Green Tea Kit Kat Review!
Posted: May 31, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment »\
When I saw the 9gag picture showing all these new and inventive kit kat flavors, I knew i had to get one! When mom went to Taiwan and stopped by Japan, she got me green tea kit kats! Now on to the review 
When I saw these I was so happy. First bite, I knew there was white chocolate on the outside. There were hints of green tea in the kit kat, maybe i would’ve liked more, but nevertheless, these were delicious 
Strawberry Compote! (ish?)
Posted: May 23, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment »OK, so this isn’t actually strawberry compote, but it makes a VERY delicious filling!
You need-
Strawberries (I used frozen so it’s easier to cut)
Brown Sugar (or regular/honey, both work)
Simply Limeade (I used that brand, others I think will work)
Water
Cut up the strawberries by dicing them. Toss them in the pot at full heat. Put around a half cup of the sugar/honey (with honey, just drizzle). Add the limeade and water and let it simmer at low heat. In around ten minutes, sample. If it needs more sugar/honey, just adjust. Strain around half of the liquid in pot. Let it cook for a couple more minutes, then transfer to the fridge. In around five minutes, it’s ready!!!!!!!!!!
another nice day in brooklyn
Posted: May 9, 2012 Filed under: Italian, Pasta Leave a comment »
the remains of a fresh pasta dinner on the roof. we bought freshly made spinach pasta noodles from the italian market in chelsea market, fresh little olive, tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms all sauteed together. similarly, with just some olive oil, s&p. love it when that happens.
limeade, instagrammed. I had to do it
simple gnocchi
Posted: May 9, 2012 Filed under: Pasta Leave a comment »
sometimes I run out of pasta sauce that’s pre-made and I get really stressed out because when you’re a student that is pretty much all you eat. but today I remember with some olive oil, fresh veggies, and lots of freshly ground pepper, you can still be in for a treat. I also sprinkled some herbs like oregano and basil and thyme to spice it up a bit. I always add tomatoes at the very, very, end so they can remain fresh and crunchy, a nice contrast to the mushrooms. I used to hate olives but they’ve become a favorite since entering “adulthood” – and they add a great taste to any pasta too. I chop them up into little pieces and throw them in with the tomatoes.
gnocchi is such a cozy food. I can’t wait to make my own someday soon!
can’t wait to see sisters soon! reunion
Bouchon
Posted: April 29, 2012 Filed under: Comfort Food, Cookies, Dessert | Tags: Anderson Cooper, Bakery, Bouchon, cookies Leave a comment »
Bouchon Bakering – inside the mall at Columbus Circle at 59th street. The TKO cookie, but think gourmet Oreo. The cream was delish and the cracker was real chocolate. So good! Right before this, we went to the Anderson Cooper show 
Pretzel croissant from the City Bakery – Pam took me here on my birthday. Everything is really delicious and I love the decor. They also have a great lunch buffet if you’ve got the $$$.
Vegetables (The tasty way!!!!!!!!!)
Posted: April 17, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment »These are kind of carmalized onions, maybe sweated a little bit?
Take your onions, I used about half an onion. Put on heat with corn oil, and let the onions cook for a couple of minutes at FULL heat. Add salt, and italian seasoning. Turn down the heat to 5 and add chicken stock. Cover the pot with the cover. Wait for about 10-15 minutes until super soft! Add chicken stock last minute for extra flavor! Enjoy!
SISTER 3
TOP 10 CUPCAKES OF ALL TIME!!!!!!!!
Posted: April 15, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized 1 Comment »Here are the TOP 10 cupcakes I’ve had of all time!!!!!!!!!!!! The locations range from California to Georgia to England!
#10-
Gigi’s Cupcakes- Lemon Icebox!
The lemon icebox was the FIRST cupcake I’ve ever had from Gigi’s and i loved it because of the wafers and zesty lemon flavor.
#9 Something Delightful Bakery- Strawberry Cream-filled!
This white cake filled with strawberry frosting was delicious, and tasted like strawberry icecream!
#8 Gigi’s Cupcakes- Raspberry Buckle!
I love the raspberry cake despite the sad frosting, but the almond cookies on top saved it all!
#7 Cloud 9 Cupcake- Strawberry!
The strawberry cream cheese frosting is like HEAVEN, i could drink it!
#6 Something Delightful Bakery- Lemon-filled!
The lemon curd inside is like tart creaminess and makes this cupcake so GOOD!
#5 Gigi’s Cupcakes- Pink Lemonade!
This cake and frosting is soo lemony and delicious!
#4 Perfect Circle Cupcakery- Buttercup
This flavorful chocolate cake with the peanut buttery frosting makes it SUPER yummy!
