Not “Just” Lunch: Easy 10-Minute Salad

My goal, not just this year but for the rest of my life, is to treat myself with care, compassion, and love. I sometime wonder why so many of us, myself included, are overly critical of ourselves. Is it nature or nurture?  Well, I suppose it’s the latter because I don’t believe that we are born with the preconceived notion that we’re not good enough.  But as we go through life, we encounter obstacles that make us falsely believe that we are indeed not worthy of wonderful things in the world, like happiness, love, or in my case, good food.

I noticed that when I’m feeling crappy, I eat crappy food (whoever first said “you are what you eat” is a genius). I think feeding myself with junks like fat- and chemical-laden, artificial “food” has always been my subconscious attempt to convince myself that I’m not worthy of good things, as if depriving myself of healthy nourishment that feed my body and soul is the way of punishment. I am now convinced that junk food consumption is a display of self-hatred, and in order for me to start accepting myself for who I am, I needed to begin the journey with the commitment to eating delicious, nurturing, whole food … and I can definitely do that!

My first step is to eliminate the word, “just,” when describing meals. Instead of saying “oh, it’s just lunch,” and eat sub-par food, I made a commitment to take time to prepare and / or pack a thoughtful meal. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant — just good, natural, delicious food.

I learned that good food doesn’t have to take much time and effort to prepare. (I’m serious about this.  I used to say I have no time to do anything, but the truth of the matter is that I did have time, and had plenty of it.  I just chose to spend it elsewhere, that’s all.) It’s as easy as chopping vegetables and boiling water. Today for lunch, I prepared a Salad Nicoise-esque dish with all the leftover food I had in the fridge. The salad has string beans sautéed with olive oil and lemon juice, boiled red potatoes, hard-boiled egg, and shrimp (the frozen shrimp is a little pricey but is such a good investment and they last forever in a freezer), dressed in homemade Italian dressing of olive oil, mustard, garlic, rice vinegar, and salt and pepper. It only took about 10 minutes to prepare and the result is one satisfying, delicious lunch.  The plate is big enough to feed two, unless you’re super hungry, like I was today.

And this time, instead of saying that this lunch is just for me, I’m going to boast that is IS for me, and be truly thankful for the wonderful, gastronomic offerings the world has blessed me with today!  I feel really refreshed now and energized to take on the rest of the day!

Happy February, everyone!

Lazy Sunday Breakfast: Yogurt Pancake

There is nothing more relaxing and luxurious than sleeping in until noon, only to wake up to make a delicious stack of homemade pancake from scratch, while still sporting my favorite, comfy pajamas. I love being lazy on a Sunday. It’s a real gift.

It’s been difficult to relax on weekends lately because I always feel like I have so much work left over from the previous week and I either spend Saturday and Sunday trying to catch up, or waste away my energy worrying about it.  But I’m beginning to realize that stressing over work is very counter-productive and quite frankly, unhealthy. The truth is that work will always be there and I need to learn to balance work and play – without feeling guilty about taking time off.

So today, I made a promise to myself that I won’t open my work computer or think about work, and indulge in a guilt-free slack time … and what better way to start a day than treating myself to delicious pancake breakfast, even if it was already technically afternoon when I crawl out of bed!

Ever since my friend T told me about the best Ricotta pancake he had in Portland, I’ve been dying to make one for myself!  My initial goal was to make the ricotta version but I didn’t have the cheese handy in the fridge (and who wants to go grocery shopping on a Sunday?) so I decided to substitute it with yogurt (using buttermilk is more common but yogurt also provides that soft fluff that I love so much). After trying several recipes I found online and making some tweaks, I came up with my favorite, that will produce a fluffy and slightly healthy twist to the original.  I think you’ll enjoy it too!

Yogurt Pancake with Flaxseed
(Makes two large pancakes)

1 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 large egg
1 cup unsweetened yogurt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon flaxseed (I purchased mine at Trader Joe’s)
2 teaspoon vegetable oil for cooking

①Sift the flour, baking powder, and sugar, in a bowl. In a separate bowl (I used a measuring cup because I didn’t want to have to wash another bowl), mix yogurt and eggs together well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix. Make sure not to over mix the batter!

