Concrete Magnolia

Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins

2012-02-04T02:22:00.002-05:00

I have a friend who is a pastry chef in training. She makes all those lovely, luscious, glazed things you see in French Patisseries or those gorgeous wedding cakes that end up in the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings. And every time I bake with whole wheat flour she bemoans the weight of the muffin or cookie, and that heavy, overbearing taste that is usually associated with whole wheat baked goods. And I, lover of the whole grain, usually have to agree. Her hesitance is completely justified. Most of the whole wheat baked goods, including the ones I've produced in trial & error (mostly in error really) are weighty and overbearing, but as someone who seeks to avoid the superfluous use of white flour, whole wheat flour was a readily available alternative, that is, until I started to work with whole wheat pastry flour.

Whole wheat pastry flour is a remedy for the heaviness whole wheat flour imparts. With a lower gluten content, it produces a far more tender crumb, which is a desirable trait in your cookies and muffins. However, the lower gluten content mean less structure so you've got to compensate for that by mixing flours. I continue to add a little whole wheat flour to the mix because I'm stubborn and haven't explored other options yet, plus I like the flavor. But you could just as easily use regular all purpose to the same effect. I have great ambitions to try out new flours very soon and welcome your suggestions.

I'm not quite ready to send a recipe off into the world when all the possibilities haven't been explored, but I do feel like these photos of muffins, no matter how wheat-ladden, deserve a peek. If it happens that wheat muffins are your thing (as they are mine, especially when served along side sharp cheddar) then please, do let me know and I will be happy to share my recipe. Until then, I hope you experiment on your own and if anything, try an orange and chocolate combination. These two flavors meld so beautifully in a muffin, they make this argument about whole wheat flour seem obsolete.

Steel Cut Oats

2012-01-28T21:20:00.001-05:00

Hopefully by now you're aware of my infatuation with breakfast (especially breakfast sandwiches). I even write about breakfast on the regular in my column From Bacon with Love over at Honest Cooking. (By the way, are you reading it yet? Oh but you should!)

In the meantime I wanted to share my regular, everyday breakfast – a bowl of steel cut oats. Usually I cook a big pot of of these babies to last me the week and dress them up a bunch of different ways. Somedays it's a dollop of yogurt and jam, others, it's warmed milk with vanilla, cinnamon and a teaspoon of Sucanat. When I'm feeling particularly indulgent, I add a spoonful of peanut butter and a few chocolate chips.

When I was still living at home my Mom would make a batch of steel cut oats and have it portioned out in glass jars for my brothers and I to eat on our way to school in the mornings. Mine was always sans raisins and in a stumpy jar with a gold-colored lid. Boy were we spoiled rotten.

Chamber Street

2012-01-19T20:15:00.001-05:00

Chamber Street
Manhattan, New York
USA

Birthday Festivities

2012-01-17T23:33:00.002-05:00

This year was a big one...

I turned 25!

This is my birthday cake (compliments of Coccadotts), boasting a wintery snowflake theme and sparklers!

These are my birthday decorations, compliments of my oldest brother. For the whole day, sunlight filtered through colored paper lanterns and pooled into puddles of pink, yellow, purple and blue light. Every time I walked through this room it was like stumbling into a rainbow.

And these gorgeous things are my birthday flowers.

I like just the basics for birthdays.

Last year I got carrots.

Scenes From Home: Holiday Edition

2012-01-17T23:18:00.000-05:00

Admittedly, I've been supremely lax about updating Concrete Magnolia. Partially it's due to a lack of time (or a mismanagement of time if we're being really honest) and partially it's because I haven't been taking as many photos as I used to. But now I do have a few of things I'd like to share from my trip home over the recent holiday break.

There's the holiday liquor line up, fully stocked with our favorite seasonal libations. Keeping everything out on a tray makes fixing a drink a breeze when friends stop by.

This turquoise cabinet in our kitchen houses my favorite gold-rimmed glasses. These glasses can make anything taste good.

And from the kitchen: A bowl of winter citrus, stacks of pretty plates, a nutcracker (on the kitchen Christmas tree) and a full bouquet of watercress.

How to Peel an Orange

2012-01-17T11:22:00.000-05:00

This is a photo I took while I was in Jamaica last summer of my Uncle Derrick peeling oranges for breakfast. After recently thumbing through some of those photos I came across this one and realized my uncle peels oranges exactly the same way my father does. And all this time I thought my father was doing something unique!

It turns out, it still is unique, just to the both of them.

How We Play

2012-01-16T09:53:00.004-05:00

I've posted this photo before, but it's just one of my most favorite photographs of my mother and me. It shows exactly how we play in my family. It was taken by Grahame in the kitchen at my parent's house in upstate, New York, about 3 years ago.

Sugar in My Bowl

2012-01-15T20:55:00.001-05:00

I'm in the throes of writing an article on unrefined sugar for a magazine I freelance for and have appointed the incorrigible Nina Simone as my muse. Here is a peek of the proceedings!

Dutch Babies

2012-01-13T13:05:00.001-05:00

When friends visit for a weekend I always like to make them breakfast. Not only is it my favorite meal of the day and favorite food to cook, but there is something really special about making someone the first thing they eat for the day. Breakfast really does set the tone. Which is why I'm so perplexed by people who don't eat it at all. A truly delicious and inspired breakfast can set you up for a great day. Who ever feels blue after a eating a stack of buttery pancakes with a generous drizzle of maple syrup? I'd safely bet no one.

So when one of my oldest friends Alicia, came to visit Boston for the weekend, I took every opportunity to whip up something on the mornings when we had a free moment to eat. I settled on making dutch babies, using a recipe from the site I work for, how2heroes.com

Dutch babies are almost too easy. The batter, composed of flour, milk, eggs, butter and salt, is made in a blender and puffs up into golden cakes that are part-popover, part-soufflé in just 15 minutes. It's one of those dishes that always gets oohs and ahhs when it's brought to the table.

Traditionally, dutch babies are made in a cast iron skillet and served with a lemon wedge and a dusting of powdered sugar, but that morning I longed for something sweeter, so I added a bit of sugar and vanilla to the batter for a sweeter take on the classic. I'd imagine a spoonful or two of berry coulis would work just as well.

You can find the recipe for Dutch Babies here.

