... rediscover the joys of baking?

Life has been crazy good. Good because I'm happy and crazy because I haven't found the time to indulge in one of my favorite things on earth for ages! Today after Core Fusion, I decided to take a walk through Boston Commons (Boston Commons is so lovely this time of the year, with the prettiest flowers in full bloom.) to the Whole Foods at Charles River Plaza. I picked up some cherries and made a clafoutis with the apricots and mangoes I already had in the refrigerator. Work has been stressful of late but baking, and particularly the warm and sweet scent that emanates from the oven, always relaxes and cheers me up.

Now I'm just waiting for it to cool completely and for someone to return from NYC before we tuck into it!

... enjoy summer's bounty?

It's summer in Boston and while I'm not a big fan of the Boston summer weather (these past two weeks have been exceptionally brutal-- think heatwave + high humidity or thunderstorms), I tolerate summer in New England because that means I get to start shopping at farmers markets again! Unlike California (I miss you, Berkeley!), the growing season in the Northeast is way shorter and that makes eating locally challenging. This is especially true late in the winter when I'm starting to get sick of all the winter squashes I've been storing since late fall. But for now, we have plenty of berries, stone fruits, tomatoes etc. in season. Aside from being too lazy and busy to cook of late, I also think that fresh good quality in-season produce should be enjoyed with as little cooking as possible. As a result, I've been having lots of salads (both fruit and vegetable-based) and desserts that incorporate fresh fruits.

Perfect Summer Breakfasts: (clockwise) Apricots+raw honey+yogurt; Strawberries+peppermint+yogurt; Raspberries+peppermint+yogurt

Perfect Summer Lunch: Heirloom tomatoes, Fiore di Nonno handcrafted small batch mozzarella, sweet basil (from my window sill!), Maldon sea salt, fresh ground pepper, extra virgin olive oil

 Perfect Summer Dessert: Champagne mangoes, coconut milk infused sticky rice, coconut cream, toasted mung beans

... seek perfection?

My friends all know that I love trying new recipes and that I rarely cook or bake the same thing more than once unless I am absolutely head over heels in love with it, it takes less than 30 min to prepare from start to finish, or one of them really love it and they ask me to make it again. There are just way too many delicious concoctions out there for me to remain fixated on one thing for too long.

My friends also know that I have a soft spot for desserts, and tangy and citrusy desserts in particular. When we go out for dinner, I ineveitably gravitate towards something with lemon, meyer lemon, yuzu, lime or key lime come dessert time. I'm not sure exactly what it is but I do tend to enjoy things with a good amount of acidity in general-- Thai food, bright and refreshing white wines and the aforementioned type of desserts.

Since I started baking a year and a half ago, lemon yogurt cakes have been my number one obsession. Aside from my weakness for tangy and citrusy desserts, I am also on the constant lookout for somewhat healthy desserts that I can indulge in without feeling too guilty. Lemon yogurt cakes are the closest I've found that are both delicious and almost healthy. I also started out my baking odessey with yogurt cakes because they are apparently so easy and foolproof that French children make them all the time.

The first yogurt cake recipe I tried was Clotilde Desoulier's Gâteau au Yaourt à la Framboise (Raspberry Yogurt Cake). I liked it-- easy, moist and tasty but I didn't fall head over heels in love with it. This was back in Winter 08 and since then, I've made and tried countless other cakes, yogurt cakes, olive oil cakes, butter cakes, genoises, chiffons etc. (Incidentally, I have a serious weakness for chiffon cakes too but I think recipes that require a large number of eggs, and very different number of yolks and whites are a little too fussy for me on a day-to-day basis. I save these for times when I feel incredibly motivated to bake, which is not very often.)

Over 6 months ago, I first heard about Ina Garten's supposedly amazing Lemon Yogurt Cake from various posts on both Serious Eats and The Kitchn. Then, when I went back to Singapore over the Christmas holidays, I saw a writeup of the same recipe, with a few modifications, in The Sunday Times. "Well, it seems like I'll have to try this recipe when I return to Cambridge", I murmured to myself as I read (and subsequently cut out) the article with interest.

