Great Balloon - Orange County Great Park - Irvine

Argh! It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!




I hate Halloween. I do. I'm not a complete grinch. I like seeing little kids dressed up and I hand out candy. I just hate ghouls and goblins and creepy crawlies and scary movies. So it was with dismay when I saw that the Great Balloon had been transformed into a giant pumpkin head.

"Que pasa, calabaza? (What's up, pumpkin head?)"

"Nada, nada, limonada. (Nothing's up, lemon head.)"

Ha! The things I remember from high school Spanish class.

Thwarted by a previous attempt a few weeks before, the middle '87 asked if I would take her to the Great Balloon. She had gotten there in time, but her turn wasn't up until 8 p.m. By then, visibility was poor and no flights were allowed.

Hey! I was the one who saw the LA Freebeee post and tipped her off about it. And she didn't even invite me when she went the first time?

Hmph!

We decided to go early so we could picnic on the grounds and make sure we were first in line. We stopped off to pick up some Vietnamese sandwiches and the younger '88.

Ack! That big old pumpkin head kept leering at us every which way.

Ask Wandering Chopsticks 2

Pablo says, "Happy Halloween!" He'll be seven weeks old on Monday.


Photo courtesy of cousin Q's older brother's wife. 

Yaki Udon (Japanese Stir-Fried Udon Noodles)

Does it look like Christmas?

Well, it certainly felt like Christmas to me. Through my advertiser, Foodbuzz, I received a $30 credit to Asian Food Grocer. That gave me the chance to try out some Japanese grocery items that I normally wouldn't buy such as two types of mirin (Japanese cooking sake.), kombu (Japanese seaweed for making stock), and red miso paste (I have white miso paste in the fridge.). To round it out, I also got curry mix, udon noodles, yam noodles, Chinese black pepper sauce, and a tea cup with infuser and lid. Nice, yeah? Hey, it wasn't all free, I did pay $6.18 for the shipping. ;)

Actually, if you have trouble finding Asian grocery items where you live, I would recommend Asian Food Grocer. Most items were reasonably-priced, carefully packaged, and delivered within days at a reasonable cost.




Anyway, so after receiving my box of goodies the other day, I was eager to test out the mirin. I've always been cheap and used either hsiao xing (Chinese rice wine) or regular white wine. I poured out a spoonful of each and found the green bottle of Ryorishu mirin to be quite strong, 13% alcohol. The yellow bottle of Jozo mirin was sweeter and had less alcohol, 8.5%. Very drinkable even. Normally, if I were to buy this myself at the grocery store, I'd just get one and try it out and maybe try another type or brand later. So it was quite nice to be able to get both and compare.

Mirin is often used with fish dishes because the alcohol helps to reduce the fishy smell. I decided to pair it with a small piece of venison I had saved in the freezer for stir-fries. Some people think venison is gamey but I've never had any problems. The trick is to rinse the meat after slicing to remove excess blood, which is where the gamey smell often comes from. Using mirin helps to further reduce any gameyness.

Super quick and easy recipe. From the time I sliced the veggies to plating was less than half an hour. Just remember to start marinating the meat first so it has more time to soak in the flavor.

Marche Moderne - Costa Mesa

Back in October 2008, my friend DP was the first of my friends and family to take me out for my birthday. I looove when people take me out for my birthday!

She sent me the link to Marche Moderne, a French bistro at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. I had just recently seen Kevin Eats' post about his first visit there. And since Kevin and I have wildly divergent dining budgets, I worried that my friend would be spending too much money on me. No worries, she reassured me. Marche Moderne has a great rotating three-course lunch menu for only $20. Oh yay! My friend always takes me to fabulous places and I don't have to worry about her spending too much.

Club 33 - Disneyland - Anaheim

Don't know what Club 33 is?

S'alright.

I didn't either until recently. But if you're a Disney freak, like lil' sis is, then "SQEEEEE!!!

OMG!!!

OMG!!!

OMG!!!

OMGWTFBBQ!!!"

For the past several years, I had seen kevinEats post about his first, second, and third visits to this exclusive club but hadn't paid particular attention. Plus, I didn't know he could invite guests so it wouldn't matter how exclusive it was, I wasn't getting in. Except last year, Mike of Famished LA did get in, as Kevin's guest. Mike is a Disney freak. So when he mentioned that Club 33 had closed its waiting list because there's a 14-year wait, then I paid attention.

Walt Disney built Club 33 as an exclusive and serene oasis where he could entertain visiting dignitaries away from the hustle and bustle of Disneyland. Unfortunately, Club 33 didn't open until June 15, 1967, six months after Disney's death.

