I was asked to bring a couple of appetizers to a holiday gathering. While reviewing different recipes online, I came across this recipe... Pan-fried Onion Dip.
Growing up, I used to LOVE Lipton's Onion Dip. I tasted numerous onion dips that did not come close all. Lipton's Onion Dip was the absolute best. If I saw it, it would be impossible to keep it away from me. Yes, it was that addicting. Eventually, I outgrew that phase... as I learned later in life that processed foods are.... bad. I still could not forget that taste. Let's take a look at the ingredients of Lipton's Onion Dip:
Dehydrated onions, salt, corn starch, onion powder, sugar, soy sauce, caramel color (sulfites), maltodextrin, dehydrated corn syrup, yeast extract, high oleic sunflower oil, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate. Quite a mouthful here. My first thought... sugar PLUS corn syrup!?! Why add sugar and sweeteners that are not necessary? Dear ol' America--- sugar, corn syrup, and sweeteners are constantly being sneaked in food. Next, soy sauce... has fermented soybeans, wheat/gluten, and salt. I cannot have soy but I think it's what gives it the brownish color. Yeast extract is usually added to processed foods create a savory flavor but is it really needed? I think not. High oleic sunflower oil ... I am pretty sure a few years back, they used trans fat such as a partially hydrogenated vegetable oil but a ruling set forth by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that all food manufacturers stop using trans fats in their food by the year 2018. Kudos to Lipton for being early in their game by not using trans fat in 2016. High oleic sunflower oil is typically used in processed foods... so is it safe/ good? Generally speaking, processed foods should be avoided as much as possible. Finally, the weird words: disodium guanylate and disodium insoninate. Disodium guanylate is produced from dried seaweed and is usually added to processed foods to add "salty" flavor. So is it okay? According to my research... it's not safe for babies younger than 12 weeks, people with asthma, and people with gouts. If it's not safe for certain populations, it's not safe in my book. Disodium insoninate is also another common food additive to add the "salty" flavor. It is produced from either bacterial fermentation of sugars or from animal sources. Both additives are not recommended for vegetarians and vegans because of the potential animal sources. You'd be surprised by how many vegetarians and vegans think they are eating animal-free products but it's difficult with processed food. Carmine is a common food coloring (red) in yogurt that many vegetarians think they would be okay to eat. Think again. Carmine is actually derived from crushed shells from cochineal beetles.
I tried this recipe: http://www.blissfullydelicious.com/2011/02/pan-fried-onion-dip/. While I am aware that sour cream, cream cheese, and mayonnaise do not make this a healthy recipe, it is however a safer and healthier alternative to Lipton's Onion Dip. And my friend, Tabitha and I were pleasantly surprised by how much better it tasted! I used less butter and oil to fry the onions. I made my own mayonnaise. I used light cream cheese. And the best part- no sugar, no sweeteners, nor food additives were added!
I served this dip with crudités and crackers. The dip was quite a hit at the gathering. Yum. I loved that I found something far better than Lipton. If I am feeling nostalgic for a favorite childhood snack, I can simply make this one again.
Monday, December 26, 2016
Monday, December 19, 2016
Getting Egged!
I am sitting outside enjoying the cool Floridan morning as I am happily blogging again. I recently returned to teaching after a 10-year hiatus. I love it! I was reminded of how time-consuming it is. With my full-time job, my dissertation work, and teaching, there was almost no time for me to blog. I have been mulling several posts for this food blog. I look forward to writing quite a bit.
Eggs. How
eggciting! Eggs are eggtraordinarily and eggquisitely versatile. Enough with puns. :)
I seriously love eggs.
Who does not? Eggs are high in
protein and can be cooked in many different forms. I like them hard-boiled, medium-boiled,
soft-boiled. Poached… Baked… Scrambled…
Fried…
I have baked eggs in avocados, tomatoes, and baguettes created with holes for a fun breakfast presentation.
I love frittatas. I think dinner leftovers make amazing frittatas. I use up leftover potatoes and vegetables and mix them in with eggs, some cheese, and herbs then pop in the oven to bake. This works quite well with kids who refuse to eat their vegetables at dinner. I have found that they are more willing to eat the vegetables INSIDE a frittata. Give it a try!
I make egg souffles. I tried one with hash-brown crusts which came out very well. For single-serving souffle, I use a ramekin. I love to layer the bottom with spinach and then add eggs to the top before topping with caramelized onions and maybe a dollop of pesto.
