holiday greetings

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Advance Happy New Year everyone!!!

Thank you to my family for all the love (especially my sister who got me a MAC this Christmas. I'm using it now to blog and I can watch Netflix every night). I was surprised and did not expect to get a gift since I always tell my sibs that I don't really need anything (although I tell them that I would love to go on a trip to an island re: Amanpulo, Maldives, Bali, Bora-Bora, Tahiti, or at least Cabo). Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I'm super grateful to have a loving family!

snowboarding season

This the season to go snowboarding!!! I love going to the mountains but I don't love the body aches I get the day after snowboarding. I wish I was in Colorado or somewhere where snow is abundant, fresh, powdery, and not icy. I have to go on a trip somewhere during this season. Snow and mountains (and that Sarah Palin show...tsk, tsk...) inspire me to go to Alaska soon ( Jet Blue will fly directly now to Alaska...how fun!). Mammoth or Tahoe sounds good too. Aaaaahhhhh...vacation...it's what I need and want...

random stuff for the past few weeks

I  tried making a rosemary-olive oil  wheat foccacia bread using ATK's recipe. I just did half of the recipe thinking that no one would eat it. It took almost 3 hours to make a 9-inch one (excluding the overnight biga which is a pre-dough mix). It's hard work and I'm glad the people who tasted it liked it. It was a little crunchy outside and soft and chewy inside. I wished I had some fresh n easy tomato basil soup with it. mmmm...yum...Next time I make it, I'll make sure that I make a big one since it's time consuming. Hands down to all bread bakers.

Abbot Kinney's five cheese Pizza from the last time I went there (First Friday of November). It was good but not my favorite.

Dark chocolate cupcakes with marshmallow (Sprinkles' one is still my fave)

Super moist yellow cupcakes for Kenzie's birthday

Patisserie Chantilly's chocolate and black sesame-green tea cream puff (yum...even though I had a hard time biting the whole thing. It was big and I just had my wisdom tooth pulled out more than a week after. I wanted macaroons (darn you M for not remembering Bouchon Bakery!!!) but they were out.

Grilled deli trio sandwich from Jack in the box (Love it!!! Why do bad food taste soooo goood???)

Tapa Boy's Tapa (It was ok. When we got home it was cold and the rice was oily and hard...blehh... the vinegar dipping sauce was ok too. There's better tapa out there).

bay area thanksgiving weekend

My relatives and I spent this year's Thanksgiving weekend in the bay area. We visited our other relatives and toured San Francisco and Napa Valley. It was fun and a different experience (re: travelling with a bunch of people...around 25). One thing I forgot when we went to Napa Valley was to visit Bouchon Bakery. I was so focused on going to the Model Bakery for its English muffins that I forgot about Bouchon (what an I***T). When I got home, I was craving for the chocolate macaroons for a whole week (which led me to try patisserie chantilly). I like Napa Valley. I hope to visit it again soon (and hopefully eat at the French Laundry and English muffins at the Model Bakery).

Palace of Fine Arts

V. Sattui Winery

Golden Gate Bridge

V. Sattui Winery

top chef all stars, etc.

1) kfc double down sandwich = blah...My sandwich didn't have enough sauce (taste like caesar dressing) and the cheese isn't melted all the way. It wasn't worth my $4.00.

2) I heard abbot kinney businesses are shutting down my beloved food trucks. Well, for sure they're going to lose some business. Foot traffic that the trucks generate are insane. tsk, tsk. Bad move for abbot kinney businesses. I wonder if this is a NIMBY dilemma. Those homeowners don't want other people in their neighborhood.

3) TOP CHEF ALL STARS!!!! woooohooo. I love all top chef series. I can't believe ANTHONY BOURDAIN is in it. My 2 favorite "things"(?) in one. I wonder who's going to win...exciting!!! :)

umami = yummy

My umami truffle burger was one of the best burgers I ever had. I don't really eat medium rare meats unless it's good, quality meat. It's meat was juicy and the truffle cheese is good. The sweet potato fries is cinnamon-y that it can also be eaten with vanilla ice cream for dessert. The cheesy tots is all good. For dessert, we had the sinful UFO (deep-fried tempura battered oatmeal cookie with vanilla ice cream).  Here are some photos:

First Friday at Abbot Kinney (October 1)

I can't miss First Fridays at Venice. I was craving for Border Grill's churro tots that night and it was the first truck we lined up for (ordered 3 but they only have 2 left so they gave me a green corn tamal cone instead). No photo for it.

