Food and my ramblings

This weekend will mark the end of our second week here in the little town of Campbell. I admit that I've had my bouts of home-sickness in the last few days. However, it hasn't stopped me from exploring both inside and outside of our home.

I craved donuts last weekend which lead to the discovery of Psycho Donuts. These are definitely not your average donuts. Pictured above, "Feng Shui" (left) and "Strawberry Fields" (right). While the donuts are definitely on the sweet side, the artful and crazy-themed shop is enough to keep me coming back for more! I highly suggest checking out their website here.

With both Marc and I still unemployed, we have to make use of our resources. I'm also pretty lazy when it comes to going to the grocery store. I made some banana bread with our close-to-rotting (not yet rotten) bananas. Not so bad!

I've been trying to make Pad See Ew the way they make it at some of my favorite Thai restaurants. Truthfully, I've had one too many fails and finally this week, the food gods were good to me as I was finally able to put the right sauces together. Score!

In addition to food, I have been trying to keep myself busy by engaging in a supposedly fruitful activity known as job-hunting. To say the least, it hasn't been quite as progressive as I intended for it to be. I keep trying to trick myself by saying that it's time to go back to work. As of today, I have been unemployed for 1 month. I have not been without a job since I was 15 so I'm sadly experiencing symptoms of withdrawal. I'm hoping next week will be a better week and I'm praying that waves of motivation sweep me off my feet and allow me to get further along in this search.

I have also been having my daily dose of library time. My goal is to visit every library in Santa Clara county. The novelty of a nifty blue library card was my gift to myself this week. So far, I find the Saratoga Library to be the best. It not only has the best atmosphere but it has friendly people and a wide selection of both books and media. I currently have about 10 books checked out (mostly cookbooks) and way too many CD's.

To library patrons of Santa Clara county, I apologize for checking out every single Broadway musical CD. I am trying to build my collection in the most cost-effective way so I'll be burning these babies for a few days before checking them back in. You're welcome to come over if you need something stat. To the libraries I have yet to hit, I'll be emptying you out soon. Sunnyvale, you're next! P.S.: I'm on the hunt for the OBC Recordings of Gypsy and Tick, Tick, Boom!

Ok, I really need to find a job. Preferably, a non-desk job.

Happy Good Friday to you all and have a spectacular Easter!

Around the city with the family-in pictures

At Boudin Bakery at Fisherman's Wharf, you will find sourdough bread in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

Sister pose!

Excited to sample some macarons from Miette!

The parents @ Taylor's Automatic Refresher.

My tasty garlic fries from Taylor's.

I need one of these in my kitchen.

Mom with the Bay Bridge in the background.

Brother and sister crossing the street in Chinatown.

Sister and the random cat.

My Dad playing with a squishy ball at a bazaar in Chinatown.

Cousin Josh deciding on his purchase.

I can't wait 'til my family comes to visit again. I miss them already! On a happier note, Marc and I will be back in the city on Sunday to participate in some nerdy festivity which I am too embarrassed to post about right now. The worst part is that it involves my initiative. In fact, I just bought the tickets. I hope to share more about this next week. :)

Goodbye Orange County-Part IV

As we got onto the freeway to head back to the Inland Empire, Marc decided to take a detour to his favorite Empanada's Place in Costa Mesa.

This charming little hole-in-the-wall has been one of our favorite dine-in spots in OC.

The extensive menu caters to both meat-eaters and vegetarians alike.

These are the corn & cheese stuffed empanadas with the infamous chimichurri sauce. Don't let the pictures fool you, these babies are quite large.

Cheese & Onion and Potato empanadas. Such delightful treats!

And that's it folks! What a perfect way to end our last day in OC. Is it sad that our favorite places were all associated with food? I'm a proud food lover and have no shame in admitting that!

As the saying goes, with every ending comes a new beginning. I am very anxious and excited to begin the next chapter of our lives together in what I now refer to as "the great north." :) But for now, I must indulge in all things So-Cal as time is a ticking!

Goodbye Orange County-Part III

We made a few more stops during our last day in Irvine. Not to eat, but simply to take pictures of some of our favorite places. : )

The token Taiwanese bakery in Irvine known as 85 Degrees . The long lines, self-serve buttery breads and the yummy dessert counter will surely be missed.

The only decent Thai food place in all of Irvine-Thai Ritz Cuisine. The monstrous portions were a steal for the low price to pay!

My favorite supermarket, H-Mart. This place allowed me to stretch my $20/week grocery budget beyond limits!

I love how clean it is inside plus the assortment of produce was always fresh and very affordable. Where else can you get 5 bunches of spinach for $1. Yes, I did say bunches.

