“If you’re baking a cake and you buy store bought icing, you can whip that icing in a mixer and get four times as much icing as there was initially in the container.”
Tim Hortons & Nutella
Tim Hortons has partnered with Nutella! The items in question? Chocolate-hazelnut doughnuts and Nutella pastry pockets. I tried the doughnut and truthfully? It's way too sweet. And coming from me, I think that really says something. And the Nutella isn't really displaced very well - there's just a blob of it in the center. What's with that?
The pastry pocket (shown above), though? Such a delight. The perfect amount of Nutella is in that baby. Definitely get that one the next time you're in the mood.
They're both available all summer until August 30th.
Chia Seed Pudding
I can't tell you how much I love eating this pudding for breakfast - and it's not even bad for you (as long as you go easy on the maple syrup)!
Ingredients
- 1 cup vanilla-flavoured unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt (or whatever yogurt tastes good to you)
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, plus 2 teaspoons for serving
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1 pint strawberries, hulled and chopped
- Raw pecan pieces
Directions
- In a medium bowl, gently whisk the almond milk, yogurt, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, the vanilla and a pinch of salt until just blended. Whisk in the chia seeds; let stand 30 minutes. Stir to distribute the seeds if they have settled. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, in a medium bowl, toss the berries with the remaining 2 teaspoons maple syrup. Mix in the pecan pieces.
- Spoon the pudding into bowls or glasses; mound the berry mixture on top and serve.
This recipe has been adapted slightly from Food Network.
Barbetta in NYC
Barbetta, having celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2006, is the oldest restaurant in New York that is still owned by the family that founded it. I went here recently with Harmeet mainly because of the fact that they list their menu items with the year that they were first introduced at the restaurant. Is it just me or is that neat as hell?
I mean... that's fucking cool.
Not only was the food fantastic, but our waiter was the best. We couldn't decide on what to get for dessert, so he literally brought us two different desserts each (the panna cotta was the very best, in my opinion).
Also? There's no music in the restaurant. I looked into why this is and it's because they didn't have a sound system when they first opened (obviously) and they decided they didn't need one as the years went on. There's something so strange and nice about only hearing people speak inside a restaurant, it was definitely foreign - but a welcome kind of foreign.
Go!
Butlers Chocolate
Are you aware that North Americans don't know a damn thing about how to properly make real hot chocolate? I've never really given it a lot of thought, but it is kind of strange that we're so comfortable using mysterious powdered substances to mix into water or milk. What the hell is in that powder? And why did I not ask that question sooner?
Look at how these Irish geniuses are doing things.
Full Disclosure: I treated half of these Butlers chocolates like regular chocolates and just ate them whole since they were so decadent - but the other ones that I used for actual hot chocolate? My fuck. I don't know how to accurately describe how insanely good it tasted.
I got these as a birthday gift from my friend Andrew who lives in Ireland (thankyouthankyouthankyou, Andrew!) and Butlers has even open chocolate cafes that sell their products exclusively. So if you're ever in and around Dublin (or Cork, Galway, New Zealand, Karachi, Lahore, Pakistan or London), you'd be doing yourself a disservice not to go and try them out for yourself.
Sidenote: Happy Birthday, Mom! There's no one in the world I love more than you. You do everything for everyone and I hope today was lovely as hell. Love you a stupid amount.
Le Train Bleu
There's a restaurant hidden in Bloomingdale's (on the sixth floor, to be exact) and it RESEMBLES AN OLD-FASHIONED TRAIN CAR!
There's even an overhead compartment for your purse! Is it just me or is this place adorable? I'm a little shocked that I've lived in New York for as long as I have without knowing about it.
To be quite honest, the food was just okay. But honestly, the fact that it wasn't terrible is the reason that I'd want to come back here. Does that make sense? The really great part about the whole place is, obviously, the surroundings. I was also struck by how quiet it was - in a good way. It's kind of nice to know that this little tucked away spot is still a bit of a secret in this city. Definitely the kind of restaurant I'd want to take my parents to if they came to visit me. The next time you're near Bloomingdale's, you should definitely check it out.
*UPDATE: it closed in 2018! Noooooo!
The Best Burrata I've Ever Had
Di Palo's is an Italian specialty foods store located just east of Soho and Little Italy in NYC. And if you've ever been overly (or even slightly) into meats and/or cheeses, this is the only place in this city that you have to visit.
I'm kind of thankful that I only discovered this place recently since, well, I have gluttonous tendencies at times. I've tried a few of their cheeses (if you've got a nice face, they'll offer you samples of whatever they're slicing for other customers) and they're insane tasting. And the pepperoni? My god.
But the biggest winner here? Their burrata. It's better than any burrata I've had at any restaurant in this city. (Do you know what a big statement that is to make?)
How do they get it so creamy on the inside but so sturdy on the outside? I can only assume it's magic. And it's under $10, which is madness. If you visit me in the next few years, this will be the first stop we make together whether you like it or not.
Best cheese OF LIFE.
Herb Freezer Tray
Photo Credit: Williams-Sonoma
Photo Credit: Williams-Sonoma
These can hold up to four different kinds of herbs and would be crazy helpful to own if you've ever found yourself throwing away old herbs that have gone bad in the fridge. There's a flat surface on each top so you can date it and label what's inside.
“If you’re sprinkling cheese overtop your cooked pasta dish, before you put the noodles on the plate – put a dusting of grated cheese on the plate before you add the pasta. Hidden cheese on the bottom of any pasta dish IS AMAZING.”
Blue Cheese Croutons
When I own an oven again, these are getting made SO HARD.