tasha eats: Butter + Beans @ SS17

There's such a negative connotation about being alone. But little do we know, spending time by yourself actually helps you figure out who you are and what you love or don't love. Like for instance the other day I was in H&M and i actually went "OK, I'm bored". I mean, yeah, I love shopping. But probably not as much as chilling at a cafe with a good book and good music (+ chatter in the background).

Why do people often go "aw, he/she's lonely. I feel sad boohoo" when they see someone sitting by themselves, obviously enjoying their coffee? Sometimes it's okay to be alone. Being alone does not mean you're lonely. Sometimes you just gotta have me-time.

And so that's what I did today! A whole hour and a half by myself at Butter + Beans at Seventeen.

I love how the place is so cozy and welcoming. The guy behind the counter was super helpful. He explained what each and every pastry was and the sweetness level and stuff. I was really pleased. The girl behind the counter was really nice too. She was so excited when I asked her if it was alright if I take pictures for my blog.

Butter + Beans is this really cozy java joint and I think they're somehow associated with Food Foundry I'm not quite sure. If you're with a group of friends of more than 3 then this place is not the hangout for you guys. The place has not more than 2 dozen seats. Which is why I thought it was the perfect place to take myself out on a date. 

I sat in this cozy little corner. 

I ordered their Hot Chocolate (RM 8) (You guys must be wondering if I'm on a hot chocolate spree or something) (Nah, it's just been a very hot chocolate kind of week). May I just say how amazing their hot chocolate is?! It's so rich and it tastes as though they made it from scratch. And it's not too sweet either! It tastes just right. I just wish they had a variety of hot chocolate flavours. (i.e hot chocolate spice, hot chocolate and peppermint)

I also had their Peach Cobbler (RM 3) (YES SO CHEAP). It was OK. I just wish they would have more peaches than pastry. But the pastry was spot on too. Not complaining. 

P/S: It was raining cats and dogs when I reached Butter + Beans. Imagine how perf the moment was. It stopped raining when I left. ha. I dont know why I'm telling you guys this. well.

Butter + Beans at Seventeen

BG-1A, Happy Mansion, Jalan 17/13, Section 17,

Petaling Jaya.

Peace out bamboozles!

Tash.

Boob Tube: Pretty In Pink (1986)

I decided to call this blog series of films/tv series boob tube because television sounded too ordinary. I wonder why "boob tube" is a synonym of television. Maybe once upon a time people used to air a lot of boob on TV. *cringe* (MTV) But anyway, I'm sticking with boob tube. cause that's how I roll. (I'm pretty sure I'm fully capable of rolling down a hill if someone is willing to push me) (Yi peng/Imran, I'm calling out to you)

In this episode of boob tube, I'm gonna talk about Pretty in Pink. Before I start gushing about how amazing this movie is, I'm a huge fan of it so I could be bias (but really I'm not bias. It really is a good movie. To all girls out there, you have to watch it at least once in your life)

Cast (Just the important people):
Andie- Molly Ringwald
Duckie- Jon Cryer
Blane- Andrew McCarthy
Iona- Annie Pots

Warning: This movie was produced in the mid 80's so the quality of the pictures aren't gonna be so grand.

I love how her style shows her individuality. It's so quirky and weird but that's her I guess.

I really like Duckie's style too. He's so i-dont-give-a-shit-i'm-gonna-wear-what-i-want-wherever-i-want. ha.

"Are you going to class today?"

"I don't know if I'm virtually ready."

"If you give off signals that you don't want to belong, people will make sure you don't"

"You said you couldn't be with someone who didn't believe in you. Well, I believed in you. I just didn't believe in me. I love you.. always."

"I just want them to know that they didn't break me"

If these badly captured stills doesn't make you wanna watch the movie then I don't know what will. (Maybe better looking stills) (But don't, cause you guys are awesome and awesome people don't betray cottonballs' blogs)

Have fun!
Adios

tasha eats: Kulcats Barrio @ TTDI

Hola chicka!

So my lumpster, Yi Peng and I decided to escape the harsh reality that is life (come on tasha come on) and decided to just go to a cafe and chill. We went to a super chill cafe but I'm not gonna talk about that right now. Anyways that didn't work out. And we were both starving so we decided to go somewhere nearby. We were already in TTDI so I was like "ah, let's just go to kulcats they have food. even after 6pm" (ha ha) (the previous cafe we went to didn't serve food after 6pm) (I know LOLWHUTWTF)

I got so much good vibes from this place. Pretty good music (i.e Try a little tenderness by Otis Redding) (I love this song so much haha cause Pretty In Pink) (Listening to this song as we speak). The people working there are super friendly.

(I really have to try to take pictures better for my blog and not give a hoot about what people think. Then, I'll have great pictures, no?)

(I couldn't get it focused) (obviously you understand my pain)
I ordered their Hot Chocolate (RM 9) which was super duper good. May I just say that that night was really cold. It rained on the way to TTDI. So I had all the reason to order hot chocolate. ha.

Yi peng ordered their Iced Peach Tea (RM 7). Which I had the pleasure of tasting. It was to be honest too sweet for my liking but that's just me. I take my iced drinks super diluted. Also, it had cut peaches in it! Yum.

I had their Sloppycat Burger (RM20). Oh it was so good! Their chili is soooo good. I wish they served chili on its own with a side of fries. I'd just dip the fries in yum. The portion was big and I couldn't finish it. I would say though I think their patty was a tad bit under cooked. Ah well.

Yi peng had their Chicken Parmigiana (RM25). Mmm yum also super good. But I just wish they added a little bit more tomato puree on the chicken. Yi peng says their salad was perfectly dressed. Citrus-y but not too citrus-y.

