East Idle

Chili-Lime Clams with Tomatoes Last week I made this recipe from Bon Appétit . I substituted the clams with mussels. 1) I could not find clams at Whole Foods. 2) I prefer mussels to clams. I also substituted the beer with vegetable broth. 1) I do not stock beer. 2) I conveniently had vegetable broth in the pantry. Oh, I also didn't see sambal oelek at Whole Foods, nor did I know what it was, so I used the Güguls... Google Goggle Guggle... and realized that it was some sort of hot sauce; I just picked up Thai Kitchen's Roasted Red Chili Paste  (which I will 100% purchase again because it is so tasty). Despite these minor substitutions, the recipe still came out wonderfully. I buttered some french bread slices, and then enjoyed the mussels and dipped the bread in the sauce. I sipped on wine, watched the NBA draft, and had a movie night, too. Really relaxing. And this recipe will for sure be made again in the future. Maybe I'll go ahead and actually use clams, beer, and samb...

Bucatini with Butter-Roasted Tomato Sauce I made this recipe last week as part of my weekly end-of-the-week-relax-and-cook-with-a-glass-of-wine-in-tow situation. I made this years ago, so technically this isn't a new recipe for me to make, but it is something that took a bit more effort (in comparison to the simple fish/veggies combo I make for meals during the weekdays). The recipe is short and simple, and the outcome is a whole lot of carby goodness. I used spaghetti instead of bucatini because Whole Foods didn't carry bucatini. I also used the entire package of 16oz spaghetti, although the recipe calls for 12oz. The sauce-to-pasta ratio was fine for me, but for added flavor, definitely stick to the 12oz portion. I was craving pasta so badly (I rarely eat it), and this recipe was just perfect. I ended up eating all of it over the course of two days! Carbo-loading, I guess you can say... haha :p xo, I

Nike Golf Dress Happy Sunday! I had a fun-filled weekend, and explored and walked around a lot. Yesterday evening, I went to Drink in Seaport, a place that I had been curious about. I absolutely loved it. You go in and there's no drink menu; you tell them what you like and the "mixologists" create a cocktail for you based off your stated preferences. I said that I wanted something sparkling, fruity, and sweet. I got some version of a French 75, which I have never had before up until I had it at Drink . I forgot what my friend got, but it was good, too. We ended up getting two rounds of the same drinks! The drinks were pretty strong, so there was definitely no dilution there. Midway through, they gave each party a mini cast-iron skillet filled with popcorn. It was adorable. I always love miniature versions of things. The popcorn was a perfect snack as well - I am a popcorn enthusiast. :) So my first trip to Drink was a positive experience and I hope to head over there aga...

The Pacific | Pacific Heights, San Francisco Photos in this post from The Pacific Supposedly San Francisco's home prices hit record high in May , with $1.5M for the median house sale, and $1.2M for the median condo sale. I'm not surprised that sales of luxury properties played a role in the increase. Scrolling further down from the little article, I saw the embedded tweet from Mansion Global about how the most expensive condo sold by square foot in San Francisco was sold back in mid-May. The record-breaking condo went for a cool $15.875M, and is a four-bedroom, two-story, 4,048sf unit in The Pacific , a luxury condominium building with 76 homes, located in Pacific Heights, SF. There are still some 2- and 3-bedroom units available . Below are some photos from The Pacific's website gallery . Undeniably, a glam, luxe vibe oozes from the interior design. Also, note the white bathroom and kitchen designs; the clean slate of white interiors gets me every time. xo, I Exterior arc...

Salmon with Anchovy-Garlic Butter Photo from NYT Cooking This week, I decided to make Salmon with Anchovy-Garlic Butter . If you are put off by "Anchovy" in the recipe title, do not fret. I was in the same boat. But I trusted the reviews and comments about the dish, and I am glad I did. The flavor of the salmon, along with the sauce, was rich, fragrant, and delicious. I used a cast-iron skillet which provided for an easy transfer from the stovetop to the oven. This recipe calls for a minimal amount of ingredients, and can be prepared and made in a short amount of time. I will definitely make this recipe some other time. It is the perfect evening meal; I paired the salmon with some store-bought three-cheese tortellini and several mozzarella cheese slices. I did not use additional sauce for the pasta, but instead drizzled the anchovy-garlic butter sauce on top, and mixed it around. This turned out to be hearty and filling. xo, I

Ligurian Risotto Photo from: NYT Cooking Well, well, well... what do we have here? A new blog post? Yes, indeed... a new blog post. After a break from the blogosphere, I am back on board. First things first I'm the realest , a few quick updates... ● I power walked in my graduation ceremony. ● I live in Brookline now (for the summer), in a cute apartment with three roommates. ● I am staying in Boston for at least one more year.  ● I will be competing in the Miss Massachusetts USA pageant in November. ● I love eating mangos, more than I ever have... which I did not think was possible. Also, I plan on making at least one new recipe each week this summer. I am so excited to try out new food and various dishes. I made my first recipe last week: ligurian risotto from NYT Cooking . It was delicious! And actually simple to make. Will make it again sometime later, but for now, I am off in search of another new recipe to make for this week! xo, I The ingredients... not pictured: the vegetab...