Little Elmo

Decked as Elmo on Halloween. 

Coconut Madeleines

Baked coconut madeleines for an afternoon tea with hubby.

  

Rindsgulasch

Chuck roast is the perfect cut of beef for this dish, place on a sizzling hot oil in batches until all sides turn brown then cook with chopped onion, garlic, caraway seeds and a can of crushed tomatoes on low fire. After a couple of hours, add the potatoes and a can of sausage.

Spaghettini con Aglio e Funghi

We have traveled to Europe numerous times, visited most of the countries on the western side and a small portion of what used to be the eastern bloc. And, Italy I would say is the country we've explored the most, from Pompeii all the way up north to Tirano, from big cities to small towns, cathedrals and churches. 

We love Italy's architecture, history,  culture and food. This pasta reminds me of  an osteria in Firenze. Surprisingly simple, surprising good.

Arroz de Verduras

This is a great vegetarian dish which contains red bell pepper, green beans, mushroom, peas, aubergine, parsley, onion and garlic cooked in vegetable broth.

Bridge of Spies

It's movie time!

At Pacific Theatres in Glendale's The Americana to watch Tom Hanks in Steven Spielberg's Bridge of Spies.

Din Tai Fung

Line here can stretch to an hour on weekends, so today we went off-peak, at 11 o'clock in the morning on a Monday.

On the table: seaweed and beancurd with vinegar dressing, sticky rice with pork, shrimp noodle soup, sauteed green beans with garlic, shrimp and pork shao mai and our favorite... the juicy pork & crab XiaLongBao.

Banana Con Yelo

One of my favorite snacks in high school during recess at a hole in the wall spot right across the school.

It is made of saba banana* cooked in water with brown sugar and vanilla, then topped with shaved ice and evaporated milk.  There's no ice shaver in the house so I used crushed ice.

*Saba banana is a variety of banana endemic to the Philippines.

Shrimp Sinigang

A sour Filipino soup made of string beans, daikon, okra, eggplant, tomatoes, chili, onion, garlic, shrimp and tamarind soup mix.

Blue Crabs

... take me down memory lane. This is the kind of food I grew up with. I was born and raised in a small island so almost everyday we eat seafood.  Also  during summer break, my brothers and I would go to the seashore when it's low tide to play, gather some sea shells and catch some small crabs. Our house is just a few steps away from the beach.

For these blue crabs, I used crushed garlic, chopped onions, sliced ginger, green beans and coconut milk. 

Los Angeles Chinatown

Some snapshots I took while at Wing Wa Hing, our favorite store for oriental decors, lucky bamboo plants, Chinese instrumental CDs and other knick-knacks. 

Mediterranean Mezze

It's Lebanese mezze  at Carousel Restaurant for lunch -- fattoush, kibbeh nayyeh, mousakka, shrimp kebab, sarma and sauteed liver.

Pepperoni and Ricotta Cheese Pizza

Store-bought pizza sauce was spread on dough then topped with thinly sliced onion,  red bell pepper, capers, pepperoni and ricotta cheese. Baked on a stone pan on a 400-degree pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes.

Chicken in Garlic Sauce

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Chicken thighs and legs marinated in Versailles garlic sauce overnight.

Joan's on Third in Studio City

A great marketplace and restaurant concept serving delicious salad and sandwiches,  artisan cheese,  baked goods and desserts.  This is the second location. The first one on Third Street is known for celebrity sightings.

Here for a colleague's birthday lunch. I had short-rib sandwich with melted jack cheese and sweet red onions on country white bread.

Charcuterie on Soup Crocks

Sliced tomatoes,roasted red bel pepper, feta cheese and a generous drizzle of olive oil on soup crocks baked on a 350-degree pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. Removed from oven and topped with Portuguese linguica, pepperoni and egg.  Then baked for another 15 minutes.

Bean & Pasta Soup

... with crushed garlic, chopped onion, diced ham, carrots, kale torn into bite-size pieces, 2 cups chicken broth and 4 cups water.

Chicken Tinola

In the mood for some hearty soup even though  the heat of Summer  continues to linger.

The Stand Burger

The Chimmy for me, burger  cooked medium with chimichurri slaw, cilantro lime aioli, pickled peppers and onion.  Yum! Husband had  El Capitan.

Banana Pancake

What I whipped up for the Little Guy for breakfast.

Chirashi Bowl Night at Home

On the table:  Hon Maguro (blue din tuna akami), Nama Tako Sashimi (raw octopus), Hamachi (yellow tail), Tenkuu Maguro (blue fin tuna chutoro)
Hiyashi wakame (salad) and Shoyura Ikura

Always a favorite theme night.

Haul from the Japanese Market

… salad dressing, soy sauce, sashimi sauce, wasabi, Japanese rice, rice seasoning and some sweet treats. The fresh sushi-grade fish flown from Japan went straight to the fridge.

Nijiya Market

From Tsujita, we made a quick stop at Volcano Tea House to grab ‘’to-go” ice blended milk tea – honeydew with boba for hubby and honeydew with almond jelly and pudding for me.

Then we walked across the street to our favorite  Japanese market – Nijiya.

Tsujita LA Artisan Noodle

Tsukemen, thick ramen dipped on a separate bowl with thick broth, is what made this noodle house famous.

We tried tsukemen from this spot last year and realized that we’re not really fan of this style of ramen so we ordered char siu bowl this time.

A Submarine Voyage

... to find Nemo in the Tomorrowland section of Disneyland. While in line, we heard seagulls saying, "mine, mine."

Bubbles came out as the submarine descends into the water.  Through the porthole, we saw corals, starfish, lobsters, clams and the characters of Disney-Pixar's movie Darla, Bruce, Squirt, Crush, Dory, Marlin and Nemo.

Haloween Time at Disneyland

Capturing the magic of the Haloween season at Disneyland. Pumpkins, yellow streamers and Disney characters in their Haloween costumes.

Above the Horizon

... the sun is rising on our way to Disneyland 

Korean Dinner

At our go-to place for Korean food, O. Tofu.

On the table: galbi, beef tendon and beef & octopus tofu

Flap Steak

...marinated in lime, soy sauce and chopped garlic overnight then grilled on a flaming hot cast-iron grill.

Pigeons or Parrots?

… up on the utility lines.  The parrots are usually back around this time of year.  The flocks have grown over the years.  The squawking is loud but they sure are stunning.

New York Pizza

At 161 Street Pizzeria on the corner of Cahuenga Blvd West and 101/Hollywood Freeway entrance.

I had a slice of cheese and grilled eggplant.

Cajun Rice

A straightforward one pot dish with rice, celery, green bell pepper, smoked sausage and lots of okra and black pepper.

Rice & Swordfish Bowl

The swordfish was sprinkled with artisan salt and freshly-cracked peppercorns then cooked on a cast-iron skillet five minutes on each side. It was dipped on calamansi and soy sauce mix and eaten with a bowl of rice with katsuo fumi furikake,  eggs and  sautéed tomatoes.

Fruit Bowl

Diced mango, avocado, apple and grapefruit.