sugarcane kumquats

moved

2010-04-14T13:42:00.000-05:00

For anyone following this blog.. I haven't updated in a while (years).. but I've also moved over to Wordpress.

The new blog is at:

www.thinktran.com

an open apology...

2008-02-11T12:46:00.000-05:00

So.. I've been remiss. I know I said that February would be "Thing-a-day" month, and that I would have something creative to post everyday. I don't know why I haven't been doing it, but I do know that I have nothing to show for it. I promise promise promise (yes.. that's three - count them.. 1 2 THREE!! - promises) that I will be better with this come March. So forget that I mentioned anything about February being "Thing-a-day" month. SORRY!

Love,
Tran

still alive!

2008-01-29T16:05:00.000-05:00

Alright, so I know it's been a long long long time since I've posted anything new. In my defense, it's been a rough couple of months. I can proudly say that I'm a MASTER (at least pending any administrative difficulties, the degree should be granted on January 31, 2008!). I'm fully moved back into my parents' home in sunny Southern California. I've still no job, but searching hard for one and taking all the interviews I can get. To pass the time, I've taken a part-time job at J.Crew (but I haven't been scheduled all month) and will be substitute teaching for the GGUSD probably starting in March (if I don't get a career job by then). In the mean time, I've been hanging out with friends, helping out around the house, and, basically, just trying to keep myself from going insane. The depression is slowly starting to fall into the background a bit, and having friends around helps a lot. So that's a brief update on my life thus far.

February marks a lot of things for me. I'm going to go vegetarian for the Lenten Season (which starts February 6) as a personal sacrifice for God. February 7 is the Lunar New Year (year of the RAT!!!), which is my animal year (I'm not even sure how to phrase that). And February is "thing-a-day" month (http://www.thing-a-day.com/), which I've decided today that I'll participate in, in my own little way. I'm not registering for the official event, just because I don't want to start a WordPress account when I already use Blogger (it would entail there being two identical posts each day since I would post to the official site, and then to my own blog), but I'll still be participating. So, be expecting a blog-a-day with something creative that I've done each day of the month. And who knows, maybe I'll keep at it and do "thing-a-day" year. We'll see.

Love,
Tran

Blog Action Day: Go GREEN!

2007-10-16T00:44:00.000-05:00

In an attempt to spread awareness on going green, I was supposed to participate in Blog Action Day today. However, I'm a bit tired and don't really know what to post about. All I can say is that everyone should just make a bit more of an effort to be a little bit nicer to our environment. Even though it might not seem that the little you do will make a big difference, you will be setting an example to those around you. And a lot of people doing a little bit will create a big effect. Some ways to start:

Turn off the lights when you leave a room.
Turn off your car when idling for more than a minute.
Take shorter showers.
Bring your own reusable grocery bags to the market (I use Envirosax).
Bring Your Own reusable utensils/mugs, rather than using disposable ones.
Recycle!

Oh.. and check out the Green Daily - a blog about going green, and all the wonderfully green things out there.

And one more thing... on keeping with the green theme.. my last day in DC was spent out on the National Mall at the Solar Decathlon. It was awesome, and now I totally want to build a house incorporating all the renewable energy/materials/resources and environmentally friendly products they've used in their homes. Check it out at: http://www.solardecathlon.org/

GO GREEN!

Love,
Tran

tah - rah - RAH!

2007-10-13T18:12:00.000-05:00

Today was a perfect day for apple-picking. So, what do Karen and I decide to do? Well, go apple-picking, of course. We headed out to this Virginia winery out near Leesburg called Tarara, which has wine tasting and seasonal fruit-picking. Unfortunately, when we arrived there, we saw signs telling us that there was no fruit to pick. The trees were BARE! Oh noes!

Actually, the trees weren't bare, but there weren't enough good apples left on the trees for people to want to go pick them (plus, you'd need a small ladder). Luckily for us, the nice lady who worked there said that we were welcome to walk around the orchard and pick whatever apples we wanted (for FREE!) so long as we didn't damage the branches. So, after wine tasting (for only $5) and a brief tour of their wine "cave", we walked around a bit and picked some apples. There were actually a lot of apples still left on the trees, but they were all small, and many of them were not good anymore. We brought home about ten or so. I ate one, and it tasted like an apple (surprise, surprise!). The wine that we had from Tarara was good, and the Lucille (the lady in charge of our wine tasting) gave us a good tip on how to make awesome brownies. Just replace the water in the recipe with a good dessert wine (Wild River Red, from their winery) when mixing the batter. The alcohol will cook off in the oven, and you're left with these amazing brownies. Definitely something that Karen and I are going to try. Soon. Before I leave for CA on Monday.

We got a nice buzz from the wine tasting. Now, we await a big pile of meat from Cafe Divan, and then off to Dr. Dremo's. Oh, Dr. Dremo's, you better not disappoint me. This is the last time I'll ever grace your doors.

Love,
Tran

you may call me.. MASTER!

2007-10-13T01:02:00.000-05:00

The long awaited day has finally come.. I PASSED! Of course, officially I won't actually have my master's degree until January 31, 2008. But, it's good to know that I passed my defense and have only a couple small edits to make to my thesis before I'm completely done with all my master's work. YAY!!!

The defense went smoothly. I was super nervous the last few days, since I wasn't really sure what to expect. I did blank out a few times in my first meeting (a dry run of the presentation with my advisor and one committee member), but the actual defense went well. I think I may have rushed through it a bit, since I was done with the presentation in about 30 minutes, but everyone in attendance said that I did a good job. It's so relieving to finally be done. Now, the next relief would come from finding a job.

Wish me luck!

Love,
Tran

it's not me, NYC; it's so all totally you...

2007-10-10T08:37:00.000-05:00

Or, perhaps, I'm just not giving New York the chance it deserves. Having only been up to the city that never sleeps twice (as an adult), it could hardly know it enough to make a final decision, right? Maybe, but I don't think any future visits will change my mind. In any case, here's the recap of NYC with Karen.

Saturday

6:30 am: Get up and get ready so we can catch the 7:30 am Vamoose bus to NYC.
around 1:00pm: Arrive at Vi's (Karen's brother) apartment. Leave stuff. Hop on Subway.
Afternoon: Get lamb gyros from street vendor. Walk to Central Park. Sit. Sit. People watch.
5:30 pm: Attend evening mass at Saint Patrick's Cathedral. Afterwards, head over to H&M.
7:00 pm: Eat dinner at a diner we found passing on the street. Afterwards, head over to Liz's apartment to just hang for a little while.
8:00 pm ish: Take the tram to Roosevelt Island to see the Encampment. Get thoroughly depressed by the Encampment. Leave to hopefully get a pick-me-up at Bamn! the Automat.
later that night: Become thoroughly disappointed with the small size of Bamn! and it's small selection. Go home.
even later that night: Decide to stay in (because we're exhausted from being up at 6:30 am). Watch TV. Go to bed.

Sunday

10:30 am: Dim Sum Go Go!
most of the day: Spent walking around Chinatown, the West Village, and Soho. Shopping. Present searching. People watching at Washington Square. Coffee at Joe's.
7:15 pm: Dinner at Perilla.
night time: Home. Catch up on Gossip Girl and the Next Iron Chef (which we DVR'd). Sleep.

Monday

lunch: Grand Central Terminal.
2:00 pm: Catch the Vamoose bus home.

Perhaps it's the fact that NYC is so freakin' huge, and a little bit because we didn't go out at all. But aside from that, something in my nature is just not completely comfortable in a city like NYC. It's all just too much. Too big. Too fast. Too dirty. Too intense. Just.. too much.

Now, focusing on the details of the trip... The Encampment was definitely not what I was expecting after reading about it online. And, it's probably my own fault, because I didn't read the articles thoroughly enough to actually know what the whole exhibit was about. Instead of being a fanciful art exhibit, which is what I was expecting, it was a number of small installations focusing on the history of the patient's of an old smallpox hospital (now known as Renwick Ruin) that is located on the island. Not only was it a hospital, but it was also a lunatic asylum and penitentiary. All the tents had stories about suicides, murders, people dying, etc etc. It was all very very depressing. And to top it off, they had people around the exhibit, playing depressing music on trumpets, singing creepy lullabies, adding to the depressing atmosphere of it all. If I had known, I would have never gone to see it. Made me want to slit my wrists.

On an up note, dinner at Perilla was AWESOME! Not the best meal I've ever had, but it was still delicious. We even had a brief siting of Harold Dieterle (winner of Top Chef Season 1 - Perilla is the restaurant he opened as a result of his winning) - or at least the back of his head and a bit of his glasses. The entire experience was wonderful.

Maybe someday, I'll return to New York, and do it the way it's supposed to be done (out till 4am, sleep till past noon), but I get the feeling New York doesn't like me either. Only time can tell, I suppose.

Love,
Tran

Comparisons in the IST-iverse

2007-09-26T12:43:00.001-05:00

DCist is totally better than LAist, in my opinion. Check it out for youself:

DCist vs. LAist

This OLD House

2007-09-25T18:46:00.000-05:00

I don't know if this house will every be clean and organized. I started with my room. It's clean, newly painted, and lovely (just missing curtains - luckily for me my window faces a wall). So far, the room is still clean, just a little messy on my desk because I don't have anywhere, yet, to hang my necklaces and earrings. Next was bathroom #1 and the living room. The living room was pretty easy because, although there's a lot of stuff in the room, it's all stuff that more or less belong there. The hard part about cleaning the living room is dusting and getting all the cobwebs in the corners and on the ceiling. I did the best I could, and then left the hardest to reach cobwebs for another day. Bathroom #1, on the otherhand, took most of the day, and still isn't completely done. The problem was that there was just so much stuff hidden away under the sink, in the drawers, etc. My mom and I went through everything and threw out a lot of stuff (old make-up, lotion, perfume, etc. etc.). Now, all the little storage areas are all organized and clean, but there's still all my mom's hair accessories that she needs to sort through and toss out (or keep or something). The plumber finally came yesterday (or rather, my dad finally called the plumber to come yesterday), and he fixed the clogged drain in the shower/tub. My mom installed a new shower head (YAY!). I still need to bleach the tub (which I am not looking forward to) and then it should be set.

Today, I decided to attach the formal dining room and the linen closet. The linen closet took most of the day. I pulled everything out of the linen closet and had to sort through all of the bed sheets and towels and pillow cases and table clothes and everything. For now, it's very clean and organized, but knowing my family, I'll be lucky if that lasts a week. I am now a pro at folding fitted bed sheets, though. Those are always the hardest to fold because of the elastic and that stuff, but I think I've gotten pretty good at it. As to the dining room... that's still a bit of a mess. However, I'm not really sure where to put everything that's in there. I think what needs to be cleaned first is my mom's little office area in the kitchen/dining room. Then I'll know where to put her scout stuff that's sitting in the formal dining room. Oh.. that and I also need to clean out the garage (oh dear.. the garage! I just want it to disappear.) and the patio (which also just needs to disappear). I almost want to rent a storage unit temporarily just so I can throw all the stuff going off to charity into it, and then once it's all full (and out of the house), I can call Goodwill or Salvation Army or whatever other charity organization does pickups, and tell them to just take everything from the garage. ::le sigh:: I hate this part about being home.

I still haven't touched a cooking utensil or pot or pan since I've been home. Perhaps I should get around to that. I talked to my mom yesterday (briefly) about how I want to cook, but I'm not yet comfortable cooking at home (especially with my grandmother there - harassing me). She said she'd be more comfortable with me cooking than my grandma, since my grandma always makes a huge mess when she cooks and often forgets the stove on. My mom is also tired of eating the same sort of Vietnamese food every night. She'd welcome a change, as would my dad, and my sister. So.. perhaps not this week, but next, I will start cooking again.

Ah.. and Tran is still miserably sad. You know.. This is the longest I've been home in California for a while. It's strange, knowing that I'm here for an indefinite period of time, having to call this place home "where I live" home, and not just home "where I grew up" home. And, of course, I love being home, but I just really want to go back to Virginia. I suppose it will just take time to adjust back to this place. And the whole "I need a job" thing will all fall into place, and everything will be fine. I hope. My life seems so boring at home. I've got nothing going for me here. I hate waiting and not knowing and .. just.. everything.

Ugh. I think I need to end this here, before it gets any more depressing (and before it depresses me anymore). Ok.. I'm out.

Love,
Tran

Good-bye Virginia: Part 2 - .. in which Tran gripes about California

2007-09-16T12:38:00.000-05:00

My last few days in VA/DC were fun. Here's the short version:

Thesis is finished. Defense scheduled for Oct. 12 at 10am at NASA LaRC
National Cathedral was AWESOME! I've been inspired to learn to take better photographs so I can go back and get some good pictures of the stained glass windows.
Charity Date Auction went really well. Karen was bought by Lucas for $575 (highest bid! w00t!)
Spent some time at the National Gallery East Building. Jasper Johns lithium prints are on display, and I finally got to see the Matisse cut-outs in the tower.
Crittercam exhibit at the National Geographic Building Exhibiton Hall is really cool. Everyone should go check it out.
Dinner with everyone on Thursday was great, and we had delicious desserts from Harris Teeter.
Friday, Karen and I were supposed to go have sushi at Kanpai!, but they were really busy. So we went down to the sushi place by the Metro instead.
Now.. I'm back in California.

