smog rocket

before and after: chairs

2010-11-24T23:09:00.000-08:00

We needed chairs for Thanksgiving, and found these grungy ones at Goodwill for $6 each. Add a funky $2 bathrobe, and a DIY project is born!

Before:

After:

Not bad, right?

Just don't flip the chair over and look at the bottom.

Were you to do so, perhaps you might find a crazy haze of staples and masking tape. Perhaps.

birds on the brain

2010-01-23T16:51:00.000-08:00

I've long been a fan of bird motifs. We've got bird-patterned curtains in the kitchen (pictured above). I got these in Japan about seven years ago and I still adore them (I think they've hung in every apartment I've lived in since -- about 5! -- getting hemmed a couple of times along the way to fit new windows). I have a bird brooch, candle holder, shirts, and several other items that aren't popping into my head at the moment.

However, I feel like in the past few years, bird motifs have gotten so dang popular (for good reason, I won't deny), that I'm starting to like them less.

Did Twitter and its omnipresent (and adorable) little bluebird seal the final nail in the coffin? And is it wrong to like something less as it gets insanely popular, or is it only natural?

Despite my increasingly hesitant feelings, here are a few bird-themed items that still appeal to me.

This dress is absolutely fantastic (I know the image quality is bad, but click the link!)

Cute owl pillow from Moontea Artwork on Etsy

Necklace from the adorable collection of Odette (everything in that shop is fabulous!)

One of many stunning bird prints from Gennine's Etsy shop

Last but not least, this gorgeous headboard (!!!)

happy apples

2010-01-08T22:55:00.000-08:00

These apple cozies from Roxypop on Etsy are too adorable - and, it would seem, quite practical (especially for those of us who randomly shove apples in our bags and dig them out later, bruised and battered). Intrigued.

fooooood

2010-01-08T22:03:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted food pics on here in awhile, but that doesn't mean we haven't been eating. Quite the opposite.

So, for your consideration, two recipes:

Fried Salmon with Avocado Spread

1. Clean and dry the fish and sprinkle on some salt and pepper. Coat the fish in beaten egg and dip in flour (or maseca -- for some nice corn flavor).

2. Heat oil in a pan. Should be very hot. Then, fry your fish!

3. For the avocado sauce: Mash avocado, finely chopped onions, and a little garlic. (D. used egg in this as well, but add raw egg at your own risk!)

Very simple, but suuuuuper delicious!

Sweet Potato Mash with Bacon and Onions

1. Boil sweet potatoes. As they boil, finely chop onions and a little garlic. Cut the bacon into very small pieces and fry it (it may be easier to fry bacon first, then cut it).
2. Mash the sweet potatoes with onions, garlic, bacon -- and a little maple syrup and butter if desired. Do this while it's still hot, so the onions and garlic will cook a little.

Another super easy recipe, but it is devilishly delicious!

cutest shoes (if only i had a man's size-ten foot)

2010-01-02T17:57:00.000-08:00

Well... that wouldn't be great either. (My feet are already pretty huge.)

However, these shoes are so adorable. And only $35! Some size-ten-footed man (or lady with even bigger feet than me!) better act fast.

calm descends

2009-12-14T23:00:00.000-08:00

Finally, our cats have grown to tolerate each other.

They even accept each other's quirks, though begrudgingly. Mivi allows Marlo, the kitten, to encroach on her food bowl after Marlo has gulped down her half of the Turkey Souffle Fancy Feast (or whatever froofroo cat food D.'s Mom sent us) in a crazed frenzy (this cat is going to be big!). Marlo grooms Mivi's head patiently, licking as directed by the changing angles Mivi tilts it.

There is still some hissing and apparent jealousy. But, as of now, this seems okay.

the old man and the car

2009-12-14T22:20:00.001-08:00

It's Sunday afternoon. I'm walking to a baby shower in Berkeley, up a quiet street lined with lovely houses and trees, and the air is heavy with the scent of rain.

It's also raining. But only sort of. Just a drizzle, but the dark grey sky is threatening to soak.

I've just gotten off BART and I'm a bit disoriented, not sure if I'm heading in the right direction, which is important to know when you're walking in the rain, late for a party, and holding a bag of mini cupcakes.

I notice a man walking nearby and ask him if I am heading in the direction of Telegraph.

"You are," he answers. "This is my car here," he quickly adds. "I'm heading that way right now and happy to give you a ride.'

The man is older, wearing sophisticated glasses and a jaunty hat. He has the air of a history professor, and the address of one, for that matter (in a quaint Berkeley neighborhood). But yet, on instinct, I laugh and shake my head. "No thanks," I say, lightly. "But thank you."

