Randomness

orris

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:17:00 +0000

the view from my mouth as it starts from one end of the plate
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (15/143)
a fusion of japanese & french cuisine made from fresh, high quality ingredients, the food at Orris may not be all that inventive but it's tasty and made with care. everything we had was good, although some things could have been more inspired. It's a typical bistro-sized restaurant that's very popular and doesn't take reservations, so if you come with a large group, i suggest arriving early.

here is what we enjoyed:
oysters on the half shell w/ salsa - the tomato chunks & cilantro was a nice addition that made eating these fresh, light oysters ceviche like

tuna tartare on chips - standard tuna tartare with little bits of apple which were non-descript; very garlicky, the tuna was the dominant flavor

salmon croquettes - these well-prepared little croquettes were crunchy on the outside and had a strong smoked salmon flavor inside, accented with salty roe on top

grilled veggies w/ goat milk cheese - again, simple, but done well, veggies included meaty mushrooms, sweet bell peppers and smokey zucchini

scallops with mushroom and mustard sauce - perfectly seared and tasty scallops with a dollop of minced mushroom in a tangy, horseradish-y mustard sauce

ravioli with shrimp mousse & mushroom sauce - delicate ravioli stuffed with pureed shrimp in a rich, buttery, sweet mushroom sauce, which was almost too much for the ravioli, but we enjoyed dipping bread into it

creme brulee with fruit - this was our least favorite item; the custard was a bit runny, and there was too much of a caramelized sugar top. there was also fruit in the custard, and the ratio of custard to fruit was off--too much fruit. the star of this should really be the custard, and it wasn't.

prices are typical and reasonable for small plates dining, but the portions are on the smaller end compared to other places we've been. i was just full, but my bf could have eaten more with what we ordered and shared between the two of us. the waitstaff was responsive and friendly.

more on community supported agriculture

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:01:00 +0000

organic reed avocados
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

after some research, i found quite a bit of general information about community supported agriculture programs and mixed reviews from people with first hand experience. upside benefits include supporting small, local farmers and getting fresh, organic produce that is better for you and the environment. sure, i could get organic produce from whole foods as i've been doing, but not all of it is local, and they buy from industrial organic farms which put the small farms out of business. if you want to know more about that, read michael pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma or you can peruse his essay here.

we do have a local farmer's market here in long beach every sunday, and i often shop there, but we can't always get out there on a sunday, and there are only a few vendors who sell organic produce. granted, locally grown produce may be better than organic produce from industrial organic farms trying to lower the restrictions of what can be labeled organic, and not all farms go through the process of getting certified even though they do engage in organic farming. participating in a community supported agriculture program is a commitment i'm wanting to make.

no control over what comes each week could be a downside if you're a control freak like me. yet, tapping into my creative culinary repertoire would be a bonus. it also appears that quality and variety can vary from region to region and farm to farm. luckily, i live in california, the land of perennial (mostly) sunshine, so i'm hoping for some happy produce.

sifting through the many and bewildering options this weekend made my head spin. spud, which stands for small potatoes urban delivery, offers home delivery of organic produce in addition to a variety of other things you might need from the grocery store and espouses supporting local farms, represented by a tally of food miles for each item, incentives for buying locally produced items and being able to indicate that you want all your produce sourced locally versus locally whenever possible. being able to enter preferences on what goes into your produce box, specifying the regularity of your deliveries (weekly, bi-weekly or monthly), plus plenty of customization and additions/deletions to your standing order are all pluses.

unfortunately, and to add to the confusion, closer inspection revealed that prices tended a little high compared to whole foods and many of the farms represented were the same large industrial organic farms. i don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. it would be preferable if more people bought organic produce from whole foods or spud than food from non-organic industrial farms via one of the chain grocery stores or worse, processed chemically treated foods. for most people, i think the convenience of spud would be great. for me, i want to support a local farmer.

