Slow Cooker Jamaican Jerk Beans

I'm finding it hard to update this blog on a regular basis, now that medical school is in full swing. Honestly, I don't think I've ever had to work this hard academically in my life! In a matter of 2 weeks, we have already finished the first of 3 syllabi - in other words, 377 pages worth of powerpoint slides! (By the way, I measured the spine of that horrible booklet, and it is 1 1/4 inches thick!) It's quite mind-boggling, considering that this is on top of dissection lab, an introductory course in clinical medicine, and sporadic lectures on MRI/X-ray imaging.

We just had our first quiz ever, and it was definitely a humbling experience, to say the least. The only consolation I have in it is that everyone else seems to agree with me, so at least I don't feel exceptionally dumb. Unfortunately, though, we still have to keep up the studying in preparation of the real deal - our first ever practicum and written exam this coming Friday.

Anyway, back to food. I recently accompanied a friend to Macy's (the awesome thing about living in a city is that you never really need a car to go anywhere) and happened upon a beautiful slow cooker - it was love at first sight! Plus, it was on sale...which makes the purchase that much sweeter.

My Babies are Growing!

So hopefully Mom never reads this blog because aside from the "STOP COOKING YOU'RE GOING TO FAIL MEDICAL SCHOOL AND DROP OUT AND WASTE OUR MONEY", she would definitely be unhappy if she found out I was spending my time growing my own Thai Basil seedlings from scratch. I mean literally from scratch. As you can see, I've even designed my own herb "pots" - yogurt containers with holes cut out of the bottom. It's surprising how low-maintenace basil can be, and this time I listened to Dad's advice and made sure not to plant the seedlings too close together.

Seeing the sprouts got me really excited, but it also made me very contemplative of the recent occurrences around me. I've always tried to make this blog specifically oriented towards cooking (none of that emo-depression crap), but lately I've been thinking of California and the memories I have of the past chapters in my life. When I first came to medical school, I promised myself to turn over a new leaf - a clean, blank slate devoid of the messes that I had made in the past. But sometimes, more often than I'd like to admit, memories rise again, like bleed-throughs from a pen or ominous bubbles on an otherwise smooth surface. It's often these disturbances that give me conflicts over the little things in my life. Opportunities come by my way, opportunities that make me want to take chances and live carpe diem, but always, in the back of my mind, a part of me is always warily holding back.

Well, a promise is a promise, and I really have to let go of the past. I don't mean all of the past, of course. Lately, I've been a little homesick (this morning, I heard California Girls on the radio, which got me a little depressed) but with all the phone calls and facebook posts I'm getting from my friends back home, I really couldn't ask for anything more. How could I possibly let THEM go? Plus, the people here are so incredibly awesome that I really have no right to complain. But there are definitely marks I need to erase from my mind - so like the little sprouted babies on my study table, I've got to let go and just start over.

Pickled Snow Cabbage Stirfry

This should be my last post of the first weekend before medical school classes start! As I mentioned in my last post, I've decided to do some mass-cooking every weekend to sustain me throughout each week (which would be time-efficient and cost-efficient), but seeing as all I had made so far consisted of vegetables, I figured I better add some meat to my diet.

Speaking of vegetables, my dinner last night consisted entirely of vegetables and high-fiber rice. It was a big mistake - I tried running this morning before breakfast and nearly died from the hunger pains (it didn't help that I felt as if I were in a sauna - August in the East Coast = mass humidity).

But it was okay, because after going to Church, I met up with my friend Julie, whom I have not seen in 4 years, and we actually pigged out quite a bit in an Indian buffet. I've never been to an Indian buffet, and I've heard some rather interesting stories about them, but the restaurant we stopped at was actually really good. It was nice catching up and acting silly with someone similar to me again. Oh, and after seeing the UPenn campus, I am officially envious. That place is beautiful.

Stirfried Bok Choy with Garlic

So I've finally survived my first week of medical school. It was definitely a fun experience for me, but now that the hype has died down, I'm starting to miss California a little. It feels weird not coming out of my room and seeing all the familiar faces of my apartment-mates back in San Diego. Oh well...I'm sure once classes start I'll be too busy to think of anything but hitting the books.