Below are other things we had for the night:

Wagyu sliders (It was all good. Not my favorite.)

I love the chicken pastel and coxinha from the brazilian food truck,Ta Bom

Grilled cheese truck's turkey american grilled cheese (one hour wait only)

I love first Friday's. :)

chicago = love

I LOVE CHICAGO!!! It's my favorite city to visit. Love the buildings and the food. :)

The millenium park bean

The skyline view from the planetarium

One of Frank Lloyd Wright's commissioned work

The Publican

Baked egg and tomato dish (just like my mom's) 

BACON

HAM and egg

hawaii food photos

Hawaiian Airlines' in flight food (The best free, domestic, economy class food ever. It doesn't taste like airplane food!)

Shrimp and barbeque mix from a random shirmp truck (LOVE)

halo halo

Mga halo-halong photos ng pagkain (various food photos):

Mr. Lee's: love their hot sauce and fish cake

Pinkberry's pomegranate and mango

Home made beignets dusted with powdered sugar and dipped in nutella

Five guys' burger (with bacon, barbeque sauce, and grilled onions)

Oxtail Pho

Fresh n Easy's tomato basil soup and my own pandesal pastrami grilled cheese

Brownies and Red Velvet cupcake from The Farm of Beverly Hills (the grove location)

Sprinkles cupcake (peanut butter, banana, and my favorite: DARK CHOCOLATE marshmallow cupcake)

pomegranate seeds

My own brioche french toast and maple syrup bacon from Trader Joe's

Keep on drooooollllinnnggggg... :)

san diego food trip 2010

My San Diego day trip with friends was very FULLfilling. Man, i gave up. I REFUSED to eat halo-halo from "Aling Conching's (?) Cafe, our last pit stop. I was soooo FULL that day.
The day started at the Pacific Island Festival with lunch consist of our appetizer, hawaiian nachos (with yummy pulled pork, mangoes, tomatoes, and onions). After, I ate a "combination barbeque plate with red rice and chicken kelaguen" (a guam specialty. It's citrusy and was like ceviche). For dessert, we had banana doughnuts. While walking around (5 minutes later), I bought this $1.00 dessert made from cassava (similar to a filipino kakanin).
After we left, my friend wanted to try a red velvet from one Cafe in University drive. I was still full from lunch so I just ordered a frozen hot chocolate drink (it's soooo rich and chocolatey that I'm craving it right now while I'm writing about it).
We had a stop over at my friend's brother's house to recoup. After 2 hours, we went to a tapsihan. Still full from what I had for lunch and my drink, I just ordered mine's to go. But I love tapsilog so I "tasted" some of it.
Our last stop was Aling Conchings for halo-halo and I gave up. I haven't execised that week so I have to say NO (it really looked tempting...but I know I would be throwing it up if I eat it).
Here are some images of our San Diego food trip:

Hana Bay

Hana Bay --- my melancholic, peaceful place. I love it here. Having this mental image when I get stressed out calms me down. It's a happy place for me.

Driving for two hours in a winding road is crazy and scary. The road to Hana is an experience of a lifetime. The forest is beautiful. It was just scary to think that we were the only ones on the road at that time (we left the hotel at around 6 am) and I just kept on praying that our rental car wouldn't act up on us. The sunset is amazing (see above). Some turns were only for one car and the trees were enormous. The view is very inspiring.

When we saw the bay, the first thing I did was to pee. It was almost empty (there were 2 people on the shed chatting) and it felt like we own the bay. Maui mornings start late and I'm glad I had a "quiet time" in Hana Bay.

Enjoy the pictures below and I hope it calms you down as it does to me. :)