Lemon, Solitaire

2012-01-13T11:29:00.001-05:00

I add this to just about everything these days

Bombón

2011-12-19T13:01:00.003-05:00

Last time I was back in New York, Olga's Mom made us bon bons. It was around 3 or 4 p.m. and we sat around and drank them like it was the most obvious thing to do in the afternoon.

Bombóns are a Spanish café drink composed of espresso layered over condensed milk. Mixing the two layers together is almost hard to do for fear of upsetting the way they so neatly take shape in the glass. But you have to mix before drinking. The condensed milk mellows out the espresso and the drink turns a milky, creamy brown. This drink is more of a sweet treat than anything else so enjoy it with supreme leisure.

Eggplants & Honey

2011-12-14T10:13:00.001-05:00

A while ago—namely 4 year—I studied abroad in Valencia, Spain. And yes, it was every single thing you want a study abroad experience to be. It was were I unearthed my infatuation with food. Now anytime anyone even mentions Spain, I am instantly transported back and a mishmash of memories of the few month I spent there come flooding in, no bars held.

The mundane nuances of living in a new country at 20-something-years old takes on a whole new hue once you're a few years removed from the experience. Memories as simple as buying toothpaste from the farmacia even manage to make me smile. Sometimes I try to remember my 45 minute walk from home to school. I picture the streets, the tiendas, the little parks—the ones with the benches my friend Elena and I would sit on for hours, the location of my favorite café, all to test my memory of the place. I like to think if you dropped me off in Valencia today I'd be able to find my way to a few key places because I've retraced my steps so many times in my head.

One of the luxuries of my graduate program is getting the chance to meet members of the food literati. I suppose in my field, they would be the celebrities, but not of the Martha Stewart, Rachel Ray variety (although both of those women have made meaningful contributions to my field, likely without their knowing) but rather as the people who've used food to understand and explore culture, memory, history and humanity. They are celebrated for what they've contributed to the body of food scholarship. Author Claudia Roden, famed for a number of historically centered cookbooks, including her latest publication, a tome on Spanish food (The Food of Spain), came to speak at Boston University in our demonstration kitchen. She is a petite woman, with an unplaceable accent, compliments of a life lived in Cairo, Paris, and London. Her love of Spanish food stems from her own heritage.

A perk of these gatherings is chance to try some of the recipes from the cookbook, often times prepared under the guide of the authors themselves. Along with red wine sourced from the Rioja region of Spain, that night we enjoyed a sampling that included empanada atún, and jamón serrano, but it was the most rustic of all these dishes that stood out the most: eggplant rounds soaked in milk, dredged in flour and pan fried in olive oil. What is it about foods fried in olive oil that make you feel like it isn't fried at all? Understandably, that doesn't sounds like a really standout dish, but that's because I haven't mentioned the part about it being doused in honey.

These flavors combined so beautifully, so elegantly and so simply, that it's hard to think of eating an eggplant prepared any other way. ( Although I'd imagine it be good with ricotta as well. In which case you should probably visit Ashley's (fellow Gastronomy grad student!) blog—The Grizzly Kitchen for a recipe-cum-ode for homemade ricotta!)

Claudia Roden's Eggplant Fritters with Honey

berenjenas con miel

Serves 4-5

2 eggplants (1¼ lbs)
2 cups whole milk
flour for dredging
salt to taste
olive oil for frying
honey to drizzle

Peel eggplants (I keep the peels on) and cut into ⅓" slices. Transfer eggplants to a dish and cover with milk and refrigerate 1-2 hours; drain
Combine flour and salt and dredge eggplant slices in mixture; sprinkle with additional salt
Heat olive oil in a fry pan over a medium-low flame. Add eggplants to hot oil and fry until golden brown. Place on paper to drain excess oil and serve with a generous drizzle of honey

Introducing the Eggplant

2011-12-12T23:06:00.001-05:00

Just beautiful. Trying out a a recipe. I'll have something lovely for you shortly...

Nutmeg French Toast with Candied Lemons

2011-11-19T21:11:00.001-05:00

I had to wait in line for a loaf of this French bread from Clear Flour Bakery (its got a cult following in here in Boston.) You've got to do something pretty marvelous with bread you wait for so I decided French toast was in order.

Panko breadcrumbs give this French toast its crunch and a generous soaking in a nutmeg-scented egg-milk mixture coaxes the interior of the bread into a rich custard. A last minute decision to add Meyer lemon zest, along with some candied pieces atop, turned out impressive results. From here on out I can attest that lemon and nutmeg were made for one another.

I like to think this is exactly the kind of breakfast you don't mind getting out of bed for.

Get the recipe at Honest Cooking!

Green Juice

2011-11-12T14:35:00.001-05:00

Honestly, at first, I was the same.

I couldn't understand why people always felt the need to preach the gospel of the green juice. It seemed like all at once, the world decided that every kitchen needed a juicer; that liquid kale would save your life; that there was nothing holier than a spritz of lemon added to a freshly pressed juice.

Then I started juicing. And yes, you do feel amazing. But it's a real lifestyle choice. You make all sorts of commitments upfront, like having to buy the juicer and an insane amount of produce. Turns out it takes a lot of vegetables to get a full cup of juice.

But I'd bet a few days cruising on green waves would be enough to convince you too. Feeling as good as you do when you are juicing makes a cumbersome juicer and a cart full of beets and kale less daunting.

Savory Fritters

2011-10-27T15:17:00.002-04:00

I've realized something in thinking about breakfast all the time.

My taste buds have a penchant for the bitter, spicy, sour, tangy and savory. Arguably in the western world, these are not the flavors you think of when breakfast is considered. But it's what I like and it's the direction I lean in when I cook. It's not that sugary things don't make an appearance when I cook, they do, but at the beginning of the cooking process, no matter what time of the day is it, my first thought usually is, should I add garlic.

This past weekend I had to say no.

And yet a savory dish was still accomplished, taking the form of these absolutely deeply colored Savory Fritters. Sugar did make a guest appearance and in its most unforgiving form—Black Strap Molasses.

Pop on by Honest Cooking for the recipe.

Honest Cooking

2011-10-27T15:01:00.001-04:00

In the ever changing landscape of my food-filled life, the opportunity to write for this shiny online food magazine has recently sprouted. Honest Cooking, a relatively new online food glossy is somewhat of a destination site for the globally-minded food curious. If you take a peek at the website, you'll find that their recipes and content spans cultures and continents, with writers contributing stories from both near and far.

