Hmm Hummus

I've tried almost every brand of hummus under the sun, and although I've found a couple that I really like, nothing beats homemade hummus.  (Although there are some restaurants who do a damn good job.) 

I found the following recipe in the May 2010 issue of Real Simple, one of my favorite magazines.  I tried it for myself over the weekend with just a few tweaks (garlic salt instead of fresh garlic because I'm lazy, a little less cumin), and it was delicious.  The original recipe says the tahini is optional, but I definitely recommend including it.

Ingredients

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Directions

In a food processor (or blender), puree the chickpeas and garlic with the olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, cumin, and 3/4 teaspoon salt until smooth and creamy.  Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water as necessary to achieve the desired consistency.

Transfer to a bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika before serving.

Enjoy!

My Thumb Isn't Green

Not that this should surprise anyone, but I'm not that great when it comes to plants.  As in, I've never really been able to keep them alive for an extended period of time.  As sort of a joke, I think, my mother bought me an "Eye Grow" for Easter.  Yes, that's right, an Eye Grow.  While I'm not sure where she picked it up, I'm pretty sure it's like a Chia Pet, but for kids (it's only about four inches tall).  Undeterred, I decided I would try my hand at tending to this miniature plant-like creature.  Lo and behold, after only a week, success!  My plant, named Chester, was thriving!  Look at that hair, that smile!

Then, about three weeks after the above photo was taken, I came into my office bright and early on a Monday morning to witness this:

I had neglected Chester and it showed in a major way.  His beautiful green mane was wilted and brown.  I trimmed his split ends, and I have spent the week watering him, talking to him, coercing him to drink, begging him to hold onto life, and he looks.exactly.the.same.  I think I've killed him, or at least killed his spirit.  I'm giving him extra water today before I leave my office for the weekend, and hopefully things are looking up by Monday.

DC's New Groove

August 2010 will mark my four-year anniversary of calling our nation's capital my home.  I really love DC, and although my grand plan is to eventually move a little further south, I plan to be here for the forseeable future.  Sometimes I get homesick, I miss my parents and my sister, I miss my pets, I miss living on the water, I miss parking lots and drive-thru banking, and I feel like I'm missing out on some important milestones in friends' lives.  Then I sit back and realize that while I may be "missing" those things since I'm not physically there, I'm also living a pretty interesting life myself.  No one else may find it that exotic or thrilling, but I enjoy it, and that's all that counts, right?

Anyway, via Twitter, I found this National Geographic article about the emergence of the "new" DC; while once DC was considered stuffy and stodgy, it is now seen (by some, anyway) as hip and vibrant.  I think there's a mix of both elements at play, not mention every other adjective under the sun.  That's one of the great facets of this city--it's hard to pin down just a single word that describes it.  All in all, I'm happy to call it home. 

The photos below are not mine, but they exhibit a few of the neighborhoods discussed in the article.  Enjoy!

Adams Morgan

Chinatown

C & O Canal in Georgetown

Georgetown

Verizon Center in Chinatown/Penn Quarter

U Street

Weekend

I spent a good part of my day yesterday in Georgetown, and after my post about Georgetown Cupcake yesterday, I thought perhaps a mid-afternoon snack was a good idea.  However, when I saw the line stretching down the block, I decided I didn't really need that cupcake anyway.  These cupcakes are super delicious, but it was hot and that line was long.

After lots of window shopping, I headed down to the Georgetown Harbour to meet a friend for drinks.  It was a sunny day, and the waterfront was packed, per ususal.  I really enjoy people watching, and the waterfront is an excellent place to do it.  Tourists, locals, dog walkers, drunks, children--I saw it all.  I even saw a wedding...  There are several restaurants that ring the harbor, and while the food is usually fine, it's the atmosphere and outdoor seating that draws the crowds.  I would definitely recommend a visit on a sunny day.

Last night I attended an engagement party for some dear friends.  It was a lovely party--it was outside at the husband-to-be's parents' beautiful home in northwest DC.  I wish I had taken more pictures, but I was enjoying myself too much to pull out the camera.  Drinks were poured, dinner was served, and then the dancing started.  It was a happy night celebrating the happy couple.

