Easy Gnocchi

DAY 25

of the 30-Day Blog Challenge, 2011

Gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce and broccoli

Here's a super-easy recipe to try for the weekend. I started making gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce a while back, and this year, I've made it with broccoli for a veggie kick. Believe me when I say that this dish featuring the chewy, savory potato dumplings takes less than 20 minutes to make. Walnuts give this dish its heartiness and touch of crunch.

You'll need:
2 tsp olive oil
minced garlic (as much or as little as you want)
2 to 3 walnuts, chopped (you won't need much)
1/2 cup to 1 cup cooked gnocchi (see instructions below)
gorgonzola crumbles (as much or as little as you want)
milk
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes (optional)

Boiling instructions:
Follow package directions, which will most likely tell you to boil some water in a pot. If you're doing just one or two servings, you won't need much. The gnocchi is ready when each one floats to the top. Drain and set aside. Reserve a little bit of the water to add to the sauce.

1) Sauté garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Do not overbrown. Add walnuts.

2) Toss in gnocchi and cook for a minute or two, until slightly toasted.

3) Add gorgonzola cheese crumbles and cook until slightly melted.

4) Stir in milk and pasta water and simmer until saucy.

5) Serve in a bowl with crusty bread for dunking in the cheesy sauce.

You may have noticed that I didn't include the broccoli in the above instructions. There are many ways to add it in. First, you can add florets at the sauté stage. Second, you can pre-blanch/boil the broccoli in the water you used for the gnocchi. Third, you can cover the florets with a damp paper towel and microwave for a minute.

Buon appetito!

Moving to New York?

Postcard-perfect opportunities like these are actually free!

DAY 24

of the 30-Day Blog Challenge, 2011

I've always given the same advice to friends and aquaintances who approach me for advice on moving to NYC. And, everytime, I say the exact same thing:
Go for it.

Your experience will be different from mine. The setbacks I've encountered in the process of moving and settling in do not necessarily apply to your situation. As for the recession and the economy, these factors shouldn't deter you from moving anyway. Whether or not you pack up and leave, there's nothing you can do to single-handedly improve or worsen the economy, so might as well give it a shot. Plus, you never know when you're exactly at the right place, at the right time, in the right moment, and you're exactly what a company is looking for.

As for money...that is probably the trickiest variable and it's what paralyzes many when it comes to making a big decision like moving overseas. I touched on this in my "Take the Plunge" post. Again, money will always be an issue…only if you make it so. I've recounted this time and again—when I first moved to New York, I didn't have that much money. Heck, I barely had enough cash to buy a single mattress.

While it's ideal to wait and save up until you have a lumpsum before comitting to a major move, you're bound to come up with excuses one after the other and truthfully, it's never going to be enough (unless you're dipping into a trust fund). You might as well just take the plunge, settle right in, and make a living. That's how it works.

So come on down!

First lunch is on me :)

On Being Grateful

DAY 23

of the 30-Day Blog Challenge, 2011

Finding gratitude in a situation that turns out less stellar than expected is akin to trying to see the good in a nasty person. It's a challenge, but it's something that has to be done. I say it in the imperative, because to do otherwise is contradictory to embracing positivity—a path that I've chosen to take as best as I could in every situation.

Yet, I do have my moments of distress over both mundane and serious issues. This is when being prayerful makes perfect sense, and having access to a great yoga studio pays off. During quiet minutes of breath and reflection, one can find peace and clarity.

I can't publicly say what exactly is troubling me right now, but I know that an attitude of gratitude beats any amount of complaining, any day. Plus, if I give it time, I know it'll all be good.

Stop, Look, and Take a Picture

DAY 22

of the 30-Day Blog Challenge, 2011

Walk this way.

It's true that in Manhattan, you do have to walk fast—especially during rush hour, oh boy. For those of you in the West Coast or elsewhere that requires you to hop in a car and drive to get to work, the NYC morning commute on foot is the pedestrian equivalent of getting on the L.A. freeway. You'll probably encounter a similar version of road rage, and you wouldn't want to be in the way of a speeding, work-bound New Yorker.

That said, you'll still find pockets of time, moments wherein you could walk at a more leisurely pace. Evenings and Sundays are great for cruising along the city streets. While I have a keen appreciation for getting to point A to point B in the swiftest possible manner en route to the office, I equally welcome the languid opportunities to walk less frantically. Also, I happen to always have a camera in my purse (save for tonight, in which case, my Nokia phone comes in handy), and when people aren't busy trying to clock in at a certain time, the city is wide open for great photo ops.

Here are some pics I took on my way home from the library earlier:

Always photogenic. The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building library on Fifth Avenue.

This somewhat reminds me of 6750 Ayala Avenue in Makati City.

Take as many photos as you want. At night, Manhattan is your studio.

Stars and stripes. And lights.

Sounds Klipsch

DAY 21

of the 30-Day Blog Challenge, 2011

Image courtesy of www.klipsch.com.

In my "Street Shopping" post, I'd mentioned spotting purple Justbeats Solo headphones—the Justin Bieber version of the ultra-popular Beats by Dr. Dre—in one of the stalls. I am not kidding when I say that no train ride is complete without seeing the ubiquitous "b" on someone's ear. (For the record, I have yet to find someone wearing the ube Biebers.)

Ube, Baby, Baby, Baby, Oh...

A while back, an uncle of mine said that to get good headphones, one must be prepared to spend. And, I somewhat agree with him. That said, I've had the same Sennheiser earpieces for quite some time now, two of them actually: one, in-ear buds purchased on a press trip in Amsterdam back 2006; and two, larger, DJ-type on-ear ones from 2009 that I left with Mom. Both are priced mid-range and offer great sound quality. The smaller ones, however, seem to be no longer in optimal condition, given that they're five years old. Again, you know how I feel about gadgets.

But ever since I tried on a demo unit of the super cute red Solo Beats a couple of weeks ago, I've been extra fascinated by the prospect of getting new headphones. Hence, I wouldn't say that coming out of Best Buy yesterday with new Klipsch Image ONE Stereo Headphones was exactly an impulse purchase. Up until the last minute at the registers, I turned around and returned them on the rack, only to head back to the store after a quick trip to Starbucks and finally getting them.

So, what made me decide to make the splurge and take the "audiophile" plunge? Apart from an imminent need (thanks, Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry), I did spend almost an hour at the store comparing sound quality of several sample units, including one of the newer Bose on-ear models. The Klipsch ones didn't actually call out to me at first glance, but imagine my surprise when, upon testing them, they turned out to produce better-quality sound than the more popular Beats. (The Bose pair, by the way, was quite excellent—expectedly—but didn't look good on me. Yes, I'm part of the female shopping demographic.) Aesthetically though, Dr. Dre wins in that department. Bottomline is, before buying anything that clocks in at over a certain price range, make sure to be extra scrutinizing so you lessen your chances of buyer's remorse. Speaking of which, I need to finish an article on fashion finds that do exactly that—let you shop without feeling guilty. Signing off for now. Cue: Super Bass.

A song that makes a great headphone tester.