I make egg souffles. I tried one with hash-brown crusts which came out very well. For single-serving souffle, I use a ramekin. I love to layer the bottom with spinach and then add eggs to the top before topping with caramelized onions and maybe a dollop of pesto.
Ironically, it took me YEARS to learn how to properly poach
and fry eggs. Phew. Take a look at my artistic self…. If I am to
create something in an art class, I am abstract. I don’t like to follow instructions to the
T. I love to color outside the lines. Sometime I create something without knowing
what the outcome would be. Last year, I
took an art workshop for cancer patients and survivors. I collected the materials and jumped in. The teacher highly recommended that I figure
out the design of my project before jumping in.
I did not listen. Yes it may mean
I face some obstacles as I figure out the next step in the creation. My project turned out beautifully, by the
way. My ‘abstract’ nature is very much alive in the
kitchen. I often groan when I am excited
to try a new recipe and realized that I forgot to read that something needs to
be soaked overnight, marinated for a few hours, yada yada. It was like when I made the ice cream with
Danny. I told him that he had to come
back the next day after the mixture has ‘matured.’
A friend in San Diego, Deb took on a challenge to teach me how to fry eggs a few years ago. I asked how I could make over-easy eggs-- my favorite without destroying the yolk. It requires patience and precision, something I did not have. The lesson went well. But I went through many destroyed yolks. Ah well. Sometime I am successful, sometime I am not. I might have to settle on sunnyside up eggs as a quick shortcut. But there is hope for me still. Sometime I get lucky with an intact over-easy egg like this one time when I made a Korean beef stirfry with an over-easy egg on the top. Isn't this beautiful?
Another friend, Christina, claimed that poaching eggs was easy. She tried to explain to me how to do it but I did not succeed after several attempts. My struggle lies with trying to keep the egg stay together in the water. I lose some egg white along the way. I finally found the best shortcut in making poached eggs: http://www.purewow.com/food/poached-eggs-trick. I can't help but wonder if Christina would end up using this shortcut or will she continue to do it the Julia Child way?
Shortcuts are not necessarily bad. The outcome is the same. It is how you get there that is different. Writing that just now reminded me of my math teacher who always said there are different ways to get the same answer. If it means I fail any chance to be admitted to a prestigious culinary school because I use a plastic wrap to poach my egg, so be it. What matters most to me is the aesthetic presentation to ensure the happiness of my diners' and my palates. That is far better than serving a plate with an broken egg.
Saturday, September 10, 2016
Recipes: A Philosophical Statement
This blog is alive! I had to tackle some deadlines in the past couple of weeks in my academic and professional life. While busy with those, I have been taking notes of ideas for my upcoming posts. I am excited. :-) It is certainly nice to be relaxing in the Santa Monica mountains outside Los Angeles as I write this post. I am here for a friend's wedding weekend celebration. The food so far has been delicious. I tried Lebanese Knafeh for the first time.
People are often shocked when I tell them that I just tried a new recipe on them and that I had thrown out the recipe. I do clearly remember the recipe-keeping system in the 1970’s and 1980s that I grew up seeing in different kitchens. Quilted binder with inserts for index cards/recipe cards. Boxes, plastic or decorative, to hold index cards. Some people would devise a filing cabinet to store recipes. Alternatively, some others would keep them in a cabinet or drawer with no organizational method. I never had those as an adult but thought I should be a conformist. I decided to go digital. Whenever I found a recipe I liked, I would store it in on my computer. I have a file system set up on my computer with awesome names like: appetizing appetizers, badass breads, bodacious breakfasts, C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T, daring dressings, go fish, sexy salads, scrumptious sides, viva la pasta and voluminous vegetarian.
People are often shocked when I tell them that I just tried a new recipe on them and that I had thrown out the recipe. I do clearly remember the recipe-keeping system in the 1970’s and 1980s that I grew up seeing in different kitchens. Quilted binder with inserts for index cards/recipe cards. Boxes, plastic or decorative, to hold index cards. Some people would devise a filing cabinet to store recipes. Alternatively, some others would keep them in a cabinet or drawer with no organizational method. I never had those as an adult but thought I should be a conformist. I decided to go digital. Whenever I found a recipe I liked, I would store it in on my computer. I have a file system set up on my computer with awesome names like: appetizing appetizers, badass breads, bodacious breakfasts, C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T, daring dressings, go fish, sexy salads, scrumptious sides, viva la pasta and voluminous vegetarian.
That worked for a while.
Truthfully, a SHORT while. I am
finding that I want to try new recipes.