#3 LOLA’S Cupcakes- Red Velvet
Their cream cheese frosting is like HEAVEN, and the cake is a perfect match with this frosting!
#2 Cloud 9 Cupcakes- Key Lime
The cake is super limey and the frosting provides a punch of key lime!
#1 Something Delightful Bakery- Volcano
I am in LOVE with this cupcake, every time I have it, I’m never disappointed! It’s a dark chocolate cake with a gooey chocolate center, and raspberry swiss meringue buttercream! This buttercream tastes natural, and is so delicious
Locations-
LOLA’S Cupcakes- several locations in London
Something Delightful Bakery- Great cookies/cupcakes in Peachtree City, GA
Gigi’s Cupcakes- Locations all around USA
Cloud 9 Cupcake- Several locations across Atlanta
FLAVORFUL Soup!!!!!!!!!!! (SUPER-DUPER FLAVORFUL!)
Posted: April 11, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized 1 Comment »You will need:
1 Carrot
Chicken Stock (about 1/4 can?)
Italian seasoning (about 1/2 a spoon)
Garlic (two small pieces)
Water (1 cup) (optional)
Salt (optional)
Chop up on carrot, dice it finely, until in cubes.
The chicken stock should be on the stove at full heat, when boiling, put in carrots.
Dice garlic, and toss in the broth, make sure it is kind of chunky, so it will be almost like poached garlic.
Add Italian seasoning, and wait for about 10-20 minutes, if the soup has reduced too much, add the water.
The soup should be ready by now, make sure it’s flavorful! If not, add some salt to enhance the flavor!
Enjoy, Sister 3!
FLAVORFUL Soup!!!!!!!!!!! (SUPER-DUPER FLAVORFUL!)
Posted: April 11, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment »You will need:
1 Carrot
Chicken Stock (about 1/4 can?)
Italian seasoning (about 1/2 a spoon)
Garlic (two small pieces)
Water (1 cup) (optional)
Salt (optional)
Chop up on carrot, dice it finely, until in cubes.
The chicken stock should be on the stove at full heat, when boiling, put in carrots.
Dice garlic, and toss in the broth, make sure it is kind of chunky, so it will be almost like poached garlic.
Add Italian seasoning, and wait for about 10-20 minutes, if the soup has reduced too much, add the water.
The soup should be ready by now, make sure it’s flavorful! If not, add some salt to enhance the flavor!
Enjoy, Sister 3!
SUPER SORRY!
Posted: March 6, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment »So sorry for not posting things!
My ULTIMATE ADDICTION!
Cupcakes!
Quickie Review of Gigi’s Cupcakes!
These are EXTREMELY sweet cupcakes, very sweet! There are lots of extracts/food colorings involved. Plus the frosting: cake ratio is about 20:3. Their cakes don’t even rise very much, and the frosting is usually the part I don’t really eat. The cream cheese frosting is very sweet, not tangy like i’d like. The pink lemonade is the BOMB while strawberry lemonade is disgusting. The only think i like about their red velvet is the filling (vanilla) which makes it different.The grasshopper has a yummy mint frosting.
Overall: 2 stars, not as good as it could be!
Chicken Katsu
Posted: March 5, 2012 Filed under: Japanese | Tags: chicken, easy, japanese, katsu Leave a comment »
Sisters, this is one of the easiest recipes ever! It’s so delicious, and yet very simple to make at home. Although, since it is fried, you probably can’t make it too often. Even so, I remember every time our mom made it at home I was super excited (equivalent to: Grilled Cheese night, Spaghetti night, Omelette-Ketchup-Rice night!)
Recipe after the jump Read the rest of this entry »
Late-night Banana Pecan Bread
Posted: January 30, 2012 Filed under: Baking | Tags: bread, breakfast, easy, quick Leave a comment »
Last night I noticed a couple of my bananas were getting pretty spotty – since my week is usually super busy, I thought – maybe it would be a good time to make some banana bread for the week! I still have these pecans leftover from when I made the tart (Thanksgiving – I don’t think nuts go bad?) so I added those in there. I took cues from this recipe, but used a half cup brown sugar and a half cup white sugar instead – brown sugar gives it a whole other flavor that’s pretty delish. Banana bread is perfect because it’s easy, quick, and doesn’t require a whole lot that wouldn’t already be in your house.
