Burp and Slurp

Why Stress Is Just Self-Torture

burpexcuzme — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:30:18 +0000

How many hours have you been up today?

It’s been a long day for me. I’ve been up since 8 am (I know, it’s really late for some of you grannies, but it’s early for me!), and it’s been layers and layers of stress and worries piling on top of me, hour after hour from morning till now. And…I’m exhausted. Mentally, I’m burned out. Emotionally, I’m hay-wired. Physically, I just want to bury myself in my bed with my Pooh bear and watch trash TV until I knock out.

Spring break is coming, but I feel like I won’t really be able to enjoy it because I have two major mid-terms and a presentation project due right after. What’s more, I just found out that my project partner dropped the class without warning, and now I’ve got double the workload. The jerk didn’t even bother to respond to my emails. He just simply stopped showing up to class and our meetings.

The worst thing? I’ve still barely accomplished half the stuff on my To-Do List. The incredulous thing? I’ve got 2 whole weeks to do them, but I’m still stressing over them way ahead of time.

Stress. It’s basically self-torture. Think about it. No, really think about it. How much of the things you stress about…are actually worth stressing over? And of the things that are actually “worth” the stress…how much of it can you solve or accomplish by stressing over them? A man called Richard Carlson once said: “Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness.” It might sound like an exaggeration, but right now…with my brain throbbing and my eyes crazed, I’m pretty sure his summarization is right on spot.

Stress. It comes through manyl forms, from circumstances to situations to relationships to random sequences of thoughts. But ultimately, it comes from myself: My own stubborn insistence that something is so important that it’s worth losing my inner peace over. My impatience, my perfectionism, my insecurities, my selfish ambitions and desires.

Stress. When used right, it keeps you on your toes, and motivates you to keep on going. When used wrong, it just drains the life and energy out of you. So how do we find the right balance so that stress becomes a productive factor instead of self-punishment and guilt?

I’ve come down to these few conclusions about stress:

Stress is a Self-Infliction
It accomplishes nothing; therefore, a waste of time
Anything done under stress cannot be enjoyable

And thus, I’ve decided to deal with stress with these following steps:

Recognize that nothing is more important than my inner peace and joy
Analyze what stresses me out: Is it worth it?
If it isn’t, puke it out; it’s just poison that will infect my entire system
If it is, turn the stress into an incentive to do something about it
Be positive about what I need to do…and enjoy it. I’ve got to do it anyway (since I decided that it is important), so I might as well make it enjoyable somehow.

It’s quite liberating, to realize that stress is really just self-torture, because that means that I have the power within myself to change that around. In other words, stress is in reality, powerless, unless I give it the power to inflict pain upon myself. Unfortunately, the problem comes with this strange streak of masochism we humans seem to have…for some reason, we just seem to love torturing ourselves.

Take, for example, this lovely jar of spicy oil:

Under the Foodzie affiliate program, I was recently sent this jar of Chile Crunch to review and sample from Chile Colonial.

This jar isn’t your average chili oil. It’s Mexican in origin, and is chock-full of crunchy bits of fried garlic, onion, and chile de arbol, hence the name, Chile Crunch.
Now, before I proceed, let me tell you something about me which you probably already know: I tend to venture to the extremes. There is no middle ground for me— I either love it or hate it; leave it or go the full way. And when it comes to spice, I definitely zoom up to the maximum level, especially since I’m Korean. Come on, we Koreans were weaned off with kimchi and gochujang. Point is: Unless you can stand the heat and have a stomach of iron like mine, don’t do this at home, kids.

As soon as I received this jar, I just had to sample it. Like, right away. My affinity for spicy stuff took over my rationality. So I took a big spoon, and…
Oh, yes, I did. It was glorious, in all its crunchy, spicy, oily goodness. I say it with all honesty, despite the last weird face I made. For a moment, I actually even thought there was some kind of sweetness in there. All pleasure lasted for about 15 seconds while the contents were in my mouth. And then, they made its way to my stomach, and that’s when hell started to burn.

Don’t worry, I’m still alive. Nothing lots of ice-cream couldn’t remedy. And besides, I had to be alive to make this amazing dish next with this hot mama:

Chile Crunch Pasta with Spicy Caramelized Walnuts, Edamame, and Panko

1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon oil from Chile Crunch
1 tablespoon sugar
3-4 oz whole wheat linguine pasta
1 tablespoon Chile Crunch
1/4 cup Panko
1/4 cup edamame
juice from 1 orange
orange zest, about 1 tablespoon

Heat up the oil in a skillet until hot. Toss in the walnuts. Add the sugar, and stir until walnuts are toasted and coated. Remove from skillet and let cool:
You might want to leave a few walnut just for munching once it’s cooled and hardened. It’s awesome! Spicy, yet sweet from the caramelized glaze.

Next, bring a pot of salted water to boil, and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. If your edamame is frozen, you might want to give it a quick boil, too.

Heat up the Chile Crunch oil in a skillet again. Toss in the panko, and stir to coat, letting it crisp up. Stir in the edamame and pasta and spicy caramelized walnuts, then squeeze in the orange juice, and sprinkle in the orange zest. Toss to mix, and serve.
Ah! The dish turned out fabulous!
It’s the first time I’ve had Panko-coated pasta, and I love the crunchy texture in there.
I added edamame for some color, and it ended up working really well in this dish, and also added some good protein.
The best component of this dish was definitely the spicy caramelized walnuts. I could snack on these all day long!
I have to admit, this dish was spicy. It certainly cleared up any sinus I didn’t even know I had! If you’re a spice wimp, you can tone this dish down by using less chili oil, or just leave the heat to the walnuts and use regular oil for the pasta.
The Chile Crunch is extremely versatile, so you’re not just limited to pasta. Sabrina from Rhodeygirl Tests used it to marinate shrimp. Check out her recipe here!

Okay, time to prepare for my mid-term tomorrow. Here’s an example of unnecessary stress: I was stressed because I felt like I had to blog, even though I was behind on my exam preparations. In the end, I still blogged (well, duh). But I told myself that I would blog…only if it became a form of recreation. And you know what? I really did enjoy writing this post. And now, I’m all ready to hit the books. Stress begone!

Question of the day: What is one thing you stress over that is not “worth” it? What is one thing that is actually “worth” it? How can you make that enjoyable?

P.S. In case you think I have forgotten about the “You Are What You Cook” Challenge…I haven’t! I promise that I will do a round-up soon! Oh, and if you haven’t already…check out the awesome recipes submitted to BSI: Brussel Sprouts!

I’ve Got Brussels Sprouting in My Brain…and BSI Winner!

burpexcuzme — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:26:35 +0000

Aaaaaaarrrrh! Busy busy busy! I seem to have agreed to host last week’s BSI at a bad time…but in between studying for mid-terms, I just had to squeeze this post in, because I owe it to all those wonderful bloggers who submitted to last week’s BSI: Brussel Sprouts.

I know time was extremely short to send in original recipes, and I really appreciate those who made the effort to send previous posts as well. I was kind of worried that nobody would submit anything, heh heh…that would be really humiliating. I wonder what I would have done. Maybe never blog again…Nah, just kidding.

Anyway. Here are the submissions to BSI: Brussel Sprouts:

Christina submitted two previous posts:

1. Shredded Brussel Sprouts

Wow. How cool are these? I’ve never had brussel sprouts shredded before, and it’s something I’ve got to try. I love the addition of those lovely pine nuts, too!

2. Brussel Sprouts with Maple & Bacon
Wheeee! Maple + Bacon must be the best combination ever! The Royal Marriage of sweet and savory!

Averie from Love Veggies and Yoga also submitted two:

1. Brussel Sprouts Salad with Homemade Vegan Slaw Dressing
Averie likes her brussel sprouts barely cooked, so that it retains its fresh crunch. I have to respectfully disagree…I like it blasted under high heat! But a brussel sprout is a brussel sprout and they are all yummy…especially with Averie’s wonderful dressing!

2. Coconut-Roasted Vegetables with Coconut Oil
This is a mainly fennel and potato salad, with sugar snap peas, brussels sprouts, tomatoes, carrots, and mixed greens. Both of Averie’s recipes are vegan and gluten-free, so it’s perfect for people watching their diets, whatever it is (unless it’s an anti-veggie diet, in which you should not even be reading this post). Averie says that the anise flavor of the fennel makes for an interesting combination with the coconut and ginger. Yum!