I don’t like to make the same thing again and again. There are some exceptions to the rule like
pesto (which I will discuss in a later post), my chicken pho (that thing is so good!),
and my famous chocolate mousse. As I
mentioned in an earlier post, I am a wanderlust. That rings true in the kitchen. I like to explore unknown territories in the
culinary arts.
I grew up in a home where meals were repeated often. Think roast turkey, roast chicken, roast
beef, beef tacos, chicken fajitas, pizza, Kraft Mac and cheese, hamburgers, and
spaghetti with meatballs. I was sick of
eating the same thing again and again. I
vowed when I was a teenager that someday my kitchen WILL NOT be like that. I just didn’t know what that entailed.
Back to my digital recipe database, I realized that having
the database, I was limiting myself to sticking with the ‘familiar’ dishes; basically reliving my childhood of repeated meals.
And I keep on finding recipes that interest and intrigue me. I stopped consulting the database and dived
into trying new recipes constantly. It
excites me. It’s an adventure in itself. Besides, there are too many recipes out there waiting to be tried and I felt that if I just limit to those within my comfort zone, I would be missing out on new tastes as well as learning new cooking techniques. In the past few years, I have done some things in the kitchen that I have never done.
I also learned that I get bored easily. I thrive on trying new things and
experiences. Whenever I try a new recipe
that is so good, the first tasting experience is pleasurable. And when I decide
to to repeat the recipe, the experience is not as exciting and the taste is not
quite the same. Of course there are
exceptions to the rule… I've been wowed by some recipes that I could really remember how it taste. That memory is treasured and I make the same thing again in a few months or years. I am not in a rush to try a favorite recipe again.
I am blessed that my friends have been willing to be my
guinea pigs as I try new stuff on them.
Someone recently commented that it was rude to try something new on
someone without trying it myself. I
disagree… I think it’s part of the adventure—exploring the taste together. It makes for a good conversation. I rarely make repeat recipes for my
friends. My close friends know me well
enough to know that I am adventurous and I would drag them with me. And they happily tag along.
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Que Nappe!
I live in a beautiful place with a yard. There are many herbs all over. I have peppermint, spearmint, sage, chives, oregano, basil, thyme, parsley, and cilantro. I also have a lot of garlic. Sadly, the drought in Rochester has not been kind to my lettuce. Danny (my foodie friend) also grows his food. He's more experienced than I am though. He has a lot of vegetables and some fruits. A lot more herbs. He introduced me to chocolate mint which is much stronger in flavor than peppermint and spearmint. He gave me a bunch. I steep some leaves for my daily morning drink of hot chocolate mint tea. Yum.
I noticed that the owner of my place left behind an Ice Cream/ Frozen Yogurt Maker in the basement. I told Danny I wanted to try making dark chocolate-chocolate mint ice cream. He was game!
We attempted this experiment two weeks ago. I found this recipe online: http://www.thelittleepicurean.com/2014/07/dark-chocolate-mint-ice-cream.html. We were looking at this recipe and we were wondering about this word: nappe used in a phrase "nappe consistency". We looked each other realizing we didn't know what it meant. It was fun learning a new culinary term. Nappe is a French word tied to the consistency of the sauce. Ideally it should not be too thick, thin, nor lumpy. A whisk is used to help bring a mixture to nappe consistency. Most recipes would say whip until all the lumps are gone and the sauce is thickened, not too thick. Nappe is one lovely word that sums it all up.
Once the mixture hit 180 degrees, he kept on stirring until it was 'nappe'. Then we poured it into a container to be refrigerated overnight to "mature". I loved how the recipe used the word 'mature'. Essentially, it really means that the mixture needs to be thickened even more to be mousse-like consistency.
The next evening, we met again to put the mixture into the machine. We watched it churn into soft-serve ice cream. Then it was off to the freezer for half an hour before it could be devoured. Yum. Freezing it overnight made it 'mature' into hard ice cream.
Not bad for first-timers who didn't know what the heck nappe meant.
I noticed that the owner of my place left behind an Ice Cream/ Frozen Yogurt Maker in the basement. I told Danny I wanted to try making dark chocolate-chocolate mint ice cream. He was game!
We attempted this experiment two weeks ago. I found this recipe online: http://www.thelittleepicurean.com/2014/07/dark-chocolate-mint-ice-cream.html. We were looking at this recipe and we were wondering about this word: nappe used in a phrase "nappe consistency". We looked each other realizing we didn't know what it meant. It was fun learning a new culinary term. Nappe is a French word tied to the consistency of the sauce. Ideally it should not be too thick, thin, nor lumpy. A whisk is used to help bring a mixture to nappe consistency. Most recipes would say whip until all the lumps are gone and the sauce is thickened, not too thick. Nappe is one lovely word that sums it all up.
