As a way to assess how well I spent 2012 and to make 2013 a strong year, I’m going to go through very briefly things I learned this year, things I appreciated, goals I accomplished, etc. This is for my benefit, but maybe you’ll pick up some things along the way too.

What went well

People

I met a lot of fantastic people this year and also improved my relationship with people I knew since before 2012. I shared some incredible experiences with people I never would have expected to know back in January last year. I really wish I could list them all here, but I don’t want to accidentally exclude anyone, so I won’t. However, if you think you are one of those people, thank you! You made my 2012 infinitely better, and I hope I did the same for you.

Goal: Despite meeting a lot of great new people, I grew apart from some people I was close with last year or even in the first half of 2012. I want to try and hang out with those people more in 2013. I also want to keep meeting new people.

Coding

I learned a lot in 2012—perhaps not as much as I wanted to, but a satisfactory amount. During the first half of the year, I mainly used the programming language Scheme while taking a introductory computer science class at Yale, but outside of that, I didn’t do as much programming as I would have liked.

This past fall, however, brought huge changes. I picked up LESS, a language built off CSS, and Git, version control software, while working for the Yale Daily News, learned more about PHP and SQL through self-studying in my free time, and have begun to read about C and Python. I also began using LaTeX for a few class assignments and have started relying on Vim for text editing.

I dove into a melange of various computer and web technologies this year, and while that gave me a broader perspective on the variety of tools out there, it prevented me from really mastering a specific language.

Goal: I’m still deciding on what languages I should really focus on, but here’s a tentative plan. Focus on learning Python|Ruby, JavaScript, and Java. (The “|” symbol means OR.)

Epicurean

I’m going to go over some problems the Epicurean had last year, but this section is about what went well. We launched a website this past summer. Our writer interest increased over three-fold, and the editors this year, for the most part, are much closer and enthusiastic about the magazine than last year. This is an exciting time of growth for the Epicurean. We are also looking to work with Yale Dining more closely this upcoming semester, thanks for Recipes Editor Lucas.

What didn’t go as well as planned

Balancing Classwork & Life

A funny thing happened these past three semesters. I went from taking four classes for a grade during freshmen year fall to taking four classes for a grade and one for credit (no-grade) during freshmen year spring to taking five and a half classes for a grade this past semester. Along with the increasing workload, my grades took a slight dip. It wasn’t an end-of-the-world dip luckily, but the trend was clear. For example, the ratio of A’s to A-’s might have steadily decreased from the first to third semester.

This isn’t that big of an issue, but I definitely feel like I could get more out of classes if I spent more time working on them, which would consequently raise my grades. Luckily for me, I only need to take four classes for a grade per semester from here on out if I want to double major in computer science and economics. That leaves no leeway if I do in fact double major but tons of leeway if I scrap econ and just go with computer science as a major. I’m hoping to make each class count, and as always, I will look towards choosing classes that I actually find interesting.

Goal: Do well on four classes per semester.

Finance

My personal finance (stating it that way makes it seem like I actually have money) has taken quite a beating this year. Off the top of my head, I can think of at least $320 that I lost which could otherwise have been avoided.

For starters, the Yale Epicurean has always struggled with its finances, which led to bunch of us editors shelling out to print the Spring 2012 issue. I contributed $200 while a few others contributes amounts of $200 or $100. Theoretically, I should get paid back in the future, but as of now, I still haven’t been paid back.

The reasons for the Epicurean’s struggling finances are that print advertising doesn’t cut it anymore, and for the first half of last year, we worked with an expensive printer. I proposed switching to a new printer called Knepper Press, and their rates are much lower. Even so, we’re still getting back on our feet.

Goal: Bring the Epicurean budget into a surplus, so that the editors can get paid back and we will be on more solid financial ground.

Besides having spent a lot of money in France this past summer—on food, transportation, and gifts for relatives, which by the way I don’t consider “lost” money but money well-spent—I received a traffic ticket while biking in Paris. I’m not going to go into the details, but there were multiple ways I could have gotten out of that incident with my $120 intact. Alas, that was not the case, and I spent a sweltering afternoon in Paris navigating bureaucracy to pay the ticket. In total, I spent around $1,100 in Paris. A lot of that was on incredibly delicious yet painstakingly expensive truffled cashews, but they sure were delicious. Bought at La Grande Épicerie on rue de Sèvres, the truffled cashews had the most elegant, aromatic, savory flavors and were roasted to perfection. If only I could get my hands on the recipe…

Goal: On an unrelated note, learn to to evaluate securities (stocks) so that I can make smart 2-6 week investments.

What went both ways

Interviewing

This year, I interviewed for a few programs and internships/jobs. Prior to 2012 I never really had much interviewing experience, and in my opinion, I still don’t. Here are some lessons I learned, however.

• Always prepare. By this, I mean, know why you want whatever position you’re interviewing for. Have a compelling story, and be able to tell it with passion. Don’t think you can just think up answers on the spot.
• Try and find one unique aspect that makes you a great fit for the position or program that no one else has. When I interviewed for my Yale Summer Session program, I outlined why learning French and experiencing Paris would be perfect for my work in food blogging and photography. No one else in the class had a food blog dating back to 2009 or had a passion for photography.
• Make sure you’re arguing why you would be good for the firm, company, or program, not the reverse. If I was the interviewer, I would want to pick someone benefits me and the organization I am working for, not someone who would only benefit himself or herself by joining the organization.
• Review your previous experiences and find stories that would answer questions that ask you about challenges you’ve faced or disagreements you’ve had. These behavioral-type questions will show up in practically all interviews, and saying “I’ve never had a disagreement with a coworker” won’t cut it. You’ll want to display some appealing characteristic through these stories—leadership, compromise, initiative, etc.

Fitness

So last fall, I decided I wanted to gain weight—not just any weight, but lean body mass, a.k.a. muscle. I did, from last September through April 2012. Unfortunately, I took a haphazard approach and consequently gained a lot of fat. I ended up peaking at about 145 lbs after spring break last year—April. As a point of comparison, I was 130 lbs before college, so in 8 months, I gained 15 lbs. Theoretically, one should be able to pull this off with very little fat gain by gaining weight very consistently. Unfortunately, I didn’t fully committed to a controlled weight gain and instead oscillated between times of fast and sloppy weight gain and times of no weight gain or even a slight loss.

Regardless, I decided to start over by cutting fat during the summer. The picture of sous-vide chicken breast, quinoa, and broccoli above shows one of the typical meals I would eat during the summer: lot’s of lean protein, vegetables, and some complex carbs. After about 3 months, I got down to the low 120′s. Since then, I’ve been slowly gaining mass, and it’s been working pretty well. I’m back up to around 135 lbs. My strength at this weight is even higher than my strength when I was at 145 lbs, and my bodyweight to strength ratio has definitely increased.

