My Life is Yummy

Trails Cafe

2009-11-11T09:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Hubby and I took our dogs hiking in Griffith Park. It was a beautiful and sunny November day, perfect hiking weather. We let the dogs run around off leash and we all got a lot of exercise.Of course, all that hiking got us hungry so we had lunch at the The Trails Cafe located inside Griffith Park. It's a cute little shack that looks kind of like a log cabin where you order and pick up your food. There are plenty of picnic benches in the shade around the cafe where you can enjoy your meal. It was perfect for us, because we had our two doggies with us.
The cafe offers a mostly vegetarian menu with fresh homemade food, and everything is so tasty! I absolutely adore this rustic little cafe.
I had the vegetarian avocado sandwich with tons of sprouts, avocado, tomato, cheese, onions, and vegetarian bacon bits. This vegetarian sandwich was surprisingly filling and delicious! I'm going to try making this at home!
Hubby had the "snake on a dog" which is a hot dog wrapped in puff pastry. This dog came with a side of cabbage salad. It was one of the few carnivorous items on the menu. It was warm out of the oven and yummy as well.
We got a mini rhubarb strawberry pie for dessert. The crust was crunchy and sweet. Loved the mini pie!
This place is definitely worth a visit if you are ever around Griffith Park.

TRAILS CAFE
2333 Fern Dell Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90068
(323) 871-2102

The Chicago Dog

2009-11-10T18:13:00.000-08:00

We were set on having some Chicago style hot dogs while we were in town, so our friend took us to a local hot spot called The Wiener's Circle.

The place was pretty disgusting, small, and dirty. The people working there gave us nasty looks and were completely rude to us, hubby didn't even get what he ordered... but that's what makes this place so fun!

Even the tip jar is rude... Notice the bottom of the jar that says "Shakes $20"?
See that big, mean looking lady behind the cash register?
Well, if you put $20 in the tip jar, you will get a chocolate milk shake... meaning that the lady will lift her shirt and shake her ginormous boobies at you. I wasn't in the mood for a milkshake so I skipped on that one. Maybe another time...

Everything was deliciously greasy. And I'm not being sarcastic, I loved the dog.

Ohhh, look at all that oozing cheese and oil. yum! I will be back for the food, and the service! :)On our way back to LA, at O'Hare airport we decided to have one last hot dog at the Jodi Maroni's stand. Chicago dogs are so awesome, having those veggies in my hot dog makes me feel a little less guilty about eating a super processed and fatty snack.

WIENER'S CIRCLE
2622 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614-1523
(773) 477-7444

FALLing in Love with Chicago

2009-11-10T13:28:00.001-08:00

We experienced wonderful weather and beautiful fall colors during our trip to Chicago recently. I really love this city.

A Taste of Chicago

2009-11-03T19:42:00.001-08:00

We visited Chicago for the first time this year. I immediately fell in love with the city.
We did all of the touristy things that people do in Chicago. We went to a Cubs game at the famous Wrigley Field and watched the Cubs win.
And of course we had Chicago style stuffed pizza!
We went to Bacino's Pizza in Lincoln Park. Basically, it's pizza with a thick heavy crust with TONS of cheese stuffed inside.
Every slice literally had one brick of melted mozzarella cheese inside... I'm sure of it!
Aside from the fact that you feel sick and bloated after eating just once slice... it's pretty decent. I still prefer the traditional pizza. But when in Rome... right?
BACINO'S PIZZA

2204 N Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614

Tel: (773) 472-7400

Kiss My Bundt

2009-10-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

I heard about Kiss My Bundt from a friend and I read on her blog about how fabulous this place was. When I saw online that they offered baking classes, I jumped on the opportunity.
It was a hands-on baking class with the owner, Chrysta as the instructor. She was such an upbeat and friendly person who offered me so much new information on baking.
The class had about 10 people and we split up into two groups. Each group worked from a "Blank Canvas" recipe for Chrysta's bundt cake and added our own unique flavors to make a new bundt cake creation. Unfortunately I can't post her famous recipe due to copyright reasons. :(
My group made vanilla cappuccino bundt cake with Baily's Irish Cream frosting, (pictured below). The other group made a raspberry, Guinness beer bundt cake with Belgium chocolate frosting. It was all so unique and yummy! I had such a great time meeting new people, baking together, and trying all sorts of great bundt cake flavors at Kiss My Bundt!
I highly recommend all of the cakes and classes at Kiss My Bundt. I even follow them on Twitter because they have discounts and special flavors all the time!

