April 6, 2012

5 packing lessons I learned…from being in an LDR

Photo credit: Jamie Davis via Etsy

I recently returned from a five-day trip to Taipei with nothing but a weekender bag. “That’s the true sign of a jetsetter,” my editor said.

Actually, that’s the result of busing to and from Boston once or twice a month as I’m in a long distance relationship. Because I’m a starving journalist, traveling via bus means trekking to the subway and running up and down the platform stairs instead of catching a cab. Given my 4’11″ frame, I’m obviously not keen on hauling luggage twice my size with me–so here’s what I’ve learned about packing light for weekeend trips. (Thanks, LDR!)

1. Good hygiene doesn’t mean all new jeans.

By every means, please continue to take showers daily. But you don’t need a fresh outfit every day. If you’re on a weekend trip, there’s absolutely no reason to pack (or wear) more than one pair of pants, and keep in mind that denim is particularly thick. Ladies, unless it’s wintertime and super cold where you’re going, leggings are great space-savers. This rule also applies for outerwear and middle layers.

2. Invest in a pair of quality all-purpose shoes.

Find footwear that is waterproof, easy to walk in, and compliments a dressier outfit. For me, this translates into a pair of closed-toe black flats with some metallic accents. They don’t get soaked if it’s a little rainy, and the extra details make them work in more formal settings. If it’s colder or stormier, I have heeled leather boots that I can walk over an hour in–these are hard to find, but they do exist. (Mine are from A.S.O., a shoe store in Taiwan.) To be fair, this is easier for girls; when I tease the boy about the giant duffel he brings to New York, he always cites his dress shoes as the culprit.

3. Pack day-to-night outfits.

In the same vein, you don’t need a separate outfit for going out unless you’re going somewhere super fancy. I love dresses for this reason. They already look nicer, plus they contain less material and don’t require top-and-bottom coordination. Again, opt for the extra details, and some structure is always nice. You also can’t go wrong with dark colors–good news for New Yorkers who already own a bajillion black outfits.

4. Buy travel-sized versions of skincare musts–once.

This means face lotions, cleansers, and other special amenities that you can’t forgo for a few days. This doesn’t mean your favorite shampoo or body wash–soap is soap, at least in the short-term. Save the bottles for re-use, or better yet buy empty containers that are cheaper.

5. If you must work, learn to type on a tablet.

Admittedly, this might not be the most budget-friendly tip, and the iPad I work on actually belongs to the boy. But here are some advantages of learning to use the touchscreen like a keyboard as I have: a tablet isn’t as heavy nor as cumbersome as a Macbook, you’ll never be limited by airport bookstore selections again, and, if you’re traveling domestically, you don’t need to panic when cheap bus WiFi fails right before your deadline.

What are some of your favorite long weekend packing tips?

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April 4, 2012

Bacon peanut butter truffles

There aren’t many ingredients I love more than bacon, so it’s not a huge surprise that I turned to The Bacon Cookbook for my next culinary project. Though I was looking for dinner dishes more than dessert, as someone who loves sweet-and-savory concoctions, I couldn’t resist some bacon peanut butter truffles.

These did turn out a little messier than I’d prefer. Part of this was probably due to substituting some of the butter with bacon fat, following The Wicked (Awesome) Whisk’s adaptation, for a stronger flavor of bacon. The chocolate coating didn’t set and harden perfectly, since the recipe doesn’t call for tempering, and I opted to skip the cocoa powder. I’m guessing it didn’t help that I used chocolate chips instead of bars, which are better for tempering, or that I might’ve been a little impatient and heated up the chocolate a little too quickly.

Some other notes: I didn’t have a food processor, so I chopped the peanuts with a knife. Because the peanuts weren’t ground as finely as they would have been if they were put through a blender, the truffle filling was slightly lumpy. Next time, I’d up the peanut butter and use less peanuts. The bacon was easy to handle, since it was so crispy.

Despite the messiness, the truffles were amongst the most delicious things I’ve made. What can I say — bacon never ever fails to please!