To be honest, I'm a little nervous about the first week (and the first quiz), but that's vastly overshadowed by my excitement. It's been 4 months since I last studied, and my entire senior year was tampered by my senioritis-ridden lack of discipline. It would be nice to once again occupy myself with the stress and pain of studying (I can't believe I'm saying that).

AND! I finally got a real bed :) It feels nice to sleep on something more stable than an air mattress. 

Day 1 of Medical School

How can I describe Welcome Week of medical school? Little/no sleep, little/no food, and packed, nonstop action. It's only the second day, and I'm already a mess. My pants are significantly looser, my body is on hyperactive-to-overcompensate-for-sleep-deprivation mode, and I've already come down with a nasty cough. But honestly, the fun makes it more than worth it.

Living in downtown Philadelphia is like nothing I have ever really experienced. Sure, I've visited downtown cities several times before, but I have never in my life been able to leave the front door of my home and walked right into a noisy intersection interlaced by cutthroat taxis and daredevil drivers (not to mention pedestrians who do not seem to understand the color red). It's actually quite exciting, but I can already see myself in a month or two yearning for the suburbs I have always known before. Well, it will take some getting used to.

One really, REALLY awesome advantage of going to JMC is the fact that you are literally 5 minutes away from a legitimate Chinatown with real, legitimate, down-and-dirty Cantonese food (Gordon always claims that anyone who wants to treat me on a date should just take me to a dirty food stand). I've been getting to know that area of the city pretty well...especially the restaurants. :)

Anyway, I've already visited a few other places near campus and met lots of people. One thing that's struck me is the endless amounts of free food they provide us. And I don't mean chips or cookies. I mean legitimate free food. In fact, we actually had a wine and cheese reception today that included decent wine, elegant appetizers, and an actual miniature orchestra. Now we know what that giant tuition of ours is funding. :P

Daring Bakers July: Swiss Swirl Ice Cream Cake

MY FIRST DARING BAKERS CHALLENGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How exciting! So for the longest time I've been hearing about the Daring Kitchen but I never really knew what it actually was. It wasn't until around mid-June that I found it online and applied to join. It's a baking/cooking online community that sets out a secret challenge every month, and all members are required to whip up his own version of it from scratch. However, because it's a secret, no one is allowed to post his actual creation until the end of the month.

The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home. It was a huge creation that is probably one of the most ambitious things I've ever tried to make. Actually, I ended up with too many ingredients, and bowls that were too small, so I made 2 of them (which also gave me more chances to experiment with different flavors). Unfortunately, the vanilla cake didn't come out quite as pretty as the chocolate, but oh well.

Keep in mind that this isn't just any ordinary ice cream cake. The entire process can be broken down into 5 different components: the cake, the cake filling, 2 flavors of ice cream, and chocolate fudge sauce. Needless to say, it was quite a time-consuming project. But, at the end of the day, it was quite well worth it :) I would say that for the most part, this Daring Bakers Challenge was a success (though I still wish the vanilla cake came out prettier).

Shanghai Stirfry Gluten (KaoFu)

This is officially my last full day in California. My last day!! I'm pretty excited about flying out tomorrow, but to be honest, I'm also a little sad to be leaving the place I called home for the past 20 or so years of my life. Although I've been gone for most of 4 years and have really spent only the past 3 months here in NorCal, it really had started to feel like a stationary home once again. Plus, it's been nice being with my parents after so long away in college.

Yesterday, I visited Hunter's Point during my run for the last time (at least for a while). There is this really steep hill about a mile or two from my house that I've gotten to running or walking up every day after dinner. It's quite a workout, but when you get to the top, view makes it all worthwhile. The place holds a lot of memories for me: from the ridiculous 5am sunrise runs to the exciting explorations of unknown paths to the occasional solo time of contemplation on a lazy afternoon. It encompasses everything I love about my hometown - peaceful, innocent, and beautifully naturesque in a very down-to-Earth sort of way. I don't think I'll ever find that again in the East Coast.

Shanghai 2010: City Temple

Yes, it is another random and long-overdue update of my March excursion to Shanghai. I've been putting this off for a while, but I knew at some point, I had to dedicate a post to the City Temple (or ShengHuangMiao) which originally began as a religious place but has since evolved into a tourism/food extravaganza.


