rach 3 concerto w/daniil trifinov

per jess's request, i'm doing a little catch-up in here :)

it was chilly last night when we met up (in the 30s!) at totto ramen east side for some taiwan paitan ramen! perfect for this time of year.

then we scurried over to the upper west side for daniil trifonov's performance of rachmaninov's concerto no 3 the with nyphilharmonic performance. i'd never heard of daniil prior to the nyphil email which reached my inbox a couple months ago. but after some research, learned about the young virtuoso's first place at the 2011 international tchaikovsky competition and obsessed over some of his youtube performances. we were seated in the orchestra section, though far back left corner where the acoustics weren't great. his performance felt a little muted in the beginning - not nearly as expressive as his previous performances that i'd grown accustom to listening to, but it's possible it was due to our seats and the acoustics in the room.

things i noticed ... how calm he appeared, shoulders loose with a relaxed composure (at least initially before things got rowdy). his perfect form and technique as his fingers struck the keys. his relatively small hands, which one would not expect in such a technically difficult rach concerto. how inspired i felt ... though with slight regret. back in hs, i had practiced a beethoven concerto for quite some time and practiced with an orchestral soundtrack (on CD), though i never took it seriously enough to actually win a competition, which could afford me the opportunity to perform with a live orchestra. how i regret not trying a little harder ...

in any case, it's amazing to see a single pianist take on an entire orchestra!

fuchsia dunlop's mapo tofu

tonight we made mapo tofu, a spicy sichuan dish, based on fuchsia dunlop's recipe. she is our go-to for sichuan recipes :) here it is:

 

serves 4

vegetable oil
1 pound firm tofu cut into cubes
6 ounces ground pork
2 garlic cloves minced
2 leeks thinly sliced
2.5 tablespoons chili bean paste
1 tablespoon black beans
2 teaspoons szechuan peppercorns, pounded into a powder
1 cup chicken stock (or water)
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon corn starch dissolved in some water
1 scallion diced
salt to taste

1. soak the cubes of tofu in some salted hot water.
2. while the tofu soaks, pour the oil into a deep skillet or wok over high heat. stir fry the pork. turn the heat down a bit and throw in the garlic and leeks. when it starts to smell delicious, add in the chili bean paste, black beans, and sichuan pepper. stir the mixture some, and let the flavors meld.
3. pour in the stock.
4. drain the tofu and pour it in ... carefully as not to break up the cubes. use the back of your ladle to move the pieces around gently.
5. add the sugar, soy sauce, and salt (if needed). let the mixture simmer some more (~5 mins).
6. now put in the cornstarch mixture, but bit by bit. you may not need all of it. the sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of your ladle.
7. serve while its still hot, fresh off the burners, with some white rice, garnished with scallions and a bit more szechuan pepper powder...if you dare.

baby orangutan & foster mother

i saw the cutest photo in the wsj today and had to share it!

"keju, a seven-month-old bornean orangutan, hangs on the shoulders of her new foster mother, madu, a 32-year-old sumatran orangutan at zoo atlanta." -erik s. lesser/european pressphoto agency

pretty amazing to see the closeness shared between a baby orangutan and her foster mother!

spaghetti a la bottarga

i walked in the door absolutely worn and weary today and i smelled the delicious aroma of beef broth. kevin had returned a little early from his trip upstate and spent the afternoon making beef stock, lentil and kale soup, and was putting the finishing touches on his spaghetti alla bottarga. we love bottarga !!!

i went straight to the couch to decompress for a little bit, and eventually found myself poking around at the stovetop, stirring the soup and watching a chef at work! the pasta was awesome ... and the bottarga was plentiful :D it was a pretty spectacular way to end a long tiring day - thank you, hubbs!

woolworth building

the woolworth building, the world's tallest building designed by cass gilbert for 17 years, has been an object of interest and mystery for me for a long time, so when i learned about the 60-minute guided woolworth tour, we jumped at the opportunity.

the building's design incorporates design elements from many different periods - classical, neoclassical, gothic, and more . the ornately decorated vaulted ceilings are stunning here.

its friday friday friday !!!!!

what a long tiring week -_-;; 

i've been experimenting with different routes (okay, there are really only two routes, but i've been checking out all the establishments along the way!) from the apt to the 23rd street e station during my morning commute, and treated myself to the seasonal apple cinnamon cake donut this morning! it was ... sooooo much better than i expected! next time, the pumpkin ...

and a simple soboro-don at ootoya for dinner :) sooo simple and tasty !!!