iPhone 4 Commercial

Check me out in a commercial for the new iPhone 4. I'm at the 0:58 mark.

Steamed Wild Cod with Citrus

Our very good friend, Mario Jackson, sometimes works the farmers market in Encino, selling wild caught seafood. He generously gave me a beautiful filet of wild cod that I marinated with garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and orange zest. I topped it with fresh chopped parsley, onion slices, and orange slices. Lastly, I wrapped it in aluminum foil, and Ismael cooked it for me on his grill. Mario came over for dinner that night, and it was a lovely evening of good food among dear friends.

Mouthwatering Bruschetta

How many of us watched Julie & Julia and salivated during the bruschetta scene? I certainly did. The sizzling sounds of the baguette browning in the sauté pan. The vibrant red color and perfect firmness of the heirloom tomatoes being sliced on the cutting board. The shininess of the olive oil married with the tomato and basil mixture. The savory sprinkling of salt. And mostly, the CRUNCH of the bread as the actors bit into the bruschetta, eliciting mouthfuls of yummy noises and exclamations of, "This is good! This is really good!" Mmmm...

I've seen this film at least five times, watching it every single time it comes on cable. Tonight, I couldn't take it anymore. I turned off the television, threw on my sandals, and made a quick run to the market to buy a French baguette and some fresh basil. (I already had the tomatoes and garlic.) I can only hope the pictures I've taken give you an adequate glimpse of how monumentally flavorful this dish was. The garlic, the tomatoes, the basil, the salt, the olive oil...every component comes alive in your mouth while your senses of sight, smell, sound, and taste are unabashedly bombarded.

Aging Gracefully?

As I approach another birthday, I can't help but take stock of my face. And the verdict is...drumroll please...it's ok. Yes, only ok. Not great, not horrible. But somewhere in the middle. My friend Heather has been rather vigilante lately about finding a moisturizer that will combat her wrinkles. I've been mildly successful at keeping my wrinkles at bay. (The dark circles are another issue.) I even pampered myself last weekend with a Detoxifying Masque from PurMinerals.








Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, and see for yourself...the Incredible Purple Faced Woman!













Following on Heather's heels (and per her recommendation), I've scoured the internet--namely DermaDoctor--and found VaniCream. It's my new bedtime moisturizer, and it's on sale right now at Walgreens for $13.99. The reviews rave about its magical ability to cure eczema and severe dry skin. I slather it on my face and my body after my nightly shower. So far, I like it!

Fish Sauce, Baby!

You're not really Vietnamese unless you like fish sauce. And you're not really a Vietnamese cook unless you can make it. For years, I made batches of fish sauce that were merely edible, at best. One winter my parents came to visit, and my dad taught me how to make his fabulous fish sauce--the best I've ever had! So today, I rolled up my sleeves, and painstakingly mashed the green chilis and garlic. To that paste, I squeezed about six limes. Then I spooned granulated sugar into the bowl until the sugar mound met the height of the lime juice. Next I poured raw fish sauce into the bowl until the mixture reached a dark caramel color. I carefully stirred, feeling the sugar slowly dissolve into the liquids. I added a little bit of boiling water, just to cut the acidity of the fish sauce and lime juice (a trick my mom taught me). Lastly, I added red chili garlic sauce to give it beautiful color.

Immediately following my bravissimo creation, I made salmon spring rolls to dip in my sensational fish sauce. Feast your eyes on my most exotic lunch. So good...

Overdue Food Entry

In exactly five days, I will turn 35. Yikes! And although I may not be where I thought I'd be by this age, one thing is certain. I sure do eat well.

If you've ever watched Top Chef, then you've heard of Todd English. English is a celebrity chef and restaurateur with at least ten restaurants under his name. One day I had a skirt steak filet, and didn't know what to do with it. A quick google search turned up a Todd English balsamic skirt steak marinade that knocked our socks off. We had it with sauteed vegetables, steamed corn, and mashed potatoes with gravy. Ismael couldn't stop giving me kisses throughout dinner.





