Grahamwich

Popcorn with truffle oil, grated parmesan, chives, sea salt and cracked pepper.

Beef shortrib sandwich with pickled shallots, watercress, horseradish and shoestring potatoes.

Orange-ginger soda.

I was curious about Graham Elliot's new sandwich shop, and it met all my expectations. How I love you, Grahamwich!

Christmas

I never thought I'd get here, but here I am... the long nights and boring critiques of the semester behind me. I still have plenty to do for the next year, but I am going to enjoy doing nothing for a few more days.





So, it's Christmas! I was so excited about the holiday season: putting up a tree, listening to an insufferable amount of Jackson 5 Christmas music, and even throwing a small ugly sweater soiree. Unfortunately, I spent Christmas Day itself with a sore throat and a healthy dose of lethargy. Sad, really. I was hoping that maybe, JUST MAYBE, I'd hit December 25th without picking up some awful bug, but nope! Somehow, Paul and I ended up sick.

We had to skip out on his sister's Christmas meal so I decided to make our Christmas feast (ha!)-- congee with shiitake mushrooms and egg. Perfect food for the infirm. This is a good guide to making congee. I used minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and plenty of scallions. Nothing quite to it, so I won't go into great detail... just remember to crack an egg in towards the end.



I hope we feel better soon, because my sister and brother-in-law will be in town for New Year's and the last thing I want is to be this bumbling tired mess of germs. I have a nice plump list of restaurants to dine at-- determined to show them what Chicago's made of! Maybe I'll even cook a bit.

Well, one thing's for sure. I'll be updating a bit more frequently now that I am no longer plagued with finals and critiques, perhaps some of you even missed my updates. :)

Xiao Long Bao (Soup dumplings)

I have a fair lot of work to do this week, so this will be brief.





I like soup dumplings, and Tasty House in Chinatown makes them quite well. Reminds me of home, which I miss.

Yellow Light

Two areas of my apartment must always have some form of yellow light: the living room and bedroom. I think a soft amber glow is vastly more relaxing than a stark white glare, which to me, speaks of workworkwork. Dim yellow lighting, candles, music, and I'm yours. And probably asleep.



Things have been busy, but mostly in a good way. I think I may be an art history student soon. Doesn't that sound exceedingly romantic? So very Mona Lisa Smile. I have been considering the BFAAH program for a while. I mean, firstly, the School has an excellent museum and Art History program. I often forget how fortunate I am to read in class about Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte and then take a few steps over to our museum where I can absorb the original work in person. Really, there are things I can't stand about my school, but the museum certainly is not on that list.

Secondly, there always seems to be an array of classes in the department calling my name each semester. Since transferring to art school, I do miss (and enjoy) writing papers and sitting myself down with a pile of reading, which is what art history classes often consist of. It just seems like a sensible fit. After a few meetings with my advisor, I think I am finally going to make it official. My degree will still be a BFA, but it will (hopefully) be with a concentration in both Art History and Fashion Design. Maybe Sotheby's will find some use for me.



Some good news: my boyfriend landed a job at Groupon, we are very excited about it. October has been largely satisfactory; I expect that November will only be better!

Staying Afloat

Of course, the most hectic period of the semester has to coincide with the prettiest Chicago weather, right? I mean, really, there are about 33 things I'd much rather do, like sip tea with Nicole Krauss' new novel 'Great House'. Or take long walks around the neighbourhood, admiring all the gorgeous little dogs out for their evening exercise. Or bake muffins only to give half the batch away to a friend.







I've quickly found the key to my sanity in this rigorous design program, and that is to allow myself some time to absorb the things around me and to do things I actually find true pleasure in doing. Going to farmers' markets, picking out enticing recipes to try at the end of the week, cooking with my boyfriend and taking pictures of leaves on a sidewalk. This keeps me sane. So in a way, I owe some gratitude to my blog, because it is inexplicably easy to find myself overwhelmed in a whirlwind of deadlines and late nights filled with hours upon hours of manual work. It's all okay if at the end of the week, I can come back home, heave a sigh of relief, and whip up a fresh pot of stock out of some leftover chicken bones. More Charm Than Good, you keep me grounded.