Goal: It’s always hard to set fitness goals because you want to set something reasonable but difficult to achieve. If I had to set a goal, I would want to increase my lean body mass by 12 lbs by the end of 2013 putting my target weight around 145 lb (but at a lower body fat than last time). As extra credit, I plan to get my bench press/deadlift/squat to bodyweight ratio to ~1.5/2/2 respectively.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! Above, is a kimchi and egg sandwich I made a few days ago. I spent the majority of the day today cooking and working out. I talked to some nice stranger at the gym who went to Hobart College in upstate New York. Apparently, he played lacrosse there, and decades later, he doesn’t seem to have gotten out of shape at all, definitely something we should all aspire to—lifetime fitness.

For dinner, I cooked NY strip steaks in a 132ºF water bath for ~7 hours. I learned that 7 hours is much too long to cook a strip steak for. The texture of meat somewhat disappeared, and in retrospect, I should have gone with a quick 1-1.5 hour cooking time.

We also had a ton of roasted vegetables—yams, butternut squash, beets, and Brussels sprouts. Everything besides the Brussels sprouts were simply seasoned with olive oil and sea salt. I used a balsamic, Dijon mustard vinaigrette for the Brussels sprouts. The Dijon mustard was the last of an artisanal brand I brought back from Paris this summer.

Anyways, did you know that the Brussels in Brussels sprouts must be capitalized at all times because it refers to the capital of Belgium? I always knew Brussels was a place, but I didn’t know the capitalization of Brussels in the vegetable name was correct spelling until now. That’s all of now, and I hope to get a more informative post in soon! Thanks.

This past fall semester has been quite hectic for me. I took on five classes, a board position at the school newspaper, and, more recently, a new job with Yale’s Collaborative Learning Center. On top of that, the Yale Epicurean put out another stellar issue, and the Epicurean recipes editor Lucas founded a culinary society, which I am now a part of. I also lifted with the club Powerlifting Team for the early part of the semester, though scheduling conflicts put an end to that and forced me to lift on my own. I’m hoping to be able to attend practices again in the spring.

Anyways, despite being overloaded and stressed for time, this semester has also been an reinvigorating one. I feel like I’ve gotten back the rigor I had during my junior year of high school where every second had a purpose—a slight overstatement but something I strive for. I also learned a lot, from what sub game perfect equilibrium is to how basic facial recognition works. I love learning new things and being productive, so this has been a great semester in that sense.

I’ve also figured out that I definitely want to get into the computer science field, though I feel like this is something I knew subconsciously for quite some time. The only question now is whether I double major with CS and Economics, just major in CS, major in the CS & Math joint major, or major in the Electrical Engineering & CS joint major. Regardless, I’ve gotten enough requirements out of the way so that I can do any of the above by taking only four classes a semester from here on out, which will give me more time to pursue side projects and learn more applicable computer science knowledge, since Yale’s CS curriculum is concept-heavy.

But enough about my life, after all, this is a food blog, and you’re all probably hungry for some food pictures.

Including the featured photo up top, these above and below photos are from a lunch at Heirloom I had with Sarah and Jessica.

I ordered a New England chopped salad which came with an abundance of wheat berries and cider citronette dressing. The cranberries leaked sweet liquid essence upon the salad leaves, and the goat cheese embedded itself into every bite for a sophisticated layer of savoriness. The ingredients all appeared to be fresh, as not a single wilted green was found in the bowl.

I indulged in a bit of dessert, so although I’m not qualified to judge harshly on desserts because I rarely eat them, the apple caramel gelato successfully juggled a balancing act between sweet and salty, similar to the salad.

Heirloom can get quite pricey ($12-16 for an entrée), so it’s not completely worth the cost but you won’t leave with much regret unless you have an incredibly voracious appetite.

Heirloom at the Study Hotel
1157 Chapel St
New Haven, CT 06511
(203) 503-3919

So I just got back from Paris after finishing my 5-week course there, and I’m excited to be back. I’ll definitely miss a lot of aspects of Parisian life, but I also missed being in the U.S.

Even though French eating habits are currently evolving, the French eat differently than we do. Many of these French eating habits play a role in keeping their obesity rates lower than those in the U.S. For example, the French seem to dedicate time solely to eating, and they rarely eat outside of these times. They have a set breakfast, lunch, and dinner—breakfast usually being the smallest—and set aside time to sit at a table and enjoy the degustation of food. Most French people are not frequent snackers, and snacking remains a largely American habit. Oftentimes, dinners with my host mom would last up to two hours not because of the amount of food we ate but because of the conversation and slow-paced eating that occurred at the table.

Furthermore, the French seem to eat small amounts of food but with greater variety. Dinners with my host mom always consisted of an entrée, main plate, and cheese. She would also offer fruits as dessert. Throughout the course of dinner, I was able to taste a variety of textures and flavors and almost always left satisfied in terms of taste. I would never, however, leave the dinner table feeling “full.” Emotional satisfaction of eating without the copious amounts of calories likely plays a role in lowering average calorie consumption in France.

Ironically, the French diet consists heavily of fats and simple carbohydrates. My housemate and friend Bernardo often relied on a simple baguette and cheese for lunch, two French specialties. Baguettes always served as a vehicle or side accompaniment at dinner—though I myself did not divulge in this habit.

Parisians also have a habit of smoking. While in the U.S., smoking has diminished, Parisians believe smoking to be a la mode, or in fashion. Consequently, not a day went by without inadvertently inhaling second-hand smoke. Though smoking is inarguably detrimental to one’s health, and I do not at all recommend smoking, smoking does carry the side-effect of reducing appetite. That, coupled with a more active lifestyle attributed to biking and small portion sizes, the Parisians seem to stay slim.

The confit de canard, or duck confit, I had at Chartier exemplifies many of the French eating habits described above. The portion, though small, contains a lot of duck fat from the cooking process. To confit something means to immerse in a substance for flavoring, and in the case of duck confit, duck meat is cooked in its own fat along with seasonings. Fortunately, duck fat contains a higher percentage of mono and polyunsaturated fats, which one can use to somewhat justify eating duck confit.

The potatoes, though laden with simple carbs and covered in grease, tasted phenomenal. The seasonings were poignant, and the insides were cooked to perfection. Though flimsy and soggy, the potato skin provided a nice textural contrast. I donated all but one of those potatoes to my friends, since I also ate a steak tartare that night and only wanted a taste of the potatoes.

I love steak tartare. It has got the fresh, raw feeling of sashimi but the additional allure of it being made from livestock rather than seafood. The taste, though bland on its own, consists simply of salt and pepper, usually. Steak tartare generally consists of minced beef, usually from a cut such as strip steak, onions, capers, and a raw egg—all mixed together and formed into a fat cylinder.

This steak tartare was from Chartier, like the duck confit. Again, we see attributes of French cooking in steak tartare. The portion is small but rather fatty.

Chartier itself serves traditional French cuisine at a bargain price. It is definitely a must-visit for tourists as it gives off the traditional French brasserie vibe.

Chartier
7 rue du Faubourg Montmartre
75009 Paris
Neighborhood: 9ème
01 47 70 86 29

Paris:la ville de les lumières, a city with almost more three-Michelin star restaurants—18—than the entire United States, itself, and a quality baguette on every block.