Esther from Ambitious Delicious curried favor with my Asian-ness by submitting this Asian-themed Roasted Brussel Sprouts:
You must check this out. She used fish sauce! No, don’t give me that scrunched up nose…Fish sauce is liquid crack! It is umami-concentrated liquid…makes everything so flavorful! I also loved that Esther used butter in this…Butter makes everything better!

Shannon and I must have ESP, because she just happened to combine sweet potato and brussel sprouts together as well into this lovely Sweet Potato Pasta with Shaved Brussel Sprouts:
Um. Finally. Some lovely carbs! Gah! I’ve never come across sweet potato-flavored pasta before…This totally blew my mind! In a good way, Shannon, as all your recipes always do? By the way, did you ever check out her cookies..with bacon?! This girl is a culinary whiz!

And now, this is yet another freaking impressive dish cooked by Veronica of Recipe Rhapsody…Caramelized Tofu over Brussel Sprouts!
This dish was derived from 101 Cookbooks, which is one of my favorite food blogs. Veronica apologizes for the “bad” picture…but it’s not the quality of the picture she should be sorry for, it’s for making me ruin my keyboard with a flood of drool! Gosh, if anyone can make me eat tofu and enjoy it, it’s this girl!

Next, Laura from The Cooking Photographer sent in this carbilicious Radiatori with Sautéed Brussel Sprouts:
Um, hell yeah. Now that’s how I like my brussel sprouts…roasted, grilled, or sautéed. Cook the heck out of it, baby! And toss it with lots of gorgeous carbs! This will convert any brussel sprout-hater, all right!

Danielle from Coffee Run might be the only one to actually create a BSI recipe within the BSI week…but hey girl, you didn’t actually submit it to me. Too bad, I spotted it with my cunning eye! Our smart student from V-Tech created this Roasted Brussels with Coconut Alfredo:
Cheeeeeeese! Or…not? She fooled me! This one is actually totally vegan…she used nutritional yeast! Danielle claims this feeds 4 people. Um, hahaha! That’s a joke, right? This will make a nice snack sometime. Thanks, babe!

Biz, my dear friend…I don’t think we can be friends. You don’t like brussel sprouts?! Blasphemy! Hee hee, I’m kidding, of course. Biz, being the generous old soul (not that kind of old) that she is, offered to share her mother-in-law’s recipe:

Bonnie’s Brussel Sprouts with Pecans and Cranberries

1 pound fresh brussel sprouts, rinsed and trimmed
3 ounces coarsely chopped pecans
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (no fake butter!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked ground pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries

Slice the sprouts thinly – can use a food processor. Set a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat and add the pecans. Cook – stirring constantly, until the pecans darken and begin to give off a toasted aroma – about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the butter and continue stirring. Once the butter is melted, add the sprouts, salt and pepper and cook – stirring constantly until the color brightens and the sprouts are just tender. Approx. 6-10 minutes, depending on how thin the sprouts were sliced. Remove from heat – add the cranberries, toss and serve.

Dang…I only wish there was a picture to come with this awesome recipe! Pecans, butter, cranberries…what a combination!!! And I totally lol-ed when she added, “no fake butter!” Hee hee! Thank you, Biz!

Ah…now comes the hard part: Choosing the winner. I honestly had a hard time deciding…I’ve moaned and pondered and obsessed and agonzied and vexed over this so much I’ve got brussels sprouting in my brain. Sigh. But I’ve promised not to use the random integer, so here’s my final decision.

The winner of BSI: Brussel Sprouts is……………………

Laura with her Radiatori with Sautéed Brussel Sprouts!
Congratulations, Laura! I chose Laura’s dish because it’s a complete meal in itself, and I loved the inclusion of bread crumbs for some crunchiness in that pasta. I also loved the little pinch of red pepper flakes in there, and the burst of fresh lemon! Overall, a perfect hit!

Thank you for all those who submitted…it was a toughie, that’s for sure. And for this week’s BSI, hop on over to Joanne of Eats Well With Others’ blog for secret ingredient…Thanks, Joanne, for agreeing to host! Joanne is one incredible, intelligent woman…I don’t know which one is smarter: her brains or her appetite, but they’re both pretty incredible!

Question of the day: What is your favorite way to eat brussel sprouts? Do you like it cooked, or kinda raw, or completely raw? (Is that edible?)

Why Are We So Sensitive About Something We Poop Out?

burpexcuzme — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 06:01:00 +0000

Hahaha, it was hilarious seeing you guys try to guess which was the lie to the little “Seek the Lie” game on my last post. Though, a few of you made a boo-boo and guessed the truth instead. Okay, I’ll put an end to your torture and reveal the answer:

So here was my 6 truths and 1 lie (Not 6 lies and 1 truth!):

I did Chinese dance when I was in the first and second grade in Singapore. Once, I had to dress up as a duck, complete with bright yellow feathers around my buttocks.

–> Truth!
I even have pictures to prove it. I had a duck beak for a hat, and I wore this bright yellow leotard, and my “dance” moves were basically waddling after a mother duck, who wore a brown leotard. Until now, I have no idea what possessed me to agree to do such a humiliating act.
I can’t stand chocolate-flavored anything like chocolate ice-cream, brownies, chocolate muffins, etc.
–> Truth!
I even gave the answer away later in the post when I mentioned I don’t like chocolate in my food! I like plain chocolate by itself…but for some reason, detest it combined with anything else. I especially have a strong dislike for chocolate chip cookies. When I first came to America, I forced myself to eat them to live out the cookies-and-milk dream I had. I managed to choke them down by dipping them in lots and lots of ketchup.
I once almost drowned trying to do gymnastics in the baby pool. I did a head-stand, and got stuck with my head immersed in the water and my legs flailing in the air.
–> Truth!
This was the second time I almost drowned. The first when I was pretending to be a pirate looking for sunken treasure. My imagination will one day kill me.
I have a strange habit of gauging the price of anything with the number of Supersize McDonald’s french fries. For example, this sweater is worth 15 Supersize McD’s french fries!
–> Truth!
By the way, I spent 40 Supersize McD’s french fries worth of groceries today at Costco. Boo hoo. T___T;;
I did beam gymnastics in Singapore. I am uncannily flexible, and I totally rocked at the beam.
–> Lie!
Congrats to all who guessed #5 as the lie! Beam? Are you kidding me? I’m the clumsiest person on earth, and I have the scars to prove it. I did trampoline gymnastics instead, and I was horrible, because I just did not know how to tighten my muscles. Also, I was a total slacker and only did gymnastics because I had a crush on one of the gymnasts.
There was a time when I was obsessed with bagels. I ate 6 bagels for dinner every single day. Guess which kind? Cheese, of course.
–> Truth!
What is so impossible to believe about eating 6 bagels? Believe it. They were good bagels too: Noah’s bagels from Costco. Remember: never, ever, ever underestimate a petite Asian female’s ability to eat.
I’m a deadly deep-sleeper. I need 2 alarm clocks to wake me up, and even so I still sleep through them frequently. I once fell off the double bunk bed but still did not wake up. Maybe I fainted in my sleep?
–> Truth!
When I’m asleep, I’m basically a corpse. Why do you think I miss so many morning classes? Because I sleep through my 2 alarm clocks. I can sleep standing up, too. I once fell asleep while walking. I almost fell off the rail.

That was so fun, I might do something like this in the near future again. Wheee! Thanks for playing, guys!

Oh, and before I forget, here’s a shot of what I had for Fried Food Thursday:

I was gonna get fries from my school dining hall, but they happened to have an Asian theme going on…and I haven’t had bastardized Chinese food for a long time, so I thought, why not?
It’s deep-fried tofu doused in a sweet-and-sour sauce, by the way. It was okay. Not to sound arrogant, but I’ll bet I can make a meaner, leaner version of this myself. But that’s for another time.

Today, it’s not about recipes, it’s just about going out and enjoying other people’s recipes. I’ve had a lot of you ask me where I get my inspiration for recipes. Well, my inspiration is, simply, from eating other people’s food. That’s the joy of going out to eat. You get to try something you’ve never eaten before, something that introduces you to new products, ingredients, techniques, and cultures.

And no matter how cool and wacky my recipes are…how can I compete with traditional recipes that have been passed down from family to family since 1923? I can’t. So, I just sit and eat my humble pie. Or in this case, my humble enchiladas.

