I'm 50! I'm 50 Years Old!

The big day is finally here.  I can't believe that I'm half of a century old today (11/6/13).  I don't feel 50 at all.  I thought I would get a little sentimental about turning fifty but you know, it's quite OK.

We are only as old as we feel. A recent survey done by an university (forgot the name) found that most folks don't think AGE makes them feel old.  What makes them feel old is when they can't live independently in their own place anymore and when they can no longer drive.  Great message and it came at the right time.

So, I've decided that I'm going to be the youngest fifty-something that one can be.  Remember, 50 is the new 30.  There is so much ahead of me and I better get going.

Happy Birthday to me!

Different Shades of Gray

I am not fazed by finding gray hair or white hair on my head anymore.  I just look at it, sigh and pluck it. Out of sight.  Out of mind.  I'm thankful though.  The little gray and white thing has not taken over my head and I still have no need for hair coloring (not yet anyway).

As I get used to this "gray" business that comes with getting old, I find different shades of gray hair.  What causes it?  Well, you can blame it on this little pigment called melanin, which is responsible for giving us our hair color.  Without good old melanin, you get:

The silvery white - that's when you totally lost it.
The definite gray - that's when you lost most of it.
The depressing black tip-gray root - sorry, you're losing it
The hopeful white tip-black root - yay, you're regaining it -- maybe?
But, what's up with black tip-white middle-black root? - is this the ultimate comeback??  If so, I have few to show off.

So, as I get ready to turn half of a century old in a week, I gracefully accept the fact that "grayness" is inevitable.   Gray hair is like wrinkles...

UGH!!!

YES.  Wrinkles!!  How can I forget about the wrinkles???  That's part of growing old too!!

But gray hair, wrinkles what not -- getting back to being graceful - we can stay FOREVER YOUNG on the inside because our mind and our heart will not turn gray (unless we kick the bucket) and have wrinkles.

I'll drink to that.  Cheers.

助人為快樂之本

Yesterday morning while waiting to make a right turn at the street corner, I saw this older gentleman trying to chase after the 121 bus.  The bus got to the bus stop and pulled away before he got there so he missed it. I stopped and asked if he was trying to catch the bus. He said yes so I told him to hop on and I would drive him to the next bus stop. He was so happy and said his wife was behind him.  Hmmm.... I wasn't expecting two peeps but OK.

A older lady caught up to us and she was kind of out of breath.  Poor grandpa and grandma.  I told them that I was happy to give them a ride but they had to be able to climb into my Jeep.  Darn tall two-door Jeep!  Sorry, it's not a senior-friendly vehicle but this was all we got.

Grandpa said he could climb into the back.  He was tall and lanky and I was impressed that he was still pretty flexible all things considered and he managed to squeeze through to get to the back.  Grandma, on the other hand, had a little difficulty hopping in.  She had to do a little left-right foot move and a little pull-up with me pushing her from behind.  We then went after the bus, but I ended up driving them to their destination since it was the next exit down.

During the ride, I learned that they both are in their 80s and have been married for 52 years. The grandpa said I should play lotto and he predicted that  I will win because I'm a nice girl.  He won three $500 lottos in two months. "Play Fantasy 5" he recommended.

We had a good chat and the grandpa really liked the Jeep.  I wondered if he would get one now...  When they got off - we went through the same exercise but in reverse to unload them - the grandma hugged me and gave me a big kiss.

Awww... they made my day and I had happy bubbles all day.

Spare (Me Some) Ribs

There are different types of ribs: spare ribs, baby back ribs, short ribs, prime ribs, etc...  And, there are many ways to cook ribs: roast, bake, grill, fry, steam, braise, or make soup. It's fascinating how many dishes can be created with just ribs.

I have three favorite rib recipes.  They all happen to be Chinese/Taiwanese dishes.  All three dishes require marinating the ribs beforehand and deep frying them first.  With different seasoning, you get different flavors.