"Well, you're welcome," he says, the emphasis put on 'welcome' -- meaning, I gather, that I am welcome into his car.

But again I shake my head and smile, trudging on. He smiles too, but there is a sadness in it. He gets into his car and drives off.

About 15 minutes later, two blocks from my destination, it begins to pour, and I scamper to the party a wet mess, my hair soaked from brown to black.

I've been thinking about that kind man and his kind offer. Had I accepted, I could have saved ten minutes and an afternoon of moist footwear. But... I can't help but wonder... what if? I'm sorry, I want to tell him, that I can't accept your kindness. And I'm sorry that this world has become a place where I can't comfortably accept it. I think the sadness in his smile was for that, for the fact that a young woman in this day and age can't even trust in the kindness of strangers.

Should I have taken the ride? Have I watched too much "Law and Order" or, let's face it, CNN?

I'm not sure.

another cute calendar

2009-12-14T21:58:00.000-08:00

I happen to be in the market for a calendar. I don't think I realized until very recently how much having a calendar right next to my workspace reassures me. There's something about seeing the days stacked in neat, organized rows that helps me wrap my head around the passage of time, and feel like the coming month might actually make some sense.

I felt very threatened today when I saw that my calendar was coming to an end. And apparently we may not be getting new ones. (Can anyone say budget cuts?)

I am told I can make a request for one. But forget that! I want a beautiful one. Something that will fill my bizarre need to see time as boxes, and also add some color to my (still barren, though I've been working there a month) wall.

A calendar like the one above.

I love the way that artist Jen Oaks evokes the different seasons using images of women and buildings; she gets a lot of symbolic mileage (and lovely colors) from a change in outfit or weather.

Lovely, lovely, lovely!

It's available for $26 at her etsy shop:

www.etsy.com/shop/jenoaks

Or... maybe you'll be lucky and win one at Bright Yellow World. (But hopefully not luckier than me).

random colorful things

2009-12-06T21:44:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that I haven't posted on here in so long. Getting used to working full time and having a long commute is tougher than I expected, and a lot of things have fallen by the wayside (still cooking a lot, but baking bread... not so much).

It's a bit of a grey day here, so I'm posting some random colorful things. I'm not looking forward to my morning commute (which includes a half hour of walking) in the rain tomorrow, so I'm looking at some things to cheer me up.

Adorable book with lovely photos. I want to learn how to make macarons!

Cute, colorful organizer

I think this cutting board would make chopping vegetables a more whimsical experience.

Love, love, love this necklace, but it's already been sold. Sigh.

lovely calendars

2009-11-08T16:49:00.000-08:00

I love, love, love these innovative calendars by artist Claire Nereim, depicting California fruits and flowers that are in season each month. They're absolutely gorgeous (love the pops of color!), and they present a really nice way of thinking about the seasons.

I'm in the midst of decorating and I think these will be lovely for my kitchen. Eagerly awaiting my first paycheck!

(Her blog has lots of interesting images too!)

L@TE night magic

2009-11-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

The picture doesn't do the event justice, unfortunately.

Last night, the Berkeley Art Museum held its first in a series of late night events, with pianist Terry Riley performing in the middle of a huge, open gallery space, surrounded by an audience perched on chairs and sprawled on pillows and blankets.

It was fun to watch him play, and even more interesting to watch the people watch him play -- heads poking out of the higher galleries, people cuddled on the floor, some smiling, some with intense frowns...

I don't think my description does it justice either. Well, it was a magical mood, ethereal and exciting.

gratuitous food photos

2009-11-05T21:59:00.000-08:00

I started work! I am officially employed. It's weird to have a set schedule again. I'd gotten used to this feeling of being on a long vacation, making my day up as I go along. Don't have too much energy, but luckily, I have some things to post.

Which are: A few simple, awesome, delicious meals! D. and I have done a bit of cooking in recent days. No exciting recipes to speak of though... just simple stuff thrown together randomly.

#1: Pupusas

Mix Maseca and water to make dough, stuff in some grilled chicken, cheese and onion and form into a flat pouch. Grill until brown.

#2: Garlic Fish with Homemade Salsa Salad:

Super simple. Just put some fish, butter and garlic in a foil pouch and throw it in the toaster oven for awhile. Serve with some salsa (tomato, garlic, cilantro, onion, lime, Tabasco) over lettuce.

#3: Honey Ginger Garlic Chicken with Gnocchi

This one is D.'s recipe, but I can vouch for its fantasticness. In a foil pouch, coat chicken with ginger and garlic (thinly sliced), then douse it in some honey and lemon and toaster oven that sucker. We served it with some Trader Joe's gnocchi. Nice!!!

Last but not least, a completely gratuitous shot of a kitten eating cake.