Well from Boston, by way of Upstate, NY, I've recently come on with a new breakfast column titled From Bacon, With Love. It's mostly a love note to my favorite meal of the day with original recipes and photographs from my personal stash. It's just the beginning of this whole experience but I'd like to invite you to read the column, try out the recipes and give me a shout telling me what you think. And don't forget to check out Concrete Magnolia for more photographs and extra tidbits and such. As I'm sure you all well know, CM is where my heart is (no matter how infrequent the posts have become).

xoxo
Hali

Artichokes, Part II

2011-10-24T14:38:00.001-04:00

What do you do with artichokes?

Photograph them

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme

2011-10-19T09:34:00.001-04:00

Have a look at Emilie's blog-- Parsley, Sage Rosemary & Thyme.[1]

She has excellent recipes, great tutorialphotographs and a shiny new header photographed by yours truly.

Her recipe index is a good place to begin. Shedivides her dishes into savories and sweets making this site a breeze tonavigate. Between the Blueberry Lemon Pie and Chicken & Dumplings she got your basescovered for comfort food. Stop by Emilie’s blog, say hello and try arecipe!

[1] I know. How was that name not taken!

Grapefruit

2011-10-15T10:55:00.003-04:00

And then there was this grapefruit

Grilled it

And added honey

August in NYC

2011-09-12T11:36:00.000-04:00

(And some time spent interning at Bon Appétit Magazine)

The High Line
Manhattan, NY

Artichokes

2011-09-11T21:52:00.000-04:00

What to do with these?

Savory Muffins

2011-09-11T21:37:00.000-04:00

This muffin is a hybrid of parental influences. It seems I'm always in the habit of creating myself in my food.

The cornmeal and plantains are nods to my Dad. Cornmeal porridge or fried plantains were always on the menu when he cooked breakfast. Kale and feta are the direct influences of my MamaLove. They are the two ingredients that always end up in something she makes. My love of lacinato kale is all her.

I have to say these muffins turned out to have a pretty complex flavor. Cornmeal and kale added heartiness, making them ideal for breakfast. The plantains, which I roasted and mashed, were mellow and sweet. It all came together nicely. Wouldn't you say parents?

Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes & Anchovies

2011-09-07T21:33:00.000-04:00

Bristly, pungent andtinned. That isn't usually how you want your fish described, but that sums upanchovies packaged in oil pretty well. One tin of them punches enough flavorinto a recipe, allowing you to skip the salt or Parmesan step all together. I'mused to canned fish. I like tuna well enough and I like sardines even better. Igrew up eating them with my Dad, mirroring his method of preparation for them tothis day.[1]

My Dad and I sat insolidarity at the kitchen table. My older brother never ate sardines (neverinterested) and Grahame, up until recently, had a mostly unfounded fear of fish bones[2].But I was always curious about the things my Dad ate.[3]I was the child who asked for a taste.[4]I wanted to have what he was having, so by age 12, when the boys were havingyogurt for a snack, I was having sardines with my Dad.

This is a recipe foranchovies, not sardines, but they too are found in a can. I roasted apint of heirloom cherry tomatoes in the oven, sautéed a few cloves of garlicalong with the softened anchovies (packaged in olive oil) and added oregano andpepper[5]. A few splashes of pasta water turned my pan sauce velvety and I tossed itwith whole wheat pasta--its hearty flavor stands up well against this loudsauce. I have no measurements for you though. Add and subtract flavors whereyou see fitting, but most definitely do roast the tomatoes.[6]

[1] One slice of whole wheat bread, a splash of hotsauce and the occasional slick of mustard. My mother enjoys sardines as well,but her penchant for them requires belabored preparation--a contradiction tothe inherent ease of our eating sardines out of the can.

[2] Except forthat time he choked on an entirely fictitious “salmon bone”.

[3] Canned cornedbeef with a key included to open it. Loathed by my mother, completely whimsical to me.

[4] Beer, hotsauce, and about two years ago, a sip of ginger wine I still regret to thisday.

[5] Freshcracked, naturally.

[6] 200˚ F, 15minutes.

Eating Jamaica

2011-07-20T18:59:00.004-04:00

There are few things worst than getting to know someone better after they are gone. You have to endure a second mourning, and realize that something was indeed taken from you right beneath your eyes. This year I lost the only two Grandparents I ever knew. One, on my Mother's side and the other on my Father's. To a certain degree distance was the greatest challenge between them and myself but regardless of numerous states, or an entire body of water, I had the chance to know both of them. In their absence, I've continues to learn more about them and feel like I'm meeting them all over again. This constant reintroduction to my Grandparents is a lovely thing, and one that I hope never ceases to subside.

Last week I found myself in Jamaica for the funeral of my Grandfather. Funerals are sad things mostly because they signify an end, but my trip to Jamaica showed me that endings simply make room for new beginnings. I could write forever detailing the ways in which my Papa was a great man, but to be truthful, my words could not do him the honor. Instead I will share with you some photos from my trip, hoping to paint a picture about a man who championed family above all things. Many of the photos surround food, as taking a meal together remained the focus of many of the family gatherings. Family is connected through food and much of the way we understand and love comes from eating and sharing together.

My Grandfather's yard is a tropical orchard. Fruits that I would happily spend countless dollars on grow unchecked in the front yard. Mornings are for gathering the fruits that have fallen from the tree. Sometimes you hear them fall and make a thud sound on the ground-- just a sign that breakfast is served.

The jackfruit is a peculiar specimen. It is spiny on the outside, smells like a over-ripe melon, has the texture of a mango and taste like a banana. With such a list of variables it's a fruit you either love or hate. We ate this during late afternoons as a snack between meals.

This a breadfruit. It's served sliced and roasted in coconut oil. After it's cooked, its flavor and texture resemble bread, hence the name.

My favorite fruit is ackee. This is not a fruit that is good at first impressions. It is oddly shapped, has no appealing scent, contains black seeds, and when cooked, is the texture of scrambled eggs. More over, it's toxic when prepared improperly. However, when cooked well, and served with saltfish, it holds the esteemed place of Jamaica's national dish.

The later half of our trip was spent at the beach. Here, we had the best fish I have ever tasted in my life. Freshly caught red snapper is seasoned with saltwater from the ocean and served with a fiery concoction of scotch bonnet peppers and onions doused in vinegar. You are expected to eat the whole fish, although it is so delicious I suppose you would do so even if it wasn't expected. The fish is served with festival--a sweet fried dumpling or bammy--fried cassava.

