tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68613549825128192982024-02-07T17:04:15.799-08:00the almost foodiejenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-90973196400928052832012-11-14T12:09:00.003-08:002012-11-14T12:10:26.574-08:00MAKING THE ROUNDS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
In honor of <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/u-mini-los-angeles" target="_blank">U Mini </a>opening in Westwood today, a review of a totally different burger chain -- Rounds... Or basically a review of the one burger place that I snapped photos of in my foodie adventures (so far). </div>
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Because I definitely also had the original Umami burger at <a href="http://www.umami.com/" target="_blank">Umami </a>for the first time (a month ago) and a #3 at <a href="http://www.25degreesrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">25 Degrees</a>, the burger joint in the Roosevelt Hotel (a week ago). I also really wanted to grab <a href="http://www.holeinthewallburgerjoint.com/" target="_blank">Hole in the Wall </a>last night, since the rumor mill's been churning that the Santa Monica location is about to close down.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzpYzos3zV7bhB8Ck6-P1cW1aIfXA2XBAXeJcU1ZHkLoC2QWJRr8PqpjME4g4GIYD10BBQW19XIqiBptwve_BKIrNHva4I8sjZqvmUaSrp-RPGHRON5gX_RwrSMI9RLV_FfBI4yGOPg/s1600/121023j.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzpYzos3zV7bhB8Ck6-P1cW1aIfXA2XBAXeJcU1ZHkLoC2QWJRr8PqpjME4g4GIYD10BBQW19XIqiBptwve_BKIrNHva4I8sjZqvmUaSrp-RPGHRON5gX_RwrSMI9RLV_FfBI4yGOPg/s1600/121023j.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>My thoughts on the burger? Rich, so incredibly dense and good and cheesy. Even cold (because these were delivered to me by a good friend when I was dealing with the world's weirdest health issue), the burger and fries were absolutely delicious.<br />
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The only downside? A little too rich. I actually did not finish my burger, because it just got to be too much. The bun, the patty, the cheese was all too much. Lettuce, tomatoes, onions would have helped. (They are an option, by the way. My friend just didn't get them.) </div>
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Otherwise, this burger is like Korean BBQ to me. I can really only handle it once every couple of months (but my friend's lucky enough to work across the street from it). </div>
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However, the fries? Bomb. Even better? The different dipping sauces (because I'm a messed up little munchkin who doesn't like ketchup). I could not stop soaking my fries in all the different sauces that we got, so <i>my friend, if you invite me over to WeHo for lunch, I would definitely be down for fries, lots and lots of fries with awesome-sauce dipping sauces.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YdUj-g10Y488PViSc1RPf4QxMxf62ZCUpz1kpIRYL4HMbkSioBGZTfNJ_pPmadug5KgTeKEAbuIDOU0TnTIxpyW0AZnYfADw5hiQRCfHk3aPmPH5q0oaoNY_tf7S1-cLxcGeasMw2A/s1600/121023I.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YdUj-g10Y488PViSc1RPf4QxMxf62ZCUpz1kpIRYL4HMbkSioBGZTfNJ_pPmadug5KgTeKEAbuIDOU0TnTIxpyW0AZnYfADw5hiQRCfHk3aPmPH5q0oaoNY_tf7S1-cLxcGeasMw2A/s1600/121023I.jpg" /></a></div>
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Oh, and not near WeHo? Rounds has got a truck! (And the site says that they're opening up a few more places.)</div>
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<i><b>Rounds Premium Burgers</b></i><br />
<i>8871 Santa Monica Blvd.</i><br />
<i>West Hollywood, CA 90069</i><br />
<i>(310) 855-1004</i><br />
<i><a href="http://www.roundsburgers.com/">http://www.roundsburgers.com/</a></i>jenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-17565546000137734182012-11-09T11:51:00.001-08:002012-11-09T11:51:17.510-08:00THE FIRST MESS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIOjQA24-XEA4DWyqqIGn9P-Czi6_zXDUyP2vpg6fTSYvaxwFd5r4Z9LYF-E6efkJQoUZ3wB7SvU4mcVbBsB1nWmKDevLBbpLk2rvayr2oZAM2sALbdx4TCjJ-Jk1WSM-8CeBLnfuc-Q/s1600/121109E.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIOjQA24-XEA4DWyqqIGn9P-Czi6_zXDUyP2vpg6fTSYvaxwFd5r4Z9LYF-E6efkJQoUZ3wB7SvU4mcVbBsB1nWmKDevLBbpLk2rvayr2oZAM2sALbdx4TCjJ-Jk1WSM-8CeBLnfuc-Q/s1600/121109E.jpg" /></a></div>
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How do you measure a life? In Trader Joe bags.</div>
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Especially useful when you're a tiny little Asian girl, and you've got two days to move out and move into your new place (because life looked at your planner and laughed).</div>
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But many, many, many Trader Joe bags later (and my roommate cooking me bombass barbecue beer chicken one night), I am finally all unpacked and able to cook! So what do I try? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFxdncerzybT6qVNht38X5diC7lGqzL_vW8rdFjOKrL6abCHOD0YwWFal6rojl_WrjFfi8piMkufNI6LrgVXLOKHMAsOlfj4ovIzg0eh8PjE0OD97XY9ddemIF5Ewxy6FY3tyQwnqHw/s1600/121109A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFxdncerzybT6qVNht38X5diC7lGqzL_vW8rdFjOKrL6abCHOD0YwWFal6rojl_WrjFfi8piMkufNI6LrgVXLOKHMAsOlfj4ovIzg0eh8PjE0OD97XY9ddemIF5Ewxy6FY3tyQwnqHw/s1600/121109A.jpg" /></a></div>
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The recipe originally comes from <a href="http://whiteonricecouple.com/" target="_blank">White on Rice Couple</a>, a blog I love and adore. I didn't really try to make it my own, besides going lighter on the fish sauce and heavier on the sriracha (which was also <i>not</i> homemade).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mV55clxMBRl3BTBlprfaX7jUIHPE6wx9JJFGLEeIosxf-maoQoIW5hA39I8soKt6lI313n4m9PgbkJ9d6gJaWm12xXoFxBR-Yjy5n8K8eG_1oayLIQQ8KSiw_ENjNCui7OVRgQxytQ/s1600/121109C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mV55clxMBRl3BTBlprfaX7jUIHPE6wx9JJFGLEeIosxf-maoQoIW5hA39I8soKt6lI313n4m9PgbkJ9d6gJaWm12xXoFxBR-Yjy5n8K8eG_1oayLIQQ8KSiw_ENjNCui7OVRgQxytQ/s1600/121109C.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJSqCtpwI_tc2zMcMqunAjQjUgyCM14yZDyiZYZwl1AeCjnUb6LquTOmEyK5w4wGRkBGJIEAAMET5nQG0XeyGSX9U6f4GxqI6EhdbUQRmyoFHYy8wDI_6pMaaDib8Z-q3_VQVCxBaWg/s1600/121109D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJSqCtpwI_tc2zMcMqunAjQjUgyCM14yZDyiZYZwl1AeCjnUb6LquTOmEyK5w4wGRkBGJIEAAMET5nQG0XeyGSX9U6f4GxqI6EhdbUQRmyoFHYy8wDI_6pMaaDib8Z-q3_VQVCxBaWg/s1600/121109D.jpg" /></a></div>
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Overall review? Easy, simple recipe that could definitely be adapted and dressed up... And I really did prefer it with the <i>one</i> tablespoon of fish sauce instead of recommended two. As Asian as I am, the fishiness of fish sauce bothers me too much.</div>
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Oh, and what you may not see in the pictures? I tasted my spaghetti squash straight up after it came out of the oven. Season the spaghetti squash up a bit then. A dash of salt and pepper brought out more of the spaghetti squash's flavor.</div>
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Some thoughts for next time: Adding in other vegetables (my candidates: zucchini, carrots) perhaps? Brightening it up with some lime juice at the end?</div>
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<b>Original recipe:</b> </div>
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<li><a href="http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/baked-spaghetti-squash/" target="_blank">Sriracha Spaghetti Squash with Turkey (White on Rice Couple)</a></li>
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<b>Other Inspiration:</b></div>
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<li><a href="http://steamykitchen.com/11285-baked-spaghetti-squash-with-garlic-and-butter.html" target="_blank">Baked Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Butter (Steamy Kitchen)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/11/moroccan-spiced-spaghetti-squash/" target="_blank">Moroccan Spiced Spaghetti Squash (Smitten Kitchen)</a></li>
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jenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-65834507035373679762012-11-08T15:13:00.001-08:002012-11-08T15:14:06.091-08:00CAMERA STALKING<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTWaa4F2Yg88WfqM3vFERfWeGWj1r7swRoskTZ4OOf20DgR1N5FHL-zxtijfNVSZO0_4Wrzsa4YaPTDseoMHofr4VDkuelr3CT6-AmtoJZPaAkz3XnzPdD37tDLaJdYrQxEH6uMDSUg/s1600/121108A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTWaa4F2Yg88WfqM3vFERfWeGWj1r7swRoskTZ4OOf20DgR1N5FHL-zxtijfNVSZO0_4Wrzsa4YaPTDseoMHofr4VDkuelr3CT6-AmtoJZPaAkz3XnzPdD37tDLaJdYrQxEH6uMDSUg/s1600/121108A.jpg" /></a></div>
Remember how I said that I was bad at taking photos? I really am bad at / shy about it! Even if I did come back from NorCal with only photos of food... So what's a girl to do? Doodle!<br />
