On a Friday Night

Music. Schubert: Moments Musicaux, D780 - 3. Allegretto Moderato

One's perception of classical music is so much more heightened just by listening through headphones.

I find myself caught in a predicament - where many small squares are enclosed in a bigger square with only one identical space for mobility - whether to devote my efforts to cooking, exploring the wide array of cultures the culinary world has set before me or to converge my focus to fulfiling my life-long goal of weight-loss. Despite a few contemptible instances of subjecting to temptations, I have lost weight. I for one do not care how little and minute this instance is when measured against the enormous task of losing a great deal more. All I care is that the week and a half of running at the gym has given me back something - the confidence that it CAN be done. For today, I will bask in this victory, knowing that I can reap what I sow.

Next week, another battle. My wonderful cooking books and baking encyclopedias will have to surrender, sit on my bookshelves and gather a slight layer of dust.

Wha?

Hello again.
It has been long since I've last abandoned you. But it is nice to say hello. To once more rekindle the romance we once shared. Although it is very likely that I will leave sometime in the future, there will always be the excitement of a reprised love affair.
Hello.

Photo Blog - Napa Valley and San Francisco Part II

I am watching Gone with the Wind as I write this.
Clark Gable is so gallant and handsome, Vivien Leigh is so perfect with the right shade of red on her lips...

After dabbling in a little wine-tasting, it was off to satiate our rumbling stomachs in Yountville. I was slightly taken by surprise when we found this little town after driving half an hour from Vallejo. Yountville is somewhat of a gated community surrounded by tall trees in sizeable efforts to segregate itself from the rest of Napa Valley.

Bouchon, by the highly celebrated Thomas Keller, whose marriage of both purist and innovative souls have made the likes of Anthony Bourdain and such sing his praises, making him one of the most world-renowned chefs.



I had to throw this in. It all began on our trip to China.




The little quaint Bouchon bakery. Just situated next door to the restaurant, it was a perfect way to get a little something to nibble while waiting to be seated. This is arguably the home of the most delectable macaron that I have ever savoured. Positively addictive. I've long heard about his bakery but didn't realize its humble size and by the line formed you can see how beloved this bakery is. I was just about to foolishly buy everything off his shelves.



Off to San Francisco! Right at this moment, the excitement of finally arriving into our destination city sends my heart throbbing, the incredulity of actually driving this far for a road trip for the very first time. I start singing I left my Heart in San Francisco.



The steep hills of San Francisco, we face them as we arrive into downtown San Francisco, where our hotel is located.



Our very fine hotel. The Westin St. Francis. Dan got an awesome deal on Priceline. Thanks Michael, for letting us in on that. *wink*


Our elegant room in the Historic Building, built in the eary 1900s. Some of the stylings look almost Victorian with its heavy gold door knobs and a loveable chandelier, Dan tells me that this building has gone through renovations a few times. I'm ashamed to admit to a guilty pleasure: I am in love with American television, what with Comedy Central (not Comedy Network in Canada) and Adult Swim!


An eerie take on our room, very The Shining.


This is one of the very exceptionally few photos I can claim ownership of (though it wasn't taken from my camera). Taken in Union Square on the day of arrival after we dropped our bags in our room, washed our faces and began gallivanting.


CHICKEN FRIED STEAK! Dan wanted to taste something purely American, and what else other than chicken fried steak for breakfast. Ah... it was abit of a disappointment since as one clearly can see that those toasts were burnt and the hashbrowns were soggy.



Me, trying to salvage whats edible of our breakfast, in the diner specifically catered to tourists in the surrounding backdrops.



The cable car arrives! Dan asked if I wanted to ride in one and then suddenly a flood of early 1990s kitschy tourist commercials of happy people riding the cable car inviting the poor sad viewer to "Come to San Francisco and enjoy the sights!", filled my mind. I want to be a traveller, not a tourist, I tell myself.


But then, a picture like this happens. Where it turns out that the ride is in fact exhilarating and sets your heart beating to a faster tempo with so many sights to see as this humble little turn-of-the-century mode of tranportation eagerly climbs the unforgiving hills through Hyde Street and Chinatown.


Througout the ride, we were taken through streets filled with houses like these, reminiscient of Full House. They are so charming and endearing that I felt so urged to part ways with Vancouver and start my life in San Francisco.



Ah.... Ghirardelli Square. Easily home to any fatties' sweet tooth. Ghirardelli used to have a store here in downtown Vancouver on Robson where I would occasionally walk to, after school, to partake in a rootbeer float with their heavenly vanilla ice cream. Memories.

