Sharp as a razor

My current obsession is my new (and first) Global chef's knife. I've never bought my own knife but I finally decided that you need the right tools for the right job and rather than buying lots of mediocre and inexpensive knives (something Dear has a penchant for), I'll just invest in a few good ones. I spent an inordinate amount of time testing out knives at Sur La Table and questioning the very knowledgeable salesperson. The Global felt very comfortable in my hands and I love how light it is. It is also cheaper than the Shun (my runner up) and the Wusthof, which is also nice, but not as comfortable for me as the Japanese knives.

So far my first "fancy" knife foray has been amazing. I now understand what Alton Brown means when he says you can cut faster depending on what your cutting surface is. I always thought that didn't apply to me because I am slow anyway, but when I used our plastic board (because it fits in the dishwasher), I felt like the board was working against me. I can't wait to try on the composite board.

I have to say that I loved shopping at Sur La Table also. It is to cooking what B&H is to photography. I love that I can get a good chunk of my research done in one place in person, rather than searching through the Internet reading anonymous reviews for which you can't read into whether or not they contain falsities. It is also great to be able to test things out in person too.

The salesperson reiterated a lot of what I've read/heard/watched on TV about knives, but I did learn some new things:
- You need to hone your knife with the steel specific to your knife. Since different companies use different alloys to create their knives, you can't use a steel from another company because that steel will be of a substance complementary to its own knives, which could be damaging/too abrasive to another alloy.
- Global knives are recommended to be honed only with ceramic. There is the option to get the ceramic steel for the same price as the knife, or as the salesperson suggested, to get a Japanese sharpener for half the price and just use the second wheel for honing.
- The harsh chemicals and high temperatures of the dishwasher could alter the chemical composition of knives, hence you should only hand-wash knives.
- The electric knife sharpeners (such as from Chef's Choice, which I had contemplated buying for Dear) can NOT be used with Japanese knives because the angle of the blade is so different between European and Japanese knives. It would be like sticking a different-shaped pencil into a pencil sharpener.
- The salesperson recommended storing knives with magnets because they allow knives to fully air dry and also keep them within easy reach.

On a somewhat related note, I have noticed more fallibility with Alton Brown lately (though he's still one of my favorite food information sources). His knife line with Shun is not all that. I don't see a real need for such a high-angled handle, even if you have large knuckles. Plus it looks weird. And I recently tried out his recipe for vanilla ice cream, which is quite good but still needs tweaking. I find it almost diabetic-coma-inducingly sweet. From the sound of this post, it seems like I'm cooking more. But, I'm really not. I do think I am more inclined to though....

The good earth

This weekend yielded some surprising food finds. On Saturday, we stopped by a new Asian market somewhere between Bayside and Flushing. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary in terms of Asian markets, but this time I decided to finally try this form of mushroom that I've seen before but never actually bought. Unfortunately I have no idea what it is called but next time I will take a pic before I eat it! It is about 5-6 inches long and looks like mostly stalk growing into a mini cap. It reminds me a bit of squash in terms of size and shape. There were also organic enoki mushrooms, which we bought, with the idea of making a mushroom ragu with pasta sometime during the week (which we did and was delicious and quick).

On Sunday, we happened to be in Flushing again and decided to just pick up some roast pork for dinner. On the way back to the car, I saw a woman by a vegetable stand on the sidewalk. She had set out ceramic plates piled with produce in front of each box of her goods. What really piqued my interest was that she was selling purple mini-potatoes. She also had regular Yukon golds, onions, and a bunch of brightly-colored sweet bell(?) peppers. But we just needed potatoes and the purple ones looked very enticing. In exchange for just $1, she poured the plate of potatoes (felt like about a pound) into a bag and then scooped up another plateful in anticipation of the next customer. Who would have thunk that there would be an old Chinese woman selling fresh purple potatoes in the middle of bustling Flushing? Buying fresh seasonal produce, passing by delicate blooms on my walk to the subway station -- I am loving Spring!

Ode to Oxi

I swore off the white powder long ago
But with dirt the enemy and stains the foe,
I knew that I had to try the new cleanser Oxi Clean.
It's all over TV, in commercials I know that you've seen.

And indeed, at first try some whites did look whiter.
But hark! Its true strength is as a stain fighter.
There were new stains: food, blood, makeup, and sweat
And even those I thought had already set --
But the Oxi gently lifts all and washes away.
If only it could keep new stains at bay!

I scrubbed and I rubbed one stain of ink
Ready to bid the shirt good bye
So it was with amazement I did blink
That Oxi worked with nary a sigh
Oh my dear Oxi
You sure are foxy!

This rhyme is getting old
So just let it be told:
For bathrooms, kitchen, and laundry
Use Oxi, it really is extraordinary!

FoHi fo' real

I've been meaning to post pics of an especially inspiring apartment recently (or not so recently) featured on apartment therapy. The most interesting part -- this designer lives in Forest Hills too.

Commonly called a "landing strip" on AT, we also have this in our apartment entryway. I am still looking for a mirror though, and our little shelf needs some tidying up.

When we were home-hunting, we often saw apartments with built-in shelves that are only deep enough to display objects, not actually store stuff. I really like this idea of converting that space into one large display that frames a vase (or some other large object, rather than a bunch of tchotkes). If you look carefully enough, the vase sits on a bed of little stones, which I think is a great detail!

Speaking of conversion, I LOVE this idea of making the front hallway closet into a little office. I think it's enclosed enough to keep you away from distractions, yet just roomy enough to work. I would do well to learn at least a little of her storage/organization solutions (I am quite dissatisfied with our office).

