Menu planning

I love throwing dinner parties! I don't do it as often as I would like because I throw myself completely into the planning mode and spend more time planning or grocery shopping than working >_< This week I am having two different groups of friends over to my apartment for dinner. The first dinner already happened on Tuesday, and the second dinner is going to be on Friday. Here are my personal guidelines for menu planning:

1) Brainstorm menu ideas ahead of time, taking into considerations your guests' tastes, diets, and allergies. Also keep in mind how many people you will have over and if your party has a theme!

2) Read over the recipes carefully. Nobody likes surprises in the middle of cooking >_<

3) Make a list of all the items you need for cooking/table setting then take an inventory of what you already have in your pantry vs. what you need to get at the store(s).

4) Grocery shop before the day of the dinner party. I found that if I wait until the day of the party to grocery shop, I tend to forget things here and there, which makes me stressed and not able to enjoy the process of cooking =(

5) Think about what you can make/prep ahead so you are not scrambling around before your friends arrive. I like to socialize with my friends while we drink some wine and enjoy the appetizers, not running  around the kitchen while everyone else is having a great time.

6) Always end the meal with a good dessert because as the actor William Powell said, "Dessert is probably the most important stage of the meal, since it will be the last thing your guests remember before they pass out all over the table."

7) Last and not least, enlist the help of your significant other if you can. There is nothing wrong with a team effort!

These personal guidelines have worked brilliantly for me everytime! Do you have any specific things you do when you plan for dinner parties??

Anniversary

Sorry peeps....I've been totally behind on the posting >_< It's been a super crazy few weeks at work and I'm just now able to focus on something else besides my failed experiments =(

A few weekends ago Boyfriend and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary. I can't believe it's been 2 years! It's so cliche but time sure flies by when you're having fun! Boyfriend surprised me by getting me some gorgeous lilacs and stargazer lilies delivered to my office.

These flowers stayed alive and blooming for about 3 weeks and had the most amazing smell that permeated the whole hallway! The flowers came with a simple message, " A gift of two wonderful years. Love you." How can I not love this man??!! 

We celebrated our anniversary with a wonderful dinner at Rei Del Gado Brazilian Steak House in Gaslamp. If you are a meat-eater, this is the place for you! The restaurant has no menu, has an awesome cold bar (salads, shrimp cocktails, assortment of cheeses, king crab legs, etc.), soups, and a hot bar (rice, potatoes, fish, mussels, etc.)

The best thing about this restaurant is the unlimited supplies of meats! The servers (hot Brazilian guys with large skewers and knives, how can you not love it?) come around with different types of meats and stop by your table if you have this little thing below turned to green!

Yum....I'm getting hungry just posting these pictures! We finished the dinner off with some coffee that came in the most adorable coffee cups!

It was a wonderfully simple and amazing anniversary! I can't wait for our next anniversary and the many more that will come after that =)

Antiquing

A few weekends ago I went with some girlfriends from my PhD program to go antique shopping. I've never gone antiquing before so I was totally psyched about the experience! My friend Sarah is a veteran antique shopper, and she took us to her favorite store in Oceanside!

We first stopped at an adorable little cafe in Oceanside called Hill Street Cafe & Gallery for some lunch!

Then it's onwards to the antique shop! The shop is amazing! I guess I never went antique shopping before because I always thought I wouldn't have the patience to dig through a bunch of old stuff, but this shopping trip definitely changed my mind!

There were so many amazing finds in plain sight or hidden in the corners! I now think of antique shopping as a treasure hunt and I can't wait to go again!

Meeting the neighbors

My apartment complex recently had a BBQ and pool party. Boyfriend and I have lived in this complex for almost a year now yet we've only met about a handful of our neighbors. You would think that living in such close proximity with other people would lead to more social interaction not less, but go figure!

The party included an appetizer contest with the chance to win a $75 Visa gift card! I was so amped when I found out about the contest that I immediately started to plan my appetizer. I decided to go with an always popular appetizer, double tomato bruschetta (adapted from Allrecipes).

It was the perfect day for a pool and BBQ party. The weather was gorgeous and people were feeling very sociable!

PS. That's my patio on the right in the picture above :)

I love this picture of all the kids in the apartment complex playing in the pool!

There were so many amazing looking and tasty appetizers! Some looked quite strange but was delicious nonetheless! 

Sadly, I did not win the appetizer contest, but that's ok because it was super fun making the bruschetta and meeting the neighbors! I can't wait for next year's BBQ and pool party! 

Do you know your neighbors???

Impromptu date night

Have you ever had an impromptu date night? Boyfriend and I had one last week. I'm not the most spontaneous person in the world, but this was a very nice surprise that I wouldn't mind repeating ^_^

We went to Cucina Urbana, which both boyfriend and I have heard rave reviews. I didn't really know what to expect because I have only ever driven by the place. I was delighted by their decor, atmosphere, and food! Oh boy was I in love with the food *sigh*....no offense boyfriend LOL :P

The restaurant was dimly lit with a great combination of modern and rustic feel to it.

