Recipes

April 3, 2015 California

Aziza San Francisco - 1 Michelin Star

Sometime it just doesn't seem fair. Why is it that "gyoza" under Japanese cuisine can command such a higher price than a dumpling at a Chinese restaurant? Certain cuisines, like French, Japanese, and Korean, have traditionally been able to command higher prices than cuisines like Chinese, African, and Indian. Because of this, some of the best hidden values for high end dining actually come from these types of "ethnic" restaurants.

Bryan and I enjoyed a delightful meal at Aziza, a 1 Michelin starred Moroccan restaurant in San Francisco. Bryan had been in San Francisco all week for a work conference, and I flew into San Francisco for just one night before we both headed up towards Napa/Sonoma County for our quick weekend getaway in wine country.

I was extremely impressed with the food, and pleasant surprised at the reasonable prices. Appetizers mostly ranged between $11 - $16 (with one signature appetizer costing $22), and entrees were all under $30. The food was inventive, flavorful, and well executed. Four of us went and were able to enjoy a wide variety of dishes.

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April 1, 2015 Allston

The Breakfast Club Allston

If you ever find yourself driving down Western Avenue in Allston, you may notice this cute little 60's style dining car right on the side of the road.

The Breakfast Club is a family-owned restaurant located right on Western Avenue in Allston, just about a mile from Harvard Square in Cambridge. Owner George Athanasopoulos purchased what had been Harry's Diner twelve years ago. At that time, Harry's Diner had been vacant for two years.

George decided to open up a diner after getting tired of working late nights as a DJ.

"I like working mornings."

It most certainly takes a morning person to do this job. The restaurants opens at the crack of dawn at 6AM and goes strong until 2PM when it closes. The rush occurs mid-morning and doesn't really die down until close to lunchtime. George cares a lot about quality ingredients. He sources organic cage-free eggs from New Hampshire. Things are made in house, like the scrumptious corned beef hash, jams, and fries. He offers "real maple syrup" with your pancakes, freshly squeezed fruit juices, and and assortment of diner classics with a slight twist.
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March 31, 2015 Appetizer

Beef Tendon in Chili Sauce

I walked into my local butcher the other day and asked if they sold tendon.

"Tendon? In the five years that I've worked here, I've never had anyone ask for tendon. I'll have to contact our farm in Maine and find out."

"What do people usually do with the tendon?"

"They usually throw it together with the bones to make stock."

Ah yes . . . stock, or bone broth, has been the latest health craze. Supposedly the longer the broth cooks, the more nutrients it can extact from the bones and surrounding tendons and cartilage. Ideally, a nutritious bone broth should be solid when chilled, a result of its high concentration of gelatin.

Even though our ancestors (or at least our grandmothers) have been making broth from bones for centuries, it isn't until very recently that people have begun drinking it daily as if it were a health elixir that will boost our immune system, rejuvenate our joints, prevent bone loss, freshen up our skin, and provide a boatload of vitamins in the process. There's even a place in New York City now dedicated to selling cups of bone broth (at $5 for a cup!) so that busy workers can get their daily nutrient boost on-the-go.

There's a lot of skepticism surrounding these claims. Some say there's limited scientific evidence to back it all up, though most people agree that broth is nutritious. Additionally, scientific evidence does support the benefit of chicken broth in reducing inflammation and collagen consumption reducing bone loss (at least in mice). {source}

I'm glad to hear that tendon, which is high in protein and low in fat, is at least neutral if not nutritious, because I absolutely LOVE it. Whenever I order pho at a Vietnamese restaurant, I always get the beef + tendon option. I can't help but order mala beef tendon every time I'm at a Sichuan restaurant.

And then more recently, my mom brought over some tendon she had made.

It was phenomenal. Soft and gelatinous, tendon is like the fatty part of pork belly but without any of the fat. It's like eating fat but knowing it's virtually fat free. Guiltless decadence tossed in just a bit of chili oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, and tons of cilantro.

It was heavenly and I wanted to make my own....

March 27, 2015 Boston

West Bridge Cambridge - 4 course Seasonal Tasting Menu

Hello spring!

Finally! We finally got to experience "spring-like" weather yesterday with temperatures flirting with the 60's. Of course, with that came some lovely intermittent rain showers, but for brief moments, it was glorious to actually feel the warmth of the sunshine on my face.

Spring is a time when seasonal menus finally start to come alive again. Instead of being stuck with different variations on winter root vegetables, menus "spring" to life with fresh ingredients like garlic scapes, asparagus, ramps, and nettle.

A couple weeks ago, West Bridge reached out to me to tell me about Chef Matt Gaudet's new 4-course tasting menu. A relatively new addition to the menu, the 4-course Seasonal Tasting costs $52 per person and replaces a 5-course tasting menu they used to have. Would I be interested in trying it?

I have always been curious about dinner at West Bridge. It's been on my "to try" list for quite some time now (not a surprise, considering the numerous accolades it has received).