Want woos and ahhs?  Try these:

台南的排骨酥 (Tainan Crispy Ribs in Soup) - This is a Taiwanese dish that my mom taught me to make.  It has a distinct flavor because the marinating sauce has a touch of five-spice powder.  You need to deep fry the ribs until very crispy then put the ribs with fresh daikon in a pot.  Cover with enough water and cook under medium-low heat until the daikon is soft and cooked through.  A bit of 當歸 is needed or the dish won't taste right.  It's a classic Taiwanese comfort food especially when you are cold and hungry.  A bowl of 排骨酥 will hit the spot.

京都排骨 (Mandarin Ribs) - Every kid I know likes this dish.  It's probably the catsup.  After you deep fry the ribs, you stir fry it with a sauce made of soy sauce, catsup and sugar.  Coat the ribs with this tangy sauce, serve with white rice and watch kids devour them.  Think of it as Chinese BBQ ribs.

無錫排骨 (Braised Shanghainese Ribs) - This is the newest recipe I've tried.  The ribs are cooked in a flavorful sauce until the sauce is all evaporated.  Like other dishes, the sauce contains ingredients that make it unique.  This sauce uses star anise and dried orange peel.  Yap, that's the secret.  It's a tasty dish.  I can't wait to try again.

Lastly, don't forget the good old BBQ Babyback Ribs.  So American, so satisfying and so good!

Me and Homemade Bread

The one food that I rarely attempt to make is bread.  Why should I when I can find freshly baked bread all over town??

Besides, my first bread baking experience destroyed my confidence in bread making.  I remembered my first attempt was after watching this bread baking show.  The baker made it looked so easy.  He demonstrated how: add this and that, knead, roll, make little round balls, connect them, let them rise, bake and voila, you have a teddy bear shape bread.  Tie a bow around the bread-bear neck and you can parade it around.  Easy, I thought.  So I followed all the steps - even connected the balls - and I ended up with a bear-shape rock!!!  Ugh!  NEVER AGAIN.  I was 18 or so years old then.  Many many moons ago...

Fast forward to few years later...department stores started selling bread machines in the late 90s.  I got one from Macy's.  I told my family that we were going to have homemade bread from now on. They laughed their heads off, but we were very curious how that little bread machine worked.

I followed the instruction precisely.  The machine was amazing. I just had to measure and add the ingredients in order and hit the start button.  The first bread that I ever made - with the machine - was a basic white bread.  And the first loaf was a success!  Oh My God!  I thought I did it!  Then, the second loaf was a flap.  It didn't even rise.  What a let down.

It's hit-or-miss.  To make life easy, I switched to bread mix for a while.  Yes, it was big time cheating but it guaranteed perfect bread every time.  Just pour the content from the box into the bread machine and add water.  I couldn't go wrong.  The bread would come out great but I get no satisfaction. Too boring. I then put away the bread machine.  I use it few times a year and that is it.

A Break through.  Couple of years ago, I saw this WORLD'S BEST cinnamon roll recipe that was designed for bread machine and I just had to give it a try.  The machine made the dough and I did the rolling and the baking.  The cinnamon roll was a big success.  The second one was still a success and the third too.  Wow!  I rebuilt my confidence and reconnected with my bread machine.  It was put back to work doing all the kneading and I have been baking different breads but with an asterisk: *Machine kneads dough. 

But wait!  I had another break through last week.  I actually made bread (OK, buns)  from scratch!  Look mom, no bread machine!!   I actually handled the yeast!!  I haven't done that since I made that bear-shape hard as rock bread so long ago.  I was worry that I would kill the yeast but my first old-fashion pull apart buns looked very lovely.  Wow... Is this for real now?  Am I finally on the road to true homemade breads?  Well, there is only one way to find out.

So, I think the bread machine is going back to storage again.

Dust in the Wind

The blue house few doors down across the street is a quiet house. A guy named Tony lives alone. I don't speak to him much but he and Dad chit-chat when they see each other outside.

In the past few days, I saw his garage opened and strangers going in and out taking things out.  I thought Tony decided to move after all these years.

Dad went over to check out. We were shocked to learn that Tony passed away in May.  We couldn't believe it!  According to Tony's brother-in-law, Tony found he had advanced stage cancer last September and it was too late for any treatment.

Unbelievable!  I usually saw Tony coming back from the gym when I left the house in the morning.  We would wave to each other.  So routine. So expected. When was the last time we waved to each other?  How could he just be gone like this?  We didn't even say good-bye. 

