Free Cuba! Sans Cola

What good is making mojitos at home if you don't incorporate fresh mint and limes? Using my 2-in-1 sqeezer for the first time, inspired by a bartend @ Straits in Burlingame with a juicy rump, stutting her stuff in a qipao-inspired top and black jeans...

Reasons To Keep Breathin'... 3

Today, post-luncheon and still at the table, my nephew AC merrily made a request with me:

Goo Goo, come with me!

Caught off guard, i replied hesitenty, "O-kay... Where are we going?"

"Let's go to the house!" Responded a cheery AC.

And by "the house", of course, he meant the new home my brother just closed the escrow on recently.

"Now?" I asked. Everybody laughed.

And for the next ten minutes or so, AC would repeat "Let's go to the house!" every few seconds like a broken record. Gotta admire the little guy's perseverance.

It's a cool house. In a beautiful neighborhood. It's a more than decent size, especially for NoCal. Perfect for a family of four.

There's a lot of work to be done. And W & Elsie have expressed that it is kind of one room short. I can see that. They're not quite sure where the study may be.

This afternoon, W proceeded to "test" AC's knowledge on quarters assignment. Standing in the doorway, he asked, "AC, what room is this?"

Engrossed with his new toy Mack from the movie Cars, AC ignored W.

"What room is that?" I asked.

"The guest room!" W & Elsie replied.

Oh then i remembered our previous conversation on their wish to reserve one room solely for company, and not have it be slash-office.

Elsie's face lit up. "When you come over for dinner sometime, you can stay the night!" She glowed as she said. "We could drink, and you wouldn't have to hold back, worried about the drive home!"

Now that's love. This woman loves me! It hit me. I was genuinely touched. Most of the time i don't understand why anybody would. But there are times when i acknowledge that they... just... do. And i don't hafta understand it to feel its fineness.

Magnetic

I came home to a door knob flyer from One Love Pizza, complete with a hippie-esque logo. I love these local businesses with their own unique creations.

One item on the menu is called The Natural Mystic, with pesto, red onions, artichoke hearts, and yellow peppers.

Sold! You had me at Mystic.

Where's My "Kiss the Cook" Apron??

Five days after my last culinary fest, the pungent fishy smell that's been lingering in my apartment like a poltergeist has finally dissipated. Almost.

It's time to stink up the joint again! : D

Snippet 53

Taylor:
How you feelin'? No pain?

V:
Physical or emotional? LOL

Taylor:
Both

V:
There's always a remnant of both. That's just a fact of life now.

Tentative

Wouldn't it be funny if...

After a laborious performance of yours, a Chinese person walked up to you and asked...Take a bao?

Mystery

Last night, when i told Taylor i was depressed, he was a little perplexed.

He said something to the effect of "But you sounded so positive on your blog over the weekend!"

Well...
1. I'm always happier on weekends. Aren't we all?

2. That happiness was probably alcohol-induced.

3. Perhaps when those medical folks called me bipolar, they were onto something!

Attention 2

Creeks run dry, i realize.

Like my brother W has said: the only constant (k) is that there is no constant.

And there is no subset, either.

Attention

I don't enjoy ebbs and flows.

I'd much rather have the gentle, trusty stream of a creek.

I hafta admit... Tidal waves can be nice, when they hit the right spot...

But it's tricky when you don't know what sediments to expect

And you're just left feeling more devoid.

And You May Quote Me 26

I'm obsessed with cooking...

because

if i have the potential to please someone, i couldn't possibly be a bad person.

Even if i don't.

Uninspired

It's very difficult, when you're grief-stricken, to be told your grief is fictional/unfounded.

Retail Therapy

A case of buying something cuz it's cute.

These are poachpods. They are made of silicone, and float on water like lily pads. How cute is that?!?!

Aww i can't wait!

And i also bought this zester for the chubby handle:
Hey, i zest! I've have you know! LOL...

Flying Pigs On My Patio

My mobile makes me so happy : )

Thank goodness for wind... California can be so calm!

And in the past couple of days i've been seeing lumpy clouds... Almost perfectly round! Remind me of crab cakes : ) which are also almost perfectly round : )

What I Learned Today 4

Prior to today i did not know there is a liqueur made of aniseed. That's a unique, strong spice indeed. Can't imagine it out of a stew!

Vintage 4

A case of buying the bottle for the heritage:

This originates in northern Italy's picturesque delle Venezie region, source of the world's finest Pinot Grigio.

Who can say no to the mostest of anything?!?

All the better if you can be transported to a European vineyard whilst sipping...

