait this is actually miraculous. {because crust is just one of those things i am obligato about since i turned eight and learned the meaning of tact...} so for my entire time in hk i didn't ask questions and indulged in extremely simple sandwiches on milk bread. none of them had mustard, but that is another story. here is a run down on the sammies i ate in hong kong:

pork, mayo, tomato {lan fong yuen, top photo}: hopefully you are either with someone who knows, or are thinking logically when you walk by a really long line that seems to be snaking around behind a rando milk tea stand. because you don't want to miss this little pork bun that looks like it should be in a happy meal, but tastes like you need eight more.

egg, mayo, tomato {deli & wine, second from top}: something got lost in translation when i ordered this at breakfast time, expecting a breakfast sandwich. it was, in fact, my first exposure to egg salad.

egg {australia dairy company, third photo down}: by the time you've done your time on line, been hurried through a room packed with hong kongese families that is reminiscent of a jewish deli, sat at a tiny table with strangers, and directed to a menu completely in chinese, you are ready to shit your pants. but if you've done you're research, or have eyes, you know just to get the scrambled eggs with bread. you have no idea where these eggs are from or what is in them, but they are hands down the best scrambled eggs you've ever had.

beef brisket, special peanut sauce, steamed buns {crystal jade, bottom photo}: shocking. i would fly back to hk just to eat these.

ok.

can someone talk to me about why some countries are all about crust and others just aloof to the whole thing?

-yeh!!!

things filled with things

2011-11-28T21:32:00.000-05:00

it's a smiley face!

my goal was 100 in one week. is that disgusting?

after 30 in three days, i forfeited. but do you want to hear what that included?

more soup dumplings than i ever could have imagined

super secret nepalese dumplings

black sesame buns

sugar-coated pork buns

fried steamed buns

red bean dumplings

vegetable buns where the filling isn't all just stupid cabbage

...

and they were all so flavorful, and the bun textures had such great integrity, and the soup dumpling soup was so sooo yummy. i mean, for real is soup dumpling soup ever that yummy in the states? or are people just gaga enough over the idea of soup in a dumpling that they don't care if it forgot its flavor?

omg you guys, how am i still alive?

-yeh

{where i ate these dumplings, in order from my most favorite to still my favorite but not as much}

crystal jade i know, it is totally a big chain. but they had me at their special peanut sauce steak buns.

tim ho wan their sugar-coated pork buns were so good i could have died, but after three i felt like butt and just actually wanted to die. however, when i recover i will figure out how to make them.

din tai fung DTF!

super secret nepalese place you kind of just have to hope that you end up at a certain bar with someone who knows someone who will make a phone call. at which point a whole ton of dumplings with a garlicky sauce will be delivered. hopefully.

back.

2011-11-27T22:19:00.000-05:00

funny ferry

monopoly money

not another alliteration, but somewhere on the island

in the first three days i approximately thirty. i will never eat them again.

at least not until the dumplings of the world festival.

beet root, pistachio, chocolate.

she comes from ms. b's...you may call her madame butterfly.

at night and saturated.

there are no words to describe just how unbelievably amazing this past week was. that, or i simply can't find them because i just stepped off of a wicked long flight and the time is more ambiguous than the koala shaped bread snackees i bought from muji before boarding the plane. i suppose i can start with what i ate. what i ate had me back and forth between being in shock over how good something tasted and... wanting to vom my brains out. alas, such is the consequence with a diet that consists of piggies and doughy things. perhaps a longer trip, to allow for some vegetable-eating time in which i wouldn't feel bad about missing out on dumplings, may have been healthier. but regardless: everything i ate blew my mind and i would seriously consider trading new york in for hk {so long as you ship me lenny's bagels on a weekly basis}.

the concerts were wonderful. i've never had so much fun playing a woodblock, maestro gave my brain a workout, and i got all teary when the soloist played the sarabande from the second bach partita as an encore. love that shit.

aw shucks and speaking of being teary, i am so sad that i'm not there anymore. hong kong is like a fantasy land. with an escalator running through...

how do i go back?

shall i swim?

-yeh

Also

2011-11-21T11:11:00.001-05:00

As of 10 minutes ago in honkhonk I am 22 and a half. Where is my half cake.

Listen

2011-11-21T11:08:00.000-05:00

I'm in hong kong, i just found individually wrapped servings of kewpie mayonnaise, and alls I want is a pet panda.
-winning, yeh

回头见!!

