Orange, Barrels, and Wings, Oh My!!!

So I skipped the gym this morning out of sheer laziness and thus had some extra time to play dress-up before work.

As you may know, orange is something of a trend right now- orange and navy nautical outfits, loud citrus-hued sundresses, orangey-red lipstick on the red carpet, etc. etc. etc. Of course this would be the big trend the year AFTER I've left my Orange Bubble. Well, today I decided to try something that hasn't been featured as much on the interwebs: medium orange lipstick. I actually tried it on as a joke, and ended up getting it because it actually turned out well! The color ended up melting into my skintone and looking more neutral than one may expect.

I also decided to try something that has been my eye-makeup nemesis for some time now: winged eyeliner. Don't get me wrong- I think it looks great on most people. It's just that whenever I try it, it ends up making me look evil. Well, more evil than usual. This time, however, I came up with a compromise that worked: instead of flicking the eyeliner directly up to create tilty cat eyes, I left it more horizontal. The result made me look a lot friendlier than previous attempts...

And finally, I ended up messing with my hair. What started out as a '90s Topsy Tail (remember those?) ended up a barrel roll of sorts. After making my low ponytail, I parted the hair behind the elastic (the part closer to my scalp), creating a hole, and instead of flipping the ponytail up and tucking it down into the hole, I flipped it under. And then I flipped it again. And again. And again, until the whole thing was all rolled up over the elastic. Then, as usual, I put about 10,000 pins in it and smothered it in hairspray. As a final springy touch, I added a flower hairpin.

Maybe not as productive as going to the gym, but far more fun hehe...

~mode mare

Look! I got a bold new bob!

PSYCH!!! I've actually wanted to get pageboy-type bob for a while now, but I'm too attached to my long hair to actually go through with it. So I came up with this fake-bob solution: I just pulled my hair back, tied it about 3 inches from the bottom, folded it up until it was at a length I liked, then folded the end and pinned the hair elastic to the back of my head. Here's a view of the back:

It's a very swingy and loose style, which I find is a nice break from my usual tight twists and turns. I actually opted not to spray the crap out of it like I do with most of my hairstyles, which meant that it moved a lot during the day- but I kinda liked it!

~mode mare

Baked Oysters!!!

by
Foodie Fish

Yummy? Check. Crispy? Check. Tender? Check—check, check!

I loooove oysters. Always have and always will. Today we had about a dozen or so oysters fresh from the market. We also had bread lying around that we had to do something with. So I though tonight was a breaded and baked oyster kind of night. Broiling the oysters made the breading so crispy, but the oysters were still so tender.

12 large fresh oysters, strained and out of their shells*
3/4 cup of freshly made breadcrumbs
4 chopped garlic cloves
1 lemon zest
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons of thyme
3 teaspoons of marjoram
2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan*
1 teaspoon of chili oil*
3 teaspoons of Dijon mustard

From there on, it is quite simple. Combine breadcrumbs, garlic, zest, basil, thyme, marjoram, and Parmesan. Then mix in the oil and mustard. Preheat your oven and put it on the broiler setting. Coat each oyster with the mixture and add the excess mixture on top. Lay the oysters out on a baking pan, then broil them for about 6 minutes or until the breadcrumbs look dark and crispy.
Serve them hot with lemon wedges on the side.

*Notes: Shells can later be used to place the cooked oysters in for presentation
The type of Parmesan you use could really impact the way the oysters taste. Try using good quality Parmesan with a great deal of aroma to add as much flavor as possible.
Chili oil is simply oil that has been used to marinate spicy chilies. This dish is not hot since there is only enough oil to add flavor.

Breadcrumbs:

2 slices of regular sandwich bread

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Tear the bread into smaller pieces and lay the pieces out on to a pan. Place the pan in the oven until it begins to dry out. Then, turn up the heat to 350 degrees. When all the pieces look brown enough, take them out and put a few pieces into a blender at a time. Set your blender to “cut”. You could also use a meat tenderizer or a roller to pulverize the bread.

Weekly Lunch Recipe

by
Foodie Fish

Oh how I love me some cheese. This recipe is simple, and flavorful. There is plenty of texture going on in this lunch as well.

