You are currently browsing the archives for November 2009.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 entries.

chocolate class

  • Posted on November 21, 2009 at 7:57 pm

I just reserved a seat at the “chocolate truffles and treats” class at the International Culinary Center in February!!  They had offered it in Sept but I didn’t reserve in time. I’m so glad that I decided to have another look today and see if they were offering it again. I’ve always wanted to learn more about working with and making my own chocolates. Now I can justify asking for at least one of the chocolate books for the holidays this year. I just need to decide which one.

I also ordered a book from Amazon today on macarons, not the coconut ones but the French cookies, colorful and jammy.

Really should talk to my brother about both the above, too. I’m sure he’d have info on the chocolates for certain, if not the macarons as well. And Joe at Plucky.

Yay for doing something for me! And major thanks to the Husband for encouraging me to do so.

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Testing

  • Posted on November 15, 2009 at 8:19 pm

Testing the new wordpress for iPhone app

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a lovely day off

  • Posted on November 14, 2009 at 1:56 pm

Today was Veteran’s Day so I had the day off. I had arranged to have lunch with the girls from my previous job who I’ve actually missed rather much. It was good to see them and catch up. Hopefully we’ll get to do so again soon when some of the missing can make it.

After lunch I made my way over to the new Trader Joe’s in Princeton. Oh, lordy. It’s a good thing it’s not closer or I would be there all the time. There were just so many things I wanted to try, it was very hard to restrain myself. Especially with tomorrow being the Husband’s birthday. So for dinner tonight I picked up a refrigerated chicken parm (which he likes) and brussell sprouts au gratin (which we were not crazy about). I also got some of their version of oreo’s, dark chocolate marshmallow creams, as well as mochi in mango and green tea. The mango mochi is just outrageously good, like worth-the-trip good. We haven’t tried the green tea yet, but both other snacks got a resounding yummy. As did some of the thinnest lemon cookies. I picked up a chicken pot pie and a sesame chicken noodle bowl to stash in the freezer for emergency meals for the Husband. I got myself a curry bowl, vegan pad thai, and a shrimp ettouffe. I want to start bringing lunch one or two days a week, both for cost and nutritional reasons.

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more chocolates etc

  • Posted on November 9, 2009 at 10:35 pm

I totally spaced and didn’t get to Li-Lac today, so Jacques Torres it is. A medium assorted box and some orange peels. Will be delivered on Thursday.

Had to turn down an invitation from mom for brunch on Sunday. After this dinner, I doubt we’ll be in much shape to go anywhere on Sunday- though Scotty joked that we’d have to come in, for the hair of the dog from the night before.

So much work to get done this week, I know I’ll end up having to do some on Sunday. The price I have to pay, I suppose. There’s always more work to be done; I can never seem to find or have enough time to get it all done. It’s part of the reason I end up staying so late- I can only really start working without interruption after 4. Gotta remember to ask about working in Piscataway data center- now that would be convenient in the winter.

I can’t wait for this weekend!

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birthday chocolates

  • Posted on November 8, 2009 at 5:59 pm

The Husband and I have birthday’s a day apart, plus we moved in together on our birthday’s as well, so we have a tradition of having a real celebration each year, with two notable items, a fabulous meal with friends, and gourmet chocolates. We also have some very dear friends who are also foodies, and he shares my birthday as well so for the last three years they have been a delightful part of the celebration.

This year’s dinner will be at elements, and just the four of us. We were unable to get the table in the kitchen so we’ll be in the cube instead, which may be even better. I don’t know if we’re going to do a tasting menu, though I suspect so.

I’ve been having a problem with the chocolates. It has to be something just fabulous, since that’s as close to presents as we’re getting (which is just fine, really). Last year I got a custom box from CocoaBella, and I could certainly go that route again this year, but I wanted something different. I started at Vosges this year, since they have the applewood bacon chocolate bar. in a mini size. I got a 4 piece caramel assortment and a box of their holiday bonbon collection. But no chocolate covered orange peels. No matter what else I get for the birthday chocolates, there’s always a small box of orange peels for me. Yum! Jacques Torres has orange peels, and truffles too. Li-Lac has an outlet in Grand Central, where I’ll be tomorrow so I may see what they have.

http://gateauetganache.com/ was recommended by Annie, and they looked pretty good too, perhaps when they have different marshmallow flavors. I’ve got to remember where I ordered the macaroons from last year, too.

