U N I F O R M B E H A V I O R

...

2010-01-31T15:46:00.001-08:00

A couple days after Christmas I walked down some corridor I never use in the subway...there were these messages written on the support beams in the ceiling. Everyone else was walking so quickly without noticing but I read them and each beam had another message. Things like "What are you doing?" "Where are you going?" "Why bother" "It's the same..."

Why?

2009-10-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

Isn't it sad when someone can make you feel miserable for a stupid reason and you realize that you will always be your sixteen year old self?

ANOTHER FIRST

2009-09-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

I finally got a noise complaint from a neighbor! My least favorite sound is the doorbell and I hid in my room for 5 minutes before answering. He claimed that it sounded like someone walking around in heels during the night and or moving furniture. I claimed confusion out loud but in my mind I was wondering, was it the extremely noisy 2 hour long washing machine cycle that I started at 12? or was it when I spilled water all over some VIP drawings at 3am while cackling and watching Korean variety shows featuring Korean rappers, then dragged my ironing board out, ironed the paper, tried to steam the drawings, ruined the drawings, tried to fold up the ironing board failed, dragged it around and finally tossed it in the corner. Or was it when I was walking around in heels all night? All-in-all, a good experience.

Juxtaposition

2009-08-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

Okay Joshua, you're very up-to-date.

Circa 2005:

This is only funny because my gothic friend* posted about going to Bauhaus right before Momus wrote about Fashion Goths. Funny, right?!!! :(

The gem:

We used to do this for fun T_T Also note the time..

*I was SO proud to have a gothic friend. She was a real goth too, V-shaped bangs and all.

NEW HANGOUT = LADUREE

2009-08-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I forget that French food can be really good.

Even the butter was good.

This kind of looks completely normal? Except tasted so much better, the salmon was cooked to medium. That never happens!!

Oh delicate rose flavor!! Oh beautiful pink coloration.

Wow, this was so good that I kept saying,"Wow, this is so good?" in a confused way. How can people not be obsessed with food? I had the best, best food filled fun weekend. <---that is just to remind myself later that at some point in my life, I said that I had a fun weekend

EPIC EATING + INNER CONTEMPLATION

2009-08-22T05:06:00.000-07:00

1. Le Petit Déjeuner at Ladurée...not really petit, it took two hours but seriously...delicious.
2. 3pm lunch at Café de Flor in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, croque monsieur and caprese salad and mozzarella was especially delish, + kir
3. Pierre Hermé stop

4. Champagne + snacks
5. 11pm dinner...pâté de compagne, turbot + polenta, dessert...

It's kind of awful to admit it, but I realize that I have been proud of my ignorance of the outside world (meaning anything outside my interests, my immediate life...). Isn't that so American of me? I dislike anything political and really don't have an idea of the history of other countries. I guess everyone feels outside their element sometimes (maybe but this is just my own way of feeling better about myself)...but for a long time I have only been with people whose interests mirror my own.

TOO SERIOUS. But I should be serious sometimes, no? Since I do have such a stick up my ass.

2009-08-15T03:59:00.000-07:00

I feel so much rage right now. This picture suits my mood because you know he's about to smash something but right now it is just stored energy. Wait, does the Hulk ever kill people...

GRRR I'M GOING TO GET AN ULCER!!!!!

This Week's Roundup

2009-08-05T01:20:00.000-07:00

Oy, I never hit publish on this post from last week.

This lot cost $58.34. I had stopped by Uniqlo to pick up my 17th black-wannabe-Steve-Mcqueen-turtleneck when I was distracted by heavily discounted everything. I should just shop there all the time (when I say this I don't actually mean it).

I also bought this camisole* because I had seen this commercial before. I really do run out and immediately buy something because I saw an ad for it. The infomercial for "The Magic Bullet" deserves an Emmy; no other TV programming is nearly as captivating.

Friday was my last day at work. Like an old crotchety Chinese Aunty from an Amy Tan novel might say,"Waaaaaaahhh!! Ai yah!" Boohoohoo I can honestly say that I don't think I've been happier in recent years (does that make sense, other than the obnoxiousness of saying "recent years"). Peawok and I thought that maybe we had outgrown our annoying bouts of depression, but really I think it's that I liked everyone. Considering I normally hate everyone.

*Camisole?! Shudder.

DAILY RATION 15

2009-07-27T21:40:00.000-07:00

1: Choux pastry (creme puff pastry)
2: Caramel flan
3: Soft custard
Yes you thought it was impossible, but it's true, someone created the "flan" creme puff.

On another note...BEST music video ever.

*Edit: SECOND best music video ever

Boy Talk

2009-07-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

All I want to do is wear too small men's clothing...oh and with prematurely grey hair. Why are Japanese men's mags so divine but the women's just cotton candy?

Look at the Birkenstock flavor.

Gattaca + white bat wings. Does it get any more perfect?

From March 2007.
I bought two copies of this issue for Shingo Katori with knitted headphones:

I found this on "thefashionisto" blog which is all about male models which is why I was on it, of course (for Mathius, of course).

Does it get any better?

11:11

2009-07-21T19:48:00.001-07:00

Why is everyone being so nice to me?? Cue (crocodile) tear wiping. I will compare leaving my job to two things:

1. Deciding I am allergic to some fruit* that I raised myself but not wanting it to go to waste, I give it to a lovely friend to eat. But I have to watch her eat it (slowly) and suddenly I realize, wait, maybe I wasn't allergic after all?? Later I realize, yes I was right I am allergic.

2. As the children of a poor woodcutter, my brother Tytyl and I** venture out and meet with many adventures while we search for the blue bird of happiness. Little do we realize that our pet parakeet was blue all along!! LOLZ

*For some reason I am thinking it would be a peach, maybe a donut/UFO peach.
**Shirley Temple

I've been watching "if..." rather often. Isn't it sad how beauty fades?

MOST BEAUTIFUL ABRASIVE NOISE EVER

2009-07-20T21:50:00.000-07:00

How much do I want to see them live? Unfortunately Tool will also be playing. DEAL BREAKER

TATE'S REDUX

2009-07-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

I finally downloaded these pictures from when Peawok and I returned to Tate's bakery. We were clawing at each while racing towards the shop's door, pushing back other Asian-Americans wearing flip flops, khakis/washed denim skirts (according to their sex) and blown-out hairdos (both sexes) all to get our greedy little fingers on some cobbler...

Decent

Sour cream coffee cake was out of control!

Cloyingly sweet

+ one blondie and apple bread. The 50% off bin proved less than exciting. I spent $60 which seems rather less gluttonous than usual.

We also went back to the world's best restaurant, Fellingham's. We found out that our beloved teenage Adonis dishwasher is named Zach and is FIFTEEN. That's seems better than expected because I had guessed FOURTEEN. I asked if he worked every Saturday, and being answered in the affirmative, I blurted out that we were going to go every weekend to see him. Of course that actually means we can never go back. :(

EBAY GEMS OF THE DAY:

1972 Karmann Ghia Convertible

1969 Coupe

Karmann Ghias are my favorite cars. Simple, compact, classic, cheap and everylastingly beautiful.

2009-07-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

The only non-annoying people are dead people.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SONG IN THE WORLD

2009-07-12T21:33:00.000-07:00

Specifically the alternative take...this is SOUL SHAKING!!

PRAYERS FOR PEAWOK

2009-07-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

He finally entered Surface magazine's annual "Avant Guardian" photography competition. The required biography is rather obnoxie we think. His is better than most though.

"I graduated from Parsons School of Design and have for the last 2 years, split my time between Hong Kong and New York. I am a very private person. I wasn't raised to be religious, I was raised to be paranoid."

Please vote 5 stars for him if you get a chance here. 1000 kisses!

OBSESSION #114 (AKA COTTON CANDY)

2009-07-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

My sister always chastises me for being a "homosexual man." It's not my fault that I like Bjork...okay but I admit she has just reason since I was watching "Les Demoiselles de Rochefort" on repeat for 1 week straight. It's a French musical.

Opening Sequence
Best part starts at 1m 49s, that amazing zoom out! Seriously beautiful editing and camera angles. Gene Kelly did the choreography.

1m 55s is my favorite bit in this scene. This is not the most amazing movie ever and some of the songs are quite bad, but it's so disgustingly enjoyable. Orange collared shirts + red neckties? Yes please!

I am obsessed with the carnies. I couldn't find a photo showing their slouchy white go-go boots but trust me, they are good.

One of these is prettier than the other.

Another famously great dance scene...

MEREDITH WENDELL

2009-06-29T06:27:00.000-07:00

My former/forever boss launched her own line, Meredith Wendell! She is one of my absolutely favorite people in the world, super cool, talented, kind, knowledgeable. She's someone I can consider a true mentor and friend. Anyways enough with the mush...

She made all the hardware using this old school glass factory and it has all these imperfections and swirls. I used to work for her at the very beginning of the company...actually can I work there again?!

You can order it online at Kirna Zabete as well

Little loves

2009-06-25T08:32:00.000-07:00

Best movie ever? Maybe.