Ismael had a hankering for cheesy enchiladas one night, and he made these ooh-y, gooey, oh-so-cheesy Enchiladas Rojas con Pollo. We topped them with lettuce, tomato, onion, and sour cream.


















Sometimes, I like to veer off the "green salad path." After all, there is only so much green salad one can eat throughout the week before it gets really, really, mundane. Behold! My Jicama Mango Summer Salad is comprised of jicama, mango, cucumber, and cilantro. Sprinkled with salt, cayenne powder, and lime juice, it's totally refreshing!







My mom came for two and a half weeks in March. She couldn't have come soon enough because I had begun to dream about Vietnamese food. Her first creation was Vietnamese Crab Soup, one of my childhood favorites. You eat it with noodles, topped with a healthy helping of fresh herbs and bean sprouts.




















My all time favorite soup is Sour Vietnamese Fish Soup, or "Canh Chua." No one makes this better than my mom. When you order it in a restaurant, they barely use any vegetables. My mom, however, makes it exactly the way I like it.











The only thing better than Ismael's enchiladas rojas are his Enchiladas Verdes. The perfect balance of pasilla flavor and creamy texture, we eat it with buttered rice and pickled onions.

Meat, It's What's For Dinner...

These beef ribs are another Ismael-creation. He loves bbq. So when Whole Foods slashed the prices on their grass fed beef ribs, we bought a rack. Ismael cooked it to fall-off-the-bone perfection. We ate it with creamy "coleslaw," or chopped cabbage tossed with Ranch dressing, and steamed corn cobs. Finger lickin' good!

BAM!

Emeril Lagasse provides a recipe for chicken marsala which is out of this world. Last night I served it on a bed of angel hair pasta with a side of steamed broccoli. Buon appetito!

Stuffed

At the farmers market this weekend, in addition to the regular fare, they had raisins! Tonight, I made roasted bell peppers stuffed with ground beef, onion, garlic, raisins, walnuts, diced tomatoes, and brown rice. I seasoned the mixture with salt, pepper, cumin, and soy sauce. Moist, light, and easy to make--the perfect combination for an otherwise lackadaisical Monday night.

Jenifer Breman's Roast Chicken with Vegetables

I figured out that one of the reasons my food pictures turn out so lackluster is because I rush to take the pictures. We get super hungry. So when the food is finally finished, it's a mad dash to sit down and eat. Yesterday I prepared a roast chicken and vegetable dish, recipe courtesy of my friend Jenifer Breman. Jen is an excellent cook, and she made this traditional meal for the ladies in our group one evening. It was simple, comforting, and perfect.

Fill the bottom of a casserole dish with brussel sprouts, carrots, onions, and potatoes. Rub a whole chicken with olive oil, then fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, salt, pepper, paprika, and lemon zest. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with quartered lemons, halved garlic bulbs, and a handful of rosemary and thyme sprigs. Place the chicken directly on top of the vegetables. Pour chicken broth over the vegetables to keep from drying. Do not cover. Bake at 425 degress for approximately 90 minutes. Below is a picture of the chicken before it goes into the oven.


Ismael made gravy with the drippings. Below is the finished chicken. The skin is crispy, and the meat is succulent. And as my other friend Jennifer Jacobs said when I prepared this dish for her during her visit from Michigan, "This is so good! The vegetables are just as good, if not better than, the chicken!"




After dinner, I saved the remaining pieces of chicken to use in other dishes later in the week--wraps, pasta, sandwiches... Stay tuned!

Are You Smarter Than A Sixth Grader?

The other night, my sister Kris sent out an email to the family asking for help on my oldest nephew's math problem.

"Five friends worked together on a project. Mattie, Jerad, and Stu all worked the same length of time. Tisha worked a total of three hours, which is equal to the total amount of time that Mattie, Jerad, and Stu worked. Pablo and Mattie together worked half the total amount of time that the five friends worked. How many hours did Pablo work?"

We, of course, solved the problem easily. We're Asian, after all! Can you figure it out?