Grahame was showing off his technique!

Beet Cake

2011-06-25T17:15:00.000-04:00

This is the very definition of sensuous.

beet cake from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.

Father's Day

2011-06-19T21:12:00.000-04:00

And the requisite steak. Which was splendidly grilled by me.

Happy Fathers' Day Daddy-O!

In the Company of Tea

2011-06-19T20:13:00.005-04:00

Excuse me for a moment while I wax academic.

Recently in my Anthropology of Food class we got to talking about tradition, ritual, and custom. Sometimes the lines between these three topics blur as individuals, groups, and communities interpret their practices differently. Perspective is the great divider. How we measure what we do determines its worth. The luxury of this relativity is the preservation of personal values in the face of universal standards. It is this ability to create meaning that is intrinsicaly generated and sustained that allows us to preserve a tradition, ritual or custom.

These are thoughts that come to me as I drink a cup on tea on an overcast Saturday morning. This practice of drinking tea conjures up all sorts of feelings and memories and I am trying to decide where they fit on the sliding scale of tradition, ritual and custom. We often use those three words interchangeably, but their meanings are indeed, very different. A tradition is a practice or belief that is transcends generations and is still presently practiced. A ritual, which we can define as a set of behaviors to be performed in a particular sequence, usually carries a religious connotation. A ritual can be a tradition. In addition, we can describe things as being ritualistic, but not rituals. Finally, a custom, in the most general sense, is a repeated action. For the love of semantics! As you can tell, the definitions get down to subtle nuances of behaviors, but they remain untelling in the face of reality. What is important is the relationship people have with the practices they engage in.

Back to my tea, and how it could inspired such weighted thoughts so early on a Saturday morning has everything to do with my Father. Mornings in my home life are completely synonymous with my father and tea. He wakes up every morning and boils water. For a very long time he drank strong black tea, milkly and sweet. Now his preference is for green tea, unsweetened, sometimes with a squeeze of lemon. But the role of tea in the morning remains a static event even if the variety of leaf changes. When I was younger, before my brothers and I developed a taste for the black tea my father drank, he'd give us half cups of tea topped off with orange juice. To cool the tea he'd pour it from cup to cup, and we'd watch the steam seep from the liquid and dissipate into thin air. I vividly remember the flavor of this orange juice-tea my father gave us. Imagine a sweet acidic beverage, whose every intention is to grow up into a more full bodied drink, void of any citrus tempering. Eventually we graduated to black tea, sometimes with milk and sugar, sometimes with nothing at all. My oldest brother drinks the least amount of tea in our family but if your make it for him he will drink it. Of the the three of us, Grahame drinks tea most often. Perhaps this is because he spent most of the mornings of his life in the company of my father. Traditions are passed along easier in the face of constant repetition. My own tea drinking habits fall somewhere in the middle of both of brothers' habits, which is fitting with my middle child ranking, as achieving a happy medium is my birthright. But the question remains, is drinking tea, in the context of my family a tradition, ritual or custom? It's not a ritual, it lacks the performance element, but the case could be made for it as a ritualistic tradition or custom. It bares all the elements of habit and longevity, but sometimes it is done without regard for function (drinking tea in the morning because that is what's done, not for thirst or caffienation.)

To give you the short and sweet--it's all about comfort.

Harvard Community Garden

2011-06-15T22:44:00.001-04:00

I'm conducting a garden analysis of the Harvard Community Garden for my Urban Agriculture class. (We had to blog as apart of the class. Check it out here--Gastronomes Garden.) I'm including photos in my report because that's exactly the sort of thing I do. Have a look.

Poetry

2011-06-11T17:51:00.001-04:00

Here is another poem from Michael. His writing always manages to stop me in my tracts. I cannot help but hold my breath while reading. I get to the last word and find my heart beating faster.

You Take Me

to a nice place

& my throat is heavy

because I know what it means

I don’t see the waiter as he sets the tableware

cutting the steak

I stop halfway, say

I dreamt my past life I was a warrior

I led my men in cold valor to our deaths

we eat quick I slip

into the embrace

of my coat, which you hold

Winter's rush through the door you open

you say It's okay, in my past life

I was a corrupt politician &

I drowned in the Pacific

Read more from Michael here--Stolen Time Cafe

More from home II

2011-06-02T09:16:00.000-04:00

Summer Lunch

2011-06-01T14:19:00.001-04:00

Too hot.
Must eat cold food.

Cod Ceviche

followed by cherries!

Gilt Taste

2011-05-18T09:46:00.001-04:00

Cue horns. A new era of food procurement has begun. Gilt Taste launched today.

Dull moment?

2011-05-05T16:47:00.000-04:00

Hi Friends.

Nothing like finals and work to get the best of your blog. I'll be back in full effect in a bit....

Grahame

2011-04-27T12:16:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Grahame!

Welcome to your twenties!

Effie's Homemade

2011-04-22T10:44:00.000-04:00

Hello Hello!

I have a post up at the Gastronomy at BU Blog. It's an interview I did with one of the founders of Effie's Homemade, an oatcake/cookie/biscuit company that's currently charming the cookie world (yes, there is a cookie world). I'd also like to mention that Effie's Homemade was featured in last month's Oprah magazine, so I'm looking at two degrees of separation between me and Oprah. Not bad kids. Not bad at all.

Chard Lunch

2011-04-12T11:52:00.000-04:00

Leeks. Rainbow Chard. Mushrooms. Grape Seed Oil. Sauté.
Chard stems. Walnuts. Red Wine Vinegar. Salt. Walnut oil. Sauté
Egg. Grape Seed Oil. Fry

Delicious.

Headers

2011-04-12T10:16:00.000-04:00

Have a look at CM's past headers. I like to change it up every now and then. I'm trying to figure out what's next.

Garden Times

2011-04-11T16:58:00.002-04:00

I received an email a few days ago from Olga and attached was a photo of a seedling. There is something perfectly magical about a tiny green tendril emerging from the soil. It's one more lovely sign of spring.

In other news, an artichoke addition has been made to the garden.
Yes please.