I really hope you guys check the place out. I know I'd go there again. Definitely.
Peace out homedawgs.
Tash.

(Sorry for the horrible pictures. The lighting was horrid. And the place was packed. Still getting used to taking pictures of places and food in public.)

jingle jangle: Past Midnight Drives

Past Midnight Drives from neonbubbledreams on 8tracks Radio.

Salutations, readers of Cottonball83's sickly sweet blog. Yi Peng here providing the playlists as per requested by the Lumpster herself.

This playlist is something I've thrown together for late night drives. If you haven't driven around a city past midnight, let me tell you, it is one of the best experiences ever, particularly with good company and music. Parts of the city is pretty much dead, it's all quiet, still and magical. To quote Haruki Murakami from his book After Dark, (which is about an entire night in Japan featuring two teens, a love hotel, Chinese gangsters and more) “Time moves in its own special way in the middle of the night.” 

Everything is different at night. People reveal more than they usually would. Places seem different, feel different. The whole vibe is off. Probably because it's all under cover of darkness. (Strokes reference anyone?) (For a movie based on car rides at night, watch Night On Earth by Jim Jarmusch.)

Take a listen, escape.
Yi Peng.

How to bake: Tiramisu Cake

ha ha that rhymed.
(God Tasha. Get a grip)

Finally. A recipe! Ah, I haven't baked since uh last week haha but I didn't wanna blog about it cause all i baked were oreo cupcakes with cadbury chocolate drizzles on top. Okay, I should have blogged about them. Ah well. Seeing as to how "spontaneous" I was with the whole I-wanna-bake decision I made I couldn't really wait for my cake to chill in the fridge for a day. I could but I couldn't. The worse part about baking: is the cleaning up. okay the second worse part about baking is the waiting. The waiting. I really don't have the patience to wait 12 hours for the cake to chill (Although that will help my frosting process a whole lot easier) (This is why I very seldom bake cakes but rather cupcakes cause they cool in 30 minutes tops)

"Cake is happiness. If you know the way of the cake, you know the way of happiness! If you have cake in front of you, you should not look any further for joy" - C.Joybell.C

I have to say this is my first time baking a tiramisu cake. Or tiramisu anything. And it was fairly easy. I would definitely consider baking it in the (not so near) future. But I think for a first attempt they taste pretty good.

So, Shall we?

Cake layers:

113 grams butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla extract 

2 cups cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup cream

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly grease 2 pans. (This recipe calls for 9-inch pans but you can use whatever size pan you have)
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one. Mix in the vanilla extract and gradually add in the dry ingredients (Cake flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt; all sifted). Mix in the cream
• Divide the batter equally and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
• Leave the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes before taking them out. When slightly cool, leave the cakes to cool overnight. (Trust me this step is the most important step)

Espresso extract

2 tbsp instant espresso powder (If you don't have any you can replace the espresso powder with 3 tbsp of coffee powder)

2 tbsp hot water

• In a small bowl, whisk powder and hot water. Set aside

Espresso syrup

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp of espresso extract (or if you can consume alcohol, add 1 tbsp of Kahula)

• In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil. Add extract/liquor (or both). remove from heat. Set aside.

Filling and frosting

1 cup cold heavy whipping cream

227 grams mascarpone cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp extract/kahula

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate shavings

Ladyfingers for garnishing

• Get a metal bowl if possible and freeze it beforehand. Whisk in the heavy whipping cream till soft peaks form. Put bowl back in freezer.
• In another bowl, whisk together mascarpone, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and extract/kahula.
• Whisk in 1 tbsp extract
• Fold in the whipped cream gently into the marcarpone mixture

Assembling

• If the top of the cake is crowned, use a long serrated knife to trim off the top of the cake to make them level. place on cake on a separate plate. Using a pastry brush, soak the top and bottom of both cakes with the espresso syrup you made earlier. Set the cakes aside to absorb the espresso syrup.
• Once you're ready to assemble the cake, frost the top of one cake with the mascarpone frosting. Sandwich both cakes together and frost the whole cake entirely. 
• Sprinkle the top of the cake with the semi-sweet chocolate shavings. 
• Add your ladyfingers along the sides of the cake and leave in the fridge to cool
• Your cake should be ready to serve in about half and hour's time. Better yet, leave it overnight (without the ladyfingers as they will become soggy) and serve it the next day.

Enjoy!

Peace out bamboozles.

Tash.

(Recipe adapted from Pastry Affair) (Obviously I tweaked it a little, to my liking and convenience)

wad dat: Aquaria @ Suria KLCC

Hello fellow inhabitants of the Land of Ooo!

Finally I have something other than reviews to blog about. Yay. I consider today sort of like an adventure. We (by 'we' I mean butthead bestie and I) didn't technically explore cause we went to KLCC but we did something we don't normally do so I guess- sTOP JUDGING US.

I remember when I was a kid I wanted to be a marine biologist because I've always thought the ocean and everything it holds was more than what we thought it was. It was more than just fishes and chorals and other aquatic animals. I've always wondered what else inhabited the ocean. It was just sO BIG. Still is. Nothing's changed. But that's never gonna happen hahahaha ha ah

I just wish Aquaria was slightly bigger and "the stream" as they call it was bigger/longer. Cause Imran and I went through the terrain twice haha.

Also, we went to KLCC's park.

All in all I had a really good day with my butthead bestie. OH. I finally bought Stephen King's IT. Look out for a book review soon. (ok I lied not too soon the book is so thick)

Cheers.

Peace out