Goodbye Orange County-Part II

This post should really be titled as "An ode to Yogurtland." Yogurtland kept me sane during my long days at work, especially during the hot summer. Thankfully, there was one within a few blocks from my office. Every Friday, Marc and I would religiously reward ourselves with a cup of fro-yo for getting through the week. Naturally, we had to make a stop at Yogurtland before making our final 'exit' out of Irvine. On our way to our usual branch by campus, we stumbled upon the grand opening of another branch just down the street from our former apartment. What a pleasant surprise! Since it was closer, we stopped here and as always, our taste buds were satisfied with yogurty goodness! I'm sure there will be another one of these at our next place of residence. However, this post is just to prove how severe our obsession is with Yogurtland. Sorry, Pinkberry. I think we'd love you more if you were self-serve. : )

New flavors always entice me!

Obsessed with food

During my recent trip to the Bay Area, I was introduced to a number of delicious dining establishments. Nothing excites me more than having new food to try and great company to enjoy it with! Thank you Missy for being an amazing hostess and for bringing us to great restaurants!

Our last dinner in the Bay Area: The Pastaria & Market in Los Gatos.

Check out my Yelp review because the pictures don't suffice!

The baked brie was such a delectable treat

I can't go to an Italian restaurant and not try their pesto dish! There's something about the home made pasta that made this dish extra delectable!

Butternut squash ravioli in tomato cream sauce-the best I've had so far!

Food coma from the weekend? Not really! All it takes is a day of fasting to recover. : )

A beautiful day in Berkeley

While Marc had to suffer through a full day of orientation, I spent the day perusing Berkeley with Missy. We had a great time walking the streets and catching up. I can't wait to frequent the streets of this amazing town!

Our first stop: Brunch at Cafe M

For more details, check out the review I wrote on Yelp.

Crab Benedict with breakfast potatoes

Cinnamon Twist French Toast

After a satisfying brunch, we took off for the local Berkeley Farmer's Market.

Fresh produce (I bet they came straight from Schrute farms)

We were quite amused by how the coffee-dripping process.

A stroll down Telegraph with great company, shopping, and most importantly, frozen yogurt made it the perfect Saturday!

Our awesome hostess for the weekend-Missy! Can't beat that Red Velvet frozen yogurt from Yogurtland! I'm craving it right now!

Fuddruckers, Frostings, and NPH

In the movie Idiocracy, a reference is made to a burger chain known as Fuddruckers. It didn't occur to me that this place actually existed 'til some friends mentioned it to us a few weeks ago. Last night, Marc and I met up with our friends David and Jane at a local Fuddruckers establishment. I'm not going to lie, I was quite excited for experience not only because it was referenced in a movie but also because it had it's own 'produce bar' where you basically build your own burger. I had a blast drenching my fries in cheese and loading up my burger with tons of bbq sauce! Count on me going back!

Marc and I kind of cheated and had a little bit of dessert before dinner. Frostings happened to be across the street so we made a mad dash, picked up some cupcakes, took a few bites and saved the rest for later.

What's in the box?

Lavender Pear. White cake cupcake with chunks of pear frosted with lavender-vanilla frosting.

I loved it! You can really taste the lavender and it compliments the pear quite well.

Raspberry Truffle. This was Marc's choice. It really did taste like a raspberry truffle as it had some sort of raspberry filling in the middle. Yum!

Food aside, I received a Tweet this morning and two words popped out: Neil Patrick Harris (NPH) and Rent. I got really excited as I thought Rent would be revived and NPH would reprise his role as Mark Cohen. I'm secretly hoping he goes back to Broadway for ANY show. So it wasn't quite exactly that. Instead, I found out that he will be directing Hollywood's rendition of Rent this summer. That is still exciting news to me! Now I just need to keep tabs on who will be casted for this production. I admit, this is my favorite musical of all time and I do have a dream cast that I'd like to see perform for this production. I'm no casting agent but I can dream, right?

Ok, enough Broadway nerdiness.

Friends+Food+awesome news= perfect way to start the weekend!

Dessert Trip

Mint-Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chocolate cupcakes. Yummy!

Last night, I had a sudden craving for cupcakes from Frosted. So, Marc and I hopped in the car and headed over to the scenic 2nd Street of Long Beach for some yummy dessert and milk.

After dessert, I wanted more dessert so we went across the street to Yogurtland. Whenever I go to these self-serve yogurt joints, I'm always on a mission to keep my bill under $1. Last night, I spent a whoppin' $0.96! I swear, I never used to care for sweets. I blame the awakening of my sweet tooth on Claudine. :)

2nd Street in Long Beach at night

I think my sweet cravings have been satisfied for the week. Hopefully the weather will be better this week so I can get back to my regular running schedule so I won't have to feel guilty about my sweet sins. :)

Moroccan Birthday Extravaganza

On Friday night, my cousin Gem returned from a week-long 'job-hunting' trip to New York. On Saturday, we celebrated her birthday as well as her success in securing a full-time design job in the big city. She leaves for a permanent move on Tuesday and I can't help but feel really sad. Gem is the cousin who I am closest to on my Dad's side of the family and while I'm ecstatic for her and the amazing opportunity she has earned, I am going to miss her sorely.

