..mmm...hmm...

Commencement: Part II

2010-05-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

Graduuuaaation!

The only other time in life that this many flowers are bestowed upon an individual is probably at a wedding...maybe the Olympics. Ni's second graduation took place on a warm sunny Sunday afternoon in the Greek Theatre. What a proud moment.

Here's the new grad herself! Sharply pulling off the robed look. If you follow my tweets you may have noticed that I commented that people in their graduating regalia look like HP wizards. Well, in that case, I saw a guy stroll through the library with his black gown over a collared shirt, slacks and a striped tie. Need I say more? Alas, I have no photograph of it.

But Ni's graduation was an exciting day. The weather cleared up beautifully as if had been overcast in the days prior. Mei Yee also flew into town for the occasion. The speeches were inspirational, the occasion joyful. What's not to enjoy! After the ceremony, we walked around campus finding the landmarks to take pics.

cheese, cheers, and congrats! with that marks the end of spring and the beginning of summer! :)

Commencements. Part I

2010-05-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

I enjoy going to graduations. I've been to three so far and it hasn't gotten old just yet. I find them all to be especially inspiring. It's a rare moment for reflection and anticipation in our hectic lives. it's a moment that combines the past, present, and future and provides a summary of the knowledge one has accumulated both academically and personally.

Commencement ceremonies span two dimensions. The sea of people in black robes sends a message of unity. But it also overwhelms the existential mindset in that graduation doesn't really mean much at all. Hundreds of people graduate within a short span of two hours. So what. What makes the difference.

6 hours of graduation-fare and plenty more of post-grad celebration has showed me that the individual makes the difference. What the degree means to the person and what the person does with the degree is what matters. Most of the grads that I spoke to said that they didn't feel any different whether their tassel was on the left or on the right. That's because change is a gradual process, not an event. Graduation is just a marker of the change, not a signifier of the change itself.

So congrats Class of 2010!! I'm so proud of you and your journeys. People have told me that it doesn't matter where you start--it's where you end up that's important. But I've come to learn that each ending has a new beginning. So let this not mark and ending but a beginning of a new chapter in your lives.

Nearing the End

2010-05-21T20:38:00.001-07:00

Let's see, the last two months were filled with conferences, ginger, and crazy class. But to sum it up in three short words I'd say: just toooo fast. In feeling, the time went by really quickly. But if I were to actually systematically think back to what has happened since March...a whole lot! Not only in events but also in the things that I've learned.

Hence the slide on Monte Carlo: the ultimate method to find order in randomness. It's just part of human nature to impress the notion of order or significance (p) in the idiosyncrasies of everyday life.

So what have I tried to systematize in my random life? Well for starters, I get a lot of stomachaches. Might be due to stress, might be due to internalizing issues that causes me to develop somatic complaints (loong strech but hey!) So I bought some delicious ginger syrup from Cost Plus World Market. I put it on EVERYTHING from toast to sandwiches to marinades for meat. Yum. :) and yay.

I also like to fidget with my hands when I'm a bit tense. so I also made turtle bolopaos. Forgot a couple of ingredients but at least they look cute. Melobelo liked them. But I think from now on, I'll leave the bolopao making to the professionals. The bakers in Chinatown (especially in SF) are phenomenal. It's a real art to be able to make bread. I admire those that can.

Oh and the conferences. Great for developing public speaking skills and great for learning new things. Ni and I both attended two separate ones in the last month.

Here's Ni telling kiddies how great Cal is. (and it is!)

I presented a poster.

Pink PINK

2010-03-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

Back to Berks and stuck in a pink house. Of course the latter was by choice. A fun spring break is necessarily met with a pile of work to do. This included two papers and a midterm to study for. However, the hours of confinement have paid off! I finished 1.5 papers and reviewed all the lectures. As a reward for myself, I went on a nice long walk.

Not too far down the road, I spotted another pink house. I thought it was cute and very much "spring-like", especially with the nice tree in front of it. The weather was absolutely gorgeous--sunny but not hot.

Continuing down the road, I saw these nice pink flowers and thought, "hey! I see a theme here!" So I took a picture of my shoes and bag as well. :)

I walked for a good two hours and passed by several shops. One of which was a flower stand and they had lovely bouquets on display

oh Spring is in the air and so is pink! Admittedly, pink isn't one of my favorite colors but I suppose there is an exception to every rule!

It's a Jungle out there!

2010-03-26T14:33:00.001-07:00

I really like my sister melobelo :). And I'm glad that I was able to spend some goood quality time with her over Spring break. We did a lot of things actually--we had mini "sleep overs" and pretended to be sushi (I was the rice and she was the eel); we watched The Princess and the Frog and Ponyo (multiple times); played Wii together. Fun

This is us on our hike to Point Pinole. We actually got lost along the way. Ahh the blind leading the blind. She said that she had gone on the trail several times so we veered from the path that our parents were taking and decided to roam a bit on our own. We ended up completely missing the pier but no worries--we ran into little baby goats. They were cute

The fence was an electric one so Melobelo tried to stay away from it. But she still wanted to pet the goats. Solution? "Here goat-y goat-y. Baaah Baah". She preferred shocking the goats instead of herself. :)Melobelo makes me feel young and carefree inside. I like how she makes me feel really alive and appreciate the moment. Underneath her silliness, she's a wise kiddo.

Now she and the parents are off to NY, scouting Tyra and the JoBro's. Jealous! While I'm back in Berks writing papers and studying. Speaking of which...the financial market is calling!

Spring Sushi

2010-03-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

The last time that I recall having sushi was in China over the summer. Not a pleasant experience. And since then, I haven't really been able to even stomach the idea of getting sushi. However, my mom did find a sushi-making class as part of the adult continuing education series at the local community college. It sounded like a lot of fun and a good activity for mom and sister. But...in a tale similar to gift of the magi, only Ni and I were able to go. Nonetheless, it was educational and fun. As an extra bonus, we were able to share it with the rest of the family for a sushi dinner!

Our instructor was a cute Asian American woman and I think my favorite part about her was her spunk! Although the authenticity of the techniques are questionable, she gave us a lot of neat tricks and tips on sushi making like how to cool down sushi rice without using a fan or how to prevent the rice from sticking to the bowl.

These are the products of our class experience. We took that and transformed it into a sushi dinner!

Although there was a class fee, there was hardly any real sushi. One lady in the class was surprised to find out what sushi was!

In our variation, we went ahead and did the sashimi and roasted eel. YUM!

muffin fail!

2010-03-13T09:59:00.000-08:00

This week I've been having crazy cravings for something dense, chewy, sweet, bread-y. All in short: muffins or some sort of quick bread. I absolutely love my mom's banana nut bread and zucchini walnut bread. The cinnamon, the cake-iness of first bite, and the taste that comes with aging. So good. We also have a mini loaf baking pan so sometimes we make them into individual loaf servings. Bread-making is usually a summer thing though especially because fruit ripen a lot faster than can be eaten!

So I decided to whip me up a batch of cinnamon pear muffins, recipe curtosy of a mixture of my own and something I spotted on tastespotting. Let's just say that the one of tastespotting, which was just a basic muffin recipe, was probably better. haha

But I think I started off with a pretty good Saturday morning. I made myself a cup of ginger coffee to prepare myself for the paper I'm about to tackle and had a little muffin. It wasn't sweet and actually a little bland save for the ripe pear chunks. Our oven was kind of hyperventilating though because it was kind of dirty so the high temperature just made the dirty bits cook and smoke. So my muffins also had a "smokey" taste to it ;). hehe oh well. I topped it off with some cinnamon sugar so hopefully that will balance it out.

OK! onward paper ho!

Little Treasures

2010-03-11T23:00:00.000-08:00

Berkeley is wonderful and full of little surprises. It's so easy to get lost in texts and papers, especially at this time of the semester, that we forget to open our eyes and take note of the special ambiance of this area. Just today when walking from class, I spotted this:
I doubt I would be able to see it anywhere else. And then later on in the day, I couldn't help but feeling, "yes, life is wonderful". Aside from the major panic attacks induced by midterm-paper-article-project-work, our life is pretty carefree. 真的是一身轻！ I don't have to worry about my next meal (granted it might not be the tastiest...at least I have food!), about having a roof over my head, about being safe. At times like that, I realize just how fortunate I am to have these little treasures.