I've never been so sad to be back home before. And then, never so aggravated at what a mess this place is. I'm trying to clean old stuff out of my room, so that I can paint it and make it seem like a 23-year-old adult lives there, rather than a 10-year-old kid, but I find myself torn at what to toss and what to keep. I mean, there's stuff in there that's been sitting in boxes for years without seeing the light of day. Should I keep this stuff because of the memories they have (which are weak, at best)? Or should I just toss this stuff to get rid of the clutter, since they're obviously not THAT important? Shoud I keep the "Congratulations!" cards that I got when I graduated from college? From high school? Or should I toss all that stuff out since I will never look at them again anyway? Will it matter ten or twenty years from now, when I have kids and I'm telling them stories about my life, that I don't have old letters and pins and souvenirs to show them? At what point does an old collection or hobby become useless and just a waste of space? I've only been home a day, and I already can't stand my room. I've pulled all sorts of things off bookshelves, out of closets, out of drawers. And it just seems like there's this never-ending abyss of junk that I keep pulling stuff from. It's rather aggravating.

California, itself, is alright. I haven't seen anyone yet. Right now, mom and dad are off doing scout stuff (attending ceremonies and celebrations). Anni is at work. Khiem and Peter are supposed to be coming over to hang out around lunch time. So, I'm just sitting at home. Dreading going back into my room to face the mess. And at the same time.. wishing it would all just disappear. I have so much to do while I'm home in terms of getting this place in order, and all I want to do is leave. YIKES! It such a mess here. I don't know how they can stand it.

Oh.. my computer can't hook up to the internet, until I figure out where the router is. So.. will post up pictures of my final week in VA/DC soon.

Love,
Tran

Good-bye Virginia: Part 1

2007-09-04T09:08:00.000-05:00

At this moment, I am in a state of limbo. In betweens homes - "Good bye Hampton. Hello California!". At the end of my educational career (if this thesis ever gets finished and defended). Single (technically, but not emotionally). And in whatever other states of limbo you want to insert -->here<--.

These last few weeks on the East coast should be eventful. Anni was visiting for a couple weeks. We went to Busch Gardens, got our nails done, went to Colonial Williamsburg. . . and then she spent a week inside because I had to go to work and didn't have a car to leave with her. Off to DC! The last weekend of her vacation was eventful, and made up for her week stuck inside. We went cell phone hunting (because I had washed mine a few days earlier and needed a new one). We went to the National Museum for the American Indians. We went to Georgetown. We went to the National Aquarium (and would never go back). We went to the first annual Rockville Wine Festival. And we sat out in front of the Capitol Building to listen to the NSO. It was very nice. Now she's off, back home to California, where people are missing her and ecstatic that she'll finally be home.

As for me, I've finished the latest draft of my thesis this morning, meeting with AC tomorrow to discuss some questions that I had with it. Hopefully just a couple more minor edits, and then I'll be able to submit and schedule a defense date. And hopefully that defense date will be some time in early October, so Karen and I can spend Columbus Day Weekend in NYC! The rest of my stay in DC should be nice, since I'm going to try to get as much east coast friend time in before I leave as possible. Let's see. Hair appt on Thursday. Going to check out the Washington National Cathedral sometime next week (probably Monday). Watch Karen get sold to the highest bidder at a Charity Date Auction next Wednesday. Finishing my thesis in between these times, and probably working on the presentation as well.

Then back to California I go. I'm excited to be going back. I haven't been back to California since Easter, and I really miss all my friends and family out there. Of course, I'll miss the friends that I've made here as well, but since I'm in career limbo, I might be back. I would like to be back if it weren't for the heartbreak I would have to endure again in December. I suppose explanations may be in order, but I'd rather not give them. I'll just leave it at this. Ours was a break-up of circumstances and not because one of us wronged the other.

Anyway, I think that's enough for now. I'm watching 28 Days Later, and can't afford any distractions. Till next time.

Love,
Tran

so the COUNTDOWN begins...

2007-08-22T14:35:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I've had anything to write about. Partly because I've been concerned with finishing my thesis. Partly because my life is (on a whole) pretty boring. In any case, the countdown has begun for Tran's homecoming! 9 days till I'm out of my current residence. 24 days till I'm back in CA, for an indefinite period of time. It's a happy/sad sort of time.

Many things planned for the upcoming weeks. Anni is visiting, and hopefully the rest of her trip will be sans any more mishaps (she missed her connecting flight last night in SLC, and so had to spend the night in the airport). Mani/Pedi at Animare Aveda. One day at Busch Gardens. One day at the BEACH (weather permitting). Colonial Williamsburg (but no outlets - alas.. the poor life of a poor graduate student). Pack/label/ship ALL my stuff. Sell what I don't want to take back. Help Ben move into Jeremy's. DC!!! Date auction (where Karen will be sold off to the highest bidder).

I'm sure lots of other activities will be interspersed between those listed above. It should be an exciting time. I'm excited to be heading home, but also very sad that I'll be leaving Ben and all of my friends. Of course, they'll always be there for me to come back and visit (or perhaps hang out with if I get a job back this way), but the future for me once I get back to CA is so hazy at the moment. And, if I do end up getting a job out here, I'll once again be leaving all my family and friends back home. It's quite a dilemma, knowing people that you enjoy being around who live on opposite sides of the country. I suppose the dilemma will be solved (hopefully) in two months, when I have a job and need to settle somewhere.

For now, I guess I'll just have to not think about it, and remain concerned with completely finishing/defending my thesis and getting all my stuff back home.

Love,
Tran

An Open Letter to a Car

2007-08-07T10:24:00.000-05:00

To my dearest Camry,

We had some good times, didn't we? It's always sad to see your first car go off to a new owner, but I know you're in good hands. I may not have always treated you with the respect you deserved (e.g. not keeping you properly clean, always waiting an extra 1000 miles before changing your oil, etc.), but I always loved you more than those other cars. I can only hope that my next car will be as good to me as you have been.

After leaving you, I stepped into a new car, a cousin of yours actually. Gaetano's brand new Toyota Yaris, which I have dubbed as Guiseppe, was not nearly as fun to drive as you. He lacked cruise control, power windows and locks, and didn't give me that wonderful feeling that I had driving you. Sure, Guiseppe has all that extra storage and is a breeze to parallel park, but who wants that when you look like a clown driving him around. No one will ever compare to the way your clear-coat started to peel, or how you stopped letting me listen to CDs. Remember when that idiot of an ex-boyfriend left your tire iron in the grass at his friend's house? Or that one time when we had a huge $700 surgery to revamp your engine? Man, those were some good times.

You will be sorely missed.

Love,
Tran

GRAB BAG TIME!

2007-08-02T16:46:00.000-05:00

So, even on a budget, a girl has to take time to buy herself a gift, right? Well, how can any girl pass up a deal like the one from Puella: 10 items packaged in a cute little tote for only $150 (+ S&H). That's only $10 a piece, and there's a chance for cute tops and dresses and whatnots. Anywho.. here's what it came with:

ivory seersucker shorts
navy blue tank
lime green tank
ivory tank with golden leaves and blue squares
short-sleeved henley with red checker print
sailor tank tunic with yellow flowers
v-tank dress in light green
v-tank dress in yellow checker print
elbow sleeved bibbed tee in sky blue
navy blue tunic

It was a good surprise to see all the things they put together. Can't wait to try everything on, which I will do... NOW!

Love,
Tran

Grandma says, "No food for you!"

2007-08-01T17:43:00.001-05:00

I love my grandma to pieces. She's the greatest grandma a girl could ever ask for, and a damn good cook, too. Unfortunately, no one at home is allowed the pleasure of her cooking until I return to California. It's rather sad. She has six other grandchildren living within close proximity to her, and she won't cook anything special for them. Just the usual fish and rice for dinner. Makes me feel kind of special. Now, I'm just counting down the days till I (and everyone else) get to taste grandma's home-cooking. mmMMMmmm.

In other news, the thesis is coming along slowly, but surely. I'm working on my first round of edits, with one chapter down, hopefully another chapter done today, and a third chapter done by the beginning of next week. Then I'll have two chapters left before having to submit a second draft to my advisor, which will undoubtedly result in a second round of edits. Hopefully, two rounds of edits will suffice. Then I can submit and work on my presentation, and then present in early September. Man, this is passing by really quickly. Before you know it all my west coast friends will be welcoming me home, and all my east coast friends will be mourning my departure (sorry guys!). And then the endless jobhunt can go full-steam, rather than the half-assed, no result effort that I've been giving it lately. ::le sigh::

Hope everyone else is doing GREAT!

Love,
Tran

GO, Speed Racer, GO!

2007-07-06T16:13:00.000-05:00

Now...... STOP!!! I couldn't believe I got a ticket this morning. AGAIN!!! I decided to take a different route to work this morning so that I could stop by one of the cheap gas stations (saving $0.10/gallon) since I was running low (Hello, little orange light next to the picture of the gas pump). Anywho.. surprise surprise, there was a "little" police officer on his motorized bike poised and ready to pull me over. Apparently, I was going 46mph in 35mph zone. LAME! So, instead of saving $1.30 on gas by going to this gas station rather than the 7-Eleven by the house, I have to pay this stupid ticket.

In other news.. this week has pretty much sucked. I've been in one of those moods for the last few days, and it really sucks. Hopefully it passes soon, or else heads will roll.. ROLL, I say!

DC and the 4th - not at the same time

2007-07-05T13:30:00.000-05:00

So.. I was in DC this past weekend to catch the NSO with Chuck - performing songs from video games. I know what you're thinking... Tran is such a nerd. Well, I am, but not nearly as bad as some of the people who were there. Holy cow, I couldn't stop laughing. It was a good show though. I'm glad I went.

The rest of the weekend, I hung out with my friends up there. Met up for sushi at Singapore Bistro, drinks at Lucky Bar, animals at the zoo, dinner at Mie'n'Yu, Knocked Up with Karen, dim sum at China Garden, took Ceci to the airport for her world tour, and then headed home. Here are the highlights:

Karen found out the hard way that Wally is an ordained justice of the peace (or something like that). She and Chuck were married at Lucky Bar, I was the best man, Sharon was the maid of honor. Though, I don't think Sharon was paying attention while this was going down. And, apparently, you can get certified online to marry people. Go figure.
They got rid of the giraffe at the National Zoo. WTF! How do you have a zoo without a giraffe?!?!?!
Mie'n'Yu is an awesome restaurant! But, the drinks are a bit pricey, and the service wasn't great. The food was good, though not perfect. We had a bunch of tapas (basically): lacquered duck; tuna tartar; seared kobe beef; Thai pupu platter with beef satay, shrimp wontons, vegetable tempura; veal lettuce wraps; lamb shank; and one other thing, but I can't remember what. We also ordered two AMAZING desserts: mocha bombe and pear strudel.
Knocked Up is one of the most HILARIOUS movies I have ever seen.

Pictures here: click on me!

As for the Fourth of July (known to the British as the celebration of the REBELLION!), it was not one of my more favorite 4ths. Usually, Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays because it is characterized with lots of meat (usually beef) and fireworks - two of my top five favorite things in the world (the others being giraffes, chocolate, and ...). However, I decided to try my hand at smoking ribs this year, and well, I wasn't very successful. Let's just say that I should have had some supervision for the first time. Anywho, we ended up tossing them and grilling steaks instead. It was still a good time, just not the best time. We went out to Fort Monroe for the concert and the fireworks. The concert ended up having a $5 cover, so we just sat out on the grass. The fireworks (which were supposed to start at 9:30pm) didn't happen. We left at 10pm, took us forever to get out of the fort, and as we were leaving the gates, the fireworks started to go. While we were sitting out earlier we could see the fireworks from other parts of the peninsula, but it was rather upsetting that the Fort Monroe fireworks were so delayed. One highlight, we walked pass this father teasing his daughter and calling her a liar. It was so funny, but I felt a little bad because we were laughing out loud, and I think she started crying.

NOLA... and I can't belive she's MARRIED!!!

2007-06-25T13:53:00.000-05:00

So.. back from New Orleans (and I officially HATE flying). Here's the lowdown:

Friday: Arrived in NOLA with Ben without a hitch. The flight was short and sweet, and we made it to the hotel without any problems. Julie, Angie, and Andy were already there, and we went to eat at a small nearby joint named Napolean. I had a drink (can't remember what it's called) that was made with juniper berry liqueur, some other stuff, and a slice of cucumber. It was interesting, but I'm not sure if I like it or not. We walked Bourbon street, but didn't drink, and then called it an "early" night.

Saturday: Went to River's Edge for breakfast. I had a Jambalaya Omelet with a side of grits. Ben had a Belgian waffle with strawberries and whipped cream. It was a nice, across the street from Cafe du Monde, which was way too crowded. After breakfast, Ben and I walked around a little bit, and stopped into the St. Louis Cathedral. We headed back to the hotel room and got ready for the wedding. We were a couple minutes late to the wedding because the taxis decided that they weren't going to come to the hotel anymore because so many had come and left (since people weren't ready by the time they got there). So the bellhop had to hail us a cab, and it took forever for one to drive by. We made it to the wedding just in time to see Adrianna and Ben, the groom, walking up the stairs. It was a nice, short wedding (lasting 20 minutes, tops), and a small one as well (50 people, tops).

The reception was nice. I didn't eat much, since we had just had a big breakfast an hour before, but the spread looked good. At least, I know Ben enjoyed the hors d'oeuvres. The wedding was a lot of fun. We danced, we drank, we took lots of pictures. It was great! I hadn't seen Adrianna in over a year, so it was great seeing her so happy and beautiful. seeing everyone else was fun too. Afterwards, we went back to the hotel and napped for a few hours (after Julie and Angie were done hitting on the bellhop and getting his number). Then we got up and headed to Cafe du Monde for a snack.

