Easy Lentil Soup

I wanted to explore using dried beans and got a bag of lentil. Weeks went by without using it, and suddenly it came to me, "soup!" I already got chicken stock, celery, carrot, onion.

Saute vegetables and garlic in olive oil. Add coriander and fennel powder on a whim. Exotic aroma fills up the kitchen. When they are soften, pour the stock. I throw in prosciutto drying out in the refrigerator (ham and bacon must work very well). It is still a bit bland, so I add some dried tomato and tomato paste that are also sleeping in the freezer. Sprinkle herbs (dried is fine) like thyme, basil and bay leaf. Finally the dried lentil. My online research says it's unnecessary to soak lentils. So I just throw them into the pot and season with salt and pepper.

Kitchen Tip: Tomato Paste
I rarely use up all tomato paste, even the smallest can. It's nothing expensive but makes me feel bad to throw it away. My solution is to wrap the leftover paste in plastic wrap (make it half an inch flat piece) and freeze. It's so easy to cut frozen tomato paste. This way, you don't have to defrost every time and use as much as you need.

Raclette Party

I had cheese fondue only once in my life time, not alone Raclette. So when my Japanese friend who's grown up in Switzerland invited me to a Raclette dinner, I had a hard time picturing what I would be eating. Raclette is LIKE cheese fondue. Instead of melting all the cheese in a pot and dip bread and potatoes, Raclette melts a piece of cheese on a special Raclette pan and you put put the cheese on top of potatoes. Using the pan is common but certainly not traditional. They used to melt a huge piece of cheese on the surface and scrape the melting surface onto the veggies. That sounds very time consuming and probably not convenient for a group dinner. On the other hand, this Raclette pan kit is a great way to enjoy the Raclette with up to about 8 people. You can keep your own pace and eat what ever you like. Kind of similar to Shabu Shabu in that sense.


Traditionally, it's almost only with potatoes. But we had mushroom, asparagus, tomato. The lentil salad my friend made was a nice side dish to cleanse the palette from rich cheese. When we were getting groceries, we weren't sure if melting cheese with pieces of veggies would fill up our appetite. After 2 hours, we didn't event finish all the food on the table.

I LOVE this dish and Raclette cheese. And I vote for the tradition: Raclette over just-boiled potatoes is sublime.

Healthy, Meaty Dinner

I want to come up with healthy recipe for our late dinner. Very classic Japanese dishes don't seem to fill up big man's appetite, so I tried to incorporate some meat for him. I grilled chicken crispy with just salt and lots of pepper, topped with white part of scallion and Japanese chili flakes. For nutrition, I steamed buk choy and tofu, and served with thick sauce with Edamame, shrimp and egg white.

Terrarium Workshop at Wave Hill

Wave Hill in Bronx is one of my favorite spots in NY. They were having a terrarium workshop. About 20 people, including couples and single males, attended the workshop this day. Thanks to the publicity in DailyCandy, an online newsletter for urban young female, there was a group of youngish girls. They were using the materials supposed to be shared by all participants. Quite annoying. The lecture took most of the workshop time, and the actual exercise was less than 30 minutes. Next to other people who quickly finish their terrarium, my friend and I stayed till the end, feeling kind of rushed by the coordinators who started cleaning around. All you have to do is put soil and three kinds of plants and decorate with stones if you like. It somehow was very hard to visualize what I wanted. We carried a big glass jar with our baby plants back home.

Asparagus Risotto

Bunches of asparagus in the refrige. I wanted to try something new without getting other groceries. Bing! Asparagus risotto seems to be easy. I picked a recipe from online research and tried a very simple version.

Risotto is simple but takes lots of patience and dedication. For a short girl like me, Wester kitchen stove is a bit too high to work. You have to keep stirring the risotto constantly, adding stock little by little. But the result was amazing. I added some shrimp from freezer to add extra texture and flavor.

Oyako-don : Chicken egg rice bowl

Oyako (parent-kid) don (rice bowl) is arguably one of the most popular Japanese dishes. It's very easy to cook with few ingredients. My friend had lots of chicken left in her refrige, so we cooked Oyako-don together. She made the sauce from scratch, which made a very big difference to the taste. But you can use Men-tsuyu (soba dipping sauce) you can easily get from an Asian grocery store.

You cook slicked chicken (unboned thigh is the best) in the sauce (just about to cover the chicken pieces). When the meat is cooked, add onion and cook for another 3 minutes till it's tender. Bring the heat to high and add egg (2 eggs per person), cover with lit, and cook for 1 minute. I like fresh scallions on top to add some texture and sharp flavor. Serve over steamed rice.