It’s been nearly two weeks since my arrival here for a French language program, and I think I’ve gotten into the rhythm of life in Paris. Before, coming I planned on trying to keep as much of my routine as I could while modestly assimilating into Parisian society. What does that entail? A subscription to a gym so I can continue weight lifting, aiming for eight hours of sleep per night, continue eating healthy (unfortunately, that means no unlimited baguettes or cheese degustations), signing up for the public bike transportation system, and tasting (at least just once) French delicacies such as macaroons, crêpes, and foie gras.

Life in Paris with this program keeps me as busy as ever. Between classes, homework, and mandatory excursions (guided tours), I barely find time to fit in my workouts and independent exploration of Paris. Right now, my daily weekday schedule consists more or less like the following:

Beginning time or window of time. Activity.

• 6-7 a.m. Wake up. Do work.
• 10 a.m. Class.
• 1 p.m. Gym & Lunch/Snack.
• 2:30-3 p.m. Afternoon obligatory excursion with class, or, on some occasions when we don’t have any excursion, independent exploration of Paris.
• 3-6:30 p.m. Get home and work.
• 8 p.m. Dinner
• 9:30 p.m. Work.
• 10-12 p.m. Sleep.

After a workout, I always treat myself to a carb-heavy treat. Generally, that means buying a crêpe sucre—a sugared crêpe—a baguette, or other baked good. This is because I train fasted, and after a workout, the body needs carbohydrates to repair muscle and replenish glycogen stores. Simple carbs are great for a post-workout snack because the body processes them quickly and can use them as soon as possible. Even when not training fasted, it’s a good idea to get 20-50g of simple carbs into your system after your workout (Note: By workout, I mean something that requires high intensity bursts of energy such as sprinting or weightlifting. Those are the types of exercises that will almost exclusively deplete glycogen stores and require an elevated amount of muscle repair.)

This past Thursday, I visited a hip breakfast spot near my gym called Clause. The interior is blanketed in white; the countertops look spotless. A large, rectangular blackboard spans the left wall as you come in; it features the day’s specials and tells you what’s available. On the right are small, two-seat tables, and a shelf of packaged foods and baking supplies. In the far-right corner begins a staircase spiraling upwards to the main dining area. On the opposite corner, visible from the shop’s entrance is a linear staircase descending towards the kitchen. In between the two staircase stands an open-air refrigerator stand keeping the day’s freshly made sandwiches cool. By noon, the rack is nearly empty save for a couple sandwiches and fromage blanks.

Recently, I’ve grown a liking for muesli, which is sort of like granola except with very little sugar. My host mom had a box of muesli in the kitchen and within days, my friend Bernardo and I devoured the entire box after we discovered it. At Clause, which is known for its phenomenal breakfasts, I found a line of muesli and granola products by a brand called Mini Magoo’s. They produced hand-crafted muesli and granola with organic ingredients. Clause had samples of each muesli and granola type lying out, so after asking the cassier if I could try them, I did. The different types of muesli generally tasted and felt the same, only varying in the dried fruit featured in each one. There was a product called Fun Stuff which composed primarily of dried coconut shavings and definitely presents more sweetness and crunch than the muesli. Lastly, a granola/muesli mix I tried comprised of puffed rice cereal, rolled oats, and nuts.

I ended up buying muesli with dried blueberries. The ingredients list packs in a number of nutritious ingredients such as wheat flakes, rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, coconut shavings, and almonds. The last ingredient on the list is agave nectar, and rightly so because the muesli is far from sweet.

At the cash register, my eyes skittered across a large glass jar of dried figs. Figs have always been a mysterious fruit to me because I never had them much as a child. Whenever I saw pictures of them, the intricate details of the innards always fascinated—a deep red canvas stuffed with countless seeds. Whenever I ate fig, it was always merely a component of another dish, though the fig would unfailingly add a complexity to the dish through its herbal sweetness.

I asked to buy one fig even though they’re sold by the kilogram, and so the cashier grabbed a fig, wrapped it in a paper bag, and plopped it into my shopping bag along with the muesli. For a bit, I was confused because I expected him to weigh the fig. To my surprise, the cashier had decided to give me the fig gratuit—for free. Pleasantly shocked, I uttered an American “Thank you,” instead of a French “Merci, beaucoup,” and slipped out of the shop.

Through a stroke of willpower, I managed to save the fig until I got home, at which point, I savored every nibble of the organic delicacy. The sweetness of a fig does not resemble an outright, sour nor sugary flavor. There’s a subtle hint of herbal flavors and the sweetness seems like a mature version of a strawberry’s flavor.

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of sushi. I’ve eaten at numerous sushi buffets spanning across a couple states and stuffed myself to the brink of hospitalization each time. I’ve made faux tuna out of watermelon and even written a narrative for a food writing class at Yale about how I grew up afraid of sushi but came to love it.

To me, sushi balances a plethora of food qualities that you normally don’t see together except at high-end restaurants. Given small, traditional portion sizes, sushi tends to err on the healthy side, but it’s not a simple amalgamation of vegetables. Sushi provides delicate pieces of raw fish and presents them in an artistic, elegant manner. The variety of flavors can vary dramatically, letting the chef’s creativity shine, but the basis remains the same: raw fish bundled with extra ingredients wrapped in rice and nori. In America, sandwiches remain the iconic lunch food, but in Japan, sushi has a firm grasp of that role.

However, as much as I love sushi and appreciate its diversity, there’s a limit to how precisely my tongue can discern flavors or textures and my mind remember them. Perhaps it’s because I mainly eat at sushi buffets and always end up consuming more rolls than I can count, but I find it hard to come out of a sushi restaurant with a firm opinion on what roll was best and why it was so good. Throughout the course of dinner—or lunch—the variety of rolls all blend into similar flavor-texture profiles. There are crunchy rolls, sweet rolls, spicy rolls, and so on. When I dine at different sushi buffets or restaurants, the same phenomenon occurs and I stereotype sushi into these standardized flavor-texture profiles. Rarely do I come across a roll and say, “Wow, this is something different.” My reactions generally follow the lines of “Wow, this tastes great, but I can’t exactly say if it’s better than the roll I had at that other place.”

Miya’s Sushi helped me escape this “monotony”—if you could call it that. At Miya’s, you can find fresh, non-traditional sushi that combines ingredients you would never have suspected go well together—let alone, in a sushi roll. The chef/owner, Bun Lai, frequently catches fish used in the restaurant himself. I know this because I follow his Tumblr blog, through which he regularly posts today’s catch in the morning. By the evening, the fish or whatever edible that was caught is probably inside the bellies of several lucky diners. Lai strives to source ingredients locally when possible and keeps up with modern food trends. The chicken used in some of his rolls are organic, and he is currently in the process of transitioning rolls into gluten-free versions. The rice used in all of Miya’s rolls is a healthy amalgamation of brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, oat grains and flax seed. The complimentary miso soup oftentimes comprises of seaweed trapped a few miles from the restaurant, and the ginger, which is cut thick, includes traces of agave nectar. Miya’s, quite simply, is the healthy foodie’s mecca of sushi.

