mini Seattle trip

a few weeks ago Kris and i went up to Seattle for a super quick trip. we left SF at 7am on saturday and returned at 11pm on sunday. the whole reason for such a quick trip was to cheer on our friend Pat. he graduated with a doctorate in physical therapy and is now officially certified to help with anybody's achy needs. this is just a quick recap of the weekends events. saturday was a non-stop, very random day.

a lunch celebration was had at Pat's girlfriend's mom's restaurant, China Star. good ol' chinese food.

tired from partying the night prior and waking up at 5am to catch the 7am flight, Kris and i headed to our hotel room to take a nap as soon as there was an opportunity. an hour later we were awoken by banging on the door. Pat came to tell us that he'd set up "flying lessons" in an Alaska Air Boeing simulator. uhh...awesome much?? Jenny, Pat's gf, took us to the Alaska Airlines training facilities and introduced us to their friend who generously took some time from his day off to allow us a chance at an awesome experience.

from the outside it looks like a gigantic virtual box that moves much like the Star Tours one at Disneyland. when you're in this moving contraption it actually feels like a real plane...well....except if you "crash." that wouldn't be so pleasant.

from the inside it looks like an actual plane. they've set it up so a screen through the window can display any airport and it's surrounding areas. because we're from SF that's what he chose. thank God we didn't actually have to deal with all of those intimidating buttons and controls!  we pretty much just handled the steering. i don't know if you know, but the foot pedals control the wheels and the steering wheel-like thing, called the yoke, controls altitude as well as the ailerons, which turn the plane left or right. 

i did pretty well on the take off and throughout my time in the "sky," however when it came time to land...let's just say i more than likely would have ended up in the ocean or landing my nose into the ground. you know, female asian driver. what more would you expect? i'm really not a bad driver in real life, i swear!

i can't go to a new city and not try to find something delicious to eat. it's just not me to pass up an opportunity to find something worthy of an edible pit stop. while we were driving towards our dinner destination i looked on Yelp and found High 5 Pies, which was featured on Food Network and i'm glad i did! i made Jenny bee line towards High 5 Pies before dinner so i could pick up some after dinner dessert.

this, my friends, is the peanut butter chocolate pie. it has a graham cracker crust and house made whipped cream. it was rich in flavor without being overly heavy. so SO good! i was pretty sad after i took the last bite. 

this is the cherry almond pie in a jar. their pies in a jar were the focus of whatever episode on whatever show they were on Food Network. initially i thought it was a cute idea. but personally, i found that shoving a pie in a jar means lots of crust and very little filling. i didn't love it. and i didn't love the cherry almond either, but that was the only option for the day for pie in a jar. no worries. that peanut butter chocolate pie made up for it. 

the last time i went to Seattle, i tried going to Paseo for their famous roast pork sandwich but they were closed for the winter. WHAT? what does that even mean? why would you close up for the winter? you're not an ice cream shop!! i digress. this time i made it a point to find my way to Paseo, but again i sadly did not get a chance to try the sandwich. they were sold out by the time i got there. i figured i might as well not waste my trip out there so i got the roast pork plate. whether it came in sandwich form or plate form, i thought i could grasp why others felt the roast pork was amazing. unfortunately it didn't wow me. if anything, it actually was a tad dry if you ask me. you know when meat sticks to your teeth when your molars dig in to them? yeah. that happened. 

after dinner, we met up with Pat's family and other friends to take the Underworld Tour. this underground tour took us throughout the portion of Seattle that was built on top of. apparently old Seattle used to reside below sea level. we figured that the "underground" tour was going to keep us dry, so we stupidly didn't pack umbrellas even though we all know that Seattle is known for their never ending rain. i mean seriously, a local told me that people up there need to take vitamin D supplements because they don't get enough sun. how depressing!!! again, i digress. 

so "underground" really means semi-underground or underground halfsies style. just about half of the tour was held outside in the POURING rain. initially upon stepping out in to the street we were instantly wet and by the time the tour was over we were soaked. this is the post tour picture of us unhappily soggy. if you didn't already notice, half an eyebrow had washed off. cool. i must have looked super put together with that wet hair and half brow. good thing we were headed for a club. haha!!

we tried teaching Pat how to dougie, but he pretty much looked like he was doing the robot the whole time. some people, you just can't help. ha!

by the time we finally dried off, we fortunately also had drinks in our system. sad faces turned into happy faces!

and then this happened!! i know you don't know what's going on here but i laughed hysterically for a solid three minutes as Kris danced up and down the back of this booth. 

we were told that we had to get the late night hot dog with cream cheese. we opted for a hot link to split and that bad boy was gone within two minutes. the addition of cream cheese made it creamy good. that was saturday in a nutshell.

sunday was the Day of Pat. he has spent three years (3? 2. no, 3. 3? i can't remember.) in Tacoma slaving away at school and at clinicals to become the next great physical therapist. he has spent lots of time testing his learned skills on friends and strangers and is now equipped to handle your physical rehabilitation and preventative needs. 

