Holiday Goods - Feastin'

And so the holiday eating continued...

I decided to whip up a small dinner as a gift for some friends this year, on a night apparently there was going to be a raging blizzard in New York however I was really hoping the gods would look down on me kindly and hold off so I wasn't going to be prepping for nothing.

As I pushed lurking boys out of the kitchen and into my room to play Uno and watch The Boondocks (their choice)

I tried my darndest to pull off a few dishes that I had NEVER tried before but somehow ended up being literally (without a doubt) one of the best meals I've ever made and I was sickly proud of myself.

Armed with my little granny grocery cart, I woke up early and ventured around Astoria to get the first-pick of the day groceries (a tip I garnered from Tony Bourdain)

However, perhaps I arrived just a little TOO early because half the stuff I wanted wasn't available yet because they were still unpacking morning shipments. But my freezing butt was determined.

The joy of getting the pick of the day:

- Everything's fresher, and hasn't been sitting there all day long waiting for you to come on in to give them a 'lil pick-me-up.

- You get there before everyone else and therefore less people to accidentally or "accidentally" ram into with your push cart.

- Sometimes, and I noticed this, you'll literally be there with people who do actually really know how to pick food! They look carefully, and talk to the people behind the counters, and examine their produce thoroughly but are as enthusiastic to get the good stuff as much as you are. 

A huge cart of groceries later, 3 stops, and a flight up the stairs later, I was in the kitchen and ready to rock n' roll with no interruptions.

At the end of the day around 6:30pm, dinner was on the table and ready to go.

 

I managed to crank out a few favorable dishes that night, and while the snow was comin' down, I enjoyed watching them eat up, mostly hoping it would all be passable and not causing many trips to our one bathroom in the apartment.

FETTUCINE FLORENTINE w/ GARLIC SHRIMP

I decided I wanted to just make a simple pasta dish but one that basically I'd played around with before. People say there are ingredients that they don't know if they could do without, and for me, the one that just may have helped change my cooking interests altogether was wine.

 One day a few years back, I had a hankering to try some new pasta, but no marinara and no cream. Seafood pasta, in itself, gets the benefits of being lighter with its own chutzpah (however for vegans n' vegetarians n' those of other traditional faith, perhaps the chutzpah can be brought about using veggie stock instead ;)

Wine in itself was also something I had to learn over the years, gathering a few tips from my sis in my teen years while she was in bartending school, and the tips I gathered from samples in Napa. Riesling was going to be too sweet to cook with, and Pinot wasn't gonna cut it either. I decided to go with Chardonnay mostly because 1) I decided it to be light enough and 2) frankly, it was the most acquainted with and that's not saying much!!!

In the end, cooking with Mondavi Chardonnay was and is the way to go for me. Sautee' the shrimp in a few cloves of crushed, chopped garlic, olive oil & chardonnay, drop in the pasta (I usually used fusilli to capture the flavor, but opted to experiment with Florentine pasta instead!), squeeze a fresh lemon on top, some sea salt and crushed pepper, and for an added texture and sweetness, baby peas!!

 

BACON-WRAPPED SCALLOPS

My brother actually was the one who gave me one of the best bacon-wrapped scallops I'd ever had in my life, and I decided to go with it as one of my honored guests is a huge seafood buff.

That and frankly, the scallops looked absolutely faboosh that morning behind the glass at Astoria Fishery by 23rd Avenue, and I absolutely had to buy a few of them.

Ps, when I had scallops when I was younger I was a little appalled by seafood that looked like marshmallows, however the texture made me a tad queasy. 15 years later ... I love them.

Bacon in general I actually don't have a huge thing for (love the smell, the flavor too, but eating it over the years hasn't been my favorite thing). And as we were all already going to be dying of holiday salt-sugar-fat overload, I opted for some low sodium bacon (which tasted just the same anyway).

A little mixture of lemon, olive oil, and crushed black pepper to make it delish (the salt naturally coming from the half-strip of bacon drippings). Grill, and enjoy.

 

POT ROAST

It was already advertised as the main course. However when push came to shove, American that I am, I had never actually made a pot roast (let alone ate it much) in my life before that day and I was really, REALLY not going to allow it to be mediocre that day especially.