It wasn't a hard decision. Even though Bryan would be flying straight back from a two-week around-the-world trip, we decided to have dinner at West Bridge the first night Bryan was back in town, jet-lag and all.
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March 24, 2015 Appetizer

Taiwanese Oyster Omelet recipe (or Taiwanese Oyster Pancake)

I am so excited to announce that I am featured on the front page of the Food section of the Boston Globe today (!).

I was thrilled and in utter disbelief when they contacted me about two weeks ago asking if I was interested in being featured. They said they were especially interested in my Taiwanese background and wanted to feature Taiwanese cuisine, which is a bit more unusual.

The writer Brooke came over to my home and we cooked Taiwanese food together. A Globe photographer, Lane, also came and took tons of photos. It was surreal. And yes, that's why I was working so hard to clean up my kitchen a couple weeks ago.

The article focuses on my Taiwanese roots and includes a recipe for the comforting Taiwanese meat sauce that Brooke and I made together.

In honor of the publication of the article, I thought it would be fun to make one of the most famous, iconic, and classic Taiwanese street dishes around: the Taiwanese Oyster Omelet....

March 23, 2015 Recipe

Hearty Kale Bacon Soup with Barley (pressure cooker)

I would have really thought that the days of soup would be over by now. Spring is technically here already, and yet we are still suffering through sub--freezing temperatures (with windchills down to the single digits).

Help.

Cold weather makes me want to stay indoors, read a good book, and drink hearty soup. A healthy soup that's chock full of vegetables and grains is the best. It warms me up inside yet also makes me feel good afterwards.

Recently I posted a photo of a kale bacon soup with barley that I had thrown together with stuff I had in the refrigerator. I had been meaning to make a barley soup with my pressure cooker for quite some time. Another snowstorm came, and I found the perfect opportunity to make this soup at home.

I hadn't planned on writing a post about it. However, after I received requests in response to my photo, I decided I would share my process in making this soup....

March 20, 2015 Appetizer

Savory Chinese Pumpkin Cake (family recipe)

Note: This post was originally written as a submission for the 8th round of Project Food Blog, an international blogging competition that I ended up winning in 2010 (to see all my posts from that competition, click here). In round 8 of the competition (out of a total of 10 rounds), contestants had to create a recipe with pumpkin. I made three pumpkin items for my submission: pumpkin mochi cake, pumpkin thousand layer spiral mooncakes, and these savory pumpkin cakes. The other two recipes have their own posts. I think the savory pumpkin cake is an awesome dish and totally deserving of having its own post! So here it is. I have re-sized the photos, updated the post a bit, and am republishing it as its own separate post. Enjoy!

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Just imagine with me for a moment . . . .It is the late 1800's and you are living in Xiamen (Amoy Island) in Southern China. It's only 6AM, but you know you have to get to the market soon before the rice mill closes.

Rice mill?

Well of course! How else are you going to be able to get the rice to that fine consistency to make your lovely pumpkin cakes? You would hate to have to hand-grind it! Thank God for modern technology! You're so glad you remembered to soak the rice overnight so that you could bring it to the mill today.

Wait, did you say Pumpkin cake?

Oh, the savory Chinese pumpkin cake is a very unique regional specialty. It's so localized, you're not sure if they make this in any other part of China. The dish takes a ton of work, but it's so worth it. In fact, if there were just one dish you would want to pass down to your family, it would be these scrumptious pumpkin cakes.

After getting your rice milled to a lovely paste, you pick up some pumpkins from the market and begin the laborious task of slowly peeling off thin shreds of pumpkin layer by layer with a knife. It takes a few hours, but eventually you have a huge bowl of finely shredded pumpkin, which you then slowly cook in a huge wok until they are soft.

Finally, several additional steps later, you serve your family the famous "CHE" pumpkin cakes. Beyond excited, the entire family devours these moist, slightly crunchy, and very pumpkin-y cakes. You think about how long it took you to perfect the skill of making these, and you vow to keep it alive in the family, hopefully for generations to come.
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March 18, 2015 Las Vegas

Yusho Las Vegas (Monte Carlo)

This is the first post in the Winter in Las Vegas Series detailing my trip to Las Vegas in January to attend CES.

If you wanted to live in a place where famous chefs all over the world came to YOU versus the other way around, Las Vegas might not be a bad bet. In the past decade, so many excellent restaurants have opened up in this city. You've got everything from the most Michelin-decorated chef Joel Robuchon coming out of retirement to open his flagship restaurant in Vegas to popular burger joints like In & Out or New York's Shake Shack, a burger stand with a cult-like following that just opened its first location in (where else?) the casino New York, New York.

Then there are the celebrity chefs, like Bobby Flay, Thomas Keller, Mario Batali, and Jose Andres, just to name a few. All in all, the Strip has a wealth of excellent French, Italian, Spanish, and American restaurants. There are tons of steakhouses. Buffets are everywhere.

