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Day 116 (7.5.12): Gluten, Mushrooms, and Bamboo in Brown Sauce: A Shameless Ad

Gluten, mushrooms, and bamboo in brown sauce (from Happy Family Vegetarian Restaurant)

Oh delicious, heavenly leftovers.

Okay, so this was probably the worst dish that we ordered at that restaurant, but anything tastes good when your parents finally leave and you realize that you're facing a fridge and--heaven forbid--cooking for one again. Plus, did you know that Happy Family has an all-you-can-eat buffet option? It's about $13 per person, and you get 2-3 medium-sized plates per person, and when you finish you can order more. Of course, nobody in their right mind and stomach size would take up this option, since you have to eat a crap ton to get your money's worth (and no leftovers! We had more than half our meal left over). But it's there for all you daring folk!

Look at me, here I am sounding like a walking talking advertisement for Happy Family. To divert my reader's attention, I will show a real (and a personal favorite) ad:

Yep. Ingenious advertisers, please continue to amuse me and let me mindlessly consume your products through your wit.

Day 115 (7.4.12): It's Recess Time! PB&J Waffles from Bru's

Peanut Butter & Jelly Waffle, Banana Split Waffle, and Fiesta Chicken & Waffle (from Bru's Wiffles)

Amazing, amazing, amazing. Everything that should not be in a waffle is in it, and it tastes GOOD. Did I say good? I meant DELICIOUS. Just like a true wiffle!

I'm trying to figure out where this association came from, but does anyone remember this show?

It was on Nick (or was it Disney?) for a while when I was growing up, and for some reason, whenever I think of PB&J, I think about this show. It probably has something to do with the fact that PB&J = lunch break = recess = something profoundly and psychologically compelling...but I haven't thought that far ahead about it yet.

On second thought, it's probably nothing but a sign of my impending senility. Yeah, that's probably it.

Day 114 (7.3.12): Magic Shrooms--Sesame "Chicken," You Say?

Sesame "Chicken" Mushrooms from Happy Family Vegetarian Restaurant

Magic shrooms have never tasted this good. Just ask Alice! How do those shrooms taste, Alice?



Yes, delicious, isn't it? And very magical...

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your personal preferences), these were not magic shrooms of any sort, but they did, in fact, taste very magical. Holy cripes, they were amazing. So much better than your run-of-the-mill (and guilt-full) sesame chicken. A must-try if you are ever in Monterey Park and happen to run by Happy Family!

Day 113 (7.2.12): Hong Shao Pork, Food for the Terracotta Army

Hong Shao Pork (from Shanghai No.1)

It's jello! It's canned cranberry sauce! No--it's just really bizarre pork!

Even if I didn't really eat any, I have to write about this--it's fatty and lean pork slices from a restaurant called Shanghai No. 1 in Monterey Park. The moment I saw the pot, though, all I could think was:

Terracotta Army!

Pot = clay soldier, no? Sort of?

Anyway, I did try a bite of the pork, and it was pretty gross. Apparently that's how it tastes when it's really well made though. Really, really meaty and fatty and really, really gross.

Day 112 (7.1.12): Vegetarian Banh Mi (Food of the Poo-Rakers)

Vegetarian Banh Mi (from Lee's Sandwiches)

We used to buy one of these every day after I got off raking up animal poop from my summer volunteer shift at Happy Hollow Zoo. Apparently, they've renovated the place in the past 5 years, but I haven't been back since high school. The revamped zoo apparently includes all sorts of new attractions and goodies--so if anyone is down for a visit next time I come back, it sounds like a date :)

Day 111 (6.30.12): Zha Liang (Shy Guy Says)

Zha Liang (fried dough in rice roll from Elite Restaurant)

If you look very, very closely, you will see what I see...

Maybe? Plausibly? I remember how we used to play Shy Guy Says on Mario Party 2 and we'd all literally be shaking by the end of it. I'm pretty sure we also needed eyedrops after fixing our eyes on the screen for so long without blinking. Intense game with intense stakes, that Mario Party...