2011-11-19T06:09:00.000-05:00

i am off,

to stuff my face with dumplings,

to play the woodblock,

and to see aziz!

for my farewell dinner, rob + stefani + i had an all-american afteropera feast at five napkin by way of dipping my fries in about 768 different condiments.

it was after stef and i saw kommilitonen!, which was fantastic. incredible writing... and i am so proud of my friends who performed.

see you in honk honk!!!

-yeh!!!

happy birrdday stoop

2011-11-18T07:22:00.000-05:00

you guys,

stoop is becoming a geezer.
{luckily, her sillyness rating is inversely proportionate to her age}
happy birthday stoopie!!!

love,

molly

shameless loves, by lottie

2011-11-17T07:02:00.000-05:00

things that lottie loves

{but really probably shouldn't}

1. spending hours huddled in my bed reading my book, even though it is nowhere near bedtime

2. being addicted to hot chocolate and there being more cream and marshmallows than hot chocolate in my mug

3. wearing my husband's jumpers with my jeans, if anyone asks i say the boyfriend look is so in right now but really it is just because they are so cosy and baggy

4. wasting hours and hours watching all the harry potter dvds after each other...i can't wait for the final one

5. singing really badly at the top of my lungs and changing the words and the tune...i like to think i am making it my own but really it's because i forgot them

6. looking at the reflection of my new boots in anything: they are just so pretty

7. hiding the pile of paperwork that has been collecting on my desk because i can't be bothered to file it...no one will ever know.

thank you, lottie!

and a very happy no shame november to you!

-yeh!!!

all i want right now

2011-11-16T08:34:00.000-05:00

facts.

an appetite.

cooperation, understanding.

those failed few hours spent at central booking.

my unused front row tickets to satyagraha.

to be in hong kong.

to be in florida.

-yeh

shameless loves, by vanessa

2011-11-15T08:05:00.000-05:00

things that vanessa loves

{but really probably shouldn't}

1. looking in the mirror after taking a shower and thinking, “if you are what you eat, i must be eating some sexy food,” then going to kitchen and eating a donut

2. making a double batch of cookie dough because i know i’ll eat half of it before it gets baked

3. spending 5+ hours in my room claiming to do homework, when i’m actually looking up random recipes

4. not washing my hair more than 3 times a week (i get to 4 or 5 some weeks!)

5. not coming out to the parents, but getting socks and making a hat that are obviously gay and bisexual pride colors and wearing them proudly

6. not shaving for 2+ weeks because it's winter and i’m wearing pants and t-shirts

7. getting a bag of whoopie pies and being told to share them with others…and eating them all myself :)

8. saying “i love you” to my boyfriend on the phone while my disapproving mother listens

9. being vegetarian in a very carnivorous family

thank you, vanessa!

and a very happy no shame november to you!

-yeh!!!

you may call me lily briscoe

2011-11-13T22:23:00.000-05:00

montauk, montauk, montauk, montauk,

each in a different accent, never wanting to stop, someone kindly have it cease. eventually a battle of chicago versus long island broke out, but then of course as the choo choo passed easthampton, mohntawk trumped maantaak. it reminded me of all of the campers and certain family members and it made me miss my nasal a.

there is something very sad about those few moments after all of the fall leaves have fallen and before the holiday season has begun. but we beat them with bike rides, croissants, and decreasing the saturation on our photos so that bland looks like it was meant. and leaf crunching! oh, yes, and of course visiting the lighthouse... i'd like to hop in my delorean and meet a lighthouse keeper and ask him what he likes to cook and if he ever gets lonesome. it seems like a lonesome job.

oh, by the way, can you play the piano and open clams?

-yeh!

shameless loves, by katie

2011-11-11T10:44:00.000-05:00

things that katie loves

{but really probably shouldn't}

1. dipping peanut butter sandwiches in italian salad dressing(sounds gross but so good!)

2. singing "super bass" by nicki minaj everywhere i go.

3. wearing my robe whenever i'm at home because it's so cold.

4. being a crazy cat lady.

5. watching revenge. soap opera goodness.

6. buying a pink christmas tree for my room.

7. coloring pictures.

9. waltzing around my house with my (invisible) boyfriend.

10. fake diamond jewelry and sparkly shoes

thank you, katie!

and a very happy no shame november to you!

