I've discovered something about myself. It is something that I didn't realize was growing ever since I graduated from high school, did my undergraduate at UCB and then moved onto graduate school.
I have become more cynical, impulsive, reckless, thoughtless, unfocused, bitter, and fearful.
Most of all fearful. I fear that I am not good enough anymore. As I met so many people, I realized that each one of them is very good at things that I always wished I was good at. There a lot of things that I aspired to get good at. These include baking, and cooking, drawing and painting, academics, dance, speaking, running, writing...
There are so many things I wish I was in real life, things that I aspire to. I often look to the people who do things really well as inspiration for me to strive to become better. I want to reach the level that they are at.
But when I realize my own inadequacies, that I will never reach anything close to it, I start getting scared that people will see me not performing well. I have always been viewed by my family, friends, and colleagues as a smart and skilled person, ever since I was little. When I got out to the real world, I discovered that I really am not.
I began to get scared. If I am not truly good at anything better than people I know, then I fear that I cannot truly succeed. I want to be able to be independent and show I am capable of doing this and that. I often try so hard to show it that I become pushy, brash. Then, I lash back when my weakness peeks out or my ploy starts to unravel. I become mean.
I am not a good nor a skilled person, despite everyone perceiving me as so. I am not intelligent, selfless, nor skilled. I just make it seem like I am. Everything I am is a facade, a porcelain shell I put around myself to hide the true person inside.
This porcelain shell is cracking.
I cannot hide anymore.
Everything bad that happens to me, or happens to those around me, is always the fault of my doing. My oversight, my carelessness, my self-hatred culminate into problems for others, for the ones I care about around me. It would be better if I just became a recluse and kept my bad aura away from others...
I cannot cope with my feelings or my thoughts.
Why am I sad and angry at myself all the time? Why can't I accept myself?
....
30 minutes later...ate a Klondike mint chocolate chip ice cream bar, browsed Tastespotting, laughed at one post about making the ridiculous "Skip's Scramble" (everything on this brunch restaurant's menu in one $50 order), and feel a little happier. Will most likely be short-lived happiness till my next mess-up (which is likely to be soon, knowing me).
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Monday Munchies
I'm going to try and start this blog series every week. Inspired by Detoxinista's "What I Ate Wednesday", I wanted to try and do a regular post to give some more insight into my (eating) life and get a conversation going. I hope to do it every Monday (so I can write "Monday Munchies" every week), but most likely I will post on random days whenever I get the chance (like today)...
Last week, I grabbed a single box of Cascadian Farm's oats and honey granola cereal and some 8th Continent Original Soymilk for breakfast. I poured the granola into my coffee cup (standard 11 oz mug) and it filled about halfway. That is a good amount. The box (54 g) has 230 cal (50 from fat), 6g of fat (1g saturated, 1 g polyunsaturated, 3.5g monounsaturated), and 5 g of protein. It has 14 g of sugar, which I think is pretty high in comparison to Honey Nut Cheerios (9g sugar). The flavor of this granola was spot on. The sweetness was not overpowering like you were eating dessert for breakfast and tasted natural. The crunch of the granola was well-maintained after sitting in the milk for several minutes. Even when softened by the milk, the texture still appealed to me.
The ingredients are:
WHOLE GRAIN OATS*, SUGAR*, CRISP RICE* (RICE*, SUGAR*, SEA SALT, MALT*), SUNFLOWER OIL*, WHOLE GRAIN OAT FLOUR*, MOLASSES*, MALTODEXTRIN*, HONEY*, SEA SALT, VANILLA EXTRACT*. *ORGANIC.
(taken from their website)
The molasses and honey and vanilla melded together into a great natural and complex sweet flavor. I liked the use of crisp rice to give it an extra texture dynamic.
What made me like this granola much more than Nature Valley or other granola is the lack of after-taste and after-texture. Whenever I eat Nature Valley granola bars, the bars are just way too crunchy and I am always left with some strange grainy sugar-oat coating in my mouth. Not with Cascadian Farm's granola cereal.
It's hard to pinpoint exactly unless you eat the two side-by-side, but I never liked granola so much as I did with this box just now. Next time and all future times, I think I'm just going to buy this brand. The only thing that makes me hesitate to buy it in the future is the high calorie content for just 2/3 cup (230 calories). I think they could reduce this by reducing the sugar content to maybe 9-10 g. Then again, granolas are typically high calorie and somewhat high sugar content, so this is not that bad for its market.
Silk is the most common soymilk brand throughout the US, but I prefer a different brand. I've been all into almond milk lately, not for dietary reasons or restrictions, but because I like the flavor. The original almond milk is just really tasty and they get the texture nice and creamy by using carageenan (polysaccharide extracted from seaweed). I'm a researcher so I'm not bothered by these chemical or polymeric extracts used to enhance food (unless they adversely affect your health or their extraction is not eco-friendly).