And speaking of which, OPPORTUNITIES are abound! Like this:

I'm taking an erhu (二胡） decal and we had a performance a couple of weeks ago (maybe more now that I think about it!) to celebrate the lunar new year. Our little ensemble wasn't spectacular, but our decal facilitator was! He is an amazing musician and a great teacher. The class is so much fun too!

meet coraline

2010-02-21T15:19:00.003-08:00

Hello. My name is Coraline.

I am an elephant made of purple yarn. In my free time, I like taking naps, sipping juice, and nibbling on chocolate nibs.
I have a friend named Bear Bear. Bear Bear is a white teddy. We both like the color purple :)

Indeed, friendships should be based on simple commonalities. I'm glad I have a friend like Bear Bear. Quality, not quantity as I always say!

Break Time!

2010-02-19T23:18:00.000-08:00

It must be pretty cold in Vancouver, because this is what it looks like in Berkeley:

Aside from the occasional fog...absolutely beautiful! especially right after the rain.
I love love love the OLYMPICS! I find it kind of ironic though that the 2010 Winter Games are coming right at the heart of the spring semester and pretty much at the midst of the spring season. In any case, GO TEAM USA! (and I'll just say, even though I'm really happy that Lysacek won gold, I'm still obsessed with Johnny Weir. No one really has style like he does ;) )
But anyways, watching people skate, flip, plunge, jump, ski...that's what I've been doing when I really should have been studying for midterms.

I have a couple of midterms right around the corner--the one for developmental psychopathology is coming up next. The text book is occasionally fun to read because there are these delightful pictures of unhappy looking children--after all, we are learning about disorders that occur in childhood and adolescence. awww look at that little darling. I want to hug him.

ok maybe I'm not so cute but this is what studying kind of feels like (or lack thereof because Shaun White is simply AMAZING!)

But anyways, speaking of breaks...I went to the bathroom the other day and found this ironic little bit of vandalism. Why do people write on bathroom walls anyways when none of it makes sense both contextually and grammatically?!?

hectic week

2010-02-05T22:10:00.000-08:00

I like being back at school! I like the energy; the agendas; the action. bam bam bam!

this semester certainly started with a big bang and I can't believe it's already been three weeks! It feels like much longer. I know Einstein must have said something related to that about time. something something but i won't be able to reiterate it as eloquently. So here is a picture of a warped Campinile. I'm so glad that they have finished construction there! Last semester, it was kind of a pain getting around campus and the construction blocked off one of my favorite lunch sites: the benches in front of LeConte. But of late, i've been hanging out here:
oh home sweet home.
Anyways, as you can probably tell form the picture it has been glooooomy lately. And that has been rubbing off a bit on my mood. It feels heavy and just kind of blah. I have had a couple of adventures though!

1. Adventures of being a girl.

i'm not very good at doing my nails. but in the spirit of FEBRUARY! i thought I might be festive :).

2. Adventures in the library.

an ideal place to people watch. and the view is nice! Doe is really beautiful, especially the ceiling :)

3. Adventures down College Ave.

on days that's not raining, Berkeley really is a lovely place. The other day I was taking a walk down College and ran into a cute little puppy dog. He was walking himself with his leash and behind him followed this dalmation! They looked like such a good couple. But in all honesty, I like looking at dogs, but not touching them.

I think February will be quite a promising month!

epic fail

2010-01-29T22:50:00.000-08:00

How can you resist this?

我因该努力学习汉语。可是，我喜欢上网；喜欢看看东西。无论我很容易 distracted, 我都必需做完我的作业。

今天，老师还给我们的小考。哈哈我的成绩不错！

Welcome Back

2010-01-24T20:26:00.000-08:00

Rain Rain Go Away...I swam to class each day. For this past week at least. It's a bit funny that we use words as if there is a specific demarcation between things like seasons. The first week of Spring 2010 felt more like autumn. Pouring rains, falling leaves, howling winds...wishing it was the holiday season. I caught Ni singing some carols just the other day!

But speaking of getting back into the swing of things, one of my biggest dilemma was fitting orchestra into my schedule. It's something that I've done for so many years that it just feels like a part of me. I don't know if it has to do with the weather or the time, but I just don't feel the excitement or camaraderie that I usually feel. Even after the first rehearsal, we had played two of my favorite pieces: Tristan und Isolde and Brahm's 3rd but still no extreme sense of belonging. More of a routine feeling. Have I lost it?

I find that one of the most beautiful things about playing in a large ensemble is the ability to create something together. Our individual parts don't sound much of anything on their own. But when we play together...it's like magic. It makes sense and even more so, it makes art--music. Something that traverses time and space. Something entirely yours, but theirs at the same time. I guess it'll also touch onto philosophy. Tangential to epistemology? Maybe! I know that you know what I know because it's also music to you!

We'll see how week 2 goes. Hopefully something will click. Other than that, this week was busy and fun but I don't think I was entirely "there" the whole time.

Of Carbs, Proposals, and the Last Huzzah!

2010-01-18T16:53:00.001-08:00

Carbs are usually under appreciated until times of stress. On Thursday, Ni made Parmesan Rosemary Breadsticks to accompany this artichoke tomato pasta. It was really good! Especially the breaksticks :)

Why so stressed one may ask? Research Proposals. It's high time again to apply for summer and fall internships and it's about time to take control of our lives! I have actually been writing for the latter half of the break and to be frank, I've been enjoying it. Perhaps it won't be so bad after all to get stuck in grad school
But when we are in the actual process of reading writing and research, it's not such a pretty sight.

The desks are cluttered

The faces are sad and furrowed in concentration

The end just doesn't seem possible!

Fortunately, we were able to take our parents on a little excursion to the city on Saturday. We visited Chinatown and Fisherman's wharf. It was nice to get some fresh air and see what the city has to offer. Since moving to Norcal, we haven't had many opportunities to really explore the area. Oakland Chinatown has been a favorite spot to hit, but other than that it's the same-old same-old.

The change of scenery was nice. We saw a lot of seals barking at each other. Ni enjoyed their blubbery masses. I thought they smelled. :)

There were several ominous-looking clouds that roamed overhead, but the breeze was refreshing. After being cooped up in the house for a couple of days, being outdoors was nice. We ate chowder and chili at the fisherman's wharf for a late late lunch. Pier 39 is eerily reminiscent of Santa Monica's boardwalk and it made me miss LA. I was hoping that we could go down sometime soon, perhaps for the Lunar New Year (another date I'm quite excited about!) We shall see. Although it's only a few weeks away, there is so much that needs to be done during that time (i.e. 3 applications are due!) But it's ok. they are meant to be tackled one at a time.

Being at home for the past 4 weeks has been not only refreshing but warming. It made me realize just how amazing family is. I definitely had a lot of fun and would have to say that I've gotten closer to my sisters. In a world of constant change, it's nice to know that I have at least 2 people who have my back! Although I am excited to get back into school, I'm a bit nervous about the new semester. Classes are definitely going to be challenging, but who isn't up for a challenge!

OK...I'M READY! BRING IT! Let the good times roll!

Full Fridge

2010-01-12T13:05:00.000-08:00

I love apples. Just everything about them are appealing on a sensory level; the crisp sound, the firm texture, the deep colors. Yum.

We spotted loads of apples on a recent trip to Berkeley Bowl and even Ni has developed an aesthetic liking to apples. This is the girl that used to hate apples due to adverse taste conditioning way back in the day (we're referring to those nasty, mealy Washington apples that used to come with school lunches--talk about "balancing" the meal! It has left children with an even greater preference for sweets!) ANYWAYS, we also spotted a lot of different types of squash. They were fun to look at too! and helped to stock up our empty food storage. Grocery shopping at Berkeley Bowl makes me feel like a squirrel :)

So now that we have a lot of apples and squash.I joke sometimes about having a negligent mother. That includes having us fend for ourselves. But in all seriousness, she is a hard working lady! And deserves to be pampered by her lovely daughters ;) So we transformed those apples and squash into a yummy supper.