-yeh!!!

a little bedroom tour

2011-11-10T09:51:00.000-05:00

my favorite bedroom things are little creatures: the gnome bank with a mustache, mr. mumbles, two little bunnies perched on a ledge, a certain gaspard...

i wonder what they would say to me if they could talk human. bunnies would want to be dusted off, gnome is lacking quarters {i took them all for laundry}... and mumbles would be mad at me for accidentally dropping him on the floor during last night's slumber. they would probably poke fun at me for watching so much gossip girl these days.
in other news, today i am going to schnitzelfest at loreley and i couldn't be more excited.
-yeh!!

shameless loves, by jen

2011-11-09T09:10:00.000-05:00

things that jen loves

{but really probably shouldn't}

1. convincing myself that guacamole is a complete and balanced meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)

2. buying orange everything: wallet, iphone case, earrings, food processor...

3. eating vegetarian but not counting bacon (or that bbq i ate last weekend)

4. rocking black skinny jeans with brown boots (who cares if they dont match)

5. belting harmony parts to pop songs ("baby, baby, baby, ohhhdominant 7")

6. buying expensive chocolate and coffee... for myself.

7. planning everywhere i'm going to eat on my vacation before booking a flight

8. reading food magazines just for the photography

9. wearing my hair up in a ballerina bun every other day because it's easy

10. listening to my favorite song of the moment 100 times in a row (right now: "video games" by lana del rey)

thank you, jen!

and a very happy no shame november to you!

-yeh!!!

shameless loves, by meghan

2011-11-08T08:48:00.000-05:00

things that meghan loves

{but really probably shouldn't}

1. wearing leggings every day of the week. (being eight months pregnant might be an excuse in itself, but no shame november gives me full confidence that this “fashion statement” is acceptable.)

2. eating mcdonald’s for dinner—or breakfast, or lunch—whenever i darn well feel like it.

3. watching marathons of disney movies made for tweens, like high school musical, she's the man and sky high.

4. skipping a shower or two when i don’t feel like getting my lazy butt out of bed in the morning. (extra deodorant does the trick!)

5. sneaking my cat into the bedroom when fiancé’s asleep and letting him sleep on my side.

6. a monstrous bowl of ice cream at the end of a hard day—or an easy day. (growing babies need their calcium!)

thank you, meghan!

and a very happy no shame november to you!

-yeh!!!

arthur avenue

2011-11-07T08:03:00.000-05:00

in fleeing the city and the crowd of marathon runners and their cheerleaders this weekend, i found myself in the bronx. specifically, on arthur avenue, experiencing a bit of italy for my carby-loving pleasures. i experienced my first mozzarella en carozza {most easily identified as a deep fried grilled cheese} and was introduced to a lovely savoiardi cookie. i tracked down some cavatelli and mini gnocchi, and entertained the idea of purchasing an espresso maker. and then before i knew it, i was at the other end of little italy and it wasn't even lunch number two time. it made me a little sad that it went by so quickly... so i went down to the village to sockerbit and cheered up with little sweets that have cute names like smultron ponny and sura blåbärsbitar.

oh, and for the official record, i did not get butt boosting jeans.

-yeh!

shameless loves, by celeste

2011-11-04T10:00:00.000-04:00

things that celeste loves

{but really probably shouldn't}

1. pulling my camera out at every. single. restaurant. i go to.

2. insisting that the boyfriend doesn't touch his food until i get a good photo.

3. dancing along to yo gabba gabba with my 2 and 4 year old nieces.

4. sneaking some of said nieces' gummy vitamins. (they're just like gummy bears!)

5. the misadventures of awkward black girl.

6. keeping some (ok, a lot) of the halloween kit kats for myself.

7. a pot of tea, jasmine hot chocolate, macarons, and gourmet chocolate all in one sitting.

8. finding my unfinished scrapbook and supplies from 2006.

9. laying each piece of laundry flat on top of one another so they don't wrinkle... and so i don't have to fold them/ put them away.

10. singing in the car. loudly. like i'm in my own music video.

thank you, celeste!

and a very happy no shame november to you!

-yeh!!!

shameless loves, by sara

2011-11-03T09:19:00.000-04:00

fresh veggies? no way.

things that sara loves

{but really probably shouldn't}

1. eating grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch three...four...five days in a row

2. "needing" hot chocolate because my hands are cold

3. roasting all vegetables. fresh?! psh...

4. watching marathons of storage wars because "it's too cold to do anything outside"

5. shopping for christmas gifts online for hours instead of working (it's what santa would want me to do!)

