Some people know me so well...

Sometimes I can only laugh at how well some people know me. Yesterday I received an email from Jenny containing the subject line--"ALERT ALERT." She knew to brace me before I opened the email. A million thoughts ran through my head--none of which I'll share here--but I prepared myself mentally before opening the email.

What was the message? Payard has closed. Now, to anyone else, that may not be big news. To me? Oh. My. God. I loved Payard. (Evidenced by the previous blog posts here and here.) However, in order to break the news lightly, she mentioned that she was going to get to the bottom of it--as though it might not be closed, but I should brace myself in case it has indeed shut its doors.

As if that wasn't enough, Priya was also cc'ed on the email, and quickly sent a follow up email stating that perhaps they needed to check on my well-being. Before I read these emails, I called Priya, and the first thing she asked was if I had received Jenny's email. I said no, so she proceeded to break the news to me. Once I got over my initial shock (I even visited the website hoping it was all lies--no such luck), I read the email exchange and couldn't stop laughing. Every now and then I realize how well some people know me--it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling and makes me laugh--all at the same time.

PS- When I broke the news to Ash, his reaction was "NOOOOOOOO. That's TERRIBLE news." And then he was quiet for a minute. Perhaps I should've prepared him the way Jenny and Priya prepared me. Oops.

Quote of the Day

We went to Maya last night for a family dinner to celebrate Priya & Vinny's Anniversary. (Which means that it was me, Ash, Priya, Vinny and Prammy--it's so cool when your sister's marriage now means your family dinners involve some of your greatest friends.) :-)

In any case, we found ourselves talking briefly about the suspect in the "Craigslist Killer" case, as he is a BU medical student. There were a lot of great comments, but one made all of us burst out laughing, so I thought I'd share it.

Prammy: "Well, it's obvious that guy isn't going to get a residency."

For anyone who knows (either first-hand or through a loved one) the stress involved with getting a medical residency or fellowship, it's funny just to think about what his application would look like. I'm still laughing just thinking about it...

As for Maya--fantastic entrees, thumbs down on the desserts. (We ordered four different ones, and none was above average. Instead, walk to Payard.)

Exciting Weekend!

It doesn't take a lot to get me excited. The weather was absolutely gorgeous in Manhattan yesterday, so Ash and I started the day with lunch at Tiffin Walah (great south indian food), and then strolled up Fifth Avenue. It was a beautiful day, but that wasn't all!

Saturday evening was spent at Priya and Vinny's, watching the NCAA tournament. This tournament is quite stressful--not because I follow basketball, but because I love to eat. For the past few years a bunch of us have been "betting" dinner on the tournament. Bottom half cooks the entrees, and top half (minus the winner) has to cook the dessert of the winner's choice. (There is also trash talking and bragging rights involved, but that's nothing new...) It is a great excuse to get together, and also adds excitement for all of us who don't really follow the NCAA. This time around, there are three people who can potentially win the bracket, all with very different dessert preferences. Desserts in the past have been brownie sundaes and s'mores, both of which I can get around. If UConn had won, we'd be eating Vinny's dessert--it'd probably have something to do with fruit (bananas is my best guess). If UNC loses the finals, Rahul will win (I think), which means the dessert will involve walnuts...blah. However, if UNC wins the finals, Priya gets to choose, and it will DEFINITELY involve chocolate. (Not to mention if UNC wins, I am high enough up in the rankings that I don't have to cook entrees--score!) So, let's all root for UNC tonight!

Now, back to my excitement--two super exciting things. One--Priya taught me how to make chocolate mousse!! We'll see if it actually comes out as good when I have to watch out for stiff peaks vs. soft peaks with a hand blender--it all seems a bit tricky. However, she learned a great recipe from a chef, and then taught it to me in between the two basketball games Saturday night. I, in turn, can't stop eating it. Yum!

Second, I think I may have found a place to order my favorite enchilada sauce! Enchilada sauce is one thing I can't master--I've tried recipe after recipe from scratch, but it never ends up tasting as good as El Rio's Hot Enchilada Sauce. (See picture--though the picture is of the "mild" kind--not as good.) I used to buy El Rio when I lived on the Upper West Side, but now no one in the city seems to carry it. They carry El Rio Nacho Cheese Sauce (cheese? in a can?) and other El Rio products, but not the enchilada sauce. I tried Old El Paso (the yellow can), but it did not even come close. It was much thinner than El Rio, and didn't have as much flavor. Yesterday I randomly googled where I could purchase it online, and it seems Hannaford started an online grocery store! So, I placed an order for a case of the sauce (yes, a case--it's THAT good!) I'll keep you posted when it arrives! If you happen to see it in your grocery store, definitely give it a try! You'll never need to order restaurant enchiladas again...

So exciting!

Happy Birthday to Me!

I had a fantastic birthday. I have the greatest family, the sweetest friends, and I am touched every year by all those who call/email/facebook/text message me good wishes. I am terrible at remembering birthdays, so it really does mean a lot.

My birthday for the past few years has typically consisted of going to work and then going out to dinner with Ash, Priya and Vinny. This year, Ash was on vacation on my birthday, so I figured I'd take the day off too. Since Priya and Vinny both had to work into the evening today, they took us out to dinner on Sunday night for an early celebration. That left my actual birthday to do, well, whatever I wanted!