Roasted acorn squash with a potpourri of veggies
Pork Loin with Pears and Apples

Cooking last night was a great way for me to also wind down. The past few days I have been burying my head into research articles about the cerebellum. Reading and comprehending them are one thing; developing/refining a research question about the cerebellum is another. So it's definitely involved in motor control and event timing, but I'm sure there are other non-motor functions that require cerebellar activity. hmmmmmmmmmmm....

Anyways, after dinner we watched Kate & Leopold. It was a hilarious movie! I think I'm sort of getting the types of movies my mom likes to watch. Last week, we saw Penelope together and I absolutely loved it! It's such a cute movie, but my mom found it a bit dull because there weren't enough "realistic" elements. haha. and time traveling? i guess we can make exceptions for things.

Letting go

2010-01-09T13:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I said goodbye to the Christmas tree and untrimmed it. Goodbye fun ornaments, see you next year!
I used to think that Dec 26th was one of the saddest days of the year.No more Christmas music on the radio; a toned down holiday spirit; a big whopping back to normalcy (except for crazy shoppers out to find good deals or to exchange those unwanted gifts). There's just a sense of relief in the air--two major holidays down, one more to go.

Now that I come to think of it though, there is still some excitement built up for the New Years. Dec 26th is a time to start thinking about those resolutions; a time to do those last big bangs of the old year and prepare for the start of the new! I love wintertime :)

After untrimming it, I had to do something with the leftover candy canes! (actually, quite disturbingly, I found some chocolates in a stocking ornament on the tree...I wonder how many years old it is!) And so, I made some peppermint bark which turned out to be quite good and easy. I also took out my guitar and did a little jam session. I guess with the coming down of the tree, I fully began to usher in the new year.

My mom has also been getting into the new year spirit and has been preparing for the Lunar New Year. This year it falls on Valentine's Day which I think it pretty appropriate, color and food-wise. I love the sweets that my mom prepares for the New Years! My favorite has to be 红豆糕. Anyways, we planted the paperwhite bulbs that Ni and I got from Mrs. Dalloways' Bookstore.

I had also been meaning to read Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, because the store is just so cute and inspiring! It's just a short walk from our Berkeley apt and is one of the many examples of the eclectic-ness of Berkeley. They are supposed to flower in 3-5 weeks, just in time for the new years!

Here's to a fresh fun start!

Pizzeria Sorella

2010-01-06T12:22:00.000-08:00

What began as a girls night out quickly turned into a girls night in. The day began promising! Ni woke up before the day had turned double digits and we had a productive morning before heading out to SF to meet our mother dearest. We were going to go ice skating in Union Square! I had gone last year with Mel and it was a ton of fun! didn't even fall once. Our dad was able to get free tickets from being a frequent flier. So we bundled up, headed out and took the bus to downtown.
Afterwards, I had planned on taking everyone out to either Pizzeria Delfina or the row of restaurants at Belden Place. I figured we would need something yummy after skating and potentially gaining some bruises on our bums. ;)

Before heading on up to North Beach where our mom works, we were able to do some window shopping at Anthropologie. I love that store! It's so eclectic and makes me want to be a homeowner, and fast! The store is always really nicely decorated and the books on display were really interesting. Ni and I perused through a few before checking out the jewelry and hardware stuff.

On our way up to the school my mom works at we received bad news! Melobelo's bus had broken down and she had no way to meet us in SF! Our adventures were to be canceled. We were all really bummed out but decided that we should at least dine out. After brainstorming and looking at restaurant menus, Ni and I decided that we can probably do a comparable job and enjoy the same food for much cheaper. We quickly looked up recipes, did inventory on our refrigerator and decided upon making pizza!

It was a lot of fun, scouring the fridge for toppings. We had clams, Virginia ham, sundried tomatoes, basil, onions, and squid rings. After kneading the dough and waiting for it to rise, I did the chopping and Ni prepared rosemary potatoes as a side dish. Unfortunately the yeast kind of failed on us, but we were able to make the crust anyways ("it would have been better if it was chewier or thinner"..thanks mom) and it all turned out not bad!

Our mom also caught a head cold so she soaked herself in the bath. Afterward, we watched a couple episodes of glee. Yes :) another successful night at home! Complete with melobelo's seal of approval.

Family Outing

2010-01-03T20:47:00.000-08:00

Since we've moved to the bay area, we've tried to take some family trips. Last year, we almost made it to Lake Tahoe but a snow storm stopped us a bit short of our actual destination. Nonetheless, we did enjoy a scenic drive and made a couple of pit stops along hills to play in the snow. This year, our epic trip was a visit to the Thai Temple in Berkeley

I'll have to admit that I'm not a fan of brunch. In fact, I don't get it. I'm a little grandma at heart so I like to wake up by 8:30 at latest every morning because 9 am is my favorite hour of the day. On most days, that's when the morning fog begins to clear away and when all the animals are bustling about. So waking up and then waiting a couple of hours to eat is a bit out of my comfort zone. Now Thai Temple is infamous for their Sunday Brunches and my mom had an opportunity to check it out a couple weeks ago when the Locke sisters came up to visit. Although it's at a temple, you have to be viscous to get a seat. No being courteous to ANYONE!

After securing 5 seats, we touted out victory and waited for the parents to come back with Thai iced tea and tokens for the goodies. Unfortunately, we had made a run to Berkeley Bowl before hand and ended up getting to the temple a bit late (a little past noon). Most of the goods were gone except for beef noodle soup. It tasted a lot like pho and to be frank, I think I actually prefer pho because the soup is less garlicky. But it was really good and filling! The workers were also very nice and tried to give us large servings. The thai iced tea was super delicious! and Ni would most definitely agree (since that was the only food thing she put in her stomach upon wakening).

Afterward, we went to Oakland Chinatown for our weekly grocery shopping, did some window shopping at Emeryville and headed on home. what an adventureous day

Hat's off to you!

2010-01-01T12:28:00.000-08:00

12 hours and 30 minutes into 2010. How do I feel?

like this:

Ok, I exaggerate. This morning has been really lax: Roobois and Green Tea blend with a slice of pear-bread and an apple. A couple chapters in Kaheman's book on Attention and Perception. Browsing some blogs. Uploading pictures. Chilling really. I hope 2010 will be relaxing!

But the big thing that I need to do is TODAY! not tomorrow or later. This year, I will live in the now and not look back. It's just a bit of a shame that I am equipped with a new camera phone but no way to upload the pictures onto the computer!

We ended 2009 with a festive gathering in celebration of Ni's birthday. I remember last year we went out to Gregroire's and cooked scallops with roast beef. This year, we had a pasta party! 4 types of pasta's w/ Ni's homemade bread and 2 desserts. I made a gnocchi and ravioli pasta dish while mother dearest made a seafood pasta and chicken asparagus pasta. It was all really delicious. We had homemade chocolate cake (which felt less guilty) and creme brulee. I think Ni should probably open up her own bakery! We topped it all off with some champagne and chatted the night away until morning (literally!) The CL's didn't leave until midnight.

Other than that, we have been exploring the area a bit (ok maybe just a tiny little). We visited several markets within the past few days. Berkeley Bowl is certainly a must! They have the most amazing produce. We also visited Rockridge Market Hall. We like that place (the freeeeee samples!) and the warm smell of goods cooking.
Well, here's to adventure this new year! I have yet to make my resolutions!

Happy New Years!

2009-12-31T22:59:00.000-08:00

Hat's off to the new year! As we are about to usher in a new decade, I thought it would be nice to just take a couple of minutes put out onto text some of the GREAT things that happened in 2009
This will probably have to include Spring 2009 being my healthiest and happiest school semester ever! Living at home not only let me connect with my family but also with myself which created a greater appreciation for what's out there. I also learned who and what friends are. Sister hookie outing was fun too. 2009 was really nice. hope 2010 will be just as amazing, if not better!

Here's some recap of what we did in the past week.

The Christmas tree literally went up on Christmas Eve! Our Christmas was probably set onto fast-forward mode. After Do and I trimmed the tree, we laid out the stockings and began baking the cookies for deal S.C. I had prepared the dough for the vanilla cookies a couple of days ago and all we had to do was press them into little hearts and stars with cookie cutters. They were originally supposed to be sandwich cookies, like the Trader Joe Joe Joe's. We filled a couple with vanilla ice cream instead which turned out to be a very messy and sticky process. So at the end, we just left them as is. and Do liked them so much that she didn't want to share with S.C after all! Gave him a banana instead so that he could have a healthier lifestyle. How cheeky :)

Shameless

2009-12-27T21:20:00.001-08:00

It has been how many months since a blog update?!