Afternoon Tea at the Peninsula
Posted: January 24, 2012 Filed under: Dessert, Holiday, Travel | Tags: afternoon tea, dessert plate, fancy, hong kong, hotel Leave a comment »This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Hey ladies,
I thought I would share the experience of the afternoon tea at the Peninsula in Hong Kong. I’m sad you didn’t get to come with us. While I don’t think I’ll ever do it again, I think it was nice to at least say we did it once, and those raisin scones were really good. We each got a tea and then shared 3 plates. Warm raisin scones with a tap of butter or jam (wow, I really don’t know how to make scones compared to these), a savory plate of small sandwiches and mini-quiche types, and a dessert plate. They also gave us small cups of a pudding with extremely sweet syrup that was flavored with passionfruit.
Delish, right?
I miss you. Since I’ve been back in New York, culinary adventures have been few and far between, but I did have a black and white cookie at Nussbaum and Wu by Columbia that was really divine. Though to be fair, my first and only B&W cookies prior to this experience was at a Starbucks in Pittsburgh.
Love,
Sister 1
breakfast with grandfather
Posted: January 7, 2012 Filed under: Breakfast, Holiday, Home | Tags: breakfast, family, healthy, taiwan Leave a comment »
Father and Grandfather walking together in Taipei (taken by sister 2)
“Your grandfather – he eats like Japanese. Slowly, thinking about each bite.” Grandmother chuckles a bit when she says this, and then says “We’re very different! Me, I eat to eat, very quickly.” Grandpa doesn’t hear this part, but keeps offering me small bits of breakfast. During the war era he says, there wasn’t much that they could eat and food was rationed quite harshly in Taiwan those days, so he picked up the habit his father taught him – to make use of every single last bite. Breakfast is a number one part of your daily routine, too. Back in the day, it was early rise at 6:00 am, breakfast from 6:30 – 6:50 am, then off to school. I think about how I can barely crawl out of bed by 8:45 to make it onto the train by 9 am, and suddenly feel a bit lazy.
This morning, I fried three eggs for us. We add a bit of pepper and a little bit of sauce – but it isn’t soy – maybe it is fish. Anyway, it is less salty which is what we’re going for (healthy breakfast!). Grandma makes radish cakes that she bought the other day – they are more Hong Kong-ish than Taiwanese and Grandpa makes coffee. He adds 2 spoonfuls of Ballantine’s scotch whiskey and says this is the best way to have a cup of morning coffee. We eat some toast from a local bakery – bread is always better in Taiwan! – and put a bit of almond butter and roasted peanuts. A small orange and banana later, I feel full but healthy. The last part is a bit of yogurt my grandmother has made, given 2 spoonfuls of green tea powder (cancer fighting).
I think about how many years have passed since I’ve been home. A lot has changed here but I’m happy to share breakfast with our grandparents. In an ideal world, we would probably have more time for breakfast, and more time to spend here as well. I feel overwhelmed and stressed all the time in New York – and forget quite often about the things that exist outside of the little universe I’ve created all for my own. Being in Taipei has been a welcome break from it. It’s something too, about having been gone for this long. To be reflected on a later date.
I’ve asked every temple in Taiwan and Hong Kong for a job, or a career, but those things come to I guess when they can. Fortune-telling offers guidance, but it is no crystal ball. That being said, I was insanely happy to be able to spend Christmas and new year with my family. Now enter corny Chinese ballad song?
happy friendsgiving from socal!
Posted: December 12, 2011 Filed under: California, Dessert, Dips, Drinks, Holiday, Pasta, Pizza Leave a comment »Hey systers,
So soon, and we’ll all be together again! Only 2 more nights until I see Sister 1 again, and 2 weeks until I see Sister 3, and 3 weeks until we all see each other again in Taiwan, home of delicious food galore. Can our stomachs handle it? I hope so. Well, here’s my Thanksgiving post, and I’m sorry it took me so long. That fall semester crunch after Thanksgiving break gets me every time!
Well, I celebrated meaningful Thanksgiving with my friends Lily, Noelia, and Nelson. Since we were staying in Lily’s apartment for the break, it made sense to gather our small potluck party there. Nelson brought the Martinelli, Lily was in charge of sweet potato fries and dip, Noelia covered the pumpkin pie, and I made mac&cheese (out of the box, yes). Also, frozen pizza…’Twas a feast in the eyes of us young undergrads, to be sure. Oh, and egg nog was had, of course. There may not be a happier Thanksgiving moment than eating the leftovers straight out of the bowl with your best friends.
Real Thanksgiving was spent working at one of President Nikias’s many holiday parties, this one a Thanksgiving feast for students.They paid us for the entire time we were there, even though we were let off 2 hours early. So I got paid to stuff my face with incredibly delicious Thanksgiving food? No complaints here.Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, all that good stuff cooked to perfection. One more word: pie. I actually had a hard time moving at a normal pace afterwards…Ultimate food coma. Not unlike the one I’m prepared to experience every night we’re in Taiwan.
