A Weekend of Eating

Is there anything more American?

When I was in elementary school, one of our May Day performances (you may remember May Day from a previous discussion) was the song, "What's More American?" And every 4th, I am reminded of that particular day in second grade.

What's more American than corn flakes?
The 4th of July or Uncle Sam
What's more American than baseball?
I am, I am, I am!

I'm not, really. I don't even watch baseball. And I can't say I'm a cornflakes fan. Corn Pops, yes. But, I do like to eat! And that's definitely American.



Amazing lunch at Ikko in Costa Mesa. All this for $15. And entertainment. Jeannie and I sat at the counter and watched the sushi chefs systematically dismantle gigantic octopus tentacles. Fascinating. Those octopus arms were bigger than mine! Ok, ok. Maybe not bigger than mine. But pretty comparable. Squishy, too.



Chirashi. One of my most favorite things to eat for lunch. How else can you eat 10 different kinds of sushi in a bowl?



Jeannie and I did a double take when we saw this dude cruising around Irvine in this tiny thing. Fortuitously, he turned into the same plaza as we did so we got an upclose look at it. I wanted to sit on it...just for a second! And for pic purposes. But Jeannie rained on my parade and said no. Oh well. I guess this picture will suffice.

And although there was no real barbecue to be had, we did venture over to Sonya's place in Silver Lake for some fireworks enjoyment. But before that...I may have taken a walk to Alcove.



And I may have had a very delicious Reece's Peanut Butter Cup cupcake. And oh? Is that a handmade French Lemon Ginger tea bag? I think so. Was it soooo wonderful? Like you don't even know. They freshly make each tea blend by hand to order.

And I also may have stumbled upon a gelato shop on the other side of the street.



Strawberry Yogurt gelato from the Hollywood Gelato Company. Yes, yes...yogurt. I went healthy...I did just have a cupcake before dinner. It was actually quite tasty and slightly tart from the yogurt. A good pre-dinner snack.



And when I wasn't eating, I was staring at this and waiting for fireworks.

I don't think any Sunday LA excursion is complete without a visit to the Hollywood Farmer's Market. I l-u-v this place. This weeks finds include pistachio flour, golden raspberries, lavendar and these super sweet mango-nectarines!



Thanks to Mozza2Go on Melrose and Highland...just steps away from Mozza and the Osteria, you can now enjoy Mario Batali and Nancy Silverton's creations in your own living room. This takeout section of Mozza has only been open since Wednesday...but the wait for pizza to go was 1 hour! Hence this panini. It's not grilled...but the bread for the panini is very similar to the pizza crust at Mozza. A nice surprise. I had the prosciutto, mozzarella and arugula panini. And OMG! So so good. I normally would never get a panini from here, but considering pizza was not an option, I was all about the sandwich menu. I'm kinda glad I was forced into this because it was so insanely good. Something about the creamy mozzarella and the peppery bitterness of the arugula that really complemented the prosciutto di Parma.

But what really made this sandwich great were the little accoutrements of the pepperonchino and a little container of olive tapenade. I normally don't enjoy (read won't go near) olives. I think they're overly briney and bitter. But Mario somehow makes this great tapenade with olives and anchovies...I'm guessing. Something else I normally avoid. But Mario made it and included it in my panini bag. So I must eat it.

And remember that pistachio flour?



Pistachio shortbread. Sprinkled with vanilla sugar. Finally! A use for my vanilla sugar!

What Weird Family Foods Did You Grow Up Thinking Were Normal?

One of the food blogs I follow posed this question:

"What weird family foods did you grow up thinking were normal?"

And it got me thinking.

But before I get to my choices, here are some from the food blog, Serious Eats.

