I won't even create a recipe for this because this is so easy to cook! Just buy some crabs in your local grocer or wet market. The crab I bought was cracked at the grocery store. I only had to worry about making a sauce. I took inspiration from the Singaporean chili garlic crab and made my sauce with sesame oil, sriracha, ginger and garlic. Saute all the ingredients with the crab. It's that simple.
I went on a seafood diet for the week of Lent. One of the dishes I was able to cook was mussels in white wine sauce. Try this simple recipe which takes less than 20 minutes to make.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoon butter
quarter bulb garlic
1/2 cup of white wine (I used Riesling which was readily available inside my fridge)
0.75 lb mussels
1. Clean the mussels with water.
2. In a saucepan, boil the white wine. Simmer and pour in the mussels in the saucepan. Cover for 10 minutes or until the mussels are wide open. Be careful not to overcook since the meat becomes rubbery.
3. Once cooked, drain out the wine and set aside the mussels.
4. In the same saucepan, melt the butter and then saute the garlic. With a laddle, scoop out half of the cooked wine and mix in with the garlic and butter. Pour this sauce on to the mussels.
Mussels in the pot |
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My food blogger friend once told me that I should arm myself with a small tupperware whenever I attend a chocolate show. The laziness in me didn't heed his advice.
I got so tired and dizzy after an hour indulging in chocolate, wine and more (alcoholic) chocolates! In any large exhibition hall, the booths nearest to the entrance almost always have a higher recall. So please excuse me if I may have tagged the wrong flavors on the my photos. I did also take home some chocolates that I could no longer devour using some napkins especially from exhibitors at the end of the hall.
Presenting my pick of the best of the best during the7th Annual San Francisco International Chocolate Salon 2013:
The most conspicuous missing in action is Tcho. I say conspicuous because I overheard other attendees looking for Tcho's booth. I was also disappointed that newcomer Dandelion from the Mission, San Francisco didn't have a booth.
Til next year!
I got so tired and dizzy after an hour indulging in chocolate, wine and more (alcoholic) chocolates! In any large exhibition hall, the booths nearest to the entrance almost always have a higher recall. So please excuse me if I may have tagged the wrong flavors on the my photos. I did also take home some chocolates that I could no longer devour using some napkins especially from exhibitors at the end of the hall.
Presenting my pick of the best of the best during the7th Annual San Francisco International Chocolate Salon 2013:
Best in food jewelry accessories |
Best chocolate showpiece |
Best mix of chocolates: Guittard |
Guittard's booth |
Best in business card (yeah, I look at this!): Springloaf - a catering company (see below) |
Who made Springloaf's business card? So pretty! |
Best spicy chocolate: Cocotutti's thai chili (bottom) tied with Taza Chocolate (below) |
Best spicy chocolate: Guajilo chili from Taza Chocolate tied with Cocotutti |
Best exotic flavored chocolate: Marti's Chocolatt- they had buko pandan, durian and kalamansi chocolates! |
Best in packaging: Jade Chocolates |
Best non-chocolate: Plumeria Flours popcorn. |
I only got to try the seaweed. Very tasty indeed. |
Best caramels: Amella Caramels |
Best choconut: FGR |
FGR's nutty collection |
Best newcomer: Charles Chocolates |
Best Chocolate Tea: The Tea Room tied with David's Tea (no photo) |
Best white chocolate: Mission Blue Confections had a heart shaped white chocolate with strawberry filing (not in photo) |
I love this ring with chocolate cake on top although I don't know how/where I can wear it. |
The most conspicuous missing in action is Tcho. I say conspicuous because I overheard other attendees looking for Tcho's booth. I was also disappointed that newcomer Dandelion from the Mission, San Francisco didn't have a booth.
Til next year!
Jin Sho is my default place in Palo Alto every time I'm craving for Japanese food. Their special rolls are consistently good. This time around, I also tried their mochi in strawberry, mangoes and green tea- the skin was thinner than the grocery mochis, making it chewey and full of ice cream goodness.
As mentioned before, I was able to grab a bottle of the new Muscle Milk Light formula from Muscle Milk. It was sweeter than the Evolve protein shake and did not have an unnatural taste. How can you go wrong with chocolate? The texture was smooth and not as thick as other protein powdered drinks and shakes that I've tried so it felt like I was drinking a regular cold chocolate milk, such as Milo. Because I didn't want to finish the whole bottle in one go, I blended frozen blueberries with half of the formula and consumed the other half 2 days later.