Bacon and Peanut Butter Chocolate Truffles Recipe

adapted from The Bacon Cookbook

Ingredients:

  • 6 slices lean streaky bacon
  • 4 oz salted peanuts (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons bacon fat
  • six 1-oz squares semisweet chocolate

In a large skillet, fry the bacon over moderate heat until crisp, drain on paper towels, and let cool completely. Reserve 2 tbls of the rendered bacon fat and let cool.

In a blender or food processor, combine the bacon, peanuts, and sugar and grind to a fine texture. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the peanut butter, and stir until well blended and smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and chill about 1 hour.

Roll the mixture into balls about 1 inch in diameter, place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper, cover with plastic wrap, and chill about 30 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, combine the butter, reserved bacon fat, and chocolate in a small sauce pan and stir over very low heat till melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool until slightly warm.

Using a fork, coat the balls completely in the melted chocolate. Set them back on the baking sheet and refrigerate until firm (about 30 minutes more). If there is melted chocolate left over, give the balls a second coating. Store in the refrigerator till ready to serve. Or eat them all now. It’s your choice….don’t think it’ll be an easy one.

via The Wicked (Awesome) Whisk

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February 9, 2012

Hello from Ireland

Say hello to Joe the Pony. He lives somewhere between Cong Village and Lough Nafooey, about an hour northwest of Galway, Ireland.

It’s simply taking me too darn long to write about my first Eurotrip, so here’s a short postcard from Ireland to start. I met Joe the Pony along the drive to Kylemore Abbey, a Victorian estate behind a great Irish (true) tale of romance. In a nutshell: man marries wife, wife falls in love with honeymoon location, man builds wife a castle there, they live at the castle till she dies. But more on that later.

For now, suffice it to say that Joe is one of many friends of Mike D., the Galway Tour Company driver who led us on this trip. During our off-the-itinerary stop to say hi, Mike sliced up some peaches and encouraged us to feed Joe some peaches. I’m guessing ponies are smart, because this one trotted right up to the fence the moment our bus pulled over. His muzzle tickled.

And those stone walls in the background? It’s true, they’re everywhere in rural Ireland. Just like in the movies.

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January 25, 2012

My favorite cheap eats in Taipei (eatery edition)

I could hardly believe when I “met” Kelsey Freeman on Twitter last summer that she was about to embark on a 10-week trip to France on $1,000. I wanted to know her secret — I’m young, I’m poor, but I’m an insufferable Francophile — how did she do it?

She realized that traveling is about priorities. She’d rather people watch than go to a museum, for example, and she’d rather enjoy the countryside for a month than Paris for a week. It’s all about what’s most important to you, where you really want to put your money, and what you are or aren’t willing to give up.

It’s a simple but brilliant point, but the one thing I always have a hard time compromising on is great food — which is why I’m always so happy to visit my hometown of Taipei. When it comes to eats on this tiny Asian island, you rarely have to choose between taste and price. Sure, the city has it’s share of tremendous fine dining establishments, but a more than satisfying meal can easily cost less than $3 to $5 (tax included).

One of the first stops I always make when I’m home is a small mom-and-pop eatery right next to Wellcome supermarket in Tien Mu Square. I’ve been a loyal customer since my high school days at the nearby Taipei American School, when my friends and I would make a lunch outing here every couple of weeks. Even now, I usually opt for the wonton and bean sprout guo tiao, or thick rice noodles, with some shared sides to round out the meal. The noodles themselves are less than $2, and the bill’s rarely come out to over $3 per person.

Before that, though, I suppose I first technically set out for breakfast bright and early. Night owl I might be, but the Taiwanese selections for the most important meal of the day can rouse me out of bed at 8am with or without jet lag. While a big bowl of soymilk is a locally beloved default, I’m particularly partial to the roasted rice adaptation, the thick and fragrant mi jiang. I like to pair this with a fan tuan rice ball with fried Chinese cruellers — especially the ones with roasted seaweed and pickled radishes — or egg rolls slathered with sweet soy sauce. I’ve never been able to finish all three in one sitting, but if you wake up to ravenous appetites, these won’t set you back set you back more than $3 either. [Recommendation: 永和豆漿]