②Heat the vegetable oil in a medium pan or a hot griddle (I found that cooking the batter in a low heat is best for even cooking time and beautiful cook mark) and pour the batter. Flip the pancake when you start to see bubbles on top and the edges are cooked. Cook the other side for a few minutes and serve!

I poured Organic Raw Agave Nectar on the pancake, instead of maple syrup and it was absolutely delicious. Trader Joe’s started carrying the raw kind and I’m totally loving the deep flavor of the agave sweetener! Using the homemade yogurt and a sprinkle of flaxseed add nutritious values to this breakfast favorite.

This Sunday has been going well so far – a wonderful breakfast, spent a few hours reading a wonderful book, the Los Angeles Kings won in a dramatic comeback (YAY! Drew Doughty scored the game winner with only 27 seconds left!), and now, I get to plan what I’ll have for dinner!

I’m with Coco Forever!

One’s true character is tested and revealed at his/her most vulnerable moment and Conan O’Brien proved to the world how eloquent, courageous, and gracious of a person he is, at his final “Tonight Show” appearance on Friday.

Yes, we have our differences right now. And, yes, we’re going our separate ways. But this company’s been my home for most of my adult life. I am enormously proud of the work we have done together, and I want to thank NBC for making it all possible. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.

I’m with Coco and always will. As he said during his Commencement Speech to the Harvard Class of 2000, “Fall down, make a mess, break something occasionally. And remember that the story is never over.”

Conan’s story will continue and I will be there to watch every minute of it … even nudity.

Pre-Game Dinner: Honda Ya

My boyfriend and I love to go to Staple Center to cheer for our favorite team, Los Angeles Kings. (It’s especially fun now because the boys are having a pretty good season!) Hockey is, hands down, the best sport in the world to watch, with great speed, intensity, and energy, but it’s unfortunate that the fun doesn’t translate well on television. I always encourage people to go watch a game live to really understand the beauty of the sport. I wasn’t even a fan either, until I went to my first game about seven years ago … and the rest is history!

Before the game, if time permits, we like to make a trip to a nearby Little Tokyo to grab something to eat. Granted the food at Staple Center is fairly decent (especially the pasta place), but why pass up great Japanese eats when they are just a couple blocks away (where the glass of wine doesn’t cost $12)? Our latest pre-game outing was Honda Ya, located on the third floor of Little Tokyo Mall, a former home of Mitsuwa (aka Yaohan) Supermarket in Downtown. It’s always very depressing to walk through the mall, knowing how alive it once were back in mid-80s to the mid-90s, when Japan’s economy was well and there were lots of Japanese people living in Los Angeles. The good thing is that this izakaya, the younger brother of the original Orange County location, has been gaining some buzz, bringing in much-needed traffic to this ghost town.

The interior of the restaurant reminded me a little bit of Musha in Torrance, but larger and slightly less modern. The wooden tables and paper lamps dangling from the ceiling added a sense of comfort and authenticity to the place. My boyfriend, along with several of my friends, have been here and liked it, so I was really excited to be able to check it out myself!

We started out by sharing the order of Sashimi Salad, mix green topped with pieces of tuna, yellowtail, and other sashimi, and avocado slices, smothered in spicy mayonnaise. There was nothing too special about the salad but I liked taking a bite out of the shell made out of deep frying a spring roll wrapper. It was so much fun to eat!

Ebi-furai, Japanese version of fried shrimp (breaded with crispy panko and deep fried in vegetable oil), is a favorite for many Japanese. Most of us Japanese grew up loving this dish as kids, especially because of the tartar sauce that accompanies them! These shrimps were plump and delicious, and brought back the sweet memories of childhood!

Because Honda Ya is known for its yakitori skewers, we had to try the basics: bacon-wrapped asparagus, sasami (white chicken meat), tebasaki (chicken wings), tukune (chicken meatballs brushed with sweet soy sauce) and negima (chicken and green onion). There is something so lovely about eating these yakotori with a nice glass of wine.  Perhaps the popular drinks of choice at a cozy place like this are sake and ice-cold Japaense draft beer, but I like to pair my skewers with a glass of red.