6. using the holiday season as an excuse to eat anything pumpkin flavored

7. knitting. every night. with my cats. like a grandma.

thank you, sara!

and a very happy no shame november to you!

-yeh!!!

no shame november!!!!!!

2011-11-01T10:57:00.000-04:00

it's back! it's back!

the one month of the year when we can eat fried green tomatoes for three meals a day and not feel bad about it!! i am simply so excited. and i didn't even remember that it was this time of year until i was on my run this morning... at which point i stopped running and went to the donut store. no that's not true. but i intend on eating donuts a lot this month.

here is my

2011 shameless list!

1. i am an instant coffee drinker

2. the picture up above: me and my new specs in front of a large piece of art that i shameless took from a trash pile on the street in the village and then shamelessly carried on the subway home with me.

3. christmas season starts now. elvis christmas, michael bublé christmas, sufjan christmas, get at me.

4. not having the patience to wash my new thrift store horsey shirt before wearing it

5. wearing leg warmers over skinny jeans

6. wanting something with shoulder pads

7. the five dollar halloween macaron from épicerie boulud that i ate yesterday

8. my new relationship with showers. this summer i got down to, like, one a week. now i'm up to a few more than that. but saving time on showers leaves more time for eating chocolate and making peanut butter cookies.

9. head bobbing

10. egg custard buns from chinatown

there it is!

start sending over your own shameless loves lists and i'll be happy to post them {should they not dip below the mildly inappropriate mark}

send them to: yeh.molly@gmail.com

happy no shame november, everyone!

-yeh!!!!!

peanut butter sugar cookies!

2011-10-28T19:34:00.000-04:00

{with halloween-y jimmies!}

failure earned a new definition with my attempted dumpling costume. what i was going for was essentially an upside down bed sheet ghost, where my legs would go through the eye holes and everything would meet up at the top and be tied neatly around my neck. more of a shumai than a guotie, if you catch my drift. instead i got a big fat spit ball... and a frowny face.
so i made peanut butter cookies. they're really tasty and easy. here are the clues:
with a mixer, combine 4 tbs softened butter + 4 tbs peanut butter + 1 c sugar. add 1 large egg + 1 tspn vanilla
in another bowl, combine 2 c flour + 1/2 tspn baking powder + a pinch of salt {if you're using unsalted peanut butter, up the salt}
combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.
divide into two rolls, 1.5 inches in diameter, roll in jimmies!
wrap in cling wrap and freeze while you watch one episode of revenge, or for like 45 minutes.
slice into 3/4 inch discs, and bake at 325, preferably on a pizza stone, for ten-ish minutes.
eat them all immediately!!!!
-yeh!!!!

an ode to the fried green tomatoes at sel de mer

2011-10-27T17:21:00.001-04:00

it is like a donut got knocked up by a red tomato and then was slaughtered mid-pregnancy for the enjoyment of me and everyone else who makes it past the bedford l stop. i'm actually really embarrassed by this photo because of the lighting and shadows and stuff... i was just so taken by the beauty of the scene that i didn't have time to adjust: it was a quiet sunny sunday morning in williamsburg, i was on my way to see stoop but she was not yet ready to party boozey brunch style, and so, with my favorite tattoo-ed man, we had a sit in the back of the tiny and quaint sel de mer and as an afterthought i convinced him to order the fried green tomatoes. i envisioned the only other fried green tomatoes that i had ever had, the ones at dinosaur bbq circa 2007 with brian flescher, and was immediately and figuratively spanked for doing that.

these fried green tomatoes were unlike anything my wildest dreams could have imagined. they are the greatest things in the world and if i were on death row not in texas, these would be the appetizer for my last meal. i am actually tempted to remove all mentions of sel de mer in this post so that you won't go there and eat them all up. i want it to by secret. i want all of the fried green tomato donuts for myself and i want to become donut queen so that i can treat this tomato donut as my favorite child.

people, it is so extremely good.

someone make a tumblr about it.

-yeh

two stoops on a stoop

2011-10-26T10:58:00.000-04:00

you will not get a real answer if you ask us why we're called stoop. instead you will get a set of guidelines for calling us stoop...long story short, you can't. no offense, it's just that when there are two people that go by the same exact absurd nickname in one room, and anyone besides those two are using that nickname, things get confusing. especially when stoop and stoop have the same voice and weight and seemingly the same age. no, we are not twins, and no, i am not older. stoop is older and sillier and has like one third of the sensor that i do {scary, indeed}. so, anyways, we do this thing where stoop and i go around sitting on stoops to produce photos called two stoops on a stoop. this is one,

it was taken this weekend in williamsburg on north 6th or something.