• Peanut butter and onion sandwiches
  
• Cherrios pressed into a slice of good old Kraft American
  
• Saltines with mustard and sugar
• A Hershey's Almond bar sandwich...that actually doesn't sound half bad
• Oatmeal with kimchee
• Coffee soup...saltines with coffee poured on top and sprinkled with sugar
• Warm elbow macaroni with milk
• Waffles topped with coffee and yogurt

Highly appetizing, would you say?

Although, I am slightly intrigued by this chocolate sandwich. I do enjoy nutella crostini every now and then. Especially when topped with strawberries. Or bananas. Or pineapple. Ohhh...grilled pineapple!

But I digress.

Back to the "weird" food of my youth. I can't say that I've had anything as extreme as those listed above...but growing up in Hawaii, and with my family, you learned to be creative with your food. It was kind of an "every-man-for-himself" sort of environment. If you woke up too late, then breakfast was over. If you didn't ask about lunch early enough, lunch was over. And so on. Also, being from Hawaii and a plantation background, we ate a lot of what I like to call "plantation food". Which is basically 5 ingredients or less cooking. I can't say it's gourmet or even rustic really...but it was good, as I remember it anyway. Here's a sampling:

• Hamburger string beans: This tasty wonder is ground beef, string beans and 2 cans of tomato sauce. Most people add onions and garlic, but my sister is not interested in those, so our's was plain. You basically brown the meat, add the tomato sauce + 1 tomato sauce can of water. Add beans. Simmer and serve.
  
• Pork and beans: Canned food at its very best. Vienna sausage, canned barbecue beans, a few squirts of ketchup and mustard. Microwave and serve.
• Anything with spam: Really. Anything. Spam + random veggie + shoyu/sugar sauce + rice = dinner
• Potato chip sandwiches: Texturally satisfying.
• Raw egg on hot rice with shoyu: The rice cooks the egg...I promise! Ok...sort of cooks. Depends on what you consider "cooked".
• Cool Whip desserts: I grew up thinking cool whip makes anything a dessert. It seems greatly under-utilized here in California.
• Bananas and rice: We grew banana trees. I can't explain why I ate them with rice.
• Burnt toast: My mom likes her toast one way, extra crispy. I grew up not knowing that toast could be another shade besides black.
• Brown gravy on everything: Hawaiians are often criticized for their luv of mushy food because we drown everything in gravy. Mushy is delicious.
• Mayo + shoyu = Salad dressing: Huh? You mean it's not?
• Hot dogs in spaghetti: Yummy.
  
• Lots of seaweed: My grandma used to go to the beach to pick this crunchy red seaweed called ogo in Japanese.
  
• Honeysuckle flowers: My neighbors had this little honeysuckle bush. And I spent many an afternoon picking these flowers and squeezing the nectar out. Another neighbor grew some unidentified berries that I also raided on a regular basis

Nothing too strange, I think. Perhaps the non-eating is the weirdest part. I don't know anyone else who lost out on meals so frequently. When I was in 1st grade, my teacher, Mrs. Kinoshita asked us to draw what we had for breakfast that day. Well, I never had breakfast before school. Got up too late. My paper was blank. Mrs. Kinoshita was appalled to hear that I never had breakfast before school.

Did she make the class a pancake breakfast the next day?

You betcha.

Easier Said Than Done

Aren't there too many of these things?

Like...

"I really shouldn't eat my 5th (ok...8th) cookie of the day...but maybe if I eat this little one..."

"Maybe today is the day that I'll organize my pantry"

"I'm not going to eat any cookies/brownies/sugary snacks today"

Or, today's easier said than done theme: "I'm really going to figure out this operations management bs"

Sigh. So naive.

In my defense, I did try. I even went to school to study. Then I did everything I could not to make time to study. I ran a few errands. Ate some frozen yogurt and Milk+Honey in Costa Mesa. Seasonal flavor was orange-mango. Like a creamsicle bar! Yummy! Perused a few cookbooks. Contemplated dinner. Washed my clothes and sheets. Went for a run. Made dinner.