Cottage Cheese Salad:

· ½ Cup of Cottage Cheese

· 2 Tablespoons of Sour Cream

· 2 Teaspoons of Ranch seasoning

· ½ Teaspoon of Black Pepper

· Small cucumber

· Green pepper

· Red tomato

Serve with pine nuts and white, multigrain, or whole wheat bread

Navy and Orange

So the nautical thing seems to be pretty popular these days. Every store, campaign, and magazine seems to feature at least one sailor girl outfit, and I have to admit, I quite like the aesthetic. Lucky for me, I have a number of navy blue items, including this blazer I bought the last time the nautical thing was big- about two years ago.

I noticed that many shops seem to be pairing navy, white, and orange, so I went and dug out my faithful orange skirt, which I usually wear in the fall, and voila! Right on trend! I love shopping my own closet...

~mode mare

Best Cake

by
Foodie Fish

←Ever seen this show??? It’s one of my favorite shows. Professional chefs and other food experts brag about some of their personal favorite foods, and tell you exactly where they got it. You often times also get to go behind the scenes into the kitchen to see how it is made as well. I wanted to have a “best thing I ever ate” moment of my own to fawn over the carrot cake at Elements. In case you didn’t read my review of the swanky restaurant posted earlier on this blog, Elements is an excellent restaurant in Princeton. The best cake I’ve ever had was made by head chef and owner of Elements, Scott Anderson. This carrot cake is like no other cake you have ever tasted. The ginger sauce it is paired with gives the taste a little extra spice, and the texture was also extremely unique. This carrot cake was made with local whole wheat, providing the cake with a rich hearty texture and a rustic taste. The flavors of the many components in your typical carrot cake, such as walnuts and raisins, exploded in your mouth. There was homemade ice cream on the side as opposed to the usual cream cheese frosting. There was still that sweet and slightly cheesy flavor, but creamier. The cold ice cream complemented the warm temperature of fresh-out-of-the-oven carrot cake.

Peacock Inn

by
Foodie Fish

Who would have known that some of the finest food in town comes from such an unsuspecting place? The Peacock Inn has been around for ages, but their restaurant only opened up last year. Already, Peacock Inn’s restaurant has been able to earn itself a great reputation. It has become quite celebrated by many reviews, and it even made it on to the list of best restaurants by the Star Ledger newspaper. Although this restaurant may seem over the top with all the praise and distinction, it has a strangely “down-home” feel about it. The setting was elegant with a starry-lit ceiling, and there was a very comfortable and relaxed feel as well. The restaurant stayed true to its name with peacock decorations everywhere. Its interior design was well thought out and artistic. The lighting was dim, yet it was bright and lively compared to the dark night sky.

This restaurant was not kidding when it said that their staff was committed to personalized service. Our waitress made us feel as though we were being served by someone who truly cared about our opinion. She was constantly checking up on us to see if we needed anything, or if we were satisfied with our food. I noticed that all the other waiters behaved in the same pleasant manner. Every time you would get up to go to the bathroom, that same waitress would personally fold your napkin. When the wine selector brought the wine-pairings for each course to the table, he really took his time in explaining why he chose the particular wine, and why it will enhance the taste of the food.

The food was contemporary and minimalistic. Each dish focused on one flavor that would be brought out by all the highest quality and freshest ingredients. The pan seared scallop appetizer had the right amount of sear on the scalloped, and paired wonderfully with the potent flavors of the citrus vinaigrette along with the tart apple fennel puree. Scottish Salmon “En Croute” had the best combination of textures—the crispy shell of puff pastry, the creamy white asparagus puree, the flakey salmon—that was complemented by a array of flavor coming from the pickled red onion. Most their dishes are simple. There is something about them that tasted as homemade as something your mother would make. Of course there were also a few interesting takes on other dishes that made the food that “New American” cuisine every critic is looking for these days. Chef Perez’s take on Mojo braised suckling pig was very sophisticated. This pork was of course not served whole, but instead like a filet mignon with a papaya cilantro salad and crispy yucca. The yucca on top of the guava gastrique was like elevated fries with ketchup. No matter what the chef made, it tasted like a super-advanced version of home cooking or comfort food made with a lot of finesse.

The evening ended with decadent and creative desserts such s’mores bread pudding, crème brulee tart, chocolate and dried fig pudding cake. All desserts were very well done and a great encore of the chef’s cooking. While leaving this restaurant, there is the satisfaction from an excellent meal and the friendly servers. There was something about this restaurant that made it seem so traditional that you almost want to thank the chef for your meal. The last things you will see when exiting this restaurant are the smiling faces of all the people who had served you that night.