Some Sun, Some Kebabs & Some Boba

We made a plan - eat lunch & then hunt down the Boba Truck. I met up with my friend (let's call her Ms. Bacon) and her co-worker and another girlfriend (let's call her Ms. Funsize) for lunch this past Wednesday in Pasadena. Lucky for us the weather was BEAUTIFUL - sunny and a warm 80°F. We ate lunch at a small meditteranean lunch spot http://www.kokosmediterraneancafe.com/. As soon as you order your food is ready, they must have their foodprep down to a science for their turnaround to be so high. I had a lamb kebab plate (2 skewers of meat over rice pilaf, with sides of greek salad & hummus w/ one pita), Ms. Bacon had a kefta (meatball) kebab wrap and co-worker & Ms. Funsize had beef kebab plates. Everything was YUM~

lunch

Dessert was the Boba Truck. (So Cal started the gourmet food truck revolution and there's pretty much a food truck for almost any food...) Ms. Bacon knows the boss man of the Boba Truck so we decided to go check it out. Each drink is handcrafted to order so the strength of the tea and the overall sweetness of the drink is entirely customizable. I indulged in a Lychee Green Tea with mini boba. Ice cold tea drinks were the perfect accompaniment to the gorgeous albeit a bit warm weather... The truck was parked adjacent to Pasadena City Hall in front of a park whose focal point was this HUGE "talking" heads sculpture installation.

the talking heads, some people were uncomfortable with staring at them while eating so they turned their backs

My lunch buddies for the day

Just the girls~

EM Spring 2011 Retreat

What: CHC English Ministry 2011 Retreat
Where: some Korean-owned/operated retreat center/cabin site in Running Springs, CA (between Lake Arrowhead & Big Bear)
When: March 4-6, 2011
Why: to meet God, to invite the Holy Spirit, to draw closer as a group
People in Attendance: fluctuated between about 35-40 people

I made my shopping/supplies lists, checked it twice, checked it again, wrote out my menu plan, wrote out my recipes & checked my shopping/supplies lists one more time to edit. Made five trips to Costco (Commerce business center, Fullerton, La Habra), three trips to Smart & Final, two trips to Fresh & Easy, two trips to Hannam Chain, one trip to HMart, one trip to church (for storage purposes) one trip to Albertsons all within the span of 3 days. Why not just delegate some of the shopping responsibilities? I did (for things I didn't really need to keep count, i.e. bottled water & snacks). However, in order to keep track of the budget & quantity needed of ingredients I needed to do the bulk of the shopping myself. Each time I went shopping I had a calculator in hand to make sure I was going to be within the alloted budget. I was watching every penny b/c in times past I've been a few dollars over budget so I REALLY made an effort to stay in the black as opposed to the red. After the essential shopping was done I realized I was WAY UNDER budget so I had a little fun picking up some extra snacks & drinks

The hard part wasn't trying to find the space to store everything but rather packing everything in the van; it was like those logic puzzles we had to do in grade school for those multiple choice "intelligence" tests & Tetris (the background music was playing in my head). We finally loaded all the cargo & luggage into the van & cars then did a headcount... I would need to drive our pastor's sedan to the retreat site.

Friday late-night snack: Korean instant noodle bowls, chips, homemade cookies, Honest Kids lemonade & tropical punch drink pouches

Saturday breakfast: milk & cereal, whole wheat toast w/ PB&J (and I even brought out my personal Nutella stash) coffee/tea/orange juice (a few of us had oatmeal as well) and bananas

Saturday lunch: tonkatsu (pan-fried breaded pork cutlet) & korroke (potato croquettes) w. homemade tonkatsu sauce (for the amount I needed I realized it was easier, cost-efficient and healthier to just make my own) w. cabbage salad. A few people couldn't eat pork so I also prepared chicken katsu as well.

(sorry but this is one of the few pics some people took of the food)

korroke, katsu, homemade katsu sauce, cabbage salad & quick dressing

Saturday dinner: Guinness beef stew (but it actually turned out like soup, but I already know why it didn't thicken to stew, so i'll adjust for that the next time I make it)

Saturday late-night snack: true to the last night of retreat tradition all the snacks were laid out on a table so everyone could go in for the kill; a snack buffet if you will.

Sunday breakfast: same as Saturday, a few people had some leftover beef stew for breakfast so I added in some oatmeal while reheating to make it more substantial, brought out more bananas & some oranges too.

Sunday lunch: Italian sausage & peppers on a hotdog bun w. french fries and Gala apples.