Tony's sister and brother-in-law came to clean out his stuff.  They got a big dumpster and just threw all his stuff in.  Bookcases, furniture, clothing and plants.  Everything.  They are going to put the house up for sale.

Just like that. All memories and belongings mean nothing when a person is gone. Whatever Tony had treasured and collected no longer has any value and is disposable.  No attachment.

The dumpster was filled to the top and was hauled away yesterday.  The house is now even more quiet than before.  All gone. There is no trace of Tony and the life he used to have.

Gone.  Just like dust on the wind.  Sad. RIP, Tony.

Under the Spell of Kitchen God

So last week I got a nice 4-day weekend thanks to the Independence Day falling on a Thursday.   Ahhh... a nice long weekend.  What do I do.... what do I do...

Well, I cooked up a storm like I was under a spell.  Did the Kitchen God point at me while I slept?

Thursday

I started with making the most coveted dish: 台南肉燥 (braised pork belly) in the morning.  Dicing pork belly was the hardest part but someone had to do it (me).  This dish took a whole day to make but it was well worth the effort at the end.  The aroma, the taste, the presentation, the satisfaction of achievement.  Hey, all hard work forgotten.

台南肉燥

Friday

I prepared the duck legs to make confit.  Got 6 duck legs from Golden Gate Meat Company on Wednesday.  I'm getting gutsy.  I started with 2, then 4 and now I'm doing dinner size of 6!  I rubbed those legs with herbs and spices and let them rest in the fridge.  I'll come back to them on Sunday.

I moved on to baking two loaves of milk bread and making two daikon cakes (because the recipes were enough to make two each).  While at it, I also braised a beef tenderloin (五香牛腱)for Robert.  Yap, all on my little stove/oven at the same time.  I gave myself points for multi-tasking.

The milk breads came out super wonderful.  I bow to the bread god who created this recipe!  The secret is a roux (mixture of flour and milk/water) that is to be made and chilled 24 hours in advance. It's then incorporated with the bread dough.  It somehow makes the bread soft and moist.  I haven't figured out why but heck, the formula has been proven and I'm not going to ask questions.  Just follow the recipe!

Making daikon cake is tricky and the outcome is a little bit unpredictable.  The size of the daikon will affect the ratio of water to rice flour mixture.  Too much liquid, it will be mushy; too little, it will be chewy.  I never know what I'm going to get.  I was lucky this time.

For Friday dinner, mom taught me how to make an easy Tainan sticky rice dish (米糕) using the braised pork belly as the topping.  Soak long grain sweet rice (not short grain) first then cook like regular rice.  Pile the pork belly sauce on top, sprinkle dried shredded fish for an authentic Tainan taste.  Check out the photo...  isn't the color just gorgeous?  I can improve the texture of the sweet rice though.  I think it came out too soft and sticky.  I probably soaked it for too long.  Note to self: soak just 30 minutes next time.

Saturday

I took a little break spending some quality time with my doggies.  I was tempted to make some doggy cookies but I got lazy.  Oh, I did make a banana bread for Carli in the morning.

Sunday

I was back cooking. I made Vietnamese pho broth!!!  Yes, I did!!  This was my second attempt.  Learning from past mistakes, I used more spices and less water this time.  The broth came out beautifully after 3 hours of simmering.  I prepared the traditional pho condiments: bean sprouts, chili pepper slices, fresh basil, cilantro and lemon (sorry I forgot it's supposed to be lime).  It did taste like the real thing.  Oh My Kitchen God, did I really make pho???

Back to the duck leg confit.  Confit is another one of those food that takes love and tender care.  I brought the chilled legs back to room temperature then deep fried them in 200 (F) degree extra virgin olive oil for 90 minutes.  This meant someone (me) had to stand by the stove checking the oil temperature and moving those legs around.  After frying, the legs were stored in the oil and back in the fridge.  They will be ready for consumption after 7 days.

Duck Confit

So, folks, what do think of my 4-day weekend?  All the food was devoured by Sunday night (except the duck confit).

The Kitchen God gave me a good challenge and I think I met it.  OK, I didn't make any new dishes but it was a good practice to make them perfect.  I would do again.