so i went back to tanaka farms and found out that they do deliver to long beach. my concern before was that they are based in irvine, and their website only mentions delivering to that area. i work two days a week in the area, but not on one of the delivery days, so it would be an extra out of the way trip, which means more gas and time. i found out from the farm that they partner with rockview farms for home delivery, and it was a snap getting set up. since there's only two of us, i opted for the bi-weekly delivery as their boxes are purported to be enough food for 3-4 people for a week.

rockview farms doesn't have a fancy website like spud, but they do offer other items like milk and eggs along with your box of produce. the friendly woman i spoke to told me they usually deliver in the wee morning hours (2am - 6am)--just like the milkmen in the olden days--before we even get up so if you work regular hours, you don't have to worry about not being home to pull in your order. pricing of their milk is on par with some of the more expensive organic milks at the store, but it comes farm fresh and not ultrapasteurized (ultrapasteurization basically kills everything that's good for you in milk).

i couldn't believe she didn't even ask for my credit card. believing in honesty, they leave you an invoice, which you can pay by leaving a check for the next delivery, but you can pay by credit card if that is more convenient. her optimism made me all warm and fuzzy inside, so i made the plunge and am excited about my first box, which comes this friday.

post rose parade

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:12:00 +0000

post rose parade
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

without any sort of schedule or deadlines, the last few days home have been very lazy. i decided that we should be a part of middle america and go out to see the floats post-rose parade. if you couldn't afford the bleacher seats or sitting around for several hours in the cold, for $10 admission, you can check out the floats over the next couple days after the parade. we had no idea how popular this was going to be, but apparently, there are a lot of people who want to see the floats but can't afford seats. we were among them.

it was interesting, and we got plenty of exercise walking around, although i don't think fighting the crowds would be worth it again. honestly, i think it would be more fun being a part of the crew putting together one of these floats.

l'express

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 02:23:00 +0000

shaub xmas montreal 08
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (13/143)
This may not be the best place to eat in montreal, but the preparations are consistent, made from fresh ingredients and flavorful. We wanted to eat characteristically canadian french on our visit and were looking for a delicious lunch. A casual, but elegant restaurant, this place fit the bill. With your meal, you get complimentary cornichons, tart and crunchy, along with warm, well-made french bread.

Here is what we ate:

Soupe Poisson (fish soup) - thick & flavorful, with a creamy tomato base that complements the seafood flavors, it comes with a side of cheese crusted toast

Brandade - a salty fish & potato puree dip that is great with bread

Country Soup - a hearty vegetable soup with clear broth with lots of flavor, warmth and is good for you too

Croque Monsieur - i didn't try this, but it comes with a salad, and was tasty according to my bf's sister who had it.

Lobster Risotto - rich, creamy, delicious with chunks of lobster

Duck Confit w/ salad - moist, seasoned duck meat is balanced by a nicoise type salad of lettuces & green beans and sprinkled with bits of bacon

Crème Caramel à L'orange - a flan-like custard in a sweet, light caramel with hints of citrus

Chocolate Tart - rich, dark chocolate; like eating a tart made of truffles

The waitstaff was friendly and not annoyed we spoke english. Then standard menu offers translations in six different languages, and our waitress helped with the specials, which are on an insert.

los compadres

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 01:57:00 +0000

los compadres
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (14/143)
last week, i realized how lucky i am to live close to good mexican food when i finally made it to los compadres for dinner. within biking distance, they have a parking lot, good, fresh food in a full restaurant and a variety of tasty margaritas. being from texas, i can be picky when it comes to mexican food, so i'm usually a bit skeptical about authenticity. i am by no means an expert, but this place feels like the real deal, offering a variety of interior mexican specialties along with familiar favorites.

enchiladas michoacanas - cheese enchiladas made with corn tortillas in a light red sauce, topped with cabbage & avocada, choice of meat and spiced potatoes & carrots. the enchiladas were very good, partly owing to the cheese and flavors of red sauce. the white meat chicken was in need of some salt, but the skin was more flavorful.

molcajete de camarones - a hot pot full of shrimp, cactus, pieces of chorizo, chilis, string cheese marinating in a thick salsa. comes with a side of beans & rice and homemade tortillas. you can taste the smokey without heat chili in the chorizo, and the shrimps are on the spicy side from the salsa. tortillas are tender and fresh, not like the dry ones you get from the grocery store.

the margaritas are on the sweet side, but made with quality tequila. i had the patron margarita, which was made with patron silver, patron citron, orange juice and sweet and sour. so good on the rocks with salt and you get a beer mug's worth! service is friendly and fast.

finished knits 08

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:51:00 +0000

finished knits 08
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

looks like i did some knitting...

