blogging101 – Page 2 – Have you eaten?

Guilt Free, Calorie Free (not quite but still): Quinoa Salad

March 27, 2015March 27, 2015by have you eaten?1 Comment

After eating “dirty chips” (it’s basically nachos. Potato chips are used instead of corn chips with pull pork, gorgonzola cheese and BBQ sauce) at Maison Tavern (nothing to mention here…I am not a big fan of this place) last night, my stomach has not been happy. It was too late to regret it when I left the place.

So here is my “feeling guilty” lunch. I ate oranges and apple for breakfast and quinoa & arugula salad dressed with nutritious yeast, olive oil, lemon juice, champagne vinegar, white wine and salt for lunch. This should even out 5,000 calories that I had last night, right (I am trying SO hard to feel better about myself)? You all agree that I can consume more calories at tonight’s dinner since I was being good all day, don’t you?

Happy Friday 🙂

restaurant

60-degree weather: Il Corvo, Pioneer Square, Seattle

March 26, 2015March 26, 2015by have you eaten?1 Comment

This place seats 38 people. You share your table with strangers. It only opens 4 hours a day from 11am. It’s jam packed and you feel like canned anchovy. They only serve 3 kinds of pasta with a few kinds of appetizers. No desserts, no after lunch coffee. The line gets long at 11:10am. They have rules how you eat there. Be in line for a while, order at this tiny counter, find your table, bus your table, exit. You get tempted to find your table first then be in line. No, you don’t do that here.

It’s mid 60’s today and sunny in Seattle. It was just perfect to get out. My co-worker and I hopped on to the “lunch shuttle” from our office building to Pioneer Square and headed to Il Corvo. We got there 11:10am and there already was a line. We waited in about 15 minutes or so and we were out of there by 11:55am. Inside of the restaurant is rustic and welcoming. Reclaimed wood tables and old wooden floor and vintage pasta machines as interior décor. Totally my kind of place. I had torchiette (short pasta) with house made pancetta, sugar snap peas, and parmesan cheese. Savory, sweet, slightly tangy, delicious. Perfect amount as well.

Thanks to the gorgeous weather and my co-worker Yumi to make me get out. I feel like I had a real quick trip to Italy during my lunch hour.

food

Rika’s Asparagus vs. Dad’s Asparagus: It’s Spring!

March 25, 2015by have you eaten?4 Comments

My mom sucked at cooking asparagus. It’s more like my dad actually. He liked vegetables well done (ugh) and she cooked them the way he liked. I didn’t questioned why my dad liked vegetables cooked that way but I never liked it. He almost eats anything raw. Fish, beef, chicken, beans and so forth. I always thought asparagus tasted like wilted old grass when I was a kid because of this. I was never a fan until I was in my early 20’s.

My friend Rika and I went out to eat and drink a lot. We explored the culinary wonderland of Tokyo. We ate French, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Ramen, Cuban, German, Hawaiian, Greek, Jamaican, Burger, Pizza, Cajun…you name it. One day I saw her eating asparagus raw. I had never met anyone who eats asparagus raw until then. Light bulb moment. Ah! Why the hell didn’t I think of that?? I don’t even have to cook it! Since that moment on, I haven’t cooked my asparagus until they get wilted. Never.

It is spring. My favorite farmers market vendors sell precious green asparagus. They are beautiful. Now this is my favorite way of cooking asparagus – lightly sautée in a bit of olive oil, chopped garlic, salt and a good squeeze of lemon juice. These green stalks have such an ear pleasing snap sound as you bite into them.

Two interesting lessons from my dad and my friend. Dad, I am sorry but this is how I cook asparagus and I hope you would like it someday.

food

Happy Tummy: Happy Clams

March 24, 2015by have you eaten?6 Comments

I found my favorite way to eat clams.

Clams are bathing.

Miso soup made with Haccho miso. I love clams so much and I usually steam with white wine but last night I decided to make miso soup with red Haccho miso. It was just wonderfully delicious especially with freshly made sticky rice.

Happy tummy.

Personal

Story of Shotgun Trip to Seoul & Tokyo: over Via Tribunali in Georgetown

March 23, 2015by have you eaten?2 Comments

March 12 Thursday left Seattle

March 13 Friday arrived Gimpo Airport, Seoul, South Korea

March 14 Saturday flew from Seoul to Haneda,Tokyo

attended concert of this Jin YiHan dude in the afternoon in Shibuya, Tokyo

flew back to Seoul from Tokyo in the evening

March 15 Sunday Facial, city tour, massage, body scrub, shopping in Seoul

March 16 Monday flew back to Seattle from Seoul

Who does this?