Engagement Photos: Part II

2011-04-11T11:07:00.000-04:00

I was in New York this weekend and had the chance to photograph Carla and Sean again. You'll remember them from these photos. They are such fun to photograph!

We were in DUMBO, which is such a great part of Brooklyn with its cobbled stones, warehouse shops and quirky cafes. I guess being able to stand between the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges isn't too bad either.

Carla and Sean have entered a wedding contest and would love your help (here's the link). If these photos are any indication they are very much in love. So if anything, vote for that reason alone. And thank you!

Concrete Magnolia on Facebook

2011-04-07T18:19:00.001-04:00

I've done it.

Concrete Magnolia has a facebook page where I'll be posting information about updates and tons of photos that don't get posted on the website.

What's next? A twitter. We'll see..

Check me out!

Me, Here too.

2011-04-07T09:38:00.000-04:00

Hello Hello,

Every now and then I write for the Gastronomy Blog at BU. If you're curious what life's like for a graduate student studying food you can ask me or take a look here!

Hali

Spring Salads

2011-04-06T00:01:00.000-04:00

Gosh, It's been forever. It's the busy season for graduate school, and I've been flitting about Boston for food swaps, lunches with friends, classes, and presentations. Somehow I've managed to eat at least one completely gorgeous salad a day, my very own love note to spring. I wanted to share a few photos with you!

The Food Grid

2011-03-29T16:24:00.002-04:00

Forget the pyramid.

A public art project in in DUMBO used a grid of various colors to convey what fruits and vegetables we should be eating. It's based on the variety of colors found at The Union Square Green Market in NYC. It really takes the idea of eating the rainbow to a new level. You can see the full article and additional images here.

image via good.is

The Weekend

2011-03-28T15:49:00.000-04:00

The major goal this weekend was to get to the aquarium.

We made it.

Ranunculus

2011-03-24T14:50:00.001-04:00

It's ranunculus season and they are everywhere. How could I not buy some for my room. It's late March and it's snowing in Boston.

Hooray!

2011-03-24T11:31:00.003-04:00

The brothers are coming to Boston for the weekend!

Ottolenghi--The Cookbook

2011-03-23T10:01:00.001-04:00

It has probably been a month since I received the Ottolenghi Cookbook in the mail as a surprise gift from my Mom. I came across it while wandering around the cookbook section of a bookstore back home and fell in love with the photographs. Food in the Ottolenghi restaurant is always presented against a stark white backdrop, a practice that allows the colors of the food to really dazzle. Every imaginable color is represented--bright yellow citrus, tart pomegranate seeds, rich red roasted beets, and heaps of kale, spinach, and arugula.

When I first got the cookbook, my roommate and I combed through the pages, selecting recipes to make each week--bold plans for working graduate students. But now I'm back with a renewed dedicated to cooking from Ottolenghi and I have a few things in mind:

Roast potatoes & Jerusalem artichokes with lemon & sage

Red lentil & chard soup

Charred broccoli with chili & garlic

French beans & mangetout* with hazelnut & orange

*Mangetout is French for are sugar snap pea.

Jeremiah

2011-03-23T00:41:00.001-04:00

Jeremiah came over to hang out while everyone was home this weekend.

It was really nice out so we decided to play tag.

Engagement Photos

2011-03-22T20:29:00.002-04:00

Hi Everyone,

This past weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to take engagement photos for Carla and Sean. They are one of the loveliest couples I have had the pleasure of meeting. Their beautiful story was actually featured on the Wendy Williams Show for Valentine's Day--you can see the clip here.

I just wanted to share a few images from the weekend.

Congratulations Sean & Carla!

Viva La Cupcake

2011-03-21T13:08:00.001-04:00

In keeping with my current fascination of deconstructed food imagery...

By Allen Hemberger & Sarah Wilson via. Black Eiffel

Literary Lusting

2011-03-16T22:31:00.000-04:00

American Fashion Cookbook: 100 Designers' Best Recipes

TASCHEN's New York

Food Fashion Friends: Recipes And Styling For Unforgettable Parties

Theophilus London: Satorial Swag

2011-03-15T10:50:00.000-04:00

Theophilus London is partnering with Cole Haan.

The shoes are fly

So are his tunes

The Hot Chocolate Party

2011-03-15T00:36:00.002-04:00

Between classes and a new job I have been obsessing over a hot chocolate party I wanted to throw for my friends. I am doing research in my Food & Art History class on the presence of hot chocolate in 18th century Rococo art. As expected, reading extensively about chocolate makes me crave it all the time. What better to do than pass that along to good friends on a careless Sunday afternoon.

Here's what we had:

caramel covered pretzel rods

vanilla bean creme brulee

apple brie & cucumber cream cheese tea sandwiches

ginger doughnuts

roskette cookies
yellow cake with rosewater strawberries & cream cheese frosting

buttermilk pie

raspberries, blackberries

apples and cheddar

awesome beer

delicious wine

I think it's safe to say the crème brulée was the pick of the day, likely due the fact that your caramelized it yourself.

Please pass the blow torch

Then you got to crack it open.

These gingery homemade doughnuts were spectacular the next morning with coffee.

Tie's buttermilk pie. Just in time for Pi Day!

And finally because everyone had something to celebrate (law internships, teacher certifications, job promotions, grad school acceptance) we added some candles to the cake and promptly blew them out.

This turned out to be one of the longest, most luxurious Sundays I've had in a while. Give me a bit and I will be ready to do it all over again.

Whole Living Cover

2011-03-14T15:19:00.001-04:00

Have you seen the April Cover for Whole Living? It's so bright and gorgeous.

I'm so in love with deconstructed food photography.

via spd

Sweet Potato Banana Bread

2011-03-08T16:01:00.005-05:00

Let's talk about the brilliance of the internet.

A few days ago I realized that I had a few bananas left over from a past weekend's indulgence in bananas fosters (which was fabulous). These bananas were such sad things, turning brown and mushy at an alarming rate, and practically begging to be whipped up into something warm, baked and delicious.

This same day the lovely Darcy of Beauty and The Feast posted a comment on my Shrimp & Grits post. After perusing her blog I came across a recipe for banana bread that had the interesting addition of sweet potato. So with minimal searching a great recipe appears and is a perfect use for my sad bananas.

