Tinolang Manok (Filipino Style Chicken Soup)

When I'm stressed I tend to cook more of my home-grown recipes. I've been dreading this month actually as we will be meeting with our RE (reproductive endocrinologist) at Stanford University hospital tomorrow and I am quite anxious. We've been trying to have a baby for three years now and not getting any luck. What better way to calm my nerves a bit is to make my comfort food for dinner tonight. It made me happy in an instant. Praying that all is going to be alright tomorrow. For now, let me share with you this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound chicken (composed of at least wings, thighs, drumstick), cut in serving pieces and unnecessary fat removed
• 5 Cups water or low-sodium chicken stock
• 4 Cloves garlic, roughly sliced
• 1 Medium onion, sliced
• 2 Thumb-sized ginger, pounded
• 2 Pieces sayote  (chaiote,vegetable pear), cut in quarters
• 2 Cups spinach
• 2 Pieces Jalapeno peppers, cut in half diagonally (rib and seeds removed)
• 1 Teaspoon whole peppercorn
• 1 Tablespoon patis (thai fish sauce), substitute with salt if you don't like the fishy smell and taste 

Cooking Instructions:

1. In a large pot, saute onion, garlic and ginger in medium-high heat until fragrant. Add in the chicken and brown on all sides for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the fish sauce and coat the chicken accordingly.
2. Pour in the chicken stock or water and peppercorn. Boil for 15-20 minutes of just until the chicken is tender when poked with a fork. 
3. Add the sayote and jalapeno peppers and cook covered for 5 minutes more or until the sayote is tender. Season to taste.
4. Lastly, put in the spinach and turn off heat. Cover and let the spinach cook for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy with fish sauce on the side.

Meatless Mondays - Vegetable Stir Fry

 There are just some days where I am too lazy to think of a dinner recipe. Planning a weekly meal is not as easy as you think. It's quite daunting actually. I came up with this idea of making meatless Mondays and from then on, it made my life a little bit easier in the kitchen. These are my favorite grocery finds at Trader Joes: the Asian vegetable stir-fry mix and the Italian sausage-less sausage. 

 And this is my favorite local store find: the vegetarian stir-fry sauce from Lee Kum Kee. It's a perfect combination to any vegetable you have in your fridge.

All you need to do is take out your wok and place in medium-high heat. Pour in a teaspoon or two of Sesame oil. Stir-fry your veggies with the Lee Kum Kee sauce. You can either slice the sausage and add it on the stir fry or cook it separately.Voila! Dinner in less than 30 minutes.

Burger Steak (Salisbury Steak) Recipe

When I was in Texas, my niece told me that one of her best memories when she was in the Philippines growing up as kid was eating at Jollibee and ordering burger steak. If you are a Filipino, you are well aware of what I am talking about. Who doesn't love Jollibee anyway? 

So I made my own version of the burger steak upon her request. The problem was we didn't have any ground beef in the fridge. She told me there was this frozen Wagyu beef burger left and suggested we try it out.

And so we did. I took out all the patties from the pre-cooked burger and put the rest of them back in the fridge. My sister is really busy with work and she doesn't have time to cook hence the frozen food. This was pretty much easy to make and it only has three major ingredients and the rest is already a staple in your pantry. Believe me, you don't need to know much in the kitchen to whip this up. Your kids or husband will surely love it! 

Ingredients:

4-6 Pieces beef burger patty (80% lean,20% fat), you can make your own if you want or buy the the pre-shaped patties at Trader joes.