My favorite brand of soymilk is 8th Continent. I used to drink this more often back in high school, but during my undergraduate years, I had more trouble finding 8th Continent Soymilk. My favorite brand was being edged out by this Silk stuff.
The reason I like 8th Continent better is that it retains more of its soy identity than Silk. I feel like Silk Soymilk was made to really be a milk substitute, whereas 8th Continent is solely trying to be soymilk. It hints at more of the natural soymilk you find in Asian grocery stores. In Asian markets, soymilk is made fresh from real soybeans, water, and sugar. Pandan flavoring may be added as well. 8th Continent gets a bit more of the natural soy flavor than Silk does, and this is why I prefer this brand over Silk.
If you want to taste true soymilk, and not "soy-based milk substitute", I recommend trying out 8th Continent. But don't just take my word for it; 8th Continent is preferred over Silk 2 to 1 in taste tests. Other people know what I'm talking about!
Another breakfast item that I'm totally digging is the Muller FrutUp Yogurt. I just picked up the strawberry and blueberry flavors at my local HEB for for $1 each. These are lowfat yogurt topped with fruit mousse on top.
Can I just start with OHMYMUFFINS!?!?!?
The flavor and texture of these yogurts are AMAZING. The mousse on top is airy but not empty like what eating Yoplait Whips are like. They have substance. And flavor. I like to spoon straight down from top to bottom to get both layers in each spoonful. The bottom yogurt layer is so silky too. Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh. I already am thinking of how much I need to go back to HEB and buy a buttload more before the sale ends! Lemme just say, forget you, Greek yogurt fangirls. Mousse yogurt is where it's at!
As I was licking the remaining bits of yogurt from the cup (I wanted it all!), I looked at the nutrition facts.
140 calories for a whole cup...not bad...no high fructose corn syrup, check...blueberries actually in the ingredients, yay!...23 g of sugar, a bit high...dextrose...gelatin...Contains...TILAPIA!?!?
Ok, so I was not that shocked. Rather, I was more intrigued. I just thought it funny that tilapia would be inside my yogurt. Never saw that before. I looked back at the ingredients and reread "gelatin." Gelatin is a gelling agent often used in food (think Jell-O) and is typically derived from animal collagen. The FAQs report that gelatin is used in maintaining the texture of the mousse. I had thought the gelatin was used to give the creamy gel texture to the yogurt and that the last ingredient (nitrogen) was used to give the fluffy texture to the mousse. I would imagine nitrogen gas would be bubbled into a fruit puree to aerate it and give it pores. But I guess I was wrong.
Even if nitrogen and tilapia are contained in this yogurt, I really don't care at all. It's damn tasty.
So those are some products that I've been munching on and really enjoying.
Question of ze day:
What are your favorite breakfast items? What is a typical breakfast like for you?
Last week, I grabbed a single box of Cascadian Farm's oats and honey granola cereal and some 8th Continent Original Soymilk for breakfast. I poured the granola into my coffee cup (standard 11 oz mug) and it filled about halfway. That is a good amount. The box (54 g) has 230 cal (50 from fat), 6g of fat (1g saturated, 1 g polyunsaturated, 3.5g monounsaturated), and 5 g of protein. It has 14 g of sugar, which I think is pretty high in comparison to Honey Nut Cheerios (9g sugar). The flavor of this granola was spot on. The sweetness was not overpowering like you were eating dessert for breakfast and tasted natural. The crunch of the granola was well-maintained after sitting in the milk for several minutes. Even when softened by the milk, the texture still appealed to me.
The ingredients are:
WHOLE GRAIN OATS*, SUGAR*, CRISP RICE* (RICE*, SUGAR*, SEA SALT, MALT*), SUNFLOWER OIL*, WHOLE GRAIN OAT FLOUR*, MOLASSES*, MALTODEXTRIN*, HONEY*, SEA SALT, VANILLA EXTRACT*. *ORGANIC.
(taken from their website)
The molasses and honey and vanilla melded together into a great natural and complex sweet flavor. I liked the use of crisp rice to give it an extra texture dynamic.
What made me like this granola much more than Nature Valley or other granola is the lack of after-taste and after-texture. Whenever I eat Nature Valley granola bars, the bars are just way too crunchy and I am always left with some strange grainy sugar-oat coating in my mouth. Not with Cascadian Farm's granola cereal.
It's hard to pinpoint exactly unless you eat the two side-by-side, but I never liked granola so much as I did with this box just now. Next time and all future times, I think I'm just going to buy this brand. The only thing that makes me hesitate to buy it in the future is the high calorie content for just 2/3 cup (230 calories). I think they could reduce this by reducing the sugar content to maybe 9-10 g. Then again, granolas are typically high calorie and somewhat high sugar content, so this is not that bad for its market.