JAZZ HANDZ

2009-06-17T17:52:00.000-07:00

I bought this Peter Jensen sweater awhile back at one of my favorite (now defunct) stores "I Heart." The obnoxious sequined fabric possesses the capacity of attracting both gay men and small children (usually sticky-fingered) alike. I hate when people make any comments about my clothing IRL (because I am really shy) and it was out of control today. Actually, do people only comment when they think I want them to? Because they are totally reading my vibe wrong. How does "I am extremely awkward" translate into "Please tell me that my sweater is really shiny one more time." The APC corduroy overalls used to be full length pant overalls. FLARED full length pant overalls*.

I like to wear it with cropped sleeve jackets so only a bit of glare shows. I love these little kerchiefs from 45rpm. I bought a couple a few years ago and I still wear them all the time. They look almost the same as something you could buy on the street for $5 but were actually...let me calculate...15 times the price. Worth it?!**

To the innocent, ignorant observer, these might appear to be normal, comfortable sandals. That assumption is horribly wrong in that these are incredibly, extremely painful. Worth it?!***

*That should not even be allowed.
**No.
***Sort of.

TRIPLE YUMMZ

2009-06-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

A gave me these glasses from her mother's shop!

The frames are actually rather small, rendering them that much cuter! Too bad I get the "coke bottle" effect because my eyesight is so bad...Don't they look like Cutler and Gross?

No Subject

2009-06-14T17:39:00.000-07:00

I wish humans would act like dogs. All tail-wagging and happy and with no reservations. But I would probably act like Dalton and be all shy and have to hide behind someone. How nice though would it be to be all "Hi hi hi! I'm so so so so glad to see you!!!" when you really feel like that?

NORMALE

2009-06-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite kind of "panoplie." Every piece is a different color and comfortable. Diz b my favorite military jacket.

No one cares about dreams except the dreamer, but I had the most specifically weird one last night. I went to a museum and Sol Lewitt was there and obsessed with me? I didn't know what he looked like but this is from his wikipedia page:

He sort of looked like that in my dream, except older. Mmmm Minimalist art!

DREAM JOB

2009-06-11T09:25:00.000-07:00

RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS

2009-06-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

Actually, rainy Tuesday.

APC rain jacket. Super thin but super stiff and boxy, reminds me of Tyvex (Fedex envelope material) a bit. The strange part is, why is there no hood? I like that the zippers and snaps are so dark with the light grey fabric. Such a depressing day though.

Seams are heat sealed with tape. No dry cleaning...the seams will separate. The fabric is a breathable synthetic woven.

"IT'S A GOOD THING"

2009-06-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

The best part of having a projector is having an 8 foot tall Maggie Cheung rolling around on a bed acting like an android on your wall.

Watching 2046 + delivery Mexican (from Taco Chulo) = Heaven

HAMPTONS HEAVEN

2009-06-08T11:09:00.000-07:00

Peawok and I went to the Watermill Center this weekend for some performance art piece or something.

Step 1: Go to Queens to pick up a red Mini Cooper. Then get super lost on the way.

First destination was Tate's bakery, home to $4.99 packets of crisp cookies found in every single deli.

It was closed. We were really sad, especially after peering through the window and noticing that there was a 50% off bin.

We found a bar/restaurant called "Fellingham's" which is the best restaurant I have ever eaten in.

Very classy decor

Fried clam strips

Crab cakes, extra oil please!!

Porkchops and apple sauce

Brownie a la mode, ooh lala!

They serve milk!!!

We ate this + salad + beer + extra side of fries

We spent 2.5 hours torturing a 14 year old high school student working there as a busboy. We know he goes to South Hampton High and our pet name for him is Ben. We will see you soon, Ben. Peawok and I together = Raging Pedophiles.

When we finally made it to the Watermill Center, the performance was over. So we spent more than 2 hours driving to go eat at a dive bar, basically.

There was only one good thing about it....

6.6.09

2009-06-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

Normally I like to look like a little boy but I decided to look trashy. I was in a rush though and could not find my fishnets and punk bracelets. More is better, right? The sweatshirt is from American Apparel. It was such a bitch to get because I ordered it online but I wanted this specific colorway which is actually a mistake I think.

This is from the website, you can see that the ribbed portions (cuffs and hem) are a different color and more orange. Sometimes I can be really annoying picky. I had to go to an actual store (which I hate doing) and find one from this batch.

This is one of those purchases I made with friends. You know, when they encourage you to be far more trashy than you would ever be normally? I actually really like plastic on shoes but it makes your feet steam. I guess that is good for loosing feet weight. .... They are quite light and comfortable and the wedge looks like water. Trashy water! The logo-ing is so clever.

PRESQUE RIEN

2009-05-30T17:27:00.000-07:00

I met someone off craigslist yesterday.

I just like saying that, it actually wasn't weird at all. My Russian coworker learns Italian from self-proclaimed tutors off the internet and recommended it to me.I was so incredibly nervous ! I didn't know what the person looked like, age, anything basically except that his name sounds like a type of lettuce. He turned out to be totally normal! Actually I had already worked, gone shopping, worked out, gone to the pharmacy and so many other things before that I was totally zoning out. What I hate about language classes are the questions they ask you...like what do you do outside of work? I never know what to say, presque rien?? Use the computer?? Work out? I am such an idiot so I just said, "Je n'ai pas une bonne mémoire." 4 times. I hate how uncomfortable I feel when conversing in another language...all my insecurities rise to the surface and I become extremely strange (more so than usual).

Peawok took me to The Modern restaurant at the MoMA/Museum of Modern Art. We ate in the bar room which is so lovely. Seriously been a long time since I've liked a restaurant's decor so much!

These following pictures are awful but it was quite dark.

Tarte Flambée Alsatian thin crust tart
with crème fraîche, onion and
applewood smoked bacon

Beer Braised Pork Belly with spring
pea purée and ginger jus

Rose petals, mint and champagne

Duck Confit with shishito pepper
hash, passion fruit and natural jus

To be honest, it wasn't the best food in the world. But it was somehow really fantastic and I liked the restaurant a lot. We ate in only 45 min! From entrance and exit to restaurant.

GEORGE IS BACK

2009-05-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

These are my rain shoes. Very "normale" (said with an Italian accent). These Van Heusen shirts are the best rediscovery, I swear! Now it's time to bust out the Brooks Brothers stripey shirts....

HAIR REMOVAL HAPPINESS

2009-05-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

I just bought this at Bed Bath and Beyond except mine is green.

EPILATOR! Best invention ever. My legs are currently pretty hairless so I tackled my arms which are infamous.

Peawok claimed he recognized this picture as being me not by the bracelet nor the insane nails, but by the arm hair. I don't have "after" pictures because my computer isn't working and I don't have internet at home, but I have two words for you:

BABY'S BOTTOM!!!

Waaaah

2009-05-26T07:18:00.001-07:00

My computer is in the shop, again. Just cut off my arm, won't you?

H8 KNOW MOORE

2009-05-22T17:11:00.001-07:00

I think my beef (har har) with Peter Luger's is officially over! I just walked by with Dalton and all the cooking dudes were in their whites (more like greys) on their smoke break. One of them, an older man with a definite pirate-y look and a scary set of nicotine-stained teeth, came back with a bag of leftover porterhouse for Dalton. He's on a strict diet but I was so touched by the thought! I totally remember this one guy as being an asshole but he revealed he had a YORKIE PUPPY. Oh prostitute with a heart of gold!!

+

= Peter Luger's staff

**Please note the fact that I have a separate tag for just Peter Luger's...

DOUBLE YUMMZ

2009-05-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm going to take screencaps later of the fencing matches in "Gundam Wing." That used to be my favorite.

YUMMZ

2009-05-21T11:30:00.001-07:00

I played with this at work today. Ring lizard skin!! Look at where the limbs were!

BTW

2009-05-21T09:36:00.001-07:00

DREAMS CAN COME TRUE!!!!!!! SO BELIEVE!!!!

INTRODUCING GEORGE

2009-05-21T08:43:00.000-07:00

My sister says I look like George, you know, Nancy Drew's lesbianic friend with the bob? I think that's a real compliment! That's also kind of a perfect name. I feel like female characters in books always have some sort of tom boyish sidekick...that's kind of what I am in real life as well? Ah just remembered another example, in "Cards on the Table," one of Agatha Christie's more well known mysteries, the blonde murderous (and cute) girl has a boyish friend with the bob. To cut it short the safari-ing guy chooses to save the bobbed one from drowning over blondie. You know what that means!

!!!!

2009-05-20T07:03:00.001-07:00

This is the happiest day of my life. Thank you God.

STEVE MCQUEEN = KING OF COOL, FACT OR FICTION?

2009-05-18T18:12:00.000-07:00

FACT, DUH!

He is my numba 1 man of all time, followed by the young Roman Polanski and Takeshi Kaneshiro with facial hair (tied). Robert Oppenheimer might be after that but I don't really have an excuse for it. I already had these images scanned onto my hard drive for my own viewing pleasure. Multiple viewing pleasure.

YUMMZ

Quick someone buy these...

Ebay listing
I don't know who "Toys McCoy of Japan" is but they have the right idea. Best.Movie.Ever. (apart from my extremely long list of other favorite movies)

LEVI'S LUST

2009-05-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

Ebay listing here
I find it rather bizarre that someone decided to make these reproduction raw denim coveralls? Also the price seems rather high...but actually quite hideous.

