My new fascination with TWILIGHT

(picture of my niece's wall)

If you haven't heard of Twilight - the books or the movies - be prepared to embark on this incredible journey of true love. The story is mostly focused on two characters -- Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) -- who seem to have found each other as their soul mate; however, it seems to be an ill-fated relationship, or an improbable relationship between a vampire and a mortal....

So what happens? I don't know, but I'm sure going to find out! Yes, that's right -- the movie has sucked me in... I'm getting the books so I can read it before the second movie comes out in November (forget the turkey, bring me the popcorn!)... what can I say? I am a hopeless romantic.

So what sucks readers in? At first, I didn't understand the fascination with it when it came out - I just recall many teenagers around the world going NUTS over this, including my niece who lined up for the 12:01 a.m. first showing of the film!

So ... Is it yet another iteration of Romeo and Juliet played out on the big screen - quite probable, but different. Twilight is similar to R&J in the sense that its a complicated love story with the unconditional and irrevocable love, but different in the demonstratable sense of passion that you see and feel between the two main characters.

When you see the two actors on screen (and no doubt you will sense it in the books) it reminds you of the dizziness that you feel when you are in love -- first, you have the initial awkward conversations; the butterflies in the stomach, that later translates into the ease and comfort you found in the other person's presense and when apart, you have these repeated images and replayed conversations that you've had with the person running uncontrollably through your head -- all the while you find yourself ignoring everything around you and not truly focusing on whats in front of you. All of these elements of love - are either - ones that you have felt, thus you can relate with the characters; or ones that you would love to feel or imagine what love to be like, thus you can relate to the ideology of love... and whichever category you fall into, is why you will love the movies... OR, if you are not a hopeless romantic - you will probably stay away from this story.

Alright, I am a hopeless romantic who wants to root for what can nearly be impossible, yet hopes that love "conquers" it all. I can't wait for the second movie ... but even before that gets out - I can't wait for my trip to the bookstore tomorrow!

p.s. Do you believe in soul mates? is it possible? and does love bring all your insecurities to the forefront, that when with the person, they no longer exist?

Interesting Find - Red Bull & Alcohol

Wow ... for those of you who often mix red bull and alcohol -- beware, you may end up having a heart attack!! Courtesy of realsimple.com

Don't Mix Alcohol and Energy Drinks

While you might not chase a vodka tonic with a Red Bull (like certain celebrity party girls), some teens you know might, and you should tell them it can do more than provide a sizable buzz: It can send them straight to the ER. This unhealthy combo can cause heart palpitations and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, it could even lead to a heart attack or a stroke, says Roger A. Clemens, Dr.P.H., an associate director of regulatory science at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy, in Los Angeles. Overloading the body with stimulants like caffeine, which is found in many energy drinks, and alcohol, which is a depressant and a diuretic, puts tremendous stress on the central nervous system and heart. Put at least a few hours between your caffeine and alcohol consumption.

Kogi Truck Coming to NYC soon!!!

The first time I heard of the Kogi truck was when a friend sent me a link to the LA Times news article describing a new food truck that roams around LA serving up Korean tacos! wah!!!! I want some!!! but wah! its in LA! but... guess what? Its coming to NYC!!!! Some people had the opportunity to taste it today... they partnered up with Dessert Truck to serve up a tasty delight. It parked on 55th and Lex -- however, if you weren't one of the first 200 people standing in line, then you missed your opportunity -- and unfortunately, I missed out too!

but no worries, I'm sure it'll get a spot sometime in NYC and there will be a line around the corner. so until then, 32nd street will fulfill my Korean food desires!

Lamb Chops with Spicy Mango Mint Sauce

Welcome back to Susan Can Cook. This week I decided to prepare lamb chops. Initially I was thinking of that movie - How To Lose A Guy in 10 days - where Ben (aka Matthew McConaughey) cooks up his famous dish Lamb Chops with a cherry glaze for Andie (aka Kate Hudson) - you know, its the ONE dish he knows how to prepare and uses to "wow" and seduce his woman. But, since I don't have a honey to seduce or impress, I figured I'd spice it up another way - oh yeah, with a Spicy Mango Mint sauce -- oh tell me you aren't turned on? Yeeaahh, baby (said in the Austin Powers tone)! So, perhaps this will now be my new "signature" dish to lure the boys -- yeah, come to mama! haha. I am only kidding ?

For those of you in awe, don't be. Its actually quite easy to cook - and you can do it too!!! The lamb chops cooks in about 4 minutes per side (depending on how large it is) and the mango mint sauce took about 10 minutes to prepare (i also did it the day before so I could let it chill).

A mindful note: Cooking lamb chops is easy, but whats difficult is finding the right spices that make this dish so special. If you haven't shopped for spices before, just get ready for the sticker shock. :D Yeah, after living in NYC - i didn't think I would get sticker shock anymore -- but for this dish - i needed about six new spices that I never seen or quite possibly never heard of (i.e. Tumeric, Cardamon, etc) ... and I easily spent $25 just on spices and some of them I already had! can you imagine!! So where can you buy spices on the cheap? I went to a local Indian store and bought it there. I think its probably cheaper than the McCormick spices.