------------------------------------------------------
Silk is the most common soymilk brand throughout the US, but I prefer a different brand. I've been all into almond milk lately, not for dietary reasons or restrictions, but because I like the flavor. The original almond milk is just really tasty and they get the texture nice and creamy by using carageenan (polysaccharide extracted from seaweed). I'm a researcher so I'm not bothered by these chemical or polymeric extracts used to enhance food (unless they adversely affect your health or their extraction is not eco-friendly).
My favorite brand of soymilk is 8th Continent. I used to drink this more often back in high school, but during my undergraduate years, I had more trouble finding 8th Continent Soymilk. My favorite brand was being edged out by this Silk stuff.
The reason I like 8th Continent better is that it retains more of its soy identity than Silk. I feel like Silk Soymilk was made to really be a milk substitute, whereas 8th Continent is solely trying to be soymilk. It hints at more of the natural soymilk you find in Asian grocery stores. In Asian markets, soymilk is made fresh from real soybeans, water, and sugar. Pandan flavoring may be added as well. 8th Continent gets a bit more of the natural soy flavor than Silk does, and this is why I prefer this brand over Silk.
If you want to taste true soymilk, and not "soy-based milk substitute", I recommend trying out 8th Continent. But don't just take my word for it; 8th Continent is preferred over Silk 2 to 1 in taste tests. Other people know what I'm talking about!
------------------------------------------------------
Another breakfast item that I'm totally digging is the Muller FrutUp Yogurt. I just picked up the strawberry and blueberry flavors at my local HEB for for $1 each. These are lowfat yogurt topped with fruit mousse on top.
Can I just start with OHMYMUFFINS!?!?!?
The flavor and texture of these yogurts are AMAZING. The mousse on top is airy but not empty like what eating Yoplait Whips are like. They have substance. And flavor. I like to spoon straight down from top to bottom to get both layers in each spoonful. The bottom yogurt layer is so silky too. Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh. I already am thinking of how much I need to go back to HEB and buy a buttload more before the sale ends! Lemme just say, forget you, Greek yogurt fangirls. Mousse yogurt is where it's at!
As I was licking the remaining bits of yogurt from the cup (I wanted it all!), I looked at the nutrition facts.
140 calories for a whole cup...not bad...no high fructose corn syrup, check...blueberries actually in the ingredients, yay!...23 g of sugar, a bit high...dextrose...gelatin...Contains...TILAPIA!?!?
Ok, so I was not that shocked. Rather, I was more intrigued. I just thought it funny that tilapia would be inside my yogurt. Never saw that before. I looked back at the ingredients and reread "gelatin." Gelatin is a gelling agent often used in food (think Jell-O) and is typically derived from animal collagen. The FAQs report that gelatin is used in maintaining the texture of the mousse. I had thought the gelatin was used to give the creamy gel texture to the yogurt and that the last ingredient (nitrogen) was used to give the fluffy texture to the mousse. I would imagine nitrogen gas would be bubbled into a fruit puree to aerate it and give it pores. But I guess I was wrong.
Even if nitrogen and tilapia are contained in this yogurt, I really don't care at all. It's damn tasty.
So those are some products that I've been munching on and really enjoying.
Question of ze day:
What are your favorite breakfast items? What is a typical breakfast like for you?
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Vanilla Souffles
Souffle.
You hear the word and the image of a delicate dessert set in a cute French bakery on a light Spring day crosses your mind. After the pleasant image plays to the end of its reel, another takes it place. Cartoon characters rush into a kitchen just as you pull the souffle from the oven, excited to see its risen cylindrical golden top.
Boom! Clatter!
The characters crash into pots and pans and yell in surprise.
The souffle exhales a big fat POOT! and crumples into itself. The expression on your face is that of priceless horror and sadness.
Oh, souffle, oh souffle.
You put the ramekins down and chase those cartoon characters into the horizon as cartoon-y music plays in the background. Th-th-th-that's all folks!
...
Is that what you imagine when you hear about souffles and thinking about making them? There may be a misconception that souffles are hard to make and that they deflate if there is a large sound. Quite the contrary. Souffles are very simple to make and the deflation is a matter of time not audio agitation. Because souffles deflate so quickly, they must be served right away and I think this contributes to its perception as a difficult dessert to make. It is only difficult because it must be made and served at the right time.
As an aspiring baker, I believe you have to make a souffle at least once. It's like a requirement to call yourself a baker. Muffins, brownies, cookies. Yeah, yeah, we can all make those. But when I imagine a true European baker, I imagine the careful creation of decorated cakes, tartlets, croissants, and souffles. My goals to becoming a better baker include making these items at least once in my life, and eventually coming back to perfect them.
