Red Chile-Spiked Chocolate Mousse

If you're anything like me, you think chocolate is the epitome of perfection. Apparently, perfection comes in different stages. With a mere sprinkle of chile, this sumptuous chocolate mousse recipe goes from a homey dessert to a gourmet treat.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 4 tablespoons water, divided
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons mild-to-medium New Mexican red chile powder, plus more for garnish
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup low-fat milk
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 8 teaspoons dried egg whites (see Note), reconstituted according to package directions (equivalent to 4 egg whites)
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions

• 1. Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl; set aside.
• 2. Combine cocoa, granulated sugar, chile powder, espresso powder and salt in a large saucepan. Whisk in egg, then milk. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until steaming and just beginning to thicken, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately whisk in the softened gelatin, chocolate and vanilla. Stir until the chocolate is melted and fully incorporated.
• 3. Beat egg whites, brown sugar and cream of tartar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed just until firm peaks form.
• 4. Stir one-fourth of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until smooth. Fold in the remaining egg whites until fully incorporated. Spoon the mousse into 8 dessert glasses or cups.
• 5. Chill the mousse until set, at least 2 hours. Sprinkle with chile powder, if desired.

Note: Pasteurized dried egg whites are a wise choice in recipes that call for uncooked egg whites. Look for brands like Just Whites in the baking or natural-foods section of most supermarkets.

 (Picture and recipe via eatingwell)

Ageless Beauties

I found an old black and white picture of my mother while tidying up this morning. She was about fifteen years old at the time and wore braided pigtails without a stitch of makeup. But, what I found most captivating was the ingenuous look of wonderment that twinkled in her eyes, as if nothing was beyond her grasp.

 

Although her cheeks were rounder, her lips fuller and her eyes had yet to weather the wear and tear of the natural aging process -- I find her a thousand times more beautiful today.

 

While there's nothing wrong with choosing to go under the knife, there's something so endearing about a woman who is willing to embrace every wrinkle, every scar, every roll as her own personal badge of honor and realize she is more beautiful because of them.

 

What are your thoughts on aging gracefully?

Dinner at Dressler

Last night, Yves and I ventured to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to celebrate his 31st birthday at Dressler. He's not what I would call a gastronomic adventurer. Needless to say, he was skeptical about the food. Especially, when he scaled down the menu and spotted seared octopus and chicken liver mousse among the offerings. After much scoffing and eye rolling, he opted for the cured pork tenderloin which arrived at our table nestled atop of a bed of pillowy spaghetti squash and topped off with crispy fresh bacon. The latter is really a deep-fried hunk of salty, crispy, unctuous pork belly -- uh, yum! of course, I had the same.

It was absolutely delicious even Yves, was pleasantly surprised. However, I wasn't a fan of the cocktail. I ordered the "Ingenue," a mixture of cucumber vodka and prosecco. It tasted like sour cucumber water, with a little kick. Still, down the hatch it went, at $14, I wasn't going to let it go to waste. Yves chose the "Brooklyn", he took one swig, placed it down on the table and said "I've got to drive us home later in one piece," enough said. For dessert, we both ordered the warm banana tart tatin, to go. It was absolutely delectable. I scoffed down the entire thing at about two o'clock in the morning, which I think made it taste that much better.

A Mother's Work

 Gene Tierney with one of her three children.

 Jackie Kennedy and her daughter, Caroline.

 Elizabeth Taylor and her daughter, Elizabeth Frances.

Mia Farrow and her children.

She may not be a famous Hollywood siren or the First Lady of the most powerful nation in the world, but she holds the most important job a woman can and will ever do, being your mom.

No matter what her status, she is still the only person who will kiss all your boo boo's away, check for monsters beneath your bed, refuse to go to bed until you finish your term paper and cry with you after your crush all but crushes your heart. She believes in you,  helps you, supports you and loves you...even when you fight her every step of the way.

What would we be without mom?

Mommy, thank you for all you do, I love you, always.