However, there are very few Asian imports. Sure, Nobu has been at the Hard Rock for awhile (and more recently at Caeasar's Palace), and BarMasa opened in Aria not too long ago. However, aside from really expensive Japanese cuisine, there is a noticeable lack of hot Asian inspired restaurants (like Momofuku, for example), on the Strip. The closest might be the Mexican-Chinese fusion brainchild of Jose Andres, China Poblano.

And then Yusho, a really, really popular restaurant in Chicago, arrived at the Monte Carlo in April of 2014. Yusho is the brainchild of Matthias Merges, a chef who worked at Charlie Trotter's for fifteen years before opening Yusho in Chicago. Its modern style of fusion Asian "street" food includes innovative takes on comfort dishes like ramen, Asian-style buns, house made pickles, and grilled skewers plus a creative cocktail program all under one roof. Yusho has received tons of recognition in Chicago. It has a three star (out of four) review from the Chicago Tribune. In 2012, it won Eater's Restaurant of the Year award, and in 2013, it made The Saveur 100 List.

"We don't want to fit in" says Matthias Merges when asked about adjusting his restaurant to the Vegas culture. He wants to bring Yusho to Las Vegas but wishes to maintain the restaurant's own identify. Similar to Yusho in Chicago which caters to industry folks because it opens so late, Yusho Las Vegas also features late night noodles and a menu that changes frequently.

Chef Brian Lhee, formerly a chef at Yusho Chicago, moved to Las Vegas to help open and helm this new location. Chef Lhee is hot in Vegas right now, having just won Eater Vegas's "Chef of the Year" Award for 2014, beating out Giada’s Giada DeLaurentiis, Carson Kitchen’s Kerry Simon, DB Brasserie’s David Middleton and Omae’s Takeshi Omae.

Bryan and I sampled a bunch of Yusho's menu items our second night in Vegas. Here's a look at all the cool things that are coming out of this new Asian spot right now....

March 16, 2015 Boston

Brunch at The Sinclair Cambridge

The old saying goes "March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb." I used to wonder whether someone living further south than Boston, maybe Washington D.C., coined that phrase. More often than not, Boston's March comes in like a lion and sort of limps out like a weakened lion. There's certainly no lamb in sight. I mean, it's already halfway through March and it's snowing outside as I write this.

*Sigh*

It would be an understatement to say it's been snowing a lot in Boston. Just this past weekend, Boston surpassed its own record for snowiest winter on record. With spring around the corner, there has also been quite a bit of rain. On Saturday morning, I walked through the rain to Harvard Square to join a group of food writers to preview The Sinclair's new brunch menu.

The warm, cozy, and rustic interior of the restaurant was a welcomed relief from the wet and dreary weather outside.

I wrote about The Sinclair about a year ago when I showcased Chef Matt Cunningham's creative tasting menu that he designed for us. Alas, he had cooked us a meal that wasn't on the regular menu, and more than one reader expressed disappointment that I was showcasing all this amazing food that readers couldn't get at the restaurant.

This post is different. All these photos (with just one tiny exception) show off the new brunch menu that's happening right now at The Sinclair.

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March 13, 2015 Las Vegas

New Series! Winter in Las Vegas

THIS view.

Despite the allure of all the celebrity chef restaurants, impressive Cirque du Soleil shows, and staggering availability of world class food and entertainment along Las Vegas's famous Strip, my all-time favorite single experience in Las Vegas is still to watch a Bellagio fountain show (which is free!).

Eight (!) years ago we stopped in Las Vegas for one night en route to Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, and Capitol Reef in Utah. I was able to book Bellagio's fountain facing rooms for the family at a bargain. You can often find amazing hotel deals in Las Vegas during the summer, when the city feels like a sweltering desert with temperatures over 100 ° F. We were only there for one night (and yes, it was uncomfortable hot!), but I distinctly remember sitting in my room, mesmerized by the fountain shows. We watched them for the whole night - every fifteen minutes until midnight when it ended.

It's been a long time since then. Even though we have returned to Las Vegas every winter to attend the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January , we never stayed at the Bellagio again . . . . until this year!

This year, we registered for CES early and I was able to grab one of the few conference-discounted rooms at the Bellagio (market rate is ridiculous during that week). Yes, it meant we had to switch hotels halfway through our trip, but it was totally worth it.

Staying at the Bellagio was phenomenal, and we did the exact same thing again. We sat in our room peering out the window, just enjoying fountain show after fountain show until midnight.

Rest assured that this entire blog post isn't just about fountains. I did have ample opportunity to check out several really great restaurants this trip as well. Here's a preview of our Las Vegas trip and some of the restaurants you will see in this upcoming series!...

March 12, 2015 Boston

Cilantro Chinese Cambridge - a first look

It's always risky to open a similar restaurant to another successful one in a location that's not too far away. Unless if you're hoping to capture some "overflow" traffic from the successful restaurant, you are setting yourself up for some stiff competition.