I've had many failed attempts to consistently document my life and I think a part of it stems from not being able to really appreciate everything that goes on in my life. All the little nuances go by, unchecked and are somehow then stored into the back of my mind. Looking back, these past few months have been quite an adventure!

Let's recap some events in November alone:

1. Rolling the world's longest California roll (11/08/09)
2. Birthday with the apt buddies(11/10/09)
3. Thanksgiving! (11/26/09)
oh! and some fun knitted pals too:

ok! So our adventure begins with rolling the world's longest California Roll in honor of the 50th anniversary of the SE Asian Studies Department at Cal. The rolling stations stretched all across Sproul Plaza, past Sather Gate to measure a whopping 330 ft! And boy was I lucky to be part of it! :)

Synchrony was essential for accomplishing this feat! The coordinators chanted "connect, lay, roll, finish" to get us into the pulse of sushi rolling. We had some rain spells a few days earlier, so luckily it was dry and sunny (wet sushi doesn't really sound appetizing).

OK! and then for my birthday, we had a lovely party with the apt-mates and a couple of friends. We had pizza, chocolate-ginger cupcakes, movie, games and a whole lot of laughter and fun. Turning 20 and entering a new decade was actually a little anticlimactic. I guess as we get older, birthdays become a bit jaded. So to spice things up a bit....I got my cartilage pierced. and I'm actually growing on it :)

and last but not least, November is not complete without THANKSGIVING!

It was quite a feast with the Pao's, the CL's and the Tsangs (us). Ni really outdid herself with a loaf of sourdough bread (SOOOO GOOOD!), pecan pie, and apple blackberry pie. I made a mashed sweet potato with fresh ginger, coconut milk and macadamia nuts. For the proteins: apple-braised turkey, prime rib, and clams. Veggies: roasted vegetables. and Appetizer: HK-style potato salad. We were also lucky enough to have Mei Yee over too! It was a lot of fun cooking and eating together.

And so, I guess blogging helps me realize how fruitful my life really is and all that I really should be appreciative of! I'm going to commit to myself and continue blogging! onward ho!!

donut crave

2009-09-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

I've had a mad craving for donuts. And sadly to say, despite the structural similarity, bagels don't really make the cut. In any case, I've not been able to blog for a while mainly because I've been away in China! It was a ton of fun and I learned a lot on that trip. I went to Jinan University　（暨南大学）　in GuangZhou....good days wish good food and good fun. But looking back on it now, I feel really lonely especially now that school has begun. I just feel that I have nothing except my books. Not even yummy donuts to munch on :(.

Last week, I tried to go on a donut run around the area only to be met with utter disappointment: the donut shop had run out of business. Sadness...yes

BIG.little...aLL aMaZiNG!

2009-07-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

Some people say good things come in small packages--like these little friends!

Meet Carmela and Christina (L-R: as named by the lovely Melody). They are the amigurumi dolls that I've been working on. Christina is obvious a bear...what is Carmela?
It's actually a bunny but I think it looks like a naked chiuhuahua. Carmela has a little outfit to hide its nakedness. I guess I shouldn't have used that bright of a pink color.It is a gift for my aunt because bunnies are supposed to be her lucky animal; she calls it a rat. Our cousin Charlie thought it was a kangaroo. I suppose its true identity is a chameleon since no one is really quite sure what kind of creature it is!I also made Carmela a little hat to complete its outfit. Along the way is another friend:
This is the unnamed elephant that I'm working on for Melody. The yarn that I'm using for it was the one that I bought from Article Pract last week on our hooky/sister adventure in Emeryville and Oakland. Soon it shalled be stuffed and loved. I still need to get some washers for eyes...I've been using beads and they kind of make the stuffed creatures look creepy. Soon soon...my amigurumi will be cute looking

BUT!!! the saying "the bigger, the better" also speaks some truth. Today we went to check out the new Berkeley Bowl that recently opened in West Berkeley. It's located near the Sharffen Berger Factory (how sad...it's closed :( ) and it is HUGE!!! Its organic produce section alone is probably 2/3 the size of the produce section at the older location on Oregon St. I especially liked walking through the nectarine/peaches section. smelled SOOOO good. And the prices are relatively nice as well; we spent less than $35 on 18 items, which included berries and cheese (aka not cheap eats). It was also pretty organized and nicely arranged...lovely colors and brightness everywhere! At the end of our shopping trip, we just kind of walked up and down the cookie/sweets aisle pondering what sort of baked goods Ni and I would conjure up next :). Nonetheless, the endless varieties of apples alone kind of created a sensory overload and I left with a bit of a headache. It's definitely a place that must be explored on multiple trips.

But I went home and continued working on my little friends. Small things certainly have a value in and of themselves.

One week down...

2009-06-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

It has been a week since my mom has ventured to hk with her sister. So far, we have fared pretty well! We aren't starving; we are bathed; and we are living relatively peacefully. Ni and I just about bike everywhere and are feeling like true East Bay-ers minus the hella/hecka business (what's up with that?!)

Doubly lucky for us, we have nice cousins who live close by :). They stopped by on Friday to give us some groceries, cake, and champagne to celebrate our survival and Cheryl's Birthday...well, mostly the latter ;)

It was a great way to finish a great sissy day :).
Our agenda was simple: to watch UP and whatever else we felt. Ni and I played hooky from work and took Mel out of her after-school summer program to go to Emeryville.
Our adventure actually included a lot of waiting time:
...at the bus stop; at the bart
But we eventually made it to Emeryville without a moment to spare! Just in time for the 10:10 screening of UP. It was a really cute movie and had a really sweet ending. I was really amazed by the details that went into the animation and it sparked some pretty good discussion afterward as we walked around. We did a little bit of shopping (window and actual) and had lunch at Rubio's and dessert at Ikea ($1 frozen yogurt!--how can we resist?). haha On the way back to Berkeley, we walked through Oakland along Telegraph and stopped by Article Pract and bought some yarn. I'm really excited about the yarn so that I can start Mel's amigurumi elephant :)
And well, all good things must come to an end. But I'm glad that the end was a sweet one with chocolate cake, bubbly champagne, strawberry macaroons and smiles.

baby strawberries!!

2009-06-27T21:24:00.000-07:00

Today we had fun playing with the baby strawberries that grew in our backyard. They weren't very sweet but smelled really nice! I love the smell of strawberries. It's has such a pleasant scent of fruity freshness, unlike the smell of citrus or watermelon (those are two fruits that kind of make me queasy to smell).

Because they weren't very tasty, we decided to play with our food! Why not?! Such lovelies should not go to waste. :)

Ode to the Strawberry

Oh strawberry, how delightful you are!

You nurture us with your delectable, amazing fruit
You humor us with your edible seeds.
We only wish we could be as lovely as you.

Sweet Surprise

2009-06-21T18:17:00.001-07:00

In our household, we are extremely glad that Father's Day only comes once a year. This is mainly because my dad has an odd idea of what it means to be a father. In short, I believe he gets clues from old TV sitcoms where the perceived-to-be-uncool dad plays Mr. Tough to keep the rebellious shenanigans in line which, during the process, becomes the character for comic relief. But life isn't as funny as the sitcoms make them to be.

Anyways, I started my day missing breakfast because I had to tend to his dietary needs of red bean toast with strawberry jam and an egg over easy. Then I washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen with my sisters as he lamented how disrespectful children are these days that how people, unlike himself, just don't know how to think. I beg to differ. After wards, he sent us to do some yard work, pulling out some pretty defiant weeds in the backyard. Luckily, he is an injured man and let us be. Just as I was feeling that this day would turn out to be pretty bleak, this is what we found:

Baby strawberries growing in our very own backyard! I took this to be an optimistic symbol of the silver lining behind every gray cloud and a note conveying that everything will be alright. As much as I regret not having a better day, what has happened has happened and there is nothing to do about it except move forward. My older sister is very mature about topics like these, and my younger sister celebrated the situation by eating a strawberry.
Cheers to the glitters of hope that sustains us!