The menu spans a lengthy 20+ pages and can be made into a book. Many of the dishes, which oftentimes have bizarre names such as Romping With Goats or The Sky Is Falling, are detailed with a short back story behind its creation or other fun snippet. The Lost Tribe of Chiang Roll, for example, is said to have been created in honor of Rabbi Jim Ponet and “his incomparable wife, Elona.” The story behind each roll at Miya’s adds a sense of adventure and freshness to each bite, but when ingredients such as catfish, okra, american sharp cheddar cheese grits, spring onions, parsley, burnt chili pepper, and tomato salsa are thrown together into a singular roll, as is in the case of The Greatest Sushi South of the Mason-Dixon Line Roll, such introduction seems unnecessary.

Despite, or perhaps as a result of, its admirable goals and experimentation, Miya’s tends to be a love-it-or-hate-it phenomenon. Not everyone can stomach the brown rice, which tends to edge on the overcooked and sticky side. Not everyone can accept the taste of sweet sushi that has cheese in it, but with the level of innovation in sushi-making that occurs at Miya’s, it would be a shame not to give the place a shot or two.

Note: Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures of Miya’s more daring rolls at the moment, but if you go on their website or Lai’s Tumblr, you can find pictures of some of the more interesting creations.

Miya’s Sushi
68 Howe St
New Haven, CT 06511
(203) 777-9760

When you get to college, oftentimes, you’re bombard with numerous communities and organizations that want to consume your soul. They shower you with gifts and make promises of grand opportunities, but that all ends after freshman year. More often than not, the benefits drop stagnantly as soon as after the first month. One of the best programs I signed up for, however, is the Korean American Students at Yale’s (KASY) adopt-a-freshman program. Of course, I, along with my friend Jessica, were the freshmen to be “adopted” by two generous members of KASY, Sarah and James.

As a frame of reference, most cultural societies at Yale have a program like this where freshmen are adopted into a family, allowing them to ask upperclassmen questions and get a better feel for college. Other groups do the same. For example, Timothy Dwight college (TD), my housing community, has a similar program.

With my TD family, I shared two meals—one at a dining hall and another at a famous pizza restaurant. While the dining hall meal was free because I am on the dining plan, everyone who went to eat at the pizza restaurant split the bill. Note that my entire family didn’t actually go get pizza, about half of my TD family—three people—could make it. These meals were nice, informative, and fun, but they all occurred within the first couple months of school, and I haven’t gotten to know any of the people in my TD “family” well.

My KASY family, on the other hand, poses a completely different outcome. We’ve gone out for multiple meals at local restaurants—Thai Taste, Basil, Oaxaca Kitchen, and probably one other occasion I forgot. I’ve met up with my KASY sibling, Jessica, in New York City for a run and a meal. Jessica, James (the father in this family), and I surprised Sarah (the mom) with a late-night birthday cake on her birthday. James and Sarah—I couldn’t make it to this occasion—delivered Jessica food and gifts for her birthday. I received an iTunes gift card electronically over spring break for my birthday and Christmas. I could go on. Both Jessica and I are blessed to have ended up with such an awesome KASY family, and this KASY adopt-a-freshman program truly was one of the best, most-enduring perks of being a freshman.

Oaxaca Kitchen

The reason I bring up this story is because I want to quickly review a meal of Oaxaca Kitchen, which Sarah and I visited last week.

Sarah and I went on a quiet Sunday afternoon. There was only one or two tables occupied when we got there, and there are at least fifteen tables at Oaxaca Kitchen. The atmosphere feels festive, as the walls are peppered with aged cement, wood, and bricks. The lighting looks antique but not ancient. The place feels and looks like a cavernous bar, and I hope to come back during the night one day.

Once seated, the waitress brings to your table two small dip bowls made of soft wood. One contains salsa verde, and the other holds standard tomato salsa. Both are fairly homogenous, as there are no large chunks of tomato or any of the ingredients that compose the dips.

Oaxaca’s complimentary chips are triangular-shaped and are generously salted—not overly salted, however. The chips are somewhat thick, offering a nice crunch and stable support for the dips. While the salsa verde broke into a beautiful melody in my mother—the flavor shocking yet mild enough to discern its subtleties—the tomato salsa seemed rather standard. The tomato salsa lacked much kick and could use some spice and more salt.

Sarah and I both ordered the Mole rojo, which is a chicken mole. A mole is a type of Mexican sauce made from chili peppers, garlic, tomatoes, tomatillos, and other spices. The mole rojo actually included cocoa, which gave the sauce a fragile, yet present, bitter taste. The combinations of chili and chocolate flavors provided a unique experience in terms of taste, but the chicken breast, which sat doused in the mole sauce, edged on the overcooked side. The crust, although thick and crunchy, did not compensate for the dryness of the inside.

Alongside the mole rojo dish came two small, metallic bowls filled with fine pieces of Mexican rice and semi-pureed black beans. Both served a nice accompaniment to the mole sauce. The meal, overall, presented various flavors but few textures.

So after a long hiatus from cooking anything sous-vide, I broke out my portable constant temperature water bath and got to work. The reason I decided to cook chicken sous-vide rose more out of convenience than desire for the perfectly cooked chicken breast—though the latter certainly was an incentive. Knowing I would have to cook for myself this month, I stocked up on a ton of healthy ingredients: frozen chicken breasts, broccoli, spinach, romaine lettuce, red onions, garlic, blackberries, grapefruit, greek yogurt, whole-wheat tortillas, quinoa, fat-free feta cheese, peanut butter, agave nectar, and Peter Luger sauce (not really healthy, but it’s my favorite steak sauce).

Besides those ingredients, I have a handful of spices, such as red pepper and pure cocoa, and a few auxiliary “snack” foods—Kellogg’s FiberPlus snack bars, ProMax LS protein bars, Detour protein bars, and whey protein. By limiting your food choices to healthy ones, you’re bound to eat healthy. Getting fit and staying healthy occurs primarily in the kitchen, but if you dig deeper, it’s the grocery store aisle that makes up your diet, so shop only for healthy foods.

Frozen chicken breasts usually come individually sealed in a sous-vide wrap, which make them incredibly easy to cook sous-vide. I literally just flip a switch and through the pre-wrapped chicken breast into the water bath. One to two hours later, I take the chicken breast out and eat it—or, in most cases, pan sear it and prepare it as a part of a larger recipe. Now, don’t take this as a recommendation to buy frozen chicken breasts if you’re searching for the finest meal, but if you live a fast-paced lifestyle and don’t always have much time to cook, these pre-wrapped chicken breasts can be a lifesaver.

I decided to create a simple, protein-rich meal so only added sautéed red onions, lightly fried garlic, and reduced Peter Luger sauce. However, the possibilities are endless. After all, it’s a chicken breast.