My favorite dish of the night was Hiyayakko, generous blocks of silky tofu enjoyed with aromatic yakumi (garnish) like grated ginger, green onion, katuobushi, paper-thin bonia flakes, and soy sauce. I also loved the presentation of the dish, with tofu arriving in a traditional Japanese “zaru,” usually used to serve cold soba (buckwheat noodle).

We finished the dinner with an order of Spicy Yellowtail Roll.

Although none of the dishes were earth shattering, I though everything I sampled were certainly above average and even better, very affordable. I will definitely come back here to try other dishes, like boxed sabazushi (mackerel sushi roll), Au gratin potatoes, and grilled black cod, that people are raving about. I can’t wait for our next hockey game and Honda Ya outing!

Honda Ya
333 S. Alameda, #314, Los Angeles, CA 90013
★★★★☆

Culinary Guilty Pleasure: Benihana

Perhaps no restaurant triggers more childhood memory than Benihana for me and my family. This Japanese teppanyaki giant used to be our go-to place for special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries for many years, until we grew up and realized how cheesy and tacky this whole over-the-top performance-based dining experience truly was.

It has been more than a decade since our last Benihana outing, and we decided to revisit our old stomping ground for my birthday this year – partly to walk down the memory lane and mostly as a big, fat joke. Oh, and because we had heard about the Chef’s Special, which offered Filet Mignon dinner with onion soup, salad, rice, and vegetable and shrimp appetizers, for two for $39.  Not a bad deal at all, actually.

Okay, I will admit … as much as I make fun of this joint for the pure corny-ness, I think there’s a part of me that takes enjoyment in this culinary guilty pleasure.  You can always find amusement in watching non-Japanese chefs try to say “teppan” without sounding like “tampon,” and you certainly have to give it up to those who make firing volcanoes by stacking onion rings.  I also chuckle a bit when they start spinning a knife with their fingers like a wannabe drummer in a rock band (although I sweat bullets praying that the cutlery won’t accidentally fly out of their hand and land on someone’s forehead).  The food is actually half decent, believe it or not, with pretty tasty onion soup and salad dressing.  I guess it’s difficult to mess up grilled meats and vegetables but the dishes are mostly very filling and satisfying.

Those days when we thought Benihana was the greatest thing that happened to Japan since Tamagotchi may be long gone now, but the time spent with family is always precious, timeless, priceless, and yes, delicious, wherever you may be.

Benihama
16226 Ventura Blvd., Encino, CA 91436 (and other locations)
★★★☆☆

Gyoza from Scratch: Making the Wrapper Dough

I like spending time to prepare dinner. Although the idea of preparing supper in 30 minutes or only using five ingredients is nice and practical, it seems like rushing through the process just takes away the true enjoyment behind cooking. In this incredibly fast-paced environment, the kitchen is the only place where I can take my sweet ass time and not feel rushed.

Admittedly, I cannot spend a long time every night to make something to eat, especially if I have a hungry stomach waiting to be fed, including my own, but I try to spend at least one weekend night preparing a meal that’s meaningful, thoughtful, and handled with care.

Now that the weekend is finally here, I decided to make gyoza from scratch. I usually use the pre-made wrappers that I pick up at a local supermarket (available in the refrigerated Asian food section next to tofu), but I thought it would be therapeutic to knead and roll the dough with my hands this time, giving myself the much-needed relaxation after a week of travel (I like to decompress by submerging in mindless repetitive activities).

Whenever I have searched for a good gyoza recipe online in the past, I would receive results for the fillings but hardly for the dough, until I found this one from Kuidaore, one of my favorite reads in the blogosphere. I finally dusted off the recipe for the night’s gyoza endeavors and got to work, using Jocelyn’s beautifully written words as guidance (the below instruction has been rewritten to my version but definitely check out Kuidaore’s instruction for more intricate detail).

