Adventures with Mr. Snail

Most people don't know this, but T's giftedness in the visual arts is also used to advance science. He does all kinds of complicated things with microscopes (sorta like really big cameras) and computers that I don't really understand, but look so beautiful regardless. Anyways, recently we found out that a photo he took at work was used in a PBS video (It's the first snail/slug crawling across the screen, celebrity style!) .




Or see here for the credits: http://podcast.com/episode/43480838/12879/

And then I found out another one of his photos was published here awhile ago.

Pretty cool, eh?

Dress Up

I'm convinced that we need more holidays to dress up in costumes! Had a great time being last-minute creative with some good friends this past weekend. Can you guess what we are?

1 Samuel 12:19-25

"And all the people said to Samuel, "Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.

And Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you"...

Before Hollywood, there was Fort Lee

I was so anxious whether I would like Fort Lee, but it's turning out to be for the better. Yes, the Kanghood has moved and...we have windows!!! I know, most people do. But...we have windows!! And we are so excited about...our windows! T & I can't keep from grinning over the fact that...we have windows! You have to have known our former 'hood of a basement apartment to fully appreciate this. Nothing against home #1. We were so blessed in that place and I know that was where we were meant to be in that season of our life. But we often felt squashed by the low ceilings and small windows which peered into bushes 75% of the time.


Anyways, our windows overlook houses, trees, and the magnificent...highway. But we like the pretend that the whooshing noise of cars whizzing by are actually ocean waves lapping onto a beautiful serene beach. :) Slowly and surely our new place is coming together, and we welcome visitors! And especially for film fanatics, another reason to visit (besides the wealth of good korean food, view of Manhattan, etc.):

Excerpts from this NY Times article:

"NEARLY a decade ago, two Jersey guys with a love of movies started spreading the state’s best kept secret: New Jersey (don’t laugh) was the birthplace of American cinema.
“Before Hollywood, there was Fort Lee,” said Tom Meyers, executive director of the Fort Lee Film Commission.

“When you’re looking at the entire history of movies, most people just think Hollywood,” said Jon Wilkman, who is producing “Moguls and Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood” for TCM. “But a good portion of that history is in New Jersey, and a huge part of that is Fort Lee. It was a real breeding ground for filmmakers.”

From 1910 to 1918, Fort Lee flourished because it was a quick ferry ride from New York City, and because it had everything a location scout could want: streets, woods, farms, waterfalls, fields, saloons and, most dramatically, the Palisades"...

Foodroll #1

One reason I love NYC - its wealth of delicious FOOD! I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.
Luzzo's Pizzeria - Bufala Pie

Motorino's - Arugula Pie

Sharaku
Di Fara's Cheese Pie

Boqueria - Skirt Steak Sandwich
(also found out they have the BEST sangria and great Spanish tapas)

Bobby's Burger Palace - ginormous burgers

Momofuku Ssam Bar - Pork Bun

Momofuku Ssam Bar - bo ssäm – whole pork butt, dozen oysters, kimchi, rice, bibb lettuce

Reilly's Sunlight

One of my & T's favorite bands who we've had the pleasure to be friends and sisters/brothers in Christ with. Some of these rockin' musicians played at our wedding, and I have a gut feeling they are going to continue to do well. And I gotta say, I LOVE the electric violins!!

Check out Reilly's new music video:


REILLY - Sunlight (HD) from Reilly on Vimeo.

Upside-down

When starting a new job, I always have some kind of expectation of what it will be like. And I'm almost always surprised by what it actually turns out to be. My current job working with disabled adults, mostly those suffering from mental health issues has surprised me in many ways, but none so much as the immense faith the majority of them have in God. Everyday I am surrounded by 200+ people who have very little materially, mentally, physically...most were born with an organic brain disorder and despised and ridiculed throughout their lives for being born different, when being different was out of their control. Most people look at them and think that they're better off. They look better, they speak better, they have better jobs and abilities. My clients aspire to such things as being a janitor, dishwasher, factory assembly person, or just even obtain a job, as that alone is a big step for them. For some, that's even too difficult for them, and they share about praying to God that he will help them remember to take showers or use a toaster oven. But as I spend more time with them, I realize that these who know so little of the world, have so much by knowing God.

