Tag: food

Boston Bound!

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Around me, the chatter of many different people diverged into one dynamic buzz. Cash registers ring, papers being printed, suitcases being dragged. Noise engulfs me as I sit in a grey pleather chair in the Charlotte Douglas Airport.

 

I sit here, a venti Starbucks black iced tea (with two Sweet’N Lows and easy ice) and a packet of organic dried mangoes, and I can already tell the difference in the environment.

Although this is just an airport, I can feel the change in the vibe. I am on the East Coast. I am not in California. I can tell in the way people walk, talk, and gesticulate that the city I am in is absolutely different.

I guess I my awareness of all of these differences is especially heightened because this is my first voyage to Boston. As high school senior, I am applying to numerous colleges, many of which are situated in the East Coast. I am scared, nervous, excited, and curious of how different life in Boston will be.

What will the food be like? Will I stand out, strike people as different just as I do them?Who knows?

I’ll let you know how I like it soon:)

HUNGRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Being away from home, I am constantly craving what I can’t have.

Korean Food.

I think of it day and night. I realized that every year, this appetite for some good home cooking gets worse.

This weekend, I went home and got to enjoy Korean food for the first time in five weeks. Let me tell you, it was amazing and I ate a week’s worth of food.

Korean food isn’t what people think. It’s not just simply rice and kimchi. There is so much more than just Korean BBQ and top ramen. Here are a few of the dishes I savored this weekend.

For lunch on Saturday, I ate Bo Sam (보쌈), Cha Dol Dwenjang Chigae (차돌됀장찌개), and Jap Chae (잡채).

This is Bo Sam.

It is delicious. Roasted slices of pork that you wrap in lettuce. It is simple but fantastic. Gosh, my stomach is growling just looking at the picture of it.

This is Cha Dol Dwenjang Chigae.

It’s main ingredient is made up of the same components that is in miso soup: fermented soy beans. The taste is a lot richer and the broth is a lot thicker. Inside, there are many healthy vegetables such as zucchini, onions, garlic, and more. And of course, pork.

The great thing about the restaurant I went to is that they give you a bowl with vegetables and other dressings so that when you are done with your soup, you can put in the rest of it in the bowl and mix it with rice. So GOOD and healthy too!

This is Jap Chae.

A savory medley of clear, glass noodles, vegetables, beef, and soy sauce. It is a delicate dish. I don’t know if it’s because I was craving Korean food for those five weeks or if it is because the restaurant was fantastic, but I have never had Jap Chae better than the one I ate last Saturday.

I want all of you to try some Korean food sometime soon.

Peaberry & Galette

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We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Darn Good Crepes.

I’m going to say it once and only once:  You haven’t lived until you’ve eaten a crepe from Peaberry & Galette.

Located in the Keauhou Shopping Center in Kailua-Kona, Peaberry & Galette is a small “french style crêperie and cafe” that serves savory and dessert crepes, teas, Kona coffee, and a variety of other goodies.

Dessert Crepe Menu

Honestly, these crepes are to die for.  The first time I went there we ordered two crepes, caramelized apple, and chocolate banana.  I started on the caramelized apple and realized I was eating what must equate to God among food.

It is this buttery golden brown confection with a tawny glow and covered in warm autumn tones.  The crepe itself is light and flavorful, the thinnest, sweetest pancake you’ve ever tasted in your life. Folded neatly, it rests beneath a delicious nest of smooth vanilla ice cream and soft, caramelized apples.

The apples are rolled in cinnamon and tucked gently into the vanilla, creating a symphony of sweet and spicy flavors with a fresh juicy kick.  Ribbons of warm caramel and sprinkles of powdered sugar and cinnamon lace the dessert together and it is topped off with a tasteful crown of fluffy whipped cream.

Now tell me that doesn’t sound amazing.  Say it out loud, with a straight face.

I know.  IMPOSSIBLE!

It was so good I even took a picture of it!

Caramelized Apple Crepe from Peaberry & Galette

I have a very close relationship with my food.  I like to describe it the way I would describe a very attractive person.  For you ladies, this is my Robert Downey Jr., my Vouge cover man.  For you gentlemen, this is your Halle Berry, your Victoria’s Secret model.

Clearly:

1 minute 53 seconds later

Believe it or not, I timed it.

The chocolate banana was equally incredible.  Another gorgeous, buttery crepe lay wreathed in freshly sliced bananas.  A beautiful, white scoop of vanilla ice cream rested daintily, yet seductively atop its dusky, golden perfection.  Dark, fragrant chocolate sauce criss-crossed over the masterpiece, creating a labyrinth of alluring, delectable beauty.

