Sunday







going a bit crazy around here...

Friday

the time has come
everything is happening
when push comes to shove...
it's meant to be
it happens for a reason.


and for so many good reasons.


Monday

Manhattan





Chapter One:
‘He adored New York City. He idolized it all out of proportion’ – er, no, make that: he – ‘He romanticized it all out of proportion.’ – Yes. – ‘To him, no matter what the season was, this was still a town that existed in black and white and pulsated to the great tunes of George Gershwin.’ – Er, tsch, no, missed out something. –

Chapter One:
He was too romantic about Manhattan, as he was about everything else. He thrived on the hustle bustle of the crowds and the traffic. To him, New York meant beautiful women and street-smart guys who seemed to know all the angles.’ – No, no, corny, too corny for a man of my taste. Can we … can we try and make it more profound? –

Chapter One:
He adored New York City. To him, it was a metaphor for the decay of contemporary culture. The same lack of individual integrity that caused so many people to take the easy way out was rapidly turning the town of his dreams into …’ – no, that’s a little bit too preachy. I mean, you know, let’s face it, I want to sell some books here.

Chapter One:
He adored New York City, although to him it was a metaphor for the decay of contemporary culture. How hard it was to exist in a society desensitized by drugs, loud music, television, crime, garbage’ – Too angry. I don’t want to be angry. –

Chapter One: He was as tough and romantic as the city he loved. Behind his black-rimmed glasses was the coiled sexual power of a jungle cat.’ – I love this. – ‘New York was his town, and it always would be…’



Wednesday

Before Sunset


Jesse: “What do you think were the chances of us ever meeting again?”

Céline: “After that December? I’d say almost zero. But we’re not real, anyway, right? We’re just, uh, characters in that old lady’s dream. She’s on her deathbed fantasizing about her youth… so of course… we had to meet again.”

Monday










i think i'm coming to terms with a messy home, i think. [looks around] okay, i'm not. but one can only do so much in a day.

lately i've been feeling restless. my ankle, which i sprained 4 years ago, still aches. as i lay awake in bed at 4am i make plans on sleeping in and then doing some stretches when i wake up. neither of these happen of course. i hate making plans because it seems 90% of the time, they never occur.

i would like to move to another apartment, one that has tall ceilings and large windows, but the inconveniences of actually moving is discouraging.

pastimes are nice to have if you actually have time to pass.

i do not enjoy my job and i still have "dreams" (no longer plans) of living in another country.

i am going to chicago in march. i kept thinking about crispy pad see ewe last night and i miss sticky rice. i once called my obsession with this restaurant a love affair. i wonder if people who love opart thai in the opposite direction have discovered this gem yet. i hope not. i also miss argyle.

karen and allison are coming in february. i can't wait to actually do things in nyc with other people. hopefully, we can dance floors.

i hope the weather gets better. i have a lot of hope in this as that it is a tiny bit light out at 5pm. cross my fingers.

me and sofia made a vlog. i love watching her watch herself. she is so tickled by it, even for the nth time.


Thursday

new year's eve + lola lou's 50th















the new year came in a whirlwind
& i'm still holding on to my hat.

Saturday

christmas morning





30 rock





















even though i saw these in person to get in the spirit of christmas,
i was still definitely missing my friends and family.
i miss the kids the most and singing karaoke in lynn's basement.
oh and eating all those foods and waiting til midnight to open gifts.
we skyped with my family in chicago as soon as we got home from the city.
i told them i wanted to be there when they opened presents.
so in honor of eastern time, they opened gifts at 11pm central time.

<3>

shops







christmas eve


bryant park











morning before christmas





we had the day off christmas eve, so i made it a point to take sofia to bryant park and the rockefeller tree. it was well worth it.

Thursday


"bistek" (beef steak)

i was around 10 years old when i discovered how much i really love this dish. i remember only taking a little bit of rice and putting too much meat on accident. this meant that the ratio of rice:meat was uneven. after eating all the rice there was plenty of meat on my plate still, so i got more rice. but then i took too much rice and so i had to get more meat on my plate. this might have happened a couple more times, but not on accident...

this is a simple dish.
marinate thin slices of steak/beef tenderloin
in 1/4 cup soy sauce, 4tbs lemon juice/kalamansi/vinegar,
minced garlic & freshly ground pepper
30 mins - overnight
heat 2tbs oil in large pan and fry beef
then add the marinade and boil. let simmer.
cut 1 large red onion into rings and add on top of beef.
you can even fry the rings in a separate pan if you want it a bit crispy

alternatively, andrew suggested that we could marinate the beef and broil it. duh, why didn't i think of this. i decided to create a bed of onions and thyme for the meat. pre-heat broiler at 350. baste the meat or just add the marinade i there too. cook for 30 mins- 1 hour depending on how thick you cut the meat. i was too lazy to cut it so i just left it whole. it took about 1 hour. serve with steamed jasmine rice.



"imbotido" - filipino meatloaf
i actually didn't make this, it was from a restaurant.
the meatloaf is rolled in foil and steamed for 1 hour.
usually this is made in large batched.
so you freeze some and fry it when ready to eat.
you can even eat it for breakfast with fried egg and rice.



bokchoy stir fry, imbotido and polenta
i made polenta for the first time using this recipe.
except i didn't bother frying it or adding tomato sauce.
i'll try that next time.


Sunday

butternut squash soup + harvest salad


so for new years, i'm making it a goal to cook more. not only to save money, but also to learn how to cook all the filipino foods my mom cooked. i realize during the winter time as well as lately, that i've been craving filipino food. i guess because since its a bit heavy, sometimes soupy, and salty it's perfect for the cold winter days. plus it reminds me of my moms home cooking, and thats always comforting. i'm going to start keeping a record of the recipes since my mom only teaches me to eyeball it. so it takes a few research and tries to get it exactly how i remember them.

the following recipe is not filipino and it is also out of season. this meal is clearly meant for fall. so forgive me. but i'm sure you can eat it whenever you feel like it.








butternut squash soup
(adapted from the smitten kitchen)

melt 1/2 stick butter in large pot over medium heat
+ 1 large onion, finely chopped & 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
sautee til tender
add the following ingredients
+ 3 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
+ 4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
+ 4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)* optional
+ 1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
+ 1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh sage
+ 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
+ 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

boil and reduce to simmer until squash and potatoes are tender.

if you have a handheld blender you can go ahead and just blend in the pot.
if not, work in batches and transfer into the blender. and return to pot.

stir in 1/8 cup whipping cream and return to simmer.
add kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

croutons

preheat broiler
use 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) to butter day old slices of baguettes
broil til golden and turn it over
sprinkle
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon minced fresh sage
salt & pepper
broil til cheese melts

ladle soup into bowls and add croutons

harvest salad

large bag of greens
1 pear or apple
1/2 cup dried cherries/cran
4oz crumbled feta/gorgonzola
2oz crumbled pecans/walnuts
raspberry vinaigrette


+ moonlight mile ost

music should play while you cook. it adds flavor ;)