the [delicious] big apple

It's nice to be home. Not that I didn't enjoy NYC, which is where I was this weekend, but after a 7-hour train ride doing nothing but sitting on my butt, readjusting my pillow so it would stop falling on the person sitting behind me, and trying over and over to go to sleep, it's nice to be able to move freely.

But that's not what this post is about. In fact, this post is going to be one long rant from me about a weekend in the city with one of my oldest and closest friends, Nimra, and the ridiculous shenanigans we got into.

And the food. Oh, yes, the food. So much food. Such good food.

I arrived at midnight on Friday night after one of the most disastrous train rides I've ever experienced [long story short, I was a few hours late], but Nimra showed me around Barnard and Columbia [though I've been to the city countless times with family, I've never really seen anything besides downtown and midtown NYC], and we ate some Pad Thai next to Athena on the Columbia steps.

Despite how gorgeous the area was, how nice it was to be catching up with an old friend I hadn't seen in about two years, and how exhilarating it was being in one of the liveliest cities in the world, I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of jealousy of Nimra's ability to go to some random Thai restaurant off of some random street whenever she pleases and buy some phenomenal Pad Thai. Probably for much cheaper than the two options I have here in Cville. So. Unfair.

The rest of the weekend passed far too quickly for my liking. Walked 60 or 70 blocks and took a tour of the Upper East and West Sides, Midtown, Downtown, Noho, Soho, Chelsea, and Union Square, strolled through Central Park, danced in a conga line outside of the Julliard School, chatted with a magician about Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter at FAO Schwarz, were lectured by a guard about the proper way of being proposed to at Tiffany's, and went from rags to riches at La Boheme at the Lincoln Center. All in all, a damn successful trip, especially for only 36 hours.

the generosity of some New Yorkers sometimes blows my mind. especially when it results in free, front-row seat tickets to the Opera.

And, oh yeah, the food. Let's get to that, shall we?

Saturday morning we had brunch at quite possibly the cutest restaurant I've ever been to in my life, Alice's Tea Cup. Predictably, the entire restaurant is Alice in Wonderland themed. Walls painted bright colors, glass-top tables with Alice in Wonderland memorabilia underneath, dainty, mismatched tea cups, a gift shop full of tea sets and Mad Hatter hats. It was darling.

scones and Roobios vanilla coconut tea.

I ordered scones, one pumpkin and one strawberry-lemon, with a pot of Rooibos coconut vanilla tea [Roobios is an African red tea that is naturally decaffeinated and slightly sweet]. They were delicious. The tea especially. Now, I'm not a tea connoisseur, but the variety of tea they had here blew my mind. I wanted to try  them all, but unfortunately could not. The coconut vanilla that I did have, though, was phenomenal. Nimra ordered loco coco hot chocolate, spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper, and French toast bread  pudding. I think the bread pudding was one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted. It was cubed French toast soaked in brandy apricot tea and baked in a mug. Warm, comforting, perfectly sweetened, and divine. Alice's Tea Cup is releasing a cookbook in about two weeks, and I am strongly considering purchasing it solely for this bread pudding recipe. If you're ever in NYC, you must check this place out.

Not to mention I want to purchase a vintage tea set badly now.

After brunch, we walked around for hours and hours and checked out the city. Before dinner, I had requested that we hit up Max Brenner's Chocolate By the Bald Man, a favorite restaurant of mine in Union Square. It's a small chain; I think there are only a handful of locations in the U.S. But it is the chocolate lover's Eden. Seriously. They have a chocolate menu. I've had some pretty amazing desserts here in the past [my cousins introduced me to it a few years ago], but unfortunately, there wasn't enough time on this trip to have a meal there. Instead, I picked up some hot cocoa mix; they didn't have my favorite dark chocolate this weekend, but they had a new flavor out: gingerbread spice hot chocolate. I can't wait till it cools down here in Cville enough for me to justify making intensely thick and rich hot chocolate. [Though, knowing me, I won't be able to wait that long.]

 We stopped for dinner before the Opera at a little Italian joint called Bianca. I had suggested this one, as I had heard of it before, but I was still skeptical; ever since coming back from Italy, I could name all the decent Italian restaurants I've come across on one hand. Everything just falls flat in comparison to the real deal. But this one was a winner.

