Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Being an adult

I guess since I'm now 50 years old, I should behave like one. So I've decide that I'd stop pouting (or my exact word--stop being bitter) over a something that's already done and I can't change. Things happen for a reason and I guess there was a good reason for it to happen. 

I truly believe there is no such thing as "lucky" and luck is what we make it. So I better get on with what luck I want to make. I've been feeling that "making" spirit lately and I hope that grabs hold soon and I can start turning one my passions into something bigger. 

Stay tune . . .

2 more days

then off to quick trip to Northern CA. First to a wedding then off to see my sister's new digs and a quick visit with a friend. Hope this will be a restful trip because I sure need it. I think my life will becoming quite busy in the near future.

Friday, September 17, 2010

more food research

I got a little bit of 5 sandwiches for dinner last night.

-Cambodian beef sandwich
-Cambodian pulled pork sandwich
-Cambodian catfish sandwich
-porchetta sandwich
-mozzarella/sundried tomatoes/salsa verde sandwich

All the cambodian sandwiches has creamy chili sauce, pickle shredded carrots, cucumber, and cilantro, with siracha chili sauce on the side on a french bread. Sort of like bahn mi. I liked the beef sandwich the best, good asian style bbq flavor on the beef, cooked perfect with a little pink showing, perfect portion to the bread and condiments. Wished the carrots were more flavorful, maybe more vinegar-y. The chili sauce was the right heat for me and went well with the beef and fish. I didn't like the pulled pork texture, kind of mushy. I think it would have been better as sliced grill pork. The fish was okay but not spectacular.

The other 2 sandwiches were okay. Like the fish sandwich nothing spectacular. The best thing about the sandwich was the bread, chibatta. The pork in the sandwich was tasty and had nice texture (way better than the pulled pork) but that was it. There was no sauce or and veggies in the pork sandwich, just meat. I think it need some other texture (crunch) in there and maybe a little bit of acid-y taste. The mozzarella sandwich the cheese was soft and creamy but the salsa verde had no taste so the sandwich was quite bland.

Here's a picture of the catfish sandwich. Once again forgot to take the picture of sandwiches right away. We ate part of the beef sandwich by time we realize let get some pictures.

Cambodian catfish sandwich

Sunday, September 12, 2010

my making stuff queue

My ever growing making-stuff queue is hopefully getting smaller (if I can only stop buying yarn for new project). I've finished a few things and getting very close to another. And of course, I've started several more. I just wanted to share my queue. (btw: love the word "queue" ever since working with my british art director many years ago. I'm happy I got to use it in my blog.)


Finish project: Tiger team scarf 
It's made of linen/merino wool blend. Got the yarn in Boston on a business trip. Need a project for the long train ride home. It's actually more like a wrap so I think I can wear to the wedding in October. 
Tiger team scarf-- all done


Work in Progress: Crazy Yarn Ball Scarf 
I started this on Saturday. I was looking for something mindless and this fit the bill. The yarn was a gift and all I had to do is knit. It even comes with the tassels for the ends. I started off bigger but I think this will be fun longer. So I ripped out everything I did and made it 6 stitches shorter. Hopefully that was enough to make it as long as I would like it. Feels very warm but not sure what I'm going to do with it. I've notice I've making a lot of scarves lately. It's not as if I needed them. 
Crazy ball of yarn scarf


My yarn stash: Suri Alpaca
This is from my local farmer's market. Making a lace crocheted shawl for a gif with the 1st skein (yes, I bought 2, thinking I was going to make another scarf but changed my mind in the process). I tried to take a picture today of what I was making. Didn't work. Photo to come.
Purple/gray suri


My yarn stash: Sea Cell (seaweed) and Silk Blend
My birthday gift from my sister. I know I'll make a lacy wrap/scarf for myself. I know I just said I have too many scarves but I don't have a seaweed/silk blend one. Plus it has the shiny silk-iness that make it so beautiful and rich. The hard part will be what pattern to make. The other 2 thing in the picture is a retrackable tape measure and stitch markers to help keep track of the pattern--these are really nice. I'm usually cheap and have used paper clip instead.
My birthday gift


That's all the stuff for now. Will post more late. 

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Why all the baking?

The other day WG was out @ one the big box store and came home with 4 dozen eggs and as he was taking it out of the car, it drop out of his hands. The first top layer was cracked, 24 eggs. So I tried to rescue as many as I could. And this is the reason for baking so much. I'm trying use up the eggs. 


This is what I've made so far:
Banana cake--2 loaves
Crack pie--2 pies
French Toast-10 slices of bread (I used my leftover ends)


Tomorrow, I'll use up the last of the eggs making a brown sugar cake (did I mention I have too much brown sugar, too. This what happens when you don't look before you go shopping). It takes 5 eggs. That will be it. 


I'm trying to test stuff I want to make for the restaurant. But this batch was just about making the eggs go away. Somebody will be happy with all the stuff I've made.

Baking up a storm

I've been dying to try the Crack pie recipe that I've been reading so much about. I got the recipe from Momofukufor2.  I finally gather all the ingredients together. Hardest one to find was the milk powder. The supermarket I usually go to had giant crates of it. So I end up finding some at the Asian food market. 


But I started off this morning baking my banana bread/cake first. Lots of banana in my freezer. Made 1 recipe/2 loaves. While they were cooling, someone took a slice out of one of the loaves. I guess he was hungry. 


After a little bit of cleaning up (my mom taught me well), the crack pie began. It is a bit of a process, as you make a oatmeal cookie base that you turn into a crust. Then you make the milky carmel-y filling, that you bake into gooey consistancy. Then chill in the frig. There a lot of waiting for it. 


Here'a pic of my crack pie fresh out of the oven. I just put my pies (it make 2 pies) in the frig. I can't wait to taste it. I have a feeling I'm going to really like it. Now off to have some lunch and maybe back tonight for more baking. Pear Cake? More Banana Cake? or maybe blondies (I found out I have way too much light brown sugar). 

Right out of the oven