Happy Halloween!

* Photo courtesy of a friend of a friend of a friend on Facebook. . .

Seasonal Wrap-up… Summer ‘08

I know… it’s been a while since I last posted… things have been kind of hectic around here, and I’ve barely had any time to sleep. My new schedule started last week, so I’m trying to get myself adjusted to everything right now.

I have to admit, I’m kind of glad summer is over. I’m looking forward to the fall; it’s one of my favorite times of the year. The last three months have been long and challenging for me. Despite the frustrations, however, there were some highlighting moments… here’s a quick run-down of note-worthy thoughts from this summer…

• A person can get a very good workout carrying around a broadcasting camera for 12 weeks everyday in the summer heat… pair that with a diet of blueberries, bananas, and water, and you can shed a solid 5-10 pounds easily.

• Cake decorating is not as easy as it looks.

• When you take an unattractive picture of a person shoveling food into their mouth, make sure you ask for their permission before sharing it with the public.

• The crabs they give you at Bethesda Crab House are small, and barely have any crab meat in them.

• It’s good a idea to memorize a random phone number (fast food places, movie theatres, retail stores, etc.) so that when someone asks you for yours while you’re drunk, you don’t accidentally give them your real one.

• A blond-headed slut (the shot… an alternate to the red-headed slut) is gross…. Stick to the red-headed slut.

• It’s proven that liquor, in small doses, can be just as good as fiber when it comes to clearing out the system.

• Walking around the city with an open bag of Doritos is a great way to meet people (note: this method has only been tested in Dewey Beach, DE... not sure if it'll work in other cities).

• Rocket Grill is a pretty cool kitchen appliance.
  http://www.buyrocketgrill.com/
  

• Sometimes change is necessary. It might be a little scary, but you never know, it might also turn out pretty good… Example: Roman and I always order fries with our chicken tenders at Tastee’s, but we decided to try their onion rings one night, and they were surprisingly good. Yeah, it’s not always going to be as simple as fries to onion rings... sometimes it might be something harder, like choosing a new pizza topping… it’s tough, but that’s life.

Cocktails, Bachelors, and Chicken Fingers…

It was like old times Saturday night, with Roman and me gallivanting around Bethesda… intoxicated. We patronized the usual bars, mingled with other barflies, ran into a bachelor party and played bar games with them (one dude was a little too loud and obnoxious, I wanted to push him every time he opened his mouth), and ended our night at our usual late-night destination: Tastee Diner.

It’s been a while since we’ve had a drunken Tastee Diner night… we used to be regulars there. Oh if those diner walls could talk…

Roman and I ordered our usual dish: chicken fingers and fries, with an extra side of honey-mustard sauce. This time, however, we decided to be a little different and add onion rings into the mix as well. They were good.

It was a fun night, but I totally paid for it yesterday, when I woke up with a pounding headache and slight nausea. I was definitely out of commission, and spent the entire afternoon napping. I think I’m getting old… either that, or I’m out of practice and need to have drunken Tastee Diner nights more regularly again.

What Does Michael Phelps Eat??

Oh my goodness… Michael Phelps has swept the freaking nation… he's everywhere! In case you've fallen in a hole and haven't been able to get out, Phelps, a Baltimore native, has had a record breaking journey in the Beijing Olympics… bringing home eight golds, and setting himself up for endorsements galore.

Anyway, there has been an extensive amount coverage on this boy (and yes, I know I am contributing to the media craze with this blog posting)… from the size of his feet (and how they resemble flippers) to the length of his torso (which is apparently very long) to what his diet consists of and how it contributes to his success.

And apparently one of the keys to his success is consuming 12,000 calories a day… 12,000!! I guess that’s one of the oh-so-unfortunate prices you have pay to be a gold medal swimmer… eat to your heart’s desire… But I guess all those calories are also necessary if you’re swimming that much.