You're welcome.

moving, a kitten and other things

2009-10-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy week. My life suddenly feels very different in one big burst and I don't know that I've entirely caught up. It's exciting, but also kind of jarring. Even when things are new for the better, they are still new, and that takes a bit of adjustment. I'll get there.

The apartment is fantastic so far. Loving the big windows, taupe walls with white detailing of vintage-y flowers and ladies waggling ribbons. Love the big kitchen and miiiiiles of closets where I can see all my clothing at once (somewhat of a scary proposition -- I think I am in desperate need of a clean out). Though the new neighborhood is somewhat sketchy (the Tenderloin), D. and I have been loving all the cheap, fantastic food. It is unreal how good one can eat around here at a reasonable price. Plus, the gas in our stove is not hooked up yet, so we have an excuse to pad our bellies with Vietnamese sandwiches from various shops within a few blocks' walk (unreal!). The gas is being installed tomorrow, though, so we will soon be excuse-less and haven't even made a dent in local grub. I'm sure we'll come up with a series of new excuses shortly.

Something else to gush about: Marlo, our new kitten. We decided now that we will likely be settled down for awhile in a place with cat-friendly windowsills and enough floor space to accommodate vigorous chases and play fights, it's time to get Mivi a best friend. Mivi, however, was not pleased with this arrangement. Over the past several days, she has relented some, with less vigorous hissing and increasingly half-hearted neck biting. Yesterday, they were both sleeping and we pushed them together for a photo op. It was terribly cute to watch their bellies rise and fall together, Mivi's whiskers twitching in a vigorous dream. Then she woke up and noticed there was an intruder on her midsection and was not amused. Anyway, we're taking baby steps.

Another exciting thing: D. and I painted a mirror. I really like decorating with mirrors and so this one was sort of a test run for a series I hope to do. We found it at a Goodwill store with a rather large chip and a price of $3.49 (arbitrarily decided by the woman at the register who told us that she wanted to give us a good price even though she was sure it was worth a lot more -- won't argue with that!). We sanded down the wood (which was painted in a shiny gold tone), filled in the hole with putty, and gave it two coats of high-gloss green spray paint. I love, love, love how it came out, and it was only about $10 total. Not bad.

That's all for now. Much more to write and much more to do!

moving!

2009-10-16T19:53:00.000-07:00

We're moving tomorrow.

I picked up the keys today and strolled through the apartment. It smelled like paint and was full of light. The living room has huge windows and the bedroom is round, which is awesome. There's also a drool-worthy amount of closet space, which is far too exciting to me to be completely normal.

I'm really excited about buying furniture and decorating, but we are also most certainly on a strict budget, so making any major purchase is somewhat scary. For the time being, I'm stalking Craigslist.

I'll be updating my decorating decisions as the place progresses!

favorite videos: little girls making stuff up

2009-10-13T23:58:00.000-07:00

Whenever I need a smile, I find myself coming back to these videos; within minutes, I'm cheered right up! These are some creative little ladies.

love. this. shirt.

2009-10-06T18:31:00.000-07:00

Love this T-shirt from Threadless. Nothing more to say.

cooking ideas: turkey chili

2009-10-05T17:06:00.001-07:00

This weekend, chewing was not on the agenda. D. had an infection in his tooth and spent his time alternately moaning and drifting in and out of a Vicodin-induced slumber.

He was also extremely hungry but not able to chew very well.

So, on Saturday, I made goulash (which has been written about in this space before -- and which I will not elaborate on, partly because I ate so much goulash that I can't even think about it at this moment).

On Sunday, D. requested more goulash. I laughed in his face and offered a compromise: turkey chili.

Did you know how awesome turkey chili is? It's so awesome! And I'm fairly certain it's healthy too, which is a bonus. It's also, the way I made it at least, super easy to make.

Here you go:

Turkey Chili

a pound of ground turkey
a big onion
5 cloves of garlic (or less if you are a wimp!)
a can of black beans
a can of kidney beans
a can of stewed tomatoes with diced chiles
a can of corn
a small can of tomato sauce
paprika
pepper
Tabasco sauce

1. Brown the turkey with chopped up onions and garlic.
2. Add the beans, tomatoes, corn and tomato sauce. Sprinkle in paprika, pepper and Tabasco to taste.
3. Simmer for a good hour or so!

This is not unhealthy, right? And for any lazy readers (or those with toothaches), not only is it simple to make, it also requires minimal chewing effort.

cooking ideas: sad mouth pudding

2009-10-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

"Sandwiches?! Why would anyone need -- OUCH!"

D. is flipping through a cookbook, on the verge of asking a question about sandwiches that will never be answered. His head is in his hands and he's gasping in pain.