Homemade Ramen

My friend told me about this homemade chicken ramen her friend cooked when she was visiting back home. My friend tried the same recipe but the soup came out quite differently. We still don't know what was wrong beside she used leek instead of scallion. Anyhow, I tried myself and it turned out to be one of my favorite recipe! It's so easy and all ingredients are available here.

Boiled Chicken - Ramen Style
（Below makes 4 cups of broth）
Water・・・2 litter
Chicken Thigh with Bones・・1 lb
Rice Wine/Sake・・・5 tsp
Scallion（green part）・・・3 or 4 stalks
Ginger・・・5-7 slices
Salt・・・2 tsp
Black Pepper・・・for seasoning

Cooking the Chicken
Boil water in a pot and add chicken, sake, scallion and ginger. Cook in high heat.
When it starts to boil again, skim the scum on surface and bring it to medium heat*. Cook for 20 minutes without a lit.
*High heat may cause unclear broth.
Skim after 20 minutes and add salt and black pepper. Remove scallion and ginger.
(You can use chicken for many other dishes and stay good for a few days in the refrigerator or 2 weeks in freezer. )

Making Ramen
Boil water in a pot. Cook ramen noodle (chinese egg noodles) and cook for a few minutes.
Season the chicken broth with more salt and pepper to taste.
Serve chicken, noodle and soup in a bowl.
Add any toppings you like. (boiled spinach, argula, sauteed ceroly, bean-sprout, bok choy etc)

Brunch at Home

When we go back home in Minnesota over holidays, mom makes really nice breakfast. I don't have much repertoire so I mimicked what she cooked. Spinach and goat cheese frittata. Really eash and healthy, I think. Saute spinach, shallot and garlic. Add egg with cream. Bake in the oven. Voila!

Catsitting

Just for a day, I got a cat. Mr. Mooki. He showed up at 8AM in a shivering weather carried by his owner. He prudently investigated around the house for an hour. Then I hear Mateo gasped. As he reached out to get his underwear in the closet, a black creature jumped out on him. Yes, Mooki sneaked into the closet and was sitting on M's sweaters, hidden among M's mostly black attires.

Mooki was following me everywhere I go. He sat right in front of the monitor when I was using my computer. He lied and slept under my arm. I am a dog person but Mooki is one of the cutest, nice cat.

New Year Feast - Japanese Style

New Year is one of the most traditional and celebrated holidays in Japan. For the first three days, we eat special meal called Osechi. Wives cook Osechi (most ingredients stay good for a week) by the end of a year so they can rest and enjoy the new year without cooking. Nowadays, less people cook Osechi at home since it takes time and younger generations don't enjoy the dishes. It is also due to the decrease of large-size families. When I was a kid, family and relatives gathered in one house and celebrated the new year. But today, many family is formed by a few members. Osechi requires a labor intensive cooking and it makes no sense to cook a small portion. Most people chose a easier way and buy from stores.

Meanwhile, many people still make and eat Ozoni (rice cake in clear soup), another traditional New Year dish. I had my friends over and shared this Japanese tradition. Mochi (rice cake) is one of the few things not appreciated by Western people, along with natto (fermented soy beans). So I prepared udon noodle to replace Mochi for our Western guests. A few tried Mochi, and they didn't seem to LOVE it.

Pic: In the soup is Mochi, kamaboko (fish cake), snap bean, daikon radish, carrot, chicken.

From the left: Daikon radish pickles with Uzu citrus flavor; Arugula (normally spinach) and Shitake mushroom; Daikon radish and carrot pickles; Root veggie stew.

Here are some of the dishes/foods included in Osechi and their meanings:

Shrimp: Wish for longevity, to live long until our back bend like shrimp.
Herring roe: For having many kids and prosperity through the family.
Sweet chestnuts: The character in the dish name "kin-ton" means gold; wish for prosperous business and life.
Black beans: Beans sounds "mame" in Japanese; word play that wishes for hardworking and healthy life; black is considered protecting from evil.
Fish cake: Red and white is a color of celebration in Japan; whte fish used to be luxurious food.
Konbu Seaweed: It plays with the sound "kobu" with "yoro-kobu," which means happiness and joy.
Lotus root: Wish for a year with good foresight as the vegetable has holes.
Caramelized dried sardine: Wish for a good harvest; small sardines were used as fertilizer for fields.