Bordetto di pesce [fish and shellfish stew with a light tomato and olive oil broth, served with crusty bread] for me and ravioli di ricotta con burro e salvia [ravioli with ricotta, butter, and sage] for Nimra. Both were absolutely delicious. Silky smooth, surprisingly light, and really authentic. It would have been the perfect meal had the squid not had its damn tentacles still attached. I can't eat things with tentacles. Or eyeballs. [I'm a terrible foodie, I know, but I don't care]. But I digress. For dessert we split a tortino di cioccolata, this really rich, dense dessert that pretty much tasted like a bittersweet Hershey bar in cake form. Amazingly good. If I could, I would recreate all three dishes.

 

Sunday brunch in NYC was quite an experience; everywhere was packed [more so than usual]. My oldest friend, Maliha, joined us for brunch which was lovely, since I hadn't seen her in 4 years. So, it was the three of us out, and I wasn't expecting us to have to wait too long, since we were a relatively small group. Mistaken. It was probably an hour long wait total, from walk-in to actually getting our food. But worth the wait. We were at an adorable place called Cafe Lalo [the same one featured in "You've Got Mail"].

If I ever have my own bakery, I would want it to look just like Cafe Lalo. It's so bohemian inside, with vintage art on the walls, interesting lights on the ceiling, small tables packed close together, bustling with chitchat, and a three-tiered glass case full of some of the most scrumptious pies, tarts, cakes, cheesecakes, cookies, and brownies that I've ever seen.

not my photo, but I wanted to give you a glimpse of the sugar invasion.

It was a perfect brunch spot; there were so many menu items it was hard to choose. The Belgian waffles caught my eye, but knowing that I was going to be getting dessert, I decided on something savory.

Steamed eggs with goat cheese, tomatoes, oregano, and basil, served with roasted potatoes and Tuscan salad. Maliha got steamed eggs as well, and Nimra ordered a Gouda and spinach sandwich on toasted multigrain.

And, of course, since I have the biggest sweet tooth in the world and a never-ending black hole for a stomach, we had to order dessert. Blueberry cheesecake and pear apple tart. Both were divine. Especially the cheesecake. [Not that I'm biased at all].

Ugh. I pretty much died and went to heaven this weekend. Eating and eating and eating. Didn't feel too bad about it either, since we walked so much that my legs are sore. But I'm severely in delicious food withdrawal now. Before catching the Amtrak home, I bought some KFC wraps to eat for dinner [so I wouldn't have to  resort to eating an overpriced blueberry muffin], which paled in comparison to previous Thai, Italian, and brunch foods [to be honest, I had one bite before I chucked the thing in the trash].

I'm only disappointed in the lack of time I had to spend there. Chelsea had suggested a few restaurants that I should go to around the city, and there are a few I've heard of that I would have liked to try, but 36 hours is just not enough for New York. I doubt an entire lifetime is either, if you're a foodie, but definitely more than 36 hours needed.

*sigh* I'm already planning my next trip back.

In other news, I have so many cans of pumpkin in my apartment that I need to put them to good use soon. PLUS, apple picking this weekend, so there will be bags of fresh apples to use in pies and cakes.

Ugh, I love fall. And the horrific consequences it will have on my waistline.

super sweet sixteen-layer cake

Today is Yusra's sweet sixteen, and I'm home for the weekend for Fall Break. So, because I love my baby sister, and because I love baking, I decided to give myself a bit of a challenge and shoot for a 16-layer cake.

I mean, no big deal.

She actually had a little sleepover yesterday with some of her friends, and mom had made her a cake for that. She used my 1-2-3-4 cake recipe and a simple buttercream frosting, but it was an absolutely beautiful cake. I was reminded once again of how my baking skills pale in comparison to hers.

um, is that Hello Kitty? yes, that is in fact, Hello Kitty.

She didn't have a Hello Kitty mold [do they even make those?] so she craftily made a large circular cake and cut it proportionate to Hello Kitty's face and added ears and a bow to the top. It was so cute, and consequently extremely painful to cut into.



