Chocolate Chip Cookies

I saw a video this morning of Jacques Torres describing life on his houseboat. He is so cute - Mr Chocolate! My thoughts quickly strayed to memories of his Chocolate Chip Cookies...

Speaking of desserts that are Worth It (my previous post), here is the list of chocolate chip cookies that I have tried in the city (....yes, I have been keeping track) and my favorites.


Top Tier - Very Special Cookies

Birdbath (owned by City Bakery): Everyone likes their cookies a different way. As a chewy girl, to me, these cookies are perfect. The flavors are distinct - vanilla, brown sugar, butter, chocolate. The amount of chocolate does not overpower the delicious said flavors. The cookie is rather large (no opinion on that), flat and chewy with parts of softness and crispness. It is not to be missed. I have seen people walk out of the store empty-handed when told that chocolate chips cookies have run out. (I go to the location on 7th ave at Charles St).

Jacques Torres: Get a warm chocolate chip cookie from here and you will be in heaven. His chocolate is so good; it is highlighted by its presence in flat, square slabs within the cookie. And when its melting...! Cookie itself has great flavor, balanced between ingredients.

Jack's Coffee: This is a cookie for traditionalists. Small compared to what we see in bakery cases these days, but about the size of what you would make at home. They are thick and soft, and of course, meet the mandatory criteria of being deliciously flavored. They are labeled Aunt Rosie's Chocolate Chip Cookies, further emphasizing the nod to traditional cookies. By the way, the cookies are in a cake platter at the register, don't be discouraged when you dont see them in the bakery case :)

Levain Bakery: Take at look at that picture in the link and tell me it doesnt make you want to eat one. These cookies are mammoth in size and in history. I brought a few home to my family (cookie lovers too) and the favorite was the one pictured, a chocolate peanut butter one. The chocolate cookie was so richly flavored, and the size/density was unique, adding to the deliciousness.


Second Tier - Very Good, still Exquisite

Milk & Cookies: Delicous cookies, can be made fresh to order, and offers amazing cookie sandwiches, as I mentioned in the last post. Highly recommended.

'wichcraft: Yummy cookie sandwiches called cream'wiches. They are a nice, moderate size too :)

Momofuku Milk Bar: Yummy. I gotta go back and try this one: cornflake-marshmallow-chocolate chip. (Their pies are obscenely good.)


Third Tier - Good but I have some complaint.

Bouchon Bakery: Good! Not blown away. Flavors not as strong as I like and a bit dense for my taste. Browned edges yummy.

Insomnia Cookies: Good but a bit greasy for my taste and far too large. A cookie meal. I also really didnt like the bakery itself/location. Felt like a McDonald's for cookies. Love the delivery concept though.

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Any good places I missed? Let me know in the comments, so I can continue my research. Help a sister out. (You can also take the poll on my page!)

Also, let it be known, that while I love chocolate chip cookies and use them as a standard by which to measure a bakery, my favorite cookie to eat and to make is a ginger cookie (any variation of molassas cookie, gingerbread cookie, ginger snap, etc). And in fact, I am happy with a ginger cookie from almost anywhere, I love them that much. :) Some favorites are from Birdbath and Once Upon a Tart.

The Indulgence Police

As usual, my life in NY revolves much around food. Don't blame me for posting more about it. It's simply that food is one of the most obvious and loved treasures that the city has to offer.

There is nothing worse than wasting calories on a mediocre dessert, am I right? A few of us went to a dessert bar last night (sweetiepie) and the consensus was the only 1 out of the 3 desserts we shared were really worth it; that one being a plate of cookies. And even cookies are not a surefire success in spending dessert calories! We were lucky.

I decided that as I discover them, I will enlighten you as to the best sweets in the city. To think of people, friends!, eating stale croissants, bland cookies and industrial-baked cupcakes is heartbreaking and completely unnecessary, when I am already doing the testing for you.

To start you off, here are two delicious and completely worthwhile desserts I had recently:
- From Milk and Cookies (on 7th and Commerce): Chocolate cookie sandwich, filled with vanilla cream that was so delicious - a magnolia-type cupcake icing. Think oreo - that classic combo of chocolate and vanilla.
- From Ronnybrook Dairy (Chelsea market): In the same vein, another classic also perfectly balanced and flavored, a chocolate cookie ice cream sandwich.

