Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup (Niu Rou Mien)

Yesterday was one of those very rare occasions where I had access to a car while living in the heart of Philadelphia. So long as you are not the one dealing with traffic and angry drivers, having a ride is WONDERFUL. You forget how cheap and diverse food is supposed to be when all you hatve within walking distance is really just SuperFresh and Whole Foods. Well, Reading Terminal Market is a nice option to have, but it still can't beat the chaotic heaven of an Asian market.

I have actually wanted to put this recipe up for a while, and I've made it a few times before. It's just not very often that I go through with it because I am generally not a big fan of meat, so unless I have someone to eat it, I find that this dish usually goes to waste.

If you ever meet a Taiwanese person, he/she will literally swear by this dish. I'm serious...they are extremely protective of their beef noodle soups!

Shepherd's Purse and Tofu Stew

Last summer, I had taken a picture of this stew that my mom made with Shepherd's Purse or ji tsai - a native vegetable of Shanghai, where she grew up. It's a recipe I always fall back on, partly because it's cheap and easy to make, and partly because it's my form of comfort food - stuff that I grew up on. The funny thing is that this picture got accepted on Foodgawker, while my very first photo of it did not. I suppose one thing I did change was something I read off another blog a while back. When you have a stew-like object that consists of a medly of protrusions that make the surface of the dish convoluted, it's better to try to use light to reflect off of it. Usually, you want to avoid reflections, but if you notice, this time I really tried to incorporate that in the photo. It's not a pretty dish, I have to admit (what with the tofu all chunky), so if I had simply rid myself of the reflecting light, I would definitely not been able to portray the pure delicious-ness of it as well. 

Unfortunately, you can only find the frozen variety of Shepherd's Purse here in the U.S. but for things like stew or stirfry, that doesn't downgrade the taste too much. Last year, when I visited Shanghai before medical school, I got to see and taste fresh ji tsai for the first time...it was amazing! Usually, Shanghai people use this vegetable for humbler dishes like this tofu stew or stirfried with rice cakes - but even then, you can taste a distinct difference just by adding the locally grown variety into your diet. 

<-- Here is what it is supposed to look like. I actually thought it was a weed when I first saw it. At some point, I'll put up a picture of the frozen package label, too. 

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.

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.