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Because I had to capture those food places in NorCal that I didn't snap photos of, like...<br />
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<li><i>The Tropisueño margarita at <a href="http://www.tropisueno.com/" target="_blank">Il Tropisueño</a> (San Francisco, CA)</i><br />A margarita with the bright flavor of ginger? Delish. Perfect for those of you who don't like sweet drinks, but would like a little more flavor than straight-up triple sec, tequila and lime. Also amazing there? The chips and salsas that they brought out, as well as their mole. (P.S. I loved their mole, but it overwhelmed the meats on my taco... to the point of where I couldn't tell which meat was which.)</li>
<li><i>The vegetarian eggs benedict at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/bill-of-fare-san-jose" target="_blank">Bill of Fare</a> (San Jose, CA)</i><br />A diner with the tiniest of signs next to a gas station? Totally sketchtastic. Not so sketchtastic? The delicious food there... But it is diner food, so expect <strike>a little</strike> a lot of grease. My vegetarian eggs benedict were delish, piled high with spinach, but the amount of hollandaise definitely killed the health factor. I should've just gone with my friend's French toast, which was to die for! Plus, a place that pays tribute to my childhood dish of soy sauce and rice? Approved!</li>
<li><i>The Siciliano pizza at <a href="http://www.amicis.com/" target="_blank">Amici's East Coast Pizzeria</a> (Mountain View, CA)</i><br />Even without much of an appetite, I really enjoyed the combo of salty meats and sweetly roasted vegetables (broccoli and garlic). Really, the whole cloves of garlic on top did me in. I also barely noticed the tomato sauce that I had requested, so I might skip that the next time around.</li>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Next time around?! I left my heart up in NorCal, so I gotta go back for it.</span></div>jenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-91006903959375852932012-11-05T08:16:00.001-08:002012-11-05T08:25:31.532-08:00MONDAYS, BLEGH<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Going to need some coffee tonight, since my accounting test will prolly start around 7:30 p.m., after I've been up since 5 a.m. (<i>thanks, weird daylight savings time</i>) and probably after my professor bores - <i>I mean, regales</i> - us with more stories of accounting. </div>
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Clearly, I should fly back to San Francisco to pick up a cup of coffee from <a href="http://www.bluebottlecoffee.com/" target="_blank">Blue Bottle Coffee</a>... But since that's not possible, a return back through pictures. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Speaking of which, I took ZERO photos of people on my trip the other weekend. Apparently, my trip could be visualized in food.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEx3FriHXrBlSYdenKEaVRUPKPPMls-jHbYvGI1qK2-_hS0BuHcPJaRwAByQVLzdXWxYyPg2UPKB3sUMDRUkh84wDOxE7OF-hy9eXOt8rFJ-jm5IwhlbLfODBjitpX-vODQELpMUM_TQ/s1600/121105A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEx3FriHXrBlSYdenKEaVRUPKPPMls-jHbYvGI1qK2-_hS0BuHcPJaRwAByQVLzdXWxYyPg2UPKB3sUMDRUkh84wDOxE7OF-hy9eXOt8rFJ-jm5IwhlbLfODBjitpX-vODQELpMUM_TQ/s1600/121105A.jpg" /></a></div>
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The rec came from a friend. She had a list of things to do, and I didn't do them. (<i>Sorry, girlie!</i>) Except for this. Thank goodness I listened.</div>
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We had actually seen a stand at Ferry Plaza, but the line there had been ginormous, so we settled for snacking on fruits and things there. Blue Bottle instead of a first stop became a second-to-last stop. We needed a break after our 10-mile stomp of San Francisco, and before our dinner at <a href="http://www.tropisueno.com/" target="_blank">Tropisueño</a> (which was delicious and awesome but too dark for photos).</div>
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The line wasn't much different at Blue Bottle in Mint Plaza. It felt like the line at a Starbucks at 7 a.m.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNcCNTSGzikbPlEpR2swAV5cPuYhN4GWrGtIIiFJ81qHx_bQfqRhJI25Na5kAgE1J2x-FqYMhkXoWRcX6_OLaWmkCFhNv7dee1jGD5xZQJGD3TwcE7GMuSWnWWHCKvKaQZfzMZOQEnA/s1600/121105C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNcCNTSGzikbPlEpR2swAV5cPuYhN4GWrGtIIiFJ81qHx_bQfqRhJI25Na5kAgE1J2x-FqYMhkXoWRcX6_OLaWmkCFhNv7dee1jGD5xZQJGD3TwcE7GMuSWnWWHCKvKaQZfzMZOQEnA/s1600/121105C.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_Z5alj_OlYLHWdY9B0IKpAKy13inZzrRFVvx4EyY3sSg82iG1DJHihT51eFOsjjIcGlTWRxK2k5gqSoqMFJiU67Lxyiw0syPCmRI_akwAaWQNnusl6I4ic49-wi_0Zhag3aCMOYnZw/s1600/121105B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_Z5alj_OlYLHWdY9B0IKpAKy13inZzrRFVvx4EyY3sSg82iG1DJHihT51eFOsjjIcGlTWRxK2k5gqSoqMFJiU67Lxyiw0syPCmRI_akwAaWQNnusl6I4ic49-wi_0Zhag3aCMOYnZw/s1600/121105B.jpg" /></a></div>
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Thankfully, there were trinkets and things to look at. The people were also interesting, but I'm shy with my camera. I need to learn how to stalk because there was a barista with a wonderful mustache, several very hipster-bordering-on-homeless-people and some people dressed fancy-fancy (apparently for a wedding, because while my camera can't stalk, my ears can eavesdrop). </div>
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Speaking of which, <b>how did the hipster burn his tongue? </b>He sipped his coffee before it was <i>cool!</i></div>
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Okay, back to the coffee, because once I ordered (a lemonade for my friend, and a New Orleans style iced coffee for me), the coffee was <i>out</i>, instantly, poof!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5-WI0_b2R8AICCZpMmkCOOfY6Ef72EiwNH7CoeAI9VVeFiQeX-kCWdGpWoE_Xx4fCKwldcqpm13PqPDPG2sdZ7n0Odg3c2OZkRGyET1jDWr_0LQuuo_mtoLdbROcn-g2Yqu_h0cq-A/s1600/121105E.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5-WI0_b2R8AICCZpMmkCOOfY6Ef72EiwNH7CoeAI9VVeFiQeX-kCWdGpWoE_Xx4fCKwldcqpm13PqPDPG2sdZ7n0Odg3c2OZkRGyET1jDWr_0LQuuo_mtoLdbROcn-g2Yqu_h0cq-A/s1600/121105E.jpg" /></a><br />
Now what exactly is New Orleans style iced coffee? The barista explained that it was a darker roast, brewed with chicory, and sweetened just slightly... And after explaining this, he asked me what kind of milk I take with it.<br />
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<b>MILK?!</b> I drink my coffee straight up black, with maybe a touch of honey if it's too, too dark. <i>Obviously</i>, I turned down the milk, but boy, this barista was insistent. A bit of poking and prodding later, I sipped the coffee black, and while I liked it, there was a bit of bitterness that I wasn't too fond of. <i>Darn mustached barista, you were right</i>.<br />
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And he poured in that little swirl of whole milk that made the New Orleans iced coffee the perfect way to watch the sunset in San Francisco.<br />
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<b><i>Blue Bottle Coffee Company</i></b><br />
<i>66 Mint St.</i><br />
<i>San Francisco, CA 94103</i><br />
<i>(415) 495-3394</i>jenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-39910497368390854782012-11-02T17:44:00.000-07:002012-11-02T17:44:15.225-07:00CHECK IN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTwqz6a6W_pjw_Tqv9zvnpv_dL7S7IZBiBRD5Vjkmu6YI5rCTrrde9LvZ-yxtbI-Zg5DI3qDuwMWjI6KdeKofYOQV9B3kxJRsdk80HZomOzJtEAtKZ5q62x6Aw9ADxMA2pz6Q7fu9tw/s1600/121102A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTwqz6a6W_pjw_Tqv9zvnpv_dL7S7IZBiBRD5Vjkmu6YI5rCTrrde9LvZ-yxtbI-Zg5DI3qDuwMWjI6KdeKofYOQV9B3kxJRsdk80HZomOzJtEAtKZ5q62x6Aw9ADxMA2pz6Q7fu9tw/s1600/121102A.jpg" /></a></div>
I've been on a bit of a soul-journ the last few months. <i>Literally</i>. I've been up and down California, checking out San Jose, San Francisco, San Diego, LA and Orange County. It's been no <i>Eat, Pray, Love</i> experience -- but it gets me pretty darn close.<br />
<br />
I love it here. Oh, sure, there's friends and family and UCLA and USC, but really there's this diversity of experiences and people and languages and cultures and events. There's always something going on, or if there's not, there's someone trying to get something going on.<br />
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In the past week, I've had buffalo sausages, and El Salvadorean food, and pumpkin yogurt, and curry, and New Orleans coffee, and diner food, and all sorts of nom-noms. My mouth and my heart have been opened up to some delicious foods, and you know what?<br />
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That's the beauty of being a Californian. There's no way that I could live here and be close-minded, close-hearted. I would end up missing out on so much, if I were dead set on doing this and that and being one way or another.<br />
