Recipe: Chinese-Style Chicken with Black Pepper Sauce

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I'm not even going to pretend that this is an authentic Chinese recipe. No, this is 100% Americanized Chinese-inspired food prepared by someone who has absolutely 0 qualification to make Chinese food.

...but if you like Americanized Chinese food and you want a simple weeknight dinner recipe that's healthier than takeout, but still a crowd-pleaser, it's a hit!



Just get some rice boiling before you start cooking the chicken and the whole meal will come together in less than thirty minutes! So that reading this recipe post doesn't take longer than actually making the recipe, I'm going to jump right in.

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Recipe: Crispy Coconut Kale

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Kale can be very hit or miss and it's one of the most controversial vegetables out there. On the one hand, you have Those People who buy $7 bags of kale chips (with only two servings per bag) and wear Yale-inspired 'KALE' sweaters. On the other hand, you have the people who make taunting faces at bags of kale in the grocery store.

Yes, this is a thing that I have seen. Welcome to New York, city of characters.

Anyway, even for the most kale-adverse person out there, here's a surefire way to make the curly green enjoyable! It's crispy, it's spicy, it's flavorful, it's green and coconutty: 

It's hipster crack.

Another photo, because yum.

It's also super easy to make! I served it with coconut jasmine rice, roasted salmon, and roasted okinawan sweet potatoes for my first hosted dinner in my new (awesome) Upper West Side apartment. I must get around to writing up those recipes, as well, because the meal was a hit, but this crispy coconut kale was so good that I simply must share it NOW. Without further ado, here's the recipe.

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How to Survive a Busy Workweek

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I love startups. Anyone who knows me at all, much less middling well, knows this. Just this past November, I embarked upon my most exciting startup adventure yet - working at Forkable!

I first expressed interest as a content editor and restaurant scout, but joined the team as the general manager of Forkable's Boston Market. Within a few months, I took on management of Forkable's DC market and social media efforts. Just last week, in response to some changes to the team, I also took on Forkable's LA and Seattle markets. This week, one of my coworkers is on vacation and so I'm also running the NYC market!

Phew. Thank goodness, NYC goes back into my coworker's very capable hands next week and I will breathe easier for it. But since I'm holding onto LA and Seattle, in addition to Boston and DC, for the next two or so months, I still have a lot on my plate!

When there's so much work and so much to keep track of, it's really easy to feel overwhelmed. I won't pretend that I'm immune to work stress - the thought of running four markets at once is still daunting to me whenever I step back and think about it! But caving in under the pressure or pulling my hair out with stress isn't good for me, it isn't good for the company, and it isn't good for our customers, who have entrusted us with their lunches. Instead, here's how I stay (relatively) sane and calm through the madness.

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How To Keep an Organized Closet

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I live on the Upper West Side in Manhattan, in a super cute (but also small) converted four bedroom apartment with three lovely girls who have become fast friends. I absolutely love my neighborhood, feel completely at home in my room, and am emboldened every day by the host of feminist art that decorates our common spaces. I've had many great living arrangements, but this apartment share is the best yet!

That said, it's a converted four bedroom in a prime real estate area of NYC, so I kid you not when I say storage is a hot commodity.

                    

I have a tall dress with a set of shelves and I keep most of my clothing there, with the less frequently worn pieces stashed away in the drawers under my bed. That's not a lot of space!

A messy closet can be such a headache, it's generally unpleasant to look at, and it can make getting dressed in the morning more challenging when you lose oversight of what your options are. Morning minutes are precious and I don't know anyone who wants to wake up earlier to deal with a messy closet!

Here's how I manage to work with limited space, but keep a neater, more organized closet than I've ever had before.

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