Vintage 3

A case of buying the bottle for the legend (check out the gilt logo- it is so cool!):

More than 100 years ago Don Melchor de Concha y Toro reserved for himself an exclusive batch of the best wines be produced. And, to keep strangers away from his private reserve, he spread the rumor that the Devil lived in that place. Hence the name: Casillero del Diablo or Cellar of the Devil.

My God it's good wine! Probably one of the best bottles of cab i've had to date. And... love that story!

This cork i may actually keep!

And isn't it remarkable that toro means "bull" in Spanish, and in Japanese it means "fatty tuna"?!?

Tequila Lime Skewered Prawns With Garlic & Herbs

First time skewering. It literally made me smile, it was so much fun! I don't think i have grinned preparing food since childhood, so that was precious.

It's Memorial Day. I HAFTA grill. It's the law!

Dijon Tarragon Halibut Steak

Tall Order

Yes, i will.

After all, it's not everyday you get proposed to by a fire sauce packet.

I will save it, since this is probably the last offer in this lifetime.

No Island

My nephew AC in his unfurnished new home.

There is something unnamable and poetic about this shot.

Perhaps it's loneliness. Or vulnerability.

That quality is half lost since i blurred his face. Still, i had to share what's probably one of my most favorite photos since i've been shooting...

Lift

A case of buying the can for the logo

Rude Awakenings

Note to self:

Flex your toes, so your legs won't cramp.

Tribute 2

I can't sleep.

I can't sleep for the life of me. And i wish i had breakfast sausage. Brown sugar or maple syrup. Either would do.

Growing up, if one was to rise at an ungodly hour, one had the option of moseying on to dim sum.

I lived with my maternal grandma till i was 11. That was our thing. Our quality time.

Up till she was, like, 90, she would hike up to Pine Hill every morn, come rain or come shine.

In summer, when i was out of school, she'd take me. She'd show me off to her friends. They'd ooh and aah.

(Looks like i've already blogged about this before. Gotta love search engines.)

My grandma sewed me clothes. That was so cool. I remember this one black-and-white photo... It was my first birthday... or something. She was young then, only in her early 60's. She held me. Was not posing for the camera at all. She had this look... She was completely psyched she had me in her arms... Such intense love and excitement, i'll never forget it.

She had the most incredibly flawless skin. Her cheeks were akin to the surface of an hard-boiled egg. Aging well is an understatement! I'd tell her, and she'd laugh. She'd be like, "You're lying!" when what she meant was, "Go on!" : )

Her laugh was boisterous. As is mine.

I loved it. I love that i take after her.

Since i moved to the States, i'd see her about once a year. She'd get emotional every time i'd depart, implying it could be the last time.

"You always say that!" I'd respond, squeezing her gently and pressing my cheek against hers, totally oblivious of mortality and impermanence. "I'll be back next year, and you'll say that again!"

When she passed, i was grief-stricken. Cognitively, death should be such a familar concept. And yet it was like, Really? People die? People that i love and wanna be there forever?

I had to write to express what was the greatest loss i'd experienced to date.

My Dad got it published. My Mom shared the piece with a couple of coworkers. They wept.

I wish i had a soft copy of that. I bet i'd be pretty impressed today.

My grandma's laugh. Probably my favorite thing about her. I can still hear it on sleepless nights.

Assertion

Friday night, after having checked me out all night, the bartend asked, "So... What are you? Chinese? Japanese?"

First of all, don't dig the accent. Or the mustache.

"Chinese", i replied anyway. I'm generous with goodwill while UI.

"Which part of China are you from?" Pursued the dude.

This is one of my pet peeves. I could be from Modesto, you fuck.

I'm Asian, i'm exotic, i must be foreign?

There's ethnicity. There's nationality. And then there's spirit and affiliation. Distinguish. Puh-leeease.

I distinctly remember: over a decade ago, my best friend IA and i were at Universal Studios in SoCal, in line for a monster ride.

Given, that place was swarming with tourists. But when the guest service dude inquired on my hometown and was not satisfied with my first answer, i was irritated.

Really, i live in The Valley. Now buzz off!!!!!

The other day, Derek II commented on my "Californian accent". That was truly the best compliment anyone could've paid.

I have a little identity crisis, i'll admit. It's only been there since first grade!

Omega-3 Jones 4

(To the tune of "White Christmas")

I'm dreaming of... halibut steak

with tarragon, chives, and lemon zest : )

Omega-3 Jones 3

True cod... Tried and true. 3 different rubs.


Finally, perfect asparagus! Not too soggy and not too firm...

Smoky Sweet Pepper Prawns

I love how psychedelic sliced red onion can look...


