And my car won't stop 'cause I cut the breaks

So Amsterdam. I loved it. It has got to be one of the top three cities I have visited this year. I could definitely live in one of those cute house apartments by the canal. We peaked into some of their windows around dinner time, and I could not handle it. People were actually nice too! Crazy. Oh and there were so many cute modern coffee shops, my weakness. I'm talking about literal coffee, not to be confused since we are talking about Amsterdam.

However we did not stay in the area I described above. We stayed in the red light district. It was cheap. And now I know why. The manager of the hostel loved us though, really loved us. Because we were a breath of fresh air in comparison to the quality of teenage boys that normally stay there...

The first night I was paranoid out of my mind walking down the street in our area. There were so many guys, almost all guys. And the smell of weed and the sight of mostly naked girls really freaked me out. But then I realized that these areas exist in every city, I just don't stay in them. And this area in Amsterdam is actually safe. Our tourguide told us there are security cameras everywhere, two police stations, a church, and a kindergarden (go figure). 

Some interesting moments:

- Watching a Christmas parade in Amsterdam that includes Santa followed by his African slaves... We are talking black paint, wigs, the whole deal. We were completely shocked. Weed, prostitution, ok I can handle it. But borderline racism/cultural insensitivity... no, just no.

- Listening to our hostel manager complain to us. In one of his many rants, he mentioned that he killed Chinese when he was in the Taiwanese Army, and that he stayed up til 6am drinking Tequila because he was so annoyed with the stoned Belgian boys in our hostel. A very fascinating man.

- Eating stroopwafels. Those things are good. And addicting.

- Taking the Red Light District tour. I learned many things, including not to take pictures of prostitutes because they will throw pee on you. Also who knew it only cost 50 euro for 15 min?

- Going to a bar/slash club one night when we weren't planning on going out. Some of us were wearing multiple layers of sweaters... sexy.

We also did some touristy things in Amsterdam as well: two tours, the Rembrandt house, the Anne Frank house, the Heineken factory, a sex museum, the "I Amsterdam" letters, and a Christmas parade.

I would definitely go back to Amsterdam! But maybe stay in a different area...


Post title from Morning Song by The Lumineers. One of my favorite songs by them and one of the best concerts I've been too.

It's best we both forget before we dwell on it

Some things I miss about the US.

To-go coffee.
Big showers.
Nice people.
Wearing sweatshirts in public.
Zoning out in class. Or really just understanding what is going on in class.
Feeling at home.


But then there are things in Paris I know I will miss when I return.

So many cafés.
Cheap crêpes.
Cheap wine.
Macarons.
The Seine.
Free museums.
Fast public transportation.
Attractive men who know how to dress.

Also if you have the time check out my new blog post for IES! It is about going to a class at the Sorbonne.

Post title from Love Love Love by Of Monsters and Men.

An Ode (of sorts) to Singapore

Let's talk about Singapore.  I found this blog, This is Naive, that has some pretty awesome photos of Sing.  I haven't gone in two years, and whenever I went I was always super bored and overheated, but there are some things I miss for sure.  First off here are some photos of the beautiful hotel where my parents had their engagement party back in the day :)

Oh and we cannot forget the food.  Oh the food.  I spent 20 minutes going through all these photos with my mouth watering.  If you must go to Singapore for one reason, it is the food.  Let's start with kopi and desserts.

Side note to my mother... can you make Pandan cake again? thanks :)

Ok now lets get into the real food. Oh my goodness I'm so hungry.

Ok I promise I'm done now.  Last question to my mother, after you make Pandan cake, can you please make me some Hainanese chicken rice?  Ooof.

mmm....food!

How did we spend our holidays?  Cooking.  I have never cooked or baked so much in my life.  Here is an amazing recipe for Chocolate-Espresso Kahlua Tart that my sister forced me to make.  It was extremely complicated for my meager baking skills, but (without the use of a food processor or a food thermometer and after making the meringue twice) I finally succeeded.  The end result: the most amazing mousse pie you will ever have.  It was well worth the work.

Chocolate Espresso Kahlua Tart
makes one 11-inch tart

FOR THE CRUST:
2 cups hazelnuts (9 ounces)
1 1/3 cups finely ground chocolate wafers (about 22)
1/2 teaspoon instant-espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

FOR THE MOUSSE:
1/2 cup Kahlua (coffee-flavored liqueur)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon instant-espresso powder
Pinch of salt
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons sugar

1. Make crust: Preheat oven to 375.  Spread hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; toast until skins slit and flesh turns deep golden brown, tossing halfway through 10-12 minutes.  Remove from oven; reduce oven to 325.  While still warm, rub nits in a clean kitchen towel to remove skins (some will remain).  Let cool completely, then finely grind in a food processor.


2. Stir together ground nuts, cookie crumbs, espresso powder, salt, and butter.  Press into bottom and up sides of an 11-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom.  Chill 30 minutes.


3. Place tart pan on a baking sheet; bake until firm to the touch, about 20 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


4. Make mousse: In a bowl, whisk together Kahlua, cocoa, egg yolks, espresso powder, and salt.  Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water.  Whisk in liqueur mixture.  Cook, whisking, until mixture is thickened (registers 160 on an instant-read thermometer).  Let cool completely.


5. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream just to stiff peaks.  Whisk egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over (not in) a pan of simmering water.  Cook, whisking, until sugar is dissolved (meringue registers 160 on thermometer).


6. Attach bowl with meringue to mixer.  Whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form.  Raise speed to high, and beat until peaks are stiff and glossy but not dry, and meringue is completely cool.  Using a flexible spatula, gently but thoroughly fold chocolate mixture into meringue, then fold in whipped cream. Spread evenly in cooled tart shell.  Chill until set, at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.

Nutella!

Well, I am in love with nutella and February 5, 2010 is World Nutella Day!! (Don't ask me how I know) If you happen to have the craving to bake something with nutella, here are all the nutella recipes you could ever want. Enjoy!

Also don't these chocolate-chip nutella cookies look amazing?!

Greetings

Happy New Year!
We have decided to start our blog with Ko and Lave's version of Buche de Noel made on Christmas Eve. It took all day for Ko to make, and Lave pitched in on the decorations.