On its face, this is what Cilantro Chinese Restaurant appears to be doing, setting up a restaurant selling soup dumplings and Szechuan style food just a couple blocks down the street from the popular and successful Dumpling House in Cambridge.

If you dig a little deeper, however, you'll find that Cilantro has its own twist and personal stamp on its menu. There are some really interesting and different regional dishes that are unique to Cilantro. I've tried some excellent dishes there that I've never had at any other Chinese restaurant before. Although it very well may serve as an "overflow" for diners who don't feel like waiting for a table at Dumpling House, it also holds its own as another very solid new Chinese restaurant in Cambridge.
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March 11, 2015 Beef

Heirloom Bean Chili

Finally. Finally. The days are slowly getting warmer. I am loving the seemingly extended hours of daylight available in the early evening. Once towering snowbanks are rapidly shrinking, and hello! are those bushes in front of my house? It's been awhile! They looking a bit weathered but alive (surviving complete snow burial for over a month!).

I walked outside and for the first time in months I could feel the warmth of the sun on my face.

Birds were chirping.

Spring . . . we are so ready for you.

I'm toying with the idea of putting on my running shoes and trying out a test jog. I'm still deathly afraid of all the huge puddles out there. And I have no idea if the running paths are clear or not.

Yet this weather beckons me outside. It's a feeling I haven't had in months.

Along with this desire to exercise again (the snow and cold weather have transformed me into a sedentary blob), has come a bit of a health kick. I discovered recently that beans are one of the most fiber-packed foods around. For some reason I always thought leafy greens would win the fiber contest, but beans beat everyone else (gram for gram) hands down.

Furthermore, beans are high in B vitamins, protein, phytonutrients, and a host of minerals (iron, magnesium, potassium, copper and zinc). Inspired to incorporate more beans into my diet, I ordered a whole bunch of heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo (affiliate link!) in Napa, California.

I decided to make chili, mostly because Bryan said he really likes chili. After some initial research, it was clear that the best way to make a really good chili was to grind my own chili powder. You have a lot more options to choose from, and in general the flavors will be deeper, more rich, and overall much more complex.

Soak the beans for at least 6-8 hours or overnight. Soaking beans helps remove phytic acid, which prevents the absorption of nutrients. It also helps remove oligosaccharides, which are hard to digest and may cause gas for some people. Make sure to dump out the soaking water (or even change it a few times during the soak!) and rinse the beans before using.

Ancho chilies are the dried version of poblano peppers. They don't have much heat, but have a deep, fruity flavor.

Arbol chilies are spicy. Add sparingly if you don't want your chili to be too hot!

Cut up the ancho chilies into inch long pieces, removing the stems and the seeds. It will be a bit leathery and tough, so make sure you have good scissors! Also remove the stems and the seeds from the arbol chilies.

Toast the ancho chilies in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until it become dry and fragrant. Stop and remove from heat if it begins to smoke! Set aside in a cool bowl.

In a food processor bowl, combine the toasted Ancho chili peppers, Arbol chili peppers, cornmeal, oregano, cumin, cocoa powder, and salt. Process for about 2 minutes, or until it becomes a fine powder. Then slowly add chicken broth until the mixture become pasty. Remove the paste from the bowl.

Add onions and jalapenos into the same bowl and chop briefly until it becomes the consistency of salsa.

I used a pressure cooker because I wanted to save time. It allows me to make the chili in 20 minutes instead of two hours (!). Over medium heat, start adding the components into the pot. Start with the onion/jalapeno "salsa", then add garlic, the ground meat, and the beer (yes a whole 12-ounce bottle!). Eventually, you'll add the homemade chili paste, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, and dried beans.

And then just wait.

I waited 20 minutes, and then let the pot release the pressure by itself.

Serve with all sorts of goodies, like homemade baked corn tortilla chips, cheese, cilantro, lime wedges, and avocados. I don't like sour cream, so I didn't include it, but you could add that too.

Yum. I loved the richness and depth from the homemade chili powders. Of course, the added ingredients, like the avocadoes and homemade tortillas, made it even better. I had added a half and half mixture of beef and chicken, and it tasted perfectly fine that way. I would be tempted to try turkey or all chicken. I bet it would still taste pretty good.

If you're really a health nut, you could even secretly add in more vegetables. I grated an entire zucchini into a singel serving bowl for myself the following day as leftovers. It was great!

Chili stores well, whether in the refrigerator or in the freezer. I have been reheating this chili for days, and the flavors seem to deepen over time. You can always make modifications for future meals. I've tried adding vegetables (zucchini and even kale work great!), or use the chili as a topping for chili cheese fries, chili dogs, sloppy Joes . . . the possibilities are endless!

Enjoy!

Heirloom Bean Chili
adapted from Epicurious and Cook's Illustrated with inspiration from various other sources. My notes in italics.

Heirloom Bean Chili

Recipe Type: Soup

Cuisine: American

Author: adapted from Epicurious and Cook's Illustrated with inspiration from various other sources. My notes in italics.