Mmm this is more like it
Ebay Listing here
Brand is Work-mates by Yank. So perfect. Also I have been watching too much David Lynch so I really just want to look like Ed Hurley (who owns the gas station in Twin Peaks). I am so mad because I had actually bid on size L vintage denim overalls at 4am one night when in a daze and didn't bother to check it until hours later. Somebody else actually won it. What crazy would want it, a car mechanic? I could write an epic book on my ebay griefs. An epic book that would never be read.

GRAFFITI AND GOOD LUCK

2009-05-16T20:12:00.000-07:00

I went home for the weekend because my sister was graduating from higher education. I was so hyperactive/bored during the ceremony but who cares, everyone is only there to support one person. I noted that the only sort of attractive guy in the graduating class was the gay son of a chain of waffle/pancake restaurants. Which is SO FUCKING COOL. I would totally be all over that sheetz. I think my sister kind of is. How great would it be to be him, you could order all the custom waffles you could ever want. Dreams**...

As usual, I was inappropriately dressed.

MM6 (Margiela) graffiti shirtdress. It has an attached tank top and the whole thing has been spray painted. When you move, the tank top falls a bit and you can see the clean un-sprayed edge. I could totally do this at home. I should set up shop sewing four white stitches onto v-neck sweaters from the Gap (after I detached the original brand labels, of course) and spraypainting Fruit of the Loom tank tops. Yet I bought this so what does that mean...I DON'T KNOW. What does it mean??

My favorite thing to do at home is molest the family dog and get fat. There really isn't any alternative though.

Homemade Korean nengmyun, ie cold noodles. I've said this so many times, but this is my favorite food. Apart from my extremely long list of other favorite foods. This was actually delish though but there needs to be slush in the broth which was lacking. The green long vegetable are pickled daikon top roots, also known as "yulmoo kimchi" and I adore it. White boiled egg, check!

**Dreams full of savory waffles with bacon, spinach and cheese, holiday waffles featuring pumpkin spice or even colored green for St. Patty's day, POUND CAKE WAFFLES?

YUMMERZ - Bernhard Wilhelm x Campers

2009-05-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

Pic from refinery29

I saw these awhile back in Opening Ceremony and some Euro shopping site. I just remembered while typing "Bernhard Wilhelm." I really like the raw edge cuoio insole on the puffy ropey sandals, and the mocs are so Quoddy-ish that I cannot help but love!

Found this girl's blog !! while I was looking up info on the shoes. Absolutely love her great soft mocs. Today I described my style as "lumberjack."

HELLO MR. KLEIN

2009-05-14T18:45:00.000-07:00

My organza and lace army jacket. I really like it for this spring weather, just nice and light. I am realizing more and more I have so many clothes that are grey, pinky, nude-y when I actually prefer highly saturated colors. I bought this jersey dress for my mother as well, it has these large flowing poet sleeves and is just a big gathered sheet basically. I own two belts, this one is from Muji. I figured out a way to knot it and make it fit far smaller without having to punch new holes in it. The knob the extra leather makes hurt my stomach though!

I've been trying to figure out how to wear this Bernhard Wilhlem shirt forever, meaning four years. I bought it when I was still a teen (sad) but my friend was all OMG wtf is that. I kind of felt that way as well but I think this was a good look. I really like buttoning up my shirts all the way up the neck although it's highly constrictive and I feel uncomfortable all day. Do I just have a thick neck? Lifting too much iron? Swollen thyroid glands? Maybe APC's collars are just cut too small for small French waifs.

I ran into Arnold Klein while I was waiting in front of my Japanese school. He was pretty happy to see me, and I him!

Happier times with a white square

We girl talked and gossiped for a bit. He's actually quite kind and I'm not sure why he seems to think my inane chatter is amusing when he is so snide in general. That sounds like I am complimenting myself but no, all my stories are retarded. I told him about emailing __ and how I felt really bad/sad. He certainly didn't make me feel better by saying that we should have stayed friends. I am such a silly billy when it comes to the past....

I didn't go grocery shopping all last week so I was kind of surviving off of what I had in my apartment. My favorite quick fix is soba salad, this time with tiny super sweet bell peppers, pea shoots, tomatoes and shallot.

SOVIET SEDUCTION

2009-05-11T20:42:00.000-07:00

Russian anything makes me excited. Caviar + blinis, blonde ice skaters (gymnasts too, just athletes in general), Anna Karenina, Cold War era secret nuclear testing + the space race...

I don't know anything about watches but these are YUMMZ
YUMMZ Aviator watches

So hot

The rose-y gold is throwing me off

Prices in Swiss francs always look more appealing. Helvetic Confederation !

I can't for the life of me remember this brand of canvas aviator watches, quite cheap but pretty good looking. Why do I keep thinking it's Hamilton...

CHANNELING MY INNER COMMUNIST

2009-05-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

I always like dressing like a Communist whenever the chance arises. My Russian coworker thought I looked like one as well, which is about the best compliment I have ever received.

This is the army jacket I had bought to rip off the pattern. I had originally wanted to get an M-65 jacket but decided it was too heavy and major for the use I needed. The button popped off a strap so I replaced it with these shiny nickel ones I had. I wanted to replace all the front buttons as well but I think it looks rather nice with just one mismatched button.

My mother's old Coach purse from the 80s. It's actually made in the US! Pants are my cropped twill pants with lace inlays. Shirt is my uniform shirt from middle school (Catholic all girls' school), Van Heusen?? I love the fit of it.

I think I have the veiniest feet but my ankles are pretty bad as well.

5.5" tall! The pitch is quite steep and it really feels like I am dislocating something as I walk. I wore loafers for 1/2 the day which matched better, I think. They are Givenchy and I fell in love with them the moment I saw them. The construction is quite interesting and complicated; the strips of leather are sewn on the black elastic. Somehow I have more than a normal number of clothing/accessories in a similar brick red shade...

Reading about...

I suddenly wondered why frostbitten limbs need to be amputated..

PICKLES AND SATANISTS

2009-05-10T22:50:00.000-07:00

Met up with Peawok and was ravenous. He had hangover hunger and I'm sure did not appreciate having to wander around with me until I found this restaurant. I could only remember part of the name and only the general area. It's called "12 Chairs" (I could only remember "12"...books? floors? cats?) and is on MacDougal Street in Soho. My Russian coworker took me there and said that the original Russian owners had sold it to Israelis. Meaning BEST FOOD EVER. Real pierogis, borscht and freshly baked pita bread!! Reminds me a bit of the eats in Paris but not as good. Not the pierogis part.

Compared to Moumun's it tastes quite authentic! I love those types of pickles. Really feel like going to Paris these days...I wish I had more vacation days saved up. My uncle was supposed to get married this spring so I was hoarding them to go to Geneva again. When??

Perfectly lovely day. Before eating I had been waiting on a street corner where the store "Via Bus Stop" used to be. The sign is still up even though it closed year(s?) ago so I kind of thought it had reopened. It was actually a Botkier sample sale. I don't understand that level/brand of bag. They are not good quality (China-made), seem to be one-season items but are over-priced. Synthetic satin ruffles....

It seems a general rule that whenever Peawok and I sit down in Union Square, some strange and lonely man will instantly try to conversate with us. Is it me or him? He has more feminine charm than I so maybe probably the latter. Luckily we saw some Satanists to entertain us. They were watching the dogs in the miniature dog run for quite a long time.

Her crocs were held on with string.

IN LOVE

2009-05-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

YUMMZ. My fat piggies barely fit, but they are by nature pre-shaped to fit only in Birkenstocks. I really love Margiela shoes for some reason, they always have a great shape and the heel is kind of perfect. + grey pants?? I don't know...

I love Acne but not on my face

2009-05-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

This sweater is thin as tissue and completely see-through, I love it! I wish I could be one of those people who would just wear a black bra underneath. But unfortunately, or actually fortunately, I am not. These shoes might be my absolute favorite now! Perfect, amazing and comfortable. Still wearing my old APC necklace everyday. The jeans are pretty awful, I bought them from some cheap ass store in Korea without trying them on. I think there are pyramid studs and maybe black flames embroidered on the ass. I always have to wear them with a long shirt to cover my shame.

I AM AN OLD MAN

2009-05-05T22:31:00.000-07:00

Left to Right: Patent burgundy Tods rubber soled slippers, brown suede Tods, Prada python square toes, Tods burnished/patent
2nd Row: Sperry topsiders, Cole Haan brown suede with enameled hardware (I have them in red too), Tods heeled loafers (where the fuck do I think I'm going in these....) and camel fringed kidsuede Tods. I wear the last pair the most.

Peawok and I have a Tods competition going. I think we also have a beret competition as well. He doesn't know but I think I am winning both.

PINK AND GREEN*

2009-05-05T20:40:00.001-07:00

Wearing my favorite spring jacket from United Bamboo. I love this color so much and the fabric has a great texture. Most of all I like the cut, which is so wide and comfortable but not too baggy. I am a great fan of both comfortable and practical clothing but I hate when things are overly huge. I have never been sure of the white leather covered buttons but I can't think of what to replace them with? I'm in my sister's miniature backyard at home. I didn't really bring any clothes home so I borrowed my sister's Opening Ceremony shoes.