I was on my way to the tram stop on Gough St. when this somewhat hole-in-the-wall discovery popped out of nowhere. I say somewhat because once you step in DragonEats, a small Vietnamese street food shop, you can tell that the interior design was well thought of- 'polished' cement walls, artistic decor that I wanted to bring home with me (!), a big communal table and bar stools facing the window to maximize seating space. The space is not stuffy and is impeccably clean. The empty Cafe du Monde yellow tin cans also adds a French colonial era touch.
Have you ever tried banh mi with sardines? I've only tried banh mi with meat but the sardines didn't disappoint. The vegetables were perfectly seasoned with fish sauce, balancing out the flavor of the sardines. The bread had the right amount of crunch to it as well.
I just wish that DragonEats is nearer to where I live because I can definitely see myself coming back here again and again for lunches and snacks.
Have you ever tried banh mi with sardines? I've only tried banh mi with meat but the sardines didn't disappoint. The vegetables were perfectly seasoned with fish sauce, balancing out the flavor of the sardines. The bread had the right amount of crunch to it as well.
I just wish that DragonEats is nearer to where I live because I can definitely see myself coming back here again and again for lunches and snacks.
The sardines banh mi overflowing with veggies |
I want to bring these home! |
I bough a half pound match green tea powder primarily for my smoothies but used some of it for baking purposes. First up, is matcha green tea brownies.
½ c melted butter
½ c sugar
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract
Mix the dry ingredients together:
½ c sifted flour
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ c matcha powder
Add sugar to the melted butter and vanilla and then add the eggs one at a time. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the batter mixture. Mix until no clumps. Pour the mixture on a baking dish sprayed lightly with oil.
Bake for 30 minutes in a 350F oven. Inhale the heavenly scent of vanilla and green tea. Let it cool for 10 minutes then cut as desired.
Be aware that matcha powder, in general, is an expensive ingredient in the U.S. but has many health benefits.
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Tampopo is the best food film I've ever seen in my life- this is the reason why I am only half thrilled when a new ramen shop opens in the Bay Area. The act of (loudly) slurping is strictly forbidden in Western culture.
Onwards to the Ramen Shop...
I have a rule for restaurants that have a long wait time. The food MUST be spectacular. After what seemed like eternity or 1.5 hours to be exact, it is really difficult for me to enjoy my experience at The Ramen Shop. To my dismay, I realized that my dining buddies and I had no other ramen option than the vegetarian ramen because everything else had pre-mixed pork broth in it according to the wait staff. Non-pork eaters beware! We ordered additional appetizers, such as pickled vegetables with sardines, and cod with escarole, beets and miso dressing, that I was not too thrilled about just to fill us up.
It also seemed peculiar, i.e. unfair, that a group of 4 who came in after our 3-person party got a table 30 minutes earlier before we did. Tsk tsk tsk. The restaurant only offers 4-, 2- seater tables, a big group table, and any number seating in front of the kitchen, which is where we ended up.
All the food from appetizers to the vegetarian miso ramen were salty to the bone. I cringed and downed multiple glasses of water to wash off the saltiness from their small kid-like glass. The hand-made ramen noodles were perfectly tender and soft. Otherwise, I didn't find anything special or authentic about their ramen. The vegetarian noodles came with king oyster mushrooms, bok choy rabe, a half salt-cured egg and mizuna, a Japanese mustard.
Dessert came, and the creases on my forehead deepen. The $6 home-made cookies and cream ice cream was still half stone cold frozen to the point that my 3-year old nephew couldn't even scoop the ice cream himself so he relegated to the softer, small cup of banana pudding, $6. Both desserts were overpriced for this type of casual restaurant. The banana pudding on the menu seems out of place in a ramen shop as well.
My special trek to Oakland for a weekday dinner from the city to try the Ramen Shop was not worth it. The wait was long, the food was too salty and there were not a lot of options for non-pork eaters, suprisingly. Their menu changes daily so it doesn't help that their website is dysfunctional and you can't easily find the menu of the day unless you take the time to call in advance.
