snow falling on...

....BAILEY (aka Bubba)!

i cannot believe we had our very first major snowfall of the season this late! It was lovely to wake up to... the kind of snow that floats down to the ground in all its powdery glory. and then Bubba had to go pee and poop in it! HA!

from the kitchen

... mochiko muffins! i got the recipe from Mr. B, who baked these for my turkey dinner. i tried making them from scratch last weekend and they turned out awesome! [possibly better than Mr. B's... shhh....]


crisp on the outside. moist, chewy, and sweet on the inside. de-lish.

Happy Lunar New Year, ppls!

recap: the view

.... from within. it kinda sucked! haha... but it was pretty damn awesome to be surrounded by millions, eagerly anticipating the moment that President Obama was sworn in. you could feel the energy building despite the bitter cold.




at this point, i was so happy that i didn't even care that i was filming the sky most of the time. the crowd roared like no other... me included!

history in the making

an incredible day it was! witnessing such a historic moment in the midst of 2 million or so people from all over the country in 20 degree temps brought forth an emotional outpour. while all of us were jam packed into the Mall between the Capitol and the Washington Monument and beyond, there was an overwhelming sense of hope for the possibility of change and progression for this country and this world of ours. it wasn't just the US that held its breath upon the inauguration of Barack Obama, but also the world that awaited this change of power and politics.

my recap will come on another day. i'm exhausted from 10 hours of standing in below freezing temperatures w/ nothing in my stomach (my dog ate my breakfast) and a few txt msgs to fuel me throughout the day (thanks!), but here are a few photos...

holy cheeses!

http://www.cheesecupid.com

i've died and gone to heaven. well, not yet... maybe after i try some of these pairings.

If Gaza Falls...

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v31/n01/roy_01_.html

a good article written by Sara Roy, who teaches at the Harvard University Center for Middle Eastern Studies. it gives us a glimpse of the urgency of the situation within the confines of the Gaza strip.

when a territory and its people have absolutely no authority over its boarders, coastline, and airspace, how can it be autonomous? when Israel denies access into and out of Gaza, which includes denying humanitarian aid and food into the territory, how can Israel claim there is "no humanitarian crisis" ???? why is there even a debate? what ever happened to the role of the UN?

word of the day

Urban Dictionary's Word of the Day

birthday: // noun

The day I came out of a vagina

umm... ya think?

feel it coming

That’s it, I’m all better now
Spit up the last of what made me hurt
I feel light as a feather now
At last I finally know my worth

Thought I’d never learn to be alone
Open all the windows wide
Turn the ringer off the phone
Light my orange candles every night

And I’m wishing on a new moon
Something better’s coming
It’s coming soon….
I feel it coming, I feel it coming, I feel it coming...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
refreshing and inspiring... reminds me of how i felt that one summer day after a downpour in Cambridge... beauty finds its way in such varied ways...

Mochiko Goodness

*edit: this is the correct recipe! i gots a good memory. will post pics if and when i bake them.

must write down quickly before i forget!

Mochiko Muffin Recipe:

1 box of Mochiko
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 stick butter
2 cups milk
3 eggs
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1 can red bean paste (reserve)

mix dry ingredients together. mix wet ingredients together. add wet to dry. pour mixture into muffin pan, filling each cup halfway, add the bean paste and then fill the rest of the cup with the mixture. bake at 375 degrees for 30 mins.
A friend baked 20 muffins and brought them over. They were gone within the hour.
Delicious! moist! chewy! and not too sweet!

will confirm if this is the correct recipe. even if it's off by a little, it's mochiko so you can't fail completely (says the girl who often fails miserably at baking).

turkeyed out.

What a fabulous weekend of hot home cooked food, vino, and good company. I hosted my first turkey dinner on Saturday preparing the works for a crowd of 12 with the help of my trusty assistant - aka... little sis, J. I cooked my very first turkey which turned out succulent, juicy, well seasoned and just lovely. And I normally dislike turkey. a lot. When we host Thanksgiving dinner at our place, someone else always brings the turkey. Sometimes, the turkey is soggy or just plain dry and bland, which I'm sure many of you have experienced. It's a turn off and most people prefer chicken over turkey any day. But I was determined to prove to my guests that turkey could be a delectable experience with the right methods and some tender love and care.

I started scouring some recipes online but in the end, I had to be true to myself. I hate following recipes step by step, measurement by measurement.... I don't have the patience for it most of the time because cooking, to me, is about experimentation and deconstructing good food that I've tasted in the past. I've gotten to a point where I can list out the ingredients in food I taste so that I can throw it together in my own kitchen.... all of which is why cooking is such a liberating experience. It gives you the freedom to apply your palette, test your skills and have a little fun while you're at it.

So I won't give you an exact turkey recipe but a brief run down of the important stuff:

Started with a frozen 16 lb turkey, defrosted it in the fridge for a day and then defrosted the rest of it in a tub of water for another 5 hours. * Afterwards, instead of brining (letting the turkey sit in a salt bath to season), I covered the turkey in coarse Kosher salt and fresh ground peppercorn inside and out. * I left it in the fridge wrapped in plastic for 24 hours. The salt draws the natural juices of the turkey to the surface and perfectly seasons while keeping it juicy. * After a day of chillin' in the fridge, I washed the turkey, patted it dry and applied a butter herb marinade (2 sticks butter, fresh rosemary, sage, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper) under the skin of the turkey. (I felt like a surgeon doing this as it was quite messy and in need of a steady delicate hand when separating skin from flesh while spreading the marinade.)