-yeh!

mac and cheese monsters

2011-10-25T09:35:00.000-04:00

remember that time when i plum decided to fry up a batch of smokey bacon mac and cheese? and when i brought a new batch to the office like every day and begged people to come by and have a taste? i wasn't being a total fatty, i swear. it was for research purposes! and now the cheeses of my {and your tummy's} labor are here with the fall issue of

the violet!

see a history of mac and recipes for:

brie mac + cheese with apples, pancetta, and walnuts

a quick and easy version

indian-spiced mac + cheese with cranberries

fried smokey bacon mac + cheese

the whole magazine is so beautiful, but i am in love with this issue in particular... it is all fall-like and halloweeny. i kind of want to live in violet world. so go check it out. it's all online and free! my article is on page 38, but do check out the whole magazine!

-yeh!!!!

babystoopiejcfumemesteenkristen{weekend}

2011-10-24T11:04:00.001-04:00

it was one of those stuff-yourself-full-with-every-bit-of-tastiness-and-happiness-that-you-can-manage type of weekend. you know, the kind that involves six types of pie, a ramones onesy, and that cowgirl-themed baby shower you always wanted to go to. and by six types of pie, i mean seven, because stoop got crack pie. i got a bagel bomb and we called it a day. actually no we didn't because then we ate tacos and spaetzle and oysters, too. it was one of those weekends where each thing i ate, i thought it was the best thing i'd ever eaten. but then i ate the next thing, and that only got better. "one of each dessert," he said! always a good idea. {and the best is yet to come...} but it wasn't all food: there were flea markets and silk tops and sunnies as well. beautiful walks, a beer garden, babies, political banter, book presents, and three sets of sisters! why, oh why, must we shed our weekend warrior shields and badges? stoopie and company, come back!

-yeh!!!

israeli pita

2011-10-21T08:15:00.000-04:00

out of all the pitas, i like it the best.

it is soft and doughy, and if it were the size of a sleeping bag,

i would prefer it over my down comforter and canopy bed.

see this article and recipe i wrote here.

-yeh!

HONK HONK

2011-10-20T10:09:00.001-04:00

flights are booked,

it's official:

i'm spending thanksgiving in hong kong!

i simply can't wait.

to celebrate i made happy buns with my new bamboo steamer.

and then i realized that since i'll be spending every single day for eight days stuffing myself with buns and the like, it probably isn't a good idea to eat a whole lot now. so from now until honk honk i will go bunless and then indulge once i get there.

oy veyzmir i can't contain my excitement.

if any of you have recommendations for what i should eat and do while i'm there, please let me know. and don't tell me to practice eating seafoodies now,

mum already did that thrice.

-yeh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i know where the leftover donuts go at night.

2011-10-19T10:33:00.000-04:00

they go into the num wah tea parlour's rice roll w/ fried dough.

and then into your mouth. and whether they come out that way or another way... i guess is between you and your stomach juices.

-yeh?