Recipe: Simple, sous-vide chicken breast

• 10 oz chicken breast
• 0.5 red onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 0.5 tbsp olive oil (8 g)
• salt
• black pepper
• 2 tbps Peter Luger sauce

1. Set your constant temperature water bath to 142ºF. Once the water reaches 142ºF, drop the sous-vide chicken breast into the water bath. Wait between least 0.5 to 3 hours. Note: The exact time to leave your chicken breast in the water bath varies depending on the thickness of the breast. 1.5 inch chicken breasts will take 2 hours. 1 inch chicken breasts take 1.5 hours. Refer to this chart for exact times.
2. With about 20 minutes left before your chicken breasts are done. Dice the garlic with a generous pinch of salt sprinkled overtop.
3. Slice the onions into strips.
4. Toast the garlic on a pan with olive oil until the pieces start turning brown. Remember to let the pan and oil heat up first, before adding the garlic.
5. Remove garlic from pan. Throw in the red onions and a drizzle of olive oil. Sautée the onions lightly until slightly soft.
6. Remove red onions from pan.
7. By now, your chicken breasts should be fully cooked. Take them out of the sous-vide wrap and sear them on the pan. Remember to let the pan heat up again, and add more olive oil.
8. Each side will take about 1-3 minutes. When both sides are seared, pour Peter Luger sauce onto the pan and let it reduce/thicken.
9. Plate the Peter Luger sauce-covered chicken breasts, and top with sautéed reunions and garlic.

I’ve got to be honest. I don’t read many books. I’m the type of guy who spends hours on end reading articles on NYTimes.com or cozying up with an extended essay in The Atlantic or New Yorker. Long-form books are not really my type. I think I may have ADD because books can never hold my attention. Despite all that, I devoured Danny Meyer’s semi-autobiographical Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business during the past three weeks.

In Setting the Table, Meyer articulates not what makes him such a great restauranteur but a successful CEO of a food service company. Meyer, who brought us restaurants like Union Square Café, Shake Shack, and Eleven Madison Park, emphasizes the importance of hospitality when providing others a service or product. He divulges a handful of tenets, which, if followed correctly, can lead to a loyal following behind a brand and stable, long-term growth of business.

Meyer begins by describing his childhood and the early roots that formed his interest in food and goes all the way up to the opening of his restaurants in MoMA.Who is this book for?
I would suggest Setting the Table to those looking to enter the restaurant industry, whether it be as a waiter, manager, cook, or anyone else who helps make restaurants possible. I also think that Meyer’s book can serve as a guide to anyone looking to start a business or provide services or products to others. If there is any human interaction in what you do for a living, Meyer’s experiences can serve you well. His story certainly inspires. Meyer demonstrates that through a simple restaurant, one can raise over hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight hunger, ink a national television deal with American Express, revitalize dying neighborhoods, and even pen a New York Times bestseller.

Buy the book here:

I get asked a lot what molecular gastronomy, or modernist cuisine, is all about, but I think molecular gastronomy is one of those things you have to see, feel, and taste to truly understand. I can say that molecular gastronomy is the cross-section of science and cooking, where chefs apply techniques straight out of a chemist’s playbook to food, but when you really get down to it, nothing beats tasting and feeling the results of culinary experimentation.

I can still recall the anticipation I had leading up to my first watermelon caviar experiment. It was like experiencing college for the first time. I had no idea what to expect even though I read so much about it. The transformation of watermelon juice to watermelon caviar is magical. Little, if any, practical reason exists in creating caviar that has the taste of watermelon, but the fact that one can pull off such feat and create unique dishes that surprise people presents a form of art and entertainment itself. Techniques like spherification, though they have some scientific value, serve mainly a cultural landmark and fascination. As a society, we are infatuated with trying new things, and while the field of technology produces new products and innovations unfailingly, culinary innovations trickle in more slowly. When Ferran Àdria first presented the spherification technique, it was a revolution that thousands of others began copying—including myself.

A similar experience can be had for watermelon “tuna,” which, again, takes watermelon and presents it in new light. The texture changes, and no food serves as a precedent.

Making watermelon tuna does not present as much materialistic obstacles as watermelon caviar. One simply needs a vacuum sealer—which can be bought cheap at the local grocery store or Amazon.com—and watermelon. (Note: The prices of vacuum sealers vary a lot, from as low as $6.99 for a hand-pump sealer, to a mid-range FoodSaver for about $70. You can go even higher with industrial-grade chamber vacuum sealers, but those are generally out of the price range for most curious cooks).

Watermelon tuna, tastes undoubtedly like watermelon but takes on a curious texture. It maintain a little bit of the crunch originally in watermelon but becomes flexible and slimy—like tuna. A bite into watermelon tuna gives off the familiar crunch of an apple but yields with no resistance to the force of the bite. The experience of hearing a food crunch underneath your mouth yet feeling your teeth sink smoothly into watermelon tuna exceeds imagination. One must try the watermelon tuna for themselves to truly experience the excitement.

Recipe: Watermelon tuna

• Watermelon, cut into rectangular slabs like a steak
• Any liquid you may want to marinade your watermelon in

1. Freeze the marinade into small cubes—small enough to fit in a vacuum sealable bag with your watermelon
2. Place watermelon and frozen marinade into vacuum sealable bag.
3. Vacuum seal the bag and let sit for at least 12 hours. I probably wouldn’t let the bag sit for more than 48 hours.
4. Open the bag and serve. Note: You can sear your watermelon tuna for a caramelized flavor.

Create modernist sushi with this technique or, simply, a refreshing salad.

The first time I went to Yoyogi Sushi, I came in with great expectations. My friends raved about it. Local publications raved about it, and even Yelp garnered favorable reviews. However, a glance inside the cramped restaurant shot bouts of doubt throughout my body. There was minimal décor. The menu looked greasy and worn out, and the wooden tables offered just enough room to shuffle around.

An adventurous foodie knows that a restaurant’s atmosphere does not tell all about its fare, so I decided to give the place a chance. I waited in line, watching a line of chefs busily compiling orders, and by the time I got to the front of the line, I decided on a combination of tuna and yellowfin rolls. An energetic old lady shouted my order in the direction of the sushi bar, and I saw one of the sushi chefs beginning on my order. His hands moved quickly and methodically, and I could tell from the mechanical precision of his actions that the sushi chef carried years of experience under his uniform. Comforted by what seemed to be quality craftsmanship, I handed over my debit card to the old lady.

After ordering, I found a table, one of the few tables open, and sat down. Within minutes, my order arrived on a simple, white plate with monochrome floral designs in the corner. I stared delighted to find that the rice to fish ratio strongly favored fish. Though the plating looked uninspired, one bite of the tuna roll affirmed my decision to come. The fish gave away telltale signs of freshness as my mouth hacked away at it into little pieces. The rice mirrored in quality, providing a glutinous, sticky complement to the fish. Given the $6 price tag for two, six-piece rolls, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better deal anywhere.

Yoyogi also performs well in the department of specialized rolls. Their spider roll follows the trend of high filling to rice ratio, and the crispiness of deep-fried crab remains intact despite being in a roll. As with most speciality rolls, the spider roll offers a smorgasbord of flavors, mostly salty and savory but also with a tinge of sweetness.

Yoyogi Sushi lacks the creativity and frills of an avant-garde sushi restaurant, and they don’t clearly state their sourcing of fish, but Yoyogi offers what many working class members of society want—an affordable sushi joint that procures tasty rolls.