I also like how the galley kitchen is a breakfast bar but also serves as an entertaining bar when viewed from the living room.

Another lesson to learn: combining dining space into the living room.

And what a great way to use the hallway -- a dressing space.

The bedroom reminds me a lot of a hotel room (not sure if that's good or bad), especially with the console table used as a nightstand/writing desk. But as with hotel rooms, I like how the space is compact, combining several functions for the room as a whole (sleeping/lounging/sitting areas), as well as for each piece of furniture.

One of the sitting areas -- Note how the floors are stained darker. Many apartments (including ours) have that blond-colored wood and I've always wanted darker floors.

I want to do this, but I am looking for a long dresser to go with the mirror we have.

Interestingly, one of the complaints/critiques about this apartment that many people pointed out is that it looks too much like a catalog. But is that such a bad thing? I don't want to see a "lived-in" space b/c that often just means it's cluttered.

* * *

While I have my FH pride, I'll say that we tried the somewhat famous Nick's pizza last night. I called in our order for pick-up, which was a good thing, since there were a few groups outside waiting even though it was 9:30 on a weeknight. I was worried that not eating the pizza right away would cause the crust to get soggy, but surprisingly, it didn't. I think the secret to that is slightly charring the bottom, which I'm not crazy about. I do like the thin crust and the plentiful toppings (big hunks of fresh cheese too), all for less than $20 for a large pie (enough to feed at least 3 adults). The fresh basil gave it a nice flavor too. And I think it was even better when I heated it up for lunch today. The prosciutto flavor really sunk in and wasn't too salty. How does this compare to my favorite all-time pizza ever? Nick's is good, but it doesn't beat Totonno's (it's also elevated in my eyes for being in my old 'hood in Brooklyn *sniff*). I *heart* Totonno's, even if their decor is cheesy (think disposable cups even when you eat in), it''s a bit overpriced, and it's crazy far.

Hodge podge

Nora Ephron in this Sunday's NY Times Magazine: "Any catastrophe is good material for a writer."

I bought a bunch of used books this weekend (most women can't help themselves when clothes-shopping; Dear can't help himself around pens and kitchenware; I can't help myself around books!). I am looking forward to reading Kite Runner soon.

There is so much to read -- I want to cancel our weekend NY Times. I also have airline miles that are expiring so I ended up getting magazine subscriptions. "Blueprint" is proving to be an interesting read while Lucky magazine is the worst thing out there. It is basically a magazine of advertisements. They recommend so many things to buy each month I really don't know how people don't end up feeling overwhelmed. In just one feature, there are at least 3 different recommendations for a certain color blush -- how is that helpful to anyone (they don't rank which one is best, etc.)?

My mother asked me if I started writing yet, whether I'll be working on material for children or adults. She also was surprised that I don't make my living writing but that I work with websites instead. She wondered whether that was complicated and whether I have the skills for it (I've only been working with websites since I was in college more than seven years ago).

25 really is your body's peak. I never thought I'd get to the day where I realize that it takes me longer to heal from semi-strenuous activity (and longer to complete that activity, at that).

Orange + food

Colors for the dining area charette bin (no, I still can't decide):

Matt's chef table from tonight's episode of "Top Design"

(Photo from This Old House)

(Photo from IKEA)

A modern room and wallpaper removal

I came across the Kreiss site today and just loved the look of this room: cool, clean, comfortable. It's called the Libra collection and surprisingly has materials that I wouldn't normally consider, like marble (always thought that too high-end shi-shi for my taste) and wrought iron. But I like how bright and light the room is, with several accent colors and the contrast with dark materials. I've always liked the look of a white room with dark floors -- it just looks so spacious and airy (I guess tall ceilings also help in this instance).

And I really like this chair:


for the low price of $2575. It looks so comfy, yet has clean lines and looks solid. Hoping to find a close replication for much less.

Meanwhile, I'm looking into wallpaper removal options for the apartment:

• a step-by-step primer, from This Old House
  
• video and instructions on what to do when someone has painted over the wallpaper, from an episode on Ask This Old House that I saw on PBS
  
• step-by-step, from Zinnser (using their products, of course)
• information on stripping and how to paint afterwards, from This Old House
  
• and lastly, I've heard about spraying the paper with fabric softener mixed with hot water

One of the articles mentioned that you should use an oil-based primer after removing all the paper and glues because the water in water-based paints might reactivate some of the glues. But can you use water-based paint over oil-based primer?

Go bare!

Ever since I started using BareMinerals makeup, I can't help but rave about how great it is! It meets all the requirements I've ever wanted/needed in makeup: it's easy to apply (takes 5 minutes a day); comfortable (the minerals don't make my skin feel extra oily or like there's a layer of stuff sitting on my face -- I sometimes even forget that I'm wearing it); and it evens out my complexion, even concealing red spots and blemishes.

I tried out the Starter Kit, which includes the 2 foundations in Medium and Medium Beige, the Skin Rev-er Upper, Warmth All-Over Face Color, Mineral Veil, and 3 brushes. I use the Kabuki brush to apply the foundation for heavier coverage, then the concealer brush for those red spots (i.e. pimples and scars), then the All-Over brush to apply the Mineral Veil, which is like a finishing powder. After some use, I came to see that the Warmth thing does nothing for me (actually it doesn't look right on me) so I can cut out that step. I'm a bit torn, though, on which foundation is right for me (I may even need to combine the Medium with a Light b/c I think I'm in between).

But overall, I love this product. If you don't like the hassle of putting on makeup and you don't like the feeling of wearing makeup, you gotta try BareMinerals!