I have also done some extensive research in the past on croissants, grilled cheese sandwiches and pizza (among so many other things!), which I will post for you at some point. :)

By the way, in case your indulgence leaves you with some unforeseen side effects (tight jeans, loosening your belt, etc), worry not. Bring yourself to the Bronx. I was there this weekend for a volunteering event, and my "curves" (ahem) were not unnoticed. I don't mean they were noticed the way they are in the West Village - where you are an outcast if not built like a rail. Rather, they were very much appreciated. (In other words: You don't need to travel across the world to realize the body image issues that are bred in America. That said, I do not endorse eating sweets as a road to health ;-)

The Real Dangers of NY

I've been in the US now for 9 days. Besides seeing my friends and family, the other necessity upon returning home was reconnecting with all my favorites foods.

Starting with comfort food: pizza thrice (Gruppo's - best ever, Bleecker St pizza, and Co. a fancy new place), grilled cheese (Blind Tiger...sigh!), sushi (not American comfort food, but sorely missed), and an unexpected but welcome southern meal at UVA of chili and cornbread. And I couldnt resist a choco chip cookie from Birdbath (best ever) and an exquisite cupcake from Billy's - banana with cream cheese frosting. I bow my head to honor its memory.

My goodness no, I didnt eat that all in one day! It was a fun week, but now its over and I can be semi-healthy again. My focus on comfort food was replaced with...THE NEED FOR ASIAN FOOD! It had been too long since my life of noodles and rice ended. To start, when I was at my parent's place, my Dad and I sought out a Vietnamese restaurant. I got to satiate my Pho craving somewhat. I also got Vietnamese coffee complete with sweet condensed milk and one-cup tin coffee maker! (this drink single-handedly killed any chance of me losing weight in Asia ;-)

Next Asian craving was Banh Mi, the delicious French-inspired Vietnamese sandwich. Dave and I ate Banh Mi often in both Vietnam and Laos, and the combination of ingredients is unique to this dish - it can only be satiated by having a banh mi. Read more here. So I set out yesterday to a Banh Mi place in Chinatown. The route there from my apartment is perilous - especially on an empty stomach. For fun, I mapped my route here. Here are the trials I had to endure:

(1) Pass Doma, the pretentious but cozy coffee house on my corner. No espresso, I am on a budget!
(2) Cross the street and practically into Birdbath. Must not buy a cookie.
(3) Continue down 7th ave and over on Bleecker. Ignore the following: gelato place, Bleecker st pizza, Murray's cheese, Amy's bread
(4) Walk down Sullivan, my old street and a minefield of delicious food. Peanut Butter & Co must be avoided. Pass a new panini place -mmm, memories of Italy but must keep walking. Pass Once Upon a Tart - remind myself banh mi awaits, keep walking. Walk past Alidoro, the BEST italian sandwich place...this is tough because its a true competitor, wonder - what's better, Banh Mi or an Alidoro sandwich? Repeat banh mi, banh mi and keep walking.
(5) Cross east through Soho. Pass Marie Belle chocolate successfully. Try to forget that there are amazing croissants at Ceci Cela nearby
(6) Gelato temptation strikes again in Little Italy.
(7) Finally - arrive at Saigon Banh Mi. Unscathed! I was able to get real Vietnamese iced coffee in addition to my sandwich- bonus!

Vijay and I checked out another Banh Mi place today, and it was also a success. I never spent much time in Chinatown, mostly because I never knew what to order or from where. So now that I am venturing out there, its like discovering a new world. And its cheap! My sandwich was only 3.75.

This goes along well with my new philosophy on spending. I decided I will not spend the amounts I used to spend on food. Everyone has their weaknesses and (clothes, gadgets, etc) and mine is food. I am not just doing it to save money, but on principle. Sometimes in NY, you feel like your wallet has control of you, instead of the other way around. It is an infamously perilous city for one on a budget. So far it's been pretty easy and a fun challenge - constraints keep your mind busy and force creativity.

By the way I put up a poll! Look to the right (...on the page :-).

One Person's Blog

For what it's worth, I am having fun with my blog. Producing something is fun. I guess like art, you don't produce something because others are asking you too, you do it because you want to or are inspired to. (By elevating my blog to the level of art, I can justify blogging even if nobody is reading ;-)

For those of you who visit my blog directly- I changed my colors! The usability person inside of me was has been perturbed for months by the white text on dark green background. It's harder to read that way. But being subjected to dial-up speed internet for 3 months I wasn't much inspired to change it. And in fact, I wasn't much inspired to change it when I made the changes today - but in the span of a few mins, I could try some variations and make a pick. I kept it simple. Kinda 80's-ish, huh? Well, I'm an 80s child!

Also - pictures are coming! It is one of my "projects" - activities that I am defining and using to substitute in the hours of the day I used to be working.