1 Large onion, the size of your fist cut thinly in rings

1 Can Campbells cream of mushroom sauce

Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Black Pepper

1/2 Can water (measured from the Campbell soup can)

Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grill beef patties on a non-stick pan sprayed with olive oil or PAM. Cook both sides for 2-3 minutes or just enough to brown each side.
3. Arrange the beef patties in the baking pan and cover with a foil. 
4. Meanwhile, make the mushroom cream sauce. Saute the onion in a little olive oil until translucent. Add the cream of mushroom sauce and water. Stir and let boil for 5 minutes or until creamy.
5. Add a 2-3 glugs of Worcestershire sauce and freshly ground black pepper to taste. 
6. Turn off heat and pour the sauce over the arranged beef patties.
7. Put the pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or longer (depending on how you like your beef cooked).
8. Remove from oven and let it cool down for a few minutes before serving. Serve over rice or your favorite mashed potatoes recipe. Enjoy!

Note: I love a lot of onions in this recipe. It tastes so good. You can even make a crunchy onion rings to top it off.

Thai Sticky Rice

I was feeling a bit homesick and was craving for "biko", a Filipino sticky rice cooked in caramelized coconut milk and brown sugar. It is a very tedious process and I wasn't sure if I could pull it off. So I remember when we were in Thailand for our honeymoon, thai sticky rice was one thing I had then and loved it!

I thought it was complicated to make as I wasn't so sure on how to cook the rice. But found this very easy recipe online and gave it a shot. I won't be re-writing the recipe in my own words as I have to admit I did not make any modifications on this recipe. I was worried that I might now make it right. So feel free to use the link as your guide. My husband loved it and my cravings satisfied. I think I will make it again in the future. Just a tip though, make sure to buy sweet Manila mangoes. Otherwise it won't taste as good. I kind of miss our mangoes back home. I believe it's the sweetest in the world.

Turkey Quiche

Who doesn't love a french quiche in the morning? Since my husband had a grand time shopping loads of turkey bacon while I was away, it's only fitting to make use of it as my crust. It turned out really well than I had hoped.

 We used Jenny-O bacons for this recipe. Cut it in half and arranged it in a muffin baking pan. Make sure to spray PAM or any olive oil cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat 3 eggs until frothy, then add 1/4 cup of almond milk (you can use whole milk or whatever dairy you prefer). Season with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. He loves anything with Parmesan so that is optional. Fold in a tablespoon of minced green onions.

Pour them in the prepared turkey quiche crust and bake them for 20-30 minutes or until the egg is cooked through. Serve with your favorite smoothie for a power breakfast. 

Thai Inspired baked fish

After my short Texas trip, I went home with a fridge full of turkey bacon. I guess that sums up the meals my husband has been having while I am away. He doesn't cook but at least he does the dishes so well. So, this is what I made him for dinner. A thai-inspired baked fish as a treat.

I forgot the kind of fish we bought for this recipe. 

 Baking fish is the easiest to make for me. I hate frying because I don't like oil splattering on me and the kitchen gets messy every time. And it is not very healthy too. Try this one out, you might like it.

Ingredients:

1-2 Whole fish of your choice
3 Cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon ginger, julienne
5 Tablespoons Lee Kum Kee vegetable stiry fry or Oyster sauce
4 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 Teaspoon fish sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
Dash of black pepper
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Teaspoon Lee Kum Kee chili-garlic sauce
Handful of coriander or cilantro for garnish
Foil for wrapping or if you have banana leaves for a more authentic feel

Cooking Instructions:

1. Have your fishmonger from your local market clean the fish. It is easier that way.
2. Make 2 slits on both sides of the fish to cook them evenly on the inside. Rinse with cold water and pat dry.
3. Mix all the ingredients together for the marinade. Taste test and adjust the saltiness.
4. Arrange the fish in a baking pan lined with foil. 
5. Pour the marinade over the fish. Making sure to spread them evenly. Cover with foil and let sit for 30 minutes or so.
6. When ready to bake, make sure to preheat the oven at 400 degrees.
7. Bake for 15.20 minutes, Make sure not to overcook. If the fish flakes if poked with a fork, it is done.
8. Serve with lemon wedges and cilantro for garnishing.