Here's the little fattie, with her sundae and her chocolate rolled cone. In my defence, I bought only bought a ton of chocolate for my family and friends and since Dan was done buying his share first, he went in the store to get this for me.


Of course, a little too much sugar can make you craaaay-zeeee.

Part III of more photos to come. Apologies for the abrupt ending, but responsibilities of having to go to work force me to go to bed. Good Night.

Photo Blog - Napa Valley and San Francisco

Come to think of it, I can't believe we went through with it and made it back in one piece. We couldn't even make up our minds on where we wanted to go for our short 4-day vacation. Some of the contenders were Tofino for beach-bumming (which I wasn't crazy about since I get fidgety sitting on the beach for more than 2 hrs with nothing to do); L.A. (which we decided was too far); Wyoming for Yellowstone Park (which we decided against since we weren't so keen on going to such a provincial area.) So Napa Valley and San Francisco it was, a stop-over to a world-renowned restaurant and 2 awesome days to where Tony Bennett croons to where his heart belongs!

11:57pm. Leaving on a Saturday morning would be ridiculous with all the traffic weekend-cross-border-shoppers create so we left on Friday night. We were slightly nervous about night-driving since we've never done it before and planned to drive 15 hrs straight. 2 GPS's are the way to go when road-tripping since you never know if one might lose signal.

6:46amIt's bright out! My ol' crazy self, bored of taking pictures of flat, yellow-stricken barren land and Dan driving.

In case you're wondering what in the world can be that pink for a drink - its Sobe strawberry daiquiri with hibiscus essence. Just fantastic, the U.S. has so many variations of Sobe, ah... my favorite drink I diluted myself with and added pounds when I first came to North America.


Our Best Western room in Vallejo, CA. It seems pretty blah just looking at this picture, but you won't believe how comfortable and alluring these beds are after being on the road for 15 hrs.


A brilliant day on the Robert Mondavi Winery, walking between the abundant vineyards and gazing towards the vast fecund lands accompanied with the particular climate, specially suited to Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.



The cellarThe cylindrical tanks, flanking the side - an experiment during the fermentation process to see if the romantic French Oak would really provide enhanced differential results compared to cold, stolid efficient stainless steel.



This room really encompasses a sense of serenity. Not a sound except for the slight humming of cool air circulating the surroundings, where the oak barrels take an unhurried responsibility of inculcating its essences to the wine.



For what seems like no rhyme or reason, there is this completely naked woman standing in the field with her arms out. Guess it reminds her of being in Eden or something.


Us. Just us.

1 4-day trip and 350 photos. There will be a 'Part II', not to worry.

Guess what I made!

The recipe I have for these Vietnamese salad rolls, in my opinion, produce the best-tasting ones I've ever had. Of course, an in-depth explanation pertaining to such a bold statement follows. I immediately fell in love with salad rolls due to the light and refreshing feeling of satiation it gave me, as opposed to the typical Pho noodles which quite frankly sit in my stomach like a pile of stones. Plus, I quite enjoy food with peanut sauces. I slowly shunned away from them after noticing that most Vietnamese restaurants were stuffing them silly with vermicelli noodles and scant puny-looking shrimp due to reasons of economy.


This recipe however, doesn't have a single strand of vermicelli. The filling is a composition of shredded carrots, finely-sliced lettuce and a good amount of flat-leaf parsley with scallions. A good dollop of peanut sauce binds it together. The trickiest part of this was handling the rice paper. My first try produced disastrous outcomes resulting in me having to throw so many pieces out. So my only tried-and-true advice is: slowly push one piece of dry rice paper in warm water and once it shows signs of being pliable, dry it and put the filling in. Make each individually.

This is quite easily the most simple and fairly delicious meal I've ever made. Its so awesome to take to work for lunch!


Note: I had to use those plate patterns, since its so idiosyncratic of an asian home-kitchen.

the 5th of July

"... I have such an urge to kick it and make myself look like a fool, to expose this festering emotion to my coworkers, who of course couldn't possibly understand my doing - what with their feeble one-dimensional thing they call character - why would they if I don't understand it myself.

I guess once again I'm with filled with disappointment in myself, because some days, my mind is exhausted with thoughts of reading and writing and ridding myself of this horrid energy-usurping job which day by day seems to prove to me a futile future. I feel closer and closer to the day that I relinquish my desires for material wants, financial successes and all those childhood dreams of attaining power. To pursue my love of writing."

---0738am


A little something I wrote in my moleskine on a dreary morning.

At long last

The kool kid.


I finally got promoted.


Goodbye crappy hours and working weekends.


Hello Life.