City Temple is one of those places that you have to visit at least once when you go to Shanghai (we visit it every time). Unfortunately, like most places, it's slowly losing the genuine "feel" of a cultural center and has over the years become much more commercialized and tourist-trappish. When I first visited 4 years ago, I remember going to a small, humble restaurant to eat the most delicious xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) I have ever tasted in my life. However, this last March, I noticed that the street food and sights no longer seemed so authentic. Still, a lot of the fun remains, so I advise anyone who wishes to visit to go as soon as possible - before it disappears entirely!

Wedding Favors: Jams!

Last week, a member of Mom's church got married, and Mom and her gang of friends attended to help out. I think Mom was in charge of the seating arrangements or something...I'm not even sure what she went for. All I know is that she and her friends ate a LOT and had more fun than some of the guests, I think. My mom is funny - she'll appreciate any reason to have a good time.

Anyway, she brought home some of the wedding favors - little jam jars tied with ribbon and cloth. I'm not a huge fan of jam, but they were so cute that I had to take a picture.

Anyway, last night was probably one of the last times I would see many of the friends with whom I grew up and got to know here in NorCal. I'm certainly excited to be starting my new life in Philadelphia, but at the same time, I know that my chances to meet with these people will be hard to come by - especially with the hassle and cost of airplane tickets across the country.

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

Mmm...nothing beats a kitchen scented with the aroma of cinnamon baking in the oven...

It's almost time for me to leave for Philadelphia and medical school (4 days!!!), and I've limited myself to only making foods that use up any leftover ingredients in the pantry. So this morning, I figured Mom's probably not going to find any use in the leftover raisins from my granola, or the small jar of cinnamon from God knows when. Luckily, the two pair together pretty well, and it wasn't long before I narrowed down my options to reach (can you guess it) cinnamon raisin swirl bread! Plus, I had leftover bread flour, and Dad is a sucker for French Toast (back when I used to work at Panera Bread, I used to bring back leftover cinnamon raisin bread loaves home all the time for that alone).

The bread itself is really not hard to make. I think in general I've found that the more fat content is in the baking, the more baker-friendly it usually is. More savory things like sourdough or French baguettes are far harder than your average sweet-tooth quick bread.

Tiramisu

As you may have noticed, my blog is currently going under some major re-construction. I figured that it was about time I stopped depending on my pre-designed template (which was also very constricting) and revert back to the basics...and slowly construct it via my own html. Of course, that's going to take a very very long time...but then again, my blog's not going anywhere anytime soon.

So as previously mentioned in my ladyfingers post, I've been working hard in my attempt to make homemade tiramisu from scratch...and it came out quite pretty, I must say! It doesn't exactly look like the traditional tiramisu, but I had to make a few changes for the sake of photography. I would have wanted to take a shot of a slice with the ladyfingers poking out, but I was afraid that cutting into such a delicate custard might just make the whole thing cave in...still delicious but not very pretty. Plus, I actually froze this one for a bit so that I wouldn't have to freak out rushing back and forth between the fridge while my custard melted during the photography. It's okay...it still tastes good, and I still have another tiramisu that is actually legitimate.

Shanghai 2010: World Expo, Nanjing Road, and HuangPu River

Once again, this is a much-delayed continuation of my April trip to China (yes, I know, it's random amidst all the recent food posts)...and although this post isn't about food, I thought it would be nice to put up 3 of the hottest attractions in Shanghai.



Unfortunately, the Expo hadn't opened yet in April, but we got to check out the site beforehand (which might have turned out for the better; I heard the place was literally a zoo the day it opened...a very hot, stuffy, humid one).  It's strange that we haven't heard much of it back in the U.S. but apparently it's a huge deal everywhere else in the world. I think a lot of different countries come to one specific site (it changes every 4 years) to set up an exhibit and show off some of its newest technologies to the public. We posed in front of the red building on the left - it's supposed to represent China. And, needless to say, security was incredible. I don't mean policemen, I mean soldiers. Very angry-looking ones who were probably sick of the numerous tourists peeking in and unintentionally edging over the boundary line in attempts to take better pictures.