a little bookstore tour

2011-10-18T00:40:00.001-04:00

i went on a little bookstore tour this weekend. it made me not feel sad about my barnes & noble turning into a century 21, and it helped me to articulate this weird relationship that i have with bookstores. because i don't really like books. or, 99% of them. very occasionally i fall in love with a book and the world stops until i finish it. but that is very very occasionally, and it isn't until i've bought a book and have given it a good try that i realize that i don't want it. i wish it wasn't that way. but reading is really very difficult for me. i once threw a tantrum about having to read 30 pages of bridge to terabithia in one night while i was in fifth grade {i was in the car with mum, we were driving in front of carillon square}. i have this fantasy of carrying around a david foster wallace book and reading it in front of people and having people think that i must be cool. because that is what i think about people who read david foster wallace. perhaps i'll just give my moleskine a lobster considering book jacket or something ruther. i don't think i ever opened a book in college. i learned and i enjoyed my classes, usually, but reading wasn't ever my choice learning method. and, like i said, i wish this wasn't the case. because i love bookstores. i like the pretty book covers and the titles that are so intriguing and pleasing to say. the picture of dorian gray, the night circus, the immortal life of henrietta lacks. like, what the fuck, i get so much pleasure out of just the titles. and then i open one and i am immediately flustered because why should i be only reading that book when i am surrounded by thousands of others. the books i choose have to be in first person, they can't have stupid complicated words on the first page, the author can't seem pretentious, and they certainly cannot have a picture on the cover of nasty arms and hands, à la that tiny fey book. i'm a judger of the cover. and the way i judge a good book store is by its moleskine selection. but, godddd i want to know shit so bad. can someone tell me what happens in on the road, and all of those charles dickens things?
i found one book this weekend that i would like to read. eating animals by jonathan safran foer. i read the first few pages at book culture {not the one on broadway, the one off broadway} and decided that it reminded me of ruth reichl. ruth reichl is the only author who has written multiple books that i've read {besides jerry spinelli}. and in my limited knowledge of authors, i respect her writing more than anyone else's. the opening few pages of eating animals reminded me of tender at the bone. i like the name jonathan safran foer, it is a good name. and i like the name eating animals. i have an idea of what it is about, and i don't know how i feel about it. but usually what a book is about doesn't matter, i just care about how it's written. but so i went upstairs in book culture, where the used books are, and they didn't have it. i decided it was a sign and bought two moleskines instead. maybe someone will lend me their eating animal. but that would be a problem because then if i finish it i would want to keep it. like a trophy. whatever, anyways,
the other bookstores on my tour were:
the bookstore at chelsea market. it left a good impression with me because they have a nice selection of high quality wrapping papers, including one with pictures of donuts.
printed matter, in chelsea. everything had penises or butts on it, and appeared to have been written for the person who wrote it. which is fine. but not something i want to read, and not something i totally understand, and not something i am going to take the time to understand today. maybe another day.
those book stands on the streets. i was looking for eating animals but they didn't gots it.

-yeh

happy birthday, mum!

2011-10-16T11:40:00.000-04:00

dear mum:

even though my recent influx of grey hairs is all thanks to you,

i still love you...

because yesterday you suggested that i should be rosemary for halloween,

and then said that i shouldn't because it might look too much like marijuana...

and also because when i tell you that we are going to pick out each other's toe nail colors and i choose neon orange, you are nice and choose a pretty pink.

oh. what jingles on my desk?

a telephone text: hey! it's my birfday! you say. hehe.

it appears i got my impatience from you, too!

i suppose, though, i am quite alright with turning into you...

because you are silly and happy and love what you do,

and because you make the baddest boozey brownies on the planet.

happy birthday, mama!!!!!

i love you!!!

love,

mollsy

freakout.

2011-10-13T11:08:00.000-04:00

{schnitzel, last year}

halloween is but 18 days away, and i haven't got a clue what i'm going to be. verklempt is an understatement. it's time to get serious. here are options i'm considering {tell me if they're stupid or not}:

zenon, girl of the twenty first century i sort of just got rid of magenta spandex though. damn.

girl with the pearl earring

stoop i've acquired enough of her clothings for it to be easy peasy. but probably no one would get it.

bill cunningham i mean i have the bike, camera, and blue jacket. but getting the bike into buildings might be a hassle.

a teddybear

a turtle

a doofusbrain

violet beauregarde?

this is tough. good costumes in my life usually reflect something that i obsess over. schnitzel. a xylophone mallet. what do i obsess over now that i haven't yet dressed up as? my bike, satyagraha, the internet, caramel. i like aliens. how about that? mustard. maybe. it would have to be, like, cilantro absinthe manhattan rooftop honey mustard or something like that because being yellow mustard is about as common as being a power ranger when you're six.

i wonder if mason jars come in adult human size.

-yeh

sad popcorn ballz

2011-10-12T10:42:00.000-04:00

it was noted yesterday that i had been lacking in my unofficial position as office candy bowl filler upper. maybe if people would just pay me the suggested cost of one limerick per piece, this problem wouldn't be happening. but i am nary a hunter.

and so i made the seasonal and informed decision to make:

popcorn balls!!!

only somewhere along the way, about 75% of my poppy corn got all burnt. and by the time i realized i'd have to discard it, the candy thermometer had reached 230 degrees and mr. needle wasn't stoppin. so quickly i scanned my kitchen to see what i could candy. candied ramen noodles? candied licorice? candied spatula? eureka {!!!}: candied peanuts!

they'd be like the nuts for nuts nuts!

so i dumped them in, along with the salvaged, unburnt popcorn, and voila!

a stick sweet peanut brittle dental hygienic nightmare.

glorious!