Holiday Madness, part 2

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 20:46:00 +0000

nguyen xmas 08
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

after all that, xmas with my family was relatively quiet--as much as it can be for them. this year, my uncle traded in the knife play on his hands, part of his clowning around after some wine, all in the name of entertainment, except that he's not a robot, nor are we in aliens, the movie, and instead riled up bela, my cousin's bulldog, to growling and hyperactivity. seriously, i really thought there was going to be an incident that would require going to the emergency room for stitches.

it was a wonderful surprise that my cousin thierry, his wife and alana, their 3 year old daughter joined us for xmas. he has the great job of playing and writing about video games, and at three, alana is already savvy with the game controller. it makes me wonder what the future will be like. we think we're pretty tech savvy now, but can we keep up?

more fabulous meals, inappropriate sexual innuendos and other family chicanery made for another typical gathering. i didn't participate in any of the cooking, though i would have loved to have contributed. my family is full of cooks, so that responsibility was shared among my aunts and uncles.

through the last few weeks, on top of everything else, i've been helping my mom with designing a postcard for an upcoming exhibition she will be in, a greeting card for new year's for the buddhist temple, and business cards for my mom. it was a bit more stressful due to the tight deadlines, but i am happy that that is done with as well. i was relieved when a new web job that is suppose to be completed by next mon has been delayed. it came as no surprise that given the option of going out and and staying in, we opted to stay in new years eve after a leisurely hot pot dinner with my mom and family.

mike & i received quite a few kitchen gadgets for xmas, which i'm excited to use, including a fancy kuhn rikon salt grinder, an ice cream attachment for our mixer (yes, homemade ice cream) and an immersion blender, which should make the soup-making easier (and less messy). i am looking forward to more cooking and baking in 2009, and hopefully, i can thank my family and friends by warming their stomachs.

Holiday Madness, part 1

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 20:33:00 +0000

shaub xmas in montreal 08
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

every year, it's the same frantic mad rush for last minute gifts, wrapping, mix cd production, cooking, traveling. the soup swap nearly killed me, although it was a lot of fun, and i have plenty of soup to eat for a few weeks. knowing myself all too well, i didn't bother making any gifts this year aside from the mix cd. there was no need to turn knitting into a stressful activity. i don't think i would make it through the holidays if i didn't have the extra days off to slow down just a little.

we barely finished packing on the morning of the 17th before flying to montreal. i had picked out a new small knitting project for the flight which turned out to be slow and somewhat painful due to it being covered in bobbles. this was my first time knitting bobbles. a few aren't too bad--a little awkward--, but this hat is covered with them. i am persevering because it's small and totally cute.

with no incidents and only a one hour delay in our flight, we made it to montreal, where the high was 9 F. several feet of snow blanketing the landscape brings on the holiday spirit though. while in montreal, i had ample opportunities to get to know caroline, mike's almost one year old niece, cook for mike's family, play a little in the snow, visit a craft fair and enjoy a few nice meals out, including savoring some quintessential canadian and quebecois foods.

the trip itself was great. it was the return that seemed plague with problems. on the 23rd, we were packed and made it to the airport in plenty of time only to learn that our flight was delayed two hours, and we wouldn't make our connection in cincinnati. the guy at the delta counter was completely nonchalant in letting us know that there were no other flights that day, and none until after xmas. so much for my plans for getting back in time to celebrate xmas with my own family.

