January 2010

For the love of lattice

January 30, 2010

For the lucky readers and bakers who aren’t still stuck in winter (or war zones), farmers markets in some parts of the world are bursting forth with all sorts of wintry goodies, like citrus! I can’t even believe how many meyer lemon recipes I’ve seen on foodgawker and tastespotting recently! I’m jealous…totally jealous. Because it [...]

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D-d-d-dim sum!

January 26, 2010

Can you tell I’m a bit nostalgic for Malaysia lately? Maybe it’s the clear, warm weather, the lack of dust storms, the lack of bombs, and the carefree environment? …Or maybe it’s the dim sum!

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Wandering through mangroves

January 26, 2010

On a day trip in during our Malaysia vacation, Farrell and I stayed on a nature reserve in Kuala Selangor, located an hour or so north of Kuala Lumpur. The only transportation option is a rickety public bus that careens around sharp curves that loop around tea plantations and drops you right in the center [...]

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happy latte

January 25, 2010

Happy Monday!

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I stand for haggis

January 24, 2010

I know, with some certainty, that I am part Italian, German, and Irish. With less certainty I could say there might be some Scottish mixed in there as well. Two nights ago at the British Embassy in Baghdad, everybody celebrated their Scottish heritage, whether it’s real or not. In true IZ fashion, Brits, Scots, Irishmen, [...]

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Lime Scones with Honey-Ginger Swirl

January 19, 2010

Sixty-two days. Readers, do you make countdowns for important things? How many days until…the end of the semester? Your next vacation? A new album comes out? Farmer’s markets reopen? I am very impatient. I was that kid who watched the clock intensely in school, counting down by five-second increments. 13 minutes and 55 seconds…13 minutes [...]

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I went to Kurdistan and didn’t get arrested by Iran

January 13, 2010

Brief post that I’ve been meaning to write for a little while. Have you ever been on a plane, nearing your intended destination, only to have the plane suddenly divert to another location? Well, the infrastructure at the Baghdad International Airport is still developing. It can’t quite handle little weather emergencies, like, for example, heavy [...]

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Moonstruck chocolate truffles

January 12, 2010

This past Christmas was the second time I was away from my family (yup, I’m still in Baghdad), meaning celebrations had to be improvised. The first time was in 2007 when I decided that I simply could not be bothered to return home after my semester in Jordan, so I went to Thailand by myself [...]

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Beet cupcakes with honey-ginger frosting

January 10, 2010

Here’s another novel idea for my fantasy cupcake shop (you know, the one that will also sell Iraqi flag-cakes?): Cupcakes made with veggies! Bright, vibrant, healthy golden beets in this case.

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Restaurant review and the engagement story!

January 10, 2010

Since I’m only beginning to pull myself out of the depths of student loan nightmares, I only get to experience fancier (read:more expensive) restaurants as a rare treat. Traveling is definitely no exception. I’ve traveled on such tight budgets before that I practically learned to survive on seaweed-flavored potato chips, chocolate pocky, and $1 pad [...]