Shanghai 2010 - Qibao

I know, this is a little late, but I've been putting off the posts from my trip to China all the way back in April, and I figured I may as well put them up now (at least before school starts and I get too busy). I'm probably going to cut down a lot on because I think with all the pictures I took, it would take forever for me to finish. Or maybe I'll just keep updating...very very slowly.

Anyway, one of the biggest highlights of my stay in Shanghai was our visit to Qibao, a small village on the outskirts of the main city. The place is known best for its nuomi, or glutinous rice products...which are all sinfully delicious and equally sinfully fattening.It's a bittersweet relationship.

We started off with lunch at the main restaurant. The highlight of the meal was a gargantuan bowl of fish head soup, swimming amongst tiny hairy crabs and other types of seafood. The soup was alright, not particularly outstanding, but that's okay - the sight of the giant fish face peeping out sadly over the rim of the soup tureen was memorable enough.

Ladyfingers

9 DAYS LEFT!!!!!!!!!

I have 9 days left until we head over to the East Coast to send me off to school. That means 9 days left until an entirely new chapter of my life begins. I'm pretty excited for the move; after all these months stuck at home it's about time I return to school and get some real work done. Of course, I'll probably regret saying that in about a month or two in.

I'm making tiramisu because it's my dad's favorite dessert, and Mom's no longer there to reprimand him for a little gastronomical self-indulgence. Plus he had already bought the cream cheese by the time I got home, so I couldn't exactly say no to him, could I?

I've made tiramisu many times before, but always with varying results. Sometimes it comes out great, and other times it's a disaster. The last time I made it was for my apartment-mates, and we had forgotten to add the flour...so it was, embarrassingly enough, a disaster.

Tofu Skin Rolls

Okay, I admit that it's been a "somewhat" long time since I posted, but we've had guests over and things have been a little busy. And I got just a little bit lazy (there, I admitted it). But now I'm back, after taking a few photos here and there. 

On another note, I've been reading up recently on running, and there was one thing that caught my attention the other day: "Most people think that because they run they do not need any other form of exercise". Oops. That...describes me.

So I've made a promise to myself to not only run, but also begin strength exercises to target the muscles of my legs and hopefully improve my running ability (and gain a better sense of muscle balance). I tried for the first time yesterday, and let's just say it was a pretty humbling experience. Once I head to school, I'll be able to make a better job of it at a real gym.

The other day, our family friends from San Diego drove up to spend a night with us. Mom got overexcited, like she usually does when guests come over, and began a major brainstorm of all the dishes she wanted to add to the dinner menu. It was kind of funny watching her do mental backflips organizing everything because it turns out that our friends (who had originally come to visit their children in Santa Cruz) didn't have time to eat more than one dinner with us. Well, they had breakfast, but we bought it at the local Asian market, so that didn't count.

Anyway, there was one dish that I particularly liked...it doesn't have any special ingredients, but it's definitely unique and kind of fun to make (it's almost like a Shanghai-form of dim sum). Mom found the recipe on the back of our hon-dashi packet. You have a combination of meat, mushrooms, and shepherd's purse vegetables shaped into long cigars and then stuffed into tofu skin. They're fried, then braised in a thickened soy sauce mixture.

Coconut Macaroons

And this finally concludes the epic morning of baking that I decided to embark on the other day. I had already made banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, and whole wheat pita all in the span of about 2-3 hours. But then again, if I was making so much rich, fatty foods...then I should probably counter it with a lighter, healthier snack, shouldn't I? Not that coconut macaroons are exactly "healthy", but in the world of cookies, I think it's pretty high up there. After all, there's no butter, fat, oil, or anything. The only real villain in the recipe is sugar - which I admit there is a lot of...but then again, it's a cookie...give it a break.

The recipe is slightly more complicated than the one for chocolate chip cookies, but still very simple, as are most cookie recipes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

COOKIES!!!!!

I think one problem I have is that I get so many ideas that I get in over my head and overestimate my limits. That's not just cooking - it happens with a lot of things I do (which is why I used to mess up so much back when I worked in a biology lab...tissue culture just isn't going to forgive you for that). So it finally dawned on me that I had been undertaking so many ambitious baking projects recently that I hadn't even spent time on the basics.