I’m still trying to figure out what we’ll be doing for dinner on Thursday night for the Husband’s birthday and Friday night for mine. Perhaps for his we’ll get take out sushi. For mine, I’m still working on options for that. I’m not working that day, though I do have things to do in the morning and will probably need to do a bit of work that day, so we should be able to get an early dinner wherever we’d like. Just need to decide where that should be.

http://www.woodhousechocolate.com/  need to remember this one too

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dinner and a show and a party

  • Posted on November 1, 2009 at 11:31 pm

At some point months ago, I had gotten us tickets to see Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank. We had front row balcony seats on the aisle. I had made reservations at one restaurant which we ended up canceling at the last minute and getting another reservation at the restaurant literally down the block from the theater, Buona Sera. I was a little leary of the place, even though it got good reviews. You’re always worried that they get by on being so close to the venue and serving passable food. I have to say that though it was crowded and noisy, the service and the food were outstanding. The cocktails were rather potent, but tasty, though a little expensive at $12 each. I started with a half order of fried calamari. I never order it any more but I thought a half order couldn’t be too much of a disappointment. This was light and crispy, neither chewy nor greasy, served with a very simple and tasty marinara sauce. This was calamari made right. For my entree I had zuppa de pesce- shrimp, scallops, Lobster Tail, Mussels, Clams & Calamari. Again, the seafood was perfectly executed, with everything in a spicy sauce.  The Husband had goat cheese wrapped in prosciutto which he proclaimed some of the best he ever had. He then had a filet mignon (slightly closer to well than medium) topped with Gorgonzola, served with port wine demi glace as well as a crab cake. For dessert I had a carrot cake, individual servings, and the Husband had cheesecake. I think New York style.  Dinner was a tad expensive, but not unreasonably so for what we got. It was certainly an enjoyable meal and we’d both gladly go back.

The show was great, but the venue was crowded and incredibly warm, even for me, so we left at intermission.

The following afternoon my mother threw a surprise party for my step-father’s 75th birthday. We picked up the cakes that morning, both white cakes with whipped cream, one with cherries, one with chocolate pudding. Both were very tasty, at least for most people. She had it catered, it was lovely. And we got to bring leftovers home for dinner that night! The first of two weekends of family time…

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M-i-L’s birthday weekend

  • Posted on November 1, 2009 at 11:15 pm

This is probably the easiest way to catch up on the big things. Work doesn’t change much- it continues to be crazy and I don’t particularly like it, but that’s what it is for right now. There’s potential for me to be able to get at least get my feet wet with a small project soon that would be a nice change of pace in the direction I want to be going in so we’ll see what happens. I’m not holding my breath for anything.

Mom-in-law’s birthday was a week ago today, so last Sunday. We went over to their house for brunch to celebrate with her and had a lovely afternoon. We brought some salads from Harolds and some black and white cookies for dessert. She brought out her just incredible collection of jewelry and we went through most every piece and she told us the history of it, the story behind it. She was kind and generous  enough to bestow upon me the most incredible gift of his grandmother’s favorite pendant. Even in the short time I was lucky enough to know her, I knew how much that meant to her so to be gifted with this was almost overwhelming, for both of us.

All in all, it was a lovely day of family time.

I still have at least one more weekend to catch up on, but I’ve got to get off to bed now. This change of the clocks in just awfully hard for me to adjust to. This year with the weather already being so cold, it’s not going to make it easier. I need to make it out of the office at least a couple of days a week for lunch, just to get a few minutes of sunshine.

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Halloween weekend

  • Posted on November 1, 2009 at 10:33 pm

The short story is that work is hell and doesn’t leave me time or brainpower for anything else during the week and the weekends have been busy too. I’m going to try and do this in reverse order to catch up.

This past weekend was Halloween, one of my favorite holidays. We didn’t decorate the house this year, I’m not sure why other than neither of us was really is a state to fuss with it. Plus time is moving too quickly. I can’t believe it’s November already, and that we’ve changed the clocks. It was dark by like 6 tonight. Ugh. Today we drove up to Woodstock to see a friend and enjoy the drive of watching the leaves change. Next time we have to plan for something to eat along the way. On the way out of town we passed a caviar store, of all things, so this time we had to stop and have a look around. I bought the Husband some salmon caviar and some gravlox. I’m sure he’ll have some of that for brunch tomorrow with fresh bagels from the bagel store that opened up down the road. By the time they got there today they were out of bagels and already really closed. Yesterday we drove all over Long Island before going to Jason’s Halloween party. We got to drive through the old neighborhood and see the house he grew up in, the places he traveled. We also  drove over the bridge to the beach and got to see the moon over the water which was pretty cool. Before the party we had some Japanese food delivered for dinner with Jason and Dawn. It was rather tasty and we were rather hungry, having not eaten much of anything all day. We left fairly early as the apartment was warm and it was starting to rain so we figured to try and beat the storm. But that’s why we had gotten there early, so we’d have time to hang with Jas before every one else showed up. Need to get him out here to visit.

Lots of time in the car this weekend. It’s a very comfortable ride, and I truly appreciate that, but it was still a lot of hours.

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