February Music Faves
 

Starting in March and moving forward, I’ll be sharing a playlist of 10-15 songs that I obsessed over in the previous month. A post like this will go up the first Monday of every month, and will include a list of curated songs in (what I think is) a tasteful order, and a little blurb to tell y’all what’s to love for each of them :)

I make it an obligation to discover songs on a daily basis—whether they are newly-picked from a fresh week's Discover Weekly, or a throwback I resurrected into one of my more recent playlists. So here's my attempt to show some appreciation for these favorite songs, and also share this wonderful music with you!

I’ll try to curate a wide variety of songs—including more contemporary jazz/R&B, acoustic picks, and even some of my favorite Classical and K-pop tunes. 

 
 
February Favorites Playlist

2.

February's picks coincidentally include a lot of spin-off covers of old pop songs (The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel). I've also been obsessed lately with the timbre of the acoustic guitar, so it's not a surprise that there's lots of amazing, skillful guitar-playing in this playlist. I may or may not be using these songs as a reference to how I’ll want my guitar-playing to sound (hopefully someday). What a stretch goal.

 
 

listen

 
 

YESTERDAY

Scary Pockets, India Carney

A funky spin-off of a Beatles classic, this cover features the strong vocals of India Carney—previously a member of the UCLA Scattertones a cappella group and a contestant in The Voice. The group Scary Pockets can turn literally any pop song into a funky remix. Their rhythm section keeps everything pretty simple and sparse—but tasteful—and makes me groove out to their tunes shamelessly at my desk every time I listen to them at work.


낮과 밤 Day and Night

(Instrumental)

TAEMIN

Strings on strings on strings!!! I purposely listen to instrumental version of the song to hear the combination of the nylon string guitar, steel string guitar, and cello (sorry, Taemin). The “crunchiness” of the two guitars layered on top of the cello creates a lovely texture—especially when the steel guitar is doing crazy soloing while the cello is holding out notes in the background. Ugh, just so, so good.


Mané

Toco

Toco is a Florence based Brazilian born singer-songwriter. People usually refer to his creations as Nu-Brazilian or contemporary Bossa Nova/Samba. This is one of my favorites from him since it's one of  his more upbeat tunes. Rhythm section is on fire, beautiful vocal harmonies are at work in the latter half, and horn parts are on point as well... what's not to love?


Dance

offonoff

Here we have another K-pop addition. I make a stank-face for literally the entire 3 minutes and 39 seconds. This song is not only upbeat but also conveys a sultry vibe. I seriously can’t get enough of it. I’m in love with the funky fills that the guitar plays during the vocally-sparse parts. The melody is insanely simple, and the fills that the guitar plays are also very simple (singable and memorable, which is great for instrumental fills)... but it doesn’t feel too repetitive because the groove changes every 8 bars or so. There's a nice rap part to break up the song into sections too. Also kudos to the easy-to-follow English lyrics that actually make sense (rare for a K-pop song these days): “Killing me softly, why do I feel so lonely, let me love you baby, you are so lovely”


Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini

Op. 43: Variation 18

Sergei Rachmaninoff

 

The rhapsody in its entirety is based on Niccolo Paganini’s famously (almost impossibly) difficult Caprice No. 24 for solo violin. The theme, although pretty straightforward, has been transformed into different variations, all showcasing different, rather difficult techniques on the violin (including one of the most famous uses of left hand pizzicato!). You can barely hear the original in the 18th variation of Rachmaninoff rhapsody, but if you inspect it more technically, you’ll be completely mind-blown at how it was constructed. Rachmaninoff basically took the melody, turned it from minor to major, and then inverted it to create a flowery theme that gives off a completely different vibe from the original melody.

Also I love how dramatic the orchestra sound in this. UGH the feels.


Misty Morning

Lawrence

This is really just a simple, feel-good song that I play to cheer myself up, or to speed up my walk to work in the mornings. It’s funny because the melody and instrumentation make the song sound quite peaceful and happy, but the lyrics are rather sad if you listen closely. The piano fills that proceed the staccato vocal parts in the verses are also very, very tasty.


Overjoyed

Victory

 

 

This Stevie Wonder cover brings back a lot of memories from school since I previously performed the song in my jazz ensemble class. I’ve come to the conclusion that most Stevie Wonder songs have a colorful harmonic structure, and this song is no exception. Lots of modulations and complexities are complimented by a warm voice and very simple acoustic guitar-playing in the background.


