what i made for dinner :: okonomiyaki

my mother is a whiz at making okonomiyaki, a japanese savory pancake-like dish. being from the kansai region of japan, this is soul food for us, and my mother's made-from-scratch version is what i consider to be perfect okonomiyaki. my version? i make it from a mix and i cut some other corners too. guess what? it doesn't come out nearly as good as my mom's. no surprise there.

but it's still fairly tasty, especially since we smother ours in okonomiyaki sauce, doro sauce, and kewpie mayonnaise (if i'm at my mom's i also dump on the aonori). besides the chopped cabbage and green onion, i usually mix some shrimp and squid into the batter. if i feel like doing some more work, i'll also sautee diced konyaku on high heat in shoyu and sake to add to the batter. i always layer sliced pork on top after sprinkling the batter with ground pepper, msg (the horror!), tenkasu, and katsuobushi.

greening up my clean-up

i'm in a slightly panicked mode at the moment. my aunt (my mom's older sister) is visiting from japan and i cannot have her over to visit until the house is spotless. my aunt is a traditional japanese housewife, which means my standards are waaaaaaaaaaaaay short of acceptable. even my own mother, who shakes her head in despair when she comes over to my house, was worried that my aunt would give her a hard time about the state of her house.

seriously, i was almost tempted to hire a maid service to get the house in order before my aunt's arrival. almost. but i was even too lazy to do that.

instead, this was the perfect opportunity to get started on a green, deep clean. i ordered green up your cleanup by jill schoff and went scampering around town gathering up the materials needed to make my new cleaning agents. this is a fantastic book and i highly recommend it, even if you haven't been thinking about greening up your cleaning routine; it'll make you rethink what you're doing to your house and your body, and then give you easy alternatives. i also had my aunt bring me a japanese book about cleaning with vinegar and baking soda. i'm really hoping that with these two books i can get rid of all the toxic chemicals that purport to clean my house, and rely on more natural methods.

i'll let you know how it goes ... i've only just begun to clean the bathroom ::

baking soda scrub :: i used this to clean the hard-water spots on the glass tub doors
2 tablespoons baking soda
liquid castile soap (i used dr. bronner's peppermint liquid soap i bought at tj's)

i put the baking soda in an old plastic reusable container, added a couple squirts of the soap, and mixed it until it became a foamy paste. i scrubbed it on the glass with a brush and left it for about 15 minutes, at which point the doors got a squirt of vinegar water before a rinse with the shower.

love this stuff. it smells good and it actually works. the hard-water spots on our glass doors are really bad but i managed to get most of it off. to do a comparison test i left the bottom half of the door untouched and there was quite a difference.

31 months.

maya @ 31 months :: june 4, 2008

• i got around to starting her on pull-up diapers. she opted for dora ones rather than disney princess ones ... thank god! but we aren't having much luck with getting her to go shishi on the potty very often.
• finally interested in the names of various shapes, and when she feels like it she gets her colors right. numbers and the alphabet aren't really coming along, but she did show some interest in the hiragana book i checked out for her at the library.
• it's happening ... the dreaded, incessant "why?"s and "what's that?"s.
• she is one bossy little lady. i will often find her talking to her little friends by literally wagging her finger at them and commanding them to do as she says.
• picking up new phrases like "calm down!" and "whoa! that messy! (in regards to her own mess in the living room that's been there all day)".
• one of her new favorite toys is the toy cash register and the pretend money in it.
• was actually quite well-behaved on our plane trip to milwaukee. it probably helped that she had her own seat and we replaced our aging portable dvd player. and much to rupert's delight, she called the photo of matthew fox on the cover of the inflight magazine, "daddy."
• she says, "c'mon! c'mon!" to get her unchi to come out.
• if i give her a 1-2-3 warning to do something, she usually does.
• she locked the bathroom door ... and shut it behind her.
• she now answers "two-half" when people ask her how old she is.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight! Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!

we spent last weekend in milwaukee to attend rupert's brother's medical school graduation. he and his girlfriend will be moving to rochester next month for their residency so this would probably be the only opportunity (reason) to go to milwaukee.

and what a wonderful midwestern city it was. rupert kept saying that it wasn't as dingy and rundown as he thought it would be. nice, huh? what was he expecting, exactly?

rupert's brother, A, and his girlfriend, A (i know, it's confusing), live in the shorewood area of milwaukee and it's just gorgeous along lake drive :: the huge mansions, the spring flowers, the view of lake michigan. i went for a jog both mornings we were there and it was lovely ... and quite possibly some of my favorite moments of the trip.

one of the things i wanted to see in milwaukee was the milwaukee art museum and the burke brise soleil. unfortunately, everytime we passed the museum the wings were closed. we didn't stay long enough to view the exhibits in the museum but we managed to get a few shots of the amazing glass chandelier by dale chihuly.

afterwards we headed to the betty brinn children's museum, which the kids really enjoyed. it's a great little museum with tons to do. right now there's a curious george exhibit going on, which is one of maya's favorite shows.