Bolinas Beach

2009-06-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

According to Professor Rich, a lab education is never complete without a Bolinas Beach bonfire! And what a fun experience it was, especially since it was my first time going to the beach since moving up here. Bolinas is a cute little town on the other side of the bay and the drive to there was extremely picturesque. The roads were a bit windy but the view was amazing with trees, mountains and aquatic entities (lagoons, marshes....i'm not quite sure). It was amazing how quickly the landscape changed from a city to a "wilderness".

Bolinas itself seemed like a really close knit community with loads of dogs. Robert, Vicki, Natalie, and I walked around a bit and came across this artist's shrine.

We also came across this funny little dog who got itself stuck on top of a phone booth. How it got there...we have no idea; how it'll get down...same story!

In any ways, we had a lot of fun walking around the beach, enjoying the view, playing with Francis the dog, and hanging with a lot of Dutch/lab people. We grilled corn on the cob and hot dogs (which were delicious!). I like hot dogs that are a bit warty from the high heat and the dog that I had was a chicken mango sausage and it was really really good. but then again, it's tastiness may have been due to the ambiance. There were some garden burgers too but they were not as successful as the hot dogs on staying on the grill. There was sand, champagne, cheese and crackers. It was a fun fete! cheers to summer!! :)

how much is a brain worth?

2009-06-19T11:54:00.001-07:00

This is my brain :) I'm quite proud of it. Way back in March, I volunteered to be a subject for Nola's fMRI study and it was really fun to lie down in the machine and do little tasks. It was actually a sleepy experience (from the strong magnetic field(???)) and at the end, I wished that my bed could be like that because sometimes I have difficulty falling asleep. HAHA Anyways, I was compensated quite well for this fun experience which allowed me to afford:

...a lunch at Gregoire's with ninili. (she also did an fMRI study for Dav on the day that we had a picnic luncheon)

and this is what was on the menu; Bay Scallop Quesadillas and a garden salad:

and basically....i think ni can be a spokesmodel for gregoire's! Look at that--thumbs up and all. It was a yummy and adventuresome day as we tried two very new things and were able to proudly say (in a quite literal fashion as well), "look what my brain can do!"

Come What May:

2009-06-15T10:48:00.000-07:00

Seeing as I haven't posted in nearly half a year, it's time to recollect and reflect on what exactly I've been doing with my life.

In short...I've been lazy lazy lazy and most utterly selfish for trying to keep all my experiences inside my head. Studies in memory show that overtime, things that we vividly recall (aka remember) degrade over time to become things that we just happen to know as facts. I don't want my "youth" to eventually become facts--I would like to hold on to those moving pictures in my mind as long as possible.
THUS! I am making a summer resolution to photograph my life thereby priming memories into picturesque being. :)

Cheers to that!

ooh ooh ahh ahh yum

2009-01-19T21:06:00.000-08:00

I've always thought that brunches were kind of odd...mainly because I usually get up too early to appreciate it (I'm practically starving by the time it comes around!!) Brunch foods are also kind of odd because they are essentially really large breakfasts but not small lunches. For example, it's permissible to have french toast at brunch but not macaroni and cheese. Yes. I think that's the general consensus haha. But since we have been planning on going to Guerilla Cafe for several weeks now, I decided to force myself to sleep in and it was well worth it :)

Guerilla Cafe is located in North Berkeley across the street from one of my favorite places: elephant pharmacy. The outer decor is sparce but the insides are bustling! Maybe it's because of the small eating area or because you can see the people cooking and plating your food. In any case, there is a warm and comforting ambiance and the place smells amazing! They have a special "Waffle of the Day" but we opted out of it...mainly because I'm afraid of poppy seeds and oranges....and those were the 2 flavors. So instead, we ordered the Mediterranean Egg Plate and the Cinammon Challah Toast with a spicy hot chocolate and a coffee for mother dearest.

Let's just say that the camera lasted until when the hot chocolate came and then all was put away to dig in....guerilla style!

ni's 21st bday. part 2

2009-01-05T11:51:00.000-08:00

part 2 on the actual day DECEMBER 30, 2008!!!!

Sharkfin soup

Scallops and french bread soaked in scallop juice

Prime Rib and potatos

champagne because she can

apple tart

ni is quite the carnivoire haha with expensive taste. I reckon this meal was worth...actually i'm not that good with money so i can't really say. but it was probably a lot better of an eat at home than at a restaurant! Nothing beats mom's cooking :D

the day began pretty well too! we went to sf, did a little shopping for her while she ice skated in embarcadero with a friend. We had to rush back though to begin cooking the Prime Rib.But the meal actually began a few days earlier!the shark fin soup had been brewing for a couple of days already so the chicken stock was rich and the soup very very flavorful. Sharkfin soup is quite good and warm. :D

And of course! Dessert inspired by Cheryl and Charlie's visits! Everytime they come over for dinner, they bring a tart from La Farine; a little bakery in Albany. Ni usually has an ice cream cake for her bday...a tradition that lasted maybe a little over half of her life/a decade/a really long time! She was really funny in picking the tart. The part that she really likes is the custard so she didn't really mind what the fruit topping was, so long as it had the custard filling! I liked the tart too and we also had some Godiva chocolate. it was a good bday dinner :D

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NINILI!!!

ni's 21st bday. part 1

2009-01-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

Ni turned 21 this year on December 30th. and it was a saga that began a day before. We trekked out to Berkeley (bus+bart+feet) to eat at Gregoire, a fancy take-out eaterie in the gourmet ghetto up in North Berkeley. It's infamous for its potato puffs and it always smells really good. I used to stop and sniff whenever walking back to the apt after class. Their menu changes monthy and December seemed like a pretty tasty month (although January looks just as good...if not more!)

We also wanted to try it out to get the cute little takeout boxes :D. The only bad thing is that there isn't any real sitting area around the actual place but not to worry! there is a little food court about a couple of blocks away so we went up there to eat.

Actually deciding what to eat was a bit difficult. The potato puffs was a no brainer but I'll have to admit that it's overrated. We also got the chanterelle mushroom quiche and the smoked salmon, fingerling potato salad wrapped in grilled lavash. see the yummyness?!

it actually tasted really REALLY good! and the serving sizes were very appropriate (we actually ordered too much) both the quiche and the salmon wrap were pretty rich and we both decided that Gregoire deserves a trip #2...but we will have to hold off for a while; we just got back from a trip to Vancouver and had a bit too too much to eat in general.

too bad the cupcake shop was closed too! they were on their holiday break or else i would have bought ni a cupcake for her birthday. i think she enjoyed our lunch though. we were very full and walked all around berkeley to help digest haha

a shortcut to mushrooms

2009-01-05T11:10:00.000-08:00

Mimi gave us a mushroom log to cultivate our own shitake mushrooms! after several days of misting and other mushroom-ly activities, we have harvested our first two!

and then we sauteed them and ate them! they were quite delicious....now we have to dry out the mushroom block for two more weeks before we can begin the cycle again. Mimi says that there are usually more spores in the second harvest. I'm excited to see how it turns out!

Forrest in Santa Monica

2008-07-23T22:12:00.000-07:00

I didn't have to work on Tuesday (staff-only day), so I decided to take the day to explore some more of LA. With the help of some of my friends, I was able to visit....that's right. The world famous Santa Monica Pier. It was reminescent of Santa Cruz's boardwalk. There was a roller coaster, a ferris wheel, and arcade room, carnival games, and a great view of the Pacific Ocean, right along a long plank of wood. And it smelled amazing! Of ice cream, waffle cones, churros, some other fried delights. The pier was tantalizing to the eyes and noes. But alas, it fell short of the mouth.

By the time we all successfully met up (the bus took me right up to the pier), we were HUNGRY! and spotted this cute little restaurant, inspired by Forrest Gump. Bubba Gump was richly decorated with movie memorabilia including posters and quotes scribbled on the walls and tables. Our waitress even did a little trivia quiz with us, which Austen aced!! Our prize? the water. Kind of lame, but fun at the same time.