Check out this menu…

Breakfast:
3 fried-egg sandwiches, loaded with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions, and mayo
2 cups of coffee
A 5-egg omelet
A bowl of grits
3 slices of French toast with powdered sugar
3 chocolate chip pancakes

Lunch:
A pound of enriched pasta
2 large ham and cheese sandwiches, with mayo on white bread
1,000 calories worth of energy drinks

Dinner:
A pound of pasta
1 whole pizza
1,000 calories worth of energy drinks

Hmm… I’m thinking he needs to add a little excitement to his diet… maybe throw in a little chicken curry, Mofongo, or Pad Thai to spice things up… or since he was in Beijing, maybe some roast duck or a hot pot. I’m also thinking that it must get kind of expensive to feed him… but then again, he probably won’t be strapped for cash anytime soon. I wonder where he likes to eat in Baltimore…

This One Takes The Cake...

Greg sent me this funny email forward today...

from a TV newsite . . .

An agent friend of ours (yes, we have agent friends) told us about ordering a cake from Walmart for a goodbye party for one of her employees. Here is how she recalls the conversation:

Agent: "I would like to order a cake for a going away party this week."

Walmart employee: "What you want on the cake?"

Agent: "'Best Wishes Suzanne' and underneath that 'We will miss you.'"

Here's what she got...

Bridal Shower Gift: Cookbook w/ Recipes from Family and Friends

It’s like wedding fever around here. It seems like almost everyone around me are either engaged or have recently gotten married. Kim and Rex are getting hitched in November, and last weekend was Kim’s bridal shower. The shower was held at her parents’ house in the backyard, which was beautiful. The refreshments table outside consisted of bottles and bottles of wine and champagne, and the dining table inside was covered with delicious dishes… Vietnamese spring rolls, dumplings, pasta, grilled shrimp, egg rolls, and the list just goes on… I was totally stuffed and drunk by the end of the afternoon!

So for her shower gift, Katherine, Roman and I were contemplating for a while as to what to get her. Finally for one of her gifts, we decided to put together a cookbook with recipes from her family and friends. The results were fantastic! Kim’s sister, CiCi, emailed us a list of people attending her shower (along with their mailing addresses and emails), and Katherine sent out an email telling everyone about the cookbook. People were instructed to either email us a recipe and photo (of themselves with Kim) so that we could put their page together for them, or they could construct the page themselves (and we’d mail them a scrapbook page).

The book was a success! We received awesome recipes from almost everyone, and Kim loved the book! I even kept a few of the recipes for myself to try out later! :)

cookbook, tasting journal

Another snow day in Maryland...

Huge chunks of pretty, white fluff started falling from the sky early this morning. I had to venture out of the house for a scheduled eye appointment, and when I stepped back outside after my check-up, the ground was blanketed in fresh clean snow. It’s a perfect day for hot chocolate, cookies, and TiVo!!

snow, Maryland, Tasting Journal

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Today is not only love day, but Valina’s 18^th birthday! Little girlfriend is all grown up! To celebrate, we made her favorite—Funfetti Cake! So yummy! Happy Birthday Girlfriend! I luff you! :-)


Valentine's Day, cake, Tasting Journal

Jamon Iberico is here!

A few months ago, KCRW's Good Food (my favorite podcast) did a little segment on Jamon Iberico, which is considered by many to be the best ham in the world. It is the best of its kind, encompassing a quality that is equivalent to Kobe beef and Beluga caviar. Until recently this delicious cured pork was only available in Spain, but not anymore. Iberico can now be pre-ordered through Tienda.com. I also discovered that Iberico can be found on the menu at Jaleo restaurants here in the Washington DC area.