He has an abscess; his tooth is filled with pus. I know this because I spoke to his dentist on the phone about it (at almost 11 pm on a Saturday night -- nice service, doc!). When the dentist informed me that D. was in such intense pain due to the aforementioned pus putting pressure on his tooth, I acted on instinct, replying, "Eew, that's gross." The dentist paused before continuing to advise me on how to treat his patient (my patient). I felt a smidgen of judgment in his pause, but come on, that *is* pretty gross. There are places that pus is acceptable (just barely), and there are places it should never be. Your mouth is one of those places.

So, D.'s sentences have been punctuated with pain, spite and confusion these past couple of days (the confusion being a side effect of Vicodin, apparently). He is also drowsy and not able to chew effectively.

I'd like to note here that it feels like autumn today, maybe for the first time this year. I think I'd forgotten about California's fall; it's so calm as it creeps in (unlike in New York or Japan where it crashes upon you with rain showers and evenings that get dark absurdly early). The combo of the changing seasons and D.'s near inability to chew means that it has made a lot of sense to spend the weekend preparing and eating stew.

But that's another post.

After consuming stew, D. still appeared forlorn. He clutched his mouth and moaned. I wanted to make something delicious for him.

And I am happy to report, using just three ingredients, I succeeded!

Sad Mouth Pudding

one banana
one individual pack of Kozy Shack Tapioca pudding
two shakes of cinnamon

Mash the banana. Add Kozy Shack and sprinkle on cinnamon in two healthy shakes. Mix thoroughly. Will make a sad mouth slightly happier, if only temporarily.

D.'s root canal is scheduled for Tuesday.

color love: give it up for grey

2009-10-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

I'm going to start posting some favorite items in my favorite colors.

First up is grey, one of my very favorite colors, especially for clothing. Not as harsh as black, easier to match than navy... It's pretty much the perfect neutral.

Lovely light grey mini trench (now on sale!)

Adorable handmade dress

Love the detail on these heels

Cute coat (also on sale!)

This watch is simply fantastic. Love, love, LOVE!

Last but not least: I'm in love with this bolero. You will be mine!

i heart etsy

2009-10-02T21:38:00.000-07:00

Some things I'm loving right now at Etsy:

Cute-as-a-button necklace

Sumptuous but adorable purse

Whimsically punkish ring

Fabulous chair

Bright green skirt that makes me smile

cooking ideas: sesame green beans

2009-09-29T17:46:00.001-07:00

This one is super easy to make and whenever I eat it, I think, "Wow, I should be eating this more often!" And then I proceed to forget all about it until the next time I suddenly have an impromptu green bean flash (which usually happens in Chinatown when I spot a bag of beans for an absurdly low price).

I don't know the technical term for this dish, but I know it's popular in Japan and pops up in bentos all the time. It's also very easy to make, although I can't be completely sure I'm making it correctly. Although, I guess "correct" doesn't really matter in cooking as long as it tastes good.

Sesame Green Beans

Green beans
Sesame seeds
Mirin
Soy sauce
Sugar

1. Snap the ends off the beans and put them in some boiling water for about 5 minutes.

2. Saute some sesame seeds in hot oil until they are brown. If you have a mortar and pestle, smash them. If you do not, bash them uselessly with a spoon until they seem mashed or you lose patience.

3. Mix the mashed seeds with equal parts mirin, soy sauce and sugar (altered as you wish, to taste, usually with a bit more soy sauce). Add the green beans and mix thoroughly.

4. After they cool down enough, put them in the refrigerator. If you can resist, wait a day before eating.

cooking ideas: goulash

2009-09-24T20:14:00.001-07:00

I must begin this post with a disclaimer. This recipe is not mine. D. is the goulash captain; I was merely a sous chef who swept in with a wooden spoon and some paprika when things got hectic. I know what I saw and what I felt as the goulash process took place, but, alas, cannot claim responsibility for the deliciousness that ensued.

(Satisfied, D.?)

Okay, here's the scoop:

Chicken and Beef Goulash

Ingredients:
cabbage
onion
zucchini
garlic
a can of tomato sauce
vinegar
paprika
salt
pepper
chicken drumsticks
beef, cut into bite size chunks ("meat for stewing" -- I don't know specifics)
milk / cream
egg noodles

1. Pan fry chicken, beef, onion and garlic. Transfer into a pot and add water to the pot and boil it for awhile to create a soup stock.
2. Lightly pan fry cabbage, zucchini and more onions. Add them to the pot with the stewing meat.
3. Add a can of tomato sauce and some vinegar, to taste. Add a bunch of paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Add some milk or cream to taste. Let this stew for as long as you can wait until the scent drives you mad with hunger.
4. Boil egg noodles. Serve goulash on top of egg noodles.

