jitlada

jitlada
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (9/143)
jitlada is as good as people say. if you want to begin to understand the nuances of thai food, i definitely recommend ordering from the southern thai (their specialty) menu on the last page. although i wanted to order one of my favorites, i decided against it. i wouldn't order pho at a central vietnam restaurant or com tham at a pho place. thailand is a big country, and to assume that food from all thai restaurants is the same would mean missing out on some really good regional cuisine.

there's a care and attention to details that's evident in the preparation of the food i found here that is rare. take the rice salad (khao yam), a simple yet impressive and delicately assembled dish. the beautifully balanced flavors of sweet, sour, salty and spicy are partly owing to the finely shredded bits of coconut, the invisible to the eye but not palate chilis, and the easy to miss tiny shrimps. individually, the components have some interesting flavors, but as a whole, it's something over and above the individual pieces.

another tasty dish we tried, the laam talum pook, consisted of stir fried wild curry with catfish and thai eggplant. you can tell you're eating something good for you if you go by the bright colors--yellow, red, green-- of this dish that is infused with turmeric spices and a peppery, denser curry to balance the earthy catfish. the eggplant, quartered, green spheres, were crunchy and unlike japanese or italian varieties.

the kaeng kung yaanad (spicy, turmeric seasoned curry with shrimp & pineapple with coconut milk) is a more straightforward, light curry dish, less mysterious than the catfish, but tasty nonetheless.

the food ranges from good to excellent depending on what you get and surprisingly light. nothing was heavy or oily. ingredients were fresh and freshly prepared. i'll definitely be back.

cream biscuits with cheddar scramble & smoked salmon

cream biscuits with cheddar scramble & smoked salmon
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i mostly cook vegetarian at home, which is good, since it means less overall meat consumption. however, i would like to broaden my cooking arsenal and learn more techniques for preparing meals with seafood. this morning, i adapted a recipe for cream biscuits from sara's weeknight meals.

a twist on the usual scrambled eggs, our meal consisted of a breakfast sandwich using said biscuits and filling with smoked salmon (much healthier and lighter than bacon, and the bf can eat it) and cheddar scrambled eggs. they came out tasty, but i may try to find a more buttery recipe in the future.

here's the biscuit recipe:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Pour in enough of the cream to just form a dough. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough gently several times and divide into 4 equal balls. Pat out each ball to make a flat 3-inch round on the cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes or until pale golden. Transfer to a rack and let cool slightly.

lobster boy

lobster boy
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

a bib makes a great cat cape...

crab season

claws
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

hallelujah! my biological clock has let it be known to me that crab season has begun. i temporarily satisfied myself last night with dungeness crab a la cajun boil, but that won't last for long...

black friday

joe's italian ice
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

crowds make me crazy, so i usually avoid black friday. since there are fewer shopping days between thanksgiving and xmas this year and we're doing an early xmas with mike's family in montreal and our shopping is not yet done and i needed a tart pan & pie weights for a fruit tart i plan on baking, i decided to drive to LA today for some errands. of course, i'm not that much of a glutton for punishment, at least not today, so we didn't hit the deep discount places but instead went to a couple boutiques and small shops.

we were up early, but didn't leave until relatively late so i was surprised when we showed up at atmosphere to find out they hadn't opened yet even though clearly their hours showed they were supposed to be open 45 minutes earlier. same thing happened when we showed up at jitlada for lunch. after a nice lunch we hit a couple shops in los feliz, only managing to find one gift that was within our budget before heading off to wild fiber where i picked up yarn for a couple projects.

our last stop was at surfas for a few gifts before heading home. i had been craving crabs all week, so we shared one at claws. very satisfying. our night ended with my introduction of joe's italian ice to mike. he had a joe's latte with rootbeer...mine had pina colada. yum. the roof of my mouth was slightly numb, and i was shivering slightly, but it was so worth it.

i have a big family, and mike's family has three birthdays and an anniversary coinciding with xmas, so we still have some more shopping, but i'm going to try to limit it to online and local shops. i'm glad i had the foresight to pick up gifts during our various excursions to craft fairs, food outings and whatnot, so it's not a huge and sudden onslaught to time and pocketbook.