I was so taken with this dessert I didn’t even get a picture.  That night was truly a supernova of flavor.

So I suggest that you head on over to Peaberry & Galette on your next stop in Kona.  I promise it is well worth the trip.

Click here to view the menu!

ITS A PHONE?!?!?!

backinphilly1 Comment

I thought I saw a lot of crazy things in my life. I spent a lot of time in Philadelphia and I’ve seen people yell obscene words at cops, and people throw things at buildings. People were out of their minds and I loved it. But this is a new kind of crazy. Ladies and gentlemen, the Ice Cream Sandwich…it’s a freakin’ phone. Doesn’t that look delicious…I mean useful? Simple answer is no. It just looks like some designers decided to make the phone look like what was in their mini freezer in their office. Honestly I can’t even fathom why this was made. I love ice cream sandwiches. I don’t like putting them to my ear and talking to them.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/IceCreamSandwich.jpg/275px-IceCreamSandwich.jpg

Tasty huh? Well, now you can call your family and friends before you eat it so you can brag. Unfortunately, it can only be used/eaten once.

Relay For Life 2011

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“Just one more year.”

May 14, 2011, Ventura, California, Relay for Life.

It is approximately 9:00 am in the cold parking lot of Buena High School in Ventura. The yellow bus unloads its passengers, yielding the start of the day. Slowly, students crawl out, it was too early for them. But the grey, salty breeze shifts cool between their sleeves and awaken the tired students. The day had begun.

A loud voice could be heard on the loud speakers, announcing highlights of the event. Schools were commended for their outstanding fundraising. First, the honorable mentions, soon followed by the bronze teams. Then came the silver teams. My school, our school, Ojai Valley School, had been recognized as a silver team for raising so much money. In our school of just under 100 students, we managed to raise  $3,060. It was a great start to our day.

The empty track was broken by a mass of survivors, clad in the same purple shirts. Among the many survivors was OVS AP psychology teacher, John Valenzuela. He made his way around the track while our school gathered at one corner and shouted words of encouragement to him, our screams choked with tears, because we had all seen him battle through this scary disease and we had won this battle together. He put his hand over his heart and we all knew what he felt.

Throughout the day, students walked around the track, bought food, and even partook in a wedding between a survivor and the love of his life.

That night, some of our students stayed overnight and endured heavy rains, cold, and hunger but came back with smiles. And at the end of the day, all I could think to myself was “just one more year.”

Crunch Time

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Who knew so much pressure could mount up on one’s shoulders? I’m trying to cram so much information into my head. The AP weeks are coming up and I am on the brink of crumbling. AP Calculus AB and AP US History the first week, followed by three SAT II subject tests that saturday. Oh and what else? An AP Biology test that upcoming Monday and an AP Writing and Composition test to top it all off.


I am beginning to think that I will not be able to get the grades that I want to on these tests. I will need to stay up very late and buy multiple Starbucks double shots from Starr Market. However, what frustrates me is the recent ruling that girls are not allowed to stay up to study in the girl’s lounge past lights out. I just can’t wrap my head around it.


I understand that the faculty is concerned with us staying up and that those staying up may have abused the privilege by eating food while studying or being on Facebook. I am not going to lie, I did both. But that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t be eating in my room or checking my Facebook for a quick five minute reprieve (because my brain cannot handle studying for hours on end without a quick break). However, I don’t think that the faculty understands that we cannot reach our goals of staying up to study and fully grasp our studies as well as do extra work for the upcoming SAT and AP tests in our rooms. My roommate usually goes to bed after a half an hour or an hour after study hall and studying under the small light of my desk lamp is very difficult. I chose to stay up. I want to stay up. I do so to get the grades I get and I do so to stay on top of things. But now that I can’t stay out in the lounge, I can’t study to my fullest potential.


It’s crunch time. This weekend and every night after tonight, I will be studying, studying, studying and praying my BUTT OFF so that God would bless me with the knowledge and preparation I need for this test. Ahh, maybe I should build my own personal girl’s lounge as an extension of my room. Ha! Now that would be odd.

If You Don’t Have Anything Nice to Say, Don’t Say Anything At All.

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For the first time in a very long time, I was shocked and shaken to the very core. I was ashamed to know that I share the world with such narrow minded people and I was reminded of the ignorance and blind arrogance that plagues and clings to our society like a heavy, dirty rag.