Can’t wait to see you guys
Love always,
Sister 2
macaroni ‘n’ cheese
Posted: December 4, 2011 Filed under: Comfort Food | Tags: baked, dinner, macaroni and cheese, spiced Leave a comment »Today I actually ate dim sum, and I haven’t actually cooked in a week. school is insane! I should get to work! but first, I wanted to share a real mac ‘n’ cheese recipe, baked and spiced. I heard sister 2 still makes it outta a box and I wanted to tell you..this is so simple! and tastes so much better!!!
Not the greatest picture in the world, but it will do for our purposes. Recipe after the jump
thanksgiving in brooklyn
Posted: November 29, 2011 Filed under: Holiday | Tags: chicken, herbs, roast chicken, Thanksgiving Leave a comment »aw sad, another holiday away from home. I missed you guys quite a bit, as usual, and really missed having food that was not thanksgiving food! you know, like fish and other chinese things. anyway, here is what I (and my friends) made: herb-roasted chicken with potatoes/carrots, baked mac ‘n’ cheese, green beans with garlic, mushroom stir-fry, sweet potatoes w/marshmallows (this is the american tradition we’ve been missing out on!), and boxed stuffing just because. dessert was a maple pecan tart and an amazing apple crumble + vanilla ice cream.
Herb-roasted chicken. I actually made this circa November 2009 as well, but it is really simple actually as long as you don’t have hang-ups about whole chickens, or something. I always feel weird massaging it with butter. Anyway! The great thing about roasting chickens is that they really don’t require much! You could very easily rub it down with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, and lemon if you’re into it, and throw it in the oven. The trick is to get the flavoring under the skin, by loosening it from the neck. I’m not very good at that yet, but I tried. Recipe after the jump!
Guacamole c:
Posted: September 19, 2011 Filed under: California, Comfort Food, Dips 1 Comment »Hey, Systers!
I’m finally going to tell you about the guacamole I made for a potluck at my friend’s apartment, since I know you guys were dying to hear about it. Ha ha. I used a recipe I got from a friend, who got it off this website: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/guacamole-recipe/index.html
Since I didn’t feel like investing in a whole bunch of spices, I just used the avocados, onion, tomatoes, garlic, salt, and whatever other spices I could find in our cafe at the house. I got the amount of each recommended, except I’d say that the onion can get a little overpowering, so I’d recommend using maybe a third of the onion instead. The second time I made it, I used garlic powder instead of a clove of garlic, and it worked just as well. For the spices I could rummage up, I sprinkled in pepper, salt, and chili powder.
Basically, it ended up super delicious, and I’ll definitely be making it for the family when I come home
Love love love,
Syster 2
me trying to make my guac look cool.
Green Tea Pound Cake!
Posted: August 31, 2011 Filed under: Dessert Leave a comment »Sister 1 made a fabulous pound cake, and I JUST had to share! It’s a green tea pound cake with a vanilla glaze! The vanilla glaze is very easy and simple to make!
You need:
Milk
Butter
Powder Sugar/Confectionary Sugar
Vanilla Extract
Mix Powdered sugar/confectionary sugar with milk. Add butter after 3 minutes of stirring. Then keep stirring until thick and it is NOT effortless to stir with spoon. Add vanilla extract/ sister 1 added 1 drop.
Spread the glaze over the green tea pound cake. What i love to do is spread raspberry jam or raspberry puree over the cake
Chinatown Summer Nights
Posted: August 30, 2011 Filed under: California, Dessert, Food trucks Leave a comment »Greetings, systers!
While you were making laughing and cornholing (ha! panda bread making, really) without me, I was off experiencing Chinatown Summer Nights, which I think I’ll return to next weekend. It’s like the Downtown L.A. Art Walk but with some Chinese flavor, mmm. I went with my friend Katrina, and we food trucked and made lanterns, among other things. Gap had a taco truck there (Pico de Gap!), and they were selling two tacos + a drink + a $20 off Gap jeans coupon for $1.69. The tacos were crazy delicious; I got a tofu one and one with carnitas. After tacos, we wandered for a little while, explored the little shops, and made lanterns with the kiddies (flashes of Chinese school!). Before catching the bus to head back, we went back to this food truck called “The Munchie Machine” and waited in a long, long line for a maple bacon s’more (for Katrina) and grilled vegetables with pesto and feta cheese (for me). Needless to say, the line was trés worth it (French!).
I’m making guacamole for a potluck this Friday! Hopefully I won’t mess it up…you can’t go wrong with guac, right?
Love,
Syster 2
my grilled veggies from the munchie machine! so good
they had scooby snacks, too!