When I returned to Cambridge, life and work both got crazy (in good ways!) and it wasn't until one sleepness night in late March that I finally tried Ina's lemon yogurt cake recipe for the first time. The result? Yumminess-- moist, tangy and not too sweet. (I had substituted half of the AP flour with whole wheat pastry flour, used extra virgin olive oil, cut the amount of sugar, upped the amount of lemon (juice and zest), included some orange zest as well (yes, I love citrus zest!) and used my favorite Wallaby nonfat yogurt since that was what I had in the frigo and I wasn't about to go grocery shopping at 2 a.m. in the morning.)

Attempt 1: Exterior

Attempt 1: Cross-section

In short, I loved it (and so did the rest of my friends and colleagues who tried it). Ina's lemon yogurt cake was definitely the best I've tried by far, but it wasn't quite perfect yet. The soaking syrup is genius but it didn't create a crusty exterior similar to that of Tante E's Syrup Butter Cake (spiked with some rum of course!).

It was back to the drawing board. Maybe I need to up the sugar ratio in the soaking syrup? Two months later, I found myself with time to test out another version. This time around, I used limes instead of lemon (because again, this was what I had at home), 100% whole wheat pastry flour, and upped the sugar ratio in the soaking syrup. (To my scientist friends: I know you're only supposed to tweak 1 variable at a time but unfortunately, I am constrained by my impatience and what I have available at home. Besides, I'm a social scientist=P.)

Attempt 2: Exterior

Attempt 2: Cross-section

Upping the sugar ratio didn't seem to help form that crystalized layer I was hoping to achieve (Or perhaps the 100% whole wheat flour substitution affected it too-- serves me right for tweaking too many things at one go!). There was also a little too much of a nutty taste from the whole wheat and the lime gave it a slight bitterness too. Again, good but not great.

Last weekend, a friend's House Cooling Party gave me the perfect excuse to experiment yet again. This time around, I used 100% AP flour and tried upping the sugar ratio again (I also replaced an egg with flaxseed + water because I only had 2 eggs left). Midway through the baking process, I suddenly experienced a flash of inspiration though. Why don't I toast the cake after I slice it? This way, I'll achieve a lovely crisp outer exterior AND caramelized sugar is always a good thing. So I took the cake out from the oven 5 minutes earlier (I didn't want it to lose too much moisture since I was going to effectively bake it twice-- like biscotti.), sliced it into half-inch wide slices, and tried to figure out the best way to obtain that perfect crisp I was seeking.

Attempt 3: Toasting in the oven (L) vs. on a grill pan (R)

I tried toasting it in the oven at various temperatures and grilling it on my stovetop grill pan (see photo above-- I forgot to take a photo before I wolfed down half of each test slice, in the name of research no less=P). In the end, while the grill marks were pretty, obtaining a 90% uniform crisp crust on both sides from toasting it in the oven at 400 degrees (F) gave me what I was looking for-- lots of crispy parts and a hint of caramelized sugar!

Attempt 3: Toasted lemon yogurt cake, raspberry sauce, peppermint

The only minor drawback of this method is that the cake has to be freshly toasted to retain its crispness. So I quickly sliced up the rest of the cake, packed it up in foil and rushed over to my friend's party. Everyone there loved it and one of my friends who dislikes cakes in general said it's probaly the best cake she's ever had! I smell success. Was it perfect? Of course not. But it's close and other ideas are brewing in my head as I type. The search for perfection continues!

... indulge in a 10 course meal?

On our second attempt, we finally managed to secure reservations to David Chang's much talked about 2 Michelin star establishment. Momofuku Ko is situated at the old Noodle Bar space in East Village. The entrance to Ko is but a mesh stainless steel and wood door imprinted with a peach (the Momofuku group of restaurants' emblem) and as nondescript as a restaurant can possibly be-- there is no signboard, no neon lights, nor are there windows from which you can look into (or out of). In short, it's a place you'd probably walk right by unless you were really looking out for it. This is a place you go to for the food alone-- the decor is minimal, the service basic and the 12 diners are seated on stools around a bar counter where one can observe the chefs at work. We decided to forgo the wine pairing and each had a glass of a delightful frizzante rose lambrusco.

