First Meal and Fajitas Fixings

I have been overwhelmed with being an adult that I, who LOVES to cook, was hesitant to make dinner when a friend asked. However, I took it as an opportunity to break in the new kitchen and deflower the oven. And more importantly, sit at the new red dining table. Oh la la. But when the moment came to set the table - I had a (long) flash of fear... am I setting it right? is this where the spoon should go? wait! did I even get the right spoon?! where are all my serving pieces?! darn it... where are the "new" white wine glasses? i'm doomed.

I also have 5 different sets of flatware. Yup, that was not a typo. And there's one set that's been circulating in the family that contains everything you need for a more formal setting along with serving pieces. Of course, I only entertain my guests with the best and took those dusty things from their ziplock home to set. There is something seriously wrong with me when it comes to meal time (I sound like a puppy, I know).


Anyway, I kept it casual and light.



I want it to make something healthy for the fillings so I used green beans, peppers, baby bella mushrooms, apples, peaches, shallots, and onions.



I simply julienne the apples and peppers.



I used my pairing knife to halves the green beans. So pretty!



I'm totally diggin' this look.



I stacked my mushrooms and sliced them straight down. Be careful not to slice your finger - happens to me all the time.



[imagine photo of my slicing the peach very thinly here]

Toss everything together with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Healthy, yummy, and tasty all at once.



On the stove, I caramelized onions and shallots. Turn the stove to medium heat with oil. Wait until the pan is hot then toss in onions and shallots (make sure they're dry if not your oil will start to bubble and burst - we don't want that now).



I pushed the onions and shallots to the side and cooked my strip steak (pre-marinated from Trader Joe's) in the same pan (I was lazy). Cooking time varies and depends on thickness and many other factors but for simplicity's sake - just make sure that each side is well charred before you turn them over.



Once done, remove and slice the meat then toss with the onions. Lime is optional.



I like corn tortillas and if you do too, just make sure you steam them before you serve. Now, I'm back to contemplating my life as an adult.

Coffee Multigrain Pancakes w/ Flaxseed Meal

It's been raining for 3 straight days in Boston w/o breaks. Addy (our dog's name), we're not in Boston anymore! What is this crap, Paris? In any case, the craving for cooking and flower shaped pancakes came to mind for brightening the day.

This recipe is for ONE. 1/2 cup of multigrain flour, 1/2 cup of water*, 1 package of Vinacafe instant coffee (has milk), 1 egg, and 1/4 T of flaxseed meal (unless you're used to this stuff to want to add more, if not - start slow, or you might experience unpleasant stomach symptoms). Do NOT over beat. Blend and let sit for about 10 minutes.

*if you choose to just add some other kind of instant coffee w/o milk then add milk instead of water

1/2 cup of multigrain flour. I mixed everything in here since it's easier to pour with the spout.



1 package of Vinacafe Instant Coffee w/ coffee, milk, and sugar. This is when knowing how to read in Vietnamese comes in handy.



Add an egg and 1/4 T of flaxseed meal.



Blend and remember, no over beating, because if you do you will end up with super tough pancakes. The color is a bit darker due to coffee mix.



Heat up your pan (low-med heat) with some butta'.



Pour slowly. Remove ring and flip once when the edges are bubbly like in this photo. Flipping more than once is one of the cardinal sins in making pancakes. You will end up with tough pancakes.



Fluffy texture that you want. Enjoy with warm Grade A maple syrup. I'm totally diggin' the slight hint of coffee.

New York City

Most of friends know that I am not crazy about the City. However, I did truly enjoy this visit. My friends definitely spoiled me and indulged me in my every request from walking 30 blocks to Magnolia on Bleecker to get frosting shots just to hear me say "forget it" to waiting over an hour to eat brunch at Prune and grabbing 12 cookies from Momofuku Milk Bar just so I can get the peach tote (i collect bakery tshirts so in lieu of a tshirt - tote bag it is). And in the words of one my wise friend, "anna, order freely". Not only that, I was picked up from the train station in the wee hours of the morning with hot agedashi tofu waiting for me to devour!


Pinkberry for the 1st time. But look at those Alessi Paper Towel Holders - how familiar?! Fortune Cookie will get a kick out of this one since he hated it. Also, I did not eat this in lieu of a real dinner. I'm a "substantial" Asian girl.



Practicing my chopsticks holding skills at Gyu Kaku because we all know I can't hold them quite right and is tired from years of hearing "you hold them funny" comments.



Wagyu?



Feeding into the Korean Fried Chicken Hype at a place where the color theme is red and white w/ a name I can't care enough to remember.



Milk Bar Cookies + tote and that's D bringing some Houston to NYC w/ his fashion statement of socks and sandals. My favorite had cornflakes and marshmallow in it with some other stuff. I ate one of each kind... about 6 different flavors at about 2K calorie each.



Ramen at Ippudo with braised pork belly (gosh, this is so damn trendy now) and soft boiled egg (this crap too - the kind i was spoon fed at 3 - yes, warm yolk). I swear... the broth was made from fat concentrate and at least 3 egg yolks b/c it was so rich that even I, who love everything bad and fatty, could not eat more than 3 bites.




Mantou Buns w/ Braised Pork Belly (delicious but oh so trendy)



And we all know how much I love agedashi tofu. With this dish, I taught a young boy at the table how to transform into a gentleman.



Classic Bloody Mary with chaser... yes, I did say that.



Nothing quite like oyster and sausage for brunch. Ingenious!