on sunday, since the weather wasn't as nice, we headed to sprecher brewery for a tour. the tour itself isn't amazing, but for $3 you get a small glass, four refills of any beer on tap, and all the soda you want at the end of the tour. i didn't get the beer but i really enjoyed the root beer (which is usually not one of my favorite drinks), cherry cola, and the ravin' red.

and the last thing i *had* to do before leaving milwaukee was get a taste of frozen custard. i made my brother-in-law drive us across town to leon's. the butter pecan was delicious and i couldn't believe it only cost $1.65!

i left milwaukee really liking the midwest vibe and historic feel of the city. of course, we were staying in the nice part of town and the weather was absolutely perfect. had we gone in the middle of winter i would probably not be so enthusiastic!

see more pictures from the weekend here. thanks to A+A for hosting us for the weekend!

what i made for dinner :: baked eggplant + ground pork and tofu salad

i found these recipes from the orangepage magazine website because i was trying to find a way to use the japanese eggplants + cucumbers i had in the fridge. [and, as if i had to tell you, the recipes are in japanese.] it was a completely mismatched dinner (the eggplant is more italian and the tofu salad is asian) but i managed to enjoy it anyway.

the eggplant "bake" is really more like a lasagna with the eggplants replacing the noodles. just layer sliced (and sauteed) japanese eggplants, meat sauce (made with ground pork, chopped onions, a bay leaf, a can of chopped tomatoes, and pepper, salt, and a dash of nutmeg), and grated mozzarella cheese, and bake in a 375 or 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes.

the tofu salad is really simple and perfect for warm weather. i used one whole block of soft tofu. it's best to drain the tofu really well by putting a weight on it for awhile; a lot of the moisture will leach out and that will prevent the dressing from getting too watery. break up the tofu with your fingers and add half of a finely chopped japanese cucumber and one green onion, and a handful of quartered grape tomatoes. the dressing doesn't even have to be made separately. just pour 2 tablespoons each shoyu (soy sauce) and rice vinegar and 2 teaspoons sesame oil over the tofu and veggies. toss well. enjoy!

what i made for dinner :: soy braised short ribs + hard boiled egg

this is another recipe from orange page magazine, but a slightly deconstructed version of the original. it's supposed to be soy braised pork belly and hard-boiled eggs on rice. but i used short ribs and separated the rice and meat.

it's a multistep recipe but not overly difficult. first, you boil the meat for about an hour (and hard boil the eggs separately). then you fry the meat and eggs in some oil until they're crispy. last, you cook them in a soy sauce broth for 45 minutes. i sauteed komatsuna greens on the side.

what i made for dinner lunch :: pozole

my friend L is a wonderful cook and she brought me pozole awhile back. boy, is this the kind of dish for me! i've been making my own version since then based on what L told me, but it's probably not completely right/authentic.

i make a blanco version by sauteeing minced garlic and chopped onions, and then browning pork neck bones and stew meat. (i made it with pork feet once but i'm not sure it added anything to the flavor.) after adding water and simmering, i skim off the crud that accumulates on top. once the meat is tender i add canned (drained and rinsed) hominy, salt and pepper and let it cook for an hour or two.

depending on what i have around the house i serve the pozole with cabbage, radish, avocado, lime, and/or corn tortilla chips.

what i made for dinner :: soba noodles with squid meatballs

have you noticed the pace at which i'm posting food entries is slowing down? that's because i'm finding it more and more difficult to find new recipes to try out. (that's just a nice way to say, "i'm burning out on cooking.")

as i was rummaging through the fridge crisper checking out the vegetables i still have, i was somehow reminded of the many japanese cooking magazines in my collection. surely there's something in one of them i could cook for dinner tonight.

what i found in an old orange page magazine was ika dango soba, soba with squid meatballs. (unfortunately, they don't have the recipe online.)

the ika dango was easy to make, even though i had to clean out two whole squids, which was actually kinda fun. instead of mincing the squid by hand like the recipe says, i used the food processor after separating the body from the head/tentacles, cleaning out the inside of the body, and coarsly chopping the meat. the food processor works quite well actually; not only does it finely mince the meat but it whips it up so the meatballs are nice and fluffy. to the mixture i added chopped green onions, salt, and corn starch.

before cooking the meatballs i blanched fresh spinach and cooked the soba noodles (which i overcooked -- again -- what is wrong with me?!). the recipe also calls for enoki mushrooms but the stuff i had in the fridge was bad. my fault for not checking before going to the market.

as the soba is cooking i spooned little balls of the squid into simmering soba broth for a minute. when everything is done, i plated the noodles into a bowl with the squid meatballs and spinach, and poured the broth over it all. i finished off mine with shichimi togarishi.

all in all, an edible creation but i think it was a bit too salty because i didn't measure the broth-concentrate-to-water ratio correctly (yes, i cheated by using bottled mentsuyu). also, there's only so many squid meatballs you can eat before you get all squidded out. maybe i'll make this again, and maybe not. i'm kinda thinking that in warmer weather i could make cold soba and deep-fry the squid meatballs. that would by tasty, i imagine.

