What the.. Cronut?

I've been hearing a lot about this crazy pastry hybrid of late. If you are unfamiliar with a cronut it's just what it says: croissant + donut = cronut. It looks a little like this:

Who would have thunk that a little patisserie science experiment could have such an impact worldwide? The cronut is so popular that it sells out within an hour at the Dominique Ansel Bakery where it was created. Ryan and I happened to stumble upon (and visit) the bakery whilst exploring the west village. I recommend walking along Sullivan street and seeing where it takes you. Whilst we were far too late for a cronut (and not really expecting to have one), the cashier told me that in order to get one, you had to start queuing at 6:30am for an 8am opening time in hopes of laying your eyes on one. Wowza! I'm pretty sure this little creation is going to become a stop on the NYC tour bus in hopes of catching a glimpse of this rarity. Nutso!

   

P.S. although we didn't have a cronut, we had a DKA (Dominique's Kouign Amann "Tender, flaky, croissant-like dough with a caramelized crunchy crust") which was delicious and according to some (I'm looking at you, cashier-girl, better than a cronut). So don't despair if it's not cronut time for you when you're next in the West Village. 

How to: Homemade Chocolate!

One of my favourite topics/things in the world is chocolate. And even better is that it is surprisingly easier than you may think to make your own. Again kudos go to Wellness Mama for once again inspiring me to go DIY with something I never really thought of making from scratch. After making a few batches now, I have tweaked and added to the original recipe for my personal taste. However, with chocolate you can really be creative - the sky is the limit!

3 core ingredients

- Cocoa butter - depending on how much choc you plan on making, depends on how many chunks of this goodness you'll use. I would bet on around 1 cup

- 1 cup Cocoa powder (must be alkalised so that it mixes in smoothly)

- sweetener of some kind (honey - although you need a lot to combat the bitterness of the cocoa powder, icing sugar - will sweeten it with only a couple of teaspoons but you may not want to use a sugar derivative, the best I've found - maple syrup - you need 2 T for this (adjust with tasting) and it does not have a distinct flavour like the honey does) 

Then:

- vanilla essence (1 tsp) 

- coconut flakes (1/2 cup maybe?)

- walnuts (handful) or

- almonds (handful finely chopped) 

- some kind of chocolate mold. 

Method

Melt the cocoa butter in a double boiler or the homemade version. Once it's all melted, remove from heat and add the cocoa powder, sweetener and vanilla essence. Once well incorporated, mix in additions of choice (nuts, coconut, dried fruit, chilli powder etc) until smooth. Pour into molds and place in the fridge to set (usually takes about 20 mins). A quick tip when using silicone molds filled with sticky liquid, is to place the mold on a baking tray before you fill them for easy transfer to the fridge. Trust me I have learnt the hard way with this. Another tip: taste along the way for sweetness. Involve others if possible (how to make friends and influence people ;).

Honestly each time I make these, they get better and gobbled up sooner. They also make great gifts and treats. My only concern is that they should be kept in the fridge for fear of quick melting. I haven't quite found the beeswax equivalent for keeping chocolate solid at room temp. I can only imagine what goes into the average, commercial chocolate bar to keep it solid under most conditions, because the natural version starts to melt in your fingers!

Bonus tip: these will not last long!

Where to from now? I'm thinking, chilli chocolate, cranberry chocolate, orange chocolate and maybe some kind of caramel filling? That would certainly be a challenge!

DIY: Homemade Deodorant

Perhaps a strange topic for a Saturday morning and certainly not the most sexy, but to be fair (and sexy), who doesn't need a good deodorant? The temperatures have been bikram yoga hot outside (35C+/100F) so tackling that ol' BO has been an essential. As "out-there" (as my husband would say, rolling his eyes), as making your own deodorant sounds, it's actually fairly straight forward and you can substitute certain ingredients if you don't have them on hand/they are hard to find. As someone at work said to me, is this what you do when your husband is working all the time? Well, yes, I feel it is a productive use of my time, smelling good! But, no, this is not what I do all the time. I also do this, this and this.

After testing this out for a week or so I will confirm that:

1. It (the deo) smells good but more importantly:
2. I (still) smell good at the end of the day**
3. It's super easy to make
4. It's completely non-toxic - in fact you could eat it (gross - but you could)
5. You probably won't have to buy deodorant ever again for a long, long time
6. It'll probably/could melt in warmer weather but this can be easily managed with a little more beeswax.
7. Depending on what essential oils/scents you use, you can have an unlimited range of different smelling deodorants
8. It's pretty rad to say that you made your own deodorant.

** I kid you not, two of my colleagues verified this by unsolicited sniffing of my armpits. So there! The proof is in the 'pit!