Not working, by the way, is awesome. More on that later!

More Planets to Visit

NY is a strange place, but at least I am used to it and feel relatively at home there. The suburbs are also strange, but given the length of time its been since I've lived there (10 years!), they can sometimes seem as foreign to me as Asia. Today, at my parents house, I drove a car and went to a 7-11 to buy a lottery ticket (mom's request) and coffee. Sounds simple enough, but I found myself feeling like a foreigner - going through the thought sequence of driving a car - ok, put on your seat belt, adjust mirrors, drive slowly, smile at unknown neighbors. Self-aware - Can they tell I am not used to driving? A little sign on the 7-11 window says Live Bait. A few scruffy outdoor workers are inside. Do I look out of place? Looking around the store - where is the coffee, what kind do people usually get? Uh....can I have a Win for Life scratch off? I hope I did ok, as i pull into the driveway, that behaved like a local. It's strange to simultaneously want to fit in and stand out.

I flashbacked into another world earlier this weekend visiting my sister at UVA (where I also went to school). Courtney lives in the frat area, off a road officially called Rugby Road. The neighborhood is beautiful actually: colonial homes of brick walls and white columns, green lawns, stone fences and birds chirping. Walking around on a Saturday morning, before all but the most ambitious college kids were awake, you'd think you were in a rich, southern neighborhood, not one inhabited by college students.

That afternoon I had a treat of attending a traditional UVa event - an outdoor party / "fish fry" at a frat, complete with a band an outdoor keg. Besides bringing back memories, and being a great source of entertainment, I kept thinking how "classic" american this college scene was, and how interesting people from other countries would find it. After months of being an outside observer to other cultures, I guess it's hard me to shake the perspective. I don't think its a bad perspective, as long as I don't alienate myself in the process :) So I was sure to kick back some beers and mingle with the "locals." Although I did decline to drinking a bourbon and coke on the roof...

I continued my escapade that night. We went to another frat party to hear Pat's band play. I boldly did my duties - waited in line in the basement for a beer, trying to catch the eye of little fratties behind the bar, got beer spilled on me by the girl in front of me, etc. I was "in it," man! The frat boys behind the bar rule the world - they can pick who gets a beer! Swarms of people on the other side of the bar, raising their glasses, calling guys' names they know - anything to be recognized and get a beer. Are you pretty or cool enough? Do you know anyone or are you on the outside? I used to be feel so mad at the antics. I hated feeling like I was on the outside and that these guys had so much power. What ego! I can still relate to these feelings, but I felt something very different this time. When I watched these young guys walking around behind the bar, I felt happy for them. Why not be young and beautiful and wield some power in a little microcosm of a world? To feel important and attractive, even famous. Many of us never have that experience, and anyway, theirs wont last long. In just a year or two they will be dumped into the real world: a world of working and anonymity, and a future of growing old and losing their beauty. I was glad they were having their moment. (I can't remember what books speak to this, maybe Dorian Gray, but its a pretty classic theme.)

I had a great time at the party. Pat's band rocked out classic 90s music - all your favorite radio sing alongs. I was glad to be hanging with the locals, and feeling like a local, all at once :)

Back on Planet NY

Two ironic occurrences from my trip back yesterday:
- I got more insect bites on the plane than I got on the rest of my trip (in a single incident). There must have been a spider in my fleece (which has been sitting at the bottom of my backpack) and I have 10-15 itchy, nickel sized bites on each arm. (sympathy appreciated, thanks).
- I lost my wallet in the Rome airport. How I survived the dozens of trips I made in the last 14 weeks only to lose it on my last day is either good or bad luck....

The losing my wallet incident, while it required me to beg for lunch on my first flight, ended up working out in a good way. I met a girl who was teaching in Spain, was supposed to be going to Sweden for spring break, but randomly decided to go back to see her family in NY. So we teamed up - she covered cab fare to my apt, and I let her use my internet to get in contact with her friend. It was fun. Reinforces, once again, the upside the usually awaits "bad" events, or alternatively, the fun that can come of uncertainty.