We stopped into the Old Absinthe House for a round of "absinthe", at least what's considered absinthe in the U.S. I've decided that I don't like it, too much like licorice. We needed to get some real food, so we stopped by some restaurant for dinner. I had BBQ shrimp and Ben had a burger. It was nice, but the service took FOREVER. We walked around a bit and met up with the others at this little lounge bar off Bourbon St. Angie was dying to meet up with the bellhop on Frenchman Street (which is apparently where the locals hang out), but I didn't really feel like taking a taxi anywhere. I got a bit upset because we stepped in Razoo, and Julie and Angie diappeared. Apparently, the couldn't "find us" so they left. They headed up to Frenchman Street to meet up with the bellhop. Andy had an early flight in the morning, so we headed back and just hung out at the hotel. Julie and Angie (and the bellhop) got in around 6am (after Andy had left already).

Sunday: Ben and I got up and went to church at the St. Louis Cathedral at 9am. Then headed back, only to find everyone still asleep. So we headed off to brunch at Emeril's Delmonico without them. It was really nice. We were the first one's there. I had slow-cooked pork topped with two sunny-side up quail eggs over a bed of arugula. Ben had poached eggs over stone-ground grits and other things. It was really good. We finished off breakfast with some fresh baked cookies and ice-milk (which is, basically, frozen milk with vanilla).

We decided to walk back to the French Quarter, rather than spend the money for a cab. It wasn't too incredibly hot outside, but we didn't realize that the distance and the humidity was not good for us. By the time we got back to the hotel, they were up, checked out, and Angie had to head to the airport. So we said good-bye, and Ben and I attempted to kill a few hours. We walked along the river. We stopped into the Calbido (the Louisiana State Museum). We walked around a lot. We had coffee. Then we went to the airport. We were there pretty early, so we sat around and read and just waited.

When we arrived in Atlanta, we still had an hour and a half to kill. We ate at Chili's Too, and just sat around. Our flight was a bit delayed because we needed to wait for the flight crew to come in from another flight. We took off only five minutes late, BUT a sensor went off while we were in the air, something about the de-icing mechanism. Anywho, we were in the air for about 30-45 minutes, and they had to turn around and land back in ATL. So, we landed in ATL at about the time we should have been landing in PHF. The quickly moved us to a different plane and we took off shortly after that. We landed in PHF around 2:30 am, but it took forever for our luggage to get to the baggage claim. I think because there weren't enough workers there at that time in the morning. People were complaining like crazy, and getting on my last nerve. They were mad that we had to turn around to ATL rather than just landing in PHF close to on time. What they didnt' take into consideration is that if something were to happen to us on that flight, then everyone would have been asking "Why didn't they do something about that sensor when it went off during flight?"I with people would be more patient and less stupid. Oh, and that they would just shut up too.

Pictures from the trip can be found here (in no particular order). Enjoy!

Love, Tran

P.S. Here's a picture of a cake that I made last weekend for Chris' birthday: Three-layer chocolate cake with strawberries and blueberries.

Tuesday... and why I've avoided the dentist for so long

2007-06-12T14:48:00.001-05:00

Well.. it's Thursday, which means tomorrow is FRIDAY!!! and then it's SATURDAY!!! and Tran gets to SLEEP IN!!!! I don't even have a real job, and I still dread coming in everyday. Not to mention that my advisor has FINALLY given me some sort of timeline for my thesis submission (which requires that I get a rough draft to him in three weeks.. YAY!).

Anywho, I had a dentist appointment on Tuesday. The last time I went to the dentist was probably about six years ago, a year or so after I had my braces taken off. Anywho, I hate going to the dentist. It's such an uninviting environment (at least all the dentists I ever went to as a kid) and brings back memories of pain and scoldings ("I told you not to eat so much candy!" says Mom.). Well, I wasn't surprised to find out that my teeth were in need of some serious cleaning. What surprised me was how severe the damage was, and how much it was going to break the bank. Seriously? $835 to clean my teeth?!?!?! Being someone who wants to keep my teeth for as long as possible, decided that my uninsured mouth needed the cleaning (of course, it helped that the both the dental hygienist and the dentist recommended this deep cleaning to prevent periodontal disease, which I was showing early signs of). So, I have three dentist appointments in August (that's the earliest they could see me). First to numb one side of my mouth and clean; second to numb the other side and clean; and third, just to see how my mouth is liking its new clean-feeling. It's a pain, but at least this dental office is a million times nicer and more inviting than any I ever went to as a kid. And, on the bright side of things, NO CAVITIES!!!

And.. the other bothersome thing in my life (aside from the dentist and having to sacrifice all the fun things I wanted to do to be able to pay the dentist)... the THESIS! Testing, hopefully, to be completed by June 19 (Tuesday). Buckle down on writing so that I have a rough draft to Dr. Cutler by July 3 (Wednesday). Enjoy my one day off by sleeping in and laying around the house. Get first set of revisions back, and give another copy to Dr. C. by July 18 (Wednesday). More revisions, and "final" copy to Dr. C. by July 31 (before he leaves for England for the ENTIRE month of August). Get final revisions back while he's away, and submit final FINAL thesis to committee by August 17 (Friday) so that I can defend when Dr. Cutler returns from holiday (hopefully August 31 - which is the day I also have to move out of my house). I suppose it's crunch time now. YAY!

I kinda just want this all to be over. To bypass the getting a job thing and just have a job already. Settle and continue on with the rest of my life (for the next few years or so). And I'm only 23. Man.. the real world is going to kick me in the ass when I'm finally out there.

Love,
Tran

Summertime... and the living's (almost) easy...

2007-06-10T15:02:00.000-05:00

So, it's been a while since I've updated my blog, mostly because I've been lazy (everyone, by now, should know how lazy Tran can be). Anywho, I think the last time I posted anything was when I came back from STL with Ben. I'm sure much has happened, so I'll try to recap.

Cooking club is in full swing. Members are usually the same group, with some additions every once in a while. I also started to go to this Variety Meetup, and it's really cool. Annie, the organizer, has been kind enough to set up a lot of events in the summer for people to go to. I'm hoping to have the time and money to do most of them, but we shall see.

My sister, Anni, was in town for Memorial Day. We did a lot: had dinner at A Chef's Kitchen, spent a day at Busch Gardens, grilled out at the house, went to the Beach, breakfast AND dinner at Cracker Barrel, and we hit the Prime Outlets in Williamsburg. It was a lot of fun having her in town. Pictures from our dinner at A Chef's Kitchen below:

Soup Course: Basil and Summer Squash Soup

This soup was surprisingly good. I'm not usually one for pureed soups, unless their it's tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. It was paired with Anton Baur 2005 Gmork Gruner Veltliner. It's been a while, so I can't remember if I liked it or not. I think I did.

Salad Course: Sesame Noodle Salad with Spring Vegetables

This salad was TO DIE FOR!! I loved the dressing (which included peanut butter). It was a bit heavy on the dressing, but good nonetheless.

Poultry Course: Grilled Quail with Strawberry Balsamic Compote and Skillet Baked Cornbread

I've had quail before, but only at wedding receptions held at Chinese restaurants, and the quail is always served the same. Good, but nothing new. This quail was delicious. And, of course, the cornbread was great. This dish was paired with a Tegernseerhof Rose. I'm not a fan of rose, but Anni enjoyed it, so I bought her a bottle, which we had with our BBQ that following Saturday.

Meat Course: Steak Oscarof Hereford New York Strip with Colossal Lump Crab Meat Sauce Glacage and Roasted Potatoes

I LOVE STEAK! If I had to choose one meat to eat for the rest of my life, I'd have beef. Although, I may not last very long as a result of that. The dish itself was AWESOME, but I didn't care too much for the Pinot Noir that was paired with it (so I didn't take note of what it was).

Dessert Course: Dark Chocolate Cake with Coffee Buttercream

By this time, both Anni and I were so full that we split one dessert and took the other home. I love chocolate more than I love steak, so I tried my best to finish it off. Anni doesn't enjoy coffee at all, so she didn't like the icing very much, but the cake itself was yummy and very moist.

Here's a picture of the sugar sculpture Chef John made. It was pretty cool watching him do it actually, and may be something that I'll try at home some day. Only, the sugar is very hot, and I fear that I'll burn myself (which would be an unfortunate addition to my myriad of scars).

The rest of her trip was pretty great. I had fun at Busch Gardens, although we had to leave early because I was feeling pretty ill. Also, we didn't get to ride on Griffon (the new ride) because the wait was three hours long, and we didn't think it'd be worth it. The beach wasn't very nice on the day we decided to go, a bit overcast and not very many waves. But we did get to see some of the VA Beach Steel Pier Classic Longboard competition that was taking place that weekend. On Memorial day, we hit the outlets. Probably was a bad idea, since neither of us should have been spending money, but I was able to find a lot of nice things on sale. So, I'm happy we went.

Later that week, Ben and I went to the Waterpark at Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg. Annie had free passes, so a bunch of us went as part of her meetup group. It was pretty cool, but small. A few hours there was more than enough time to do everything. It was also nice because it was a weekday, so it wasn't very crowded.

The start of June (and summer) means that LARSS students are returning to NASA. Martin, a kid from last summer, is back in our branch. He seems better now than he was last summer, which is good for him. John, a roommate from last summer, is also back. He and Ceci came over for dinner last week. Hopefully we'll all get to hang out more while Ceci is in town. At the end of the month, she leaves for a two month vacation around the world (surfing in Indonesia and Hawaii, hanging out in Thailand and New Zealand) before she heads to Stanford to start her graduate studies.

This past weekend was Harborfest down in Downtown Norfolk/Waterside, which marks a year since the first day I met Ben. We had dinner with Gaetano and Rohit and Joe's CrabShack (not the one we met at, but the one closer to the house). And then we headed down to see the concert and the fireworks show. We only got there in time to see Kool and the Gang (missed Los Lonely Boys and 38 Special). It was a good show, and a good time. The fireworks were crazy (in size, and number). We didn't stay out on Granby Street because Rohit had to catch and early flight to Hawaii this morning. He's going to be there all week for a conference.

Now for the bad news. This morning, Gaetano noticed that his PS2 was missing from the living room. Apparently, we had left one of the sliding glass doors unlocked, and someone came in and stole his PS2, along with his controllers and all his pirated games and his wallet, which was sitting on the counter (in its usual spot). We think it happened sometime between 12:30am and 7:30 am, since Gaetano was up at 7:30 and would have heard someone coming into the house. Rohit left around 5:30am to go to the airport, but we haven't been able to talk to him yet about it (since he's in flight right now). Without thinking, we went to the police station, rather than calling them to come to us. They told us there to go home and call the police station to report a burglary. As far as we can tell, they only took the PS2 and his wallet, since all our computers are still here and everything else seems to be in order. Gaetano is in the process of taking care of all that, but he had a lot in his wallet (DC driver's license, Italian driver's license, some money, lots of random stuff, and worse of all, his SS Card). He had to put a fraud alert on his credit and still needs to call around and take care of some bills and stuff. The officer came by and went around trying to talk to the neighbors to see if anyone saw anything, but no one answered their doors (stupid neighbors). Anywho.. everything seems to be in order except for the missing stuff, so it's rather unfortunate for Gaetano. I got lucky, since my backpack was sitting on the counter with my laptop in it.

As to work and research, it seems to be going well. I've started running experiments, which means that I'll soon be done with running experiments and focusing solely on writing (YAY!). I think that's it for now. I'm skipping out on book club this month because I don't really care to read the book (Confessions of a Crap Artist). Our next cooking club meeting isn't until July 1, Brunch at Marlita's. The next big thing is Adrianna's wedding in New Orleans, which I'm super excited to be attending. I still can't believe she's getting married! Till then, I'll try to keep up with this.. and perhaps create some exciting events of my own to blog about.

Love,
Tran

STL and the worst airport/flying experience EVER!!!

2007-05-21T10:24:00.000-05:00

Hey all... I've decided to lift the restriction off the "purely" food aspect of this blog, and turn it into just a blog. It makes for better writing, since there's so much more going on that I can talk about. ANYWAY... about my trip to the STL...

Wedneday, May 16, 2007:

Chris drops Ben and I off at the airport. Our flight was scheduled to leave Newport News (PHF) at 6:10pm and arrive in Atlanta (ATL) at 8:something; then, we were supposed to catch a flight from ATL to St. Louis (STL) around 10pm to arrive in STL a little before 11pm (central time). Unfortunately for us, due to bad weather conditions in ATL (rain, thunder, lightning), our plane was delayed 2 hours. We asked the ticket lady at the Delta counter if this would prevent us from catching our connecting flight to STL, and she told us that that plane was also late and we shouldn't worry about it.. WELL... we arrived in STL a few minutes after our connecting flight took-off (she was wrong!). Ended up that Delta rebooked us for a flight the next day (11:45am), but we got on stand-by for an earlier flight since we wanted to make it in time for Jill's graduation from SLU. Delta comp'd us a hotel room and some meal vouchers, but we couldn't get our baggage (because it would take "3-5 hours, and that's not even a guarantee that you'll get your stuff"). We also couldn't get refunds for our tickets and try to get on another flight because, apparently, there are no red eye flights out of ATL. So, the first Delta worker who helped us gave us a hotel room at the Red Roof Inn. We go outside to wait for the courtesy shuttle, unable to get through on the courtesy telephone. An hour or so later, we finally get through by calling on our own, and they're all booked up. ALL of their rooms were taken because a MILLION people were also stranded in ATL. We go back inside and talk to a different lady at the ticket counter. She gets us a room at the Comfort Inn (which isn't really that comfortable) and called to make sure that they still had rooms. We also picked up some "overnight kits" from the Delta baggage claim office, since we didn't have any stuff with us. It consisted of a XL t-shirt, toothbrush, toothpaste (that tasted like soap), (men's) deodorant, laudry detergent (wtf??), razor and shaving cream, and a hair brush, all packed up in a nice little bag. The only thing going for the hotel was that it wasn't the airport.