Panzanella made from the leftover ciabatta, wild arugula and tomato from today's lunch. And little chunks of gruyere cheese in a broken balsamic vinaigrette.

I really wanted to make a plum cake with these cute and amazingly sweet plums I found at the farmer's market this weekend. But, I had to draw the line somewhere. Sigh. I compromised and just ate one of the plums.

I even called my dad. It is Father's Day, after all. He's still hard at work at the Hyatt. Apparently, there's a fire on the pali, which means he'll be spending the night at the hotel. Not that he minds. All in a day's work, I'm sure.

I never call him at work, so I didn't know what to expect. Here's what I got:

Dude: Hyatt Regency Maui Bell Desk. How may I help you?
me: Can talk to Russell (my dad)?
Dude: Try hold on, yeah. (I hear him calling for my dad in the background)
Other Dude: Hello?
me: (thinking...you're not my dad...) Umm...Russell stay over there? Can talk to him?
Other Dude: Oh. (I hear him say, "Russell, try for put down the stuff. Your daughter stay on the phone.)
me: Daddy, it's Clarice. (To eliminate confusion. I once spent 5 minutes with him on the phone, and he thought I was Nicole the whole time. I wondered why he kept asking me if I needed a ride home.)

We proceed to talk for a few minutes about Kobe, Kobe Doin Work, how Lebron never made it to the finals cause sometimes the Lebron show just doesn't cut it, how the Magic don't got it, how Courtney Lee choked, how DHoward choked at the free throw line, how awesome the Lakers are (ok that was just me), how Tiger is really down the crapper right now...but according to Daddy, will make a comeback.

He is Tiger Woods' number one fan in Hawaii. Self-proclaimed, I might add.

And now...back to operations...maybe. Cycle time on this has been slow at best.

Working Lunch

Or maybe just lunch.

I had this fabulous idea yesterday that we could have a study lunch. Corn chowder, Chicken Caesar sandwiches and cream cheese swirl brownies for Mike. Truth is, I owe this dude for putting up with my drunken antics one happy hour a couple quarters back. I won't bore you with the details, but let's just say that it involved a couple shots of Crown...among other things. Sleeping on a bench inside a pho restaurant. Wanting to sleep on the pavement outside the bar. And some kicking. You get the idea.

And here's the lunch part of the "working lunch".



XXX Vitamin Water courtesy of Mike.



Sandwich close up. Look at that yummy wild arugula.



Corn chowder. The cobs make it extra corny. And help to thicken the soup.



Brownies before a trip to the oven. And yes, those are raspberries. It is summer, after all.



Finished brownies. Super fudgy.

And some sparkling lunch conversation...about what else...basketball.

M: I'm torn about this first draft pick. I think the Clippers should trade it off for some one else.
C: Like who?
M: I'm tired of Baron Davis.
C: Ha! Well..I think your Clippers are interested in Griffin.
M: I'm not convinced about him. We have a great team tho!
C: (silence, stares, blinks)
M: What?? We do! Why does everyone look at me like I'm a dumbass when I say that! We just need a training camp.
C: Umm... (insert your fav Clipper joke here)

Study minutes count: 0

Bottleneck seems to be at eating.

To Whom It May Concern...

I'm writing in regard to my recent experience...

That's usually how these letters of mine begin.

Anyone who knows me more than about a week, knows my penchant for letter writing. Call it complaining/whining if you will. But, I've never really subscribed to the belief that "life just isn't fair sometimes"...so when I feel like I've been wronged/slighted, I write a letter. I've got nothing to lose. I'll always have my dignity.

And I've kinda got it down to a science.

I know that when you write a letter, you need to have good details and facts. Names, dates, places. You also need to know exactly what you want, and ask for it. Even if you think it's out of the question. Let them to be the one to tell you no.

And don't be discouraged if you don't get what you want. Or if they don't reply. It happens.

But sometimes, I just write letters for laughs. Everyone needs amusement.