what i made for dinner :: cold ramen noodles

last week we had a heat wave so i made cold ramen noodles for dinner. unlike the more popular hot ramen noodles, remen (literally "cold noodles") doesn't have a soup. you pour a sauce over the noodles and topping.

i prepared a few more toppings than usual that particular night :: char siu pork, poached chicken, kinshi tamago, cucumbers, tomotoes (for me), and sauteed eggplant and green beans. i buy my char siu pork from the japanese market; it's the sweeter variety, but at some point i may try to make my own savory version. kinshi tamago is "golden thread eggs"; you make a very thin egg omelet and then thinly slice it. i poached the chicken breast in the microwave with sake and cilantro for six minutes (five minutes might be enough).

a couple of days later i made the last packet of noodles for lunch with the leftover cucumbers, tomatoes, chicken and pork. i didn't want to spend the time making the kinshi tamago, so i made sunny side up eggs with slightly runny yolks, which mingles really well with the noodles and sesame sauce. (see picture above)

rupert joins the bandwagon

rupert has this deluded notion that he can write a dissertation and a blog. so he's started his own blog about life as a phd student. if you can understand what he writes, then you are a smarter person than i am.

30 months.

maya @ 30 months :: may 4, 2008

• coloring better, and attempts to stay within the lines sometimes.
• spits ... in the house. but we put an end to that pretty quickly. another icky thing she's been doing lately is eating hair, oftentimes my hair.
• assumes "the position" to put her diaper on standing up.
• writes draws Os + Is, and recognizes a few other letters. when i complimented her on the O she wrote one day, she took a bow, so to speak, by saying, "thank you, thank you, thank you very much." her counting is improving ... sort of :: "one, two, three, six, seven"
• we're starting her on playing boardgames. the buzzer on "operation" scared her, though.
• movie of the month :: meet the robinsons. she also watched amelie with me a couple of times.
• when she's in the mood, she's kind enough to jump over the cracks in the sidewalk so she doesn't break her mother's back.
• she managed to clog the toilet ... twice ... this month (we had to call the plumber + get a snake for the toilet). she's also been reluctant to go unchi on the toilet lately, but we still make her.
• she loves to move the hose/sprinkler in the front yard with rupert when he waters the lawn. and even when he doesn't have to water the lawn she insists on going outside to do the "spinklah."
• she's capable of saying "sorry" and "thank you" at the appropriate moments ... it's just that she usually doesn't choose to. and who knows where she picked up her sassy "oka~y, oka~y!" from.
• for some reason she calls roly-polies "wakamolies." she also seems to be confused about "chickens" and "kitchens." it took rupert a few days to get her to say "pineapple" instead of "apple pie." yeah, it's taking her awhile to get the hang of the english language.
• has a new best buddy, the little sister of two kids who go to ian's school. at drop-off in the morning the two love to chase each other around and sit on the steps to the office and chat.
• the librarian gave her a tootsie pop, at which point maya wanted to go straight home to eat it. after she unwrapped it she asked me to take pictures of her eating it (like with the ring pop she got from the library last month).
• every little noise/change in voice/thing makes her ask, "what happened?" and she'll keep asking until you give her an adequate answer. i can only imagine what it'll be like when she starts asking, "why?"
• she and her brother are beginning to "fight" more. not real fights but little tussles. usually i'll find maya sitting on top of ian and hear his muffled cries of, "get off of me! get off of me!" but i'll also catch ian trying to bop her in the head with the couch pillow or throwing balls directly at her in the backyard.
• she's always curious about ambulance/fire engine/police car sirens, but she seems to be confused about the ice cream truck music. when the ice cream truck stops at the library on the next block -- which is everyday -- she asks with a hint of concern in her voice, "what that noise?"

everyday is earth day

i realize the official earth day was last week but i still wanted to write about my efforts and thoughts on becoming more eco-conscious. "going green" is constantly on my mind. i'm all over the place with my emotions, though :: enthusiasm for what i can do to help the planet, guilt about over-consumption, discouragement for not doing enough, and wonder at how much there is to learn. it is overwhelming, but i'm determined not to let that stop me from doing what i can to minimize any negative effects my existence on this earth can have.

just so i start off on a positive note, here are some things we do in our household ::

• recycle ... almost obsessively.
• wash our clothes with cold water (except for the towels and sheets, which get washed in hot water).
• compost + grasscycle.
• change our light bulbs to CFLs.
• turn down the thermostat.
• keep lights off as long as possible and turn them off when they're not necessary.
• when the wallet allows it i try to buy organic + local produce.
• donating unused/unwanted items to friends and charity.
• gradually going paperless for bills + statements (i have to admit i'm a little bit paranoid about not having a paper trail of my finances).
• carry around reusable shopping bags (i also reuse produce bags numerous times).
• drive a prius ... actually, rupert drives the prius.
• hang clothes out to dry when it's warm (but i only have one clothes drying rack and ian's basketball hoop so there's a limit to how much i can put out at one time).
• during the summer we grow a few vegetables and herbs ... and now rupert can use some of my very own compost to keep the plants healthy.
• instead of giving gifts we've been donating to the recipients' (or our) favorite causes.
• check out books from the library instead of buying them.