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

4-6 dried ancho chili peppers, stems and seeds removed, cut into 1 inch strips (I used 4)
2-4 Arbol chili peppers, stems and seeds removed (I used 3)
3 tablespoons cornmeal
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, diced (about 2 cups)
3 small jalapeno chilies, stems and seeds removed, sliced
4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
1 - 28 oz can diced tomatoes (I used San Marzano)
½ small can of tomato paste
2 teaspoons sugar
1½ cups of dried beans, soaked over night, preferably three different ones {or 2-3 cans of beans}
1 lb ground meat (I used ½ beef ½ chicken)
1 (12 ounce) bottle beer

Instructions

Prep
Soak beans in water for at least 6-8 hours (or overnight).
Making the Chili Paste
Toast ancho chili pepper pieces over medium heat on a skillet for about 5 minutes, or until it become dry and fragrant. Stop and remove from heat if it begins to smoke! Set aside in a cool bowl.
In a food processor bowl, combine the toasted Ancho chili peppers, Arbol chili peppers, cornmeal, oregano, cumin, cocoa powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Process for about 2-minutes, or until it becomes a fine powder.
Turn the processor back on. While it is running, slowly add ½ cup of chicken broth, or until the mixture become pasty. Remove the paste from the bowl.
Add onions and jalapenos into the same bowl and chop briefly until it becomes the consistency of salsa.
In a pressure cooker pot (or Dutch oven if you aren't using the pressure cooker), heat about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil at medium low heat. Add the onions/jalapeno mixture and cook for about 5-10 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium. Add the ground meat and cook until it is cooked all the way through, breaking it up into pieces with a spatula.
Add beer and cook until most of the alcohol has burned off.
Add the homemade chili paste, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, and dried beans.
Cook under pressure on high for about 20 minutes and then let it come down to pressure on its own (if you can afford the time). Otherwise, depressurize according to the manufacturer's instructions.
If needed, season with additional salt according to taste.
Serve with chopped avocados, cheddar cheese, sour cream, lime wedges, cilantro, homemade corn tortillas, and/or scallions. It's up to you! Or let your guests add their toppings.
Homemade Corn Tortillas
Preheat oven to 350° F. Cut up corn tortillas into triangle shapes (I cut 8 pieces from each circular piece). Optionally spray each chip with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 350° F (preferably convection setting) for about 12 minutes, turning the tray halfway in between for even baking.

Enjoy!

March 9, 2015 Hawaii

Red Salt Kauai + our last day in Kauai

Kauai's not immediately known for its food.

People naturally think of Oahu or Maui when it comes to good restaurants, and typically recommend Kauai for it's beautiful "undeveloped" nature and phenomenal hiking. Although it's true that Oahu and Maui house more well-known chefs, diverse cuisines, and just sheer number of restaurants, Kauai still holds its own when it comes to places to eat. First of all, several well-known Hawaiian restaurants have opened up locations in Kauai, such as Roy's and Merriman's Fish House. Second, Kauai also has its own home-grown gems, like Red Salt, an elegant ocean facing restaurant inside the Koa Kea Hotel and Resort.

Red Salt spent 18 months looking for an executive chef before it found Ronnie Sanchez from New Mexico. Chef Sanchez had worked at numerous places before Red Salt, the most famous being El Bulli in Spain. The menu has hints of the artistic creativity that you would expect from an El Bulli trained chef (a foam "cloud" here or deconstructed dish there), though it's much more toned down. The overall feel of the menu is a huge emphasis on local Hawaiian ingredients executed in a number of creative ways.

We came to Red Salt after a long and exhausting 8-mile hike along the famous Na Pali Coastline to the Hanakapi'ai Falls. Our hike ended up taking so much longer that we had expected, we had to push back our reservation at Red Salt by a couple of hours.

By the time we arrived at Red Salt, we were really, really hungry.
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March 6, 2015 Boston

Taste of South End Boston

Just imagine - a chance to taste dishes from forty-five (!) of Boston South End's finest restaurants all under one roof. This is exactly what happened at the 20th annual Taste of South End at the Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama (right in the South End) this past weekend.

The purpose of the annual charity event is to raise money and awareness for AIDS Action, an organization dedicated to providing prevention and wellness services for people vulnerable to the HIV infection.

On top of all the food sampling (and trust me, it's really hard to sample food from all 45 restaurants!), there was also a silent auction full of all sorts of cool experiences and items, a raffle for a Caribbean vacation, and cooking demonstrations!

Here's a summary of all the amazing food, wine, and activities at the event!...

March 5, 2015 Hawaii

Hiking the Na Pali Coast, Kauai (Kalalau Trail)

It's pretty undisputed that Kauai is one of the best - if not THE best- Hawaiian island for hiking. The landscape here is unreal in its raw, natural beauty - from the soaring cliffs hugging the ocean in Na Pali to the striated, jagged canyons of Waimea, the entire island is stunning.