Awhile ago, my church friends and I hit by a famous Mexican restaurant in downtown Los Angeles called El Cholo. El Cholo is a place rich with history, and prides itself of its authentic and traditional family recipes. But what impressed me most was the warm, hospitable vibe it exuded:
The decor is Spanish-influenced, and the interior architecture is reminiscent of an earlier century. Kind of the place you want to be in on a chilly wintry night, sharing a mug of beer with strangers by the fire. The walls were also decorated with phots of early Los Angeles history and celebrities.
The only thing that perturbed me was the dim lighting. I guess they would rather call it “warm, intimate, soft lighting”…but what the hell. I want to be intimate with my food, too…and how can I be when I can’t even see it?
But the fish tank was cool, I’ll give them that! Random, but totally wicked cool!
Even the bathroom was oldie-style:
Sorry, couldn’t resist. It was a huge group of us ladies. Church ladies who lunch! Tee hee.
The menu choices were rather limited, but that’s a good thing I suppose since the first clue to an unauthentic restaurant is a menu the size of…say, Cheesecake Factory.

I had trouble deciding what I wanted…so I asked the waiter for help, and he promptly pointed to the most expensive item on the menu. I, like a fool, took his advice and ordered that. I got the Crabmeat Enchilada:
Corn Tortillas wrapped around succulent crabmeat with Jalapeno-Cilantro Pesto Sauce, Sour Cream, Fresh Avocado, Black Beans and Rice.
Here’s a secret: I did not take the picture at my table. After my waiter served me this dish, I took it and ran to a particular spot in the restaurant that had a teeny bit of natural light peeking in. That, my friend, is true dedication of an obsessed food blogger.
Bad lighting aside, this dish…was fabulous. Holy crab! I’ve never had better enchiladas in my life! The crabmeat was utterly succulent, with that savory sweetness of good crabmeat.
But the sauce…that Jalapeno-cilantro pesto sauce was definitely the star! It was rich and creamy, without being overly cloying or heavy. Perfecto!
And the cheese! This was definitely a whole bucket of cheese! These people know the way to my heart!
Most of my friends seemed to be watching their weight, and ordered the lighter Annie’s Early California Enchiladas:
Corn Tortilla stufed with Garden Fresh Vegetables, Spinach, Sauteed Mushrooms, and Jack Cheese, Corn and Tomato Salsa.
And none of them could finish this.

What? I don’t understand, I’m so confused. Because I sure had no trouble polishing off mine:
(I ate up that little portion of rice afterwards, just in case you were wondering)

You know, this reminds me…there was once an online forum with a topic asking what cuisine you dislike. I said I don’t really like Mexican food, because it’s a bit too greasy and messy…and frankly, ugly. A guy (I think he was Mexican) responded immediately, “Like your face!”

Wow. People get so sensitive about food. But I guess food is a lot more than taste. It’s got a sort of pride, a culture, a tradition, a story behind it. We all have our food memories and backgrounds and stories. There are certain food we grew up eating which stirs up nostalgia, or a flood of emotions. Food is an integral component in our lives, both physically and emotionally. I guess my “You Are What You Cook” Challenge touches on that, too.

Okay, reminder: Entries for the challenge is due…today! And so is the BSI entries. I will most likely post the winner on Tuesday, but next week’s BSI host will be announced before then so that there is plenty of time to submit your entries to the next BSI. I’m sorry this week’s BSI was posted so late; I was only notified on Tuesday late afternoon myself. But thanks to all who submitted previous posts!

Question of the day: What is one food (or several) that instigates memories, traditions, emotions, etc. for you? And what is the most you’ve ever eaten in one seating?

Liar, Liar

burpexcuzme — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:42:22 +0000

I feel like making this a fun and lighthearted post today. In fact, I feel like skipping in a frilly frock with bows in my hair, humming Sound of Music. Can you tell I’m in a pretty good mood? Take advantage of days like these to ask me for a favor/money/gift/etc and I just might give it to you.

I’ve also been rewarded a fun award by several generous bloggers:
The rule is to come up with six outrageous lies, and one outrageous truth about myself, and to let you guys guess which is the truth.

Interesting note on lying: I’m actually a terrible liar, because I wear my emotions on my sleeve. But during my ED days, I was the Devil Deceiver himself. I became so freaking good at lying, I scared the hell out of my parents. In fact, my dad broke down crying for the first time in his life after discovering one of my deceits, because he realized that his daughter was gone, replaced by a self-absorbed pathological liar.

Whoops. I promised to keep this light. Sorry. But my point: ED changes your character into something as hideous and disgusting as he is. However, thank and praise the Lord that the more I shook loose from ED, the more my previous personality shone out. And now, I’m kind of lost my ability to lie again, which may or may not be a good thing.

So, I decided to change the rules a bit, and do 6 truths and 1 lie:

I did Chinese dance when I was in the first and second grade in Singapore. Once, I had to dress up as a duck, complete with bright yellow feathers around my buttocks.
I can’t stand chocolate-flavored anything like chocolate ice-cream, brownies, chocolate muffins, etc.
I once almost drowned trying to do gymnastics in the baby pool. I did a head-stand, and got stuck with my head immersed in the water and my legs flailing in the air.
I have a strange habit of gauging the price of anything with the number of Supersize McDonald’s french fries. For example, this sweater is worth 15 Supersize McD’s french fries!
I did beam gymnastics in Singapore. I am uncannily flexible, and I totally rocked at the beam.
There was a time when I was obsessed with bagels. I ate 6 bagels for dinner every single day. Guess which kind? Cheese, of course.
I’m a deadly deep-sleeper. I need 2 alarm clocks to wake me up, and even so I still sleep through them frequently. I once fell off the double bunk bed but still did not wake up. Maybe I fainted in my sleep?

Okay, churn your brains: Guess which is the LIE?

While you work those amazing brains of yours, let me share the amazing treat I had for Sweet Treat Wednesday. Since my school is in downtown Los Angeles, we are never short of Latin-American food and grocery stores. The main grocery store closest to our school is Latino, too, and it has a pretty good Mexican bakery, with all sorts of pastries and sweet breads that I’ve never seen before. Take, for example, this:

I have no idea what you call this. I’ve searched online and I still don’t know. Any Latinas/Latinos out there who can educate me? I’ll just call it bobina de pan for now.
It’s a huge coil of bread, crusted with a crumbly, sugary crust. The bread is a buttery milk bread that is only slightly sweet. It was awesome! It reminded me a lot of this Korean sweet bread that I really love called Soboro bun. Except this Mexican version cost me only 40 cents, and the Korean one will cost me about $1.50 for less quantity. SCORE! $__$

My good friend Adam also sent me a picture of his Sweet Treat Wednesday:
A real glazed donut (Note: there’s nothing “Holey” about it, either)!! He managed to combine both Sweet Treat Wednesday and Fried Food Thursday into a single deep-fried sugary treat (the cheater!). Adam, I have not had my fried food today yet, but I’ll let you know when I do! By the way, I was thinking: If you guys have celebrated Sweet Treat Wednesday or Fried Food Thursday, do feel free to send me your pictures as well, so I can post it on my blog every week.

Again, I emphasize: there is nothing wrong with eating a real honest-to-goodness treat (sugary or fried) once in a while! Actually, I eat one almost daily, and I do not mean a cup of froyo or 3 miniature organic cacao nibs. I needed that extra sweet treat and snacks to sustain me through this long day. Not everything has to have perfect proportions of carbs to protein to fat. Not everything has to be rich in fiber and vitamins. My point here is not that you should scarf down fried chicken and gravy all the time. The thing is, I also do eat plenty of healthy stuff…and I know most of you do, too, so you can totally afford an indulgence. Everything in balance.

Here’s an example. I’m on the run from classes to classes non-stop on Wednesday, so I need to eat something that is fuss-free and portable, something that I can nibble on especially since I have charcoal on my hands from art class. Now, I usually avoid bars, because frankly, I dislike Larabars, and I don’t like how most bars are dessert-flavored. But 18 Rabbits recently sent me a sample of all their bars to try, and they’ve been a life savior:
Here are the flavors, all in fun and kooky names:

Funky Figs & Cherries
Cheeky Cherry Chocolate
Haute Diggity Date
Nibble a Sultana
Belle Banana Foster

18 Rabbits is a granola company that prides itself of its pure and simple yet authentic treats. The appealing factor about this company is that they actually have a living relationship with their farmers. The source of their ingredients are from local producers and artisans like Meduri Farms, Straus Family Creamery, Butternut Mountain Farm and San Joaquin Fig.

