pi day | chocolate french silk

 Happy Pi π Day! 

My friend Melanie, the creative mind behind The Things They Made, linked me a few weeks ago to a delicious looking pie recipe that she intended to make for her company's "pi day" competition. March 14th, official "pi" day, makes for a natural celebration of the decadent baked good pie... and math, too. If that's your thing. But my thing is eating pie. 

My office, unfortunately, didn't have a competition - everything is better when you compete! - but I did opt to bring one in to spread the geeky cheer. I picked up my Smitten Kitchen cookbook, by now famous blogger Deb Perelman (you might have heard of her!) and flipped through until I landed on her chocolate silk pie. Decadent. Rich. Intense. Let's do it. 

I heard Deb speak at Politics and Prose, my favorite local bookstore in D.C., when her book was newly released. I was a fairly new reader of her blog, and I had only tried a single recipe. She charmed my socks off. She is a force of energy; she has a great laugh and a wonderful reading and speaking voice.  

She didn't read from her cookbook, that could have been strange (though I would have stayed to listen); instead she told a little about how she got to where she is now (published!) and answered questions. What was most remarkable to me about Deb is her humility and humor. She is as quick witted as she is dexterous in the kitchen. Pi Day gave me a perfect excuse to finally, finally, make a recipe straight from her book. 

Here are a few pics - find the recipe down below. 

 the crust

1.5 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (approximately 3/4 of a 9oz package of Famous Chocolate Wafers)

2 tablespoons sugar (I used a tiny bit less...)

pinch of salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (microwaved for 45 seconds)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Crumb the wafers - either put them in a ziploc bag and go to town beating them, or put them in a food processor broken up, like I did. Once crumbed, mix in the sugar and salt. Drizzle in the melted butter until it's even throughout. Using your hands (easiest), pat the crust into the bottom and on the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes and place in the fridge to cool. 

the filling 

12 tablespoons butter, room temperature (no joke.)

1 cup sugar (again, i tried to use a little less, but i like slightly-less-sweet things)

3oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled (i stuck my brick o'chocolate in a pan on the stove and stirred - melted in 2-3 minutes)

3 large eggs (you'll want organic, pasteurized, etc etc - the good stuff)

1 teaspoon vanilla (+ a few drops. always.)

in your stand mixer (or you could do it with a hand one), whip butter and sugar together until it's a pale and fluffy mixture. While still beating away, drizzle in the melted chocolate (my favorite part!). Add the eggs one at a time, beating each egg into the mixture for five minutes (seriously). Make sure you're scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add vanilla and blend well (a minute). Pour your delicious filling into the now cool crust and spread evenly. Allow the pie to chill for at least 6 hours.

the garnish

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon sugar

beat the cream and sugar until it "just holds soft peaks." this will take all of your life. plan to mix for at least 20-25 minutes. the whipped cream is kind of like falling in love - you'll know when you know (when it's done). spread on top of your pie, garnish with chocolate chips or bittersweet shavings, if you'd like, and devour.

roasted leg of lamb with rosemary and garlic

Every winter I think I'm fine, right up until I feel the first warm rays of Spring sunshine. My mood soars as high as the temperature outside. I feel unstoppable and like the city is brand new; every time it hits 65 again after a long, dark, cold winter, I fall in love with D.C. again. I'm a different person infused with Vitamin D. I'm the version of myself that I crave and love the very most. I was born in the Sunshine State; it's in my bones.

While Spring teased D.C. and me this weekend, I ate like it was my last weekend of winter. I guess I wanted the best of both worlds. I had Italian-certified pizza, (over)indulged in a brunch of chicken and waffles (and chocolate chip pancakes the next day), tried a new ramen place with an old friend, and made a homemade dinner of roasted lamb. I squeezed into my running pants and fit in a hike and a run in there, too.

It was simply the best weekend.

And on top of it all, on Friday night, my roommate Matt received his admissions letter to the School of International Service at American University. He's officially a grad student! It was incredible to see all of his hard work over the last year pay off, and I'm so proud of him. Which, of course, meant there was celebrating to be done! I didn't know you could get cut off from Champagne, did you?