Most recently, I wrote into Sobe via their "contact us" link. This, in regard to a disgusting flavor concoction called "Yumberry". Here's how it went:

dear sobe lifewater,

i'm writing in regard to your yumberry lifewater. there is nothing yum about this berry. consequently, the name is quite the misnomer...some would say false advertising. please consider changing the name. i much prefer the goji melon flavor. now that's yum if i've ever tasted it. would you be able to send me some of the goji melon flavor at your earliest convenience? thanks.

lifewater for life.

And! I received this prompt reply:

Dear Clarice,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us at SoBe Beverages. We’re always glad to hear from our consumers, although we’re sorry to learn that SoBe Life Water Yumberry Pomegranate didn’t appeal to you.

All consumer feedback is important to us, though, so I’ll be sure to pass along your comments to the appropriate people and departments here at headquarters. In the meantime, I mailed some coupons for your enjoyment on another SoBe product of your choice on us.

Thanks again for your input. We’re grateful for your friendship and support.

No prob. I got lots of input. I guess I'm not the only one writing in.

I know, I know. I need a hobby.

Maryn Mania

Is there any better way to spend a weekend?

Maryn Mania + Lakers win

I think not. You just try to think of something better.

I won't hold my breath.

For those of you that don't know Maryn, she is the other non-dude member in the Fab 5. She's sheer hilarity and effervescence, and school would just not be the same without her. And she bakes! Yay!

And this weekend we celebrated her upcoming wedding in August. Master-planned by Maryn's sister Ashlyn, the weekend went something like this:

Saturday, 12pm. Lunch at The Raymond, which is an absolutely adorable place in Pasadena. Half-restaurant, half-English cottage, this place also featured some pretty tasty eats.



So tasty in fact, that I forgot to take pictures until dessert. Oops! I had a yummy salad, vegetable ravioli in this awesome tomato-y cream sauce and these precious bruschetta rounds. But what we have here is a super yummy apple crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. Yummy!

Saturday, 3pm. Mani/Pedi at The Dashing Diva. I almost never get manicures, due to the copious amount of baking/dish washing I encounter. Sorry no pic. Hands were pre-occupied.

Saturday, 4:30ish. Lingerie Party at Maryn's. Ok. Now, for those of you that know Maryn, she's a pretty classy sort of girl. Going forward, we shall cover the umm...not-so-classy-but-very-funny portion of the party.



Oh! Candy! Heyyy...is that a....ohhh... Yeah, that was kinda my thought process when I saw this little candy display. Everyone had to have some sort of this paraphanalia. I had a necklace. At least it was edible, too.

And now...what's a party without balloons?



And presents...



And! An amazingly delicious cheese platter!



Brie and Humboldt Fog goat cheese??? Words cannot describe. What's that? You've never heard/sampled Humboldt Fog goat cheese? Enjoy.

Saturday, around dinner time. Saladang Song. Famed Thai restaurant in Pasadena. Even though I was a few drinks (ok..more than a few drinks) deep, I managed to reprise my role as food paparazzi.



Veggie rolls.



Grilled pork with rice noodles.

And much more.

Saturday, after dinner-ish time. Off to Magnolia, a cute little lounge with really amazing and creamy mac and cheese. Topped with toasted breadcrumbs. As with most bachelorette parties, Maryn was given a series of tasks to complete. But perhaps almost as fun as actual task completion, was finding guys to do these crazy things. I tried my best to help, but seeing as how it is the NBA Finals, and I am a Lakers fan, I inevitably got caught up in some trash talk. Sigh. In my defense, these guys were sort of d-bags, and not sports fans at all. Didn't even have a team. The worst kind.

I gotta say, I did sort of school them in some basketball trivia...if you even want to call it that. I mean, they were from Portland...and they didn't know what idiot...I mean player calls himself the "yellow mamba". Please. Pathetic. They even had the nerve to say that the Lakers ruined the Blazers chances at the WCF. They didn't even play the Blazers! That was the Rockets! Sigh.