I remember wanting to blog about the breakthrough of Jamon Iberico in the United States when the news came out this past summer. I completely forgot about it though. GothamWhore sent me this link yesterday and reminded me all about it. Thanks! :-)

Jamon Iberico, Washington, DC, Jaleo Restaurant, KCRW, GothamWhore, Tasting Journal

Au Bon Pain’s Jalapeno and Cheddar Bagel

What I’m Eating…

There is an Au Bon Pain a few feet away from my office building. A few times a week, I’ll go in before work to get myself breakfast. Normally I’ll have oatmeal, but if I feel like treating myself, I’ll have a Jalapeno and Cheddar bagel. I treat myself pretty often. It is by far my favorite bagel. I’m more into savory tastes, so the combination of the cheesy cheddar and slight kick from the jalapeno is just an amazingly satisfying combination.

food, Au Bon Pain, breakfast, bagels, Tasting Journal

Busy, Busy, Busy...

June is normally a hectic month for me. On top of the many birthdays, events, social gatherings, etc. that I have scheduled, I also have a ton of other work to do. So as you can imagine, I am bit behind on my writing and blogging. The past couple of weeks have left me breathless. I tried a few new restaurants, attended a handful of barbeques and experimented with different recipes. My grandmother from Cambodia just arrived into town for the summer so I’m eagerly awaiting some delicious Cambodian meals, as I hear she’s a wonderful cook!

The restaurants that I went to this past week were Praline Bakery and Restaurant in Bethesda, and Ardeo and Bardeo in Cleveland Park. I promise to post more about them soon!

restaurants, food, Bethesda, MD, Washington, DC, Tasting Journal

Tasting California

I recently got back from an extended weekend trip visiting Nick in Orange, CA. Unfortunately it wasn’t extended long enough. Seriously, the few days just flew by! We spent a lot of time hanging out, shopping, and eating around Orange.

On my first night there, we had dinner at the lovely Cafe Tu Tu Tango. This place was amazing! Not only do they offer delicious tapas, but a wealth of entertainment as well! Upon entering the front entrance, I’m greeted by a man painting skillfully away on his canvas. Once we sat down, I noticed more painters in various corners of the room. There was also an extremely talented balloon artist who was walking around making the most delightful creatures for all the youngsters eating with their families. A few minutes later, dancers came out and performed a little show for all the diners. And if that wasn’t enough to keep my eyes wandering, Nick spotted a small group of people clustering around a glowing fire making smores! I really enjoyed myself, and could have spent all night here. By the way, the food is just as good as the entertainment!

On Saturday Nick and I went to the Los Angeles Farmer's Market to check out the season’s fresh fruits and produce. In addition to selling food, there are also many places to eat at the market as well. For lunch we ordered a blackened pacific snapper served with some braised collard greens and cornbread from The Gumbo Pot. Honestly, I wasn’t too impressed. We should have gone with some crepes from The French Crepe Company. Nick was hungry however, and I think The Gumbo Pot was one of the first places that he spotted. After touring the market, we walked a block over to The Grove to experience LA’s popular new shopping and dining destination. We killed a couple hours walking around window shopping, and browsing through a few stores. The weather was really nice, and eventually the delicious fragrant of spices and marinades drifted into the air from all the nearby restaurants. For dinner we ate on the outdoor patio of La Piazza. The two of us decided to split a melted cheese roll appetizer and a pizza with goat cheese and pesto. It was all very filling. I believe the best part of the meal was the ambiance. The food itself wasn’t anything spectacular.

Nick and I spent Sunday relaxing and being lazy. We didn’t really venture out too much until dinner. As nightfall approached, our choices were narrowed down to a couple places in The Block (at Orange), and Habana in Costa Mesa. We decided to go to Habana. After doing a little googling, I discovered that Habana is a hip Latin restaurant, offering Cuban cuisine and a great nightlife in the lounge area. So off we went… or so we thought.

