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Killer Carrot Cake

Published on November 9, 2015January 25, 2016 by The Crimson Crave1 Comment

by Caroline Gentile ’17

I’ll be the first to admit it: I usually hate carrot cake. When one is eating on cake, why in the world would they pick the one with the vegetable in it? That defeats the purpose of eating cake, right?!

Well, this recipe for carrot cake proved me wrong. Call me converted! Every time I’ve made this recipe, not only do I, the self-proclaimed-carrot-cake hater, have at least two helpings, but so does everyone else. And as I stuff my face with as much carrot cake as I possibly can, I justify that it’s healthy because it has vegetables in it.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup canola oil

2 cups of sugar

3 eggs

2 1/2 cups of flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups shredded carrot

2 cups shredded coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts

18 0z. can of pineapple

For Frosting:

3 oz. cream cheese

1/4 cup butter

2 teaspoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups of powdered sugar

Directions:

For the cake, combine ingredients in the order given. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

For the frosting, combine ingredients in the order given. Make as much as you feel is necessary (read: make a lot because its delicious).

Usually, I let the cake cool completely, and then frost the cake, because the cake ends up looking prettier. But in terms of taste, it is much better to let the cake cool for 20 minutes, frost it, and dig in ASAP.

Just Quad Things: an Exploration of the Quad Grille

Published on November 9, 2015November 9, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Richa Chaturvedi ’18

Evolutionarily, humans weren’t meant to stay up past sunset. In a largely agrarian society, people’s schedules revolved around sunlight – the workable hours. With the advent of electricity, people began staying up later and later, culminating in one single event: you, last night, staying up to finish your pset. It’s late and you’re hungry. If only there was somewhere to go!

But there is! It’s called Quad Grille, and it has everything your tired and sleep deprived heart could want! Their best dish by far are the mozzarella sticks, which taste like pieces of fried heaven. A good mozzarella stick is hard to do – you have to have the perfect temperature for the cheese and the ideal crispiness on the outside – so hats off to Quad Grille for doing it well.

My blockmates love the chicken fingers, claiming that they may even be better than the HUDS version (how could that be?). The Grille is even nice enough to provide you with everything from barbeque sauce to ketchup – the selection of sauces is almost as varied as the food itself. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the curly fries. I don’t know if there’s much more to say about them, except that you need them in your life.

And it takes board plus! In my honest (and perhaps unsolicited) opinion, this is the best way to spend that free cash. That’s right, I said it. It’s even better than Greenhouse. So next time you find yourself in the Quad, sad, tired, hungry, or just bored, make your way to the Quad Grille. You will leave with more mozzarella sticks you had when you entered, so it’s obviously a win.

Annenberg Cook-Off

Published on November 9, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Audrey Thorne ’19

The basic structure
Five teams, three judges, one winner. The teams were given from 4:30 pm until 6 pm to cook and plate their dishes. Each team must incorporate apples into their dish.

The teams
Al Dente Al Fresco, Working Title, Shakers and Bakers, Ratatouille, and Fernando the Destroyer.

The judges

The winning dish
Working Title won for their Chicken Cordon Bleu in a honey mustard glaze, with a provolone melt and a side of maple whipped sweet potatoes with sage butter and a Fall salad.

Ingredients
Each team received $18 in plastic Farmer’s Market currency to buy fresh ingredients from the fair. All spending in the market was rounded up to the dollar and had to occur before 4:30. In addition to produce bought at the fair, the teams had access to Annenberg’s salad bar, raw eggs, milk, and the secret ingredient: apples.

Crunch time
“I had class from 3-5pm, so I had to buy my ingredients in advance and start cooking just over a half hour late. My group, Ratatouille, purchased homemade rigatoni for $6.50, a fresh sweet potato for $2, and seasoned almonds for $3.”

What did it feel like cooking in front of a crowd?
“Exciting. I ran in just past 5 pm to see a full production: five tables tended to by guys and girls in white aprons and hats, scurrying about, chopping and simmering. Others strolled from table to table cooing and inquiring. Friends came by taking photos. My teammates plated the pasta and uncooked apples, followed by the seared the chopped apples and sweet potatoes. To our right one team seared scallops and whipped sweet potatoes. To our left the girls cooked cranberry sauce and assembled three swans out of apple slices, one on each judge’s plate. Each team’s dish looked so different, not just in how it was cooked but also how it was presented, despite the similarities in ingredients.”