Anyway, on to my cake. I've actually made a 14-layer cake in the past, which turned out to be quite successful. But I was a little worried about the 16-layer, because I had to tweak the ratios of the cake batter so I'd have enough. I'll type up the recipe that I used, but note that this recipe makes a 16-layer cake. Do not make it if you want a regular layer cake, or you will have so much batter on your hands you won't know what to do with yourself.

Sixteen Layer Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

For the cake, you'll need:

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 sticks butter, softened
• 3 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 8 eggs
• 4 cups whole milk
• 2 tsps vanilla

For the fudgy chocolate cream cheese frosting, you'll need:

• 16-oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 6 tbsps whole milk
• 6 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1 1/3 cups cocoa
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsps vanilla

Note: the frosting is twice what is necessary for a normal, 2-layer 9-inch cake. If you want to use it in a regular-sized cake, halve the frosting recipe.
Note: Instead of using a spring form cake pan, I used 8 tin foil cake pans, each of which I used twice, of about 8.5 inches in diameter. This makes it much easier to get even layers, and completely cuts out the hassle of having to cut the layers yourself. I got the idea from bakerella.com, and it is pure genius.

To make the frosting, in a mixing bowl beat the cream cheese, butter, and milk together until smooth, using the paddle attachment. Add the sugar, cocoa, and salt and continue to beat until blended. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add vanilla, and beat until combined. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes before using.  

Note: frosting can be made in advance, as it will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut 16 pieces of parchment paper the circumference of the tinfoil pans, press on the bottom of  each pan, and grease the pans. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until smooth. Reduce mixer speed to medium-low, and alternate between adding flour and milk, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and mix until just combined. Don't over-mix.

Pour about 3/4 cup of batter in each pan. Bake for about 13 minutes. My oven fits 4 pans on each of its two shelves, so after the first batch was done, I removed the cakes, relined the pans, and baked the second half of the batter using the same 8 tinfoil pans.

left: 5 layers, 11 to go; right: 16 layers

Once the layers are cooled, begin assembling the cake. Spread a little bit of frosting on top of each layer, using enough to barely cover the layer. Needless to say, you don't want to over-frost the layers, or you will run out of frosting. Frost the top and sides evenly. Decorate as desired, and refrigerate  until ready to serve.

The hardest part about this cake, to be honest, is the assembly process. Mainly because you have to make sure your cake doesn't turn into the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It should hold up relatively well, though, if it's balanced properly. 

After I finished frosting the cake, I wanted to do a shell border around the top and bottom. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough frosting to do so, so I combined about a cup of leftover buttercream frosting from yesterday to the chocolate cream cheese, thus resulting in the lighter shade pictured above. Had I wanted to, I could have melted some chocolate or added some cocoa powder to darken it to the same shade as the cake, but I kind of liked the contrast. So I left it.

A few months ago, I had attended cake decorating classes. Honestly, the classes were kind of useless, but it gave me an excuse to make sugar roses. Which keep disturbingly well for, basically, forever. Mom had saved mine from this past summer [they keep at room temperature in the pantry for months, as long as they're in an air-tight container], and told me to use them on the cake. So I took about half a cup of buttercream frosting, dyed it green, piped some leaves, and stuck some roses on the top of the cake.

Not quite as pretty as the ones I used on my mom's birthday cake a while back, but nice enough.

It took every ounce of patience for me not to go ahead and cut the cake myself so I could see if the layers turned out alright. But no, I had to wait five freaking hours until dinner. *sigh* Oh, the suspense.

But, worth the wait. Everyone gathered around, waiting in anticipation for the first cut. I was pretty much bouncing on the balls of my feet. I had mom cut it for me, because I trust her much more with slicing an 8-inch tall cake than I do myself.

Perfect. I was ecstatic. Everyone loved it! Such a success. Most importantly, Yusra's eyes lit up and she broke into a grin when she saw the layers. And that really is the best thing about baking; seeing others' reactions to something you've made them. It's why I bake. And love every second of it.

In other news, I've had cake almost daily for the past 3 weeks. This is the problem with having Eid, my birthday, and my sister's birthday so close together. I actually think I will die if I eat any more.