Singapore-Style (Inspired) Chili Crab

My husband and I have been craving crabs for quite some time. And even though Dungeness crabs are still in season they're pretty expensive. But tonight, the husband felt extravagant and bit the bullet. We bought a three-pound worth two pieces of dungeness crab for dinner. I cannot remember what the authentic chili crab tasted like from one of our travels to Singapore 5 or 6 years ago. I stumbled upon this recipe at foodnetwork.com  from Tyler Florence and tweaked it a little bit to whatever ingredients that was available in my kitchen. It was surprisingly good although I cannot really say it's authentic. But we loved how the flavor came together. Sweet-spicy and a little sour.

Ingredients:

2 Dungeness crab, cleaned and cracked (the Asian supermarket cleaned it for us and hard shell removed)
1/4 Cup banana ketchup (what we had in the pantry)
2 Tablespoons chili-garlic paste (I used the bottled Lee Kum Kee)
2 Tablespoons low sodium stiry fry vegetarian sauce (also from Lee Kum Kee)
1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 Tablespoon tamarind soup powder dissolved in 1/4 cup of water ( i didn't have tamarind paste)
3 Tablespoon sesame oil
4 Green onion stalks, chopped (separate the white and green parts)
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
4 Cloves garlic, minced
1 Jalapeno pepper, chopped
2 Tablespoons cilantro leaves  and more for garnish

Cooking instructions:

1. Steam the crabs for 15-20 minutes or until color turns bright orange. Set aside.
2. On a bowl, mix together the ketchup, chili-garlic paste, soy sauce, stir fry sauce, and tamarind soup. Set aside
3. On a large wok, pour the sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the white parts of the scallion,ginger, garlic, half of the jalapeno, and chopped cilantro. Saute for a minute of two or until fragrant.
4. Add the steamed crabs and stir fry until covered with all the spices. Pour in the sauce and toss until the crabs are well coated. Cover for 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Keep stirring until the crab has well absorbed the sauce. Turn off heat.
5. Garnish with the remaining jalapeno peppers and cilantro. Serve with steaming rice. Enjoy! 

Foodventure at The Grove Yerba Buena

I have read good raves about this restaurant from some famous bloggers I've been stalking in my idle time.

And I have been aching to try it out myself.

So on a trip to San Francisco yesterday with my husband, I had one agenda in mind: eat lunch at The Grove. 

Just like the herd of tourist having lunch at The Grove, a picture from the entrance is in order.

Look at the excitement on my face. It is written everywhere.

My order is an apple chicken salad. The serving is huge enough to share and served in wooden bowls with toasted sourdough bread. I am a sucker for all kinds of salad so this one gets a thumbs up. Nothing extraordinary but good.

The husband ordered the cheesesteak sandwich with a cup of vegetarian soup. I love the soup with a hint of cilantro and avocado. I will order it next time.

What our tablescape looked like. Rustic and homey. They serve breakfast all day and freshly squeezed juice too!

I had to mention that I had the most delicious squeezed apple juice for the first time in my life. No kidding. It was soo good I thought about all day. While my husband didn't like his "Arnold Palmer" juice. It wasn't bad. It was okay for him. Nothing special about it.

How much we spent for lunch. I would say it wasn't overpriced and with the thought that I loved the apple juice so much, I'd say it's all worth it!

The rest of the day spent roaming around SFO. Even had the chance to watch a free concert at the Yerba Buena park to cap the day.

Pork and Beans

We have once a week treat for red meat at home. We've been doing this for quite awhile now and it has been working out really well for us. Our diet consisted mostly of vegetables, fish and chicken. I made my own version of pork and beans last night and it was a hit. My husband loved it. 

