Friday, February 24, 2012

Best of the Week #49

First things first, thank you so much for all the birthday wishes! Graffiato last night was fantastic – I got the Crispy Brussel Sprouts (pancetta, maple, egg), and split the Countryman Pizza (black truffle, fontina, farmed soft egg). 



I’m only friends with sharing people, so I also tried bites of:

  • Flatbread & Pepperoni Sauce
  • Roasted Cauliflower (pecorino, mint)
  • Wild Mushroom Soup (smoked mushroom arancini)
  • Blistered Sweet Peppers (smoked paprika, caper)
  • Tortellini (butternut squash, goat cheese, walnut)

And finished it off by blowing out a candle stuck in the Panna Cotta (caramel, chocolate, pretzel).


The brussel sprouts were my favorite – I think they were deep fried, but not in a heavy greasy way…in an awesome and crispy and super-flavorful way (menu here for your perusing pleasure).


The big news from my end this week (other than woaaahhhh I’m 25!) is that I am officially a Christian Science Monitor food blogger! Check out my King Cake Cupcakes post on Stir It Up:




Which means that I am 99% sure I'm their only blogger to write for Stir It Up AND the Africa Monitor. That right there is diversity of interests. Or something.


And now for Best of the Week!


Ummm hello best thing ever: 40 Things That Make Corgis Happy.


#9: Fall


#30: Reading in bed


How’s this for some mixed messaging?
The Atlantic’s “The Most Unhappy of Pleasures: This Is Your Brain on Sugar.” (My name is Mollie and I’m addicted to sugar.)
  • The object of our current affliction is sugar… When you consume any substance of abuse, including sugar, the nucleus accumbens receives a dopamine signal, from which you experience pleasure. And so you consume more. The problem is that with prolonged exposure, the signal attenuates, gets weaker. So you have to consume more to get the same effect -- tolerance.
BUT then the NYT counters that with, “Dessert at Breakfast May Help Dieters.” Far be it from me to question science!
  • “But if you eat what you like, you decrease cravings. The cake — a small piece — is important.”
Conclusion: I’ll have a piece of cake please.


And I will burn it off with this perpetual motion machine – the Treadwall. (source)



Who are “afropolitans?” Well looks like I am!

  • She also believes the term can apply to non-Africans. "We like to think that it doesn't matter where you were born, if you find yourself on the continent and you love the continent, that makes you an Afropolitan," says Nyakudya.

Drone Warfare Clearly Getting Out of Hand (source)




For all the IR/Cold War nerds out there: U.S. Military and CIA Interventions Since WW II




Maybe for my next birthday I will go here? “In Pictures: Uganda's disappearing glaciers

  • The Rwenzori mountains on the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo lie only a few miles north of the equator, but for thousands of years they have hosted tropical alpine glaciers.



This is hilarious. I WANNA GO "Hunger Games" (music video parody). You're welcome.



LLC sent me this…so I guess that’s a good thing? (source

And finally, if I could eat pancakes for breakfast every day that might make my life: SLIDESHOW: Let's Celebrate Pancake Tuesday! 11 Pancake Recipes We Love.






Happy Weekend to you all!