Musings

Food, Feminism, and Rhythm

[naina56]

Leadership Branding

Leadership branding is something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently, as I wrap up a 4 month long summer-internship recruiting process. What are the qualities that set me apart as a leader--as perceived by me, and by others? There are definitely a handful of qualities that I believe set me apart, but I also believe these qualities need to be honed and shaped in the right ways. They can be very effective parts of my leadership brands, but they also have pitfalls. 

 I think all would say that I’m a Doer--anyone who looks at our MBA Facebook page can attest to the fact that my leadership style involves action, since I’m involved in way too many extracurriculars at Sloan! Being a Doer is a strong leadership quality--people look to you to organize, rally, activate, plan, and execute. And, because part of being  a Doer is being proactive, Doers are also often seen as leadership figures--”creative” in some ways.

However, I, and other Doers, need to be careful to not fall into the trap of simply being seen as the “executor.” Though Doers are proactive, they’re sometimes seen as the productive planners and executors, and are passed over for the more “artist” figures, to reference Elsbach’s article. My challenge will be always be to showcase both sides of myself in order to establish myself as a leader.

I’m also very expressive and enthusiastic, which I use in leadership settings to create positive atmosphere and culture, foster collaboration, and sell my ideas. Moving forward, I hope to keep these qualities in my leadership style, but to refine them. My expressiveness connects me to people, and creates warm, friendly enivronments and relationships. However, it also occasionally makes me impatient and impulsive, which can be dangerous qualities in a leader. So this is my other point-of-difference and point-of-parity: to harness my energy towards positive impact.

[naina56]

Brand Authenticity and the power of “Weird”

There’s a lot of talk about brand authenticity these days, and I’ve found that “authentic” these days, particularly in the social media space, is often code for “weird” or “quirky.” The general realm of thought regarding this strategy seems to be that it can be a really effective strategy if it fits in with your brand identity--both internal and external perception. Often times though, the wrong companies get slack for trying to jump on board the trend. 

It’s not always so simple, though. There are some brands that are able to tap into a very hidden aspect of their values or identity, and use this the “quirk” method in order to shift perceptions around the brand. One of the most brilliant example’s is Denny’s.

Denny’s Twitter is filled with downright weird, hilarious tweets on a daily basis. 

On first glance, this might seem “inauthentic”--like Denny’s is just trying to get in on the "quirky” social media trend to prove how “real” they are. But on closer inspection, this delightfully zany Twitter mirrors the type of experiences many have at Denny’s. They’re often filled with a motley assortment of people, and their menu is a juxtaposition of traditional foods and over-the-top portions. 

Denny’s Twitter reflects the motley, over-the-top quality of Denny’s, bringing another dimension to the brand that’s more often perceived as the home of the early-bird-special. A great example of leveraging social media and marketing, generally, to highlight and shift perceptions on a brand.

[naina56]

Check the Check before you wreck the Check

Burberry’s Fall 2015 Ads, shot by Mario Testino  

Under Rose Marie Bravo, Burberry was able to successfully take back a brand that, while viewed as classic and timeless, had been over-licensed and distributed and under-developed to create a curious combination of two target customers associated with the brand--stodgy, old, rich men, and mass-appeal, tacky “new money” aspirational brand. 

Bravo was able to position the brand as a “functional luxury” or “classic chic” brand. In between Polo and Armani on the clothing side, and between Coach and Gucci on the accessories side. Classic, sporty, functional, but trendy. 

For me, the biggest things Bravo did to reposition the brand and mitigate the risk profile was to reign in the licensing and distribution, taking more control over what products the brand “Burberry” was associate with, and also shifting the imagery associated with Burberry, by juxtaposing young, fresh faces with timeless trenches and imagery (black and white english countryside, London streets). This shifted the target audience of the brand to young, trendsetter, yet chic (a younger word for classic) audience

I agree with Bravo that the check needed to be reigned in to maintain of the brand going forward. Since the check is a very visible component of the brand, and is most prominent on “aspirational” goods, like accessories, the brand will start to lose it’s exclusivity and take on that mass-brand association again, that will drive away the trendsetter audience. 