Nothing Like Ice Cream From Home

Published on November 9, 2015November 9, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Allison Yan ’19

What makes some ice cream better than others?

Since arriving at Harvard, I’ve realized that Cantabrigians, and Bostonians at large, sincerely appreciate their ice cream. JP Licks is a staple, a place that locals and college students alike frequent, even when the weather dips. Lizzy’s is a less bustling, more intimate alternative to JP Licks. And then there’s the lovely Toscanini’s, for the rare few who find the time to trek to Central Square.

I’m proud to say that I’ve tried them all by now. But it’s just not the same as ice cream back home.

Cincinnati, Ohio is home to many things: an average baseball team, a slightly above-average football team, and, most importantly, Oprah Winfrey’s favorite ice cream. You read that right. Cincinnati is home to Graeter’s ice cream. Many of my fondest childhood memories are from post-event treats to Graeter’s, where I would shamelessly indulge in black raspberry chocolate chip ice cream sundaes (those were my mom’s favorite, so they had to be my favorite as well). She was very particular about her sundaes, and so was I: one scoop of black raspberry chocolate chip with whipped cream, nuts, and black raspberry syrup. She always went for a maraschino cherry on top. I never liked the taste of maraschino cherries, but since I always appreciated the aesthetic the cherry added, I would get one as well.

Of course, my love for Graeter’s went beyond just visits to the ice cream confectionary for those sumptuous sundaes. There were rarely times when we didn’t have pints of black raspberry chocolate chip ice cream in our freezer. Post-dinner desserts always consisted of our trusty ice cream in a Graeter’s waffle cone.

There is just something unique about Graeter’s ice cream that can’t be beat by the ice cream shops here. The way the ice cream melted in your mouth so you could chew on large chunks of chocolate chips, the heady thickness of the ice cream that would trump soft serve any day, the extra sweet flavor that made it clear that you were partaking in a special indulgence rather than some faux-healthy dessert.

In my first months here, I felt like I missed Graeter’s almost as much as I missed my family. There’s a lot that goes into good ice cream, really. The richness of the texture, the presence of yummy extras (namely, chocolate), and, of course, the memories associated with the ice cream.

Anyone who wants to contest my claim that Graeter’s is the best should take me to JP Licks to prove otherwise.

El Jefe’s: A New Contender

Published on November 9, 2015November 11, 2015 by adamsulliwongLeave a comment

by Adam Wong ’17

There’s a new contender in the late night food game. El Jefe’s, the new restaurant on Mt. Auburn Street, seeks to get in on the market of the late night drunchies game, taking up the same hours as Tasty Burger, the hegemon of 3AM post party sustenance. We were hungry, so we went to check it out.

When we went in late one Wednesday night (Thursday morning for you damn literalists) we were greeted by a warm atmosphere, a busy kitchen, and decor that suggested Havana or Tijuana. Painted exposed concrete, old finished tables and decorative flor Cholula tiles relaxed us, and got us in the mood for some casual Mexican food.

We ordered ourselves the 3 taco package and a burrito, ringing in at $6.50 and $7.00, respectively. In the tacos we got Carne Molida Picante (a kind of spicy ground beef), Chorizo, and shrimp. In the burrito, you know we had to load it up with our old standby, Carnitas. We did get served out of Pyrex glass dishes that your mom uses to make meatloaf, but we were told it was interim stuff until their new equipment arrives. Regardless, the stuff waiting for us in the Pyrex was quality. The options are quickly refreshed from the stove and grill just behind the line, which is impressive, considering the amount of goodies you could slam down on your tortilla. Perfectly (and we do mean perfectly) cooked Mexican or lime rice, pork pinto beans, roasted veggies, plantains, and some bangin’ guac can be added to any one of your creations at no extra cost. Forever the arbiters of thrift, we could never consider getting every extra possible, until we found this place. You’d have to be crazy to put plantains AND guac in your burrito, but that doesn’t mean you can’t. You do you, man.

Its as big as our heads, and we have fat heads.

Some taco action for our views back home.

We sat down and got eating. The carnitas was fatty and sweet, reminiscent of some of the Mexican food closer to the border back home in California. The shrimp taco, with simple lettuce, cheese, and pico de gallo toppings, was awesome. The shrimp was al dente, and was deliciously shrimpy. The chorizo, instead of being served as ground spiced meat, was fried, slightly crispy slices. I could get more of the spicy fatty pork into my mouth and really taste the red chiles that gives the sausage its distinctive red color. We were surprised when we found the spicy ground beef taco to be our favorite. Though visually reminiscent of elementary school lunch, the taste is on a whole other tier, and strong enough to hit your taste buds through the deepest inebriation.

