Cranberry, Goat Cheese & Candied Pecan Salad

It's hard balancing life when you're a full time student, have a part time job, a boyfriend, friends, familial obligations and on top of that have desires to travel the world, dabble in photography, cook, and spend countless hours reading fellow blogs. Let me tell you, it takes a lot of negotiation. I often find myself having such conversations inside my head, "If a finish overviewing one lecture on cancer, I can spend a maximum of 15 minutes online... NO dilly dalling!" Of course that 15 minutes usually exponentially grows and I often have to pay for my procrastinations over and over, when will I ever learn?

Procrastination will always be a vice of mine but multitasking? Multitasking is my savior and I'm damn good at it too. Just ask B, he's witnessed me driving while curling my eyelashes, eating breakfast, AND talking at the cell phone all at once, and not a ticket in sight!  See, look at me below: eating my perfectly packed, crunchysaltysweet salad while studying! That deserves some kind of medal... or I could do without the medal, give me an A instead! 

Cranberry, Goat Cheese & Candied Pecan Salad:

Yields: Enough for 1

2 oz. of fresh baby greens

3-4 tbsp. of crumbled goat cheese, any variety

2-3 tbsp. of cooked diced pancetta, can also substitute bacon

2-3 tbsp. of dried cranberries

2 oz. of candied pecans (I get mine from Trader Joes)

Balsamic Vinaigrette, any variety

salt and freshly ground pepper

Wash and dry the greens, put on a plate. Top with everything else, drizzle with the dressing and enjoy.

Note: You can also add sliced granny smith apples for some bite. 

Vietnamese "Shaking Beef" Salad

My mom is an excellent cook, which probably has a lot to do with the reason why I love to eat and why I love to cook. The only problem? She is so reluctant to teach me! I always guilt her by saying, "If you don't teach me, your grandchildren will never know what Vietnamese food is, they'll forget their roots and become obese on french fries and hamburgers!" This is not something she wants, especially since she has already seen some of my own Vietnamese culture lost (since I cannot speak the language), which makes her extremely sad. It's not exactly that she doesn't want me to know how to cook Vietnamese food, it's just hard for her to teach me when she doesn't know measurements or exact amounts. The way she knows how to cook is not by measuring cups but by feel, estimations, and memory. I just make sure to watch her cook as often as possible to learn her methods at the least. The following recipe is my mother's as best as I could reconstruct it. Don't worry, no flavor was lost in the translation...

My mom's Thit Bo Luc Lac or Vietnamese "Shaking Beef" Salad:

Yields: Enough for 4

Marinade:

1 lb. sirloin steak, cubed
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Dressing:
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 or 2 pinches salt
3 to 5 cracks black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water

4 cups of washed watercress

2 tbsn. canola oil

Directions:

Combine all ingredients for the dressing except the onion, mix well until the sugar is dissolved. Next, add the onion and allow to it to marinade in the dressing and soften.

For the marinade, combine all of the ingredients and then add the steak cubes. Toss to coat and allow to marinade at room temperature for a minimum of 20 minutes. Heat the canola oil in a large wok over high heat (if you do not have a wok, you can also use a large skillet). Add the beef in a single layer, allowing the meat to sear well, about 1 minute. Shake the wok around to sear all other sides, about 30 seconds on each side. Cook in batches if necessary (you don't want to overcrowd the pan and steam the meat). Total cooking time should be about 4 minutes until the meat is browned and medium rare. 

Once the beef is done, lay it on top of the watercress and drizzle with the onions and lots of dressing.

Note: It is best served alongside rice and sliced tomatoes. 

Nervous System

Tell me this isn't beautiful:

From the website: "We created Nervous System to explore a design approach that relates process and form in a context of interactivity and openness. Our trajectory focuses on generative design methods using both algorithmic and physical tools to create innovative products and environments."

There's something about the design that seems so unmethodical and unplanned even though the whole design theory itself stemmed from a meticulous process based on algorithms and specificity. What makes Nervous System so special is that they create one-of-a-kind pieces only. Once purchased, you'll be happy to know that you are the owner of something so special that there only exists one of it in the entire world. I am absolutely dying to get my hands on a piece from their coral collection.

P.S. If you're wondering what these random posts about fashion are doing on my food and music blog read the "About This Blog" section for my attempt at an explanation.

Posh for Marc Jacobs

Posh's new and quirky photographs for the recent collection of Marc Jacobs ads reveal a side of her that is far from what can be seen in her paparazzi photos, which often display her as an immobilized, ice-cold robot. But I don't know... from these photos, it seems like Posh and I would make great friends after all. 

Beauty & The Beat

1. Geto Boys - Damn It Feels Good to be a Gangsta

2. Common - Misunderstood

3. Nujabes - The Final View

4. Ice Cube - It was a Good Day

5. Al Green - Ain't No Sunshine

6. Prefuse 73 - Pagina Dos

7. UGK - International Players Anthem Ft. Outkast

8. Handsome Boy Modeling School - Rock & Roll

9. Dizzee Rascal - Wanna Be Ft. Lily Allen

10. Radiohead - Nude (Amplive Remix)

11. Mos Def - Ms. Fat Booty

12. Q-tip - Believe Ft. D'Angelo

13. Sir Mix a Lot - Baby Got Back

14. Justice -  D.A.N.C.E Ft. Mos Def & Spank Rock (Benny Blanco mix)

A Girl Can Dream Can't She?

When I first came across Tory Burch, I was never really drawn to her printed beach/ loungewear. Though I have always admired her fun and incredibly playful prints, her look never really suited my aesthetic. Looking at her past Fall 2007 collection, I was completely vortexed into her gorgeous coats and luxe clothing. I remember looking at this collection and completely falling head over heels in love. Now that it's fall again and the cold air is nipping at my feet, I still can't get her designs out of my head! That is the test of true love, but since I am in no position to spend $600.00 on a coat I will have to resort to scouring Ebay every ten minutes for the chance of scoring the deal of a lifetime. But until then, I still have my dreams...

