Browse Category: yum

“It’s just a little [old]…

It’s still good! It’s still good!” -Homer J. Simpson

We bought some pineapple coconut ice cream back when we first moved into our house in September 03. We never opened it and thought it would be a good idea for Jesse to try it. Notice the date on the bottom? It says Septmeber 9th…2004! Eh. It was sealed this whole time in the freezer. How bad could it be?

Looks ok…color is good, smell is good. Let’s try it.

Hey, he’s already eaten at least 5 bites of it and no rumblies in the tummy yet! In fact, I think he’s enjoying it!

We’ll see how he feels in the morning. Back to the freezer the ice cream will go!

Teriyaki Salmon

salmonI tried a new recipe for teriyaki marinade today and with Jes’ baking/broiling technique, it totally rocked. Share time!
In a small saucepan simmer the following ingredients:
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine) or medium-dry Sherry
2 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh gingerroot
Simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved and reduced to about 1/2 cup. Cool to room temperature in a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water.
Wrap a salmon steak (I buy them individually wrapped and frozen from Costco) in foil with the sauce. Bake in the oven (or toaster oven) for 20 mins at 250 degrees. Then finish it on a broil (with the foil opened) for about 5 minutes to get a nice crust on the top. Plate with sliced green onion on top and drizzle remainder of teriyaki sauce on top.

Serve with cold/warm soba (topped with furikake and sliced green onion) and dipping sauce. I add wasabi to the dipping sauce for a little extra kick.

An Afternoon with The Brother

Last night we went to Agora Churrascaria for dinner with Dayantha, Thilan, and Ti. The sirloin and skirt steak were good. I didn’t care for any of the chicken. The meal was about $35 per person and I’m not sure I really ate my share. Afterwards we met up with Derek and Elise who were in town for the weekend. We ended up at Dave and Buster’s at the Spectrum. We had some drinks, played some games, and I came home with a million little erasers and a little stuffed penguin for Koa. Mmm…penguin.
This morning Patti came over to help assemble Holly’s invitations. We had to get them printed at Staples and I was happy with how they turned out. I’m so relieved that it’s all done. I suppose I could have done it all myself but it was a good excuse for the two of us to chat and catch up on things. It was great hanging out with you again, Patti!! And thanks for all your help!
Later the brother came over to do some shopping for his apartment. We first went to Costco and I got myself a knitting book/kit. I’ve had my eye on it for some time and decided to snag it this time. Jes and I almost got ourselves a Dyson but smartened up and left it for another day. When we got home, Jes went straight to bed for a nap while the brother and I continued shopping. The next stop was Target and then the grocery store. We also sat down for a couple episodes of Tom & Jerry, which were hilarious. We were laughing so loudly that Jes could hear us from upstairs while he was trying to finish his nap. We also prepared a yummy pork carnitas dinner with all the fixings. Jes was so confused when I told him to go downstairs for some carnitas because it usually takes 4 hours to prepare. Well, this was Chiembanchong-style cooking where it involves taking the pork out of the package, warming it in the oven for 15 mins, and then shredding the meat. Jes was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. Haha…the brother and sister team strike again!!The evening was topped off by a couple games of poker. The cousins came over for a second time this week and brought friends. Ken had some crazy cards in the first game and took everyone out one by one. I lost with a King-high straight! What kind of luck is that?!

Veggies are cool but…

there’s nothing like a good steak. Jes and I had dinner at Mastro’s Steakhouse last night and it was so yummy. We had Mastro’s in Beverly Hills a few years ago and they’ve recently opened one right next to Jes office. The atmosphere is very lively with a live singer and pianist in the middle of the bar where people sit around the baby grand having drinks and often eat their dinner on the piano. The dining room is cozy and their servers are very attentive but not too attentive. The server we had was, in fact, very enthusiastic but not in an annoying way.

Anyway, let’s get back to the food. We started with oysters on a half shell, which were the freshest ones I’ve ever had. I normally don’t like oysters but these made me a fan. I thought I’d only want one or two but I ended up eating my share of three. Next was a warm spinach salad with lots of bacon and I didn’t mind the blue cheese much either. Maybe my taste buds are maturing. The main entree was the rib eye, which they split for the two of us. The smallest cut was 22 ounces, which was way more than enough for us. I think I had about 6 and Jes ate the rest. Their medium rare was actually medium rare and sooo good…buttery, meaty, not too salty, and not too fatty. Dessert was the creme brulee that came with berries on the side. It was your classic creme brulee…simple but a perfect way to end a greedy meal.

Hi, Family!

No trips to the mountains this past weekend so we got to hang out with family. On Saturday night, Jes and I had dinner at the Suminos. Marie and Kenji prepared teppan with beef, chicken, and LOTS of yummy vegetables. Cole was a little grumpy with a runny nose but he perked up by the end of the evening.
On Sunday, Jes and I had got an unexpected phone call from my mom to have dinner with her, my dad, Pish, and my uncle from San Jose. We went to a Thai place in Mission Viejo and had lots to eat. We also got to catch up a bit but not as much as I would have if I didn’t have this blog. My initial intention for this blog was to keep my family updated and it’s working! It’s neat that my parents and relatives are actually reading my blogs regularly to stay informed of my whereabouts. It’s good to see that this isn’t a complete waste of time. 🙂
In other news, my running shoes are back in action. I’ve been casually running in the afternoons 1-2 times per week for the past couple months but this past week I ran four times for at least 30-45 minutes each time. Koa’s getting quite a workout too considering he’s been on every run with me. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find a half marathon to train for. They’re either too soon, too far away, or scheduled on the same day as one of the four weddings I will be attending this year. This may be the year of 5Ks and 10Ks. It would be nice to set personal bests in both.

old friends

I went out to dinner with my UCLA girls sans Linda last night. We met up in La Palma (sorta half-way) and had dinner at Panda Inn and then went across the street for pie at Marie Callender’s. It was nice to catch up with some old friends again. It’s been almost 8 years since we all graduated and it’s funny how our lives look so different yet we are all the same people with the same quirks and habits. Sandy’s going back to grad school and so is Mary. Mich just went to Spain last December and Linda’s moving the family to Long Island for her ER residency. Alas, I am here in Irvine with a dog and retarded job. Good times…