And the food? Forrest Gump probably cooked it himself. I got the grilled Fishwich which was extremely greasy and overwhelmed the texture and flavor of the sandwich. The bread was soft and the fish was flaky to the touch but to the mouth, it wasn't very flavorful. Austen's pasta didn't appeal to her either. None of us rightly finished our meals except for the Mels. Mm got fried shrimp and Melanie got a burger (but she didn't really enjoy it). Nonetheless, the decor and fine company made up for the meal. Then we walked around the pier, took pictures and ventured off to Third Street Promenade! I had loads of fun and only wished that we could have stayed longer and shopped more! The stored were absolutely large in a Mary Poppins kind of context. haha

Seeing Red

2008-07-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had an adventure around Mei's apartment. While the day started out a dark brown, it ended red--in the best sense!
After having tried The Coffee Bean, I decided to check out the local Peet's. I ordered a cafe au lait, and rushed to grab any available seat. I was pleasantly suprised by the atmosphere of the little cafe. It was literally bustling. I didn't expect much at first because it was located next to a car wash and a tire shop across the street. While there was no patio seating, there was still ample opportunity to people watch. It also brought me straight back to the Peet's right by the Den up at school. The decor was very similar and the people that were there had similar purposes; to wind down even though it was the start of the day. Except for the kids that wanted to leave ASAP to catch Saturday morning cartoons, the people there shared my philosophy about breakfast. It's meant to be slow as a deep breath before the hectic happenings of a day takes place. ahhhh. Besides the eclectic gathering of people, I loved the HUGE display of pastries. Mmmm I wanted to eat them all.

Then, after lunch, I headed out to Westside Pavilion to do some window shopping which sadly became actual shopping. The good news? I got 2 (that's right TWO!) samples from See's. The bad news? $$ gone AND See's chocolate isn't all too yummy (waaay too sweet). After shopping for a while, I got hungry and so, I headed out along Pico BLVD to see what I could eat for dinner. And then, I spotted this :
A Thai restaurant; Chilli Thai. I've only had Thai food once in my life and thought, "heck why not again?" So I went inside and sat myself down. It was like Peet's in that the interior atmosphere and decor completely contrasted the outward appearance. It reminded me of a cottage and it was cutely decorated. All the tables had some sort of pink tablecloth underneath with a white lace placemat. Each table had a china set of dipping sauces and the wooden wall was lined with cottage-appropriate mirrors. After perusing the menu, I decided on the vegetarian red curry. Why red? Well, after looking it up on Wikipedia, red curry uses the red chili pepper so it should have a sweeter, spicier taste than the yellow curry. While all the curries (red, green, yellow) have similar ingredients, it's how it's prepared that also affects the overall taste and consistency of the curries.
Anyways back to the meal, when my curry came with a bowl of jasmine rice, I was glad because it was steaming and I was hungry. The melange of veggies were baby bok choy, baby corn, peas, carrots, basil, water chestnuts, and broccoli. The curry was sweet, creamy from the coconut milk, and slightly spicy with the heat being more of an aftertaste. It was good to say the least. The table next to me also got veggie spring rolls which looked pretty good. And next time I eat Thai food, I will go with a bunch of people so that I can order and taste more dishes!

And for dessert! I took a little walk to Red Mango and got a frozen yogurt with blueberries. Red Mango has a sweeter taste and thicker consistency than Pinkberry does and the blueberries were not fresh at all; they were frozen and not completely thawed. While the tagline is "treat yourself well" I did not feel like this was a huge treat. It was more of an "eh" and I would have preferred a different type of frozen delight. Nonetheless, it sufficed for my frozen yogurt craving, but I would not be venturing there again.

All in all, I had a good adventuresome day!

People Watching

2008-07-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

Nothing goes better than a cup of caffeinated delight than an outside sitting area/ patio to watch people drink their drinks, chat, and do their own business. Having received a Coffee Bean gift card yesterday from Ryan, I went and got a cappucino there this morning with a book to read and a notebook to write.
The cappucino was just par. Perhaps, not even par; it tasted mostly of steamed milk with a subtle hints of expresso. But going out and watching the people was definitely worth it. I saw some old Jewish men chatting over a muffin (although they ddin't really eat it...kosher?), a bunch of Persian ladies eating eggs with their own salt and pepper, and an old man who ate his bagels with cream cheese and honey sans the actual bread on the inside.

People watching is like bird watching. I like being able to look at others, wonder what they are doing and make a story about them in my mind that fits my odd contextual universe.

it's good pho you

2008-07-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

I have always mostly considered Vietnamese food a treat and for a while, whenever we went out with our mom, she would take us to eat Pho. And Pho actually tastes different depending on who prepares it for you. Back in Fullerton, a lot of the Pho restaurants were owned by Koreans so the broth had garlic, loads of onions and great hot sauces on the side. And my dad has been to some Pho houses in DC and he said that they were prepared by Chinese and so there was also a distinct flavor there. I'm not really sure how true Vietnamese food tastes like, but Le Saigon was pretty good.
The restaurant was small, but cozy...an intimate type of atmosphere. I'm not too sure where the French flair fell into play besides the menu (it wasn't the typical greasy, one-page Asian menus...you know what I'm talking about) and the BYOB concept. Oh and it was a bit pricey of a bowl of noodles...about $8, but it's LA. Nonetheless, what I absolutely loved about our dining experience with the cousins was not only their company, but also looking at what other people were eating.

BUT FIRST!! what we ate:
Tina and I both got soup noodle. I went for my Vietnamese usual: Pho with well-done brisket while Tina got a chicken-base Pho. She said that the taste is distinct from the typical beef broth and Mei concurred with that. There were onions, scallions, and cilantro with of course the side plates of bean sprouts, lime and basil. It was really good! The beef was creamy and literally melted in your mouth and the noodles were thinner than what I am usually used to and it held the broth pretty well. It was flavorful, but didn't leave a nasty aftertaste in the mouth like some other places that I have been to. It was also really filling--I wasn't able to finish it.

Jill also had noodles, but it was a dry dish that also came with imperial rolls, grilled pork, and that vinegary sauce to pour over the noodles. It had peanuts, or else I would have tried it! It looked really good though and of course, we finished the evening with yummy Pinkberry. I like my yogurt with just blueberries. Why blueberries you may ask? Well, because that's the most individual pieces of fruit per order. haha but pinkberry is always really generous with the toppings. mmm.

Anyways, like I was saying, I saw some other people were making their own rolls with rice-paperlike wraps and choices of their fillings which included bean sprouts, carrots, basil, meat or tofu and it looked really good. Perhaps this is a lesson to step out of my comfort level and try new things out of my "usual" or "ordinary". Perhaps this was the French aspect of the restaurant in their way of saying "c'est la vie"

Brownies for Mei

2008-07-08T16:56:00.000-07:00

Mei is the personification of a workaholic. She's always busy doing things...her own things, other people's things; play things, boring things; all sorts of things.

So I thought it was fine time to do something for her too. I went to Ralph's where I used my free Betty Crocker's Cake Mix coupon to get a box of good old brownies and transform it into a healthier batch of chocolate goodness.

+= :D

Following the directions on the box(mostly), I cut out an egg, replaced it with a scoop of yogurt, put in almonds and some yummy strawberries. The end result was a really moist, perhaps too moist, fudgy creation. It also had a nice fudgy taste to it. I thought it was good, but I wished it was more solid. HAHA but these brownies would go extremely nicely with a glass of milk and a Gilmore Girls Marathon. oh dean ...

4 things i <3 about the 4th of jULY

2008-07-07T19:33:00.001-07:00

4th of July...Independence Day...long weekend(an oxymoron during summer when all days might as well be considered the weekend)

This year, it was more than that! It was Cheryl's briday shower and it also encapsulated all things that I like about the 4th of July :D

1.the beach

we began our adventures at the beach. Originally, we planned on spending the day in Malibu, but after hours of playing Mario Cart on Wii, the morning became noon, which became afternoon. Yes, the day got off to a lazy, hot start, but all was well--going out too early would mean longer exposure to UV rays. As we drove out with our dinner destination in mind (DUKE'S), we passed Malibu beach (which was already packed!) and continued driving until we hit Topanga beach. We brought out our cooler filled with water and grapes and lounged about for a while and soaked in some good, natural vitamin D. :D

2. FIREWORKS!
The fireworks show began in our mouths as we headed out to Duke's for some drinks and scouted out an ideal table to sit and watch the real fireworks. The decor of Duke's was more than appropriate. The beach smoothly transitioned into the interior of the restaurant, which was lined with windows facing the ocean. The servers were clad in casual beach wear with leis but the atmosphere was more of an upclass casual. While Duke's offered classic beach shack dishes(fish&chips, nachos, burgers...), the quality was far from it!