Kiss My Bundt Bakery
8104 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 655-0559

Dragon Fruit

2009-10-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

My friend was serving this beautiful and exotic looking fruit at his house warming party that I attended. I have never seen or eaten anything like it!
He told me that it was called Dragon Fruit. Dragon fruit, formally called Pitaya is the fruit from a cactus originating in South America. This fleshy fruit was amazingly sweet with crunchy little black seeds like the kiwi fruit.
On my recent trip to the Farmer's Market I discovered another variation of Dragon Fruit with a hot pink flesh! Dragon fruit contains high levels of vitamin c, calcium and phosphorus and lots of antioxidants. I don't know why I've never had this fruit before, but I'm officially hooked!

Fugu Me!

2009-10-15T18:25:00.001-07:00

We went out to eat Fugu (Puffer Fish) a major delicacy in Japan. It's not everyday you get to eat Fugu, and it's very hard to find in the states so I was excited about our full course fugu meal.
We went to eat at Torafugu Tei, which just so happened to be celebrating their 2 year anniversary with 50% off the entire menu! Still... Fugu is not cheap!
The beverage of choice: Hire Sake, hot sake with a puffer fish fin inside. The traditional way to drink this is to light the sake with a match and let the fin steep in the sake.
It tastes like a hybrid sake/fish soup.
The course started off with Fugu skin sashimi.
We also had Fugu Nabe (hot pot). The hot pot was a basket with a thick piece of paper and boiling water inside. I thought it was really neat!
Now the creepy part was that the pieces of cut up fish were still twitching on our plates before we immersed them into the boiling hot water.
So you boil your pieces of Fugu and veggies and dip them in Ponzu sauce before devouring.My favorite Fugu dish is Fugu sashimi. It is so delicate yet has a crunchy texture to it. Some people say that the small traces of Fugu poison leaves your lips and tongue tingling. If you ever saw that Simpsons episode where Homer is about to die from Fugu poisoning, you know that Fugu contains lethal poison (Tetrodotoxin). Fugu poisoning is very rare, especially in Tokyo but my best friend in Japan ended up in the emergency room on life support due to Fugu poisoning. So be very careful that to eat Fugu at a proper restaurant with licensed Fugu chefs.
Ohhh, Fugu kara-age is deep fried Fugu. So yummy! Tastes like chicken!
At the entrance of the restaurant there was a huge tank of Fugu swimming around, but at the end of the night after all of the guests ate the little guys, the tank was nearly empty...

The Glass Forest

2009-10-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

We visited the Hakone Glass Forest, a Venetian glass Museum and Italian Garden during our stay in Hakone.
The museum had impressive displays but the real treat was the gorgeous European style garden that made me feel like I was in Belgium. I especially loved the crystal trees that twinkled in the sunlight.
The gardens also showcased seasonal flowers such as lavender and cosmos.
There is a little tea house in the garden where an Italian singer entertained us with "It's Amore" and other Italian tunes while we had our tea and snacks.
I had the Chiffon cake with fresh whipped cream and apricot jam with fresh fruits. This is a great romantic spot to go on dates with your lover. Such a cute place!

Eating at the Ryokan

2009-10-08T09:50:00.000-07:00

Stayed at a ryokan (Japanese style inn) while in Hakone. The hot springs were so wonderful, but the food was amazing. They bring your full course dinner right to your room.
Breakfast was served in the main dining hall which had a nice scenic view of the gardens.
I absolutely love traditional Japanese breakfast!

Autumn in Hakone

2009-10-07T20:19:00.000-07:00

We had a one night trip to Hakone. Hakone is about an hour away from Tokyo by car and is famous for it's hot springs and natural beauty. The scenery was beautiful this time of year.The above picture is a view of Owakudani. It is an active volcanic zone of sulfurous fumes and hot springs.The torii of Hakone Shrine floating on Lake Ashi.We also visited the remains of Hakone Sekisho (Hakone Checkpoint), which was an important checkpoint to control traffic along the Tokaido highway which linked Tokyo with Kyoto during the feudal Edo Period. We hiked to the top of the hill to enjoy the stunning view of the lake. This is a shot of a Japanese puzzle box called "himitsu-bako". It is like a puzzle because there is a secret series of steps to open each unique box. These beautiful boxes were designed over 100 years ago in Hakone. So pretty!

Octopus Balls

2009-10-04T16:47:00.001-07:00

I used to joke around and call takoyaki octopus balls when I was a kid. Actually, I lied... I still do it. Takoyaki is basically a small round ball of savory batter stuffed with a small piece of octopus in the middle.
At the Osaka bullet train terminal there was a booth selling hot off the grill takoyakis. Being an Osaka signature food, I couldn't leave the city without having some!
It is so fun to watch the cooks whip up these takoyakis with speedy precision making the balls turn round and round on the pans.
I bought a box to enjoy on the train ride back to Tokyo. It was ridiculously delicious.
It's quite similar to flavor in okonomiyaki but the center is always half cooked and gooey inside.
*That's a bad picture because the takoyaki balls shifted inside the box while I was walking but it still tasted yummy!