like most people, i recycle because it's simple and it makes me feel good. but something i read on treehugger made me realize i'm going about this all wrong :: reduce, reuse, recycle is listed in order of importance, which means i'm focusing on (and sitting on my high horse about) the least important part of household conservation.

there's more i should be doing instead of relying on recycling to be the easiest and best thing i can do at home. in fact, i should be striving to reduce the amount of regular garbage and recycling that leaves my house. that means i need to create less waste in general, and to achieve that i should be consuming less of everything.

so, here are things i plan to do to reduce my intake of resources and to reuse items i already have ::

• after i get through my stash of sponges, start using the kids' old washclothes to wash the dishes that don't go in the dishwasher.
• figure out how to use baking soda + vinegar for my cleaning needs.
• sew up some cloth napkins and stop using paper napkins.
• reduce the number of paper towels i use by switching to rags for clean-ups (i already use dishcloths for drying), and only purchasing paper towels made from recycled paper.
• stop buying so many individually wrapped/packed snacks + drinks.
• replace plastic reusable containers with glass ones.
• be much more careful about my water usage.
• switch from liquid body soap to bar soap (to cut down on plastic containers).
• walk more to our local stores.
• finally buy a water bottle for rupert (like mine) so he'll stop asking me to buy bottled water. do you know how guilty i felt buying a case of water at costco on earth day of all days?!
• get a clothesline put up in the backyard.
• sign up for renewable energy sources.
• reduce the packaging on the tagE*blankEs i sell.
• learn more about recycling properly.
• visit second-hand and vintage shops instead of buying brand new all the time.
• no more magazine subscriptions.

most importantly, i have to stop buying so much stuff [i.e., junk]. i really have very little need for more things but i keep buying. it's awful and wasteful and just plain bad. the clutter around our house is causing me stress, too. i look around and i'm fed up with living amidst so many unnecessary objects. i tried to follow the rule "one object in, one object out" but that hasn't worked at all.

in order to make a drastic change in lifestyle and consumption mentality, i'm participating in the buy nothing challenge from crunchy chicken's blog, albeit a month late. it's going to be a real challenge, especially since we'll be traveling to milwaukee mid-month to attend rupert's brother's medical school graduation (that means not buying souvenirs and figuring out an alternative to purchasing a graduation gift). going cold turkey is what i need, though, in order to see the absolute waste of money, time, space, and mental energy caused by unnecessary shopping.

one area in particular has been haunting me :: my scrapbooking hobby. i've been in love with paper since i was a little girl and i don't foresee that changing in my lifetime. my stash of beautiful decorative papers is probably making my house a fire hazard, and yet, i have no intention of getting rid of any of it. i could easily switch to digital scrapbooking, but i'm resisting that change because i like the tactile nature of paper scrapbook layouts. if i'm not going to give up scrapbooking then i need to stop buying so much paper and use it instead of admiring it in it's 12"x12" glory. so, you heard read it here first folks -- no more buying scrapbooking supplies!

and, looking to the future, some things i wish i could do ::

• reuse grey water.
• get my own hybrid car.
• install solar panels on the roof.
• buy energy star appliances when our current appliances go kaput.
• plant a proper, year-round garden ... and have rupert take care of it (i have a brown thumb).

hmm ... too many of those things require me to buy something. i should probably think of a different kind of future.

i would love to hear what you do in your homes + lives to be more eco-conscious. are there green books/websites/documentaries that you recommend? did anything i wrote above sound ludicrous or wrong? this is one issue i would love to get some feedback on.

contrary to previous posts, this is not a food blog

i've been short on family news and long on recipes, i know. food is constantly on my mind and i'm enjoying the cooking. what can i say? it's my current obsession and, not being a multi-tasker, i can't seem to get anything else done.


but there are scrapbook layouts that need to be completed and creative juices that need to be percolated and flowed (yes, i'm pretty sure the past tense of "flow" is "flowed"). i have quite a few layouts and mini-albums that are near completion; it's frustrating to see them almost done and to know that i lack the few extra drops of creativity (and time) needed to complete them.

i have to remember that each layout doesn't have to be a masterpiece (not that they ever are) and i don't need everything to be perfectly laid out or perfectly embellished. just finish the darn thing, for pete's sake! tell the story, slap the picture down, use a few pretty/cute/cool things and be done with it already. yeesh!

my hope is that i will have a few more layouts to share in the coming weeks.

what i made for dinner :: potato, carrot, and zucchini kugel

for passover this year i contributed the kugel to our big family seder at my in-laws'. i knew i wanted to try it out when i saw the recipe in the april issue of bon appetit because i really enjoy kugel but i'd only had more of the sweet noodle-y kugels in the past.