Once the mixture hit 180 degrees, he kept on stirring until it was 'nappe'. Then we poured it into a container to be refrigerated overnight to "mature". I loved how the recipe used the word 'mature'. Essentially, it really means that the mixture needs to be thickened even more to be mousse-like consistency.
The next evening, we met again to put the mixture into the machine. We watched it churn into soft-serve ice cream. Then it was off to the freezer for half an hour before it could be devoured. Yum. Freezing it overnight made it 'mature' into hard ice cream.
Not bad for first-timers who didn't know what the heck nappe meant.
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
The Lobster Quest
When I decided that I wanted to revive this blog, I knew I had to write this story. Last June, my friends, Amy and Cindy, and I explored New England to celebrate my 40th birthday. Before we started the trip, Amy was very vocal about her wish to have a lobster dinner. I told her that it was more of a Maine thing. There would be many restaurants with signs set outside on the sidewalk advertising their price per pound. We might see something like that on the Cape Cod which was not part of our itinerary. Nevertheless, I made it my mission to find lobster for her. And she never got her lobster dinner in the end. Our meals were amazing though.
Day One: We were exploring Martha's Vineyard. We wanted ice cream after walking a great length all over one part of the island plus a jaunt on the beach. I quickly searched on Google for the best ice cream on the island and found one- Ben & Bill's Chocolate Emporium. Their selections were out of this world. But I caught glimpse of one INTERESTING flavor and exclaimed, "Amy!!! This is for you!" She walked up to look at what I was pointing at and made a face. I insisted, "You said you really wanted lobster so... this is for you." Of course, she was not willing to try that flavor.
Yes... you saw that right... lobster ice cream. Ew. The very idea! I wonder who actually orders this flavor. How often? Privately, I do sincerely hope that Amy doesn't ever regret her decision for not trying this one. After all, she dreamt of nothing but lobsters before this trip. From the looks of it, she seemed to enjoy the flavor she settled on. I know I did. It was Kahula brownie- dark chocolate ice cream.
Day Two: We explored Newport, Rhode Island. Amy was still hopeful for lobster. I studied the menus in the area and saw lobster quesadilla, lobster pasta, lobster bisque, lobster pizza, lobster ravioli, lobster-stuffed salmon, etc etc. Not a lobster plate. I keep on looking anyway. I was a bit concerned that I might end up seeing something weird like maybe lobster creme brulee or lobster chunks dipped in dark chocolate to appease those who are craving for lobster! I saw neither. WHEW. Martha Vineyard won the honors of being the only place to serve lobster in dessert. We did however feast on delicious lobster salad BLT sandwich for lunch at the American's oldest tavern, the White Horse Tavern (est. 1673). Later on, we wanted dinner. Amy was still holding on to her hope to eat a lobster meal. We agreed to look for a place on the marina. When we got to the marina, it was clearly impossible to find a good parking spot and the whole place was crazy crowded. We decided to make our way towards our next stop: Concord, Massachusetts.
While driving north, I was looking for places to eat along the way. It appeared that Providence, Rhode Island had some good options. There was an Italian restaurant with lobster options but not a full lobster. There was an eclectic place with vegan options but not a lobster. Then there was a Peruvian restaurant- no lobster on their menu. We decided to go with the Peruvian place, Los Andes. Upon arrival, I saw they were serving lobster paella for their special. This place was a classic reminder of how we should not judge a book by its cover. Their outdoor presence was not impressive. When we walked in, we saw it was a gem. It was a beautiful place, well-decorated. We were led outside to the garden where there was a fire pit in the middle. How lovely. We saw all the plates on our way outside. We were literally drooling. We agreed to try three different dishes so we could share. I loved the juiciness of their steak and chicken with spices oozing into the fries and rice. It was an amazing meal. We ended the meal with tres leches cake. It was my first time to try this cake. I'm not a cake person but I found this moist, flavorful cake pleasing.
That meal was so memorable that I text Amy and Cindy from time to time saying that I was really craving Peruvian food. I doubted that my small town of Rochester had something decent. I did look it up but when I found a website of a supposedly local Peruvian restaurant, the page was full of Chinese symbols. They assured me that when I come back to DC to visit, we'll get Peruvian food.
