treat

When Hungry, Mix-it Up

Published on April 11, 2016April 11, 2016 by br126Leave a comment

by Hayoung Chang ‘18

Last Saturday, I decided I had had enough of HUDS food. Don’t get me wrong; HUDS is great. Especially if you employ some of our dhall hacks. But after a rough week of midterms and papers, I wanted to treat myself. My friend and I decided on Mix-It, an Asian fusion restaurant on Mass Ave near the Quad/Law School.

We arrived at noon, right when it opened. Although usually crowded during weeknights, we were able to enjoy a spacious and lengthy meal that Saturday afternoon. Craving some sushi, we each ordered a special roll – The Kiss of Fire roll and the namesake, The Mix It roll. One caveat, however, is that the special rolls were not accompanied by the staple miso soup and salad like the regular rolls were. When the sushi came out, we were disappointed by the portions. Initially, we thought they had only brought out one roll, when it was actually both rolls. The Kiss of Fire was also extremely spicy due to slabs of jalapeno. You might be thinking that I just have no spice tolerance. But just trust me on this one, I do.

Still hungry after the meager rolls, we decided to split the yaki soba with shrimp. Service was pretty quick, however, as the noodles were brought out promptly. Although not the most photogenic dish, the noodles were decent. The shrimp was tangy, and the noodles chewy. The sauce was a bit too greasy for me, though.

Overall, the lunch was satisfactory. If I had to recommend the place to fellow Quadlings, I would recommend dinner. Although more expensive, the atmosphere and food portions might be worth it.

Mix-it Restaurant

Location: 1678 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138

Reservation: Seatme or Call (617) 547-0212

Overall Rating: 3/5

Food: 2.5/5

Service: 4/5

Atmosphere: 3.5/5

Frozen Yogurt Pie

Published on November 30, 2015November 30, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Danielle Leavitt ’17

Sometimes traditional Thanksgiving desserts need a pick me up. Move over pumpkin pie, apple pie, and pecan pie for this amazing frozen dessert that takes two minutes to make and can be just the thing missing from your Thanksgiving table. Fresh, natural, low calorie, and even sugar free if desired, this pie will leave your family and guests wanting you to make it all year long.

Ingredients:

1 8oz tub Cool Whip (any flavor or variety! Comes in regular, lite, sugar free, chocolate)

2 small containers of gluten free yogurt (Chobani, Dannon, Yoplait). Best if mixed with berries or other flavors to compliment the Cool Whip

1 Mi-Del brand gluten free graham cracker crust with lid. This can be found at Whole Foods, other specialty natural foods store, or purchased online.

Optional: add a cup each of extra berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries etc). Fresh or frozen both work.

Directions

1. In a medium size bowl mix together Cool Whip, both containers of yogurt and berries (if added) to a smooth consistency.

2. Pour entire mixture into the pre-made graham cracker crust. Cover with lid and place into the freezer for several hours or until frozen.

3. Slice and eat!

So simple, this delicious and creamy frozen treat has been at our Thanksgiving table for many years. A gluten free Thanksgiving cannot only be tasty, but a surprising welcome to some of the more traditional desserts!

Hershey Kiss Acorn Treats

Published on November 16, 2015November 16, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Danielle Leavitt ’17

As always it’s a busy time in Harvard Yard. Tourists travel worldwide to see the infamous John Harvard statue, students study between classes in preparation for midterms, and photographers take pictures of the beautiful landscape and buildings at Harvard. But, mostly unnoticed, the busiest of all is the scampering squirrel who is gathering acorns and food for the upcoming winter. Especially now that winter looms and the bright colored chairs in Harvard Yard have been removed, the squirrel is even more noticeable as he stocks up on his impending feast for the next several months. The gluten free Hershey Kiss Acorn Treat is made in honor of the squirrel, in hopes that this winter, unlike the last, will be short and that the squirrel will have plenty of food to keep him satisfied. This recipe is very simple, but it is the perfect one-bite party snack that has an incredible chocolate peanut butter flavor.