My current church has been emphasizing the hope Christians have in life after death in New Jerusalem. I used to fear Heaven, imagining it as a place with gold paved roads, mansions, and tons of fluffy clouds...where we would sit around, sing hymns, and strung harps. And really, the thought of that made me scared. But as I learn about a more accurate view of Heaven, I get excited, knowing that the good we experience on Earth is only a dim foreshadowing of the greatness we will encounter in Heaven.

C.S. Lewis wrote:

"It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no 'ordinary' people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. "

It's easy to forget that I walk amongst possible gods and goddesses. But it's exciting to me that one day those Christians at the bottom of the social totem pole will live eternally alongside with the King. It truly is an upside-down kingdom.

Follow the yellow brick road

Some random thoughts:

*What do you do when you see someone wearing the same dress as you at a wedding? Duck and cover vs. wear it proud? It's gotta be one of the most embarrassing things. I guess it may be different for guys. Is it weird to wear the same tie as another guy?

*Why are some people so stingy with letting you into their lane when driving? I don't understand. I mean, I don't think you should just let everyone pass in front of you, but at least let one car in. It's not going to save you that much time to rush forward and not let that poor car whose turn signal has been on for the past 5 minutes (usually me) get in front of you. And it might just save you from an accident (sometimes it's dangerous to just stop on the road). I think if everyone would just give a little, it would make the world a happier place. Is it just simply greed that keeps people from doing this? I never knew I could have such road rage until I started driving in NJ. NJ roads are CRAZY.

*What color would you paint your walls? I'm having the toughest time choosing. When I was a kid, I thought it'd be fun to paint all my bedroom walls with glow-in-the-dark paint. I always wondered what that would've turned out like. Maybe this is the time.

I never really

I never really get nervous when meeting famous people but for some reason I did with Orangette girl Molly Wizenberg. I had NO IDEA what to say (uhh...I really like your writing....ummm yeah. *blank stare*). Argh, why??

A good thing

Totonno's Pizzeria in Brooklyn caused some serious concerns amongst pizza fanatics when it had a fire this weekend (yes, they will be coming back). T was google-ing the news and was surprised to find that this blog used his photo! I tell ya, they know a good thing when they see one. Isn't he great? You can see more photos here and here. Now if only he would believe me...

A homemade life indeed

I know I've talked before about this Orangette food blog, but she came out with a book recently and I want to put in a plug for it. There's something about her writing that makes it stick out from other chefs. Her recipes are good, but the writing that precedes each is personal and riveting. Her book has no flashy photography, but by the weaving together of her intimate words, she pulls you into her kitchen, and into her life. Some say it reads like fiction. For those in the NYC area, she will be at 2 book signings in the city this week on the evenings of 3/18 and 3/19. And numerous other cities across America. See here for more information.

One of her recipes that we've recently enjoyed. I never knew vegetables could taste so good.


Broccoli Soup with Lemon-Chive Cream

"I like this “cream” best when made with sour cream, but I’ve also used plain whole-milk yogurt, and it’s very good that way too. If you do use yogurt, keep in mind that it has less fat than sour cream, so you’ll probably need to add some olive oil to balance the acidity of the lemon. (Or just use less lemon!) I also found that the yogurt-based “cream” needed a pinch of sugar to balance it.

Oh, and should you have some of the sour cream mixture left over, it makes a great dip for potato chips.

For the soup:
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 medium leeks, white and tender green parts only, sliced
1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 ½ lb. broccoli, both crowns and stems, trimmed and coarsely chopped
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 rind (about 2 inches square) from a piece of Parmesan cheese
¾ tsp. kosher salt, or less if your broth is well salted

For the sour cream:
1 cup sour cream (not low-fat or nonfat)
2 scallions, white and pale green parts only, very thinly sliced
¼ cup minced chives
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. pressed or minced garlic

In a small stockpot or Dutch oven, warm the butter and oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have softened and the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for one minute. Add the broccoli, stock, Parmesan rind, and salt, and stir to mix. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, partially covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 20 minutes.