They are rather nice but not good quality. I have a pair of boots from there and the heel came off while I was walking. At least it was dark outside but some woman and her children were pointing and saying "IS THAT SOMEONE'S HEEL WHAT IS THAT WHAT IS THAT IS THAT YOURS" I had to pose/vogue for about half an hour until someone came and rescued me.

I wish I could have a dog here! But I don't have the space nor the time. I miss Edgar...

*Traditionally prep colors!

A WEEKEND OF KOREAN FOOD

2009-05-04T16:55:00.000-07:00

Mook, or acorn jelly, with thinly sliced sweet bell pepper, sesame seeds, crunchy seasoned seaweed or "ghim," and peashoots. Simple but absolutely delicious.

Yakshik - a traditional Korean dessert made of sticky rice sweetened, soy sauce, sesame oil, chestnuts, pine nuts and raisins. It's best when it's slightly greasy.

Kimchi soup - Simplicity in itself. You make a dashi-based broth and basically add chopped kimchi and perhaps some vegetables to it. It's like kimchi jiggae (stew) without the strong bite.

Korean prepared vegetables, including one that I don't know the English name of and fiddle head ferns. Koreans cook their fiddle head ferns for far longer than is preferred in the West, but it's only slightly seasoned with garlic and salt.

5.3.09 PROENZA SCHOULER PIRATE

2009-05-04T16:29:00.000-07:00

I went home for a bit. I bought this shirt and shirt dress combination for my sister but since I go home with my suitcase full of anpan and other Japanese bread, I don't have anything to wear at home. I feel very much like Seinfeld in that episode where he is enticed to wear a pirate shirt for whatever retarded reason. But more gothic.

+Velvet and gold hardware Marc by Marc Jacobs heels from back in the day when I used to intern there. My feet are so scary, mosaic is not voluntary.

Good Morning!

2009-05-04T06:50:00.001-07:00

ONE PERFECT PERSIMMON

2009-02-03T19:28:00.000-08:00

Appliance Review: George Foreman Lean Mean Spin Frying Machine

2009-02-01T19:28:00.000-08:00

Yay, look what came in the mail!

If you thought that life could not get any better than the fake paninis produced by the George Foreman Lean Mean Grilling (Grillin' ?) Machine, you would be wrong. Because life did get better. Did you ever think that one day a home fryer would employ the principle of centrifugal force to "knock out (up to) 55% of fat absorbed during frying?" Well dreams do come true.

I've wanted a "Lean Mean Spin Frying Machine" ever since my friend told me about watching an episode of Oprah in which all audience members received one. He described it to me in detail and we both envisioned the future full of corndogs and zesty Arby style fries.

Well I took everything apart.

This was kind of overly complicated, huge and heavy.

I tested three items, Korean mandoo (dumplings) was first, Pulmone brand. Pulmone is organic I believe and usually my favorite brand of Korean foodstuffs. But I will go ahead and say that the crappier brands taste better.

Load up the frying basket like a normal fryer.

I read all these comments about the basket being too small on Amazon, but quite honestly I don't think it was. Comment gems include:

"...this machine looks great on my counter next to my stainless steel appliances."

That's not true it's really ugly. Also it's sort of an embarrassing food appliance, like the Magic Bullet.

"My 15-year-old daughter saw me making her chicken in the fryer and said oh great you are going to make me fat. I told her no it spins the oil out of it. She toke (sic) 1 bite and said this chicken is the best, show me how to use it."

"Now I don't feel guilty about letting kids eat French fries! I can make Happy Meals at my own house...We now spend quality time cooking together."

I just told my sister that the average fat reduction is 38%. She said,"It tastes like more than that." As a negative.

This is the spin cycle in action. I didn't really read the instruction manual so it kind of takes me a moment to figure it out.

I spun the mandoo for 2 minutes on high. They basically look like regular fried "goon mandoo" but were seriously super dry tasting! But maybe not in a good way! It's so bizarre because the texture is normal fried but it tastes baked.

I just ordered these tempura paper things offline.

Does this look like 38% to you?

You know what this means?

Mentaiko mayo! Fish eggs mixed with mayo = best french fry dip imaginable.

This mentaiko wasn't even good but once it was mixed with the mayo...

My preferred fry brand is Ore-Ida, particularly the "Crispers." Yes I actually have test fried many of their products so I definitely recommend them. Sometimes I love going to regular grocery stores because you can't get soda and crappy American brands at my usual grocery stores.

They were amazing.

Finally, the last item was TGIF brand mozzarella sticks (~~**luxury**~~).

I think I spun it too high because mozzarella cheese exploded out of a couple of them. They tasted too baked and not unhealthy enough which is not true because they are still really caloric.

Do I recommend this fryer? Yes I do. Did I suffer a mild heart attack later that night? Yes I did.

Non Disgusting Egg

2009-01-18T19:34:00.000-08:00

I really hate the smell of eggs. Omg, the yolks!! I remember this book from when I was 10 because the girl has to eat a raw egg to prove something about something.

This doesn't really have anything to do with anything. I also liked this book because they made up a club called "Pig City."

These are called "Kamome no tamago" or seagulls' eggs. What a cute but sort of disgusting idea! White choco around cake around bean paste. Non smelly.

I Get a Present*

2009-01-17T19:34:00.000-08:00

This is only sort of food related. My mom's friend from Osaka is visiting and her daughter sent me these little keychain toys.

The one on the left is supposed to be the tag off a cardboard box. The one on the right is a soybean/edamame. You can rip off the tag and push out the edamame...forever. Watch the vid to see how they work. She also brought a kitchen appliance by request for me.

*It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia style title

Char Siumander

2008-12-30T19:31:00.000-08:00

Isn't it strange how once you stop blogging it's so hard to start again? Anyways that's my excuse. I sort of mastered the art of char siu-ing, which is not nearly as difficult as I imagined. Why does it taste so good?? It's the pork that comes as topping for your ramen but is never never enough. You can tie up pork belly into a circular shape but I just let it be, all natural. You just take 2 parts soy, 1 part rice wine and 1 part mirin with some ginger and garlic and simmer it for 4 hours.

Fucking ace!! I made fried rice with it as well using the pork and the simmering sauce sauce. I made it another time using pork loin which I accidentally left simmering all night long. Luckily no fire resulted but I got asian carnitas.

Cold ramen with the pork. I made a sauce with mustard, sesame sauce and seeds, some of the simmering liquid, vinegar etc.

ANATOMY OF BIBIMKOOKSU

2008-11-16T19:30:00.000-08:00

Ice

Somen/somyun

Ground beef

Chopped kimchi

Sliced Korean pear, cucumbers and a spicy sauce (gochujang - Korean spicy chili paste, garlic, sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil).

The taste of summer...I actually love cold noodles in the winter. So North Korean of me.

*Bibim means to rub/mix, kooksu is noodles. So literal.

DAILY RATION 13

2008-11-13T19:29:00.000-08:00

Super delish shaved ice, bingsu...Pearlberry, Seoul, Korea.

DAILY RATION 14

2008-11-08T19:30:00.000-08:00

Ddak dongchi. My friend claimed it's stir fried chicken buttholes. That's what the name sounds like but I'm not sure, that would take a lot of chickens. They were chewy though. A Dongdaemun pogjangmacha, Seoul, Korea.

DAILY RATION 12

2008-11-02T19:49:00.000-08:00

Blood orange/blutorangen/orange sanguine/arancia sanguigna yogurt. Migros, Geneva, Switzerland.

DAILY RATION 11

2008-11-01T19:46:00.000-07:00

Vegetable and beef croquettes. I love frying. Brooklyn, New York.

PETER LUGER'S MAKES ME FAT

2008-10-30T19:45:00.000-07:00

Me man.

Me big man.

Big man want beef.

Big man want Peter Luger porterhouse with creamed spinach and fried potatoes.

DAILY RATION 10

2008-10-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

Bastardized delivery "pad woon sen." Is that even possible? Chez Sonja, Brooklyn, New York.

DAILY RATION 9

2008-10-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

Kyochon, the ultimate Korean fried chicken, in half spicy drumsticks and the rest in the recommended classic garlic soy. Eaten in Seoul, Korea, but eaten most recently in Flushing, NY.

Kyochon

156-50 Northern Blvd,

Flushing, Queens, NY 11354

718-939-9292

*Have to admit I cheated...I posted the last one at 12:20 am.

DAILY RATION 8

2008-10-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

Nutella, sweet crackers and peach ice tea in one convenient package (refridgerate please). I thought this was in Venice, Italy, but there is German on the package so I honestly don't know.

DAILY RATION 7

2008-10-27T20:05:00.000-07:00

Lurid macarons. Ladurée in Paris, France.

DAILY RATION 6

2008-10-26T20:05:00.000-07:00

Häagen Dazs ice cream fondue. Häagen Dazs Café, Seoul, Korea.

*Note that I got watermelon on one occasion and tomatoes on another. To dip into chocolate.

