Flour Bakery + Cafe

For quite some time, I've been salivating over a particular episode of "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" on the Food Network: the one in which Joanne from Flour Bakery + Cafe bests Flay in the battle for the nation's best sticky bun. According to the Flour website, they contain "dark, sticky caramel and toasted pecans."Luckily for me, I attended college in the greater Boston area, where Flour Bakery is located. Unluckily, the massive $2.75 sticky buns sell out bright and early each morning, and I've never woken up early enough to commute to one of the bakery's two locations. But, judging from the photo above, I can easily understand why they're so popular!

Today, my friend Emily and I went to the Flour Bakery location in the South End for an afternoon snack: Emily opted for a decaf iced coffee with soy milk and the "Chunky Lola" cookie. If I recall correctly, the giant cookie was full of chocolate chunks, pecans, oats, and coconut:Hovering over the glass display case, I immediately honed in on the gargantuan Boston Cream Pie/Cake hybrid......because, when you're in Boston, if you can't have an enormous award-winning sticky bun, a slab of a Boston dessert classic is a welcome stand-in:

Irish Oatmeal

Several days out of the week, I eat McCann's Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal for breakfast. It's hearty and healthy: the 100% Irish wholegrain oats contain neither sodium nor cholesterol. Each 1/2 c serving contains 2g of soluble fiber, which reduces the risk of heary disease, and only 2g total fat. Although it's tasty when eaten plain, I prefer to get creative with toppings and mix-ins!To prepare it, add 1/2 c of oatmeal to 1 c of cold water or low-fat milk in a deep microwaveable bowl. Stir and place bowl in microwave. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on strength of unit. You can also prepare this the traditional way: on a stovetop, add 1/2 c of oatmeal to 1 c of cold water. Boil and stir for 3 to 5 minutes. If you add the liquid to the oatmeal a few minutes prior to cooking, it will cook quicker.Stir for a few seconds before eating. Today, I ate mine with sliced organic plums and peaches:Other topping variations:

- Granulated or brown sugar
- Maple syrup
- Honey
- Fruit preserves
- Dried fruit
- Toasted nuts
- Chocolate chips
- Salt, for a grits-like savory taste
- Milk
- Soy milk
- Half-and-half
- Yogurt
- Plain or flavored kefir

Strange But True

During my freshman year of college, I inexplicably acquired a giant cardboard cereal box. And by "inexplicably acquired," I mean that I wrestled a 6'2"/200 lb guy in the hallway of a dorm for it. And won. Here, it towers over my twin-size dorm bed:Giant cardboard cereal box ironically placed atop mini-fridge:Note the nutritional facts:It now resides in the basement at my parents' house, but I know that it will come in handy one day.

Easy Mascarpone Desserts

For a 5-second dessert fix, I sometimes combine a few spoonfuls of mascarpone cheese with a small handful of semisweet chocolate chips. Alternately, I like to combine ricotta with some sugar and chocolate chips for a cannoli filling-esque taste. Et voila: instant dessert!

Ina Garten of "The Barefoot Contessa" advocates a similar idea: she recommends combining 1 c of mascarpone with 2 tbs of honey, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, the seeds scraped from a vanilla bean, and 2 tbs heavy cream. You can pour this mascarpone mixture over a bowl of peeled, sliced, and pitted fruits.

Crunchy Caramel Corn

Perhaps in anticipation of the midnight showing of "The Dark Knight" this Thursday (yes, I've had my ticket for weeks), I whipped up a batch of crunchy caramel popcorn. The recipe is from an issue of Martha Stewart's "Everyday Food" magazine, to which I subscribe.

I've made this recipe twice within the past month. This time around, I undercooked the popcorn--something like 25 minutes instead of the recommended 40--as a matter of personal preference. Also, on both occasions that I made this, I neither tossed the popcorn while it cooked nor transferred the cooked popcorn to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

CRUNCHY CARAMEL CORN

serves 6

4 tbs butter, plus more for baking sheet
10 cups plain usalted popped popcorn (from 1/2 c kernels or a 3.3 oz bag of microwave popcorn
1 c cashews, coarsely chopped (optional)
1/2 c packed light brown sugar
Coarse salt

Butter a large rimmed baking sheet; set aside. Place popcorn in a large bowl; if using cashews, add to bowl and toss to combine. Set aside.In a small saucepan, bring butter, sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, and 2 tbs water to a boil, stirring constantly.Working quickly, drizzle popcorn with sugar syrup, and toss. Spread popcorn evenly on prepared baking sheet.Bake, tossing occasionally, until golden and shiny, about 40 minutes.Transfer hot popcorn to parchment-paper-lined baking sheet; let cool. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Spaghetti with Asparagus, Smoked Mozzarella and Prosciutto

I made this Giada De Laurentiis recipe today, although I halved the amount of asparagus. The cherrywood-smoked mozzarella complements the cured prosciutto, and the pasta is chock full of add-ins, so there's no need for a sauce.

SPAGHETTI WITH ASPARAGUS, SMOKED MOZZARELLA AND PROSCIUTTO

serves 6 to 8

2 lbs asparagus, trimmed
3/4 lb spaghetti
4 tbs olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into strips
6 oz smoked mozzarella cheese, diced (about 1 cup)
6 tbs thinly sliced fresh basil leavesCook the asparagus in a large pot of boiling water until crisp and tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. With a spider or slotted spoon, remove asparagus from boiling water to a bowl of ice water to cool and stop the cooking.When cool, strain, cut asparagus into 1" pieces, and set aside.