Performance of a Lifetime

If you know me, then you know that I am a huge fan of figure skating. This past weekend was the 2010 U.S. Men's National Championships. And this being an Olympic year, the results will also decide who represents the United States in Vancouver. Here is the free skate performance by Jeremy Abbott. It is possibly the most perfect technical performance I've ever seen (since the advent of the quadruple jump). A performance like this is what every skater dreams of.

And while I'm at it, here are more of my favorite figure skating performances.

In the 1984 Los Angeles Winter Olympics, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean clinched the top spot in pairs dancing by skating their legendary Bolero. It is rumored that English Parliament took a recess when the pair was set to skate in order for government officials to watch the British darlings win Olympic gold.

Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov were paired by their coach when she was only 10, and he was 14. Not only did they dominate the world of pairs skating--winning two Olympic gold medals, but theirs was a soaring love story. The beautiful, iconic Russian couple married in 1991 and gave birth to a daughter in 1992. Sadly, Sergei died unexpectedly in 1995, at the age of 25, from a massive heart attack. Here is their 1994 gold medal performance in the Lillehammer Winter Games, one year before Sergei's death.

Michelle Kwan is perhaps the name that is most synonymous with figure skating. Though she never won an Olympic gold medal, Michelle inarguably changed the face of the sport forever, and is the most decorated figure skater, man or woman, in its history. After a monumentally disappointing silver medal finish in the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, Kwan left her soul on the ice with this heartwrenching performance during the exhibition gala that followed.

The much touted Battle of the Brians in the 1984 Winter Olympics brought out two superb performances by Canada's Brian Orser and America's Brian Boitano. After much media hype, Boitano won, simply by defying gravity. See for yourself. Boitano's reaction at the end of his routine is that of pure joy, and it is priceless.

In the world of figure skating, Switzerland's Lucinda Ruh may not have risen to the top of international competition, but she is widely regarded as the best spinner to have ever stepped onto the rink. Ruh's spins were faster, more centered, and more intricate than that of any other. Here, she dazzles the crowd at the 1999 World Championship in Helsinki, Finland. (Her spin at 3:58 is nothing short of super human, centrifugal splendor.)

Little Leo the Lion

Little Leo the lion cub

Loved to romp and play

All day long in the African sun

He'd while the time away.

He'd pounce on scurrying lizards

Sneak up on gazelles that were grazing

Race the tumbling dust balls

And study the hippos bathing.

One day Leo saw a butterfly

Its wings were brightly colored

It glittered orange in the sun

And in the wind, the wings fluttered.

From the tip of a tall blade of grass

To the crest of a gusty breeze

Leo was utterly hypnotized

By the butterfly's buoyant ease.

Through the flowers

Across the plains

And under the shade of a wattle tree

Leo followed the butterfly

Letting the iridescent insect lead.

Before he knew it, he was lost

Alone in an open field

He cried for his Mommy

And roared for his Daddy

But his roar was more like a squeal.

"Oh no!" he thought as he scanned the ground.

"This time I've come too far to be found."

So he lay in the grass

Placed his head on his paws...

Closed his eyes and waited

For the sun to withdraw.

And when the sun began to fade

He remembered the lesson his Daddy had gave.

Should you ever go astray

Believe in your heart

You'll find the way

Sniff the air

And prick your ears

Widen your eyes

And set forth here

Just come back the way you came

Through the flowers

And across the plains.

You are a lion

And lions are strong...

You are my son

And with us you belong.

Pesto Pasta with Vegetables al Dente

I totally need a food stylist or food photographer or something because this picture simply does not do the dish justice. Last night, Ismael made the best pesto sauce ever! With fresh basil, toasted pinenuts, about four garlic cloves (they were small), half a lime, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a generous amount of olive oil. We omit the parmesan because I don't like it. He grates fresh parmesan over his pasta directly. It works. Anyway, everything goes into a food processor, and within seconds you have the most flavorful homemade pesto sauce. We tossed it with garlic basil linguini, sauteed asparagus, red bell peppers, crimini mushrooms, chopped onions, and minced garlic. The key is to saute the asparagus, bell peppers, and mushrooms separately, one at a time, in order to keep their crunch. I also made a green salad that I topped with lime, olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano. Simple and perfect. (I always miss my mom when I make a dish like this because she loves it when I make pasta for her.)