Here's the line-up, as I best recall (and my accompanying thoughts):

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  Trio of amuse-bouches: red pepper puree + japanese eggplant + green almond; lamb rib + green garbanzo bean puree; glazed biscuit + chicharrón (I liked the lamb rib amuse the most among the three though the chicharrón was also excellent.)
• 
  
  
  White fluke sashimi + watercress + peas + sesame (This was very good, though I've had something similar before.)
• 
  
  
  Sirloin carpaccio + buttermilk sauce + blackened scallions + crispy rice sheets (Best carpaccio I've ever had, hands down.)
• 
  
  
  Toasted brioche + bone marrow + caramelized pearl onions + comte and gruyere broth (This was lovely-- the bone marrow and onions both added a subtle sweetness to the dish. The cheese broth was surprisingly light and of course, very flavorful.)
• 
  
  
  Smoked soft boiled egg + hackleback caviar + fingerling potato chips + sweet potato vinegar + softened onions (This was good but the egg dish at Blue Hill is better.)
• 
  
  
  Almond crusted skate + roasted cauliflower + water chestnuts + almond milk foam (It's hard to go wrong with skate but this was over-salted.)
• 
  
  
  Orecchiette + asparagus + crawfish + ricotta (Most uninspired dish of the evening.)
• 
  
  
  Shaved foie gras + riesling gelee + lychees + nut brittle (My absolute favorite of the night. The combination of flavors and textures was sheer perfection.)
• 
  
  
  Long Island duck breast + seared mustard greens + honeyed white baby radish (This was very tender but I would have liked a far crispier skin.)
• 
  
  
  Apricot sorbet + cookie crumb + bourbon molasses (Very nice palette cleanser. Bourbon molasses gave an otherwise pedestrian combination of flavors more depth.)
• 
  
  
  Pretzel panna cotta + caraway crumb/soil + root beer sorbet (The consistency of the panna cotta was extraordinary; the root beer sorbet simply delicious; and the caraway crumb-- yum!)

Overall, this was definitely the best tasting menu I've ever had. Was I blown away by every course? Well, no-- but there a few that certainly did (the foie gras, panna cotta, carpaccio and toasted brioche + marrow come to mind) and should the opportunity present itself, I will love to pop by Ko again.

... talk about food so much you get your own blog tag?

It's true-- I'm a tad obsessed with food and most things to do with it. I love to bake so much I typically prepare at least two desserts when I have company over at my place. I love to cook so much I cook almost everyday, even when I come back late from work. Sometimes when I can't seem to fall asleep or wake up in the middle of the night, I find myself baking lemon yogurt cakes in the kitchen. I find cooking therapeutic and good food makes me very happy.

What I particularly love about food is that it brings people together-- there are few things I enjoy more than sharing a meal with others who enjoy good food, posess curious palettes and are not snobbish about what they eat or drink. As much as I enjoy dining out at Michelin-starred restaurants, I'm just as happy wolfing down thoughtfully prepared street food. In short, I'm pretty sure I'm the sort of person who lives to eat.

Luckily for me, I'm surrounded by many like-minded friends. We frequently organize potlucks, explore new restaurants and flavors, exchange baked goods and indulge at wine and cheese parties. Winnie is one such friend of mine who recently started a food blog with a foodie friend of hers. As a testament to the amount of time I spend obesessing about all things food related, be it eating, cooking, exchanging tips about kitchen tools or telling everyone how I can't hardly wait for the return of the farmers markets, I was honored with, ahem, a tag on her blog! Check it out here: http://oohmummy.blogspot.com/.

... celebrate Earth Day with a green purchase?

Today is (or rather, yesterday was, by the time I finish this post=P) the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, a day to celebrate and increase the awareness of the Earth's environment. The years I spent in the Bay Area has made me environmentally aware-- I bring my own reusable bags when I go grocery shopping; eat local and/or organic where possible; use biodegradable cleaning products; walk or take public transport; recycle etc. However, I didn't feel like I should be doing something special for the environment on Earth Day in particular since environmentalism has become somewhat of a way of life to me. But while I did not partake in any Earth Day specific events, I observed it in my own little way-- with a green purchase!

Just over a year ago, I started taking an interest in environmentally friendly/responsible fashion-- Matt & Nat's pleather bags made of recycled plastic bottles; Edun's organic line of clothing that seeks to build Africa into an area of viable fashion production; Stewart + Brown's silk and hemp clothing line, Envirosax's foldable and reusable grocery bags etc. These were my list of go-to green brands. Today, I discovered another-- Doucette Duvall, a Manhattan-based clothing line that uses repurposed fabrics in a creative and elegant manner and ships in recycled boxes only (more online merchants should seriously consider this). In every collection, one will find their signature "Little Green Dress", a reminder of their commitment to the environment. I absolutely adore one-shouldered dresses (and probably have way too many of them!), so how can I resist this lovely forest green dress know as The Little Green Dress?