Unlike my arrival in NY last March after India (things seemed bleak, the city itself receiving most of the blame), NY seemed humorous or even charming. Partly, having spent so much time with non-Americans, I was able to see America from a tourists perspective. First encounter was the NY-natives who work in the airport and my taxi - I remembered that famed mix of roughness, humor and friendliness the real NYers are known for. I like them. Then, driving along, seeing a huge SUV driven my someone with ghetto-style made me laugh. While we don't have the history of other countries, we aren't lacking in our own brand of culture :) Then of course, the "other half" NYers - the girls with the fancy handbags and heels, guys in their corresponding uniforms. As many NYers will admit there is a certain profile of people who are ambitious, make a lot of money, have certain lifestyles, personalities, etc. They feel like if they are on top of NY, then they are on top of the world. But NY is really such a small part of the world. That little ounce of insight that I got on my trip is all I needed to put it in perspective. From that angle, the social hierarchy, style competition, etc, all seem rather funny (but I'm not out to stop anyone's fun).

Getting dressed to go out today was an experience (I had lunch with Akshay, Rohit and Dolapo at google!). I vaguely remembered a uniform I should be wearing and walked myself through the steps - What do I wear when it's cold? Rummaging...yes, this looks like a familiar outfit. OK. Need "handbag"...leather. Need shoes....not sneakers. Am I ready...do I need makeup? The availability of toiletries was a novelty- what was my old routine, was I using this face cream every day? It was funny, and I was surprised how foreign it all seemed. Imagine if I had been away for a year!

Other little charms were coming back to my apartment so see how my potatos had turned into little plants, and everything that was left in the fridge was still there (although I had taken most of it out). Oh, Frank. I don't know what that man eats while I am away. Not one item had been added to the pantry or fridge! Haha.

I felt really good upon coming back, despite having to deal with my lost stuff, unpacking and unpleasant forthcoming activities like moving. Usually I would be overwhelmed by the to-dos, and I'm sure that day will come soon, but I'm glad I've had at least one day where my thinking is different than before. While I was laying in bed last night, I started thinking about what I had to do. Then I felt myself taking a deep breath and an image of - the stars in the open sky - came into my head. A revival of when I used to lay on the deck in Laos and look at them. I felt calm, like - what is there really to worry about. Priorities and perspective.

In Limbo

After a confusing ordeal of phone calls and emails, I am now flying out of Italy tomorrow (Tuesday) instead of today. And my feet are stumps after touring the Vatican. To give you some idea how I was feeling this evening. But all is well now, after a dose of welcome hospitality from the guys who run the internet cafe I was stewing in all afternoon. Nice Indian gents who run the internet place also run a rather quaint guesthouse. They carried my luggage, offered me chai (score!) and I get free dinner and breakfast. Good things always seem to come just when you need them. Some girls who just left the guesthouse came to bring the guys cake so their kindness is apparently not lost on other guests.

Anyway - I just saw this slideshow of Hanoi on NYtimes. (I want to go back!) I am looking forward to posting my pics if I ever get home. I swear I have some similar shots! to boost my ego a bit :) but mine are definitely lacking a certain artistic flair. Anyway, you can judge once I post...for now, here is the NYtimes synopsis.

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/04/03/travel/0405-hanoi_index.html

The Joy

Rome has been a joy. Its a huge, beautiful city, full of colossal cathedrals, fountain, statues and winding roads lined with cafes and shops. Entering into the main center is like entering an archaeological theme park. Having studied Latin in school, and long forgotten most of what I learned, its been fun to see the sights and remember bits of info. We saw the Colosseum (amazing - I even took a guided tour and met some nice people. Frank skipped the tour, having stated that morning with sarcasm - "I dont want to see any old things today."); Trevi fountain, which was near our hotel and which Frank, surprising himself, enjoyed; the Pantheon, which I have always wanted to see, with its "oculus" of light in the celing (Frank also liked this) and a host of other "old things."

The first night we were able to see many of the outdoor sights during a stroll, which enabled us to enjoy them in a somewhat more intimate fasiong, in beautiful light and with a touch of romance. During the days, explored different areas, and studded our walks with stops for capuccinos, gelato, pizza, wine, pasta, etc. Ingesting and inbibing never seem to stop! Today, during my day solo, as Frank took a flight this afternoon, I strolled around some quieter areas: I walked around the old Jewish ghetto which was calm and quiet, took a walk over one of the bridges, past the little island and around an area called Trastevere, where I enjoyed a yummy pizza and wine at a table for one.


Nothing beats walking out of your door in the morning and feeling like you are walking into a playground. A defined, strollable area, full of possibilities and enjoyment. Every day traveling feels a bit like this (so you can imagine how refreshing three months can feel!). You feel so invigorated, you want to bottle it up. Sometimes thinking about the act of returning to regular life feels like going into a small room and closing the door. Whether its the strain of relationships, obligations or decisions, its too easy to be weighed down. For that reason, I think its our noble goal to try our hardest to imbue joy into our lives; learning what makes us happy and seeing how to incorporate more of those things - whether its quiet time, reading, nature, etc. Of course you cant feel that joy-peace-inspiration all the time, but how many of us dont feel it enough?