cowboy cookies

cowboy cookies
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

using a recipe from martha stewart, i made cookies for our thanksgiving potluck at work. this one came out pretty tasty. i think the two sticks of butter that went into it helped. the coconut, oats, chocolate chips and walnuts made for a lot of texture in addition to a great combination of flavors.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cowboy Cookies
Makes about 24 - 30 cookies
Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch chunks (1 cup)
3 ounces (3/4 cup) pecan halves
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder.
2. Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium-high until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
3. Reduce speed to low, and slowly add flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Beat in oats, chocolate, pecans, and coconut until combined. (Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
4. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or a small spoon, drop dough onto baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.
5. Bake until edges of cookies begin to brown, 11 to 13 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to a wire rack, and let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks. Let cool. (Cookies can be stored up to 3 days.)

jazz cat cafe

jazz cat cafe
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (8/143)
i'm a soup fiend, and now that the weather finally appears to be cooling, it's a great excuse for a nice hot bowl of soup, especially one filled with lots of good stuff--vermicelli glass noodles, meat, shrimp, an assortment of fish balls, tofu, bok choy, egg, squash, radish. this is what you'll find at jazz cat cafe when you order your choice of broth that ranges from sea-flavored premium kelp broth to spicy thai to creamy corn.

it's great that they offer a variety of broth choices. the kelp broth i had was more straightforward than i thought it would be, featuring the natural flavors of the ingredients with little added seasoning, but i found it healthy and tasty, and especially liked one of the seafood balls that was stuffed with crab roe.

overall, the hotpot was not as good as it could be since they don't allow you to cook it at your table , which means losing out on the whole experience of cooking your own hotpot. the food suffered for it, too! they serve a hard-boiled egg instead of a raw one with the soup, which was very odd and annoying as i like how the flavor of the yolk mixes with broth, and meats get overcooked sitting in the steaming broth. i tend to like my beef just this side of cooked with a tinge of pink, so i was not happy at getting overcooked meat. the shrimp was almost to the mushy state.

i sampled a couple of their appetizers--the fried tofu and sausage--that were pretty good. the tofu has a light crispy outside and soft inside. the sweet and savory sausage was tender and moist, unlike some dried ones i've had. although a tad sweet for my palate, the hokkaido premium milk tea is worth trying. more milk than tea, it reminded me of breast milk. i know that sounds weird, but it was strangely comforting!

our waitress was very helpful in answering our questions about the various broths. she explained that the reason they started precooking the hotpots was due to all the heat generated (and i guess lack of ventilation), but will be moving into a bigger space which will allow them to return to diners cooking their own hotpots. i don't think i'd want to come back otherwise.

#27 pay off credit card debt

i don't know how this is possible, but it has happened. i have paid off my credit card debt--at least for now. slowly, but surely, i've been consistently making payments and curbing my spending. even the yarn purchases have been limited. and making a sculpture out of cat fur turned out to be a fantastic idea since it saved me some money.

there's hope for our economy after all, if i can do this because i have had debt for as long as i can remember. i actually think good things can come out of these crazy economic times and spiralling into recession. hopefully, it will lead to a change in how we live our lives. that's the only way the direction of our country is really going to change. i certainly am trying my hardest.

nov 22 dinner

dinner nov 22
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

our society is always pushing broccoli as the vegetable to eat. sure it's full of the nutrients we need as well as anti-oxidants, but i feel cauliflower which also has vitamin C and the same cancer fighting phytochemicals as broccoli has been vastly underrated. after eating so much broccoli, for years, i was frankly broccoli'd out. my palate preference is for kai-lan, which is chinese broccoli, or brocclini, a cross between broccoli and cabbage. recently, i've been incorporating more cauliflower into my cooking.

i had a craving for olives last night, so adapted a recipe from made in spain, a pbs cooking show specializing in spanish culture and cuisine. the original recipe combines the cauliflower and olives with dates, but i'm not a big fan of dates and don't like things too sweet, so i used these huge grapes i had purchased from whole foods.

Cauliflower with olives and grapes
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces (1/2 pound) cauliflower, broken into pieces
4 sprigs fresh thyme
8 giant grapes (or equal amount of smaller grapes)
8 black olives
8 green olives
3 tbs sweet dessert white wine, such as Pedro Ximenez
2 teaspoons pimentón (smoked spanish paprika)

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the cauliflower and thyme and cook until the cauliflower is brown and caramelized, about 8 minutes. Add the grapes and olives and cook for about 1 more minute, until they are heated through. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pan, allowing the alcohol to burn off. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl and sprinkle with pimentón.