We ate and drank as we watched the waves crash and planned last minute details for Cheryl's wedding.

What did we eat? well:

the wine we had was a rocky rabbit sauvignon blanc. it was fruity, light and delicious with the fish

Appetizers:

Calamari sticks which were reminescent of cheesesticks, breaded and fried to a light crisp texture. I never really noticed how rich the actual squid could be!

Poke rolls were something new to me as I have never really had Hawaiian cuisine before. They were raw ahi sauteed with onions and wrapped in rice paper. i wonder what the sauce was...

Salad:

Hearts of Palm and Papaya. Light and delicious. I also learned that hearts of palm are white asparagus!

Entrees:

Mahi Mahi cooked firecracker style in tribute to the festive occasion. It was a filet of mahi mahi roasted with a chili, garlic, tomato rub with an avacado, black bean and onion salsa. I liked that the spiciness was actually an aftertaste.

Huli Huli chicken...a pseudonym for one of the best, fruitiest terryaki chickens that I have ever had! and it came with a rice and pinapple salsa. It was good! and there were definitely accents of some sweet fruit in the marinade. What I also loved was that this dish looked into Hawaiian culture and its Japanese influences.

Mango BBQ Ribs. Need I say more? Sweet, spicy (but not hot), and the ribs literally fell off the bone. I love pork. yes i do. pork chops, tenderloin, ribs.

Dessert:

HULA PIE! well, what is it?! it's a huge slice of ice cream cake: a thin oreo cookie crust, a huge mound of macadamia nut ice cream (with actual nuts in it!) covered with fudge, whipped cream and almond slivers. an extreme version of an ice cream sundae.

oh and the actual fireworks show was a huge bang! we did leave out table spot to go back out to the beach and held each other as we oooohed and ahhhed :D

3. BBQ'S!

the next day as the rest of the crew went to the spa, I helped yee ma prep for the BBQ which was a fusion of Korean and American styles. We went to the Korean supermarket to pick up the key ingredients (aka the meat) and was assisted by the butcher to create more authentic flavors to the meat as well as some advice on side dishes.

We had potato salad, spicy-tart cucumbers, radishes, as well as bought seaweed, anchovies and squid, Korean short ribs, chicken, roasted veggies, corn, and dry-rubbed spare ribs. It was good.

4. Family

good eats

2008-06-30T20:33:00.001-07:00

so right now, i'm watching good eats on the food network and thinking about the good eats that i have had over the past 2 weeks.

GOOD EATS #1

Friday, 6/20--Boba and Corner Bakery

So I took a bus, train adventure to the OC and hung out w/ X and SK. mmhmm it was fun and tasty! It was extremely hot that day and all we really wanted to do was drink boba at Tastea, read magazines at Borders, stay in air-conditioned environments and eat Corner Bakery. Everytime we hang out, we go to the block. and everytime we go to the block, we have to eat at Corner Bakery. And what did we get?...the usual! Santa Fe Ranch Salad and a Chicken Pomodoro Panini. But it was late, SK had to go, so we took it to go...

The Santa Fe Ranch Salad (which I like to eat without the ranch part) is a large lettuce salad tossed with chicken, corn, tomato, onions and of course tortilla chips. MMMM :D

The Chicken Pomodoro Panini was melted cheesy heaven. The bread was nice and toasty with grilled chicken, mayonnaise, cheese, spinach and tomato.

Then I went over to X's, we chatted the night away until it was the am and watched memoirs of a geisha. i was extremely content that day :)

GOOD EATS #2

Thursday, 6/26--Tina's Bday and welcome mommy dinner

So I had been craving sushi and Japanese food for FOREVER! and so that night, Jill took us to Hide Sushi on Sawtelle. It was pretty good. Usually there are lines out the door, but that night, we decided on an early dinner so when we got there, there were plenty of tables available. The five of us had loads of sushi and a grilled yellowtail collar which was meaty and delicious. But here is the break down:

I got an unagi, cucumber roll. The special unagi sauce was slightly sweet and the eel was roasty and creamy. I really like eel and cucumber and sushi rice so this was my cup of tea...speaking of tea though, I didn't like how the restaurant didn't offer any kind of tea! but that was ok, b/c

My mom got a chirashi, like her usual. It came with octopus, salmon,
tuna, yellowtail, egg, and shrimp. it didn't have roe like it usually does, and it gave a lot of rice. but the little sushi that was offered was really fresh.

Mei got a tuna and salmon sashimi dish, Tina got a salmon-skin handroll, and Do got a tempora dinner. The portions were not large, which I appreciated, and the prices were reasonable but there weren't the typical Japanese appetizers and the menu was a bit limited. The restaurant was also cash only but all in all, it wasn't bad Japanese food. Especially because i wanted it for a while!

The rest of the weekend was also delicious. Mommy, Do and I went to the LA Farmer's Market where we shared a bibimbap and each ate delicious home-made ice cream cones. mmm and then we had a typical Taiwanese breakfast of long thingie, fried thingie and wrapped thinige (in Do's lingo), we ate at Red Ant, had shabu shabu with Jessica and Calvin and this weekend felt long in a good way, and it was yummy :D So mommy and Do went back today and I miss them already :(

until next time! this weekend has been...

GOOD EATS! dun dun dun!

viva la havana!!!

2008-06-12T16:27:00.001-07:00

mmm Cuban food. I have never had Cuban food before, but I did do a bit of research on Wikipedia before heading out to Versailles with Jill and Omid. While the restaurant shares its name with the grand French palace, it doesn't fall short of the name on taste. The little restaurant had a rustic/traditional feel to it...it was decorate with a red motif(...communism??) and had a strong ethnic flavor.

SPEAKING of flavor!! i thought it was delicious!

Versailles offers many traditional Cuban dishes including the "Moors and Christians" black beans and rice, beef stews, and uses authentic spices. After perusing the menu several times, I debated between the roasted shredded pork dish and the house-specialty chicken dish. I eventually settles on the shredded pork which I was completely satisfied with. But, I will definitely return to sample the other offerings on the menu. Not only were the flavors rich, but the portions were HUGE! And it all came with some fried plantains and black beans

This is the dish that I ordered is called Lechon Asado which is a Classic Cuban-style Roasted shredded pork that was marinated in Versailles' garlic mojo criollo sauce. It had a tangy, yet sweet and smoky flavor that went well with the sweetness of the white onions and rice.

Jill ordered an oxtail stew(Rabo Encendido), which was really tender and seasoned really well. The combination of spices included some sorts of pepper but it wasn't hot spicy. It definitely had strong Hispanic flavors to it, but my palate is for sure not broad enough to differentiate what those ingredients were. It really made for a hearty meal that's for sure! I personally really like oxtail stew, especially my mom's which is braised in red wine, sweet soy sauce, olive oil, and star anise. Mmm look at those huge bones. don't you just want to suck on them?!?!?

Omid stuck with his usual, Lomo Salteado which is kind of like beef stew. It was chunks of bite-size rib-eye steak simmered in a tomato-based sauce with onions and bell peppers with fried potatoes on the bottom. I think it's very similar to the Puerto Rican beef dish that I had with Jessica but this dish was a bit more hearty. I liked the texture of the beef: it was really tender and slightly chewy. The tomato-base sauce also had the undertones as the oxtail stew (which are probably base spices used in Cuban cuisine). I only had a bite, but it was really rich and delicious :D

MMMMM and the fried plantains were yummy :D they were like soft, firm, banana chips. And then afterwards, Jill and I saw a production of High School Musical done by several of her students. It was a great fete considering that all of the performers have Autism or Aspergers!

food for thought

2008-06-08T22:09:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I fed my stomach and eyes with cousin Jessica!