Return the water in the pot to a boil, adding additional water, if necessary. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add asparagus to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the pasta, and if needed, some of the reserved cooking liquid. Toss to coat. Add the prosciutto, mozzarella, and basil, and toss to combine.Turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Foodie Beauty

In addition to all things food, I'm passionate about beauty and fashion. My mom jokes that I love "lotions and potions," and it's true: I own more bottles, creams, tubes, and jars than the average village apothecary.

Although I don't care for gimmicky artificial scents (say, Jessica Simpson's cake batter-flavored lotion or Bath and Body Works' Sun-Ripened Raspberry anything), I rely on several products that blur the line between the kitchen and the bathroom. My "Foodie Beauty" Hall of Fame:

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme (retails for around $5.99) is the closest that you will come to lemon frosting in a portable tin. Its fragrant ingredients include sweet almond oil, lemon oil, cocoa butter, and rosemary extract. Quite literally, the creme melts into your nailbed, softening jagged hangnails and lending an emollient shine to your digits. Resist the overwhelming temptation to sniff your nails all day!I don't usually wear perfume, but I sometimes sport Burberry Brit Eau de Toilette or Parfum (retails between $46 and $85, depending on size). It is an intoxicating floral oriental with plenty of gourmet notes. Italian lime, icy pear, green almond, white peony, sugared almonds, amber, mahogany, vanilla, and tonka bean are married together in a unique scent. It's neither weak nor cloying, and both guys and girls find the scent appealing.In middle school, I discovered the joys of The Body Shop Mango Body Butter (retails between $10 and $20, depending on size). It's highly concentrated and more than a little bit greasy, but it's great for cracked heels and rough, flaky skin in the winter. Exercise restraint when applying it on your legs--like Brylcreem, a little dab'll do ya--or you might slide out of bed!I really like Origins products, and the Ginger Bar (retails for around $10) is a "savory" body soap the size of a small landlocked nation. This bar will last for months; indeed, you'll need to use it for 4 or 5 weeks before it shrinks to a manageable size. I love the scent of ginger, but, for some reason, I personally think that this unisex bar smells exactly like Coca-Cola...and I still love it! Weird, I know. Whether you want to smell like a spice or a soda, try it out.My sensitive skin tends to freak out with a lot of facial products, but for the past year, Origins Never A Dull Moment (retails for $23.50) has been my Holy Grail. This "skin-brightening face polisher with fruit enzymes" is a gentle exfoliating scrub/masque. Apricot and mango seeds and papain extract from papayas dissolve rough, uneven skin cells and restore radiance to your visage. Plus you'll smell like the yummiest mango chutney known to mankind. They really need to make this stuff edible.Bumble and bumble Creme de Coco Shampoo and Conditioner (retails for around $25 apiece) is like a tropical getaway at a fraction of the cost. It soothes dry, dull and tangled hair with coconut oil, mallow, milk thistle, and murumuru butter. My fine hair takes well to the entire B&b product line. I prefer the shampoo to the conditioner. The scent is fantastic because it's not a fake and overpowering coconut essence concocted in a science lab.

But I'm really glad that they don't make roast beef moisturizer.

Recipe Binders

You can easily make your own recipe binder with supplies from your nearest stationer or Staples. This week, I purchased a 1" binder made of aluminum for $22. Although you could pay less for a plastic or paper model, I think it's important to select a material that is heavy-duty and can withstand cooking spills and stains.You can buy clear plastic photo pages to hold your recipes. I selected a double-sided page that holds 3 4 x 6" cards per page ($4.75 for a dozen pages, in my neck of the woods). I used colored construction paper for the dividers, and I created individual designs for each of the sections with trusty old MS Word.

Beverages & Cocktails:Appetizers & Snacks:Soups & Salads:Sandwiches:Vegetables:Pasta:Fish:Chicken:Meat:And, finally, Desserts:Meanwhile, I keep many of my dessert recipes in a mara-mi binder. I'm a huge fan of Marimekko, and I love that the binder features Maija Isola's classic Appelsiini design from the 1950's. Just because you're in the kitchen doesn't mean that you have to forsake style for function!

You can't tell from this photo, but the binder is encased in clear plastic, thus rendering it spill-proof.It has several tabbed sections and pocketed folders.The plastic sleeves hold 4 x 6" recipe cards.The individual recipe cards also feature the Marimekko print!

The Ten Commandments of Bad College Habits

Although I loved my college experience, it was often difficult to reconcile my gourmand proclivities and traces of OCD with the slovenly lifestyle of the beer-soaked dorm resident.

In no particular order, I present The Ten Commandments of Bad College Habits:

1) Thou shalt not use a case of beer in lieu of thy pillow.2) Thou shalt not eat birthday cake off the floor.3) Thou shalt not accessorize with beer cans.4)Thou shalt not cure thy hangover with three plates of bacon.5)Thou shalt not consume a handle of vodka during breakfast. Or with waffles, ever.6)Thou shalt not consume an entire box of Pepperidge Farm cookies nor store them next to thy laptop. Thou shalt not spill Red Bull upon thy laptop, thus rendering the keyboard ineffectual.7) Thou shalt not pose for lewd photos with thy food.8)Thou shalt not subsist on greasy takeout.9)Thou shalt not covet thy tub of processed orange sodium.10)Thou shalt not live upon cheap beer alone.