The Fall 2015 campaign pictured above represents a great balance of the check and also shows how Burberry continues to shake things up in order to maintain it’s status as a fresh yet timeless brands. This campaign breaks away from what has now become the Burberry mainstay--beautiful young people in trench coats or Burberry check, with flat, sometimes black and white, lighting in order to evoke a sense of timelessness. Instead the lighting is bright, overexposed--as if these are pictures being taken on a red carpet, or on a night out. The check is displayed prominently in only one ad, and it’s an accent of the outfit, not a main piece. In all of the ads there’s a sense of action, of in-the-moment happenings. Burberry is what you were as a man or woman about town--hip yet always right, always chic.

[naina56]

the Brand Manifold-Branding in the Age of Multitasking

A brand manifold is the notion that brands have multiple dimensions, and that their meanings change both over time and according to the audience, be it employees, customers or outside evaluators. 

This helps us understand the meanings consumers give to brands in a few ways. First, it’s important to understand that customers’ still have links to a brand’s past, even as it moves into the future. Second, brands have stakeholders beyond the company and consumer that can affect the final brand positioning and the ways that consumers ultimately end up interacting with and perceiving the brand. For example, employees may find a particular feature of the brand to be an important part of their company culture--perhaps that the brand is known for very strong, personal, customer service. Bringing in automated customer service menus would not only hurt the employees, but also ultimately hurt the brand perception to customers, and affect how they interact with the brand. 

I’m reminded of the bizzare and depressing Nationwide Superbowl ad from 2015. This was a clear case of a brand not linking to their past as they move into the future and not thinking about perceptions of customers. Nationwide’s messaging in the past has always come across as protective and reassuring--think of the happy jingle ”Nationwide is on your side.” This ad’s tone completely broke from the past brand of Nationwide, with a dark, punitive tone, and Nationwide received a hugely negative media and customer response to this ad, which ultimately hurt it’s brand.

[naina56]

The Top Down Strategy: It’s Human Nature

When thinking about whether a bottom-up or top-down strategy makes more sense for Concha Y Toro, I’m was immediately reminded of one of the original viral top-down stategy: Target’s Go International program, starting with Luella and launching the designer/fast-fashion collaboration trend. When this launched, it caused 1. a total frenzy at Target, and 2. skepticism in the high-fashion space. It worked so well, though, that Target went on to run the program for years, and still continues to do designer collaborations. 

The reason designer collaborations do so well for Target is that they are aspirational. They allow consumers to feel that they are high-status, because they are able to afford a designer. The designers are happy because the collaborations act as a sort of gateway drug, too--once a consumer has spent money on the Target line, they may be inclined to splurge on the regular line in the future.

Human nature is to always aspire for higher status and social acceptance, which is why I believe top-down strategy tends to be more successful than bottom-up strategy. Making a brand exclusive and luxurious, and then opening up price points, causes more positive brand associations and purchasing urgency. Wine consumption follows the same pattern as fashion--a large part of consumption is brand/labeling perception, not actual quality of product. How many times have we picked a bottle of wine based off of price (not too cheap, that must mean it’s no good) and labeling (oh, I’ve heard California makes good Chardonnay, this must be good). Concha Y Toro would be more successful expanding their brand by first really cultivating brand awareness and high quality associations around their ultra-premium and premium labels, and then expanding into the lower-end market. To this end, the “Made In Chile” brand is also important, as regions are an important quality signifier in the Wine market. “Wines of Chile” should be using their $6m budget to promote things like the “Berlin Tasting,” that bolster Chile’s reputation as a high-quality wine region.