Pat and Jenny.

at the hooding ceremony. notice his name, Patrick Alan Toy.....and we call him Pat....P.A.T.  just an observation. we also call him Pattoy. that's way more fun. 

the hooding ceremony wasn't the end of it all. there was the school ceremony that was held outdoors on the field in the pouring rain. they called out 700 names over the course of three hours. i repeat seven hundred!!!! three hours!!!! needless to say Kris and i did not sit out there in the freezing wet to see Pat walk across the stage again. instead we took his car keys and took a nap in his car/watched the Simpsons on Kris' ipad. now before you all go thinking we're insensitive jerks for not toughing it out, remember that we flew all the way to Seattle to congratulate the new physical therapist. he knows we were up there for him and it didn't bother him that we didn't feel like being soaked two days in a row. 

CONGRATS PAT!!! you done did it!!!

eggplant tofu and green bean stir fry

one day while browsing around the asian market, i decided that i wanted to try my hand at cooking something with tofu in it. i picked up a bunch of other things and eggplant and green beans happend to be in the basket. not knowing what exactly i was going to do with the tofu, i decided to throw those three items together in a stir fry and call it a day.

i'd come across a recipe for baked tofu (found here)before and based my flavor off of that.



baked tofu

ingredients:

-1 block extra firm tofu
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs honey
- 1/2 tbs chili powder
- 1/2 tbs black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbs soy sauce

directions:

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. press excess liquid from tofu by wrapping in paper towels and pressing
3. cut tofu in 1x1 inch pieces
4. in a small bowl combine the olive oil, honey, chili powder, pepper, paprika and soy sauce and microwave for 30 second. stir well.
5. toss tofu with wet ingredients (i threw it all in a ziplock bag and shook it up)
6. bake on a sprayed cooking sheet for approx. 30 min.

to make the stir fry, just cut up your eggplant and greenbeans into bite size pieces and cook on medium heat until cooked through. the last couple minutes of cooking, toss in the baked tofu. i made a little extra of the tofu marinade to toss with the veggies before i incorporated the tofu. serve with rice, and you've got a great vegetarian meal!

the best food truck from here to infinity

i think we ought to pay our respects to the pioneers of this food truck craze that's been running rampant in the Bay Area and eventually across the nation. in our youth i'm sure we've all come across a taco truck or two, right? when i was young i had no desire to get food from a roaming mobile. i didn't understand why anybody would want to eat out of a roach coach when you could sit down and eat at a taqueria or Chevy's (barf!). little did i know, the people behind taco trucks were on to something amazing. hats off to you, el Taco Truck(s) for you have paved the way for what has become upscale gourmet food trucks!

over the past few years various types of food trucks and carts have been popping up like crazy and i have become obsessed with them. i have spent lots of my time corralling people to join me at Off The Grid so that we may share bites from as many trucks as possible. i've twitter stalked trucks and drove directly to them in order to get something on that specific day's menu. one time i went to the Eat Real Festival on a saturday with friends and made my way there on sunday as well, with the excuse that my parents along with aunts and uncles would need someone there to help navigate through the mediocre and the delicious. i've stuffed my face all sorts of silly because i couldn't decide whether i wanted Chairman Bao's duck bun, banana chai fritters, Iz It's icon, or Brass Knuckle's hotdog with bonito flakes....so i had them all. it's a bit intense, i know, but what can i say? food is my passion.

i've been to a ton of different food trucks and have tried nearly everything that i've had the desire to eat so far. i've had plenty of good food and plenty of that-was-a-waste-of-money food. but today, my friends, i am here to talk about the ultimate food truck. i'm talking about 3-SUM EATS. it's hearty approachable food with a good sprinkle of umph. i mean, just check out these pictures and then take note of the nice puddle of drool you've accumulated near your keyboard.