We shall begin with the literal foods first:

Friday: PERUVIAN FOOD! at a hidden little restaurant in Eagle Rock. We ordered a ceviche mixto, half of a Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, and a Lomo Saltado.

The ceviche was extremely light and refreshing and consisted of fish, clams, shrimp, and octopus all marinated in lime juice. The marinade also had a hint of cilantro and spices so it was sour but slightly sweet with a little kick.

The chicken was really moist and yummy and the lomo saltado was beef sauteed with onions, tomatoes and french fries. It was good. and all of it came with a green mayonnaise and a spicy brown sauce. yummy :D

Saturday: .HUNTINGTON LIBRARY~! (the other kind of food)

Jessica, Calvin and I visited the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens and it was really fun! The estate is extremely large and each garden/exhfbit felt like a portal to a whole different world. We looked at the mansion, the Japanese Gardens (according to ni, parts of Memoirs of a Geisha were filmed there), the Chinese Gardens (which are yet to be completed), the Rose Gardens, the Statue Gardens, and the Library. Huntington bought the Gutenberg Bible for $50,000 in 1911! Can you believe that?! I hardly could! He was extremely wealthy b/c he owned the railroad system and he married his aunt. those two facts are a bit unrelated but oh well.

My favorite part would have to be the Japanese garden. I was suprised at just how large and extensive it was! It included a bonsai garden, a dry landscape one, a huge koi pond, bridges, and a tea house. It was aethestically pleasing, breezy, and seemed to cover a lot of cultural aspects of the small island country.

Then we ended the day with Pho and Pinkberry. Pinkberry good :D

SUNDAY: DIM SUM w/ ting ting and zhou.

the classic stuff. it was good to eat and nice to see them. ting ting had a very nice dress on. but i didn't have my camera, so no pics :(

dinner date with the cousins in LA!

2008-06-04T21:12:00.000-07:00

Enough of my recipes...tonight we ate at Gyu-Kaku, a Japanese BBQ restaurant that provided a unique dining experience...basically you cook your own food! It was yummy and it was fun to chill with aja and mei :D It's located near Pico and Westwood along with a lot of other restaurants and a frozen yogurt shop that rivals the deliciousness of Pinkberry, called Red Mango.

We ordered a spicy tuna salad, basil chicken, miso beef, bacon-wrapped asparagus, and garlic fried noodles. And of course, it came with an appetizer dish of bean sprouts, daikon radishes, eggplant and spinach--all seasoned with an Asian taste. The dipping sauces provided also nicely complemented the meats--there was a sweet soy sauce, a spicy-vinegar, and a citrus-y soy sauce. I liked the spicy one the best.

I liked that we were able to cook our own food. Also, the grill provided excellent warmth, but I wish we had better direction from the servers. Although it was fun, we did burn some of our meats :( however, it didn't take away too much from the dinner because the company was great! We sat at the counter and we could see the cooks busily preparing dishes from behind the bamboo counter. The restaurant also had a really relaxing ambience, especially because the light was dimmed. All in all, it was an excellent first outing in LA!

strawberry scones

2008-06-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

A continuation from last time...the dessert portion that became breakfast :D

Strawberry Scones

Ingredients:
-2 cups of flour
-1 tablespoon of baking powder
-½ teaspoon of salt
-2 tablespoons of sugar
-5 tablespoons of unsalted butter (COLD and cut into chunks)
-1 cup of heavy cream
-1 cup of fresh strawberries diced up

Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Sift together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar)
3. Using 2 forks, chop up the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse crumbs
4. Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream
5. Fold to incorporate and do not overwork the dough! Then fold in the strawberries.
6. Press the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle and cut the dough into triangles or squares
7. Place the scones on an ungreased sheet and brush the tops with some heavy cream
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. AND THEN EAT AND ENJOY. Yummmm :D

dinner and dessert for mommy <3

2008-05-30T13:17:00.000-07:00

So I told my mom that I would cook for her last night because she always comes home so tired. But in order to cook something...I had to plan a menu! and it was:
Eggplant Rollatini with homemade roasted tomato sauce and Strawberry Scones for dessert (and breakfast!)

I began this cooking adventure busing and barting to Berkeley to go and buy groceries. I had lunch at Cafe Intermezzo with my sister and we had a massive veggie delight salad. Then we walked to Berkeley Bowl (top chef season 1 shopped there haha) to get ingredients for the roasted tomato sauce:
Ingredients:
-3 lbs of tomatoes (I used large ones and roma ones)
-1 medium onion
-2 large carrots
-4 cloves of garlic
-olive oil
-salt and pepper
-thyme, basil, rosemary

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Cut tomatos in 1/2 (remove the stems), slice the onion and chop the carrots into bite size pieces. Smash and mince the garlic.
Toss the vegetables together with olive oil to coat and season with salt and pepper and herbs.
Lay the mixtue onto a large flat baking pan with tomatos face down. Bake until the veggies are tender (45-60 min).
When tender, remove the skins from the tomatoes and put the mixture (juices and all) into a blender. Pulse until desired texture.

Then I placed the sauce into a pot, and tasted it...reseasoned it. I also added eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms for an extra chunky sauce. and then I moved to work on the eggplant rollatini:
Ingredients
-large eggplant
-1/2 cup of part-skim ricotta cheese
-1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
-1 egg
-1 clove of minced garlic
-salt, pepper

Procedure:

1. Slice eggplant length-wise so that they are about 1/4 inch thick
2. Season w/ salt and pepper then steam them until they are pliable...pat dry
3. In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta and parmesan cheeses, egg, garlic and salt and pepper
4. In a baking dish, cover the bottom of the dish with the sauce.
5. Place a spoonful of the cheese mixture onto the eggplant slices and roll them up. Place the rolled eggplant onto the sauce in the baking dish, seam side down.
6. Continue until no more eggplant slices! Then top the eggplants with some more sauce.
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

MEANWHILE, I made spagetthi noodles to eat with the sauce and the rollatini. It was good :D But i wasn't able to take any pics b/c my hands were occupado. haha
and now...for dessert! Strawberry Scones:

or maybe another time!

blueberry muffins

2008-05-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, so muffins are usually notorious for being extremely delicious but also extremely fatty. BUT! with this recipe you can have the best of both worlds :D

This recipe also came with an adventure! So Melody didn't go to school today so I had to entertain her. We went on a walk and after our walk...we baked! Except we didn't have muffin holders so we made a loaf of blueberry bread instead.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

2 teaspoons of baking powder

a pinch of salt

3/4 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of vegetable oil

1 egg

4/3 cup of blueberry flavored yogurt (2 6-oz containers...we used yoplait)

1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans or chocolate chips or all of those!

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In another large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, egg, and yogurt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Fold mixture 10 times. AND ONLY 10 TIMES!!

Add the nuts/chocolate chips/both to the mixture and fold 3 more times. It'll look like flour-y mush but that's correct! RESIST THE URGE TO MIX ANYMORE!

Pour batter 2/3 full into greased muffin pans.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown on top and until it aces the toothpick test.

FOR BREAD....

Steps 1-6 are the same.

Pour batter into a greased loaf pan

Bake for 45 minutes.

it looks like this: and it tastes moist and yummy and blueberry :D

blueberry brownies

2008-05-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

This recipe is just as rich and delicious as regular brownies, but it's extremely low in fat (no butter or eggs) so you can eat it with even more enjoyment!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of flour
2/3 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons of corn starch
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
a pinch of salt
2/3 cup (a 6 oz container) of blueberry flavored yogurt
OPTIONAL: chopped walnuts and chocolate chips....quantity to your desire :D

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350
Sift dry ingredients into a bowl (sugar counts as a "dry ingredient" in this recipe)
Make a little well and pour the yogurt in it.
Mix together with a fork (or your hands). At this point, you may also add the walnuts and chocolate chips. It will be EXTREMELY thick.
Pour batter into a 8x8 baking pan and spread evenly.
Bake for 20-30 minutes (until you can stick in a toothpick and only have a couple of crumbs on it)
Set out to cool, cut, and EAT!!!!

You can substitute the blueberry-flavored yogurt with any fruit flavored kind you like. Another variety to try is making it with vanilla yogurt and adding crushed oreos. it's really good because it comes out chewy. :D