Day Three: Concord. No lobster. I am pretty sure Amy really enjoyed our dinner at Bondir Concord. Many restaurants are closed on Sunday evenings in Concord which was baffling to us. Luckily for us, Bondir was a great find. We shared a couple of appetizers: tuna carpaccio with avocado and grapefruit and duck egg with lentils. We shared three different pasta dishes. Then we shared two desserts: dark chocolate mousse and citrus tart with olive oil tarragon gelato. The gelato... wow.
We had to go home the next morning. Bummer. Amy didn't get to wear a humongous plastic bib nor crack apart a lobster. Nonetheless, our lobster quest was filled with many scrumptious pleasures.
The morals of this story: 1. If you have Amy over, be sure to serve her a full lobster. She'll be one happy gal. 2. Expect the unexpected because you'll be surprised whatever pleasures await you!
Day One: We were exploring Martha's Vineyard. We wanted ice cream after walking a great length all over one part of the island plus a jaunt on the beach. I quickly searched on Google for the best ice cream on the island and found one- Ben & Bill's Chocolate Emporium. Their selections were out of this world. But I caught glimpse of one INTERESTING flavor and exclaimed, "Amy!!! This is for you!" She walked up to look at what I was pointing at and made a face. I insisted, "You said you really wanted lobster so... this is for you." Of course, she was not willing to try that flavor.
Yes... you saw that right... lobster ice cream. Ew. The very idea! I wonder who actually orders this flavor. How often? Privately, I do sincerely hope that Amy doesn't ever regret her decision for not trying this one. After all, she dreamt of nothing but lobsters before this trip. From the looks of it, she seemed to enjoy the flavor she settled on. I know I did. It was Kahula brownie- dark chocolate ice cream.
Day Two: We explored Newport, Rhode Island. Amy was still hopeful for lobster. I studied the menus in the area and saw lobster quesadilla, lobster pasta, lobster bisque, lobster pizza, lobster ravioli, lobster-stuffed salmon, etc etc. Not a lobster plate. I keep on looking anyway. I was a bit concerned that I might end up seeing something weird like maybe lobster creme brulee or lobster chunks dipped in dark chocolate to appease those who are craving for lobster! I saw neither. WHEW. Martha Vineyard won the honors of being the only place to serve lobster in dessert. We did however feast on delicious lobster salad BLT sandwich for lunch at the American's oldest tavern, the White Horse Tavern (est. 1673). Later on, we wanted dinner. Amy was still holding on to her hope to eat a lobster meal. We agreed to look for a place on the marina. When we got to the marina, it was clearly impossible to find a good parking spot and the whole place was crazy crowded. We decided to make our way towards our next stop: Concord, Massachusetts.
While driving north, I was looking for places to eat along the way. It appeared that Providence, Rhode Island had some good options. There was an Italian restaurant with lobster options but not a full lobster. There was an eclectic place with vegan options but not a lobster. Then there was a Peruvian restaurant- no lobster on their menu. We decided to go with the Peruvian place, Los Andes. Upon arrival, I saw they were serving lobster paella for their special. This place was a classic reminder of how we should not judge a book by its cover. Their outdoor presence was not impressive. When we walked in, we saw it was a gem. It was a beautiful place, well-decorated. We were led outside to the garden where there was a fire pit in the middle. How lovely. We saw all the plates on our way outside. We were literally drooling. We agreed to try three different dishes so we could share. I loved the juiciness of their steak and chicken with spices oozing into the fries and rice. It was an amazing meal. We ended the meal with tres leches cake. It was my first time to try this cake. I'm not a cake person but I found this moist, flavorful cake pleasing.
That meal was so memorable that I text Amy and Cindy from time to time saying that I was really craving Peruvian food. I doubted that my small town of Rochester had something decent. I did look it up but when I found a website of a supposedly local Peruvian restaurant, the page was full of Chinese symbols. They assured me that when I come back to DC to visit, we'll get Peruvian food.
Day Three: Concord. No lobster. I am pretty sure Amy really enjoyed our dinner at Bondir Concord. Many restaurants are closed on Sunday evenings in Concord which was baffling to us. Luckily for us, Bondir was a great find. We shared a couple of appetizers: tuna carpaccio with avocado and grapefruit and duck egg with lentils. We shared three different pasta dishes. Then we shared two desserts: dark chocolate mousse and citrus tart with olive oil tarragon gelato. The gelato... wow.
We had to go home the next morning. Bummer. Amy didn't get to wear a humongous plastic bib nor crack apart a lobster. Nonetheless, our lobster quest was filled with many scrumptious pleasures.
The morals of this story: 1. If you have Amy over, be sure to serve her a full lobster. She'll be one happy gal. 2. Expect the unexpected because you'll be surprised whatever pleasures await you!