Happy Mother's Day!

(Pictures via here and here)

What Do You Think Of Pork Pie Hats?

 

I'm a hat girl all the way. My newest go-to accessory has got to be the Pork Pie Hat. They're so whimsical and also perfect for concealing a bad hair day. Just throw one of these on and you'll instantly go from dowdy to chic. Worn by soulful Jazz, blues and Ska musicians in the 19th century, The Pork Pie hat received its unique moniker due to its striking resemblance to the popular British dish, the pork pie.  

 

I just ordered this studded version from Forever 21 because the one I own looks a bit tattered. I can't wait until it's delivered. What do you think of this trend? would you wear it?

(Pictures via here)

My Bout With Insomnia

Lately, I've been overwhelmed and hopelessly anxious. So much so, that I've come to depend heavily on sleeping pills. I take them every night. Not a wise choice, I know.

 

The last few days, I've opted to fall asleep naturally. I put away all distractions, i.e, no lights, television, computer, cellphone. Still, I lie awake for hours, tossing and turning with the day's events replaying in my head. 

 

I've employed all the tried and true sleep inducing methods in my repertoire like drinking warm milk, counting sheep, picturing a scenic landscape...praying. Nothing.

 

If you have any techniques that have worked for you in the past, I'd really like to hear about them, weigh in.

(Picture via Hawaiian Coconut)



Down Time

On Monday, I volunteered at the New York Public Library. During my break, I headed over to Bryant Park, which is adjacent to the library, to catch up on some light reading. JR Ward's latest novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood was recently released and I've been dying to immerse myself into her dark and dangerous world.

Instead, I ended up eavesdropping on a couple's conversation. Not intentionally, off course. They sat right behind me and were just so animated and fun. I tried my best to refocus my attention on the pages before me but their sprightly charm kept reeling me back in.

Relinquishing defeat, I placed the book into my handbag then began picking at my croissant and sipping my fresh squeezed orange juice at an attempt to look occupied. A process I repeated at a snail's pace. All the while, my ears registered every giggle, hock, and whisper amid the two strangers' wholesome chatter. Periodically, I  scanned the environs and stared into space. I figured I'd better play the part of an aloof park goers, lest someone discovered my little invasion of privacy act.

For the duration of my break, I leaned into the steel-framed chair which was conveniently covered by a large sun-shielding umbrella. My initial plan to lose myself in Ward's fictional world didn't quite pan out, but for that day, reality turned out to be so much more entertaining.

A Little Gatsby Opulence

Carey Mulligan is the cat's meow as F. Scott Fitzgerald's iconic character, Daisy Buchanan. The stunning Brit is frosted with opulence in the 2013 Vogue Editorial for her upcoming and highly anticipated film, "The Great Gatsby." I've always found her visage to be from a different era. She is such an intriguing beauty. It's as if something much more complex lurks beneath her unassuming countenance.

Fitzgerald once described Daisy's voice as being so carefree that it sounds like it's "full of money." But I think, the same can also be said about her fashion sensibilities because she looks like a million bucks. Daisy Buchanan is quite possibly one of the most stylish female characters in literary history.

When I was younger, I was obsessed with everything about the roaring 20s. From the effortless shift dresses, sleek short hair, alluring makeup to the cigarette holders. I would have this recurring dream of being a flapper/femme fatale in a seedy speakeasy. And, I would always have a cigarette holder between my scarlet lips as I sat alone at dingy table, just smoldering. As I watched curlicues of fumes from the glowing tip of my cancer stick sway seductively throughout the air, the sheiks (attractive men) would just flock to me. Those girlie fantasies make me giggle endlessly.

 

Pictures via Dust Jacket Attic

Photographs by Mario Testino, styled by Grace Coddington from Vogue US

Parlez Vous Francais?

How about a little vocabulary lesson, en francais...

 Au revoir...pour maintenant!

