tune in....

tune in tonight!!!!!

premiere of Throw Down with Bobby Flay: Sushi

time: eastern 9pm and midnight 

          western 6pm, 9pm and midnight

where: foodtv/food network 

i'm pretty excited as my former boss/friend is now going to be challenged by bobby flay to make sushi... this should be very interesting.. and i'm not telling you the outcome. tune in tonight!!! 

really?? salmon?

today i heard something almost a bit shocking. 

since the new year, my sister and i are trying to make an effort towards a healthier lifestyle. with that i started to prepare most of my own lunches so that i do not eat food i have no control over at school. i also make a portion for my sister as well. she's on track to lose a lot of weight and eating much healthier, which makes me happy. for the past few lunches, i've tried to finish the pack of frozen salmon that we had. our lunches usually consist of a salad (romaine lettuce, thinly sliced bell peppers, carrots and celery *everything usually chopped and sliced) and i make a wasabi dressing to go with it. for the protein side of the lunch, i make salmon. simply seasoned with salt and pepper, a few slices of lemon and a squeeze and i wrap it up and bake it. that's about it. it comes out just right, keeping its texture and flavor. 

well my sister took her lunch into work. and a coworker asked her what she was eating. my sister gave her a tiny piece of salmon and salad to try. and she was amazed at how it was actually good. this coworker of my sister has never had salmon before. she never tried it because she is actually a very very picky eater. although her picky-ness results in frozen dinners and fast food joints. it was very surprising to me that someone over the age of 25 has never tried salmon. i mean. they have it at panera bread. they have some form of fish at the golden arches, but really? never tried it? wow. after all the endless amounts of published research on the omega fats that salmon has and all the publicity. nothing? till today. i ended up texting the coworker the recipe to prepare the salmon just as i made it. and i hope she tries it. and perhaps move one step closer to cooking her own food at home and trying more things. 

i admit. i live in a small town in western Pennsylvania. and i dont expect everyone here to have the palate that i have. i mean there is a mexican restaurant here and a few chinese food buffet. okay.. those places are not that great, but they have options to eating there instead of a chain diner place or through a window. one day i'll take a picture of the line at the drive through during dinner time. people just pick up their foods. i know its expensive to go and make your food, but i promise it pays off in the end. bon appetit just had an issue where they help make recipes for the whole family on a very good budget and its gourmet food at that on top of being healthy. if i could i would just help everyone eat a home cooked meal everything. those are the activities that build the foundations of a healthy lifestyle and good memories. people never forget a good meal or a great dish. they develop a taste in experimentation and start to explore the world through their culinary curiosities. i think its a shame that our society is forgetting the wonders of what a dinner with the family can do for everyone in the family unit. people talk about how our society is bad, well everything starts at home. and the best way to bring people together is with food. think about it. 

with that. i'm going to leave this blog with just a hope that everyone will try to have a sit down meal with family, friends or coworkers/anyone will do. because sharing your food can help spread some wonderful flavors into someone else's world. 

eat extraordinary everyday. 

BRUNCH

Happy New Year! 

I wish everyone a great 2009 filled with new culinary adventures as well as discoveries of old classics. 

I was thinking back to times when I was most happiest with my friends. I recall Brunch moments. i have three memories that I'm going to share with you all. 

1. classic cafe Laurent. as in previous blogs, this is one of my favorite places to eat. regardless of what others think, this is one of my favorite places to eat brunch alone. on Sundays they have a live jazz band or musician playing very cute music to eat along with. my favorite thing to get at cafe Laurent (any time that I'm not there for lunch) is definitely the eggs Benedict. there is something about good hollandaise on perfect poached eggs that make me smile. and its served with scalloped potatoes. and of course you have to get the outside seating. going to brunch after a night out with your friends is so nice to treat a hang over.. then a nice walk on the beach is the perfect Sunday. 

2. this is for those who love to keep drinking.. in calabasas, ca. there is a Mexican brunch place called la paz. they include margaritas or mimosas with your brunch and its buffet style. outside seating of course, but the topper is the Mariachi band. there is a wide wide selection of food for you. i went with a group of my friends about 15 of us, everyone drinking eating and laughing. we had a blast seeing who could drink the most and eat the most, lots of gluttony *no judging. we all moved the party back to my friend's house for a poolside BBQ party, keep Sunday a  day of relaxation and good times with friends. 

3. my friend segal loves to cook, we often make lots of great BBQ meals together for all our friends and his business associates. one year we did brunch to help him get rid of the Dom p and the Cristal bottles of champagne he had laying around. so we had a massive brunch for 15 people, pretty much impromptu *like most great parties are. we made some pork chop steaks, waffles, omelets, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, mimosas, coffee and i think there might have been some fruit smoothies.. there was a lot of food and of course everyone came hungry and we put away all that food. it was a great time. 

i was inspired by a show "how i met your mother" when they talked about brunch. i love brunch just like the characters in the show. and i decided to think about all the great brunches i've had. of course there are many places out there that serve amazing brunch, but the point of the meal is that it makes people happy. either helping out the previous' night consumption of alcohol or starting a nice lazy Sunday afternoon, the brunch meal is always a good time for all who participate. so i hope this year everyone goes out with their friends and family for some good brunch. 