Momiji Manju

2009-10-04T16:35:00.000-07:00

While in Hiroshima I picked up a few boxes of Momiji Manjus as gifts. These are Japanese sweets shaped like maple leaves and are a famous confectionery from Miyajima Island and Hiroshima. The original ones are filled with red bean paste but there are lots of popular variations with green tea, chocolate, cream or cheese fillings. While in Miyajima we went to a shop specializing in these sweets and saw machines making fresh manjus. We even got to try fresh made manjus hot off the press. They were so tasty! If you wonder what they taste like, its kind of like a dorayaki or pancake-like outside with a sweet creamy filling. The maple leaf shape is really fitting for the fall season.

Itsuku-shima Jinja Shrine

2009-09-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

During our trip to Hiroshima we also visited a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered a national treasure. Other than that, I don't know much else about the history of the place. I've seen many pictures of this beautiful shrine and had always wanted to visit. The day we visited it was raining pretty hard. We took a boat from our hotel to the little island as a day trip. The red tori (gate) in the water with the rain added to the dramatic effect and it was absolutely beautiful.We even got to see a part of a traditional Japanese wedding going on at the temple that day.
Miyajima is also known for it's deer population. The deers are pretty domesticated and friendly towards tourists. They are wandering all over the island.One deer even tried to eat my sis-in-law's shirt!

A-Bomb Memorial

2009-09-28T16:34:00.000-07:00

No, we didn't go to Hiroshima just to eat. We took a trip to Hiroshima with the family to get a little history lesson on the events of the Hiroshima atomic bombing.On August 6, 1945 the first nuclear bomb to be used against mankind detonated directly above this dome building in Hiroshima, Japan. When the bomb exploded, thousands of badly burned victims jumped into the rivers but most didn't survive. Stories say that the river was red with blood and thousands of corpses were floating in the water. My visit to Hiroshima was frightening and depressing. To see and read about the after effects of the bombing at the Hiroshima Peace memorial Museum made me seriously think about war and humanity.
The museum was quite graphic; displaying gory photos and objects of people injured or killed in the bombing. Grandma and otousan didn't come inside the museum because they said they had been there before. I totally understand, because it is a place I never want to visit again. Once is enough. It's hard to think that America did such a horrible thing to Japan, especially since my father is American and my mother is Japanese.The high radiation levels of the atomic bomb continue to affect people today. Children were born with disabilities and diseases. There is a famous story about a little girl named Sadako Sasaki who was two years old and living in Hiroshima when the atomic bomb dropped. Ten years later, because of radiation, she died of Leukemia in 1955. Now, there is a Children's memorial dedicated to her and all children who suffer from war. Hundreds of thousands of paper origami cranes made by children adorn the memorial.
A Nuclear Abolition Flame is lit near the A-Bomb dome. It is a flame that will remain lit until all nuclear bombs on the planet are destroyed and the planet is free from the threat of nuclear annihilation. I hope that in my lifetime the flame will no longer burn.

Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki

2009-09-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

After Osaka, we got on the bullet train and headed to Hiroshima. It was my first time there, and when in Hiroshima you must try the Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. I've only had (and cooked) the typical Osaka-style okonomiyaki before so I was very excited to try this different version.
Once we got off the train, my eyes were bombarded with rows and rows of okonomiyaki restaurants. It was hard to choose one, but in the end we decided on "Yocchan".
A small restaurant with a counter and only a few tables, you can watch the chefs whip up the massive okonomiyakis. I wonder how many of these okonomiyakis the chefs make daily, because they got it down to a skill!
Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is quite different from the Osaka okonomiyaki. It is like a thin, crepe-like batter topped with lots and lots of cabbage and yakisoba noodles. It's actually a lighter meal than the Osaka okonomiyaki that uses lots of heavy flour. I think I even prefer the Hiroshima okonomiyaki.
If you wish, you can add thin slices of meat or seafood. Drench your okonomiyaki in special sauce and you're good to go. Okonomiyaki's are something you definitely have to experience when you go to Hiroshima.
YOCHHAN OKONOMIYAKI
お好み焼きよっちゃん
広島県広島市中区基町11-10 プライム紙屋町 B1F
Tel: 082-221-8267

Minoh Waterfall

2009-09-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

The Minoh Waterfall is located in the Meiji Memorial Forest Minoh Quasi-National Park and was near the ryokan that we were staying at. It wasn't quite Iguazu falls, but it was a beautiful waterfall nonetheless. The quaint little red bridge with a waterfall backdrop really made me feel like I was in Japan. We originally made the hike to the waterfalls hoping to spot some monkeys but unfortunately didn't see any. The area was surrounded by lush forest mountains and the trees were slightly beginning to change color. So far in my life, I've always been a student or teacher (and the school year begins in September) so even though I've been to Japan over 2 dozen times I have never experienced Japan in autumn. I hear that in October & November the mountains turn color to vivid reds and oranges. In Southern California I've never really experienced the four seasons, so I hope I get to see that one day.