Gyoza Wrapper Dough, courtesy of Kuidaore
(makes 32 dumplings, approx. 4 servings)

250 grams all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 oz. boiling water

Mix the salt and flour in a bowl. Make a well and pour the hot water in the center. Mix quickly with a fork.

Move the dough onto a non-stick working surface (I put a Silpat on a cutting board to create a surface). Don’t worry if the little bits of dough are all over the place. Simply gather them together and make them into a ball.

Knead the dough for about 5-10 minutes. The dough should not be sticky and should be pretty easy to handle. Once the dough is well kneaded and bouncy, cut it into four equal pieces.

Roll each piece into a thick rope and cut it into eight equal pieces. It’s easier to cut it in half first, and cut that in half again, and again, to make eight pieces. I put the little pieces in that bowl that I used to mix the flour and water to set them aside. You can put a wet paper towel on top to stop them from drying but you should be okay if you work fairly quickly.

Put a piece of dough on your palm and roll it to make a small ball. Put the ball down on the non-stick surface and roll the dough into a thin piece using a rolling pin.  I used a small Tabasco bottle to roll the dough since the rolling pin was just too big and heavy. I like my dumplings big with lots of filling, so I rolled each dough pretty thin.

Take a teaspoon-full of the filling (I made mine with pork, beef, napa cabbage, carrots, green onions, grated garlic and ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper) and place it in the middle of the dough. Close the top by creating several creases, and pinch the opening shut.

Line up the completed dumplings on a non-stick surface. If you want to save some for later, put the dumplings in the plastic bag and freeze immediately (don’t cook before freezing). They should last for about a month in the freezer.

If you want to boil the gyoza (this method is called “Sui Gyoza,” which translates to “water dumpling”), boil a pot-full of water and drop in the dumplings. Once they float to the top, they are ready to eat. If you like pan-fried version, check this post for instruction.

As for the taste, the bouncy texture of the homemade dough is quite delicious and satisfying. I cannot say, however, that I prefer this one over the thinner cousin from a grocery store because they are very different. These are definitely more dim sum-like than the ones I’m used to eating at home or at a ramen joint. What I know for sure if that these little dumplings are a meal in its own and after a several of them, you’ll be asking, “a bowl of rice who?”

I love the weekend.

Healthier Alternative: Yogurt Chicken Salad in Pita

I am still not a huge fan of chicken but I do enjoy pouched chicken. I like the texture of the plump and bouncy meat only pouching can bring. I usually keep the stock and use it for other dishes, like nabe, a Japanese hot pot, or a soup for Chicken and Dumplings for the extra layer of flavor. My new favorite dish using the shredded boiled chicken is a simple chicken salad that I use as a base for pasta salad or a pita sandwich, shown here. Instead of mayonnaise, I use plain yogurt that I make at home, so this recipe is a healthier alternative to a higher calorie / fat cousin. If you don’t make homemade yogurt, a regular plain kind will definitely do the job, as long as you don’t get the sweetened ones … that would be pretty yucky!

Yogurt Chicken Salad in Pita Bread (serves 4)

4 whole wheat pita
16 oz. Chicken breast, pouched and shredded
1 small onion, sliced thinly
1/2 bunch green onion (chopped)
6 tablespoons plain yogurt (more, if you like the dressing drenched, like me)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
5 tablespoon rice vinegar (more if you like it tangier)
1 teaspoon ketchup
Parsley, handful, chopped
Salt and pepper
Arugula, handful

Boil the chicken in hot water until fully cooked (I don’t season mine or add vegetable because I like to use the reserve for other dishes and don’t want an overwhelming flavor. However, a small handful of peppercorn can add a real nice flavor to the chicken).

While the chicken is cooking, put sliced / chopped the green onion, regular onion, and parsley in a bowl. In the same bowl, add the dressing by combining yogurt, Dijon mustard, rice vinegar, ketchup, and salt and pepper, and mix well.

Take the chicken out of the hot water, pad the meat dry with paper towel, and shred the meat into small pieces using two forks. While the chicken is still warm, add it to the bowl with the vegetable and the dressing and mix well. It is probably best to let it sit for about an hour for all the flavors to come together but you can certainly enjoy it immediately.