the combination of salty olives with cauliflower means you need no added salt. along with this, i made a simple salad with slices of heirloom tomato and some rocket arugula and a lemon vinaigrette using olivier's lemon olive oil and some white wine vinegar, sea salt and cracked black pepper. the dinner was not complete without a little snacking of some cheeses--bucheron (a soft, goat's milk cheese), unie kaas robusto (salty, hard cow's milk cheese and amadeus cheese (nutty and creamy semi-soft cheese) and crusty french bread.

kogi korean taco truck

kogi korean taco truck
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (7/143)
there's a new taco truck in town, & it's serving up korean bbq. using quality ingredients, something not always equated with cheap taco trucks, chef roy choi creates a balance of sweet, savory, spicy & tart that excites the taste buds.

tacos and burritos come in four protein varieties--beef shortrib, spicy pork, chicken and tofu--, and each with its own spicy sauce is topped with a lettuce and onion mixture and sprinkled with sesame seeds. tacos run $2, and burritos are $5.

the caramelized sugars of the beef shortrib, the sweetest of the bunch, has fused with the meat, giving it a rich flavor. this was my favorite. in contrast, the dominant flavor of the pork, which is also slightly sweet and equally rich, is smoky chili. a small wedge of lime or orange that comes with the meat tacos adds some acidic citrus to help break through some of the fat and heaviness. for a lighter alternative, i recommend the chicken, which has a fresh grill flavor accented by the nuttiness of the sesame with just the subtlest of spiciness. for vegetarians, there's the tofu, a light, softly textured taco. compared to the others, this one could have benefited from more marination or a more flavorful sauce. they're still working some things out, so hopefully, this will improve.

chef choi unveiled a new menu item--kogi sliders--bbq shortribs with mayo on a king's hawaiian dinner roll. i liked the idea, although the additional sweetness of the roll, which, if you've never had king's hawaiian bread, is quite good, but very sweet was a little cloying. i'd be interested in seeing other proteins on the sweet roll.

i hope this truck is here to stay. Los Angeles is known to be blessed with ethic diversity, and with it, plenty of good, authentic eats as well as fusion fare that you would be hard-pressed to find in other parts of the country. this truck combines two favorites, and after tasting them, you wonder why no one ever thought of it before as it makes so much sense.

their current favorite spot is next to Green Door and Cabana Club, but regular twitters on their site--www.kogibbq.com will keep you apprised of their whereabouts.

sea harbour dinner

sea harbour dinner
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

because i found the dim sum at sea harbour in rosemead to be one of the better ones in the san gabriel valley, i was looking forward to a big dinner there and wanting to find out if it would be on par. with a large group, i sampled what we thought would be characteristic cantonese style dishes.

sea harbour hand-ripped boneless chicken recommended by the waiter, this consisted of pieces of shredded chicken meat and skin that tasted like it had been cooked in a light soy sauce and was accompanied by a white pepper, salt & oil dipping sauce. the chicken was tender and had plenty of flavor so actually didn't need the dipping sauce, although the white pepper went nicely with the meat.

fresh prawns sauteed green scallions the name says it all, and though the shrimps were plump, fresh and tasty, this dish was one of the more boring of the ones we tried.

braised egg tofu w/ dried scallops in abalone sauce a delicate soft tofu made with egg and fried such that the outside was crispy while the yellow inside remained soft, sauteed in a flavorful light brown sauce with bits of scallops, this was my favorite dish of the evening. you could taste the care that went into the preparation of this dish, and the lovely sauce is good ladled over white rice.

braised rock cod, mushrooms, pork slices, & bean curd from the live seafood menu, this fresh fish was cooked in a gigantic clay pot with an interesting assortment of delicious ingredients that were great at absorbing the flavors in the broth used to braise the fish. however, the balance of fish and accompanying sides was off. though tender, the fish meat was scarce, and i felt like we were picking through the bones, which were difficult to see since they were smothered in stuff. i like whole fish, but i couldn't taste much of it here.

stewed eggplant w/ spicy fish sauce eggplant is like a sponge, and here, it sucks up the subtle smokiness from the chilis of the spicy fish sauce. the bits of pork were a nice accent that added to the flavor.

braised bamboo pith w/ greens the light broth and fresh greens were a nice contrast to some of the more earthy flavors of the other dishes. i love the crunchy texture of bamboo pith.

stewed pork belly w/ greens not worth the life of the pig, this dish was too sweet. the lack of typical flavorful fat and slight dryness of the meat was disappointing.