Osaka's Rising Sun

2009-09-24T10:34:00.001-07:00

The upside of jet lag is waking up early enough to watch the sunrise. On our second day in Japan, we took the bullet train to visit grandma who lives in Osaka. Normally we stay in a hotel, but on this trip we stayed in a fabulous ryokan (a Japanese style inn) called Kaze no Mori. I woke up before 5am and I went to take a dip in the Onsen before anyone else woke up. It was so relaxing to take a warm bath outside with the cool air on my face, just watching the day begin.
Since I was the only one in the baths, I took a photo before anyone showed up. Ahhhhh I absolutely love onsens. On this short trip to Japan we went to onsen 3 times and in those 3 days I took at least 10 baths. That's how much I love onsens.
The other great thing about staying at a ryokan is the meals. Most places serve up a traditional Japanese style breakfast and dinner. At this particular ryokan in Osaka, we enjoyed a full spread of a Japanese breakfast.
I was so content to eat such wonderful food for breakfast!
They even gave us natto (my favorite).
The meal had fish, eggs, various pickles, rice, miso soup and yudofu (which is a very simple dish of tofu simmered in a kombu dashi).
So delicious, so relaxing. It felt like a true vacation.

Tsukiji Fail Blog

2009-09-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

Even before boarding our flight to Tokyo, we knew that we would visit Tsukiji the next morning. The upside of jet lag is that we would wake up extra early the first few days... early enough to be the first ones at the famous Tsukiji fish market when they open at around 4-5am.

I was so excited to eat a fresh sushi breakfast and when we arrived at Tsukiji around 4:30am we thought we beat the crowds. "Yes! We're going to be first in line!" I thought... and then we started walking around the markets to see nobody. Just emptiness.

Then we saw this sign. (The Market is Closed Today). NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Say it ain't so. I thought Tsukiji was never closed except for national holidays and Sundays!?

The only thing open was this 24 hour sushi restaurant we stumbled upon a few blocks outside of the Tsukiji market. This place had to do since there was nothing else open at 5am, and our stomachs were hurting for some sushi.

We were the only customers in the restaurant and the sushi chef seemed happy to have some company and people to talk to. He informed us that the Tsukiji Fish market closes on some random Wednesdays. According to him, most people don't even know when they close. Great.The sushi was better than most places in Los Angeles, but wasn't nearly as good as our past Tsukiji sushi experience.

The seafood was fresh, and it did quiet our cravings but left a little more to be desired.

At least I got to eat my favorite! Akagai (Pepitona clam or ark shell?) love the texture, crunchy and chewy.

Oh, well maybe next time. On our next visit I want to try Daiwa Sushi inside of Tsukiji.

My Life is (Extra) Yummy

2009-09-21T20:15:00.000-07:00

Oh my, where to begin.
My life is EXTRA yummy whenever I go to Japan. The food in Japan is just amazing and I always leave that little country with extra junk in my trunk... if you know what I mean. I have so many mouth watering photos to share but I'll start off by sharing my in flight experience. Our flight back to the US was overbooked so we ended up on business class (again! for the second time this year!)
Ahhh, so much more leg space than what I'm used to.
As soon as I sat down, I got a (plastic) glass of champagne. Hubby kept laughing at me because I was all giddy and clearly looked like I didn't belong in business class. haha.

I didn't even know that airplanes offered "appetizer plates".

Hubby ordered the fillet Mignon with quiche dinner and I ordered the chicken dinner.
Okay, so I admit... all the food was nasty. I took one bite of the chicken and spit it out. But at least it looked prettier than regular economy class airplane food right?
Mango cheesecake for dessert also tasted like cafeteria food.

The breakfast omelet was pretty darn disgusting, and even the fruit tasted bad for some reason. At least the strawberry yogurt was good.

But who am I to complain when I got to ride business class for free right? Dear United Airlines, I will truly have nothing to complain about when you upgrade me to first glass for free next time. One can only dream right?