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And that's really the only thing that I am 100%, dead-set sure of... I want to constantly grow and learn and challenge myself. No more settling. If I'm unhappy, if I'm unsure, I'm going to do something. I'm going to be <i>happy</i>... or at the very least, fulfilled.jenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-8903731286463577102012-10-26T16:38:00.002-07:002012-10-26T16:40:39.957-07:00SWEET ESCAPE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Currently getting a much needed vacation in the Bay! Loving that I get to reset and restart in a really gorgeous, lovely area.</div>
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The only bummer? I grabbed some food at Mitsuwa, thinking that it'd be light and easy on my tummy. It wasn't. </div>
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Instead, it made me miss last week's little trip to Little Tokyo with my fellow grad students. After our bowls of ramen at Men Oh, we went on a little foodie adventure!</div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
I didn't grab any nom-noms at Cafe Dulce, but they looked absolutely delicious! Some of the fun items? Fruity (and Cocoa!) Pebbles donut holes (for only a dollar)! As well as green tea and bacon donuts.<br />
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<b><i>Cafe Dulce</i></b></div>
<i>134 Japanese Village Plaza</i><br />
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<i>Los Angeles, CA, 90012</i></div>
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Then afterwards, we really got our nom-noms on for <a href="http://thealmostfoodie.blogspot.com/2012/10/currently-snacking-on-1023.html" target="_blank">mochi</a>. There were regular ice cream ones, and then gelato ones, in all sorts of different flavors. There was definitely no sharing! We all got our own... And we definitely tried to stop at just one... But all of us ended up getting at least two! From what I hear, definitely give the "weird" flavors a try. One of my friends really liked the guava one.</div>
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I ended up going pretty normal, getting a kona coffee-flavored ice cream one, and a chocolate hazelnut gelato one. So delicious! Had to stop myself from getting a third. These were definitely not the kind that you can pick up from the grocery store!</div>
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Oh, and if you wanted other sweets, this shop definitely had it! We spied green tea Kit Kats on a shelf.</div>
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<b><i>Mikawaya</i></b></div>
<i>118 Japanese Village Plaza<br />Los Angeles, CA 90012 </i><br />
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And finally to cap the night off, we grabbed boba and milk teas at Ozero. We didn't grab any of the desserts, but my drink - a rose milk tea, no boba (since I was super de duper full) - was pretty delish. I was a little nervous that the tea would be diluted, since it seemed like they had already pre-mixed the milk and tea, but the black tea definitely still shone through the drink.<br />
<br />
Great way to end the night, as we ended up chilling on the patio, sipping away at our drinks and chatting. The area was super clean, and service was superb. One of the guys actually ran our drinks out to us!</div>
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<b><i>Ozero Tea & Desserts</i></b></div>
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<i>131 Central Ave</i></div>
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<i>Los Angeles, CA 90012</i></div>
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jenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-61864756646685563952012-10-23T11:29:00.000-07:002012-10-23T11:29:07.803-07:00CURRENTLY SNACKING ON 10.23<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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No, that's a lie... I'm not currently snacking on mochi... But I had an idea, and Sam was excited about a GIF in the making, so I executed.<br />
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I wish that I had mochi right now. More to come on our Little Tokyo foodie adventure later. (Also... We definitely had more than four.)jenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-17574245043578746662012-10-22T09:13:00.001-07:002012-10-22T09:15:34.747-07:00MEN OH MAN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Daikokuya might have some competition. Last week, a few friends and I went on a foodie tour of Little Tokyo, and our first stop? A brand new ramen shop: Men Oh. (So yes, more posts to come! I promise!)<br />
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<a name='more'></a>After eating here, I'm a fan of no choice. Why do we ever get choices? <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Oh right, freedom and liberty and independence... That's definitely the side I'm on.) </span><br />
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But food-wise, ramen-wise, Daikokuya and Men Oh have the right idea -- what's on the menu is what you get. No extra garlic, no extra green onions, no this or that. Our only debate literally was curly or straight noodles, and even then, it was more because we had no idea what they meant.<br />
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Needless to say, we all ended up with the Tokushima Ramen. We wanted to taste the real deal (especially since our group of <i>eight</i> was not getting into Daikokuya anytime soon), and oh boy, Men Oh delivered. Literally, the bowls were delivered, and all of us were silent, slurping away, savoring our bowls of ramen.<br />
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Without dropping any chili oil or pepper or anything, I found the broth to be perfectly porky with just a hint of soy sauce. Super de duper flavorful, rich and savory. Add in the pork belly and the perfectly runny egg, and I was sold.<br />
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Basically, this definitely warrants another taste of Daikokuya, so I can really decide who has the better ramen. (But for now, I'd say Men Oh... Especially since there was virtually no line at this spot, tucked away in the Honda Plaza.)<br />
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<i><b>Men Oh Tokushima Ramen</b></i><br />
<i><span itemprop="streetAddress">456 E 2nd St</span><br /><span itemprop="addressLocality">Los Angeles</span>, <span itemprop="addressRegion">CA</span> <span itemprop="postalCode">90012</span></i><br />
<i><span itemprop="postalCode">(213) 687 - 8485</span></i>jenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-89439241975360949012012-09-24T22:55:00.001-07:002012-09-24T22:55:21.932-07:00SHANTIH<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">photo credit: <a href="http://carlabuan.com/" target="_blank">carl abuan</a></span></center>
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I don't even know where to begin. The last few months have taken me up, up, up, and then crashing way down to the ground. But the story of it almost doesn't matter.<br />
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What matters is now, picking myself up and regaining my balance and finding peace in it all. Who am I? Who do I want to be? How do I get there?<br />
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For me, part of getting there has been getting out and doing things -- like yoga. Oh my goodness, yoga used to be the slowest, most painful thing ever... But I wanted to get fitter. I've always been small, but I've never felt strong, and I wanted to increase my flexibility, and yoga deals pop up all the time, so I snagged a deal and committed myself to a class at least once a week.<br />
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Yoga's been good to me. Yes, I feel fitter. I feel stronger and more flexible. I feel healthier! I want to run more than I've ever wanted to run before.<br />
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But more importantly, I'm finding my inner peace. I'm more in tune with who I am, and who I want to be. I used to feel so troll-ish in classes, but you know what? Everyone struggles. I've learned the wonders of taking things at my own pace, finding my breath, and focusing on me.<br />
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It's all still a work in progress... Because some days, I can't focus on me. I try and rush things along. I don't stop and breathe. I get self-conscious when I can't do a handstand, or the crow position. That's all okay. I'm learning still.<br />
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So that's all I'm sharing for today: <i>Find your balance, </i>your inner peace, your shantih. Move towards who you are and who you want to be.<br />
