A New Love

My boyfriend took me out to dinner for my birthday a few weeks ago, and I have to admit... I think I've found something new.

PORK BELLY.

I've been hearing all about the amazing pork belly, and so when Alex took me to the new Aureole in NY, I had to do it. The price of the meal was definitely not ideal, but it was completely worth it. The service, all of the little extras, and, of course, the food, were all amazing.

When it came time to order, I was undecided. I asked the waitress what pork belly was like- I'm pretty adventurous, but still want to know I'll enjoy my food. She simply asked me if I liked bacon, and that was that.

The dish was a "Lobster vs. Pork Belly"

The lobster had an almond foam over it, and the pork belly just melted in my mouth. I usually don't like fatty meat, but this wasn't just fat. It was silk.

I Really Am a Good Daughter...Really...

In the blur of BU Senior Week and Commencement (yes, I am officially a BU COM Alumn!), I completely forgot to send mom a card or any kind of gift for Mother's Day. I know we've all been there, but I felt extremely lame calling her up and offering an empty I.O.U.

So when I got home, I decided that instead of unpacking and doing laundry, I would bake her a cake. We all love coconut and any kind of tropical flavor, so I made a coconut cake with a key lime cream cheese frosting. I made a few slight variations on the frosting by adding 2 tbs butter, 3 tbs milk, more lime juice, and more powdered sugar. I even learned from my past mistakes and evened out the bottom cake with a long knife so it wouldn't look like the leaning tower of cake. I only got to taste the scraps, but they were awesome! I think all we need is a scoop of coconut ice cream, and we've got a delicious almost-summertime treat!

Oh, and I also listened to my friend Lauren's advice and I put a pan of water in the oven underneath the cake pans as they baked. It makes the cakes supermoist and delicious!

Help Someone Get Fed

As I was perusing through CNN's headlines today, I came across an inspiring and eye-opening article. It particularly struck me because, contrary to the name of my blog, there are far too many who don't have the luxury of experimenting with different ingredients or recipes. Many aren't even able to provide a daily meal for themselves.

An amazing man in Queens, with the help of his mother and sister, personally cooks homemade meals for the hungry. Their home-run organization is called An Angel in Queens. Every single evening at 9:30 after he returns from his job as a city bus driver, he delivers a hot meal, hot chocolate, and coffee to those waiting. He estimates that he's served roughly 70,000 meals so far.



Yes, things are tough in this economy, but that's not stopping Jorge Munoz from cooking many hot meals on his $600/week salary. If you have the means to eat three meals every day, can you spare something for this wonderful cause? If you don't have a few bucks to donate, they're also looking for items such as iced tea mix, jeans, and dry soap. Please visit the Web site for more information: http://www.anangelinqueens.org/