Ingredients:

• 1 Rack of baby back ribs
• 1 Cup red beans soaked for 8 hours or overnight in cold water
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 4 Cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Medium onion, minced
• 2 Pieces carrots, cubed
• 2 Stalks celery, chopped
• 2 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (if using dried, 1 teaspoon)
• 2 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (if dried, 1 teaspoon)
• 2 Bay leaves
• 3 Cups of vegetable stock
• 2 Pieces jalapeno peppers sliced, rib and seeds removed
• 2 Teaspoon tabasco or any hot sauce
• 1 Can 8 ounce tomato sauce (you can also use canned tomatoes just make sure to cut them roughly)
• 1 Teaspoon brown sugar.
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoon of water

Cooking Instructions:

1. Separate the ribs by cutting them off individually. Render the fat by putting them on a nonstick pan and letting it cook covered in medium heat letting out all the fat we don't necessarily need. This is important for me every time I cook pork or beef stews. You don't put water in it as it will produce its own juice. This will take about 30-45 minutes. You will know it's done when some of the pieces has turned brown making them look as if they were actually fried . Remove the rib from the pan and discard the unhealthy fat.
2. Put the same pan back to the stove and cook the onion and garlic in olive oil until fragrant and translucent. Add in the carrots, celery, parsley, cilantro and bay leaves. Saute for a minute until well combined. Next, toss in the cooked ribs and vegetable stock. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid is reduced.
3. Pour the tomato sauce along with the jalapeno peppers and a dash of tabasco hot sauce. Season as you like with salt and pepper. Put in the brown sugar to balance out the acidity of the tomato sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes more.
4. Lastly, thicken the sauce with the cornstarch mixture and cook for 2 minutes before you turn off the heat.
5. Serve with steaming rice or toasted sourdough bread. Enjoy!

Chicken Arroz Caldo

My husband is feeling a bit under the weather these days. He's been very busy with work lately and what better way to perk up his weekend is a serving of our favorite chicken arroz caldo. It's one of our comfort food when we're getting the flu back home. Pretty much very easy to make. I believe even if you haven't cooked anything in your life, you can do this.

It is a must to make a good stock out of any chicken parts you have. Make sure to buy free-range chicken and those fed organically. I bought kosher chicken from Trader Joe's, cut it up into serving pieces and used the bony parts and a little bit of chicken breast to cook my stock. Put bay leaf, onion, ginger and pepper cloves to make the stock more aromatic (it's completely optional).

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound chicken cut into serving size pieces (any cut of meat of your choice)
• 1 Cup uncooked sticky rice or thai jasmine rice, washed and soaked in 1 cup of cold water for 30 minutes to an hour
• 5-8 Cups of chicken stock
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 4 Cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Large onion, minced
• 1 Large ginger, julliened 
• 1 Teaspoon, kasuba or saffron (safflower) 
• 1/2 Teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 Pieces hard boiled eggs
• 2 Tablespoon green onions, minced
• 4 Cloves garlic, sliced (to make garlic chips for topping)
• Lemon or lime wedges
• Chili oil (optional)

Cooking Instructions:

1. In a pot, heat olive oil in very low heat. When oil is heated, put in the sliced garlic and fry until brown and crisp. Make sure not to burn the garlic as it will taste bitter. Drain in paper towels and set aside.
2. On the same pot, put in onion, garlic and ginger. Saute until fragrant and translucent. Put in the cut-up chicken and cook until brown on all sides.
3. Add in fish sauce, black pepper and soaked rice (include the water or what's left of it). Pour in 5 cups of chicken stock. 
4. Saute occasionally (keep stirring if you can) and simmer for about 20 minutes. My mother usually keeps on stirring until the rice becomes sticky and puffed-up. Yes, this a labor of love and an arm workout at the same time. If it dries up add more chicken stock. 
5. When the rice is cooked and the consistency is creamy, add in the safflower and adjust the seasoning. Add more fish sauce if necessary. Turn off heat.
6. Top with hard boiled eggs, garlic chips and green onions. Sprinkle a little chili oil on top too and lemon or lime wedges on the side. Enjoy!

TPumps Boba and Movie Date

Finally watched Despicable Me in 3D and we had so much fun! Like a kid watching your very first 3D movie in a theatre (yeah that fun). LOL. 