Sweet Life

Frank Ocean

From listening to Frank Ocean’s more popular songs, I wouldn’t have expected him to put together a song like this. The melody is very jazzy and not easily-singable or memorable for the average listener. I really appreciate how this song gradually grows with its technique of layering instruments and phrases. It starts off in the verses with a sparse instrumentation—just vocals, bass, and a rather repetitive electric piano melody in the background that holds everything together. Then drums are added gradually, along with another piano that’s more responsible for chords. Horns come in during the chorus to fill out the chords with long notes as Frank Ocean belts out higher notes. Verse 2 and Chorus 2 are basically the same, except background vocals are used to fill in the space created by the staccato-y piano, vocal, and bass combo. The song ends with the rhythm section just jamming out together, which kind of reminds me of one of my songs, Dear Anna (not to advertise my own music or anything, but why not since you're on my blog anyways :P)


One Day

Nikki Yanofsky, Jacob Collier

Vocals, vocals, vocals!!! These two just have the most buttery of voices... and in this song, their voices just melt together in the most pleasantly unhealthy way when they harmonize. The simplicity of the instrumentation (female voice + male voice + piano) makes up for the fact that the melodies and harmonies are not simple at all. Just in 4 bars alone, they go into several different keys and make me feel uneasy one second and then happy/at ease the next. You can also hear the piano playing some pretty complicated things behind the two singers if you listen carefully. I guess this level of musical genius can only be achieved if you’re Jacob Collier.


La belle dame sans regrets

Emile-Claire Barlow

Another buttery voice—perfect for jazz. I listen to this one mostly for the scatting she does with the piano. How can she sing something so complicated and be so in tune and in time? I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard it, honestly. And she's doing it live in Japan. What a beast.


Isn’t she lovely

Biréli Lagrène, Sylvain Luc

Just listening to this one makes my fingers hurt. Biréli Lagrène and Sylvain Luc are two crazy guitarists that compliment each other amazingly—trading off the responsibilities of both the tight rhythms and insane soloing. Their cover of this Stevie Wonder classic is not as crazy as some of their other covers. Their version of “So What” is even crazier in terms of them doing things that I’d never heard before or thought was possible on guitar.


New York State of Mind

MAX, Phony Ppl

A spin-off cover of a classic Billy Joel tune, this song barely reveals what it's supposed to cover when it first starts out. The eerie-sounding piano paired with the heavy drums work well to juxtapose the melody which is very recognizable and singable. The different theme definitely sets it apart as a unique cover amongst the probably hundreds out there for this song.


Autumn Leaves

Eva Cassidy

You must be thinking: “this song has lyrics?” Why yes! Eva Cassidy’s cover of this jazz standard is very simple but insanely beautiful with her amazing live vocals. Getting rid of the swing and stripping it down to only vocals and acoustic guitar gives the song so much more emotion and lifts away the reputation it has for being just an old jazz standard.


Best Part

(feat. H.E.R.)

Daniel Caesar

Thanks to my friend at work for introducing me to Daniel Caesar last year! I don’t think he’s come out with a song that I don’t like yet. His melodies are just so heart-wrenching and the sadness in his voice always makes me question whether he’s happily singing about the person he’s in love with, or if he’s actually really upset. Anyways this song features the lovely vocals of H.E.R. which pairs with Daniel Caesar’s own soft vocals beautifully.


Don’t Know Why

(Live in NYC)

Norah Jones

Another throwback to college days when I sang this as a solo in my a cappella group... except a cappella will never do this song justice because Norah Jones’ piano skills and her band create a vibe that’s quite difficult to emulate. I love this live version because it’s slightly more upbeat than the original and the vocals do a little more work in terms of changing up the melody in this classic early 2000s jazz-inspired pop song.


 

Annnd that's a wrap! I got a little too excited writing this. Hope you'll give this playlist a listen and be able to enjoy these songs just as much as I did! Which ones did you enjoy the most? Do you have a favorite song or set of songs you've been obsessed with lately? Let me know in the comments!

♥ Cindy

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(Super Easy!) Guava Pastries
Guava Pastries
 
 

These Cuban pastries were actually inspired by a visit to Saltroot Café (thanks to my friends Ren and Greg for the delicious recommendation!). Saltroot Café is a small, hole in the wall bakery in Outer Richmond serving guava-filled Brazilian Cheese Breads—also known as Pão de queijo in Portuguese. It was my first time having guava in a dessert, and to my surprise it was such a delicious compliment to the cheese inside the bread that I immediately wanted to get up and buy a few more. Unfortunately it was such a popular flavor that the bakery had sold out for the day (it was only 12:00PM at this point). Ever since then, I've been crazily craving guava, which is definitely a unique craving...