assorted seafood fried crispy noodles a typical dish, the sauteed seafood and veggies over pan fried noodles was on the bland side. it wasn't bad, just not very flavorful.

with the exception of a few uninspired or off dishes, the food was tasty, though flavors overall tended on the subtle. i don't think the dinner equals the dim sum. with the fancy damask table cloths and place settings and higher than usual prices, they seem to be aiming for elegant dining, but i didn't think the quality of the food was quite there for the price. another disappointing thing about the price was in regards to the amount of food. it looked like plenty, and we ordered one entree for each person, but that barely seemed like enough. most chinese places, you order that much, and there are plenty of leftovers. it seemed like each dish had about 20% less food than what is typical of these places. not sure if i'd come back for dinner.(3.5 out of 5 stars)

organic reed avocados

organic reed avocados
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

compared to other fruits, avocados aren't cheap, especially if you're buying organic. on a good day, they're $1.50 a piece at the local whole foods. for the past few weeks, i've been eying these large reed avocados that are about 4-5 in on the long side. they run $3.99 each. that's a lot to spend on one piece of fruit, but i guess it's up there with their neighbors in the produce department, the california grown heirloom tomatoes.

something about their bounty was calling me today at the supermarket, so i splurged & picked one up to make a lovely arugula salad with cherry tomatoes and a light vinaigrette. i could only do it justice by using the olivier's lemon infused olive oil and a white wine vinegar.

i opened up the avocado i selected to discover a perfectly ripe fruit that came right off the peel without much effort, but was still firm to the touch, and wow was it creamy. all this for a healthy accompaniment to my lunch of leftover scrambled eggs.

felt club 08

felt club 08
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

on the drive to shriners auditorium, i was listening to the depressing reportage on the anticipated slow retail turnout this holiday season and what the various big shops were doing to get people to come out and spend money. it was a another sad sign of our ailing economy and further descent into recession that made me pause to reflect on the wisdom of my own imminent shopping spree--whether i would be helping myself and/or the economy.

what i encountered at felt club was so contrary to the news on the radio. there was a long line of people wrapping around two sides of the building just to get in, and once you got inside, it was fairly packed with crafty vendors and shoppers galore. this event has more than doubled since last year. i was impressed by the presentation and organization. i didn't even realize there were workshops. if i weren't so tired from being out all day at LACMA on saturday, i would have liked to have checked those out.

checking everything out was quite a thing in and of itself. it took me almost three hours to go through all the tables once. some were so crowded, it was difficult to even see, but people were considerate and patient. nonetheless, i picked up some great gifts for friends, families & holiday gift exchanges. of course, i couldn't resist picking up a few things for myself, mike & the kitties.

tasca

tasca
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (6/143)
after our mediocre meal at cafe sevilla a few weeks ago, i was still craving spanish tapas, so we ate here. we arrived early on a saturday night without reservations, and were promptly seated, which made me a little nervous about the quality of the food because any good restaurant in LA would not be empty on a saturday night, but it turns out maybe we were just a little early, as people didn't start filling up the restaurant until 7pm.

have you ever ordered a good burger seared so it gets that smoky flavor on the outside but is still juicy on the inside, then the juice flavors the lettuce. well, the ceasar salad--a special--we ordered reminded me of that. it consisted of a heart of lettuce that had been grilled and thus infused with a nice, smoky aroma and drizzled with a tart, lobster flavored dressing and plated with a single grilled shrimp. the only complaint i had was the shrimp was a little overcooked and mushy.

in addition to the salad, we also ordered two similar, but different tapas--bunuelo de bacalao, which were salted cod fritters in salbetxada sauce and arancini, which were wild mustroom risotto fritters. both had a light crispy shell like a japanese croquette. the tender cod had a light texture that reminded me of canned tuna and a subtle flavor. the accompanying tomato relish, however, was very garlicky and slightly tart from a vinaigrette. in contrast, the arancini had a creamy, earthy flavor that was further enhanced by the creamy sauce that came with it. both were tasty.

they offer both tapas and entrees, although the entrees aren't full entree size, and the tapas are a little bigger than typical tapas. we shared the pasta special, which was a tagliolini pasta with chanterelle & shitake mushrooms with shaved black truffle. if you like mushrooms, this is earthy, nutty dish is for you. the mushroom sauce is creamy and rich as well.

we ended our meal with a pot de creme, a sizeble cup of chocolate mousse with cardamom infused whipped cream and copious amounts of shaved chocolate topping. the mousse was a little more sweet than rich like i like it, but it was still good. i loved that they give you lots of bits of chocolate, and the cardamom in the whipped cream enhanced the dessert.

