boeuf bourguignion.

I stumbled upon the book Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard a few weeks ago. It a memoir of a young American woman caught up in two passionate love affairs--one with her new beau, Gwendal, the other with French cuisine.

I love France -the culture, the architecture and the cuisine. Now, I myself have am not a kitchen person. The only dish that I could cook (aside from frying hotdog + egg) is sinigang na sardinas. I tried cooking it for A once, and he never stopped making fun of sinigang and my cooking skills ever since.  

Reading Lunch in Paris, I decided to give those pots another shots. The finish product, tada... Boeuf Bourguignion

Here is the recipe I got from the book. I decided to skip the braised onions and sautéed mushrooms.

Boeuf Bourguignion
Ingredients
   4 slices bacon 

   3 lbs lean stewing beef

   1 carrot 

   1 onion

   2 cloves garlic

   2 tbsp all-purpose flour 

   1 tbspn tomato paste

   1 sprig thyme

   1 bay leaf

   Coarse salt and ground pepper

   3 cups red wine

Procedure

1. Cook bacon uncovered over medium-low heat until browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate; set aside. Reserve bacon fat.

2. Season beef generously with salt and pepper. Dredge beef in flour, shaking off excess. Raise heat to medium. Brown beef in bacon fat on all sides, without crowding. Transfer each to a bowl.

3. Pour 1/2 cup water into pan; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, to loosen browned bits, 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Add onion and garlic, until slightly softened. Add tomato paste.

5. Add carrots, meat (with juices), wine, thyme, and reserved bacon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer over low, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender, but not falling apart, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

6. Skim fat off surface of stew; discard. Stir Roasted Mushrooms and Pearl Onions into beef; season with salt and pepper. Serve

just go!

C'mon. just keep on going.

live classy.

edited repost

BEING CLASSY is defined as having or reflecting high standards of personal behaviour; being admirably skillful and graceful.

Being classy is about cultivating respect. And that means respect for everyone, including yourself. Take care to be polite to others and to reflect a genuine interest in them. Be confident in yourself, dress how you want and act accordingly.

Being classy is being selfless, generous, compassionate and responsible. Class is all in how you come across, how you present and express yourself without having to tell people that you're classy.

01. Be authentic. Live in a way of which you should be proud. A person of honor and integrity never needs to hide behind a facade.

02. Be independent. Be courteous, but do not bend over backward to please others. If you do, you may find yourself being taken advantage of in the future.

03. Be assertive. Avoid passive-aggressive thinking; this is likely to trip you up eventually. Assertiveness demonstrates maturity, thoughtfulness, and confidence.

04. Don't feign knowledge.

05. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

06. Don't insult, gossip or slander. When necessary, voice your opinions appropriately and constructively.

07. Choose your battles. Choose your friends. Few battles are truly worth fighting. Stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. Be wary of those who appear to enjoy bickering. If someone is rude, treat them with polite disdain - be polite but let them subtly know that you don't appreciate what they are doing. Never stoop to their level, and do not be hasty. Surround yourself with positive, polite people who encourage and live your classy, intelligent lifestyle.

08. Choose your words. Listen more than you speak.

09. Seek wisdom.

10. Be open to personal development. Do not berate yourself, but be receptive to constructive criticism. Be positive and flexible. Face life rather than burying your head in the sand.

11. Be knowledgeable and aware. It is wise to become politically, culturally, and religiously aware.

12. Know when to ask for help, but avoid desperate behaviour. Only desperate times call for desperate measures. Take a deep breath, be strong, and move through the situation with elegance and grace. You will be the victor for it, no matter the outcome.

13. Be responsible. Be considerate.

passive-aggressive.

ACCORDING to Wikipedia,

A passive-aggressive behavior can manifest itself as learned helplessness (in which one has learned to be helpless because proactive behavior is useless), procrastination, hostile jokes, stubbornness, resentment, sullenness, or deliberate/repeated failure to accomplish requested tasks for which one is (often explicitly) responsible... a passive man does little to get what he wants as it is too much effort to do so, and ranges from the inept "loser" type to the conformist who does anything to be liked, avoids making waves and rarely says what he feels.

gulp. guilty on five counts.

time to change.

better not forget.

poor prognosis.

I am losing it again.
This time, I no longer want to fight it.
I just want to let go.

honor excellence.

Life is way too short to settle for anything less than what we truly want. The only way to embrace your potential is to stop settling. We are only limiting ourselves and wasting our precious time. The moment we begin to settle in the most important roles of our lives is the moment we begin to die a slow death. Excellence is a place where people who refuse to settle for mediocrity live; it is where one reaps from all the hard work sown. It is a journey of continuous progression toward the goals in your life. 
- Ashley Fern

* photo not mine

cup of coffee + good book = bliss.

IT has been ages since the last time I got caught up reading a good book.

So, how do you know when you're reading a good book?
  If it can tickle your interest.
  If it can make you think.
  If it can give you a rush of emotions.

“The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - which you had thought special and particular to you. And now, here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out, and taken yours” 

― Alan Bennett, The History Boys