My menu plan was to make each meal simple, economical, hearty but mostly nutritious. I made sure that the dinner & lunches had some beef/pork/chicken (more to my pastor's taste than mine...) In the past I made a full hot breakfast only to have half of it go to waste b/c people were just too groggy to eat that heavy first thing in the morning (or some people just slept through breakfast time)

In order to cook the food on time for the meals I unfortunately had to skip one or two of the worship services. I was able to hear the Saturday evening service in its entirety and I listened to the Sunday service from the kitchen. My pastor reminded me not to be like Martha - not Stewart but the original... There is a story in the Bible of two sisters, Mary & Martha. Jesus went to their house to teach, fellowship with people & eat a meal. Martha was busily preparing the meal in the kitchen by herself while her sister Mary sat at Jesus's feet attentively listened to what He had to say. Martha complained that she was alone in preparing and that her sister should get up and help her but Jesus reminded her that while serving is important the lessons from God take precedence over everything.

All in all, the retreat was a very blessing experience. I think everyone enjoyed the food too. *Yawn* Please don't wake me until the next family meal for the EM... **recovery mode**

Anticipation

(drafted this on this past thursday, didn't get a chance to post until now)

I've been slacking on the posts the past couple of weeks but not without a good reason. This weekend is my church's retreat for the English Ministry (college/post-college) peeps. I've been attending this church since moving to CA & over time the meal/snack/catering planning fell on my shoulders. For a while, it's been pretty manageable because the most people I've had to prepare for are 30 but over the past couple of years our numbers have swelled to 45-50. (help me)

I learned how to cook while growing up at my mother's side in the kitchen helping her prepare for dinner gatherings at our house. Due to that experience, I am very comfortable making a full meal for 8-10 people but I tend to hesitate when it's only 1-2 people. Since baking/cooking is my hobby & stress reducer I actually relish in the opportunities to prepare a meal for a group. I brainstorm for ideas by combing through endless foodblogs & I have endless bookmarks of whatever food catches my eye. I like to experiment and try to make new things all the time. I have a regular bucket list (things to experience before I die) but I will admit I have a culinary bucket list too (food I want to make at least once in my life).

Anyhow, I've been menu-planning & preparing supplies for this weekend - trying not to stress out about the details. Not very successfully on that front I'm afraid b/c I broke out in stress-induced hives on my neck & palms/wrists. Quite ironic that my stress-reliever is also my stress-inducer; it's a vicious cycle. Tried to make sure I had everything I would need for food prep & for everyone to eat/drink/snack. I hope this weekend is a success not just on the food front but for the main purpose why we're there...

Savory Experimentation

I have ideas swimming in my head; all food-related all the time. I spend countless hours browsing food blogs, food blog aggregate sites, kitchenware sites, chef blogs etc etc etc. (Chefs are my rockstars, I would be speechless to meet someone like Joël Robuchon but that's another story for another time.) I don't recommend browsing food sites on an empty stomach though - crazy cravings are due to set.


One of the things I really miss from back home is good pizza. Don't get me wrong, California-style pizza is good in its own right but there are days when I just want a slice of crispy thin crust, oozing w. bubbling mozzarella w. just the right amount of red sauce. "NY-style" pizza here is just not the same. So my pattern for food that remind me of home is to just make it at home because I know I will never be satisfied with what is served to me at a restaurant.


The craving of the moment was calzones. Calzones are like pizza pockets/turnovers. Think of it as an Italian dumpling... The size can range from palmful to faceful & the stuffing combinations are endless, sauce inside or sauce on the side. I personally prefer sauce on the side. With the idea of calzones planted I set out for the grocery store to buy supplies when another craving set - sausage & peppers. Supplies in tow, I went home to prep. 


In order to lighten it up a bit I chose to make a whole wheat pizza dough recipe. I sliced some onions & bell pepers, chopped some garlic, threw it all in a pan w. some oil & left it alone until the onions carmelized a bit. Sliced up some smoked spicy sausage & warmed it up in a pan. I portioned out the dough into 4 & rolled out the dough & assembled my lunch in the not too distant future... took a small baking pan & lined it w. some foil, sprinkled some cornmeal & placed the pocket of goodness on top. I cut a couple air vents in the top (otherwise the crust would balloon from steam while baking) & brushed the top w. a little bit of oil.

calzone with a side of roasted garlic tomato sauce

mangia!

Baby Shower

I remember at another baby shower in the past, my friend (who was born & raised in Taiwan but moved to the States for college) asked me why it was called a "baby shower" - I had to think about it for a minute since I really didn't know the answer either. I blurted out the first thing that came to mind: you get together with your friends & loved ones to shower the mama to-be & baby w/ love, affection & presents! =P I heard that in some areas of the country they do a sip 'n see: sip on tea or some more adult libations & see the baby (after it's born). *shrug* either way it's an excuse to have a party & have some bonding time w/ friends.

I decided for this latest baby shower I would make cupcakes. I made the buttercream frosting the night prior so I could concentrate on putting together the cupcakes on Saturday morning. I decided to use buttermilk in the cake recipes to give them a little something extra. I was going at a leisurely pace until I looked up at the clock - cutting it close!