we tried two different wines that were specials that night--a french bordeaux (chateau sorbey) rich in tannins & an earthy chilean syrah (bayo oscuro--and a sweet, oaky meritage from mendocino. the first two were ok. i liked the last the best, as i thought it had a richness that had a strong finish.

our waiter was very attentive, although service slowed towards the end of our meal as more people filled the restaurant. a good meal overall. i would come back to try other things on the menu.

machine project @ lacma

machine project @ lacma
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

yesterday, machine project took over LACMA with installations, workshops and performances. i weathered the post-apocalyptic air from regional fires and lost myself in the whole experience, and though i spent most of the day there and still didn't see everything, i did discover parts of the museum i'd never been to, explored a familiar process (crochet) in a new way, and experienced the museum in a new way. in contrast to the usual quiet museum experience, the many people that attended added a feeling of controlled chaos as well as festive excitement to the event. there were lots of families with kids who could actually touch things inside the museum.

i started the visit learning to crochet a hyperbolic object using plastic bags as "yarn." crochet easily lends itself to three dimensional surface and materials experimentation. already, i'm thinking about making something on a bigger scale or in other materials. the two women who were orchestrating the class are working on a huge coral reef project made up of crocheted pieces.

after a few hours crocheting, i wandered around the museum, which is really quite large, now that they have the bcam. i've never even been inside some of the buildings. most of the time, my visits are to specific shows that take place in some of the same buildings. i had no idea there was a huge tony smith sculpture in the ahmanson building--i didn't even know that was the name of the building.

one of the favorite things i saw was this interactive piece using the monome interface. it consisted of what looked like a keyboard of white buttons with internal lighting that would turn on and off as you pressed them and would activate the rhythmic tapping of metal mallets on fabricated ceramic vessels. it was mesmerizing to watch and listen. it would take too long to go into detail on everything, but there were plenty of amusing things, and while some were more interesting than others, i thought it was great to see an intervention/installation of this kind at a major museum.

polenta gratin w/ mushrooms & tomato

polenta gratin w/ mushrooms & tomato
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

inspired by how well the lentil minestrone i made last week turned out, i decided to try another recipe from deborah madison's vegetarian cooking for everyone last night. not only is this cookbook akin to a bible for vegetarians, it exemplifies what cooking vegetables should be--flavorful, healthy and not difficult to achieve both with quality ingredients.

so maybe all the cheese that went into this dish isn't the healthiest thing, it's got to be healthier than a meat-filled pie or an organic processed tv dinner, which apparently, isn't all that great according to the chapter on organic industrial farming that i've been reading about in omnivore's dilemma.

i did intend to make an arugula salad to balance out our dinner, but after the time that went into the preparation of this dish and the heat generated in the kitchen (we have no ac) from a 400 degree oven, i was ready to get out of there. the dish was delicious, but next time, i will make more mushroom & tomato filling as i thought it was a little heavy on the polenta side.

grown-up booties

grown-up booties
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

contrary to my complaints about not feeling jiggy with the knitting lately, it is happening. i whipped up these grown up booties this week using 1.5 skeins of debbie bliss' alpaca silk. a pleasure to knit, this mostly garter stitch in an aran weight project was fast and easy. the pattern is theoretically a great gift project, but i discovered a few things about the pattern i wasn't too crazy about.

first, there's only one size, and i think it runs about a woman's size 8. i'm a size 6, so even though i cast on fewer stitches, it still came out too big. the diagram and photos look great, but unless it's felted, the shape really doesn't sit well on the foot meaning it doesn't keep it's well-designed slipper with a rounded square toe shape. the toe corners end up being floppy or misshapen if it actually fits snugly. this brings me to what i will be doing with these--felt them and hope for the best because i really like this super soft yarn.

it was a test knit to see if it would be a good gift. since i'm such a perfectionist, i won't give away a handmade gift that i think is crap. i know. friends tell me most people won't even notice certain things like my less than stellar finishing job, but i can't escape my warped thought of making something that someone would politely accept but not use or think was poorly done. so we'll see how they come out after felting.