Enjoy and happy eating!


From Bon Appetit - June 2004
Serves 16

Mint-mango sauce

• 2 1-pound ripe mangoes, peeled, seeded
• 2 cups fresh mint leaves
• 4 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 serrano chiles, halved, seeded
  

Lamb chops

• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 16 1-inch-thick lamb loin chops
• Fresh mint sprigs

For mint mango sauce:
Blend all ingredients in processor until smooth. Transfer to small bowl. Season with salt. Cover and chill. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)

For lamb chops:
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Whisk first 8 ingredients in small bowl. Mix oil and garlic in another bowl. Brush chops on both sides with oil mixture, then press chops into spice mixture to coat both sides. Grill chops to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to platter. Garnish with mint sprigs. Serve warm or at room temperature with sauce.

For those without a bbq like me, I used my Iron Clad pan and it worked out just great!

Yum, Mashed Sweet Potatoes

I think my parents raised me right ... I love my vegetables! It dates back to my Chinese Thanksgivings where we cooked chicken instead of turkey; and chinese sausage rice instead of stuffing. Its during Thanksgiving that I had my first yam... Yams and sweet potatoes are often confused. Both vegetables are distantly related: yams are native to North America and sweet potatoes are native to Africa and Asia. Bet you didn't know that right? I didn't either. HA HA. I just checked wikipedia!

So, the purpose of this post was to share this yummy recipe that I found. It is sooo delicious. Try it on your own and let me know what you think... and remember, peel the sweet potatoes when they are dry!

Sweet Potatoes

• 2 large tan-skinned sweet potatoes (about 1 3/4 pounds), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• Pinch of ground cloves

Cook sweet potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 13 minutes. Drain. Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and minced thyme and sauté until onion is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer sweet potatoes and onion mixture to processor and puree until almost smooth. Stir in cloves. Season with salt and pepper. (Sweet potatoes can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.)

How to Peel ... Potatoes

Ok, we've all peeled potatoes before so this is probably a weird post for you to read.. but seriously, its just a little quick tip...

When you'are about to peel any type of potato (i.e. sweet, russett, or whatever), DO NOT rinse them. Seems obvious, but its not because I just rinsed them and realized -- its much much easier to peel without rinsing; not to mention less slippery. So the next time you peel this starchy item, just peel away... and then rinse it!

Happy peeling!

Let's Try This One More Time -- Blogging!

As I can see from my June 2007 posting -- I failed to deliver on my goal of blogging... so here I am now... trying once again to revisit "BLOGGING"

ooh fun for those of you who actually would like to read this post.

Rediscovering Life

Its funny when you look back on life, you realize how some things have changed and how some things haven't changed.

I revisited my blog posting from 2007 (the three that I had) and this is what I found -- I was working in finance and I was trying new things. And now, I am taking a break from finance and am trying a new career in photography and personally testing my culinary skills. Isn't that amazing?

It seems like a drastic career change, but its a worthwhile change. I won't dismiss the thought of returning to finance just yet, but its certainly on the back burner for now -- especially as I explore what I can do in photography. I mean, I gave up my travel in Asia to pursue this potential opportunity (now THAT is a BIG sacrifice for me!) ... So as I am putting away my 12C calculator and am dusting off my old canon camera to use it to rediscover my life ... I will be pushing myself to the limits once again in hopes of becoming a photographer ...

Another personal pursuit has been cooking from scratch and demystifying the idea that cooking is hard. Yes, put away that frozen tray dinner and get out those fresh vegetables and meat/poultry/fish. If you haven't been fortunate enough to participate in the Susan Can Cook series, get on it! You can help by thinking of new dishes you'd like to try to make or simply just come and join in on my cooking nights (sorry, only 2-3 people per event -- so i could catch up with everyone at the same time)!

So far, all the things I've made from raw ingredients include - pasta sauce (oh yea, 3+ hours of simmering), pizza (ok, so i bought trader joe's dough -- but i did roll it!), short ribs, salmon teriyaki with wasabi mashed potatoes, balsamic chicken (2x, one with a tomato sauce and the other with garlic and onions), peanut butter cookies, tenderloin roast, sweet potato au gratin ... and much more to come. salvating yet? well, perhaps you will be invited to my next Susan Can Cook night...

so, to my friends, i hope you will be there to support me in my year of personal development and personal growth!


So now, what hasn't changed? I'm still living in New York City !!! Though, I do have to admit over the last year or so, the city has lost some of its luster... But that is likely attributable to my disinterest of being out til 6 a.m... Wow, I have changed!! I turned a new leaf -- yeah, or I just turned around the corner and realized I have a "3_" in my age and can no longer recover as fast as before. haha. But truthfully, its time to grow up and pursue some of my own personal interests... So I guess, the only true thing that has stayed constant is -- "me in NYC" ...

so my journey begins... as I rediscover life and push myself to new limits -- i will learn more about myself through my rite of passage into photography and cooking.

