Macaroon Morning Moment

July 17, 2010

Pretty in pink.

Happy Saturday, everybody!

My weekend is going to be a feat of engineering, schedule-wise. I have booked myself into plans all over this great city, back to back. It’s going to start with yoga in a few hours and end with a Swell Season/She and Him/Bird & the Bee concert on Sunday night. And in between all that… madness. Traffic. Laughs. Hopefully, good times. (Swell times? Hahaha?)

And on Monday morning when people ask me what I did, I will sincerely make a very confused face and say, “I don’t remember.” For some reason the words, “What did you do this weekend?” always throw me off, and I draw a blank. Because you have about a one second window to say something before the other person stops caring (if they cared to begin with), and that creates a vortex of pressure that my poor brain cannot handle.

I should probably plan for this and plot out my response before I get to work, but… I never do. So people generally think that I did nothing, or my weekend was SO crazy that I can’t remember it. Like, it must have been a non-stop drug-fueled orgy.

That’s never the case.

But I do have some food porn to share with you. (Or just go straight to the Paulette website.)

Anyway, that’s not why I’m here. I wanted to take a moment to show you a delightful vision. A feast for your eyes!

But first, a little story.

Until very very recently, if you told me that you loved macaroons, I would have thought you were a crazy person. Because, to a little Jewish girl from the suburbs, this is a macaroon:

Yuck.

Basically, it’s a shitty Passover dessert that we eat because all of the good desserts are forbidden. Passover macaroons are kind of chewy and waxy and usually seem to have coconut shreds in them. (I’m not a fan.)

BUT when I was at my former job, one day I walked into the kitchen and saw a box of some strange delightful little cookie-puff thing, and I was told that they were… French macaroons. (I maybe have written about them here. Much like my weekends… I don’t remember.) Ooh la la.

I believe that they were from Paulette, which actually spells it “macaron,” but most people I know (…Americans) seem to pronounce them the same.

Anyway, this morning I stumbled upon the Paulette website and was blown away by the color and adorability of these macarons. They are the awww-dorable little babies of desserts. They are the Anne Geddes babies of dessert photography. (Okay, not sure if that sentence made any sense.)

Cute... or creepy? Definitely pink.

Okay, sorry about that.

Now I will cleanse your palate with a Double Rainbow‘s worth of colorful macarons.

Don't try this at home.

And they’re so light and melt-in-your-mouth, with that sweet layer of gooey creamy whatever goodness in the middle. (I know, I know: That’s what she said. But it’s hard!) (That’s also what she said.)

Don’t we all aspire to be described in those terms? Sweet, beautiful, delicious, easy to love?

How did I live 20+ years without knowing about the GOOD macaroons? I thought I disliked macaroons, but I hadn’t met the RIGHT macaroons. (This is starting to sound like a romantic comedy.) (Starring my tastebuds.)

Now I’m going to sit and wait for the macaron hate-mail to roll in. (Or the Anne Geddes hate mail.) (Or the Passover macaroon love mail.)

Oh wait, no I’m not. I have a very busy weekend to attend to!

xoxo…

2 Comments | SMALL BITES, SNACK TREK | Permalink
Posted by yapplebee

There’s No Place Like SYTYCD

July 15, 2010

L to R: Robert, Kent, Lauren, Billy.

I didn’t plan on turning WIZARD OF OZ moments in reality shows into a feature on this blog, but I had to do another post after last night’s “So You Think You Can Dance.”

Lauren and Billy did a Mandy Moore (no, not THAT Mandy Moore) jazz routine that involved sparkly shoes.

Nigel (to Lauren): “Don’t go clickin’ your heels three times, Sweetheart, ’cause you ain’t going home yet.”

No click zone.

Aside to Dorothy: Who wears blue socks with heels? Seriously? Do we need to get the Sassy Gay Friend up in here?

Since injured Ashley had to sit out last night’s performance show, the picture at the top of this post is a pretty good reflection of the boy-to-girl ratio. If Ashley has to bow out or gets sent home tonight, Lauren will be the last girl standing. This is one of the hazards of the all-star format, I guess. But I have to say, I’ve really enjoyed the boy-on-boy routines.