xinjian bbq

xinjian bbq
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (5/143)
if you like skewered meat and are looking for something off the beaten path, xinjian bbq is worth a visit. the food here represents a certain variety of street food found in the northwest part of china. dusted with cumin & and chili spices, skewered and grilled, these snacks will satisfy. i went with a group, and we shared a number of appetizers and bbq'd meats. though all i had were tasty, some tended on the dry, overcooked side. here is what we had:

gouba soup: tortilla like pancake pieces in a five spice flavored thick gravy. some people liked it better than others.

oil pancake: like a buttermilk biscuit--good as a side to the meats rather than an appetizer

beef pancake: same pancake except filled with marinated beef with cilantro & green onions. the marinade was flavorful.

cucumber salad: i couldn't taste much beyond the copious amounts of garlic

vegetables: blanched vegetables flavored with sesame oil--pretty good and a nice balance to the heavy meats

pork & chives dumplings: these were juicy and flavorful, but they are on the big side, and the skin is rather thick

lamb chop: you can either get the lamb or lamb chop. others in my group got the lamb and really liked it. i got the lamb chop, which was a little tough, but the combination of cumin & chili went well with the meat.

chinese sausage: sweet, salty & spicy, this was good skewered as the fat kept the meat from drying out.

chicken wing & pieces of chicken: the skin and fattiness of the dark meat on the wing make for some good flavors. i recommend it over the chicken by itself

quail eggs: i like quail eggs. these needed a little soy sauce

corn: can't beat sweet grilled corn

yellow croaker: tender white meat inside, crispy skin on the outside

beef: these look like short rib slices and were on the tough and dry end. i wouldn't get them again.

mussels: i didn't taste these, but were told they were dry and overcooked.

it's a small place, and little english is spoken, but the prices can't be beat. also, the rub is spiced but not super spicy. each table has a variety of spices including white pepper, cumin, chili paste and red pepper flakes which you can add if you want more.

lentil minestrone

lentil minestrone
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

not being a huge fan of kidney beans, i had to try out this recipe from deborah madison's vegetarian cooking for everyone when i came upon it, looking for a lentil soup recipe. a hearty soup made with green lentils, leafy greens (your choice of chard, mustard or spinach), and shell pasta, it fills you up with goodness and warmth. now if only the weather would stay cool!

fur in process

fur in process
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#2 on my 101 in 1001 list
the installation of my cat fur sculpture in the display case at long beach city college made me realize how installing is half the work, and almost more difficult than the nearly mindless, meditative handwork that went into the piece. i still have more to do, but it's looking pretty good. another thing i've learned is that not all cat fur is created equal. some kinds are easier to work with, some felt better, and are more inclined towards certain shapes and manipulations. not sure what i will call it yet, but it furthers my investigation of time and process in art. one of the best things about this piece is that it's the cheapest art piece i have ever made, which is a consideration in these trying economic times.

week in review: 101 in 1001

starling diner
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

the difficulty of making a list of 100 goals and sticking to that list has not been lost on me, especially as i move further away in time from the initial list-making part. it's sunday, and i'm looking at 250 sit ups that need to be done before the end of the day. not impossible, but there are other things that need to be done today. i also missed calling my mom and seeing the ocean last week. it rained last weekend, and i bought yarn instead of riding my bike along the beach. flossing itself is not so bad, but remembering to do it every night is.

at the same time, i have tried at least two new restaurants a week. enjoyable, yes, but also points to my need to do sit ups. one thing i have realized in this experiment is the amount of focus and reassessing of goals that are required to meet those goals.

8 oz

8 oz
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i can't remember having a burger that i could actually taste the meat without really focusing all my attention and searching out the sanguine juices with my tongue. amazingly, i didn't have to with 8 oz's estancia grass-fed beef burger. some people think there is a difference in taste between grass-fed and corn-fed and that the latter is better. i agree that there is a difference, but grass-fed is better, not only for the environment and your health, also for your palate and the respect of the animal. how sad and disrespectful is it to kill something only to make mediocre food?

if you've never had grass-fed beef, you may forget that all the other stuff on the burger is only an accent. sure, the heirloom tomato ketchup is tasty, but the meat flavor in this burger is more prominent than anything else, and that was good. it reminded me of an excellent pho broth that has been cooking for 8 hours and absorbed all the great flavors from the marrow and the bones. i felt like i had been asleep for years and woken up realizing how much i'd missed out. my only complaint was that the bottom bun soaked up a lot of juices and became mushy. they need a more substantial bun or do something about excess juices.

i wish i could say their onion rings were as good, but i thought they were ok. i like my onion rings with a little texture, and the ones here were thick and kind of oily. the chorizo stuffed fried olives are as good as they sound and definitely worth trying though. not the healthiest thing to eat, but at least they're small.