We're not new to boba and milk teas as it is sprawling everywhere back home (at least in Manila). So we've been seeing this hole in the wall kind of milk tea shop over at downtown San Mateo for awhile now and kept wondering why they always have very very very very long line all the time. I am not even kidding. So today, we decided to give it a try. Waited for about 20 minutes to talk to one of the ladies who takes your order before you advance to the counter and pay up.

So this is their typical Saturday afternoon line. It's a mixed group of people from different culture and color. It's a fun place to meet new friends too!

Colorful straws. Take your pick.

So my order consists of black tea, almond milk, taro, lychee and boba pearls. It was good and I think it quite lived up to its hype! What I like about it is that you can customize your tea or smoothie with so many different flavors. 

People here always gets my name right. I wonder why back home, they always spell it wrong every time. TPumps is not a hang out place where you have seating area to talk away the rest of the afternoon over milk tea. But definitely worth checking out and mingle with people. Who knows, you might find new friends. What's not to love with a healthy milk tea, right? 

Kare-Kare (Braised Beef in Peanut Sauce)

This is my husband's favorite comfort food. Every time he feels stressed out at work, he asks me to make it for him. Since I am too lazy to cook it from scratch, I used the store-bought sauce mix (I know it's such a shame). I also used lean beef to cut away fat since we're going to add peanut butter.

For those of you who are expats like us, Mama Sita's always come in handy in the kitchen. Thank God for our local Asian market who stock-up on this. At least we're not missing out so much of our favorite local recipe.

                       

Ingredients:

• 1 Package Mama Sita's Kare-Kare (Peanut sauce mix)
• 1 Pound Lean Beef, any cut of your choice (the authentic version uses beef tripe)
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic, minced
• 1 Medium Onion, diced
• Mixed Veggies: 1 Cup of each at least or more if desired
• String Beans, cut in 2-inch thick
• Eggplant, sliced diagonally in 1/4 inch thick
• Bok Choy leaves
• 1 Medium Banana Blossom cut in half (optional)
• 1/2 Cup peanut butter (Creamy and unsalted version)
• 5 Cups of Beef Stock
• Shrimp paste to serve/condiment
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions:

1. Boil the beef the night before until soft. Place in the fridge overnight along with the stock. This will allow all the fat to curdle and solidify and easier to remove when ready to cook. I usually do this technique to remove any kind of unhealthy fat.
2. Blanche the vegetables in salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Just enough to cook them while still crisp and green. We want it to be a little crunchy when eaten. We don't like overcooked vegetables, hence blanching it. Rinse with cold water immediately after removing from pan then drain on paper towels or colander. Do this in batches. Last one to go is the banana blossom. Arrange in serving platter or bowl.
3. To make the sauce: Saute garlic and onion in a cooking pan with a little bit of olive oil until translucent and fragrant. Add in the beef. Fry all sides in oil until brown.
4. Meanwhile, dissolve the Mama Sita's kare-kare mix in 1 cup of warmed beef stock. Stir in the diluted sauce mix with half a cup of peanut butter and the remaining beef stock (about 3-4 cups and remember to discard the curdled fat). Stir for 5 minutes or until creamy. 
5. Season with a little bit of salt and pepper. Keep in mind to not make it salty as the shrimp paste will add flavor to the dish when eaten. Turn off heat.
6. Remove the beef from the sauce and arrange in the serving bowl along with the rest of the blanched vegetables. Pour sauce on top. Serve with shrimp paste on the side and hot steaming white rice. Enjoy!

Blueberry Scones with Biscoff Cookie Butter Swirl

 Cookie butter is all the rage these days. Despite it not being too healthy in my opinion, (because it is made of cookies and different kinds of vegetable oils) still goes out of stock in most of the stores. My husband loves this creamy spread and maybe once in awhile, we can indulge in little sins to ward off cravings.