DAILY RATION 5

2008-10-25T20:03:00.000-07:00

Buckwheat crepe with spinach, Gruyère, mushrooms and "lardons." Geneva, Switzerland.

DAILY RATION 4

2008-10-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

Razor clams in black bean sauce. Shanghai, China.

DAILY RATION 3

2008-10-23T19:53:00.000-07:00

Fried snack. Bought from an Intermarché, France.

DAILY RATION 2

2008-10-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

Sweet Potato Pizza, Mr. Pizza, Seoul, Korea

DAILY RATION 12

2008-10-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

I have such a backlog of food photos, I'm going to post one a day until I run out! Here is the king of the bunch:

Corndogs covered with french fries then deep fried. Dongdaemun, Seoul, Korea.

Conspiracy...from Flickr Archives

2008-10-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

Can you spot what's wrong with this picture?

DAIRY DELIGHTS

2008-09-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

Fondue making...and breaking.

Type is moitié-moitié, half Gruyère and half Vacherin, a quite chewy cheese. Sautéed fresh porcinis and a little garlic was added with white wine. It was a separated failure! You want to get a creamy emulsion, not separated cheese and oil layers. It still tasted good though.

They call this bit "la religieuse" meaning the nun. The crust of the cheese after all the fondue has been eaten up by greedy mouths. Unfortunately failing to scrape it up in the preferred one piece.

Out with the nun, in with tête de moine-Monk's head cheese

Have you ever had this cheese before? It's quite sharp but most notable is the special device you use to grate it. A round disk with a rod through the center that passes through the cheese. Hmm maybe it's hard to describe without a picture. But I found it packaged which shows you the shape that it gets from the special device.

Yogurt Roundup-

1. Birchermüesli- my favorite flavor

Subtly sweet, raisins, fruits, nuts and oats

Emmi brand "at the bottom" flavor is not as good...not enough large pieces.

2. Lychee Pomelo

IRL it is a beautifully creamy light rose color. The taste is excellent, lightly fragrant and tiny pieces of pomelo and a genuine lychee flavor.

Hmm I guess I forgot to take pics of the fig, pineapple, apple flavors...

Best lunchtime snack

Purée of abricot and pear, with raspberry coulis at the bottom and this absolutely delectable whipped cream on top. Lucky kids!

Do you remember my post on Malakoffs, the most umami of the umami?? I used the recipe from the link and made it...basically grated Gruyère, kirch, egg, flour, baking soda, pepper and scooped onto egg-white brushed toast.

I love frying...very satisfying for some reason. Check out the induction cooktop. It gets hotter than my gas range!

So deliciously unhealthy. My toasts became too brown for some reason. Should you not fry with sunflower oil?? Swiss dairy products are so scrumptious...make sure to eat your fill of cheese when you're there.

MITSUWA, OR "MITSUWA-ING", 2ND EDITION

2008-09-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

About a year ago I found this great post from Blue Lotus: Salt Preserved Ikura. I always wanted to try it but never found salmon roe sacs. Thank goodness I am in the habit of going to NJ just to get cookies because I found one at Mitsuwa.

Totally gross.

The recipe is in the link but basically you dunk it in warm/hot water:

Clean off the yucky membrane stuff which took me about 1/2 hour. I took a photo of the disgusting protein bloody stuff but decided not to post it, you're welcome.

It becomes a cloudy coral color. Add some salt:

Pure magic...you add salt and mix by hand and look at the color!

Add some more salt, drain and give me three bowls of rice:

This was a little grosser than I expected it to be but you end up with pleasantly light tasting ikura. Success!

I also found myoga, or gingerbud. I found a few recipes online and just kind of improvised the amounts.

Salt, rinse and drain:

Boil and cool mirin, vinegar, sugar and pepper shreds:

Combine and finished!

Oh also get ramen when you are there, it's so so umami.

*Editor's note: See what Sonja came home with the last time she went to Mitsuwa here.

PRETENDING I HAVE TUBERCULOSIS

2008-09-17T20:26:00.000-07:00

Have you ever read "The Magic Mountain" by Thomas Mann? Everyone is dying of consumption up in the Alps, taking the "cure." They are all a little too interested in the food because they have nothing else to do besides falling in love with other rapidly failing mortals. I went to Vals Therme, which is a kind of spa-hotel, in the far eastern part of Switzerland. It was awesome and I felt totally like a WWI-era convalescent!

It was the best thing ever but strange because it was kind of a everything included community; there was no reason to leave, ever. Sanatorium.

From my room.

They made these really alcoholic chocolates in house and it was awful, I was lounging around staring at the mountains in a robe and ate around 20 in total. The bottling factory of Valser water was just down the mountain...

I only have pictures of two meals because I went by myself and I felt really conspicuous reading trashy books and taking pictures while everyone else was like drinking cocktails and listening to the jazz band.

My defense is that some sorry Italian tourist left these at the reception desk. But I guess since I read them I don't really have an excuse.

I always forget not to eat fish in Switzerland. Salmon mousse and some kind of awful other thing that was supposed to be some kind of bastardized sushi but was helpfully masked with a strong mustard sauce.

The English menu was rather funny and sounded sort of engrish. Like essence of meat stick, fried. Anyways this just turned out to be a consommé with barley which was rather a nice version.

Huge delicious salad! Beets, sauerkraut, curry rice etc.

Fresh raviolis with spinach, hazelnuts, browned butter and ricotta. Their pastas were so good here they also had a totally sick mushroom "dumpling" that was so unhealthy, then covered with butter.

Main was normal duck with gnocchis parisiennes which is the kind with no potatoes, in this case no taste.

The best part of all the meals! The local and imported cheeses. Omg. It was ridiculous there were so many stanky delicious varieties that were from the alps. The round tube is a Swiss goats cheese that was so unexpectedly pungent. Bottom right is truffle Brie and at the top, the brown coated Camembert was Calvados flavored. The beer and nut breads were also delicious.

I knew sour cream ice cream would be delicious! Funnily enough, the German word for it is "eis" pronounced "ice."

Breakfast was buffet style with more cheese again and brown, nutty breads and the ubiquitous and delicious birchermüesli! I love Switzerland.

Therme Vals

7132 Vals/GR

T: +41 (0)81.926.8080

Farmers Market, Collonges sous Salège

2008-08-16T20:28:00.000-07:00

Totally classic Sunday market at the border of France and Switzerland. There is a butcher, a fishmonger, a couple cheesemakers and bakers. Everyone walking around with baskets and baguettes.

Really delicious fruits, especially the best cantalope type melons that you can peel with a knife, their skins are so thin!

The boucherie dude slices the large slabs of preserved meats for you and lays them out in perfectly fanned patterns on waxed paper.

This was my favorite cheese choice from there. So thin that you didn't spread it; you just dripped it. Actually it was not so heavy but so silky and light+

I went to Germany a few weeks ago and got just a couple of things...

Kayoko, you would have loved this. I don't think they have rum raisin flavor in the US? Well if they do please run out and buy it is amazing and totally smells and tastes alcoholic. Delicious. I also bought blood orange white choco (summer) flavor which I will not be showing because it tasted like floral plastic.

My friend described this as "kids beer." Like what, have you never had kids beer before? Notice the children holding hands and frolicking on the label. It tasted like coke and beer mixed together, which I guess is a popular thing to do there as well. Oh those Germans.

LITTLE THINGS

2008-08-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

Packaged semolina rum raisin pudding. Creepy but tasty.

Surgeon-cut vegetables for Korean jjangjjang myun, or black bean noodles. It's similar to the Chinese dish and has black bean sauce, pork, zucchini, onions, sometimes seafood..."Korean bolognese"

Second helping. Only spaghetti noodles here! You eat these on VDay when you don't have a boyfriend.

I can just eat this everyday. Just slices of fresh baguette slathered with butter and topping of your choice: raspberry jam, honey, nutella or Cenovis, the Swiss Vegemite. Which I find rather tasty.

Looks like nothing but my absolute favorite, birchermuesli! It's yogurt/creme soaked oats, nuts, raisins and grated fruits. My favorite had bits of orange and berries.

La Place (Plan-les-Ouates)

2008-07-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

I liked this restaurant for the atmosphere...very relaxed and casual feeling for somewhat not homey food. The chefs recently changed so the quality is supposed to have gotten better. One Italian and one Portuguese. We took the last bottle of an amazing wine but the funny part is that they actually mark last bottles on the menu as such.

The amuse was a fresh sliver of salmon with a dab of crème fraiche.

"Entrée" means appetizer here which always confuses me...this one had "symphonie" in the name which made it irresistible. Small melange of 4 appetizers, no closeup of the gazpacho.

Raw tuna with caper berries and bell pepper relish.

Sauted foie gras with strawberries and balsamic sauce and flax seed tuile cookie. I actually don't really like foie gras because it's too much like savory animal butter (I mean butter is animal butter too but whatevs) but strawberries are a great combination!

Lobster ravioli with red curry sauce. The ravioli itself is quite good and the pasta has a good texture...but the coconut milk is a bit strong for lobster.

"Plat" is actually entree...cannot actually remember what this was called but it was some kind of poultry a bit smaller than a chicken but NOT a cornish hen.