Bon appetit!

I Had a Dream

I don't normally dream.  I'm the type that once I fall asleep, I would sleep like a log and descend to the dark quiet ocean floor.

Once in a blue moon I would dream but I would dream of ordinary stuff.  No fantasy, no nightmares, no excitement, nothing weird. Just normal everyday stuff.

I had a dream last night.  I dreamed that while brushing my hair, I discovered that my ponytail had a white tip like Dexter's tail.  I flipped my hair (in my dream) and found that all the hair underneath was white!

UGH!!!

I woke up and realized that it will happen to me someday.  Maybe it's a sign that I need to check out hair colors soon.

That was a very scary dream.  *sob*

Red Tomato and Soy Sauce

How do you eat a tomato?  When I was a kid, I loved to eat my tomato like an apple but I liked to dip it in coarse brown sugar first.  The sweet crunchy sugar made the juicy tomato tasted like candy.  Adults, on the other hand, liked to dip tomato in a thick sweet savory soy sauce laced with freshly grated ginger.

Wait a minute, you might say, I never had it like this before.  This is actually an old recipe that's very popular in my parents' hometown, Tainan.  It can be an appetizer or a afternoon fruit snack.

The color contrast of this dish is striking too.  Black and red.  How beautiful is that?  Sweet and salty.  Mild tomato and spicy ginger.  A simple dish but it makes your senses explode.

I saw some nice looking fresh tomatoes yesterday and they reminded me of this dish.  I got some and asked mom how to make the sauce.  Dad was really excited because he hasn't had this dish for a very long time.  He kept reminding me, "Need ginger, lots of ginger!  Need sugar, Make sure you get that sweetness!"

As I was preparing the sauce, I was thinking that there are actually many dishes that have contrasting elements like this red tomato and soy sauce combo.  To name a few:

• Deep fried crispy noodle with gooey sauce on top
• Sweet and sour dishes and drinks
• Fresh mango and sticky rice
• Cucumber and hot chili sauce
• Grilled bacon and mochi
• Deep fried ice cream
• (I'll add to the list as I think of more)

So this is not a funky dish.  It takes some imagination, but, heck, it's not odd.

Here's the thick soy sauce recipe for your fresh tomatoes:

1. Boil soy sauce and some water
2. Add enough sugar to balance the taste
3. Add a dash of licorice powder
4. Thicken the sauce with corn starch
5. Add freshly grated ginger to the sauce
6. Let cool. Serve with tomato slices (refrigerate the tomatoes until serving)

Give it a try, peeps.  Try other combos too.  Let your taste buds go wild!

Need Matching Bags

On April 22, 2013 - Earth Day - few counties around SF Bay Area started banning use of plastic bags and started charging for reusable bags if customers did not bring their own bags when shopping.

Environmentally, I'm all for it.  I never liked plastic bags and very annoyed with ones that were super thin and ripped easily with a slight stretch.  What's the use for bags when they can't even hold stuff?  But of course, these plastic bags - with holes or not - can be useful for other purposes.  I mainly used them as garbage can liners and dog poop bags.  They were also great as dust covers.  I know I'll miss the free supply of plastic bags when mine is depleted.

San Francisco was the first county to ban plastic bags.  It took some getting used to.  The question you hear all the time now is, "Do you need a bag?"  The most frequent scene you see on the street now is people's hands full of their purchases if they don't have a bag.  People adapt though, and you see all sorts of bags, boxes, sacks, baby strollers, etc... anything to hold stuff and not pay that darn ten-cent bag fee.

One thing that I keep thinking is how businesses feel about people using bags from their competitors in their stores.  Would I want to see a Lucky's bag coming out from a Safeway store?  Do I want to see a Walgreen's bag going into a CVS store?  I don't think so, but how do you stop customers from advertising/marketing the wrong brand?

Case in point:  I was at BevMo yesterday with a red Trader Joe's wine bag in hand.  I had a good chat with the Store Manager and picked up couple of wines at his suggestions.  He saw me putting the wines in my TJ bag and handed me a green BevMo wine bag and said, "Here, this is from me.  Tell the cashier no charge."  I joked, "I used the wrong color bag, huh?"  He smiled and said he hoped I will use their bag for shopping next time.  We had a good laugh and I felt obligated to transfer my wines to the green BevMo bag before I walked out the store.

