Bringing SGV to the South Bay

Made new batches of wontons from scratch since we can't just drive to Sam Woo for $4.00 wonton soup on a whim

Made green tea with boba since we are too lazy to drive to Gardena (not bad for the first try!- needs more sugar). This boba only took 5 min to cook, impressive!

Decided to try a bunch of different wrappers to see which were the best.

This picture by the way does not correspond to the above since we were so hungry I didn't remember to line it up correctly. In this case, starting at the NW corner, it is the "Quon Yick" brand, NE is "Chuan Wei" or "Wei Chuan" (don't remember), SE is Twin Dragon, and SW is "Hong Kong Wonton". So basically NW and SE got mixed up.

The winner? Hong Kong Wonton was the hardest to wrap (it kept breaking/ripping) but was the tasiest. The easiest to wrap was the Twin Dragon brand. Twin Dragon and the CW or WC brand tied for 2nd/3rd for taste, and we definitely didn't like the Quan Yick brand- too doughy. It was also the yellowest of the bunch. However it was quite easy to wrap, though it seemed to have the most flour when packaged. Looks like Twin Dragon wins for general taste/ease!

This all of a sudden feels like an episode of America's Test Kitchen.

Dinner/Drink
At Home
June 2009

Oh, and the quote of the day comes from Jer: "You can't put food in front of a dog and expect it to just sit there while you take pictures!"

Bobby Flay Colors and Flavors, Part 1

Cooking with Rachel (class project)
At home
October 2008

I thought I'd change it up a little and show some non-animate pictures. My subjects are usually of living beings, and with food being such a big part of my lifestyle, I should really showcase the ingredients that I use more. Here's some edibles from a class project that Rachel and I collaborated on. I'll have part 2 another time! And if you watch as much Bobby Flay as Jer and I do, then you'll know what I mean by the title of this post! :)

Redondo Beach

Crabs

Fresh raw oysters

Crabby crab

Pier

Christina

Kite
All taken at Redondo Beach Pier
August 2008

It was a perfect day. Lovely weather, great conversation, and the freshest seafood!

Mom's Cooking

Chicken porridge and Vietnamese salad with nuoc mam dressing
June 2008

Ooh, how does this collage look? I love the new plates she got! She says that we should register for them. Ever since I taught her about registering for wedding, baby, or birthday gifts at places like Target or Crate & Barrel, she's been telling me to register for everything, haha. Anyhoo, I really like how this collage came out. I guess less "polaroids" look better.


Banh Xeo (Vietnamese crepes)
July 2008

This is my mom's specialty! Yum...it was tasty. Jer and I ate 5 of those. My mom likes him so much she shelled the shrimp for him!! Hrmph, I have to shell my own shrimp. I forgot to take a picture of the inside because my hands got messy while eating. For the filling my mom uses jicama, shrimp, and pork. She doesn't do mung bean or tofu or carrots or anything else. What do you like in your banh xeo?

Surf and Turf

Ribeye and Shrimp
June 2008
Guest photoist: Jer

The shrimp was a bit over exposed but whatever the important thing is that it was tasty! Yum, I want more ribeye!!

Kimchi, gim, and bap

RSS (really simple snack)
Kimchi, gim (seaweed), and bap (rice)
May 2008

The simplest meal ever!
1. Heat up some leftover rice (or make a fresh batch, but this is a good way to use up old rice)
2. Cut up some dried seaweed that is salted (tastes better even though it's probably bad for you)
3. Add some kimchi (I buy mine in half gallon jars from the Ktown Galleria)
4. Layer, roll, and eat!
oh, and...
5. Brush teeth.

Freak of Nature, part 2

Twin egg yolks (could have been twin chickens!!)
Trader Joes egg carton
April 2008

Jer wasn't that impressed. Then I said, in all the thousands of eggs you cracked while making Sausage Egg McMuffins in high school, did you EVER find two yolks in one egg? Yeah, I didn't think so! :P

Red Speckles

Julienned Radishes Sprinkled with Pepper Powder
Kimchi Making Party
February 2008

How pretty! And spicy.

Tito's Market

Tito's Market
Ceiling
November 2007

Eh, this makes me want to go see the Silver Bean in Chicago.

Yogurtland

Yogurtland
Hollywood
November 2007

I really can't get enough of this place. Plus, I like how the picture turned out. :)

Citizen Cake

Citizen Cake
San Francisco
October 2007

We were waiting for the restaurant to open...so I just started snapping away. Go to my other blog for pictures of food.

Droooool

Chik naeng myun
Shin Jung restaurant (Ktown)
August 2007

The best chik naeng myun is from Shin Jung on 6th and Kenmore! I've had it at other places and they just don't compare.

Best Tacos Ever

Carnitas Tacos
Karina's taco truck
El Monte
July 2007

Seriously...the best carnitas tacos ever.

Marches

Latkes! (Fried potato strips pancakes)
Richtree Market Restaurant- Toronto
August 2006

Raw oysters
Richtree Market Restaurant- Toronto
August 2006
Guest photoist: Nancy F.

Even though it's now called Richtree I still call it Marches. Marches is definitely one of my all-time favorite restaurants. There is every type of food for every type of palate- salad bar, sushi bar, sandwich/deli stations, "asian/italian/french/etc sections, juice/smoothie bar, wine racks, dessert stations, etc etc etc etc etc. I'm not kidding! Everyone's cooked in front of you. So you can go with a group of the most pickiest eaters and I swear everyone will leave happy. Oh it's kind of like the Grove Farmer's Marketplace except the interior looks more like Whole Foods, the seating isn't ghetto, and it's completely indoors.

They have an excellent seafood section which is great for me because I am a huge fan of raw oysters! My cousin's MoH and I convinced Nancy to try it but I guess she wasn't really a fan. Yay more for us!

Why can't they open up a Marches in LA?? There was one in Boston that opened in 1998 but it closed in 2004 because it was losing money. They should definitely give it another try in So Cal!

Jellybeans

Jellybeans dispenser
Fisherman's Wharf
June 2007

This picture is so shiny and colorful! I want a dispenser at home or work. I like jellybeans except they get cemented to my braces. :D Three most random sentences ever.

Don't Wear White

Pomegranates
November 2006

They tasted as delicious as they looked. But a word to the wise: don't wear white! Well...wear something that you don't mind getting stained. The juice stains clothing permanently unless you wash with water immediately!

Kimbap

Kimbap
Evil twin sister's kitchen
May 2007

When I tried kimbap for the first time over a year ago I said, "Ooh Korean sushi!" I know, I'm such a nerd. In the past 2 years I've developed quite a palate for Korean food. Since kimbap is one of my favorites, evil twin sister taught me how to make it! Once you get the technique down, it's quite easy. I like how the colors pop out in this photo.

Banchan

Supersmartsusan
DJ Korean Restaurant, Cerritos
December 2005

What I really like about this photo is that the wall and the table are both so dark that they seem to have blended into each other. Even the cup nearly blends into the background. Were it not for my friend's cream sweater, she might have blended in also. Such a dark setting makes way for the little banchan dishes to "pop out". The colors become richer, but not in a way that overpowers the entire table setting.

I think I speak for my non-Koreans friends when I say that banchan is one of the best parts when eating at Korean restaurants. However, I've been told by my Korean friends that super-Korean people aren't really into these little side dishes. Really?! But it TASTES SO YUMMY. Does that mean if I go to Korea they won't serve me banchan!?

Now, what are possible synonyms for "blend" and "Korean?" I was too lazy to dictionary.com it.