Even on a Thursday night, the place was packed and we were not able to get a table. However, we did get two very comfortable seats at the pizza counter! What it that, you ask? It's a long shared table right in front of the pizza kitchen! You can watch the chefs prepare your pizza!

I love the wood they used on the walls below. I think I want this in my own kitchen one day!

Oh! These cute bird lights were right above our seats! Aren't they cute?

Now let's talk about the food! If you love Italian, this is the place for you! Oh I am getting hungry just writing about it. For appetizer, we ordered the fried squash blossoms stuffed with herb ricotta cheese with purple basil pesto and cured lemon aioli on the side. OMG!!! So good! I've never had squash blossoms before and boyfriend hates squash, but we both loved this dish! A definite must-try if you come to this place!

For our entrees, boyfriend ordered the speck and pineapple pizza and I ordered the braised short rib pappardelle. Both were excellent! The pizza had a nice spiciness to it and the crust was perfectly cooked.  The pappardelle was out of this world! The short rib was so tender that it flaked apart and the sauce.....I think I can drink buckets of that sauce!

Of course, no Italian dinner is complete without some vino! I ordered the syrah from Paso Robles. It was dry and slightly spicy, just the way I like it! I think I am improving my tolerance for wine....YES!

How bad is soda for your health?

I stumbled across this in one of the food blogs I subscribe to:

I have to admit, I do enjoy a soda once in awhile, but I was never a big soda drinker. I guess I have my mom to thank for that because she rarely allowed the stuff in the house as we were growing up. I know lots of people drink soda on a daily basis, sometimes 2-3 times a day! It also shocks me that fast food places sell soda in 42oz for less than $1!!! That's a lot of soda for pennies! 

I don't believe in cutting things completely out of life because I believe we should enjoy the things we like; however, I do believe in moderation. So for you habitual soda drinkers out there.....please take a look at the chart above and think carefully before you go for your 3rd soda of the day or when you are ordering the 42oz size soft drink at a drive-through. 

Dinner with an Old Friend

My friend Evan called me up the other day and asked if we could get together and catch up. I haven't seen Evan in about a month so I was glad that he called. I've know Evan since freshmen year in undergrad so we've got lots of history together. He wanted to go get some Korean tofu bowls, which is one of my favorite foods! We met up at Convoy Tofu House, which Evan said is better than the Tofu House down the street (also on Convoy). I trust him because he's Korean so he knows his Korean food.

He ordered a seafood pancake for us as an appetizer, which I have never tried before. He said his mom used to make a vegetable version of the same thing, and he's been craving it. It was delicious!!

One of the things I love about Korean tofu houses is that they bring you these little dishes to go with your meal. These dishes mainly consists of various pickled vegetables (including kimchi, my favorite!). 

We both ordered the seafood tofu bowls with regular spiciness. It comes with oysters, shrimp, fish, and tofu in a delicious broth. They also give you a raw egg that you can crack over the top! The tofu bowls are boiling hot when you first get it so the egg cooks right away!

You can select different types of tofu bowls. There are ones with kimchi, dumplings, mushrooms, or extra tofu! They give you a bowl of rice with your tofu bowl. 

Tofu bowls is definitely one of my favorite comfort foods. Have you ever tried Korean tofu bowls? What's your favorite type?

Chinese Food in SD

Do you like Chinese food? I love it but I can't cook it >_< Sad, I know since I'm Chinese, but for some reason I just can't get the knack of it. I guess not matter how much I try, I can never make it as good as my parents, so I've kind of given up.

San Diego is not really known for its wide selection and great quality of Chinese food, but there are a few places that I prefer when I'm in the mood for some "home-cooking." One of these places is Sam Woo inside Ranch 99 Supermarket. I love this place because they are open late, the food is made to order, and it's extremely affordable! They do have a takeout section, where the food is already made, but I love eating at the restaurant itself. One secret, if you come towards closing time for the takeout section, they will pile on more food because they are trying to get rid of it !

Boyfriend and I went a few nights ago and ordered way too much food. I justified it to myself as plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day!

Rock cod with vegetables over rice!

3 Flavors Crispy Noodles (chicken, beef, and duck)

Garlic Shrimp

Mongolian Beef

My tummy was definitely satisfied after all the food. However, I never leave Sam Woo without getting their Thai ice tea with boba! So delicious and so cheap!

You really can't get a better deal and quality for Chinese food in San Diego than Sam Woo. Come try this place the next time you're craving some "real" Chinese food =)

A Hidden Jewel

One of my favorite types of food is Japanese. I have a few favorite places for sushi around San Diego, but this past weekend we decided to try a new place. I yelped Japanese restaurants in my area and got Fish Attack Sushi House right down the street from our apartment. It got 4 stars and about 100 reviews so we decided to give it a try. Upon arriving there, I realized it was the sushi place I drive by all the time and never bothered to give it a second glance!