Thursday, May 17, 2007:

We get up around 6:30am, since we want to try to get on an earlier flight. The second thing the Comfort Inn has going for it is continental breakfast. I had 2 hard-boiled eggs and 1/4 of Ben's waffle. We got to the airport, and the man driving the shuttle told us that the security lines are going to be packed (since EVERYONE and their mom got stranded at the airport last night). As a side note: My mom was also stranded at the airport Wednesday night. She missed her flight from BWI to get home from my Grandma Slike's funeral, so they put her on a different flight to Philadelphia, then home. Philadelphia was also experiencing bad weather on Wednesday, and she spent the night at the airport because they didn't comp her a room (idiots!). Anywho.. we get through security (yes, it felt like a semi-infinitely long line) and get to the early flight. They're overbooked (I dont' understand how that EVER should be able to happen), but for some reason the lady on standby before us gets on it (DAMNIT!). So.. we end up having a few hours to kill at the airport before our flight. We eat at a French Bistro place and sleep and watch CNN and mosey about.

We get to St. Louis around 1pm. Ben's father was there to pick us up. We go straight to the graduation (with a slight detour since Ben's father missed the highway interchange we were supposed to get on) and make it there about five people before Jill. So we missed all the boring stuff and got to see her walk across the stage. Then pictures and pictures and (early) dinner at Landry's Seafood at Union Station. I had the crawfish etouffee, and it was good. It was a nice joint, and his family was really nice and happy to meet me. Then we went to his Nana and Papa's house. We hung out there for a while, then went home and rested up a bit (took a shower and watched TV). Afterwards we went over to his Uncle Dave's house, because Ben's parents don't have internet and Ben needed to check on some important bill stuff online.

Friday, May 18, 2007:

The morning dragged a little slow, but we eventually went for a run/walk at Mastodon State Park, which is right by Ben's house. It's pretty treachorous, and I couldn't run the whole thing, so I ran some, walked, and then walked the end while Ben ran with the Dog. We got back to the house, and showered and waited for his parents and his sister to get home from the store. Then we went to the Arch, that was pretty cool. You can see clear into Illinois!!! It's only across the Mississippi River, but still, it's fun to say. We got very nice views from the Arch, but Jill pointed out that many overweight people would not be able to get up there. For one, they wouldn't be able to fit into the little tram that takes you up to the top, since the door into the tram is only 4-feet tall by 2-feet wide and the tram itself is not much bigger and can barely fit five normal sized adults comfortably. For second, they wouldn't be able to walk around much once they were at the top, since it is a pretty cramped space.

After the Arch, we grabbed some candy from a little "antique" store in and walked around the Museum of Westward Expansion, which is in the base of the Arch. Then headed home for rib-eye steak and all the sides (baked potato, corn on the cob, green beans). The steak was a little too done for my liking, which made it a little tough, but it wasn't too bad, and all the other stuff was good (the corn was really sweet). Also, Judy (Ben's mom) made this fruit dip that's a combination of marshmallow spread, cream cheese, and vanilla extract that's SO GOOD. We dipped strawberries and pineapple chunks in it. MMM! After dinner, we helped set up a little for Jill's graduation party, and then headed over to Ben's grandparents' house to see his Uncle Greg. Then over to his Uncle Dave's house to watch Casino Royale. Dave made popcorn, out of a popper, and it was awesome! I fell asleep during the movie, of course, but the popcorn was still good.

Saturday, May 19, 2007:

Ben and I get up and head to the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. It was pretty cool, though the packaging plant was closed for maintenance (that was the only thing I really wanted to see). We got to taste some beers at the end, but none of them were any good. After the tour of the brewery, we stopped by the Historic Soulard Farmers' Market, which is wicked cool. I wish we had something like that out here, but, alas, we do not. They even had an indoor part that was open year-round.

We got home and helped out with last-minute party set-up stuff, and then the party started. I met a lot of people that day, and I don't remember all of their names or faces, but it was mostly family. I did get to meet some of Ben's friends from high school, and we went to S&J's for custard and snowcones. I had a Heath Concrete, which apparently is a Heath Bar blended into custard soft serve. It was good, but Ben's Baby Joey was better.

After S&J's, Ben and I went to play tennis with his friend James and his fiancee Becca (Ben's going to be James' bestman at the wedding in August). Now, I've always sucked at tennis, but it was pretty fun. After that, we all got washed up and had dinner at Fitz's, which was an OK restaurant, but the soda was a bit sweet (they make their own). I had a roasted red pepper and portabello sandwich with an orange cream soda. We also walked up and down the Del Mar Loop, but we didn't feel like bar-hopping, and all the cool stores were closed.

Sunday, May 20, 2007:

I woke up at 5:30am thinking it was 6:30am to go to a 7:00am service at St. Joseph's. When I realized that I was an hour early, I went back to sleep, only to get woken by Ben who was worried that I would miss the service (He was up becuase the dog needed to be taken out). After the service, I came back to the house and watched TV, ate Eggo waffles, played with the cat, watched TV. We all went to another service at 10:30am. Ben's parents and his Uncle Dave sing in the choir. It was different, considering I've never been to another Christian service before. After that, we all had lunch at Applebee's. I had the buttermilk shrimp and cherry limeade. Ben had a Crispy Orange Chicken Bowl and a strawberry lemonade. Then, tearful "good-bye"s at the airport, and we were off. So we thought...

Our flight out of STL was supposed to go to Charlotte, NC, and then to PHF. Apparently, the flight crew never showed up in Charlotte to come to STL in the first place, so a bunch of people were stranded in Charlotte, and a bunch of people were stranded in STL. US Airways had rebooked us for a flight later that evening, but a lot of people had to stay overnight because they're weren't any available flights that day for them. We waited in line for an hour to finally check our bags, there were so many people. Instead of heading out of STL at 3:10pm to Charlotte, we were on a 6:30pm flight to Philadelphia. Then a quick (40 minute) hop from Philadelphia to PHF. We got home only about an hour after we were supposed to arrive, so it wasn't that bad. We were, howeve, stranded at STL for three hours with nothing to do. I took a nap. Ben did too, but I don't think he was able to get as comfortable as I was, given my small size.

So.. that was the weekend. His family is great! Really nice and open and fun and just easy to get along with. They seemed to like me, at least that's what everyone told me and that's what Ben told me when we left. But, then again, who doesn't like Tran? (I kid, I kid). Pictures to come soon.

Happy Birthday to ME!

2007-05-14T12:46:00.000-05:00

So.. it's been a little while since I've blogged anything about food or anything else for that matter. Mostly because I've been too lazy to talk about the things I've been cooking, and the other reason is because I didn't have my camera to take pictures for a while. I have my camera back now, but still no pictures of food. HOWEVER.... check out this awesome comic strip:

Today's my birthday! 23 years old.. and kinda apathetic about it. The birthday festivities include work.. then a jog with Nhan.. then dinner at Nawab.. then perhaps the bars for a while. It sucks that it's a Monday.. but I'll make due. All birthdays can't be as spectacular as last year.. ::le sigh::

Love,
Tran

. . . and I will walk 500 more . . .

2007-04-30T08:09:00.000-05:00

** a little bit about food, but mostly about the walk

Before:

After:

HAHAHHA!! yeah right!

Way back - a few months ago - my friend Karen had asked me to do this walk with her (www.onedayhike.org). It's 100K in one day (starting from Georgetown and ending in Harper's Ferry, WV). It seemed like a good idea at first, but as time went on, we stopped training and decided to do the 50 K instead (this one starts in White's Ferry). So.. that's what I did this past weekend: walked 50 K (for you American's, that's roughly 31 miles) in under 10 hours. OMG, do my feet (and legs, and body, and everywhere else) HURT!!

As with all things that include lots of vigorous activity, you have to make sure you eat well, and often. So, the night before (Friday) we carb'd up with pasta, potatoes, corn, carbs, carbs, carbs, etc. For breakfast, we split a bagel and made potato & egg burritos. Along the walk itself, they had water and snacks and sandwiches and soup and "feet aid" and chairs and gatorade and paramedics and nurses and motivational sounds and people sitting on the ground.. and it goes on and on and on...

Here's a picture of me waiting to use the port-o-potty at the start of the race, while they were still relatively clean. The walk itself was exactly what I was expecting. It was long and tiring, but we kept up a pretty good pace and finished, which is the most important part. Anyone that ever says, "Oh, you're only walking. . . blah blah . . . " has never walked 31 miles with minimal stopping before. It's killer, especially with little or no training beforehand. I have to say that the last mile was killer. Most of the trail is nice and flat, but gravelly (stupid rocks!) which is killer on the feet. The last "mile" however, which takes us through the historic town of Harper's Ferry, is the mile from HELL! When you get off the trail, you need to cross a bridge over the Potomac River to get into West Virginia. Then there's a nice person at the end of the bride telling you that the end of the walk is just up over this hill. Now, let me tell you about this hill. It's not a 5 degree incline hill, but more like a 15 degree incline hill. And after walking 30 miles, it feels like a mountain. It's a bit relieving on the legs since your work different muscles, but your feet are still dying from the ordeal, so no good. You reach the top of the hill and then go down hill (which is even worse feeling than the walking on level ground), then there's someone at the bottom who tells you to just go up another hill to get to the end. But you go up the second hill, and there's no end! There's a bit more down hill and then you have to go UP an inclined driveway to get to the end (maybe some more hills in between, but I was so out of it that I can't recall). We were lucky to finish when we did, because it started pouring rain five minutes after we made it to the center. Here's a picture of me forcing a smile at the Bolivar Community Center (the end!). The other guy in the picture is this hard-core Marine that we met upwith (named Greg). He was doing the full 100K. Apparently, he didn't realize that there were going to be stops along the way, so he packed 23 pounds of water with him at the start, and he ran the first 23 miles in about four hours. Then he got wiped out, I suppose anyone would, and walked the rest of the way. We met him at around Mile 39 (for him - Mile 6 for us). He was pretty cool. Kept calling us "yous guys", and he gave us a ride home from DC to the apartment so we didn't have to take a cab or the Metro (because I couldn't walk anymore even if I had to - maybe if someone was chasing me with a knife).

They had some food at the end point, but I just couldn't eat. Something gave me a really bad stomach ache at the end (I think it was the Gatorade). I forced down some yogurt and chili, but I felt like crap. Karen was doing surprisingly well, and didn't have any blisters. I ended up with two - one the size of a nickle on the ball of my foot (which still hurts now) and a little one at my heel (which isn't so bad). It was pretty gross when I drained them.

Next day, we had brunch at Filomena's in Georgetown. Karen tricked me and got everyone to say that they weren't coming to brunch, but they all showed up. SUPPLIES!!! This was supposed to make up for the fact that no one will be able to come down to visit me for my birthday (IN TWO WEEKS!!!) It was really fun. A good way to lift my spirits after the walk. I ate so much, since I was starving and didn't eat much the night before after the walk.

photo album here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2055135&id=7404083

food in a bag?

2007-04-25T07:54:00.000-05:00

Last night, my newly created cooking club had our first official meet-up (I'm not counting the very first one because we just sat around and introduced ourselves and brainstormed ideas for events). Unfortunately, not everyone who had signed up to go showed up. Lucky for us, the owner of the DreamDinners franchise that we went to was nice enough to let us assemble our dinner even with only five people.

If you've never heard of DreamDinners before, it's rather ingenious. It's the brainchild of Stephanie Allen and Tina Kuna, out of Washington state. Basically, you get all the fun of cooking the dinner without any of the prep work, and everything is frozen and can be stored for a few months. Just pop it in the fridge to defrost a few days before you want to eat it. Here's how it works:

First: Go online to dreamdinners.com. Find a location near you. Sign up for a session. Sign up for your meals (36-servings or 72-servings) - ranges from $2.50 - $5.00 per serving, depending on how many you buy and which meals you choose. Pay online.

Second: Show up at the store on the date of your session and assemble your dinner. Each meal has it's own station. You just go around to the station and follow the instructions given at each one. All the ingredients will be there, as well as everything you need to pack it all up. You'll even get nifty labels to place on the outside of your packages so you know how to cook it when you get home.

Third: Take your meals home and stick them in the freezer. When you want to eat them, just pop the package in the refrigerator a few days ahead to defrost. Then follow the directions on the package as to how to cook the meal. ENJOY!

I think it's pretty cool, since you still get to cook everything, just all the prep work is done for you ahead of time. It saves a lot of time and energy. Also, it's equivalent to going to the grocery store once a month (if you have a large family) or every couple months (if it's just you alone). You get great meals, and healthy, meals to make at home - and you would only have to go to the grocery store to get drinks and snacks, and maybe some side dishes.

water, water... EVERYWHERE!

2007-04-24T14:38:00.000-05:00

My sister is wonderful. Whenever she's out and sees something that she thinks is cool and that she thinks I'll like, she'll buy it (granted it doesn't cost some obscene amount of money). For instance, she got me this wickedly awesome water bottle from Hydracoach. It calculates your ideal water intake based on your weight (mine is 54 oz. in 24 hours) and then monitors how much water you've drank during the day and what percentage of your goal you have reached. It's really cool. Unfortunately, since it's sitting here, I keep drinking out of it. As a result, I usually have to visit the john every thirty minutes or so. At least I know that I'm getting enough water. That's always a good start to a healthy lifestyle.

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish!