You could serious live here for years, hike everyday, and not repeat a hike.

Our time in Kauai was short. Way too short. We had to be very selective about which hike to conquer. We really only had time for one big day hike.

The most famous hike in Kauai is a strenuous 11-mile hike on the Kalalau Trail along the Na Pali coastline. This trail consists of three major stream crossings, uneven and narrow ledges along cliffs, and steep and slippery terrain. Listed by multiple publications as being one of the most difficult hikes in the world, the Kalalau Trail takes at least two days to complete, requires a camping permit, and most certainly is not for the faint of heart.

Most people don't attempt the entire Kalalau Trail.

However, a very popular day hike that more people pursue is an 8-mile roundtrip loop that goes along the Kalalau Trail for 2 miles and then follows a 2-mile upstream detour along a river to Hanakapi'ai Falls before heading all the way back (4 miles).

And even though this trail is much, much easier than hiking the entire Kalalau Trail, it was still by far the most difficult hike I'd ever done....

March 3, 2015 Boston

Coppa Boston

Congratulations to Elizabeth (#17) for winning the Giveaway! Elizabeth said “My favorite casual place is Picco – always fun and great food. And, they’ll be at the event!”

Bryan and I have a tradition that we started years ago. We'll take vacation from work on our birthdays and spend it together somewhere. Certain years, we'll actually go on a trip (e.g., Paris, Sydney, or Tokyo), while other years we'll just explore Boston together for the day.

It's during these times that we finally get around to visiting some of those places that are typically hard to access. For example, this past year we finally visited James Beard Award winners Ken Oringer's and Jamie Bissonette's Spanish restaurant Toro on Bryan's birthday. We showed up about 15 minutes before the restaurant opened so we could ensure a table without the crazy up to 2+ hour long waits.

For my birthday this past year, we stayed local (no trips since our Hawaii trip was coming up in a week!), and explored Boston for the day. This time, we decided to stop by Chef Oringer's and Chef Bissonette's other collaboration, an Italian enoteca called Coppa for lunch.
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March 2, 2015 Boston

Reflections During a Snowstorm + $100 Visa Card Giveaway! {Thanks to Milano® !)

I am pleased to be able to partner with Pepperidge Farm® Milano® cookies to write this post.

I am a doer.

I'm like my mom in that way. I'm the type of person who can't sit still.

If there's a dinner party going on, I'm the one prepping the food, clearing the plates, and asking people if they want refills. In life, I hunger after new hobbies, new things to learn. On a typical week outside of work hours, you might find me singing at my weekly a cappella rehearsal, hosting a Bible study at our house, working on the blog, or practicing Sunday worship songs with my church band. On weekends I like to be out, to be productive and do stuff, or at least experience the world in a new way.

It's part of the reason why I don't watch T.V. and hardly ever watch movies. It's really hard for me to just sit there and not do anything. It's weird, but it feels almost stifling to me.

At the same time, I'm also a people-pleaser.

It makes me happy when others are happy. Therefore, it's natural for a doer like me to take care of guests during a party or to do everything within my powers to make sure no one's unhappy. In the whirlwind of life, my days are packed with activities, where more often than not, I'm doing everything I can to make sure everyone around me is happy, fed, and also enjoying life. As a natural extrovert, I thrive living this way because I love being around people, serving them, and making them happy. However, sometimes even the busiest extroverts need a break.

And that's why I still love snowstorms.

As you probably all know by now, Boston's been slammed with a record amount of snow in the past month. Snowstorms grind a city to a halt. For our first snowstorm, the Mayor declared a Snow Emergency and banned all non-essential vehicles from driving on the roads. Unless you were an essential worker, you weren't even allowed to drive out. Everything got canceled - school, offices, businesses, restaurants, stores, even the subway system . . . All of a sudden, a vast majority of Bostonians were forced to stay home, stop whatever was overtaking their busy lives, and just . . . rest.

Rest, get some exercise shoveling, and just enjoy. Enjoy this beautiful world that God has created.

Reflect and just take in the beauty of these rare occurrences. Realize how helpless we really are to the power of nature.

One of my favorite things to do on the morning of a snowstorm is to brew myself an espresso, grab a light snack, and just stare out the window. It's mesmerizing to watch the snow fall.

In this day and age, we are all so, so busy. It's so rare to have an opportunity to just take a moment for us. I still find it funny that it takes a snowstorm to cancel all my activities, thus forcing me to take that moment.

It's a good reminder that we should all take such moments. Not just during a snowstorm, but regularly. Milano encourages you to take a moment for you. A pause from the many roles you play and focus on yourself.

How do you savor that moment and take pleasure in the journey that is life? Tell me in the comments and you will be entered for a chance to win a $100 VISA Gift Card!

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Making authentic Malaysian chicken curry at a cooking class in Kuala Lumpur

This is Part II of a two-part series summarizing my look back at 2014. The first part of the series can be found here: Happy New Year - A Look Back at 2014 (Part I) Travel

Cooking + Recipes

Where did all the recipes go?