While the soup cooks, prepare the cream. In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream, scallions, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, grated Parmesan, salt, and garlic, mixing until fully combined. Taste, and adjust as necessary.

To finish the soup, remove the Parmesan rind. Using a blender and working in small batches – when puréeing hot liquids, never fill the blender more than one-third full – purée until very smooth. (Alternatively, purée it in the pot with an immersion blender.) Return the soup to the pot, add a few dollops of the cream mixture – I add about 1/3 cup – and stir to incorporate. Taste for seasoning, and adjust as necessary. If needed, rewarm the soup gently over low heat.

Serve the soup with a spoonful or two of the remaining cream on top.

Yield: 4-6 servings

A night out

T & I have been wanting to try out Artichoke Basillle's Pizza for quite some time now. Their pizza has received rave reviews, and even been likened to the famous Di Fara's pizza. Well, we had to see for ourselves. All in all, pretty tasty. And considering you don't have to wait over an hour for the pizza (the wait was approximately 20 minutes) and venture far out into Brooklyn (it's on 14th St. between 1st and 2nd Ave.), we might find ourselves here more often. Check it out...

The storefront. Easy to miss so keep an eye out. It's a tiny little joint. Hole in the wall.

I love this chandelier. Somebody buy me one please.

The Sicilian. My favorite. Similar to DiFara's but crunchier.

Crab slice

Margherita slice

Spinach & Artichoke slice.

We tried stopping by Momofuku's Milk Bar around the corner for their chess pie, but sadly it was closed for a private party. One of these days...

Instead we capped off the night with Veniero's.

(our efforts to be creative taking pictures of both of us)

This great gift

A wise friend with wise words once remarked how people so often look to marriage to make them happy, when the real goal is to make them holy. And life too, is to make us holy. It's so easy to get these two pursuits mixed up in my head when the mass media portrays love, marriage, and all things romance as some fulfillment of happiness.

Marriage is great. It's a wonder that is a great mystery and I am so thankful for it. Every now and then I pause and am amazed that God has instituted such a great thing as marriage. But it seems easy to get disappointed or sidetracked because people (me included) mistake it as the means to happiness, instead of holiness. Isn't life's purpose that but the glorification of God?

In the news

T (and the top of my head) is in the NY Times! See here for the full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/arts/television/19conan.html?_r=1

All things pretty

I remember walking into one of my former roommates fussing around the kitchen one Valentine's Day eve. Sighs of discontentment escaped out as she hovered over the making of what came to be very beautiful linzer cookies. I didn't understand her frustration at the time, only how amazing the heart-shaped pretty, buttery, and crunchy cookies she left us were. It was only until I attempted to replicate these valentine-y treats this past weekend that it made sense. These cookies are great, but it does come with some work. Making the dough isn't too hard but the tricky part comes with keeping the dough firm enough that it doesn't fall apart when rolling it out (creating crisp & light but a flavorful nutty cookie) and cutting it into shapes. But besides that, I think it's worth it for its tastiness and pretty looks at least once a year. It just takes some patience.

Linzer Cookies (recipe from Joy Of Baking)

1 cup blanched or sliced almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans, toasted and ground
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated white sugar, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks
Zest of 1 lemon (I didn't use this and it turned out okay still)
Confectioners' (icing or Powdered) Sugar for dusting
1/2 cup seedless Raspberry or Black Currant Preserves or Jam (can use other flavored preserves or jam)

See the directions here.

On another note, T & I enjoyed a plethora of good cooking this past V-day!

I woke up to my favorite - eggs benedict, with prosciutto and homemade hollandaise sauce. Yum, love poached eggs. Love someone else making it for me!