2007-04-23T08:18:00.000-05:00

My good friend Jeremy has recently quit his job at CRDF to move back home (to Kentucky) for the next few months before starting the next chapter of his life (as a male gigolo, making house-calls in the Bible Belt - coming to a town near you!). He was also participating in a hal f-Ironman race this past weekend our at Lake Anna, so we all decided to camp out to support him (and to take advantage of the first warm, beautiful weekend we've had in a while). As with all camping experiences (without a Dutch oven), food is hardly gourmet, but we managed to put together a decent menu. I wasn't able to get pictures of everything (since I didn't have a camera), but here are some shots from Sharon and Karen.

What's camping without a nice fire and s'mores. The picture above is of the biscuits we made on Sunday morning. Jeremy had the bright idea of making biscuits over coals by wrapping them in foil. The burned a little bit, but they still tasted delicious (or atleast as delicious and Pillsbury biscuits can taste).

Here's Karen making us breakfast. This is after Jeremy had already left to start his race. No one was up in time to see the start, but we all headed out there for the finish (and to just chill on the "beach"). We had eggs and bacon that first morning. Some of us had woken up before everyone else, and the camping stoves weren't out yet (or the spatula) and we didn't know where they were. We ended up using a pan on top of the fire and cooking eggs and bacon that way. And, without a spatula, we had to flip the bacon with sticks. It was rather caveman like (but interesting nonetheless). Once everyone was up, we found the camping stoves and the spatula and were able to make scrambled eggs and bacon. And Tom even made French Toast. YUM! (I didn't actually eat any of the french toast, but it looked good.

Oh. Here's a collection of some of the alcohol that we brought along. This doesn't even account for the cases and cases of beer that is stashed away in the coolers (or in the tents). I don't even know if we put a dent in the amount of alcohol that was brought. I'm sure people had to take home cases of beer and bottles of wine (I took home two). We did bring a bear out to Jeremy for when he finished the race (6 hours and 40 minutes after he started) per his request. Dinner consisted of burgers and hotdogs cooked either over fire or over coals.

Dinner Saturday night consisted of hotdogs and hamburgers and a Sharon's classic rock on shuffle (with an interjection every few minutes or so of "Where's the mustard?"). It was a good time, considering everyone was actually together for a meal. Lots of interesting conversations about all sorts of things came up.

Here's a picture of me and Ben, eating breakfast on Sunday (egg sandwich) with Jeremy's two dogs (Maggie and Carly) trying to catch fallen scraps. Jeremy has them on a strict diet though, so no human food for them. All in all, it was a fun camping trip. I got to go mountain bike riding with Ben, and I even have a battle-scar to show for it (I fell on top of my bike - not even off it - trying to get back on AFTER we had gone through the hardest part of the trail). We'll definitely go camping again before the summer is over and I have to move back to Cali.

HAPPY EASTER!!

2007-04-17T09:42:00.000-05:00

For all Catholics, Easter is a HUGE DEAL!! First, one must endure the forty days (not counting Sundays) of fasting and self-sacrifice and prayer, starting with Ash Wednesday. The end of it is a GLORIOUS Celebration, which includes a three hour + mass on Saturday night (which my sister and I endured in Vietnamese) and Sunday mass (one is required, but attending both is optional). That is, after Holy Week, which really is Holy Thursday and Good Friday, a lot of prayer and reflection and fasting. In any case, Easter is a big TO-DO for all Christians, considering that there'd be no point in Christ-based faiths without Easter (you can disagree, but I'll never give up my stance on this point), so, as you would expect, lots of food is involved.

After mass in Saturday (a three hour ordeal that we spent standing at the back of the church because we were nice enough to let a few old ladies take our seats), we all went to eat at Cali - which just so happens to be the only Vietnamese restaurant worth eating at that is open at that time of night. Family style dinner is something that I miss now that I live away from home, so it's always nice to sit down to it: canh dau hu (tofu soup), can chua ca (fish soup with tomato and pineapple), mam heo (I guess it's pork, but I'm not sure how it's made), thit tom kho (slow-cooked pork and shrimp), ca chien (deep fried fish), bo luc lac (sauteed beef on watercress), ca kho (slow-cooked fish), and some other stuff that I didn't eat.

Next we have Easter Brunch. Opting out of cooking two big meals on Easter Sunday, we all went to Mimi's Cafe after Mass. Of course they don't take reservations, and it was as crowded as all-get-out (a term I know the meaning to, but never really understood the origins). We were seated an hour after calling in, and sat down to a nice meal with the family. I had pan-seared scallops over fettuccine. I couldn't get pictures of everyone else's food, just because everyone was pretty famished once we got the food, and dug right in. Everyone else got various breakfast items (like the crabcake eggs Benedict my sister ordered) or spaghetti.

Easter Dinner was a bit more work for me than just ordering food. I had decided to make an Easter dinner I read in the latest Food&Wine. It was a Chilean dinner with herb-crusted leg of lamb, fried mashed potato balls, tomato and onion salad, green and white beans salad, and some other things that are Nguyen family staples at all dinner (canned corn, garlic bread). It turned out really well, and mom, Anni and I were able to finish leftovers for lunch the next day.

And that was Easter. Much of the rest of the week went unphotographed, much to my dismay. I never seem to remember to take the camera when I really want it. Random meals include: Bengal BBQ at Disneyland (skewered meat and veggies including bacon-wrapped asparagus), Gyros from Daphne's (because In-n-Out was flooded), drinks at Dave and Buster's (cosmos and lemondrops), wonton soup from Mr. Fong's (thanks to Angie), dim sum at Mr. Fong's, dinner and drinks at Nectar Wine Lounge (delicious, but small, portions of pancetta-wrapped prawns, kobe beef, and affogato), beef tenderloin (a la Mrs. Woo via pre-marinated Costco), and afternoon tea at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay (which I DO have pictures or and will post in a later entry).

return from the other side

2007-04-17T08:12:00.000-05:00

It's been quite a while since I've last posted something (two weeks or so). It's mostly because I've been: a) lazy and b) away on holiday in California. In any case, I'm back at work now, and will post something soon. . . BUT I left my camera in MTV's car before I left for SF, and Angie still needs to send me pictures from my weekend with her. So, the next post will be on Easter (since I got those pictures off my camera before leaving it in a locked car - like an absent-minded mother on her way to feed her gambling addiction). The following posts regarding my eating adventures in California will have to wait until the pictures actually come - via snail- or electronic-mail.

smoked paprika... I LOVE YOU!

2007-04-02T08:57:00.000-05:00

Ben is starting a new diet to help him get back into shape. Unfortunately, he's dating me and decided to start his diet on a Saturday. We did follow breakfast (pancakes with butter and syrup and an orange), but we had it at 11am rather than 7am, which is what was recommended. Anywho, to help his diet get stomped further into the ground, I decided to make duck for dinner. Turned out pretty good, but it was extremely hard to carve.

Smoked Paprika Duck (adapted from Simply Recipes)

Ingredients:
1 whole duck
2 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp honey
zest and juice from half a lemon
1 tbsp softened butter
1 tbsp Essence (by Emeril)
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix all ingredients and slather all over the duck. Roast duck in the oven until cooked though (an instant read thermometer yields 170 degrees F when inserted into the breast or 180 degrees F when inserted into the thigh).

Sides: Sauteed Broccolini and Roasted Zucchini

Ingredients:
1 bunch broccolini
zest and juice of half a lemon
2 cloves of garlic, minced
olive oil

Heat oil in a saute pan. Add garlic and broccolini. Add lemon zest and juice. Saute until cooked to desired done-ness (about 10 minutes).

Ingredients:
2 zucchinis, cut into 1/2 inch thick
olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper

Toss all ingredients and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake to desired done-ness.

Dessert: Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
8 oz chocolate (at least 52% cacao)
pinch of salt
pinch of cinnamon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat 1 cup of cream in a small sauce pan over med-low heat. Add chocolate to melt. Stir a little bit of chocolate mixture into eggs to temper, then slowly pour the rest of the chocolate in. Add salt and cinnamon, and beat to mix and thicken. Refrigerate. Beat remaining cup of cream with vanilla and sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold chocolate mixture into whipped cream and refrigerate until ready to serve. You may want to whip longer to get the texture that you like.

Last night, Ben and I went to go see the Decemberists at the Norva, in Norfolk. It was an awesome show, and he really enjoyed himself, which was a bit surprising to me. In any case, I made dinner ahead, but I had forgotten my camera at home. Still, you can have the recipe. It was really easy and turned out really good.

Braised Pork Chops

Ingredients
4 thick cut pork chops
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 medium red onion, diced
2 cups mushrooms, quartered
2 cloves garlic, minced
oil
salt and pepper
1 can diced tomatoes
1 lemon, zest and juice
chopped parsley

Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Sear in oil in a large sauce pan over med-high heat, three minutes per side. Remove from pan and tent with foil. Add 1 tbsp oil to pan and saute onions, garlic, lemon zest, and 1 tbsp chopped parsley. Cook for about four minutes. Add peppers and mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another four minutes. Add lemon juice and diced tomatoes, bring to a simmer. Nestle pork chops in the pan and simmer, covered, until pork is cooked through (about ten to twelve minutes). Garnish with chopped parsley, and serve with crusty bread.

Sheer Kitchen - Sheer GENIUS!!!

2007-03-30T12:14:00.000-05:00

Holy cow! i want! I Want! I WANT!!! This concept kitchen by SHEER is AWESOME! Just check out the pictures on their website. It's incredible how much storage and useful space there is in just a sphere and a storage cabinet. I WANT ONE!

Happy Birthday Aaron!

2007-03-30T08:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Aaron's birthday, so Ben and I joined his (ex?)girlfriend, Kara, and him for dinner at Freemason's Abbey Restaurant in Downtown Norfolk. It's an old historic building that was originally a church, but now it's a restaurant. They kept all the old architecture, so it's rather cool to eat in. Ben said that he'd want to go back just to sit in the building, but the food itself wasn't anything spectacular, just par. Here's what we ate:

Apettizer: FRIED CALAMARI - Hand-battered fresh calamari rings on a bed of marinara sauce.

This was pretty good. I wish the calamari was crunchier, but the marinara sauce was good.

House Salad: A section of iceberg lettuce with cucumbers, red onion, cherry tomato, a cracker of some sort, and cheddar cheese. Thousand Island dressing and a slice of cantaloupe on the side.

Um.. wtf? I like salads using iceberg lettuce because it's crisp and clean tasting. However, if you're going to serve it as something that needs to be cut up, then please at least give me a wedge of lettuce that has been cleaned. And perhaps it was cleaned, but they forgot to take off the wilty outside layer. Minus points. Oh, I could have done without the cheddar cheese as well. A different cheese would have been better.

Main Course: VEAL PALLARD - Veal cutlets dusted wwith flour and pan-seared, topped with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and herbs, served over a rosemary demi-glaze

I've never had veal before, so I thought I'd give it a try. It was ok, but I don't think that I'll ever have veal served like this again. The dish was a bit heavy on the mozzarella and the rosemary. It was reminiscent of veal parmesan, but without the marinara sauce.

Main Course (Ben): FRESH GRILLED SALMON OSCAR - A boneless filet of North Atlantic Salmon grilled and topped with tender asparagus spears, backfin crabmeat and Hollandaise sauce

I had a try of this. It was alright. Ben didn't like the Hollandaise sauce. He said that it wasn't right for the salmon. He probably should have gone with the Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Main Course (Aaron and Kara): ROAST PRIME RIB AU JUS - The best Midwestern beef, slowly roasted and served with out special au jus: I didn't get to try their food, but it looked good. Aaron seemed to enjoy his meal quite a bit.

Dessert: Peanut Butter and Chocolate Pie. This was just like eating a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. It was pretty good. I love the way they ask you if you want dessert. Instead of bringing you a dessert menu, they bring out a plate with all the dessert choices on it. It's a great marketing scheme because you're more likely to order dessert if you see what it looks like. I forgot to take a picture, sorry.

The waitress was pretty good. She brought Aaron a free mug since it was his birthday. And she was on top of things (for the most part) throughout the dinner. Her only miss-hap was when she forgot to bring us water, but that was only once. Wine for the evening was 2003 Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva, and paired well with all of our food, save Ben's salmon, but I don't think he cared.

Please sir, can I have s'more?

2007-03-29T07:39:00.000-05:00

So... it's been quite a while since I've posted anything that I've cooked at home. I'm not saying that I haven't been cooking (how else would I survive?), but just that I haven't been cooking anything worth posting. In any case, here's my first venture into the world of traditional British food: Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding!

I've had roast beef before, but usually it's the sliced lunch meat you get on sandwiches. And it's not usually my favorite. I'm a salami kind of girl. I have heard of roast beef for dinner growing up, but my mom (or rather my grandmother) never made it. I don't think she knew what it was, and she'd probably laugh at the idea of having sandwiches for dinner. I never knew what Yorkshire pudding was, and I assumed it was some sort of dessert (being an ignorant American, and all). Obviously, it isn't. It's a side usually served with dinner, and I'm not quite sure yet how I feel about it. I think if we ate it right away out of the oven, it would have been spectacular, but we had to wait a while because Ben went for a jog. Perhaps better results next time.

Here are the recipes, courtesy of Nigella Lawson.

Roast Beef:

Ingredients
1 roast of beef (enough to feed whoever is coming over - your choice of part)
olive oil
rosemary
salt and pepper
Essence (optional)
Vegetables to roast with (optional)

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Rub seasoning and oil and rosemary all around the roast. Place on a rack in a roasting pan. Scatter vegetables around. Roast for 15 minutes, then lower heat to 350 degrees F, and continue to roast until an instant read thermometer yields 115 degrees F when inserted into the middle of the roast. Remove from the oven and cover with foil. Let sit while you make Yorkshire Pudding.

