Date with the Mr.

A few weeks ago, the Mr. and I snuck away for some lunch and coffee.  


Sushi is our (my) go to place sans kids.  We tried a new place called Sushi Sankai in Costa Mesa.  The fish was fresh and the service sweet.  They also had really good hot green tea (free!).

The poki salad was so good.  Salmon, tuna, pieces of avocado.  All marinated in a yummy sesame dressing.

We also ordered two rolls.  Both really good but next time, I think I will go the nigiri route.


Next stop, coffee.  We tried Milk+Honey at the Camp.  It's a small non-chain coffee house.  Their coffee was nutty and deep.  The interior decorating could use some help but we had a good time hanging out, reading and chatting.

Sorry about the Radio Silence these past few days but we were away.  More pictures to come of our first summer getaway.  Here's a hint...

I went to Urth this past weekend and a bunch of us had green tea lattes (a bit too sweet for my taste).  

Happy Dolphin!

Mischievous Bear

It's been a good week for us Koreans - featured twice in the nytimes.  On food by Mark Bittman (love love love him) and on love (the modern love columns I read every week) - what else do you need in life?

Yunhee Kim for the New York Times

Happy Weekend!

Do you remember the song with the line, "Everybody's working for the weekend?"  Not until recently did I realize how true and sad this song is.  This past week, I was recognized for five years of service to my current employer.  It's actually closer to six years.  It made me think about the trajectory of my life.  But it's Saturday so I will save the discussion for another time...


On a lighter note, enjoy this clip of Jimmy Fallon.  How lucky for him that he gets to wake up every morning to do what he's brilliant at, what he clearly enjoys and making a lot of money doing it!

An Old Dog

I love learning and getting new ideas.  And this one is easy, yummy and so pretty!  Thanks to a good friend of mine - our friendship is one of the few good things that came out of law school.   

This is what she did:  took a kettle chip then stacked slices of smoked salmon and a dollop of creme fraiche/lemon juice and topped it with chopped up chives and cracked pepper.  This appetizer is just the right mixture of texture and flavor.    

My Two Bundts

I just bought my first bundt cake pan!  I always think of My Big Fat Greek Wedding whenever I say, "Bundt."  


My first attempt was a fail.  Turns out you really have to spray the pan before pouring the batter in.  I mean, really lay it on thick.  Or else...

Again, please excuse the lousy photography.

You get a crater looking ring cake.  But that's okay, just sprinkle some powdered sugar and it's barely noticeable.

Chocolate bundt cake recipe from The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook channeled by Joy the Baker.


My second bundt turned out lovely!  This one is a poppyseed bundt with a vibrant blueberry glaze.  

This Joy the Baker recipe calls for a lot of poppyseed (2 tablespoons).  Whole Foods carries a reasonably priced ($2.89) tiny box of poppyseeds (just pour the entire box into the batter and you are good).

I brought this one over to a bbq over the long weekend.  It was a fabulous afternoon filled with food, happy kids, a quick pedi-outing for the moms and Tangled!  

Thursdays Out to Lunch

It turns out that for the past two Thursdays, I have been treating myself out to lunch.  I am currently training for a half marathon (my second one!) and it requires me to get up early on Thursdays.  It's always hard to get up early but I love the feeling afterwards.  


Last Thursday, I tried Native Foods.  It's a cozy little vegan place at The Camp and reminded me of Berkeley.

The sesame kale bowl (brown rice, sauerkraut, kale, scallions) was filling and satisfying.  I was not crazy about the tempeh.  I ate half and saved the other half for breakfast on Friday.  

Just one Friday between me and my three day weekend!  

My Last GP Post (for a while), I Promise

My youngest sister said that this the best thing that came out of GP.  The ginger carrot dressing. This dressing is chunky and very suited for the Asian palate.  

1 carrot

1 shallot (if you don't have one handy, use a chunk of onion or a few sprigs on green onion)

1 nub of ginger peeled and chopped

2 T. rice vinegar

2 T. water

1 T. miso

1 T. sesame oil

1/4 cup grapeseed oil (or any oil without strong flavor like canola)

Stick it all in a blender.  I use my handy dandy hand mixer.

And voila, a yummy dressing!