 I have a very small kitchen and I find it too much of a hassle baking from scratch with the lack of tools. I use boxed mixes for muffins and cupcakes every time I wanted to bake something. I came across this all-natural blueberry scones from Sticky Fingers at World Market over the weekend and decided to give it a try.

The instructions indicated to simply add water and mix, but I got a little bit adventurous and used almond milk instead of water. Put in a cup of blueberries and folded in 1/4 cup of cookie butter.

Baked the scones for 10 minutes instead of 15 as stated in the box. I think my oven was too hot and made the baking process a bit faster. I set the heat same as the instructions that it came with. Good thing I peeped in the oven after 10 minutes and saw that they were already fluffy and brown on the sides. Punched one of the scones with a toothpick and it came out clean so I turned off the heat immediately. Voila! They came out soft and moist.

 Perfect when paired with English tea. Oh, yes. Like the way Europeans do it.

Baticolon Halang-Halang (Spicy Chicken Gizzard)

Yes, you read that right. Gizzard. Yup, that's the part most people throw away and maybe considered an exotic food in other countries. I don't want to elaborate on what part of the chicken that is and might as well just say that it is completely safe to eat and they are sold clean. The title of this post is of a Visayan (one of the many local dialects we have in the Philippines) origin. I miss my older brother's cooking so I decided to make them last night for dinner.

Here's what I make of it:

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound Chicken gizzard, (if you feel hesitant to use gizzard use regular chicken meat, cut in small serving pieces)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oi
• 4 Cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Medium-sized onion, diced
• 2 Thumb-sized pieces of ginger, sliced thinly
• 1 Stalk green onions, minced
• 2 Tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 2 Teaspoons rice vinegar
• 2-3 Cups water or chicken broth
• 2 Pieces Jalapeno peppers, diced (seeds removed)
• 1/4 Teaspoon coarse grind black pepper

Cooking Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in pan then add in onion and garlic. Saute until onion becomes translucent and fragrant.
2. Add in ginger and green oniona. Saute for 1 minute or until fragrant (leave some for garnish).
3. Add the chicken gizzard/meat and saute for 5 minutes. Pour in the soy sauce, vinegar and black pepper. Cover for 10 minutes or until liquid is almost absorbed. The gizzard takes a bit while to cook than regular chicken meat parts. Stir in water about 2 cups and continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the meat is tender.
4. Lastly, add the jalapeno peppers. Simmer for five minutes more. Turn off heat. Garnish with jalapeno and green onions before serving. Enjoy!

Quinoa Risotto with Portobello Mushrooms

Quinoa is a great alternative to carbs and it's super healthy. I've read that it is very high in fiber and and low in sugar. For those of you who are diabetic, I think this is a good alternative to rice. Just research about it and you'll learn more of the health benefits as I will not elaborate on that. I am surprised that this dish turned out really good and this will be another weekly staple on my menu instead of our usual pasta night. Risotto is an Italian favorite and what they call the food made with love. You have to keep stirring from beginning to the end. So it'll do a lot of workout for your arms in the process.

I served my risotto with Italian chicken sausage for dinner last night. I didn't fuss so much on taking the nicest picture as we were both hungry. Lol.

Adapted this recipe from Trader Joe's with minor tweaking.

Ingredients:

4 Tbsps. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

2 Cups Portobello mushrooms, sliced

1 Cup Quinoa, soaked for 1 hour or more then rinsed

5 Cups or more Vegetable broth if you want it vegan or low sodium chicken broth (please don't use the granulated ones--it's really bad)

1/3 Cup Sweet Rice Wine (Mirin - Japanese cooking wine)

1 Onion, diced

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese (Make sure it's the real thing, not the granulated or grated ones that comes from the can)

1/4 Cup Creme Fraiche (optional)

Italian Parsley for garnish

Cooking Instructions:

1. In a large skillet, cook the Portobello mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat. Saute until brown and soft. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. In the same skillet, saute onion and garlic until translucent and fragrant. Add the quinoa and saute until it is coated with oil.
3. Pour the rice wine and saute until all the liquid is absorbed. Slowly add half a cup of warmed broth into the pan and keep stirring. Simmer until is absorbed. Keep stirring and adding the broth half cup at a time ensuring that the pan should almost dry out between additions. Keep stirring. Remember this is a labor of love for your family. Keep smiling when doing this. 
4. Keep stirring still until the quinoa has burst and consistency is creamy but al dente (I had been stirring for about 30 minutes). Test for doneness.
5. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the last addition of broth. When the liquid is almost absorbed but not dry, add in the Parmesan cheese. Turn off heat and cover pan for two minutes before serving.
6. Stir in the mushrooms and creme fraiche (completely optional..I skipped this part to make it healthier). Garnish with a sprinkle of Parmesan and parsley on top. Enjoy!

Note: When cleaning the mushrooms, just wipe it off with kitchen towel and do not attempt to rinse it with water or your mushrooms will become soggy and watery when cooked. 

Creme Fraiche Recipe:Adapted from Food Network

1 Cup Heavy Cream

2 Tbsps Buttermilk

In a bowl combine cream and milk. Cover with a washcloth and let it stand for 12-16 hours on room temperature. Stir before putting in the fridge and ready to use the next day.

Post Birthday Treat

{What I'm wearing: Jeans- JBrand houlihan, Shirt- H&M, Blazer- Gap, Shoes- Forever21, Bag - Louis Vuitton, Sunglasses- Chanel}

 My husband woke me up so early today and told me to get dressed for a trip to downtown San Francisco. He told me he was going to buy me a gift today since I was too indecisive last week that we ended up not getting anything at all. I was happy to oblige. I got a confession to make. I am scared to cross this bridge and  I cannot look down at highway 101 below. It just makes me feel like I'm gonna fall every time I look down. Weird, huh? I am pretty scared of heights.

{I love the ceiling. My husband took this picture while we were having tea at La Boulange}

We spent most of the day at Westfield Mall. We went straight Bloomingdales and tried looking for anything that I like to no avail. We exited the department store and came across Tiffany and Co. I secretly wanted to have another necklace or a pair of earrings for awhile now but still indecisive what to pick. So the husband nudged me into going inside the store and browse for silver jewelries. Thirty minutes later... I walked out with  these.

I am so keyed out for the rest of the day! I mean I went out with two boxes instead of one. I will reveal them in a different post next week. So hold on tight. We ended up watching "Now You See Me" after a Chinese sit down lunch at M.Y China. Finally caved in and had dim-sum. Yay!

{Lovely day at Market street. Very tourist concentrated area in San Francisco I'd say. Apart from Pier 39} 

My heart melted when I saw this homeless guy with his pet dog sleeping on the street. =(

Ramen Night

{Shirt- Mango, Jeans- J Brand, Jacket- American Rag, Shoes - Gap, Necklace- H&M, Vintage bag, Watch- Vintage Casio, Sunglasses- Rayban}

 Had a random dinner date with the husband and was seriously craving for some Japanese ramen fix. We found this restaurant at downtown San Mateo called Ajisen ramen and decided to give it try. Looking at the menu, it looks pretty enticing and price was decent too.

{I love this appetizer. Pickle set.}

At first glance, the ramen looked very oily to me and I got a bit disappointed. It's like swimming in oil. I've had ramen in different places except Japan (still on my bucket list) and they didn't look very oily to me. This was by far the oiliest in my list. The taste was okay for me but the husband thinks it was a bit salty, his was and mine was okay. So I don't really know what to say about that. We ended up not finishing the broth but least we ate most of the noodles. It was just too greasy. Unless there aren't any other place to eat, I'd keep looking.

{Potk ramen)

( I totally forgot what this was called}

 I really wished it tasted better than it looks in the menu.