I Am Sasha Fierce

I absolutely love this video, the song is upbeat and fun. It's so simple and focuses simply on the dancing, which is highlighted by being filmed in only black and white. Beyonce looks gorgeous as usual and her dancing remains to be incredibly powerful. 

A Simple Niçoise Salad

Most people opt for massive amounts of junk food and caffeine when preparing for their finals. I used to do the same thing and then I learned the hard way that the combination of lack of sleep, lack of motion, hard-to-digest food, and caffeine was a very, very bad combination, in more ways than one. If you have experienced the same disgusting feeling that I have, give your body a break, and here are some tips:

1. Instead of coffee or energy drinks, opt for tea. My favorite tea of choice is Jasmine Green Tea. Mmm so good with Mango flavored syrup added!

2. Skip the chips, pizza, and fried chicken and go for salads (such as below), fruit, and popcorn (because you'll want something to munch on).

3. Try and walk around every once in a while because sitting in a chair for 10 hours straight can be painful, especially to your bum...

4. OHH and lots and lots of water!

Overall, I really enjoyed this salad. It kept my brain stimulated because as you know, tuna or any type of fish is brain food and all of the veggies didn't leave me with an overburdened stomach or a feeling of "blahness" as most other foods would have. It also kept me satisfied for a long time so I didn't have to bother my study-time with breaks for snacks. And don't let me forget to mention that is was also marvelously delicious. It was simple and tangy and everything that a Niçoise salad should be.

Niçoise Salad:

Yields: Enough for 3-4

For the Salad:

salt and freshly ground pepper

4 -5 red new potatoes

8 oz. green beans, trimmed

1 can of albacore tuna in water

1-2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 heads of romaine lettuce, or any other variety

3 large plum tomatoes, cut into wedges

3 large eggs, hard boiled and sliced

1 medium red onion, sliced

For the dressing:

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. dijon mustard

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt 

freshly ground pepper

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl, whisk the lemon juice, mustard, salt, and a pinch of pepper. Whisking constantly, stream in the olive oil until the dressing is thick and creamy. Add the sliced red onion to let in marinate in the dressing. Take a large pot and fill about half way with water and boil. After it has come to a rolling boil, add some salt and the potatoes. Cook until fork tender, about 15 - 20 minutes. Transfer potatoes into a bowl.  DO NOT DISCARD WATER! Once cool, dice the potatoes into inch cubes. Season with salt, pepper and other spices of your choice (I used paprika). Set aside. Add the trimmed green beans into the boiling water (that was used for the potatoes). Cover and cook until tender, about 4 - 6 minutes. Remove and rinse with cold water. Set aside. Break up the tuna into a small bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice (to taste), and season with salt and pepper. Tear the lettuce into pieces. Arrange on a plate with the seasoned potatoes, tomatoes, eggs, marinated onions, green beans, and tuna. Drizzle with the dressing and enjoy!

Optional: Traditionally Niçoise Salad is also served with a tin of anchovies and kalamata olives but I did not have any on hand. You can also substitute in capers for the olives if preferred. 

Mute Mondays

Instrumentals always keep me semi-focused and calm in the time of all craziness: Finals week. Wish me luck!

1. Holy Fuck - Lovely Allen

2. The Books - That Right Ain't Shit

3. The Album Leaf - Twenty Two Fourteen

4. Kaki King - Gay Sons of Lesbian Mothers

5. Broken Social Scene - Pitter Patter Goes My Heart

6. Clint Mansell - Requiem For A Dream (Orchestral Version)

7. John Coltrane - In A Sentimental Mood

8. J. Ralph vs. Four Tet via Tocci - Everything Is One Million Miles Away

9. Ratatat - Cherry

10. Sufjan Steves -  Let's Hear that String Part Again, Because I Don't Think They Heard It All the Way Out in Bushnell

11. Aphex Twin -  Avril 14th

12. Battles - Atlas

13. RJD2 - Ghostwriter

Oreo Birthday Cupcakes

My family doesn't really appreciate cupcakes, which creates quite the dilemma since I absolutely love baking them! They're simple, adorable, and delicious (though my family begs to differ). Thankfully, my coworkers love cupcakes. So when my manager's birthday was soon approaching I took it upon myself to make some super cute cupcakes. Since I was on a time crunch, I thought it best to take some help from Betty Crocker herself... and damn does she make a good cupcake. But to make it special all my own I added a very unique, secret ingredient... OREOS! This recipe really couldn't be any easier and the results were amazing. My coworkers literally died and went straight to cupcake heaven (and yes, it does exist).

Oreo Birthday Cupcakes:

Yields: About 18 cupcakes

1 box of Chocolate Cake Mix

3 eggs

1 1/4 cup of water

1/2 cup of oil

I can of white frosting

Rainbow jimmies/ sprinkles

Birthday Candles

10 - 13 oreos, chopped or quartered

8 - 10 oreos, halved

Mix the cake according to the directions on the box. Add the chopped oreos to the batter, fold in. Line a cupcake baking pan with paper liners. Use a medium sized ice cream scooper to divide the batter into the pan. Tap pan against counter to release air bubbles. Cook cake according to directions on box, about 13 - 17 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely.

Once cool, use an offset spatula to frost the cupcakes. Then sprinkle each cupcake with the jimmies. Next, take an oreo half and stick it into the middle of the cupcake (the frosting should help them stand on their own. Then add your birthday candles! Light, make a wish, and most importantly... enjoy!