One of our top discoveries was the salsa verde. A common sight in Mexican restaurants across the country, the thinnish, forest green sauce found here is anything but common. It is peppery, hot, flavorful, and so good, we would name our kid after it. Looking for an excuse to eat more of it, we ordered a steak quesadilla (only 5 buccaroonies) where another pleasant surprise jumped out at us. The steak… was GOOOOD. Peppery and tender, the steak was right at home in the extra cheesy quesadilla, and just peachy in the salsa verde.

We can't count that high. — We can’t count that high.

Being a new and small establishment, El Jefe’s seriously takes in community input. In fact, community input is built into the organization of the restaurant in the Picante bar. A huge wall of dozens of different sauces to spice up your night, the Picante bar can be expanded with hot sauces of your own choosing. With this kind of responsibility, El Jefe’s gives us at Harvard the opportunity to make it a real home of ours.

El Jefe’s in the square is a huge move. Though its grub was not as good as Felipe’s, it is a different genre of Mexican food, and brings with it different benefits to the table. El Jefe’s has got yummy food, lots of it, and late. While fools be standing in line at Tasty Burger for an hour while waiting for 2 small burgers costing them an exorbitant ten dollars, I at least will be skipping round the corner and getting my money’s worth at el Jefe’s, the new boss of “why am I awake” dining.

Double Trouble

Published on November 4, 2015 by The Crimson Crave1 Comment

by Richa Chaturvedi ’18

I’m often wary of repeating myself. Honestly, I’m a busy student with limited time in a day and repetition hinders my ability to do everything I need and want to do. So I’ve resolved to cut out the unnecessary time spent doing things multiple times, and I’m here to share my tricks with you.

1. It’s not chai tea.

Don’t even bother with this useless repetition. In Hindi chai means tea, so you’re basically just saying the same thing twice. No, you don’t want a tea-tea latte – only one tea will suffice. So save yourself the time and trouble next time you find yourself in line at Starbucks (so tomorrow?)

Screen Shot 2015-11-03 at 3.50.10 PM — Photo courtesy of starbucks.com.

2. Nope. Not naan bread.

Naan is Indian style bread that is usually paired with different combinations of vegetables and lentils. So don’t say naan bread. It’s weird and it sounds silly. You’re basically talking about bread, and then clarifying that you’re talking about bread, all in the span of two words. That’s called overkill.

Screen Shot 2015-11-03 at 3.55.33 PM — Photo courtesy of naancafe.com.

3. Cheese quesadilla? Try again.

The word quesadilla literally has the word “queso,” meaning cheese, in it. So I think it’s safe to say that your quesadilla will have cheese even if you choose not to add the extra clarification. Guacamole is still extra, though.

Screen Shot 2015-11-03 at 3.54.01 PM — Photo courtesy of bajafresh.com.

Eliminating these redundancies can be a huge time saver. Maybe you’ll do all of your reading! Maybe you’ll make it to the dining hall before they run out of carnival cookies! There are so many possibilities and, for once, so much time.

Plating Food in Annenberg

Published on November 3, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Emily Brother ’19

Inspired by the instagram chef, Jacques La Merde, who mimicked the plating techniques of haute cuisine using junk food, I attempted to create my own gourmet-looking dishes using the food from Annenberg. Here are a few of the plates that I made:

Vegetarian Frittata Garnished with Carrots, Greens, and Tabasco Sauce

2. Sausage Links with Quinoa Raising & Black Bean Salad and Barbeque Sauce

3. Vegetarian Chili with Lettuce, Green Pepper Sauce, and Dijon Mustard

4. Pound Cake with Yogurt and Red Wine Vinaigrette

5. Chicken Bake with Lima Beans and Ketchup

6. Carrots, Cucumber, and Corn with Balsamic Vinegar

Granola and Yogurt with Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jelly

8. Herb Roasted Chicken with Penne Pasta and Puttanesca Sauce

I Only Eat My Mom’s Vegetables

Published on November 3, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Allison Yan ’19

I’m sure every college student misses a genuine, home-cooked meal from time to time. There’s just nothing like the rich, unique flavors from a family favorite dish or a parent’s particular seasoning choices or a combination of both.