We got to play with our new fondue set (thanks Sally & Joe!) and dished into gruyere and swiss cheese fondue with pancetta and rosemary.
Shrimp & arugula pasta with red chilies and lemon wine sauce.


MEAT!!! (Rib Roast)


Molten Chocolate Cake - this has got to be the most surprisingly easiest but fancy dessert to make. It's basically a slightly undercooked chocolate cake with very little flour and lots of egg. Recipe here. So easy, so good.

Orange you glad?

Lately, after sifting through my favorite food blog Orangette (think food meets story), I became entranced with the photo of orangettes gleaming from the top of the webpage. Images of dazzling sugar-spiked orange slivers peeking out from dark chocolate covers danced around my head...until it set my brain on a one-way track to 'MUST EAT.' After making my rounds online, I could not find them for a price that I wouldn't feel guilty purchasing for a random craving/impulse. Instead, I found, these delicious creations aren't so hard to make - it just requires some time. So this is what I did:

Ingredients:
Oranges
Dark chocolate chips
Sugar
Water

Directions:
1. Slice ends off oranges (pick however many you want, depending on how many orangettes you want), score the peel from one end to the other, and remove the peels from the oranges.

2. Slice the peels into thin strips and trim their edges.

3. Using a medium size pot, place the peels in boiling water and blanch them for a few minutes. Rinse the peels, and repeat this process a second time. This is done to remove the bitterness of the peels.

4. Prepare the simple syrup by combining water and sugar in a 1:1 ratio in a saucepan. Use about 2 oz. water and 2 oz. sugar mixed together for each orange you've used (i.e. 8 oz. water + 8 oz. sugar for 4 oranges). Bring the syrup to a simmer, place the peels in the pot, and simmer for 1 hour.

5. Once the peels have cooked, remove them from the pot, and place on a rack to cool and drain.

6. Melt 16 oz. dark chocolate over a double boiler. Dip the candied orange peels in the chocolate, remove them quickly, and let them cool on a piece of parchment paper.

7. Store newly made orangettes in airtight container.

I'm still working on making them look pretty like this.

I like to think they're healthy. Look at all that vitamin C! Vitamins cancel out calories therefore, it's practically calorie-free.

Cravings

I remember my friend raving about this cornbread pudding a couple years ago - she's one of those people who make you hungry just by her words (some people have that gift ya know?). And you can always trust her judgment when it comes to food. So there I was many years later and the craving hit me - sharp - and have I had it before? No. But I remembered her words, and it seemed like just what I wanted.

So I made it, we dined, and it was wonderful. It's just the right mix of sweet and salty, gooey but bready, hearty and tasty, and definitely substantial. Think of the crisp sweetness of cornbread but hot and goopy. Another friend called it addictive and I guess it's kind of Thanksgiving-esque. And the best part is, it can all be made in one dish. I'm all for any one-bowl, one-pot cooking! Anything to save me from those dreaded dishes piling up in the sink. Enjoy:

1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can cream style corn
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 (8.5 ounce) package dry cornbread mix

Optional toppings:

shredded cheddar cheese

chopped red bell pepper
sliced jalapeno peppers

*This makes about 12 servings so feel free to cut the recipe in half or whatever you want.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a 2-quart casserole dish, mix together the whole kernel corn, cream style corn, margarine/butter, sour cream, and corn bread mix. Optional: scatter toppings evenly over dish.

3. Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (might need to cook longer depending on your oven).

Passing the one-year mark

It was one of those days where I had a deep intense craving for rich dense chocolate cake. Ever have those? The tired workday called for a little chocolate pick-me-up and I pondered where I could get ahold of such goodies. And then I remembered. Wedding. Cake. In. freezer. YES!