Very soon, I think this will become a business problem.  How to increase your visibility and minimize inadvertent advertisement for your competitors?  Is there a way to convince shoppers that they should use your store's bag when shopping in your stores?  Better yet, how do you make shoppers carry and use your bags even if they go shopping elsewhere?  Hmmmm.... I think this is a good thesis topic, yes?

For me, I'm thinking of using a basket for my shopping like the old days.  I remembered Mommy - liked all other moms - leaving the house with a basket when they went grocery shopping.  There were no plastic and paper bags back then.  Everything was placed in the basket.  I also remembered that moms liked to recruit somebody to tag along to carry the basket for them.    Observation: the newly in-love men would happily tag along; kids usually dreaded being volunteered.

Anyway, welcome to the new brave world where plastic bags will be a thing of the past and fashionable shopping bags will become the norm.

Use Matching Bag!

It's Bath Time!

I'm having my bathroom remodeled after all these years - 20 years to be exact.  In the 20 years that I'm in this house, we have remodeled/updated the house one section at a time.  It's now the bathroom's turn - HURRAY!!

The bathroom has been as is ever since the house was built in the 70's.  Oh, correction: we had to install the shower and tiled the bathtub area when we first moved in. Everything else was there since the beginning.  All these years, it just quietly serves its purpose.  Functional, utilitarian and nothing to brag about.

But of course all things deteriorate over time.  Tiles started falling off, paint peeling off, toilet wobbly, exhaust fan struggling.  I think its day has finally come.

OK, bathroom, you're next. First of all though, we need dough!  From having enough dough, deciding on the new look and feel, picking the materials, searching for discounts to chasing down the contractor, it took me one and a half year!!

At last, we started work on March 19th.  Since I'm finally doing it, I decide to go all out.  Everything was torn down and the toilet relocated.  I even put in a sun tunnel.

Like how bones are jointed at the right places, everything has to click for things to fall into place.  The project was moving right along until this week.  We have to stop work now because the darn vanity cabinet is not here.  It had to be reshipped, the guy said.  "There was an accident."  What accident?  Did you give my order to someone else?  Ugh!  

So this is the jointing bone effect: the baseboard can't be installed because the contractor needs to know the exact location of the vanity leg in order to cut the baseboard. The toilet can't be installed because the baseboard is not in.  The medicine cabinet and the vanity light can't be installed because we need to know the exact center from the cabinet.  Towel bars cannot be installed until all these are in place.  Oh, can't forget the shower door too, which will go in last.

So close... so close... just hang in there, Suts.  It will eventually be bath time.  *sigh*

Update: the bathroom was finally done on 4/21/13 and the shower door installed on 5/20/13.

Littlest Wu Just In

Welcome, Justin Mahlon Wu!  Born on Friday, March 1, 2013 @ 9:14am.  He is the youngest son of my youngest brother Jason and wife Jennifer.

Just One More!  We thought Carli was going to be the youngest Wu.  Jason and Jennifer sure did not plan to have 4 kids, but eight years after birth of Carli, they are back to diapers, formulas, car seat, stroller, burping and sleepless nights.  Good luck, Brother and Sister!!

Within 24 hours, Justin has more photos taken than any babies in the family and his pictures were seen by family and friends all over the places thanks to Facebook and other digital communication.  He was even on Facetime within minutes after birth.  Talking about having a good connection, huh?

This picture of Justin was taken within 10 minutes after he was born.  He was face-timing with Daddy who was in DC and not able to come back for his birth.

A Growing Circle!  So another Wu at the dinner table.  Our table is getting crowded.  Mom and Dad started with a small table for two.  Then, it was a bigger table for 5, then 6,7,8,9 and now 10 (oh, and I didn't count Robert and Karen yet).  It takes more than two to make a round.  We are a perfect circle.

Happy Birthday, Justin!  We are so happy that you join the party!

Duck Confit Anyone?

I love food but not all food.  Duck for one not my favorite.  Actually, I don't think I like chicken, ducks, geese, quails (animals with feathers and two skinny legs I guess) as much as I like animals with thick muscles and walk on fours.  But food is food.  They all taste good if you cook them right.