they have a lightly pan-fried filet of fish that's moist and tasty as well if you're looking for something leaner. i haven't tried any of the other entrees, but would come back to.

what burger meal is not complete without a chocolate malt--thick and yummy with just a hint of nuttiness. it's a casual gourmet burger place where ingredients are high quality, many locally produced. prices are on par with other gourmet burger places.

apple cinnamon muffins

in the kitchen
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

(makes 12 - 14 regular sized muffins)
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1-2 apples - peeled, cored and chopped (reserve 1/2 chopped apple for topping)

Topping
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

* can substitute whole wheat flour for 1/2 cup white & use 1/2 brown sugar for 1/2 white & half applesauce for oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease six - eight muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2. Stir together 1 1/2 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt, baking powder and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix in oil, egg and milk. Fold in apples. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 of the cup.
3. In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix together with fork and top over unbaked muffins. Mince remaining apple into smaller pieces and sprinkle on top. Finish with cinnamon sugar on top.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

#94 on the 101 in 1001 list

10 in 1001
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i picked up a fancy water bottle from whole foods yesterday. admittedly, i paid $22 for it, and do believe that is a lot for a water bottle, but it is metal, so won't leech weird plastic chemicals into the water from heat or uv AND it has a cute design screenprinted on it and nifty cap. extra motivation towards contributing to less plastic in landfills and less energy consumption in manufacturing and saving money on buying bottled water.

shinsengumi yakitori

shinsengumi yakitori
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (4/143)
steph & i checked this festive yakitori joint out on monday. from the start, workers welcome you by shouting in japanese and bowing. we sat at the bar where we could watch the griller cook up a variety of the skewered items we ordered. all were tasty and made from quality ingredients served by friendly and attentive waitpeople. we ate:

chicken livers: i love pate, but have never been a fan of liver. theirs didn't completely sell me, but it was the best that i've had, and if i were to eat liver, i would recommend theirs. marinated in a slightly sweet, salty marinade, they were fresh, dark pink and plump.

quail eggs: i love quail eggs, and grilling them adds a smoky flavor

chicken thighs w/ salt & chicken thighs w/ special sauce: both were good, but i would recommend the special sauce, which is slightly sweet, over the salt.

bacon-wrapped enoki: the flavor of the bacon soaked into chewy bundles of enoki mushrooms wrapped inside which makes for a great combination of earthy, sweet and smoky flavors.

fried chicken: this one is quite tasty. lightly crunchy with a batter similar to that typically found on the fried soft shell crab, it was not at all oily or heavy.

scallop special: you get two whole large scallops, uncut, and seared. a little pricey, but i thought it was worth it for the flavor.

green chilis: these remind me of shiso peppers, though not as bitter. good if you like chilis.

smelt: these 3-4 inch whole fish come two on a skewer and are filled with tiny, cream colored eggs. they taste like the sea. i think they're less fishy when deep-fried.

shitake mushrooms: tasty.

they offer quite a variety of desserts, including creme brulee and ice cream. we had the green tea ice cream, which was a little on the icey side, but had a good, strong earthy flavor.

the service was really top notch and fun. we didn't drink this time, but seems like a great place to wind down with some beer or sake and some good food.

king's hawaiian restaurant

king's hawaiian restaurant
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on 101 in 1001: 3/143
saturday, i went with fellow knitters to the torrance spinning & weaving fiber festival. unfortunately for the lack of space in our little apartment, i undid the stash busting from the yarn swap a month ago, but discovered a great lunch at king's hawaiian.

the restaurant with adjoining bakery is diner-esque with a splash of hawaiian flavor and familiar comfort food. i went here with a large group for lunch, and it seems very popular among families. they offer typical breakfasts with a twist. you can get a side of spam, portuguese sausage or char siu with your omelet. if you get a burger, you have the option of one with pineapple and teriyaki sauce.

we shared an order of the macadamia nut encrusted onion rings which were awesome. i liked the textured, crunchy, nutty batter covering thick slices of onions. yum! i had the fried rice with egg over easy. the fried rice, although a little more moist than i like it, tasted homemade, with bits of char siu, imitation fish, green onions and egg. the fried egg on top is good, although mine was a little more cooked (not as runny yolk) than i liked. the bowl of fruit i had was freshly chopped and a good balance for an otherwise heavy meal. oh, and their rolls are sweet and buttery good.

