Happy ‘Turkey’ Day – An excuse for Baking November 22, 2007

When you think about it, Happy Turkey Day is really an oxymoron.. How could any turkey feel happy about the Turkey day? After all, millions of them get killed for the enjoyment of a half truthful holiday where the celebration of the Native American genocide is really taking place. But this is not meant for cynicism. It is more about the joy of baking and sharing. In the spirit of the holiday season, spending family time and an excuse for tons of eating, I baked brownies and fruitcake bars. I’m really excited about the fruitcake bars, since it is my first time trial. So here are the results and some evidence of the process…

Happy baking day everyone!

November Fruit Fest! November 17, 2007

Aside from the beautiful changing leaves, November also offers the great gift of delicious and colorful fruits. Its been years, maybe even more than 20 years, since I last had a fully ripen (gushy) persimmon. But I guess you never forget how to eat a persimmon even if you’ve only done it once before – with a spoon.

* these were actually called the ‘black apples’. wonder if these are the same kind that the evil witch had handed to the innocent snow white. they didn’t taste as good as the fujis…

Divine Sandwich on a Sunny Afternoon November 10, 2007

Bakesale Betty, one of the neighborhood favorites. Not only do they have delicious baked goods – their apricot almond scones are to die for, their famous chicken sandwich has also been a long time destination for many! Yesterday, I finally had the chance to try it for myself, it was truly satisfying! I never knew how fun it could to eat off an ironing board while sitting in the sun, right next to one of Berkeley/Oakland’s busiest intersections. Of course, the two slices of complimentary pies from “Betty” probably added some flavor to the happy mood! Simple pleasures in life are the best pleasures in life! Don’t take my words for it, try it yourself!

the Sweetness in Life August 12, 2007

Catching up with a good friend over a cup of charming hot cocoa is definitely a sweet sip of life. But my mom always says, without ever tasting bitterness, how do we know if it is sweetness that we are having?



* thanks to bittersweet, the chocolate cafe in Oakland, where my intriguing cup of hot cocoa was created and also their sweet reminder of my mother’s wisdom! by the way, the floating heart in the hot cocoa was the inspiration for this post and a complete serendipitous occurrence.

The ultimate girl time and lobster August 11, 2007

Last week when I was home in LA visiting my mommy and having girl time, we all went out to the best lobster place I know, Newport Seafood, a Vietnamese restaurant located in the heart of a highly Chinese/Taiwanese populated area called Rowland Heights in LA county… Out of all the lobster places I’ve ever tried, this place makes by far the most unique, flavorful, satisfying lobster! This is a must visit every time I go home, and it always gives mommy uber pleasure to see me chow down like a I haven’t eaten for days.

Guided by one of my deep beliefs, good things in life should be shared with loved ones, I finally got a chance to take some of my girls, all the way from NYC and the Bay, to the lobster, and now we have a fan club!

Pleasure of the day – the donut peach and tiny! August 9, 2007

This is my best discovery from today! The most refreshing donut peach ever provided by Tiny’s!

* it even has the cutest seed inside!

* for more fruity puns go to ilovetiny.com

Best Yogurt in the U.S.! July 30, 2007

Good yogurt is one of my weak points. My all time favorite yogurts are in China. They are rich, flavorful and drinkable. But after over ten years of searching, I finally found a favorite brand here in the U.S. two days ago! Straus is flavorful but light, organic and nonfat! Try it with granola and fruit, frozen, or simply by itself! So good!

And that next to my new favorite yogurt in the U.S. is of course, the cutest, smartest and most trouble-making kitty cat in the world. My miaomiao baobao!

Simple, Fresh, Delicious, Unpretentious, Pizzaiolo! July 30, 2007

Last night we went to one of my all time favorite restaurants in Oakland, Pizzaiolo. Although the name suggests pizza, and they do consistently have the best thin crust pizza I’ve ever had, they also have amazing appetizers and everything else. Speaking of appetizers, you’ve gotta try the avocado with beets. It sounds like a simple dish, and usually their stuff are simple, but the combination of flavors and the freshness of their ingredients are simply delicious!

Their pizzas also follow the same philosophy of simple, fresh and delicious. The Margaritas (both the regular and de Buffalo) are always available. Another 3 to 5 other topping choices change daily depending on the freshest available produce. One of my favorite summer selections is the summer squash pizza. The flavors are subtle, refreshing and flavorful all at the same time.

Aside from always using the best olive oils, they also have the best complimentary bread, the dark one, anywhere! Especially considering that I’m not a big fan of bread crusts, this is the only place where I do not let a single crumble go to waste.

Oh, did I mention that they are also very unpretentious and chill? I love how comfortable the place makes me feel. They always play different and cool music. All the waiters and waitresses have an ‘unofficial’ dress code of t-shirt, jeans and tattoo… Everyone, including the chefs, is young, energetic and happy. Apparently, Pizzaiolo is just the spot for both dining and working!

Thanks Benny for giving us an excuse to share this special gem with everyone! Happy birthday!

* heirloom tomato with fresh mozzarella & the best complimentary bread

* arugula with fig, almond and ricotta salata

* heirloom tomato and meatball pizza

* one of my favorite, summer squash pizza

* eggplant with ricotta pizza

* margarita de buffalo

* Yum yum

* no, i don’t like crusts, and yes, I did eat 6 slices of pizza all by myself. and if you look closer, the crusts seem to have a message..

* at last, the birthday boy himself, benny!

Children & Noodles…Life can be difficult! July 25, 2007

Coincidentally, Alex and I were sandwiched between two different 3 year olds on either side of our table at Noodle Theory, one of our usual local noodle joints. Throughout dinner, we were both thoroughly fascinated by the cuteness around us. The lively little blond girl with the tie-dye tank top to my right kept on initiating conversations with us. First about the “slug bugs” on the road, then about what kind of soup I had, finally announcing her opinion on my soup: “shrimps are yucky!” Like me, she had a bowl of soupy ramen, which she managed to keep mostly inside her bowl. Eventually she decided that her mommy’s udon was more desirable than her noodles and started to eat it one udon at a time with help from her fingers. She proudly picked up each udon, put one end to in her mouth, and sucked the rest of it in like a little snake. So much fun!

On my other side was a little hungry boy. He might be a few months older than the little girl. He was much more focused on his noodles rather than his next table neighbors. He was fully engaged with the process of getting the noodles into his mouth. Clearly, he’d much rather use his hands if his mommy hadn’t kept insisting on the fork. For each bite, he tried so hard to pick up the noodles with his fork, and most of the time, he succeeded. But the tricky part came next, when he tried to put the noodles in his mouth. It was always at this moment that the noodles would slip off his fork and fall, not only off of his fork, but also off of his plate. He’d quickly pick the noodles off his lap or seat with his hands and stuff them into his mouth, satisfied. At some point in the midst of this repeating process, his mommy decided that the problem was caused by the length of the noodle and suggested to cut the noodles shorter. This was when the little boy started to protest, half-crying, “its not too long!” “it’s not messy!” So cute!!

With the ever so evident noodle struggles facing both of my little table neighbors, I suddenly realized, it is difficult to eat noodles properly as a 3 year old. As an adult, we take so many things for granted. Sometimes it takes little reminders around us to appreciate the smallest accomplishments in life.

Just how did we learn to eat noodles anyway?