In the end, the things I did know was that I wanted a fresh, first-of-the-day cut of meat from a genuine butcher shop (Key Food in my area doesn't have a butcher counter), and it had to be a fatty cut of chuck roast (though in the end I opted for 2 kinds of meat: chuck and a regular pot roast), and I was going to simmer this babe in crushed tomatoes, baby carrots, beef stock, and Mondavi Cabernet (which over the years has proven itself to be "the one" in my beef-cooking w/ red onions)

 I went into the butcher shop in Agora Plaza and the whole situation felt like one out of a comedy sitcom: I was the only Asian person, I was at least 15 years younger than everyone there, and it was quite comedic how everyone literally stared at me when I came in, wheeling in my little granny push-cart and observing the meat. So cute.

But in the end: seared on all 4 sides in garlic & olive oil, simmered for 2 1/2 hours, the meat was TAS-TY. The chuck definitely gets the moisture the most with or without the extra time, but thank God for all that leftover broth as soaking the rest of the carved meat soaked in it overnight in the fridge and was nice, tender, and ready to eat again the next day.

 

MASHED 'TATERS

I have loved classic mashed potatoes all my life from the instant flakes in the box in the 80's to discovering the joy of fresh mashed 'taters when I turned 14 during Thanksgiving at my aunt's house (they definitely kick instant flakes' sweet behind)

My aunt put it simply: potatoes, butter, salt, pepper, milk, mash, serve.

Oh, such pish-posh! This unfortunately became my prideful dish for the last 14 years that I brought to family functions and eventually, making them for friends. I wasn't originally planning to serve them, but one of my best friends was a fan and as I needed a carb that would help soak up all that Pot Roast broth, it seemed fitting.

I'm admittingly one of those crazy people who have a system set up on how to make something as simple as mashed potatoes, however, as I've heard no complaints of the outcome, I will just plainly say that the system works!

I try to use red potatoes, but once in a while I'll throw in some awesome big Yukon Golds if I see them speaking to me. ;) Peel n' dig out all those excess eyes! I then chop them up into slabs to speed up the boiling process and frankly, to make room in the pot, and while I'm continuing on with prepping the other potatoes, I am putting the chopped slabs into a pot of warm saltwater.

 Once done, I do both mashing AND whipping if I possibly can (yay Singer mixer!). Gradually add the butter, milk, and whip it till it's light n' smooth (why I love red potatoes: The light color and not confusing me with the yellow of the butter). Take the fork, and mix in the salt n' pepper, and taste n' serve to your liking. Bon Appetit.

 (However, this batch ended up being a little TOO smooth but I decided to put it in the fridge overnight. It was saved from becoming soup. And there was much rejoicing. "yay").

 

ROMAINE SALAD & BRUSCHETTA (nix the bread)

The healthiest thing on the menu (literally).

Long story short (because this entry isn't long enough already) I'd saved a loaf of Parisienne bread in the freezer from Pre-Thanksgiving for the occasion and when I tried to wrap it up and stick it in the oven to prep it, in the end the consistency was a crumbly mess and I had to throw it all away for the bruschetta. Simply, it would not, and should not, do.

So it ended up being a regular romaine salad with the sweet mixture of diced tomatoes, chopped basil & garlic, crushed pepper, olive oil, kosher salt. Oh well, live and learn.

IRONY OF THE DAY: I don't know about you, but I absolutely DO NOT KNOW HOW TO PICK OUT TOMATOES. Picky eaters, how the hell do we become good cooks if we don't understand all angles of our medium as artists? I needed some assistance in that area. Note to self: must explore more food (actual eating, not admiring)

 

STEAMED MUSSELS

Another food I don't really eat, however had more luck trying to understand the lingo (another credit to Bourdain, plus my cousin, Elaine, who always made mussels look fierce). But somehow, steamed mussels became one of the golden trimmings to my dinner as they were on sale, AND were so simple to prep!

The importance I knew lay in a huge factor: CLEANING THEM. In Bourdain's book, Kitchen Confidential, he stressed a key point in how he would never eat mussels unless he'd actually seen them being prepared in the kitchen. Why? because of notoriety surrounding how they'd been cleaned, mostly due to "sitting around it its own piss all day".