this one is loaded with potatoes and vegetables, and it comes together pretty easily (although you will spend a bit of time peeling and chopping). it makes way more than eight servings; besides the red baking dish, it also made a panful of kugel in a 13x9 pyrex. because of the whipped eggs in the recipe it comes out quite light, and takes on the flavor of whatever meat dish you're serving (we were having lamb).

if it weren't for a burn on the roof of my mouth i think i would've been able to better critique this dish. i *think* it was too salty and perhaps a bit too raw onion-y. a recipe reviewer mentioned she would try sauteing the onions first, which may mild out the flavors better. also, instead of all of the onions, it might be worth it to up the amount of zucchini and carrots because those flavors were basically non-existent.

all in all a recipe worth tinkering with ... but next year i may try the sweeter noodle kugel i love so much.

what i made for dinner :: tofu burgers + sesame brown rice salad with shredded chicken and peanuts

we've had a heat wave in our parts for the last week. luckily, i found a whole grain salad article in the june 2007 issue of cooking light that would help to combat the heat :: the sesame brown rice salad with shredded chicken and peanuts recipe sounded refreshing and filling. it also allowed me to use some of the left over stuff in the fridge. (kind of a sidenote, but i am trying harder not to waste food; i used to let ingredients for one dish go to waste because i didn't know how to use it for another dish. i'm finding that with more practice i can reuse the same ingredients in different ways in short spans of time without getting bored of the food. and, that is a very good thing.) i also added sliced red pepper to this for a pop of color and more crunch. you could probably even add some nappa cabbage to this as well.

you need to make a lot of dressing for this (twice as much as is called for), otherwise it's too bland. obviously, upping the oil content decreases the healthiness of the recipe so you'll have to choose :: flavor or low-cal. however, i have an idea i intend to try next time -- marinating the veggies in the dressing for awhile in the fridge. another piece of advice, don't pour the dressing over the rice if you don't intend to eat it right away. the rice absorbs the dressing quickly and you'll have to add more right before serving.

the main dish was tofu burger patties, a staple around here. it's not vegetarian; tofu is an additional filler to ground meat (i used ground chicken this time but i've used a ground beef + pork combo as well). this is another dish where i can sneak in more veggies than ian is usually willing to eat. tonight's version had shiitake mushrooms, onions, red peppers, carrots, and snap peas in it. additional ingredients :: egg (for binding), ginger, garlic, sesame oil, shoyu, sesame seeds, and ground pepper (i don't add salt because we use tonkatsu sauce on top).

what i made for dinner :: crispy noodle cake with barbecued pork

the other day i talked about my love for fatty meat. but my true love is noodles. if i see a noodle recipe i almost always want to try it.

i found this old (march 2004) bon appetit noodle article and found a few recipes that sounded good. the only one i've tried so far is the crispy noodle cake with barbecued pork. i found it to be pretty good and filling, despite the fact i overcooked the veggies a bit. try not to saute the veggies too long if you like a little bite to your carrots and peas (i used snap peas instead of snow peas). also, the recipe says to season with salt and pepper after the noodles and vegetables are combined. don't; it's got plenty of savory flavor without the additional salt.

this recipe is good because you could use a wide variety of vegetables (always something i'm looking for so the kids can get their daily dose of veggies). next time i will probably add more bean sprouts, red peppers, and some kind of mushroom.

with stuff i had left over in the fridge, i also made an egg drop soup with chicken and bok choy. i'm finding that the more i cook on a regular basis, the easier ideas come to mind about what to make even without a recipe. i have to say, my knife skills are getting better too.

what i made for dinner :: cabernet-braised beef short ribs

i'm a sucker for a piece of good fatty meat (where do you think i got that layer of fat around my belly from?). meat benefits from some fat, flavor-wise and texture-wise ... don't you think? if you agree, then the next recipe might be for you :: cabernet-braised beef short ribs (from the march 2008 issue of cooking light).

although the recipe is simple you do need about four hours to prepare (active time is only about half an hour, at most). i didn't use cabernet since i had an open bottle of pinot noir but it worked out fine. rupert was my assistant for step 4; with his help i didn't make much of a mess and we managed to limit the amount of fat that went into the sauce.

because you discard the vegetables that cook with the meat, i made a side-dish of broccoflower "steak," a simplified version of this cauliflower steak recipe. super yummy. i guess you could braise or roast some extra carrots, celery, and onion and pour the sauce over them.

the israeli couscous turned out better this time, i think because i used a richer chicken stock (which i made yesterday) instead of the usual packaged chicken stock from TJ's. it also went really well with the meat and sauce. i definitely recommend making accompaniments that are not heavily seasoned and can take on the flavor of the short ribs.

i feel like i'll go to hell for this

rupert noticed a single wasp flying around the birdhouse on top of our deck rafters. he could just barely see the start of a wasp's nest inside the birdhouse. probably not a good thing to allow a wasp to make herself at home near the kids' play area outside. so i told rupert to knock the birdhouse down and throw it away. when the wasp flew away to do whatever it is a wasp does, rupert acted as my hitman and "took care of the situation."