So about that lamb...

After all the celebration shenanigans Friday-night-into-Saturday-morning, and a jam-packed Saturday afternoon, all Zander and I wanted to do was take a nap and spend the evening indoors. He had a leg of lamb laid out from earlier in the week, and potatoes, cauliflower, and asparagus left over from last week's Green Grocer box. I couldn't dream up a better dinner to say goodbye to winter and hello to Spring.

I adapted this Emeril Lagasse garlic and rosemary lamb recipe to meet our tastes. The rest of the meal is my own. 

roasted leg of lamb
1 leg of lamb (we used boneless, about 5-6 pounds)
fresh rosemary (~3 tablespoons, or, as much as you want)
6 cloves garlic, chopped
pinch (or 2) cayenne
salt & pepper
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

sauce
every great meat dish has a sauce to go with it...
herbs of your choice (we used rosemary, fresh basil, and oregano - parsley would also be good)
1/2 large onion diced
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup red wine

mashed potatoes
4-6 small potatoes of your choice
1/2-3/4 cup milk (or cream)
1/4 cup butter (1/2 of a stick) + 1 tablespoon
salt & pepper, to taste

roasted veggies
1 head cauliflower
1 bunch asparagus
lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt & pepper
2-3 cloves crushed garlic
handful of shredded parmesan

how to... 

Lamb: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using your hands, rub the leg of lamb down with the fresh rosemary, garlic, cayenne, salt & pepper. Dip your hands into the lemon juice and rub the juice into the meat. Place the hunk of meat in a roasting pan, and roast for 20 minutes. Turn the oven temp down to 350 degrees and roast another 35 minutes. Take the pan out, and place the meat on another plate or serving platter to cool for 10-15 minutes. Don't get rid of the droppings in your roasting pan, we'll need those next! TIP: It will cook (a lot!) as it cools. If it still looks rare, it will up-cook to medium rare. Mmmmm!

Sauce: Set your roasting pan vertical on two burners on your stove. Add the onions and herbs and stir until everything is evenly mixed and coated. Add the chicken stock and wine - this will deglaze the pan, meaning you'll be able to get up the little scraps stuck to it. Turn your burns on medium-medium high heat and stir constantly until the sauce begins to simmer and thicken.

Potatoes: While your lamb is roasting, peel (or don't, skin is good) and cut your potatoes. Wash. Place in a large pot with enough water to cover + 1 inch. Add a tablespoon of butter and a pinch of salt to the water. Let boil until you can easily insert a fork into the potatoes. Remove and drain. Dump potatoes into a mixer, add milk or cream, butter, salt and pepper, and fresh garlic, if you'd like, and mix until smooth and creamy. Add more milk and butter depending on the consistency you want. I like peppery potatoes, so I load it up.

Veggies: While the meat is roasting, roughly chop your cauliflower florets. Tear off the ends of your asparagus and break into as big or small pieces as you'd like. In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with some of your left over lemon juice,olive oil, sat & pepper, and crushed garlic. When the meat comes out of the oven, raise the temperature to 500 degrees. Spread out on a thin roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes (the meat will be done then, too!). Sprinkle parmesan on top and move to a serving bowl.

And there ya have a delicious, savory meal that will bridge these awkward days between winter and Spring!

where the ocean and jungle meet | tulum

I admit that when I'm researching a new travel destination, one of the first steps I take is to type, "must do (x place)" into Google. Then I type in, "must see," "must eat," "must try," and any other variation I can come up with in that moment. Judging by the number of results for each search, it's how a lot of people start plan their travels. When we have a limited amount of time in a new place, it's human nature to want to experience the best of the best of the best. Unfortunately, a lot of those results lead us to what's typical, overdone, touristed, and easy.

So I make a list of the top 5-10 results I find, research those more in-depth and knock out all the ones that don't make my cut. That research usually takes me to smaller online forums and blogs that contain the real gems of wherever I'm headed. On average, I probably spend 15-20 hours researching before every trip I take.