Sunday, August 14, 2016
In Memory of Daniel Stephen Foster
More than six years later... I found myself once again aching to write more about my culinary and dining adventures. What made me start and stop? Let me share how I started this blog.
I am a wanderlust. I love traveling. I have lived in different places. In 2004, I decided to start writing stories of my travel adventures. Those were sent via email. The response was amazing. I continue to share my travel stories via email and social media. I love sharing stories. My readers love it.
One of my closest friends, Dan Foster, and I had our own adventures as well. We would travel together. Sometime, we made discoveries in his town of Rochester, New York or in towns where I lived which was quite several. Dan and I bonded over my cooking. Dan was one of my first guinea pigs when I first moved to Rochester back in 1998. He came to my place almost on a weekly basis to try food I would make for him. Those early years in Rochester were what I call my experimental years as I taught myself more skills in the kitchen. Believe me, there were more bad dishes back then than now. Like the one time I made tortilla soup but accidentally put in cayenne pepper instead of chili powder. That sent us into tears (Think... "OH MY GOSH THIS IS SOOO HOT!!!) followed with peals of laughter over this silly mistake. After I left Rochester, I continued to cook. It became my favorite thing to do. It calms me. It's therapeutic. I love seeing people be awed by what I just fed them. It's the ultimate pleasure.
In 2007, Dan decided to see how I would do with a camera. He had just discovered the science of photography and loved cameras and lenses. On one of my frequent visits to Rochester, he lent me a digital SLR camera and said, "Show me what you can do with it." Uhm... I knew those simple compact cameras but I did not understand SLR cameras. I said okay... and I played. Indeed I did. I came up with some decent shots. Dan later decided that we were quite a pair. He loved the science of photography and I had discovered the art of photography. One day after I got home from work when I was living in San Diego, I found a package from Dan waiting for me. Inside it was a digital SLR camera with two different lenses and a book on exposure. Inside was a note from Dan saying that he thought I had potential and that I should take up photography. We talked for hours about photography. We went on field trips together just to photograph.
In 2008, while visiting him in Rochester and cooking for him as usual, he said that he wanted to photograph me cooking. I willingly went along with it. I was making some kind of summer salad with chicken, couscous, grapes, onions, etc while he followed me all over the kitchen with his camera. Those are some of the pictures he took that day.
As we sat down to eat, Dan was commenting how he really loved reading my stories. And that I should maybe consider start writing about cooking and dining. It is, after all, one of things I love doing. True that. We started brainstorming about how I would do it. That brainstorming session took months as we came up with many different ideas. Then I decided I would do a blog. I was apprehensive about going public with my writing but was willing to take the plunge. Then next... the brainstorming session for blog names. One night while cooking in one of my favorite kitchens that I have affectionately called my chem lab. It was in a lovely apartment in San Diego that I called, "my yellow box." It was in that kitchen and home that my creative spirit became very much alive and present. I went aha... Gastronaomi! Gastronomy. It just fit! I excitedly texted Dan and told him I was going with "Gastronaomi". He loved it. And then I began. He was my first follower. If you look under the "Followers", you'll see "Dan".
I loved posting about my cooking and dining adventures. I was just starting out with this blog. Then life had surprises in store for me. Quite too many, if I may add. I stopped. I couldn't write anymore. I left that beautiful yellow box with the chem lab I had grown to love so much. I went on to live in Hawai'i. I started a new blog called, "A Stowaway Wahine's Aloha" which chronicled my experiences of living in Hawai'i for nine months. It was indeed a fascinating experience with many challenges and adventures that I continue to look back on. The best thing I got from Hawai'i was my dog, Chocolate. :-) Chocolate continues to be dragged all over the map as he follows me loyally to different places.
I left Hawai'i to return to San Diego. I was living in a condo in San Diego where I did not feel truly at home and I didn't feel attached to the kitchen. Then Dan got even more sick. I was flying back and forth whenever he was hospitalized. He passed away on June 11, 2012. Then I moved to DC to pursue my Ph.D. Then then then then... you know how life goes. Then I got diagnosed with cancer in January 2015.
It was the cancer that made me re-discover my love of writing. I wrote about my cancer journey (naomicancerjourney.blogspot.com) which I continue writing to this day. Because my cancer was front and center of my life at that time, it was all what I could write about. Now that my cancer is in remission and no longer the main focus of my life, I realized that I missed doing this food blog. I told a new friend also a foodie whose name ironically is Danny about my food blog. He took a look and said I should try it again. I said, "Maybe..."