A few days ago, my friend shared a YouTube video with me. It was a video of a blonde girl, Alexandra Wallace, from UCLA, singling out a group of people, stereotyping all Asians. Let me tell you, it was nothing short of disgusting. Click here to watch the video.

In her rant, she complained about the burdens of having Asians in the dorms on the weekend. Their family members come on the weekends to cook for them and she claimed that their parents were not letting them grow independent. Apparently, having parents who care for their children enough to come and cook homemade food for them is a huge nuisance for her. At this point, Alexandra left me thinking “Why does it matter to you?”

It only snowballed from that point.

Rolling her eyes, Alexandra continued to rant about Asians in the library. Apparently while poor Alex was studying her political science, Asians were always on the phone. She raised a mocking hand to her face and opened her flagrant mouth: “OHHH CHING CHONG BING BONG TING TONG.”She heartlessly disclaimed the severity of the earthquake in Japan and proudly mounted herself on a rocky pedestal of fool’s gold when she called herself “the polite, American girl.” She publicly and very ironically announced that Asians needed to learn “American manners.” Sadly, this queen bee, this high and mighty girl who studies political science has forgotten that America, a salad bowl of cultures, was founded on its immigrants. “American manners” is in part Asian manners as well as manners of Hispanics, Africans, Germans, Italians, and more.

What shocked me the most was the her complete dismissal of the disaster that has shocked Japan. In her few short words, she had repudiated the heartbreak and worry that the earthquake brought onto many. My friend, Minako Otake, could not sleep all night when she heard of the news because she was worried for her family at home. She was tense, waiting for the call to hear the comforting voice of her mom and dad telling her that they were okay and to know that they weren’t a part of the thousands that were reported to be injured or dead. My boyfriend’s family lives in Japan. As Alexandra called it, “the tsunami thing” is a very good excuse to answer a phone call in the library.

The motives for her video were racist, debasing, and facile. I am sure that Asian families aren’t the only “hoards” of people that come to visit on the weekends. I am sure that Asians aren’t the only ones in the library that are using their phones and I am sure that she has probably realized the magnitude of her words. In these 2 minutes and 52 seconds, Alexandra Wallace of UCLA proved her sheer ignorance.

I am Korean American and proud of it. I know that when I get into college, wherever that may be, my family will come visit me on the weekends too and bring me food and maybe do my laundry. It is not because I am Asian. It is because I know my family will try to make my first year of college as comfortable as it can be. I know that I will probably be one of the many people from different ethnicities that might use their phones in the library. I know that my language might sound like a harsh din of rushing vowels and clanging consonants to the foreign, prejudiced ear but it is most definitely not something to be mocked or ashamed of.

In a world where people strive to be different and find beauty in the rarity of things, it is remarkable and eye opening when I find someone so narrow minded and audacious as she. To label a group of people because of their roots is wrong. What kind of world would we live in if we were all one generic race, one generic language, and one generic look? Hopefully, Alexandra Wallace (and many others) will come to terms with the many cultures that constitute our diverse home that we call America. Until then, I hope, at the very least, the magnitude of her words and their ramifications has taught her that if she doesn’t have anything nice to say, she shouldn’t say anything at all.

When I Grow Up, I…

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Life is an expensive sports car on the Autobahn. We are often caught up in the thrill of living, that adrenaline pumping feeling of exhilaration, that we often forget where we are going, or why we are where we are in the first place. Everything is just a blur. Colors, sounds, people all mesh into one, giant miasma of lights and din.

For these reasons, people sometimes forget what their aspirations are in life or where they want to be in 10-15 years. But sometimes people don’t spend enough time figuring out what they want. Sometimes people don’t know what they want and are stumbling along, playing life by ear.

I know what I want. Or at least I think I do.

When I grow up, I want to be an anesthesiologist at a well known hospital, helping save countless lives of people that won’t remember my name in a month and whose faces I will forget in a few days. I want to have a Cal Tech diploma under my name and have graduated with stellar grades.

When I grow up, I want to own a house in Northern California (preferably near San Francisco), up where the air is crisp with the hint of ocean air or in a clean beach in Southern California (so that would mean Santa Monica is out of the picture). My dream house would either be inspired by contemporary, sleek modern designs or by warm Spanish decor. The house would be complete with a beautiful kitchen, bathroom, master bedroom, and a roomy walk-in closet. The floors would be bamboo for environmentally friendly reasons and the view would have to include the beautiful ocean. The house must be big enough for 4 people but most importantly, it must be away from the noise of the city for privacy but close enough to a city for convenience.Read More »