This is a truly fantastic meal. The chicken falls off the bone, the cabbage is delightfully sour and the soup is tomatoey, creamy and warm with paprika. Love it!

jealousy

2009-09-24T19:55:00.001-07:00

Sometimes, I think my cat has the best possible life.

Actually, most of the time.

birthday weekend gluttony

2009-09-13T18:50:00.000-07:00

I baked a cake for D's birthday using this recipe. I frosted it with store-bought frosting (chocolate) and layered it with slices of strawberry. However, it came out lumpy! Not totally sure why, but I think it has to do with my lack of an electric mixer (which was also the reason for buying, not making, the frosting). We've been slowly working away at it despite the lumps, though at two layers and probably about 7 pounds, it's not a task for the faint of heart (or those who cower at lumps). Wish I could send some to my Mom, whose birthday was today!

Cake is not our only indulgence, not by far! We ate Dim Sum yesterday at Gold Mountain (the best place we've found for it here, though it doesn't hold a candle to Jade Asian in Flushing... sigh...). And for dinner? Crab! I bought two crabs from a stand at Fisherman's Wharf and we proceeded to terrorize their lifeless limbs with gusto that would have been inappropriate in public (hence, the decision to eat at home).

And... just now I had another little indulgence, pictured below.

These are peaches soaked in a fruity, sweet white wine, an inspiration from Orangette.

One word: Wow.

Another two words: Make this.

I want to eat and drink this every day, and dream about it when I am asleep.

Hope everyone had as succulent a weekend as we did, and hope 24 Hour Fitness is ready for me!

cooking ideas: pizza

2009-08-30T19:04:00.000-07:00

I've been baking a lot of pizza lately and it's led me to swear off delivery pizza forever. I doubt this decision will stick (delivery pizza, after all, is pretty much unbeatable on some occasions). But that's how good homemade pizza is. It's so much better and less oily than pizza that someone would bring to your door, and there's the benefit of getting to customize exactly what you want on it and in what amount. So, if at all possible, pizza I consume from here on out will be made by my hands.

My plan is to keep some pizza dough frozen at all times and stewed tomatoes stocked in the cupboard. If those two items are on hand, then it's just silly not to make a pizza.

Here's the basic idea:

Pizza dough (from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything)

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1 to 1 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Combine the yeast, flour, and salt, then add 1 cup of water and oil.
2. Mix, adding more water until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky.
3. Form into a smooth round ball. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise until it doubles in size (1-2 hours). At this point, I divide the dough into two pieces (one piece is enough for a medium pizza) and freeze them or bake one and freeze one as needed. If you freeze it, wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap.
4. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Oil a circular pan and spread the dough out. Spread more oil thinly on top of the dough.
5. Add tomato sauce (see below), toppings and cheese.
6. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes (or until the bottom of the crust is nice and brown).

Casual tomato sauce

1 can of stewed tomatoes
1 small onion
3 or 4 cloves of garlic
oregano, salt, pepper to taste
a spoonful of sugar
a bit of red wine (if available)
Tabasco sauce to taste (if available and enjoyable to you)
fresh basil (if available)
ground beef, browned in a separate skillet (if desired)

1. Sautee diced onion and garlic for a few minutes, then add other ingredients.
2. Simmer on stove -- the longer the better!

The pizza pictured above has meat sauce and four (that's right, four!) types of cheese that just happened to be on hand: ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan and queso fresco. It was fantastic. And since all I had to do was defrost the dough, chop some veggies, boil the sauce and then throw the whole thing together, it took next to no time.

cooking ideas: cranberry nut bread

2009-08-27T17:04:00.000-07:00

I made cranberry nut bread using this recipe yesterday. I added about a teaspoon of vanilla extract and maybe a quarter cup of honey. It was good, but not quite as moist as I had hoped. Hmm...

Next, I'm going to hunt down a recipe for olive and cheese bread, as per D.'s request.

mystery cat

2009-08-27T16:31:00.001-07:00

Our cat caught her first mouse, and since then, she's changed.

She has a new demeanor. A sense of power and pride, of authority. I think this is some type of ritual every cat must experience, part of the change from kitten to cat. Our baby has grown up.

In other news, we have mice.

They live in our oven. Or under our oven. Somewhere near the oven where we can hear them squeaking and rummaging and (disgusting revelation alert) we can smell them when we bake. Yes, I use the oven. I will not let the mice win. But when I bake up my yummy breads (cranberry orange nut loaf yesterday, for example), the alluring smell of baking dough is tinged with the not too alluring smell of urine-infused mouse death. Not quite the odor I'm going for with this whole baking thing.