I arrive wherever I'm going with a folder filled with my travel documents, hotel information, car rental if it's applicable, and all the other essentials, along with a list of my "must sees" and "must dos." I like to think my research is solid, but even then, at the end of every trip, I've crossed out half my list and traded the other half in for what I found while I was there. And then I get to tell you about that list.

Cenotes - must see, must do

Cenotes are natural watering holes, created from a collapse of limestone bedrock. Limestone is usually exposed, and it's green and sometimes jagged and sometimes smooth, and it's beautiful, and it's perfect.The cenotes are often in caves. A famous, much-touristed network of cenotes is Dos Ojos, between Playa Del Carmen and Tulum. It's a popular area for divers, as you can see incredible marine life and get into nooks and crannies that you can't while swimming.

Zan's and my first cenote experience was in a cave near the Mayan ruins of Coba. Thirty feet above the water, climbing down steep, winding stairs, we could see the very bottom of the pool. Small fish darted around. Limestone stagtites and stalagmites decorated the interior. We saw a bat dart from one alcove to another. Every 10 feet down the climb was a ledge off of which you could jump. Zander and I both jumped from 30 feet. 

A few days later we swam in the cenote where the ocean and jungle meet. We learned about a beach that I honestly, readers, won't even name, it's so special and barely touched. But if you go to Tulum, email me, and I'm sure I'll spill the beans. This beach is all white sand and famous for snorkeling and for seeing sea turtles lay their eggs and make their way back to the waters during the right season. The path to the beach, and to the nearby cenote, is a 1/2 mile dirt road, and the entrance fee is a voluntary donation and your John Hancock in a visitors log.

From the beach, the only guide to the cenote is a wooden sign, the stake stuck deep into the sand with an arrow pointing from the beach into the jungle. We showered outdoors before the trail head, as any sunblock, product, dirt, or chemicals on your body can harm the ecosystem of the pristine pools, and trekked further into the jungle, the sounds of waves crashing the only reminder that the ocean is only a stone's throw away.

Swimming in a cenote is the most refreshing experience I've ever had. I wanted to immerse my head and arms and whole body and come up for air over and over just to feel the coolness and fresh air mixed together one more time. I felt like a Mermaid, and an explorer at once.

I've never seen or experienced anything like cenotes while traveling, and for good reason - they're only found in that part of the world. 

Tulum Ruins - must see, must do

If you Google, "Tulum," you'll see a thousand of the same images, taken from every angle: Mayan ruins sitting atop a hill, with the turquoise Caribbean ocean lapping at the ancient rock. That image alone has put Tulum on the map. It's so breathtaking, it's hard to exercise self-restraint and not immediately book a ticket.

So you'd think we visited these ruins the second we stepped off the bus in the city. But we're not normal. We're weird. And so we did it last. We waited until after we'd seen the famed Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza and scaled the perilous temple of the ruin Mayan temple of Coba, In truth, I didn't expect much; I expected the Tulum ruins to be overrated, especially after what we'd seen.

I was so wrong, and the Tulum ruins blew me away and brought tears to my eyes and lit up my face and my heart. The Tulum Ruins are the smallest of the three sets we saw. There's a cracked wall around the old city that stops short of the beach, because the elevation and the ocean - well, what imposters and enemies could challenge that?

The ruins themselves are spread out. It's a small area, but I could walk around it for days. The sun shines brightest here, stays in your eyes and paints your skin. It's crowded; you should get here before 8:00am to beat the tour buses. But not a single one of the too many tourists can diminish this place.