You have already seen the labor-intensive devil's food chocolate cake that I made for my sister's graduation. (which I realize I never posted about. Whoops. Typical me. And I can't find all my photos from my sister's graduation...there were so many good pictures T_T ... That cake was so awesome and I put so much work into it)
I made a healthy fruit tart that was tasty enough but could use some work with the crust.
And I made whole wheat croissants before that took so much butter and so much rolling. The whole wheat croissants were tasty (despite a little more time spent in the oven than I had wanted) but it is definitely something you have to have a lot of free time and energy for. (Again, I cannot find the pictures. And I totally thought I had posted about them or at least the pictures before, but I went through all my posts and see nothing! Oh sadness)
My grandma would agree; she recently made croissants too and said she would probably not try and make them again. Costco croissants are fine and dandy, thank you very much.
I decided to make a classic vanilla souffle. My decision was prompted by this new YouTube baker I randomly found one day. Eugenie Kitchen is such a pristine cooking blog and series of cooking videos. Eugenie is this adorable Korean lady who talks eloquently, speaks French, and teaches each recipe through straightforward, well-explained steps. She even has every ingredient placed in such cute bowls and plates. I watched her video for vanilla souffle and was impressed by how easy it seemed. When I came home for winter break, I was excited to try it because my sister bought ramekins (she had bought them to make creme brulee, but I don't think that has happened yet).
I followed her recipe to the dot and my 4 ramekins full of souffle came out so perfect and amazing! With a light dusting of powdered sugar, they were the perfect degree of sweetness. It was like an eggy, airy pancake. It was still warm inside. You pierce the top with a spoon and then it sinks through the moist spongy interior. You put it in your mouth and the flavor of vanilla and custard hits your tastebuds while the warmth enhances the experiences.
Souffles are such an awesome dessert. I would like to make them more often, but it is sad they only last around 10 minutes. They start deflating around 5 minutes, so you really have to eat them fast. Even after deflating, they are still edible and still have the same flavor, just not all of the awesome flavor of fresh.
I would highly recommend trying out this recipe at least once in your baking career. It is little effort with big reward.
For the recipe, hop on over to Eugenie Kitchen!
Monday, April 1, 2013
Recipe: Mushroom Mataar
Mushroom Mataar - Oct 7, 2012
(from my "Catching Up" post on Jan 19)
In College Station, there is only one Indian restaurant (although I've heard about many Indian mini-marts inside gas stations and convenience stores). Coming from Berkeley, and even Southern California, I had many options for Indian food (although, sadly, I did not indulge in enough while I was there). Every now and then I get a craving for Indian food. Tikka masala, samosas, korma, jalfrezi, curry, mango lassi...
I also really like peas, and Indians know how to make peas taste awesome. I looked online for an Indian pea recipe, and I had mushrooms on hand. I came across this recipe and made this!
The flavors were good. There was a warm complexity, thanks to the melding of the mushroom umami and the spices. I served it on whole wheat couscous, which is what I had on hand, but it would be much better with naan or rice (brown or basmati). Whole wheat couscous has such a strong flavor that I would not recommend eating it with anything really. Sorry, Bob's Red Mill, even your awesome brand cannot make whole wheat couscous better. It tastes like play-doh to me...bleh.
Anyways, I really liked this. Probably not authentic and lacks some degrees of flavor depth key to Indian food, but tasty enough for me.
(Because I made this so long ago and because I did it based on the ingredients I had on hand, I can only estimate the amounts that I used, based on the recipe I referenced)
Matar Mushroom (4 servings)
Adapted from Khana Khazana
Ingredients
1 container of mushrooms (1/2 lb, I think), halved
1/2 bag of frozen peas (small bag)
3-4 fresh tomatoes, chopped and pureed
3-5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 onion chopped
1/2" ginger finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp or more of garam masala
Some chopped green chili or red pepper chili paste if you want spicy
Directions
1. Heat oil in a pan. Saute the cumin seeds and garam masala till fragrant, then add in the onion. Saute till light brown. Add ginger, and garlic and saute till light brown.
2. Add in the mushrooms, green peas, and tomato puree and saute until mushrooms have released their juices and green peas are no longer frozen.
3. Add salt and adjust spices to your liking (I think I add to add more garam masala because I could barely taste it)
4. Serve with rice or naan (avoid the whole wheat couscous!!! D: D: D: )
(from my "Catching Up" post on Jan 19)
In College Station, there is only one Indian restaurant (although I've heard about many Indian mini-marts inside gas stations and convenience stores). Coming from Berkeley, and even Southern California, I had many options for Indian food (although, sadly, I did not indulge in enough while I was there). Every now and then I get a craving for Indian food. Tikka masala, samosas, korma, jalfrezi, curry, mango lassi...
I also really like peas, and Indians know how to make peas taste awesome. I looked online for an Indian pea recipe, and I had mushrooms on hand. I came across this recipe and made this!