It would be nice to have some female duets… but with so many male all-stars, looks like Lauren’s stuck in boy-town for a while. Not the worst place to be stuck. I’m a little bit jealous.

Maybe if I click my heels, I can go to there? I want to go to there!

xoxo…

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Oh Brother: BIG BROTHER’s Wizard of Oz Moment

July 9, 2010

Shit is about to get real.

So I remembered to check out “Big Brother” last night. Well… I remembered about 20 minutes after it started, but I don’t think I missed much. (Just the intros… sigh.)

I got there in time for the challenge, which involved the contestants flinging themselves onto giant fake hot dogs and riding them through the air.

Yes.

And sadly, I cannot find a picture of this challenge on my Google images.

My favorite part was when valiant Brendon (yes, with an O) jumped onto a wiener to try to secure it for the girls (something to do with removing his shirt). Somehow the teammate controlling the movement of the wiener (ha) didn’t understand that Brendon didn’t want to go to the other side (maybe that teammate is the saboteur?), and Brendon flew far, far away. “No!” he yelled. But it was futile. (Also: He could have jumped off. Maybe he’s the saboteur.)

You guys, it was exactly like the scene in “The Wizard of Oz” when the Wizard is about to take Dorothy home to Kansas, but Toto gets out of the basket and Dorothy jumps out to retrieve him, and the balloon’s tethers get cut and the Wizard drifts away. “No!” he yells. But it’s futile! Like, Brendon was equally dramatic about it. Even though he was not playing an over-the-top role in a movie.

I wondered if anybody else had a Wizard of Oz-flashback, or if it was just me. I watched that movie about a million times when I was a kid. (On a VHS recorded from my TV! Olden times!) (There was a laundry detergent commercial at the beginning, with a child in the most adorable Cowardly Lion costume. If you remember that, too… we need to talk.)

My favorite character was the Scarecrow, because he was totally handsome and loyal. But because I was too young to have a crush on him… I decided that I wanted to BE him?

Me, c. 1990. Dressed as the Scarecrow FTW.

I don’t usually post pictures of myself on the blog, but that’s an oldie. (Strangely, though, I look exactly the same.) (Minus the Scarecrow costume… I swear.)

You guys, I thought I WAS the Scarecrow. In preschool I used to dictate crazy stories from the Scarecrow’s POV. One of them involved eating my own limbs. You know, normal stuff. Adorable kid things.

But I digress. Back to “Big Brother.”

Come to think of it– there is an Oz-ian quality to the “Big Brother” house. The contestants are all transported to a strange land, governed by the rules of a remote, eccentric Wizard. (Julie Chen? The producers?) And the saboteur is the Wicked Witch. She locked up their food!

Another good moment was when the redhead fretted about the prospect of getting into a “showmance” with the saboteur. A- It’s hilarious that on this show, people have no illusions about a relationship lasting beyond the airdate. B- Who cares if you screw the saboteur? If anything, that’ll put you in his (or her) good graces… unless the sex is really bad.

There was also a really funny quote from one of the blondes about getting screwed over by a big wiener, but I didn’t write it down. Sorry!

Also: Didn’t realize that this show airs multiple days per week. I don’t know if I can slot it into my Sundays. Especially with “Mad Men” returning so soon! I saw a season 4 teaser trailer today, and there is so much nudity-from-behind. Way to get around the censors, AMC/Matt Weiner!

(PS Didn’t know until I spell-checked this post that the Jewish last name was spelled differently than the meat. Weiner/wiener. Add that to your book of knowledge.) (I guess this justifies all of the Weiners saying it’s pronounced WHY-ner, not WEE-ner.) (And if you pronounce it correctly, sounds like I’m calling them “whiners.” I can’t win!)

xoxo…

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Posted by yapplebee

Snack Trek: JOAN’S ON THIRD

July 8, 2010

For work today I had to make a stop at Joan’s on Third, at approx 3rd and Orlando (a bit east of Orlando). I’d only been there once before (with Lauren!), c. 2006. They’ve expanded since then, and it’s a lovely place to sit and eat or grab a few exotic treats for later. I covertly snapped a few camera-phone pics as a waited for my order. (What a spy.)