Hello Tokyo

2009-09-07T08:30:00.001-07:00

On my way to the airport now to catch a flight to Narita. I'm going to visit family and eat lots of yummy things in Japan. Stay tuned~

I Did It!

2009-09-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

I ran my very first (1/2) marathon yesterday! I ran the "Happiest Race on Earth!"
I didn't train for it as much as I hoped to, but at least I made it to the finish line! My time for 13.1 miles was 3hours and 15 minutes. I wasn't the fastest runner but at least I got the blinging medal for completing the race! I am so proud of myself.The marathon was so much fun. We ran through Disneyland, California Adventureland, and even inside the Anaheim stadium. I'm so sore, I can barely walk right now... but I can't wait till next year's marathon. My goal is to be under 3 hours next time.

Coconut and Walnut Baklava

2009-09-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

Baklava is so yummy. I'm into anything with a good crispy crunch. I've had my share of Baklava in Greece and Turkey, and they were all delicious. The delicate layers of Baklava and combination of sweet honey is really a dream. Baklava is also one of hubby's favorite desserts, so I had to try my hand at making it myself.
I thought that phyllo dough might be hard to come by, but all of the ingredients were easy to find at my local grocery store. Once I got the hang of handling the delicate dough, layering the walnut mixture and dough was quite fun. Hubby is also a big fan of coconut so I added some for a chewier texture. The baklava came out perfect! My friends and I ate them all up.

COCONUT BAKLAVA RECIPE
Ingredients:
1 cups walnuts (chopped)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/8 cup sugar
1/8 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup sweet cream butter, melted
1 package phyllo pastry, thawed
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup honey
chopped pistachios for topping

Directions:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 35o degrees.
2. Mix the walnuts, coconut, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
3. Brush the bottom of a square baking pan with butter.
4. Butter each later of the phyllo dough and layer 4 sheets at a time then add walnut mixture and repeat the layers until you use up all of the nut mixture and dough.
5. Slice the baklava into small squares with a sharp knife.
6. Bake in for 25-35 min until golden brown on top, make sure you check on it often because phyllo dough burns easily.
7. For the syrup: bring the water, sugar, and cinnamon to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Add the honey and simmer for another 2 minutes.
9. Pour the syrup over the baklava when it comes out of the oven and decorate with crushed pistachios.
10. Let the baklava cool for a few hours and let they syrup seep in before eating.

Homemade Burger

2009-08-31T10:23:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I were craving hamburgers (especially after reading Ila's posts about her fabulous burgers) so I decided to make some homemade burgers with the random ingredients in my fridge. They were so fresh and tasty.

HOMEMADE HAMBURGER
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
4 sliced of bacon, fried
1/2 onion grated
2 cloves of garlic, grated
1 tsp sriracha sauce
salt and pepper to taste
sliced tomatoes, lettuce, red onions
sliced cheddar cheese
ketchup
mustard
mayonnaise

Panini bread

Directions:
1. Mix together ground beef, sriracha sauce, salt & onion, grated onion and garlic.
2. Pat into (4) patties and grill to your liking.
3. Place hamburger patties on toasted panini bread with melted cheddar cheese, and top with sliced red onion, lettuce, tomato, and fried bacon.
4. Don't forget the ketchup, mustard, and mayo.

Greek Salad

2009-08-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with Greek food when I visited the Greek islands with hubby almost 5 years ago. Till then, I've never even tasted Greek food before. While traveling the islands I had Greek salad every single day. I was obsessed with Feta cheese and the fresh sweet tomatoes. This salad has become one of our favorite summer salads. With a side of pita bread, hummus, and tzatziki sauce, it is a great summer lunch.
GREEK SALAD RECIPE
Ingredients:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 red onion sliced
4 tomatoes roughly cut
3 cucumbers cut
4 oz. Feta cheese, diced or crumbled
handful of Kalamata olives

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together, toss salad and eat!
This is a photo I took in Oia, Santorini. Some of the places hubby and I visited during our trip to Greece was; Athens, Santorini, Paros, and Mykonos. The islands were magically beautiful and romantic, I hope to visit again one day!

French Toast

2009-08-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

French toast is one of hubbys favorite breakfast dishes. French toast is called pain perdu in France and they say that it was created as a way to use stale bread. I like to make French toast to use up the "ends" of my loaves that otherwise go to waste. It's ridiculously easy to make and tastes so yummy.

FRENCH TOAST RECIPE
Ingredients:
4 slices of any kind of bread
4 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tbsp butter for frying

Directions:
1. In a shallow mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon.
2. Dip slices in egg mixture and cook until golden brown on both sides.
3. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with warm maple syrup & fresh whipped cream.