Our cat has started a nightly stakeout in front of the oven. If you sneak up on her and abruptly turn the lights on, sometimes you can catch her snoozing on the job, and she'll open up her eyes really big and look at you as if to say, "Me? Not sleeping! I'm hunting mice!" I've gotten so used to it that a few nights ago, I got kind of upset with her for slacking off when I woke up to find the kitchen tiles speckled with tiny brown pods of mouse poop. I approached her and accused of her of shirking her duties when D. admitted he'd locked her in the bedroom overnight (I think he misses her sleeping next to him). I felt bad that I had chastised the cat for not doing her job. Then I felt weird that I thought my cat had a job.

Well.

And, so, yes! She caught one. It was tiny and not entirely dead when D. found the cat sitting near it, watching it expectantly. Because I am a girl, I made him dispose of it. It was sad. The mouse was cute. It made me wonder why one four-legged furry creature is my precious angel (although, apparently, only when gainfully employed) and another one is a disgusting intruder that must be annihilated. The answer, of course, is that mice are gross. But I'm not entirely sure why.

D. disposed of the mouse but was pretty broken up about it. He returned dejected from the trash area downstairs where he laid the beast to rest in a spaghetti box.

Our cat still performs her daily vigils, sitting a little taller since her kill, more of a lion in her. There is a small hole in the woodwork near the oven that leads somewhere into the wall, behind the oven perhaps, or inside it. I don't know, but I know that it's a portal to the world of the mice. It's a tight squeeze for her, but she somehow manages to slink her way in and out, her hindquarters showing a bit of resistance as she shimmies them through.

She emerges with a gleam in her eye, her tail arched into a question mark. I don't ask what happens down in that hole, and she, being a cat, does not say.

cooking ideas: banana bread

2009-08-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

I've always liked baking and cooking, but these days I've had an even greater appreciation for it. There is a very specific feeling of accomplishment when you make something with your hands, taking a diverse group of random things (powdery white dust, a few sticky yellow and white blobs, a puff of brown powder) and, in an hour or so, ending up with a very tangible, very delicious product that was not there before. Instant gratification (well, nearly).

This time I made banana bread. I used a recipe from Orangette (which was tough because she seems to have an infinite number of banana bread recipes and they all sound dazzling) and added walnuts. It's moist and nutty and perfect.

Even the cat liked it.

article: U.S.-Japan relations and the Japanese election

2009-08-01T22:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to an article I wrote for the Nichi Bei Times:

http://www.nichibeitimes.com/?p=5092

Both Sen. Inouye and Amb. Fujisaki expressed concerns about the future of the relationship between Japan and the U.S. after the Japanese election later this month...

Something to watch!

cooking ideas: loco moco

2009-07-27T19:36:00.001-07:00

Tonight I attempted a dish I've long loved: Loco Moco!

It's a Hawaiian dish (apparently), but I've only ever eaten it in Japan. I googled a recipe, but then went with my gut instinct, skipping the gravy, since I'm not a huge fan.

My LM consisted of a layer of rice, sprinkled with pieces of scallions and avocado, then layered with a hamburger and topped with a sunny-side up egg. I fluffed the outsides with tufts of salad leaves, and then swirled some mayonnaise (Kewpie, of course) and ketchup on top.

I tend to mash it all together when I eat it making an unattractive but extraordinarily tasty (and colorful!) mush that goes down like any yummy comfort food. D., a first time LM eater, approached the dish in what he described as a "more gentlemanly" way, but seemed to enjoy it just as much, so I guess there is something to be said for refinement.

I served pumpkin salad on the side, which is made by mashing potato and kabocha, adding onions, scallions, salt, pepper, soy sauce and a good amount of my dear friend Mr. Kewpie. This stuff is so yummy it makes my brain hurt.

cooking ideas: fish tacos

2009-07-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

I've been using my days of unemployment to try and learn new things, reading books I've been intrigued by but haven't gotten around to picking up, watching countless Hayao Miyazaki films, taking long strolls, teaching myself HTML code... and, most awesome of all, doing more cooking.

I've always enjoyed cooking, but have, in recent days, been testing new recipes and flavor combinations, with quite pleasant results. Marinating beef in pineapple juice and soy sauce? It works. Substituting miso broth for chicken stock in risotto? Yum!

My favorite recent meal has been salmon soft tacos with homemade salsa. I'm not a stickler for following recipes, but here is my attempt to note the things that I randomly mixed together.

Salsa:
two tomatoes
an onion
the juice of two limes
garlic to taste (a lot, in my case)
scallions
cilantro to taste (again, a lot)
little Thai peppers cut up very small (not small enough sometimes, oops)
Tabasco to taste (some like it hot!)

