Living in New York City has advantages and disadvantages. But people who move to New York and choose to stay, even after the reality of the high cost of living sets in, can reap the benefits of living in a global city. Living in the city may mean that you can’t save enough money to travel the world, but it doesn’t hurt so badly once you realize that the world is only one subway ride away.
"What's the difference between a Macaroon and a Macaron?"
An "O," I said, as my coworker raised his eyebrows at my less than satisfying answer. So I asked another coworker to Google Macaron vs. Macaroon and it turns out that a lot of people don't know what the difference is. My favorite illustration was the one with the macaron dressed in a black beret and mustache juxtaposed with a coconut macaroon. In short, macaron (long O) is a delicate French cookie sandwich.
I have to admit that when I was asked to write a piece around Valentine's Day, I did roll my eyes a bit. Well, since I received this request over email, it was probably a rather large eye-roll. It was the same eye-roll that accompanied the moment when I got to the, "You complete me," line in the movie Jerry Maguire.
This year I will have the good fortune of being with my family around Chinese New Year, which is celebrated for up to two weeks after the lunar New Year. Naturally, a whole lot of food is involved with this. Traditionally, the big New Year’s dinner has to happen on the eve of the New Year. I will miss this part with my family, but my mother will send me pictures of the family dinner, I’m sure. There will be plentiful dishes of dumplings, rice, noodles, meats, seafood, tofu, and vegetables, making sure to have food left over to signify abundance in the coming year. With a small circle of friends that represent family to me in New York, I have come up with a way to maximize the food, friends, and family.
Regardless of how commercial Christmas gets, I will always love Christmas. Even though I can do without the retail craziness that the holiday season has become, I have always loved spreading Christmas cheer. The religious significance remains important to me today but I have always enjoyed the activities that go along with it: decorating the Christmas tree, getting presents, giving presents, wrapping presents. I would always watch A Charlie Brown Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, and It's a Wonderful Life. I also consumed more baked goods around Christmas time than any other time of year.
With the holidays coming, I became increasingly nostalgic for Thanksgiving with my family. It is just not feasible to fly cross country for a few days, even if I can get the days off of work. Because I happen to be holding down a retail job, holidays are the busiest time of year and difficult to request off. Not to mention that airfare the week of Thanksgiving is noticeably higher than the rest of the year. At least in New York, however, I’m still in my home country.
Pumpkin has become synonymous with October. Besides being a term of endearment, pumpkin can morph into a pastry or a pie, sweet or savory entrees, a drink or a dessert. It seems like any eating establishment that wants to stay up to date is offering a pumpkin treat of some sort. Even my local Vietnamese sandwich shop is offering a seasonal Pumpkin Spice café au lait!
Dominique Ansel’s creation of the Cronut has not just New York, but pretty much the whole world, buzzing about this croissant/donut hybrid. Since the Cronut is trademarked, copycats have sprung up all around including the Zonuts, Frissants, Dossants, Cro-Nots, Dough'Ssants. If you haven’t heard of the Cronut, here’s the condensed version of the hype.
Asian desserts are generally less sweet and rich than their American and European counterparts. That means they contain less guilt as well! The recipes call for less sugar, little to no butter, and are often flavored with naturally sweet starches like red and green beans. Summertime treats are also lighter than the average popsicle and ice cream bar.
A viral video known as the Harlem Shake and a new diner opening up in Harlem by the very same name is a coincidence? Not according to the owner, Jelena Pasic, as quoted in the New York Times. She had the name picked out for her new burger joint before the Harlem Shake video went viral. But the timing could not have been better as she rolled out publicity for this super hip, retro diner on the corner of 124th and Lenox. Harlem Shake first caught my eye in a Tasting Table newsletter, but then snagged my attention in a subsequent Pure Wow newsletter. They had me at Red Velvet Shake.