I placed chopped apple, mushrooms, garlic, and celery, with a sprig of rosemary into the cavity before tying the legs together and sewing the cavity shut. (This also required surgeon hands.) * Afterwards, I salted and peppered the skin again, layed the rest of the chopped fruits and veggies around the bird and poured 2 cups of turkey stock into the pan. * It went into the oven preheated at 325 degrees and stayed in for about 3 hours and 10 minutes, basting every 45 minutes or so. * When the thickest part of the meat reached 160 degrees, it was done and I took it out of the oven to lay to rest for about 30 minutes while the juices redistributed throughout the bird.


(Please disregard the random feet that loom above the delicious turkey.)

The result: Fantabulous. Moist. Tender. Seasoned. It was damn good.

Along with the yummy turkey, the meal consisted of mushroom gravy from the drippings, mushroom-rosemary-apple-cornbread stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, wok seared green beans with sesame seeds, corn and green bean casserole (made by J!), candied yams, cranberry sauce, sweet potato tempura, gaht kimchee (made by Mom)... all from scratch, all within a span of 4 hours.

some more action photos:


Above: Sister J (sounds like a nun, no?) taking pride in her casserole. Below: Photo of me taken mid jump/dancing for joy and blinded by the flash. I danced to techno in the kitchen the whole day. No incriminating photos, thankyouverymuch.


Happy neighbors!

It was a lot of great food with tons of leftovers... def. a lot to make with just 2 pairs of hands in the kitchen but it was worthwhile. The best part of cooking is being able to share the goodness with friends and family, never without a bottle of wine of course, and always over good conversation, sprinkled with lots of laughter. This recipe is fail proof. :-) Cheers!

SHOOOOW ME THE BURGERS!!!!!!

funny enough, i have never been a huge fan of burgers. however, i will admit, they can be damn good on certain occasions. when i have my burger cravings ( like i'm having now), i'm looking to experience that mouth watering satisfaction that comes with each bite. food also allows me to revisit specific memories and good times. i think that's the greatest joy i get out of cooking and eating out with good company. these burgers are no exception. without further ado... a few reasons to start salivating...


1. Mmm..... White Castle. Greasy yet fluffy, laced with onions, a slice of dill pickle, ketchup and mustard, these little burgers are perfect for consumption in 4 bites or less. Did you know that White Castle was the first fast food burger joint in the US? WC opened its doors in Wichita, Kansas in 1921. Wichita??! I always think of the grand 'ole state of New Jersey when I see these slyders. (YEEEAH~~ Harold & Kumar!!!!) I must say, these are the perfect little late night snack after a night of drinking. Something about salt and grease remedies hangovers oh so beautifully. (note: the hairy hand pictured above is not mine, thank you very much.)



2. MMmmm.... the first time I ever had an In-N-Out Double Double, it was 9:30am. I was famished. And I sure as heck wasn't going to leave the west coast without having one of these famed burgers. Plus, my friend, HY, had RAVED about this joint for too long for me to pass up. De-light-ful. The fresh, made-to-order, slightly seasoned, juicy patties were def. the best fast food burger I had ever had. Hands down. No wonder there are so many fans out there. (Eh... They even sell In-N-Out paraphernalia.) I had such great food while I was in SF so I wasn't sure if we'd be able to fit a double double in but it was mos def. worth the 9am trip. Oh, what I would do to access an In-N-Out for lunch today! *stomach growl*



3. Mmmmm.... the first Five Guys opened their doors in 1986 in Arlington, VA but only began franchising in 2001 in the DC Metro area. I recall seeing the quick expansion of the burger joint in Northern VA and DC with lines out the door. They've begun further expansion into NYC (West Village) and other neighboring cities. A much better alternative to McD's or BK. Still fastfood. Still greasy. Still yummy. Difference is that it's all fresh, made to order, you can ask for any topping you want for free, and they serve complimentary peanuts while you wait. haha! Best eaten at the restaurant as the bun stays fluffy and soft and the fresh cut fries are still crispy and hot. I think the sizzling fries with malt vinegar is my favorite part of the experience. *drool*

The MMMmmm Factor:

White Castle: Mmmm....
In-N-Out: MMMMmmmmm...
Five Guys: Mmmmmm....

Hungry?

hello again!

i've decided that it's time for something new and different. i usually turn to blogging when i need to get rid of writer's block (or an excuse to procrastinate). i have found myself needing to write a lot these days for various projects so i also find myself increasingly trying to remedy the barriers that one faces by writing to a cyber audience... my tremendous and anxiously awaiting audience of all 4 (+ or -) of you! ...and mostly just verbal diarrhea but it always helps to unblock the junk up there (and yes, down there, too). wait, what are we talking about again?

so no, contrary to the title of my page, this will not be a blog full of all the juicy gossip i have stored in my head, but more of a page to share with all 4 of you my interests in food, cooking, traveling, politics, books, city/suburban life, etc and commentary. but come visit often enough and i'll have a juicy something or other. enjoy!

now onto something more serious:

President To Face Down Monster Attack, Own Demons In Action-Packed Schedule