Mix it all in a bowl and let this chill. Eat it after a couple of hours and wonder why you've not been doing so every day for your entire life.

Tacos:
Salmon
Cheddar cheese
Flour tortillas, soft taco size
Scallions
Avocado (yesss!)
Non-fat sour cream

Get some salmon, put a little salt and pepper on it, and grill it with the lid on. (I am not an expert at this and mine was too raw.) Put a couple of tortillas in your toaster oven until warm. Layer salmon wedges with avocado wedges and sprinkle with cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Add as much salsa as you can fit on top of all that without bursting it.

This is such a simple, healthy meal with so many lovely colors and flavors. You feel like you are being decadent without actually being too bad, which is a bonus.

This salsa is so fabulously delicious that I'm making it again tonight, only four days later. (And not only because I still have all the ingredients remaining and need to use them up!)

My next challenge will be homemade bread.

movie review: 500 days of summer

2009-07-24T14:56:00.000-07:00

This is primarily a movie about love.
It is also a movie about the dangers of global warming.
Set in a harrowing version of the near future in which Earth has been ravaged to the extent that summer blisters for 500 days, followed by a single day of frigid winter (a premise I found, from the beginning, somewhat preposterous), a boy and a girl meet when they are stationed at the same Water Rationing Facility (WRF) for their mandatory two years of civil service.
The boy, Tom, immediately falls for the girl, Summer (this name is apparently a coincidence unintended by the writers of the film). She resists his advances, believing that any previously 'normal' attempts at romantic relationships are irrelevant and obsolete given the current climate. He attempts to win her over, presenting her with his own rations of water and government-issued SPF 350 sunblock (and, in depriving himself, grows increasingly tan and dehydrated).
She finally agrees to go out with him on the sole evening of winter. They are both bundled in multiple layers of Gortex, their bodies completely covered even indoors to combat the chilling blasts of below-zero wind that can penetrate walls. They huddle in front of a massive fire, staring at each other through fur-lined goggles and practically yelling to be heard through enormous earmuffs. Tom confesses his feelings at length, and Summer, finally deciding to enjoy her life despite its bitter conditions, admits she cares for him too.
They peel back their mouth coverings. Their lips, exposed to the cold, immediately blister and blanch blue, ice crystals crackling at the corners. As they press their dry, shivering mouths together, Tom slumps back on to the couch. He is dead. After sharing his water rations with Summer for weeks, he has finally succumbed to dehydration.
At this point, several people around me in the audience were sobbing. I, however, remained unmoved. Why should his dehydration overcome him at the exact moment of his first kiss? And, if Summer really cared for him, wouldn't she have noticed that he had grown weaker and increasingly absentminded and stopped accepting his rations? It all seemed a bit far-fetched and emotionally manipulative to me.
The heat returns the next day and a disconsolate Summer reports to the WRF. Apparently, there are always a lot of casualties on the only day of winter and, in addition to Tom, about 20 other staff members have also died (many people, especially the elderly, simply can't withstand the extreme change in climate or die of exposure, lacking sufficient shelter). The government has therefore assigned a new set of trainees to the facility, one of whom, Ben, is immediately attracted to Summer.
And it begins again.
This film is an interesting take on the traditional romantic comedy, for sure, but a little dark for my taste.

and we're back...

2009-07-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

I'm going to update this blog more now!
I'm ready.

cute dish

2009-03-25T18:58:00.000-07:00

I love Fishs Eddy!

They have this series of dishes decorated with floorplans that totally reminds me of the game Clue. I feel like I'd be eating some mac and cheese and start to get to the bottom and see the outlines of rooms coated in greasy orange and think, "Professor Plum, conservatory, lead pipe." There's something very mysterious, I think, about a floor plan -- it gives so much information about a space and yet very little idea of what it might be like to inhabit it.

Then, they have this whole other collection based on the New York City skyline, with famous buildings identified. I think it's really charming to see all the city's grandeur and lights and soot and people reduced to this two-dimensional, black-and-white surface -- New York suddenly seems clean and elegant. Again, so much information about the city, but completely reinterpreted.

i'm not worthy...

2009-03-23T19:56:00.000-07:00

I want a new BIG leather bag.

I've been carrying the same one almost every day for a year and a half, and have not been terribly conscientious with the large number of pens that I tend to carry. Hence, many unsightly spots. Ack. I don't really care (I think it gives my bag character), but lately I am getting a bag itch.

I'm pondering some options, but it seems dumb to spend too much in this economy. But I want something leather. And I want something nice. What to do?