Because they prefer to work with local growers and food artisans, their products are not 100% organic, but 80-90% of the ingredients in our granola and granola bars are certified organic.
In addition, 18 Rabbits granola bars are wheat-free, non-GMO, sulfur dioxide-free, and relatively safe for gluten-allergies (but you might wanna check with your doctor if yours is severe). They are naturally sweetened with unrefined maple syrup and honey, and chock-full of high quality seeds and nuts.
I hate to sound commerical…but their products blew me away. It is definitely one of the best bars I’ve ever had. The best thing about it is the lovely, sticky chew.
Check that out. Doesn’t that scream, “CHEW ME NOW!” to you? Chewy is my favorite texture, so this was the biggest plus for me.
The other great thing about these bars is that there is no fake flavors or taste to them. It’s not “cheesecake” or “cookies-and-cream” flavored. It tastes exactly like the ingredient it was made with.
My favorite was, surprisingly the Cheeky Cherry Chocolate.
I didn’t even take a picture, because I was sure it would be my least favorite! I’m not the biggest fan of chocolate in my food, nor am I a fan of cherries and chocolate together. But the bar won me over with its combination of that tart dried cherries and the dark, bitter chocolate. So. Freaking. Good!

Okay, reminder: March 7th, which is this coming Sunday, is the last day to submit your BSI: Brussel Sprouts recipes, and also your last day to submit your “You Are What You Cook” Challenge entries!

Question of the day: You’ve probably forgotten, but take a look up at the “Creative Writer” Blogger Award. Can you guess my one lie?
And did you celebrate Sweet Treat Wednesday or Fried Food Thursday…or both?

How NOT to Start the Day as a Grouchy Bitch

burpexcuzme — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 01:40:21 +0000

Sometimes, you just wake up on the wrong side of the bed. You know what I mean— you get up in the morning with a frown, every little thing seems to irritate you, and you continue on the rest of the day as a Grouchy Bitch.

The thing is, this bad morning mood kind of hangs onto you. It’s hard to shake off, especially because it is like a magnet that attracts more and more negativity. You’re like a small pile of turd—you stink, and all you attract are nasty flies. It doesn’t just affect you; it also affects everyone around you who has to bear with you, and it affects your overall productivity and health.

That’s why it’s just so important to start the day off right. You see, I noticed a pattern on my bad days, and it all starts from the day starting out wrong.

Typical Bad Day:

Wake up late —> Skip breakfast —> Rush to class —> Flustered mood —> Tired, doze off in class —>Feeling unproductive –> Cranky and annoyed –> Act like a bitch –> Shun social activities –> Lonely –> Unhappy

Does that sound familiar to you? I’ve had one too many days like this, and it has been really getting to me. It’s already the third month of 2010, and looking back to my New Year Prayer Topics, I’ve realized that I still have yet to actually work on some of my goals. I’ve been procrastinating on getting serious with them, and it’s only gotten harder and harder to start on them as time passes by and things get busier.

I’ve been reading up on new March goals on a lot of your blogs and it’s given me the motivation and inspiration to restart and work harder on my New Year prayer topics. And you know what? Instead of viewing them as a year’s goal, I’m going to crunch them down into a daily goal, and face them day by day so that I no longer have the excuse of “oh, I have a whole year to fulfill them!” And that day starts now, today.

So this is what I hope the start to my Typical Good Day will be like:

Wake up early –> Run –> Pray, listen to praise music, read the bible –> Breakfast –> Classes, rest of the day –> happy!

Today was Day#1, and I feel freaking wonderful. Thankfully my roommate was out, because I was singing along to praise songs, dancing to and fro as I cooked breakfast. And I did not doze off during classes at all! I feel surprisingly energetic, and I just feel…so alive and peaceful. I feel empowered by God’s word and spirits, and I can’t help humming as I walk across the school campus.

Another thing I realized: feed my spiritual body first. The truth is that I put so much attention on what I feed my physical body, but I’ve been neglecting consistently nourishing my spiritual body. Without a healthy, well-fed spiritual body, I become nothing but flesh—susceptible to physical weaknesses and worldly temptations. I’ve once again realized the importance of feeding both my physical and spiritual bodies, and how intricately they are connected and affect one another.

I know that not all of you share the same faith as I do, but I’m sure most of you will agree that we humans are not just a physical shell. We are more than just blood and flesh; we have spirits, and that spirits require daily food, too. For me, that spiritual food is God’s words. It’s more than historical text—it’s living and breathing, and it replenishes me with fresh power and faith each time I “eat” it.

As for physical food, I know for sure that all of you agree that it’s critical! Whether you live to eat or eat to live, food ties so much to our daily moods too. And in the same way, what you eat to start the day probably matters too. So let me suggest to you an example of a great meal to start your day…

Hash! Ah, is there anything more grubby and stick-to-your-ribs than good ol’ hash? The best thing about hashes is that they can easily be made with any leftovers you have, and it can be as simple or as lavish as you want it to be. My hash was actually inspired by this Tropical Traditions product that I won from Mara’s giveaway:

Coconut Peanut Butter! Oh this product is absolutely lovely! It is made from just two ingredients: organic Valencia peanuts and organic coconut. Nothing else!
It’s kind of runny, but I like that because it isn’t so dry like regular peanut butter. It’s not overwhelmingly coconutty, but enough to give it an exotic twist. As Mara said, it’s just screaming to be put into brownies or noodles. But obviously, I had to go the more untraditional route. So how does this product make into a hash? Well, all you need is a bit of imagination…

Especially because I hope that you participate in this week’s BSI (Bloggers Secret Ingredient)! Tara from Fun Fearless Foodie has asked me to host this week’s BSI again, and since the winter is clearing away for spring, I wanna hurry up and take advantage of the last of winter’s produce…BRUSSEL SPROUTS!!!

Please check out this page for previous BSI challenges and guidelines. And here’s just one idea on how to use brussel sprouts:

Coco-NUT-ty Sweet Potato & Brussel Sprouts Hash

1/2 cup Coconut PB cottage cheese blend (recipe to follow)
1 cup brussel sprouts, quartered
1 large sweet potato, cubed
olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 large onion, diced
2-3 mushrooms, chopped
salt and black pepper
balsamic vinegar
handful dried berries (or raisins, or craisins)
1 large egg
handful cheddar cheese

Coconut PB cottage cheese blend:

1 part dijon mustard
1 part honey
1 part apple cider vinegar
1 part Tropical Traditions Coconut Peanut Butter
2 parts cottage cheese

First you gotta make the CocoNUTty part of this dish. Just blend all the ingredients for the coconut PB cottage cheese blend together. I just gave ratios so you can make as little or as much as you want. I made a big batch, and stored it in an empty salsa jar:

Rich, luscious, creamy, sweet and savory. Almost pudding-y! SO good!
Now, I did not have any leftover brussel sprouts and sweet potato (are you kidding me? I always finish them off), so I had start with fresh ingredients. I put a pot to boil and then threw the sweet potato cubes in there, and boiled it for about 4 minutes. Then I threw the brussel sprouts in and cooked it all for another 1-2 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

Next, heat oil in a large skillet. Cook the garlic, onions, and mushrooms together. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to high. Toss in the brussel sprouts and sweet potato and dried berries with a splash of balsamic vinegar, and cook over high heat.
In the meantime, in another skillet, fry up an egg to your desired doneness. When the brussel sprouts and sweet potato have a bit of sear to them, turn off the heat. Stir in a few dollops of the coconut PB cottage cheese blend; stir to coat.

Ladle the hash onto a serving dish. Top with runny egg, sprinkle with cheese, and drizzle more of that coconut PB blend on top.
Okay. Imagine me presenting you with this dish in the morning. Is that enough to make you burst out into a song, or what?
Let me count the ways why this dish is perfect to start your day: First, a runny egg.
Second, that creamy, exotic, incredible coconutty sauce.
Third, sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts (BSI ingredient!), cooked up nice and crispy.
Fourth, the melted, gooey cheese.
Fifth, it’s well-balanced, and freaking nutritious.
And finally, it’s a Sophia creation! What’s not to love?
Do you have a goofy grin on your face already? Because I sure do!

Another reason I have a goofy grin on my face, is because my hair is finally long enough for me to tie it back!!! AAAAAHHH!!!
For those of you who haven’t been with me long enough, you should know that I lost 70% of my hair because of my eating disorder, and the ones that were left looked like it’d been deep-fried…yeah, a side effect that nobody really warns you about diets until you start pulling out clumps and clumps of hair in the shower. Well, ever since I’ve started getting enough calories in, my hair has been steadily growing out, and they’re thick and healthy, not thin and fraggled! I still remember it was only almost exactly one year ago that I first discovered my new hair starting to grow out!
So it’s true. The best beauty you can possibly be is to be healthy. And I want to emphasize that previous to this, I was eating “healthy”. I refused white carbs, sugar, etc. I was obsessed about getting enough protein, fruits, vegetables, blah blah blah. But it was only when I got enough calories in, that my body started to regulate itself. The proof is in the hair, my friends.