When we arrived at our destination, we were unpleasantly greeted by a dark and closed restaurant. According "Let's Eat OC", the dining room is supposed to be open until 10pm on Sunday evenings, and the bar until midnight. That was truly not the case. Later I made a call and found out that the restaurant was closed in honor of Easter. That sucks. Fortunately there were a few other restaurants nearby. One being a trendy looking Japanese-fusion restaurant called Zipangu. It looked the nicest for our last meal together, so we went there. This small and attractive establishment has been around for about a couple of years. The menu boasts a nice collection of Japanese-fusion tapas, as well as decent selection of sushi. Nick and I each order a few different dishes including the mixed seaweed salad, the spicy tuna wrap, the Kobocha Dumpling, and the seafood tempura. Both of us loved the Kobocha Dumbling the best. Each dumpling consisted of baby lobster along with pureed pumpkin, and served with a balsamic glaze. If you’re interested, Zipangu also offers a signature martinis and sake samplers.

See restaurant addresses and websites below! Be sure to check out the photos located in some of the other links!!

Café Tu Tu Tango
(In The Block at Orange)
20 City Boulevard
Orange, CA 92868
Tel: 714.769.222
http://www.cafetututango.com/

The Gumbo Pot
6333 West Third Street #312
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Tel: 323.933.0358
http://www.thegumbopotla.com/

La Piazza
(At The Grove)
189 The Grove Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Tel: 323.933.5050
Cross Street: Third Street

Zipangu
2930 Bristol St. Bldg. C
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Tel: 714.545.2800
http://zipanguoc.com/

Los Angeles Farmer’s Market
6333 West 3^rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 30036
www.farmersmarketla.com

The Grove
189 The Grove Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Tel: 323.900.8080
http://www.thegrovela.com/

The Block at Orange
20 City Boulevard West
Orange, CA 92868
http://www.theblockatorange.com/

Photos of the Grove
http://www.seeing-stars.com/Shop/Grove.shtml

Habana in Orange County
http://www.letseatoc.com/info/habana.htm

Photos of the Farmer’s Market at the Grove
http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/photos1/a/calafarmers.htm

Photos of Zipangu and its Food
http://zipanguoc.com/photos.html

Orange County, CA, Los Angeles, CA, eating, shopping, restuarants, food, travel, dining, Tasting Journal

Tips for Baking Perfect Cookies

I pride myself on my cookies… or at least I used to. My ego crumbled in my hands the other night however, when I decided to try out a different recipe for chocolate chip cookies. I chose Carole Water’s “Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies” from her book, Great Cookies. Mine, however, did not come out soft nor chewy, but more dense and cakey. I was very disappointed. I hadn’t come across cookie ailments in such a long time… I thought I had advanced past that…

After looking over the recipe, I noticed that the list of ingredients called for two eggs, while most others called for one (I normally use one). In Carole’s tips, she noted that doughs containing more egg will result in a cakey-textured cookie… AH HA! There was the answer to my problem… In addition, I also used less butter than the recipe called for (I ran out and was too lazy to run to the store). So much for being a cookie expert…

Here are some other helpful tips that Carole mentions for making great chocolate chip cookies:

1. Using vegetable shortening will not spread the cookies as much as butter.
2. Using a greater ratio of white sugar to brown sugar will produce crisper cookies.
3. Using fresh, soft brown sugar is essential to the quality of the cookie.
4. For a heartier cookie, use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar.
5. Flour must be measured accurately to ensure the quality and consistency of the dough.
6. For a thicker cookie, shape the dough balls in higher mounds.
7. Slightly underbaking the cookie will produce a softer, chewier texture.

See recipe for “Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies” HERE …

Walter, Carole. Great Cookies. New York: Clarkson/Potter, 2003.


baking, cookies, chocolate chip cookies, cookbooks, recipes, baking tips, Tasting Journal Recipes, Tasting Journal

2006!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Here’s to another year of good eating…!!! : )

food, eating, Tasting Journal

My Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays of the year! What foodie doesn’t love this holiday?! What I love the most about our Thanksgiving, however, is that it’s not your typical traditional feast. My family celebrates Thanksgiving Asian style! We still have the great big gorgeous turkey, and the usual side dishes such as corn, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, etc., but we also have delicious non-traditional food on the table as well. Last year our Thanksgiving dinner included tasty spring rolls, sour soup, pan fried noodles, and steamed fish… mmm… Does this seem bit unusual to you?