Fixings for our plate of lox and smoked sturgeon



I might be dreaming of this for a long while...



Since I could not make it to 2nd Ave Deli... I ordered this. I couldn't be happier.




My dear friend has not had soup dumplings before so we ended the trip with a visit to Joe's Shanghai in Chinatown.



You can't find me happier than this moment here... packaged ice cream cone + walk in the park.

Post-Bar

It's been almost a whole month since I've taken the bar exam (July 28 and 29th). There are lots of things I don't miss about studying for the bar but (there's always a but) there are some things I do truly miss. I miss having my younger sister and our spoiled black lab hang out in my room as I study. I miss being a student. I miss family meals together. I miss shopping trips. I miss seeing goods friends (I've made) at bar prep.

In any case, there's been a lot of changes since then. Peter has moved to London and is loving every moment. The old apartment is completely empty and lease is almost up. I've moved to the Back Bay and loving every second of living on Comm Ave and alone for the first time. I'm officially now in my late 20's. I went out to San Francisco for the very first time and suffered from hypothermia. Kidding. It was cold though. Went to wine country for the first time. Went to my first bridal shower and bachelorette party in PTown. My brother got married. Went to NYC (deserves its own post) to see a friend from Houston whom I haven't seen in 5 years. I started working in my very first office... probably, the most exciting news since taking the bar exam. Must admit, lots of firsts this summer!

I understand how much this blog has transformed from purely recipes and instructional cooking photographs to a blend of the former and narrative writing. I'm diggin' it.

Jazz Festival SF



Picnicking in Napa



PTown



Bridal Shower, the chocolates were amazing and any attempt to save them for another was pure failure.



Birthday Cupcakes from Sweet Bakery with Kien's impatient hand



Birthday Cake from the Fam from Coldstone Creamery (for a whole month once, i had coldstone ice cream every night after dinner) - and every year the joke about how I flipped out on the blank bday cake still comes up.



GBLS' Annual BBQ at Cyndi's



Rehearsal Dinner, Georgetown, Maine



The Wedding! Sorry, no food related photos here...




Welcome to my new office.




JK! Pauline's mother hook us up with a visit to Mayor Menino's office.

There's Nothing Ice Cream and JoJo Can't Cure

I wasn't having a good day... but it didn't start out that way. I'm pretty aware of how I react to things but today, one thing after another and I was just emotionally astray (i know, how funny, considering how boston actually felt canada's shake today). However, peanut butter and pistachio ice cream from J.P. Licks, JoJo - the biggest chick magnet ever, and plaza laps cured everything.

Balance. I'm still trying to find that balance. Until then...

I can be found perusing the flavors menu at JP Licks, and yes, pistachio is my favorite flavor.



That's doggie ice cream alright... but JoJo didn't care for any. I told him that would be a deal breaker for us even though he did try to kiss me on the first date. Such a flirt!



It really wasn't his cup of tea...



Look at that puff! How can you not fall in love with this guy?!



What a hunk.

I miss my blog!!!

I hate studying for the bar. I really do. I mean it. It is worse than 1L... the sad part is the more I learn the less I know. I can never feel like I study enough. I keep hearing different voices in my head repeating over and over again, "I wish I was smart". How pathetic?!

Onto happier news, my younger sister said to me today "bieber fever!!! bieber forever!!! you can borrow my clothes anytime you want because that's what sisters/BFFs are for!" - how impossibly sweet is that? If you don't know, we're going to the bieber concert in November, yippee! I am missing her right now while she's at lax camp.

In any case, I've been downing protein shakes to curb my insatiable hunger and it worked. You see, someone finally called me out on my bluff to kick their ass in kayaking. I'm no pro but I like to carry myself out as one and because I do not like losing, I'm bulking up for the challenge. I'm incredibly sore, everyday.


The other night, we had burgers. Of course, I forgot to take photos of the actual hand-packed turkey hunks but I'll describe what went in them... steak mushrooms, onions, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and feta cheese. Yes, I went w/ the mediterranean theme - how cliche of me (statement, not question). Don't salt your burgers before you hand-pack them, salt them after... trust me.

Slightly buttered and toasted buns... heaven



Toppings. I love, love ripe avocados.



And these are just from random nights...

I am caramelizing onions and pine nuts w/ a dash of pomegranate vinegar for my swiss chard.



Ta da! Swiss chard is yummy.



I love this le creuset grilling pan... just basic lightly breaded chicken breasts well prepared.



Homemade guac... the best. Yes, that is the pit to keep it from browning unless you're a fan of preservatives. If not, I recommend keeping the pit in there.



Shaved asparagus, smoked salmon (lox if you so prefer), sliced strawberries, and capers. I just squeezed a bit of lemon juice over and seasoned w/ sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

Cooking While Studying For The Bar

I will admit that studying for the bar is no picnic but every now and then, I need a break and get back in the zone. And yes you're right, that would be the kitchen. It's such a great stress reliever (for me) and every time I make something I haven't made before, I just know I'm in the right place. In any case, I do have many things to look forward to this summer despite the overwhelming study schedule so I should really not complain.

I promise that once this hell on earth is over, I will actually add measurements and directions.


Here's a bok choy salad w/ orange, tomatoes, and avocado. I made a dressing w/ rice wine, fresh squeezed orange juice, and ginger.



Simple sauteed spinach w/ a dash of red wine vinegar and topped w/ caramelized garlic and pine nuts



Julienned ginger and scallions - just because the photo looks nice.



Braised teriyaki chicken b/c it's better than pan fried teriyaki chicken