We walked in and was seated right away at the sushi bar per our request. The restaurant isn't very big, maybe 6-7 table plus the sushi bar. Our server was a very efficient and sweet girl, who came to take our drink orders right away. When she came back with boyfriend's beer, she also brought some complementary garlic edamame! They were full of garlicky goodness and the complementary part made them taste even better!

We looked over the menu, which was extensive but not overwhelming. Boyfriend and I have a few favorites that we always order. For me, I like trying the spicy tuna handroll at every Japanese restaurant because it's my favorite, and the quality and taste of the handroll is a good indication on whether the restaurant is worth coming back for. I also love Ikura nigiri, which is salmon roe over rice and wrapped with seaweed. I don't know why I love Ikura so much, but I've loved it ever since I first tried sushi as a little girl. Unfortunately I ate the handroll and Ikura nigiri before I remember to take pictures of them....I was really hungry.

Boyfriend loves salmon so he always order some salmon sashimi.

We looked over the selection of sushi rolls they have and decided on two rolls: Thousand Island Roll and Fish Attack Special Roll.

Thousand Island Roll - no rice so a great no/low carb option! The cucumber makes the roll very light and refreshing.

Fish Attack Special Roll - awesome presentation and great taste!

The food and atmosphere at this places was really great! I'm so glad that I discovered this hidden little jewel. Now I can just go down the street for some great quality sushi ^_^ Do you have a restaurant that you consider a hidden jewel? 

The Cottage on a Saturday

Boyfriend told me he wants a relaxing weekend because he's been working like mad for the past week. So this past Saturday, we slept in, got up leisurely, and decided to grab some brunch. Boyfriend told me he has never been to The Cottage in La Jolla, despite having lived in San Diego all of his life. I was appalled! I love The Cottage and couldn't believe he has never been there!! We decided that we need to go there right away!

We got there around 1PM and it was a full house. We were told the wait was 15 minutes, which was fine because they provided complementary coffee and coffee cake (YUM!). We got a corner table by the windows inside, which was a first for me since I've always sat outside. I love their decor inside because it was bright with vaulted ceiling and I love the fans!

Boyfriend and I both ordered a cappuccino (mine was of course soy due to my annoying intolerance to lactose >_<). I've been on a cappuccino kick lately, I love the foam and the sprinkle of cinnamon on top!

Their menu is amazing, I wanted to order everything! Unfortunately, boyfriend told me that was too much food, so I settled on the Fried Egg Sandwich. The sandwich includes lemon aioli, applewood bacon, gruyere, tomato, arugula, red onion, and 2 over-medium eggs smacked in between two pieces of perfectly toasted sourdough bread. 

Boyfriend shocked me by getting two different dishes! He said he was really hungry, but I think it was because he couldn't decide! He got the Eggs Benedict (his favorite) and the Classic French Toast. Both were very delicious!

I have never made eggs benedict before.....maybe I should try since it's boyfriend's favorite breakfast/brunch dish. I think we will definitely come back here very soon! What's your favorite place to go for brunch???

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Boyfriend has been working crazy hours this week. He has a project deadline coming up so he's been pulling all-nighters at the office :( Me, being the awesome girlfriend that I am, wanted to cook something for him that was healthy, satisfying, and delicious! I went to my usual website, Tastespotting, for some inspiration. If you haven't been to this website, you should check it out! It's a compilation of different food blogs with amazing photos of food and creative twists to old and new recipes. Plus, it just brightens up my day to look at food!

I have always been a fan of bell peppers. I love the taste, raw or cooked, the shape of the vegetable, and I especially love all the amazing bright colors!

I decided to make some yummy stuffed bell peppers. Most recipes include ground beef or ground turkey in the stuffing, but I just wasn't in the mood to cook meat, so I opted for a vegetarian version. My stuffing consisted of quinoa, black beans, mushrooms, onions, garlic, sundried tomatoes, asparagus, and tomato paste.

By the way, have you ever tried quinoa?? It's one of my favorite rice substitutes. Uncooked, it looks like this:

You can get it at Trader Joe's or Henry's. It has a nutty flavor and goes great with everything! Besides being tasty, it's also very healthy. It's one of the only plant foods that has all the essential amino acids and  is a great source of dietary fiber, iron, and magnesium. It is also gluten-free. I like to think of quinoa as "super food!" 

You can cook quinoa on the stove, but I discovered you can also cook it in a rice cooker! I LOVE my rice cooker. I used equal parts of quinoa and chicken broth (for more flavor, but you can use water or vegetable broth), press the on button, and let the rice cooker do all the work!

I washed and hollowed out the peppers, fill the inside with quinoa stuffing, and baked them with the pepper lids on at 375 for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, take out the peppers and open the lids (carefully, they will be hot and soft!). I sprinkled generous amounts of Trader Joe's Shredded 3 Cheese Blend (mozzarella, monterey jack, and cheddar cheese) over each pepper. Put the lids back on, and back into the oven for another 5 minutes! 

Take the peppers out of the oven and let them cool slightly before handling them.

Grab a fork and knife then enjoy!!!