I Am... Sunday Brunch: Bacon and Egg Gua Bao
Have you guys had bao before? It's kind of a catch all term for steamed buns – you know the kind that you see at dim sum in the steamy baskets, or maybe at your favorite Chinese joint, with pork belly tucked in? Bao come in all shapes and sizes but I'm especially fond of the fold over variety. When I see them, all puffy and fluffy, just waiting for fillings to be stuffed in, I get a little giddy thinking about the multitude of possibilities out there.
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I Am... Scoobi Doo Pasta with Burrata and Tomatoes
Did you guys know that spiral macaroni (cavatappi) is also known as scoobi doo? I find that completely hilarious and cute. It makes me want to eat spiral macaroni all the much more now that I know that it has a cutesy name. Pet names for pasta aside, this pasta dish is a last summer hurrah. I know we're in the thick of fall (and winter is coming), but I still see clamshells of hot house tomatoes at the store. The other day I caved and bought a package of rainbow cherry tomatoes because they brought a smile to my face.
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I Am... All Edges Brownie Cookies
There's something about baking cookies that makes a house super warm and inviting. Mike and I are back home after being away for a little while and I've fallen in love with our house all over again. I love knowing just exactly where everything is and seeing all the little ways we've made our house a home. After unpacking (my most hated chore, up there along with packing and folding laundry), I whipped up a quick batch of these cookies from the cookbook of the ever talented Samantha of Love, Cake.
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I Am... Dim Sum Barbecue Pork Buns
I don't know about you guys, but these days I don't have the opportunity to make as many new friends as I did when I was younger. The older I get, the harder it is to really connect with people. Maybe it's because I'm a crotchety old lady, or maybe it's because life is so much more complicated than, "hey, come over after school and play." Still, every once in a while someone comes along who I fall in friend-love with. Full disclosure: if I like you, I tend to latch on with a fierceness that I'm afraid can be a little bit alarming.
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I Am... Friday Finds: 10.30.15
Happy Halloween Friends! I hope you guys have some fun stuff planned? Mike and I are going to a restaurant that we've been meaning to try for a while, so no costumes for us, but I'm super excited anyway. I'm also excited about November just because it means we're that much closer to Christmas. For the first time in a while, we won't be in Tokyo for Christmas which feels a little strange. A couple of my friends are traveling in Tokyo right now and I'm definitely feeling Tokyo fever. Nonetheless, Mike and I will be traveling a bit in November so there's that to look forward to!
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I Am... Japanese Kabocha Pumpkin Soup with Totoro Egg Toasts
I cannot believe that it's the end of October already. Halloween is just around the corner, but I'm not dressing up this year. I keep meaning to get all crafty and make costumes, but time always runs away from me. Instead I've been busy dressing up my food as Totoro.
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I Am... Totoro Soot Sprite Avocado Onigiri
Are you guys familiar with onigiri? They're Japanese rice balls and they're incredibly popular as a simple meal or snack. Even if you haven't eaten them before, you've probably spotted the onigiri emoji – it's the white triangle (rice) food item with a tiny black square (seaweed) at the bottom. Onigiri are ubiquitous in Japan; walk into any convenience store and you'll find a wall of triangular (and round) onigiri just waiting to be eaten.
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I Am... Sunday Brunch: Buttermilk Totoro Pancakes and Bacon
[caption id="attachment_11171" align="alignnone" width="1450"] Accidental ombre totoros. Otherwise known as a little too much time spent in the pan :)[/caption] It’s the last week of October and you know what that means! Totoro Week! If you know me (even just a little bit) you know that I’m obsessed with all things cute. And of course cute includes Hayao Miyazaki's Totoro! He’s furry, he’s friendly, he’s absolutely adorable. It’s been my lifelong wish to meet a totoro in real life. Since I don't think that's ever really going to happen, every October, I've been dressing up my food in a celebration of Halloween and Totoro.
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I Am... Mini Sriracha Honey Chicken Skewers
It's well documented that I have an obsession with mini food things. Here's a secret: I've always dreamed of starting a food blog solely for miniature foods. I would die of cuteness every single time I'd work on it. Maybe one day I'll do it, but in the meantime, I'm pretty happy mini-fying every recipe that comes my way.
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I Am... Pumpkin and Pork Cheesy Stuffed Shells
It's a pumpkin party! October is pumpkin season and even though I haven't been to the pumpkin patch, I've been pumpkin-ing it up like crazy. I know there's a bit of pumpkin backlash, what with the obsessions with pumpkin spice lattes and all, but it's okay with me, even if it's incredibly basic to be into pumpkin. I love the way it tastes: earthy, and comforting, and so full of fall.
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I Am... Flaky Buttery Biscuit BLT Sliders
Have you guys ever heard of hygge? It's the Danish word for cozy, but it's also so much more: it's feeling, a mood, a warm mug filled with your favorite tea on a rainy day, tucked under a fluffy blanket with your favorite person. Hygge is taking a regular everyday occurrence and infusing it with meaning. It's one of the prevailing forces in my life and I'm obsessed.
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I Am... Friday Finds: 10.16.15
Did you guys have an awesome week? I absolutely did! Last weekend, Mike and I had the best time hanging with Alana and her man, Moses. We spent our time making dim sum and even though there was an incident with an iPhone and the hot tub, a good time was had by all. I was planning on making Hainanese chicken rice for dinner, but the iPhone needed the rice more than we did, so we ended up having some pasta with Chinese roast pork. It was delicious!
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