SHABU SHABU

one of my favorite ways to eat food is to cook it as i eat it... doesn't get any fresher than that. my sister and i usually save it for the coldest winter nights here in Pennsylvania which is often.. shabu shabu is what i'm talking about. if you havent tried it.. then you should after you read the blog. shabu shabu is the Japanese name for the dish. but there are many different asian versions of how you eat it and what you call it depending on where you go. the basis is always a hot pot of broth in the center and thinly sliced beef, seafood and veggies that are raw to be cooked in the broth as you consume it. plus an array of dipping sauces that can be customized to your liking. I'll look into where it originated but nonetheless its a fun way to eat with family and friends. 

I've gathered some pictures from flickr since i have yet to take any pictures of my home shabu shabu experience. but there is something about cooking and eating food with your close family together and watching the food cook that makes it a nice experience. hot it goes into your mouth and sometimes too hot, but that's the fun of it. in monterey park, ca there is a place that has outside seating where you can eat it in a large table with your family in a circle. they have Chinese herbs in the broth and that make it taste great perhaps even good for you. the broth as you would imagine gets tastier as you cook more and more different veggies and meats. so in the end drinking the broth with some rice noodles is just a nice treat. some places have split pots with spicy broth and regular, we make that type at home since not everyone can eat as spicy as my sister and i can. but its nice to have options. this is perfect for the picky eater as they can just cook what they want to eat without any worry. we usually have thinly sliced beef, shrimp, squid balls, meat balls, fish balls, napa cabbage, tofu, taro, egg, scallions, mushrooms... and rice noodles.. but sometimes we add more things, it just dependent on how many options you want to give yourself.  i love options... there is just something about sitting in a circle with your friends and family making food together that i think is special. i always end up full and happy. perhaps it takes us back to our ancestral roots of the hunter and gatherer stage of human civilization, were food was a ceremony and part of a community building ritual. 

i hope that everyone tries shabu shabu one point this upcoming year and see how fun it is.. i think it beats out fondue cheese any day. but i like having noodles as an option, which makes me biased on that opinion. don't be scared, if you think the beef isn't cooked all the way through you can just leave it in a bit longer, no pressure, and if you like it a bit medium that works too, there is not right or wrong when it comes to shabu shabu and what you eat. 

eat extraordinary everyday 

Food Snob...

I've come to the realization that I may have a little problem sometimes when I become a food snob. It comes out only when someone who clearly doesnt know anything about food says they have great taste. for me, to earn my respect in food talk, you must eat everything, try, and second chances. you learn by eating. and you are open to eating... a true foodie is the best ambassador of all cultures, in my opinion. yes i like art but i feel that since everyone must eat, food and taste is a cultural connection that humans have with each other from all around the world. 

I wont be in los angeles for a while, but the memories of my spots are coming up. when i get home sick i think about a perfect day. and today Cafe Laurent came into mind. this is a little place that i kept passing by, but one day a friend took me there... and i made it my place by the end of the year. its a little cute daytime cafe in culver city, ca. it is so cute! there is something about a place that doesn't bullshit and is right around the corner that i love. it took me just about one meal to fall in love with this place, its the perfect place to go alone or with a good friend. the food is good once you know your own taste. its nice because there is a variety of things to choice from. you cannot really go wrong with anything. i have my favorites... the bistro club.. that's one of the permanents on the menu. but heres the secret, go for the specials, for the most part every special i've had has blown my mind away. the crab cake burger! the dressing on that salads! and dessert.... *i'll get back to. 

At Cafe Laurent, most of the time there is a beautiful french manager who knows her food. I have become friends with her, i adore her because she actually knows a thing or two about living life and eating food. from her recommendations i've come to do a full three dishes when i'm there sometimes. the mushroom soup is good, its thick and creamy-comes with toasted baguette slices of course. Move onto the sandwich of the day. pick anyone but my favorite so far is the curried turkey salad on the special bread. the sandwich itself might be the most colorful and yummy looking thing you will ever see on a plate. and it tastes even better than it looks. most sandwich plates are served with the scalloped potatoes and salad with house dressing.. very delicious. and dessert is just great. this is the only place where i will have bread pudding, well they have a chocolate one... thats the kicker. although the top top dessert you will have to get here is the chocolate pecan torte. and dont forget the espresso or cappuccino. 

a perfect day is nice lunch with the newspaper/gourmet magazine at cafe laurent then a nice stroll along venice beach... 

giving Thanks.. .