 this sandwich is what dreams are made of!! you start off with a light toasted brioche bun spread with thoussand island (which is more like tartar, but technicalities don't matter. it was fantastic!) and add a nice amount of sprouts. underneath thtat you have a huge portobello stuffed with rich creamy mozzarella fried perfectly crisp. my GOD, it almost brought tears to my eyes!!! just be careful because upon first bite the piping hot cheese tends to squirt out and burn your hand. you can't let that cheese go to waste! no worries, pick it up and slap it back on!!

mac n cheese egg roll with fondue dipping sauce. the rich creamy goodness of mac n cheese paired with the bit of crunch from the fried wrapper is perfection.

the best breakfast sandwich you will ever have IN LIFE!!! brown sugar and rosemary coated bacon. i repeat. brown sugar. rosemary. bacon. of goodness. piled in between a homemade english muffin along with a fried egg, cheese and TRUFFLE aioli. i love my boyfriend, but i was sad that i had to share this with him. (haha!! no joke....i literally stopped typing for a minute and just stared at this picture while reminiscing about it's complexity of flavors and the joy it brought to me!)

behind this better-than-the-rest truck is Ryan Scott. i've been a fan of his for a while now. while watching an early season of Top Chef, i obviously found myself routing for the guy from SF. then i found out that he, at the time, was working with Myth and Myth Cafe. one of my first fine dining experiences was years ago at Myth. i recall it being one of the first times i'd ever thought food to be tantalizing, so naturally my support for him on the show shot up immensely. soon after Top Chef ended he partnered with Mission Beach Cafe, another restaurant that i love! i have pretty much liked every aspect of Ryan Scott's career thus far but the birth of 3-SUM EATS has put him on another level.

the best way to eat broccoli

if there's any vegetable i actually like, it's broccoli. for all of my childhood life any time i ate broccoli it was either just steamed or boiled. on very rare occasions i'd eat it tempura style at Japanese restaurants and in those circumstances broccoli almost seemed like a treat. now i'm not trying to knock my parents for making the boring kind of broccoli, but i will say that they've been missing out and were also the cause of me missing out. within the last few years of my life i've discovered roasted broccoli. i'm talking tender yet charred crisp with sea salt and a hint of heat. it's so easy and it's practically the only way i make broccoli nowadays.

cut broccoli florets into bite size pieces and put in a ziplock bag. toss with olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes. transfer to a baking pan and roast in a 400 degree F oven for approx. 20 minutes. shuffle them around a bit and cook for another 5 min. or so. 

i heart charred broccoli! 

what's left of 365

i'm sure it's become pretty evident that i've given up on Project 365. remember that? i was taking a photo a day for 365 days with the hipstamatic app on my iphone?? it sounded like an awesome project that was easy enough to do. well it turns out that it's harder to do than you would think. taking a photo a day that you actually like and don't mind posting to represent something in your life is actually quite difficult. sometimes you don't like the angle or the color combination and what you imagined doesn't come out on the first or second....or third try and nothing else intrigues you that day. what i'm trying to say is that i've given up. i really didn't want to give up but once i went to Thailand and accidentally left my iphone at home, it was hard to recover with so many days lost. then i began to forget about the project as a whole. a part of me wishes i'd contiued but a part of me is semi-relieved that i'm not constantly thinking of what i'm going to take a picture of today.

i did take some pictures that were part of that project but had yet to make it to the blog so i'll post the last batch now. but i won't place a date on them because frankly i can't remember when i took what pictures. so here they are. most of them i don't even really like, but why let them go to waste.

a rare sun shiny day at my favorite Dolores Park. i  laid in "the beach" portion of the park and soaked up some rays with a delicious sandwich from Bi-Rite.

on our way to Off The Grid, we caught the sunset behind the Golden Gate Bridge. always a beautiful sight.

delicious fries served in the cutest way at a newly discovered restaurant, Le Garage. i love this place!

remember the days when the highlight of the day was going through the car wash? wasn't that exciting??

another sun shiny day at Dolores. it's a little hard to see, but i saw this guy doing  a ton of capoeria moves that looked almost pretty.

a view of the SF skyline from Sausalito. plus a boat.

candy barrels.

hmmm yeah. not sure why i took this pic. i think the color got me.

after just barely coming back from Thailand, my job decided to put me on the graveyard shift as the lone CT tech. of course some mistakes were made and this is a note i left my supervisor for the morning after. he had to clean up my mess. jerk!

grass

juke

i call this one "le douche." the guy in this car cut me off coming from a straight middle lane to make a left turn. dangerous and ultra douchey. he, of course, was balding and driving a super midlife crisis type car.



well, that's that! no more project 365 pictures. i may potentially post a random pic here or there so you can look out for those! 