Anyway, I have some leftover chocolate chips from a while ago, and they've been begging to be used ever since. And, of course, what else is more basic than chocolate chip cookies? Plus, Dad has been asking for cookies for a while...so I thought I may as well bake a few of them for him. They're incredibly easy to make - all you have to do, really, is dump everything into a big bowl, stir it all together, and toast it in the oven. Well, if you want pretty cookies, you need to take note of a few more details, but that's the general gist of it.

Whole Wheat Pita

I went on a bit of a baking binge the other day (evident in this and my next few posts...), but hey, we've run out of dinner rolls, and I had to get my intake of whole wheat. That at least explains this recipe...the others were just for fun.

I've actually been making whole wheat pitas for a long time, but I never got around to posting them on my blog before. I first got the recipe from WildYeastBlog (awesome site), and what surprises me is that, despite being delicious and fairly easy to make, they are completely 100% whole wheat! That means every time you eat one of them, you get nothing but the good stuff. Most recipes that make their claim to whole wheat baked goods are usually 50:50 with white flour (if not more), and the ones that actually are all whole grain usually require the addition of fat like butter, which just makes me feel bad for eating it anyway. But this recipe is an exception - it only requires a bit of olive oil (still healthy) but also manages to stand alone without that evil white flour!

Banana Bread

Mom has this thing with bananas. She eats them religiously...so whenever we go to Costco, she buys bags and bags of them until our shopping cart looks like it belongs to a family of monkeys. Personally, I'm not as crazy about them. Don't get me wrong - they actually taste great and anyone who runs knows the value of bananas and potassium, but somehow they just seem to disappear too fast. Take apples, for instance. You have to bit your way through the entire fruit, turning it consistently and working at your share of the flesh. Same with berries or small fruit - you have to pick up each individual fruit to eat it. Even stone fruit are a hassle because you have to do some tongue acrobatics to fish out the pit inside. Anyway, my point is that I prefer fruits that are a little harder to eat because it sort of makes the reward of eating the fruit more fulfilling, whereas the banana is simply too easy to eat (and where is the fun in that?). Or maybe I'm just weird (again).

Anyway, Mom had 2 leftover bananas that were turning black and literally falling apart. Definitely not good eating. Solution? Banana bread!

Cioppino

A couple days ago we actually saw crab on sale at the local Asian market, and if there's one thing our household will NEVER get enough of, it's crab. Seriously, there have been times where we literally ate nothing but crab for days straight (well, okay, maybe just dinner...but still, it was DAYS). It was a little odd actually because crab season is usually in the winter, so we were surprised to see it at only $3.99 a pound in the middle of July. But hey, who's complaining?

Anyway, Dad wanted to get crabs again today, (they seemed pretty angry about being bought) but we decided that, instead of steaming them like we always do, we ought to try a creative new twist on it. After some consideration, we settled on San Francisco Cioppino (Dad really wanted Singapore Chili Crab, but he says he has yet to find a legitimate recipe in NorCal...one day I'll go to Penang and try the real deal). I guess four years in San Diego hasn't completely washed out the Bay Area in me :)

Cioppino is supposed to be a seafood soup, sort of like a Bouillabaisse with an Italian twist. The first time I had it, our next-door neighbor gave us a bowl with an actual lobster tail in it...mm...unforgettable. Unfortunately, lobster is a little hard to come by, not to mention sore on the wallet, so we settled instead this time for crab. And, hey, it was still delicious. In fact, that's just the thing with cioppino - you can mix and match just about any kind of shellfish or seafood (except for certain kinds of fish, they might disintegrate in the soup) and still end up with fantastic results.

Sesame Scallion Bread (Zhi Ma Da Bing)

So yesterday, just as we were about to leave for a hike at San Antonio Ranch, our neighbor came over and invited us to an impromptu Barbecue kickback (apparently two of the invitees were supposed to be set up during the occasion, which was why it was held in the first place). Mom immediately started brainstorming on what to bring and initially thought of her Chinese-Korean hybrid Japchae, but Dad told her it didn't exactly fit in with the theme of a Barbecue. So after much speculation, she settled on her no-fail recipe for Chinese sesame scallion bread or Zhi Ma Da Bing.