THE COOK IS OUT OF THE KITCHEN - SUSAN'S FOOD TOUR

So its been two weeks since my last food posting... since it was my birthday, I figured I'd take a break and taste other people's food... so check out all these photos from my birthday food feast in nyc, then my gambling adventure with jammie in atlantic city and finally my most recent stop in san francisco...

To live is to eat, to eat is to love, to love is to live ... and we've come full circle!

Cleaning out the Fridge

Balsamic Chicken & Onions with Baked Sweet Potatoes

Haha, no doubt - this was the night i cleaned out items in my fridge. :D

So, i tested a new recipe for balsamic chicken -- balsmic, olive oil, garlic, basil, salt & pepper -- i marinated the chicken for 35-40 minutes so the juices can be soaked into the chicken... wow, what a difference. the chicken was quite moist when i pan fried it. i decided to throw onions in there as i was cooking the last side of the chicken -- perfect timing as the chicken was moist and the onions were crunchy. the balsamic was not as overpowering as i thought it would be... i definitely liked this flavoring over the balsamic tomato dressing i previously made.

also, i cooked up the remaining sweet potatoes... who said yams/sweet potatoes are only good for thanksgiving! dude, its so much better tasting and healthier than its cousin - russet potatoes... but just a quick note: put your oven at 450 degrees and don't foil wrap the potatoes. just throw it on the pan, poke some holes and wait 40 minutes (or until it softens when you squeeze it)... it won't burn. and if it does, its even better because the potato carmelizes as it cooks... at least that's my reasoning. so the longer it cooks, the sweeter and better tasting! yum...

oh - one other thing i threw in there --- TOFU and CABBAGE soup... ah, yum. very simple and easy as well - quick meal ... just tofu and cabbage... if you have fish balls or shrimp balls - throw that in there and you have a meal...

these items were probably one of the healthiest meals i cooked all week!

my neighbor jun was the lucky one to help me clean out my fridge... :D he likes home cooked meals! and yes, the products were still in good condition...

phew -- what a mouthful - hopefully it wasn't painful for you or for me! :D haha...

i'm signing off... but i hope this email finds you in good spirits and i hope you will start cooking for yourself as well! if you have any great recipes to share -- let me know! i'd love to try... and if you want any of these recipes, let me know, i can't send it to you!

Happy Eating! and Happy Mothers Day (vicki!!!)

Susan can cook!

Beef Tenderloin Roast & Sweet Potato Au Gratin (5)

Sounds crazy right??? Well, we did it! Gena and I roasted beef tenderloin. We did the salt and pepper rub, not to mention the dijon mustard and horse radish rub in. This dish took about 2 hours... so make sure you set aside enough time in the day to do it! also, gena and i decided to go with the lower quality meat - which, i think distracted from the dish. what would you do -- pick the $7 per pound or $24 per pound beef? You can guess which one we bought - $7 per pound -- but who knew eye round would be a bit a lot tougher to cook and eat, than the filet mignon type cut? Well, it was worth the experience and we'd likely cook this again. the Dijon and Horse radish were great ingredients to intensify the taste of the meat.

Sweet potato au gratin - in lieu of mashed potatoes, we decided to go slightly healthier and cook

au gratin with sweet potatoes... it was quite yummy!

Salmon Teriyaki & Wasabi Mashed Potatoes (4)

Hello All,

Its been sometime since my last posting - one month exactly. What have I been doing? starving? not likely especially with how "healthy" i look. :D so, unfortunately, i haven't been in the mood to post since i've been at the blackjack/poker/craps/three card poker tables in vegas and celebrating Stephanie's birthday in orange county! but, i think i've more than made it up this week... so, lets not keep you guys waiting much longer. Anyhow, I hope these emails are encouraging you to cook more wherever you are, and if you are in nyc -- lets have a dinner party!

Menu 4: Salmon Teriyaki & Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

Salmon Teriyaki -- i've never made this dish ... and i wanted to make my own teriyaki sauce instead of buying kikkoman's teriyaki sauce ( i didn't want to cheat ) ... so, i tested it out ! it was awesome... so simple and easy -- i would highly recommend everyone to try and make their own teriyaki sauce! wait, am i really saying that - i'm supposed to pretend like all of this stuff is tough, right? seriously - you will be sooo proud of yourself when you make this!

and what do i pair this delightful dish with? Initially, I thought it'd be nice to do roasted potatoes with green peas (saw it in Real Simple), but at the very last minute i decided to give it an asian twist and thats how the wasabi mashed potatoes came to mind ... anyone remember eating wasabi mashed potatoes at mercer kitchen? or was it wasabi pizza? whatever it was -- the wasabi mashed potatoes was a hit!

ok, side story - but quite funny and i thought i'd share with you guys - i didn't want to buy wasabi so i went to my local sushi restaurant and asked them for some wasabi! haha. ok, seriously - who would have the balls to do that? obviously, me since i have no shame (plus, didn't want to go hunting for wasabi paste)...

thank you shirley cheng for sharing this experience with me ... but next time, i'll make sure to ask you to place the salt on when you aren't tipsy. :D thank goodness you missed the salmon!