Krog Street Market (Photo Journal)

Had the pleasure of wandering through Krog Street Market, aka Atlanta's version of NYC's Chelsea Market, recently. Krog Street is located right on the Atlanta Beltline and near The Irwin Street Market, so the photos are mixed. All were taken using an iPhone 5s. 

The Beltline is basically the less famous predecessor of New York City's Highline. You'll find wonderful artwork and run into many bikers/joggers.

Take your souvenirs and home decor to the next level by coming to The Merchant. It's as upscale and as aesthetically pleasing as Anthropologie with a Southern twist. (FYI: the store at Krog Street is their second; the original is located on Howell Mill).

The Art in Culinary Arts (Part 1) || Holeman&Finch

Last week, I wrote about my transformative field trip to Chef Asha Gomez's "The Third Space". That very same day, I had a sneak peak at what was to come during our visit to Chef Linton Hopkins' two restaurants, located side by side on Peachtree Rd: Holeman & Finch and Restaurant Eugene.

Chef Linton Hopkins is an Emory University grad -- he majored in anthropology and was pre-med before heading to the Culinary Institute of America in New York City. He's been honored with the James Beard award "Best Chef in America" (the Oscar of the culinary world), and most importantly, he's incredibly humble, knowledgeable, and friendly.

During our "de-briefing" that took place in class a few days after our visit, we all agreed that he was very loquacious ;), but we also agreed that we could listen to him (and Asha, of course!) for days. Chef Hopkins, (I'll be referring to him as Chef), is so incredibly passionate about...everything, really -- during our few hours with him, he touched upon a wide range of topics, from music to civil responsibilities. Someone who's capable of talking about "school-like" topics in a non-school setting, while keeping an audience engaged, is pretty wonderful in my book. Here's what happened during our trip:

Maple Almond Butter Brownies

OH. MY. LANTA.

What's better than a fudge-y, dense, sweet brownie? 

One that's all of the above, and  has a hint of maple, is vegan, and is gluten-free. YUM.

Every now and then, my school offers these packaged brownies at the gluten-free station (they're dairy-free too), by the brand "Dolci di Maria". These brownies are great, but they aren't as fudge-y as these, and they're coated in granulated sugar --- one of my pet peeves, is when unnecessary amounts of sugar are added to any food. So I've been wanting to make gluten-free/dairy-free brownies that incorporate all of the great qualities of and all of the qualities that I want out of the Dolci di Maria brownies. 

And man, am I glad that Chocolate Covered Katie had a great recipe for me to use as inspiration ;) The main thing that I changed was a substitution of almond flour for oat flour -- I find that oat flour tends to yield a cake-ier texture because they absorb moisture and puff up. On the other hand, almond flour doesn't really absorb a lot of moisture, so they help the brownies maintain structure while retaining the fudge-iness. 

Spice to Table/The Third Space || Asha Gomez's Recipe for Masala Chai

Put 15 college freshmen -- from all walks of life, different states across the country/different countries around the world, and seemingly incompatible social groups -- into a weekly, 3-hour long seminar that explores the relationship between flavor and neurobiology while demanding intimate collaboration (think rubbing food coloring onto the tongue of someone whom you've just met).......what do you get? 

The perfect recipe for awkwardness. 

For shyness. Discomfort. All of the feelings I felt before every piano class. 

When I first saw this seminar on the course atlas last semester, I tried to contain my excitement. I have a bad track record for developing high expectations and later being disappointed by reality, so I reminded myself to keep an open and realistic attitude towards this class. On top of that, I knew that I couldn't get too excited because I had to write a 500 word essay and apply to be accepted into the class. 

A few weeks later, I was delighted when an email from the professor popped up, congratulating me for being accepted. I returned to the course listing and reread the course description,

"This course explores the biology of deliciousness.  We will focus on the brain systems that allow us to taste and smell and how the chemical, physical, and cultural properties of different foods affect our experience of eating.  The class will meet in a test kitchen on campus, and every class will include cooking and eating, as well as discussion of assigned readings.Grades will be based on written assignments and on classroom participation."

