Char Siu Tsukemen at Tsujita LA

Cooler weather and rain made us crave for ramen. So off to Little Osaka at Tsujita L.A.  This is a branch of Nidaime Tsujita in Kojimachi which is considered one of the best ramen shops in Tokyo.  They serve tsukemen, the next-gen ramen which attracts lines around the block.  Tsukemen is dipping noodles served in a bowl without broth. The hot dipping tonkotsu soup simmered for 60 hours is served separately. We ordered two char siu tsukemen which comes with seasoned boiled eggs and two char siu bowls.  On the tsukekemen, we ordered extra nori, bamboo shoot and green onions.

Collecting Autumn Leaves

“Outside – outside,”  the Little Guy wanted to go outside.  So we took a leisurely stroll down the street to the park .  It’s a wonderful time to be outside.  We walked and walked and scoured the ground for some autumn leaves.   We had such a fun time.  Next time we’ll take a bag or a bucket.

Rainy Day in Los Angeles

Winter is coming.  A burst of heavy rainfall  came Saturday morning.  A second storm moving into Los Angeles from the Pacific Ocean will bring more rainfall on Tuesday. I might see a snowy mountain a few miles away from our bedroom window when I wake-up on Tuesday. 

Blu Jam Cafe

Went straight to one of our favorite brunch places in town after church. Got to come here early otherwise parking can be a nightmare and wait can take an hour or so.

On the table...

Pancake for the Little Guy, carrot soup and Far East tofu scramble for hubby and brunch carbonara for me.

Yum!

Homemade Shrimp Tacos

The arsenal: soft tortilla, grilled shrimp, sautéed baby bella mushroom, sautéed asparagus and homemade wasabi aoili.

Lebanese Lunch at Cafe du Liban

If you are looking for a delicious home-cooked meal and friendly owners, then this place should make your list.

On the table:

• Fattoush Salad
• Baba Ghanouj
• Grape Leaves
• Lamb Tongue
• Beef Kabob

 

Toddler Town

From the slide to the see saw, our little tyke had a great time. 

Sweet Potato Dessert

The leftover roasted sweet potato was mashed then cooked in two tablespoon of organic sugar in the raw and a cup of organic milk. Spooned up on an ice cream cup and garnished with a sprig of mint from the garden.

Turkey & Pasta Soup

The last of the leftover turkey from last night's Thanksgiving dinner was used to make a pot of soup with pasta shells, leftover green beans and two cups of milk.

Mint

A quick check in the garden reveals that the mint is going strong alongside a basil plant.  I see cups of mint tea and glasses of mojito in the near future.

Thanksgiving Leftover Breakfast

What to do with all the leftover from last night -- make a cast-iron breakfast skillet. Turkey, green beans, pasta, yellow & white corn and four organic cage-free eggs scrambled on a cast-iron skillet.

Japanese Maple Tree

This morning we woke up in the warmth of a November sunshine. Here's a snapshot of the red leaves of our Japanese maple against the blue sky. Gorgeous!

A happy weekend to you all. Have fun!

Thanksgiving Dinner

The centerpiece, herb-roasted turkey garnished with apples and herbs. The sides - sautéed green beans topped with crispy onion,  jellied cranberry, corn, roasted sweet potatoes and penne with roasted almonds and crumbled bacon.
 
Gobble, gobble!

Below, a snapshot of the kitchen while the turkey is roasting in the oven.

Herb-Roasted Turkey

I minced two sprigs of rosemary, sage and thyme and added them into a bowl with melted butter sprinkled with salt and pepper. The herb paste was then rubbed generously onto the breast and under the skin of a 12 pound turkey. For stuffing, I used  a head of garlic cut half crosswise, two lemons and onion quartered. 

Breast-side up on a roasting pan, I placed the turkey on a pre-heated convection oven. Poured a bottle of Riesling wine and a cup of water on the pan to keep the bird moist. The turkey was roasted for about four hours.  It was glazed with the herb paste halfway through cooking.

Beef Soup

In a deep pot I cooked the beef on low fire for about an hour. Then I added the corn, potatoes, celery and carrots. A few minutes later I added the cabbage and bokchoy. 

There you go, a warm comforting soup at dinner time.

Sage, Rosemary & Thyme

This pot of a herbs for tomorrow's Thanksgiving turkey makes me hum the tune of Simon & Gurfunkel's Scarborough Fair...

♪ ♫ Are you going to Scarborough Fair?