The flavors were good. There was a warm complexity, thanks to the melding of the mushroom umami and the spices. I served it on whole wheat couscous, which is what I had on hand, but it would be much better with naan or rice (brown or basmati). Whole wheat couscous has such a strong flavor that I would not recommend eating it with anything really. Sorry, Bob's Red Mill, even your awesome brand cannot make whole wheat couscous better. It tastes like play-doh to me...bleh.
Anyways, I really liked this. Probably not authentic and lacks some degrees of flavor depth key to Indian food, but tasty enough for me.
(Because I made this so long ago and because I did it based on the ingredients I had on hand, I can only estimate the amounts that I used, based on the recipe I referenced)
Matar Mushroom (4 servings)
Adapted from Khana Khazana
Ingredients
1 container of mushrooms (1/2 lb, I think), halved
1/2 bag of frozen peas (small bag)
3-4 fresh tomatoes, chopped and pureed
3-5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 onion chopped
1/2" ginger finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp or more of garam masala
Some chopped green chili or red pepper chili paste if you want spicy
Directions
1. Heat oil in a pan. Saute the cumin seeds and garam masala till fragrant, then add in the onion. Saute till light brown. Add ginger, and garlic and saute till light brown.
2. Add in the mushrooms, green peas, and tomato puree and saute until mushrooms have released their juices and green peas are no longer frozen.
3. Add salt and adjust spices to your liking (I think I add to add more garam masala because I could barely taste it)
4. Serve with rice or naan (avoid the whole wheat couscous!!! D: D: D: )
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Silk: Non-dairy Yogurt
Just had to post this while I'm eating it...
I've tried some different non-dairy yogurts before and have not had too great an experience until now. I have tried the soymilk ones from Whole Soy & Co. The texture was slightly grainy and not thick and creamy like regular yogurt. I have also tried almond milk yogurt from Amande. This was like eating flavored almond milk agar jello (if you know Vietnamese "tat", a firm white jello made with coconut milk and (I think) agar). The texture was not creamy but too light and gel-like.
I have recently bought the Silk "fruity & creamy" soymilk yogurts and these really hit the spot. The first was Black Cherry, which I thought was pretty tasty. But the flavor that prompted me to write this is the peach mango flavor. It's just so good! It is not as creamy as 2% or whole milk yogurt, but has a light creaminess and the right consistency.
It's made with soymilk, cane sugar, maltodextrin, peaches, mangoes natural flavor, tricalcium phosphate (calcium source), pectin, sodium citrate, citric acid, vegetable juice (color), sea salt, locust bean gum, malic acid, Vitamin D2, and Live & Active Cultures
The sugar content, 19g, is lower than most milk-based flavored yogurts (often topping 20-30g of sugar per serving). It also has 6 g of protein, which much be from the soymilk, because no other source of isolated protein is listed in the ingredients. I think this is great because Americans are getting too much chemically-isolated proteins in their diet. We do eat enough meat, nuts, and legumes to give us enough protein. We do not need soy or milk protein isolates. They are usually derived through strenuous chemical and physical separation processes that wastes the rest of the original material and puts the final product through too many chemicals and treatments. If you want more protein, people, don't suffer those chalky powders! Just eat a handful of almonds or a chicken thigh. I assure you that you'll enjoy that better.
This was not endorsed or sponsored by Silk. I just really liked this yogurt and wanted to share my experience.
Question of the day: Have you tried alternative yogurts/ice creams? What is your favorite brand and flavor?
Happy Springtime!
I've tried some different non-dairy yogurts before and have not had too great an experience until now. I have tried the soymilk ones from Whole Soy & Co. The texture was slightly grainy and not thick and creamy like regular yogurt. I have also tried almond milk yogurt from Amande. This was like eating flavored almond milk agar jello (if you know Vietnamese "tat", a firm white jello made with coconut milk and (I think) agar). The texture was not creamy but too light and gel-like.
I have recently bought the Silk "fruity & creamy" soymilk yogurts and these really hit the spot. The first was Black Cherry, which I thought was pretty tasty. But the flavor that prompted me to write this is the peach mango flavor. It's just so good! It is not as creamy as 2% or whole milk yogurt, but has a light creaminess and the right consistency.
It's made with soymilk, cane sugar, maltodextrin, peaches, mangoes natural flavor, tricalcium phosphate (calcium source), pectin, sodium citrate, citric acid, vegetable juice (color), sea salt, locust bean gum, malic acid, Vitamin D2, and Live & Active Cultures
The sugar content, 19g, is lower than most milk-based flavored yogurts (often topping 20-30g of sugar per serving). It also has 6 g of protein, which much be from the soymilk, because no other source of isolated protein is listed in the ingredients. I think this is great because Americans are getting too much chemically-isolated proteins in their diet. We do eat enough meat, nuts, and legumes to give us enough protein. We do not need soy or milk protein isolates. They are usually derived through strenuous chemical and physical separation processes that wastes the rest of the original material and puts the final product through too many chemicals and treatments. If you want more protein, people, don't suffer those chalky powders! Just eat a handful of almonds or a chicken thigh. I assure you that you'll enjoy that better.