Yorkshire Pudding

Ingredients:
1.25 c milk
4 eggs
salt and pepper
1 T vegetable oil
1.5 c flour

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place your baking dish in the oven to heat up. Whisk together milk, eggs, salt and pepper, and oil. Let sit for 15 minutes. Whisk in flour, a little bit at a time, until you get a smooth batter. Pour into your heated baking dish and bake for 20 minutes, or until puffy and golden. "Bring to the table triumphantly!"

The result was pretty good, which makes me happy! :) What makes me even happier is SPRING!!! The big trees on my street have been blooming for about a week, and it's glorious. Yesterday was a beautiful day, so I took some pictures of it. I'm not sure what kind of trees these are, but they have the awesome little white flowers that just brighten up the street.

Also, the egglings I got for Christmas from Ben are finally sprouting (after I had to plant the reserve seeds that come with them). YAY! They're so cute!

TRAN = lazy this past weekend

2007-03-26T08:14:00.000-05:00

Alright, so I didn't cook much this weekend. Only dinner yesterday for Ben and me, and even then, it was Shake'n'Bake pork chops, baked potato, and green beans. Nothing special. Nonetheless, I still have something to post.

The round up for HHDD#10: Cheesecake is now up on Culinary Concoctions by Peabody. My entry is #46. Voting ends this Saturday (March 31) and you don't have to be a participant to vote, but you can only vote once. So choose wisely. Send your vote to luvbriere (at) gmail (dot) com.

Yesterday was a stir-fry day.

2007-03-22T07:55:00.000-05:00

I had some tofu and veggies that needed to be used, so I decided to make a stir fry for me and my roommates. At first, it was just going to be cauliflower, asparagus, and tofu, but they were only selling white asparagus at the store (and asparagus tips, but I didn't want those), so I had to add a little more color to the dish. I think it turned out pretty well.

Tran's Tofu Stir Fry

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, florets only
1 bunch asparagus, blanched and cut to 1-inch length
5 carrots, chopped/halved/quartered to match asparagus
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped to bite-size
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped to bite-size
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T vegetable oil
1 T sesame oil
2 T fish sauce
1 T soy sauce
1 T chili flakes in oil
Tofu, cut into appropriate sized cubes and deep-fried
Rice

Heat vegetable oil and sesame oil in a large pan or wok. Add garlic and stir. Add cauliflower and carrots and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add fish sauce, soy sauce, and chili flakes; then add remaining vegetable. Stir fry for about four minutes. Add tofu and stir; lower heat to med-low and cover. Let cook for 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

I couldn't find the chili flakes in oil at the market, so I made my own. Turned out pretty nicely.

Chili Flakes in Oil

Ingredients
1 bottle sesame oil blend (sesame and canola)
1/2 onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic, smashed
3 oz. crushed red pepper flakes

Heat oil in a small sauce pan with onions and garlic until small bubbles appear. Remove from heat and add red pepper flakes. Let steep until cool. Remove onions and garlic, and transfer to a container.

The Restaurant Round-up

2007-03-20T10:03:00.000-05:00

I never take my camera to dinner when we're going out to a restaurant. Ok, wait, I take that back. I always take my camera, but then I feel weird about taking pictures of the food while I'm at the table with other people. In any case, there are a few restaurants around here that we frequent, and I thought I'd share them with you, since I haven't done that yet.

Thai Erawan
2900-Q Hampton Highway (Rt.134)
Yorktown, VA

Bubba's Ship Galley Inc.
105 Rens Rd
Poquoson, VA

Nawab Indian Cuisine
11712 Jefferson Ave.
Newport News, VA

Al Fresco Italian Cuisine
11710-A Jefferson Ave
Newport News, VA

That's all for now. I'm sure I'll discover more the longer I'm down here.

Competition Round-up

2007-03-19T14:36:00.000-05:00

Alright, here's a quick round up of the upcoming food-blogging competitions that I've decided to participate in:

Waiter, There's something in my . . . Easter Basket! (WTSIM #3)- Hosted by thepassionatecook
Food Fight: Eggs (FF#1) - Hosted by Eating out Loud
Fish & Quips: Is English food a joke? (one off) - Hosted by Becks & Posh

You can find a lot more over at Is My Blog Burning?, but these are the ones that I've decided to spend a little time on. Actually, not much time, but I thought it would be fun. Anyone have any good ideas on English food (aside from fish and chips)?

Oh.. Happy eating.. and happy cooking!

green and black

2007-03-19T10:26:00.000-05:00

I had no idea this cookbook even existed, but I discovered it today, and I want it! Green&Black's makes my favorite chocolate, which Ben will buy for me on occasion. And everyone knows that along with my obsession with food and cooking and eating, I have an equal obsession for chocolate and desserts and chocolate desserts (Dinner isn't complete without dessert - though I have been known to turn down dessert once or twice). In any case, for a girl who loves Green & Black's chocolate, this book would be perfect for me. I wonder if they sell it at Barnes&Noble. (They do! It just looks not as pretty without the white cover).

Nhan, Don't Read This!

2007-03-19T07:47:00.000-05:00

I was really bummed on Saturday because Ben had hopped an early flight to San Diego to give a presentation at this SPIE conference. He's going to be gone for a week, and I probably won't get to talk to him much because of the time difference and the fact that he'll be very busy with the conference and I have this ridiculously early old person's bedtime. Anywho. . . I was feeling down and had noticed that my roommates picked up the mail (but not all of it) and I had a package waiting for me. YAY! I love getting mail!

My favorite person in the whole world, Nhan, whom I've known since my freshman year of highschool, sent me a present that he picked up in Viet Nam (Side note: I was really bummed when I went home for Christmas this year because I didn't get to see him. He left for Viet Nam a couple days before I flew in, and he didn't come back until the day after I had left). I haven't seen him since July, and I don't get to talk to him as much as I would like, so I was really surprised and excited to get something from him. He sent me these really cool orange plates. I love them. They're in my favorite color, and they're from my favorite person.

So. . . I decided that I'd send him something to show my gratitude. I made these "black and white" meringue cookies to send off to him. I have kind of a love-hate relationship with meringues. Sometimes I love them because they're light and airy and sweet and awesome, if they come out just right. I hate them because they're so fragile and I always seem to burn them or not get them cooked all the way, and they sometimes tend to stick to my teeth or the inside of my mouth. They probably hate me; no love on that side of the relationship. In any case, I made a ton of these little cookies, but most of them burned on the bottom and had to be trashed. Luckily, there were just enough good ones to pack up in a box and send off to Nhan. I hope he likes them. And I hope he doesn't read this before they get to him, that would ruin the surprise.

HHDD #10: Mascarpone Orange Cheesecake

2007-03-16T07:48:00.000-05:00

Here's my entry for Hey Hey, It's Donna Day #10 - Theme: Cheesecake. It's an altered recipe from the Zesty Lemon Cheesecake I had the other day when Ben and I went to A Chef's Kitchen.

Crust

Ingredients:
1 lb. ginger snaps, ground into fine crumbs using a food processor
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 stick + 2 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Combine all ingredients to get a coarse, crumbly mixture. Press into the bottom and sides of a 10" springform pan. It is not essential that the crumbs go all the way up the sides of the pan. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool while you make the filling.

Note 1: Here's a trick I got from Chef John. He said to turn the bottom of the springform pan upside-down when putting it together. This will prevent what he calls a "rim effect" which makes the cheesecake more difficult to cut later on. However, this also allows for butter to seep out more easily, so I also lined the outside of the pan with a layer of foil and then placed it on a cookie sheet while baking.

Note 2: I actually made the crust the night before and let it sit in a cool oven until I had made the filling. However, I meant to get up early to make the filling, but ended up over sleeping. I didn't get to make the filling until the afternoon, so the crust has been sitting in the oven for a whole day. This doesn't appear to be a problem though.

Filling:

Ingredients:
2 lb cream cheese
8 oz. mascarpone
4/3 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
3 large eggs
zest and juice of one orange
50 ml Contreau
1 tbsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine cream cheese, mascarpone, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Blend on medium until smooth and creamy. Mix in eggs, one at a time, on low speed. Add in remaining ingredients. Pour filling into prepared crust. Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until the interior reads 165-170 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. Let cool to room temperature. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Note 1: It's important that all the ingredients for the filling are at room temperature. This makes it easier to mix everything together, and it prevents you from adding any more air into the filling.

Note 2: Chef John said that to prevent cracking, you can try baking with the oven door slightly ajar. But, he also mentions that the best way to prevent cracking is to just let it happen and cut the cake just right so that you don't notice it when serving or cover it with a garnish.

Note 3: At 375 degrees F, it took a really long time for my cheesecake to finish baking; I think upwards of about an hour and a half. I also turned the the oven off for the last 10 minutes of baking, and let the cheesecake sit in the oven with the door slightly ajar for about 10 minutes before pulling it out to cool.

The Garnish: Chocolate Candied Orange Peel

Ingredients:
3 large oranges
3 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
water
semisweet or dark chocolate, melted (optional)

Cut the peel on each fruit into quarters. Pull the peel off in these quarter sections, reserve fruit for something else. Slice peel into 1/4 inch-wide strips. Place peels in a saucepan with salt and cover with cold water. Boil 15 minutes, pour off water and add fresh water. Boil 20 minutes. Change water again and boil another 20 minutes. Drain and cover with 2 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup water. Simmer, stirring constantly, until all the syrup has boiled away. Do not let the peels scorch. Spread on wax paper. Roll peels in remaining sugar. Let dry.

Store in an airtight container for one week at room temperature or frozen for one month. You can also dip the peels in melted chocolate and let them harden on wax or parchment paper.

Last note: I found that the cheesecake was perfect alone, or maybe with a little whipped cream. The candied orange peel was much sweeter than I imagined that it would be, so dipping it in dark chocolate would help balance the sweetness.

God Bless You Please, Mrs. Robinson. . .

2007-03-15T10:50:00.000-05:00

Today, Starbucks is holding their Second Annual Coffee Break, between 10am and noon. Now, I don't particularly like the drip coffee that they brew in the shops, but it's free. How could I say no to that? Actually, it took a little coaxing from Karen for me to actually go and get it. It was taking away from the time I was spending trying to start the introduction to my thesis, and it was a little bit of a drive to the nearest Starbucks. But. . . now that I'm back, it was well worth it.

I have to say that I like making drip coffee at home and adding my favorite flavored creamer in it, but something about that way they serve it at Starbucks just doesn't do it for me. First off, they don't have flavored creamers - you have to pay extra for flavor shots, and that would have completely defeated the purpose of FREE, so I stuck with sugar and half&half for this cup. The one thing that made up for the fact that the Breakfast Blend isn't that great was that they were giving away free samples of their pastries at the Starbucks at Coliseum Central. I went with the blueberry muffin and the tazo chai bar. I would have taken more, but they limited it to only two per customer.

Other things I encountered on my adventure:

Shiny chrome spinners on a Chrysler mini-van
Mrs. Robinson - Simon and Garfunkel
Four F-22s taking off from Langley AFB

Better than being in the audience on Food Network!

2007-03-15T07:39:00.001-05:00

Last night, I took Ben out to this place that we've been meaning to go to for quite some time now. It's called A Chef's Kitchen. It's the brainchild of John and Wanda Gonzalez. John started off cleaning dishes in a restaurant at age 14. In his culinary career, he worked as a line cook at the Ritz-Carlton in Tyson's Corner and soon became head chef there. He and Wanda decided to open their business (in Williamsburg, VA) after watching Emeril on Food Network and deciding that it was unfair that not everyone in the audience was able to taste the food. Thus, A Chef's Kitchen was born!

This month's menu was delicious, and I wish I had the money to go all the time. I think I can settle for once every other month, for a special occasion or with someone special. Luckily, they give us copies of all the recipes and good tips on how to prepare everything. Also, all the wine in the store (no matter where it comes from) is only $10. I went home with a really tasty Hillinger Pinot Grigio from Austria. Ben really liked the Dolium Malbec from Argentina, but I didn't care too much for it. Another great thing about the store is that they sell great spices that I can never find in a regular grocery (and sometimes not even at Medik's). Oh... one more thing before I get to the menu, John told us about this great Spanish grocer called La Tienda. They sell stuff online and ship, but they are also local. I'm gonna check it out soon-ish. Here's the rundown of the menu:

Soup Course: Early Spring Pasta Fagiole Soup with Baby Arugula and Oven-Dried Tomatoes

This was great. The pasta was cooked perfectly, and it could probably be a hearty meal all in itself if it were a bigger portion. The balance of flavors was spectacular, and it was surprisingly easy to make. This was pared with the Pinot Grigio, which was also an awesome match.

Salad Course: Asparagus and Artichoke Salad with Toasted Walnut-Parmesan Vinaigrette and A Chef’s Kitchen Skillet-Baked Corn Bread

The asparagus was great, but the artichoke was a little too much for me. The dressing seemed really easy to make (and alter to my own tastes and flavors), so that was a plus. Oh, and the corn bread was delicious! I definitely need to invest in a good cast iron skillet now. I'll make corn bread all the time.

Seafood Course: Pan-Seared Diver Sea Scallop with Truffled Rutabaga

John pointed out to us that a lot of pan-seared scallops that you see on TV or in restaurants are dredged in flour. So, in fact, it is not the scallop that is getting seared, but the flour on the outside. He said the trick is to get your pan super hot so that you won't need to dredge the scallop in flour. The scallops had just been picked up fresh that morning from a man in Norfolk. Just a simple salt and pepper will be all the seasoning you need.

This was my first time eating rutabaga, and it tastes surprisingly similar to cauliflower. I like that. The green ring is an infused oil, and a sprinkle of finely diced red pepper finished the dish. This dish was paired with a wine I didn't care too much for, so I didn't take note of what it was called.