after some back and forth, and more searching, we suggested to the delta guy to look up flights going through canadian cities, and he found a flight the next day via toronto, booked us on that and comped us hotel night stay, dinner and breakfast. according to him, the hotel was really nice. we later found it out that was a matter of opinion.

out in the cold montreal weather, we waited in for an hour before being picked up. after the first 40 min, we went back inside and called the hotel, and it was after that that they finally showed up. when we arrived at the hotel, which was one of those hotels that at one time may have been nice but remained lost in the vacuum of the 80s, we found out that they needed to book us two rooms in order for us to use the comped meals (1 meal per room). In spite of this, the woman still put down the same room number for all the meal tickets. we didn't care how many rooms we got, as long as we had a place to stay. luckily, we did get two rooms because the thermostat was broken in one, and the heater wouldn't turn on. dark and somewhat depressing, it was also directly across from the elevator where you could hear all the sounds of people coming and going.

it was a little after 1pm, so we were starving. the woman at the front desk had indicated we had until 2pm before they stopped serving lunch. we also realized that we would only have a half hour to eat breakfast the next morning due to our early morning flight, so we tried to use our breakfast meal tickets, but they wouldn't allow us to do that.

the next morning we were waiting at 6am in front of the cafe, ready for breakfast. then we find out the front desk clerk was again wrong about the cafe hours, which if we had known about we could have maybe done something about it sooner. when we tried to talk to the manager about it, he was a complete asshole, and said "do you believe in human error?" then proceeded to do nothing about it, and refused to discuss our options.

at that point, i was more than ready to be home. our stressful return trip didn't end there. we made it to toronto, where we had a seven hour layover, which turns out was a good thing since we waited for three hours for our luggage, which we had to pick up, supposedly tagged and pulled by air canada and forwarded to a special baggage claim area, then check in to american airlines. during the whole wait for baggage, we received little information on our luggage. first, they said it typically takes about an hour to get the luggage, then they said some people wait two hours or even longer and still don't get their luggage. when we spoke to air canada, they told us it had already been sent on. we decided to check in at american airlines, and they told us they hadn't received it but would take care of our luggage. finally, someone was taking some responsibility.

in the end, we found the luggage, but then almost didn't make the flight back. the woman at the front counter said she couldn't get us seats together, and if we waited until we got to the gate, we would be more likely to get seats together. at the gate, they told us the flight was overbooked, and delta never should have booked us on the flight, and that since we were coming from another airline, we were basically, at the bottom, in terms of priority for seating, and that we may not make it onto the flight unless someone didn't make the flight. it was a grueling 45 min of waiting and wondering through all boarding and being the last people there before we found out that we could finally go home.

with the airlines cutting back on flights, the weather, and the increased number of travelers, flying during the holidays turned out to be somewhat of a nightmare. the consensus seemed to be that it was common for flights to and from canada to be delayed, yet there were no plans in place to deal with those situations, and much of the customer service was ignorant and/or didn't care.

mike & i are ready for a staycation now. we were pretty lucky to have made it back, and not get charged for any luggage as we ended up flying through air canada on the way out and on the first leg back. mike noticed that american airlines charges $25 for the first bag, $50 for the second one, and the prices go up from there. most of the domestic airlines were charging. that is in addition to the charges to have any food and some beverages on the plane.

la banquise

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 06:56:00 +0000

shaub xmas montreal 08
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (12/143)
there are a number of recommended places for poutine, a quintessential canadian comfort food, in montreal. not only was la banquise mentioned by anthony bourdain, but a preview of the menu online indicated there was, in addition to a vegetarian version for the pescetarian bf and the classic poutine, a variety of options of toppings for your poutine including a variation on the gravy.

we opted for the classic (cheese curds, gravy & fries), the veggie (green peppers, mushrooms & onions plus classic ingredients), the mart (sausage, bacon plus classic) and the jaco (minced beef, onions, pepper sauce instead of generic gravy). although the fries were on the greasy could have been more crunchy side (my main complaint), they were all tasty, and definitely worth the experience. i liked the pepper sauce on the jaco the best. the gravy on the others were a little bland and not memorable. i think if you're going to cover your crunchy pommes frites and render them somewhat mushy, you better have some tasty sauce.