Just a few of the bags I am coveting:

Jack Rabbit Collection The Stinger Tote

Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Groovee Bag

Giorgio Brato Leather Satchel

sou sou (why i miss japan part bazillion and two)

2009-03-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

I used to visit Sou Sou all the time when I lived in Kyoto. It's this tiny little shop down an alley off a main road -- one of many little shops in Japan where you walk in and the city seems to melt away. The designs are alternately funky and traditional, with wild colors, kitschy patterns and some styles that just typify Japan.

The signature item is, of course, the split-toed shoes. Confession: I own six pairs. They are surprisingly comfortable and make you feel kind of like Spiderman, with an unnatural feeling of having a grip on the ground and the strange confidence that you could probably run straight up a brick wall.

If you are ever in Japan, check out one of their stores. And if you can read Japanese (or find someone to aid you), buy them online! I find myself clicking on their website every couple of months, dreaming of Kyoto, New York melting away...

Check them out at http://sousounetshop.jp !

love it! -- all of my hearts --

2009-03-20T17:36:00.001-07:00

I used to think heart motifs were really cheesy.

Maybe every woman goes through this. When you are a little girl, you love hearts. They are adorable and charming, bubble gum pink or sparkly, in the form of stickers or stamps or patterned leggings (this was the 1980's, after all). But around a certain age, they start to look stupid and immature. I remember being about 12 years old, getting a pair of heart-shaped earrings as a gift and shuddering, thinking, "So, you think I'm still a little kid?"

Somewhere along the line, however, that changed. Now, I recall those heart earrings and wish I had the foresight to keep them (I disposed of them promptly, of course). Because, just as as hearts suddenly became dumb, they are now fun. And cute. Winsome and whimsical.

Yep, I (heart) hearts.

Observe!

1 New York lights are hearts -- photo by "Color Me Katie"

2 Comme des Garcons Play Wool Heart Sweater -- on sale!

3 Modern Claddaugh Ring by Sudlow

4 Custom Heart Sampler by Miniature Rhino

5 Heart Stud Earrings by Trudie Davies

love it! --sweet socks--

2009-03-17T17:48:00.000-07:00

Adorable socks by Hansel from Basel! Get 25% off at checkout by entering the code "dailycandy" at checkout.

Question: Can I justify spending $6 on socks in this day-and-age?

Answer: Alas, no.

Knowing me, these cutie-pie socks would have a hole in them within about five minutes. I'll just covet them via this photo and spend my money on a big old sandwich.

(Thank you www.hanselandbasel.com and www.dailycandy.com!)

mustache medley

2009-03-16T17:24:00.000-07:00

I'm noticing a lot of mustache-themed items lately and have been contemplating the charm of the mustache.

Nowadays, it's somewhat rare to glimpse a fluff of hair in its natural habitat below a man's nose, but perusing Etsy and some of my favorite design blogs, I am tickled by the whimsical, whisker-like tufts of 'staches. On first glimpse, facial hair-themed art and knick knacks (as well as the cultivation of the hair itself) strike me as overly quaint and hipsterish, the kind of forced irony engaged in by people desperate for an easy way to articulate their cleverness.

And yet part of me is irrevocably drawn to the mustache. I recall images of my father, who nurtured a fuzzy black 'stache off and on throughout the '80s that would have put Tom Selleck to shame. I believe that most of us, buried deep in our subconscious perhaps, have a genuine nostalgia and warmth for the mustache, the way it itched when it nuzzled in for a good night kiss or gleamed at us from its perch above a proud smile.

I wonder if mustaches have been robbed of their ability to be genuine. Can a man wear a mustache un-ironically anymore? Or have the cultural implications rendered it a simple signifier of hipsterdom? Perhaps a man can wear an ironic mustache with so much gusto and genuine passion that it comes out the other end of irony and becomes a genuine expression of who he is? In any case, there is a mysterious quality to the mustache that no woman can completely grasp. They are at once so familiar and yet completely unattainable. I am not sure quite how I feel about them (overly cute or narrowly on the acceptable side of twee?) but I must admit that certain designers know how to give the 'stache some flair.

What do you think about mustaches?

Examine the evidence.

Exhibit:

a The Miniature Tiny Mustache Stick

b Lewis (Art Print)

c Mustaches on Strings - Signed Print

d Mustache Teacup with Saucer

salad weekend

2009-03-15T19:37:00.001-07:00

This was a very salad-happy weekend. Yesterday, D. made salad with garlic shrimp and lots of tomatoes. Not to be outdone, I prepared a salad this evening with somen noodles, thinly sliced kielbasa and avocado (it was the more photogenic of the two, so it's pictured at left).

So... which salad was the winner?

I won't presume to judge. Both salads were fantastic in their own ways.

The salad, like the sandwich, is quite a versatile creature. I'm inspired to pursue further experimentation. Tuna, goat cheese, olives, various pastas... I have a lot to contemplate!