bend it like niemeyer

With the World Cup in full swing now in Brazil, it is only fitting to write an article on Brazil's most celebrated modernist architect.

home made smoothie and fruit popsicles

I spent a winter during my college years in the Florida Keys pondering my future, just hanging around mostly in Key West sleeping out of my Ford Capri. On the Smather Beach there is this old lady selling smoothie out of her mobile smoothie van (now they call them food carts). Her smoothie was delicious especially in the hot tropical sun.

cantonese noodle with oyster sauce 蚝油撈麵

Most people that have explored Chinese food in the West know about wonton soup noodle. A very good bowl of wonton soup noodle in Hong Kong typically can be found only in stores that specialized in it, at least that was how it was during the golden era of Chinese food in Hong Kong. I would put the period between post war and the nighties. These stores typically had a very small menu.

french onion soup

The only French onion soup I'd ever made is one made with Campbell's. Recently I was watching the mind of a chef episode.  There is this brief discussion of making the classic French onion soup and I thought I really want to try making it. It is really simple but like old time recipes, it take patience.

a seafood gumbo

I made this seafood gumbo a week ago. I didn't plan it. It all started from my shopping at my Asian seafood store ABC Seafood. Whenever I go grocery shopping at the East side of Portland, I would usually check in to see what surprises Sharon has in store (pun intended) for me. Sometimes there are just the usually stuff. Sometimes something is in season and is good and cheap. In this trip they have live crawfish. I didn't know Oregon produces farmed crawfish until a while ago when I asked Sharon where they are from. Oregon, she said.

pining for a vacuum bag machine

Over the years I have pondered buying a vacuum bag machine to protect food in the freezer. I have resisted adding another small kitchen appliance that may turn out more trouble than it's worth. I have come close to buying the FoodSaver brand at Costco countless number of times each time I saw it on sale. However I know all too well the problems with buying consumer grade specialty machines like this. I had estimated the payoff versus the cost before the inevitable demise of a "toy" machine. In the end I had always decided against the temptation.