Put the chicken salad in the pita bread that is cut in half. Add some arugula for extra flavor and crunch. Enjoy by putting a few drops of Tabasco if you like some heat!

For Pasta Salad: Add 2 cups of cooked pasta (short pastas like Rigatoni or Farfalle work best) to the chicken salad. Add more dressing, if needed.

13.1 Los Angeles Half Marathon

I’m not a competitive person by nature. In fact, I hate confrontations. I’m more of the “let me make you dinner and make up” type of person. While I think those people who always feel like they need to win or have the last word to be a bit of a self-righteous wacko, I envy them a little because they have the balls to stand up for what they think are theirs to claim.

I know that my lack of competitiveness comes directly from my lack of self-confidence. Being competitive means that I would face a greater chance of failure, which could reinforce the little voice in my head that says, “I’m not good enough.” Being competitive also means that I truly need to trust in myself and believe that I am capable of achieving greatness … and I don’t think I’m there yet.

I ran a half marathon over the weekend with my sister and her running friends. It was Inaugural 13.1 Los Angeles Half Marathon that took runners through the streets of Santa Monica, Venice, and Culver City, under the sunny Southern California sun (one of those moments that I truly am thankful for living in Los Angeles). Although it was an inaugural event, I was impressed at how organized the race was with plenty of water and Gaderate stations, and most importantly, plenty of porta-potties! Oh, and check out the finisher’s medal — it’s a serious bling and one of the best-looking medals I’ve received in races!

This was my sister’s first half marathon and she finished the race at 2:01 (two hours and one minute). My sister, always the ultra competitive one, was kicking herself after the race because she missed her goal by mere seconds (her goal was to cross the finish line in less than two hours). Mind you, this is an amazing time, like, really, really fast! (Just to put it in perspective, I ran my race in two hours and 54 minutes and I thought I was going pretty darn fast!) Watching my sister stress over few seconds, a part of me thought, “Is she crazy? I can only dream of running that fast,” but later realized that this is what being competitive is all about. Competitiveness is not about being self-righteousness or wacky; rather it’s about believing in yourself, and constantly striving for improvement. Watching my sister, I knew that she would use this experience as the stepping stone to reach for her goal of a sub-2 race in the future. And I know she will get there.  She really sparked a fire in me yesterday! She is truly inspiring.

Motivated by my sister, I’ve decided that my new running goal is to give myself a little more credit and believe in her that she is capable of taking me to the next level. I truly love and thank my body for taking me on the 13.1-mile journey yesterday and staying with me every step of the way. I had a wonderful three hours with you and I can’t wait for our next outing! I will make sure to push you a little bit more (because I know you like that!) even if my little mind tries to tell me otherwise … because I know I am capable for going further!

So, the next time some a-hole cuts me in line at a supermarket, maybe I will flip a bird and tell him off, just to show that I am not afraid to stand up for what’s right … or not.

New Soap Batches in the Pipeline

I made a couple batches of soap during the holiday break. I gave a new recipe from my favorite soap book a try to see if it can rival the foamy and heavenly luscious lather of the Marseilles Soap that I’ve gotten to love so much after making and using several batches.

The new recipe is for a soap that’s gentle enough for babies (called “Hanna’s Birthday Soap” in the book), with generous amount of sweet almond and avocado oils for moisture. I was feeling a bit adventurous and decided to make a dark, rich green marble design using green tea powder, but I guess I didn’t mix well enough because the swirl didn’t even come out on the soap (it only shows on the top)! I was so bummed when I cut the soap and didn’t see a trace of the beautiful intertwine of rich green and pearly white-colored soap I was so hoping for.

I also made a shampoo bar using rosemary water and honey to provide protection and shine for the hair. My favorite shampoo ever is one of those little bars from a store called Basin (very similar to a very popular Lush) and my hope here is to replicate its wonderful Egg Noggin’ shampoo bar. Because of rosemary, the soap came out very rich in color and slightly softer in texture. I am not sure why but the soap didn’t dry quickly enough (even though I left it out for two days before slicing) and made it pretty difficult for me to cut clean slices!