So, it may be time to put away the baking pans for a while, lest I want to gain the sophomore 15 before winter break even starts. Damn. Ugh. Why are all things delicious so bad for you?!

birthday cake and sugar coma

Yesterday was my birthday. I don't get terribly excited about my birthday because I don't see the fuss in it. [Especially because 19 is quite possibly the most useless age you could turn]. Just want to see a few good friends, my family, and take it easy for the day. I pretty much got my wish. Family visited during the day, phonecalls and facebook messages of well-wishes, a few friends came over at night to "surprise me" with flowers and entertaining conversation. It was more than I could have asked for.

Oh, and cake.

Lots of cake.

I do love cake.

Delicious, rich, creamy, cake.

Mom came down to Cville yesterday with Yusra to take Noosh and I out to lunch [and give me lots of new clothes that I now won't be able to fit into after yesterday's cakefest]. She brought with her a dense, decadent, chocolate truffle cake. And some whipped cream to go with it.

Now, back when I was younger, chocolate truffle cake was my favorite kind of cake. Which is a bit odd for an 11-year old, right? This really rich, dark chocolate, almost bitter cake. But I couldn't get enough of it. And I've been asking for one for a few years now, and mom keeps trying other new recipes [which have, admittedly, turned out to be delicious, especially last year's double chocolate cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting. Can you tell I'm obsessed with chocolate?]. But this year she granted my wish. And it was delicious.

Yum.

Love.

But no birthday is complete without ANOTHER cake, right?

Well, mine isn't, anyway.

Farnoosh had been telling me for a while that she really wanted to bake my birthday cake. Which made me feel extremely honored, as she doesn't really enjoy cooking or baking in the least and wasn't totally sure what she was getting into by making a cake from scratch.

It was a long process. Lots of sweat and tears.

Well, not really the tears. But a bit of stress. Frosting falling all over the carpet, not being able to slice the cake properly, cake falling apart, mess everywhere.

But in the end, we got it together.

And gorgeous, if I do say so myself. I helped Noosh out with the baking part, but she wouldn't even let me watch her decorate it.

Well worth the wait, though.

Ugh. So pretty. And DELICIOUS. Chocolate brownie cake with espresso filling and espresso mascarpone frosting. Garnished with toffee bits, strawberries, and dark chocolate shards.

I pretty much died of sugar coma. Legit.

I woke up this morning with a headache. So...no more sugar for a while.

[We'll see how long that lasts].

dulce de leche cheesecake bars

I haven't updated in a while. I also haven't baked in a while. And I didn't actually bake these.

I mean, I did, once upon a time [about a month ago], but I rediscovered the decent photos I took [using Yusra's phone's camera] of these delicious treats. So I figured I'd give you guys something delectable to tide you over until I actually bake something.

Also, I'm sitting at the Toyota dealership while my car is getting his state vehicle inspection done, and I got bored of studying economics. Oh, the beauty of wireless internet. 

Oh, yes. Dulce de leche cheesecake bars.

I love cream cheese. I mean, I am obsessed with cream cheese. Like, my mom is bringing me 6 packages of cream cheese tomorrow when she comes up to Cville [according to her, I go a little 'baking crazy' in the fall and she wants me well-stocked so I don't spend money on expensive baking ingredients. I just love parents]. Anyway, this recipe was a delight to bake because it has cream cheese and two of my other favorite things in the world: chocolate and a graham cracker crust. Ugh. You just know it's going to be pants-splittingly delicious.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars
For the crust, you’ll need:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp butter, melted

For the filling, you’ll need:

• 1 tsp unflavored gelatin
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 8-oz packet of cream cheese [always use full-fat]
• 2 eggs
• a pinch of salt
• 1 cup dulce de leche

For the topping, you’ll need:

• 3 oz bittersweet chocolate
• 1/2 stick butter, cut into pieces
• 2 tsp light corn syrup

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line and grease an 8x8-inch square pan. To make the crust, combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar until well-blended and slowly pour in the melted butter. Combine and pour onto the pan. Press the crumbs down and spread them evenly across the pan. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool on a rack for 5 minutes.

To make the filling, sprinkle gelatin over the milk and let soften, about 2 minutes. Mix the cream cheese, eggs, salt, and milk in an electric mixer using the paddle attachment until creamy. Slowly add in the dulce de leche and mix until fully incorporated.

Pour the filling onto the cooled crust and spread it evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let cool on the rack for at least 2 hours, then chill for at least 6 hours.