The party was so much fun! Girlfriend who hosted did such a great job decorating & putting together games... She made pozole (spicy Mexican soup w. hominy & chicken) from scratch - so good. My other friend made hot dog buns (like the ones you find at the Asian bakeries). We made a point to skip lunch - hahaha. Hostess even provided sangria - the best I've ever had.

As one of the games we each wore a plastic diaper clothes pin on a ribbon around our necks & the point was not to say "baby" otherwise we forfeit our charm. Somehow, baby daddy to-be ended up with the most pins towards the end of the party (and he wasn't even really trying). We were all taking a shot trying to get him to say the b-word but to no avail. Baby mama to-be even stood over him, grabbed his collar & demanded that he say it! He gladly relinquished the charms. It was such a fun afternoon hanging with the girlfriends & the baby daddy to-be (it wasn't too painful for him to be surrounded by so much estrogen I think).

giftbox of cupcakes for the parents to-be to enjoy at home

chocolate cupcakes topped with vanilla buttercream, vanilla cupcakes topped with chocolate buttercream

Treats for a Prego Friend

As of late, I find myself volunteering to make something for a friend's baby shower when that time comes... I don't know why - I think it has to to with my innate need to feed people. And who else would appreciate food more than a pregnant woman?? Seriously, I can imagine how hectic it will be trying to put together a decent home-cooked meal after the baby is born so I guess I just feel the need to help in the food department? Anyhow, this weekend is my college girlfriend's baby shower & I'm making vanilla & chocolate cupcakes - from scratch. ( I just refuse to make anything that came out of a box but that story is for another day) Today's food story is actually from food I made for another friend's baby shower about a year and 1/2 ago - let's call her Mrs. P.

A little background on Mrs. P: I'm friends with her through her hubby. Her other 1/2 and I attended the same church until they got married... Went to the wedding: it was a weather questionable day but all in all it was a lovely ceremony & fun reception albeit a bit EARLY (it was a late morning ceremony w/ a lunch reception)... Ok before I go off on too much of a tangent, fast forward to the weeks leading up to baby shower. Her sister graciously put together her cute shower - such attention to detail. Anyhow, I decided I wanted to make something that both Mrs. P & Dr. P (but only if he deserved it - j/k) could enjoy with little effort on their part. I decided on lasagne - could easily be frozen but then reheated & maintain taste. I was on a cinnamon roll making binge so I made a batch of those as well.  

I made turkey & spinach lasagne to lighten it a bit... I do tend to cut down on the salt in the recipe though - you want the flavor of the food to come through but you don't want to feel like you're licking a salt brick... Some lasagne recipes call for a mornay sauce layer (scalded milk w. butter & flour whisked in and some cheese) but I find that sauce to be unnecessary - it tends to make an already substantial pasta dish too heavy in my opinion.

On to dessert - cinnamon rolls... My favorite part of cinnamon rolls is definitely the middle coil. Whenever my sister & I made the Pillsbury cinnamon rolls in can we would always fight over the center roll in the pan. Anyhow, I wanted to make the rolls for Mrs P airy with the right amount of chewy factor not a hockey puck. I let the dough rise once before rolling it out and then I let it rise again in the pan before popping them in the oven... Whenever I see a recipe I like I inevitably change it a little bit to give the end product a little something something. This time around when the recipe called for granulated sugar I swapped it with turbinado sugar (aka Sugar in the Raw) & I used good quality organic unsalted butter. For the frosting I added some ground cinnamon into the whipped cream cheese frosting - I did make a bit extra just in case Mrs P wanted to dip the  rolls into extra frosting.

I arrived to the shower with gift & food in hand... Mrs P asked me if it was ok if she shared the goods with the guests which of course I agreed to - both were a hit. =) I did make 2 square pans of each so Mrs P shared the rest w/ Dr P.

 cinnamon rolls ready to go in the oven

close up

it's like a bucket of frosting

 turkey spinach lasagne

closeup (I think the edges were a bit overdone but nonetheless it was enjoyed)

This weekend I hope girlfriend enjoys the cupcakes~ (I will share the story & pics soon)

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! My favorite memories of this day are back in elementary school times when I would drag my mom to the local pharmacy so I could pick the BEST tear-off Valentine's Day cards. I wanted Transformers but my mom thought Strawberry Shortcake would be better. Valentine's Day was so simple back then...

Anyhow, to celebrate the day i decided to make sugar cookies w/ royal icing. Now I'm still a newbie when it comes to decorating cookies with royal icing so it's all still a bit of a trial/error period for me... I don't really like the flavor of sugar cookies (for their name they tend to taste either like cardboard or salt) so I opted for a shortbread recipe. I found heart-shaped sprinkles on sale so I shrugged & said "why not?"

shortbread cookies waiting to cool down

all dressed & sprinkled

my royal icing flooding needs some work...