Another quintessential staple in the Taiwan food experience is the potsticker, a type of dumpling fried in a skillet. I like to think of dumplings as the ultimate Chinese budget comfort food, a no-hassle and frugal fallback anytime you’re hungry. The crunchy munchy texture of the potsticker makes it my favorite out of all the dumpling varietals, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that they come at about 25 cent per pop. [Recommendation: 八方雲集水餃鍋貼]

Not a pork fan? Track down a $2 niu rou juan bing beef wrap rolled in a chewy, flaky pancake similar to the famed scallion pancakes. You’ll recognize the same sweet and pasty tian mian jiang sauce used in Peking duck (in my opinion, one of the best things ever to come out of Chinese cuisine). While these pancakes are ubiquitous in the city, I find the ones from Tien Mu’s Dao Xiao Mian to be the juiciest with the best meat-to-sauce-to-scallion ratio.

For a lighter meal, I often find myself stumbling into Sushi Express, one of the city’s main conveyor sushi chains. This is the most effortless kind of self-service dining I’ve ever experienced: simply take a seat, pull plates of the food you want off the conveyor, and the restaurant will charged you by the number of dishes you accrue (typically $1 each, serving two rolls). My order is typically the same: salmon sashimi, lobster salad, ikura, and masago rolls — and of course a cup of the restaurant’s amazingly fragrant tea.

Then when it’s time for a snack, nothing scratches the salty cravings itch like a couple of tea eggs. First hard boiled, the eggs are cracked and braised in soy sauce, five spice powder, and black tea. Scary as the marbled appearance might be, the darker the eggs, the strongest the flavor — so go for the blackest ones you spot. I wouldn’t really know, but if these could be considered eggs on crack, they’d be the cheapest addiction ever at 25 cents per piece. [Recommendation: 7-11 convenience stores]

Lastly, one of my biggest guilty pleasures is the glutinous meat ball available at any night market. “Guilty” because these globs of heaven are deep fried and “pleasure” because I’ve yet to find another sweet-and-savory dish as perfect this. I’m honestly not sure what that green sprig in the above photo is what that cilantro is doing in the above serving, but there’s just something about the way the chewy skin, the meaty interior, and the mouthwatering sweet and salty sauce all come together. If I’m left with 50 cents to my name, I’d spent it on one of these in a heartbeat. [Recommendation: 淡水 night market]

What are your favorite cheap eats from around the world?

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January 1, 2012

Happy New Year from Taipei!

Yesterday, we rang in the new year in the downtown Xinyi area of Taipei. Keeping in tradition of the younger crowd, we sought views of the ever popular Taipei 101 fireworks from a nearby nightclub and ended up at Myst, a newly opened establishment at the top of ATT4Fun. We had an amazing vantage point from the 8th floor balcony, accessible to attendees who booked tables. Being in the next building over from the skyscraper, we were close but not too close.

Though the fireworks were much shorter than those from past years, I loved the complex choreography that we haven’t seen before. This isn’t a full video below because I snapped some photos when the fireworks first started, but my favorite part starts around 1:00.

Here’s to an amazing 2012!

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December 25, 2011

Why you should visit the Holiday Shops after Christmas Day

Practical to walk through when you need goodies to slip under the tree, this miniature village of shops is inspiring even after you’ve given all your gifts. 

A few weeks ago, I decided to brave the holiday shopping crowd and ventured out to the Holiday Shops at Bryant Park. Though I was hunting for stocking stuffers at the time, it wasn’t the trinkets and artwork and food stalls that held my attention. It was the shops themselves.

It was my first time walking through the 100+ glass-encased kiosks, and in the dark along the cobblestone paths of the park, they really did look like the jewel boxes that inspired their design. And about six steps in from 42nd street, I saw why these illuminated shops have always been amongst the city’s favorites: within their four shiny walls, the decor and setup are works of art as much as the handcrafted goods they housed.

  

The most memorable kiosk belonged to Friction Jewelry, a pop-up that migrates around the country. Perhaps the fact that they don’t have a permanent retail store anywhere makes them an old hand at outfitting small spaces, but I loved the modern aesthetic of its black-and-white wallpaper and bold red paint. In a market decked with bright baubles and sparkling gems, this was the only jewelry store that I set foot into. (To the store’s credit, its preserved leaf pieces were stunning–my next bank statement will tell you how much.)