I really wish I had had my DSLR when I made these. I'm sure the photos would have been excellent.
Still, for a cell phone camera, I feel like they're pretty passable.

I'm so hungry right now. I hope this inspection is almost done. I'm feeling Thai tonight. And maybe a side of cheesecake for dessert.

Like, an entire cheesecake.

Do Thai restaurants sell cheesecake?

farmer's markets and red devil's cupcakes

Gah. I just love food. And my friends. And both together is a glorious combination.

Went to the Cville Farmer's Market this morning with Rudhdi. LOVED IT. As always. She is quite possibly my favorite person to be my psycho, foodie self around, because she understands me. I mean, how many people would walk around a Farmer's Market with me and literally just about cry with joy upon seeing baskets of multi-colored, locally grown tomatoes, misshapen butternut squash, or maple cashew butter?!

[The amount of excitement I feel even just recalling this is disturbing.]

All of the aforementioned were purchased. Along with a loaf of Ezekiel bread, a loaf of rye bread, focaccia with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil, and chocolate banana bread. Ugh. I need someone to pry me away from the market so I don't end up spending every dollar bill in my wallet.

BUT IT WOULD BE WORTH IT.

photo taken with Rudhdi's camera phone.

After the Market, we both went to a local joint, Eppy's for lunch. Salad, soup, and a side of pumpkin bread [PUMPKIN BREAD? I just about died and went to heaven]. A salad made with spinach, grape tomatoes, corn, goat cheese, and dates, and served with a champagne vinaigrette. Unique. And surprisingly delicious.

Just enjoying a delicious meal with an amazing friend, talking for what seems like hours about life and food. Honestly, one of the best feelings in the world.

After lunch, we went on a much-needed grocery trip [literally, there had been nothing but Greek yogurt in my fridge prior to today], and then I dropped her off and went to meet Raj, Hershil, and Kevin at their dorm to bake...

yes.

Cupcakes.

CUPCAKES.

I made cupcakes. Mostly to appease Raj, Hershil, and Kevin. Because they thought they could convince me that cupcakes are, in fact, delicious.

...to be totally honest, they were delicious.

But it was because of the frosting. The cake part was...meh. I mean, it was no different from any other cake. Not good, not bad, decent. [This is, in part, true, and also, in part, as a defense of my determined dislike of cupcakes].

We had to mix all the ingredients in a steel pot, and we had to ask the neighbors for nonstick spray, and we had to improvise with baking utensils, but I'd say it was a great success. [I hope the boys would agree with me!]

And fun! I love baking with friends. It's always an adventure. [Usually one that results in my friends asking me why on earth we're not baking at my apartment, where I have my baking pans, ingredients, and stand-mixer on hand].

This delicious recipe, red devil's cupcakes with sour cream mocha frosting, was found at Ming Makes Cupcakes. I'll type up the recipe here [but if you check the site, these are #14].

Red Devil's Cupcakes with Sour Cream Mocha FrostingAdapted from Ming Makes Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes

For the cupcakes, you'll need:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp red food coloring
• 2 eggs

For the frosting, you'll need:

•  8 oz. semisweet chocolate
• 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee
• 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cupcake pan with paper, and lightly grease each cup.  In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add in butter, buttermilk, vanilla, and food coloring and beat on medium for 2 minutes. Add in eggs and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Pour enough batter to fill a little over half of each cup. Bake for about 20 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.

To prepare frosting, melt chocolate and espresso in a heat-proof bowl set over simmering water. Let cool. In a separate bowl, mix sour cream, honey, and vanilla. Fold in the cooled chocolate mixture. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Yes, they were scrumptious. I admit it.

I'm still not sold, though. I mean, I would make this frosting and slather it on a layered cake and it would be just as good.

But, I will admit, maybe I don't hate cupcakes. I don't love them, but maybe they're not as despicably evil as I thought.

I do want to make a cupcake with some sort of filling, though. One day.

Baby steps, after all.

And now I'm full on Thai food. Delicious Thai food. Daniel and some friends called spontaneously this evening and asked if we wanted to join them for dinner. So we revved up the car and headed out. Chicken kapow. Best Thai dish on the planet. And now I am STUFFED.

But there's a frozen banana waiting for me in the freezer...

Thank goodness for stretchy pants.