Noodle/Pasta/Rice

In All recipes, Noodle/Pasta/Rice, Seafood

Octopus 8/2

HuuuuuGE~! And, no. I couldn’t help it. I know I’m supposed to be nurturing baby tartlets, or summer fruitcakes, or at least an icy cocktail because that’s just the kind of things people like to lust over this time of the year. Not some giant 8-legged sea monster that they rather watch strangling the Empire State Building, than laying dead in their kitchen sink. But, no. I. Just. COULDN’T. Help it. Have you ever tasted a great octopus? If pure culinary bliss doesn’t do the trick, let me appeal to sentiments. This beauty instantly brings me back to my fond memories of that wonderful and sunny day in Nice, when Jason found a specialty food shop that gave us the most succulent marinated octopus to snack with on the way strolling back to the hotel. And I thought to myself, “Nevermind craving this back home because I would NEVER find a quality, freshly octopus… ” Well… hello there~.

07.17.2012

In All recipes, Noodle/Pasta/Rice, Quick Meals, Seafood

Best Thing Out of a Can

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I’m back from my 11 days trip to Hong Kong and Taiwan and find myself dealing with something that I assume everyone’s familiar with. The fridge is and should be vacant or otherwise nurturing some… organic, furry things. Oooonly-a-few-days-expired dairies usually get tossed in the trash after reason finally overthrows desperation (hopefully). Remaining options hover between the 24hr McHot-line or Mr. Cup Noodles. Don’t get me wrong. They are both great contributions to mankind and deserve a standing ovation, but guilt is calling for something homemade.

Boy do I have a solution for this. One of my absolutely favorite pasta and it makes in no time.

06.25.2012

In All recipes, Got Nothing But Time, Meat, Noodle/Pasta/Rice

Taiwan in a Pot

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I mean, really. Taiwanese or not, if looking at this doesn’t induce some watering in the mouth, I’m afraid we don’t have anything in common. Just imagine that gelatinous pork belly coated in DARK, CARAMELLY AMBER SAUC… wait. It looks more like blurry, grainy, monotone photo that’s seen too much UV light?

Ooooh… haaa.. ha… you know… Instagram being SO happening and all… ha.. I thought it’d be cool to do a little “retro” look. Just kind of keeping up with the tech world… kind of thing… BUT HEY, not fond of distorted view of the world behind diffused lenses? OK. We’re back.

06.01.2012

In All recipes, Noodle/Pasta/Rice, Vegatables

Magic Shrooms

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OK, I sort of bashed it in my previous post (as if it matters), and stripped its right for photos (as if they care). But maybe I didn’t make myself as clear as I should have. What I meant was, the tourist-trappy pre fixe we ordered SUCKED, yes ( “Ma’am, this is Robuchon’s signature this… Robuchon’s signature that…” Pfffffff!!). BUT everything else the local French were eating beside us looked SUBLIIIME!! If only we had another €300 dangling in our pocket, we could have theoretically rewrite our Robuchon memory. Or if only I grew a layer of cowhide thick enough to ask for a picture, “excuse… eh.. moi?… flash, flash oui?”, I could have at least showcase that beautiful morel pasta here.

05.29.2012

In All recipes, Noodle/Pasta/Rice, Poultry

A Confused Chicken Rice

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I assume people meant my ethnicity, not the city I currently live in, but even that has no easy answer. Three decades of my life so far are sort of evenly spent in three different locations. The country I was born in but haven’t lived in for more than 2 decades. The country I spent all my teens therefore granted me a citizenship of. Then there’s the city I feel most at home, where it shaped me into an individual and till this day, still defines me. So which one are they talking about? Oh, and of course this ~~shithole~~ place where I’m currently residing in for the past 3 years, where I don’t even want my name to go anywhere near the close proximity of. I think it’s safe to say that I’m a product of the environment of a shrinking globe.

That I’m suffering from identity crisis.

05.22.2012

In All recipes, Got Nothing But Time, Noodle/Pasta/Rice, Poultry

You.. Dirty Dirty Pasta

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Then came the effort the correct it. And then, TOTAL insomnia. As I tried pushing through the day without submitting to the brain-paralyzing exhaustion, the nights remained sleepless where I go in-and-out of consciousness and wake up feeling even more tired than the day before. The cherry on my cake was, on top of this build up of 14 days without proper sleep, that my oldest son, 11-year-old Maltese, Dumpling had to go through a completely unexpected surgery yesterday. If I haven’t properly introduced myself, this IS the top three on my worst-things-that-could-happen list. So all in all, the past week has been… really shitty.

05.14.2012

In All recipes, Noodle/Pasta/Rice

A Roman Daydream

So, here it goes.

I’m going to start this story by making a confession. I have…never been to Rome.

I forged this recipe after the Rome episode from my favorite travel channel host, Anthony Bourdain’s show, “The Layover“. His show is one of the humble luxury I have being here, that I get to pay $20 on iTune which would otherwise be free in the US. No no no, Slingbox doesn’t work here. If the internet in China is personified it would be a 800 year-old granny with walking stick that is broken.

04.05.2012