Roasted white meat with a kind of a spring roll of dark meat.

I get a kind of pleasure out of an animal prepared different ways. This was a confit of dark meat on bone with a sweet sauce.

Cauliflower and broccoli mousse. This was the best thing! Warm and super rich.

On the note of animals prepared different ways...my uncle's dish of veal prepared in 3 ways. I tried a piece and found it a bit creepily soft though.

Ordered and shared 3 desserts...

Standard kind of flourless type choco cake but actually the taste was really good! The Swiss chocolate perhaps?

Types of berries, strawberries and mint salad, vanilla panacotta, strawberry macaron with strawberry ice cream and a really fresh raspberry sorbet.

This was the best dessert. Frozen nougat! I'm not sure what they meant by it but it was like that kind of ice cream that's actually whipped cream. Absolutely delicious. They do like their tuille cookies though.

La Place

route de Saint-Julien 143

1228 Plan-les-Ouates

Geneva, Switzerland

T: 022.794.96.98

DURIAN : THE KING OF FRUITS

2008-07-29T20:30:00.000-07:00

I checked to see if anyone had done the ubiquitous blog post of it but I didn't see it...but yes, I ate the King of Fruits for the first time. Apparently you can get in Switzerland? Who knew. The strange part is my great uncle bought it to surprise me and kept saying,"Don't you smell anything?" and I couldn't! Then I took a big whiff and I kind of thought it smelled GOOD. Ahh what was I thinking!

It was so perfectly ripe that it was just cracking open by itself.

I found the shell of the fruit to be quite interesting and alien looking. Sorry I haven't eaten that many asian fruits! By this time it was starting to smell bad...

The texture was like...lightly fibrous avocado? It was so sweet and delicious and creamy!! It's like the butter of fruits. Okay so what happened was that I didn't want to eat it all at once so I put it in this glass Pyrex dish with a rubber lid in the fridge. During the night I just kept smelling it and smelling it (through the rubber and glass and through the fridge!).

I so didn't want to eat it the next day. So when I got back home...I started getting nauseous and gagging just at the thought of it. So yeah the moral is...eat it all at once? Also it's so not worth the smell. I feel ill at the thought of it right now, actually.

Saveurs Suisses

2008-07-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Bettmeralp which is a resort in the Swiss Alps. It's more populated in the winter than in the summer but it's actually super amazingly beautiful. Vacation thanks to my Uncle-Cousin! He is also a great cook take a look at this beautiful mushroom omelet which was my first meal there:

Do you see the glistening butter??

Eaten with slices of this sooo processed but great German sausage. I don't know the name of it because I don't understand when anyone tells me German names. Because I don't know German. All I know is it tastes like bologna/mortadella.

Stopped off for an early light lunch. The best part about the alps is that they make everything look mad money.

Okay I was originally planning on having a sandwich but got flustered and ordered this "Kaseschnitten mit Schniken und Ei." I know I claim in every entry to have eaten the most greasy/unhealthy thing ever but this was pretty bad. It was bread with ham and then 1/2 lb of cheese and a fried egg (the yolks here are very deeply colored). Also one cornichon. It was amazing. It probably would have tasted better if I hadn't just eaten breakfast.

Dinner at Heidy's Stubli. I don't know how to make those two little dots above the "u." Stubli means something like "dining room." Like, what a perfect place to eat in the Alps haha. I think that all the restaurants there are kind of this level, if you know what I mean.

Swiss specialty 1: Veal in a cream sauce. My Aunt-Cousin's choice. So industrial, no?

Swiss specialty 2: Fondue with Kirsch. So alcoholic tasting. Meaning delicious.

Um sometimes I regret my ordering decisions. I ordered chicken cordon bleue?? with rosti? Basically like greasy hashbrowns and fried chicken. MMM!

This is boring but I just wanted to show that I ate dessert too. TGIF style Bailey's sundae. Which is totally something I love.

I actually went on a 3 hour hike and so was famished when I finished. Drink of choice here was Rivella or apple cider with seltzer. I didn't understand the explanations of Rivella containing "lactose" because it just tasted like ginger ale. Wikipedia it! We nibbled on these beautifully dry and pungent curls of cheese, lightly peppered and served with a very toothsome brown bread and pickles. Toothsome sounds somewhat strange but it was.

I think it was called "Schweinswurst mit Brot" but I am probably wrong. This was at the small cafe on the lake if anyone is going there...

On the way back to Geneva we stopped by Vinzel to eat something called "Malakoffs." I found a great site explaining it with better pictures and a recipe: Beignets de Vinzel. You normally start off with charcuterie but my Great Uncle assured me that it was a waste of space and that you needed to get your fill of this somewhat rare specialty.

Very quaint, homestyle restaurant, my favorite! Surronded by vineyards for white wine. We had a very refreshing light one to wash down the greasiness.

So deceptively small and plain looking, served with cornichons and pickled onions.

Pepper it up and break into the crispy, blistered shell and reach the dripping, rich and savory cheese center. I can't describe the taste. So simple but... You order one at a time and when it arrives you order another so that you always have one with a melted heart. It's basically mixed cheese and egg on toast that is deep fried until it's amazing. This is my most serious MUST EAT ever! Umami!

Then I ate dessert. Meringues with Chantilly creme and two kinds of ice cream. My Great Uncle's response was "you have to eat meringues with Gruyere double cream, this is too light." Fatassery runs in the family, I guess.

AMERICAN GRAFFITI STYLE : AKRON, OHIO

2008-06-26T20:19:00.000-07:00

This is a bit old, but these pictures are from when I visited home for a couple days. Home meaning Ohio. Anyways I always like to pig out on totally American food when I'm there...$2 frozen custard that is totally FUCK YOU to Tasty-D-Lite and of course huge platters of fried sampler appetizers. Hello, chain restaurants??

Anyways, this one is a bit of an institution. I guess I took drive-ins for granted. Drive-ins, the one shining star (or is it beacon?) in a humdrum Midwestern upbringing. Um anyways...

You have to go at dusk, preferably in a convertible. It was cool though we had a Smashing Pumpkins CD.

For some reason all the guys here look like they play lacrosse. Also they are always in a hurry. You flip your lights on to let them know you need a menu.

As you can see, a "hamburg" is $1.60. I think ordering it is mandatory but I don't eat hamburgers.

The following pictures are bad quality but I was totally jonesing for those fries.

[Vanilla] milkshake in the cup holder is Rule #2.

Sorry that's how I eat my hotdogs! I didn't even have to tell them to add extra relish.

Buttery buttery yellow-orange American cheese grilled cheese on white. This is like the worst and best thing I've ever eaten. Other than a corndog covered with french fries that was pretty good too.

That's the total for 2 orders of french fries, milkshake, hotdog, grilled cheese and toned sexy calves.

Swensons

40 Brookmont Rd

Akron, OH 44333

United States

T: +1 330-665-1858

LUNCH AT "LE DECK" IN CHEXBRES, SWITZERLAND

2008-06-21T20:20:00.000-07:00

Helloooo. I'm currently staying in Geneva for an undecided amount of time but had my first "big" meal today. While my mother is here for a few days we didn't do anything so we went to Mont Blanc. On the way back we stopped by this restaurant in Chexbres recommended by my Uncle.

How devastating is this view?

This is the outdoor restaurant of the Baron Tavernier Hotel, called "Le Deck."

It's like the O.C. ~*luxurious*~~

Sorry to bother you with these pictures but you were basically paying for the view.

There was a bit of a wait so we had drinks at the bar.

Campari and orange juice. I actually liked their slanting glasses.

Wine on the waiter's recommendation. The area is covered with vineyards so it was something local. Don't ask me I don't know anything about wine!

Unfortunately we arrived too late for their lunch set menu and had to order off a very short afternoon menu.

My mother got féra, which I'm assuming is perch, taken from Lake Geneva. This was almost $50 which I say is expensive for perch. But I guess you have to pay a Swiss **premium**~~.

I got melon with a salad of crawfish which is kind of random but there were only like 3 things to choose from. It tasted mostly like dill but the olive oil on the plate was quite good.

Movenpick ice cream was definitely the best part of the meal. I mean apart from the view. I love their ice creams...these were pistachio and espresso, but like the MOST tasty pistachio and espresso. I keep seeing ads for a coconut flavor with toasted sesame stay tuned...

Le Deck

Route de la Corniche

Chexbres, Switzerland

00 41 21 926 60 00

INARIZUSHI : FOUR WAYS

2008-02-27T20:10:00.000-08:00

Inari sushi is one of those things that I always want to order even though it always tastes kind of bland. I do like bland food though. I've had inari covered with spicy tuna before which was pretty delish. I made my own version.

I don't really like plain white rice. Actually I do but I have pounds of different grains at home that I need to use. I used black (or purple??) rice, white and brown. I made some sushi seasoning and also used one of those ready-to-use seasoned packets of lotus root/carrot from the Japanese grocery. I just added in extra (spicy but totally not) bamboo, peas, scallions and some chopped shiso. I usually saute some onion but I didn't have any (and also there was a gas leak in my building but TMI).

I just topped these with some ume/shiso furikake (rice topping). It definitely tasted better than just a plain inari but not totally mind blowing.

