the end has arrived...

On my last night of studying, my amazing roomie Lauren and her mom brought me clam chowder from The Village Tavern. A nice way to end the crazy week of finals! It made studying for Biology a little more bearable.

As for the soup, it was pretty good! I've had better dishes from the Village Tavern, which I may feature in a future blog post, but this was most certainly better than the alternative pit food.

The hands you see holding my soup to-go is my friend John James. He is actually a super picky eater, and pretty much doesn't like anything. SO...I'm not sure why he's on this food blog, but whatevs.

Well, this was Friday night! Saturday was my last final and now I'm done with Finals. I survived. Barely.

continued...

uhhh...one cup of coffee, one Roobios Bourbon Street Vanilla tea, one mocha, and one vanilla latte later, and me and Lauren had studied at Krankies for 5 hours. INTENSE.

...and continues...

After quite a productive day today, full of French oral exams, and stacks of flashcards...what was my reward? Only a wonderfully delicious bowl of homemade beef stew (pictured below).

 

I have this friend who's a talented photographer, and a pretty good cook. (He didn't take the picture above... that obviously amateur picture is all mine :) But you can see some of his pics here or here! He was kind enough to invite me over for dinner with a few other friends, and of course I accepted! Ok, maybe I invited myself over...but being such a gracious friend, he welcomed my company. The stew was so good! He made it in a pressure cooker, which I understand isn't normally found in a college student's kitchen, but he has a strong appreciation for using the right tools for the job. The beef turned out so tender, after only 20 minutes of cook time, so maybe a pressure cooker isn't such a bad investment?

Definitely my favorite study "snack" (more like a meal) thus far.

 Days of studying: four and counting...

Subject of choice: Français

Snack of choice: Beef stew and whole wheat bread

...and continues...

So...yesterday, my study snack was nothing more than some Skittles and Candy-Canes. Yeah, not very impressive. The amount of actual studying I got done wasn't that impressive either. I've been hung up on this English paper that I have to write. It has to be 8 pages long, and it can be about anything we want, as long as we use a book that we've read in class. I really don't like open ended prompts. The little time I did try and designate for studying/writing, I pondered, revised, brainstormed, and questioned, and ended up with nothing. Today was a tad bit better.

Though I didn't really make much progress on this paper, I did get some French studying out of the way! At least I feel somewhat productive? After posting this, I will try and do some free writing for my paper, to see if I can get the juices a flowin'! 

Days of studying: 3 (if you count yesterday)
Subject of choice: up until now, French
Snack of choice: Pretzels and Hummus, along with a English Toffee Latte (with out the expected overwhelming sweetness) from the student run coffee shop, Campus Grounds.

Nifty travel mug, eh? 10 dollars gets you one of these bad boys, and a free drink! Totally worth it.

and the final count down begins...

I know you were expecting to hear about the pit, and the food in a college students life. Alas...

...for those of you who were unaware, today was the last day of classes. And what does that mean? Yep. Finals. Just around the bend. That means stress headaches, late nights, libraries, textbooks, and lots of notes. Oh, and the occasional study snack. These next few days, rather than try and tell you about some food adventures from the recent past (I'll come back to those, no worries) I'm going to drag you along by the stomach, through this epic week, of trials, tribulations, successes, and celebrations.

Days of studying: one

Subject of choice: English, more specifically, an 8-10 page research paper on Shakespeare and Irony

Snack of choice: H₂O and Honey Nut Cheerios

Good life decisions, are happening right now.

stay tuned...

Hello blog world!

So I realize I've been slacking on my blog posts lately, and I've made the decision that I need to be more on top of things. But alas, I haven't been off campus to interesting local food, and getting off campus doesn't happen often anyways. (However the trend seems to be when I do get off campus, I forget my camera, so I can't even document my food experiences photographically, like I want to!) 

The solution? Share my ON-CAMPUS culinary experiences! What is it like to eat on a college campus? What kinds of food is available to the average college student? You shall soon find out dear friends.  In the next few days, I'll begin to share the ups and downs that the collegiate stomach experiences. It may just make you more thankful for your mom's cooking. I know I am.

oui? ou non?