My mom is very particular about healthy foods. Her meals almost always contain greens. I used to bemoan the fact that I had to eat my vegetables. But over time, I appreciated her choices more and more. Yes, sometimes that sprinkle of cilantro and sliced eggplant on a protein heavy dish seemed a little excessive, but it was all in good thought. By the time I started high school, my mom’s lovingly cooked vegetables had become an integral part of my diet: the particular crunchiness of her green beans, her affinity for topping everything with a leafy vegetable, and more. No matter whether she was cooking for the family or bringing dishes to Asian potlucks, my mom would always be ready with the healthy dishes.

Being away from her veggies and her cooking makes me realize just how much her vegetables meant to me. Dining hall vegetables just aren’t the same.

Anyhow, if I’m really gaining the freshman 15, I’m definitely blaming it on the fact that I only eat my mom’s vegetables.

Hot Tamales at the Farmers Market

Published on November 3, 2015November 3, 2015 by The Crimson Crave1 Comment

by Audrey Thorne ’19

I love the Farmers Market. More specifically, I love to wander around the Farmers Market to kill time between morning and afternoon classes, before Annenberg opens for lunch but after they have closed for breakfast. I tend to stroll and admire the booths, but practice restraint. If I let myself have free reign I would end up taking home half of the food from the fair. Still, the red and white chalk declaring TAMALES $4 caught my eye – glaring from the “Tex Mex Eats” booth. I had never had tamales.

What exactly are tamales? Mexican, I knew. Handmade, the sign explained. Also gluten free. Hmm. Were they spicy? I do not always do well with spicy. I used to think Chipotle was too spicy, although I have of course learned the error of my ways.

I stood uncertain long enough for two customers to go before me. One looked hard at the sign before asking for two bean and cheese. The woman running the booth spoke quickly, asking if she wanted it wrapped up, asking if she wanted to pay with cash or card. “Wrapped up,” the first customer said. “Cash.”

The woman running the booth pulled out two cylinder shapes with spring roll textured wrappings. The next customer orders a traditional pork to walk with and a corn wrapped up without a single glance at the sign. The woman running the booth quickly pulled out another cylinder, peeled of the wrapping, and handed it to the woman. She then retrieved an unsealed cob of corn, a tub of butter, powdered cheese, and red powder. She peeled the corn, painted it all the way around with butter, lies it on tin foil, and coated it evenly with both powders. She looked down at it again. Added more red powder. Then she sealed it all in, wrapping the tin foil tightly around the yellow and white kerneled corn.

I decided to be adventurous. “A traditional pork tamale, a bean and cheese tamale, and a corn on the cob. And can I have it wrapped up?”

Because I have always loved Mexican corn and I was still tentative to try something new, I started with the corn. The surface was thick with butter and the red powder, the corn itself juicy, hot, and fresh. The red powder made me nervous. It reminded me of hot curry powder. And it burned my lips, set my mouth aflame, but in the best way. I devoured all but the patch of burned kernels. Then, after turning and turning the cob as if more yellow corn would magically appear and deciding that such a method would not be successful, I ate a few of the blackened ones in the absence of more yellow and white kernels. I rewrapped my empty cob in its buttery foil and returned it to the brown bag the woman at the booth had given me. I retrieve my next trial, the tamales.

I peel off the outside wrapper, uncertain of what to expect. Inside of the more solid wrappings, the tamales are sweet potato orange and soft. I opt for bean And cheese first, thinking it safer. It burns sweet and spicy on my tongue, stronger than the corn. The traditional pork is more savory, dissociating in my mouth. I slice a few pieces of both, eat them together so the flavors can play off each other. The traditional pork balances the spice of the bean and cheese, but I find I like each better individually. Even though the bean and cheese hurts me, I cannot stop. I alternate between the two so as not to be overwhelmed by the spice of the bean and cheese or finish the traditional pork too quickly.

Next time I see the booth I am likely to order a few traditional pork tamales to go. It was nice to try some new foods, but the spicy life still isn’t for me.

Mei Mei Street Kitchen: Asian Fusion Food Truck Turns Brick and Mortar in Fenway

Published on November 3, 2015November 3, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Bovey Rao ’19

In 2011, Boston changed its food policy regulations to allow for food trucks vendors. While many other large cities made the change previously, the food truck movement remained relatively muted, as it was seen as a financial risk. However, Boston made an active effort to reinforce this movement by designating several special parking locations and scheduled trucks at each primed position. Thus, Boston’s food truck revolution shot off with notable restaurants on wheels like Roxy’s, Bon Me, and Chicken and Rice Guys (which come to Harvard Plaza). In 2012, Mei Mei joined the race.