the resto has a casual, youthful cafe feel and being open late, seems like a great place for snacking after (or during) drinks. the regular sized poutines are pretty sizable. even if i could eat more, i don't think i could eat a large quantity of such heavy food. they also serve hamburgers and other pub-type foods.

bollini's pizzeria

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:13:00 +0000

bollini's
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (11/143)
so the best pizza i've had to date is still one made by dom at di fara pizzeria in brooklyn, but this pizza is pretty damn good, almost 5 stars good, maybe even better than fancy mozze good, but i'll have to return to try the others.

it's a small, warm shop with a wood-fired oven where they make thin crust neapolitan pizza, my favorite kind of pizza. they were out of a few items, including the stuffed mushrooms which sound fabulous, and the arugula salad we wanted. they instead prepared a mixed green salad the same way as the arugula, with corn, cherry tomatoes, smoked bacon, sauteed mushrooms & goat cheese. it was a substantial and delicious salad.

for the pizza, we tried one of their signature pizzas, the cal twist. made with tomato sauce, basil pesto, shrimp, sun dried tomato, roasted peppers, mozzarella, herbs and parmesan, it was a flavorful combination of fresh ingredients. i liked how the ingredients were concentrated in areas rather than evenly distributed across the pizza so that as you ate from the point you get pesto, sweet peppers, then sweet tomato sauce and finally a firm piece of shrimp.

we are definitely coming back. the service was excellent. waitress was really nice, and one of the guys making pizzas kept coming by to check on us. seating is limited, but so worth the wait.

his & hers @ yogurtland

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:32:00 +0000

yogurtland
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i'm a big pinkberry fan, but was drawn to the diy aspect of yogurtland. their original tart is tasty but not as good as pinkberry's. it was a little icy. however, the yogurt comes in a variety of flavors, including a nutty, sweet taro, fresh mango, and chocolate.

the great thing is that you can get as much or as little or as much as you want as they charge you by weight. this is great. i often feel the small is too small and the large is too large at pinkberry. you can even get several flavors of yogurt in one container and fill it full of all the toppings if that is your thing. because of the many options and permutations, you can visit often and have something different each time.

ao dinner @ moun of tunis

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:06:00 +0000

ao dinner @ moun of tunis
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (10/143)
moun of tunis is a great place to go for food with friends. they have several combinations of shared dinners centered around typical moroccan/tunisian or lebanese dishes. i went with several assistant organizers and abby of pleasure palate, and we were able to get our own room in the back with small tables. the casual and relaxed atmosphere is conducive to conversation and general revelry, especially when the belly dancer comes out, usually introduced with the sudden change of music.

we started by snacking on the complimentary hummus, olives and pita bread and decided on the moroccan feast, a set menu which includes brik-- a fried crepe-like dish filled with an egg, potatoes, capers and parsley, four salads with choice of grilled shrimp or lamb, b'stilla--a puff pastry sprinkled with cinnamon & powdered sugar, and filled with egg and chicken, an entree choice of salmon, lamb or lemon chicken, hot black tea and almond cake dessert.

the brik reminded me of a breakfast burrito, except fried crispy on the outside. the capers in mine tended to one side, so i didn't get the benefit of flavor until the end. there were four salads which consisted of a salsa-like mixture of tomatoes and cucumbers, a bbq'd version of the salsa which was more intense in flavor, thick cut, sweet carrots, and finely minced fragrant carrots & orange blossoms.

it was really, dark, so the b'stilla was more of a textural experience between the flaky exterior, chewy egg & meat. it's usually made with pigeon or squab, but theirs is made with chicken. our group was divided into four smaller table, and each table selected a different meat entree that is shared among the table. the entire meal was shared by table actually.