The real magic is the ocean. There is a private beach below the ruins; you have to be a patron to use it. Swimming while looking up at towering, strong, defensive ruins is an experience I can never replicate anywhere else in the world. There's a reason that one image is so iconic of Tulum - you can't take your eyes off of it.

unexpected memories | tulum

On a hot, sunny Thursday afternoon about 10 miles outside of Tulum, Zander and I found ourselves sprinting across the major highway that connects the city to Playa del Carmen and Cancun. We vaulted over the median, towels dragging on the steaming asphalt, water dripping off our hair and swimsuits. We dodged traffic - a car honked and veered left as we careened towards the opposite shoulder of the four lane road. A mere second after we'd stepped on the grassy roadside, a van, stuffed like a can of sardines, barreled towards us and came to an arresting, loose stop, flashers furiously blinking.

"GET IN," Zander yelled, already launching forward into the front, where, miraculously, there were two open seats.

I lifted myself into the high van, wedging Zan tighter between the driver, the manual transmission, and myself, and slammed the door as the driver floored the accelerator.

Seat belts unbuckled, we flew back to Tulum with the jungle on one side and the beach on the other. The wind and sun dried us off, and we laughed at the absurdity and memory in the making - riding shotgun in a colectivo, a Mexican-style bus.

It was completely unexpected and unplanned, and it's my favorite moment of our trip.

travel tuesday | where to eat in tulum

When I read an article, or heard from someone, or something, semi-recently about, "culinary travel," I shook my head. Nope. That's not a thing. I think the conversation was with Zander.

"It... is... a thing," he said, looking perplexed. "It's a really popular thing."

I shook my head again. I was probably eating something as we were having the conversation and took another bite. "It's not a thing. That's not a thing."

"It's a real thing, Cyndi," he asserted in this hypothetical memory (that I'm nearly positive really did happen), getting a wee bit annoyed at my orneriness.

"Fine. It's a stupid thing,"  I quipped, real mature like.

And then the dam broke, and the flood gates let loose, and all hell rained down on poor Zander, trying to tell me something that he read about that day. I ranted. (Don't feel too bad for him - you should hear him talk about people who check out accidents on the side of the road instead of driving. You should feel sorry for me!)

What the expletive is culinary travel?! People are spending thousands of dollars to visit new countries and eat. They're booking culinary cruises, dining with chefs, taking cooking classes in 'exotic' lands, trying foods they've never heard of, arranging their itineraries around restaurants - often, hole in the wall restaurants. And they're spending so much money doing all this.

SAY WHAT?

Every traveler everywhere balked at this newest fad trend thing because we've all been doing it for as long as we've been traveling. Eating is as much of the reason most travelers travel as seeing ancient ruins and touring museums and hiking on the Great Wall. It's an inherent, inextricable aspect of the whole business.

So. Culinary travel? It's not a thing because it's built in to the experience of a new destination as it is.

Phew. That was supposed to be my intro to eating in Tulum. I mucked it up and ranted instead! So let's just get to the good food, shall we?

Culinary travel. Hrmph! 

Charlie's (~$20-30 for two, including margaritas)
Warm up your palette and tolerance for spice at Charlie's, a Tulum staple known for their strong, handmade margaritas. Charlie's is located in town next to the ADO bus station. You can't miss it! We loved the chorizo empanadas and house made quacamole.

Tacoqueto (around $6 per person)
My favorite meal of the entire trip came from Tacoqueto, the hyper locals spot that's so homemade and local, I had to use my nominal Spanish to ask what was on the day's menu. Fortunately for me, since I couldn't catch everything the chef/hostess/server told me, there's an open kitchen in the back with vats of what's on the menu for that day. They obliged the crazy American girl by letting me order two dishes and giving me half portions of each. I would fly all the way back to Cancun and take the two hour bus ride to Tulum for the spicy Mexican chicken & noodle soup and meatballs in tomato sauce I had. Tacoqueto is on the south end of town, across the street from a bike rental shop. One of our taxi drivers told us it was his favorite restaurant in Tulum, and now it's mine, too.

Taqueria el Carboncito ($12 for two, generously)
I don't have a good picture of this tiny thatched roof shack with plastic tables and chairs, but it was our second favorite meal of the trip, after Tacoqueto. The specialty is tacos al pastor, and they were bomb. It was Zan's first time having al pastor, and I loved introducing him to it. It's located in town, just north of Tacoqueto. There's another al pastor place, as well, almost directly across the street from Carboncito.