She and I have been friends since May 2000. She is unique and I am quirky so we make sense together. She is the one person whom I don’t feel uncomfortable seeing after not seeing each other for a long time and we can go back to where we left off. We got together last Friday and we did not have any awkward moments whatsoever and we started our non-stop 3-hour conversation as soon as we met in Georgetown.

We went to Pizzeria in Georgetown in Seattle called Via Tribunali. They have 20 descent kinds of pizza and some pasta dishes. We ordered one pizza with prosciutto and mushroom and linguine vongole. To be honest with you, I don’t even remember how they tasted. It must not have been bad because I didn’t notice. I was too busy catching up with her whirl wind, insane travel story and it was way more interesting than the food we ordered. She told me that this trip was her 10- year wedding anniversary gift from her husband, while he stayed behind to take care of his business and their 5-year old daughter. I have no intention to be criticizing their decision. I’d rather embrace how understanding her husband is and how hard Amy works every day by working full-time, being a mom and being a wife at the same time. I guess her mom was so upset hearing Amy was traveling alone and leaving her daughter behind. I understand where her mom is coming from but she should know already by now that Amy is spontaneous, curious and a determined person, which makes Amy so unique and interesting.

So, I have photos of what we ate that night but I don’t have any comments on them. They were good.

Really, who would do this kind of trip? My crazy friend Amy does. I am so glad that I have such an insane friend who makes my life way more entertaining and fun.

Embrace your craziness, Amy. This is a huge compliment.

personal view

Complicated Times: Simple Reminder

March 20, 2015March 20, 2015by have you eaten?2 Comments

All I need is a very simple reminder when it feels like my life is getting complicated.

WAKE UP – yes, I did that. I got out of the bed this morning. Barely, but I did it.

KICK ASS – I am not sure I did kick ass truly but at least I tried.

REPEAT – OK, I will see tomorrow.

Only three things. I think I can handle that. I would add one more here, “Stay Humble.” I look forward to welcoming tomorrow.

japan

Sakura: Cherry Blossom

March 18, 2015by have you eaten?2 Comments

Every year I experience this bitter sweet feeling. I grew up in Tokyo, Japan. I had been waiting for getting out of that country since I was five even though I am very proud Japanese. I felt like I was living inside of small box and there was no way to go and I was dying to search for my independence and freedom. Now, I love Seattle. This beautiful city has been treating me so wonderfully and it has been delighted to be here.

It is spring and cherry blossom (sakura) season. I think sakura is very special to majority of Japanese people and the most admired flower/tree in Japan. I see gorgeous sakura trees in Seattle as well. Every time I see it, my heart aches. I feel slightly homesick. It is interesting indeed to feel that way because I always tried to be away from Japan.

When I retire, I want to go visit Japan every spring to see these sakura trees. Then I die, I want my ashes to be spread underneath of my favorite cherry tree. It would be nice if the tree is one of these in the photo (this is very near to where I used to live).

Personal

Alphabet Questions: T-Z (Y: crying is good for you)

March 17, 2015by have you eaten?Leave a Comment

T – Time you woke up?: 2:30

U – Umbrella color?: blue

V – Very best friend?: Archie who is currently suffering from allergy

W – Which celebrity I’d marry?: Jimmy Fallon

X – X rays I’ve had?: chest

Y – Your last time you cried?: Today. I was reading this Japanese book and this one character who is 70 year old cancer patient and has a daughter who is about to be married. He didn’t want to tell her about his illness before her wedding so he was trying to hide it from her. But she knew and he also knew that she knew. That scene.

Z – Zodiac sign?: Libra

restaurant

Not Too Odd (actually quite nice): Oddfellows Cafe + Bar

March 16, 2015by have you eaten?5 Comments

Rustic, funky, vintagey, hip and eclectic. All of it.

This place is one of a few cafes where you want to spend for hours. One of those places you get immediately comfortable and hanging out with hip crowd. Oddfellows Café is located inside of Oddfellows building, built in 1908 (my house is built in the same year!). This café still has original old wooden floors, bricks and windows and offers rustic and environmentally sustainable fare.

Please sit for hours when you visit here. You will enjoy music, handcrafted espresso drinks, dishes made with locally sourced ingredients and lots of charm. This is one of places I proudly can say “very Seattle” – rustic, funky, vintagey, hip and eclectic