our table had the salmon, which was braised in a tomato broth with vegetables. the broth was nice, but the salmon was a little dried in parts and for some reason hadn't absorbed much of the flavor of the broth. the chicken & lamb had a bit more flavor, but i thought they were both surprisingly mild. both lamb and chicken were tender and juicy.

i found the couscous with braised vegetables and meatballs that came with the entrees to be more flavorful than the entrees. the almond cake was a densely soaked in liquor and sweet dessert. the hot tea helped to wash it all down.

overall, the food was tasty, although some things were a little bland. our service was excellent. we had a group of about 15 people. our waters were regularly filled, and i didn't notice any long wait times for food. the waiter was friendly and helpful in recommendations.

din tai fung

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:04:00 +0000

din tai fung
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (10/143)

how do the juicy dumplings at din tai fung compare? i thought they were tasty. they're better than the ones you generally get at the dim sum houses. the crab & pork leaned more towards crab, than pork flavors, which was interesting and different than the fattier, slightly more flavorful ones i had at mei long village. there was soup to be found, though not a lot, and overall, it was a lighter dumpling with a delicate skin.

the restaurant is clean and newish, and the menu is simple, but you have a variety of options as far as dumplings. we also had the vegetarian dumplings which were stuffed with glass noodles, mushrooms and greens. we also had the shrimp fried rice and baby bok choy. both were standard and properly prepared.

winter squash w/ lemongrass & coconut milk

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 20:33:00 +0000

winter squash w/ lemongrass & coconut milk
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i like a challenge because i believe it makes me grow as a person, discover my limits and push them. at least that is what i was telling myself this past weekend on my 6th trip to the grocery store for yet more squash (ten pounds total) and struggling with peeling said acorn & butternut squash with already thrashed fingers from crocheting electrical wire the past few weeks before.

the challenge was not merely that i was making a soup stock from scratch in addition to the soup itself, but comprised of making 10 quarts of soup i had yet to test out for a swap on sunday during an already busy weekend schedule that included an electronics workshop & homework for the workshop. it's been a while since i've made that large a quantity, and there are difficulties with any project when you go bigger, like the sizes of your normal pots and pans, the size of a small apartment kitchen and maintaining consistency across batches of soup.

then there was the organizational aspect of the whole thing. ten containers with labels and a non-existent until this weekend trip to the grocery store ice chest for transport of soup to marina del rey then down the street and up three flights of stairs. oh, and how to package the garnish of sliced jalapenos & cilantro. i am a kitchen goddess (and poor mike a saint for helping with the peeling).

after all that, the soup turned out tasty, although i don't think it had enough squash to make the soup nice and thick, so next time, i'm compensating for that. still, if you make the stock from scratch, it does make for a more flavorful broth. however, if you'd rather not, i completely understand. you could use some vegetable broth and simmer it with the spices, herbs and vegetable trimmings before adding to the soup.

i learned a valuable lesson or two. i don't think i could cook winter squash more than once a year, and next time i cook with chiles, i'll use gloves.

from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

Quick Stock
2 teaspoons vegetable oil or olive oil
1 onoin, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
Trimmings from the soup vegetables, rinsed
2 bay leaves and several thyme sprigs or 1/4 teaspoon dried
4 or more garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
8 parsley branches, including the stems or a small handful of stems
Additional herbs and spices appropriate for the soup
Salt

Stock for Curried Dishes
Make the basic stock, but lightly brown the vegetables in 1 to 2 tablespoons clarified butter, with 1 3-inch cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon cardamom seeds.

Winter Squash Soup with Lemongrass and Coconut Milk (serves 4 to 6)
6 cups Stock for Curried Dishes
2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and seeded
1 lemongrass stalk, tender middle section minced
5 pieces galangal or 3 slices ginger
For garnish: 2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon roasted peanut oil
1 large onion, diced
2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and diced
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
Salt
Juice of 2 limes to taste

Include in the stock the squash skins and seeds, lemongrass trimmings, galangal, and any trimmings from the herb garnish.