[naina56]

Predicting Product Diffusion

When looking at 4 diverse products such as peanut butter slices, silver bandages, sirius/xm satellite radio, and digiscents, it’s interesting to think about Roger’s 5 factors and what are possible pros and cons to future product diffusion. The product that really stuck out to me was the PB slices:

When you first hear of PB slices, it sort of makes sense--making it easier, neater, and portable way to create a PB&J, which is probably one of the most popular food items in America. It seems to have a relative advantage to a tub of peanut butter, and is definitely less complex.  But, and I don’t know about you, I also felt an instinctive revulsion at the thought of a PB slice. Why? perhaps because a PB slice is not compatible with our preexisting ideas of PB and the rituals around it. Licking the spoon or knife once you’re done spreading it, or getting that “smoosh” from your PB&J sandwich as the filling oozes out. I immediately pictured a plastic-y substance, which was totally off-putting--the mouthfeel of PB is one of the most distinctive parts about it! 

http://gph.is/1gdhPp5

[naina56]

Corona and Heineken

Before reading this case, I first tried to remember Corona and Heineken ads. The Corona ad immediately came to mind--a picture of a tranquil beach, and a Corona, with beads of sweat on the bottle, in the foreground. And I found it right away, when I searched on Google images:

In contrast, I couldn’t recall a Heineken ad at all. This is emblematic of Heineken’s problem--Corona has had consistent branding and communications since they entered the US market--the idea of “Fun, Sun, and Beach.” The messaging is appealing and sticks in the head. Heineken’s strategy was theoretically product quality, but was accompanied by the internal perception that quality was already strongly associated with Heineken. The advertising all centered around this sort of insider wink-nudge--” oh, we both know that we’re the best, so all you need to see is the bottle and a glass of beer.” This messaging of top quality was never conveyed directly and clearly to the consumer. Also, naturally due to this “quality” perception, and the fact that Heineken has been in the US market longer Corona, Corona cornered a younger, frat/yuppie type of market, while Heineken did better with an older, established crowd. Unfortunately, the frat/yuppie crowd are the ones who buy the most beer. 

Of course, Heineken has a safety--they have way more money. Corona has a serious shot to take over the #1 spot in the market but Heineken has the money to blitz their new marketing strategy across all marketing channels and drown out Corona. Plus, they’re going after Corona’s market with their “Heineken Nights” campaign. Corona’s challenge to get to number 1 will be to continue and grow the viral, word-of-mouth marketing that has gotten them to the top.

[naina56]

Black and Decker Case Thoughts

B&D’s main problem, and the reason Makita is outselling B&D 8 to 1 with equal shelf space, is brand perception. Because of B&D’s success in the consumer segment, it is perceived as a consumer brand by tradesmen. There’s also not a clear delineation between consumer and tradesmen productions--its colors are a too-similar black vs charcoal--which has reinforced the perception of poor/mass quality, when people use the wrong product for professional products. 

In contrast, Makita makes its colors very distinctive, so it’s clear which products are in its professional line. Also, Makita has smart pricing strategy, pricing 10%-15% above B&D, which increases the perception of quality in comparison with B&D. In addition, Makita aggressively moved into the rapidly growing “home center” category, and is now reaping the benefits of this first mover advantage. 

I’m not surprised that B&D’s share of industrial and tradesman segments are so different. Industrial sales are based off of corporate relationships between B&D and its buyers, which allows B&D to build up brand reputation and educate its partners on B&D’s quality. In contrast, the tradesmen segment is pretty much all about brand perception, a large part of which rests on the middle man of the distributor. B&D has less control over its message and knowledge distribution. 

Out of the actions presented, I’d be inclined to drop the B&D name from the tradesmen segment and use the DeWalt name. Since DeWalt already has a positive brand reputation, B&D won’t have to build a consumer base and brand awareness from scratch. I’d also do a sort of roadshow with retailers in order to enforce the quality of B&D/DeWalt and distribute more quality brand associations across the retailers. For Archibald and DiCamillo, this decision would also have to include some internal selling in order to convince people to drop the B&D name from a segment of power tools. This could be done by perhaps rolling out the DeWalt name with 1 type of tool first, and using the results as evidence.