Getting excited...

Did I mention that I'm hoping to study abroad for a semester in Dijon, France? Oh! Well hopefully this time next Fall, I'll be enjoying some of the best food in the world, while traversing Southern France. though it would be mainly academic, I'm thinking it's going to be the greatest culinary adventure ever!! Just think of all the new and exciting foods I'm going to get to eat! Be jealous!

This just came in the mail! I figure I'd better start practicing! :) (Don't worry, I won't be utterly helpless. I've been taking French for a few years now) I'm still in the application stage of this whole thing, but I'll let you know as soon as the trip is finalized! And don't think I won't keep you updated on my french foodie experiences if I get into the program.

A tout a l'heure!

local favs: coffee

Krankies Coffee

Need a place to study, talk, and hang out with a friend? Check out Krankies Coffee on Third St. It has a pretty mellow atmosphere, GREAT coffee, live band performances on the weekends, and a local farmers market every now and then (the next is the 26th of Oct I believe).

With tons of table choices, lots of space, and free wireless internet, it's my first alternative to studying on campus. In fact it's becoming my preferred place to study!

A Hazelnut Latte was my preferred cup of joe :)

Need to get up and walk around after hitting the books hard? There's a gallery in the next room, where you can stretch your legs and exercise that right side of your brain! How convenient is that?!

Check it out! And let me know what YOU love about Krankies!

 

local favs: lunch

Dioli's Italian Market, the Deli

After overcoming great opposition on Friday (in the all-too-familiar form of a Bio test) I decided it was acceptable to celebrate with a sandwich from one of my local favorite restaurants, Dioli's. It's a great little Italian Deli, that has delicious authentic sandwiches, (or what I'd assume was pretty darn authentic, I've never been to Italy, so I wouldn't know), and some of the most tempting desserts I've ever seen.

 

 I decided on the Classic Italian Hero- "Molinari Dry Salame, Mortadella, and Prosciutto Cotto w/ Provolone, Red Onion, Arugula and Mayo on a Ciabatta Roll." with a Zeppoli on the side. (I'd never had a Zeppoli, but it was a $0.50 Italian doughnut, so I figured, why not?!) The sandwich was delicious, just like the last time I'd had it. This time, I decided to get oil and vinegar instead of the Mayo, and loved the switch! I could honestly argue that the bread is the best part. Next time, I'll have to try one of their other desserts. I've had the Tiramisu before and I'd definitely recommend it! The Zeppoli was really not that impressive, but I wonder if it was because it wasn't served right after it came out of the fryer. It didn't quite have that crispy texture that it looked like it should have had. Despite that, overall, it was most definitely a successful celebration lunch!

yummm

Fresh heirloom tomatoes I grew this summer made the most delectable afternoon snack! (I added a dash of kosher salt) I espicially love how  vibrantly the yellow and reds ones contrast each other.

a bread making success!

After many semi-successful batches of bread, I've finally created a truly magnificent batch of home-made honey wheat sourdough bread!! The finished product that you see below was positively the best batch I've created yet, despite all the odds working against me: the lack of counter space in our room (there is none), the highly questionable oven in the lounge (it takes 30 minutes to pre-heat), and the inhospitable rising conditions (our frigid, dry air conditioned room). When it came out of the oven, it smelled SO heavenly.

Upon slicing it the crusty outer layer and the soft airy texture on the inside made our mouths water. My roommate and I immediately spread a little butter on it, and quickly devoured 1/2 of the loaf. When we felt we'd had enough, I wrapped up the second 1/2, and put it away for later. (Homemade bread makes for a tasty breakfast in the morning). The second loaf, we took to a friends apartment for a movie night snack. It was a huge hit! I can't wait to try another batch! (Though my roommate is getting tired of the same bread every time.) "Can't you make anything other than sourdough?" I'm going to have to work on that one.

local favs: brunch

This is the first of, hopefully, many posts recommending some local favorite restaurants of mine! For all my fellow Demon Deacons out there, check out these posts if your stomach is crying out for a break from that "delicious" Pit Food.