Snowed in MSP

Here's our 'Groundhog Day' experience. Right on time at the airport. We finished our drink and headed to the gate. Something was wrong. Delay. It turned out the air craft needed a technical repair. More drinks at the bar by the gate. 2 hours later, they cancelled our flight. 100 people lined at the counter. Another 1 hour of waiting. No flight today. Great. Back to home. Next day, again at the airport on time. Another delay due to a traffic at Newark. Patience and a bar is a virtue. Annoyed by the bartender who kept selling a shot for $3 with a pint, I looked outside: suddenly a blizzard. Disfunctioning NY airport + midwest snow = major delay. When we finally got on board, another 1-hour wait. Thankfully, they released us off the craft. Back to a surf bar. As nice as she was, the waitress kept 5-dollar change as a tip for just 2 drinks. It didn't matter at this point but it sucked. After 3 hours of delay and major contribution to the MSP airport bars, we finally, finally took off the ground.

Midwest Xmas

Another Christmas in M's hometown Minnesota with his family. This year, we happily volunteered to cook for both eve and Xmas nights. A traditional meal would be super easy but somewhat mundane and not suitable for this group. Us: A food loving couple who also eat a lot. Sister: A very dedicated hardcore vegetarian but no raw onion for her. Father: A seafood-allergic meat affectionado and no onion as well. Grandma: A tiny appetite holder whose palette is used to a simple, classic American meal. Mother and Aunt: No special dietary restriction—wonderful.

In my book, it's too risky to try a new recipe when you are cooking for guests. So we squeezed our vegetarian options we could do right for sure.

Christmas Eve—"Tricolor Table: Basil Genovese Pasta with Grilled Chicken (no chicken for Sister), Tomato and Mozzarella Caprese Salad" It was a good pasta except we could have added some crunch to Sister's pasta.

Christmas Night—"Heavily Happy: Swedish Meatball with Gravy, Mac & Cheese (trying to mimic our favorite DuMac&Cheese from Dumont Burger in W'burg Brooklyn), Mushroom Ragu, Baked Asparagus, Roasted Beets Salad with Blue Cheese and Mustard Dressing, Green Salad with Shredded Carrots"

It didn't really have a concept at all, but everyone had something to eat. The only vegetarian-unfriendly dish was the meatball. Maybe next year, we shall not serve two pasta dishes in a row...


M's mom is super talented in decorating the house. She cut a tree from the yard and sprayed in gold. Voila! A lovely, original Christmas tree. It gives more space for gifts and fits nicely in the den after the Christmas days.


Santa is coming this year! His parents got me a sock, too. It hung among the family's traditional socks.


One of my favorite things to do in MN is shopping. But I'm not talking about Mall of America. I love shopping at super markets, specifically Byerly's. They always have a nice variety and plenty of stuff. It's never too crowded. Stores are very clean. And staff is very nice: They don't seem pissed or reluctant as many NY store clarks. They got a live music band, too!

Aunt Miko

December 11, 2008, Japan Time, my first nephew was born in. It's a healthy boy named Kentaro in hope for him to grow a healthy and happy boy. Thanks to the cellphone camera, I receive the photo of newly born Kentaro. Knowing it would be a boy, it was strange to actually see his face.

Next time I go back home, there will be another person in the house. Can't wait!

Azabu Sushi

A Japanese dinning and event company opened up in Tribecca. Upstairs is Greenwich Grill, a Japanese fusion restaurant. Downstairs is Sushi Azabu, where we had a very great Sushi dinner. After looking for a good, authentic sushi place, we decided to see what a Japanese dinning chain company could do here in NYC. We were going to order omakase. But how could I not order fresh oyster? They had a special oyster—really big and so rich. If you like Western oysters, like those one-slurp pieces, you may not like this milky, luxurious flavor.


We also tried 3-kind sashimi appetizer: fresh salmon, maguro (tuna) and yellow tail. All good. Very good.


Shirako! Don't be scared of the look. It doesn't taste as grotesque as it looks. If you are adventurous eater who wants good stuff, just go ahead and try. Don't bother learning which part of the fish it is. They broil/grill and seasoned only with some salt. Smokey on the outside; melting milky inside. Not fishy at all. At all. It's kind of like marshmallow on a camping fire, without the sweetness.


Since we were at the sushi bar, they served omakase one piece at a time, which is the best way to enjoy sushi. The conversation with the young chef is fun and informative. And you can enjoy each piece so fresh out of the chef's hand. I got carried away by popping each piece as they were served. No pics. Sorry. But I took a picture of someone else's order.... All sushi were so fresh and small, Edo-mae style. Most of the sushi here are served with soy sauce or salt already. I highly recommend this place to those who really like Japanese sushi. They do make spicy rolls for their local patrons. I was a bit surprised but I understand that they have to take a good care of their regulars. Romantic? I think so. It's a small, lovely place. And very quiet, which I like.