Hamilton came off as a strong personality, someone who is not afraid to voice her opinion and comfortable in her mannerisms. She laughed, she cursed, and she genuinely engaged in conversation. Despite her strong personality, Hamilton seems amicable, and I would not mind hanging out with and certainly not mind learning how to cook from her.

During the seventy-five minutes our class had with her, she answered questions directly and honestly. For example, when asked about food blogs, she told us that while she sometimes spends time reading them, she feels bad afterwards because that was time spent she could have used to do something more productive.

Here are the cliff notes of what I learned:

1. Hamilton keeps items on the Prune menu even if it’s not their most successful item.
2. School was like a vacation to Hamilton. Break from manual labor.
3. Hamilton was completely compliant with requests from friends and family who received pre-publish text of the book.
4. Seeing as Hamilton portrays her own flaws, she allows other people in her memoir to be flawed.
5. Hamilton doesn’t think time spent reading food blogs or watching food shows is time well spent.
6. Hamilton enjoys breakfast at Balthazar at 8 a.m.—before all the tourists get in—Peter Luger for steak, Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station, and Angel’s Share for a drink.

I talked to Hamilton one-on-one after the class discussion to get my book signed, and after I mentioned that I ran a food blog, a look of surprise ran across her face. “Were you offended by what I said about food blogs earlier,” she asked. “Not really,” I said sheepishly. “I understand what you mean. I used to read a lot of food blogs all the time, but it takes up a lot of time, and I definitely can’t do that during the school year.”

Hamilton asked me about Toastable, so I told her the link. I’m doubtful she’ll have the time to visit—or the desire—but it’s cool having been able to talk to such an accomplished person.

My friend Brian and I visited WD~50 this past Friday. It was my second visit to the place, and like I promised myself after my first visit, I ordered a la carte. As much as I enjoyed the tasting menu, the dishes were a tad bit too small for my comfort, and there was no way I was shelling out $140 on a meal.

Though we only ordered one dish each, the waiter treated us with a complimentary amuse-bouche of sashimi with yogurt spheres, jam, and these crunchy, caviar-sized balls. I wish I had taken notes, but I didn’t so that’s the most accurate description I can get in terms of what the amuse-bouche was. In terms of taste, the bite-sized dish lacked any strong flavors and instead carried a subtle herbal note from the jam. The dish, being cold, presented interesting texture combinations, such as the silkiness of sashimi and the crunchiness of those little caviar-sized balls, but the flavors leaned towards a blandness I was not expecting. In retrospect, the mild flavors and the cool temperature of the dish posed as a wonderful setup to our main dishes.

I ordered duck breast with black sesame dumplings, red cabbage, and parsnip consommé, while Brian ordered pork ribs with hush puppies, spaghetti squash, and red-eye gravy. The duck breast, unsurprisingly, was impeccably cooked—most likely cooked sous-vide. Each slice of duck breast had a quarter-inch layer of fat browned on one side. These delightfully shocked my taste buds with a robust grilled flavor and savoriness. Cabbage, if it could be cooked al dente, would be exemplified by the cabbage in this dish. The consommé provided a light and delicate base that wrapped all the flavors in the dish together. Perhaps the dish could use more flavors, and if I were to choose, I would modify the dumplings—make them more meaty, reduce the thickness of the skin, and make them larger.

Though I did not taste the pork rib dish, Brian admitted he was pleased with the dish. Lastly, the 3-piece meal ended with a unique spin on rice ‘krispy’ treats—a mild ice cream covered in a salty, caramel shell with crunchy, rice krispy pieces. These treats relied on a curious combination of sweet and salty, that captured my attention through indecision over whether the treats were more sweet or salty. Thus, Malcolm Livingston II, the pastry chef at WD~50, manages to strike a delicate balance of flavors that had both me and Brian heeling for more.

Some years ago, Yale College began hosting a cooking competition known as Final Cut. The premise is simple, a team from each residential college—there are twelve—compete to create an appetizer and entree in the span of one hour. The primary ingredients are known beforehand, and additional ingredients or equipment can be requested, with the limitation of having two butane burners. The winning takes home a cash prize and a handful of culinary goodies.

The Final Cut competition had been one of the events I had been looking forward to coming into college, so when the time came, I teamed up with two friends Jonathan and Angela. We managed to win the preliminary competition, allowing us to compete in the final competition against eleven other teams.

In the preliminary round, we managed to win by cooking a vichyssoise containing chicken, candied carrot, blueberry-infused celery, and croutons. Vichyssoise is a French potato and leek soup normally served cold, but due to limited time and resources, we served our vichyssoise hot. When I tasted the dish, an assortment of contrasting flavors and textures greeted me. Croutons added a much needed bite to the dish. Chicken played a savory overtone, and the candied carrots balanced the primarily salty dish with strong, caramel flavors

At the final competition, we conjured up an appetizer soup based on spicy Korean flavors with enoki mushrooms, stuffed mushrooms, and daikon radish. Our main dish consisted of a Korean BBQ foam-filled mozzarella balloon, baked cod, candied beet, candied carrots, and quinoa. In retrospect, I think the execution of our entree during the final competition lacked finesse. The mozzarella balloons were made ahead of time, so not only was the filling cold, the balloons themselves cooled. The quinoa sat unattended for a while, losing heat, and were a tad overcooked. We didn’t have time to blowtorch them either for an added layer of complexity. The beets, which we struggled with during practice sessions, never reached the softness I desired, but on the other hand, I think we did a great job with presentation, especially considering our limited practice runs. The cod turned out silky soft, and the flavor of the soup was spot on.

The whole competition was a great experience overall, and I’m hoping to go at it again next year. If you’re interested in making something similar to what we made at the competition, here are some recipes.

Korean yukejang
Mozzarella balloon
Korean BBQ

Photos by Brittany Stager of GroupTalk.

Like most people, I grew up fearful of sushi. The concept of eating uncooked meat seemed unnatural to me. The only explanation I could come up with is that eating raw fish was a sort of rite of passage to adulthood, like drinking alcohol is. After all, I rarely see anyone but adults and college students eat copious quantities of sushi, and we all know what else adults and college students do in copious amounts… Those times I saw a child bite into sushi, I would always ask my parents how that could be so.

Of course, as I grew older, I realized that raw fish was, in fact, not poisonous or inedible. I quickly learned that raw meat may be eaten too, if handled carefully. The first time I tried sushi was at a dinner party, and by the time I had my first bite, my curiosity as a foodie influenced many of my decisions. The first few pieces were refreshingly unfamiliar. The fresh, squishy feel of raw fish though not immediately enticing, won over my palate. I remember leaving with a strong desire to try more sushi.

My subsequent encounters with raw fish were what really cultivated my appreciation for sushi. There is a psychological phenomenon known as the exposure effect—the more one experiences something, the more that person likes that thing—so soon enough, I had visited numerous sushi restaurants and binged on sashimi until the point of vomit. Still, every time I sit down for sushi, my mouth waters and I try to eat as efficiently and gluttonously as possible.

I need not go over how healthy sushi and raw fish is for the human body because I have already, here.