TOP L-R: Pickled appetizers, cod salad, BOTTOM: the open kitchen |
The so-so banana pudding |
Can you see the ice build-up on the bottom right corner of the ice cream cup? |
*Note: This is not a sponsored post.
I was happy today when the gym had an open house full of healthy goodies to munch on and drink just in time for a post-pilates workout. There were some representatives from Muscle Milk promoting their new line of snack protein shakes, Evolve, as well as a light version of their flagship product, the Muscle Milk. Although lactose and gluten free, both products have whey protein. A big no-no for those experiencing hormonal acne- teens or adults. These products are not for me since I'm trying to cut down on whey as mentioned before, but the curiosity in me persisted.
When I got home, I decided to drink Evolve's strawberry protein shake paired with my dinner. As explained by the reps, Evolve is a snack drink that is not meant to substitute after-workout protein shakes. True enough, it didn't make me full compared to a protein shake. It only has 12g of protein per serving compared to Muscle Milk Light's 20g. If this wasn't verbally explained to me, it would have taken me some time to figure out the difference.
Taste is also very important for females. The strawberry shake is definitely not as sweet as a Nesquik's strawberry milk (I know this is usually a kid's drink but Nesquik is always my top-of-mind brand every time I think about strawberry shakes) since Evolve uses Stevia natural sweetener, monk fruit and cane sugar to sweeten the drink. It was not as rich or full-bodied as an Ensure milk, however what I didn't like was the apparent artificial strawberry flavor just like many other flavored protein shakes- this is the main reason why I stick to vanilla protein powders so I can add real fruits myself.
Evolve protein shakes comes in a pack of 4 for $4.99 in different flavors, such as vanilla, cafe latte, mixed berry and chocolate.
Watch out for my review of Chocolate Muscle Milk Light up next.
I was happy today when the gym had an open house full of healthy goodies to munch on and drink just in time for a post-pilates workout. There were some representatives from Muscle Milk promoting their new line of snack protein shakes, Evolve, as well as a light version of their flagship product, the Muscle Milk. Although lactose and gluten free, both products have whey protein. A big no-no for those experiencing hormonal acne- teens or adults. These products are not for me since I'm trying to cut down on whey as mentioned before, but the curiosity in me persisted.
When I got home, I decided to drink Evolve's strawberry protein shake paired with my dinner. As explained by the reps, Evolve is a snack drink that is not meant to substitute after-workout protein shakes. True enough, it didn't make me full compared to a protein shake. It only has 12g of protein per serving compared to Muscle Milk Light's 20g. If this wasn't verbally explained to me, it would have taken me some time to figure out the difference.
Taste is also very important for females. The strawberry shake is definitely not as sweet as a Nesquik's strawberry milk (I know this is usually a kid's drink but Nesquik is always my top-of-mind brand every time I think about strawberry shakes) since Evolve uses Stevia natural sweetener, monk fruit and cane sugar to sweeten the drink. It was not as rich or full-bodied as an Ensure milk, however what I didn't like was the apparent artificial strawberry flavor just like many other flavored protein shakes- this is the main reason why I stick to vanilla protein powders so I can add real fruits myself.
Evolve protein shakes comes in a pack of 4 for $4.99 in different flavors, such as vanilla, cafe latte, mixed berry and chocolate.
Watch out for my review of Chocolate Muscle Milk Light up next.
Apologies for the hungry, shaky hands. |
I didn't know there was such a thing until I read about this on another food blog... So happy National Noodle Month, dear readers! I'm a big fan of noodles because my Chinese upbringing taught me that I should eat noodles for long life! There's always a noodle dish on every single occasion/celebration when I was living in my parents' house.
Indulge yourself in these vegan ramen with handmade noodles from the Ramen Shop in Oakland. Review to come soon.
Indulge yourself in these vegan ramen with handmade noodles from the Ramen Shop in Oakland. Review to come soon.
Irish cupcake; celery sticks; ice cubes of celery, carrots and ginger |
I like the color green not only because it is the pantone of the year, but also it signifies prosperity and abundance. This year, one of my goals is to increase my intake of green foods not because I want to but because I need to (says my medical practitioners! All those intake of carbs although made out of wheat are not doing any good for my sensitive, aging skin) in an effort to make myself healthier and grow old prettier. I also recently discovered that I am not supposed to drink my supplementary source of protein, whey protein powder, which I drink after going to the gym. Whey is not good for my lactose intolerant tummy and for hormonal balance. Thus, the search for healthier substitutes have started.