El Camello ($40 with drinks and enough food to feed 2)
If seafood is your jam, you're in the right place for it in Tulum. El Camello famously serves up that day's catch - it's so fresh it's quite possibly still moving a little when you take a bite. Zander explored this place solo, so I can't speak for the taste and quality myself, but he assures me that it was the best of the best. It was one of his favorite meals. He loved the octopus ceviche and the grilled fish. He ordered the "small" ceviche, and it could have fed a crowd, though I doubt he was disappointed to have it all to himself.

El Tabano ($30-40 for two, no alcohol)
When you're on the beach in Tulum, eating gets tricky. Well, it gets tricky if you're looking for authentic local food that won't break the bank. If you're good with mediocre, expensive food, you'll love eating on the beach! Snark aside, there are some good beach restaurants, but you need to be willing to pay more than you would in town. El Tabano is worth shelling out the extra pesos. We enjoyed stuffed jalapenos with chicken and bananas and caught-that-day fresh fish tacos. You can find this cozy, charming, quirky restaurant tucked on the west side of the road.

Mezzanine ($$$$)
Without intending to, we booked our vacation over Valentine's Day. We joked that we may never be able to live up to the standard we set our first one together, spent at a fancy Thai restaurant overlooking the beach in Tulum. It was pretty darn romantic and wonderful. It's not usually my cup or tea (or curry, as it may be) to eat at international restaurants in a new country, but for this place and the day, I made an exception to that rule. The chef at Mezzanine is Thai and has re-created traditional Thai dishes with Mexican flair. It makes for an exciting, palette stretching menu. Our favorite dishes were the spring rolls, pineapple curry, and (for Zan) the hog fish. Be prepared to drop some money if you choose to dine at Mezzanine, located at Mezzanine hotel on the beach.

Other places we enjoyed or wanted to enjoy but ran out of time... 

Altamar - located in town, this restaurant serves upscale Mexican dishes, along with other cuisine. They also offer cooking classes. It was on our to-do list but unfortunately we ran out of time. Tell me what you think if you try it!

El Capitain - this used to be known as THE seafood restaurant in Tulum, but El Camello has taken its place. I loved this restaurant, really and truly. It's the perfect place for a couple or family with a seafood lover and a not-so-seafood lover. I had a Mayan chicken dish, and Zan had a delicious quesadilla. Located in town.

El Asadero - my biggest culinary regret is not making it to El Asador, located on the north end of town. It's a famous grill and steak place (Mexican). The best part? It's cheap and a favorite locals spot, to boot.

Popular Tulum food...

In this area of Mexico, you'll be enjoying a lot of tacos, quesadillas, empanadas, Mexican soups, nachos, delicious (spicy!) salsa and guacamole, seafood, and tropical fruit like pineapples and mango (my favorite!). You won't find as much mole, enchiladas, and other Mexican dishes you've come to love here. Mayan culture is vibrant and alive in Tulum - don't miss out on trying some Mayan dishes!
 

in the stacks | mile high reviews

Since the beginning of 2013 I've been to Chicago, Atlanta, Mexico, Denver, and Keystone, Colorado. I've spent about 18 of the last 60 days traveling. It feels great... it also feels like exhaustion is one with my bones. It's an exhaustion I'll accept any day, though.

When I'm spending this much time in airports and in the air, and even on the ground when I have time to relax, I fly through books. Reading is one of my favorite parts of travel. Instead of the 3-5 short pages I cram in on metro rides to and from work here in the city, I have time to devour and get lost in whole chapters and entire novels. I've paged my way through five books since the beginning of the year, and am oh so close to finishing a sixth. If there were a mile high reading club, I'd be the president ( (oh wouldn't that be such a nerdier mile high club?!).

Here are short overviews/reviews of 4 of the best novels I've read this year; the idea for the formatting is courtesy of Candice Does the World. I love her blog, don't you?