a few minutes later, from inside the house, we saw the wasp return and fly around the rafters. and fly around and around the same area. occasionally it would stop on the wood beam. but then it would fly around where its nest should've been. i could imagine it thinking to itself, "well, i'm sure i left it here somewhere," the way some people wander around the same area of a parking lot looking for their car.

even after close to an hour, as we left to eat dinner at my parents', we could see it looking for its nest. it was rather sad, actually, and i felt bad about it. hopefully it found a better place to nest, away from mean people like me.

what i made for dinner :: asian chicken salad with snap peas and bok choy

this one is a keeper, but i probably won't make it again until it's hot outside. for a salad it takes some time to prepare (just poaching the chicken took 30 minutes) but you can make everything in advance and throw it all together in the evening for a really refreshing salad. the supermarket i was at today did not have baby bok choy, so i bought regular bok choy. since it's not as tender, i ended up poaching the bok choy for a short period of time (letting the stems poach directly in the liquid and keeping the leaf part out of the liquid).

actually, i had two hits today :: i also made ground coriander and cilantro flatbreads from the same issue of bon appetit (may 2008). they don't bake in the oven; they're panfried in olive oil (3 minutes each side). because of the baking soda and baking power they puff up thicker than you'd expect but they cook through in 6 minutes. the picture in the magazine shows "flat"bread but mine almost looked like crabcakes; i flattened out the second batch of dough more but they still puffed up pretty high. they're good though! (i didn't make the raita or the coriander oil to go with the flatbread but it's still tasty.)

(and, just so ian had something to eat, i made honey-mustard-sesame chicken legs for him. also yummy, but this is an old stand-by recipe.)

what i made for dinner :: caramelized leeks with roasted salmon fillets

salmon is one of the easiest main courses i prepare; it's pretty hard to screw up, it's quick, and both the kids like it. despite the positives, i do get a little bored with the pink stuff after awhile. a new recipe to the rescue!

in the march issue of cooking light there was an article about leeks, a vegetable i'm pretty fond of. and just the other day hubert keller described how to julienne leeks during an episode of his show (while he was cooking beef, lamb and pork baeckeoffe). let me tell you, the technique works great and i could've julienned leeks till the cows came home. [the technique :: wash and trim the leek of the green part and the root end; cut the leek to the length you want the julienne to be; stand the leek on one end; slice down from the top, with the tip of the knife reaching to the center of the leek; "unfurl" the leek and lay it flat (it should be a stack of rectangular leek leaves); julienne to your heart's content]

anyway, i digress. caramelizing the leeks takes a bit of time (20 minutes), but it's well worth it. the leeks were so sweet and gave the salmon a little oomph (taste and texture-wise). the recipe says the salmon fillets roast in 8 minutes. mine did not; in fact, it took three times as long. you'd think that since i cook salmon fairly regularly i'd know by now how long it takes to cook a piece of fish. my fillets were a bit larger than 6 ounces so that may have been part of the reason it took so long. i now know to throw the salmon in the oven at the same time as i start sauteeing the leeks. then it should all come together at the same time.

couscous and a green salad accompanied the meal.

what i made for dinner :: curry + rice

we have a tradition on the first monday of the month :: i make japanese-style curry+rice. the reason the tradition started is because i have pta meetings on the first monday of each school month. i needed something quick to make so i can scarf down my food and run out the door after rupert got home from work.

for awhile our standard curry was chicken with onions, carrots, and potatoes. sometimes i used beef, and i even tried seafood curry (not very well-liked by anyone). one day i randomly threw in shimeji mushrooms, which led me to become a bit more adventurous with my ingredients. lately, the parents' favorite is eggplant curry with ground pork, shimeji, and chickpeas. it's really quite good with a nice balance of textures and flavors. maya likes it too, but i still make a smaller batch of the chicken curry for ian.

what i made for dinner :: risotto with italian sausage, caramelized onions, and bitter greens

you know what's nice? a sunday evening when ian's at a playdate and maya's taking an extra-long nap. that means i can make a non-kid-friendly dinner. tonight's menu :: risotto with italian sausage, caramelized onions, and bitter greens from the march 2008 issue of cooking light + salad.

if you have 20-minutes to spare to keep stirring the risotto then this is a great recipe. i really like arugula (the bitter greens in the recipe) and it gives the dish a nice flavor and bite (and some color). i didn't add any salt to the recipe and only used 2 teaspoons of parmesan (rupert added more to his own dish), and i thought it was fine. i used a smoked turkey and chicken sausage instead of the italian sausage and it was still good.

i will definitely make this again, especially if the kids aren't around.

what i made for dinner :: slow cooked carnitas + roasted tomatillo salsa

i haven't posted about dinner in awhile but that doesn't mean i haven't been cooking. mind you, i haven't been making dinner every night, but i do cook. earlier this week i whipped up an impromptu pot roast that came out pretty well with minimal effort.