Day 110 (6.29.12): Aloo Puri (the last of its kind)

Aloo Puri (pressed potato and chickpeas in yogurt)

Creamy, luscious, white--that's a whole lot of yogurt right there in a meal. It somehow reminds me of the movie The Last Unicorn, probably for three reasons:

1. I guess it looks like a unicorn. Sort of. Maybe in a Rorschach Test kind of way.

2. My friend brought the movie along for our kids' movies night, even though we didn't end up watching it.

3. I'm delirious atm, tyvm.

My students did food associations today in their creative writing class that were probably just about as random as this one (more on this in the 7.2.12 post!).

Day 109: Tom Yum in a Flaming Pot is Not the Same in Westwood

Tom Yum in a Flaming Pot (from Thai House, Westwood)

I'm sorry, Thai House Westwood--but my heart belongs to another. All I can think of when I see you is...

I miss you, Berkeley! <3 And all the wonderful things that come with being in a the bay full of stellar, awesome people.

Day 108 (6.27.12): Going Cow Crazy for Chunky Cheesecake Brownies

Chunky Cheesecake Brownies Recipe

These are absolute winners. Cheesecake and brownies in one luscious bite really can't get any better--I brought this to my students today as part of a writing exercise (yes, you read that right!) and they disappeared faster than a Disapparating wiz. So if you want a real magic trick, pop these bad babies in the oven and then watch them disappear the second they're out!

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch square baking pan.
2. Combine cream cheese with 1/4 cup sugar and 1 egg in a mixing bowl; beat until smooth. Stir 1 cup chocolate chips into the cream cheese mixture (I prefer to stir mine into the brownie batter or leave it out altogether). Set aside.
3. Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off, and set a heatproof mixing bowl over the water. In the mixing bowl, combine butter with the remaining cup of chocolate chips; stir until just melted and blended together. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 2 eggs, then sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into chocolate until evenly blended.
4. Pour half of the batter into the prepared baking pan. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the chocolate layer. Top with remaining chocolate mixture (this doesn't need to completely cover the cream cheese layer). Using a knife, swirl the top chocolate layer into the cream cheese to make a marble pattern.
5. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top is crinkled and edges pull away from sides of the pan. Cool thoroughly. Cut into 12 to 16 squares. Store in the refrigerator or freeze.

Day 107 (6.26.12): Homemade Granola Recipe

Homemade Granola Recipe

An amazing recipe that has gotten rave reviews. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
- 2 cups oats
- 1 1/4 cup assorted nuts, finely chopped (I like using walnuts and
pecans)
- 1/4 cup black sesame seeds (optional)
- Finely ground flaxseed (optional)
- 1/3 cup raisins or dried cranberries

- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon syrup (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. In a bowl, combine oats, chopped nuts, sesame seeds, and flaxseed.
3. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, honey, oil, cinnamon, vanilla,
and
syrup. Bring to a light boil, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture over
dry
mixture and stir to coat. Spread coated oats evenly over foil-lined
baking
sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 12-18 minutes or until
crispy,
stirring occasionally to keep granola from burning. And enjoy!

Day 106: Running in Circles Eating Repeats

Today I had nothing that has not already been seen here a half dozen times, because it was that sort of a day.

What sort of a day, you ask?

This kind of a day. Taught my first classes, which were really good fun! And also extremely, extremely exhausting. After hitting up the gym and literally just being happy to let the hours slip by, I am now slightly panicked at the mountain of work still looming over me.

Oh well. This is what I think of you, mountain-of-work, research, and lesson-planning:

Day 105 (6.24.12): Vegan Strawberry Dessert Parfait (with Recipe)

Vegan Strawberry Dessert Parfait (from Native Foods cooking demo)

I attended a cooking demo yesterday at Native Foods, and it was simply delicious! I'm including the recipe for this parfait below--enjoy!

Recipe below the cut!

How I Imagine Myself After Working 3 Years on My Dissertation

After the Last Final of the Year

Day 104: Falafel Pita w/Potato Crisps (Don't Need to Tell Me It's Why You're Fat)

Falafel Pita w/Potato Crisps (from Falafel King)

Greek food is healthy. Granted, this is a pretty universal truth--it's probably one of the most healthy cuisines on the planet. Of course, that's not saying much, but it's still saying something.