1. To substitute whey protein powder, I've ordered hemp protein powder on Amazon. I will write a review on how hemp tastes once I get it in the mail. I really have no idea what/how hemp tastes like. Another option is rice powder.
2. I am more of a smoothie/juice drinker and a lazy muncher, in general, so anything that can be juiced or blended are high on my priority to drink list. Without whey protein powder, I've started drinking smoothies blended with (loose leaf) genmaicha or green tea mixed with frozen fruits (bananas, blueberries or strawberries- I freeze most of them for longer shelf life). Another more expensive but less time consuming option is to use pure matcha green tea powder instead of simmering loose leaf tea.
3. Today, I tried celery with carrot and ginger juice for the first time. All these ingredients blended together are certainly an acquired taste. I made a big batch and poured the extra juice on an ice cube tray so I can cut down on prep and cleaning time during the weekday and bring it to the office.
4. My favorite fresh juice blend is apples, carrots and cucumber. Unfortunately, I always run out of these ingredients in my fridge.
The Irish cupcake is a gift to myself (don't judge!). What other green foods/drinks do you like?
1. To substitute whey protein powder, I've ordered hemp protein powder on Amazon. I will write a review on how hemp tastes once I get it in the mail. I really have no idea what/how hemp tastes like. Another option is rice powder.
2. I am more of a smoothie/juice drinker and a lazy muncher, in general, so anything that can be juiced or blended are high on my priority to drink list. Without whey protein powder, I've started drinking smoothies blended with (loose leaf) genmaicha or green tea mixed with frozen fruits (bananas, blueberries or strawberries- I freeze most of them for longer shelf life). Another more expensive but less time consuming option is to use pure matcha green tea powder instead of simmering loose leaf tea.
3. Today, I tried celery with carrot and ginger juice for the first time. All these ingredients blended together are certainly an acquired taste. I made a big batch and poured the extra juice on an ice cube tray so I can cut down on prep and cleaning time during the weekday and bring it to the office.
4. My favorite fresh juice blend is apples, carrots and cucumber. Unfortunately, I always run out of these ingredients in my fridge.
The Irish cupcake is a gift to myself (don't judge!). What other green foods/drinks do you like?
It is very rare for me to be stuck in the South Bay during wee hours. But during one particular night after a concert at the HP Pavilion, my tummy was grumbling, and thus the urge to finally go to 99 Chicken to get some late night grub in the form of fried chicken! Rejoice!
99 Chicken is a mom-and-pop shop on El Camino near Santa Clara University. When I was there on a weekday, I can tell that most of the dining patrons were students on a cheap budget. Their menu is simple- for dine-in only, you can get unlimited salad and white rice. Order a plateful (10 chicken pieces) of chicken, and it comes out piping hot from the fryer.
My dining mate and I ordered the traditional fried chicken with no sauce but it turned out pretty good with the spicy ketchup. You can't really go wrong with fried chicken!
99 Chicken is a mom-and-pop shop on El Camino near Santa Clara University. When I was there on a weekday, I can tell that most of the dining patrons were students on a cheap budget. Their menu is simple- for dine-in only, you can get unlimited salad and white rice. Order a plateful (10 chicken pieces) of chicken, and it comes out piping hot from the fryer.
My dining mate and I ordered the traditional fried chicken with no sauce but it turned out pretty good with the spicy ketchup. You can't really go wrong with fried chicken!
A lightbox is important for those product shots you want to sell on etsy, ebay, etc. You can easily get a crisp, white background after tweaking the levels of your photos. For a DIY lightbox, here's what you'll need:
Follow these simple steps.
1. I didn't even bother measuring the dimension of my recycled Amazon box. It looked roomy enough for what I was aiming for. On each sides and the top portion, line a smaller rectangle 1 inch away from the edge.
You might already have at home:
A big box (any size that fits your needs)
White paper or recycled foam packaging
White poster
Scissors
Box cutter
Tape
Ruler
What you’ll probably need to buy:
Two 65-80 watt daylight bulbs
Two clamp lights
Follow these simple steps.
1. I didn't even bother measuring the dimension of my recycled Amazon box. It looked roomy enough for what I was aiming for. On each sides and the top portion, line a smaller rectangle 1 inch away from the edge.