This was not endorsed or sponsored by Silk. I just really liked this yogurt and wanted to share my experience.
Question of the day: Have you tried alternative yogurts/ice creams? What is your favorite brand and flavor?
Happy Springtime!
Monday, March 4, 2013
Cooking with Love: Steamed Flounder and Pumpkin Cheese Pie
My boyfriend is a sweet guy. He is willing to try new things (to an extent) and willing to help out when I ask him. I believe that what makes our relationship work so well is that we communicate to each other when something is problematic. He keeps me modest with his honesty and pointing out awkward or inconsiderate mannerisms of mine. Things I cook, bake, and other things I do, he points out what is good but also what I could improve on. Truth be told, it irks me sometimes because I may not be looking for perfection right then, just somethibg passable so I can move on. Nevertheless, I give consideration to his comments, even if I respond defensively at first.
I have been trying to teach him how to be more self-sufficient and proactive lately. As we are both becoming independent adults, I believe it is necessary to learn how to take care of oneself. Cooking and household chores are basic skills every person should be able to do when they become an adult, regardless of sex/gender. Eventually, our parents will not be there to take care of us all the time, and we have to rely on ourselves for food, comfort, and care. Furthermore, one cannot subsist on eating out for nearly every meal. You would go broke before you even pay rent.
This is why I have been teaching my boyfriend how to cook, wash and dry clothes, and some minor cleaning. Also, he had to learn how to take care of my dog - that's a life skill too! But, I have to admit that I have alternate motivation for teaching him these skills. As a graduate student, volunteer, and dancer, I don't have that much time to take total care of two dependent boys (bf and dog). So I wanted my boyfriend to learn how to cook and do some simple household chores. Then, I could come home from my usual 8-9 hour workday and not have to cook, clean up, and study before attempting to get a decent amount of sleep before another long workday. A woman's dream: to have dinner prepared when she gets home and not have to bother with cleaning everything.
I talked with my bf about this and he was understanding. So wonderful, to have a bf who listens and tries to improve. After our talk, the rest of the day was splendid. What unfolded was a scene I had always fantasized about in my future settled life. My bf and I cooked dinner together and he helped with baking my pie. We had dinner together, no TV (although small distractions intermittently from his cellphone game) and the food was spectacular.
I guess that food just tastes better when you take time to prepare it with someone you love.
The dish that we created together was a soy steamed flounder with sauteed zucchini and steamed rice. My bf is learning how to cook perfect rice on the stovetop through trial and error. Eventually, he'll finally remember the process. Nevertheless, the rice he made was not too bad. A tad mushier than "perfect" white rice but still I enjoyed the creaminess of the moist rice. I dont make perfect rice yet either, nothing like my mom's. So, as you can see, we are both still learning.
The flounder recipe was prompted by a sale of wild-caught flounder fillets at a local grocery store. My bf always comments how his Cantonese family generally steams food. It is healthier, simple, and focuses on the freshness and flavor of the food itself, instead of the taste of oil or sauces. So I decided to do a steamed flounder, which was also recommended by the butcher at the fish counter. He suggested steaming because flounder falls apart if pan fried.
I used a recipe online as inspiration and ended up sauteeing zucchini, garlic, ginger, and some sweet pickled carrots and daikons my mom made for Tet (Vietnamese New Year). I seasoned the fillets with hot shot black & red pepper blend (McCormick) and lemon pepper seasoning, placed it on top of the vegetables with soy sauce and let that steam until cooked.
I started making the pie earlier, finishing the graham cracker crust, when he came over and asked to help. We proceeded to make the filling together and I put it in the oven. As I had hip hop dance class for the next hour, I entrusted him with taking out the pie when done. When I came back, the pie was on the counter, beautifully browned and set.
We set the table with the pots of rice and main course, alongside the pie we made together. It was a proud and happy and loving moment for me and for us. This is a memory that will live on in my tastebuds and my mind, to remind me of how much I love my bf and how lucky we are to have one another.