i was a good little girl this week and actually went through the supermarket circulars to see what was on sale and checked my list of recipes i want to try out. success -- a match! slow cooked carnitas with roatsed tomatillo salsa from the april 2008 issue of bon appetit.

this recipe is super easy because it requires very few ingredients and cooks in the slow cooker for 6 hours, so it's very hands-off. i did make some modifications to both the carnitas and salsa.

carnitas :: instead of 2 teaspoons of salt i used 1 teaspoon, and that was plenty. i also added some garlic powder, ground cumin and ground coriander. because of my "diet," i decided to put some carnitas and salsa on a salad instead of consuming it in tacos as the rest of the family did. i totally enjoyed it and loved that the salad required no dressing. (i used organic mixed greens, tomatoes, red pepper, and avocado.)

salsa :: i'd never used tomatillos before but this salsa is incredibly simple and really quite good; a perfect way to use a vegetable for the first time. rupert liked it more than the carnitas and wants me to make more. i followed the recipe closely, but i also roasted a clove of garlic. actually, i might add more garlic next time for that extra blast of flavor.

the recipe is part of bon appetit's "family style" column -- recipes that are supposed to be easy, kid-friendly, and also provide leftovers. the leftovers recipe using the carnitas is for cubanos, cuban sandwiches. i'm tempted to try the sandwich but rupert is thinking of putting the carnitas into quesadillas. either way, i betcha it'll be good.

29 months.

maya @ 29 months :: april 4, 2008

• she is finally -- finally! -- starting to use more japanese words. and she definitely understands that there are two ways of saying things. for example, she will ask me to draw her a "wani" and then repeat "ow-ee-gatow." (and by "ask" i mean she brings me her magnadoodle and says "wani" while pointing with the magnet-pen.) but she still does not speak very clearly; her enunciation is really quite poor, which is starting to worry me a bit.
• the movie-of-the-month is "mononoke hime (princess mononoke)," which she calls "shishi" for inoshishi (boar). her favorite line? "sare!" (leave!)
• she really relates to the "curious george goes to the hospital" dvd rupert bought for her recently. it must be because she often has a stomach ache. [warning :: the second story on this dvd, "mouse soup" is bizarre!]
• everytime we go to a birthday party she thinks it's her birthday. or, if she gets a present for whatever reason she thinks it's for her birthday. and she knows cake and candles come with any mention of birthday.
• she talks to her little friends (and me!) like she talks to my mother-in-law's dog :: "stop!" "stay!"
• she likes to look at my scrapbook layouts. she asks me to pull down the "pick-cas" (pictures) from the bookshelf and flips through the layouts, often mistaking baby pictures of ian for herself.
• we're able to get her to unchi (poopy) on the toilet exclusively. this is helpful since her poops are so huge that they are unpleasant to clean up after they've been deposited in a diaper. she's also getting better about telling us she has to go #1 so we've started getting her to pee on the toilet at least once a day. but i haven't had the inclination to actually start "potty training."
• it's not very rie, but i am going to have to start using time-outs more often.
• she's getting attached to my workout buddy, P (who also happens to be ian's best friend's mom).
• sticks her plastic stethoscope to her mouth by sucking in.
• enjoys talking on the phone :: she's always pretended on her toy phone but she got a taste of the real thing while rupert was out of town and now she always wants to talk on the phone when it rings.
• loves bandaids ... then again, what kid doesn't?
• gives loooooong, slobbery, full-on-the-lips kisses
• she sings this crazy song she made up over and over again. what i can make out sounds like, "i'm a boy." and because she is her parents' daughter, when she starts warbling ian reaches for anything and everything that will cover his ears.
• when rupert and i embrace she comes running and wedges herself between us, yelling, "no! no! no!" as if to say, "break it up, people!" just to bug her we hug often and hard. ;)
• likes to use the pre-k/kinder computer at the library.

last weigh-in + fitness update

ten pounds in ten weeks ... that's what i lost! well, almost ten pounds; to be exact it was 9.8 pounds. i didn't win the fitness challenge, but i came in second place. i'm really pleased with what i've accomplished :: it's not just about the weight-loss, but more about the lifestyle overhaul, seeing the changes in my body, and feeling different about myself.

the whole process really has set the tone for long-term changes in how i eat and live. i'm stronger, my endurance is up (i can go up the sand dune more easily now), and i've even taken up jogging. yup -- jogging! if you've known me for awhile you know that i absolutely HATE moving faster than a slow stroll. but i ain't gonna lose any weight or fat going as slow as a turtle.

thanks to my work-out buddy, P, who made me jog short distances during our workout at the dune a few weeks back, i've begun my love/hate relationship with running. after i shed a few pounds and my legs got stronger i found that jogging wasn't as horrible as it used to be. don't get me wrong, i don't actually like to run, but i feel compelled to keep running. (a sidenote here :: i say "running" but i'm just jogging slowly at this point.) i'm really proud that i can now run a mile without stopping. (if you're a runner, don't scoff! even in my junior high school days -- when i was 35 pounds lighter and 20 years younger -- i couldn't run that far continuously.) my longest run has been 2.5 miles with some walking thrown in. my goal is to participate in a 5k sometime this year and i really think i can do it.