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I am an almost-foodie, an almost-designer, a lover of life and happiness and colors and brightness. I am who you want to avoid in yoga classes (because I will fall over and crash into you, and the person next to you, and the person next to that person).<br />
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<i>But seriously</i>, I want to be better (2% better) each and every single day. I want to get closer to myself, and to the people around me. I want to surround myself in love, so that even on the worst of days, I know that I'm gonna be okay.<br />
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Alrighty... Enough with the mush. You care about the food, and I love food. I love design. And where does that all come together? <i>Right here</i>. Expect to see me back here, peeps.<br />
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And if yoga doesn't do much for you, a series on the Avengers and what they can teach you about yourself! My faves?<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.theheadologist.com/2012/07/17/the-tony-stark-guide-to-being-yourself/" target="_blank">Tony Stark's Guide to Being Yourself / Tony Stark</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.theheadologist.com/2012/06/12/captain-america-the-not-terribly-flexible-avenger/" target="_blank">Captain America: The (Not Terribly) Flexible Avenger</a></li>
</ul>
jenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-68893032492792445672012-05-09T18:11:00.000-07:002012-05-09T18:11:07.715-07:00A SIMPLE LIFE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After working for close to a month, I understand the value of little things, like your boyfriend watering the weed daily, or your roommate unloading the dishwasher. It's so easy to make life crazy busy and chaotic, but it's not so easy slowing down.<br />
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Something not so simple? Pie.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWp3atW2tlqoNfGu4_A7cvPZk_OZi4tQS3-ajzQ8EFUcfqJ3bIudzq5nnIbiEohOxwkFpr6Vod_BmudTsrRUYHfoeOrN-k_k0LH2GWr7vrgXoCNF_qiEPPICi7ZPsk8_TSmt6s_Djj3Q/s1600/120506B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWp3atW2tlqoNfGu4_A7cvPZk_OZi4tQS3-ajzQ8EFUcfqJ3bIudzq5nnIbiEohOxwkFpr6Vod_BmudTsrRUYHfoeOrN-k_k0LH2GWr7vrgXoCNF_qiEPPICi7ZPsk8_TSmt6s_Djj3Q/s1600/120506B.jpg" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxe9muCHltPkNLE_bqPQqExu3anqJuPm0eQheJWLMp0RgGJPwHxlohg8vfoV8C7LPd1fjDJNMS2eXPy4xtOsXj6_jU6W-uOTYymqfdDouBlODxydtFLRDlYDUUal4aTJN9OwCtwjguDg/s1600/120506C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxe9muCHltPkNLE_bqPQqExu3anqJuPm0eQheJWLMp0RgGJPwHxlohg8vfoV8C7LPd1fjDJNMS2eXPy4xtOsXj6_jU6W-uOTYymqfdDouBlODxydtFLRDlYDUUal4aTJN9OwCtwjguDg/s1600/120506C.jpg" /></a>
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<a name='more'></a>Lots and lots of options and choices. Savory, like chicken pot pie, or sweet, like pumpkin pie. Crusts made of pastry, or of cookie crumbs, or of graham crackers.<br />
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So to my delight, sometime a month ago (yes, I've thrown myself into work recently... but I am loving it) E and I made the trek to the other Third Street, and got ourselves some pie.<br />
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I don't even remember what I actually got - but it clearly wasn't pie, and when you go to <a href="http://www.simplethingsrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">simplethings</a>, come on! It's a (sandwich and) <i>pie </i>shop. Obvs, what sticks out in my memory is the perfectly portioned and savory chicken pot pie that E had, the display of delectable beautiful pies in every size, and obvs the amazingly chocolate-y, rich, sensational pies that E and I shared.<br />
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In short: Don't sell yourself short and get the cutie pie. Cute as it is, you deserve at least the simple pie. It's delicious.<br />
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(Or if you do get the cutie pie, get tons and tons of cutie pies. Try all the flavors!)<br />
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<i><b>simplethings sandwich and pie shop</b> (4 / 5)</i><br />
<address class="adr">
<i><span class="street-address">8310 W 3rd St</span><br /><span class="locality">Los Angeles</span>, <span class="region">CA</span> <span class="postal-code">90048</span></i>
</address>
<i><span class="tel" id="bizPhone">(323) 592-3390</span></i><br />
<a href="http://www.simplethingsrestaurant.com/" target="_blank"><i><span class="tel" id="bizPhone">www.simplethingsrestaurant.com </span></i> </a>jenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-37072190181104326242012-05-07T20:53:00.002-07:002012-05-07T20:53:34.061-07:00BITS AND BITES 05.07<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDDIsgpAEPdbiQQ7SYkhLWfr0S8DykZXye7MFgrlZ2TwThtr-hva6CmWDmmh1Aeclp44ZdsGEHuejJ2PO1df_KY-MfRcua2FEHGAv7ywx3uw5nS-9_nw3oNMuDN8mrBCVqnV7olKbCQ/s1600/120507A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDDIsgpAEPdbiQQ7SYkhLWfr0S8DykZXye7MFgrlZ2TwThtr-hva6CmWDmmh1Aeclp44ZdsGEHuejJ2PO1df_KY-MfRcua2FEHGAv7ywx3uw5nS-9_nw3oNMuDN8mrBCVqnV7olKbCQ/s1600/120507A.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">[ thumb-sized "chocoatcan" cookies... without the oats ]</span></div>
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<ul>
<li>Always nice coming home, coming back to my place...</li>
<li>After a long day of work, home's one of two things I look forward to seeing.</li>
<li>(The other thing's E... in case you couldn't guess.)</li>
<li>And yesterday, I came home to no cookies.</li>
<li>So clearly, E. had to come home to cookies. </li>
<li><i>Lots</i> of cookies.</li>
<li>Cookies for the next year roomie.</li>
<li>Cookies for this year's roomies.</li>
<li>Cookies for my work buddies.</li>
<li>Cookies for E!</li>
<li>And obvs, cookies for me.</li>
<li>It's Monday! Monday mush. I mean, brain mush...</li>
</ul>
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Clearly, lovely readers, you've got to write me something serious and thoughtful back... Like how does ink come out of pens?</div>jenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-91621914621282489242012-05-02T22:09:00.003-07:002012-05-02T22:09:55.661-07:00TOUCH AND GO<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAEpuaei2RDQFf0MS_QzAkr4BRMx6AHNpgpYbRFL1K90kAdPgy0UwpIppQ2kLoHjFnQPZnRnq26YPViLqngH7yijn5OstP_k_ulgy1kiX6oLdY60IIDZtSRBALsn_IEURtYAmfFHHog/s1600/120502A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAEpuaei2RDQFf0MS_QzAkr4BRMx6AHNpgpYbRFL1K90kAdPgy0UwpIppQ2kLoHjFnQPZnRnq26YPViLqngH7yijn5OstP_k_ulgy1kiX6oLdY60IIDZtSRBALsn_IEURtYAmfFHHog/s1600/120502A.jpg" /></a></div>
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Pardon the poor quality of the photo. I got home late last night, after being stuck in traffic to and from Woodland Hills. Sometimes it sucks living on the Westside.</div>
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But last night turned into a thing of beauty, as my dinner alone turned into a group of four, sharing a beautiful pot of spaghetti and meatballs. It was easy. All the meatball recipes, perfect pasta tips, and so on in my brain just melded together, and dinner - wonderfully chewy spaghetti and the tenderest of meatballs - came together with <i>no</i> recipe. </div>
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<a href="http://thealmostfoodie.blogspot.com/2012/04/bits-and-bites-0402.html" target="_blank">Total 180 from last month</a>.</div>
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So instead of an actual recipe, today's post consists of links to other recipes and the whisper of encouragement for you to just let go. </div>
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<ul>
<li>Pasta tips:</li>
<ul>
<li>The water that the pasta will cook in needs to be as salty as the sea.</li>
<li>When the pasta is a minute away from being totally perfect (aka <i>al dente</i>), drain it and then poor it in with the marinara sauce, then let it simmer its way to perfection.</li>
<li>Want to make your own? <a href="http://elephantine.typepad.com/elephantine/2012/03/homemade-pasta-a-mini-guide.html?" target="_blank">Here</a>.</li>
</ul>
<li>Marinara recipes:</li>
<ul>
<li>Trader Joe's, your bounty of marinara sauces never ceases to amaze me. (Yes, I cheated.)</li>
<li>But here, a <a href="http://afoodcentriclife.com/roasted-tomato-marinara-sauce-with-garlic-and-oregano/" target="_blank">roasted tomato marinara sauce</a>, and a<a href="http://www.kayotic.nl/blog/simple-marinara-sauce" target="_blank"> "regular" marinara sauce</a>.</li>
</ul>
<li>Meatball recipes:</li>
<ul>
<li>Fish sauce (<i>just a smidge, though</i>) really accentuates the flavor of the meat. (<a href="http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/best-umami-hamburger-recipe/" target="_blank">White on Rice</a> taught me that trick!)</li>
