It’s been a long time since I last shared a recipe, so I’m just going to get straight to it.
I came up with this recipe to copy a dish I had at Padella, an amazing Italian restaurant right outside the London Bridge tube stop. While its dishes aren’t all traditionally done, they are always delicious, and impressively affordable. (more…)
Greetings from London!
I am currently sitting in a tiny bustling coffee house filled with locals sharing communal tables. As I sit here, listening to ’60s music and enjoying a London fog, I can’t help but feel like I’m in someone else’s dream.
I’ve only been here for a few days, and I’m already totally smitten. When I get back next week, you’re all going to get an earful – or eyeful, rather – about everything I’ve been doing and eating. Until then, I’ve got a bangin’ pasta recipe for you guys, which also just happens to be perfect for the final weeks of the winter doldrums. (more…)
Boston got hit with a big ol’ blizzard yesterday, leaving us all a little bit buried. And as I stare out of my bedroom window onto the adjacent roof tops all covered in a hefty helping of heavy snow, I can’t help but think about what it means to feel stuck.
I’m pretty sure there is no such thing as “stuck”. We make it up so we feel better about not being able to decide what to do with ourselves. When we’re surrounded by a feeling of heavy wetness that prevents us from even leaving the house, it’s easy to feel as if we have no choice but to stay put. We forget how we used to stomp around when we were kids, bundled up to our eyeballs in snow gear, having snowball fights and building igloos with any other kids that happened to be nearby.
We forget how to unstick ourselves.
Without getting too wordy about this, let me just say that it’s been a long week but I’ve had some time to think and keeping silent now seems impossible and irresponsible. I feel disconnected from my country and home at the moment. I worry for myself, my family, my friends, and people across this divided country. I don’t know what the next four years will be like, but I am hopeful. Maybe this is the wakeup call we all needed.
It is never not carbs season in my household. I will eat carbs any time of the day because, let’s be honest, it puts me to sleep. Kids, if you’re reading this, let grandma Wei tell you that you sleep less and less as you become older. I’ve resorted to ingesting large quantities of pasta to help me fall asleep. Growing up is simply a series of adjustments.
These days, it’s nice to get back to the simpler things – things that you know are always going to be good and reliable. For many years, I have been making this spaghetti aglio e olio but I’ve strayed from it for a while. I think part of me straying from this easy pasta dish is because of the blog. For over two years now, I’ve wanted to make creative dishes or ones that are challenging to me. I’ve really tested my amateur baking skills and I’ve definitely found more excuses to experiment with pork belly. (more…)
Are you spooked?
Halloween is fast approaching, and as usual, I have no special plans. The last memorable Halloween I had was with Wei three years ago(!), when she picked me up from Flour Bakery after my late shift and we both threw on some dark lipstick for a night out on the town. Since then I’ve apparently become quite the old lady.
Luckily, my boyfriend is equally indifferent to Halloween so there won’t be any pressure to pick out “his and hers” costumes. However, we are also equally capable of consuming large amounts of chocolate. So while I’m not so concerned with the traditional Halloween festivities, I am definitely all about making some killer Halloween snacks for any friends who do decide to show up for some treats.
(Unless, of course, Wei wants to put on some lipstick and live it up like old times – in that case I’ll be right there with her. But that goes without saying.)
I’m back with more date night ideas. This one involves cuddling up on the couch with a giant sweater on while slurping on some hot soupy noodles. Sounds amazing, right?
You guys know I love a good noodle soup, not the Western kind of noodle soup. You know, like chicken noodle soup. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love chicken noodle soup. But I’m talking about the kind that’s a little closer to ramen or pho. The kind where the noodles and soup make up the main foundation of the dish. That kind of noodle soup. (more…)
I am blankly staring at my screen, tired and grumpy. These earlier almost autumn evenings got me feeling lethargic by 9 o’clock. I want my energy back, but I much prefer the cooler temps. Maybe I should just move to Iceland since they have 20 hour days in the summer and the temperature is still right for sweater weather. Yup, I’m moving to Iceland.
Sorry, I got carried away. I miss my vitamin D.
If you do feel like cheering me up, you can pick me up in your car and we can see the beautiful foliage or we can go apple picking after inhaling several cider donuts. I’ll repay you with my lovely company. I’m charming, I swear. (more…)
It’s Friday! Or rather, Fri-yay! It’s been a long week, guys. I haven’t been getting much sleep this past week. I can blame it on my lifelong preference for nocturnal activities, or I can blame it on Pablo Escobar. Yes, “Narcos” has me stuck in bed, refusing to close my eyes because the chase for the kingpin is too suspenseful to turn away from. I think I’ll be the victim of “Chef’s Table France” next. I definitely have TV show FOMO.
But the weekend is here and I’m ready to get out of bed for good brunch food. Bring me all the eggs, please. Mimosas not optional. (more…)
When I was a little thing and hadn’t yet learned to make my own dinner, my mother had the impossible task of whipping something up that my picky palate would actually accept as edible.
Most of the time I just sucked it up and ate what was in front of me so that I would be allowed to have ice cream for dessert. Of the few dishes that I would eat without complaint, pasta and hot dogs were my all time favorites. It’s a good thing I didn’t cook for myself or else that would be all I ate.
So when my mom wanted to easily sneak some vegetables into me, she’d usually make soup (if a kid can’t see what they’re eating, they can’t complain, right?). And it worked – I vividly remember gobbling down bowlfuls of butternut squash or carrot soup with black pepper and globs of sour cream. (more…)