Meat Course: Mixed Grill of Certified Hereford Beef Filet, New Zealand Lamb Rack and Homemade Chorizo

I don't care how much it costs, Hereford Beef is the best. If you don't know much about Hereford Beef, click on the link and you'll be sold. It was so juicy and tender. The lamb was also cooked perfectly. Oh, and the homemade chorizo. . . EXCELLENT! I am going to make some and put in my freezer so that I can have it any time I want. The meat course was served on a bed of sauteed butternut squash. Sam (the sous chef) just sauteed it with some olive oil, salt, and cayenne pepper. This dish was paired with the Dolium.

Dessert Course: Zesty Lemon Cheesecake with Candied Medjool Date Chocolates

The dessert was a little on the lemon-y side, but still very good. And the Medjool Date was spectacular. John told us that this recipe was something that he's had for decades. That they always used to make it when he worked at the Ritz-Carlton, and the executive chef before him took the recipe with him to a restaurant he opened out in Colorado. He also gave us some great tips on how to make the crust and change it up from lemon to orange cheesecake.

I was starting to lose hope that I wouldn't get a cheesecake done for HHDD #10, but I think I'll be able to pull some inpiration from this one.

In addition to the wine, I ended up purchasing this nice big box of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt that should last a year (or so) and a 2.5 oz. container of La Chinata smoked paprika, which I've never cooked with before, but only because I couldn't find it in the store. I'm excited to start cooking these recipes and just trying out new things with what I learned from this class. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is in the area (traveling or visiting), and I'll probably return to this place a few times while I'm down here.

Oh, one last thing, Sam and John both mentioned that a really good conical strainer is a must have in the kitchen. Direct quotes:

- "It makes everything taste good."
- "It costs some ungodly amount I won't tell you."

Here's one similar to the one that they were using: Chinois with Stand. Smaller, and probably not as expensive, but still does the trick.

Soup in a Minute!

2007-03-14T08:08:00.000-05:00

I finally made the soup I had planned on making a few days ago, and it was. . . hmm. . . Let's just talk about it for a minute. The recipe was for Peruvian Sopa a la Minuta, taken from a Whole Foods recipe card I've had for quite a while. Since I was cooking for just me (with leftovers), I cut the recipe down by half. I also added crushed red pepper flakes while I was browning the meat, for that extra kick, and a sliced jalapeno pepper while it was simmering to get it a little more spicy. I think what it lacked most was salt, or at least more seasoning. I think some paprika would have been good. In any case, I ate it, and it was a bit bland, but good.

Peruvian Sopa a la Minuta

Ingredients:
.5 lb ground beef
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium yellow potato, 1/2" cubes
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
1 bay leaf
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
2 c beef broth
1 c water
1/4 lb capellini or angel hair pasta

Bring a pot of water to a boil.

Season meat with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Brown meat in a medium sized sauce pan over medium-high heat. Remove to a plate and discard all but one tablespoon of fat. Sautee onion, bell pepper, and garlic for 4 minutes. Add potato, cumin, salt and pepper, and saute for another 2 minutes. Add broth and water, bay leaf, and jalapeno pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. In the mean time, add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente (about 6 minutes). Add browned beef to soup, and continue to simmer for a minute or two. Serve soup over pasta in a large bowl.

I'll feed you if. . .

2007-03-13T07:49:00.000-05:00

. . . you move some furniture for me. :)

Wasn't sure what I wanted to make for dinner last night, but it wasn't soup. So that's day 2 of not making the recipe I have ALL the ingredients for. It was a red meat kind of day, but not beef. Ben came over to (help me) move my new used couch from the garage to my bedroom (on the third floor). The couch is made of solid wood and is extremely heavy. Needless to say, I wasn't much help. Luckily, I live with two other guys who are always willing to lend a hand. In any case, I felt that since he was doing this for me, I should make him a pretty decent dinner. I usually make pretty decent dinners, but this had to be a little something extra. Enter stage left. LAMB CHOPS! I had never made lamb chops before. The last time, Karen made them and we ended up smoking up the entire apartment and the hallway. I found a recipe online for Parmesan Herb Lambchops, and I thought it would pair well with these onion potato cakes I read on Fancy Toast. They turned out alright, but I don't think I cared for the potato cakes too much. The lamb was good, though. I didn't have many vegetables on hand, so the dish looks rather dull (like cardboard), unlike Martha's beautiful picture. -->

You can find the recipe online at the links above. It's just like making Chicken Parmesan, only you use lamb instead of chicken, and you also add a layer of chopped mint and parseley before dipping the lamb in a beaten egg. Easy as pie!

SPRRRIIING!

2007-03-11T19:23:00.000-05:00

Phone: SPRRIIING! SPRRIIING!
Me: Hello? Voice: Don't forget to change your clocks! ::click::

Ok, so that didn't really happen to me, but it appears that spring has come early this year. That's right. With daylight saving time starting three weeks earlier than usual and the gorgeous weather we've been having down in HR, I do believe that winter is gone. At least for me.

We all went over to Sarv's last night, rather than go out and spend lots of money getting drunk and still having someone left out as DD. I made pasta (but, again, forgot to take pictures -sorry) and we watched Snatch. I've got a recipe for you anyway, sans picture (you get a picture of this tree in front of my house instead).

Tran's Standard Pasta

Ingredients: 1 lb. pasta of choice 1 28 oz. jar pasta sauce of choice 1 lb. ground meat of choice 1 large yellow onion (or 2 medium sized), diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 pkg button mushrooms, halved and sliced 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 tbsp Italian seasoning 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes salt and pepper shredded Parmesan and Romano cheese

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta to desired doneness. Drain and set aside.

Brown meat in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Season with seasoning, pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Add onions, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until onions are tender, about five minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for another five minutes. Add sauce and simmer over medium-low heat for ten minutes. Serve sauce over pasta and with bread. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.

Garlic Bread

Ingredients:
1/2 French baguette 2 tbsp butter 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tsp Italian seasoning shredded Parmesan and Romano cheese Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Halve baguette lengthwise. Melt butter with garlic and seasoning. Spread evenly onto baguette halves. Cover with cheese. Place in oven and bake until cheese is melted and bread is crisp, but not hard.

I got kind of lazy for dinner today. I was going to make a quick soup (a recipe for which I picked up at my last visit to Whole Foods), but I was too hungry when I got home from the market to be able to cook anything decent. Instead, I cooked the last of my asparagus with some Vienna Sausage I had sitting in the pantry. Just sauteed with garlic and olive oil. I ate it with some slices of sesame semolina bread I bought from Panera Bread today. It wasn't the best meal ever, but, surprisingly enough, it wasn't half bad.

Surprisingly. . . she was craving chicken. . .

2007-03-09T13:36:00.000-05:00

For those of you who know me well enough, you will know that I'm a steak and potatoes kind of girl. I like my meat medium rare with some herb butter and my potatoes anyway you'd like to serve them to me. It was quite a surprise (to myself and especially to Ben) when I was craving chicken last night for dinner. I had e-mailed him suggesting a type of roast, but decided that the time put into it just wouldn't cut it for me. On the otherhand, steaks are pretty fast to cook, but I just wasn't feeling it. So, I opted to make chicken instead.

Roasted Chicken and Veggies:
Ingredients:
one chicken, cut up
1.5 tbsp butter
1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
splash of soy sauce
salt and pepper
Veggies: 5 carrots. 1 celery heart. 1 yellow onion. 10 pearl onions. 5 cloves of garlic. 1 pkg button mushrooms. or your choice.

Veggies should be cut to what I like to call "roasting size." This means the carrots and celery stalks are cut into thirds and halved (if necessary). The onion is cut into sixths. pearl onions and garlic are just peeled. mushrooms are halved or quartered.

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Season on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil and butter in a roasting pan over two burners at med-high heat. Add garlic and cook for a minute. Add chicken pieces, skin side down. Add soy sauce. Cook on both sides for 4-5 minutes, until you get a nice brown color. Add veggies around chicken. Transfer to oven and roast until an instant read thermometer reads 175 degrees F in the thickest part of thigh piece and juices run clear, about 40-60 minutes. You can make a gravy from the drippings if you desire, but I didn't. Serve with rice.

Sorry, no pictures of this meal. By the time it was done, we were all so hungry that I forgot to photograph it. You get a picture of this Le Creuset set that I really want instead. ;-)

feeding my addiction. . .

2007-03-07T11:30:00.000-05:00

I've forgotten to post about only the best website for food EVER! TASTESPOTTING! Ok, so yes, there's a link to the website on the side bar over there ---> (to the right), but that hardly does justice to the complete awesomeness of Tastespotting.

Here's all you need to know about it. . . Tastespotting is the food-obsessed brainchild of notcot.org (or is it notcot.com? In either case, both are very cool sites.), and its sole purpose in life is to deprive my day of any useful or productive work toward my thesis. It allows registered users (a group of which I can proudly - or shamefully - say that I am a member) to post pictures of and links to food related items all over the internet. It links random web-surfers who like to eat food to crafty bloggers who love to make food (and photograph it to no end - yay for food p**n!). If you don't have time to check all the wonderful food blogs out there (I, personally, subscribe to at least 20 - 10 of which have new posts every day), then it's a wonderful site that gives you small tidbits of information under each picture, and you can choose for yourself if you want more information.

My dear Broccolini, where have you been my whole life?

2007-03-07T07:27:00.000-05:00

Ben made dinner last night - which means WE made dinner together. Baked salmon (seasoned before I got to his place, so I have no idea what was on it - but it was good) and sauteed broccolini. A very simple meal for a very simple evening, but, nevertheless, very tasty. He isn't a huge fan of the broccolini since he's more fond of the florets than the stems, but he knew that I liked them, which is why he purchased them the last time he was at the market. I have to say that the broccoli stems are my favorite, which is why I prefer broccolini or Chinese broccoli over the traditional broccoli you find in the produce section of the market. I like the crispness of the stems, in addition to the fact that the little green bits from the florets always get stuck between my teeth (like that elusive pepper).

Tonight's menu is just a mish-mash of what I have in my fridge. So much to choose from! I have veggies (grape tomatoes, celery, carrots, green bell pepper, asparagus, yellow onion, pearl onions, garlic), fish (tilapia, flounder, shrimp), one chicken thigh (bone-in), bacon, tofu, tortellini, half a jar of tomato basil pasta sauce (Paul Newman), dried pasta, in addition to my herbs and spices and oils and etc. etc. etc. Here's what I came up with: Pasta Carbonara (using tortellini instead of plain old dry pasta) and a side of roasted veggies (grape tomatoes, pearl onions, and asparagus spears with a garlic and herb butter), perhaps I'll also toast up the last of my tomato-basil bread as well. Since it's still the middle of the day (not even lunch yet, and I still have a trip to the gym or the runners source before I even start cooking dinner), just picture it in your head and a picture will be up later today. Here's a quick recipe though:

Tortellini Carbonara

Ingredients:
2 oz. bacon or pancetta
extra virgin olive oil
3 egg yolks
a splash of milk or cream
a handful of parseley, chopped (or 1 tsp of dried parseley flakes)
1/2 c. grated parmesan or romano cheese (or both)
1 pkg. tortellini (for 2)
black pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Throw in tortellini until they float to the top. Cut bacon into strips (crosswise). Cook in oil until translucent (do not burn). In a bowl, mix yolks, milk, cheese, and parseley. Toss cooked tortellini (quickly - this will cook the eggs). Add bacon and black pepper.

Roasted Veggies

Ingredients:
veggies of choice (I used grape tomatoes, asparagus, and pearl onions)
a few cloves of garlic (minced)
mixed dry herbs (your choice - an herb mix would also work well)
enough melted butter to coat all veggies (or extra virgin olive oil)
salt and pepper

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Melt butter in a small (oven-safe) pan over med-low heat. Add garlic and herbs. Stir. Add veggies and toss to coat. Salt and pepper pan before transferring to oven. Cook to desired done-ness.

UPDATE: Later that day. . .

So. . . dinner went off as discussed above (earlier today when I was starving - just before lunch). It was okay, but not the best. The veggies were a little over done and the tortellini a little underdone. I ended up not having dried parsley (or fresh parsley, for that matter), so I ended up seasoning with an Italian herb mix instead. All in all, not bad for cooking and watching a movie at the same time (Marie Antoinette).

I even had enough time to make cookies before I was off to buy myself a new bathing suit (TYR - so I can get my swim on at the Y).

Who needs to read when they can cook instead?

2007-03-05T10:18:00.000-05:00

Here's a list of cookbooks that I'm dying to get my hands on (Ok, not dying, but you can understand from my choice of words how badly I want them): in no particular order

Nobu Now -Nobuyuki Matsuhisa

How to be a Domestic Goddess - Nigella Lawson

Can I Freeze It? - Susie Theodorou

The Reach of a Chef - Michael Ruhlman

Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook - Anthony Bourdain

I'm Just Here for the Food: Version 2.0 - Alton Brown

Cooking by Hand - Paul Bertolli

The Nasty Bits - Anthony Bourdain

Working the Plate - Christopher Styler

Washoku - Elizabeth Andoh

Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook - Martha Stewart

The Martha Stewart Cookbook - Martha Stewart

As of this moment, that's all of them. But as a striving cook, any and all cookbooks are helpful and welcome.

Oh Mackenzie!