Earlier this month, T & I had celebrated our 1-year anniversary but in the busyness of the day, we failed to carry out the tradition of eating our wedding cake leftovers. Now I know some people don't end up liking their wedding cake, but T & I absolutely adored it. The cake is layers of dense sweet rich chocolate and yellow cake, layered with strawberry and almond buttercream frosting. I didn't really have a chance to appreciate it on said wedding day (when camera flashes are popping all around you, and suddenly you get a forkful of cake coming at you, it's hard to concentrate on cake), but was overjoyed to find that the caterers had packed away the top for us.


I found myself nibbling away at its cake slices in the few months afterward (sorry, couldn't wait till the 1 year). And sometime come Spring, told myself I'd save the rest for the one-year. I've heard sad sad stories of freezer burn and disappointment, and feared the worst as I pulled it out from the back of the freezer. Much to my surprise, the cake tasted exactly the same! Much praise to T's idea of slicing up the cake and divying it up into freezer Ziploc storage bags and then stashing those away in tupperware. GENIUS. Freezer Ziploc bags - YES it does really work!

It's quite amazing - how here we are past our 1-year mark, and every day our marriage grows sweeter. Cheers to 1 year of growing old and up together! Cheers to God for His gracious providence and mercy! I am so blessed and humbled.

I cannot also make note of our first anniversary without mentioning this - my sweet old landlord passed away last week suddenly from cardiac arrest on Inauguration Day. It's ironic that when the majority of America was celebrating a new start to history, his ended. To us, he was more than just a landlord who fixed leaky faucets and collected rent checks. He was our next door neighbor, who never failed to sit down on our couch and tell us stories of his hometown, Italian heritage, and family with a gleam of pride in his eyes. We live in the house he bought next door for his grown-up children, and overtime he inched his way into our life as a grandfather figure I never had. T & I always felt blessed to have started off our marriage with such a nice landlord, and he indelibly left imprints on our first year.

I mean, the moment we first met him, T & I looked at each other and had the same anxious thought - is he going to last? It was evident that after prior serious heart problems, his body was frail and about to give way anytime. But his heart was always joyful, with a twinkle in his eyes he'd joke around with us, and answer the phone with a cheery "Hello!" and reply with an "Okidoke!" It almost fooled us. So as it does, we were still shocked when our fear became a reality.

I'm still having trouble with the fact that I will never see or talk to him again. And that his wife of 53 years now sits alone in the grand house he built himself where they once raised 6 kids. I am helpless being hit with the fact that life on Earth is fleeting, and God is sovereign. And really, I have no control.

How could I not

post this film??


"Sweet Dreams" (2007) from Kirsten Lepore on Vimeo.

Genius!

The city that never sleeps

For my own memory's sake and if anyone's looking,I set out to write a list of my favorite eating spots. Before I knew it, the list got to be this long! Long live the city that never sleeps and its glorious dining.

japanese:
manhattan-
tenzan (white tuna/double tasty roll)
sharaku (black cod miso)
kanoyama (anything but especially the toro)
zenkichi (black cod miso, duck salad, black sesame mousse)

italian:
manhattan -
angelo's (pizza, arugula salad, and rigatoni dish)
patsy's in e. harlem (pizza - $10/takeout pie)
nick's (arugula salad, pasta dishes, pizza)
carmine's (everything. favs: red clam linguine, calamari, all the desserts)
otto (olive oil gelato coppetta)
gennaro's (pasta)

brooklyn -
anthony's (pizza, meatballs)
totonno's (plain cheese pie)
difara's (square meat pie)
grimaldi's (plain cheese pie)

queens -
trattoria l'incontro

nj -
dante's place (red clam linguine)

greek:
queens -
taverna kyclades (best greek food hands down. favs: grilled quail, calamari, octopus; greek salad)
christos steakhouse

sandwiches:
manhattan -
'wichcraft (grilled cheddar)
mamoun's (falafel, schwarma)
chickpea (falafel)
shorty's (philly cheesesteak, roast pork special)

brooklyn -
press 195 (all sandwiches)

queens -
sal, kris, & charlie's deli (bomb sandwich)

burgers:
manhattan -
5 napkin burger
burger joint (cheeseburger)
shake shack ('shroom burger w/grilled onions, shack burger, all the custards)
ottomanelli bros. (burgers)
corner bistro