Saturday/Sunday. Time unknown. Back to Maryn's. Sleep in preparation for Sunday brunch.

Sunday, 10am. Brunch at La Grande Orange. Just steps outside of Maryn's apartment. I have major LGO envy. Lemon ricotta pancakes are the thing to have, but I was in need of something savory.



Prime rib hash topped with an easy-over egg. Soooo wonderful.



Three words. Homemade English Muffin. And repeat. Soooo good. So. So. So.

Congrats Maryn!

Mamma, there goes that man again!

That man being Kobe.

Of course. Is there any other?



Heck no. (That was a rhetorical question)

The Lakers cinched this years Championship! And I feel like I did too...almost. Ok, not almost...but I'm really excited/happy/ecstatic/thrilled/overjoyed/(insert your choice superlative here) for them...and of course for Kobe.

The Lakers made short work of the Orlando Magic in 5 games...and yet I am a little sad as I have arrived at a realization:

Basketball. is. over.

Over? Am I over, too? What about the mvpuppets??

Side note: I luv those mvpuppets!!! Who knew felt + basketball = pure tv commercial happiness. Check out my favs here and here and here. In the last one, please note the place setting for Kobe. It's all in the details.

Sigh.

This happens every year. This time when basketball season wraps up...but it's not quite football season either. What's left? Baseball? You've got to be kidding me.

Some things I'll miss: (in no particular order)

1. Kobe's expressions: Never before has any player's simple expressions gotten such hype and analysis from the media. I found them to be amusing.

2. SVG: And no, I don't want to date him. But he is, in my opinion, the most entertaining coach to watch. Although, D'Antoni also ranks pretty high in my book in this regard. SVG still takes the cake. He's like Oscar the Grouch...but without the trash can...and not green.

3. JVG: Ah yes, the ying to SVG's yang. I think you either luv em or you hate em. And I luv him. If the mvpuppets are pure tv commercial happiness, then JVG is announcer happiness. Who else tells kids at the Lakers game to refuse gifts from the Celtics? And who else has the brass cajones to call Manny Pacquiao "Manny Pacquiana...or whatever" on live tv?!! Only JVG. He gets me. Every time.

4. Sasha: The Machine. That hair. That headband. Those wild shots. That nonsensical defense. And yet, noticeably absent from the Playoffs. The machine needs new batteries? I think yes. Or maybe, just a new headband.

5. The other teams: As much as basketball is about your team (and by that I mean, the Lakers), it's always fun to hate other teams! I mean, what is sports without trash talk? It gets everyone all fired up. Some of my fav teams to trash talk include: the Celtics, the Blazers, the Suns, the Spurs, the Nuggets (gosh I hate the Nuggets), the Jazz and the Clippers, just for kicks. Not like they have fans, anyway.

6. Seeing greatness. How often do you see greatness...like this? I know, I know. The video lags. But it's worth it to see amazing happen. Seriously. Be amazed.

7. Multiple daily visits to Yahoo! Sports. One of my fav pasttimes. I luv Create-a-Caption and the Ball Don't Lie column. I mean...I guess they'll still be there. But but...just not the same post game. Sigh.

8. The ridiculous one-liners from the announcers. "Boom Boom Pau!" "Pau Wow!" "Too much English off the glass." "Hand down, man down!" And my fav..."Mamma, there goes that man again!"

Something I won't miss: That dude Sun Yue. Let's take a quick peek at his stats...shall we? Check it out here. In the 2008-2009 series, he played 2:47 seconds. There are songs longer than that. I feel like I might have played more than he did! He's useless! It really upsets me to see him. Sitting there. Blank stare. Sitting. I mean, better sitting than playing, but still.

Just look at him. Just not for too long.



Who sits like that?? Yeah, I can definitely wait until Sept/Oct to see him again.