Middlesex (Jeffrey Eugenides)

Fast (and possibly furious) overview
Cal Stephanides, an Greek-American living in Germany, tells his story of being born with unnoticed ambiguous genitalia and raised as Calliope Stephanides. That's the simplest form of the plot, but in its truest sense, it's a play on a Greek epic, complete with a genealogy of the Stephanides family that spans back to Cal's great-grandparents, siblings, making the voyage to Detroit, Michigan with nothing but silk worms and memories. Cal follows his family through the industrial revolution, learning English, getting their first automobile, and on up to his birth and life spent living as a girl in a hermaphrodite's body.

Quote(s)“We're all made up of many parts, other halves. Not just me.”

“It was one of those humid days when the atmosphere gets confused. Sitting on the porch, you could feel it: the air wishing it was water.”

3-sentence review
Eugenides is long-winded, and the novel has troughs and peaks - reads like a history text book on one page, and like an addictive soap opera on the next. I wanted more of Cal's story of transformation and self-realization through adulthood. I struggled through the first half of the novel, but knew I loved it immensely as a whole when I closed the last page.

Talullah Rising (Glen Duncan)

Fast (and possibly furious) overviewThe sequel to Duncan's The Last Werewolf, Talullah Rising follows heroine Talullah, pregnant with the now-deceased Jake's werewolf baby. She quickly gives birth, and her son is taken by vampires. She finds unexpected help in former werewolf hunters, who are on a mission for vengeance themselves.

Quote(s)
"My dead moaned and throbbed. My dead. My restless tenants. My forced family of thirteen. Those ghosts, yes, of course, as many as you like. The only way to be sure of never losing the ones you love. The Dahmer Method. Extreme, but effective."

3-sentence review:
I have to wonder if Duncan's publishing contract included a sequel he didn't want to write. Talullah Rising reads like a bad fantasy novel, ripe with tropes and cliches and uninspired sex scenes. The novel's only thrilling, beautiful moments come when Duncan quotes from Jake's journals, simply copying and pasting the splendid writing in The Last Werewolf.

The Sisters Brothers (Patrick DeWitt)

 Fast (and possibly furious) overview
It's the old west at the onset of the California Gold Rush, and the Sisters brothers are famous cowboys... and killers. They're contracted by a powerful baron named The Commodore, to find and terminate a prospector called Herman Kermit Warm. Told from the point of view of Eli, it's a western chock full of deadpan humor, wit, and intrigue.

Quote(s)
 “...I am happy to welcome you to a town peopled in morons exclusively. Furthermore, I hope that your transformation to moron is not an unpleasant experience.”

“It is true, I thought. I am living a life.”

3-sentence review
"This isn't my grandfather's western," I thought at least 15 times laughing my way through this novel. It's one of my favorite books of the year, and for good reason - DeWitt is hilarious, readable, and makes you earmark so many pages with so many great quotes you want to remember that soon your copy of the novel is just one big folded down hunk. I'd go anywhere the psychopathic, lovable Sisters brothers wanted to take me.

The Stonecutter (Camilla Läckberg)

Fast (and possibly furious) overview
A novel of intertwining stories - spanning from current day to the early 1900s, The Stonecutter is yet another intriguing Swedish mystery. Agnes is the daughter of a wealthy businessman - arrogant and beautiful, and finds herself unhappily married to a poor stone cutter. Her story somehow, someway intersects with the present day murder of a young girl, and a detective's journey to find the killer.

Quote(s)
 N/A

3-sentence review
This works as a beach read. It works so well as a beach read that I forgot about it the second I finished it and went back to enjoying the sunshine in Mexico; it's entertaining but forgettable. Anyone have recommendations for quality, literary mystery?
------

I'm currently reading Snow Falling on Cedars - it's one I've picked up twice before and am finally making myself finish. On literary deck for me is Nurture Shock, a book club read, and then I'm looking forward to Into the Wild, which may coincide with my next trip in April (Atlanta again!). What are you reading?