Oh sorry, I digress...

What's duck confit?  Confit is an ancient cooking method by which meat is marinated and cooked in low temperature.   It's then preserve in fat.  Fat will keep the bacteria out and the meat can be kept - without refrigeration - for a long period of time and still maintain its moisture.  NOT like jerky.

Duck is a perfect confit ingredient because it is meaty, tender and it can be perfectly preserved in its own fat.

The French got it right and they made duck confit the signature French dish.    

But duck fat?  Hmmmm...

I saw this duck leg confit recipe in SF Chronicle few weekends ago.  In the true California way, of course the duck confit got a twist.  Instead of being cooked in duck or other animal fat, the recipe called for extra-virgin olive oil.  Now we are talking!

It takes a week from start to finish to make duck confit but that is the intriguing part.  More intriguing is that the confit can be stored up to 6 months. Wow!

Boy, I'm so glad I tried!!  The preparation part was not hard at all.  The frying part required some patience - at least 90 minutes to two hours in 200 degrees (F) oil.  When done, store the confit in the same oil.  That's it.

Judging Time: I pan-fried the confit until the skin was brown and crispy.  I thought the meat was going to be tough and dry since it was fried for 2 hours!  What a pleasant surprise to discover that I actually made really good duck confit!  Dad asked why I only made two.  I told him that it was my first try and I didn't want to waste food if I goofed.  Well, I'm now ready to make duck confit in batches!!

What I've learned:  Always give food a try.  Learn to appreciate and enjoy the making part along with the eating part.  We human has a nice big mouth with multi-functional teeth, a complex sensory tongue and acute olfactory perception.  Use it!

Bon Appetit!

Angels Among Us

Mom and Dad met a very old couple at the park today.  They were walking slowly and the grandma using a walker.  Dad got up and offered them the bench so they could rest.  They sat down and chatted with mom and dad.  Then the grandpa reached into his pocket and took out this little angel.  He handed to mom and told her to keep it for good luck.

You know what?  I think mom and dad were blessed by angels today. 

A Mug Shot

I love searching for nice mugs at the thrift shops.  Finding one that I really love is like winning the lotto.

Somehow, using a mug I like makes the drink tastes better.  Really.

There are tons of mugs at the thrift shops.  Big, small, tall, short, ugly ones, cute ones... For some reasons, people love to get rid of mugs.  OK, I can understand the ones with logos or writings, but I can't figure out why nice ones too.

Maybe nice is subjective.  What's nice to me may not be nice to other people.  But fine quality should be universal.  Why would people throw away fine quality mugs?  Some of them are so new and no chips nor scratches too.

No complaints though.  My gain.  Over the years, I have found mugs that makes me happy.  Best of all, these mugs cost less than a cup of coffee each.  See the blue heart mug on the right?  It's a Japanese fine bone porcelain and I got it for 49 cents.  The tall tumbler in the back was either 99 cents or $1.99.  It gets me 10 cents off per cup of coffee for using my own mug.  I got my money back already.  It used to be purple.  The purple layer of film peeled off over time.  I ended up stripping it off and it's now a silver tumbler.  The Starbucks mugs cost a bundle at the stores.  Not at the thrift stores though.  They are all priced the same and wait for people to rediscover them again.

Go mug hunting next time, peeps.  You never know what you will find.

Happy 2013!!

So on January 1 2012, I set off to start my project 365.  One picture a day.  Now, how hard could that be?  Well, it was harder than anticipated.  I only had taken 208 photos for the project.  Oh, and 2012 was a leap year so there were actually 366 days.

So, I didn't do well.  I had excuses but ultimately it was my own doing.  It took determination, dedication and discipline.  I didn't own it.  Oh well, what happened happened.  I just have to make sure that I don't repeat myself going forward.

Nothing is easy even if it's the simplest task if you are not determined to keep it up.

Though an incomplete project, I've learned something.  Spotting beauty around us.  Beauty is everywhere.

No, I will not try this Project 365 thing again.  Once is enough but it was a learning experience.

Happy New Year Everyone.  Make everyday count!!