Dumping them in a big bowl of cold saltwater, I scrubbed away and dude.. it was DISGUSTING how much brown filth came off those gorgeous black shells. Several rinses later, they were ready for my steamer and 10-15 minutes later.. Welcome, dear precious morsels!!

However, admittingly steaming the mussels was to serve a bigger purpose of the evening (but remained a tasty bonus for....):

 

PAELLA!!!!

Several exclamation points worthy for the dish that was simply put, a huge Christmas miracle that I think I would have thrown in the towel on the whole ordeal if it wasn't worthy of being put on the table.

It was my absolute first time making this, and it was an adventure to find all the ingredients, to prepare it, but most of all, TO FIND SAFFRON. 

I don't care what anyone says... if you don't know where to look for spices sometimes, you're kind of screwed. Yes, I am now well-aware of the stores you should look into however it was a mad rush to the end. I was determined to put dinner on the table by 6:30!

Long story short, after combing my area and eventually, plenty of stores on the Upper West Side, I resorted to a last-minute run to Whole Foods in Time Warner Center (thanks Kristen, for complying with a last-minute switch on long-planned brunch plans!) and finding a small jar of Spanish Saffron to complete it all.

Details on the prep to follow in a Spotlight Food entry, but chopped peppers, tomatoes, chorizo sausage, chicken, sauteed in onion and garlic in saffron, topped off with mussels, shrimp, and baby peas in the oven... it was hugely worthy of a pat on the back, a sigh of relief, and the will to do it all over again. Hooray for Beginners' Luck!!

Food presents checked off the list, it was time to uncover another part of the brain to prep for family gifts in one heck of an improvisational Creation Station...

(and ps, as duly noted, I did have a 2nd stomach revolt today. The poor abused thing)

 

Holiday Goods - Goodies

So as promised, the kitchen saw a decent amount of action for Christmas and thanks to the awesome knives, an extraordinary 20-year-old Singer hand blender, the patience of wonderful roommates and the awesome food markets which Astoria has to offer, somehow this holiday season was definitely delicious but more so educational than anything else... as I quickly learned today while getting back into Bikram yoga post-holiday-eating.

What do we learn from cooking, really?

Food in general, we learn a lot from, yes. But cooking, as we've come to see, is something that we have to learn, practice, experiment with, perhaps even be prepared to throw it all away if it's not  what we wanted it to be. Needless to say though, there has to be SOME joy in doing it, shouldn't there be?

But here was my own personal cookin craze for Christmas 2009...

COCOA BANANA CAKE w/ PEANUT BUTTER BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

&

COCOA BANANA MUFFINS

I actually got the recipe for Cocoa Banana muffins from a parent of a student of mine last year, mostly because she brought them to school and I went BALLISTIC over them. What can I say? I've only recently in my adult life come to appreciate bananas in combination with something other than sliced in my cereal.

So as the story goes... having a bunch of overripe, blackened bananas in the freezer due to laziness and neglect (originally intended to be baked months before when the feeling hit me) I finally took them out one day and decided not only to bake a bunch, but perhaps dish them out as gifts this year.

Here is another tip: I have decided although I absolutely adore Ghiradelli chocolate with my life, I'm going to try to stick with Hershey baking cocoa. Is it the dutch-processing that makes all the difference? I don't know what it is, but everytime I've tried to bake with Ghiradelli cocoa I fail somehow. If anyone has any tips for me on that one I'd be ever so grateful. Regardless, I made a compromise and sprinkled Ghiradelli cocoa on top of the buttercream at the end. Everybody wins.

 Long story short, the first dozen actually ended up being rather tasteless (along with the cake) due to what I was going to conclude was a bit of lacking on the sugar part... Thank God I was the jerk that dipped her finger into the batter to have a taste and thus saving me from having another dozen of tasteless Cocoa Banana goods.

(special thanks to the lovely assistant cook in the kitchen, E, for preventing me from going beserk)

Henceforth, this is where the Peanut Buttercream frosting comes in (another appreciation built in my adult life which I wish I'd eaten earlier in life = Peanut Butter & Bananas). 