And geometric! Very 70's... Almost Pucci...



Prawns turning pink... one of the most lovely sights a human can experience. Makes me glad to be alive!

With a generous splash of Chardonnay...

Ta-da!!!!!



Oh i could stare at prawns all day...

Still Life

I woke up with dark lips.

Some mornings my lips are particularly flushed and plump. But this morning they were majestically red.

Oh... That's right. I wasn't able to do anything but head to bed when i came home at 1 o'clock this morning...

I'm more used to the lipstick having been kissed off by then.

Juxtaposition

One of my all-time-favorite movie quotes is from My Best Friend's Wedding, when Jules the protagonist, likening Kimmy to crème brûlée, suggests that perhaps Michael wants Jello-O. And Kim wails:

I can be Jello-O!

I counter-relate, because, ofttimes i find myself wishfully thinking:

I can be crème brûlée!

Beheld 2

The new addition to my shrine.

I like things that are dimensionally ambiguous. They transport me.

I dig. Anywhere but here.

Smoked Salmon With Capers

Beheld

I totally and utterly needed retail therapy today.

I am very pleased with this dainty necklace:

1. For the singularity and understated quality - i'd like to believe a natural pearl can actually take the form of the stylized heart. Even though i've been reminded lately by a sage that the human heart, anatomically, has nothing to do with emotions.

2. For how the pendent rests in the hollow of my neck. All cradled. Yet vulnerable at the same time. I chew on hollow.

Virtual Virtue

Today i bought a mobile for JM my BFF @ the A La Carte Art Festival in Mountain View. The artists were an interracial couple (aww...). Quite talented and niche-savvy indeed. I promised to revisit them at the Sunnyvale 34th Annual Art and Wine in the first weekend in June.

I couldn't capture the objet d'art in all its glory. But the above is my favorite truncation.

JM and i... sometimes she carries me. And sometimes i carry her. And together we fly.

No Caption Necessary 4

Derek II's Shrimp

... and that's not euphemism

Quote 111

Love will never be lost

- "On Love, In Sadness", Geekin' Out Across the Galaxy, Jason Mraz

Quote 110

What am i drinking
What am i drinking?
Such an important question

- "On Love, In Sadness", Geekin' Out Across the Galaxy, Jason Mraz

Displacement 3

I find refuge on an alien planet galaxies away... Far From the Madding Crowd

Oh, it's just a saltwater aquarium revery in downtown Sunny...

Quote 109

I am not your Elizabeth. I am nobody's Elizabeth.

- Elizabeth

Within and Without

This evening my brother W hugged me on Facebook. He has just joined.

My brother has never hugged me in his life! I thank the internet for false intimacy.

What Sexy Looks Like the Morning After

Ostentation 3

Derek I's response to my apology for having given him a false alarm on an account:I was a little overwhelmed. I am dense. I never understand why i am liked.

It's a good thought: when you genuinely care, people can actually tell. What a concept!

Dopey Dupe

I have an extra porcelain ginger grater to give away. It's brand new. I've been asking around. No takers.

I could easily just drop it off at Salvation Army. But i'd rather give it to someone i know. Silly, i'm aware.

Before long, i got around to asking Taylor. His response:

I don't really eat ginger... Just marianne.

Ostentation 2

Derek II's response to my notification of a brief off-site assignment:

Paradox

I find this Trader Joe's cartoon creepy AND romantic.

As Told To Denisse

Some neighbor is frying garlic and i can totally smell it in the vents... Dammit i wanna cook! Haha diseases come in many forms...

Only In Mountain View, CA

"I was gonna take her to Molly's. Or Buddha. But she fell asleep."

Yes, Virginia, There Is a Tequila, Mexico

Asom Broso El Platino, the "original" tequila, 100% blue agave, of a recipe over which blood shed during the period of colonial conquest. Mystical powers were almost lost forever.

I believe in mystical powers at first sight. Where do i insert the double A's?

Indian Bitter Melons

Never seen an alternative to my familiar, run-of-the-mill, East Asian version until yesterday. The texture truly is amazing! As i have said before, it is nice to still have firsts at age 36.875, indeed.

Absurdity 2

Pig figurines paying Irish homage at the Union City, California branch of Daiso, the Japanese dollar store.

I couldn't get over the scene, it was so Waiting for Godot!

Displacement 2

Denisse's napkin after she was done with her roasted vegetable fajitas with chile relleno @ El Torito.

For a second there i thought i was in a public toilet stall during one of my early visits in mainland China where the concept of disposing used bath tissues in the toilet seemed foreign to locals.