It's also saying something, then, when you can bring a nice quaint cuisine like Greek food to America and turn it into a fair food fried legend. This falafel pita topped with fried potato slices was simply heavenly, but it did make me feel like I had just stuck my face straight into a deep fryer and inhaled its boiling contents.

If you haven't seen it, you might be interested in looking at this blog, featuring everything glorious about America, obesity, and heart attacks that you never would have wanted to know, and maybe still don't:

http://thisiswhyyourefat.tumblr.com/

Featuring ridiculous and (and some scarily not-so-ridiculous) things like this:

A giant meatball stuffed with spaghetti, marinara sauce and ricotta cheese.

Every Time I Come Home for the Holidays, My Mom's Like...

And I'm just like...

My First Trip to the Ice Cream Parlor After My Diet Ends

I've been reading so much #whatshouldwecallme and How Do I Put This Gently? lately that I started getting ideas for my own spin-off based on animated/illustrated features, since those are more of my thing--so here they are. Feel free to let me know what you guys think!

Day 103 (6.22.12): Zhong Zi--Sticky Rice w/Assorted Filling

Zhong Zi (Sticky Rice w/Assorted Filling)

We eat these for the Dragon Boat or Double Fifth festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar year--credit to Wikipedia for my misleading apparent knowledge of my own culture.

Remember that guy Li Bai? Me neither. He's been dead for centuries, but I still remember having to read all of his poems and somesuch, one of which included a sort of ode to the moon and Chinese-like things. Here's the man of the hour:

Li Bai, Chinese Poet

Day 102: Vegetable Pad See Ew (Can Be Really Ew, If You're Not Expecting It)

(Leftover) Vegetable Pad See Ew (from Siam Chan)

Ever have that experience where you take a great, anticipatory bite into a completely delicious looking sweet treat...and find out it's savory instead? Ew is right! Fortunately, this wasn't one of those extreme cases (the pad see ew was just slightly spicier and less sweet than I'm used to), but it did remind me of the "cupfakes" I made last month, as well as the original post that inspired them:

This is the "cupfake" with mashed potato "frosting" and a cherry tomato on top that featured in Willow Baking for April Fool's one year. 

To read more about it from her angle, take a look at this cute featurette here.

Day 101: Double Fortune Cookie--Better Than A Lucky Cricket

We're officially in the triple digits + 1!

Double Fortune Cookie (from Siam Chan)

I don't remember what the first one said, but I definitely approve of the second one, which said "You will spend the rest of your life in happiness."


My mom taught me never to resist good advice. I'm as passive with this one as a bubble on the wind, thank you very much. As long the fortune as it doesn't come from a talking Chinese dragon with a lying self-proclaimed "lucky" bug, I think I'll be all right.

Associated with: Mulan

Day 100 (6.19.12): Baked Mac 'n Cheese with Graham Cracker Crumb Crust

Baked Mac 'n Cheese with Graham Cracker Crumb Crust (homemade)

In an essay, you're supposed to write the most exciting thing first--essentially, what makes your paper such a stellar shining standout from all the other papers--to hook your audience in. The first thing you'll encounter with this baked mac 'n cheese recipe is exactly that: the sweet stuff on top or, to be more specific...graham cracker crumbs!

Using graham cracker crumbs instead of the traditional seasoned bread or cracker crumbs gives this comfort food a delightful twist, and really brings out the flavor of an otherwise rather mild dish. I'm personally of the opinion that anything can be made sweet and still taste phenomenal (or even better!), so I wasn't hesitant at all about making this ingredient swap. If you're feeling wary about it, though, I would recommend making a small serving first (maybe in a muffin tin) and seeing how you like it before you bake an entire batch. My roommate and I both have sweet tooths, but you don't have to have one to enjoy this pleasant change of pace with a traditional favorite that you can bring to a potluck. Then, all you have to do is sit back and watch the delighted surprise on the guests' faces as they try their first bite!

Day 99 (6.18.12): Fruit! Thank You, Sunny California

Fruit! Thank you, sunny California.

We also have the world's happiest cows, in case you didn't know...

Sho happy!

And of course, here in the Golden State, we all surf to school--just like the Canadians and Alaskans ride huskies. Sometimes on a sled, but mostly bareback.