Product of Sweden?

There were racks of delicious candy. I snapped this close-up of the Swedish fish because I found out today that Cole has never heard of them. How is this possible? I’m spreading the knowledge. (I also ate an individually wrapped Swedish fish from a candy dish that’s in the bathroom at my office… yeah, just one Swedish fish, individually wrapped. Weird.) (And candy in the bathroom is a little weird, too, come to think of it.)

The pear vinegar has slices of pear in it!

This pear vinegar almost looks like perfume, from the bottling… but please don’t wear vinegar as perfume. Not a good scent profile. Not what the mans are looking for. (Unless I’ve been misinformed.)

Love this action shot. Thanks, lady!

I only got a brief up-close look at the desserts, but they definitely had a cake with real strawberries and cream filling. I love when real slices of fruit are in the filling. None of that sticky syrup stuff for me! (Same goes for crepes!)

Pretty/fancy.

This goat cheese had wildflowers on top! Tres fancy. I’m a sucker for aesthetics.

I am definitely going to have to stop being so afraid of points west (although most of my Westside friends would say that Joan’s is way east… oh, LA). I’m always so sure that parking will be a nightmare, but I found a meter spot with ease.

And if Joan’s alone isn’t enough to pull me back, look what else is coming to the neighborhood…

OOOHhh...

I’ve heard so much about their cupcakes. This’ll save me a trip to NYC. (And there’s a NY-style pizza place next door…)

Well, that was fun and easy. And now I’m hungry.

xoxo…

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Vampire Weekend

July 4, 2010

I gotta, say, you guys… I saw “Eclipse” last night, and I’m just not feeling the Twilight vampires anymore. I’m about to watch the Founder’s Day episode of “The Vampire Diaries,” just to cleanse my palate.

This seems sufficiently patriotic for my July 4th.

Looking forward to hearing one of my favorite Damon lines from Season 1: “I’m a vampire. What’s your excuse?” (Yes, I have a lot of lines from Season 1 memorized… stop looking at me like that. I’m not crazy!) (I’m a vampire. What’s your excuse?)

Sorry, Twilight vamps. I’m sure you’re crying all the way to the bank.

xoxo…

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Happy 4th of July!

July 4, 2010

Happy 4th of July! Does anybody else remember making those Cool Whip/blueberry/strawberry American flag cakes? (The past few days I have been eating a similarly patriotic breakfast: Greek yogurt/blueberries/strawberries… it’s a 1:2 ratio of yogurt: fruit, because I still can’t exactly get past the taste of the yogurt.)

Well, I was at the Farmer’s Market at the Grove yesterday and saw a more labor-intensive patriotic cake:

Let them eat cake! (Wrong revolution?)

Looks a little too rich for my blood. But I DID eat some pita (among other things… some days I really do embark upon a daily binge), so I guess my wheat/gluten-free days are behind me. It’s a slippery slope from pita to cake. And I’m likely going to several BBQs today… watch out, cakes of LA.

I will say, though, because this came up with a friend last night– To the calorie-counters, dieters, etc, of the world: Don’t let the calories rule your life. Don’t turn down parties or social activities because you don’t know if you’ll be able to resist the cake. There’s more to life than a diet, you know?

Try not to be so rigid about it that you can’t relax and enjoy yourself, or so fatalistic that any little perceived slip-up turns into a binge. Just take a taste–or not– and move on with the party. Keep your wits about you. Claim independence from those judge-y voices in your head.

I speak from experience.

xoxo…

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My Life on the Gluten/Wheat-Free List…

July 2, 2010

There's a whole other world out there...

Sorry I’ve been MIA. Let’s talk about TV for a moment.

-I’ve been enjoying the heck out of “So You Think You Can Dance.” The dwindling number of girls is unacceptable, because that greatly reduces my likelihood of seeing Pasha each week. And Neil! And WHERE is Dominic?