Here's the "How-to" courtesy of Wellness Mama with a few improvs

Ingredients and rough quantities
- 3T coconut oil
- 3T arrowroot flour (can add more baking soda/powder if don't have arrowroot or use cornflour/maizena)
- 3T baking soda (I actually ran out so I used baking powder.. seemed fine? maybe my deo rose a little more? ;)
- essential oils (I used vanilla essential oil but you could use anything really: rose, peppermint, lavender - whatever tickles your nostrils)

Here's where I got imaginative. The original recipe has the deodorant in liquid form in a small jar that you would apply with a tongue depressor/Popsicle stick (I think I should go into US/SA/UK language translating!) or spoon to ye ol' armpit. Or you have to keep it in the fridge to stop from melting. Translation: what a pain! I had an almost empty deodorant container (which was surprisingly easy to wash out) but the concern was that the consistency needed to be solid for this to work. So I added some beeswax (probably 1/2oz/1T) and a tablespoon of Vitamin E oil to act as a natural preservative. I am not very technical when it comes to baking/cooking/experimenting (I would make a terrible chemist) so I added more arrowroot and baking powder, if I felt the mixture needed thickening, as I went along. I have also read that baking soda/powder and/or coconut oil alone are enough to pipe down those sweat glands so adding more of these two essential ingredients guarantees a sweet-smelling experience.

I don't have a double-boiler per say so I created my own with the top of a mason jar as a little step and a jug (for easy pouring but any glass bowl would do) to create a space between the bottom of the glass and the pot. This method has worked really well in my other experiments recipes and I'm sure you'll see it popping up from time-to-time on this blog.

And there is my homemade deodorant that looks like real deodorant (when the cap is on at least)  - and I am also realising, a very dirty window. I seem to have forgotten about cleaning with all this madness going on ;). Over and out.

How to: The Best Homemade Guacomole

Being able to whip up some moreish guacamole (especially state-side) is an important skill for any host. For a while now, I have been experimenting with different combos because I have never been completely satisfied with the typical, tomato-based, goes brown in an hour, store-bought g'mole. After some reserach and experimentation, I have discovered a winning, basic combination that can be dressed up or down as to the occasion. There are a few secret ingredients that really put this recipe over the edge. 

1. Coriander/Cilantro - using fresh cilantro gives the guacamole a unique taste as well as intensifying the green colour - anything that makes it look green vs brown, gets a thumbs up in my book. I understand that some people detest cilantro, possibly because they literally don't have the taste-buds for it. In that case, if your g'mole if likely going to taste like soap, skip it. There are many ways to skin a cat. 

Tip: I read somewhere that the trick to keeping fresh herbs fresh for longer is to treat them like flowers - in a vase, with fresh water, in the fridge. For realz - this works. No more throwing out the manky, brown, slime that was parsley or basil, that we can't use up in a couple of days. The cilantro in the pictures was bought at least a week ago. Plus I just wash what I plan on using that day and the rest goes back in the "vase".

2. Fresh lime - not only does the lime just strengthen the Mexican origins of this dish but it is also acts as a natural preservative to stop the g'mole from decomposing. Again, thumbs up for greener (and desirable) for longer. 

3. Serrano pepper - here is where you can get creative with flavour when it comes to spiciness. Depending on the proportions, I will usually use one Serrano pepper (de-seeded because that's where the major burns live!) per two avocados. With this ratio, the g'mole won't even be considered hot but it'll have an added layer of flavouring. 

If you want a basic, kind-of, art vs science, "recipe" (if you can even call it that), this is what I basically do each time:

For the amount of guacamole pictured below (about 1 cup):

- 1 - 2 ripe avocados (depending on size of avocados)

- generous bunch of cilantro (if you're buying it in a bunch then probably 3 baby bunches separated from the pack) - washed and free of soil and stems removed

- half a red, white, or yellow medium-large onion (I didn't have any of those onions so used 4/5 spring onions instead - seemed to work - but I would preferably use regular onions, also white will be better for the green colour but no biggie)   

- 1-2 Serrano peppers (or could use chilli peppers but make sure you know their "hotness") depending on spicy preference - you can always add more if too bland (you can't remove the pepper though!)

-  salt - a good pinch - again, can always add more to taste

- lime - usually between a half or a whole depending on size and juiciness of lime (actual lime is preferable to juice but I'm sure pure lime juice could work in a pinch)

You can mix everything by hand or with a blender or food processor. I have even made it in an electric mixer/kitchenaid for a more "whipped" dish. It just depends on how smooth or choppy you like your 'mole and what you have available. As I said, not a fan of the tomato/salsa angle but you can add that in too if you like the taste. 

With the lime, the g'mole should keep for a few days in the fridge. I also recommend placing saran wrap/plastic wrap/glad wrap/wax paper directly on the guacamole so that it's touching  the top layer and reduces the air oxidizing the avocados and turning it brown. With the plastic wrap or paper on the guacamole, you can simply remove it and remove the top, browning layer too.

Enjoy!

A visit to: The Guggenheim

Despite living in New York and having easy access to amazing, cultural things, I don't always feel that we make the most of these opportunities. Ryan and I are both making a concerted effort to really see the city and what it has to offer and part of that is the museum culture. We are spoiled for choice by so many famous museums and galleries, and if you look a little closer, a host of less known ones, so really the excuse to not go, is not good enough. We had tentatively planned to go to the Whitney Museum this weekend because we've seen some ads for its new exhibition, around town. Instead, fate intervened and after dinner last night with good friends who have plans to go to the Guggenheim this week for a special light exhibition, we decided that the Whitney could wait, but the Guggs needed us now! 