Ingredients:

Gluten free instant icing
Gluten free mini vanilla wafers
Hershey’s Kisses any flavor
Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips

Directions:

Place mini vanilla wafers on a tray with the flat side of the cookie toward the top.

2. Squeeze a small amount of icing onto the bottom of an unwrapped Hershey Kiss and place it onto the center of the cookie. Let sit for a few minutes to allow the icing to harden.

3. Place a small amount of icing onto the bottom of a Reese’s Piece and place onto center and top of the cookie.

This amazing acorn treat is a simple and tasty way to honor the squirrel and enjoy a great gluten free bite at the same time.

Basia’s Scoop (#3: Christina’s)

Published on October 23, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Basia Rosenbaum ’18

There is a Cambridge debate over ice cream: Toscanini’s vs. Christina’s. Central Square vs. Inman. Cocoa pudding vs. chocolate mousse (below left, along with cactus pear, right).

A couple weeks ago I went to Toscanini’s, and this week I tried Christina’s.

Starting with location, Christina’s takes it. Just 10 minutes down the road from CGIS, I wondered why I didn’t go to Inman more often. Fun restaurants (including Punjabi Dhaba serving great cheap Indian food), cute shops, and a branch of the always amazing 1369 Coffee House.

Walk inside and Christina’s has a completely different vibe. Whereas Toscanini’s feels almost hipster—minimalist décor, flavors written in chalk, people coding over ice cream—Christina’s feels like an institution. This is not a shop designed to impress; rather meant to let the flavors speak for themselves.

The range of flavors at Christina’s is impressive and there is an excellent combination of standard favorites with creative offerings. There’s maple walnut, black raspberry, rum raisin, and pistachio. But also Adzuki bean, banana cinnamon and Khulfi.

Some of the flavors were amazing; some were less impressive. The butter almond was fantastic, but after a few bites I realized the peanut butter chip wasn’t one to order again. Cactus pear sorbet? Such an interesting option (and color). But while yummy initially, it was just too sweet and left me with a taste of pure sugar. The chocolate mousse is fantastic (better than Toscanini’s cocoa pudding in my opinion) and their chocolate chip cookie dough is great (as all chocolate chip cookie dough flavors are).

My best advice is to taste before you buy (and taste extensively). Depending on what flavor you order, you will leave with an entirely different impressive of Christina’s. Find the right flavors and this might be your favorite Cambridge ice cream.

You can also find Christina’s at the weekly Farmer’s Market in the Science Center. Albeit serving just a few options, the mobile Christina’s is great way to try the ice cream closer to campus.

Toscanini’s vs. Christina’s. I’d have to say that I come out of the side of Toscanini’s. But when we’re talking about good ice cream, why would we even have a debate? The more good ice cream options, the better.

Apple Cinnamon Bread

Published on October 19, 2015December 18, 2016 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Michelle Chiang ’19

There’s something fundamentally satisfying about baking – the textures under your fingertips, the aromas caressing your nose, the flavors cartwheeling over your tongue. In the hectic, intellectually taxing routines of college life, it’s immensely therapeutic to create something tangible with your hands.

While many recipes require fancy equipment, expensive ingredients, or labor-intensive techniques, there are just as many – if not more – recipes that are cheap, easy, and relatively quick. There’s really no excuse not to bake, especially when you can get ingredients free of charge from the dining halls.

Here’s a simple recipe for a sweet time with friends!

Apple Cinnamon Bread (recipe adapted from Apple Cinnamon Bread from Two Peas and Their Pod)

This recipe will be featured on Well-Being Secrets, read about the health benefits of apples and make this awesome recipe: Link.

Serving Size: one 8×8 pan

Cook Time: 40-55 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

2 large eggs

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup sugar

3 medium-sized apples, peeled and diced

1/2 cup pecans (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix the ingredients very, very well.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla until smooth. Add in the sugar and mix until well combined.
Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until well combined. Gently fold in the apple chunks.
Pour batter into prepared pan. (Optional: Arrange pecans on the batter. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the top.)
Bake in 8×8 pan for 40-55 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. (Start occasionally checking it after 30 minutes.)

Enjoy!