2007-03-05T09:19:00.000-05:00

Back from a weekend in DC, staying with the oh-so-lovely Karen. Festivities and eating included: Bravo! Bravo! for monthly meet-in happy hour; Fuddruckers for "before I get too drunk" dinner; Lucky Bar for a round of R oyal Flushes; Sharon's for a night cap; returning borrowed furniture via Zipcar; new 'dos at Paul Mitchell the School (even minus 9 inches of length, I love it!); Sushi-zen; Man vs. Wild, Monopoly, tic-tac-toe, pyramid, dots, and wonderful company at Jeremy & Beth's; Mass; Dim-sum at Mark's Duck House ("Why, oh why, my little siu mai, Do I love you so?"); Target (the best store ever); and then home again (dinner at Fridays with Ben).

And after you browse through the links galore above. . .

Thanks to a recent post by Cybele on Tastespotting, I've been enlightened to Ma ckenzie Limited. And, if I weren't in such a bind with money these days, I would definitely throw a party this weekend catered by this company. The food just seems like the kind of classy food you'd serve at the celebration of your 50th wedding anniversary at your Victorian-era mansion - which you inherited from your father, who inherited it from his father, and so on and so forth - a black-tie event, of course. I don't even know where to begin to tell you about all the wonderful food they have for purchase (and which I want to taste) on this site. Perhaps the Gravlax Caviar, that is probably the cutest presentation I have ever seen. Or maybe the Chocolate Truffle Bars, which I just want to sink my teeth into regardless of how many calories it has or how many cavities it will give me. Or perhaps even these adorable Cappuccino Cups, for which we have famed chocolatier Christopher Norman to thank, and whose cups and saucers are edible. In any case, you all know how much I love chocolate and just food in general, so this site is wonderful. Perhaps I'll indulge myself a little for my birthday - which is coming up - in like two months (don't forget or it'll just sneak up on you like a ninja).

In other new, the latest Hay Hay It's Donna Day! is being hosted by Peabody (over at Culinary Concoctions by Peabody). I'm going to try to create something for this event, just so I can start getting my feet wet in the food-blogging world. I haven't decided yet if I'll make a sweet or savory cheesecake. Savory would be something different, but this creme brulee cheesecake is almost screaming for the "Tran-touch" (I'm not sure what that comes off like, but I know how I wanted it to sound in my head). Perhaps a torch to the top and some berries would be just what it needs. In any case, the deadline for posting cheesecakes on my blog/submission of recipes to the competition is March 17th. I figured that I can take this week to decide what I want to make and next week to make it. Hopefully, it all turns out pretty good. I probably won't win because the other bloggers participating have been doing this for quite a while, and have been cooking for longer, but I'd still like to participate.

And in un-food-related news, in addition to participating in the 34th Annual O ne Day Hike at the end of April (only 50K, not the 100 K that Karen and I had originally planned), I will be starting to train for the Richmond Spring Triathlon, which will be held at the end of August. All is not lost with the latter event because Ben said that he would do it with me, and I will be signing up for membership to the Hampton YMCA later today. YAY! Tran's getting back into shape. Actually, "back into" makes the assumption that I was once IN shape, which is not completely true. So the correct thing to say would be, "YAY! Tran's getting into the best shape of her life!"

FLAUTAS!

2007-03-03T11:44:00.000-05:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE FLAUTAS! It's like the best kind of hand held food ever, dipped in guacamole and sour cream and salsa. So of course, I had to try to make it myself. The chicken filling was great! Shredded very easily, but could have used a little more hot sauce for that kick. The tortilla was a little on the hard side because I fried them for a little longer than I should have, but not so hard that they were completely inedible - and at least it looks yummy (you DO eat with your eyes first). I also made a corn salsa to go along with it. Also, the corn salsa could use a little more hot sauce (the one jalapeño just wasn't enough), but other than that, it was good.

Overall, I think Ben and I are spicy-food (at least two-star to three-star) kind of people. I'll have to keep that in mind when I'm cooking and remember to add extra hot sauce to everything.

What kind of crab?

2007-02-28T19:04:00.000-05:00

Only the best kind of crab! She crab!

I splurged a little the last time I went to the market (as a result of the therapy shopping I was doing this past weekend). Ben's deprived me of having dinner with him everyday (and, thus, also depriving me of daily gym time), so I had to be able to make dinner for myself. Which leads me too. . . Charleston She-Crab Crab Soup. Now, being made from the superior crab gender, it had to be good, right? Well. . . maybe not. It didn't have chowder consistency that I was expecting. It lacked in salt, which is easily solvable, but not my cup of tea. And the worst part (aside from me burning my toast) was that it looked like the aftermath of a bad night out with Sarv. I mean, sadly enough, the best part of my dinner was the burnt toast - tomato basil loaf courtesy of Panera Bread.

On a happier note, mom's back from her two month trip to Vietnam. And guess what she brought back for me? (Other than her un-ending love for her youngest daughter). COOKBOOKS! Granted, they're all in Vietnamese and it'll take me hours to translate them in my head (with my oh-so-basic knowledge of my native tongue ::sigh::), but it's one step closer to making those authentic Vietnamese dishes I always loved eating but was never taught how to make. I don't know when I'll ever see them, seeing as how it takes forever for them to mail me stuff from over there (---> Orange County). Perhaps it'll come in the mail with that thing I asked my dad for so that I can go join the Y.

And on an even happier note: Ben made me dinner yesterday! He made baked chicken pasta from one of his new W-S cookbooks. It was scrumptious! But, we - or rather, HE - has leftovers enough for a month. Instead of listening to me and scaling down the recipe, he decided to make the whole batch in order to have leftovers. Well, the recipe said "Serves 6-8", but what they really means was "Serves 6-8 small Sumo Wrestlers." I mean, in the little 1.5 quart baking dish there was enough for at least 3 good sized humans. And we had half of it full and still the medium 3 quart baking dish still untouched. Well, at least it was YUMMY!

I like you!

2007-02-25T15:34:00.000-05:00

It's a bit dreary today down in HR. I decided to brighten my day (after having driven an hour and a half to/from VA Beach to buy a vacuum from a really nice lady and her adorable daughter) by trying out a dessert recipe I read in the February issue of Martha Stewart Living. The dessert was intended to be the grande finale for her V-day dinner, but I didn't have time to make it that day (and Ben put together an extravagant steak dinner with a decadent chocolate-chip cookie fudge brownie vanilla icecream chocolate and caramel syrup monster for dessert that we barely put a dent in). In any case, I decided to try out the recipe today.

Instead of using just raspberries for the pavlovas and the curd, I used a berry mix of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. I have to say, making the pavlovas is a time consuming process. Well, perhaps not as time-consuming as the croissants, but they have to sit in the oven at 175 degrees F for at least an hour and a half. That means that once I put them into the oven, I have to sit my impatient butt down and surf the interweb while G plays videogames and wait for them to finish and cool before I can even taste them. They'd better be worth it. . .

As a side note, while they're baking and the curd is sitting pretty in the fridge, I picked up a new cookbook/entertaining book yesterday while I was at Borders (trying to drown my sorrows with shopping). I Like You by Amy Sedaris. And Amy Sedaris does, in fact, rock! The book itself is a little eclectic. It's full of great recipes and ideas on entertaining (what to cook, what to drink, how to decorate, etc. . . ), and I found myself oddly enthralled by the pictures and illustrations seemingly randomly put on every single page. It's like she decided to just run wild with the format of the book. Definitely not your typical cookbook, but that's probably what makes it so great. Flipping through the book makes me want to decorate my (non-existent) den (in my imaginary house) with wood paneling and green shag carpet - circa 1970s. Now, back to the pavlovas. . .

After a few hours of slow s l o w s l o w baking in the oven, they came out pretty nice, like lavender clouds. Unfortunately, my impatience (and my fear that they would burn) got the best of me and they were taken out a bit premature. The outside was nice and crisp, but the inside was a bit chewy and stuck to my teeth. Paired with the berry curd, and strange consistency aside, it was perfect. The curd was not too sweet, and not too bland, but just right. It would probably be good with the croissants I made a few days ago. Next time, perhaps a little creme fraiche or whipped cream would be a good addition, but, alas, I had none on hand.

I'm off to Ben's for dinner. I wonder what he's making. . .

Do you like seafood? See? FOOD!

2007-02-23T08:59:00.000-05:00

Wednesday was the start of Lent. Aside from self-sacrifice and the need to inconvenience myself as a form of penance and preparation for the most important Sunday of the Year, it's also a good time to get creative with seafood and tofu recipes. I've decided to try out some recipes courtesy of Rasa Malaysia and My Husband Cooks.

Seafood dish #1: SHRIMP ROLLS! I had some frozen shrimp that needed to get used. So, out they came. The rolling wasn't my favorite thing to do, since the wonton wrappers were a bit on the small side for the shrimp that I used, but they turned out pretty nice. I haven't fried them yet because I just didn't want to eat them. Weird. Does all the prep work to make something and then doesn't finish? Apparently, I do. I'll make some tonight as a sort of appetizer for dinner. The rest will just sit pretty in the freezer, buddied up with the leftover crab rangoon that I didn't fry up. Which brings me to. . .

Seafood dish #2: CRAB RANGOON! I actually did fry up some of these for Ben. I know he likes them, so I decided to bring some over to him since he was cooking me dinner. I had issues with wrapping them the traditional way, so I got a little creative and did two different wrapping styles. They turned out great, drizzled in honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds. They weren't as spicy as I was hoping they would be, but that can be easily remedied next time around.

So perhaps not the healthiest of dishes, but who said anything about being healthy? The only criteria was that they not contain meat (in the beef, pork, poultry, etc. sense of the word). I even made myself a tuna-melt-ish sandwich for lunch today. I didn't have a chance to take a picture of it this morning, but just imagine tuna with roasted red peppers sandwiched in asiago cheese focaccia with provolone and baby spinach, cooked in a panini press. I can't wait for lunch!

There will definitely be more seafood to come. Seared scallops? Blackened salmon? Steamed tilapia? The possibilities are ENDLESS!

Mr. President, may I present to you Tran the Baker

2007-02-21T08:44:00.000-05:00

Over the holiday weekend, I decided that I would take a little time and bake some bread. Much to my dismay, my lack of experience in the bread-making world and without a knowledgeable companion to show me the ropes, my goods were far from spectacular. I suppose however, they were good enough.

First try: Whole Wheat Sesame Seed Mini-Bagels (courtesy of delicious days). What can I say about these? Well for starters, they were adorable. They weren't exactly perfect looking, but that is on account of the fact that I don't have the best kitchen equipment to make dough, and my hands/upper arms aren't nearly strong enough to mix/knead it all by hand. Some day, that Kitchenaid standing mixer will be mine!!! But, I digress. Back to the subject at hand. The dough, well, did not turn out the right consistency once I had mixed all the ingredients together. So, with my lack of experience with these sort of things, I added a little water. The result? A very, very dense bagel. I ended up with 17 little creations - five went to Ben, a dozen stayed home in a pretty little display on my counter. We ended up eating only 2 1/2, the rest went to the circular filing cabinet. I just couldn't eat them. They were just too dense. Next time (if there ever is a next time), they'll be better.

Second try: Mini-Croissants (courtesy of 100 Great Breads by Paul Hollywood). These turned out a bit better. Not the melt-in-your-mouth croissants that I was hoping for, but it is an extremely labor-intensive project that I probably wasn't ready for given my experience in the field of breads. I should have left them in the oven a bit longer, because the first batch I tasted was still a bit on the dough-y side, but the bottoms were starting to burn. I think a quick reheat in the toaster oven will get them to the perfect finish. They didn't have the golden finish I was expecting (even with the eggwash), but they definitely did turn out better than the bagels. They'll probably be great dipped in sweetened condensed milk (how my mom served it for breakfast) or perhaps as mini-sandwiches. In any case, these are definitely not being trashed.

I'm rather proud of my first (actually second, but first recorded) adventure into the land of baking bread. The experience wasn't so bad that I'd never do it again, but I'll probably try less ambitious projects next time and work my way up to these at some later point in my life.

Side note: I can't find the SD card-reader to get the pictures off my camera, so for now, just picture what these things will look like. Pictures will be up as soon as I can find it, or get my hands on a new one.

introduction

2007-02-16T13:19:00.000-05:00

NOTE: This blog is supposed to be mainly about my adventures with food - cooking, eating, experimenting, etc. This first post, however, has little to do with food because I don't have anything to share, just yet, and because I thought I would first introduce myself. I promise that this will be the only post in this entire blog that does not have to do with food. It's an introduction.

Scanning the internet for recipes and other culinary ideas is something that I do on a daily basis (for more hours than I should admit). So, it's safe to assume that I've stumbled upon some of the best, most spectacular food blogs out there. As someone who enjoys cooking (and feels like she should have gone to culinary school rather than get her B.S. in engineering), I thought I would start making my little dent on the culinary world. Sure, I won't be trying out for Top Chef anytime soon (casting calls have come to a close for season three already anyway), but I can still make a mean ham&spinach quiche and velvet cake (sans red because I didn't have any food coloring that day).

My culinary adventures may take several forms and shapes - from prix fixe meals during Restaurant Week (the only time I can afford some of these places) to everyday home-cooked meals for me and my beau, and from simple meals (hello Sunday morning blueberry pancakes) to five course dinners (a la A Chef's Kitchen). I may also throw in other food-related blogs, such as the random kitchen accessories -- like the to-die-for Kyocera ceramic knife Karen got for Christmas (and I wanted to keep for myself) -- or favorite Food Network TV Shows -- like the ever beautiful Giada DiLaurentis' Everyday Italian (so jealous).

In any case, this is my blog about food and all things related to food. Now, it may never be as worldly as The Traveler's Lunchbox or as witty as the delicious life, but it's mine. And I hope you like it.

ONE LAST THING: sugercane kumquats - you press them together and pure the juice (minus all the pulp) over ice. A favorite summer drink of my childhood.