Okay, enough hairy talk. I wanna hear from you! Tell me, dear readers, how do you start the day out right?

And this week’s BSI ingredient is BRUSSEL SPROUTS…Please enter! Or my lovely hash will be lonely! Email me your submission by Sunday, March 7th…which happens to be on the same day as the submission deadline for the “You Are What You Cook” Challenge! Wow! That is a lot of exclamation marks and bold words! Okay, I’ll stop, I’m being annoying. Just remember to check out this page for BSI guidelines!

The Yank from Eating Disorder to Recovery

burpexcuzme — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 04:29:59 +0000

*Warning: May be a bit long and wordy…but I promise you it’s worth a read. If you’re not feeling for wordiness though, just skip down to the food. That’s totally worth the stay, too!

I’ve had a few questions from my readers asking what finally motivated me to recover from my eating disorder. For years, I had been suffering from my eating disorder in all forms—anorexia, bulimia, orthorexia, compulsive exercise, spit-and-chew, et cetera, et cetera. If it is categorized under an eating disorder, I’d pretty much done them all. So what finally turned things around? When was the turning point for me to change that suffering into a struggling…and to eventually come this far…in less than a year?

The truth is…the process of my recovery had started way beforehand. Even in the depths of my ED, I believe that God’s work had already begun—from the moment my parents gave me up to Him, and prayed tearfully for me. Medically, I should have died a long time ago…but it was the prayers of my family, and my church, that sustained me till now.

A lot of factors played into my recovery:

The love that God showed to me through the people around me touched me deeply, and changed my self-hatred around to self-realization and self-appreciation.
Through my anguish and depression, I found myself becoming more and more thirsty for the Lord, and I was somehow forced to know and understand Him more, thus gaining peace and insight into my condition.
Because I was robbed of a normal college lifestyle, I was forced to stay at home with my parents…but through that, I fostered a closer and more intimate bond with them.
As time whirled past me while my friends in college attended internships and studied abroad, I was gripped by a shocking realization that I really needed to make a change.
My trip to Singapore kicked my out of my safe routine and environment, dragging me into situations full of new challenges.

As I look back, it’s evident to me that God was always with me, each and every step of the way, no matter how weak and hopeless I was. Everything that happened to me had a purpose, and despite many setbacks and mistakes that I made along the way, God was gently pushing and prodding me towards recovery.

However, if I had to single out one particular turning point, in which the gentle prodding from God turned into a full yank, it would have to be when I started to care for someone else instead of myself. And that person was a 33-year-old guy named Ted.

Ted, in many ways, was exactly like me, just with another name for his mental disorder. He was once smart, bright, and ambitious; he graduated with honors from his high school and got into a pretty good college. But he fell into a serious depression his first year of college, and was forced to take leave. And he has never returned.

I don’t know the exact name for his disorder, except that like me, he is unable to socialize. He is entrapped in his own world, his own utterly disordered thoughts and obsessions. He is paranoid about the most random things, and worries about the smallest details that seem so trivial to me but is of utmost importance to him.

Another similarity he and I shared was that we were both hungry for help. And somehow, he and I found one another. Ted started attending our church, and he was desperately looking for someone to teach him more about the bible. Unfortunately, our church was a Chinese-speaking church, and few had the time and English-speaking skills to be able to teach him. When I heard about him, I immediately offered to help.

I don’t know what possessed me to volunteer like that. At that time I was less than half my ideal body weight, and I was literally teetering at the brink of death. But something about Ted’s condition struck me deeply…I saw my own struggles in him, and I was filled with empathy and compassion for him.

So we started our bible study. We met every Wednesday night, and each time we met, Ted would share all his struggles, concerns, and obsessions with me. And let me tell you…they were freaking ridiculous. Absolutely illogical and absurd thoughts that left me flabbergasted. But the most shocking thing was that Ted himself didn’t realize how crazy he sounded, until I had to stop and remind him over and over again.

And that was when I realized that I was the same exact way. A lot of obsessions, rituals, and behaviors that I practiced at that time were totally stupid and ridiculous, but to me, it was so incredibly real and logical. That was when it hit me exactly how much I was deceived and consumed by that disgusting, abhorrent Eating Disorder Demon.

I no longer viewed my eating disorder as an irritating cold, like some kind of mere temporary, inconvenient illness. No, ED was real, and it was damn scary. If I continued to leave it free and rampant inside of me, it would kill me. All of a sudden, I was no longer “okay” with ED. I no longer wanted to endure him—I wanted to kill him before he killed me. I was filled with a burning rage of hatred towards ED, and it was that raving wrath that eventually saved my life.

Our bible study might have started out with me trying to help Ted, but in the end, it was really Ted who helped me. And I find this scenario extremely beautiful…That two completely different people, sharing a rare bond of similar sufferings, would turn away from their own problems to show empathy and compassion to each other instead…and ultimately to find hope in their own recovery. Perhaps you believe in karma…but I believe that God really blessed me in every meeting that I had with Ted.

Phew! Wordiness! NEDA week is almost over (or is it already over?), but I wanted to share my story before it ended. But of course, I have more stories to tell…I just need to space it out a bit before this blog gets too sappy.

Speaking of karma…Remember that spiralizer-slicer giveaway I did a while back? Remember I so (a-hem) “selflessly” denied myself the slow-cooker that I really wanted and decided to gift one of my readers instead? Well, guess what landed on my doorstep?

A SLOW-COOKER!!!! Oh, gorgeous thing…sent by the dearest, most generous lady on earth, Christina! I’ve already sung heaps of praises on my dear blogger-twin Christina…now let me croak out my thanks again! Christina, thank you so freaking much…I’ve been wanting this for months and months, and you’re an absolute angel for surprising me with this thoughtful, wonderful gift!!

The thing is, just a day before I received this slow-cooker, I’d been browsing online for ideas on how to cook beans, and I’d come across so many great crockpot bean recipes that I had woefully sighed, “If only I had a slow-cooker!” So imagine my delight when I received a brand new one the following evening!

Of course, I had to try my new slow-cooker out as soon as possible, so I decided to use it to feed my bible study group on Friday. Coincidentally, one of my bible group friends had been sick for days, so a homey, warm crockpot meal was perfect for her too!

Korean-Style Burrito Bowl

1.5 cups dried black beans
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1/2 lb ground turkey
black pepper
~1/2 cup gochujang
~1/3 cup Korean red pepper flakes
~1/3 cup soy sauce
~2-3 tablespoons honey
a handful of dried figs, chopped
beef broth (or chicken)
cooked white rice
avocado
shredded cheddar cheese

A day before, soak the dried black beans in clean water, for 12-24 hours. Rinse, and dump into the slow-cooker.

In a large skillet, fry up the garlic, onion, and celery:

Cook for about 4 minutes, and then throw in the ground turkey, crack some fresh black pepper over, and cook until the meat is almost done. Throw into the slow-cooker.
Mix together the gochujang, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, and honey until smooth. Pour into the slow-cooker with the dried figs. Pour enough beef broth to slightly cover the mixture. Set the slow-cooker to high for about 4 hours, and then turn it down to low for another 6 hours or so until the beans are done.
Warning: be careful of the steam that whooshes out when you open the lid! I got an unexpected facial! Tee hee!

The next morning, prepare white rice (I used my roommate’s rice-cooker). Mound a good serving of rice onto a dish, ladle a good amount of slow-cooker beans over, decorate with avocado slices, and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
Simple, no-flair, honest-to-goodness meal.
It was spicy, but not too spicy, with a faint sweetness from the honey and dried figs. But definitely with enough kick to clear your sinuses on a cold day!
My friends went for seconds. I was jolly pleased that they enjoyed it so much! The best compliment I ever got, was when my sick friend said, “I have had no appetite for days because of congestion…and now I’ve gained it back!” Top that!
I stuck with the safer white rice because I didn’t want to scare my friends with brown rice. Heh. It soaked up all the juices from the slow-cooker beans, and was actually quite good!
If you don’t like rice, you can always serve this with corn or flour tortillas, too.
Thanks, Christina, for feeding both me and my hungry friends!
And thanks to the commenter who asked me the question about my recovery. That was a great question, and it felt great and rewarding to put it down into concrete words.