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme

♬ Remember me to one who lives there

She once was a true love of mine♭ ♫

Grilled Salmon Paired with Sweet Potato & Quinoa Salad

Dinner tonight was a nice piece of farm-raised Atlantic salmon from Whole Foods, sprinkled with kosher salt and pepper on both sides and then grilled for about 10 minutes.

Paired with a delicious salad made of roasted organic sweet potatoes, diced organic Persian cucumber and organic quinoa cooked in chicken broth.

Yum!

Sunday Afternoon

A glass of wine, a glass of mango lemonade smoothie and a box of milk.  Three kinds of egg rolls – Mediterranean veggie, Baja chicken and Thai  chicken.   A round of pizza and an iPad with Peppa Pig playing.  A quick glance at the clock says it’s 3 o’clock. Few minutes later the Little Guy is sound asleep. We stayed a bit longer and carried him to the car still asleep.

It has been quite a busy day.

Merry-Go-Round

Climb aboard!  Up and down -- round and round -- on a merry-go-round!

Sunday Brunch by the Lake

At Mediterraneo, a charming restaurant in Westlake Village serving great food by a beautiful lake lined with trees showing their gorgeous Autumn colors. Some leaves have turned yellow, some orange, some are bright red, some are falling, some are blown by the wind, some are evergreen. A flock of wild geese flew by as husband finishes a bowl of roasted tomatoes. A cup of coffee later my smoked salmon scramble arrived along with husband's grilled salmon and quinoa. A perfect brunch!

Twinkle Lights & Holiday Cheer

On a cold day one month before Christmas, we spent a lovely evening at The Americana where the magic of the season is in full swing. Twinkle lights and red ribbons. A dazzling Christmas tree. Santa on his cottage.

Whoa!

It's Saturday, and we're taking it easy.  The snapshots below.  Cutest thing ever :-)

Have a fun weekend everyone!

Scrambled Ham, Tomatoes and Artichoke

Using up what's left on the fridge: ham, tomatoes, baby kale & baby spinach, artichoke, cheddar cheese and organic cage-free eggs cooked on a cast-iron skillet.
 

Shrimp Pizza

Yes, a homemade pizza for dinner! 

Pesto sauce from a jar spread on top  of a pizza dough from Whole Foods and then topped with shrimp and freshly-grated cheese. Cooked on a preheated baking stone on a blazing oven until cheese is melted and crust is brown.

Truffled Gnocchi

Two packs of store-bought Nuvo Pasta truffled gnocchi cooked in salted boiling water for two minutes and then tossed in homemade alfredo sauce. 

Buon appetito!

Cajun Chicken and Collard Greens

A pound and a half of boneless skinless organic chicken breast. They were diced and coated with Cajun seasoning and then eaten with organic collard greens sautéed in chopped ribeye left over from last night, organic tomatoes and garlic.

Steak Tuesday

A thick piece of ribeye steak slit halfway.  Just a sprinkle of salt and a good cracking of black pepper then cooked for about 7 minutes on each side. Bam! Perfect for whipping up a late night dinner. 

And yes, lately, we ask the butcher at Whole Foods to butterfly our steak if it's too thick to cook on the grill pan without drying.

Casarecce and Sausage in Alfredo Sauce

A box of casarecce pasta is cooked in salted boiling water while a pound of uncased mild Italian pork sausage is sautéed in olive oil on the adjacent pan. When the meat turned brown, I poured in two cups of heavy cream. 

A few minutes later, I added a cup of shredded parmesan cheese and then spooned in the pasta. Stirred well and topped with crumbled bacon.

Shabu- Shabu

The cold weather is upon us. Winter is returning. Time to dust-off the shabu-shabu pot. 

The arsenal: seaweed broth, napa cabbage, enoki mushroom, bunapi mushroom, soft tofu, thin slices of beef and shabu dipping sauce from Nijiya. 

Dip, slurp!

Grocery for the Week

Here's a snapshot of what we will be eating in the upcoming week... some apples, salad, eggs, pasta, steak, sausage, collard and a lot of cheese.

Breakfast at Lyfe Kitchen

I had spinach & avocado frittata and a side of garden sausage. Husband had kale caesar and Classic breakfast. The Little Guy had buttermilk pancakes.

Little Tokyo

Last night we were at Little Osaka and today in Little Tokyo. Are you noticing a recurring theme here?

Here are some snapshots...
 

Korean BBQ

Anyoung haseyo!  At Manna, a Korean restaurant having BBQ -- ribeye steak, pork belly, tongue, marinated beef and short ribs.