 
 
Guava Pastries
Guava Pastries
 
 

To my sadness, guava-filled desserts are not very common in San Francisco, so Plan B was to try to get my hands on some guava jam and to make my own. After searching a plethora of grocery stores—Safeway, Trader Joes, World Market, even the wallet-abusing Whole Foods, I wasn't able to find guava jam or guava paste anywhere. So I had to resort to good-old Amazon to purchase this can of guava paste (which looks very foreign and like it doesn't belong on any counter of any American grocery store).

The Brazilian Cheese Breads turned out to be quite difficult to master, so I opted for an easier option: Guava Pastries (also known as Pastelitos de Guayaba in Spanish), which luckily required only 5 ingredients: store-brought puff-pastry, cream cheese, guava paste, sugar, and egg.

 
 
Guava Pastries
 
 

I incorporated a tiny bit of sugar into my cream cheese to sweeten the mixture a little—but beware that guava-flavored jams/jellies are also very sweet themselves, so make sure to leave the work of sweetening the pastry to them and not the cream cheese.

 
 
Guava Pastries
Guava Pastries
Guava Pastries
 
 

Cut up each sheet of puff pastry into 9 pieces and spread some cream cheese and some chopped guava paste on the bottom layer. Brush an egg around the corners to seal the top layer, and then make slits to ensure that pastry has a nice puff. Finish off with a nice layer of egg wash.

 
 
Guava Pastries
 
 

I like to add a bit of a pattern around the edges with a fork and to ensure that they're completely sealed. Then pop those in a 400˚F (200˚C) oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and enjoy! -Staples Easy Button Voice- That was easy, right?

 
 
Guava Pastries
Guava Pastries
 
 

Super Easy Guava Pastries

Ingredients

  • 2 sheets of puff pastry, frozen *
  • 7 oz (around 200 g) of guava paste **
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 7 oz (around 200 g) of cream cheese

Takes , Makes 9.

* I used store-brought, since watching how pastry is made/judged on the Great British Baking Show has frightened me too much to even bother
** I used a little less than a regular-size box


Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C).

  2. Take out the puff pastry out of the freezer. It's important that the puff pastry stays cold, since the colder it is, the more it will puff up in the oven.

  3. Slice both sheets of the frozen puff pastry into 9 equal squares. I found that doing this while the pastry is still cold was easier and made for more even pieces. Roll out each of the squares into larger squares.

  4. Thoroughly mix the sugar into the cream cheese with either a hand mixer—or if you want more of a bicep workout, you can just use a regular whisk like me. :)
  5.  
  6. Slice up the guava paste into small pieces (Mine were around 1'"x 1/2" and half a cm in thickness). Then spread a small amount of cream cheese in the center of each bottom layer square of the puff pastry. Top with two pieces of guava paste.

  7. Beat an egg and brush the outside edges of each bottom layer pastry square.

  8. Cover each bottom layer (now filled with cream cheese and guava paste) with the top layer pastry. Press together to ensure that they are well-sealed (you can also use a fork like I did to create a pattern around the edges and to seal them together more tightly). Make 3 small slits on the top to allow the pastry to puff up easily.

  9. Finish them off with brushing the beaten egg on top of each pastry.

  10. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and allow them them to bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown

 
 

These were the perfect treat for one the most horrendously-windy and cold weekends in San Francisco. I sat at home eating these and felt like I was on a beach in Miami :-) If you have some left over, make sure to pop them in the microwave for around 15 seconds before eating (and be careful of the hot guava filling!).

♥ Cindy

 
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The 90s High Schooler
Cinder Block: top - Madewell, Skirt - Topshop, Shoes - American Apparel
Cinder Block: top - Madewell, Skirt - Topshop, Shoes - American Apparel
 
 

Born in 93, I can't say that I'm an expert on 90s culture or fashion because for most of the decade I was too young recognize or comprehend the trends that were thriving around me. I can say though, that this 90s revival in the 2010s has introduced a lot of colorful turtlenecks and mom jeans into my closet, and a variety of brown and burgundy lipsticks into my makeup drawer. So for this post I dug up a few items that I think represented the 90s the best and attempted to recreate a look that a high school student in the 90s may have rocked walking back from school.