By the way, I’m not done with the slow-cooker yet…I’ve got so many things I wanna try! So stay tuned! And see you on Sweet Treat Wednesday!

Question of the day: Any previously eating disordered individuals out there who would like to share his.her recovery turning points?
And for those of you who were fortunate not to endure ED…any ideas for my slow-cooker? What should I make next?

Guest Post: Pizza McAdam

burpexcuzme — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 02:21:49 +0000

I am absolutely thrilled to have already received a few entries to my “You Are What You Cook” Challenge. I hope you haven’t forgotten about it…because the deadline is March 7th…So get your creative culinary brains churning! Meanwhile, let me give you yet another example of an awesome challenge post.

I was very honored when Adam, one of the cool and savvy grubsters at GrubGrade, offered to do a guest post with his own entry to my challenge. Adam is, in my opinion, an exemplary foodie: He loves and appreciates good food, and isn’t afraid to experiment with weird and kooky food combinations. While he does appreciate high quality and healthy food products, he isn’t afraid to confess his love for fast food and deep-fried junk as well.

In fact, I was totally blown away by his recent oatmeal creation: Dark Chocolate Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Bacon, and Chili Powder. Um, what the freak? How freaking genius and creative and fabulous and cool is that? Definitely not your average banana oats with peanut butter!

When I mentioned my Sweet Treat Wednesday to him, he suggested making Thursdays a Fried Food Thursday. Well, I’m not gonna let myself be intimidated by a white Southern dude, so I took him up to his challenge immediately. You’re on, Adam!

Thus on Thursday, I was planning to trek the 1-mile hike to get the $4.99 20-piece McNuggets deal from McDonald’s, but something else caught my eye:
The India Jones food truck which sits by our school’s campus each week, but which I have yet to try. Well, here was the perfect chance to celebrate Fried Food Thursday, right by my doorstep!
There is such a particular appeal to these food trucks in the way they come and feed hungry people…I love how laid back and unpretentious it is.
Just good food, hungry people, served fast and easy, but with pride, creativity, and individuality.
The menu was simple, yet interesting:
After a slight consideration, I decided to go with a Paneer Frankie:
Fried roti roll-up filled with cilantro tamarind chutney, chopped onion, egg, and cubes of fried paneer cheese.
Yummy and hot and greasy in my hands! Actually, it turned out to be less greasy than I thought…I’m more used to the oil-drenched roti pratas from Singapore…but it was still lovingly grubby!
I wish there was more of that slightly spicy, tangy, intense sauce, but I suppose it would make the frankie too soggy. The cubes of mild and chewy paneer cheese was amazing. I love paneer! The roti was lovely, too. It’s light, not doughy; greasy, but not cloyingly so. It also has a faint eggy taste to it that makes it even more delicious.
I actually ate this while walking back to my room from the grocery store. It made for a great, satisfying mid-afternoon snack, and I’m kicking myself for not trying the food at India Jones sooner. I’d always been meaning to, but I just needed an extra push to actually spend the money. Thanks for giving me that necessary incentive, Adam! And if any of you want to join our Fried Food Thursday, you’re more than welcome to!

Okay, I’m not gonna steal Adam’s limelight any further, so I’ll let Adam take over from now on. Everyone, please welcome Adam McNugget! (Not his real last name)

* * * * * *

I am a pizza; literally and figuratively.
I am an amalgamation of ideas, flavors, and textures. Complex and bold, my personality combines traits that sometimes seem irreconcilable. But somewhere between the differences of my character arrives the blended vision, the me. Baked together like a pizza, the various traits and eccentricities of my body and soul become both tangible and coherent.
I am the Pizza McAdam, I am Italian and I am American, I am New School embracing Old School. Creative and imaginative, yet built on a solid foundation of tradition and time-tested techniques. And dammit, I taste pretty good.

Ingredients

2 McDonalds Chicken McNuggets (must be Micky D’s, mind you):

My inner child and the kid in me. I am, and will always be, both nostalgic and in love with the simpler days of my youth. Not just of Saturday afternoon’s in which my father would take me to get a Happy Meal, but the 30 minutes of Recess each day at school and impromptu kickball games in the neighborhood. Health be damned, we ate what we wanted and ran off the rest. The McNuggets are more than a memory, they also represent the afternoons I spend wandering the toy section at Walmart or the early mornings spent watching cartoons in my dorm.

1 Whole Wheat Pita

Versatility and Good Health. I care about my health, and what is healthier than whole wheat? The pita is the perfect vehicle for a pizza. Versatile and underrated (like me), it shines when given the proper context, creating a crispy thin crust.

1.5 Oz Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, loosely torn (spend the money, use the real stuff)

The traditional cheese of pizza represents the traditionalist in me – both in terms of my unashamed conservative political and religious beliefs, and my commitment to following a ‘model’ for living. Yet it must be fresh, never processed. Only then can it be true and full of flavor, just as I am true to myself and my beliefs, and strive to exemplify the essence of them. Plus, is there anything that tastes better than fresh, creamy mozzarella? Uh, no…

½ T Parmesan Cheese, grated

Salty and powerful, yet compact and sometimes hidden. I might be a short dude with a Napoleon complex at times — and I do have a bit of an attitude – but I can just as easily play the role of the ‘sidekick’ and be content. Parmesan’s reluctance to melt like a soft cheese symbolizes my often hardheaded nature.

2-3 T BBQ Sauce

New School. While traditional in the sense of the cheeses featured, my pizza features a sauce that wouldn’t be applied on a traditional Neopolitan style pizza. It is, in a sense, the American and southerner in me. It’s a melding of two worlds – one, my Italian American heritage; the other, my country-music loving, let’s-go-fire-up-the-smoker American culinary leanings.

1 t Minced Garlic

Like Sophia says, can you really cook anything without garlic? The answer: no. But garlic also represents my sometimes harsh and repulsive nature that I display exteriorly. But give me time and you’ll find out that with faith, hope, and trust, I’m really quite a “swell guy” underneath.

1/4th red onion, sliced

Coarse before cooking, red onions are the sweetest thing after grilling. Not only do they accentuate the BBQ sweetness of the pizza, but they represent my tender, thoughtful interior (and my sometimes very real need to have a good old fashioned cry, don’t you know.)

½ t dried Basil and Oregano

Traditional “pizza” herbs; they accentuate the flavor of the creamy, rich mozzarella. Also, they are just what I happened to find the kitchen of the Newman Center I made this pizza in, representing my thriftiness.

1 t Balsamic Vinegar

Sweet, tangy, and complex. I fancy myself as the kind of thoughtful person who has a sweet side, even though it might not always come through with my abrasive, highly individualistic persona. I guess that’s what makes it complex.

Several sprigs Cilantro

Some people love me. Some people hate me. In the right context though, I prefer to think that everyone at least secretly likes me a little. Kinda like Cilantro.

Crushed Red and Black Pepper, to taste

Because ya just gotta.

Directions:

Assemble ingredients. Preheat oven to 500 degrees, and while it is heating, toast one side of the pita for 2-3 minutes, or until bottom because firm.
Grill the onions on panini grill. I got mine for $20 at a Black Friday sale at JCP Penny’s. Who says foodies can’t be thrify? I am in college, after all.
When the Pita is toasted and the oven be hot (yes, ‘be hot’) spread BBQ sauce over pita and sprinkle with minced onion, dried spices, and the roughly chopped McNuggets.
Spread Mozzarella (remember, use the fresh, whole-milk stuff if possible) and grilled onions over the pita. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, more basil, and pepper, to taste.
Put on an oiled baking sheet in the oven and bake for 4-5 minutes (this was an old crappy oven) or until cheese is melted to desired liking and crust becomes crispy.
Be sure to take time to admire how good it smells at least once in process.
Remove, let cool 2-3 minutes, and sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Serve it up on an ordinary plate in an ordinary dorm room, but savor the extraordinary flavors.

* * * * * * *

Didn’t I tell you this guy is freaking cool? Love, love, love the combination of a “trashy” ingredient (McNugget) and a “snotty” ingredient (the fresh mozzarella). Damn you Adam, now I’m going to have to go out of my way to get my 20-piece McNuggets after all. Until then, I’ll just check up on Adam’s review on McNuggets at GrubGrade.

Now, be cool, everyone. Come up with your own “You Are What You Cook” Challenge posts. Don’t be intimidated by Adam’s stellar post…I’m sure you’ll come up with something uniquely original and brilliant of your own! Oh! And to be even cooler, join Adam and I for Fried Food Thursdays!