What could be better? I love to cook, I (now) like biology(love is a strong word for anything related to academics), I can easily manage the workload. The description was vague enough for me to have an idea of what the class would be like, without fantasizing about culinary school like experiences. What could go wrong?

A Tribute to Lullwater

Welcome to one of my happy places.

Music: Desert Symphony by ThePianoGuys

xoxo, han

My Unofficial Guide to Princeton

Where's your happy place - the place where you feel safe, free to be who you are, happy?

For the longest time, I pinpointed my happy place to be the Everglades. I loved (and still love) alligators and wildlife, and we had visited the Everglades enough for me to justify labeling it as my happy place. After traveling a bit more, however, I realized that there's so many other places that I love and would want to revisit continuously (yeah, I'm that kind of person), like Jenny Lake, Leipzig, San Francisco, DISNEY WORLD...... the Everglades, as much as I love them, are a part of this list of great memories and places.

And after several months of living away from home, I've refined my definition of a happy place to be somewhere that I would never want to give up or that comforts me: my home, Lullwater Park, and downtown Princeton. Princeton is a quiet suburban town that's full of events, history, and great food. It's located in Central Jersey, about 15 minutes away from the Casperson Rowing Center (where the U.S. Olympic team practices!) and just one hour away from both Philadelphia and New York City. 

Here are some of my favorite spots in Princeton:

Spaghetti Bolognese | Why I Started Eating Meat Again

There are a million and one recipes for bolognese, and this one is by no means authentic, but it's definitely good!

I haven't eaten much beef since I began to incorporate meat back into my diet again, partly because it intimidates me and partly because I don't have a strong preference for it, however, I would eat this sauce over and over again! 

Greenwich Village & Union Square

Had the privilege of meeting up with Erik and Jessica over the weekend; here are some photos of Greenwich Village :) :

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

Not counting today, I've only eaten brussels sprouts once --- and I did not like them. I was much younger then, but let's be clear, I was one of those kids who actually liked vegetables, so those brussels sprouts really did taste bad. 

But after watching countless recipe videos (@SortedFood and @LauraInTheKitchen) and hearing others rave about how much they love brussels sprouts, I wanted to try them one more time. The key tip that both the Sorted Food guys and Laura Vitale have mentioned is to shred the brussels sprouts, this way you don't taste their overwhelming bitterness and you can easily brown them (more flavor!). Most recipes often include bacon and parmesan cheese, but I made this with shaved macadamia nuts and chopped, dried cherries for an allergy-free and vegan version. 

You'd think that these little vegetables would taste just like lettuce -- they look like mini versions of lettuce heads! -- but they don't. However, spreading them out evenly in a pan with garlic and spices helps to brown them and mask that bitterness. 

NYC Parks : Washington Square & Central Parks

I've only been to this part of New York City once --- during the cold month of March, so this time, I was able to see it alive with all of its colors, people, and music, and I finally understand why so many people love NYU & Greenwich Village. We saw bubbles, flowers, dogs, live musical performances, people playing chess, social/political messages written in chalk. It was great.

dancing to live music.

precious.

 then we were off to Central Park.

Night at the Museum is one of my favorite movies, and passing by the museum made me even more excited to watch the third movie in the series ;)

these little lanterns will always be something that my brother & I hold close to our hearts

 Central Park is more than just trees and paths. There are large rocks to climb up and castles to visit.

Sunglasses: Fossil (but got them at TJ Max)

Bag: Etsy

Shirt: Gap (got it for $6 on sale)

Shorts: American Eagle (my favorite pair of shorts)

Shoes: Old Navy

The weather was perfect --- it wasn't too hot, it wasn't too humid, and there was a comfortable breeze. There were people everywhere, sprawled out across the fairway-like lawns on blankets.  People sat around listening to a bassist playing along to soundtracks. 

Pumpkin Cashew Quiche at Peace Food Cafe

(kabocha squash, kale, cashew cheese....all vegan & gluten-free & delicious)

I might do a restaurant review on this place, but let's just say that even my brother, the T-rex of all T-rexes (the carnivore) loved the food.

xoxo, han