Before Rome, I spent time with Frank exploring other parts of Italy. Our trip kicked off with Caitlin (Franks sister who is studying in Florence), Harry and Danny (Franks cousins), Renee (Harrys girlfriend). Florcence was fun - only two days there! then off to Cinque Terre, where we stayed REALLY high up a mountain (the toughest hike of my whole trip!). Cinque Terre is so amazing - the weather was cloudy and rainy, but it only added to the drama of the scenery - 5 itty bitty villages perched on jutting mountains over the sea. We had a yummy seafood dinner in town and enjoyed hiking (when we werent scared of falling) and seeing the towns. In our quaint, isolated guesthouse, it would have been nice to stay for a few days, but there was more to see in Italy. Frank and I left the crew, who headed for Rome, and took off for Bologna.



Bologna was nice, partly owing to it being a change - contrary to Florence and Cinque Terre, Bologna was a real, living city as opposed to one geared to tourism. We had fun wondering the little streets, doing real-life things like laundry and checking Internet, but even those chores added some fun and made us feel more like residents. We had some nice dinners. One day we made an ambitious trip to two culinary cities- Modena, known for balsamic vinegar, and Parma, famous for proscuitto and paragiamo cheese. Lunch in Modena and dinner in Parma - it was a day of eating not to be rivaled. I could go into gory detail, but suffice it to say lunch was balsamic glazed veal and dinner included a tray of fresh proscuitto with chunks of parm on top. A sample for you to salivate over. :)

We made last minute plans to rent a car in Bologna and travel to an "agrotourism" bed and breakfast in Tuscany (the village of Libbiano, near San Gigimgnano). The first night we had a delicious, homemade but seriously filling dinner at the guesthouse, which is a working farm. The next day, having survived that dinner, plus the double duty Modena and Parma day prior, we took it easy on the food front - just a modest pizza slice for lunch and a light dinner. During the two days, we had a fun time driving around Tuscany. You cant even believe how beautiful it is - it looks so much like a postcard that sometimes you have to remind yourself its real. We drove to and walked around San Gimignano, Greve and Castellina in Chiani, and Siena, all of which are beautiful medieval towns, like nothing I have ever seen. Actually, by the end of the trip, I felt like I needed somethng real and gritty, and was happy to be arriving in Rome.

From Tuscany to Rome, where I started my post, its been a wonderful trip. Compared with India and Asia, there were no culture shocks - not the kind that really kick you into gear and make you question everything. But not every trip needs to be that kind. At this point of my trip, migrating from a life in Cambodia to one in the US, it was nice to be somewhere in between - a place where I am again confronted with people, relationships and modern world conveniences - but where enjoyment of life is a value. Also where, thankfully, I still have the time to step back and remember that.

The Other Half

Even though I'm not in the US yet, I have entered back into the developed world, the "other half." The land of man-made glories - cathedrals and skyscrapers acting as mountains of concrete, stone, glass and marble, a long history and continued proliferation of art and music, adornment and showing of wealth in fashion and life, and the encouraged consumption of indulgences (being in Italy, centrally food). Walking along a large sidewalk covered in an arch, passing shops and cafes, I felt proud of our achievements. What a fine world we can make!

Drawing on the experiences from the first part of my trip, I came to realize how fleeting these achievements are. Having seen Angkor and now, Roman, ruins, I know that while a strong civilization provides plenty of joy and pleasure to its people, it only lasts as long as the civilization itself. Like all things, its a cycle - our sources of wealth can go away and with them, our ability to enjoy finer things and build our worlds with style.

When that happens, we are back to the simple, poor life, one that exists today in so many parts of the world. Knowing that is can happen makes you wonder - what is the meaning of all of life's luxuries? Clearly, they aren't central to living, they are merely nice-to-haves, something we should appreciate while we have them, but don't need to depend on. Does that cause us to look at our lives differently? Eating, shopping, having, planning - are we consciously choosing how to spend our thought energy or time? So many things present themselves to us, but not all of them are real.

Besides being able to sift through our needs, I also realized the pressure of the modern world to be better. Coming back into a world where so many things are right - clean, in order, on time - I realize that we very quickly pick out the small percent of things are not right - seeing the flaws. Whereas in a world like the one in Cambodia, where so many things are not right, we are much more likely to accept these inconveniences and instead focus on the good things. Another pitfall we can maybe overcome.