(Pictures via Paris In Four Months)

Glamping

I went to summer camp when I was younger and hated every second of the experience. The very next year, I told my mother I'd rather spend the entire summer bored to death at home than return to what I referred to at the time as camp hell. As I watched all my childhood friends from my neighborhood board the bus with ardent fervor, I felt a huge sigh of relief. Because, the idea of being marauded by a burly bear, or having to endure itchy pustules from species of bugs that had yet to make an appearance on the Discovery Channel or even worse, having to take care of business out in the great outdoors, terrified me.

Glamping, (camping with a dose of glamour) offers all the beauty of camping with indoor plumbing, electricity and lavish decor.

Pawsup, a luxury resort in Greenough, Montana, is stippled with a variety of picturesque ranch-inspired tents that comes complete with, wait for it...butlers! Along with luxurious spa visits, unctuous gourmet dishes and breathtaking sceneries, guests can enjoy activities like horseback riding, archery, fly fishing, hot air ballooning and even cattle herding. I think I'm definitely a Glamping kind of girl.

(Pictures via here)

Learning To Let Go

As the weight of my head sunk into my pillow, I shifted towards the window and drew solace from the pristine night sky. Quickly realizing that it would be a fleeting moment, I allowed myself to be consumed by its imposing beauty which was made even more splendid by luring twinkling lights. Lights that have guided generations of past wanderers and was ready and willing to dispense the same wisdom to future brethren. Held in abeyance by its profound knowledge, I yearned to be educated by this sage philosopher.

A wanderer not through travel but of the mind, I eased into a reverie. My thoughts were blithe, groundless and utterly devoid of any direction. I relished that fact. My sprightly temperament made everything seem possible, attainable. The guiding lights above soon began teasing me. Their pattern like breadcrumbs leading me to the pathway of my ideal future. A future complete with a diagram of what's to come, detailing every tiny bump and gaping rift ahead. The illumination was striking

Stirred by the prospect of this shortcut and with my needle and thread in hand, I began stitching the connective dots. Padding the fabric as I shaped and reshaped each square of this optical illusion of a quilt. Ultimately, revealing a patchwork which only my own eyes could decipher.

But soon enough an unforeseen shadow began to dim my little constructed pathway until the entire road was eclipsed. Suddenly, reality barreled into me, a welcomed awakening. With my mind no longer soaring and no illumination, I meandered out of my little fantasy and was jolted back into my tiny room. As I recovered from my journey, I glanced at the sky once more, this time around, seeing it with new eyes. I resented it's peaceful disposition as I began to wonder why the turmoil fermenting deep inside me couldn't find the same calm.

No sooner after that thought, a flicker appeared in the middle of my room. It was so delicate it looked as if it was draped with diaphanous threads. It fluttered towards me, stopped, then shone with a resolute preternatural luminance. Abruptly, it began to multiply. I leaned against my headboard and watched in awe as my room became fraught with the stars of the heavens.

My admiration was quickly replaced by mind-numbing dread as each star began the process of melding into one another, growing not only in size but in warmth. As they coalesced into a brilliant ball of light, I prepared myself for a daring escape. Alas, it surged towards me and struck me like a bolt of lightning.

Instead of searing pain and a few missing appendages, all I felt was its steadfast strength seeping into my pores. Then, I realized that was all the education I needed. For the first time, I released myself from entrapment. This prison I had build for myself, brick by brick. As I sat in front of my vanity, I made the decision to let go of all the things that were out of my control and to solely concentrate on the things within my grasp. With a shudder, I awoke.

This year has been a hard one for me. Life, specifically my career as a Reporter has stalled. I have been unsuccessfully attempting to resume course ever since. For months now, the amount of resentment and anger I've been harboring has been slowly chipping away at my spirit. It was a long process but I have finally let go of the past which has left me with ample time to focus on the future. So far, I've decided to enroll in graduate school for Journalism. I start in the Fall.

Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the hardest. Just let go. Here's to the future. I hope it's one heck of a ride.

(Pictures via Oracle Fox)