I actually got pretty excited at this because I've wanted to post a photo for the longest time. I'd honestly have to say that this is one of Mom's best masterpieces of all time. The food item itself is fairly simple, but this is one of those food items that depends more on skill than anything else.

Anyway, I'll honestly have to say that this recipe deserves 5 stars in difficulty. It is HARD, and chances are that anyone who attempts it will mess up the first few times (or more, as in my case heh heh...). But once you get it down, the results are well worth the effort. Plus, it's kind of cool when Mom brings it to parties, and people around her ask what restaurant she ordered from :)

Saffron Challah

Okay, well, I admit that lately I may be over-doing the baking thing...just a little. Heh Heh. Okay, a lot. But baking is so addictive. Once you start, it's so hard not to get started on something else (even when the first thing isn't quite finished yet). I don't know...maybe that's just me.

Anyway, I came across this recipe in WildYeastBlog (yes, I know, again...what can I say? I love that site), and as we still have a very VERY old stash of saffron tucked away in our pantry, I thought it would be a nice way to use it (I'm one of those people who get really OCD about old, unused ingredients in the pantry). Plus the saffron gives the bread a really rich golden hue and adds an interesting flavor as well.
The recipe itself is surprisingly simple by bread-making standards, and I'd have to say that the hardest step by far is the braiding - which is not very necessary, just good for aesthetics. Unfortunately, I messed up on timing and popped the thing in the oven before it had risen to full capacity, so my loaf turned out a little too dense. But the fault was entirely mine and has no reflection on the recipe, which is absolutely fantastic. I mean, look at the sheen on that loaf! Doesn't it just make you want to tear into it? Or at least touch it.

Whole Wheat Buns

[Edit] Mom liked them so much that I decided to make another batch of these. We ran out of sesame seeds this time, so I just applied an egg wash without any topping. I also had the chance to improve my props and background too :)

As a continuation of my healthy whole-wheat obsession phase, I decided to try out a recipe from WildYeastBlog for Whole Wheat Sandwich Rolls/Burger Buns. Okay, to be honest, they came out a little small for burger buns, so I'll settle for them as cute little dinner rolls. Hush. They came close.

Anyway, I'm pretty excited because this was one of the few and very VERY rare times when Mom actually seemed genuinely pleased with the end product. Usually, whenever she seems me in the kitchen, all hell breaks loose and the entire day consists of angry mutterings and sullen glares. So like I've said, when Mom actually gives her nod of approval, I know that I've definitely hit the jackpot.

The recipe is pretty time-consuming, I have to admit, but like most breads, if you are planning to spend the day at home, the dough is pretty easy to handle, and if you make one big batch from the start, they can last you a very long time. Plus, now you don't have to buy those mega-packs of dinner rolls from Costco anymore!

Strawberry Ice Cream

And now for my second (and probably last) post on ice cream. To be sure, I did make a lot more flavors, but strawberry and mango turned out the most aesthetically pleasing.

Anyway, one criticism I have for this batch of ice cream was that it wasn't smooth enough - despite my efforts, the ice crystals had grown to be a little too big for comfort. But then again, I didn't use a machine, so I guess in the end, it was pretty good for hand-mixed.

Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients:

-1 1/4 cup whipping cream (or Half-and-Half)
-1/4 cup caster sugar
-Dash vodka
-3-4 oz fresh strawberries
-Granulated white sugar, to taste

1. Puree the strawberries to pulp (always fun).
2. Dump the strawberries and granulated sugar in a small pot and heat over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until it has reduced to a thick syrup. Set aside and let cool.
3. Mix it with the other ingredients, then pour in a freezer-friendly container with a lid. Cover and put in the freezer.
4. When the edges have started to harden (about 45 minutes), remove, stir around to break up the crystals, and cover and return.
5. Repeat 3-4 times, then store in the freezer until you are ready to scoop!

Mango Ice Cream

This is the first post of my ice cream rampage. I have to admit - mangoes have a special place in my heart. Actually, most tropical fruits do, just because they're so exotic (um...exceptions: coconut and durian UGH) and hard to come by here in the states. Sure, you can get almost anything at the local market nowadays, but try a dragonfruit from your local Lucky's - you're going to be sorely disappointed with both the price and the quality. The thing is that fruits like that are just too far away from their natural environment (which is why I went nuts with the fruit back in Zhuhai).