-----------------------------------
Steamed Flounder and Vegetables (serves 2)
Ingredients
1 12 oz flounder fillet (preferably wild caught), cut into two pieces
Lemon pepper seasoning
Hot shot black & red pepper blend (McCormick) (can just use black pepper)
1 large zucchini (any squash works fine), cut into 1/4" thick slices then into fourths to sixths
(Carrots and radish, sliced thinly and marinated in a sweet vinegar brine, optional. Add other veggies if you want)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 Tbs minced fresh ginger
3 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
3 sprigs of cilantro, chopped
1 green onion, green parts only, thinly sliced
Sesame seeds for garnish
Rice and soy sauce to serve
Ingredients
1 12 oz flounder fillet (preferably wild caught), cut into two pieces
Lemon pepper seasoning
Hot shot black & red pepper blend (McCormick) (can just use black pepper)
1 large zucchini (any squash works fine), cut into 1/4" thick slices then into fourths to sixths
(Carrots and radish, sliced thinly and marinated in a sweet vinegar brine, optional. Add other veggies if you want)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 Tbs minced fresh ginger
3 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
3 sprigs of cilantro, chopped
1 green onion, green parts only, thinly sliced
Sesame seeds for garnish
Rice and soy sauce to serve
Directions
1. Heat large skillet (one that has a cap) over medium. Add olive and sesame oils. Add zucchini, garlic, ginger, and other veggies if using. Saute until veggies just start to soften. Add soy sauce and 3 Tbs water.
2. Season both sides of fish fillets with lemon pepper and hot black pepper seasoning. Make a bed of the vegetables in the bottom of the pan. Top with fish fillets. Cover pan and let steam till fish is cooked through and flakes easily (about 6 mins).
3. Remove pan from heat, top fish with cilantro, green onion, and sesame seeds (optional).
4. Serve with rice and soy sauce.
1. Heat large skillet (one that has a cap) over medium. Add olive and sesame oils. Add zucchini, garlic, ginger, and other veggies if using. Saute until veggies just start to soften. Add soy sauce and 3 Tbs water.
2. Season both sides of fish fillets with lemon pepper and hot black pepper seasoning. Make a bed of the vegetables in the bottom of the pan. Top with fish fillets. Cover pan and let steam till fish is cooked through and flakes easily (about 6 mins).
3. Remove pan from heat, top fish with cilantro, green onion, and sesame seeds (optional).
4. Serve with rice and soy sauce.
Pumpkin Cheese Pie (8-10 slices)
(Recipe adapted from southernplate.com. Crust adapted from Dessertswithbenefits, a superb blog with nutritious, cute, easy, and innovative sweets)
Crust Ingredients
1.5 cups (cinnamon or honey) graham cracker crumbs
1 Tbs coconut oil
1.5 Tbs Smart balance butter (or softened butter)
1.5 Tbs Biscoff spread (cookie butter)
*(alternatively, just use 3-4 Tbs softened butter in place of the above three fats)
(Recipe adapted from southernplate.com. Crust adapted from Dessertswithbenefits, a superb blog with nutritious, cute, easy, and innovative sweets)
Crust Ingredients
1.5 cups (cinnamon or honey) graham cracker crumbs
1 Tbs coconut oil
1.5 Tbs Smart balance butter (or softened butter)
1.5 Tbs Biscoff spread (cookie butter)
*(alternatively, just use 3-4 Tbs softened butter in place of the above three fats)
Filling Ingredients
1 cup pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 cup (unsweetened vanilla almond) milk
1/4 cup brown and/or cane sugar
1/4 cup apricot jam (no sugar added, not Splenda-sweetened)
2-3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 oz (1/2 bar) plain cream cheese
1/4 cup honey
1 cup pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 cup (unsweetened vanilla almond) milk
1/4 cup brown and/or cane sugar
1/4 cup apricot jam (no sugar added, not Splenda-sweetened)
2-3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 oz (1/2 bar) plain cream cheese
1/4 cup honey
Directions
1. Prepare the crust: preheat oven to 350 deg F. In a food processor, grind down crust ingredients to a coarse powder. Press into a 9" pie plate (don't have to press all the way up the sides). Blind bake for 10 minutes till lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool. Change oven temperature to 325 deg F.
2. Make filling: beat all filling ingredients till smooth and creamy. Pour into par-baked graham crust.
3. Bake for 40-50 minutes in the oven at 325 deg F till filling is set (edges not too browned, knife inserted into center comes out clean). Remove from oven and let cool at least 45 minutes before cutting and serving.
1. Prepare the crust: preheat oven to 350 deg F. In a food processor, grind down crust ingredients to a coarse powder. Press into a 9" pie plate (don't have to press all the way up the sides). Blind bake for 10 minutes till lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool. Change oven temperature to 325 deg F.
2. Make filling: beat all filling ingredients till smooth and creamy. Pour into par-baked graham crust.
3. Bake for 40-50 minutes in the oven at 325 deg F till filling is set (edges not too browned, knife inserted into center comes out clean). Remove from oven and let cool at least 45 minutes before cutting and serving.
Both creations turned out very tasty. The fish was creamy, although next time I would saute my zucchini for a short time to preserve some of that nice crisp veggie texture. Also, I will reduce the sugar in the pie by removing the 1/4 cup of sugar and just relying on the jam and honey to sweeten the pie.