[naina56]

Eggless Baking Guide pt 2, plus Eggless Chocolate Cake and Eggless Vanilla Cake

I've been tinkering around with eggless baking for a while now, and thought it was time for an update on my "eggless baking guide," originally written for TasteBook. Plus, everyone needs a go-to chocolate & vanilla cake recipe, and mine are below, adapted from the fabulous Isa Chandra of The Post Punk Kitchen.

Psyllium Husk (Isabgol in Hindi): 1 and 1/2 teaspoons + 3 tablespoons water=1 egg. This is used by many Indians as a egg replacement but the proportions are tricky. Too much can leave your baked cooks gummy and gelatinous. In the right ratio, however, I've found Psyllium Husk to be the most effective at binding cookies--more so than the more common "flax eggs."  Let the mixture sit in a bowl for a minute until the mixture is gelatinous.

Ground Flax Seed: I've actually modified this to 1 tablespoon flax seed to 2.5 tablespoons of water. I've found that the standard 1 to 3 ratio doesn't bind as effectively. Let the mixture sit in a small bowl for about a minute before using. This is best for drier baked goods, like cookies, pancakes and waffles, and certain muffins, particularly heartier bran types.

Applesauce: 1/3 a cup apple sauce = 1 egg. Applesauce works for moister baked goods, like cake, brownies, and quick breads (banana, zucchini etc.). 

Banana: ½ a cup of mashed banana = 1 egg. Best in cakes and quick breads. It will lend a banana taste, so keep that in mind. 

Yogurt: ¼ yogurt = 1 egg. Yogurt is great for cakes and brownies, particularly. Cheesecake, in particular, can be made eggless with yogurt.

Baking Soda and Vinegar: 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 tablespoon vinegar = 1 egg. This combo, along with yogurt or buttermilk, yields tender & light cakes. See the cake recipes below that use this technique!

Silken Tofu: ¼ pureed tofu = 1 egg. Think dense baked goods: brownies, cheesecakes, custards.

Cornstarch: Use this in the place of eggs for any custard or pudding recipe. About 2 and 1/4 teaspoons of cornstarch for every cup of liquid. This method works well for pumpkin pie!

Eggless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk (you could sub non-dairy to make it vegan)

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (any vinegar is fine, apple cider just gives a nice flavor)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular (or a mix of both)

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately.

Add dry ingredients to wet.

Pour batter into greased 8 inch cake pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Top with your favorite frosting or melted chocolate!

Eggless Vanilla Cake

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup canola oil

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately.

Add dry ingredients to wet.

Pour batter into greased 8 inch cake pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Top with your favorite frosting!

[naina56]

Date and Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

I  was craving a homey, carmel-y type of cookie, and since I just got back from Dubai, dates sprang to mind. I wanted some sort of nutty flavor and texture as well, so I added toasted coconut and oats, for a fragrant, buttery, chewy and, yes, caramel-y cookie.

These were sort of a happy accident. I used a regular oatmeal cookie recipe as a my base to play around with, and by mistake added too much brown sugar (that's why there's so much salt in this recipe, to balance out the sugar. I like to taste a little salt in my cookies). Turns out, though, that the extra sugar really enhanced the buttery toffee flavor I was after in this cookie. Love when mistakes turn out well!

Date and Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Makes about 20 cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 tbsp honey

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup chopped dates (about half the dates from a 9 oz container)

3/4 cup toasted coconut flakes 

Note: I bought the coconut flakes pre toasted from Whole Foods, but you can toast them yourself on a dry pan over medium heat. Keep stirring until flakes turn golden brown. Take out of the pan immediately, and let cool before adding to batter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F

Cream together butter, sugar, and honey until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes

Add in egg and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt

Slowly beat flour mixture into wet ingredients until just combined

Mix dates, coconut flakes, and oats by hand

roll dough into roughly tablespoon sized balls and place about at least 1 inch apart on a baking sheet. I always line with parchment for easy cleanup but if you don't line, just grease the pan

Bake for 10-12 minutes

[naina56]

Plum Almond Tart

This plum almond tart is a delicious, simple, and and beautiful way to highlight the jewel tones of summer stone fruits. Everything goes in the food processor, so the recipe comes together really quickly. Another great thing about this recipe is that it's very adaptable. The original recipe comes from Smitten Kitchen, and she uses pistachios and apricots. I'm always looking for a shortcut, so I used pre-ground almond meal instead of grinding my own pistachios. I thought plums would go well with almonds, and turns out they did! 