2. Using the box cutter, follow the line.
3. After cutting the 3 sides off, this is what it looks like. Now you are ready to begin to tape your diffuser.
Here is my little helper stretching out the foam, while I put tape on each side.
Three sides are now covered with diffuser.
4. Set up your lights. Ensure that you have the right size of bulbs and wattage for your clamp lights. The easiest way to do this is by asking the sales associate at your hardware store.
5. Measure the white poster, which would serve as background. Cut out excess and then tape to secure. Tip: I like using a white poster instead of a white t-shirt/cloth since the poster doesn't have creases.
6. Start shooting! Enjoy.
On a side note, it took me awhile after a few shots to figure out the proper lighting. Sometimes, I would elevate one lamp to focus on the top portion of the subject. Or position myself to one side for a close-up shot in a certain angle.
Here are some results of my DIY lightbox project.
3. After cutting the 3 sides off, this is what it looks like. Now you are ready to begin to tape your diffuser.
Here is my little helper stretching out the foam, while I put tape on each side.
Three sides are now covered with diffuser.
4. Set up your lights. Ensure that you have the right size of bulbs and wattage for your clamp lights. The easiest way to do this is by asking the sales associate at your hardware store.
5. Measure the white poster, which would serve as background. Cut out excess and then tape to secure. Tip: I like using a white poster instead of a white t-shirt/cloth since the poster doesn't have creases.
6. Start shooting! Enjoy.
On a side note, it took me awhile after a few shots to figure out the proper lighting. Sometimes, I would elevate one lamp to focus on the top portion of the subject. Or position myself to one side for a close-up shot in a certain angle.
Here are some results of my DIY lightbox project.
I've made several pizzas at home, but I hate it when my dough always doesn't come out as I plan. Yesterday I was invited to taste test a home-made pizza, and I learned why my own pizza making career is non-existent! I always make the mistake of using a baking sheet which doesn't really absorb moisture from the dough thus making my pizza soggy most of the times. For the thin crust pizza below, a sheet made out of wood was used under 500 degrees Farenheit. Both pizzas turned out better than what you get in a restaurant!
It's been awhile since I last blogged about setting up a DIY studio so I got inspired while reading DPS' article on How to Make an Inexpensive Light Tent. I instantly cut out a recycled Amazon box and old poster, used a TV foam packaging as diffuser, and made a trip to the Home Depot to buy two 65 watt daylight bulbs and two clamp lights (medium size). I also scoured for a box cutter, tape and scissors.
This is my first time shooting with a DIY tent but have shot some on a professional tent before. What do you think of the results in my DIY tent? I adjusted the white levels of the raw file to get a crisp white background.
The subject, a pint of ice cream tub, was also a project I collaborated with DeLise. If you notice, the printing company didn't do a very good job on the colors since this was meant to be a sample.
I wrote the message on the back of the tub. My food writing class came into play here. And yes, I am a jack of all trades when it comes to food- from designing, photographing and writing (and blogging, of course). I might as well open a full service food consulting firm! Ha!
I positioned the two clamp lights on each side and then adjusted the height and angle depending on where the shadows are and what I wanted to highlight/focus on the photo. Overall, my DIY project cost me less than $30, and I've been reusing the same setup for other shoots. This is how you can also obtain high quality photos for ebay, etsy, etc. with a clean white background. Have fun and don't cut yourself while at it!
This is my first time shooting with a DIY tent but have shot some on a professional tent before. What do you think of the results in my DIY tent? I adjusted the white levels of the raw file to get a crisp white background.
The subject, a pint of ice cream tub, was also a project I collaborated with DeLise. If you notice, the printing company didn't do a very good job on the colors since this was meant to be a sample.
I wrote the message on the back of the tub. My food writing class came into play here. And yes, I am a jack of all trades when it comes to food- from designing, photographing and writing (and blogging, of course). I might as well open a full service food consulting firm! Ha!
I positioned the two clamp lights on each side and then adjusted the height and angle depending on where the shadows are and what I wanted to highlight/focus on the photo. Overall, my DIY project cost me less than $30, and I've been reusing the same setup for other shoots. This is how you can also obtain high quality photos for ebay, etsy, etc. with a clean white background. Have fun and don't cut yourself while at it!