sunshine salad

Thanks to my favorite suburban momma for this recipe!

(serves 8-12)

2 bags Mixed Greens

1-2 Oranges, sectioned (or if you're lazy Mandarin Oranges from a can)

Candied Pecans (below)

1 can Artichoke Hearts, bite size

1 can Hearts of Palm, bite size

1/4 Red Onion, thinly sliced

1 pint Cherry Tomatoes

Citrus Vinaigrette (below)

Toss the lettuce, 1/2 the orange slices, 1/2 artichokes, 1/2 hearts of palm, 1/2 red onion & 1/2 cherry tomatoes & vinaigrette.

Plate on a large platter then 'artfully' arrange the rest of the toppings on. Sprinkle with pecans.

Candied Pecans

1 cup Pecans

1/2 cup Sugar

1tsp - 1 tbsp Hot Paprika (to taste)

few dashes Salt

In pan, roast pecans till just about half done. Add sugar till melted then stir in paprika and salt to coat all nuts. Place nuts on parchment to cool.

Cirtrus Vinaigrette

juice of 1 Orange

juice of 1 Lemon

juice of 1-2 Limes

6-10 Mint leaves (chiffonade)

salt & pepper to taste

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (equal to the amount juices combined)

Mix juices, basil, salt & pepper then stream in olive oil while whisking. For a little extra tang, add a splash of vinegar.

grilled peach and arugula salad with balsamic reduction

I went down to Charlottesville a few weeks ago to visit my friend and some of my favorite Virginia wineries. The Weather Gods were smiling on us the entire time so we took the opportunity to grill on the roof deck.

Just as a warning, I usually don't cook using measurements so the exact portions of my recipes are estimates to the best of my knowledge.

2-3 Peaches
Arugula
3/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
3 tbsp Honey
2 large Garlic cloves, minced
1/3 - 1/2 cup Olive Oil (Extra Virgin)
1/2 - 1 Lemon, juiced
4-5 slices Bacon (or Pancetta)
1-2 tbsp Chives or Green Onions, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook bacon in pan (or bake in oven) until well-done. Remove and place on paper towels to drain excess fat. When cool, chop or break into crumble-sized pieces.

Mix balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic (set aside about 1tsp for vinaigrette), pinch of salt, and a couple turns of freshly cracked pepper in sauce pan. Simmer on medium-medium low for 5-7 minutes until sauce is thick. Set aside to let cool.

Wash and slice peaches. Spray non-stick cooking spray on peaches before putting them on grill to sear (about 1-2 minutes, depending on temperature) on either side.

Whisk olive oil, lemon, remaining garlic, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Toss arugula and green onions in dressing.

Plate salad underneath peaches, and drizzle balsamic sauce across peaches. Top salad with bacon crumbles.

(Additional option-- add toasted walnuts or pecans to salad for nutty crunch!)

l'ecole

I went up to New York this past weekend to wander around the city while I still had a chance to take advantage of the Chinatown bus. I used the opportunity to eat my way through the one of my favorite food cities.

L'Ecole is a restaurant run by the French Culinary Institute, which allows their students practice their creations and food lovers to have a wonderful dining experience at a very affordable price. The restaurant's atmosphere is pretty classy but comfortable; it would be a great spot for a date, even if they had questionable music gently playing in the background (Nelly Furtado singing about promiscuity doesn't enhance fancy food for me).

I had the 5-course prix-fixe menu dinner (appetizer, fish course, meat course, salad, and dessert) with the wine pairings. At the end of my meal, I must have weighed at least 20 lbs more than when I arrived there, but I didn't mind at all as I was floating in a post-meal dreamy glow.

I started with an amuse bouche, a light tuna tartare with watermelon. That was followed by freshly made gnocchi with peas and cherry tomatoes and pecorino shavings, which was paired with a sparkling rosé. The gnocchi melted in your mouth and the sauce was not too creamy, and although I would have liked a better pea-to-tomato ratio, I fully enjoyed this appetizer. The wine pairing was a brilliant choice; its brightness and acidity cut the buttery flavors of the gnocchi perfectly.

Next was a grilled bass with baby octopus, which was a bit underseasoned and underwhelming. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great, especially in comparison to the other dishes I had.

For the meat course, I had the tenderloin and fingerling potato with a red wine reduction and parsley purée. The red wine reduction was subtle and a lovely sweet contrast to the tenderloin, which had a great caramelized crust. It was paired with a slightly spicy Italian red (Barbera), which was really, really enjoyable.

After that was a small spring salad with a light citrus vinaigrette (to cleanse my palate, the server told me). Then came the dessert. Fruit soup with a vanilla-ginger ice cream, paired with a Muscato. It was... glorious. Beautiful presentation (it was one of those dishes that are so pretty that it's hard to ruin and eat...), so much fresh fruit (plums, strawberries, melons, kiwi, blueberries...), just enough ginger to give a wonderfully deep spice to offset the sweetness of the ice cream and the soup... I nearly licked the bowl clean.

A parting gift was a creation from their pastry program-- a blueberry croissant, which I inhaled the next morning with my coffee.

If you're ever in the city, I highly recommend visiting! Just be sure to wear clothes with some breathing room (elastic waist, anyone?) and make your reservations well in advance as it tends to fill up pretty quickly!

prologue

I was four when my mother sat me down at the dinner table and sternly informed me, "If you're a Korean, you have to learn to eat kim-chee. If you can't eat kim-chee, you're not a true Korean." I hadn't yet developed a taste for kim-chee or anything spicy and balked at this declaration. The disagreement took a turn for the worse when my mom placed a plateful of pungent, scarlet kim-chee under my up-turned nose, a wordless demand. As all arguments between myself and my mother have ever ended, she won. I reluctantly opened my mouth to the enemy and let the burning sensation trickle through my body.

I can now look back at my life and pinpoint that moment as a turning point. Four-years-old may be a bit young to experience such a profound, life changing event, but there it was. It was then that my love affair with food began.

I attribute my palate to my family, whose axis has always been on a plate. My grandmother's impeccable touch for spices. My mother's simple and soulful dishes. My father's adventurous tastes. My sister's endless appetite. We gravitate around food and drink, both in its creation and in its appreciation.

Food is, in a word, everything. It not only nourishes the body, but has the power to transport you to a different time and place. Especially now that I never have enough time or money to travel, I use my tongue to take to all the countries that I can't visit in person.

I guess that's the beauty of living in a heterogeneous salad bowl (not melting pot!)-- ethnic restaurants and dishes all around, just waiting to be tasted, devoured, relished.

So here it is, a record of my eating adventures. I'm making my way through the world, one dish at a time. No editors. No forks. Just me, my fellow food-loving friends, and my ever-salivating tongue. Happy eatings!