 
 
Cinder Block: top - Madewell, Skirt - Topshop, Shoes - American Apparel
Cinder Block: top - Madewell, Skirt - Topshop, Shoes - American Apparel
 
 

I definitely did not dress like this in high school. Neither was I creative enough to even consider assembling an outfit like this one (or confident enough to actually wear it). I guess it all comes down to the fact that now, I stare at Pinterest way too much at work... -sigh-

 
 
Cinder Block: top - Madewell, Skirt - Topshop, Shoes - American Apparel
 
 

Apparel: Velvet Mock Neck Tee in Burnished Rust (Madewell) | Petite Double Breasted Checkered Blazer (ASOS, similar one here) | Button-up Denim Skirt (Topshop) | Knee-high socks (H&M) | White Jelly Heels (American Apparel)

 
 
Top: Madewell, Skirt: Topshop, Shoes: American Apparel
Cinder Block: top - Madewell, Skirt - Topshop, Shoes - American Apparel
 
 

Location: Jeff and I explored a quiet street in San Francisco's North Beach area, just far away enough from the Coit Tower to avoid the tourists. Before sunset, we managed to get some shots of cool shadows peeking through trees scattered across the victorian-style homes which dominated this area. 

Photos: Jeffery Wang

♥ Cindy

 
 
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Fig, Brie, and Prosciutto Bruschetta
Fig, Brie, and Prosciutto Bruschetta
 
 

I hosted a game night/potluck at my place a few weeks ago. Unfortunately the afternoon prior was filled with the stress of running to auditions and then miserably failing them because I was out of breath from running—so I didn't have much time to do any real cooking (I was also not in a good mood afterwards to put any love into my food). So I picked up some baguettes, prosciutto, brie, and fig butter from Trader Joe's and threw this bruschetta together. Luckily, they turned out tasty and fancy in the end despite me making minimal effort.

 
 
Fig, Brie, and Prosciutto Bruschetta
 
 

Topped with arugula, a splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, this is a perfect bite to accompany a glass of wine and board games on a cozy Saturday night in. It's sort of upscale/grown-up version of those Totino's Pizza Rolls or Bagel Bites, wouldn't you think? Although... because they require such minimal effort, I wouldn't say they're completely grown up (kind of like me :P).

 
 
Fig, Brie, and Prosciutto Bruschetta
 
 

Ingredients

I apologize for my eyeballing of ingredients and the fact that I'm not providing exact amounts for each item. My suggestion is just to try and balance the amount of bread you have with the amount of toppings you have. Since we're cooking and not baking, I'll let myself off the hook :)

  • Stick of French Baguette, Italian, or Sourdough Bread
  • Prosciutto
  • Brie
  • Trader Joe's Fig Butter (or, actual figs if you're feeling really grown up!)
  • Arugula
  • Black Pepper
  • Balsamic Vingar
  • Olive Oil

 

 

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375˚F (190 ˚C)

2. Cut the bread into half inch pieces and arrange them on a greased sheet pan. Place a thin slice of prosciutto on each slice of bread and toast in the oven for 5-10 minutes

3. Once the bread and prosciutto have finished toasting, set aside to cool and slice the brie into inch-wide pieces

4. Arrange the brie on top of the prosciutto and spread fig butter/jam on top

5. Add a few sprigs of arugula on top and lightly drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

6. Top it off with some freshly ground pepper (I avoided adding any additional salt since the prosciutto is quite salty already)

 

Enjoy! This is easy peasy and is 20392429243 times fancier than Bagel Bites. Time to impress your friends with little to no effort ;)

 

 

 
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Urban Ball Gown
 
 

With the weather in San Francisco settling back into the "habitable" range, I was finally able to ditch my long coats and sweaters for a midi dress and a leather jacket. The dress and jacket are from Topshop's and ASOS's Petite lines, respectively, and worked wonders for my 5'3'' frame. When it comes to styling midi/maxi dresses and leather jackets for shorter girls, it can be a little tricky when dress's long length and the jacket's wide shoulders easily overwhelm a petite frame.

 
 
Cinder Block: "Urban Ball Gown" Topshop dress, Asos Jacket
 
Dress: Topshop, Jacket: Asos, Shoes: H&M
Dress: Topshop, Jacket: Asos, Shoes: H&M
 
 

What I love about this dress in particular is that it's not your standard midi made with the same material from head to toe. I'm in love with the cutouts embellished with lace that allow me to show a little tummy and leg without being too revealing. In fact, I think this is a great piece to wear to a holiday party and would be unique enough to stand out amongst everyone else's. 