<li>Cheese, as well as ground pork, helps lighten the heaviness of ground beef and makes meatballs super tender. (Last night's balls had a combination of mozzarella and parmesan.)</li>
<li>No Recipes' <a href="http://norecipes.com/blog/spaghetti-and-meatballs/" target="_blank">spaghetti + meatballs recipe</a>? The love of my live... Next to E.</li>
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Now, go! <i>Cook</i>.</div>jenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-75755635087085442712012-04-28T23:26:00.000-07:002012-04-28T23:26:17.043-07:00BITS AND BITES 04.29<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDFrS-yX_FAfi26Bj5QcV0E-3eTeuPwcyX-648G7qjUcsYIkgUUTl_0yR6wJeh3dJJtMn8ZQCbdyqlc6c_EUoogcJ4Fi4co1q8Cd_9jDTGCAE7HTFMel8xt1RHDJReq-3eiO_9xvmVA/s1600/120428A.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDFrS-yX_FAfi26Bj5QcV0E-3eTeuPwcyX-648G7qjUcsYIkgUUTl_0yR6wJeh3dJJtMn8ZQCbdyqlc6c_EUoogcJ4Fi4co1q8Cd_9jDTGCAE7HTFMel8xt1RHDJReq-3eiO_9xvmVA/s1600/120428A.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">[ latte bowls from <a href="http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-tabletop-dinnerware/073205.jsp" target="_blank">anthropologie </a>]</span></div>
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<ul>
<li>week 2 of work? <i>done!</i></li>
<li>and I've been a UCLA alumna for FIVE weeks now? how did that happen?</li>
<li>someone counted. UCLA's class of 2012 is less than 50 days away from <i>walking</i>.</li>
<li><i>tick tock</i>.</li>
<li>time to bond with friends over food and wine.</li>
<ul>
<li>aka potlucks with fertilized duck eggs, chocolate covered strawberries, tri-tip, and other fancy things college students shouldn't know how to make.</li>
</ul>
<li>time to grow out of the college apartment.</li>
<ul>
<li>aka time to buy a coffee table (<i>funny </i>story), a bookcase (<i>awesome </i>story), and some beautiful bowls from Anthropologie.</li>
</ul>
<li>time to love, love, love every last bit of being a UCLA college student.</li>
<ul>
<li>even if it means waking up at 8am on a saturday morning to hit the gym, and then taking a bus to marina del rey to kayak for $5.</li>
</ul>
<li><i>had we but world enough, and time</i> - andrew marvel, "to his coy mistress"</li>
</ul>jenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-88759519587704110062012-04-26T22:39:00.003-07:002012-05-02T21:25:43.046-07:00A FRESH LOOK AT FOOD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ceCH-8WBpF8/T0SICRFOUjI/AAAAAAAAANw/ZpLH2BRegcA/s1600/120221A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ceCH-8WBpF8/T0SICRFOUjI/AAAAAAAAANw/ZpLH2BRegcA/s1600/120221A.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">[ image originally from <a href="http://mynewroots.blogspot.com/2012/01/gluten-free-banana-bread-pancakes.html" target="_blank">my new roots </a>]</span></div>
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When I started working, I feared for my diet. I definitely thought that it'd be difficult to prep a lunch for myself every day, that I'd wind up eating in the dorms with E. (since he's an R.A.) and so on.</div>
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Weirdly enough, though -- that hasn't been the situation.</div>
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Now it might be the number of potlucks that I've hosted since my balcony's lovely, and the weather's lovely (see <a href="http://thealmostfoodie.blogspot.com/2012/04/first-taste-of-summer-sun.html" target="_blank">here</a>) -- but I've worked for two weeks, I've packed a lunch every day and I've only eaten out when for some reason or another, my company provides lunch (grand total: 3 times). Even for dinner, E and I have actually not gone out to eat in a while...</div>
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And that brings me to <a href="http://mynewroots.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">My New Roots,</a> a fresh foodie find.</div>
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It's been my inspiration, as I head out to the farmers' market and dream of new dishes to cook up. Sarah makes eating healthy easy. Her recipes are simple but delicious and incredibly, incredibly colorful for "green" foods. </div>
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Now if only I could break my pasta habit... </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-16116823781720408852012-04-18T23:48:00.003-07:002012-04-18T23:48:49.671-07:00SEA THESE NOM-NOMS?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Freshman year, E.'s parents took us to dinner on the beach. I got crab cakes. I wasn't impressed.</div>
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Fast-forward a few years. Gladstones is still one of E.'s favorite places to eat, and the restaurant pops up on <a href="http://www.blackboardeats.com/">BlackBoardEats</a>. I'm not too thrilled, but E. insists and points to a few good Yelp reviews... (Nevermind all the nasty reviews too that have been written since Gladstones's change in ownership.)</div>
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Will I write a nastygram about this place too?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRW9VRZC5ZuCZ9ONdO4aX5AjCCcy3j-SAo2RLH9XUdxHMZk26S3t2zjqeJ2kapGGrj3aIEbK0sWWE9zH1yG3U82Og769ONb9iIOO0OXS77VEYbyAVVANCTCnxAvVzJw3PHMm2m8VtA2Q/s1600/120414B01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRW9VRZC5ZuCZ9ONdO4aX5AjCCcy3j-SAo2RLH9XUdxHMZk26S3t2zjqeJ2kapGGrj3aIEbK0sWWE9zH1yG3U82Og769ONb9iIOO0OXS77VEYbyAVVANCTCnxAvVzJw3PHMm2m8VtA2Q/s1600/120414B01.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3NTESZyYWc_niuHXCN6JQGLhm1KNSmUXW6BrP7bB3zoSdPyhRBVaZ-5ivL3asGvtnRAjdZm9jer4lDPw9k3a_aS4jYMTQ7Z3qpu_IRRkekjFk6kuPTAloH1mcbJ-_nUQjDdF43thMw/s1600/120414B03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3NTESZyYWc_niuHXCN6JQGLhm1KNSmUXW6BrP7bB3zoSdPyhRBVaZ-5ivL3asGvtnRAjdZm9jer4lDPw9k3a_aS4jYMTQ7Z3qpu_IRRkekjFk6kuPTAloH1mcbJ-_nUQjDdF43thMw/s1600/120414B03.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Michael prevents me from giving this place a low rating -- and who exactly is Michael? Michael was our waiter. Our kickass waiter.<br />
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See, I originally wanted a Strawberry Blonde Lemonade, supposedly a Gladstones favorite. Michael made a face, and promptly suggested something better: the Blackberry Margarita. Perfectly sweet, and perfectly alcoholic. Now that was a drink!<br />
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With such a tasty drink in hand, obviously I trusted Michael to recommend dishes too. Boy, he did not disappoint! The shrimp was delicious! Crunchy crust, with a taste of sweet & spicy, and perfectly cooked shrimp inside.<br />
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E's dish was equally tasty, especially the mashed potatoes. Why yes, mashed potatoes go very very well with tuna steak. Perfectly cooked inside and seared outside, making for a buttery, spiced bite that paired well with the creaminess of the potatoes.<br />
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But again, I warn you: Pick a good waiter. Pick Michael... because when your drinks are served in plastic at a "fine" restaurant, you know that you can't go in blind.<br />
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<b><i>Gladstones (3.5 / 5)</i></b><br />
<i>17300 Pacific Coast Hwy<br />Pacific Palisades, CA 90272<br />(310) 454 - 3474</i>jenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-79368580941780299062012-04-17T00:51:00.002-07:002012-04-17T00:51:37.835-07:00DREAMING... THE FARMER'S MARKET<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVut-1mjTfVl8lah6RdY4qnIVA4uix7HCUtyEIv4Q8deH7PEsfpUMispyQq-QXkwiQ4khAJ_9w35HGIBlTWCICuzJAxi30QWn9r-NBjVTon2KNdNRUxu1T70A1fd0RynfSmroLpCI2w/s1600/120416B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVut-1mjTfVl8lah6RdY4qnIVA4uix7HCUtyEIv4Q8deH7PEsfpUMispyQq-QXkwiQ4khAJ_9w35HGIBlTWCICuzJAxi30QWn9r-NBjVTon2KNdNRUxu1T70A1fd0RynfSmroLpCI2w/s1600/120416B.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.kitchenist.com/cooking/farmers-market/bunches-of-veg/3253">header image</a> / <a href="http://www.modcloth.com/shop/bigbags/sunday-market-tote-in-beets">one </a>/ <a href="http://www.shopterrain.com/tabletop/milk-bottle">two </a>/ <a href="http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?navAction=jump&id=973774&parentid=SEARCH_RESULTS&color=010">three </a>/ <a href="http://www.velorbis.com/classic-vintage-bicycle/classic-retro-ladies-bicycle/victoria-balloon">four</a></span></div>
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Getting through Monday was a toughie with the Brentwood Farmers' Market still on my mind.</div>