The stuff needed to have a little more umphf, period. I couldn't give bad muffins, let alone the ones that are just too underestimated in their delight factor.

So a few sticks of butter, confectioners sugar, and peanut butter later, voila. The sweet-challenged goods were sweetened enough to give and from what I'm told, they were enjoyed.

(as for whether or not they were thrown in the garbage shortly after, that shall really just be their little secret)

However, we were lucky in being able to give them out. Particularly the day our monthly exterminator came to spray our apartments in the building, and I just gave him the last six and said "Merry Christmas".

On that note ...

Onto Holiday Feastin'

& trying to create charisma out of chaos in the Creation Station

PLANS!!!

hey there and HAPPY 2010!!!!
yes, so I have been awful and neglectful in updating, but in the grand scheme of "what the heck happened?" here it is:

as I have the tendency to want to post a-billion things for LittleTreats, my computer unfortunately decided to disagree with me entirely on that factor and my precious hard drive went KA-PUT!
taking with it much, but most nearest and closest to my heart: my music, my video clips, and most importantly, MY PHOTOGRAPHS!

however, the lovely, cute geniuses at Apple with their great, wonderful thing called AppleCare was able to replace my hard drive (but not fix the old one).
So unfortunately, that left me with no pictures for the Incredible Sunday entry, but in the case I find them again... you will read about the awesome adventure that it was on that crazy, beloved island of Manhattan and its glorious west side.

So ... now back to business.

Admit it, who else other myself practically ate everything this holiday season but the letters in ChristmaHanaKwanzaa? Step up!

I will wholeheartedly say that I didn't give a flying faberge'-egg about how much my stomach (and probably butt too) grew this holiday season, and the gym certainly wasn't a place I ventured to other than to tell them I was canceling my membership.
Here's the thing ...

I usually never make resolutions for New Year's... mostly because every year seems to be another deadline that went wooshing past.
However, in 2010 somehow it seems that things might already be a little different. For instance, the goal this year? Simply put... Do the Things You've Been Saying You Would, but Haven't Gotten Around To.
Think of a day you've had where you literally just tie up all those loose ends ... do all those things you said you were going to and finally once they're done, that big sigh of relief that you get.
I figure in planning ahead within the last months of 2009, I just took the liberty of getting a few things on the table that I wanted to get done. A longer list is the original, however here's just a few things I jotted down. The little must-and-should do's, and of course, the little gold coins too:

- See The NYC Ballet perform The Nutcracker (DONE!)
- Black-Eyed Peas Concert in February
- Go to Disney World
- have a CMU Dancers' Symposium anniversary DVD marathon
- dance, sing, planning, performing
- art, creating, thinking, seeing
- shut up and get that college body back!!
- Keep Cookin!!!!

With reference to the last two ... what billions of people haven't already thought of those two hundreds of times over??
Even with LittleTreats of life in mind, the equation pretty much goes hand-in-hand right? Fitness = Eating = Happiness. No? All qualms aside, let's face it... plenty of the joys in our lives involve eating great food and finding/ doing the things the stimulate the senses. We'll talk more about fitness later (as there's a new development right now in that area, out with the old and in with the new!). But for now, let's get all giddyish and talk about the good stuff.

I pride myself in being an artist, however as time and energy has led me to other projects. I came to realize in the last 6 years just how much food interests me. More so, because I was a self-proclaimed "picky eater" and my palate was as small and shallow as a Snapple bottlecap.

However, as time went on, my tastes expanded (though still a little squeamish on certain things). I was given a REALLY awesome set of Calphalon chopping knives by my brother Christmas 2008, and from there, the cooking and baking really took off.
By Christmas 2009, let's just say, those knives and that cutting board (amongst other lovely things in my kitchen) made some tasty dreams come true.

Next entry, I present to you the LittleTreats I whipped up for the holiday season (with much accreditation to the knives amongst other things)... and well, just about everything that managed to pack itself in 2 weeks. =) they were good ones.

'til then, I'm prepping for what I'm sure will be a major stomach revolt of sorts ...