I keep jarred salmon flakes/eggs around if I want to eat ochazuke in the morning. Is that gross?

Okay obviously this was the best. Ikura. When do those globules of orange fishiness not taste good? I just want to eat a bowl of it, like cereal.

Last one was just covered with chopped shiso. That was the best along with ikura. Do you love my plates? They look like they are from Ikea but are supposedly "concept" appetizer plates that you arrange differently according to the number you use. Which sounds so Ikea to me. So here is a meal you can make without a range, supposing you have a rice cooker.

This was totally Sandra Lee for Japanese food.

FRESH FROM THE BOX

2008-02-23T20:22:00.000-08:00

They sell these sweet fried pancakes in Korea for ~$1. They have some rice flour sometimes so they are chewy. Wait that might actually a different food all together. Okay what I'm talking about is "hoddeuk." It's filled with nuts and sugar and drips fat and syrup all over you. Yum! Since they obviously don't sell it fresh here I made it from a mix. I never make anything from mixes so I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't turn out disgusting. Like Betty Crocker cakes.

I brought this back from Korea because it also included an acorn squash flavor. I used a rice cup measuring thing because it called for cc's. Who has measuring cups for that?

You end up with this yeasty dough. Everything is included.

This is the filling. It's basically sugar and nuts and spices. Like, 1/20 part nuts and spices and the rest sugar.

Pile it on on. Actually I don't understand how much you are supposed to put in I only used half. I think a lot of Koreans are diabetic...

Form little balls and fry them. I made some in a dry pan and no no they were so bad.

You should smash them a bit to get them flatter. I am so Alton Brown I used a wine bottle.

Yum.

This is one of those foods that seems universally likeable. Oil and sugar, the perfect combination. I'm sure this is super easy to make from scratch but actually, I am lazy. The end!

Never Underestimate Yourself; or How to be a Fatass Overseas

2008-01-29T20:23:00.000-08:00

1. Eat stinky tofu in China. Check.

2. Eat street food in Hong Kong like Tony Leung. CHECK!

Okay so ever since the first time I saw Chungking Express I've been in love with Tony Leung. Then I noticed that he is ALWAYS eating street food in movies. I've had this obsessive dream of eating street food in Hong Kong and it has finally been realized. Now I only had one day to eat to my heart's content but luckily my best fatass-partner-in-crime happens to be from Hong Kong. This is going to be one long entry but it just serves to show how ridiculous I was that day.

First things first. I had to eat some sort of street food because I am the easily distracted kind and it was possible that oops, I'm back in NY and I didn't eat street food in Hong Kong like Tony Leung OMG! Peawok took me to his usual joint where we just partook of some light nourishment.

Love this! Just throw some tables on the sidewalk and start eating noodles at 10 am. It was next to a live poultry shop. You know, the kind where you pick and they chop.

Toast with condensed milk and honey, raisin toast with honey and butter. This only tasted good because I was in Hong Kong.

We walked 15 minutes and then felt slightly fatigued...

Where could this be...

Looks like a normal, cute cafe.

A nice clean black and white interior.

Wait, can you read the writing on the plate? If you can't, it says agnes b. le pain grille. Yes, agnes b. has their own restaurant and cafe! Wtf! Apparently Armani has a restaurant as well but no time for that.

Served up fresh bread nestled in an origami-ed napkin. The bread tasted like pizza, why??

This was "Seafood Bisque" on the menu but you can see for yourself that it was soo not creamy enough. But it was actually deliciously crabby so why am I complaining!

I'm not quite sure why I ordered this because I usually try the stranger items on the menu. Camembert and green apple on a toasted baguette. It tasted delicious.

Okay okay that's all normal and well and seems like a good sized lunch, no? Well as I say in the title do not underestimate yourself.

Coffee eclair. Notice that they BRAND the dessert. Like, in case you forgot where and WHO you were eating.

White choco mousse cake.

Hazelnut cake.

Mille feuille.

Wait...ordering four desserts for lunch isn't normal? Whatevs, it's agnes b. The food is like the clothes...pretty good and normal but overpriced for what it is. Oh and also the service was making me kind of antsy. We had individual bottles of water and every time we drank any from our cups the waitstaff would patter over and unscrew the bottles, pour an ounce into the cup and screw the caps back on. This happened about 5 times so I stopped drinking water because I got so nervous. But I felt special and that's all that matters.

After shopping for a couple hours I saw something glittering in the distance.

A random cafe in a mall. Okay, whatever goes. JUST KIDDING. It's the cafe of L'atelier de Joel Robuchon. Yes.

Yes the restaurant is right next door and yes those are mall escalators leading you to a $300/person meal!

I just settled for something little. Green apple juice!

A salted caramel tart, one layer of mousse, one of caramel and one of choco ganache.

I was so sad that I had to limit myself when there was this:

But this was the best:

So now you know how to write "this label is not edible" in Chinese.

Then I bought a box of macarons. The shell was so thin and and tender, perfect. There are too many macaron photos in the world so sorry to bother you with this one. But sorry NY does NOT have any good ones. (If you are wondering why they're all cracked it's because I immediately squashed them)

Directly after exiting the mall of dreams, we started feeling a bit peckish.

This is Mak's Wonton House, or some other name like that. It has apparently the best wonton noodle soups with a few locations (I think there is one in LA as well).

And it WAS good! The broth is the same for all the noodle soups but the toppings are different. I got shrimp dumplings which were just shrimps in wonton skins but delicious! The noodles were very thin and slightly chewy and the soup was on the greasy side but mild. It reminded me of ramen in a way. This bowl would fit in your hand and cost ~$4. I'm sorry but that is way too expensive for fast food like this especially considering I could have eaten 4 bowls easily. Actually I should stop complaining I ate this quite awhile ago!

Ooh artsy photo #1:

I really wanted to eat street food again so we stopped by this dessert shack. Actually they served noodles and other savory foods as well but my friend threatened me with physical violence if I ordered any more.

A very thin cold soup of ground black sesame. I could distinctly taste almonds that might have been used to cut the amount of sesame. Loved this! But totally needed to gargle and rinse afterwards.

Sago/tapicoa in sweetened coconut milk. I was so impressed by the desserts here because nothing was overly sweet or cloying. They were boarding on bland but both desserts were the mindless-eating-inducing type.

Stopped in for another dessert at a very chain type place.

OMG how can you NOT be in love?? Mango sorbet in thinned coconut milk with sago, cuts of mango peeking out and a scattering of that wonderful fruit the POMELO. The colors the colors! I think I'm going to make this at home.

Okay but that was all mere child's play. This is how Peawok and I really roll. Two people does not equal two dishes.

I forget what kind of greens these are but I eat them in the US as well. What are they?? We needed to start light.

Shrimps in sweet and sour sauce. Freshness matters! Tasty but so messy. I love how they tried to be class with the flower!

Chicken in a clay pot(?). Sometimes I think chickens are different in Asia. Like, I've NEVER seen those parts before...

Squid over vermicelli with garlic. So surprisingly good! But I think I read in Amy Tan once that squid should "roll into lucky balls" when fried. Why aren't they lucky balls.

Mystery mess.

Oh, it just turned out to be rice steamed in lotus leaf with mystery meat.

I saved the best for last.

I order this in Chinatown all the time. I have no idea what it's called but it's basically a big pork patty with mushrooms and water chestnuts chopped into it. A pork pie. The one I usually get is literally swimming in an inch of oil so by comparison this was healthy (I'm sure...). I love this salted preserved fish they put on top that tastes like heaven but smells like feet! "Unfortunately" they only have salted egg here.

Of course, we had to end on a sweet note. Mango with cream, pomelo and sago again. What a great combination.

I ate so much.

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE...

2008-01-20T20:24:00.000-08:00

How do you document vacation trips? Taking photos of family, friends or famous landmarks? Well I've always documented trips with photos of my meals. I may have no clue where I was or who I was with but I totally remember what I was eating. Faces fade but food remains. So if you happen to have the same habits as me you might come across the "problem" of the repeat meal. You already ate the same exact meal before but you can't help taking pictures of it. But then you can play compare and contrast:

This my favorite place for ddeokbokki, rice cakes in spicy sauce. All the pictures on the left are from about a year and a half old, the pictures on the right are recent. It looks basically the same except they've gotten a bit sloppier and saucy-ier on the right. It tasted exactly the same. Meaning I immediately got heartburn. Delicious!

Biji jiggae is a very mild stew of "tofu dregs." I don't know what that is but I think it's like the ricotta of tofu. I'm probably wrong. Anyways, it was definitely spicier this time and didn't have any seaweed in it. I think it actually tasted better the second time. The texture is amazingly soft and pillowy.

Hameul pajeon is a big green onion and seafood pancake that is dipped in soy sauce as you eat. Oops the picture on the left is actually the recent one. The chopped octopus used to be integrated into the batter and now it's kind of tumbled on top. Definitely better the first time.

Kalgooksu is thick flour noodles in a konbu and seafood based soup. The broth thickens because the noodles are cooked in the broth, not separately. This place makes it with fresh clams. Okay so now I see they totally cheated me on the kim/seaweed, the amount of clams, carrots and zucchini. But it still tasted great! Oh MSG, what would Korean food be without you. Red but bland, I think.