Good question. Travel most certainly took up a lot of 2014, which is why Part I of this series is so long! Bryan's been traveling like crazy for work the past several years, so the best way for me to see more of him is to follow him on some of his trips. As a result of this, however, I've had less time to spend in the kitchen. When it's just me at home (i.e. Bryan's away on a business trip), I don't feel like cooking up anything really fancy. I tend to cook really simple, often vegetarian, healthy dinners for myself - nothing that's remotely exciting or blog-worthy material.

Thankfully, time to time I did find some opportunities to cook. I entertained large groups a couple times, once making a huge, beautiful (easy!) oven roasted prime rib, and another time conquering David Chang's famous Bo Ssam.

I also learned how to make a bunch of Malaysian dishes at a cooking class I took in Kuala Lumpur, like chicken curry, roti jala (lacy pancake), otak otak (fish dumpling in banana leaf), and onde onde (rice dumpling dessert).

Below I've shared a couple of my favorite recipes that I wrote about this year.

Chive Pies are among my favorite dishes to order in a Taiwanese restaurant, partly because I just love Chinese chives, but also because it's fun to eat things in little packages (I'm a sucker for dumplings, if you haven't already noticed). I made these after having leftover ingredients from a Chinese New Year dumpling party. They turned out to be surprisingly easy to make! For the full recipe and tutorial, click here.

I finally adapted my Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup recipe for the pressure cooker, and it's been life changing. I used to not make this dish because it would take a minimum of two to three hours to make. Now, with the pressure cooker, I can squeeze everything under an hour, which has made this a very possible weeknight meal.

My mom makes these soy sauce Braised Beef Shanks almost everytime she visits us in Boston. I finally got the recipe from her and was able to make it on a weekend. It's actually pretty easy. The biggest factor is time: it involve braising meat for 2-3 hours, which can take up a whole afternoon. I am seriously considering trying this in the pressure cooker . . .

Of course there are other recipes from the year. Some other notable favorites include the popular Crispy Basil Smashed Potatoes courtesy of Chef Ana Sortun (Oleana, Sarma, Sofra) from my Siena Farms newsletter; the spicy tomato jam I made in partnership with Backyard Farms Tomatoes; and oven baked beet chips (pictured above).

You can always hunt around in the recipes tab on the blog to see what I've been cooking!

Boston Area Restaurants

Though I do travel a fair amount, most of my time is still spent here in my hometown of Cambridge, MA. We discovered lots of fantastic restaurants in the Boston area this year. Below are the highlights.

omakase at Cafe Sushi

We tried our first omakase at Cafe Sushi in Cambridge and totally fell in love. It is now our go-to favorite sushi place. The restaurant serves up amazing chef's specials (both local and from Tsukiji Fish Market in Japan) as well as a phenomenal and reasonably priced omakase. If ordering a la carte, definitely try at least a few things from the specials list.

Thai North, a small family-owned Thai restaurant in Brighton specializing in Northern Thai cuisine, (e.g., Chaingmai) was another incredible find. Make sure to order off of the "Chalkboard Menu" which focuses on regional specialties that you don't typically find on a Thai restaurant in America. My favorite dishes are probably the Chiangmai Sausage and the Chiangmai Noodle Curry (pictured above).

My favorite ramen shop at the moment is Pikaichi in Allston (though I haven't tried Totto Ramen yet). Newcomer Shabu & Mein in Cambridge is conveniently close and serves a very good ramen as well.

New Restaurants

Smoked Uni Toast from Row 34

Several hotly anticipated restaurants opened in Boston this past year to much well-deserved fanfare, such as Row 34 (by the Island Creek folks), Sarma (by the Oleana and Sofra team), Alden & Harlow (from Michael Scelfo, previously of Russell House Tavern), and Ribelle (from Tim Maslow of Strip T's). I even trekked out to Wellesley on the commuter rail to try Juniper, a lovely new Mediterranean restaurant from the folks at Sweet Basil.

Our first meal at Cafe ArtScience in Kendall (on their second night after opening day!) was excellent and I really can't wait to go back. Their drinks and fun molecular-inspired "snacks" are also fun. We tried a tasting menu at the modernist cuisine restaurant Asta, which had a mix of superb courses and near or total misses.

We were thrilled when we heard that newcomer Dumpling House was coming to Cambridge. The media reported that it was related to the very popular Chinatown restaurant Gourmet Dumpling House, though I'm still not positive that is completely true (why does Gourmet Dumpling House have a sign in front saying they are "unique" and there's no one else like them??). In any event, the menus are very similar and the quality of the food is very close. Best thing yet, Dumpling House virtually never has a wait and parking is not too difficult to find.

And Other Restaurants . . .