it gets better

everybody knows somebody gay. whether that person is out or not is another thing. but everybody knows somebody who is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. i'm proud to say that i know at least one somebody in each of those categories. i hesitated for a moment there to write down "categories" because sometimes people don't want to be labeled. sometimes people want to be so politically correct that children can't sit "indian style" anymore. they now sit "criss cross apple sauce," but who's to say that apples aren't, too, offended by this manner of sitting? categories are neccessary. without them we would never have known that Africans and African Americans are more prone to Sickle Cell Anemia and that Asians have a higher risk of osteoperosis. it is important for people to know what categories they fall in to figure out what is best for them in future and in health. i digress. i'm not here to categorize anybody or separate people. i'm here to applaud the efforts of the It Gets Better cause.

has anybody seen the It Gets Better cause on tv? the cause is mostly focused on those who are gay, bi, lesbian and transgender. it sends a message to tell them that no matter what they are going through now, it eventually gets better. it's to show them that there are faces of other people out there struggling with the same thing that they are simply because of a sexual preference or a gut feeling that they are in the wrong body. there are clips of people who have been through the same thing and have come out on the other side happy and healthy. it's a voice of hope for the future, a forum for people to find others who understand. nobody should have to be faced with the hateful actions and words of those who don't understand. it's hard enough being a teenager, but being a teenager with an added layer of identity that they may not fully understand themselves while being pushed to the floor is no way to live. sadly it happens sometimes. but just know that if you can think through to your future, you know it. will. get. better. one day you'll find the courage to show the world who you are and stand proud. as long as your heart is solid and you are kind to others, smile with strength knowing that you simply are who you are and wouldn't have it any other way. you will find people who understand exactly what you've been through and you can all find peace because you've got each other. and you've got others who support you whether they are the same as you or not. there are people behind you. you may not know them. it could be any stranger on the street, but know that there are people on your side. you may not be able to stop the bullies or ignore the looks, but one day it will get better.

now although i fully support this cause for everything that it is, i think that it can be applied to anybody that is struggling. whether it is a teenager made fun of for being a "four eyes" or someone who has been in a relationship involving domestic violence, if they find the strength (which everybody has) to find help or find real friends, it will get better. everybody can find somebody to support them. it's about seeking that support. i know that my life has been mostly easy compared to many, but it doesn't mean i don't understand where hurt comes from. it doesn't mean that i don't know what empathy feels like. when i saw the It Gets Better clip it brought some tears to my eyes. i can only imagine what it was like for the people that i personally know who have struggled with being "different" in their younger years. hopefully It Gets Better makes a difference in people's lives. scratch that. i know it's going to make a difference. i stand up to applaud the people behind the cause.

thai noodles with peanut sauce

on a hot day when you want something light and almost refreshing for dinner, make this thai peanut sauce noodle dish. it's substantial enough yet isn't heavy and can be served cold or at room temperature. peanut sauce is pretty much great on anything. well, maybe not anything, but many things. i could probably eat it on it's own. 

thai peanut sauce noodles

adapted from this recipe

peanut sauce:

- 1 1/2 c peanut butter (i used chunky)

- 1/2 c coconut milk

- 3 tbs water

- 3 tbs fresh lime juice

- 3 tbs soy sauce

- 2 tbs fish sauce

- 1 1/2 tbs hot sauce (i used sriracha)

- 1 tbs grated ginger

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

-combine all ingredients and stir until fully blended. cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes before serving so that the flavors can blend together.

note: this recipe makes a LOT of peanut sauce. whatever you don't use can be freezed and enjoyed later. 

ingredients:

- 1/2 lb spaghetti

- about 24 shrimp

- 1 cucumber

- 1 carrot

- salt and pepper

-garlic powder

- oil

-1/2 lime

-peanut sauce 

1. make peanut sauce

2. cook spaghetti in boiling water with some salt until al dente or cooked to your liking.

3. drain pasta and set aside to cool.

4. peel cucumber and slice in to very thin slices (about 1-2" length). set aside. 

5. peel carrot and slice in to very thin slices.  (about 1-2" length)(i don't like raw crunchy carrots so i used my peeler to just make very very thin pieces of carrot) set aside.

6. cook the shrimp on medium high heat until all of the gray turns pink. don't forget to season it with salt, pepper and garlic powder or fresh garlic.

7. combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl just before serving. (if you do, the pasta will soak up all of the moisture from the sauce and it'll be a dry mess of a dish.)

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