Taste Test: Tarte Asian Yogurt

I was in a local grocery store (see Old MacDonald's Farmer's Market) and saw that there was a new locally made yogurt, so I decided to try it.

        

Even though there was less sugar in Tarte than regular yogurt, it had a weird aftertaste that stayed in your mouth for a long while. I don't think anything was that special about it other than the odd flavor. 

Note to self, probably won't buy it again, but it's fun to go out of my comfort zone and try different variations of products in the grocery store. I feel like I often end up buying the same thing over and over again, so as long as I make a conscious decision to diversify, I can experience a lot more flavors and each bite could be a new adventure.

Foodspiration: BacaroLA

My friend Karen (check out her food blog here) took me to this small restaurant near-ish her apartment in LA. It had some really crazy interesting ingredient combinations that somehow worked! I liked how the portions were small, but everything had really strong flavors, so it ended up being very satisfying. The place is sort of experimental, and there's definitely a lot to learn from from their entrees.

Buffalo Cheese - apparently made with buffalo milk? It's much creamier and slightly sweeter than cow milk cheeses, although the difference is very nuanced. 

Bacaro Burger - The bread is a piece of toast instead of regular burger bun bread, so maybe next time I make burgers I don't have to go out of my way to buy the bun especially... but I typically make bun-less burgers anyway, but still a cool flavor combination~

MY FAVORITE DISH OF THE NIGHT - lamb in eggplant. SO MUCH FLAVOR I can't even explain. They used a lot of citrus to probably balance out the lamb with this crunchy potato chip on the top. The eggplant on the outside contrasted with the super soft lamb on the inside. 

Bone marrow! Honestly I thought my family was weird for eating this, but now they just legitimized it...by serving it at a restaurant. Anyway, so they used some lemon-y flavors to make the bone marrow into like a paste to put on bread. I didn't know this could be a dish...

Dark on the inside for ambiance~

Thanks for taking me, Karen! I really enjoyed it. I think they were also able to price their dishes super fairly (3 for $21?!) because they're in a sketchy-ish part of town, but this place is definitely worth trying. I love restaurants that challenge what I thought was possible in cooking.

Foodspiration: Siggi's Icelandic Skyr

I was in Whole Foods dairy section, and I literally couldn't find any yogurt that had less than 20g of sugar in a serving. In my frustration, I finally stumbled upon Siggi's Icelandic Skyr, and decided to give it a try.

The first reaction I had upon trying this was WOW THIS IS SO THICK, and it's hard to eat in large quantities. You have to savor the flavors in your mouth. I tried the ginger orange (or orange ginger?) and loved the feel of real ingredients inside, but thought that the ginger was a little bit too overpowering (especially because I was consuming it on a hot summer's day).

I think I'm definitely going to keep going with Siggi's because of its low sugar content and all the health benefits (see here) of the different cultures in the yogurt. I was also super inspired by their beautiful story, starting out small in a farmers market and now taking over the world! Well, if not the world, my stomach at least. I really want to have a stand in farmer's market and influence healthy food culture someday, so this makes me hopeful. (:

The price is a little high, but it has the content to make up for it. I'm just wondering if plain yogurt with my own fruit toppings could match up with this lack of sugar?

Architecture Inspiration: Alvar Aalto

Finnish.

Romantic Functionalism.

Aalto.

Curved ceiling design for acoustics. Municipal Library in Viipuri, Russia.

Aalto's own studio in his home. I love exploring how architects design their own houses. 

Aalto's self-designed living room.

Villa Mairea in Noormarkku, Finland. Simple design that is just so appealing. Love the black accents.

Baker Building in MIT. Actually got to live in here when I came to visit! I love the curves of the building, which create ample study/social space. The rooftop views at night are also gorgeous.

Experimental House. Interesting how they actually took the resources to make an experiment. Super avant-garde, but very beautiful. 

Municipal Library in Viipuri, Russia. These door handles are so beautiful! 

Photos taken from book "Aalto" by Louna Lahti. 

Foodspiration: Pample Mousse

I just passed my driving test in Redwood City, California yesterday, so I've been around the downtown area a lot. There is one cafe that my mom and I keep going to...and it's delicious! It's called PampleMousse and serves some really gourmet soups, sandwiches, coffees, and cakes.

 

Turkey Brie sandwich - with a touch of arugula and cranberry sauce for some healthy and delicious lunch fare. 

Fig and Almond Cheesecake - another unexpected and inspirational combination! My mom ordered the blackberry chocolate cake (one the side) but we both agreed that the cheesecake was better (even though she doesn't even like cheesecake!). It's lighter than most cheesecakes, so it makes it much easier to eat!

I also tried the salmon sandwich and potato leek soup, which were both very good, although I liked the turkey sandwich a little more (the dash of cranberry and generous slabs of brie cheese made it pop!). I love the mix of everyday ingredients in creative ways - makes me want to experiment! The price is also quite affordable - my mom and I usually share 1 sandwich and soup which adds up to around $15 for both of us. Cakes are around $6 a piece.