Graziella's

I had a great meal from Graziella's last weekend. We had it delivered, so I can't say much about the restaurant, except that I pass it many mornings, and it has an open roof, which is always great. I can, however, say a bit about the food, which was fantastic, and definitely some of the best food I've had in a while.

We ordered potato gnocchi with gorgonzola, and an arugula and parmesan pizza. The gnocchi was very similar to a normal gnocchi alfredo, but with the extra tang of gorgonzola cheese, and was really a nice twist on a typical dish. The pizza followed this same pattern, and I absolutely loved these toppings I'd never tried before. The Italian style pizza is a great base for the spicy leaf and the fresh parmesan, and while I don't think it would work well on a New York style pizza, it would be really easy for someone to get or make a pizza and throw on some really fresh arugula and parmesan. I think the freshness was what mattered most here, and the meal could definitely be replicated pretty easily. I'm definitely going to try to make it at some point.

The combination on both dishes was just amazing, and it was nice to have some surprising takes on classic dishes. Also, their sodas (coke in a glass bottle and pellegrino limonada) are a cute little touch. I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for a nice, different pizza in Clinton Hill, or anywhere, if you're making it yourself.

Julie & Julia & Me

Classes started last week and already I feel like it is Semester: Impossible. I have three math classes. That’s right, three. Well, three classes where I have to use math. Which to a math-phobic person like myself, is pretty much a nightmare. Also, I am not allowed to use a calculator for algebra.

On Saturday, I was trying to do metric conversions for my biology lab when I had a slight meltdown. How am I going to do all of this? I wondered. I was stuck in a downward spiral of negative thinking.

So, I decided to take my mind off of things, and I went to see Julie & Julia. I love food, and I love watching shows about food, so I figured it would be a win. Which in my opinion, it was. I really liked Meryl Streep as Julia Child and Amy Adams as Julie Powell, a woman who decides to write a blog about cooking her way through Julia Child’s cookbook. Both Julie and Julia were very likable characters. Overall, it was a cute movie. It probably won’t win any awards, but it’s something fun to go see on a Saturday afternoon. I left the theater feeling uplifted, because, as Julie’s husband reassures her: “Julia Child wasn’t always Julia Child”. Meaning, we all have to start somewhere. It turns out that Julia Child could not even chop an onion when she first entered culinary school, but that didn’t stop her from becoming one of the most influential chefs of our time. If Julia Child went from not being able to chop an onion, to “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”, then I can certainly learn to do math without a calculator.