I hope you try these easy recipes out and make long-lasting memories with someone you love in your life too.
~Pauline
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
February already?
**Chose a new template for my blog! Fancy schmancy**
The days are shooting by so fast. It is hard to believe that it is February 2013 already! New Year has passed, Martin Luther King Jr. Day has passed, Super Bowl XLVII has passed...and now Valentine's Day is just around the corner! So much has happened and it gets hard to write regularly (especially when the internet is so distracting...). I always have to give props to the other bloggers out there for being able to get on almost every day and provide tasty tidbits of thought on my RSS feed and blogroll.
The biggest news in the past few weeks is that I got a dog!!! Meet my awesome new roommate, Hershey:
Those puppy dog eyes get me everytime. It makes me so sad to leave him when I go to work every morning or when I leave to go do errands or go to dance class or hang out with friends.
What is great about having a dog is the impetus to exercise! I take him on a jog every morning, evening when I come home from work, and night right before bed. In total, I run about
60 minutes or more every day. It feels really good and keeps me from sinking into a sedentary rut in front of the black hole that is my computer screen.
At the same time, I spend a lot of time on Hershey and do less on my homework and research. I need to focus better at work so I get everything I need to finish done at work so I don't feel bad for leaving "on time" to take care of my dog. Need...to...FOCUS!!!
I have been baking a lot lately, and oh-ho-ho has that been bad on my tummy tone. Unlike the stereotypical woman, I don't go on shopping sprees at the mall; I drop scary amounts of money at the grocery store. Before coming to the grocery store, I usually prepare by looking at the ad for sale items and writing down what I need to buy and what I want to buy because they are on sale.
Then I get to the grocery store and all that prep-work flutters and dies.
The aisles are chock-full of interesting treats and highlighter yellow and red sale/clearance signs. I start looking at the little sale things and get super detoured and end up throwing a bunch of things into my cart. By the time I am at the check-out line, my cart is full of unnecessary things and snacks that I probably should not get, being the sole eater in my apartment.
But I rationalize it by saying that most of these items are materials for my cooking and baking experiments. Eventually...eventually, I will use that jar of sauce and make jambalaya. Eventually, I will use this yogurt for some baked good thing that is supposedly healthy and might end up going bad on my counter later because I baked too much. But, all for the sake of culinary practice, eh?
Question of the month: how do you grocery shop? Do you like grocery shopping? Do you have a dog or another pet?
The days are shooting by so fast. It is hard to believe that it is February 2013 already! New Year has passed, Martin Luther King Jr. Day has passed, Super Bowl XLVII has passed...and now Valentine's Day is just around the corner! So much has happened and it gets hard to write regularly (especially when the internet is so distracting...). I always have to give props to the other bloggers out there for being able to get on almost every day and provide tasty tidbits of thought on my RSS feed and blogroll.
The biggest news in the past few weeks is that I got a dog!!! Meet my awesome new roommate, Hershey:
Isn't that face just heart-meltingly adorable!? I met him at the Humane Society shelter a couple weeks back and it was love at first site. I had meant to look at a couple other dogs, but the moment I played with him, I knew he was the one.
Those puppy dog eyes get me everytime. It makes me so sad to leave him when I go to work every morning or when I leave to go do errands or go to dance class or hang out with friends.
What is great about having a dog is the impetus to exercise! I take him on a jog every morning, evening when I come home from work, and night right before bed. In total, I run about
60 minutes or more every day. It feels really good and keeps me from sinking into a sedentary rut in front of the black hole that is my computer screen.
At the same time, I spend a lot of time on Hershey and do less on my homework and research. I need to focus better at work so I get everything I need to finish done at work so I don't feel bad for leaving "on time" to take care of my dog. Need...to...FOCUS!!!
I have been baking a lot lately, and oh-ho-ho has that been bad on my tummy tone. Unlike the stereotypical woman, I don't go on shopping sprees at the mall; I drop scary amounts of money at the grocery store. Before coming to the grocery store, I usually prepare by looking at the ad for sale items and writing down what I need to buy and what I want to buy because they are on sale.
Then I get to the grocery store and all that prep-work flutters and dies.
The aisles are chock-full of interesting treats and highlighter yellow and red sale/clearance signs. I start looking at the little sale things and get super detoured and end up throwing a bunch of things into my cart. By the time I am at the check-out line, my cart is full of unnecessary things and snacks that I probably should not get, being the sole eater in my apartment.
But I rationalize it by saying that most of these items are materials for my cooking and baking experiments. Eventually...eventually, I will use that jar of sauce and make jambalaya. Eventually, I will use this yogurt for some baked good thing that is supposedly healthy and might end up going bad on my counter later because I baked too much. But, all for the sake of culinary practice, eh?
Question of the month: how do you grocery shop? Do you like grocery shopping? Do you have a dog or another pet?
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