Apparently, this culture blend during Thanksgiving isn’t so odd after all. I’ve learned from my many culturally diverse friends that they too, have non-traditional food served with the turkey as well. Latin Americans may have empanadas and fried platanos; Cubans often serve Moros y Cristianos instead of mashed potatoes; Italian Americans may have lasagna; and Irish Americans sometimes serve prime rib or beef as a substitute for the turkey. Pretty interesting…

The Dining Guide 2005

What are you in the mood for? Tom Sietsema's annual dining guide has arrived! I swear it's one of those things I look forward to every year. . .

Check it out: Tom Sietsema's Annual Dining Guide


food, restaurants, dining guide, Tasting Journal

What kind of food are you?

I am Japanese food. This is a cute little quiz. It's short, only 5 questions.

You Are Japanese Food

Strange yet delicious.Contrary to popular belief, you're not always eaten raw.

What kind of food are you?

food, food quiz, Tasting Journal

Hot Dogs

Is it me, or is there just something about concession stand hot dogs that just tastes great? I find frankfurters tasty in general, but eating one from a hot dog stand in the city is just different. Please correct if I am wrong, but there is just something about it … I don’t know what…

The office building that I work in has a hot dog stand right in front of it. It was the first thing I noticed when I started my job. I mean seriously, how convenient is it to just go down the elevator and walk outside? Needless to say, the hot dog lady and I became friends pretty quickly.

She offers two different types of hot dogs at her stand. There is the regular hot dog which she charges for $1.25, and then there is the half smoke, which costs $1.50. I ordered the $1.25 hot dog for weeks before I finally decided to try the $1.50 half smoke. I just recently discovered that half smokes are a common type of sausage in this region. They are slightly spicier, and much more delicious than the regular hot dogs. After inhaling one in the office one afternoon, there was no going back. The extra quarter upgrade is definitely worth it.

After doing some research, I came up with a list of famous and not so famous hot dog stands/establishments across the country. I also learned how various cities eat their hot dogs. This is interesting …

WASHINGTON, DC
Ben’s Chili Bowl – 1213 U Street, NW; 202.667.0909; http://www.benschilibowl.com/

NEW YORK
Nathans – http://www.nathansfamous.com
Gray’s Papaya – 8th Street and 6th Avenue
Crif Dogs – 113 St. Mark’s Place; 212.614.2728
Papaya King – 179 E. 86th, Corner of 3rd; 212.369.0648; http://www.papayaking.com
Shake Shack – Madison Ave. and 23rd Steet; 212.889.6600; http://www.shakeshacknyc.com/

CHICAGO
Fluky’s – http://www.flukys.com/
Murphey’s – 1211 W. Belmont
Wiener's Circle – 2622 N. Clark
Sawnk Franks – Wicker Park
Clark Street Dogs – Clark and Halstead Streets

LOS ANGELES
Pink’s – 709 N. La Brea Blvd.; 323-931-4223; http://www.pinkshollywood.com/


How do you eat your hot dog?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotdog

Baltimore Dogs—served split and deep-fried.

Boston Bull Dog—topped with baked beans and BBQ sauce.

Chicago-Style Dog— served with mustard, relish, onions, tomatoes, peppers and celery salt on a steamed poppy seed bun; comes with a dill pickle on the side.

Coney Island Dog—served with chili, onions, and cheese.

Kansas City Dog—served with sauerkraut and melted cheese.

New York City Dog—served steamed onions and pale yellow mustard sauce.

Check Out:
http://www.watchmeeatahotdog.com
http://www.hot-dog.org/
http://www.hollyeats.com/HotDogPage.htm



food, hot dog, Washington, DC, Tasting Journal