"I don't want to be a fat purple octopus, damnit!"

Apple Turnovers

I went home to NH this weekend to do some good ole fashioned apple picking. I was going to make a pie but decided that turnovers would be more portable. Which is key, because I like to bring dessert with me everywhere.

I used the first recipe I found online, here. It was fairly straightforward, and the only thing I had to buy was the frozen puff pastry.

I somehow tricked N. into cutting up the apples for me. We used 4 large apples. I think they were Red Rome (I didn't pay much attention when I was picking because I was too busy shivering and eating other apples).

They made some funny noise while cooking. N. bravely investigated.

The fire alarm only went off once during cooking, which I would declare a success. I think it was actually just low on battery, so not my fault at all!

I glazed the tops with confectioners sugar mixed with vanilla almond milk. The glaze was delicious. I may have eaten 3 spoonfuls of it straight. Only feel a little sick now. N. and I split a turnover.

Lesson learned: Puff pastry is magical. I honestly think you could put anything in it and it would be good.


-S.

Post-Party Clean-up

Genius plan.  We will use the bottle deposits from Party 1 to pay for Party 2!  And, since we made people BYOB, theoretically we would be making even more money!

Unfortunately I didn't factor in the fact that my roommate would take out about 1/2 of the bottles during the party.  And that someone would clear out our recycling bin before I checked the next morning.

Wait approximately three weeks for me to find the time/desire to walk to the liquor store and it's finally post-party clean-up time!

The bottles/cans filled two large paper sacks and three standard plastic bags, which I waddled over to the library and then the store with.  Success!  Finally, this task had been staring at me from my to-do list for a while now.

I started putting the bottles in (my first time dealing with the Bottle Bill) and the machine promptly said, FULL.  No problem, call a staff person over to clear it out and start again.  Only it doesn't accept Harpoon Cider bottles, and also doesn't like that one of our guests peeled the label off a bottle.  Picky picky.

About 45 minutes worth of labor later (this is a guess based on packing/travel/dumping time) and I went up to the counter with my receipts.  To collect my $3.30.  So much for that being a good use of my time.  Oh and I had to spend the rest of the afternoon smelling like a drunken hobo.

-N

Ghazal Review

Groupon time!  $12 for $25?  Sign me up.

S and I walked over to Ghazal Indian Cuisine on Centre St. for a lovely Monday night dinner today.  I was very hungry and looking forward to some tasty food.

We were seated in the small restaurant with only 4 or so other tables, and promptly served water and those thin lentil cracker things.  I quickly began eating in hopes of filling up on the free stuff so I could take home more of the actual entree.  Unfortunately it didn't work.

Indecision struck again and we sent the waiter away a few times before actually having made our food choices.  We got Aloo Samosas for an appetizer, and ordered Shahi Aloo Gobhi and Aloo Chhole to share.  Have I mentioned we are both vegetarian?

The waiter tried to persuade us to get some naan,

"Have you had naan before?"

"Yes"

"And you don't want any?" 

I probably would have caved (I do love naan), but together we stayed strong and resisted.  There are cheaper sources of carbs than $3 for 2 pieces after all.

The food was good, but not excellent I'd say.  S's Shahi Aloo Gobhi had great spices with the cauliflower and potatoes, but both of wished it had been more saucy.  My Aloo Chhole was saucy and tasty but just didn't amaze us.  The Samosas were very good, but served on a weird bed of slightly dressed lettuce.

At the end I attempted to tell the waiter I'd brought one tupperware but we needed a few more.  But he insisted that he'd wrap it up nicely so that it would stay hot (??) so I stopped fussing and let him box our leftovers.  Not really sure what that was about, but our food made it home safely. (S: I think the waiter was just confused by the weird girl with tupperware in her purse)

Here are the boxed up 'hot' leftovers.

Overall, decent, but I probably wouldn't return unless another Groupon comes out, here's hoping!  On another note I have had their lunch buffet before and recall that it was quite a good deal and very tasty although the Mango Lassi seemed a little off.  But that was two years ago.

-N