Coarsely chop the squash. You should have about 4 cups. Heat the oil in a soup pot, then add the squash, onion, half the chiles, the minced lemongrass, and the garlic. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the strained stock and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes. Puree the soup, then return it to the stove and stir in the coconut milk. Taste for salt and add lime juice to sharpen the flavors. Serve garnished with the fresh herbs and the remaining chile.

make a (fruit) tart

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 17:24:00 +0000

fruit tart
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#15 of 101 in 1001

making a fruit tart is a multi-step process involving multiple recipes, one for the sweet tart dough, another for the pastry cream and the final one combines both. i used the recipes from the tartine cookbook, and it came out beautifully. except for the apricot jam, most ingredients were easily obtained. the closest i found was apricot preserves and strained them, but it was quite a waste. next time, i'm going to use egg yolks instead of whole eggs for a richer pastry cream.

if i had time in a bottle...

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:33:00 +0000

sound sculpture
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

hmm...maybe that could be a project...bottling time...

today (and tomorrow for that matter) is going to be insane. i have a gazillion things to do to day. here are a few.

- make pastry cream
- pick up bag from papyrus
- buy strawberries from market
- cut fruit, make glaze & assemble tart
- burn mix cds
- design cd artwork
- print cds & artwork
- assemble gift swap package
- crochet 3 wire sculptures
- assemble documentation of artwork into a slideshow
- solder arduino boards

andrew's cheese shop

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:01:00 +0000

andrew's cheese shop
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

having been the maitre de frommage at patina some time ago before starting his cheese shop, andrew knows cheese, but he makes the experience of eating cheese very accessible to cheese lovers whether you are a novice or more experienced. His is a wealth of knowledge pertaining to the histories and cultures of cheese that adds depth to the eating of cheese and its pairing with wine.

though i didn't attend one of his informative 101 cheese classes, i did participate in a spanish cheese & wine tasting in which a variety of spanish cheeses were paired with regional wines. all were tasty and great choices (i thought). i eat cheese regularly, but still consider myself somewhat of a novice, so found the tasting interesting.

we started with a nevat, a light colored, semi-soft young goat cheese from catalonia whose name means snow. paired with cava, a white wine, it was very creamy, and the rind had a subtle flavor.

following the nevat, the tetilla, which translates as "small breast" for its shape, is a milky cow's milk cheese, one of the few from spain. an interesting tidbit about spanish cheese is that most are vegetarian, meaning they are not made with rennet, a substance from the intestinal lining of animals used in the cheese process, because most are not made from cow's milk. spain is arid, cold and rough. the environment is not conducive to cows, but is to sheep and goat.

another creamy and sweet cheese, the tronchon, made from goat and sheep's milk, came next. both of these were good, and we ended up bringing some home with us.

then andrew introduced us to zamorano, a more authentically spanish cheese than manchego, due to the loosening standards for that cheese. made from sheep's milk, it was a hard, salty cheese with a tangy finish and was paired with a rioja. another salty but drier cheese followed, mahon reserva, made from cow's milk.

we moved into the blue cheeses, starting with the monte enebro, made from goat's milk. it is a rich and creamy, slightly bitter cheese.

our tasting was ending soon to my disappointment. the valdeon, a strong but creamy blue cheese made from a mixture of cow & goat's milk, comes wrapped in sycamore leaves. a lovely cheese with beautiful blue green mold traversing the soft cream, it went well with the quince paste and had a slight bitterness that made my mouth tingly and numb. the sweetness of the quince was perfect with the rich blue cheeses. some of us had the chance to taste the cabrales, an older, more intense but related blue cheese that had a richer flavor and novacaine effects.

these were only a handful of the varieties of cheeses you'll find here. there are cards with each cheese that tell you a little about the cheese, including where it comes from and what its made of. if there's one you're interested in but aren't sure about, they are happy to cut you a piece to try. i had to ask about when it was appropriate to eat the rind and how you would differentiate between what mold was ok and what wasn't. andrew's first answer seemed like common sense, and steered clear of any pretensions about cheese. taste the rind, and if you like the taste, eat it. none of it is bad for you, but it can be the most intense part of the cheese, so if you don't like it, don't eat it. as for mold, cut off any white and eat the cheese. blue green mold is ok, but don't eat black or purple mold.