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato-Banana Bread

I made some amendments to the original recipe including the omission of an egg and swapping turbinado sugar for granulated. The addition of a layer of shaved dark chocolate adds a ribbon of elegance to this recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup turbinado sugar

1 eggs

1/2 cup light olive oil

2 tbsp milk

1 medium sweet potato, cooked and cooled

2 medium extra ripe bananas

dark chocolate (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9x5 Pullman loaf pan with parchment paper and oil the sides.

Mash together the cooled sweet potato and bananas. Set aside.

Mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. Set aside.

Mix together egg, milk and oil.

Add the egg, milk and oil mixture to the dry ingredients until fully incorporated.

Add the mashed sweet potatoes and bananas to mixture until fully incorporated.

Pour half the batter into the pan.

Add a layer of shaved dark chocolate until the batter is completely covered.

Pour the remaining batter into pan and bake for 70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Darcy recommends waiting a few solids hours before cutting into this bread, and I'm going to have to agree with her on this. It's pure agony, but if you bake the bread at night, you can wake up to a wonderful breakfast, best enjoyed in the morning sunlight. Add a schmear of cream cheese and you're really golden.

Rice Crispy Treats for the Mature Crowd

2011-03-05T19:28:00.003-05:00

I have always been a fan of rice crispy treats. You'd think with such a simple recipe--3 main essentials, that all rice crispy treats would taste the same. But therein lies the possibilities for variation. With such a simple base it's possible to elevate the rice crispy treat from a childhood treat to something a touch more refined, all the while maintaining whatever it is about rice crispy treats we found so appealing a few years ago.

Smitten kitchen introduced me to the novel idea of browning the butter before adding the marshmallows. Clearly this step is where you change the flavor, so I thought, if we are reinventing the rice crispy treat for an older palate why not go just a bit further.

Enter rum and brown sugar.

Trust me. It changes everything.

Shrimp & Grits

2011-02-28T20:15:00.000-05:00

Often people are curious about the name of this blog. It mostly has to do with my Mom, who hails from North Carolina. The magnolia is for her. The whole story about Concrete Magnolia can be found here. As for the concrete, thats all New York babies.

We were in her beloved state this weekend for the saddest sort of celebration and I came back a bit inspired.

I love all food, but for some reason there is nothing that quite compares to food eaten in the South

With that said, I give you Shrimp & Grits.

Classic.

Keeping it Quiche

2011-02-22T22:48:00.000-05:00

Eggs are my go to.

It seems when you have a fridge full of vegetables no longer able to inspire, the last few shavings of the cheese you splurged on, and touch of milk, the possibilities with the inclusion of an egg seem rather epicurean.

I'm leaving Boston for a bit and needed to use some of the perishables in my fridge. The result was a hearty quiche brimming with lacinato kale (a personal staple), sun-dried tomatoes and the Percorino left over from last week's strawberry pasta.

These particular sun-dried tomatoes weren't packed in oil, so I steeped them in hot water for 30 seconds or so to soften them up a bit.

Quite good indeed.

Watercolor Invitations

2011-02-19T14:13:00.000-05:00

For an upcoming Hot Cocoa Party.

Super exciting!

V-Day trinkets

2011-02-17T10:56:00.000-05:00

Glitter, hearts, chocolate, etc.

for parents & brothers.

Strawberry Pasta

2011-02-14T15:13:00.002-05:00

Obviously this recipe is better suited for early June when strawberries are in their prime, but in celebration of Valentine's Day, a dish of pasta with strawberry sauce seemed worth the small crime.

I never actually post recipes on my blog because very rarely do I follow one but because I'd like so much for you to try this dish, I managed to scribble down some notes in between the strawberries staining my fingers a stunning shade of red.

Pasta with Strawberry Sauce

Adapted from Intercourses

Naturally this recipe is best when the strawberries are extremely ripe. The true essence of the sauce comes from the sweetness of the strawberries contrasted with the sweet acidity of the vinegar. A generous dusting of the salty Pecorino cheese and a few pinches of crack pepper adds a nice umami character. This is a very unique sauce to say the least.

I recommend a high quality butter like Kerrygold or Smjor and a true balsamic vinegar, no tinted red wine vinegar here. I suppose you could substitute Parmigiano for the Pecorino, but there is a really tangy bite to the Percorino that works well with the dish. Nevertheless play around with the sauce, tasting frequently to adjust to your taste. A recommended variation includes of splash of heavy cream at the end. Pure. Decadence.

Pasta- I like spaghettini, but any shape in fine. Be sure to reserve a 1/4 cup of the pasta water for the sauce.

Pint of strawberries--around 18 medium size berries

2 tbsp butter.

1tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

1 tsp of flour (to thicken)

Salt to taste

1/4 c. Pecorino Romano cheese

Fresh cracked pepper

Prepare pasta to package directions. Set aside with reserved pasta water.

Rise the strawberries, remove stems and slice thin enough for blending.

Puree the strawberries until a uniform sauce is formed (see photo). It's best to pulse through this process. If you are going for a more rustic bent, leave the sauce a bit chunky.

If you want a seedless sauces, press the pureed strawberries through a mesh sieve with a rubber spatula. I chose to leave the seeds in. Good source of fiber and vitamin C.

Melt the butter over low heat and add strawberry puree. Another variation is to allow the butter to brown a bit, a process that will impart a nice nutty undertone to the sauce. Again, it's all about preference.

Add brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and flour. Turn heat up to medium low and stir until fully the sugar, vinegar and flour are fully incorporated.

Add cheese and salt to taste.

At this point its super important to adjust the sauce to your preferences.

I toss the pasta with the sauce and a bit of starchy pasta water. Serving the sauce over the pasta works as well.

Serve hot with a few twists of fresh cracked pepper and a generous amount of Pecorino cheese.

Enjoy!

Ikea & Such

2011-02-13T18:09:00.004-05:00

Finally.

I made my first visit to Ikea this past weekend. I think I walked around the entire time with my mouth slightly ajar, amazed at the sheer volume of people and stuff.

Complete sensory overload.

I was too distracted to really delve in, but I did leave with some choice purchases, an orchid and some cinnamon buns topping the list.

Summer Blues

2011-02-09T17:01:00.000-05:00

Its around this time of the year I start to dream of the green things that once were.