ODDS AND ENDS

2008-01-12T20:25:00.000-08:00

Little things I've had recently that were memorable for some reason..

Definitely the dirtiest restaurant I've been to in Seoul (Insadong area, pic above). They serve fermented rice wine called makgoli which tastes like vinegar. Except opaque and alcoholic...mmmm. This is some mysterious fish that is completely fried and greasy but kind of delicious. Season it yourself with the coarse salt on the side. The place is most often frequented by workingclass men.

I think it's "carp bread." The woman squirts a bit of batter into the cast iron pan and tops with red bean, closes the top and rotates the entire thing. The taste is so normal but amazing when it's fresh. Plus it's cute. It's basically the same as the Japanese version.

The smallest cuttlefish ever. They look like some sort of insect...you eat them whole, of course.

Doesn't this look amazingly nasty? I thought it was some sort of weird fungus.

But of course it was just rice cake covered with very finely ground black sesame. So lightly sweet and delicious. "Ddeok" (rice cake) is one of my favorite foods but it's actually quite bad for you.

My favorite at Dunkin Donuts. The Engrish reads "Green Tea Chewisty." It uses sweet rice flour? The same for making rice cakes and it makes the donut really chewy. The icing is kind of marzipan-ish and it tastes blandly amazing.

Ha, I actually cooked something! These are garlic tops which are way more difficult to get in the US than in Asia. Why?? That's all for now...

Yongsusan Traditional Palace Food

2008-01-09T20:25:00.000-08:00

The average Korean meal will cost KRW5-7,000 (USD 5-7 dollars). But for KRW30-40,000 you can try an excellent traditional palace-style meal at Yongsusan. It's located beneath the Seoul Finance Center and caters mainly to businessmen and their foreign business partners.

I thought the decor was kind of nice because they used traditional fabric for runners and patchwork lighting.

Millet and rice porridge. This was really blah as it looks.

Acorn jelly with toasted seaweed and stewed beef, various pickled veggies.

Bossam is wrapping boiled pork belly and spicy pickled radishes in blanched cabbage with a little salted shrimp. This was excellent because they also broiled the pork slightly so it wasn't just a hot gray mess.

Jellyfish and cucumbers in a mustard sauce and frozen sashimi in a hot pepper sauce. I love jellyfish! The rubbery texture gets me every time. But Koreans are always putting hot sauce on raw fish which totally masks the flavor.

Rice cake soup. I was just reading that the rice cakes are shaped to resemble silk worm cocoons for prosperity...EWWWW!!

Okay it starts getting messy because the idea is you are served various courses but all on the same plate. But I'm not really a plate cleaner so you end up with various debris under the new course. This is a skewer of rice cake, beef and mushroom. It tasted exactly how it looked. Don't you hate that? I mean fries should taste like fries but I hate cooked beef that just tastes like cooked beef.

Holy shit this was mad good. It was minced up beef short ribs sprinkled with pinenuts. You can see how fatty it was. Served with stew and rice.

Dessert included rice cakes with sweet white bean and TOMATO filling. Drink was the 5 flavor tea which is really bizarre and salty, vinegary and sweet. But it's supposedly good for the complexion.

"Hanshik" (traditional multi-course Korean meal) isn't really as fancy a meal as a full course French meal would be but it is a departure from the norm. I don't think it's that popular with the younger generation who prefer to splurge on Western food, but it's definitely a must for anyone who likes Korean food. Like me.

Yongsusan

148, Wonso-dong, Jongro-gu

Seoul, Korea

Tel : 02-743-5999

DONGDAEMUN POJANGMACHA, SEOUL

2008-01-08T20:18:00.000-08:00

Korean pojangmachas (street food stalls) are a common sight all over Seoul. I find them usually run by women who serve up cheap, filling and overly savory foods in a no-nonsense fashion. They park their carts on the street and you can find kids, college students and businessmen chowing down on the unsanitary delights at all times of the day (but usually at night).

This cart is in Dongdaemun, an area named after one of the four entrance gates in old Seoul. This is where you can find fake Gucci socks as well as fabric and trims. Note the toilet paper roll that replaces napkins.

The fried food is all cold and hard by the time you get there, but don't worry they will REFRY it to get it nice and greasy. You can get squid legs, glass noodles wrapped in seaweed/kim, dumplings/mandoo and sweet potatoes all coated in thick batter.

So this is one of the options you can get. My mother thinks this is disgusting but I find it fabulous. They stick all the cold fried items of your choosing in the ddeokbokki sauce (rice cakes, fishcake and chili sauce simmered together) and slap it all on a plastic bag covered dish and sprinkle with perilla leaves. It's spicy and warm and you can barely tell what you are eating, meat or vegetable. Delish! They also give you a paper cup of the soup that the fishcakes/odeng have been simmering in which has a dashi base. This costs 4,000KRW or $4.60 and is way more than anyone can handle.

KATZ'S DELICATESS

2007-12-29T20:16:00.000-08:00

Screw WD-50, Katz's is the LES's finest food institution.

You start off light with some french fries.

Nibble on their two kinds of pickles, fresh cucumber and your extra vinegary deli staple.

I always get the matzo ball soup. A huge glob of pillowy, chicken fatty goodness.

Knoblewurst? WTF is that. I don't know but it tasted good!

Of course, the pastrami sandwich. Slather that grainy mustard on!

Katz's Deli

205 E Houston St

New York, NY 10002

(212) 254-2246

MOMOFUKU AGAIN

2007-12-21T20:17:00.000-08:00

I haven't been to here in so long because I get scared by the mad groups of Asian Americans and the Bridge and Tunnel type couples. But my friend really wanted to go and of course I'm all up for ramen at any time.

We started with shrimp and grits. It had some fancy adjectives attached but I already forgot what they are. This was a really weird combination. There was crispy bacon and a COLD poached egg. I ordered it because it sounded weird and it was. But not in a good way. We also ordered those pancakes that are like Peking duck and have hoisin and cucumber along with the Berkshire pork inside. I definitely think those are the best item on the menu.

My friend got the original Momofuku ramen but I ordered the duck leg ramen because it, again, sounded weird. I guess I assumed the meat was off the bone but actually they expected me to tear it up with chopsticks. Which proved impossible. Unremarkable broth, no memma/bamboo...everything was sort of blah. Fatty duck skin doesn't do so well when dunked in broth.

Hitachino White Ale was so good though! I would have done better just to get the pancakes and beers. I think this place is just decent but definitely not worth the line and the loudness. Going at a weird and inconvenient time like 3 pm, which I have actually done before, is the best solution. The chef was cute though.

Momofuku
163 1st ave
New York, NY 10003
212.475.7899

KIMCHI JIGAE, FAKING FRENCH STYLE

2007-12-21T20:11:00.000-08:00

My sis sent me a couple pots for Christmas. Which sounds really sad but I like to roll like Martha and they are actually ideal presents for me.

But being 11 pm I didn't have time to go buy ingredients. So I made kimchi jigae/stew. In a Le Creuset pot. Whatever...

Start with fatty pork slices in a dry pan over medium low heat. I just keep a few frozen slices in the freezer to use for this.

When your apartment smells horribly animal-y, add sliced garlic. A lot of it.

Add cut up kimchi and stir. The more funky the better. Somebody once told me there is some kind of kimchi that is fermented for years. But that's just plain nasty. Funky is good but kimchi that starts smelling like cheese is so not it.

Now this is when you add powdered dashi or actual dashi broth. I have dried anchovy, dried shrimp, konbu, mussel and shiitake mushroom powders that are ground up. I keep them in individual ziplocks in the freezer and use them for soups. I think this is way better than that MSG-laden powder with the blue fish on the packaging, you know what I'm talking about. So anyways add whatever you want.

Add water and simmer for however long you feel like but the kimchi should become kind of translucent. I also add ddeok, or rice cakes.

I use these because they're cute.

Okay so you end up with something that looks like this. I added sweet potato starch (??) noodles (it smells horrible when you are boiling them) and green onions.

I also made my favorite rice:

1/3 brown rice, 1/3 mixed grain wild rice, 1/3 white. I also buy these Japanese 13 mixed grains that are portioned into individual packets. Add a splash of sake and it tastes SO FREAKING GOOD.

Yeah so I started making this at around 11 and ended sometime around 2 am. Whatevs, it was good! I also just made up this recipe so anything goes. Tuna in olive oil or spam is also a good addition.

VEGGING OUT ON RAW

2007-12-20T20:09:00.000-08:00

To taste a tiny tidbit of toro is to tease the tastebuds. I mean I get this insatiable hunger for it once I get a taste, recovering alcoholic style.

Speaking of the raw, my friend and I went to Mitsuwa in Edgewater and picked up a few things for a snack. Well, I mean after we ate there. This was just a TV-watching-mindless-eating type of thing.

Uni, ikura and homemade spicy tuna over rice. Extra roe in the tuna for that seductive crunch. Oops I forgot that we made hamachi collar and pajeon, ie green onion and seafood pancakes, as well.

We stopped there because sometimes we did not want to pass the Orson Welles-level point of gluttony.