Wednesday, June 11, 2014

A new home. . . at Ethereally Live

I had debated for several months and decided to open a new blog, of course as a new name.

Come join me at Ethereally Live, (hosted on Wordpress) where I explore several topics, not just food, but about DIY-ing and clean living. It's just about feeling better, yes?

It's been revamped as of mid-May 2014, so feel free to bookmark & stop by plenty.

-cuts the ribbon-

Join the adventures with me-

or rae.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Pork & Cabbage Dumplings Galore!

Hey everyone! It's been quite awhile since there was anything post-worthy but for those curious, here's what I've been up to this weekend-- Banh Coc,or these little cakes, wonton soup, and finally, dumplings! As always, there's plenty of pictures for reference but more importantly, here's the main star! (I apologize for the grainy pics! Low light + an iPhone was all I had!)



 dumplings.
pork & cabbage 

It was actually snowy out when I got out of work, and all I could think of was so much free time. I decided it was the best time to cook these yummies... Now note, I prepped all these dumplings on MLK day, so I just needed to pop them in water (or water-free) cooking!

I figure dumplings are usually a no-brainer, however, the actual seasoning can throw many off. I decided to stick it safe with pork & cabbage, but I usually love port & chive ones in store as well. I admit-- I did get help with the seasoning, but you're free to make it as sweet & savory as you'd like! (HINT: more on savory though!) Once you're done with the fillings, start grabbing your dumpling wrappers (get them at supermarkets! They sure save time!) 
and fill it up. Wrap free-style... or do the crescent pleats like my sister & I did.

Above: plenty of wrapped dumplings ready for cooking! And they store well too. Probably why you might just want to buy frozen packages of them, but don't worry-- they're oh so worth it!


I decided to steam it, then fry them. and plenty of crispiness as you can see... It was good, but for some reason, the ones my family makes are always better! I tried my best not to smell as oily while I fried them, even as I was covered in fleece & had plenty of ventilation! And they came out super crisp. I used plenty of oil, it was very close to being burnt for some unlucky pieces.
 ...and last, but not least, here's the sauce! It's a mixture of soy sauce + vinegar but seasoned that, when dipped, gives a scrumptious taste!

Don't forget the sriracha! What dumplings or dim sum goods do you go for?




Wednesday, January 8, 2014

2014!

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__________________________________________________________________

Welcome back everyone and I apologize for a very late update.

It was an unofficial hiatus, except the notice wasn't posted in time.

Great news however-- I recently bought a new laptop so I should have more time and convenience (in resources) to upload more posts this year. I plan to have a (bi-)weekly post at the minimum until there's more to share.

There were a couple of WIP posts, or drafts, for the rest of November (11/19, 22, & 24) but were never finished/uploaded. I will have them up by today in their original created date.

Hope you enjoy them and stay tuned for more posts to come!


Sunday, November 24, 2013

Tri-colored Tortellini with Steak & Pizza

This post had been in a draft soo long ago, (circa 11.24 4.24PM) that I decided to post without modifying its dates. -Posted officially on 6.11.2014 3PM EST

The steak was originally cooked on each side for approx. 7 mins/side. Then I let it cook some more by taking it off the heat, then placed in foil. This produced a nice rare throughout, except for the ripe middle (not such a fan here!) and the uneven but medium sides. It was a nice side, albeit meaty taste, for the tortellini.



Out of convenience, I pulled out a bag of frozen tortellini a few hours ago for a simple defrost in the fridge.





Pizza



I originally planned to finish off some fresh mozzarella by making a thin crust pizza, but I had the dough laid out too thick and it became chewy. It was still a comfort though.

Friday, November 22, 2013

An Early Thanksgiving at the Bistro

Academic Bistro

The salad was baby spinach with goat cheese and pecans in a Balsamic vinegar with dried cherries. The cheese wasn't as tangy as I thought, so I was surprised to see flavor pop from the cherries more than anything. As always the balsamic was great on the salad.



Entree consisted of a Great kale stuffing which was dry but that was OK. A not so sweet 'sweet potato (&potatoes) mash with a side of french green beans. And lastly, the king, turkey breast (great skin, slightly too dry) sitting in a ring of rosemary-gravy.

Dessert was a pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese frosting topped with candied ginger & a rich maple sauce.

GUESS TEA TIME'S OVER... ENJOY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNERS!


best,


Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Citrus-aid

Unfortunately, I ran out of the raw materials to make the dish.. To give you a hint, it was used in some eggrolls and vegetable stir-fry during the weekend. But, there's still something I want to share, and when your taste buds can't dwindle, get juice!

