Veritasty: Truthfully Delicious

When I was young, I thought I was invincible.  I could eat anything and at any quantity.  I thought I had an iron stomach.  I thought sugar didn't affect me.  I thought caffeine didn't affect me.  Mugs of coffee and tea at night?  Sure, every day! What happened?!  Last night, I was reminded of my mortality when I had a big cup of coffee after dinner, around 8:00pm.  I was so excited to try out this new french press that Alex gave me, so I made a huge vat of coffee for me and my family.  It was a little more viscous and way stronger than my drip machine - albeit a little messier - and I loved it.   And then when I went to bed, I had palpitations and tossed and turned.  UGH!!! In college, I was known to cradle a large cup of coffee for hours until it got cold, usually sitting in the corner of my desk, keeping me company while I did homework.  It could be 11pm and I'd be sipping my coffee that I had purchased 12+ hou...

I know I've just written about Otto, but tonight I had a marvelous dinner that cemented its reputation as one of my favorite restaurants in New York City.  Did I mention that I shook hands with and exchanged a brief conversation with Mario Batali???  STARSTRUCK. We ordered a cheese platter that came with a trio of condiments: truffle honey, cherries in brandy sauce, and apricots in mustard and chili oil.  The cheeses that we ordered were: triple cream goat cheese, ricotta, ubriaco, quadrello, and rosso di langhe.  Hands down, this cheese platter was the highlight of the meal for me.  Although I wasn't really sure what I was eating, besides the more obvious ricotta and creamy goat cheeses, all the selections were delicious, creamy, and rich. We specifically asked for cheeses that wouldn't assault our noses and taste buds, and this was a great selection.  The ricotta was fluffy and light, the goat cheese was similar to French brie that Alex loves so mu...

Morris Panini Sometimes I really love Groupon, Living Social, and the like. One great deal we got was to Milux Cafe, a little place off the beaten track in Soho. The decor inside is eclectic and recalls a cafe in Italy: dark creaky hardwood floors, mismatched furniture, and the heavy smell of roasted coffee hanging in the air.  Specifically, it reminded me of a cafe we visited on our trip to Milan; we popped into a hole-in-the-wall kind of cafe and I had a delicious sandwich of some cold cut and some cheese on some bread.  I find the simplicity of foods is sometimes what makes certain meals so memorable. Golden Panini If we had not had our coupon, I would judge Milux Cafe to be on the expensive side.  They specialize in panini (~$9) and smoothies/shakes (~$6).  Alex had a turkey-smoked mozzarella panini with a vanilla-gelato-orange milkshake (Creamsicle!!) and I had a prosciutto-mozzarella panini with a strawberry-banana-mango smoothie...

At midnight on December 31, 2011, I am drinking a large mug of coffee, specifically Starbucks Via that Alex so thoughtfully got me as one of my Hanukkah presents.  Five more days! cappuccino and cream-filled croissant from happier times; Milan, 2010 Now, according to Wikipedia, this year I have been barring myself from a substance that may: - reduce risk of Alzheimer's Disease and dementia - reduce risk of gallstone disease - reduce risk of Parkinson's Disease - improve cognitive performance - act as a painkiller (against migranes/headaches) - reduce risk of diabetes - protect the liver from cirrhosis - reduce oral cancers - reduce mortality rate from cardiovascular diseases - have antioxidant properties (...but then, right under all these, Wikipedia also lists the detrimental effects of coffee.  Hmm.) spanakopita and filtered coffee from the foot of the Acropolis; Athens, 2010 Looking back at my (so far) 360 days sans-coffee, I ha...

It has been 295 days since my last sip of coffee. These past 295 days have definitely tested my endurance. I am a college student - working through my thesis year - without coffee. What was i thinking?! Here's what I was thinking: a cup of coffee costs upwards of $2 a day, more if I go to Starbucks or the many lovely coffee places around New York City. When I was in London, I survived - and thrived - from drinking mostly tea. I had boxes of Twinings tea (Earl Grey, Lady Grey, and Chai) on my desk and organic chemistry studying weekends were spent downing multiple chai lattes in one sitting. The only time I had coffee during my semester abroad, in fact, was on spring break when we jetsetted around Europe (Italian coffee is obviously famous and delicious, but possibly the best cup of coffee I've ever had was at a cafe at the foot of the Acropolis in Athens) and a few Starbucks runs during finals week. Plus, a bag of tea is 10¢. Hello, that is a 95% savings. Fo...