Ugallery

If you feel like most art out there is too expensive, then check out this website called Ugallery. It is practically an online gallery with literally thousands of artwork. Many mediums, from photography to printmaking to sculpture. Many different sizes from a small print to a giant painting that is over 5 feet. And they are all affordable, because they are mostly by up-coming artists. And they have "daily deals" where they either sell gift cards at a discount price or sell one artwork on that day only at a discount price. Worth checking out for sure. Here are a few of my favourites from that site:

Recipe for Magnolia Bakery's famous banana pudding.

Although they are more famous for their cupcakes, I heard from many people that they actually prefer Magnolia Bakery's banana pudding to their cupcakes. And when I found their recipe online, which was taken from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook, I tried it and it tasted and looked exactly like the one you would get at one of their stores, so I don't see the point of buying it in a store, when you can make the exact one at home.

I bake a lot, but if you are one of those people who doesn't use the kitchen much (like my former self), even you can whip this up in no time, because it does not even require baking. It is so easy; just follow the recipe below. And it has only a few ingredients. Here is a photo I took of the banana pudding I made today :

Magnolia Bakery's banana pudding recipe, as taken from their cookbook:

• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1½ cups ice cold water
• 1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix (preferably Jell-O brand)
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 (12-ounce) box Nabisco Nilla Wafers (no substitutions!)  (PS: I think this recipe needs more wafers than the 12 oz box.  Next time I make this, I will use half of a box more than what the recipe calls)
• 4 cups sliced ripe bananas

In a small bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and water until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the pudding mix and beat well, about 2 minutes more. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight, before continuing. (PS: I did not want to wait for 3 hrs, so I put it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, and then the freezer for 10-15 minutes, and it was as set as it could be; just make sure that it is an "instant" vanilla pudding mix that you used. If it isn't instant, it will take longer to set. But also be careful with the time in the freezer if you are going to do it my way, because you don't want a frozen pudding).  It is very important to allow the proper amount of time for the pudding mixture to set.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well blended and no streaks of pudding remain.

To assemble the dessert, select a large, wide bowl (preferably glass) with a 4-5-quart capacity. Arrange one-third of the wafers to cover the bottom of the bowl, overlapping if necessary, then one-third of the bananas and one-third of the pudding. Repeat the layering twice more, garnishing with additional wafers or wafer crumbs on the top layer of the pudding. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours - or up to 8 hours - before serving.

By the way, I am editing this post with good news.

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My best list for desserts in NYC and LA

Having lived in LA for about 4 years and having been living in NYC for over 10 years now, I have gathered a list of my favourite places to eat certain desserts I like at in the US. I am Turkish and have not found a single Turkish restaurant in those two cities that is as good as the ones in Turkey, so there won't be any on my list. Turkish cuisine is rich, exquisite and very delicious, but I suggest you visit Turkey to get the best of the best. I also lived in Seattle for a very short time, but that was many many moons ago and the places I liked may be closed now for all I know, so I will also skip Seattle in the list. So, here it is, my best list for those who have a sweet tooth or two:

• House of Pies,  Los Feliz, Los Angeles, CA: This place has the most delicious blueberry cheesecake pie I have ever eaten. And it is 24 hrs open (or was when I lived there), AND it was only 6 blocks from where I lived, which meant many 2 am runs to get a cheesecake pie because of sudden cravings. Well worth it. 

• Canter's Delicatessen, , Los Angeles, CA: there are so many yummy pastries there, but my favourite has been the Hungarian cheesecake. You will want more.

• Chelsea Market, New York, NY: If you are a foodie like me, you MUST go to this place if you live in or visit NYC. It has many stores in it that have all kinds of delicious food. But my favourites are lobster roll at the Lobster Place and carrot cake with cream cheese icing at Amy's Bread.

• Caffe Dante, Greenwich Village, New York, NY: On a Food Network show I heard a famous chef say it had the best cannoli in town. And when I tried it, it really was delicious, but I have not eaten cannoli in enough places in NYC to classify it as the "best" yet, but so far it has been the best of the cannolis that I have eaten for sure.

• Eataly, New York, NY: This is a bit of a high end Italian shops/mall place where you can shop Italian goods or sit down to eat. One of its co-owners is the famous chef Mario Batali. It is very pricey, so it can not be a frequent stop for me by any means, but for once in a blue moon it is worth a visit. One of the things I got there was baba al rum dessert, and it was very delicious.

• François Payard Bakery, New York, NY: This bakery is very close to Caffe Dante, so you can visit both places on the same day. I love their coffee macarons (pictured below). They are the yummiest macarons I have ever tasted.

• Balthazar Bakery, Soho, New York, NY: Great French pastries. It has the best croissants. Try them with their great lemonade in the summer. 

Now, I can't finish this post without any pictures, right? In no particular order, here are some pictures:

Cloud Chair

I usually don't care for light-colored chairs. Unless it is accessories like vases, I don't really like any white decor elements. But this cloud chair by Lisa Widen by Design House Stockholm  appeals to me for some reason. I think the ad cleverly used the angelic looking toddler, because , like the chair's name clearly suggests, it looks very cloudlike.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have a colorful chair here by the Phillips Collection , which was on sale today on Gilt.com. It is made of industrial seat belt material.

Daily finds

I have a crush on this sofa by Moroso. It would not work for my living room, but still, it is a joy to look at.

I love this bookshelf by  Munkii which you can find at BobbyBerkhome. Although, I would paint or wallpaper the insides, as I am not crazy about that brown.

I also like these chairs by Jon Goulder.

Sculptures from recycled plastics

Check out this British artist, Robert Bradford, who creates his life-size and larger-than-life sculptures of humans and animals from discarded plastic items, mainly toys but also other colorful plastic bits and pieces, such as combs and buttons, brushes and parts of clothes pegs.So cool and creepy.

Ligne Roset furniture

Some of my favourite Ligne Roset furniture: