Bun Rieu

My first attempt at making Bun Rieu, a Vietnamese shrimp/crab paste tomato noodle soup. Quite satisfied with the results - but of course it still needs work and more refinement before I can make it for anyone else! So right now, only my hubby SQ is the guinea pig!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• A pot of chicken stock
• 8 medium tomatoes
• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 eggs
• 3 TBSP corn starch
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 tsp pepper
• 1/2 jar of crab paste (picture below) - you can find it in Chinese supermarkets
• 1 pack of dried noodles

Optional ingredients:

• Cilantro
• Green onions
• Onions
• Cha Lua (Vietnamese Fancy Pork)
• Bean sprouts

Crab paste

Preparation:

1. Boil a pot of chicken stock using chicken bones under medium low heat for as long as you can (at least 1.5 hrs) to get flavor.

2. Finely dice 5 tomatoes. Chop in bigger pieces the remaining 3 tomatoes (set aside). Tenderize ground pork by pounding the meat with a cleaver.

3. Add corn starch, crab paste, eggs to pork. Season with salt and ground pepper. Mix well.

4. On a small pot, cook the finely diced tomatoes until they become limp and appear sauce-like. Remove any chicken bones from the chicken stock. Then pour the tomato sauce into the chicken stock. Wait until mixture boils again.

5. Using the same small pot, pour 3 ladles of the chicken stock into it. Scoop a spoonful of meat and let it cook in the small pot. Try not to break the meat mixture. If the mixture falls apart, add a little bit more corn starch and mix it up again.

6. When the meat is cooked, transfer it into the big pot of chicken stock. This extra step is to make sure that you don't ruin the big pot with raw meat. Just safer...

7. After all the raw meat has been cook, disgard the small pot of chicken pot.

8. Add the chopped bigger tomatoes into the chicken stock. Boil for a couple of minutes and then turn off the heat.

9. Boil water on a separate pot to cook the dried noodles. After noodle is cooked, add in the soup.

10. Garnish with cilantro, green onions, etc.

Here is the final result of the dish. It tastes quite good.

This is a good start - at least the meat/crab paste is tasty, tender and soft. I think next time I will use cans of tomato paste as well so the soup will be more reddish color (now it's kinda pinkish). It will blend with the tomatoes more. And I will add in more ingredients such as fried tofu (dou-fu bok). There is more experimenting to be done!

Polker's Gourmet Burgers

We went to Polker's Gourmet Burgers today at Polk St today for lunch. We waited about 20-30 minutes or so for a table - a bit long... in my head, I am still questioning if there is really a recession out there...?

We utilized the wait time to browse Cole Hardware, which is a few stores away on the corner. In high school, I worked as a weekend Cashier at Cole Hardware, not at this particular store on Polk - but at the original store on Cole St. in Cole Valley. Anyways, back to Polkers - we got our table and I ordered a Crab and Shrimp Benedict (a) and SQ ordered a mushroom burger with Curly fries (b). The Benedict was rich but good... a heart-attack special - complete with crab, shrimp, egg, avocado, scallop potatoes and whatever creamy sauce that blended everything together. I was most excited to try their burgers since this place is called Polker's Gourmet Burgers afterall. Somewhat disappointed because the mushroom burger was a bit on the dry side probably because SQ ordered it medium well. But I do love the swiss cheese and mushrooms that came with it. Curly fries are overfried and I didn't like them at all. Glad to at least tried out this place - sometimes I feel like there are so many restaurants out there in SF and SQ and I just eat the same ones over and over again. We're just creatures of habit!

(a) Crab and Shrimp Benedict (b) Mushroom Burger with Curly Fries

After Polker's, we stopped by La Boulange and got myself a yummy Iced Mocha. This one on Polk has a very nice decor - cute little pastries and sandwiches ... very Parisian! Love it!

Saturday adventure

What a glorious day in San Francisco today! A pleasant 66 degrees along the Bay...and most importantly, on a weekend! SQ and I took the opportunity to be outdoors enjoying a bit of sun. After lunch, we went to Crissy Fields, set up a blanket along the beach, and dog- and people-watch for an hour. We had a great time just relaxing and absorbing the beautiful scenery around us. The GG Bridge is of course in its utmost beauty - no fog whatever! The bay was relatively empty, free of sailboats, because I think there was some kind of yacht race in the Alameda/Oakland area because all the sailboats were hovering around that side of the Bay.
Crissy Fields


We later took a hike around Fort Mason, and got up to Black Point Battery. This is where SQ and I exchanged our vows back in September 2003!!! Wow! We haven't been there since our wedding day! It's kinda weird to see it again but it still has very nice views of the surrounding areas. The grass is still damp and wet (I remember that also on the wedding day)... but still beautiful!

Black Point Battery, Fort Mason

It was definitely a nice day to take a casual stroll along the area today. The weather is so pleasant. It's hard to believe that we will have such pleasant, Spring-like weather in the middle of January!!

A delicious bowl of Udon

There was some kind of bomb threat on the Chinese Embassy on our way home on Geary this past Friday night, so we had to take a detour and drive near Japantown. We ended up finding a nice parking spot there so we decided to eat dinner there. Our normal place to go is Tampopo, the Ramen restaurant in the central J-town open plaza, but we wanted to try something new. I was most interested in going to a Shabu Shabu place, but don't know of any off hand. So we walked into one of those random Japanese mall and stumbled into Kui Shin Bo. The name of the restaurant sounded a bit Korean to me, but we walked in anyways. The restaurant was quiet, only 2 other tables were occupied.

SQ and I both ordered the udon, and this is one of the best udon I've ever had!! I was very happy with the broth and mainly the udon itself. Between udon and ramen, I always prefer ramen because I always think that udon is tasteless and the noodle itself is well, thick and chewy. But not here!! The noodles were tasty, even without the soup, and most importantly, there were springy. Each bite was so good! They serve the udon in this iron pot/bowl which kept the soup and noodles hot, the way any soup noodle should be!

As we were enjoying the delicious meal, it dawn on me that everyone in the restaurant spoke fluent Japanese. They were conversing with the waitress and the Sushi Chef, all in Japanese. Then I realize ...THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE THE NATIVES GO TO! No wonder it's so yummy and authentic! I would definitely go back there whenever I want a bowl of udon!

The Best Mascara

Since I work in the Cosmetics department, I have a lot of exposure to make-up products. Of all the ones I've tried, this is by far my favorite and best mascara ever. It is probably the one mascara I would pay money for. It's called Lash Queen Feline by Helena Rubinstein.

Helena Rubinstein is owned by L'Oreal. Demi Moore is their spokesperson. Unfortunately, they don't sell products in the United States, but is widely popular around the world. Not sure why they don't sell in the U.S. - what a shame. It's such a great product. They are really well-known for their mascara. So what makes them good? The mascara is really black, separate your lashes, and extends them. It doesn't clump up at all. I know, it sounds too good to be true - but it's true!!

Here is a before and after picture. Check it out for yourself!

Before, lashes curled, no mascara


After, H.R. mascara applied

Baby Shower

My sister had her Baby shower yesterday, and here are some photos:

3 little onesies hung on the wall as decorations. Each had a question - When? Weight? Length? Guests are to use a fabric marker to write their guesses to the appropriate questions. These are super easy to make. Just buy plain white onesies and print the image / words onto a special transfer paper and have them ironed on.

Of course there is the diaper cake....Blue for Boy. My other sister made this. It's almost a "staple" now in any baby shower parties. The cow as the cake topper because next year is the Year of the Cow.

Picture of my nephew, Kyle. He turning 1 on February 28. Isn't he adorable? He's currently the youngest grandchild in the family - but will soon be replaced by another baby boy. Grandchild #11!

Banh Cuon

I'm a bit late on posting this... but I made some Banh Cuon for my family on New Years Day. Banh Cuon is basically Vietnamese rice roll with ground pork inside on it. It is really really delicious. It's not hard to make it but it is tedious work...so actually, not many Vietnamese restaurants in the Bay Area have this dish on their menu.


Here are some step-by-step pictures of how it's done : (the below portions serves 16):


Here are a couple of main ingredients - the Banh Cuon rice flour (4 bags) and wood ear (black fungus) - 1 bag. You would also need ground pork, onions, shrimp, water, oil, salt, pepper and fish sauce.




Chop up wood ear, 1 lb shrimp, 2.5 large onions with food processor. Tenderize 2.5 lbs of ground pork






Mix up all the above ingredients except for the onions. Add salt, a little bit of fish sauce and ground pepper. The seasoning is up to your taste. I like it with a lot of pepper. Remember that you serve this w/ fish sauce so you don't have to make it that salty.

Sautee the onions first until limp and then add in the pork mixture. Cook fully.

For the Banh Cuon skin, use 1 bag of the rice flour and add 4 cups of water, drizzle of oil, and a pinch of salt. The instructions on the bag ask you to add in 3 cups of water, but I find that it tastes much better with 4 cups. The wrap then beccomes much thinner. Mix well until all the lumps are gone.

After you're done mixing the Banh Cuon mixture, scoop 3/4 of a ladle of liquid into a small non-stick frying pan. Depending on the size of your ladle, you may need more or less than 3/4. The goal is to get the liquid to be evenly distribute around the pan thinly. Cover the pan with a lid to cook.



After a 1 minute of cooking or when the skin is loose from the pan, transfer the skin into a non-stick surface (I use a cookie sheet) by flipping the pan in a 180 degree motion. Technique is somewhat tricky but after a while you'll get it. The goal is to have the skin lying flat. Place a scoop of cooked meat in the middle


Fold the skin on the sides then on the top and bottom to form the Banh Cuon into this shape. Be careful, the skin is really hot!! Use a chopstick if necessary.






Repeat the steps and do one Banh Cuon at a time until you finish all your mixture. Place them onto a tray and serve with condiments of your choice.




The typical dish includes the following sides:

1. Sliced Cha Lua (Vietnamese Fancy Pork)
2. Sliced Cucumber
3. Bean Sprouts
4. Fish Sauce
5. Green Onions & oil
6. Fried or dried shallots

You're DONE! Enjoy your dish!!

AT&T DSL issues

We have been getting really spotty DSL lately.... it's really annoying. We are going to cancel the service but want to connect to Comcast before we cancel. We are getting no where near the speed for the service plan we're paying for. We've called in to complain and they just keep on telling us to work with Tech support. Over multiple phone calls, we got no where. So I filed a BBB (Better Business Bureau) complaint against them.

A lady from AT&T called me and we have been playing phone tag for the past couple of days. I want them to refund me. They are committing fraud. They are not providing the service they promise and charge. I will let you know of the outcome.

Happy New Year!!

Cheers to 2009!

2009 is only a few hours away. I always try to take this time to reflect on 2008 and all the events that occurred. There are definitely good moments and bad ones, on a personal level and on a macro level...

Again, as tacky as it sounds, I really wish 2009 will be a safe one - world peace and less violence! I also hope that the economy will rebound faster than anticipated. That feeling of uncertainty is causing a lot of anxiety for many people, including us. With SQ's job being so unstable, we have been cautious, trying not to overspend and giving ourselves a bigger 'rainy day' fund. Hopefully, our country will be able to weather through these tough economic times... Cheers to 2009!

May this year bring all of us Hope and Joy... and may all the new year resolutions get completed & all the new year dreams come true!

Butternut Squash Soup

I tasted my first Butternut Squash soup at Wolfgang Puck Express Cafe in the basement of downtown Macy's. I had just got my braces adjusted and my teeth was too sore to eat anything and I was hungry. So I ordered this soup from the menu... and my oh my, it was sooooo good! I have never had butternut squash soup before, so this was definitely a nice surprise. Ever since then, I am in love with this soup. And everytime I see it on any restaurant's menu, I would almost guarantee to order it! But today, I've decided to try making it...so I searched online for the best recipe. I got this recipe from allrecipes.com. It's a very good recipe - very easy and exact. The soup has a good consistency and seasong. This is my deliiissssh homemade butternut squash soup!!

In case you don't know what a butternut squash looks like - it's like this!



Recipe (serves 6)
Ingredients

• 6 cups of butternut squash (2 lbs)
• 6 tablespoon of chopped onions
• 4 tablespoon of butter or margarine
• 3 cups of water
• 4 cubes of chicken bouillion
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 4 ounces of Cream Cheese

Instructions

• Cut the butternut squash into 1/2. Remove seeds and pulp. Face down, put the squash into a baking pan & into the oven for 40 minutes at 350 degrees
• After it becomes soft, scrape squash out from skin
• In a small pot, melt butter and sautee onions until tender
• Add water, chicken bouillon, marjoram, ground pepper, cayenne pepper
• Transfer the mixture into a blender, add squash and cream cheese
• Puree for 30 seconds
• Transfer the mixture into the small pot and heat to a simmer (do not boil)
• Serve and enjoy!

Michael Buble's "Everything"

I am absolutely in love with this song!! Lyrics on the bottom:



You're a falling star, You're the get away car.
You're the line in the sand when I go too far.
You're the swimming pool, on an August day.
And you're the perfect thing to say.

And you play it coy, but it's kinda cute.
Ah, When you smile at me you know exactly what you do.
Baby don't pretend, that you don't know it's true.
Cause you can see it when I look at you.

[Chorus:]And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, You make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

You're a carousel, you're a wishing well,
And you light me up, when you ring my bell.
You're a mystery, you're from outer space,
You're every minute of my everyday.

And I can't believe, uh that I'm your man,
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.
Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through,
And you know that's what our love can do.

[Chorus:]And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, You make me sing
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

So, La, La, La, La, La, La, LaSo, La, La, La, La, La, La, La

[Chorus:]And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, You make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.Y
ou're every song, and I sing along.
'Cause you're my everything. Yeah, yeah
So, La, La, La, La, La, La, LaSo, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La

Merry Christmas!!

Jury Duty

Last Monday, I got selected as a juror for jury duty at the Civil courthouse on McAllister. Here is my recollection of these couple of days. Waited around for 1/2 hour and then got assigned to a courtroom by 9:30am. Out of the group of 60, they picked 28 for questioning. I was chosen as #24. After all the questioning and people getting struck out (excused) by the lawyers, I ended up as Juror #4. I don’t know why I am so lucky when it comes to these things! By the afternoon, the 12 jurors and 2 alternates got sworn in to serve.

This may be the SHORTEST trial that the court ever had. 1-1/2 day!!! There were only 2 witnesses, the plaintiff and the defendant. The case is about an ex-employee (plaintiff) suing the ex-supervisor (defendant) for assault and battery. The events happened between April 2003-May 2005. The plaintiff accused the supervisor of using her hips to bump her (the supervisor is pretty fat), pinning her to the desk, holding a fist against her face and of course verbally abusing her. All these events have no witnesses. The plaintiff did most of the talking, recounting the events. She was too dramatic - she tried to re-enact all the scenes; fake-crying on a couple of occasions .

The defendant looked mean. She didn’t seem nice; and she admitted that she would raise her voice to get things and exercise authority. She didn’t recount her recollection of the events ; she said she doesn’t recall any of them. The jury deliberated for about 1 hour. IMHO, I thought the plaintiff exaggerated the physical violence she claimed had happened (the hip bumps, the pinning) - so not guilty on the Battery charge. The other 11 people concurred. But on the Assault charge - which is defined as the “intent” to cause harm, I voted guilty on that. I believed that she did put out her fist. But unfortunately, I was overruled. 9 other people didn’t agree with me, so the non-guilty verdict passed. Many people had a problem with the fact that there were no witnesses subpeonaed to testify. In Civil cases, only 9 people need to agree vs. in criminal cases, it has to be an unanimous vote (12 out of 12 have to agree). So the case was done… in 1-1/2 days! I wonder why this would fall in the Civil court if it is an assault/battery case? Well, the answer is that the plaintiff is seeking monetary damages and do not necessarily want the defendant to go to jail. So it was kinda weird…

Every once in a while, I don’t mind serving as a juror. It’s only when I get super busy at work that makes it stressful for me to sit through a trial & then go back home to do regular work. But this was just fine.

Halloween 2008

We celebrated this year's Halloween at my sister BT's house. We do normally get together every year for Halloween, mainly for the kids (nieces and nephews). This year my older nieces and nephews didn't even join us since they rather spend the time with their friends trick or treating. But we still have the party for the younger kids. I wasn't really in the Halloween mood after coming back from Paris & being super busy at work. But I was able, on the very last day, to pull off a costume for both me and SQ!

The only thing I bought is that pink poodle dress - everything else I had. The wig I borrowed from my sister and voila! I was a 50's girl! And SQ's outfit was all already owned. What a cheap costume!

Paris

SQ and I spent about 6 days in Paris this past week. I was there mostly for work and SQ on vacation. We did manage to hang out 1 day and a few nights together. Otherwise, SQ ventured out on his own while I slaved away in meetings after meetings…

We both loved Paris! It is indeed a very beautiful city - no wonder if it is one of the most beloved cities in the world. There is so much old-city charm … everywhere you turn, you find historical buildings, landscaped parks, sidewalk cafes, relaxed lifestyles - I can go on and on and on. There is so much to love!! Here are a few pictures we took:

Arc de Triomphe

Notre Dame de Paris

Musée du Louvre

La Tour Eiffel

So you may ask why the Eiffel Tower is blue? The Eiffel Tower at night is normally a “yellowish” color, which is what you typically see in pictures, etc. But this year for 6 months (Jul 1 - Dec 31, 2008), the Eiffel Tower is blue in honor of the European Union (blue in the color of the EU). The French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, was selected as the President of the European Council, which is a position that rotates between member states every 6 months. So, we were lucky to see the very “limited edition” color of the Eiffel Tower! Besides the blue color, every hour on the hour, there is a light show for 10 minutes. Bright white lights dance and sparkle in the dark sky. It is one spectular show!!

The only thing I wasn’t too crazy about…was the food. Because I dined with the local Parisians (for business), I was able to try out a lot of different dishes, not only your typical escargots, foie gras (though I also had those). But truthfully, I am never a big fan of French cuisine - let’s put it this way - I can eat it but don’t appreciate it as much. And after 5-6 days of eating the same cuisine, I was so ready to go back home to eat a bowl of Pho!!

I would love to go back again…next time, I will plan it a bit better so I can have more free days to explore this beautiful city.
Edit this entry.

Janet Jackson concert

We went to watch our first American concert at the Oakland Oracle Arena yesterday : Janet Jackson 2008 “Rock Witchu Tour.” SQ got offered by a business associate a pair of free tickets to watch the concert in a private suite. The suite was in on the Mezzanine level, kinda far from the stage but it’s nice and private - food, drinks, private bathroom…I think we should book a suite to watch a concert one of these days. Don’t know how much it costs though…Probably expensive. There were about 15-20 people in the suite, so it’s at least $3-4K??

The concert was great! Neither of us were Janet Jackson fans, but she did put on a good show. She could sing AND dance. I was amazed with the production, complete with gigantic LCD screens, superb lighting, techs, etc. — nothing compared to the Chinese concerts! The best part is that I was still able to sing along to maybe 2-3 of her old songs! She sang & danced for 2.5 hours straight - breaking only to change clothes. She changed outfits about 7-8 times…transitions were seamless.

Oh yeah, the opening act was Nelly. So before Janet came on stage, there was a group of people on stage with one guy particularly in charge. They rapped a few songs. We had no idea who was singing, and then someone finally told us that the guy on stage was Nelly. In my head, I was asking, who the heck is Nelly?? Name sounds familiar, but I know nothing about him. When he started to sing “It’s hot in here,” the audience went crazy. So anyways, he left after a few songs and Janet Jackson came on stage with her show.

Overall, a great 1st time experience. I must admit that it was super nice to be in the private suite. It was an excellent way to enjoy the show without going too crazy. We’re way too old to be hanging in the mosh pit anyways.

Surprise on the Beach

For whatever reason, SQ decided to drive home via Geary Blvd on our way back home. We drove to the end of Geary and around the Cliff House curve. Then from a distance, on the beach – something caught our eye. What is it? Are those horses? Are those people? Are they moving? We quickly parked our cars to take a closer look. What we saw was simply amazing… over 100 boards of Indians (Native Americans if you want to be PC) stood along the beach. The size of each board is over 10 feet tall. I took these pictures with my camera phone.

Intrigued by this display, I went on-line to find out more information. Apparently, this is a moving exhibit that travels around the nation. It is created by an artist named Thom Ross, who was inspired by Buffalo Bill Cody’s 1902 photograph of his Wild West show. The artist then re-created the scene with these 120 pieces. Exhibit will remain at Ocean Beach until Sept 15. Below is the original 1902 photo and today’s re-creation.

Planter & Trash Shield

After many hours of hard labor during the weekends, SQ finally finished the planter and trash shield outside our front yard. Here is a picture of it:
The project started out when we found out that a recent San Francisco law prohibits the trash bins to be in plain view after garbage collection day. In other words, we will get fined if we have our bins sitting outside our yard. We have always had our bins outside the front yard since our downstairs remodel when access to our back yard was limited. We didn’t like putting the bins in our garage because of bugs, garbage smell, etc. So long story short, we decided to put up a trash shield to ”cover-up” the bins.

Along with the trash shield, we wanted to get a planter. We would like to grow some ornamental grass/flowers in the front, but we often get dogs ”doing their business” (pee’ing and poo’ing) in our front yard. Yes, there are despicable dog owners who allow their dogs to poo on other people’s yard (regardless of how nicely maintained the yard is) and worst is that they don’t pick up their dog’s poo. So that’s how the planter came about.

We still have to complete the other side with a similar planter box. I think we might paint it… or maybe not. But for sure we will put some nice plants in these planter boxes. Hopefully the next time you come by, you can see it.

Mini Kitchen Remodel

What started out as a simple hood installation progressed into a mini kitchen remodel...! Since we are cooking a lot more now, we decided that it was finally time to install a hood over our stove so our house won't smell like the food we just ate everytime we cook. SQ looked around and decided to buy a model from Home Depot. So, that was that. But it doesn't stop there. With the hood, we would need a duct to exhaust the air outside. We would like a nice cabinet to hide that 6" ugly silver duct. Then there came the cabinet. But if we install 1 cabinet, we mind as well install more cabinets - wall and base cabinets. We always need extra storage space anyways, for dishes, pots, pans, you name it. The cabinets go in. But base cabinets require a countertop. If we install a new countertop for the new base cabinets, we mind as well install a new counter for all the cabinets so it will look uniform. New countertop goes in. Installing the new countertop will require removal of existing backsplash tiles and some will be damaged and hard to match back. Mind as well replace the backsplash with new tiles. New tiles go in. Wait... hardware pulls on the old cabinets and new cabinets don't match. Mind as well replace all the hardware pulls. Did anyone notice that the white on the cabinets are not exactly the same? One is in a more "worn" white and the other "fresh" white. Mind as well repaint all the cabinets 1 uniform white color....

BEFORE AFTER

So you know the term -- opening a can of worms? This is one classic example. What started out as a simple project became more and more work. But I'm glad that it's all done now. I ended up with a new kitchen!

Cheesy movies

I am such a sucker for Cheesy movies - aka chick flicks. ABC showed "Win a date with Tad Hamilton" today for their Friday movie. When this movie first came out on DVD, I wanted to watch it so bad. But of course SQ would never agree to it so I never got to watch it. Finally I was able to watch it on the plane... and then again on TV. Tonight's show would be my third time watching it... and yet, I still cry over the cheesy parts. So touching. So romantic... ok, ok, I'm pathetic!

Random

Every night when I come home from work, after dinner, I go online and hit my usual sites. Check email, check Facebook, check 360, read up on people's blogs, etc. I like reading blogs -- friend's blogs, or sometimes even random stranger's blogs. In fact, when you're in Blogger, you can click onto "Next Blog" and it will pull the next random blog for you. Most of the blogs I've ran into usually fall into 2 categories: Hobbies and Babies/Families.

After clicking through a few, I always get inspired to write an entry on my own blog...but most of the time, I end up not posting anything at all. I feel like I have nothing to share. I don't have a hobby and I don't have kids. My life seems very normal and there is nothing to rave about. Sometimes normalcy is a good thing. As they say, "no news is good news."

Well, glad tomorrow is finally Friday. This week passed by extremely slow. Labor day this Monday so we have a day off! Yipppeeeee!!!

Thought of the Day

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

Satay Chicken

Yesterday my sister hosted a 2008 Olympics Open Ceremony Viewing party, so what better opportunity to try out a new recipe with a group of guinea pigs? Sorry let me put a disclaimer out there - this is one of those "cheating recipe," and not one made by scratch.

It is super simple - Soak the Skewers in cold water for 1 hr (so they won't burn when you grill). Brine 2 lbs chicken breasts also for 1 hr. Flatten chicken by pounding it with a mallet or a cleaver. Slice into 1" strips. Marinate with Lee Kum Kee Satay Sauce (about 6 tsps). Add into diced green onions. Skewer the chicken and grill. It comes out perfectly done! You may want to also buy the pre-made Thai peanut sauce at your local Chinese market. Serve the sauce warm.

The satay chicken was a huge success! The best part is that it is super-easy to make! Something to think about for the next potluck.

Shocker!

Did you guys know that Judge Judy is NOT a judge? Well, she WAS a family court judge but have since retired back in 1996. So technically, she no longer a judge. On her show, "Judge Judy," although she is referred to as the judge, she is only acting as an arbiter. The court officer who stands by her is acting as a private security guard. I feel cheated. I feel like I've been tricked.

RedBox

Have you guys seen this? SQ and I went to Lucky's (supermarket) yesterday and came across the "RedBox." What attracted us to the machine is this $1 DVD rental banner. As you know, we don't have cable and since unsubscribing to Blockbuster.com, we haven't seen a DVD in a long long time. Plus,, the $1 deal is very attractive... DVDs at Blockbuster stores usually go for $3.99 or something ridiculous. So we gave this RedBox a try.

The movie selection is not extensive because I guess there is only so much DVDs the machine can store. I don't know if it's just me, or I couldn't recognize like 3/4 of the movie titles!! Finally, we saw a couple of titles we recognized and rented "Juno." The "vending" part of it was easy. Select the movie, and then just swipe your credit card and then enter your zip code on the key pad. Then within seconds, the DVD pops out on the side. $1.09 ($1 with tax). We need to return it by 9pm the next day otherwise there is a $1 per day charge(maximum $24). So it's not too bad. It's convenient - considering the machine is just inside the supermarket. I think we will use it more if they have more movies we want to watch in there. The website says you can also reserve it online and pick it up at a destinated location. Kinda cool...

By the way, Juno was good. I liked it.

Support Local Grocers

Recently, I noticed more and more peddlers standing on Sunset's street corners selling fruits, mostly flats of strawberries and bags of oranges. At first, I just viewed these individuals as hard-working folks who are just trying to earn a living. But after thinking about it some more, I don't think they should be allowed to stand on street corners to sell fruits at all. These are illegal street vendors. They do not have a permit to sell. They are here one day and not the next. How do we know where the fruits came from? Were they properly stored and refrigerated? Are they safe to eat? There is absolutely no responsibility and accountability if anything goes wrong.