queens -
bobby's burger palace
joe's best burgers

thai:
manhattan -
land
charm

brooklyn -
song
sea

queens -
sripraphai

vietnamese:
manhattan -
saigon grill (bun xao, curry, bo luc lac)
bahn mi saigon (vietnamese sandwiches)
lannan (pork chops)

korean:
manhattan -
e-mo kimbap (spicy tuna kimbap)
baden baden (rotisserie fried chicken and fries)
chodanggol (homemade soondooboo)

queens -
hamjibach (best korean overall. sanggyupsahl)
gowasabi (dolsot bibimbop)

nj -
myungdong kalgooksu (kalgooksu)
sohn jjajjang (jjampong, jjajjangmyun, their combo)
gahmeok (sullungtang, bibimbop, kakdukki )

chinese:
manhattan -
shanghai cafe (soup dumplings)
congee village (salty fried squid)

nj -
petit soo chow (soup dumplings)

spanish:
manhattan -
boqueria (tapas)

mexican:
manhattan -
el paso taqueria (burritos)

cuban:
manhattan -
cafe habana (grilled corn)

fries:
manhattan -
pomme frites

brunch/girly places:
manhattan -
alice's teacup
kitchenette (banana pancakes, sausages, biscuits, strawberry butter)

sweets:
manhattan -
jacque torres (chocolate)
crumbs (cupcakes)
yogurtland
red mango
vosges haut chocolat (hot chocolate)
van leeuwen (chocolate icecream)
magnolia bakery (banana pudding)
levain bakery (the biggest chocolate chip cookies i've ever seen)
chinatown icecream factory (black sesame icecream)

halal:
manhattan -
chicken & rice

wine bar:
manhattan -
punch

nj -
daryl's winebar

Stewing over

Someone once recommended to me to pack sandwiches for lunch. Stick to simple and don't overburden myself. I tried this for a couple weeks but quickly developed food envy when seeing my patients and co-workers dipping into hot homecooked meals while I nibbled away at my flat cold measly sandwich not-so-filled with skinny lunchmeat. At mid-day from a stressful workday, that is the last thing I wanted to see! I just couldn't do it. As munching sandwiches became torturous and depressing, I've returned to packing hot meals. It's been difficult as I'm constantly looking for dishes that are not only quick to prepare, but also easily storable, microwaveable, affordable, and exciting (whatever that may be) to eat. With some many pre-req's, it ain't easy (if anyone has any ideas, please do feel free to pass along).

And lately, with the onset of wickedly cold days, my stomach aches for something hearty, dark, sticky, chewy to gobble into. I have landed upon a couple quick stewy recipes through vast "research" (a.k.a. Google-ing) that have been on repeat. Often days it rather feels like I've been tossing bits of odds and ends into a boiling pot, but I've experimented enough (or the recipe is that simple) that it still comes out pretty tasty. Here's one:

Spicy chicken stew with chunky vegetables (Dakdoritang in Korean)

It's not that spicy, but more on the sweet side, I promise. But I didn't know how else to label something with so much red pepper contents that it just seemed wrong to not put the spicy sticker on it. Unless my memory is failing me (which could be likely), I don't remember ever eating this as a kid, but I recently discovered it and found it to be quite similar to Kalbijjim (Short rib stew). Although it being cheaper and having a shorter cooking time is probably why I make it so often nowadays. It has just the right blend of sweet and spicy, and everything nice. Dive in with a spoon and out comes a wealth of slightly caramelized carrots and potatoes, tender chicken falling apart at just the right places, & warm gooey sauce that'll fill up that stomach in the right places.