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My mind keeps drifting to how homey that market felt, and obviously to how I wished I had these vintage-y, farm-y items! Don't these items remind you of farms and markets?</div>
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<a name='more'></a>But onto my review of the Brentwood Farmers' Market! It was quaint and homey, but not so small like my usual farmers' markets in Orange County and in Santa Monica*. There were tons of stands to select from, a bit of bargaining and haggling to do, as well as food trucks to grab snacks from. E and I even found the pupusa stand that had been at the farmers' market near UCLA's baseball field!<br />
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Unfortunately, E and I had ran / biked over there, so we skipped out on the prepared foods, but that didn't mean we didn't escape! My kitchen's filled to the brim now with heirloom tomatoes, heirloom carrots and a huge head of cauliflower, as well as other essentials in my kitchen (arugula, onions, etc). We even picked up a package of fresh mozzarella cheese balls, but the whole package ended up in our Sunday night dinner -- a chopped Romaine salad with salami, mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes and a balsamic vinaigrette. Yum, yum.</div>
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And let's be honest here -- what I loved most was the selection. For example, E and I found a ton, a ton of pita bread and hummus stands. We really could've bought ourselves treats from any of them, but one guy offered us three containers of anything for $10, with horseradish hummus and fresh pita bread thrown in. <i>Sold!</i> Sitting in my fridge now are two containers of hummus and a Greek side salad, as well as mozzarella cheese balls in my tummy and whole wheat pita bread on my counter.</div>
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Basically, this week's going to be delicious.</div>
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<i><b>Brentwood Village Farmers' Market</b></i></div>
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<i>741 Gretna Green Way</i></div>
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<i>Los Angeles, CA 90049</i></div>
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* You say that a small farmers' market doesn't exist in Santa Monica? Head to Virginia Avenue Park Saturday mornings, and pick up a loaf of wonderful hazelnut cranberry bread, as well as your basic necessities. I'm also a fan of this market, because while Gloria's stand sells quality produce for half the price, there's also a stand run by Asian-American farmers, so I can pick up the veggies of my childhood (whose names I don't know in English)!</div>jenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-38798416222837397942012-04-15T16:04:00.001-07:002012-04-15T16:04:48.733-07:00BITS & BITES 04.15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsWPrM1UH-_4AIcOCodLts1tFR_igE896kIcOyBF2910ya6LvayYpJNtRY9EwjNGrw4JMR2W1pvJqQeKQxRtSdaa-AWA_VutF7z2r_Gi0N3WJkC1BrwueiW3wumCqH0ElPkcbl57zaw/s1600/120414A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsWPrM1UH-_4AIcOCodLts1tFR_igE896kIcOyBF2910ya6LvayYpJNtRY9EwjNGrw4JMR2W1pvJqQeKQxRtSdaa-AWA_VutF7z2r_Gi0N3WJkC1BrwueiW3wumCqH0ElPkcbl57zaw/s1600/120414A.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[ caribbean chocolate macaroon from pasadena's <a href="http://www.lettemacarons.com/">lette </a>]</span></div>
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<ul>
<li>Happy, happy tax day! <i>Not...</i></li>
<li>But thankfully, I'm worth nothing in the eyes of the government!</li>
<li>Taxes filed easily and early, equally worthless friends and I spend the day before taxes are due in lovely Pasadena and enjoy foods from <a href="http://www.birdpick.com/">Bird Pick</a>, <a href="http://www.auxdelicespasadena.com/">Aux Delices</a>, <a href="http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/">Cheesecake Factory</a>, and <a href="http://www.lettemacarons.com/" style="text-align: center;">Lette</a>.</li>
<li><i>Yes</i>, I sometimes eat at everyday chain, suburban restaurants like Cheesecake Factory, especially when the view is gorgeous.</li>
<li>We also do some shopping, and apartment-mate and I score a <a href="http://www.metrokane.com/site_files/wine_tools.aspx">Rabbit </a>wine toolkit (includes waiter's corkscrew, pourer/stopper and wine/champagne sealer) at <a href="http://www.surlatable.com/">Sur La Table</a> for $8. <i>Win!</i></li>
<li>The inaugural use of this toolkit? To seal a bottle of $2 chardonnay from Whole Foods that had previously been sealed with plastic wrap. Classy, right?</li>
<li>But there is a bottle of cabernet sauvignon from <a href="http://www.bonterra.com/">Bonterra Vineyards</a> in our kitchen, and lots of goodies from the Brentwood Farmer's Market, like mozzarella balls and heirloom tomatoes and heirloom carrots. <i>Clearly</i>, a dinner party is in order.</li>
<li>We've got a lot to celebrate... like taxes!... and the job that I start tomorrow!</li>
<li>Oh my gosh, a job... nine-to-five! Excited but terrified about becoming a full-fledged adult...</li>
<li>Gosh, being 21 has been all about growing up.</li>
<li>Aka growing pains... <span style="font-size: x-small;">A lot, a lot of growing pains.</span></li>
<li>But eventually comes love and peace and happiness -- aka chocolate, raspberry and coffee macaroons. <i>Yum</i>.</li>
<li>Er, not macaroons... But friends and families! Yes, families... Family family, Bruin family and work family...</li>
<li>Aka the people who spend all night in the rain with you to score amazing seats to <a href="http://alumni.ucla.edu/events/spring-sing/2012/default.aspx">Spring Sing 2012</a>.</li>
</ul>
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Your turn. How was your week(end)? Hopefully, it was just as lovely as mine.</div>jenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-78965870836487797402012-04-10T21:00:00.000-07:002012-04-10T21:00:08.887-07:00FIRST TASTE OF SUMMER + SUN<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYgYKQquLec0dXZTO-U9S5SpuOC8qdz3iF8ZvZNWBOrI-2AeYlkLx_FNVVYdeat9gHZFcEHPmbMyfD1j5BULlprzClEyWIiQN5N2bAd1qrsEvb1PmSMAe6HgJBZeG6lMSBT1Xd9SXWw/s1600/120410A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYgYKQquLec0dXZTO-U9S5SpuOC8qdz3iF8ZvZNWBOrI-2AeYlkLx_FNVVYdeat9gHZFcEHPmbMyfD1j5BULlprzClEyWIiQN5N2bAd1qrsEvb1PmSMAe6HgJBZeG6lMSBT1Xd9SXWw/s1600/120410A.jpg" /></a></div>
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Rain's supposed to descend upon California tonight, but oh, the weather last week has been sunny, sunny, and sunnier... aka it was perfect weather to take advantage of our huge balcony and throw a nice little dinner.<br />
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E and I loved the quinoa + arugula salad from California Pizza Kitchen earlier this month, so we just tossed some arugula with one of our favorite quinoa recipes (which we had whipped up for our Super Tuesday super party). As if that weren't enough, we were inspired at Whole Foods to grab a few scallops too, which added that lovely touch of summer to our dinner.<br />
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Oh, rain -- I know that we need you, but we were also having such a lovely time with Mr. Sun. Please don't keep him away too long!<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>Lemon Parmesan Quinoa + Arugula Salad</b><br />
<i>Serves 4</i><b></b><br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
(for the quinoa)<br />
<ul>
<li>2 cups cooked quinoa</li>
<li>Zest of 1 lemon</li>
<li>Juice of 1 lemon</li>
<li>3 - 4 cloves of garlic, minced</li>
<li>1 teaspoon cayenne pepper</li>
<li>1 tablespoon dijon mustard</li>
<li>1 tablespoon olive oil</li>
<li>1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese</li>
<li>2 - 3 cups arugula</li>
<li>Salt and pepper, to taste</li>
</ul>
(for the scallops)<br />
<ul>
<li>1/2 pound scallops (approx. 8)</li>
<li>1/2 tablespoon butter</li>
<li>1/2 tablespoon olive oil</li>
<li>Salt and pepper, to taste</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Method: </b><br />
(for the quinoa)<br />
<ol>
<li>Cook the quinoa according to package instructions. Let cool.</li>
<li>Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne pepper, dijon mustard and olive oil. Mix to combine with cooled quinoa.</li>
<li>Toss parmesan cheese with quinoa + dressing.</li>
<li>Toss arugula with quinoa, cheese + dressing.</li>
</ol>
<br />
(for the scallops)<br />
<ol>
<li>Remove the tough muscle on the sides of the scallops.</li>
<li>Rinse the scallops and pat them dry. Season with salt and pepper.</li>
<li>Add the butter and olive oil to a saute pan on high heat. Watch as the butter melts (and then count 10 mississippis). The fat should be sizzling, but not quite smoking.</li>
<li>Add the scallops, making sure that they do not touch each other. Cook each side for 1 - 2 minutes, making sure that there's a golden crust on both sides.</li>
</ol>