Here are photos from the featured James Turrell exhibition. Isn't it cool?

If you've ever been to a Guggenheim (for there are more than one around the world), you'll know that the design is described as an open rotunda or spiral, leading visitors higher and higher with the exhibitions displayed inside the shell. For this exhibit, they have actually closed off the spiral with white sheet to allow the light display to be projected. As you walk in, you see everyone lying planetarium style on the floor (of a museum?!) which is pretty rad. I encourage anyone in New York (until September 25th) to check it out!

I Heart Summer.

Despite our soaring temperatures of 35C and above this week (I think that's 100F for y'all out there ;), warmer weather definitely brings with it some advantages. Overall, people are usually in a better mood when the sun is out and the city comes alive with festivals and exhibitions and excursions, not available in the winter. Here are a few of the highlights from our summer so far.

We got some outdoor furniture for lazy summer evenings (or for breakfast or for lunch or for tea!) or for potentially barbequing with friends (I say potential because we do not actually own a BBQ yet). But the prettiest part, are these lanterns that immediately romanticize the atmosphere and twinkle in the dark.

Late night emergency frozen yoghurt runs (let's be honest it's all about the toppings!) and because it's warm and there's outside seating, the little woef can come along too!

Bombs away in the Hamptons! Swimming again after so long was awesome and my shoulders even hurt a little bit afterwards - it's been that long!

4th of July fireworks - the best part? We could walk to see them from our apartment and not have to wait 9 hours with the rest of Manhattan in the hope of getting a good view! 

Summer sunsets across the reservoir, chatting to old friends as we walk to dinner.

The Met Rooftop for drinks - only open May-Oct with art painted on the actual rooftop.

View from the Met looking West across Central Park and towards the Hudson River.

A new coffee shop opened up in the neighbourhood which is a welcome change from the ever frequent Starbucks, and provides a little bit of character to the area. Here Mila waits for her Birch Iced Chai Latte. Love!

Hope you all are enjoying the weather wherever you may be.

“Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence.
Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance.
Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence.
Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverance.”
― Yoko Ono

Homemade Granola

Yes I have been away from this blog for a while, but I have not had completely idle hands and have been brewing up/discovering some natural homemade recipes to share with "y'all". As it is breakfast time currently (and I have food on the brain), I thought I would show you an easy how to for some grain-free, homemade granola - grain-free meaning no flour, corn or oats. The secret sub is coconut flakes or chunks which once baked becomes a warm golden-brown, just like oats, offering up an alternative to those trying to eliminate gluten or try something new.

Behold:

Recipe from Wellness Mama 

Coconut Granola

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups coconut chips
• 1 cup of nuts of choice (try a mix of cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and pecans)
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• optional: vanilla (1 tsp) , cinnamon (dash) , chia seeds, raisins or other dried fruit of choice (up to ½ cup)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt coconut oil, honey and maple syrup in a small saucepan until starting to bubble and simmer.
3. Add vanilla if using.
4. In a large bowl, mix the coconut chips and nuts and any optional ingredients if using.
5. Pour honey/maple syrup/coconut oil mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well. The consistency will vary some depending on the honey, coconut chips, and coconut oil you use. If there is not enough of the honey mixture to lightly coat all of the ingredients, add slightly more melted coconut oil and honey in equal parts.
6. Spread on a parchment paper lined baking dish.
7. Bake for 15-20 until starting to brown.
8. Remove and let cool, then crumble in to granola pieces.
9. Store in an air tight jar and use within two weeks.

Yum! 

Back with a Bang!

It's been almost a year since I posted on this blog - I know, I know. But better late than never, right? It's been a jam-packed ten months since I first started working and I daresay it's taken me that long to adjust and organize my thoughts to where I can start blogging again. So without further ado, I thought I would recount some of the year's more memorable moments starting with an adrenaline pumping one.. Trapeze! New York being the crazy place that it is, and the city where you can almost do anything you've ever wanted, of course there's a trapeze school (multiple in fact), on the highway, off a pier, overlooking the Hudson river. So not only are you miles high in the sky but you have an expressway to you left and a river to your right as you launch yourself off a diving board, trusting complete strangers. Initially I was not really scared. I'm not fearful of heights or swinging. However, when I got up to the top with a tiny harness around my waist, expected to lean forward with my toes clutching the edge of a swaying board, and a girl smaller than me, holding the harness and being the only thing between me staying up there and plunging, I definitely felt the adrenaline rush. Whilst nowhere near as "scary" as skydiving, in my opinion (many people asked me if I had done that after I mentioned the trapeze), it's not for the faint-hearted, but is still relatively safe if you are able to put your fears aside and just go for it.

 Please note: this is not me but it gives you a good idea of what flying through the air really means! Go April! 

This is me (haha!) on my last jump after many practice sessions. I didn't fall but I wasn't so good at following the instructions either. Blame in on the Afro-American language barrier!