If you are a Disney freak, then you probably already know about the door marked "33" in New Orleans Square. Entrance is only allowed if you're with someone who has membership. Membership itself is limited and corporations and individuals pay thousands of dollars at admittance and in annual fees. Not that that matters since there's a 14-year waiting list that's been closed to new additions for years. Once you secure an invite, locate the not-so-secret doorway and press the buzzer on the intercom concealed in a hidden panel. You are not allowed in unless your name is on the list. You are not allowed in more than 5 minutes before your reservation time. Dress code is nice-casual ie. if you're visiting the theme park that day, change out of your tank tops, shorts, and sneakers.

And if you are a Disney freak, like lil' sis is, then entering its hallowed doorway and dining there just might make your childhood and adult Disney dreams come true.

Mon Me: Vietnamese Baguettes and More - London - United Kingdom

I was in London exactly four years ago today. I scored a last-minute plane ticket for a non-stop flight from LAX to Heathrow for $377. Cousin Q's youngest aunt had moved from Sydney, Australia to London earlier that year and said I could stay with her. With a free place to stay and a plane ticket that was just too good to pass up, I went for a four-day weekend. Even though I hadn't seen her since my trip to Australia years before that, "auntie" H (she's not really my auntie and she's several years younger than me) generously took me around and fed me.

A few months ago, cousin E left for a year's study abroad in London. Again, auntie H generously offered up her place. Then, when she asked cousin E what I was up to these days, the blog came up. And guess what? Turns out, without knowing it was me, auntie H reads the blog too! :)




Of course, when I asked what auntie H was up to, the biggest news was that she and a friend are opening a banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) stall at the Sunday UpMarket. Mon Me, mom's (or mum's if you're Aussie or English) recipes, starts Sunday, October 18, in fact!

Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show

Everyone in the family has always known my cousin Phong was talented. But last week, when Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced that he was one of three "emerging designers" who received the inaugural Fashion Angel Award from the City of Los Angeles and the Department of Cultural Affairs, it was even more wonderful that my cousin had this opportunity to show off his skills.

His new Femme Noir Collection debuted at the Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Award Emerging Designers Runway Show at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA.

Phew! What a mouthful. Can I get a "whoohoo!"?

So excited! The show didn't begin until designer Randolph Duke, who was on the committee who picked the winners, showed up.

Who Would Want to See a Movie About My "Foodie Life"?

Oh my.

Who would want to see a movie about my "foodie life"? But apparently there were enough of you who did that I was nominated for a Foodbuzz Blog Award. Yay?!

Dragon Fruit Bumper Crop

It takes about two months from the time the dragon fruit blossoms to when it's ripe for eating. I have no idea why I had such a bumper crop in 2009, but not in previous years.

Grand Canyon National Park (South Rim) - Arizona

After lunch at Pine Country Restaurant - Williams - Arizona, it was a short drive to Grand Canyon National Park. Gourmet Pigs' and I had both been to Grand Canyon West Rim before so we debated whether we should visit the South Rim. Her friend highly recommended it, and well, we were already in the area...

We figured we'd check out the views, snap some photos, and continue making our way home. Luckily, we only had to circle the Grand Canyon Village area a few times before a spot serendipitously opened up.

The West Rim is more narrow than the South Rim. So while I thought it was quite nice, it wasn't as "grand." This view makes me feel like I'm truly seeing the "Grand" Canyon.

Pine Country Restaurant - Williams - Arizona

After dropping off Gourmet Pigs' friend at the airport in Flagstaff, Arizona, we continued our way further west and stopped off for lunch in the town of Williams, just outside of Grand Canyon National Park.




We drove around a bit to see what struck our fancy and the "homemade pies" sign lured me into Pine Country Restaurant.

Four Corners Monument - Shiprock - New Mexico

On our way back to California, we passed by the Four Corners Monument again. Since we were unable to go the first night because we got there way after closing, there was no way I was gonna miss it again. The Four Corners Monument is literally where the corners of four states meet -- Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Unfortunately, we were crunched for time, trying to get from Mancos, Colorado to Flagstaff, Arizona by 1 p.m. so Gourmet Pigs' friend could make his flight. That's 282.7 miles. By the time we pulled into the Four Corners Monument, we literally just raced in to snap photos and left.

While Gourmet Pigs was in the bathroom, her friend had my camera poised to take pictures. There was a crowd of Italian tourists standing around the marker, but no way was I going to be photographed standing in front of a group of people when I could literally be in four places at once!

 "Excuse me."

 "Excuse me."

 "Excuse me."

As I elbowed them out of the way. I know! Rude Americans! :P

And then I plopped down dead center, with my arms on Utah and Colorado while my legs straddled Arizona and New Mexico.

Absolute Bakery & Cafe - Mancos - Colorado

Since I loved my fry bread sandwich from Ted's Taco - Mancos so much, I took the Enchanted Mesa Motel owners' advice again and stopped off at Absolute Bakery & Cafe before we left Colorado.

They're batting two for two because this was the cutest cafe with so many baked goods that I wanted to try. They recommended the chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons.

And how could I not love a cafe that features shelves of books?