If you find yourself wandering the Downtown Arts District of Winston Salem on a Sunday afternoon and are looking for an early afternoon meal, check out Finnigan's Wake Irish Pub and Kitchen! Located at 620 North Trade Street, this little pub has some of the best Irish food around. 

Recently, I got Artichoke Benedict (my first Benedict anything! I know, shocking), and it was absolutely wonderful! 2 poached eggs served on top of "Opie's arti-cakes" and a sliced buttered and toasted English muffin, smothered with fresh hollandaise sauce. Served with hashed sweet and golden potatoes, a cheese toastie, and a grilled roma tomato, it was hard to find room in my stomach for everything on my plate! I washed it all down with an ice cold water, garnished with a fresh slice of cucumber. (sounds odd, but give it a chance!)

Other popular brunch menu items are the Boxtys (a traditional breakfast item- a thin potato pancake folded over some d-lish ingrediants!), Bangers and Mash (Irish sausages topped with Smithwick’s gravy, served with
mashed potatoes & braised cabbage), the Irishmans Breakfast, as well as some traditional sandwiches, soups, salads, and classic entrees like Fish and Chips. You're going to want to come back and try them all.

But Finnigan's isn't just a great place for brunch! They're open for lunch and dinner, and they feature some satisfying entrees. Not to mention, their sweet potatoe fries are TO DIE FOR. Don't take my word for it, check 'em out!

moving in

Upon moving into my new dorm room, one of the girls in our suite brought me and my roommate homemade blueberry tarts! They were absolutely delicious. She made them in individual pie crusts, so everyone got an individual tart for themselves. It's been over a week since we've all moved in and she's baked pecan pies and a coconut pie as well! I'm so glad that she loves baking as much as I love eating! I guess I'd better start my regular exercise routine!

mmmm.

And who said college kids don't eat well?

lunch with a friend

A week or so ago, I drove to Hickory to visit with my friend Catherine. While I was there, we went to two amazing restaurants for lunch. The first called Cafe Gouda was this little bistro at the end of a strip mall. On the wall there were SO many sandwiches and entrees to choose from. After about 10 minutes of reading description after description, I finally settled on getting the Hot Brown.

Oven Roasted Turkey, bacon, tomato, white cheddar cheese, and mayo on grilled sourdough 

 SOOO good!! The cheese was perfectly melted, and the bacon gave it some smokiness. My favorite part was the bread. I only dream that one day I'll be able to make sourdough bread that delicious.

The other restaurant we went to was called Dante's Pizza. Since there's limited seating inside, we called ahead of time and ordered subs to pick up. I had a turkey with lettuce, tomato, cheese, and oil and vinegar. It came with chips and a pickle, but I don't think anything lasted longer than 3 minutes. I was so hungry, that I practically inhaled it. If you're ever in Hickory, NC and are looking for a great place to grab a sub sandwich to go, Dante's is the place! 

They don't have a website, but here's the address: 2208 N Center St Hickory, NC 2860

adventures in bread cont...

I'm back! After finally getting all moved in, I thought I'd take some time and report how the breadmaking was going. After my first smallish round loaf of bread (made with mostly white flour) I made a second batch with more wheat flour, and decided to allow more time for it to rise the second time. unfortunately, I forgot about it and let it rise too long. Thus, these lumpy dense, hat-looking loaves resulted. Try, try, again.

The third batch of bread came out 1092849 times better than the first!!! I used a mix of wheat and white flour again, I let it rise just long enough to give it a nice texture, but ALAS...I forgot to add salt, oil, and honey. So it looked picture perfect, but tasted...not so delicious. It went down a whole lot easier with butter and jam. (In case you were wondering butter and jam make just about any loaf of bread edible, unless it's too hard to chew, or too moldy to stomach)

I went with homemade strawberry jam.

in transition...

Sorry to anyone who's visited my blog recently! I've been in the process of packing up, moving, and now unpacking my life, so I haven't posted in quite a while. I do have pictures on my camera ready to load so as soon as I get some time, more blog posts shall appear! I hope you're enjoying your summer :)

adventures with bread

I love bread. I really do. It's probably one of my favorite foods of all time. I've always wanted to know how to bake it on my own, and recently, I've had the opportunity to try my hand at making it myself.