Question of the day: What is your favorite fried food? Or “grub”?

The Other 364 Days

burpexcuzme — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 01:14:53 +0000

My parents’ 25th anniversary was February 10th. And I totally forgot. I only suddenly remembered it on Valentines Day, four whole days after their anniversary. So I immediately gave them a call that night to wish them a belated happy anniversary. Turns out, my parents had totally forgotten about their anniversary too, until that goody-two-shoes brother of mine sent them orchids. (I swear, that punk is out to make me look bad. )

After sheepishly apologizing for being a bad daughter and wishing them a happy Valentines and anniversary, I asked, “So, what did you do for your 25th anniversary?”

“Well,” my dad mused. “Your mom went to a prayer meeting, while I stayed home to work on this week’s sermon. And then she boiled me some squid for dinner, and we watched a Korean historical drama together.”

“Eh?” I said. “Isn’t that what you guys do every day?”

“That’s right,” my dad chortled, “Because every day is an anniversary for us!”

Oh Lordie. Talk about clichés. I rolled my eyes. “Dad, can’t you buy mom some roses for once?”

My dad’s lack of romantic gestures aside, I was secretly rather touched. My dad has never bought my mom a box of chocolates, or even a single rose for neither their anniversary nor Valentines. But he does shower her with plenty of love every single day, and so does my mom to him. They take care of each other: my dad warms up my mom’s hands and feet by rubbing them for her, my mom warms him up with a bowl of homemade kimchi (or miso) stew.

Looking at my parents’ marriage, I believe that Love is the most precious and most beautiful gift. But it’s also the hardest, because it isn’t a one-day or one-time thing. You don’t tell someone you love that person, and then promptly forget about him/her. You don’t say “I love you” to someone each morning, and yet ignore him/her when he/she needs you most. You don’t kiss and hug someone during special occasions, only to treat him/her badly most of the time.

Love isn’t a four-letter word. It needs to translate to real and consistent action. Even if you feel love inside, it means nothing if you don’t show it.

I’m guilty of this myself. I may claim to love someone…but when I look back to my actions, they just don’t match with my words. I’m reluctant to spend too much of my “precious” time on them; I get exasperated when they are weak; I vent on them when I’m in a bad mood.

Valentines may be over, but how do you celebrate love for the remaining 364 days? You might have spent big bucks on a Valentines gift for your loved ones…but do you give them the more priceless gift of daily love and kindness? Sweet gifts like chocolates and flowers are nice, but they get a bit saccharine if you do it daily. It’s kind of like sweet and savory foods. I know most of you love your desserts…but can you eat them for all three meals of the day? Sooner or later, those sweet stuff starts to cloy and you’ll get sick of them. Their monotone sweetness just isn’t as substantial and nourishing as real, savory foods.

Likewise, it’s the real, practical gestures that sticks to you: the time, effort, and care you consistently show to your loved ones.

But of course, those occasional treats are really pleasing. Which is what I try to tell my dad, but after 25 years, he feels it’ll only be awkward to suddenly buy my mom a bouquet of roses. As I said, my dad is no Casanova.

And neither am I. Actually, romantic guys kind of turn me off. I’d rather have a husband who bickers and debates with me than a husband who surprises me with cute gifts. Maybe that’s why I don’t really have a sweet tooth. But I have to say, sometimes, I do crave something sweet. Especially on a long day like Wednesdays.

You see, Wednesday is my Yucky Day. I have classes non-stop from 9 am to 4 pm, and one of them is the dreaded lab. By the middle of the day, I’m tearing at my hair, screeching, “Kill me now!”

Okay, I exaggerate. But you know what I mean. And I found out that the remedy to this is actually quite simple: I simply treat myself to a sweet treat. Thus, I’ve decided to make every Wednesday a Sweet Treat Wednesday, and I’d love it if you all will join me.

But here’s the catch: It’s gotta be a real treat. As in: no low-fat, low-sugar, whole grain crap. No baking your own healthified imitations with almond flour and coconut oil and NuStevia. No dainty 1-inch pieces of organic dark chocolate. Come on, it’s just a once-in-a-week treat— you can afford to indulge in something delicious with real butter and sugar! So, every week, I’ve decided to post a Sweet Treat Wednesday. It can be any form of favorite sweet treat: cookies, muffins, croissants, pies, brownies. The goal is to help me survive through the long hump day, and also to celebrate real indulgence. Because God knows we deserve it!

Last Wednesday, I had my first Sweet Treat Wednesday: A Starbucks blueberry scone:
I enjoyed every speck and crumb.

And then I got scone on the brain. What is it about scones that is just so. Freaking. Good? That Starbucks scone cost me $2.50, but it was $2.50 of pure buttery, crumbly goodness. The next day, I marched out to the grocery store and bought 3 lbs of butter and a bag of (white, bleached) flour. And I baked my first batch of homemade scones from scratch. Christina, here’s an early Friday Firsts entry!

Green Tea Scones with Black Sesame Seeds
Adapted from this recipe at All Recipes

1 cup sour cream
1 tsp baking soda
4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon green tea powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter, frozen
1 large egg
1 cup toasted black sesame seeds
half-and-half
sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl mix together the sour cream and baking soda and egg.

In another bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, green tea powder, baking powder, and salt. Grate in the butter, and then blend the grated butter into the dry mixture with your fingers.

Blend in the egg/sour cream mixture, just until moistened. Don’t overmix! Finally, stir in the sesame seeds.

Turn the dough out into a greased baking sheet, and shape it into two rounds, about 3/4 inch disks. Brush half-and-half over the surface of the dough, and sprinkle with sugar to coat. Cut into 8 wedges for each disk.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the dough is dry, and the bottom is golden brown, the tops crusty. Take it out, and let cool, and gently break into wedges.

Um, yeah. My whole room smelled wonderful. One perk of living in a studio is that there is no wall dividing my kitchen from my bed, so my whole room was just perfumed with a lovely aroma of home-baked goodness.
I gave one piece to my roommate, who was definitely drooling. Her response: munch, munch, munch. No words, except lots of “Mmmmm!”s I’ll take that as a sign that she loved it.
As for me? I was in loss of words too, I loved it so much!
Just look at that dense, speckled crumb! I adore green tea flavored stuff…it adds some a welcomed bitterness to the scone, which cuts its sweetness with its delightfully distinct aroma.
The black sesame seeds added a sensuous, exotic toasty-ness to it, and lots of lovely crunch. Paired with a cup of coffee, it was just perfect.
Okay, I had two. Who’s counting?
These made me a very, very happy student today. Not to mention, they provided me with lots of energy! Sometimes, there is nothing like straight-up sugar to jolt your mood up, and churn your brain into work-mode.

Speaking of sugar. Have anyone seen these?
Strawberried Peanut Butter M&M’s!! I saw them on sale, and I snatched up 3 bags of them at once.
They’re little pebbles of red, brown, and speckled yellow:
They’re coated in strawberry-flavored candy coating, with a peanut butter filling inside. I think they’re really tasty and intriguing!
But I have to admit…too much sugar can cause you to crash. I think sweet treats are perfect to get you buzzing in the middle of the day, but be sure you still eat a substantial meal as well, or you’ll end up feeling lethargic and dopey. So while I’m going to enjoy my real treats, I understand that you don’t want to overdo it either. But the dilemma comes when you’ve got an unrepressible sweet tooth. It’s not a problem for me because I just don’t crave sweets so much, but what if you have a major sweet tooth that calls out to you every minute? Not to worry, I know just the thing to cure that.

The generous folks at Organic Nectars recently sent me some samples of their new raw cacao bars:
Their new bars come in 6 different varieties: 54% cacao, 70% cacao, 85% cacao, golden white, coconut milk, and raspberry.

Here’s the groovy things about these bars of cacao crack: They are pure, raw cacao. As in, uncooked, and not refined in the least. They are also certified vegan, organic, and kosher, so they’ll please the pickiest sweet tooth. It’s free of soy, dairy, gluten, and refined sugar, so they’re low-glycemic, too. Which means…no after-sugar crashes! They’re the health-nut-with-a-sweet-tooth’s dream come true!

However, I was foolish…foolishly foolhardy. I’m actually a dark chocolate wimp…as in, I usually stick to good ol’ white and milk chocolate. But when I caught sight of the 85% cacao, I was so intrigued, I just couldn’t resist digging into it first.
Um, yeah. Really, really, really dark. Because it’s so high in cacao, it doesn’t melt smoothly in your mouth, but is rather grainy.
There was barely any sweetness, but a dark, intense bitterness that might please die-hard cacao-lovers, but not a milk-chocolate fan like me. I gave a nibble to a friend of mine who loves dark chocolate, and her response: “It’s perfect!” And then she promptly tucked the whole remaining bar away into her bag and refused to give it back. At least one of us enjoyed it.