This recipe should be adjusted accordingly, based on the fruits used and its properties. Add more water to adjust the acidity as well.

Cara Cara Navel, or red (navel) oranges, make some great treats. Except, it did not beat the orange juices in terms of sweetness or flavor. I had to sweeten them up and couldn't resist adding limes. While some say you shouldn't have a double-citrus drink, I think it's quite refreshing. Try it out:


Citrus-aid
A cure for the simplest of dry throats/mouths, asking to be quenched!


Start squeezin'!
1 red navel orange
1/2 juice of lime
1/4 c. water (adjust to preferred acidity levels)
2 tbsp sugar

Slice the fruits, juice, and mix!
You'll need the juicer...

 Fresh citrus fruits too:



As for the skin, save it for zesting!




Et tu, Brute?

A drink so satisfying, it might kill the cold.. Er, cure*

el fin.






Thursday, November 14, 2013

Decrypt that Plate Preview + Spice 28

It's been awhile since I last posted so I know my readers at least deserve a treat!
So here's the first series in 'Decrypt that Plate'! The picture below indicates two things: 
1) Something has been making that stamp pattern &
2) What will be my next dish?

Can you figure out what made this stamp? Comment below!


I'll let you in a clue, the item that made this pattern actually won't make an appearance in the next recipe. Instead, this next dish I will be making is something college students can create easily, and makes for a great taste and nutrition with not so much prep work needed! The imprint on the plate is an ingredient for my next post... what do you think it will be?


Spice 28, coming up!; up as of Nov. 19


Spice 28
For Szechuan & Asian fusion, Spice 28 definitely delivered. The menu was not much promising, since I always feel underwhelmed in some asian cuisine spots but the interior/exterior did look inviting, so I decided to celebrate my birthday here. Too bad I booked the reservation for Saturday, as we craved special appetizers, so no Happy Hour there...

We first ordered the Indian Pancake which included curry sauce and some indian flatbread. Although it looked rather flat and pastry-like, it was very chewy and easy to get some nice layers out of the pancake. I do wish it were much bigger as I tore pieces apart to increase the surface area.
(sorry about the quality of these photos, I only had my phone with me)



This other dish, Dan Dan Noodles, was a  mixture of noodles in chili oil, pork, sesame oil, and a peanut taste. Despite being an appetizer, it was very fulfilling and proved to be a delight. Trust me, it's ability to feed 3-4+ people is amazing.


Lillie's dish was a Pineapple Fried Rice, and just as you'd expect it had the typical fried rice smoky aroma. Perhaps they were smoking up some flavors in one of their woks? It was still refreshing as there were chicken, pineapple-infused rice, raisins, onion, and cashews (as I recall). I appreciated the smokiness with pineapples' tropic flavors as it was comforting to chow down.


Shelley's dish (left) is actually the Drunken Noodles. As my friends and I were trying to find the origin of this dish, we realized that it probably known for being greasy and the substitute for the Micky D's I hear everyone gets. Despite the sloppiness, it was flavorful and savory--from the green peppers to the onions. With all that soft noodle, I'll bet anyone can chow down.

I never went out to just buy salad... It's just so simple to make but also hard to finish the whole platter. Usually it's a hit-or-miss depending on dressing, as is the case with cream-ladened caesar salads. As I just finished Masterchef Junior and after seeing Dara cook up some Ahi Tuna, I was ready for sushi. No worries though, this Tuna Avocado salad was just the perfect ending. With spicy mayo aioli and bite-sized greens (spinach, etc) which were, when mixed, had the right amount of yuzu dressing. In addition, the tuna provided a wealth of chewiness and protein to keep you satisfied. It reminded me of eating sushi rolls.
Although we were so full, we knew we had to share at least a dessert. Here's the Coppa Strawberries & Caramel-- which was a vanilla ice cream layered with strawberry jam, caramel, and topped with sliced almonds. In the presentation, I'm not sure why the whipped cream was on the plate which was a hassle to just scoop/dip and top. Otherwise, the jam was very delicious with a strong, authentic smell of strawberries. It really looked pretty and tasted great, if only the scooping out ice cream from the fluted cup wasn't so difficult. It was cold, but it's something I'd come out for again.

Overall, Spice 28 is a place which would fit most college students' budgets on a good Friday Saturday night. The amount came to approx. $20/per person (tip & tax included) as we shared appetizers and sampled on this dessert. It's strange spending so little and not having to fret about splitting the bill, but it was a wonderful night and not quite costly to hangout at. Feel free to splurge because you deserve it!