Keep Calm and Carry On: The Diary of Foodie and Gourmet

So, before the semester got too crazy, I thought I would indulge myself with an evening of culture. I really enjoy the theater and I love Shakespeare, so when I learned that the National Theater Live was screening Coriolanus , I jumped at the opportunity to see this production! For those who may not be familiar, NT Live is a great organization that screens British plays, via cinemas, all over the world. It is an amazing and wonderful system and I am so thankful that it exists! Moreover, since screening venues are limited, I am super lucky that NYU's Skirball Theater is a designated venue for NT Live events! The first NT Live I saw at NYU Skirball was Danny Boyle's critically acclaimed adaptation of Frankenstein , starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller. This visually astounding and groundbreaking stage adaptation of Mary Shelley's haunting tale is unique in many ways, but it's most distinguishing feature was probably the nightly alternating of the le

Don't ask me why, but recently, I've been craving spaghetti bolognese. Not sure why, but it has been on my mind. With no recipe immediately available to me, I took to the internet to search. I'm sure that there are many wonderful bolognese recipes out there, in fact, some of you reading my blog may have special family recipes, but for my craving, I turn to one man: Gordon Ramsay. We all know I idolize him. He is my favorite and he has never let me down yet. I was delighted to find that my main man Gordon has a bolognese recipe. Not only did he have a recipe, it was super easy and fast --- perfect for a busy student. It seems Gordon cooked this recipe on one of his shows, so there was a youtube video and everything! I studied, bought my groceries, and was ready to go. Now, whilst the recipe I've written here is pretty much based on Gordon Ramsay, I've made some modifications. For example, instead of beef, I used a healthier ground chicken option. Good graci

Last month, my best friend (E) and I ventured out into the outskirts of Willamsburg to try a new restaurant called "Shalom Japan." We are always looking for new places to try and this establishment peaked our interest. Why? Because it is Jewish-Japanese fusion…basically, me on a plate! I've heard of all sorts of cuisine fusions, but this was certainly a first. I'll admit, Shalom Japan is not necessarily in the nicest of neighborhoods and it's not not a busy street. E and I were a bit nervous that we'd gone the wrong way, but eventually, we found the place. The restaurant is quite small, but homey. It's got wood tables/chairs and the building is brick. The atmosphere is very laid back and nice. So far, so good.  I was really intrigued by the menu. I was familiar with all of the ingredients, but was truly impressed by how they were incorporated into Jewish dishes. For example, the sake kasu challah.  I LOOOOOOVE challah. If I had no self contr

Happy Purim, everybody! For those who are not familiar with Purim, this is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the success of Queen Esther (who was Jewish and married to King Ahasuerus) over Haman, the royal vizier ,  who conspired to kill the Jews living within the ancient Persian Empire.  I'll admit now, despite having a Jewish father, I never really grew up learning about Judaism. Since my mother is not Jewish, according the Judaism, I am not considered Jewish…so I guess that's my excuse.  Sure, I know about Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, Passover, Hannukah…the main holidays, but we never went/go to temple and we don't really celebrate the Jewish holidays. That said, I LOVE hamentashens and I know that hamentashens are a Purim treat.  These delicious little cookies are filled with a jammy center (or finely chopped dried fruit center, in the case of my recipe) and they are meant to symbolize Hamen's triangular shaped hat. I may not know much about Purim, but I kno