After my highly intense cacao-scare, I meekly turned to the mellow golden white raw cacao instead:
Now, this was better. It had a rather coconut-ty flavor, and was quite different from regular white chocolate. The vanilla flavor was stronger, and the sweetness wasn’t overbearing at all.
Next, I dug into the coconut milk cacao:
It tasted very similar to the golden white, just with a more bitter undertone of the cacao. It was interesting, but I wasn’t necessarily impressed. I guess I was hoping for a bolder coconut flavor, and a smoother, creamier consistency.

But I loved the raspberry cacao!!!
Oh. Em. Gi. This was SO good!!! I almost expected to taste the gritty raspberry seeds in this chocolate, because it was so delightfully infused with that fruity, floral fragrance and flavor of raspberry. None of the artificial flavor—just pure raspberry essence!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my Organic Nectars chocolates. Even the 85% was an interesting experience. My favorite was the raspberry and the 54% cacao, which I thought was the perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness. Organic Nectars really instigated the dormant chocolate-lover in me. I was not a big chocolate fan, but these products have brought out the chocolate-snob in me. I won’t ever be satisfied with Hershey’s milk chocolate again!

Well, Wednesday is almost over. Happy Hump Day, dear readers, and I hope you get your sweet treat of the week! I’m actually not at all confident that many will join me on Sweet Treat Wednesday…but that’s okay, I’m still going to celebrate it each week…but if you do happen to join me, let me know so I won’t be too lonely.

Question of the day: How do you show daily love and appreciation to your loved ones? Also,let’s pretend that you’ll be joining me for Sweet Treat Wednesday…what will you be having? A buttery, toasted croissant? A big wedge of banana cream pie? I wanna hear them!

Mi-So In Love

burpexcuzme — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:08:49 +0000

I know Valentine’s is over. But it’s still February, so I think I’m still allowed to talk about it. Actually, the truth is, I purposely avoided talking about Valentines on that day, because it has a different meaning to me. You see, I’ve never been in love (as in, the romantic kind). I’ve had plenty of schoolgirl crushes, but the guy I “liked” always ended up liking my prettier best friend. On the one instance when someone actually did end up liking me back, I immediately lost interest because the “thrill of the chase” was over.

So when I talk about love, I have to say I only have a platonic experience of it. So when I think back to my history of Valentines…well, it’s just a black hole of insignificant past. Except for one particular Valentines, which has bored a hole in my mind. No, no first kiss, or secret admirer, or blah blah blah anything juicy like that…but nevertheless, it does tie into the topic of Love.

It was February 14, 2001. Our family was having dinner together, and I was quarrelling with my mother over a teacher’s complaint that I never paid attention in class. I gave all sorts of excuses—the teacher is so boring, she slurs her words, I got the highest grade in class anyway so why does it matter, etc. I was so intent in winning my little argument with my mother that I never noticed the steam coming out of my dad’s ears. Until…

BAAM! My dad all of a sudden slammed his fist onto the dining table. He might have bellowed something at me, but I was too petrified to listen. I was more interested in the pot of miso soup, which he proceeded to pick up and smash the whole pot onto the middle of the table. The ceramic pot cracked and the broken pieces and soup splattered all over us and the wall.

Shocking, isn’t it. From all the posts I’ve done on my dad, this is a side of him that you’ve never seen before: his vicious temper and fits of violence. It’s like he’s a totally different person. And you know what? He was.

The man I call dad now is the gentlest, most loving, most sincerely compassionate man I know. Looking back, I’m always shocked by how a person can change so much. It’s not easy to quell that infamous Lee temper. I should know…because I have the same exact temper embedded in my character.

So what happened here? From my observances and experiences, that fiery temper within my dad has been tamed. It’s been subdued by the love of God. The more my dad felt and saw the evidences and warmth of God’s love, the more he enjoyed it. The more he enjoyed His love, the more he began to manifest His love. In other words, my dad has become the representation of God’s Love itself.

Base point: Love is certainly the most powerful and most miraculous and most beautiful thing on earth. It has the power to change people. It works miracles. And its beauty transcends all things…enough so that it can turn even an “ugly” person into a beautiful person.

They say a human’s basic survival needs is food, water, and shelter. But I think love should also be included as an essential necessity in one’s life.

I know the history of Valentines really started from the celebration of romantic love. I know that thousands of couples celebrate it with romantic dinners and chocolates and mushy cards. I also know that thousands more get depressed because they are single/divorced/bereaved. Thankfully, Valentines is just one single day. But love? It’s always there, all 365.25 days of the year.

Whether you have a significant other or not, there are myriads of ways to enjoy love. But I think the best example of someone who enjoys the highest level of love…is someone who shows love, is love. I had to use the example of my dad, because I’m not even close to that yet. For now, I’m still learning and discovering God’s love, which I’m slowly realizing to be infinite in all areas of my life.

Now, I have to admit though, that after that night, it kind of ruined my appetite for miso soup. Miso soup kind of unconsciously triggered negative emotions within me and until now, I’m still not the biggest fan of it. But if my dad can transform, so can my distaste for miso soup. Dig in and slurp up, dad! This particular miso-y dish is for you!

Wheat berry-Lentil Misotto (as in, risotto…get it?)

1 cup cooked wheat berries

1/2 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 mushrooms, chopped

small bunch of mung bean sprouts

Kikkoman Ponzu soy sauce

chicken broth

almond milk (unsweetened)

1/2 cup red lentils

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 tsp honey

big spoonful miso paste

1 long stick of imitation crabmeat, chopped

1 stalk green onions, chopped

1 sheet toasted nori, torn

1 soft-boiled egg

roasted asparagus (optional)

Cook the onions, garlic, and mushrooms in the Ponzu soy sauce for about 1-2 minutes. Add in the wheat berries and bean sprouts. Pour in chicken broth until covered, and bring to a boil. Simmer until reduced, and keep adding more and stirring as you simmer.

Pour in desired amount of almond milk to give it some creaminess. Add the red lentils, and cook and stir while simmering until the mixture is sort of creamy and the grains are all cooked soft. Add more almond milk or chicken broth as necessary.

Reduce heat, stir in parmesan cheese, honey, miso paste, and crabmeat. Stir for a minute, and then pour into a serving dish over the roasted asparagus.

Top with green onions, nori, and soft-boiled egg. Drizzle with more Ponzu soy sauce if you want.

Miso or not, I was definitely salivating as I cooked this! It’s not exactly miso soup, but a hybrid of risotto…except I used wheat berries for the chewy texture, and I added the red lentils to thicken the mixture up.
The ingredients seem long, but I didn’t need to go out of my way to look for anything; I just used whatever is available in my pantry. That’s the beauty of this kind of recipe…you can tailor it to however you want!
I was going to have the asparagus on the side, but I thought it would be fun to pour the misotto over them.
For the asparagus, I just sprinkled salt and pepper over them, a drizzle of olive oil and Ponzu soy sauce, a sprinkle of lemon zest, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Roast them in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
I think asparagus season is here…because I got this at 97 cents/lb!
I don’t think anyone is surprised to see a runny egg on top, is there?
I think the wheat berries ramped up the nutritional value and chew factor, but it really defied the original concept of a creamy, velvety risotto…oh well. I love chewy stuff! But I think it’s time to go look for real arborio rice.
Another way that would be really nice is a squeeze of orange juice with perhaps chickpeas…and arugula? Ideas are pouring!

And so are many more thoughts about love. Actually, I could talk on and on about love…it’s just such a deep and unlimited topic to think about, so I might even want to do a series on love…but being me, I assure you it won’t get too mushy.

Question of the day: So…I wanna hear some love stories from you! What is your idea of the greatest form of love? I would love to hear anything and everything you have to say about love!

Giveaway Winner!!

burpexcuzme — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 06:56:41 +0000

Thanks for participating in my giveaway, everyone!

The bad news is, there can be only one winner…

The good news is, everyone gets a virtual hug from me for all the support and feedback you left me! *muah!*

But let’s cut to the chase— The winner of my Spiralizer-Slicer Giveaway is:

Which would be…*counting tediously*

Mara from What’s For Dinner!

Congratulations, Mara!!! I can’t wait to see what you spiral out with this baby!