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<b>Sources of Inspiration:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://joythebaker.com/2012/03/baked-lemon-risotto/">Baked lemon risotto</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.portuguesegirlcooks.com/2012/01/quinoa-cakes.html">Quinoa cakes with lemon, garlic and parmesan</a></li>
</ul>
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<b>Inspiration for Next Time:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.giadadelaurentiis.com/recipes/832/grilled-scallops-with-orange-scented-quinoa">Grilled scallops with orange scented quinoa</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/01/bacon-wrapped-scallops-with-chili-butter/">Bacon-wrapped scallops with chili butter</a></li>
<li><a href="http://ourchocolateshavings.blogspot.ca/2012/03/seared-scallops-with-lemony-parmesan.html">Seared scallops with lemony parmesan peas</a></li>
</ul>jenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-42021922130922517642012-04-08T23:22:00.001-07:002012-04-08T23:25:01.313-07:00MMMMMMEZZE (and my recipe to job-hunting success)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Now that I have a full-time job, I can make this food porn a reality again. </div>
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And yes, that's me bragging about finding a job within two weeks of graduating from college! My recipe? A lot, a lot of luck -- and an intense program of sending out at least five resumes every night, emailing alumni contacts (some randomly), hooking up to LinkedIn, etc. Also, I learned a lot, a lot about crafting my resume and catering to different employers.</div>
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All that said, the job market is <i>so</i> cruel. I can share my recipe for success, but you may find that there's more to it for you. Still, best wishes for anyone hunting for a job right now!</div>
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But rather than talk about the dismal job market, can I share with you some beautiful dishes from Mezze?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPcWyqZuptZud-dN84ivFkqdKDtYA-zPs-sywJRHEnkbN61ykR2w9E0YvQ6BTaZ3_-qatX4BJk30WvNAwd1zfjLnn4i7RSR8L_orNy1ZWu3sJHds0guDKNXoz8AfbPWBaOertuJ4X0A/s1600/120401B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPcWyqZuptZud-dN84ivFkqdKDtYA-zPs-sywJRHEnkbN61ykR2w9E0YvQ6BTaZ3_-qatX4BJk30WvNAwd1zfjLnn4i7RSR8L_orNy1ZWu3sJHds0guDKNXoz8AfbPWBaOertuJ4X0A/s1600/120401B1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[<i> left</i>: moroccan mint iced tea; <i>right</i>: farm egg shakshouka ]</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JqGlV88hK_mvVYPgGPacdUwBGKPm093B0nJalsSvV5tsuYnPIgmGD1MIEy12BuvLnrNHfYmg-BzRMaxVjp4tB0oupECyct1u-UuA46Xks6sZQoMphISWXj4dwQVyBYYHQ4FWuFmhEg/s1600/120401B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JqGlV88hK_mvVYPgGPacdUwBGKPm093B0nJalsSvV5tsuYnPIgmGD1MIEy12BuvLnrNHfYmg-BzRMaxVjp4tB0oupECyct1u-UuA46Xks6sZQoMphISWXj4dwQVyBYYHQ4FWuFmhEg/s1600/120401B2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[<i> left</i>: hokkaido scallop; <i>right</i>: merguez sausage flatbread ]</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJGycRef_T2EhjfZ0oISAZgfsxiNIxkaAcXN2vGvoLvLKpx_z2FlJfZ9dtyjiTrUXGqAk0M-ZkjoQ9leKUzflLzikiXqabJZhrG07aJ4j3uENoerwrhU1O5ePVrmtlNCgVWmlA0mY3Q/s1600/120401B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJGycRef_T2EhjfZ0oISAZgfsxiNIxkaAcXN2vGvoLvLKpx_z2FlJfZ9dtyjiTrUXGqAk0M-ZkjoQ9leKUzflLzikiXqabJZhrG07aJ4j3uENoerwrhU1O5ePVrmtlNCgVWmlA0mY3Q/s1600/120401B3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[<i> left</i>: hashweh risotto; <i>right</i>: chocolate mousse ]</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: left;">
E and I headed to Mezze on recommendations from the online foodie world, as well as on a discount from <a href="http://www.blackboardeats.com/">BlackboardEats</a>. (Have you heard of BBE? It enables so many of my foodie adventures.)</div>
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The interior of Mezze? Gorgeous. Even better? The full view into the kitchen. E and I considered sitting at the chef's table with full view of everything that they were doing, but the other tables were just so perfectly romantic. Boys, please spend the extra moolah to take your girls out to a place like this every once in a while.</div>
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Especially since the food's delicious. Seriously, seriously delicious. I loved how everything had this bit of an edge to it, like the burnt lemon in the risotto and the lack of overwhelming sweetness in the mousse (with the loveliness of honey in the ice cream). It was a beautiful meal that I just cannot put into words.</div>
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Hopefully, the pics will do!</div>
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<i><b>Mezze</b> (4/5)</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>401 North La Cienega Boulevard </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>West Hollywood, CA 90048</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>(310) 657-4103</i><br />
<i><a href="http://www.mezzela.com/">www.mezzela.com</a></i></div>jenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-17416752651955692382012-04-04T21:32:00.002-07:002012-04-04T21:32:35.498-07:00I SEE D.C.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IWYh9KjoVGk/Tznfb2N6PnI/AAAAAAAAANE/4VEbB1gPpR4/s1600/120212A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IWYh9KjoVGk/Tznfb2N6PnI/AAAAAAAAANE/4VEbB1gPpR4/s1600/120212A.jpg" /></a></div>
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Two months later, I finally wrap up my trip to D.C.</div>
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D.C. was a blast for the weekend that I was there. I got <a href="http://thealmostfoodie.blogspot.com/2012/02/let-them-eat-cake.html">cupcakes</a>, <a href="http://thealmostfoodie.blogspot.com/2012/02/sweet-or-savory.html">crepes</a>, <a href="http://thealmostfoodie.blogspot.com/2012/02/happy-presidents-day.html">chili </a>and <a href="http://thealmostfoodie.blogspot.com/2012/02/cheers-to-that.html">lots of drinks</a>. My friend and I also hit up a ton of memorials at the National Mall and got some way gorgeous photos out of that.</div>
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But all that being said, I don't know about D.C. It'd be an adventure, but it wouldn't be home.</div>
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L.A., here's to another two years with you. I'm stoked.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-70605387732591472232012-04-02T19:31:00.005-07:002012-04-02T19:31:44.005-07:00BITS AND BITES 04.02<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmGnx4Tu31_bKG52Y3GWHjxx1PrfDs77BioXEkHRIzwPYbE55QbiD8qbi-vCXqVTcr6DUlUmRGS44skglA2-9fIF0I41aWnLp7M5SUvSOaG3UBIuSWtA-J9MGif6zGqf9Txh1prCwrA/s1600/120401A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmGnx4Tu31_bKG52Y3GWHjxx1PrfDs77BioXEkHRIzwPYbE55QbiD8qbi-vCXqVTcr6DUlUmRGS44skglA2-9fIF0I41aWnLp7M5SUvSOaG3UBIuSWtA-J9MGif6zGqf9Txh1prCwrA/s1600/120401A.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">[ a big bowl of my mom's banh canh ]</span></div>
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Ever made plans? Ever made plans and watched as they got crushed? Fun times, right?<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">As E often accuses me of, I am not the most flexible person out there... I like making plans and I like <i>sticking </i>to my plans! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">That applies to cooking too. I'm absolutely terrible at making things up as I go along, and I'd probably die on <i>Chopped</i> but my momma makes it look all so easy.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Case in point? When all my plans for whale watching got screwy, I got to make <a href="http://www.theravenouscouple.com/2010/01/banh-canh-cua-recipe.html">banh canh</a> with my momma instead. All made from scratch -- stock, noodles, crab balls, fish sausage, everything! <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Crab balls and shrimp sausage make you wrinkle your nose? Sorry, I can't think of other ways of describing them. You should learn Vietnamese!)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Momma does this with <i>no</i> recipe. She likes to throw it all together and taste it as it goes along -- and somehow, no matter what, her dishes always turn out perfectly.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Don't you just hate those people? I sure am jealous. I need recipes, structure, plans... And even then, things can go amiss. Boo.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">So here's to making plans, making no plans -- let's just enjoy life this week! </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">(I'm already failing, as I've just graduated and I can't sit around with nothing to do.)</span></div>jenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-35531094903404567822012-03-10T23:38:00.003-08:002012-03-10T23:39:51.610-08:00BITS AND BITES 03.10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiyPRLSc2EYhlhM1PsYW_wvFZBk1lASJFquzIifcLQ-1cfR50upM1Tg6DqfI2xNK02oVrN8yd3FeO-4uJJtyB6FOKIEzwwkKLShMexLNGlldWNV-vzYpssAmAE9bwO4JRKsYlRsxWRQ/s1600/120310A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiyPRLSc2EYhlhM1PsYW_wvFZBk1lASJFquzIifcLQ-1cfR50upM1Tg6DqfI2xNK02oVrN8yd3FeO-4uJJtyB6FOKIEzwwkKLShMexLNGlldWNV-vzYpssAmAE9bwO4JRKsYlRsxWRQ/s1600/120310A.jpg" /></a></div>