Sunday Morning Waffles

Ismael's only day off called for a celebration. We started the day with a light breakfast of leftover pizza. Hey, it was the Jets vs. Bengals last night! He was going to take me on a date, but I let us stay home and watch USC's Mark Sanchez lead the Jets to victory over USC's Carson Palmer and the Bengals. We ordered pizza, and I made a huge chopped spinach salad to go with it.

After our light breakfast, he went to mass, and I went for a run at the park. We reconvened at home, and, together, we made billowy mounds of steaming waffles (recipe courtesy of Beverly Tommasi). Beverly's recipe calls for four tablespoons of bacon grease, which we obliged by frying up crispy, smoked applewood bacon. We topped the waffles with beautiful blueberries and strawberries that Ismael bought at the Toluca Lake farmer's market on his way home from church. Divine!

Adventures in House Hunting

Looking at a loft in downtown Los Angeles with my realtor Jeffrey back in December. Isn't he a fashion plate? Jeffrey's realty office, Sotheby's, actually presented him with a trophy for being their Best Dressed Realtor. Only in Lalaland...

Ismael is the photographer. We ultimately passed on the property.

The Salad Was the Star

Ismael decided to work today since he's been making pretty good hours. I was dreading another lonely day by myself; but alas, I made the most of it. First, I went to Beachwood and tackled the picturesque stairs. I went up and down five times (my norm) while I rocked out on my iPod. Next, I went to the Chandler bike path and donned my roller skates. I skated the full four mile path, trying to ignore my burning quads. (Yes, I wore my helmet.) Then I stopped by the library to check out Tana French's The Likeness. I've been to the library three times already attempting to check out this novel. I guess other people also read the glowing review in Glamour magazine, because only now was I successful in getting my hands on this much talked about murder mystery.


Even though I was starving from my rigorous workout, I took the time to make an amazing salad. Voilà!







Feast your eyes on my spicy salad of green leaf lettuce, roma tomato, white onion, giant olives stuffed with jalapenos, and pickled chili peppers tossed in a simple vinaigrette. (I basically raided my fridge.) I ate it with a half sandwich and half banana (leftover meat from last night's dinner and fruit from this morning's breakfast).

Visited the kiddies at camp today. They performed their dances for me. So adorable. It was nice to see Jake too. I might be able to coax him into enrolling into Glendale's dance program.

Every muscle in my body is screaming. Ballet is kicking my butt, and it's only been three days! I'm excited, though. I ought to be in killer shape by the end of the winter session, which is mid February. Just in time for Valentine's Day! My biggest motivation came the other night.

I was in my skivvies, fresh out of the shower, and leaning over my dresser drawer looking for some pajama pants. When to my utter horror and disbelief, I heard Ismael involuntarily say, "Ew..."

"Did you just 'ew' my butt?!" I asked, completely shocked.

"Uh..." He was caught off guard. His eyes kept darting from side to side. Clearly he hadn't meant for his 'ew' to be audible. "No," he lied.

"Yes, you did!!!" I screamed at him.

"Well, you have to tone up," he explained, matter of factly, "especially where your legs meet your butt."

Easy for him to say. He's a guy! His ONE problem area is his midsection, which isn't even a problem yet because he's only 28. I have to contend with my midsection, cellulite, and wrinkles. Wtf?!

Needless to say, I was completely self-conscious for the next two days. But if I can't take brutal honesty, then I wouldn't be me. I'm determined to step up my workout regimen. Ballet, running, and LOTS of ab exercises. Bring it on!

Whispering

by Nuong Kim Nguyen

Infinitely long the river runs soft and cool

Sounds of ferrying sampans against the water at sunset relax and resemble songs

Shooting into the space above

Singing of marvelous change

Only we know

Only we're here

Thoughts of love that gnaw and torment

Each leaf rustles and blooms silky velvet, tender green

Eyes sparkle clear and sharp

Standing near, beating hearts

Earth and wind surge

Emotions swirl

His whole life he searches deep in memories

From the very beginning, from morning to now

Darling...

