At some point during the handful of years I lived in New York City after graduating from college, I apparently missed the memo about the mass exodus to Brooklyn. “The rent is cheaper!” some attested. “It feels more neighborhood-y! You can actually see the sky!!” others argued. Lastly (and perhaps most importantly), “There is GREAT food here.” In the end, and despite my initial skepticism, I realized that my friends were right – about the food, especially. I made the trek from the Upper West Side regularly to hang out and dine with my friends on many memorable occasions. One... Continue reading

I adore comfort food. Though I have certainly enjoyed the occasional splurge on beautiful, exquisitely detailed, precisely executed and adventurous restaurant experiences (quick note: the omakase menu at Kai, in NYC, was mind-blowing! A gift from a former boss of mine, and it has remained in my thoughts now for YEARS), the truth is that the food memories closest to my heart are neither fancy nor flashy. My mom, a brilliant cook and the initial source of my love for the kitchen, never touched a recipe while I was growing up but provided our family with wondrously delicious meals for... Continue reading

I’m back! Yes, I took an inexcusably long hiatus from this blog, I agree (and so soon after starting it!) What can I say? Life got very, very busy (there will be some major life changes headed my way later this year). This isn’t to say that I stopped making and photographing food over the last few months – if anything, I’ve been partaking in more kitchen adventures than ever before! With the easy accessibility of Twitter, I’ve also been writing about what I’ve been eating, as well as sharing countless thoughts and ideas with an inspiring community of like-minded... Continue reading

After only a few hours of sleep (I spent much of the night tossing and turning), I was woken by the sound of one of our porters, outside my tent, telling me it was time for breakfast (4 A.M.)! I pulled on the layers of clothing I had laid out for myself the previous night and headed over to our meal tent. It was pitch black outside, and freezing cold. Our guides valiantly attempted to get us all to eat a substantial breakfast to help us power through the morning climb, but everyone simply picked nervously at their food, instead.... Continue reading

Disclaimer: By this point in the trip, I was TIRED. The only camera I brought with my was my (awesome, but large!) dSLR. For the first few days, I actually held it out all day, in addition to shouldering my backpack, which was generally loaded down with 4 Nalgene bottles - so I could capture a large number of shots while hiking. However, as the trail became more challenging, I stuck the camera inside the backpack so I could use my hands freely and also save a little energy... resulting in fewer photos for this part of the trip. I... Continue reading

Waking up at the Lava Tower and extricating myself from my toasty sleeping bag was truly painful! Our hike for the day involved a net descent of almost 2,000 feet. From the Lava Tower Camp, we could actually see the summit of Kibo, but the direct path to the top from our location was too dangerous, so we had to go out of our way a bit to join up with the more-heavily traveled Marangu route. Our trip for the day involved a steep descent into the Barranco Valley, a scramble up the 750-foot Barranco Wall (see picture below), and... Continue reading

This strenuous day of hiking took us up to over 15,000 feet, where the expansive landscape was dry, barren, and scattered with rocks and boulders. I was quite focused on the day's physical challenges, so I did not take a huge number of pictures, but below are some scenes from the day: By this point, our group had become rather splintered, and I spent my days hiking with two brothers who were around my age. We reached the Lava Tower in the late afternoon, and were greeted with harsh, freezing cold winds - but also, a spectacular view. The combination... Continue reading

I woke up the next morning feeling fantastic - rested and recovered. I slept for around 7 solid hours without interruption, and my headache and nausea from the previous day had subsided, completely. I was thrilled! Our hike for the day was relatively short, with little elevation gain. It was basically a full exploration of the Shira plateau. As we hiked, Kilimanjaro's Kibo peak was to our left, and the Shira cathedral bordered us on our right. The views were stunning, and I was grateful to be feeling fit and well, so I could fully enjoy the incredible sights around... Continue reading

Our first night on the trail was reasonably restful and uneventful. We had "spaghetti carbonara" for dinner (which certainly did not include any raw or under-cooked eggs! Everything they fed us was cooked beyond "well" for fear, I suppose, of us getting sick), and everyone went to bed early. One of the best decisions I made for the trip was to sleep wearing earplugs. Many of the camps (including Forest Camp) were rather noisy at night and in the early morning. Despite the earplugs, however, I was woken up by screeching monkeys in the early morning. The morning air was... Continue reading

I woke up early after a restless night of little sleep, to the sound of birds outside my hut. I threw off the covers, felt the brisk morning air, and quickly grabbed a fleece and some warm socks. I did a few light stretches in the early light and prepared to head to breakfast. We were scheduled to leave for the Kilimanjaro park entrance later in the morning. As we sat down to eat, everyone seemed a bit anxious about what was in store for us over the coming days. We brought our bags down from the huts to be... Continue reading

My birthday was last week, and I was excited to have many wonderful friends come over to my place to celebrate with me. I was talked out of making my own birthday cake (which I did last year!), but I really wanted to prepare some tasty nibbles for people to snack on while they were over. I brainstormed for a couple of days and decided to prepare the following: - Homemade crackers, served with a cheese plate and homemade tapenade - Phyllo triangles with apple, pear, thyme, creme fraiche, and bourbon filling - Polenta rounds topped with homemade pesto, mozzarella,... Continue reading

I was invited to a friend's dinner party a couple of weeks ago (as a side note, she promised a "homecooked Chinese feast" and seriously delivered!! The food was delicious) and I offered to bring dessert. She requested something involving chocolate - her boyfriend is not a fan of fruit-based sweets. I've mostly been baking fruity tarts and cakes for the last few months, so I had to dig into my pile of "to-do" recipes to find something appropriate. Last time I made dessert for them, it was the super delicious Chocolate Stout Cake. Not wanting to do another chocolate... Continue reading

Our drive ended at the Nadarakwai Camp, a tented lodge on the larger Naradakwai Ranch, a wildlife preserve spanning over 11,000 acres. We collected our belongings from the Land Rovers and walked into a large open hut to check in. I looked up and saw this, which made me happy: The sign reads "Congratulations Barack Obama." Regardless of people's political beliefs, I thought it was pretty amazing to see evidence of interest in U.S. politics thousands of miles from home. The staff were extremely friendly and hospitable, and we arranged to take a guided tour of the grounds later that... Continue reading

Earlier this summer, I traveled to Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak and the tallest freestanding mountain in the world (19,340 feet). This was my first multi-day trekking experience and also my first trip to Africa. First Climb will serve as my space to share the story of my trip, photos, and possibly upcoming plans for another mountaineering adventure this coming spring (2010). Enjoy! Continue reading

After several years of being an avid home cook and devoted reader of food blogs, I've decided to take the plunge and start my own! Sweet Pepper will be my place to share recipes, ideas, and stories related to my interests in food. First, I thought I'd share something simple but deeply satisfying - my go-to recipe for fudgy, crackly-topped brownies. I strongly prefer my brownies to be dense and rich, not cake-like, and this recipe fits the bill perfectly! I'm also a bit of a purist and prefer my brownies without nuts, but feel free to add 1/2 cup... Continue reading