Health-issue aside, have you thought about how these people impact our local grocery store owners, who took the LEGAL and RIGHTFUL way to do business? They obtained a permit, pay for rent, pay taxes, pay for the overhead costs, etc. These store owners are being squeezed out of business because someone decides that he can evade all laws and taxes and set up his own little shop on the street corner for free?? This is wrong.

Supply equals demand. Therefore, I ask you to please NOT patronize these illegal street vendors. Yes, you might save a dollar here and there, but the more you buy from them, the more they will show up. Soon enough, every street corner will be filled with someone standing there selling fruits at the expense of our local grocery stores!

UC Davis revisited

On our way back from Tahoe, we stopped by my alma mater, UC Davis. It was nice to see the campus again, although I could barely recognize it! There were so many new buildings - the whole campus seems so unfamiliar to me. SQ kept on asking me what is this building, what is that building? And I had to say, "I don't know!" We passed by this new modern building, and it was labeled as ARC (Activities & Recreation Center). This is the new Rec Hall, although the old one was still there. I was so impressed with this building - although we didn't get to go in, I saw a lot fancy exercise equipments through the windows. Mann, I would love to be a UC Davis student NOW. There are so many cool things! Right along the same area, there was also a brand-new DC (Dining Commons) for the Segundo dorms.

And of course, the new Mondavi Performing Arts Theater is another new building on campus. Isn't it so fancy? Love it! The surrounding area was also nicely landscaped with beautiful sitting area and flowers. Mann, I really would love to be a UCD student NOW!! The campus really transformed - for the better of course. I hope the university will continue to prosper and improve so it can one day be recognized as one of the best in the nation.

By the way, every so often when the breeze blew towards me, I could still smell the cows. Yep, what's better than the smell of steer manure during a hot summer day ?? And how can I possibly reminsce about Davis without the cows?! I guess some *good* things will never change...

Lake Tahoe

SQ and I went to Tahoe last weekend as a weekend getaway for SQ's birthday on 7/20. We had a great (and relaxing) time! We stayed at a hotel right across from the lake and had private beach access. SQ went for a swim on the lake while I sunbathed. We also rented a couple of bikes and spent 4 hours biking along the lake, and had a picnic on the beach. Lake Tahoe is always so beautiful, no matter what time of the year it is. The weather was in the mid 70's during the day, and cool at night. We couldn't chose a better weekend to visit Tahoe.

The highlight of the trip though was my $480 winning from the slot machine in Montbleu! It's always when you LEAST expect to win, you win!! I was there sitting around waiting for SQ when I just plugged in a $20 bill into the quarter-slot machine. After 5 minutes of playing, I hit the bonus spin... and the bonus spin allowed me to win 8X my payout! So it came out to be $480!! This is the MOST I ever won! It almost paid for the entire trip!! What a deal!

4th of July weekend

This 4th of July weekend, SQ and I went camping with my family. We are not even close to being called outdoors people, let alone camping. But we do this once a year... last year we went to Sugarloaf Ridge State Park . This year we went to Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Boulder Creek, CA. It is located south, near Saratoga, about 1.5 hours away from SF. Campsite is very outdoor-sy, very wilderness, surrounded by tall redwood trees... don't remember much other than there are billions of bugs there...and they bite!! I was covered with long sleeve shirts, long pants, closed-toe shoes...every protected gear I have. But to no avail. I still managed to get bitten on the face and on the hands (the only exposed areas). Those are such pesky little critters!

We got there Friday evening, ate some home-cooked noodles, and then went to bed. Next morning, we went for a 2-mile hike and then came back for lunch. We cooked some hot dogs and ate the leftovers from yesterday night's dinner. We then played some games and I was so wiped out. I don't know why I got so tired...maybe it was the heat? Cooked dinner, moped around, ate some marshmellows and then crashed to bed. Although our tent was right near the fire pit, I slept through all the giggles and the ghost stores. I even slept through the night when a racoon came by searching for food! You can say that I slept well. Well, before you know it, we have to head back home. You bet I was ready to go back home! I guess camping wouldn't have been bad if it wasn't for those bugs. I didn't want to stay any longer to be another feast for those hungry creatures!