Just as these markets are expos of artisan crafts, the park grounds were a funhouse for interior decorating. Some shops took efficiency to an extreme, gilding every surface possible and hanging all sorts of paraphernalia from every few inches of the ceiling. Others took a cleaner approach, relying on charismatic typography to create the right vibe.

  

For first-time browsers like me, there was much more to the shop than first met the eye, and I’d repeatedly found a line of shops splintering off from a spot I’d already passed. On one such occasion, I saw another job well done in a dark marbled wall and dramatic lights. For some reason, the giant tree branch mounted on the wall registered as larger-than-life antlers at first glance–but I guess it did the job in catching my eye. At any rate, I had to admire that this was a jewelry store that wasn’t a pastel or neon hue, and I was glad I took the time to backtrack before heading out.

It was also thanks to a loop back that I came upon the Southwest Porch. Serving up hot snack fare under wooden light beams and a glowing speckle of light bulbs, this charming rest stop was no less well-designed than the surrounding shops. I knew that if I’d been exploring with a group of girlfriends, we’d be among the smiling shoppers huddled on bench swings and rockers, warming up next to toasty heat lamps.

That’s not to create any illusions about the Holiday Shops as a mystical winter wonderland. For full disclosure, when you get to have so much fun, mistakes are bound to happen. Many stores made me catch my breath, but not all in a good way–particularly ones with showcases covered entirely by faux fur. With hot pink accents and curly font to boot.

But then again, what’s holiday cheer without a good dose of laughter? Even if you’ve blown through your budget for the season, the Holiday Shops are still a fantastic sight to see. Sure, there’s always Museum Mile when you’re feeling artsy, but there’s nothing like the crisp winter air to perk you up. Bryant Park’s lovely displays will be there for two more weeks until 01/08/12, so if you’re in NYC, treat yourself to something different and catch it while you can.

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June 15, 2011

Baked Plums with Blueberries and Mascarpone

I first fell in love with poetry when I was in middle school. I chuckled at William Carlos Williams’ silly-sounding name, but I loved his simple and tangible words even more. The first time I read his “This Is Just to Say”  aloud, I could feel the cold deliciousness of his icebox plums rolling across my tongue with the lines I spoke.

Ever since, I’ve viewed plums somewhat romantically, as strange as that might sound. Something about this fruit makes me feel safe and warm, evoking childhood summers as treats like condensed milk do.

These simpletastic baked plums make an effortless dish that perfectly suits a nostalgic evening. Not too sweet and not too sour, it’s a just-right summer dessert. Though I prefer this dish warm, the chilled mascarpone adds a little sweetness and a touch of the icebox-coldness from that poem I love so much.

I’m sharing the original recipe’s 4-person serving size below, though I was only able to eat two halves in one sitting. That said, the plums are also great during breakfast or for a snack and can still go pretty quickly.

As far as substitutions go, the grocery store didn’t stock mascarpone, which is pricey anyway. Not wanting to get too fancy, I used this shortcut: 8 oz cream cheese, 1/4 cup heavy cream, and 2.5 tbsp sour cream. I also added a pomegranate black currant juice instead of wine.

BAKED PLUMS WITH BLUEBERRIES AND MASCARPONE
adapted from The Golden Book of Desserts

Ingredients

  • 12 ripe plums or small nectarines
  • 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1/4 cup dry red wine or black currant juice
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 8 oz mascarpone
  • 2 tbsp confecioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions 

Preheat the oven to 400F. Wash the plums, splitting them into halves and pitting them. Lay them flat side up in a bake-safe pan (or two) lined with aluminum foil. Rub the brown sugar in on the cut surface.

In a small dish, zap the butter in the microwave until just melted. Dip two fingers into the butter, spreading it onto the plums evenly. Don’t be afraid to apply a liberal layer. The butter should cool pretty quickly and firm up on the plums.

Drizzle wine or juice over the plums, then bake for 15 minutes. In the meantime, combine the mascarpone, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Set aside and chill. Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle the dish with blueberries, then bake for another 5 minutes.

Let the plums cool slightly. Serve with a dollop of mascarpone and a splash of juice from the pan.

____________________________________

THIS IS JUST TO SAY
I have eaten the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

- William Carlos Williams

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