2 lbs. chicken (anything works - I usually go for thighs or drumsticks because I find them the tastiest)
1-2 c. water
2-4 potatoes (depending on their size), chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 carrot, peeled & chopped
3 green onions, chopped (optional)

Broth:
2 tbs. Korean hot pepper paste (gochujang)
2 tbs. Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
2 tbs. soy sauce
1 tb. sugar
2 tsps. sesame oil
1/2 tb. ginger
2 tbs. minced garlic

Prep the chicken and vegetables (peel carrot, onion & potatoes if you wish. I tend to like to keep on my potato skins for texture. Supposedly they are loaded with vitamins too. Skin chicken. Let's be healthy now). Chop all vegetables into chunky big pieces as after stewing away in a pot for several minutes, they will probably disintegrate away into mush if you don't. It's much more flavorful this way too. Heat a pot big enough to hold all of this in its lower half. Throw in the chicken and vegetables and saute for 5 minutes or so until lightly toasted (if your pan tends to cause things to stick, a little bit of oil will do the trick of freeing it up). Cover with enough water to just about cover the chicken & vegetables.

Now toss the broth ingredients into the pot and stir away till well mixed. Then put the lid on the pot, & boil it on medium for 30 minutes. If you desire the scallions, chop them up and add them to the dish afterwards and heat up for another 10 minutes or so. As with most Korean dishes, you have to sort of eye it and adjust to your taste. I often end up keeping it on the heat more if I want the texture to be thicker than it comes out, and will throw in more red pepper paste, soy sauce, or sesame oil to get the broth just about to the taste I want. Then if you ladle it over some hot steaming rice & mix it up a bit, it's just the right comfort for me on those frigid blistery cold shivering Winter days (I do not like the cold).

I made cake

Now what shall I do?

Mister Oliver

By now you might have figured out that this blog is headed toward being a re-hash of Jamie Oliver's website. I am in LOVE with his recipes. At first, I thought they were way too complicated for me. I mean, me - cook gourmet? After a tired day at work? But after some trial and error-ing, I found that Mr. Oliver's gourmet was do-able - a repetition of several key ingredients (aha, I've figured out your secret!) that once our kitchen embraced, good cooking was minutes away.



You should probably save this for a weekend, as it takes a bit of time, but the result is wonderful - a unique blend of sweet & savory, juicy & hearty.

Pot-roasted poussins agro dolce (from Jamie Oliver's "Cook with Jamie" book)

1 orange, quartered
2 cinnamon sticks, broke in half*
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary*
4 poussins (baby chickens) or 1 large chicken
olive oil
2 knobs of butter
2 red onions, peeled & finely sliced
4 sticks of celery, trimmed and finely sliced
1 x 10 oz. jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
3 wineglasses of Chianti
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
a handful of pinenuts
16 slices thinly sliced smoked pancetta or bacon

"Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Stuff a piece of orange, half a cinnamon stick and a rosemary sprig into the cavity of each bird. In a large ovenproof pan in which the poussins will fit snugly side by side, heat a glug of olive oil and a knob of butter. Add the little chickens and color them gently on all sides for 10 min. or until lightly golden all over, then remove them to a place to rest.

Pick the rosemary leaves off the 2 remaining springs. Carefully discard the fat from the pan and add some fresh olive oil and your remaining knob of butter. Over medium heat, add your onion, celery, and rosemary and fry for about 5 min. until softened. While keeping an eye on the pan, throw the sun-dried tomatoes into a food processor with the wine and whiz them up - this will give you an intense, tangy tomato liquor.

By this time the onion and celery should be soft and nicely colored, so put your chickens back into the pan and turn up the heat. Add vinegar. Shake the pan around a bit, and add the tomato liquor. Continue cooking until the liquid has reduced slightly, then put the pan in the preheated oven with a lid on and cook for 30 minutes, turning the birds in the juices a couple of times. Remove the pan from the oven, take the lid off and turn the chickens once more in all the juices. Lay them breast side up and sprinkle the pinenuts over them, then lay your slices of pancetta or bacon over them and cook in the oven for a further 10 minutes until crisp and golden. Allow the poussins to rest in the pan for 10 min. while you get your guests to the table."