That which he longs for

And could not be said

This poem speaks for him

Fluttery eyelash

Tickles my face when he blinks

My son had them too

Schmesolutions

My resolution for 2010 is to get back into shape. Tomorrow I start day one of ballet classes at Glendale Community College. Though I've not completely slacked off on my working out (and I never will), I've definitely allowed myself to eat with abandon. Some of the delectable dishes that attributed to my mushy physique.


Birria is a spicy Mexican meat soup served with tortillas, lime, cilantro, and onion. Though it's normally made with goat or lamb, Ismael's mom made this birria with beef. I ate it with homemade flour tortillas. Spicy and soooooo good...






When I first started dating Ismael over four years ago, we used to prolong our dates by having dessert. Now that whimsy has come to bite us in the ass. We are completely addicted to sweets. For Christmas, I baked a dark chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting and covered each slice with fresh strawberries. YUM-O.





Crunchy, savory, and full of flavor, milanesa is a staple in countries such as Argentina and Brazil. But Mexicans are increasingly cooking milanesa beef or chicken, and adding it to their tacos. Ismael bought three filets of beef milanesa at our neighborhood Mexican meat market, pounded them, double breaded them, and fried them to golden crispy goodness.

Brussel sprouts must be in season because they're being sold by the stalks at Trader Joe's for a mere $2.99. I whipped up a brussel sprout petal salad, topped with a garlic and lemon balsamic vinaigrette. Ismael added shaved parmesan to his. I don't know how healthy the salad was after that.





We love sandwiches in our house. For a fun Friday night dinner, I made a garlic, chipotle mayonnaise in the food processor. It was the perfect accompaniment to a breaded chicken breast, tomato, and spinach sandwich. I served it with a tangy cabbage and pineapple coleslaw. I also sliced radishes thinly and called them radish "chips." It's a sophisticated approach to lunch-for-dinner.

Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

Ismael bought a bag of oranges two weeks ago, and we've slowly been whittling away at it. It helped that I packed an orange in his lunch everyday--peeled, of course. Yesterday, we got down to the last seven oranges, of which he squeezed into a pitcher, yielding about two and a half glasses. I added a sprig of mint. My mom planted some stems of mint into the front yard of my apartment building a few years ago, and I've been enjoying mint ever since. Thanks Mom!

Fashion Picks

They say that fashion follows the times. Case in point: Michelle Obama wearing J. Crew dresses during her husband's bid for presidency--a far cry from the Givenchy, Chanel, and Cassini dresses of Jacqueline Kennedy. So during these lean days of recession, it's out with the bling, and in with the industrial.



The shoe du saison remains to be the stilettoed bootie. The heel allows the bootie to retain its feminine and sensual allure, while the bootie's powerful infrastructure--be it leather, suede, or vinyl-- alludes to steely masculinity. The bootie's use of substantially less material than its ankle, mid-calf, or thigh high counterparts, lends itself to being the shoe for our contemporary fiscal quandary. (Christmas present from my sister Crystal)

Perhaps it's the simplicity of parallel lines, or the illusion of needing to hold one's pants up. My most recent obsession is men's suspenders. Worn with a basic tank and dark wash denim, the addition of suspenders will always elicit a fashion moment. It's supposed to be androgynous, however it's anything but. My suspenders were made right in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. (American Apparel, $17)



Although the intelligentsia has been preaching for quite some time that we dispel the importance of labels, I want to bring it back--namely, the label of having been "Made in the USA." Now I, myself, am an implanted American. I came to America by way of Vietnam, then France. I love imports and exports from Europe, Asia, and everywhere else. But if I can choose to buy an American made product during these roughest of times, then it doesn't get any more stylish than that (short of wearing red, white, and blue). My chosen New Year's getup, a sparkly party dress made of elastic and machine sewn costume sequins. I got it brand new at a novelty shop in the arts district of North Hollywood. (Shasa Collection, $30, Made in USA)