Film, Flax & Chocolate Peace

2011-02-05T13:26:00.001-05:00

Whenever I'm home, I go straight to the fridge and peruse the offerings. I love my fridge at home because its full of the things that define my family. In this case its flax seeds, black and white film, and Peace chocolate. C'est la vie

Pretty Things

2011-02-02T13:43:00.000-05:00

I have a wall in my room that I'm covering in pretty things I like to look at. There is a healthy mix of textures, photos that inspire, good memories and things that make me smile.

My Room

2011-02-01T11:41:00.001-05:00

Just a peek.

Sunday Morning Watercolors

2011-01-30T13:01:00.001-05:00

Putting together notes to mail to friends & family, embellished with some watercolors.

Happy Sunday.

Snow, Petals & Savory Muffins.

2011-01-29T23:18:00.002-05:00

I don't know how much more snow I can take. Before I moved to Boston, everyone told me not too worry too much about the weather, how it wouldn't be terribly different from Upstate New York, how the proximity to the water would regulate the precipitation.

Nonsense.

This is more snow that I have ever seen in my entire life. And I have to shovel it myself. I have transitioned from the one daughter, the only sister, the maker of hot cocoa on snowy mornings in exemption of shoveling, to the one who shovels. Definitely appreciating that past luxury lately.

To restore balance to the universe I buy flowers and bake muffins.

This recipe was inspired by the savory muffins on 101 cookbooks. I chose to go the kale, portabella route instead.

More from home

2011-01-27T12:26:00.000-05:00

Sunshine Soup

2011-01-26T15:07:00.001-05:00

It appears in the absence of sunshine, I have to create my own in a bowl of soup.

I started by pulling things out of my fridge and cabinets hoping for inspiration to hit me at some point. What resulted was an asian inspired bowl of noodles in a lemony vegetable broth. I tossed in a handful of mushrooms, tofu, and a generous amount of bok choy. Perfect for the endless snowstorms currently sweeping through the northeast.

As for the flashes of black ink on the table, we have taken to branding our kitchen table in all sorts of scribbles and doodles. Lately I have been partial to aquatic life forms--resembling classic Missoni fabrics.

Cupcakes

2011-01-09T20:14:00.002-05:00

I never bake. I always forget to. When I'm in the kitchen I usually forget the oven, and never get out measuring cups but I'm working to change that. Olga and I got together to make cupcakes, and we might have gotten carried away with the frosting.

And two for our birthdays two weeks apart. Hooray

Birthday Jewels

2011-01-02T21:48:00.000-05:00

This year I turned 24 of the 24th of December--My champagne birthday.

My parents gave me 24 carrots.

And some things that sparkle all the time.

Berries for Breakfast

2011-01-02T21:08:00.000-05:00

Sunday Breakfast

pancakes with strawberries & cream

Last Snowfall of 2010

2010-12-27T12:12:00.000-05:00

Hopefully.

Satsuma

2010-12-18T19:41:00.001-05:00

As if the still attached leaf and stem weren't enough for their beauty alone,

they remind us that fruit indeed comes from trees.

The life & times of Peter the Crustacean

2010-12-18T18:45:00.001-05:00

Not sure if it was actually a good idea to name the lobster we ended up having for dinner.

Seafood dinner, compliments of Chef Tie, recent culinary school graduate.

Well done friend!!

I know these are super macro shots of Peter, but he was a stunner!

Early Birthday Present

2010-12-14T16:55:00.001-05:00

A while back I entered a photo in a food photography contest. I'm thrilled to say it got selected as one of the winners.

You can check it out here with the other gorgeous winners: Photo

Last bits of Fall

2010-12-06T19:51:00.002-05:00

I was so sure it was going to snow today.
But alas, I did not see one single flurry

Here is the last bit of my photos from the end of fall. It seems the change of season is a reoccurring theme with me.

I suppose its more to do with the cycles and how readily they shape the motions our life. After all we do tread along with the equinoxes and solstices as our guide.

Absence

2010-11-29T12:41:00.000-05:00

Apparently in the absence of their children my parents set up their most "obvious" avatars in order of birth.

Why my oldest brother is the only Bipedal is beyond me.

At least I got a long elegant neck....

Gin and Roses

2010-11-13T10:05:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you just NEED flowers in your presence.

I went the yellow roses route--gorgeous in a gin bottle!

Story of my life.

The Art of the Breakfast Sandwich

2010-11-12T17:25:00.001-05:00

For me it begins and ends with a perfectly fried egg (crusted in cracked black pepper).

The cheese can vary but make it sharp.

I like a loud bread--something malty or a sprouted grain.

Top it off with a pesto or aioli and you're good.

Sunset

2010-11-10T17:14:00.002-05:00

How far do you go to get the shot you want? I didn't think twice about running outside barefoot to get this image, nor about laying on the cold asphalt for the perfect angle.

Is there something more profound behind this admission?

Love envelopes

2010-11-08T21:59:00.000-05:00

Let it be known! I am a fan of the love letter, love note, love post-it and now I am completely over the moon for the love envelope.

This weekend I got a love envelope from my MamaLove, full of notes on museum exhibits, a notice for a new food coop (she knows me so well!) and leaves from the beautiful ginkgo bilboa tree, a personal dendrous favorite.

It was so beautiful I had to share.

Le sigh. Mother. You are near perfect.

Henna Weekend

2010-11-08T21:41:00.002-05:00

BF Olga finally made it to Boston for a visit. Beside herself, she brought two very important things: Shoes for Saturday night salsa and Henna for Sunday morning. She has be doing up my arms in the mehendi since we were 17, but only after she puts her henna rings on (check out her thumbs).

Boo!

2010-11-05T20:24:00.001-04:00

It's a bit late but...

Happy Halloween

Sweet Treat

2010-11-05T20:06:00.001-04:00

Cupcake from Sweet.

It's called the gold karat...edible flecks of the shiny element and all...

Beans Dahling.

2010-11-04T10:48:00.000-04:00

Chickpeas for curries and hummus
Black Beans for burgers and over eggs (and just about anything else)
Lentils for Dal Puri
White Beans for creamy soups

Morning Buns and Saffron Scented Air

2010-10-29T16:38:00.003-04:00

This past morning I had a lovely breakfast at Sofra with some wonderful people. Sofra is the bakery and café of Ana Sortun or Oleana fame. Regardless of the fact that we are reaching the end of October, the weather was glorious--the last remnants of summer sun, jewel-toned leaves, and soft breezes; we couldn't have picked a more sublime day.