... learn about a new culture?

Beethoven, Wagner, Klinsmann, Bayern Munich, Steffi Graf, BMW, spatzle and bratwurst are just about all the German things I know of. So, when my friend asked me if I was interested in accompanying her to the grand opening of "Essen for the Ruhr: European Capital of Culture 2010", Manfred Vollmer's photo exhibition of the Ruhr metropolis, I immediately agreed. I had always associated the Ruhr Valley with World War II history and know nothing much more than its role in the war. As a result, I was pleansantly surprised to hear that this previously heavily industrialized area has been completely transformed into a center for culture, science and technology.

The Goethe-Institut, where the exhibit will run through May 14, is situated in a residential neighborhood in the Back Bay. The evening began with a series of speeches by representatives of the various co-sponsors of this event, introducing the Ruhr region, as well as networking opportunities for Germans living in the Greater Boston area. Dinner followed. I had currywurst (basically bratwurst with a ketcup + curry sauce) for the first time, together with a German potato salad, a green salad and various breads and cheeses. The currywurst was so good, we had to have seconds!

The photo exhibit itself was quite a bit smaller than I had imagined, with a mere 22 photographs. Nonetheless, there were a few photos that caught my eye, of which my favorite was a photo of a striking orange staircase at the Ruhr Museum, situated at the Zollverein World Heritage site in Essen.

from: http://www.germany.info/

... celebrate Pi Day?

Yes, I'm referring to Pi, the mathematical constant we all learned in geometry class back in the days. In my office, we celebrate Pi Day every year on March 14, or the following week day. While somewhat geeky, I think Pi Day celebrations are awesome-- I mean, what's not to love about copious amounts of pie consumption?

This year, I was appointed pie coordinator of Pi Day and my job was to solicit at least 10 of my colleagues to either bake or buy a pie for Pi Day celebrations. Naturally, I wasn't going to be a very successful pie coordinator if I myself did not pre-commit to bringing in a pie. However, given the number of people who love baking and food in my office, this turned out to be a walk in the park. Within an hour of sending out an e-mail, I had eight others respond positively and by the end of it all, we had 12 pies, which is a lot of pie for ~50 people! Now what pies were these? Well, we had a southern sweet potato pie; a blueberry crumble pie; a strawberry rhubarb pie; two reese's inspired pies; a vanilla custard and fudge pie; a chess pie; an apple, cranberry and apricot pie; a chocolate chip cookie dough pie; and a vinegar pie. Yes, a vinegar pie, no typo here. That was the pie I ended up making after going back and forth between Momofuku's crack pie and a vinegar pie. Vinegar pie won because it sounded wackier than crack pie. I liked it very much, as it tasted surprisingly light with just a touch of tanginess. I loved the crust more than anything though-- Martha Stewart's pâte brisée recipe is truly excellent. My favorite pie that day though was the chocolate chip cookie dough pie. Yum... I love Pi Day! Looking forward to 2 Pi Day (Yes, we celebrate that too!)...

The vinegar pie I made, lightly dusted with powdered cinnamon.

... attend a BSO concert at Symphony Hall?

Last Thursday, I finally attended my first BSO concert at Symphony Hall. You see, I've never been a big fan of going for classical music performances-- I always thought that music alone, no matter how alluring,  is not sufficient to keep me interested and I would surely fall asleep. The last time I went for a concert, I was a freshman in college. However, since Hilary Hahn was performing, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos was guest conducting and the BSO has a <40 = $20 deal, I figured, why not?

Upon entering Symphony Hall, I was immediately struck by its elegant and simple beauty-- it was a relatively intimate setting by concert hall standards with shallow balconies. Acoustically, it is supposed to be one of the top three concert halls in the world.

The evening started off delightfully with three pieces from Enrique Arbós' and Frühbeck de Burgos' orchestrations of characterful piano pieces from the Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz’s Iberia. 