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Hi, hello! How are you? </div>
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Me? I've been good. Here are bits and bites of my past week, as well as of my current thought process.</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Been mulling over The Almost Foodie - where it's going, what I'm doing, etc.</li>
<li>Did you know that I used to really rock graphic design?</li>
<li>But the normal side of me said, "No, no, be normal. Go to college. Major in something serious/real/etc."</li>
<li>Whoops. Definitely did not major in anything serious/real/etc.</li>
<li>But loved, loved, loved my time at UCLA. GO BRUINS.</li>
<li>Now if only I knew where I was off to next...</li>
</ul>
<div>
Okay, so maybe I'm a little nutty at the moment, but truthfully, I don't know where this blog's going to go (hence, the lack of posts). Heck, I don't know where I'm going to go.</div>
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<div>
Any advice? A message to God, universe, strangers on the street and Internet: Feeling like a lost soul at the moment.</div>jenihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573997038543109653noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-53200229877984987072012-03-05T00:17:00.003-08:002012-03-05T00:19:42.380-08:00COFFEE, COFFEE, COFFEE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z9RXhyMmxmw/T1RxaXmYsgI/AAAAAAAAAOY/W4clSSadVsQ/s1600/120304A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z9RXhyMmxmw/T1RxaXmYsgI/AAAAAAAAAOY/W4clSSadVsQ/s1600/120304A.jpg" /></a></div>Remember my <a href="http://thealmostfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/12/foodie-resolutions.html" target="_blank">foodie resolutions</a>? Oh yea, I've been keeping up with those!<br />
<br />
So here's my update on #5 -- <i>Visit a coffee shop in FIVE different cities. </i>In one weekend, E. and I managed to hit up two new-to-us coffee shops.<br />
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You think that's too much coffee? It probably is, but we're addicts (kind of). We can go through two or three cups a morning. No joke, and we like our coffee black as night, no cream, no sugar.<br />
<br />
So for us, a coffee excursion is a ton, a ton of fun - and two in one weekend? Glorious! (We also visited <a href="http://mezzela.com/" target="_blank">Mezze</a>, but that's definitely another post.) So what'd we think of these two places?<br />
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<a name='more'></a>We headed to Coffee Tomo on a beautiful, bright Friday afternoon. The space was pretty small, and there were quite a lot of people inside. Luckily, we snagged a table and got two cappucinos.<br />
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Delicious, I tell you! The coffee kick was evident, as Coffee Tomo blends its coffees (a light roast, a medium roast and a dark roast) together to get a delicious cup of joe. We definitely felt it!<br />
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The following week, we would return to try an americano (which definitely exploded with coffee kick, so drink it when you need that boost), a sweet potato latte (which is a totally non-coffee drink and was perfectly velvety but not too sweet), a pumpkin latte (which was similar to the sweet potato latte but lacked a true pumpkin-y taste) and a cheese tomo (a flatbread-like pastry with tons of cheese melted on top of it). All of it was totally nom-noms.<br />
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I would definitely go here again, but only to hang with friends and not to study (as some people were doing).<br />
<i><b>Coffee Tomo (4 / 5)</b></i><br />
<div><i>11309 Mississippi Ave<br />
Los Angeles, CA 90025</i><br />
<div><i>(310) 444-9390</i></div></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div>But honestly, Funnel Mill captured my heart. Step inside to a very spacious coffee shop, equipped with outlets and lighting for all my studying needs.</div><div><br />
</div><div>The place had a ton of different coffees and teas, including an $80 coffee. E. and I kept it simple. We went for a dark chocolate truffle coffee, straight up, black, no cream, no sugar. The coffee was definitely not a super dark roast, but oh the finish on it! The aftertaste was definitely that of a pretty good dark chocolate.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I also loved that the teas were produced seasonally. I'm sure that various customers were upset that jasmine tea wasn't readily available, but the staff provided customers with samples of similar teas and were all-around knowledgeable and nice.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><i>Funnel Mill Rare (4.5 / 5)</i></b></div><i>930 Broadway<br />
Santa Monica, CA 90401</i><br />
<i>(310) 393-1617</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-64502662416933081922012-02-29T21:05:00.001-08:002012-02-29T21:06:14.163-08:00OUI, OUI!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ukde-FDANIE/T08BziR4rNI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/_lrUUyFT51g/s1600/120229A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ukde-FDANIE/T08BziR4rNI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/_lrUUyFT51g/s1600/120229A.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">[counter clockwise, from top left: <a href="http://www.griottes.fr/22-menu02" target="_blank">gâteau d'or</a> from <a href="http://www.griottes.fr/" target="_blank">griottes</a>; <a href="http://www.jveuxetrebonne.com/2012/02/gateau-glace-au-pineau-des-charentes-et_23.html" target="_blank">gâteau glacé au pineau des charentes et ananas</a> from<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2143148810"> je veux</a></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="profileName fn ginormousProfileName fwb"><a href="http://www.jveuxetrebonne.com/" target="_blank"> être bonne</a>; and <a href="http://www.christelleisflabbergasting.com/2012/02/in-kitchen-with-designsponge-et-mon.html" target="_blank">cheesecake rose-framboise</a> from <a href="http://www.christelleisflabbergasting.com/" target="_blank">christelle is flabbergasting</a> ]</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="profileName fn ginormousProfileName fwb"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span> </div>My foodie find for the week? Make that finds. They're French cooking blogs!<br />
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Makes me wish that I had paid more attention in French class! And that they could cook for me!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861354982512819298.post-12117244538087731172012-02-27T23:13:00.000-08:002012-02-27T23:13:06.683-08:00CHEERS TO THAT!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V3ulpYyC8xY/T0x8e13czLI/AAAAAAAAAOI/T3e12a7c4rY/s1600/120227A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V3ulpYyC8xY/T0x8e13czLI/AAAAAAAAAOI/T3e12a7c4rY/s1600/120227A.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">So a D.C. vs. L.A. comparison for today -- Angelenos, we don't know how to do happy hour like D.C. does.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Getting into D.C. around 9 p.m., I totally thought that we could do food and such. Nope. <a href="http://shakeshack.com/" target="_blank">Shake Shack</a> was literally the only thing open. (And it's good, but not crazy exciting... Also, I forgot to take pics.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Well, Shake Shack and the bars... Oh my goodness, bar hopping in D.C. was so easy and fun! We hit up a number of places, including the Mad Hatter and Mighty Pint. All of it though was within walking distance! All of it was packed! And deals! Whew, literally every place had a different "happy hour" special. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And I guess that that's the vibe of D.C. It's not so much about who you know, but who you meet. It matters what you do to make opportunities happen, such as going out to bars and networking. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">L.A.'s a different breed - and I don't know what's better, or where I would want to be quite yet. D.C. was a great adventure though!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1