The third batch is Zesty Lemon Soap with olive, avocado, jojoba, palm, coconut, and olive oils, with a touch of shea butter, and a generous amount of lovely Lemon Verbena and Lemon essential and fragrance oils. I am really excited to use this one because it smells incredible!

Last but not least, I made my favorite, Signature Marseilles Soap with White Tea and Ginger fragrance oil. All the soaps are drying on the shoe rack in my bedroom (courtesy of mom — thanks, mom for the great idea!) until they’re ready for use in about four weeks. I cannot wait to test them out to see how I like them!

My goal is to open my own Esty shop selling these handmade soaps sometime this year so I’m utilizing every opportunity I have to practice, to create the best possible soaps in the marketplace! Stay tuned!  I will be giving away free soaps in the near future!

Back to Basic with Japanese Cooking!

I once fell into a financial cesspool in my wee twenties when I spent more than I can afford on stupid junks and accumulated a major debt. I was young and completely irresponsible with my money.  It took me many painful and embarrassing years to repay them all back, often giving up the things I really wanted (I really hated not being able to accompany my friends for dinner and other fun soirees because I had just applied my paycheck on credit card bills and was completely broke). It is truly upsetting to think how much money I wasted on late charges and other unnecessary fees, and there was nothing more dreading than figuring out how I’m going to pay for rent and other household expenses. It was definitely not a healthy way to live, that’s for sure!

As a result of this experience, however, I learned several simple but important lessons, that ① material things will never bring me true happiness, ② if I can’t pay for it with cash, I simply just can’t afford it and therefore should not purchase it, and ③ if I spend more than I have or make, I will go broke. They are all common sense but it took me years to really bring that message home. Now I’m completely debt free and I am determined to stay that way as long as I live, no matter what.

I was talking to my sister, who is also my personal trainer, about the topic of a healthy lifestyle the other day, and she pointed out that the same philosophy (and common sense) can be applied when trying to lose weight … that ① food does not bring me happiness (a dinner enjoyed with love ones may, but a pint of Haagen Dazs ice cream will not), ② if I don’t have enough calories left for the day, I can’t eat it, and ③ if I consume more than I burn off, I’ll get fat. I had never thought of it that way, but that was the “a-ha” moment for me, when I finally made the connection.

The only difference between getting out of debt and trying to lose weight is that the consequences for not paying your bills are much more apparent and immediate, thus we are forced to take quick actions. If you don’t pay, your house, your car, and other belongings can be taken away from you in a matter of months. Health, on the other hand, is much more forgiving than your landlord or credit card companies, that it may take years until it finally starts to show the deterioration … and we take our health for granted because of that. As I grow older, I am realizing that I can’t continue to be naïve and think that nothing is going to happen to me. If I don’t start to undo the abuse my body had to ensure for all these years, it will soon evict me from my own body, and I will end up sharing a small, dark, sorry place with diabetes, heart diseases, and something far more detrimental. And. I. Definitely. Don’t. Want. That.  I am hopeful that I am strong enough to come out of this with the same determination that I had to get out of debt.

I’ve decided that the key to regaining my healthy lifestyle is by going back to the basic. By this, I mean that I’m going to focus my eating and cooking around the simple but delicious and healthy Japanese food, putting emphasis on seasonal vegetables and fresh fish.

Growing up Japanese, you would think that I know how to cook great rice, miso soup and other traditional dishes, but the opposite is true, unfortunately. Because my mother is such a wonderful home cook, I left all the Japanese cooking to her, while I ventured out to Italian and other international cooking. I am determined to finally regain my true culinary heritage this year through my mother and other trusted authorities in the Japanese cuisine, and I am confident that I will be mentally, physically, and gastronomically happy with the help of onabe (Japanese hot pot), nimono (broiled root and other vegetables), sunomono (picked seaweed and vegetables), of course, sushi and sashimi, my favorites!

Stay tuned for more Japanese recipes to appear on this blog!