Walking up to the bakery counter and trying to choose something from the bounty of confection is nearly impossible and along with my chronic indecision, things don't get easier. Thankfully I was out to breakfast with two people who also have a limitless appreciation for food and a ready solution for problems of that nature: order a bit of everything. So between orange-glazed morning buns, rose-scented doughnuts, pearled sugar brioche, two bacon egg and haloumi sandwiches, one Turkish breakfast and a divine cup of Turkish coffee, I think it's safe to say we left more than satisfied.

We did try to read my coffee and mainly just saw a sofa...sofa/Sofra?

Have a lovely weekend.

Happy Birthday to my (big) Brother!

2010-10-27T00:47:00.000-04:00

Yes. This post is late. But it is here, and it is for you.

Happy Birthday to the best big brother in the world.

You always remind me of three things:

Zoom Zooms.

The Fall

And trumphets. I hear them in the air when you are near.

<3

Bouquets of Flour

2010-10-26T23:58:00.003-04:00

Finally made it to Clear Flour Bakery this evening. It has to be the most talked about bakery in Boston. The air practically hums with its praises. Yeast and butter scent the air from a block away and across the street is a park whose entrance is marked with a monolithic pi.

It was dusk and the light was beautiful.

Siggi's Icelandic style skyr

2010-10-25T15:14:00.000-04:00

I'm quite sure I am the last person to discover Siggi's. But the wait was worth it, because now, after trying various brands of yogurt (along with a sad attempt at making my own) I feel my palate is savvy enough to declare that this label est magnifique !

Not to mention my first foray was with the Orange & Ginger flavor. This yogurt is thick, tart and creamy. The Orange & Ginger flavor has a subtle citrus undertone and is flecked with candied ginger. It is taking me an eternity to eat the whole thing--small spoonfuls between writing a line for a midterm paper; the very best procrastination is a slow and sweet one.

On Baking

2010-10-17T20:26:00.000-04:00

Alicia: I'm baking cookies

Hali: Are you baking for fun?

Alica: I'm baking for 1. pleasure and 2. procrastination

Happy Sunday.

Apple Picking

2010-10-12T13:38:00.000-04:00

More Fall in New England.

A bit of overflow in pomological Eden.

Monday's Kitchen

2010-10-11T16:09:00.001-04:00

What better than a lazy Sunday? A lazy Monday filled with cooking. I haven't been doing much myself, but my roommates have been perfuming the apartment with smells good enough to pull me from my room camera in hand.

Andrew's homemade Fish & Chips.

Magic Hat #9 beer batter. Yes please

Sarah's magical salad. She is bound to make at least one completely gorgeous salad a day. Our own Alice Waters.

I've been eating tempeh at least once a day. Its a major food group in my diet as of late. I'm having a vegan October.

Notes

2010-10-03T18:43:00.004-04:00

Is Sunday the begining of the week or the end? I suppose it doesn't matter with the continuous nature of time. Still, it remains an appropriate day to sum up a week's worth of elation--to put into words the things, people or moments that brought you a bit of delight. Last Sunday I wrote about what made me happy in repsonse to a compulsory internal desire. Today the very same happened. I'm enjoying the trend and will be sticking to it. Sundays are for happiness.

What makes me happy:

Whimsical confections created by talented friends, walking in the rain for the pleasure of it, used bookstores, collaborative spirits, good music being played in unexpected places, water in beautiful bottles, smiles from people you don't know, warm beds, New Orleans, seeing a Mondrian in person (electrifying!), poached eggs, amiable silences, boozy brunches, Tim Burton's mesmerizing artistry, plant based lifestyles, laughing at myself, my mom in red lipstick, and the way I feel when I read that you enjoy what i've written.

Love to you all.

Laughing after falling into a box at a dinner party at my apartment. Well done self.

Eating on a graduate student budget

2010-10-03T14:23:00.002-04:00

Here are two facts about me:

1. Food is important to me.
2. I am broke.

Somehow I still manage to eat in a satisfying way. A lot of that has to do with eating at home.

Here's a peek at my cabinet...

It seems the key is good staples, a few concessions, and buying in bulk.

Lost Photos

2010-09-26T21:28:00.000-04:00

Notes.

2010-09-26T21:16:00.001-04:00

What makes me happy (today):

Talking to my mom on the phone, whether I am 150 miles away up just upstairs. Music by James Taylor and his equally talented son, Ben Taylor. Watching food history lectures with earphones in. Video-chatting with my older brother. Reading Grahame’s slighty emo, but mostly riveting facebook status updates. Watching my roommates cook. Constantly chatting on G-chat with Olga and Alicia. Free netflix trials. Making enormous pots of lapsang souchong. Inherently knowing the phases of the moon. Dreaming about Montana, The Maldives, the Pacific Northwest, and as always NYC. Faux fur. Natural light saturating my bedroom. Autumn gales. Driving with no destination. Going to the market in a fire-engine red wig. Absolutely delightful conversations with my father about what he eats (tea, more tea, and some bread). Listening to Pandora. Dreaming of Porsches and dolphins. Having enough time to watercolor whenever I want. Practicing yoga to Mr. Marley, Sublime, Cat Power and Mos Def. Writing on graph paper. Drinking espresso at all hours of the day. Feeling the freedom of a cellphone free life. Making pasta with Gastronomy friends. Reading 18^th C. manuscripts at Harvard on a Saturday morning. Having wine with lunch. Wearing green. Wearing black. Eating Turkish food in Troy (<3) with Olamide. Leaving New York.

The Fall

2010-09-25T02:08:00.002-04:00

We were hitting 50 degrees at night last week. The air started to smell earthy again-- a forbearer of the pungent, mulchy scent that marks the arrival of fall, but the northeastern parts of this country were fooled again. Today it was a balmy 86 degrees. All we can do is smile at the flippancy of the weather and keep the umbrellas close by.

I was back home for a blink last week during our autumnal spell and managed to do very fall things while I was there. Every time the seasons change I feel compelled to exclaim that season as my favorite. I assure you the sentiment is genuine; it's the perfect explanation for my need to live in an equinox/solstice centered climate.

We started off at this farm in the middle of nowhere. Literally you just drive for 25 minutes or so, pull off on the side of the road and then you're there. At least that's what it felt like. The place was so overgrown and lush. There seemed to be something interesting around every corner.

Apple cider doughnuts, an idyllic bucolic landscape and a yak.