sound sculpture

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:08:00 +0000

sound sculpture
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i haven't been knitting, but i have been crocheting...with wire. the crocheting is cool, but the coated wire is hard on the hands. these will become interactive sound pieces. of course, the one made from expensive fine stainless steel & wool yarn is the loveliest & less taxing on the hands & most expensive. actually, getting the amount of wire i need is expensive. the next project will have to be more cost effective.

community supported agriculture

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:48:00 +0000

long beach farmer's market
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

browsing the web, i happened upon some information at the local harvest site about community supported agriculture. basically, you commit to a time period like 6 or 12 months where you prepay on a weekly, monthly or annual basis for a weekly pickup of a box of produce consisting of fruits and/or vegetables to support a local farm. each participating farm has its own arrangement that can run from $15 - 50/week for a box that may be big enough to feed a family of 3 - 4. many offer organic produce, so it's very reasonable considering we spend about $100 a week on groceries. yes. that sounds crazy when there's only two of us.

reading about the industrial farm complex both regular and organic in michael pollan's omnivore's dilemma has made me more reflective on where food comes from and how that impacts not only my own well-being but that of the environment, prompting a desire to do something about it. then there was the nova episode the other night on marine mammals. seriously, watch the cutest baby seal dying or having to be euthanized because of human impacts to ocean ecology, and you can't help but want to do something. i'm not an activist, but i can make personal choices.

the community supported agriculture program is a long-term commitment that is especially difficult to consider due to the current state and future uncertainty of the economy. some require prepayment, and the closest pickup points would be in LA or OC. neither are far, but neither are as convenient as the whole foods or farmer's market. you also don't get to choose what goes in the box. the farm chooses based on what's in season. on the one hand, you may not get to cook what you want when you want to. on the other hand, you would be forced to be more creative in your cooking to accommodate seasonal, local food.

it sounds like a great idea. our local farmer's market only has a small percentage of organically grown produce, and whole foods is entangled with the organic industrial complex, which though not as bad as regular farming has its issues and impacts to soil & environment. the more i learn about food, how it's cooked, cultural traditions, where it comes from, the more small scale, local farming makes sense.

life goes on

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:12:00 +0000

i noticed our golden algae eater hammy looking like a cancer victim this week and no longer the hyperactive ~~cookie~~ algae monster that he is. we had him for almost two years. they can live to six years and grow quite large. i wish i had figured out there was a problem sooner. even though i dropped in two big pellets of food, it did little to stave off the inevitable. perhaps he was already too far gone. too little, too late. perhaps the zebra danios were eating all of his food in spite of our good intentions. we finally moved him to a separate tank last night where he died. soon, i will have enough dead fish for a dead fish aquarium. very sad indeed.

holiday shopping

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:39:00 +0000

pantone coffee mug
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

m & i did our part to boost the economy this weekend. honestly, spending a large sum of money in a short period of time freaks me out. luckily, it's only once a year. both our families told us not to worry about xmas presents this year due to the economy being so poor, but it's the sort of thing they'll say, and then still get us gifts, which makes me want to give them something.

the cultural framework for gift giving can be so strange. seriously though, i like finding cool things to give to family & friends--things i think they would enjoy or might not feel they could get for themselves or even come upon. it's the shortened timeframe and having to shop for so many people at once among other frenzied shoppers that can make it stressful and surreal. still, when i do happen upon that special something...

take this pantone mug we found at show in los feliz. the lucky recipient is mike's boss.

jitlada

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 23:27:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 04:38:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 04:27:00 +0000

lobster boy
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

a bib makes a great cat cape...

crab season

noreply@blogger.com (bluepupae) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 04:25:00 +0000

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...