 
Why yes, I do!! Do you want to see?

Me surfing to school with my teacher:
 
That's him on the right. He's trying to beat me to the classroom before the bell rings.
Not going to happen, bub.

Day 98 (6.17.12): Acai Berry Granola Bowl (Let the Cheese Cube Diet Begin)

Acai Berry Granola Bowl

Status: Restaurant (Real Food Daily)

Satisfaction: 10.

Associated with: The Devil Wears Prada

Starting today (although technically, today is already tomorrow--so tomorrow), I am joining these girls on the cube-of-cheese diet. Okay, so I don't have that kind of willpower, but acai berry (i.e. the "miracle" weight loss fruit) granola bowls sound pretty close to what Emily from The Devil Wears Prada would be eating if she had to eat at all. I've gotten so fattened up over the past few weeks that the beginning of summer seems like a good place to restart my system. 

Here's to trying!

Day 98 (6.16.12): Three-Tier White Cake (Appropriate for Birthdays and Unbirthdays Alike)

Three-Tier White Cake

Status: Restaurant (Empress Pavilion)

Satisfaction: 6. Not a huge cake fan...

Associated with: Alice in Wonderland

Tier cakes make me so happy. I'm not a huge fan of cakes myself, but every time I see those tiers, it makes me want to recreate the unbirthday party cake from the scene pictured above. It's been done--so one of these days when I have the time, resources, and sufficient amount of boredom, I will do it. Maybe.

Anyway, we had this cake in celebration of my great-uncle's 90th birthday. Happy (belated) birthday!!

Day 97 (6.15.12): Crispy Chicken Snack Wrap (Please Don't Supersize Me...)

Crispy Chicken Snack Wrap

Status: Restaurant (McDonald's)

Satisfaction: 8. But then, I'm pretty ridiculously easy to please.

Associated with: Supersize Me

First off, let me just say that it was not nearly as good as the picture above (courtesy of McD's awesome marketing team) would seem to suggest. But I digress.

I can't help it. I really can't. I'm becoming the epitome of fat America, snack wrap by snack wrap.

Day 96 (6.14.12): Copenhagan Crepe (Fit for a Prince, and Maybe Making Love in the Stacks)

Copenhagan (Strawberry + Cream Cheese) Crepe

Status: Restaurant (Cup and Saucer)

Satisfaction: 10.

Associated with: The Prince and Me

Please tell me somebody other than me still remembers this tremendous, terrible movie about Denmark (hence the Copenhagen connection).

Based in Denmark, the film's premise is a playboy Denmarkian prince who basically visits the States to study and ends up falling for this rather attitude-heavy, ultimately super-steamy and intriguing farm-type girl. The details escape me (not a loss, in my opinion), but there is that one unforgettable scene where sex in the stacks is nearly consummated--that is, before the paparazzi gets a whiff of it and catches it all on camera, naked torsos and all. All in all, it's a great(ly horrifying) movie, and appropriate, since my brunch partner was the same as my in-theaters "The Prince and Me" partner!

Day 95 (6.13.12): Bottomless Salad and Minestrone (The Next Cardian)

Bottomless Salad and Minestrone

Status: Restaurant (Olive Garden)

Satisfaction: 9.

This wasn't my exact picture, but it seems about right.

Associated with: Minotauron from Sailor Moon

I don't know why, but somehow the word "minestrone" always reminds me of minotaurs, which inevitably reminds me of the epic episode in Sailor Moon R when one of the cardions took on the shape of an incredibly ineffective female minotaur. Maybe I have a Sailor Moon obsession. Or maybe I just like imagining really disturbing things while I eat.

Day 94 (6.12.12): Crispy "Chix" Salad (or What We All Would Eat If Chickens Ran the Ranch)

Crispy "Chix" Salad

Status: Restaurant (Saturn Cafe)

Associated with: Chicken Run

On their website, Native Foods says that "chix"--fake, soy "chicken"--would be what we all would eat if chickens ran the ranch. Unsurprisingly, therefore, I have selected a tale of poultry usurpation and general uprising that results in the overthrow of the evil human beings who seek to devour them. Fitting, I think.