Goodbyes aside, we managed to have a grand birthday dinner for Gem at Marrakesh in Newport Beach. I had been there one other time before and both times have been fabulous! The experience begins with a waiter passing out full-sized bath towels to serve as your 'napkin' for the eating as the meal requires the use of your bare hands for some parts. This is followed by a communal hand-washing ceremony. With all hands gathered around a basin, the waiter pours warm rose water adding a pleasant scent and supposed cleanliness to the guests' hands. Depending on what you order, the courses come out as follows.

1. Drinks. I highly recommend Casablanca-a very light Moroccan beer. I'm not a beer drinker myself but this is truly something else! Not only is it very light but it has some notes of fruit in it.

2. Lentil soup. After squeezing a wedge of lemon into this piping hot soup, you drink it straight out of the bowl. It truly does awaken your senses!

3. Four different kinds of salads-eggplant, cucumber, carrot and potato. Each one has a distinct flavor but when mixed together, it creates an explosion in your mouth. It's quite hard to describe but they are distinctly delicious!

4. Bread. It is recommended that you use the salads as 'filling' for the bread creating some sort of sandwich. The Moroccans know what they're talking about, trust me.

5. Bastilla. This is the round pastry looking dish in the collage above. It is a baked dish made out of filo dough stuffed with chicken, eggs, and almonds topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon. I know, it sounds like dessert with chicken but it is amazing! This is my favorite dish from this place and always will be.

6. Main Meal. Couscous with lemon-olive chicken and tender lamb. Just when you think you've had enough flavor from the previous dishes, the main meal comes out. Honestly, my favorite part of the main meal is the couscous and the cabbage! I can do without the meats.

7. Baklava. Too sweet for my taste but gets an A+ for flakiness.

8. Moroccan Mint Tea. This delightful concoction of mint, chamomile and honey is the perfect ending to an extravagant meal. I could drink this stuff all day long. There is nothing like it. And if there is, someone better tell me where!

To top it off, belly dancers circulate throughout the tents during the course of the meal making your experience that much more authentic. Marrakesh is definitely a place to go to with a big group. It is quite loud inside but you have semi-privacy by being in your own little tent. I must not forget that there is nothing more comfortable than sitting on a couch while eating one of the best meals you could ever have.

Good luck in New York Gem! I'm going to miss you cousin!

Food makes the world go round

Yesterday, hubby made the mistake of asking me what I wanted for dinner. I told him I was craving daing na bangus, which is a Filipino recipe involving milkfish marinated in vinegar. I failed to warn him about the repercussions of frying this delicacy. Our kitchen now has gigantic oil splatterings and the air reeks of fried-fish. It'll take a few days to clear but it sure was worth it. To top it off, he made garlic fried rice and a tomato-cilantro topping with fish sauce. Thanks Marc! To eat all this comfort food made me feel alive again! I feel like I've been in crisis mode lately and a friend reminded me yesterday that I just need to stop stressing because everything will be ok. I think I will do just that.

Fondue Feast+Friends

Prepping the cheese. Pictured above are Emmenthaler (block) and Jarlsberg (wedge)

This weekend, I had the pleasure of hosting a little fondue party fpr the girls. A year ago at this time, we took a girls trip to New York and had the time of our lives. In honor of our memorable trip, we decided to get together and reminisce. Well...and of course, gossip, eat, laugh, and just have a great time. *Mariel & MM-we missed you two!*

I love tomatoes so much and I couldn't resist making bruschetta for this dinner.

Although it ended up being quite gooey, the cheese fondue was a big hit! It was definitely a cheese fest as the girls brought other cheeses, crackers and some pasta.

Nutella Peanut-Butter brownies. I found the recipe somewhere online. I'm sad to say that I won't be making these again. The brownies were really dry and even with loads of Nutella, the peanut butter overpowered it in flavor. Oh well, it still worked out as a great dipper for the chocolate fondue.

Chocolate fondue is ready!

There is always dessert wine when we get together. It just happens to be the 'happy staple' of our gatherings.

Curious Claudine bought a bottle of non-alocholic (well...3% proof) White Zinfandel. It tasted like juice. What's the point? LOL!

Our little group is quite known for camera-whoring. By that, I mean, not in front of the camera but behind it. Here's a picture of Gem working some magic on her newly purchased Canon 5D Mark II. Soooo jealous!

Another 5d user, Samantha!

Claudine likes to keep it simple with the point & shoot. With all these cameras, I'm sure someone took a picture of me. I'll have to edit this post when someone sends it to me. :)

Paparazzi club-that's us!

The food coma we suffered afterwards was totally worth all the laughs and giggles that took place 'til 2am! We concluded that Samantha would make a great president, Gem belongs in either Sweden or in jail, Claudine will not default to "Plan B," and I will become a genetic engineer to re-create the gene that allows people to eat without getting fat. Thank you, friends for driving to visit! Why do the weekends have to end so quickly? Back to work tomorrow!