Next up, Hilary Hahn performing Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1 in D, Op 19. This was the performance I had basically bought the ticket for. I love Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet and thus had high expectations. Hilary Hahn wore a striking one shoulder dress in a brilliant red and showcased her technical abilities with this very technical piece, giving an almost flawless performance. The music itself did not quite live up to my expectations though and I was somewhat disappointed. Perhaps this is one of those pieces I will grow to love with time.

Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade Symphonic Suite, Op 35 was next and perhaps due in large part to having previously seen and had also thoroughly loved the Kirov's performance of the ballet (Incidentally, one of my favorite ballet dancers, Igor Zelensky, danced the role of the golden slave) set to (and also named) Scheherazade, this was, by far, my favorite part of the evening! There were two main musical themes that were repeated throughout the ~45 min performance that really grew on me. There is absolutely no way someone can actually fall asleep during this performance-- at times, the music was lyrical, bright and almost fleeting, while at other times, the music was powerful and majestic, relentlessly (in a good way) capturing the audience's attention. The BSO gave a brilliant performance-- no wonder the BSO is one of the "Big Five" American orchestras.

Doesn't this sound like a lovely way to spend an evening with friends?

... spend a weekend in NYC?

New York City is one of my favorite weekend destinations for many reasons: good food everywhere; top notch museums around the city; endless performance arts options; lovely boutiques selling one of a kind items; street-side vendors etc.

So last Saturday, I took the Bolt bus from South Station and arrived in NYC at lunchtime. During the entire 4-hour ride from Boston to NYC, I was contemplating my lunch options (I already had dinner reservations). In the end, I settled on Ippudo. Upon arriving at Penn station, I immediately made my way to East Village for what I've been told to be the best ramen I'll ever have. When I got there, I was told that I'll have to wait 20-30 minutes so I took the opportunity to pop by David Chang's Milk Bar and got a slice of crack pie (It was good, kind of like pecan pie without the pecans, but I had much higher expectations) to go. Back at Ippudo, I was finally seated at the bar. I ordered their famed Akamaru Modern ramen and side order of menma. The menma was nothing to rave about  but the noodles were cooked to al dente perfection and the broth was flavorful, complex and addictive. For the first time in my life, I slurped up every last drop of ramen broth. The Berkshire pork chashu was tender and even the boiled egg was an excellent mix of creamy egg yolk goodness and cooked but not rubbery white. $14 for a bowl of ramen, even in NYC, is a little steep but I suppose one does have to pay a premium for the best ramen ever!

Next up, dinner at WD-50 in a somewhat non conspicuous location in the Lower East Side. We looked at the menu but didn't take long to figure out that we were going for the 12-course tasting menu. I am a new fan of wine from Washington state's Columbia Valley so I had a glass of  Soos Creek's 2005 'Artist Series 5', a blend of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. It was one of the most lusciously smooth and elegant reds I've had of late, with a hint of black raspberries. Aside from the beef and bearnaise, which we didn't really care for, and the way too raw lamb loin, the savory courses on the tasting menu were all very good. Everything bagel ice-cream with smoked salmon threads and crispy cream cheese was the brightest star among them all, and the only savory course I wish I could have more of. Alex Stupak's desserts, on the other hand, were out of this world. Caramelized brioche, apricot, buttercream with lemon thyme ice-cream was amazing. I've always been a fan of the lemon + thyme combination but these two flavors were so perfectly well balanced in this ice-cream that I suddenly realized what was wrong with all the lemon + thyme confections I have had and loved in the past. The cocoa packets consisted of a leathery chocolate pouch with crunchy oreo-like cocoa bits inside. The chocolate shortbread balls enclosed condensed milk ice-cream that exploded delightfully when I took a bite. But my favorite that night was cheesecake ice-cream with pineapple, raisin, saffron and lime. My friends know how much I love tangy flavors in my desserts, especially lemon and lime. Here, the pineapple and lime flavors were the ideal complements to the creamy cheesecake ice-cream. The raisins added an additional textural dimension to the dish, while the saffron gave it an elegant but restrained touch.

The next morning, we began our day with an awesome Mexican brunch at El Toro Partido in Harlem: a quesadilla stuffed with fried Oaxacan cheese and a huarache with tinga de pollo. This was the first time I had tinga de pollo and it has now joined my list of favorite Mexican dishes. To accompany our meal, we were offered two tasty salsas-- a spicy light green salsa with chunks of avocados and a brownish-reddish chipotle (i think) based salsa. They were both very good but we really loved the green salsa-- it was spicy and refreshing with bits of creaminess from the avocado chunks.