the fitness challenge may be over but the group is going to continue meeting weekly for weigh-ins and support. i'm going to attend, although i'm not sure about putting in another $20 to see who loses the most in another 10 weeks. it's not about the money for me, but about keeping up the motivation and healthy choices. it definitely helps me to know that i'm accountable and other people know about my progress (or lack thereof if i'm slacking).

hopefully, by the end of 2008 i will reach my target weight, finish a 5k, and look + feel amazing!

welcome M+E!

our friends S+M just welcomed two new daughters into their lives! we are so happy that twins M+E arrived safe and sound. and it looks like big sister L is pretty happy about their arrival too. congrats!

amazing watts towers

as our last "activity" for spring break, the kids and i headed to watts towers. the towers are pretty amazing; but surprisingly, they weren't as tall and huge as i thought they would be. it's really all in the details.

there's more to it than just the towers. originally, simon rodia built his complex, which he called nuestro pueblo, adjacent to his home (that burnt down in 1955). what's left is an enclosed triangular area (essentially his backyard) with the towers and a gazebo inside. according to the tour guide, this enclosed triangular shape is based on a ship and the towers are the masts. there's even a "steering wheel" and a miniature ship (called the marco polo) inside.

another interesting fact :: rodia was a disenchanted roman catholic who started his own religion. many who study rodia now believe the gazebo is actually a chapel and the bird baths and fountains are baptismal pools. there are tons of crosses and hearts placed throughout the complex.

i recommend spending the $7 for the half-hour tour. the kids and i joined an elementary school group on their tour so it may be different than the adult tour. i'm definitely bringing rupert here (without maya) so we can really take in the amount of work that went into the building of the towers.

[here's a another write-up about the towers with pictures. you can see a few more of my pictures here.]

can't wait til june!

we're starting to save up for this.

a day in the life ... without rupert

sometimes i hate my husband. like when he leaves me with the kids and goes traipsing across the country for a few days. how dare he?!

actually, rupert went to a conference in nyc for a few days. originally, i was planning to join him so we could "get away" and i could see my best friend and hang out at all of my old haunts. unfortunately, my mother is out of town so there was nobody to dump leave the kids with. besides, ian has spring break this week so at least one of his parents should be around, right?

since rupert was off having a grand old time in the city, ian and i decided to go somewhere too. on monday we drove up to santa barbara for the day. our plan :: go to the mission, eat some mexican food recommended by his uncle, and go to the sea center on the wharf.

i think the kids had a good time; ian was a real trooper letting me deal with maya before seeing to his needs and wants. and it was definitely worth it when he said it was the best day so far this year. to be honest, though, throughout the day all i could think was, "how do single parents do it?!" i barely had a chance to enjoy anything; i was so pre-occupied with chasing maya around, making sure ian was getting attention, and driving us from point a to point b. i was physically and mentally exhausted by the time we drove up the driveway that night. at least when rupert's around the parent-to-child ratio is 1:1 and we seem to deal better. but when it's just me i get discombobulated and i can't think straight. so, i guess i actually need rupert around even though i complain about him all the time.

the la zoo was a zoo

since both rupert and ian had the day off yesterday we headed to the la zoo. we knew it was going to be crowded when we saw the traffic sign on the 5 warning us "la zoo exit jammed." turns out the exit wasn't jammed but the parking lot was ... so was the line to buy tickets. it was the longest i've seen it. i guess everyone and their mother had the day off.

we chose to become members of the zoo (again) just to bypass the line. well worth the $75. as long as we go a couple of more times in the next year it'll pay for itself. i'm sure with the way maya was demanding "animals!" she and i will be back again soon.

now, there are some problems with the zoo on a hot, crowded day :: many of the animals are either hiding inside or are completely lethargic at the back of their enclosure; you are either getting run over by a stroller or are running someone else over with your stroller; you get sweaty but not as sweaty (and stinky) as some other people; your kids start to bug you; and it appears most other parents are completely annoyed with their children as well.

honestly, the only good thing about going to the zoo yesterday (besides the family time) was that i saw giovanni ribisi and jason lee at the new gorilla reserve (which was very nice, actually). it appears they coincidentally ran in to each other there. rupert, sadly, missed seeing them even though he was standing right next to them during their "hey, it's good to see you" conversation. i was really tempted to say something to jason lee since maya and i are big fans of buddy/syndrome (who he voices) from the incredibles but if you're an la-native you know not to bug stars while they're enjoying private time (especially when they're with their family). he looked pretty awesome with aviator glasses and his my name is earl mustache. giovanni, on the other hand, needed some reprimanding since he was smoking a cigarette before he was completely out of the zoo. for shame!