Cupcakes Cupcakes Cupcakes

If you live in DC, you have heard of, and probably visited, Georgetown Cupcake (original storefront, and my cute mom, to the right).  You may have heard of Georgetown Cupcake even if you don't live in DC (my sister, who lives over 1,000 miles from DC, follows Georgetown Cupcake on Twitter).  These cupcakes are, in a word, phenomenal.  I never realized that a cupcakery could exist on its own, without also offering cookies, cakes, pies, etc. on its menu.  The first time I heard of this trend was when Magnolia Bakery was referenced in Sex and the City.  Apparently cupcakes from Magnolia were so great that people would stand in line for an hour just to purchase a single cupcake.  I also thought this was silly and a ridiculous waste of time.

Enter Georgetown Cupcake.  There was a big to-do about the opening of this store, as it was the first true cupcakery in the DC area.  Two sisters left their successful and high-paying careers to opening the bakery, and as they say, the rest is history.  The lines used to stretch at least 2 blocks on Saturdays and Sundays in the summer time (see left); DC gets pretty hot in the summer, so you know those people wanted their cupcakes, not to mention that the original location was not air-conditioned.

The menu varies by day, but they have some standbys that are available each day--red velvet, chocolate and vanilla, vanilla and chocolate, chocolate ganache, and plain ole vanilla2 (vanilla squared).  As for their specialty flavors, the pumpkin spice is to die for, the lava fudge is full of gooey goodness, the key lime is the perfect balance between tangy and sweet, the strawberry has real strawberry bits in the cake and the icing, and my favorite, the white chocolate raspberry, is just perfect.  You can also purchase a cute pink box for your cupcakes to make them feel at home before you devour them (picture borrowed from the internet).  So. Freaking. Cute. 

When my mom came to visit me last year, we held our own un-scientific taste-test to determine who had better cupcakes, Georgetown Cupcake or Hello Cupcake, located in Dupont Circle.  While Hello's offerings were very tasty, Georgetown's were downright divine. 

I haven't been back to visit in a while, not even since they moved to their new, larger and air-conditioned location right on M Street.  Guess I'll have to put that on my agenda for the weekend!  Georgetown Cupcake delivers and caters, too!  (Picture to the right and those below are borrowed from the internet.)

L - R: Lava Fudge, Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Coconut, Vanilla Coconut

Red Velvet, Georgetown Cupcake's signature flavor

Gingerbread

Caramel Apple

Pumpkin Spice

Toffee Crunch, Lemon Berry (raspberry icing)

Carrot Cake

Key Lime, Vanilla Chocolate

The Girl Who Played with Fire

Well, as I posted previously, I read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for my book club.  Although intitially I wasn't crazy about the novel, I kept thinking about what I'd read and realized that I'd have to finish the trilogy to see what happens to the characters.  I have a hard time not finishing movies, books, etc., because I just have to know how everything turns out in the end.

The second book in this trilogy is The Girl Who Played with Fire, and this one had me from the first page.  I think I enjoyed the mystery and suspense in this novel more than in the prequel; I literally could not put it down until I'd finished it.  The story continues from the previous novel, but the suspense was higher; not only are you reading a crime novel, but now that you know the characters you want to find out what makes them tick.  In particular, we learn more about the story behind Lisbeth Salander, the "girl" mentioned in the titles.  If you've read the first one, you must, must read this one. 

By now you surely have realized that I also plan to read The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, the last in the trilogy.  Be prepared to read my opinion of it at a later time.

The Marriage of Figaro

One of the best things about living in the DC is that there are events almost every night of the week; boredom strikes only if you let it.  Last night I went to see an opera with some friends at The Kennedy Center.  We saw Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), which was a perfect I've-never-seen-an-opera-before opera (plus, I happen to really enjoy Mozart).  I researched the plot and history beforehand I went since I wasn't sure what to expect, but I'm happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  The Marriage of Figaro is an engaging comedy, and the performers played it well, earning themselves many "bravos" and a standing ovation at the end.  While the entire performance was sung in the original Italian, I had no problem decipering the English supertitles.  (What are you supertitles, you ask?  They are the opposite of subtitles; sub = below, super = above.  They showed the supertitles above the stage, although they kept them short so viewers weren't distracted from the singing or the performance onstage.)

Thinking back on the performance, I'm still amazed at the singers' endurance and stamina.  They were all able to keep their voices loud and steady throughout the three hour (yes, three hour) performance, all the while dancing and acting the scenes out on the stage.  I would love to see more in the future, not to mention that it's always nice to have an excuse to dress up with the girls and hit the town.