After taking a quick walk around the gorgeous City College campus, we proceeded to the Time Warner Center to pick up some goodies from Bouchon Bakery en route to the Lincoln Center. Their chocolate bouchons were exceptional-- moist, very nearly light, perfectly sized and as pretty as chocolate brownies get. The rectangular bacon, cheddar and chive scone was buttery, exploded with umami (how can it not with bacon?) and texturally one of the best scones I've ever had.

After almost two full days of non-stop eating, I finally arrived at the Lincoln Center for the New York City Ballet's All Robbins performance, which is, incidentally the real reason I made my way to NYC. I have watched countless Balanchine ballets but have never watched a Robbins ballet. Dances at a Gathering, set to Chopin's beautiful music was loveliness, playfulness and simplicity all in one. The entire cast was extraordinary but I was particularly impressed with Maria Kowroski (green) and Jared Angle (purple). The second dance on the program, West Side Story Suite, was a complete contrast from Dances at a Gathering. It was energetic and as one would expect, much more contemporary. Georgina Pazcoguin's Anita was sharp, spunky and stole the show with her rendition of "America". Robbins' style is certainly distinct from Balanchine's-- more modern although still classical and in a way, more dramatic.

This, in my opinion, is as perfect a weekend as can be.

... be In the Mood for Love?

You know how there are some movies you can watch over and over again, loving it more and more each time? In my book, Wong Kar Wai's In the Mood for Love is such a movie. Last week, a bunch of us attended a screening at the Harvard Film Archive. Most of us have seen (and loved) the movie umpteen times, while some watched it for the first time.

The first time I watched In the Mood for Love, I was instantly captivated by 3 things: the lush cinematography; the strangely mesmerizing soundtrack (Yumeji's Theme, Nat King Cole's rendition of Quizás, Quizás, Quizás; and the Angkor Wat Theme) and all the gorgeous cheongsams Maggie Cheung wears in the movie.

Each subsequent time I watched it, I found myself increasingly captivated by the same 3 things-- I took a mental note of the narrow red corridor outside of room 2046, marveled at the apropos timing of the 3 main musical themes, and remembered more of the striking cheongsam prints. However, I also slowly began to realize the reason I love this movie so much is because it is hauntingly romantic. Unlike most romantic movies of the modern era, the 2 protagonists of this love story never kissed and barely held hands. Both their suffering and love lingers, subtly drawing sympathy from the audience. There is so much restraint and hesitation on both ends, and yet the yearning is strong. So little is verbalized, and yet so much is understood. I suppose I must be a romantic at heart.

... watch a 6-hour play at the A.R.T?

Some 3+ years ago, when we were both studying in Cambridge, JC alerted me to the awesomeness of the A.R.T. Perhaps it's because I've never been a particularly huge theater fan, or perhaps it's because there are always more ballets I want to go to (and both time AND money are limited), I have never gone to watch a play at A.R.T. all these years.

Yesterday, I finally did. At the brilliant suggestion of a friend, a huge group of us went to watch Elevator Repair Service's production of Gatz-- a 6-hour long verbatim reading of Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.

Gatz is staged in 2 parts, and one can choose to watch it on 2 separate days, but we decided to watch it in a single day, with a 1 hour dinner break in between. There are honestly no bad seats at the Loeb Drama Center but we had ridiculously good seats-- dead center, five rows from the front. In spite of the glowing reviews Gatz had received, I was prepared to be at least a little bored. After all, it was 6 hours long, A.R.T.'s Gatz website can't possibly be perfectly unbiased, and like I said earlier, I've never been much of a theater person.

As it turns out, I cannot be more wrong. Gatz is innovative, clever and an absolute masterpiece. From the creative use of sound, lighting and props, to the expert timing of the 13 actors, everything was flawless. The play begins with an office scene but by the end of the play, we were completely transported into Nick and Gatsby's Long Island of the roaring 20s. Scott Shepard, as Nick Carraway, was amazing-- how did he manage to read 80% of the book with that perfect intonation and rhythm from the beginning to the end?

One thing I know for sure-- I'll be revisiting the A.R.T. very soon.