everyone's food looked great, and no one had any complaints. i highly recommend it for kids, especially if they may be picky eaters. there's something for everyone.

election 08

election 08
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

it was a wet morning. i had a tummy ache and nausea from having stayed up late researching ballot measures and waking up early to get to my polling station when it opened at 7am and feeling general nervousness about the outcome of the election, but i made it. in times past, there was usually no more than a ten minute wait, but on this morning, i knew to expect a long line. it turned out not to be as long as i thought it would be, but i did wait for about an hour which passed quickly with some knitting.

everyone in line was patient and polite. no one seemed particularly irked at having to wait, myself included. i don't know about the other people, but i was excited to be a part of history making. i was afraid of getting my hopes up too much to be dashed as in the previous two elections, but i couldn't help feeling good about the whole thing, encouraged by the large numbers.

i'm glad that i was wrong in my fears and so relieved that we as a nation elected someone able, intelligent and pragmatic for president. the whole process amazed me and made me proud for the first time in a long time to be american. people cared, and they made their voices heard.

my only disappointment was in the passage of prop 8. i find it ironic considering that we were doing so much for equality by electing an able president independent of skin color, that one of the more progressive states in this country voted down equal rights for gays and lesbians. there's still a ways to go, and some time before we see obama in action, but i think for the next week, the bliss of hiss victory will hang in the air.

as i see it: prelude to the election, part 2

tonight i was thinking about the negativism and fear i have been feeling about the election. in 2000, i couldn't possibly imagine why anyone would vote for bush, and yet they did. i want to believe in the hope that obama espouses. i do. but i will be going to the polls with some trepidation and cautiousness. i hope that it only takes someone with hope to overcome the racism that not only incites violence but could rob this country of all that it can be. i hope that i am wrong in my fears about the so-called "bradley effect".

the complexity of racism astounds and scares me, especially when i notice it in my vietnamese family or even myself. that racism is not solely owned by white men speaks to this. it's no longer an overt evil, but something more subtly sinister. i heard a middle-aged white woman on npr express fear towards black people and what violence she believed "they" would do if obama wins. i thought this to be the most irrational fear, and in my gut, it made me angry. yet, as a woman, how many times have you felt fear in the presence of a black man when walking down a darkened street? it makes me think twice about ingrained societal beliefs and if we will be able to rise above negative stereotypes and fears of the unfamiliar. if it's difficult for someone like me, someone in their thirties who is a relativist and fairly open-minded, to be innocent of it, i wonder at the beliefs of people with more narrow world views or people who have grown up in a time when racism was more overt, and how they will vote. still, if the election does anything, it confronts me with the issue of race, and that is a good thing.

as i see it: prelude to the election, part 1

making politics cool
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

before i knew much about barack obama, i was more of a hillary clinton supporter. as the race drew closer to the primaries, i reviewed both their positions and plans and didn't discern a huge difference between the two but leaned towards hillary's slightly more fiscally conservative platform.

the thing that strongly influenced my decision was obama's honest and reasonable response to the public's response to the inflammatory speeches of reverend wright and hillary's increasingly ugly campaign. granted, politics is nasty, there are more ethical ways of winning a campaign as has become evident. moreover, the way obama dealt with the situation impressed me.

between obama and mccain, for me the choice is clear. i had a certain amount of respect for mccain and his bipartisan record, but he has become more disappointing under the pressure of the campaign and gone against a lot of who he claimed to be in order to win, while obama has remained true to his message. picking palin, a person unqualified for the position but who was attractive, controversial, and extremely conservative indicated to me that he would do anything to win including follow the strategy of bush campaign advisors. i think he did it because she was a woman (a form of discrimination) and he thought that would attract hillary fans as well as female votes (which is an insult in itself).

mccain's campaign has erratically moved between unattractive personal attacks and generalized and varying rhetoric without a strong, consistent message. as i see it, our country and the world are going through difficult times, and we need a leader. i don't see it in mccain as i do in obama. as president, obama may or may not accomplish the many issues and policies he has highlighted, but i think it's important that i vote for someone i can believe in and someone i believe cares about not only our country but the world. these are a few of the reasons why i am voting for obama tomorrow. i admit that i am leftist leaning in my views but have purposely avoided putting forth any partisan political views because you can go back and forth on that. now is the time to put someone in office who will be less focused on partisan politics and more so on working to improve the sad state of the economy (and consequently the people) and the environment.