 
Cinder Block: "Urban Ball Gown" Topshop dress, Asos Jacket
 
 

Apparel: Petite Print Velvet Midi Dress (Topshop) | Petite Leather Biker Jacket (ASOS) | Sock Boots (H&M)

 
 
Cinder Block: "Urban Ball Gown" Topshop dress, Asos Jacket
 
 

A huge shout out to British brands like Topshop and ASOS for making clothes for girls lacking in the height department.

 
 
Rings: Forever 21
Earrings: Yesstyle
 
 

Accessories: Rings (Forever 21) | Earrings (Yessstyle)

Makeup: Lips (Pony Effect Blossom Lipstick in #02 - Spring Romance) | Brows (Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Dark Brown) | Eyeliner (Clio Kill Black Waterproof Pen Liner) | Under-eye Concealer (Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard)

 
 
 
Cinder Block: "Urban Ball Gown" Topshop dress, Asos Jacket
 
Cinder Block: "Urban Ball Gown" Topshop dress, Asos Jacket
 

Location: Evelyn and I chose an alleyway in the Mission filled with pretty pastel-colored houses for the photoshoot. Away from the chaos that is Valencia street, this alley provided a residential vibe but still gave us the victorian "San Francisco" city style we were looking for. We were amazed at how gentrified the Mission District had become, and how it is slowly becoming similar to Hayes Valley (with its overpriced clothing and snacks). We didn't have much to complain about though, after we got our Boba Guys.

Cinder Block: "Urban Ball Gown" Topshop dress, Asos Jacket
Mission District
 
 
 

This is also the first fashion-related post I put up on this blog. Please look forward to more posts in the future! If you liked the outfit, please don't hesitate to hit that Pin button ;)

Photos: Evelyn Obamos

♥ Cindy

 
 
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Honey Hong Kong Egg Tarts
Hong Kong Egg Tarts
Hong Kong Egg Tarts
 
 

Hong Kong Egg Tarts are one of my favorite Dim Sum dessert items. Luckily, they are also one of the easiest desserts to make and require the fewest ingredients (most of which are common staples everyone has in their pantries). I used to make these all the time for potlucks—mostly because of how simple it is and how impressed people were to see a standard Chinese bakery item replicated at home. To simplify the recipe a bit, I made a shortbread crust instead of the widely-known flaky pastry crust seen in restaurants and bakeries. To spice things up a bit, I added honey to the filling to give the egg custard a more interesting flavor profile.

 
 
IMG_4425.JPG
Hong Kong Egg Tarts
 
 

Although known as a more Chinese item nowadays, this dessert was preceded by the English Custard Tart and the Portuguese pastel de nata. These egg tarts are said to have first appeared in Guangzhou in the 1920s, and later introduced to Hong Kong in the 1940s and 1950s through cha chaan tengs—restaurants that offered affordable, eclectic western inspired menus.

 
 
Hong Kong Egg Tarts
 
 

Ingredients (makes 12):

Shortbread crust:

  • 2 cups of all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (or 1 stick) of butter, unsalted
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup of powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Custard Filling:

  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • 1/2 cup of milk
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup of sugar
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400˚F ( 200˚C)

- Shortbread Crust -

2. Add the flour, powdered sugar, and butter to a large bowl. Beat the egg with the vanilla extract and add to the flour mixture. Knead the dough until smooth and shape into a long log shape

3. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Take out a standard muffin pan and line them with scalloped cupcake papers. Take a piece of the divided dough and place it into one of the cupcake papers. Shape the dough into the pan by spinning the cupcake paper and covering the edges uniformly. Try to avoid a shell that's too thin. Repeat with all 12. (Note that it may be easier to shape these shells at the four corners of the pan—and then place them towards the center when done)

- Custard Filling -

4. Dissolve the sugar and honey into the hot water and add the milk. Set aside to cool

5. Beat the 3 eggs and slowly whisk in the hot water/milk/sugar mixture. Add a pinch of salt and the vanilla extract.

- Assembling and baking the egg tart -

6. Carefully pour the egg mixture into each of the short bread shells, leaving a bit of space on top. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the egg mixture solidifies.

7. Place aside for 5 minutes to chill, remove the cupcake paper, and enjoy!

 
 
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