Paella from Toro

Bryan finally got to try the pig's head for two at Craigie on Main for his birthday (something he's always wanted to try). We visited the super popular tapas restaurant Toro and avoided waiting in line by showing up right at opening time - 5:30PM on a Monday night. We stopped in to try Tasty Burger in Harvard Square one random day and really enjoyed it. "I like it better than Shake Shack" said Bryan. We also had a lovely al fresco dinner at Belly Wine Bar in Cambridge near the end of the summer when they were featuring a ton of different Rosé wines.

For fun, this year I wrote a post about what I thought were Boston's Top 10 Restaurant Dishes. You can also find my recommendation for top restaurants to visit in Boston. Though the post was written in 2013, it's still reasonably current. I would probably add to it several of the excellent new restaurants from 2014, such as most of the ones I've mentioned above.

Miscellaneous

#Totoro100Days Series

I began a fun little series of posts on my social media accounts which I tagged with the hashtag #Totoro100Days. Totoro is a character from the Japanese animation film My Neighbor Totoro. I have loved Totoro since I was a kid and have collected various Totoro themed things throughout my life. My goal was to post a Totoro a day, sort of a photojournalistic record of all the Totoro things that I have amassed or made over the years.

I don't come close to owning 100 Totoro things, so I've had to get a little creative lately to complete my goal (e.g., making sand Totoros in Hawaii, snow Totoros in Boston, or all different sorts of Totoro foods). It's been a fun outlet for my creativity, especially during this holiday time when I have a bit more time at home to create all sorts of fun stuff in the kitchen. I love how these challenges sort of stretch me to cook, make, bake, or even learn new crafts in the pursuit of a goal (even if it's just a silly fun one).

The series is about to finish, seeing that we are on Day 94 today!

If you want to follow the final days of this self-imposed challenge, you can follow along on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook to get the latest update.

New Blog Look!

In October of 2014, almost five years after christening "Tiny Urban Kitchen" as an official blog, I finally switched my blog from Blogger to WordPress. I had been thinking about doing it for a long time but just didn't have the energy to look into exactly what I needed to do. I finally decided that if I was ever going to get this done, I should just hire someone. Even though I pride myself in being able to learn how to do things on my own (e.g., up to this point I had personally designed, drawn, and built every single aspect of the blog myself), I knew for this project it would be worth the time and money to hire an expert.

I finally decided to work with Lisette from Northern Belle Diaries, who was great. Even though she was super busy during that time, she took time out of her busy schedule to walk me through the migration and answer all my burning questions (I had a lot and she was patient!). Overall, the migration went very smoothly and I was very pleased with the results. Lisette did a great job and her prices are very, very reasonable.

Currently, I am using ~~Bluehost {affiliate link}~~ (update! I now use Synthesis WordPress Hosting, which is pricier but fantastic) as my server and Shay Boch's Foodie WordPress theme. Overall I am very pleased with the performance of everything~~, though sometimes I wish Bluehost were just a tad faster (perhaps I need to upgrade to a more expensive plan - I'm on the most basic one right now)~~. Overall, I love the power of WordPress and how the Foodie theme has made it so much easier for me to make photo galleries of all different kinds. The overall blog is still a work in progress (I have seven years' worth of posts to catalog!), but I've already done a lot of work, and overall I am thrilled with the new look and functionality of the blog. I'm hoping it makes my content a lot easier to find!

I keep saying one of these days I want to write a more detailed post about what I did for the migration. I promise I haven't forgotten - one of these days!

* * * * *

Looking Ahead: 2015

I guess being busy is a good thing. Yes, time flies, but in a good way. I love being productive and I enjoy creating things. Traveling, cooking, photography, and writing this blog all allow me to do that at my own happy pace.

Thanks again all for coming on this journey with me. We'll see where 2015 leads. I don't ever make concrete, specific New Years resolutions. However, I always have general aspirational goals in mind.

I want to really improve my photography. Perhaps that means using a tripod at home (I have one - I usually just can't be bothered to set it up while I'm rushing to get dinner out!) or playing around with different filters and such for my landscape photography. Food stying is something I haven't spent much time on, but is something I know would bring my cooking shots to another level. Maybe this year.

I do want to cook more. I am a bit saddened by the paucity of recipe posts this past year. I'm hoping to dig a bit deeper into my Taiwanese heritage and learn some more classic dishes. I got David Chang's Momofuku book {affiliate link} for Christmas, so maybe I'll start working my way through that one.

Haleakala, Maui during sunset

I definitely want to continue exploring new experiences and new places. This past year I overcame my fear of the water and conquered open water diving (something that wasn't easy for me!). I'm hoping to be less scared and more willing to try new things, even if it's not naturally easy.

In the midst of all this busy-ness, I don't want to forget what's most important: quality time investing in my relationships with friends, family, and God. I want to set aside ample time to develop and maintain relationships I’ve made, both past and present. I think there’s some truth to the fact that it’s harder to make friends as you get older. Cherish (and foster!) the ones you already have.

Here's looking ahead to great new year.

2015 . . . here I come!

Up next . . . we continue series Hopping the Hawaiian Islands!