Incredible Sunday

NEW YORK, NY

 

In honor of what was once upon a time a tv show in the 80s called "Incredible Sunday",  well, here is my own Incredible Sunday in NY...

stay tuned ...

Las Vegas - SeeTreats

 

LAS VEGAS, NV

so, in winding down on Vegas treats, we shed light and much-deserved attention on the  tasty memories of Vegas that, for some, will probably remain more than that nasty, wild night hangover or that horrifying memory of the sum of money sucked away by casino gambling.

For me, the sights seen in Vegas went beyond just the bright lights. Perhaps I'll just sit back for this one, show you, and let the good times roll in the faint hope that these memories eventually will become your own once you decide to treat yourself to them, someday ;)

On the Strip ...

Roaming around The Forum Shops right outside of The Cheesecake Factory, you can have the ultimate pleasure of taking a visit to the giant, gorgeous fishtank right outside the restaurant. Sure, there is the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay and Siegfried & Roy's Dolphin & Lion Habitat at the Mirage. However, this giant tank, home to many breeds of beautiful fish and two of our friends, the Misters Stingray, will not cost you a penny to see and is still remarkably, quite stunning. Very worthy of making a fish face.

Also ...

 

Another few morsels for the eyes, will lie in the indoor gardens of the Electric Desert. 

Who doesn't love free AC in a place as hot as Vegas? as we'd gone in the birth of summer, let's just say that no one was complaining too much about discovering the planted green stuff in the casinos. However these places are easily simple, great photo-ops, and best of all, FREE for your enjoyment.

The Botanical Garden / Atrium @ Wynn Las Vegas Hotel is a nice place to stroll and chill out for a little while in-between your plans for the day. Another beautiful sight to check out at the Wynn would also be the waterfall outside one of the side entrances. check it out.

another garden to check out a small distance down the road (if for some plus while you're enjoying the cool AC):

  

The Bellagio Hotel Conservatory & Botanical Gardens @ The Bellagio Hotel is an ever-changing amenity to the hotel, and it's always been a pleasant visit everytime we've touched down over there. Displays of flowers and water fountains make a nice refresher for the senses, but in general the Bellagio likes to change up their displays pretty thoroughly in their hotel. One of my personal favorites was my first visit in spring 2007, when they had their Cherry Blossoms display, and I am absolutely, positively CRAZY about cherry blossoms. 

not to mention that apparently they also have one of the world's largest chocolate fountain displays also in the hotel vicinity. A nice lil thing to go huntin' for ;)

For those Beatles fans out there, or those who like a lil bit of psychadelic with their afternoon tea, if not to see the show, check out this lil bit @ The Mirage:

if not to see the Cirque de Soleil show (BUT YOU SHOULD), check out the fun walkway display for The Beatles LOVE show. (my running and jumping-pose photos aren't here as they are pretty pathetic, but merely reserved for those who I wouldn't mind laughing at me)

@ TheHotel way down by Mandalay Bay:

Technically, it's for the 21-and-over crowd, however see it more as an opportunity to get up, way way up, to see quite the view from the top of the city. This priceless (literally) view is available to you at miX, the lounge club/restaurant at the 64th Floor of TheHotel. Recommended to me by one of my best friends, if not to get a drink, to come up and see the city as people should! And here's another lil plus you might want to consider ... the view is seen even inside the bathroom... =D

and finally ...

even if off the Strip, highly advise you to take the time to see it:

 

it speaks for itself: Red Rock Canyon ... not too far for a Grand Canyon adventure, but definitely one that you can't ignore being a majestic one. We spent the entire morning here on the 4th of July, and despite the fact that I got quite the nasty case of sun poisoning/ dehydration from being the idiot that didn't drink enough water, I seriously enjoyed myself here every second. Scramble, hike, climb, watch adoringly on the old Korean couples in their cute visors ... spend only a mere 5-bucks to bring your car around to the many sites this place has to offer.... and then go back to Ellis Island to rejuvenate with an awesome steak.

however, I say the best view of Vegas you'll never be able to put a price tag on, will be this one:

 

and your desert sunset, no matter where you are gonna be, is the one to watch for.