Fortunately, mangoes are a tropical fruit that we here in the Sunshine State actually are very accessible to (thank you Mexico!). Okay, well, they still are somewhat pricey, but every once in a while, there's a super great sale and we bring boxes home to eat. Last week had been one of those times ($3.99 for like...10!), and I thought it would be cool to flavor one batch of ice cream with the last two survivors on our counter. It actually turned out pretty good, but I'd have to say the end result tasted more like sorbet than actual ice cream.

Ice Cream!

So what with it being summer and all, I decided to try my hand at what everyone associates as the ultimate symbol OF summer - ice cream! Okay, I actually have a secret to admit, one which is highly frowned upon by society: I actually am not too fond of ice cream.

SAY WHAT?!

Yes, I know, it's blasphemous, but seriously...I am the ultimate carb fiend, and ice cream is pretty much centered on protein and fat. In fact, whereas most people find ice cream as an indulgence, I find it as almost a necessary evil (though, of course, there are far worse evils out there) because it gives me the dairy (and thus calcium) that is most absent in my fruit-and-grain-dominated diet. What can I say? I'm a little weird.

Rye Whole Wheat Sourdough

It's actually pretty amazing, but I've finished a Costco megasized 2-in-1 pack of Special K cereal within about a week. It kind of scares me because after reading Food Matters by Mark Bittman, I'm a little bit wary of pre-packaged foods. In fact, when I read the side of the now-empty box, I found that Special K, which I had always assumed to be very healthy, contains only 3 grams of fiber. That's still decent, but any less and it wouldn't be. Plus the addition of high fructose corn syrup...I don't know. Maybe I should be getting my whole grains through a more natural source.

So I went back to WildYeastBlog again and found a way to put my good ol' sourdough starter to use. This bread is a recipe that incorporates 3 kinds of flour - predominantly rye and whole wheat, with a small fraction of white bread flour. Talk about healthy. And surprisingly good, too, though I would prefer to add some caraway seeds next time for some texture. Oh, well, okay, you won't get anything near the delicious fluffiness of artisan white sourdough, but then again, with so much whole wheat and fiber packed in, you're going to have to expect a denser, coarser grain in your bread.

Pad Thai

So I think recently Dad has been trying to encourage me to cook more (I think he senses that I am getting restless at home), which is good news for me. I'm starting to get a little discouraged by Mom's criticism of me in the kitchen, but now reinforcements have arrived, and I re-emerge with renewed strength!

Yesterday, I was supposed to go out with Gordon for lunch and the library (he's working on his med school application, poor boy), but I decided to cancel and spend the July 5th holiday catching up on pre-medical school issues with Dad. Which means shopping for electronics (seen by me as nothing more than an unfortunately necessary evil - computers and I are not friends). Anyway, that meant I wouldn't waste my stomach on a big lunch and could therefore eat properly with my parents...which Mom hadn't counted on and so had nothing to cook. So Dad suggested I cook up my Pad Thai, which I've cooked a few times in San Diego and once for Dad in NorCal. I use Pim's recipe (seems like everyone does), which is surprisingly fast and simple. One major twist - we didn't want to buy limes, so we used the lemons from our backyard. It didn't have the EXACT same taste, but it was close enough.

Tomato Opo Stew

Talk about comfort food. This is literally my favorite go-to food of all time. I will eat it anywhere, anytime, no questions asked. AND I will never ever tire of it. Ever.
It's the classic example of a home-cooked Chinese meal, simple and light, yet bursting with umami flavor. Seriously, you'll never find the taste of this dish anywhere in any American-style kitchen (unless it's Asian American). I think Mom calls the flavor xian, which I have concluded after much deliberation and thought to translate to that fifth taste bud that we often associate with Oriental-style food.

Anyway, this stew is made from the Opo melon (picture on the right ), cooked with garlic, dried shrimp (shami), and tomato until it turns into a stew (simmered in tomato juice), then served over rice (although I've tried rice noodles and they are just as good).