-yayyyyyyy

{thank you to paula deen's popcorn ball recipe}

spotted dick pudding.

2011-10-11T10:02:00.000-04:00

it's #thingsyoucan'tnotbuyatagrocerystore

it is cake in a can,

it is called dick,

and there are bubble letters on it!

how do you see that at the fairway without giggling a little bit and tossing one into your basket??

there is some great commentary about it here {where the name becomes spotted richard}

and here {where the decision to change the name is deemed ludicrous and so it is changed back to dick}

but so yesterday for breakfast i boiled {!!} the can to cook its contents, opened the can, dumped out the little cake, and ate approximately 1/5 of it.

and it was totally delicious. moist and sweet... just like a honey cake. it is supposed to have a custard-y accompaniment, but i thought it was delicious on its lonesome.

i hadn't known what to expect, since my pudding knowledge until yesterday was swiss miss and rice to riches. but now i feel all couth now, having experienced the british pudding.

this is making me miss my british counselor friends...

-yeh!

timeless.

2011-10-08T09:38:00.003-04:00

i have a favourite bar snack and it is the

cheese + onions + crackers {with mustard}

at mcsorley's. there is something refreshing about onions when you're drinking dark beer, and *ohmygah* that mustard is by far the strongest mustard i have ever had. ever. ten times the hotness of amora, i'm serious.

when i was 12 and experienced new york for the first time, with my dad, we stumbled upon mcsorley's. "oh hey, this is the place where all of my friends went after concerts... but i wasn't old enough so i was left out," he said, as he dragged me in to see the saw dust on the floor and old pictures on the wall.

and then last night after my cheese and crackers i thought: what if timedimension didn't exist? what if a 12-year-old me came teetering out of mcsorley's into that sunny october day to find present-day me standing on the curb and laughing with rob? would i say hi to the 22-year-old me, who by this time, having gone back to unwaxed eyebrows, minimal facepaint, and the same ponytail that i was wearing on that day ten years ago, would be absolutely unmistakeable? would the fact that 22-year-old me was in new york confuse me? why wasn't i in evanston or boston? why on earth does my bag say juilliard?

do you have any tattoos? she'd maybe say.

no, i'd answer.

is stoop married yet?

no.

why does your breath smell like that?

i--you--eat onions now.

what else do you eat now?

everything.

NO.

oh right, still no bananas or mushrooms.

what about spinach?

love it.

*guffawwww* what is your job?

you'll find out.

do you ever go on a date with--

GO. you're about to experience zabar's for the first time. you'll love it.

bye, geezer

bye, doofus head.

hello and goodbye

2011-10-07T11:06:00.000-04:00

i don't really have much to say today. which is probably a reflection of my monotonous eating habits this week {bagel in the morning, soom soom pita pocket in the evening, let's call it a day?}

...so please go read meg's post because it is wonderful.

and have a glorious, yummy weekend!!

-yeh!!!

#occupywallstreet

2011-10-06T10:40:00.003-04:00

and so i went there... to see what it was like, to learn more about what was going on, to grapple with my opinions on the matter. my experience included a vuvuzela, a man exposing handfuls of marijuana before me, and lots of "mic checks." the place reminded me of one of those roofless lego floor plans that i used to make. there was a library, a sleeping area, a painting place, a media center... and my favorite: a kitchen! in the back of the kitchen, there was a sign telling people with cameras that they are all bourgeois and lazy or something. so i went around to the front of the kitchen because i mean i like looking at food, you know. and you can tell a lot about a situation by observing what people eat during it. but in clutching my camera by my side and standing a few feet away to observe the buffet options, i felt a hurty poke in my side and heard, "i'm too hungry to wait behind some phoootooooo journalist." and then the boy pushed me aside and went up to the table to shovel handfuls of reese's peanut butter cups onto his paper plate. i got frowny. especially because half of the people there had a camera, and it's people with cameras that are helping to spread the word, no? i mean. ok. i wanted a picture of the food. which might seem dumb to people. but. i thought everyone was supposed to be nice down there? anyways, my expectations were that by experiencing this occupation and hearing what people there had to say, i would learn something that i couldn't on the twitters or the internet. but it turns out my opinions are as amorphous as the movement is. and that's all i'll say for now...
-yeh