Vegas is undoubtedly full of great things to indulge in, folks, I say go for it and come back with your own great delights to share!

in the meantime, I'm going to bring this one on back home to the real New York, New York, as there is nothing else like it in the world ;)

Next up... 

classic New York pizza in my neighborhood of Astoria, AND one of my ultimate must-haves, kicking off the TreatYourself portion of LittleTreats. Can't wait ;)

Las Vegas - MeatTreats

LAS VEGAS, NV

In a wonderful near-Freudian slip, I wrote 'NY' instead of 'NV'... silly me, I truly am a snob.

Also, I realize in choosing my labels eventually the word "treat" might be overkill to both me and you in the process. However, let's hope that the gimmick continues to give off the vibe more "cute" than promoting brick-twitches of sorts.

Anyhoo, let's talk about meat.

(I pre-apologize to all the vegan/ vegetarians out there (my niece, Christina, most of all.)

Continuing on in Vegas, there's got to be a little more of something that will stick to your bones more so than just sweets and alcohol alone. After a lil bit of searching here's two things that stand out the most, but one that I'll mention in the hopes that the restaurant will bring it back on the menu again:

First up ...

  

Going off the Strip a little bit to the Ellis Island Casino & Brewery on Koval Lane, will be worth it just to have an $9 STEAK DINNER.

that's right! and where one might get skeptical about an ordeal where a delicious part of a cow would only cost you a few bucks, trust me when I say, it is GREAT (sorry, don't have a picture of this one but just let your mind wander along).  I had their steak sandwich deluxe twice, and it is goodness: tender, juicy steak cooked thick enough and right enough to sink your teeth into, right between two pieces of crispy bread. Plus, they definitely don't stiff you on the crispy steak fries. I found myself picking the leftover precious ones off my friends' plates.

Second up, we have:
 

If you plan on staying on the Strip, we discovered this lil gem while waiting to see the

Cirque de Soleil 'LOVE'  show @ The Mirage Hotel right by the front entrance.

The restaurant? The BLT

what can you find here? delicious, genuine burgers and your options are ENDLESS ... everything from a classic beef burger to Lamb Tandoori, Veggie Falafel, and Salmon Burgers (one that I am trying when I go back!) It fills you up happily, the service was great, and is a nice lil cozy joint on its own within the circus that is the Vegas Strip.

AND... there is also one in NYC!

Now, it's a little more costly for a $9-steak dinner, however as seen on their menu you can shell out $13 on a burger alone, or spend a lil more on a combo that will include your fries and drink (for me? I went classic and got a shake combo, and I promise you, the shake itself was HUGE, like so ...)

a dark photo does it no justice, but you get the idea...

And now, the third lovely meatTreat and a trip down memory lane ... with a little peer pressure, hopefully they will change their minds!

 

I present to you an old one-afternoon-delight stand of mine, named the Brazilian Beef Quesedilla. Her home was once the kitchen of a great restaurant we visited, RumJungle @ Mandalay Bay.

So here's the deal ... on my first trip to Vegas 3-years ago, my friends and I ventured around through tour books, suggestions, and hotels to find good food and RumJungle was the little gamble we decided to take. Although dinner itself can get pricey over there, lunch was available to us and it was indeed a memorable, delicious one.

 As one of my friends is lactose intolerant (however, not vegetarian thank goodness!) we chose this baby off the menu as an appetizer and it wow-ed the hell out of us. Quality-seasoned, diced beef with a touch of lime, red pepper, garlic & onion, served in a soft tortilla with a few slices of fresh avocado... trust me when I say that this stuff was melt-in-your-mouth goodness and exactly how quality beef should taste!

Fast-forward to July 2009. RumJungle itself was clearly also feeling the recession a bit, as their portions were smaller and *gasp* their menu had CHANGED! My one-time afternoon-delight who I'd looked forward to getting a taste of again, was gone from the menu! Disappointed is on operative word for it ... perhaps I shall launch a campaign of sorts for its return... or add this to the list of Attemptive Recipes, which, in its own right, is going to be a new adventure all on its own.

Our final venture into Vegas treats (for now) won't be food but still precious bits for the senses.

Again, Little Treats in life won't always stop at food ;)