If you're not as lazy as me though, you could try any other nut--pecans and peaches is on my list, and I also think this could be adapted well for fall with apples/almonds and pear/walnut.

Plum Almond Tart

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter

Filling

1 cup almond flour (ground, blanched almonds. I like Bob's Red Mill brand)

1 tbsp all purpose flour

6 tbsp granulated sugar

1/4 tsp salt

5 tbsp unsalted butter

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 pound plums (about 4-5) (they should be ripe but on the firm side)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F

Throw all of the crust ingredients in the food processor, and pulse until combined to the consistency of pea-sized pieces

Dump dough into pan and press evenly into an 8x8 pan

Bake the crust for 15 minutes until it is light golden. Cool in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the filling

Add all filling ingredients except for plum into the food processor and process into a smooth paste. If you are using a different nut, you'll have to grind it in the processor first, then add the other ingredients

Spread filling evenly over the crust

Slice plums into wedges and arrange over filling

Bake until filling seems set, about 35 minutes

[naina56]

Gloria Steinem's "My Life on the Road"

Gloria Steinem's newest book, My Life on the Road, is part traveling memoir, grassroots activism how-to, and part personal reflection. It's also informative, riveting, and beautifully written. 

I must admit, I'm a definite Gloria Steinem fangirl, so I'm certainly biased. I'm constantly in awe of her unapologetic voicing of her beliefs, and her tireless activism after almost 5 decades. Plus, I agree with many of the causes for which she fights: not just equality for men and women and reproductive rights, but civil rights for other marginalized groups such as Native Americans, African Americans, and the LGBTQ community. I will say, Gloria (I just feel like I have to call her Gloria...Steinem sounds so formal for one of my idols!) is not neutral on any of her perspectives in this book, so if you don't think you can stomach her viewpoints on the above issues, you may not be able to get through the book.

That would be a shame, however, because what sets this book apart and, I'd argue, above Gloria's other books, are two very universal and important narratives on traveling and listening.

The traveling memoir has been a staple of the literary cannon since the beginning of time, and with good reason. They offer both the escapism and curiosity of exotic locales as well as the unique self reflection that comes with travel. Travel is simultaneously unifying and alienating. We travel to make the world a little smaller, to understand those around us more and feel closer to them. At the same time, there's something quite lonely about travel, being out of place physically and culturally. That loneliness is not necessarily a bad thing, however, as it allows us the freedom to step outside ourselves and self-reflect through our journeys. Gloria hits that space between unity, intimacy, and loneliness in her narrative on a life spent traveling through the US. As someone who has traveled abroad a decent amount but not very much in the US, her writings on the familiarities and surprises of traveling through her own home were achingly poignant and had me ready to pack a bag and get moving. As a urban girl, I particularly like her dedication to public transport--the way it can drop you right in the middle of and provide a crash course on the local culture.

The other major thread which struck a chord with me was on the simple power of listening. Gloria talks of her time as a young woman in India, and how the Gandhian strategy of walking around to different villages, listening, was her first taste of grassroots organizing. The simple strategy of listening, Gloria found both then and throughout her career, is the key to grassroots organizing, and probably the most effective way to build a movement. It's really obvious, when you think about it--listen to what people want and then offer solutions around their needs. "Active listening" is a buzz phrase in so much business, leadership, and self-help literature, but how many of us truly listen on a daily basis? Being reminded of yet another sphere in which success boils down to listening was really a reminder for myself to be better about listening in my day-to-day life. 