Last year, in January, I visited a sushi restaurant in Boston, MA with a friend named Handson. This was also about the same time I began to get hooked on sushi, so having the excuse of eating out, I searched for a sushi restaurant. Fin’s, a Japanese sushi bar and grill, was conveniently located along the Charles, on the outskirts of Boston University’s campus and across the river from MIT, which is the reason I was in Boston in the first place. Sushi at Fin’s smells and tastes impeccably fresh—like the ocean. The rice to fish ratio balances precariously on the sweet-spot, and the portion sizes make it seem worth the money. Price-wise, Fin’s offers a great lunch deal, and were I a stably employed adult living in Boston, I would eat here every day.

Fin’s Sushi and Grill
636 Beacon St. (between Brookline Ave & Raleigh St)
Boston, MA 02215
(617) 267-8888

After watching Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, a few friends and I checked out the recently opened restaurant Cava Mezze Grill. This fast-casual joint spins of the success of Cava Mezze, a Greek tapas restaurant in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area which opened in 2006. Five years and an additional restaurant opening later, the three friends behind Cava Mezze decided to bring the taste of their upscale Greek cuisine to a more widely accessible platform.

The efficient, modern atmosphere of the Grill mirrors that of Chipotle. This is where you would grab lunch with virtually anyone, from the casual acquaintance to intimate friend. There’s a lot of brown inside—laminated wood chairs, wooden tables, unbleached napkins, and dark wall décor—just like Chipotle.

Most notably, you order food at the Grill like you would at Chipotle: you walk through an assembly line of ingredients, choosing a meat, dips, and various toppings; watch as your pita, or bowl, gets filled with delicious Greek ingredients; devour.

The Grill offers chicken, meatballs, lamb, or village sausage for choices of meat, but vegetarians can take comfort in the presence of falafel in the menu. The list of dips and spreads comprise of harissa, a feta mousse (Crazy Feta), hummus, tzatziki, and egg plant with red pepper. Toppings range from salad, cabbage, and tomatoes to feta, Kalamata olives, and basmati rice. For a bit more money, you can order some pita chips, seasonal soup, and Greek yogurt topped with an assortment of strawberries, blueberries, honey, granola, and walnuts.

I ordered a pita with Crazy Feta, chicken, tomato & onion salad, cabbage salad, lettuce, and Kalamata olives. The combination offered a range of textures, from the soothing, creamy Crazy Feta to the soft crunch of cabbage salad. I enjoyed the savory taste of chicken, which was marinated with a blend of Mediterranean ingredients, and the robust taste of Crazy Feta. My only complaint is that the Kalamata olives overpowers the taste of accompanying ingredients due to their saltiness.

Though the price of food at the Grill is only slightly cheaper than the price of food at Chipotle, portion sizes at the Grill are about 40% smaller. Still, for those keeping an eye on their waistlines, the smilers portion sizes are a blessing. For me, the pita packed a ton of taste but didn’t quite satisfy my hunger.

Having just finished my first semester of college and my first wave of finals, I have good reason for my month-long absence. After returning to school from Thanksgiving break, I trudged through one last week of classes, then studied for finals during the following week, and took my finals during the week after that. Needless to say, I had not found time to write until now. After finals, however, I booked the first train I could find to New York. After a much-needed day of respite at my mom’s, I went out to the city to meet some friends, Ashleigh, Dom, and Anh. We ate at Danji for lunch and Cafe Habana for dinner. Though, I feel like we should have done the reverse.

I’m lucky to have a mother who cooks well because the quality of her Korean cooking surpasses most Korean restaurants. In fact, the only reason I would eat Korean food out is to eat at Hangawi, which does not necessarily trump my mother’s cooking in quality but offers unique Korean dishes my mother has never attempted before—avocado bibimbap and portobello mushroom “bulgogi.”Danji

Still, I went against my gut because I wanted to eat healthy, and Korean food is generally healthy. The fare, though a bit too pricey for its portion sizes, would appease most Westerners and, perhaps, even those who have grown up on Korean food. In fact, Danji recently made it on Sam Sifton’s list of top ten new restaurants in 2011—it placed tenth. Danji also found itself on Adam Platt’s top 101 restaurants in New York, placing 97th. Making it onto the radar by two prolific food critics in its first year is quite the accomplishment, especially considering how Danji is not the brainchild of a big-name chef.

The small, cozy restaurant offers a short list of items to order from. They have most of the Korean staples down, such as bibimbap and bulgogi, but they also offer some traditional Korean foods with a modern reinterpretation. For example, bulgogi is served as sliders.

I ordered a beef daikon soup, which comes in two sizes—small or large. At first, the bowl looks like it’s filled with nothing but liquid and a few sprigs of spring onion, but a little stirring unearths silky soft, rectangular sticks of tofu and minced pieces of meat. The warmth of the broth makes you want to grab the bowl and walk along the streets of New York.

Ashleigh ordered the spicy pork noodles, which are called bibim guksoo on their menu. The description comprises of words such as kimchi and bacon, but the dish has no kimchi in it, just the flavor of kimchi. Still, the noodles garnered only favorable words.

Anh ordered a box set, which Danji refers to as dup-bop set menus. The set menus come with two “side dishes”, the soup of the day, and rice with meat. The set menu side dishes are impeccably small, but considering the size of a normal dish, I was not surprised.

Dom, another friend of mine, ordered a small snack—the veggie dumplings. Danji’s dumplings look and feel like they came straight out of a deep fryer. They’re piping hot and have a crustacean shell. The filling does not clump together like some poorly made dumplings, but they are pretty standard in terms of taste.

Cafe Habana

After spending the day in SoHo, we stumbled across an old diner that looked like it could appear on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Drives. However, a Yelp search revealed only a stellar past—four stars and over 1,400 reviews—and after seeing a record like that, we didn’t think the place would disappoint.

The interior is rather plain if not funky: simple blue, booth seats, white-washed walls, and tropical paintings touting the restaurant’s name. Food at Cafe Habana follows a similar style, simple and perhaps a bit funky, but it works.

You won’t find any fanciful, creative dishes at Cafe Habana, but the portions are well-sized, and the food satisfies. This place is by no means foodie heaven, but if you’re looking for a quick bite or a casual meal, Cafe Habana’s convenient location next to SoHo’s shopping district makes the restaurant a great place for sustenance.

Danji
346 W 52nd St (between 8th Ave & 9th Ave)
New York, NY 10019
(212) 586-2880

Café Habana
17 Prince St (between Elizabeth St & Mott St)
New York, NY 10012
(212) 625-2001

College has changed my view on money. By that, I mean I’ve become a lot less stringent about the little things, $8 sandwich, $2 coffee, and other similar purchases. I bought my cousin a buffalo chicken sandwich called ‘Wenzel’ a few weeks ago when he came to visit, and after handing him the sandwich, he offered to pay me. During high school, I would have asked out of formalities, “You sure?”, and proceeded to let him pay. Instead, I told him that he had already spent an exorbitant amount of money on cab rides that weekend and the sandwich was on me. I brushed it off and didn’t give a second thought to my actions. I would not say that I am less frugal, though. I still am. I search for the cheapest deals on Amazon, forgo buying items unless I really need them, and take advantage of free meal swipes every weekend, but around friends, I’m a bit more loose with my change. I don’t mind spending money on overpriced breakfast sandwiches if it means I get to go eat with a friend while sharing a mutual frustration over the price of such sandwich. It’s liberating not having to feel a pang of regret after buying some food that I could have otherwise obtained for free at home.