Just last month, I found a new home allowing me to be reunited with my kitchen toys after having them in the storage for seven months. I was cooking one night in the kitchen when I realized I had the exactly same feeling I had when I cooked in that chem lab back in San Diego. That was when I knew I was truly at home again here in Rochester. I have come full circle.
In one of our last conversations together, Dan told me that he truly hoped that I would eventually go back to writing because he enjoyed reading my stories and he said he was pretty sure there were other folks who shared the same sentiment. In his final letter to me which I received after he passed away, he wrote,
"Always enjoyed learning cooking tips because I find it interesting, so have much enjoyed times when you demonstrated different ideas and techniques for cooking."
Dan's spirit lives on....
I look forward to sharing more cooking and dining adventures. I am not sure how this blog will turn out... that's part of the fun, isn't it? It's a journey.
Let's get cookin'!
I am a wanderlust. I love traveling. I have lived in different places. In 2004, I decided to start writing stories of my travel adventures. Those were sent via email. The response was amazing. I continue to share my travel stories via email and social media. I love sharing stories. My readers love it.
One of my closest friends, Dan Foster, and I had our own adventures as well. We would travel together. Sometime, we made discoveries in his town of Rochester, New York or in towns where I lived which was quite several. Dan and I bonded over my cooking. Dan was one of my first guinea pigs when I first moved to Rochester back in 1998. He came to my place almost on a weekly basis to try food I would make for him. Those early years in Rochester were what I call my experimental years as I taught myself more skills in the kitchen. Believe me, there were more bad dishes back then than now. Like the one time I made tortilla soup but accidentally put in cayenne pepper instead of chili powder. That sent us into tears (Think... "OH MY GOSH THIS IS SOOO HOT!!!) followed with peals of laughter over this silly mistake. After I left Rochester, I continued to cook. It became my favorite thing to do. It calms me. It's therapeutic. I love seeing people be awed by what I just fed them. It's the ultimate pleasure.
In 2007, Dan decided to see how I would do with a camera. He had just discovered the science of photography and loved cameras and lenses. On one of my frequent visits to Rochester, he lent me a digital SLR camera and said, "Show me what you can do with it." Uhm... I knew those simple compact cameras but I did not understand SLR cameras. I said okay... and I played. Indeed I did. I came up with some decent shots. Dan later decided that we were quite a pair. He loved the science of photography and I had discovered the art of photography. One day after I got home from work when I was living in San Diego, I found a package from Dan waiting for me. Inside it was a digital SLR camera with two different lenses and a book on exposure. Inside was a note from Dan saying that he thought I had potential and that I should take up photography. We talked for hours about photography. We went on field trips together just to photograph.
In 2008, while visiting him in Rochester and cooking for him as usual, he said that he wanted to photograph me cooking. I willingly went along with it. I was making some kind of summer salad with chicken, couscous, grapes, onions, etc while he followed me all over the kitchen with his camera. Those are some of the pictures he took that day.
 |
| I was telling Dan about how Kosher salt has different grain as compared to other salts. |
As we sat down to eat, Dan was commenting how he really loved reading my stories. And that I should maybe consider start writing about cooking and dining. It is, after all, one of things I love doing. True that. We started brainstorming about how I would do it. That brainstorming session took months as we came up with many different ideas. Then I decided I would do a blog. I was apprehensive about going public with my writing but was willing to take the plunge. Then next... the brainstorming session for blog names. One night while cooking in one of my favorite kitchens that I have affectionately called my chem lab. It was in a lovely apartment in San Diego that I called, "my yellow box." It was in that kitchen and home that my creative spirit became very much alive and present. I went aha... Gastronaomi! Gastronomy. It just fit! I excitedly texted Dan and told him I was going with "Gastronaomi". He loved it. And then I began. He was my first follower. If you look under the "Followers", you'll see "Dan".
I loved posting about my cooking and dining adventures. I was just starting out with this blog. Then life had surprises in store for me. Quite too many, if I may add. I stopped. I couldn't write anymore. I left that beautiful yellow box with the chem lab I had grown to love so much. I went on to live in Hawai'i. I started a new blog called, "A Stowaway Wahine's Aloha" which chronicled my experiences of living in Hawai'i for nine months. It was indeed a fascinating experience with many challenges and adventures that I continue to look back on. The best thing I got from Hawai'i was my dog, Chocolate. :-) Chocolate continues to be dragged all over the map as he follows me loyally to different places.