*we found that typically expensive ingredients such as fresh herbs and cinnamon sticks could be found cheap at nearby Korean or Indian grocery stores. $1 for a large bundle of rosemary. $2 for a big pack of cinnamon sticks.

And we had the joy of meeting Mr. Oliver in Long Island this past November, thanks to our mischievously-planning friends, the P's :)

As you can see, Mr. Oliver was as excited as us to meet up.

Pizza Time

What would a Kangblog be without a post on pizza? Before I met T, my favorite pizza joint was Papa John's. I was shocked to find out T did not feel the same! (How can you not love their buckets of butter so you can dip your crusts?) But I soon found out why after T introduced me to his wealth of knowledge on all things pizza.

My top picks so far:

1. Frank Pepe's Pizzeria in New Haven, CT. - their rustic clam pizza has the most GINORMOUS clams I've ever seen! Think red clam linguine on a pizza! I would show you a photo but I gobbled it up before I could.

2. Di Fara's in Brooklyn, NY - love their meat pie. Fresh herbs, imported cheese and sauce, straight out of the oven. Their plain pie is pretty good too. My words cannot do it justice but these come pretty close.
3. Totonno's in Brooklyn, NY - My vote for best pizza crust. Pillowy, fluffy, doughy... T & I wish we could switch DiFara's crust for this one.
4. NY Pizza Suprema (near Penn Station) - A decent pizza if you're craving a slice on the go.


With near proximity to the finest foods, T & I have started a hobby of trying to recreate restaurant dishes at home. Here's our version of pizza & how we got there.

pizza with egg, prosciutto, artichokes, olives, mozzarella, tomato sauce and basil (Jamie Oliver)

• 6 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 2 baby artichokes (use good jarred ones)
• 3 slices of prosciutto
• a small handful of good olives, stones removed
• 1 small egg, preferably organic
• 85g/3oz mozzarella
• extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Smear the tomato sauce evenly over the pizza base. Tear the artichokes into quarters and scatter over the pizza. Lay over the prosciutto slices and sprinkle the olives over. Crack over the egg and place little torn-up pieces of mozzarella in the gaps. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with pepper and a tiny bit of salt. Cook until crisp and golden.

Hello World

T always says he won my heart with good food. We had our first date over it (the buttery Black Cod Miso at Sharaku for half the price of that at Nobu but just as delicious), and our dating period ensued with introductions to other scrumptious finds in the city (all at a budget saavy price, mind you).

This blog emerges from two desires. One - to give people a peek into our little humble 'hood.' And two - as a family trying to brainstorm for 7 days worth of meals, I've found myself at a (for lack of a better word) brain fart many a times after work for what dinners + lunches should be. Thus I hope this becomes an avenue where we share our love for food with others. So please, feel free to post your suggestions or recipe ideas in the 'Comments' section! I always welcome new ideas for yummy (and key: time efficient) dishes.

I'll start off first with an introduction to the heavenly dessert that swept me off my feet: Otto's Olive Oil Coppetta, a luxurious layer of olive oil gelato, blood oranges, and candied clementines sprinkled with sea salt (fruits change seasonally). As weird as it sounds at first, this exotic combination had me ooh-ing and ahh-ing for more. Or maybe it came out more like "OH MY GOSH!!" The sea salt sprinkles sound odd but it's just enough to highlight the beauty of the rich olive oil flavor.



Now T & I have tried to mimic the gelato at home to not so much success (although if you wish to try, the Babbo Cookbook recipe is here), but I discovered a less laborious method in Jamie Oliver's "Jamie's Italy" cookbook (key: time-efficient!):

Gelato con olio e sale
"I was served this dish many years ago and was shocked but it was bloody gorgeous! It can only be made successfully if you use half-decent vanilla ice cream and the best olive oil you can get your hands on. Put a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream into your bowls. Drizzle over some very-good-quality extra virgin olive oil, preferably one with a nice grassy, flowery flavor and sprinkle a tiny pinch of sea salt on top. I can't explain what it's like - you'll just have to try it!"

Cheers!
S