All of the life lessons in My Life on The Road are great, and the end chapters on Native American history were eye-opening (for me, at least). But honestly, none of this would work if the memoir was not also beautifully and honestly written. If, at the very least, you enjoy a poetic narrative about a fascinating life, you should read My Life on the Road.

[naina56]

Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love making middle eastern food, but I never know what to do with a whole jar of tahini after using a few tablespoons in hummus or on falafel. Enter these salted tahini chocolate chip cookies, adapted from Danielle Oron's Modern Israeli Cooking, by way of my name is yeh. These cookies have all of the chocolatey, chewy goodness of a chocolate chip cookie with an extra warm nuttiness from the tahini and a nice sweet-salt balance with coarse salt sprinkled on top.

A few changes: the original recipe states that you must rest this dough for 12 hours and that any less is nonnegotiable. I couldn't wait to eat these, so I made half of them right away, and chilled the rest overnight. I didn't find any difference, so I'd say go for the instant gratification! 

Second, I have made these with both white sugar, as the recipe states, and sucanat, and I like the rounded, earthy flavor that sucanat/light brown sugar brings to the cookie, but either works based on your preference! Lastly, while I'm sure Valrhona disks would be amazing in these cookies, I didn't have any on hand, and I'm happy to report that are just as delicious with semi or bittersweet chocolate chips. Without further ado...

Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 30 cookies

Ingredients

1 stick room temperature butter (1/2 cup or 133 grams)

1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste) 

1 cup sucanat, light brown sugar

1 egg and 1 yolk

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp table salt

1 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (I used guittard 63% cocoa)

course salt for sprinkling on top (I used maldon to be fancy but any big grained salt will do)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 F

Using a hand beater or electric mixer cream together butter, sugar, and tahini until fluffy, about 3 minutes is fine

Add in eggs and vanilla, beat again for another 3 minutes

In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mix until just combined

add chocolate chips by stirring them in with a mixing spoon

Roll dough into about 2 inch balls and place them an inch apart on a baking sheet

Sprinkle cookies with coarse salt

bake for 13 minutes

[naina56]

Holding on to Sunshine: Chewy Lemon Cookies

My team at work knows the way to my heart is through food. That's why, for my birthday this year, I received both brownies AND lemon cookies. My coworker Jess is an amazing baker, and brought these lemon cookies that have a bright, tart flavor and chewiness. I knew I had to make them again, as I was craving them pretty much as soon as the batch was gone. It's a testament to these cookies that I've made them 5 times in the past 3 months. 

The original recipe calls for the cookies to be tossed in powdered sugar. I wanted an even bigger hit of lemon, so in addition to adding more lemon juice to the batter, I created a lemon glaze for my cookies instead. Either way works!

The agave/honey is what gives these cookies their chewy quality, so don't skip it! A bonus: these cookies are eggless, for all those lacto-vegetarians out there.

Chewy Eggless Lemon Cookies

makes 30 cookies

Adapted from Sophistimom

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour 

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons softened unsalted butter

1/4 cup agave or honey

1/3 cup sugar

zest of 2 lemons

juice of 2 lemons

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper

Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl and set aside

Cream butter, lemon zest, sugar, and agave together until fluffy, about 2 minutes

Stop beating and add in the baking soda

Add in 4 tablespoons of lemon juice and start beating again for about a minute--the baking soda and lemon juice reaction acts as a leavener, in place of eggs

Slowly add in flour until all incorporated

Roll dough into 1-inch balls. I get about 30 cookies out of the dough

Bake for 9 minutes

Let cookies cool

In a separate bowl, mix 1/4 cup lemon juice (should be the amount you have from the rest of your lemons) and 1 cup of powdered sugar, into a pourable glaze

Dip cooled cookies in lemon glaze, and allow to harden for about 20 minutes

[naina56]

Misty Copeland's Under Armour Ad: I Will What I Want

I'm really digging Under Armour's new ad series, featuring female athletes with the tagline "I will what I want." They're all great, but I'm particularly smitten with the one featuring Misty Copeland, with whom I have a minor obsession. Misty is a soloist with the American Ballet Theater--the first African American soloist in two decades and the third in all of ABT's history. She's also a ballet prodigy, starting at the age of 13 and entering ABT at 17. Unheard of. In the ad, a young voice reads all the rejection letters Misty received over her age and her body. Misty broke a lot of molds in the ballet world, both for her race, and for not having the typical dancer body--she's strong and muscular, and she's got breasts and hips. She is stunning in this ad. 