I left Hawai'i to return to San Diego. I was living in a condo in San Diego where I did not feel truly at home and I didn't feel attached to the kitchen. Then Dan got even more sick. I was flying back and forth whenever he was hospitalized. He passed away on June 11, 2012. Then I moved to DC to pursue my Ph.D. Then then then then... you know how life goes. Then I got diagnosed with cancer in January 2015.
It was the cancer that made me re-discover my love of writing. I wrote about my cancer journey (naomicancerjourney.blogspot.com) which I continue writing to this day. Because my cancer was front and center of my life at that time, it was all what I could write about. Now that my cancer is in remission and no longer the main focus of my life, I realized that I missed doing this food blog. I told a new friend also a foodie whose name ironically is Danny about my food blog. He took a look and said I should try it again. I said, "Maybe..."
Just last month, I found a new home allowing me to be reunited with my kitchen toys after having them in the storage for seven months. I was cooking one night in the kitchen when I realized I had the exactly same feeling I had when I cooked in that chem lab back in San Diego. That was when I knew I was truly at home again here in Rochester. I have come full circle.
In one of our last conversations together, Dan told me that he truly hoped that I would eventually go back to writing because he enjoyed reading my stories and he said he was pretty sure there were other folks who shared the same sentiment. In his final letter to me which I received after he passed away, he wrote,
"Always enjoyed learning cooking tips because I find it interesting, so have much enjoyed times when you demonstrated different ideas and techniques for cooking."
Dan's spirit lives on....
I look forward to sharing more cooking and dining adventures. I am not sure how this blog will turn out... that's part of the fun, isn't it? It's a journey.
Let's get cookin'!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Farewell, Vienna!
I am back in my own chem lab again. Always GREAT to return so I can cook my own food. Eating out so often can get exhausting after a while.
I managed to smuggle some spaetzle and delicious chocolates back home to extend my Viennese experience. I plan on sharing those with my local loved ones so... if you live far away from me, please do take the pleasure in visualizing yourself eating those things. I will need to learn how to make semmel-knodels (dumplings) and spaetzle. If I could make my own pasta, I am pretty sure making spaetzle will be a breeze. Perhaps I could experiment with different variations, other than spinach spaetzle.
On Thursday, I cooked lunch for the two wonderful hostesses. Luckily, I had purchased the right ingredients even though some items were boxed with unclear pictures and words that I could not find in my German food dictionary. No one died from my cooking effort using German ingredients. It turned out to be a GREAT lunch. It was soup with dumplings.
The ultimate search during my week in Austria was for the BEST chocolate dessert. And I found that in the "Schokozauber" at the Cafe Central. This translates into "Chocolate Magic". I wholeheartedly agree with this description. It was like I was under a magic spell while savoring each bite of this amazing dessert. I was sad that I found this magic on my LAST day in Vienna. Some people say that a bit of magic is good. I suppose that could mean too much magic can be too much? :-) What exactly is this magic? I am not sure... it tasted like chocolate mousse / creme brulee/ hazelnut praline combined into something spectacular and covered with dark chocolate ganache, topped with a golden leaf. The magic shall remain with me a bit longer for the sheer pleasure of nostalgia!
Thank you, Vienna, for sharing the magic with me.
I managed to smuggle some spaetzle and delicious chocolates back home to extend my Viennese experience. I plan on sharing those with my local loved ones so... if you live far away from me, please do take the pleasure in visualizing yourself eating those things. I will need to learn how to make semmel-knodels (dumplings) and spaetzle. If I could make my own pasta, I am pretty sure making spaetzle will be a breeze. Perhaps I could experiment with different variations, other than spinach spaetzle.
On Thursday, I cooked lunch for the two wonderful hostesses. Luckily, I had purchased the right ingredients even though some items were boxed with unclear pictures and words that I could not find in my German food dictionary. No one died from my cooking effort using German ingredients. It turned out to be a GREAT lunch. It was soup with dumplings.
The ultimate search during my week in Austria was for the BEST chocolate dessert. And I found that in the "Schokozauber" at the Cafe Central. This translates into "Chocolate Magic". I wholeheartedly agree with this description. It was like I was under a magic spell while savoring each bite of this amazing dessert. I was sad that I found this magic on my LAST day in Vienna. Some people say that a bit of magic is good. I suppose that could mean too much magic can be too much? :-) What exactly is this magic? I am not sure... it tasted like chocolate mousse / creme brulee/ hazelnut praline combined into something spectacular and covered with dark chocolate ganache, topped with a golden leaf. The magic shall remain with me a bit longer for the sheer pleasure of nostalgia!
Thank you, Vienna, for sharing the magic with me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)