When you make a reservation, call them and tell them that you are going to Sushi Azabu. Open Table seems to be only for upstairs. If you want the sushi bar (which is highly recommended), make sure to mention it clearly. they only have 10 or so bar seats and 3 tables.

Cong Ly

Pho. Pho. Pho. I needed a cheap, delicious bowl of noodle soup. Pho is arguably the most comforting noodle soup. After researching on Chowhound and all other reliable internet source, we tried a small place in east Chinatown, Cong Ly. It's good. But not THE BEST, I have to say. Plus, they close by 9pm...

Lunch in Tsukiji

Sounds like Tsukiji market won't relocate until 2018 or so. But for most of us, the highlight of Tsukiji Market is the small restaurants and grocery stores outside the main market. On hidden alleys, so many tiny dining spots run their business. With my friend from Emerson College, I went to Kurokawa, a tempura restaurant with 15 seats. We tried their famous Kaki-age Don. Don means a dish served over steamed rice in a bowl. Kaki-age is a type of tempura with diced seafood or veggie. Their Kaki-age had big chunks of fresh, sweet scallop and shrimp. The koromo (tempura batter) is so light and crispy, even after dipped in the original tampura sauce. Most of these small spots are cash-only, but the environment alone is worth the try.


After the big tempura lunch, my friend took me to a hidden tea cafe. You can have a tea and a Japanese sweet for 300 - 600 yen (3 - 6 bucks). They bring you a pot of hot tea for refills.

Back in Tokyo

My last business trip to Japan. As always, I visited my favorite sushi place, Hide. We always toast with a beautiful plate of sashimi. He know how to pick the best seafood and decorate in a minimal yet excellent presentation.

An-kimo (angler fish liver) is usually prepared steamed or boiled and served in ponzu (citrus vinegar). 

Plump, sweet scallop grilled and wrapped in nori seaweed.

Winter is oyster. Oyster is my love! Japanese oyster has richer flavor and bigger in size compared to Western ones. Fresh oyster in Hide's original ponzu. I can get a bowl of this. Easily.

And final dish is a plate of assorted sushi. My favorite is in the middle. Shallots (I think it's different from what we have here) and quail egg. I will miss my Japanese trip...

HOPE

November 4, 2008 became another historical day for us who live in USA. Everyone was united: Citizens who can vote, immigrants who can't vote, including myself and a friend of mine who designed this beautiful poster for Artists for Obama project. (To have a talented person like him around me is another reason I love living in NYC.)

It was beautiful and sensational that we won. But I was more emotional about the experience, something we never experience in Japan. The US government/politics is corrupted in some ways for sure. But when did we have Prime Minister that people find hope in? Or a candidate who raises $150 millions in a month—average contribution of under $86 per person?

We proved that change can happen and McCain lost. But I have to say McCain's speech after the defeat was very respectable. Speech is another thing Japanese politicians are bad at. The 5 candidates, including Asoh, had a group interview before the election. They all sounded confused, scared or uninspiring. Obama's speeches remind us of JFK—they say it's due to the fact one of his speech writers Adam Frankel worked under Theodore C. Sorensen, a famous speechwriter and advisor for JFK. All his 3 speechwriters are under 30 years old. Lots of his volunteers were also young people. His entire campaign was indeed an evidence of our hope for the future. And Obama gave hope for old people too. Like the story about 106 years old black lady and the story about Charles who won a lotto to meet Obama (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW-6DpC-mj8).

It's going to be tough for Obama for sure. He over-promised many things and he raised expectations among us. Now it's our duty to continue supporting him and keep believing in him.

Ugly Miko

2009 Halloween. I was sick sick sick. Came home. Dressed up. Took hundreds of pictures myself. Undressed. Slipped into bed... No party. No fun. But I guess this looks funny.

Happy Accident

Ruby's stuck herself with a string of losers until she meets Sam, sweet, tender, funny, mysterious guy. Everything was great until Sam starts to act really strange, claiming he's from the future. After fear/doubt/love/reality/delusion/trust/hope, what does Ruby discover about him, about herself?

It's a romantic drama with a SciFi twist. The director usually produces TV series or thrillers. It's a sweet yet not-girly romantic drama. If it was not recommended by someone or if you normally avoids love stories, you may never try this movie. I rented this because I like Marisa Tomei and was recommended by the video store guy. Speedy and intricate story and good writing. Likable cute girl who is a relationship sucker. Not so handsome guy with lots of love. The best time traveler movie, too.