The ad is great not just for its positive message to never give up, but also because of Misty's back story and the inextricably linked statements on female body image. Misty came out with a memoir back in March, and as part of the promo she wrote an article for fox news on her struggles with an eating disorder after her body developed. She was, in coded words, told she was fat, and told to slim down--only, there wasn't anything she could do about her curves. At the end of the article, Misty has come to terms with her body, and her newfound confidence has allowed her to dance better than ever. The end of this article always gives me chills, and I think about it every time I see this ad.

"Over the next few years, things at ABT just got better. I became a soloist with the company—the first black dancer to do so in more than two decades. And in 2012 I landed my biggest role yet, headlining in Firebird. I remember walking out of rehearsal in jeans and sandals to get my hair done for the premiere. When I turned onto the sidewalk, I saw it: a huge billboard on the front of the Metropolitan Opera House with my picture on it. I was in profile, wearing a red leotard, with my chest and back arched so you could see my full, feminine breasts and my round butt. It was everything that people don't expect in a ballerina. I stood completely still for five minutes, just crying. It was beauty. It was power. It was a woman. It was me."  -- Misty Copeland

Quote Source: Stretching beauty: Ballerina Misty Copeland on her body struggles, Fox News

Phenomenal woman, that's me.

[naina56]

Spice Rack: Smoked Paprika

Smoked paprika is one of my favorite spices--it adds a smoky, sweet depth to pretty much anything, but I especially love to use it during breakfast time, to make homefries or Shakshouka, an Israeli egg dish that's essentially eggs baked in a spicy tomato sauce (I'll post a recipe for that when I can find a good picture--all of mine are blurry!) I first discovered smoked paprika through a recipe on Serious Eats for vegan chili, and I fell pretty hard for it. I really think most savory dishes can be elevated with a little pinch (actually, maybe sweet too! I'm imagining those chocolate cookies with a little bit...)! It's especially good when paired with cumin. Both are smoky, but where smoked paprika is sweet, cumin is bitter, so they really complement each other. Smoked paprika is all flavor, no heat, so you'll need to add some other chili powder or flakes for heat. In this black bean & squash vegan chili, chipotle peppers & chili powder take care of the hot factor.

Vegan Chili

Adapted from Serious Eats

Serves: 4-6

Time: 25/30 minutes for prep, 25 minutes to cook

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium white onion, chopped

1 pound butternut squash, chopped into bite size pieces (they should be someone equal to the size of your beans. I also use sweet potatoes occasionally)

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes

12 ounces vegetable broth

4 cans black beans, kidney, beans, or whatever mix you want. If you're using dried beans, 1/2 a cup dried beans equals one 15 ounce can. Cook them before you start the recipe (I use a pressure cooker)

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

6 garlic cloves chopped

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 chipotle chilies in adobo, chopped 

1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika

2 teaspoons maple syrup

salt

Directions

Pour oil into a large stock pot ( at least 4 quarts) or dutch oven 

Add onions & garlic and sauté on medium heat until brown

Add in canned whole tomatoes--break them up with a spoon or your hands

Add the rest of your ingredients except the salt and simmer for 25 minutes, until the squash is tender

Add salt to taste. This is also when you can add more heat, spices, etc. depending on how it's turned out!

[naina56]

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As a Barnard woman, I obviously had to review President Spar's addition to the "women can/can't have it all" debate. Read more at EverdayeBook.com