So what did my day consist of? I had to double check with Ash that you can't cause diabetes by eating too much sugar all at once. (Luckily, as far as he knows, you can't.) Here's the rundown:

7:00 am- Woke up and picked up a few phone calls from family and from India.
8:30 am- Ash sang happy birthday with a candle in a slice of PF Chang's "Great Wall of Chocolate" cake. (Cake before breakfast...does it really get better than that?)
11:00 am- Bloomingdale's for 40 carrots frozen yogurt. (I got a coffee smoothie, Ash got the pina colada one. His might have been better.)
12:00 pm- Museum of Natural History
4:00 pm- Levain Bakery for a variety of cookies. I can never decide which one to get--today, I just got all of them! Hands down, best cookies in Manhattan. (I can't remember if this was due to Swati or Sameer--but whoever said it, totally right!)
5:30 pm- Nanoosh for hummus and pita to soak up some of the sugar
6:30 pm- Magnolia Bakery to pick up banana pudding and apple crisp
7:30 pm- Went to Priya's to eat the Magnolia desserts (Vin- the banana pudding is surprisingly good. I'd get it again!)

So yes, I had frozen yogurt, delicious cookies that weigh half a pound, and banana pudding all in one day. And I'd do it again. (Ash was kind enough to indulge me all day--he actually ate everything with me. Such a good sport.) It was delicious. Good thing my birthday is only once a year, or I'd weigh 600 pounds. Happy birthday to me! :-)

Valentine's Day

Yesterday was fantastic. I'm not really a huge Valentine's Day person--it's probably one of my two least favorite holidays. (New Year's Eve would be the other one.) I dislike both for similar reasons-- it's just a day where everything is more expensive, for no apparent reason. New Year's Eve? Just another day. Valentine's Day? The day to show someone how much you love them...shouldn't that be everyday?

In any case, I digress. The day itself was wonderful. We started off by going to Big Daddy's, our favorite diner, to meet a friend of ours visiting from Turkey. (Kiran--if you move back to the states, you could get bacon everyday! Think about it...) Then, Ash and I came home and had a "lazy day," which I totally love. We cuddled on the couch, watched three episodes of How I Met Your Mother, and a few shows on Air Force One and Marine One.

When it was time for dinner, Ash had made reservations at Ciao Bella--a restaurant that we've always been wanting to try, but never got the chance. For those familiar with the Upper East Side, it took the spot of Panorama Cafe--a fantastic little italian place. Now, it's an upscale italian restaurant named after the same company that makes the famous gelato you see in the grocery stores (which I usually find too sweet). Panorama used to be one of our favorite places, so we were bummed when it shut down, but had high hopes for this new place.

I ordered the butternut squash ravioli (good, but too sweet), and Ash got the roasted chicken (he liked it). Dessert was tiramisu (very creamy, but didn't have much of a coffee taste) and a chocolate souffle (not bad). Their cappuccino was fantastic. Overall, it was a nice, romantic meal, but I don't think we'll be going back. For what we paid, there are many other restaurants in the city with better food.

We had spoken to Priya and Vinny earlier in the day, and had made plans to meet up after dinner. (They went to Pranna, and said it was average.) After convincing them not to go home and to meet us at this hole-in-the-wall piano bar instead, the night became legendary. Yes, I said legendary. (TV show? Anyone? Anyone?) We got there an hour before the piano set even started--a good idea, as the tiny place was PACKED thirty minutes later. Then, after a somewhat boring set of love songs, they sang Journey. And that's when everything turned around. We belted along to "Total Eclipse of the Heart," "Rocket Man," "Cat's In the Cradle," and tons of others. When we weren't singing, we were laughing. The four of us learned that first impressions can be terribly wrong...but hysterical at the same time. (You'll have to ask one of us for the story.) It was a perfect night-- a romantic dinner with my husband, and then a fun and memory-filled night with the three people I love most.

On a side note, I found my new favorite drink! There was a two drink minimum at the tables, and Priya recommended Kahlua. I've never tried Kahlua. I don't know why no one told me about this earlier! It tastes like super sweet coffee--yum. Vinny then had the waitress bring over some milk, and it became the best drink ever. I now might spike everything with Kahlua. It's awesome.

One side note, apparently when you order, you should say "Kahlua on the rocks." Not "Kahlua on ice." Whatever--she knew what I meant. All the laughing was unnecessary. But whatever. (And Vin--I did not say Kahlua on the ice, just Kahlua on ice, funny man.) I'm going to continue ordering it my way, just to spite all three of you. So there. Bastards.

I normally don't place inside jokes in my blog, but indulge me just this once. I just want to place it somewhere it'll be permanently inscribed, so none of us will forget it...

BYE PRIYA!! ;-)

Hope you all had as wonderful a Valentine's Day as I did!

Runs in the Family

Friday, October 24th, approximately 10:00 pm.

(Phone rings)

Neha: Hello?

Priya: (In a very serious tone.) There is a national emergency.

Neha: What happened? (Something could have happened...after all, we are in the midst of election season...)

Priya: Ruby Foo's reduced the size of their chocolate cake!! It used to serve 4-6 people, and now the waiter says it will serve 2-3. I disagree, I could eat that whole thing by myself! It's a disgrace.

See? Some things just run in the family.

He's so cute.

I finally went to Buddakan for the first time (thanks Swati!), and was blown away by the decor on the inside. So obscure from the outside, but as soon as you walk in, it's like this never-ending gorgeous restaurant. My favorite dish was the "Wild Mushroom Chow Fun"--absolutely wonderful. We ordered the "Crying Chocolate" and the "Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombe" for dessert. The ice cream on the desserts was fantastic--coffee on the first and peanut butter on the latter--so good.

When I got home, Ash was already in bed, half asleep, and asked where we had gone. (It was a wives night--no boys allowed on wives night.) When I told him, he mumbled--"Buddakan? That's an oxymoron. On one hand you have Buddha, who was the epitome of non-violence, and then you have Genghis Khan. What a weird name." Then he turned and fell back asleep. He's so cute.