My loving neighbor Joy gave me a sourdough bread starter, and a lesson on making bread, so two days ago I decided to give it a try.The following pictures document the process.

This is after I let the starter sit overnight with some flour and water. So far so good.

After the starter sat overnight, I pulled out a new starter, added some olive oil and salt to the mixture, and worked in more flour. When it became too hard to stir, I poured it out and kneaded in the rest of the flour.

This part was the most fun :)

Here it is, all ready to rise!! I put this loaf into a bowl drizzled with some olive oil so it didn't stick, and covered it to let it rise.

Then, I pulled it out after about 4 hours, kneaded it once again, formed two small loaves, scored them, and set them aside on a pan to rise once more. (sorry there aren't any pictures of these steps! I took my bread over to a friends house to finish making it)

Alas! My hard work has payed off! The final product! (My friend and I ate the other loaf with butter and jam, so obviously, only one is included in this picture) Overall, it came out great for my first try! The texture of the crust was good, but the inside was a bit doughy and dense. Definitely tasted like sourdough though! In the end, it was a success.

Luckily, I've had nothing but time the past few days to experiment with different rising times and wheat to white flour ratios. Results coming soon.

a trip to Asheville...

So last weekend, I went up to Asheville, NC to see my good friend Candice in an amazing performance of Chicago (she was Roxie!). After seeing the show, we spent the day exploring merely a fraction of the shops and restaurants in downtown. Along with some cute fashion finds, I had the opportunity to experience some of the most awesome local flavors this artsy town has to offer!

The first restaurant we went to was called Early Girl Eatery (recommended by two of my good friends). I had the omelet of the day, made with wild mushrooms, sweet corn, and goat feta cheese. It came with home fries, and wheat toast (which I smothered in butter and the most delicious jam). I have to say this was one of the best omelets I've ever had. The sweet crunch from the corn, the earthiness of the mushrooms, and the tangy feta was in one word...AMAZING. I wish I'd taken a picture to document the dish, but it had my undying attention the minute it was set before me.

I did snag a pic of some the best granola ever. My mom ordered it, and loved it so much, she bought a tub to take home.  Lucky me :)

One of the other places we went to was the local favorite the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. Though I could have ordered one of everything on the menu, I decided to go with two simple chocolates (I was still full from brunch). One a 70% dark chocolate from Nicaragua (on the left) the other a Hazelnut Crunch (right).

The dark chocolate was simply chocolaty in it's most pure form. The Hazelnut, was a nice counter to it's companion, thanks to it's creamy, nuttier taste.

The star of the weekend (and our downtown tour guide) Candice got a Nibby Brownie (flecked with cacao nibs) and a delicous and beautiful breve.

Yum!!

 For dinner, we went to one of my favorite places, Doc Chey's Noodle House. I'd been one other time, and loved it so much, I had to go back. For an appetizer, we ordered the Thai Shrimp Rolls. They were DELICIOUS! Filled with a smooth fresh shrimp and garlic filling, they were served with a sweet chili sauce that I wanted to lick from the bowl. So good!

 I ordered the Chinese Lomein Noodle Bowl with beef (from local Hickory Nut Gap Farm). It consisted of traditional stirfry ingrediants (cabbage, onion, carrots, bean sprouts), fresh house-made egg noodles, and tender grass fed free range beef, but it was anything but ordinary. Since all the ingrediants were so fresh, the dish had delicious flavor all it's own. I definitely plan on ordering it again.

 (I wonder if starting this blog counts as an overdue personal decision?)

If you ever find yourself traveling through the Blue Ridge Mountains, or visiting the famous Biltmore Estate, take the time and explore this creative city! Your stomach will thank you.

hello blog world!

I'm not really sure what I'm doing. I have a passion for eating delicious food, so I thought I'd share my thoughts, ideas, and experiences with those out there in cyberspace who share that same passion. My first real post is soon to come! So stay tuned :)