Mei Mei specializes in Asian Fusion cuisine and incorporates international flavors into its classic Asian cuisine. “Mei Mei” translates to little sister, which is a reminder of the family that runs the truck. Started by an older brother with his two younger sisters, Mei Mei brought forth their traditional Asian techniques combined with exotic global flavors. Almost immediately, the food truck shot out to incredible popularity and was named Boston’s best food on wheels. In 2013, they opened a brick and mortar location near Fenway Park and have continued their trend for elegance with top honors from Eater Boston and Boston Magazine.

Mei Mei’s restaurant in Fenway is a short walk from the T stop and conveniently located near Boston University. My friend and I arrived exactly between lunch and dinner, which proved to be a significant shift at the restaurant. Transforming from casual lunch counter to a more sophisticated sit-down establishment, Mei Mei demonstrates incredible versatility in its restaurant model. After placing our orders at the counter, we sat in the empty restaurant and waited comfortably for our food.

As the aroma began to waft from the open kitchen, I snuck in a glance and watched the final trays being assembled. When our names were called, we rushed to the counter and grabbed our lunch trays, reminiscent of our high school years.

With the famous Double Awesome, a braised beef porridge, and a steamed bun with compound butter, I stared at my tray contently. My friend’s pierogi dumplings and rib tips accompanied his Double Awesome, as we snapped our pictures before digging in.

Mei Mei’s Double Awesome is regarded as one of the best “sandwiches” in Boston, with a scallion pancake caressing two beautifully fried eggs with pesto and cheddar. Utilizing the Asian scallion pancake as a “wrap” for non-Asian ingredients like pesto and cheddar is a testament to Mei Mei’s Asian Fusion brand. As I bit into the soft, but crisp pancake, the egg burst open, releasing its rich yolk to mix with the earthy pesto and creamy cheddar. While somewhat difficult to eat, the Double Awesome is exactly as promised; it is indeed awesome. The untraditional pesto, mixed with chives and other Asian herbs, provided the necessary green to balance the liquid egg yolk and melted cheddar. It is difficult to describe the savory mess that this becomes as the egg yolk drips from the wrap, but I promise you it is worth it. If you ever have the chance to visit Mei Mei, the Double Awesome is a must!

The rest of the meal proceeded without a hitch, as we vacuumed up our portions. The braised beef porridge with cabbage and tortilla strips seemed bizarre at first, but it was perfectly nostalgic. While the porridge was a little grainier than I was used to, the warm, flavorful broth reminded me of home. However, this was more than a normal porridge. With the salty beef broth, crisp tortilla strips, and acidic cabbage, the dish was perfectly balanced both in flavor and texture. It may have seemed a little peculiar at first, but the dish was the ideal combination of nostalgic flavors from home with exotic accompaniments.

While I enjoyed my meal, I had a quick sample of my friend’s portions. Pierogis are essentially Eastern European style dumplings with potato fillings, and I was surprised to see them on the menu. Surprisingly, they were exemplary with a smooth, but spicy potato filling in the fried skin. With the traditional Asian dumpling shape and an untraditional filling, they again filled me with a weird sense of nostalgia. Finally, we had the rib tips. Unfortunately, the rib tips, with an amazing sauce, were tough and unpalatable. The little meat that could be salvaged was delicious to say the least, but overall, this was the disappointment of the night. Satisfied with our meal, we left the cozy little shop into the crisp Boston evening.

Mei Mei is considered one of Boston’s best restaurants, and it is obvious why. For Asian Americans, it is the perfect place to be hit with nostalgia, while simultaneously exploring other cuisines. For everyone else, it delivers dishes that are both familiar and foreign at approachable prices. It serves as the perfect canvas for people to try cuisines that they are not accustomed to. I look forward to my next visit to Mei Mei and what other nostalgic noshes I will experience.

Mei Mei Street Kitchen

Location: 506 Park Drive, Boston, MA 02215

Reservation: 857-250-4959 for Reservation

Stand out dishes: Double Awesome, Pierogi Potstickers

Overall Rating: 5/5

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 5/5

Ambience: 5/5