I started work at a place where we sell everything you need to cook with. so of course an ideal place for a foodie/chef like myself. I am able to help so many people with their thanksgiving meal planning. thanksgiving is a very interesting day. historically it has been associated with an American tradition in which we give thanks to the Native Americans who helped the first settlers survive their winters in the new land. as a history major, I know the background and think its all nice. but the day has warped into a monster. families overeat and watch sports and shop. children cringe at the idea of what their parents do on this week, for some lucky kids they actually get to enjoy the day with their family and good food. I think that we should somehow turn this day more into a family day more than about the food or the sports or the shopping that we can done on black friday. the family unit has changed so much over the years that its been diminishing in the values that people hold. i think food traditions are a great way in which families can build memories as well as spend quality time together. people need to get the whole family involved with cooking and the food the consume and pay attention to give thanks to the little luxuries that everyone has in their lives. 

This week, women and some brave men take on the challenge of preparing a turkey for the feast. there are so many things that need to be thought out when taking on the task of preparing the historic and tradition filled meal. there are so many things that could also go wrong. I love making thanksgiving meal. i think the fact that there are SO many required traditional tastes involve i get to make a ton of different dishes for a lot of people. sadly this year i will not be preparing a turkey. but i am okay with that.. working I've been smelling and selling the flavor of thanksgiving that i'm a bit burnt out on turkey day. 

my first real thanksgiving... well the one were i made food... i had asked my father if we could do an American style thanksgiving and he said yes. i went on ordering food ( i was in high school at this time, i only knew to order food so that i wouldn't mess up.) but my father took the American thanksgiving to anther level and perhaps sparked my cooking passion. he came home with a freshly killed *the bird was still warm* 13 lbs. turkey. it was the scariest thing my father has ever made me touch/cook. i panicked. the next day i went to school and gathered as much turkey advice as i possibly could. i ended up recruiting my best friend to help me with the meal. we went on to making everything, garlic mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, steamed green beans, crescent rolls, steak, salad and probably some more stuff that i cannot remember. we made so much food. i couldn't taste anything either... the stress of cooking got me sick so she had to taste everything we made. but it came out perfect. without the ability to taste, i was still able to pull off a tender turkey. i was amazed at myself. i guess that was when i realized i had some type of skill or talent in cooking. 

since that thanksgiving in high school, i've been able to make about three more turkeys for friends and family. it has been great. i've tried many ways and of course had many other thanksgiving turkeys that was so dried that all the sauce in the world would not save it's flavor. since i wont be making turkey this year. i wanted to at least go ahead and give my thanks. 

i am thankful: for the fact that i am able to eat the foods that i do, that i have a full stomach, that i have a family that is healthy, that i have friends that are funny and kind, for a boyfriend who loves food as much as i do, for life and to be alive despite the hard times, organic foods, farms/farmers, traditional ways of prep for food, cook books.. so much to be thankful for. 

eat extraordinary everyday! 

trust me. .

'trust me'
that's what omakase means in Japanese. its when the chef is trusted by the diner to be fed nothing but the best. or perhaps you've heard 'its up to you' all in the same... trusting someone to feed you without you ever knowing what comes next. 

well i've always thought highly of my palate and my judgement of a great dining establishment. i've always recommended people to places to eat and tell them truthful about the experience. if i love a place you'll know. if i hate a place, you'll know for sure. so for the summer i worked at a place that i loved eating at. that was a complete fluke. i didnt think they were hiring or even needed anyone, but after dinner i was asked if i was interested and ended up joining the team within 24 hours. it felt right. and when i was able to eat more and see more of the food being done and served out i really wanted all my friends to come and experience the food as i had. sushi that isn't pretentious but is actually mind blowing. but no one ever came. maybe a few friends. i had a couple come in and said it was on the top with the best sushi places in Hollywood. i said it was better. but recently i guess I've been given satisfaction. 

Phillip *papa san boss man. was challenged to a throw down with bobby flay. wow.

i was SO excited when it was confirmed that it was a throw down, Phillip said he wanted a chance in kitchen stadium to prove himself against the iron chef on a bigger arena. wow. if the food network showcasing your favorite place on a episode of throw down isn't proof that you have good taste i don't know what is. I'm just waiting until the magazines start up on it. 

hell I'm starting to think i should write an article for them and submit. who knows. they might like it. speaking of which i'm trying to up my writing portfolio of food things. so we'll see what happens. i know that my blog isnt the biggest or the most popular, but for now i'm writing for my friends to read. and just to get my thoughts out there. where this passion of food will take me, time can only tell. 

i cant wait for the show to air. i'll let everyone know. until then.. 

eat extraordinary everyday! 

**the photos are of the fish TAI, American name SEA BREAM.