Sichuan Pickled Vegetables with Pork (Zha Cai Rou Si)

Okay, so I admit; this picture isn't the greatest one I could have taken. I actually don't like the dull brown, and the green onion wasn't vibrant enough to add a good contrast. Then again, I had planned originally not to put this up, because although the dish is extraordinary, it just doesn't have the most aesthetic appearance.

So what exactly is it? It is the classic example of Chinese comfort food. It's one of the few recipes I happened to learn from Mom (for some reason, she really discourages me from cooking and we get into occasional fights in the kitchen about that...kind of the opposite of what you'd expect right?). Pretty much, it's a conglomeration of various ingredients put together into a stirfry that is surprisingly tasty. The hero of the dish is Sichuan pickled vegetable (or Zha Cai), which we buy in precut strips in plastic packages. I'm not sure how it's made, but I think it's somewhat similar to how Koreans pickle their kimchi.

Anyway, Mom cooked it up while Dad was out for his convention, and we ate it with Japanese soba noodles. Simple enough dinner, but it was absolutely delicious. And the great thing about it was that it tasted even better the next day as leftovers. Mmm...comfort food...hopefully they'll have Zha Cai available in Philadelphia...

Good for You Granola

So in a fit of boredom yesterday, I finally drove to the local public library and started browsing through a few more cookbooks (hopefully they will yield the next few upcoming posts). As I started heading back to the entrance, my eyes caught sight of a list of books along a random shelf. Somehow, I had found my way through the diet section (eh, I'm not a believer of diet fads) and into...the nutritional department!

Now, you have to understand: I'm not exactly a normal person. At least not for my age. Nutrition is one excellent example of that. I'm obsessed with nutrition. I love learning about the health benefits of food, exercise, lifestyle, etc. In fact, of all the classes I've taken as an undergraduate, nutrition was by far the most interesting (as in leaning on the edge of my seat interesting). I'm also very averse to meat (I actually started off college as a vegetarian, but the limited options of the school cafeteria actually led to me being quite badly malnourished by Christmas break, so I had to stop), and I can literally eat 4-6 servings of fruits in a day (and that's not even counting the vegetables). Actually, though, I think most of it ties back to the fact that I run a lot. I guess when you engage in a sport that's as taxing as running, every little boost in health makes a difference.

Tangzhong Loaf with Green Tea Custard

Okay, seriously, I surrender. I'll admit it: I'm bored. I need to go back to school, even if it means the hell of finals and stress and week-long, exercise-deprived library visits.  It's horrible! And the worst thing is that we've sort of hit a heat wave here in NorCal, and even I'm not bored or crazy enough to go running in this heat. Plus, Dad is still in Vegas for his convention, so I don't have anyone to cook for (Mom won't eat my food, unless it's to humor me)! So I'm here stuck at home, doing some occasional cooking for no one, and occasionally watching some of Mom's korean dramas (ugh, what have I resorted to!).

The other day I tried making more Tangzhong Starter because Mom has this thing against crusty breads (she says it makes her teeth feel like they're going to fall out), and Tangzhong is supposed to yield a softer crumb. I found a recipe on Do What I Like for a soft bread loaf and thought it would be fun to make some buns with them. Since I had leftover frozen matcha custard filling from my dorayaki pancakes, I decided to fill them up with it. However, I read somewhere (I lost the link) that you can also fill it with pork floss or Rou Song, so I've posted the recipe below. However, in general, this bread is very versatile and can be filled with anything from red bean paste to hot dogs or curry.

Miso Soup

I know, this isn't exactly a recipe, and I certainly cannot claim credit for making this (well, unless you count pouring in the hot water). But our next-door neighbors had just come back from a family vacation to their hometown in Osaka, Japan, and they brought back a very interesting souvenir for us.

It was a very beautiful (as are all things Japanese) box containing 9 different shapes that looked a lot like cookies or cakes. Good thing we didn't eat them though, because they were in fact ready-made miso soup mixes! Apparently, each 'shape' represents a different flavor, but we've only tried the orange one on the left so far. The cookie-like thing is actually a giant inflatable tofu containing dried green onions and some kind of pink vegetable. There's also some seasoning packets inside. Overall, it was very convenient and tasty - just like the real thing! Mom told me to pack it away and take it with me to Philadelphia, where I probably won't have such easy access to fresh food.