-As much as I like Mark & Courtney’s “The Garden” dance, I’m sick of seeing them do commemorative re-dances of it when the original performance will always be my favorite. They were dancing FOR THEIR LIVES, and you could see how it translated into the piece. If the producers want to remind us how great it was, they should just show the original footage.

-How cool was Levi Johnston on “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” last week? He and his friends were surprisingly good sports about the whole thing.

-I’m a little bit weirded out by “True Blood” right now. Episode 3 got a little too freaky for me. Though the cute wolf pics on the wall of the Were-Bar were LOL.

-What else am I forgetting? Oh, “Top Chef?” I don’t know, I miss the Masters.

-One of my new bosses is le obsessed with “Big Brother,” so I might have to jump on that bandwagon. He makes it sound really fun. Did you know that they have to compete for food? And if they don’t win it, they might just eat tasteless gruel for 40 days?

Tasteless gruel? I smell a segue…

So today I had oatmeal for lunch. The Twilight Zone twist? I was craving it. I was like, this is going to be delicious. I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Absence? Wha?

For the past… about 10 days, I guess, I was eating a wheat/gluten free diet.

It all started during that whole crazy breakfast burrito/quesadilla/almost barfing day. I came home and told my roommate about it, and she very responsibly forced me to throw out my potentially poisonous chicken and use some of hers. I mentioned that I go through phases where tortillas and bread smell weird to me, and she said… “Maybe you have an allergy.”

Simultaneously I was hearing that maybe oats and grains are bad for us, because (much like lactose) our bodies weren’t created to handle the huge amounts that we consume in the Western world.

So I decided to drop wheat and gluten from my diet, and see what happened.

Let me add– I generally can’t even make it through Passover without cheating and eating some bread. I’m a little bit obsessed.

But… I did it. I dropped wheat and gluten from my diet. I ate a lot of fruits and veggies. I discovered brown rice pasta. I realized that Greek yogurt isn’t so bad, if you load it with strawberries and blueberries. I checked labels. I wrote down everything I ate. I brought all my own food to work. I made eggs for breakfast. I cooked turkey patties on the stove and ate them with my rice pasta, or without a bun.

I was so hardcore, I even went out for drinks with a gluten-free guy. (Okay, that was a total coincidence. But it was very appropriate!)

I found out that Mike ‘N Ikes are gluten free. And– THANK GOD– so is Heinz ketchup. M&Ms are gluten free in the US, but not in the UK. And I was already in the habit of getting protein style (no bun) at In ‘N Out.

I had to turn down cake a few times, and my favorite frozen yogurt in my hometown (but Pinkberry is safe, as are several varieties of Edy’s/Dreyer’s).

In short, it wasn’t so bad. Every once in a while I was hit with a pang of– if I really turn out to be allergic, I might never eat x again. But… I wasn’t too devastated. It’s just food. And a lot of times the things we crave taste better in theory than in practice. (Someday soon I will write about my red velvet-related identity crisis.)

The hard part is eating at restaurants, or going to get-togethers. I became that weird person who wanted to make substitutions, or brought my own food.

I was planning on going to a doctor to get tested (I probably still will… eventually), but in short I realized that I wasn’t feeling THAT much of a difference. Turns out that a lot of people in the office were feeling blah because of the air quality.

So… I dug my box of Tofuttis out of the bottom of the freezer, and dusted off my oatmeal and my Fiber One bars.

I DID surprise myself this morning when our script coord brought in Noah’s bagels (good ones) and lox (LOX!), and I thought, nah. Not today. Not to be a big Jewish stereotype, but generally a good bagel with lox and cream cheese (and even the beef steak tomatoes!) is my Kryptonite.

So the wheat/gluten free week was perhaps a major folly, but it was a grand experiment, and I think I will keep up a lot of the habits I began this week. And I will try to limit my intake of the bready stuff, just in case. (I have this crazy theory that if I eat minimal bread and do sit-ups every day, I will someday own a somewhat respectable set of abs.)

xoxo…

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