Trattoria Trecolori

Speaking of overpriced food, I ate at a New York City restaurant called Trattoria Trecolori while visiting my friend Brian at Columbia. I realize though, that practically everything in New York City is overpriced. The Chipotle burritos in Manhattan cost nearly a dollar more than those in suburban Maryland, and they taste the same. I’m biased because I’m not a fan of seafood besides salmon, mackerel, scallops, and anchovies, but Trattoria Trecolori’s menu could use some smaller numbers.

I ordered a risotto with various seafoods incorporated into the mix, and though the fare was okay, I couldn’t help but think about the scallop risotto dish at Cava Mezze I had months earlier. It was cheaper and tastier.

Brian and I also shared an $18 appetizer consisting of clam, shrimp, mushrooms, and eggplant. While the eggplant and mushroom pieces were tasty to gnaw on, the price was a bit too high. I didn’t try the clam, but Brian liked them.

Brian ordered a linguine with clam dish. Simple, but I bet it was refreshingly good.

Locanda Verde

This quaint, high-class restaurant by Andrew Carmellini is a favorite of mine. I love the brunch there—admittedly, I’ve only been to Locanda Verde during brunch hours. Carmellini’s sheep’s milk ricotta with toast transformed my view of what simple ricotta cheese and bread could achieve. The thick, creamy cheese mirrors the texture of Greek yogurt and juggles both sweet and salty. The toast, with its warm, white center and tinged crust, fits perfectly with the ricotta cheese. See my previous, more ornate description below:

Embodying the texture of whipped cream cheese, Carmellini’s ricotta served an addictive accompaniment to toast. Light, truffle honey lay drizzled over the ricotta, and rosemary sprigs graced atop cloud-white cheese. The trio packed a synchronous punch to my taste buds, achieving perfect balance between sweet, savory, and fragrant.The burnt orange toast itself could anchor as a stellar dish. With a crunchy, charred crust invoking robust aromas and an interior soft as plush, Carmellini’s toast certainly does not come from an ordinary toaster oven. A dab of salted butter closes the deal, further elevating flavor profile and winning an uncontested spot as one of my all-time favorite dishes.

I tried a couple new dishes at Locanda Verde this time, the polenta waffle and zucchini frittata. Both continued reflected Carmellini’s extraordinary talent at conjuring up a modern, comforting brunch. The frittata, far from dry, was set to perfection and featured crescendos of buttery, salty flavor from the basil-infused goat cheese topping. Carmellini’s waffle batter resulted in the most delicate, fluffy waffle that succumbed easily to pressure. Though the inside was light as a croissant, the waffle’s outer shell maintained crispiness. Topped with cubed apples and syrup, the waffle left me reminiscing in childhood mornings where I would eat waffles at a dinky diner.

Note: See my earlier review of Locanda Verde.

Miya’s Sushi

Last but certainly not least, my friend LeRoy brought me to a New Haven restaurant called Miya’s Sushi. The place has won numerous accolades for its food and sustainability practices. Miya’s makes sushi using brown rice and focuses on serving only locally obtained fish. Their principles about food align with mine, which makes dining there a great experience. Honestly, I forgot which dishes I ordered, but they certainly were definitely satisfying. Miya’s runs a little shy on the raw fish to rice ratio—needs more raw fish—but the food tastes great nonetheless. Miya’s also produces unique slices of ginger; they’re thicker than normal ones and have a sweeter flavor.

Trattoria Trecolori
254 W 47th St
New York, NY 10019
(212) 997-4540

Locanda Verde
377 Greenwich St (between Franklin St & Moore St)
New York, NY 10013
(212) 925-3797

Miya’s Sushi
68 Howe St
New Haven, CT 06511
(203) 777-9760

There’s only so much you can do with mozzarella cheese. There’s pizza, salads, and sandwiches, but the role of mozzarella in these foods is essentially the same. Mozzarella serves as an addition to a larger entity. Mozzarella sticks are different in that they serve as the primary component of a food, but what if mozzarella served as a vehicle or base for other flavors? What if, in the case of mozzarella sticks, instead of the breading acting as a shell for mozzarella, the mozzarella acted as a shell for other flavors.

Mozzarella balloons address this concept in that you can create a “balloon” made of mozzarella and fill it up with any flavored foams you want. Foam is an aerated liquid which usually includes some fats—which are necessary for the stability of the foam. Foods like whipped cream are foams, but foams do not necessarily have to be sweet, e.g. Easy Cheese. Nor do they have to be a product of the food processing industry.

For my first mozzarella balloon, I made a thickened tomato-balsamic liquid to pair with the mozzarella cheese for a modernist take on the classic caprese salad dish. The flavors resounded well, with mozzarella playing a minor role and the tomato-balsamic flavors stealing the show.

It’s simple to make mozzarella balloons provided you have a cream whipper like this one. You can even use mozzarella string cheese to make the balloons.

Recipe: Mozzarella Balloon

Makes one

• 0.5 inch-radius ball of mozzarella cheese, about 28g
• thickened, flavored liquid (this is what goes in the mozzarella balloon)

1. Fill cream whipper with however much flavored liquid is appropriate. My cream whipper takes up to 0.5 liters, so I fill it up to that amount.
2. Microwave mozzarella ball for about 10 seconds or until soft and pliable. The mozzarella should be very hot, almost a bit too hot to handle. Alternatively, you can heat up the mozzarella ball in a water bath.
3. Wrap mozzarella ball around the dispensing tip of the cream whipper so that all expelled foam will be caught or surrounded by mozzarella heese. li>

4. Slowly dispense foam from cream whipper until the mozzarella balloon forms.
5. Carefully remove the mozzarella filled with foam from the tip, making sure no foam escapes. Close off the open end by twirling the end or pinching it in.

Ever since I started college a couple months ago, I’ve been trying to find a routine, one that will allow me to post on Toastable on a weekly basis. I have yet to find that routine, but I can feel it inching closer and closer. With my first set of midterms over, and more than halfway through my first semester, I’ve gotten a better feel for how to structure my time. (Tip: Don’t go out twice a weekend, every weekend.)

Regardless, I’ve had an amazing experience with food thus far—excluding my rapidly deadening tastes for dining hall food. I’ve taken food photos for the Yale Daily News, joined Yale’s only undergraduate food publication Yale Epicurean, found out that Yale libraries carry Modernist Cuisine—my friend checked it out, and now, I have it on hold—ate at a handful of restaurants, and attempted to make molecular cocktails.

While I can’t delve into everything right now, but here’s a collection of food photos I took while in New Haven. Among them are New Haven establishments such as Pepe’s, Zaroka, Caseus Cheese Trucks, and more.