Thank you so much for sticking with B&S and watching its progress. It has now outgrown this rental territory, and has finally decided to settle at its own domain.

Please make the necessary changes and make the move with me!

I usually only take pictures of food, but recently I’ve been taking more pictures of people, and less of food. I just haven’t been eating anything too interesting, since my parents are basically kimchi-and-rice people, and I don’t want to fill the fridge with “my” food (i.e: cheese) when I’ll be leaving in about 2 weeks.

Thus, I’ve found a more interesting model…My cousin! She flew in to Virginia to visit for the holidays, since otherwise she would be all alone in San Francisco…Say hi to Clara!
Isn’t she cute? She’s 2 years younger than me, the same age as my brother.
And yeah, we look nothing alike.

Today, I took her to Washington D.C to take some pictures. My brother was our chauffeur, and his best friend, Chulhan, tagged along so my brother wouldn’t be the only male.

We basically stuck to a few tourist spots, just so Clara could brag to her friends that she visited the nation’s capitol. We went to the Washington Monument:
Clara and I:
My brother and Chulhan:
We also went to the World War II Memorial:
Hey, California!
I want to go back to the warm sunny weather…What can I say? I’m a wimp when it comes to cold weathers!

My brother makes the sketchiest expressions…
Clara makes the cutest expressions…
And I just look so damn cool whatever expression or poses I make!
I bitch about how boring DC is, but I had no idea how beautiful and well-kept it can be…even in the winter with bald trees!
God was definitely on our side today. The weather was actually perfect!
Final stop was the Lincoln Memorial:
Hi, Lincoln, old fella! Watcha up to?
Poor Lincoln, sitting there all day watching idiots like me taking pictures of him looking at me…
And then we stopped by for Starbucks. I’ve been deprived of coffee in my parents’ house, so my first real-brewed coffee (not the instant crap) in several days tasted like liquid crack to me!
Oh, Starbucks God, I worship thee! (Please don’t report me for heresy)
I’ve also been baking up a storm! C & H Sugar generously provided me with a $20 gift certificate to pay for baking supplies to bake from their recipe collection. Check out their ample selection here…It took me several hours to read through each recipe, and I finally decided on four. I made the first two yesterday.

First, Crunchy Granola!
Easiest recipe ever…just mix ingredients together, and bake!
 Oats, maple syrup, walnuts, coconut, sunflower seeds, C & H brown sugar, vegetable oil, cinnamon…The only changes I made was I used half-honey half-maple syrup, and added almonds and ground ginger. Bake for 45 minutes…
And the BEST granola ever. Honestly. It was superb. I let my dad sample some, and he demanded I make another batch for him. Yes, demanded. This is hot stuff!
All packaged and ready to send to some special people…:-)

I also baked their Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake:
The only difference I made was that I used butter instead of oil, and I made it in four layers rather than three.
The result? Utter bliss. This was chock-full of apples! And sooo rich and moist…Amazing!
Even my cousin, who insists that she “hates” cinnamon, couldn’t stop eating it.
Can you see the four alternating layers of apples, cinnamon-sugar, and rich cake? Yumm…

Already, both recipes I’ve tested turned out hugely successful. I can’t wait to try out the other two recipes I have in mind from C & H Sugar’s recipe collection! Thanks, C & H!

Directions: Melt butter over stove-top. Stir in walnuts, peanuts, and sesame seeds. Mix in the spices and seasonings, according to taste. Spread into a baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees in the oven until nice and crunchy.

I actually thought it was pretty good…It has a distinct, savory flavor, with a buttery, yet crunchy texture. My parents, however, thought it needed some honey. They like their nuts caramelized and sweet.
Here’s the zesty nuts, packaged:
I used Martha Stewart’s gift bags. Not sure I like the woman, but she does have a great sense of style.

I’ve also been writing my hand off in cards!

Ah, winter holidays. I actually really enjoy doing all these stuff, but thank goodness it’s only once a year, because otherwise, my expression would probably look like this:

Hahahaha! Just had to share it, because it cracks me up every time I look at it!

I’ve got to jet now, but I forgot to say the most important thing ever…

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Question of the day: What are you baking/making for the holidays?

No, I still don’t entirely understand why she had to lie to me, nor do I understand why she had to do what she did. But you know what? It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m just so relieved that we got a chance to bring everything to the table, face-to-face. We had an honest discussion, in which I expressed all my hurts and anger, and she responded by answering them honestly and sincerely.

And now…I’ve realized that I had overreacted. I had jumped into conclusions, and more misunderstandings arose because of that. I’ve also had a chance to think back more rationally about the past long friendship we had…all the ups and downs we’d endured together, and I’ve realized that there is no freaking way I want to lose our friendship just because of a petty grievance. In the light of our entire friendship, I would be a fool to let such a trivial matter break us up.

Honestly, my anger and confusion towards her have been crushing and stifling me these past few weeks. How ironical that I named the title of that angry post about her “Poisoned.” In truth, it was my own self-righteous anger and pride that was poisoning me. And even if I don’t completely understand…I’ve decided that I really need to let loose of this anger, because it is nothing but poison—not only for our old friendship, but to my own soul, my own peace of mind.

Thus I’ve let it go. And I feel…so freaking FREE!

I wonder if the contentment from good food helped. It sure didn’t hurt that we chose a restaurant that was favorable to both the wallet and the taste bud!

We (my friend, my brother and I) went to a local Thai restaurant called Born:
It is a small place next to an Americanized Chinese restaurant and a shady market, but the interior was pleasantly modern and clean.

I loved how each table was adorned with a single real rose:
The prices were amazingly cheap, too!
 $4.99 for a lunch entree! That’s even better than McDonald’s! We ordered a lot of dishes to share.

Not sure I understand what these curly carrot garnish is for, but they were pretty!
My friend ordered the same thing, but fried rice-style:
 Rice fried with spicy chili basil sauce, with shrimp
My brother, upon my request, ordered the Crispy Noodle Cake with Seafood:
 Bangkok’s night market style of light yellow bean-garlic gravy & broccoli over crispy egg noodle tossed with white pepper
Oh em gii! I loved this. The noodles are crispy like uncooked ramen noodles, but turn springy and soft from that flavorful gravy…And it was quite a flavorful and rich gravy!
And again, what’s up with the carrot garnish?
The portions were quite small. At least, they were for three hungry Asians, so we ordered another plate of drunken fried-rice… And we were surprised with this!
A full dinner plate of drunken fried-rice!
With mussels too!
That was incredibly nice of the chef to prepare a whole dinner plate with the works for us! Maybe it was my camera? Either way, I’m definitely returning to this place! >.<

Unfortunately, we had to pay for tea:
But it was good tea, and the server refilled it about 5 times, so I think we got our money’s worth.

You know, I’ve come to realize that most of the time, I am my own inflictor. It was true with this certain relationship conflict, it was true for my dilemma on returning home, and it was certainly true for my own eating disorder that had ravaged me for 4 years.

There will always be problems in my life, and there will always be things that simply irritate or bother me…but it is up to me to ultimately face it with a positive mindset, and deal with it the healthy way. For me, that is to view things in the perspective of Christ, and to pray and ask God for detailed guidance, power and strength to overcome them. Otherwise, if I just keep it inside of me and let it fester, it will become a deadly poison, leeching off my inner peace and  happiness.

Sigh. There are so many things I need to change, and as the new year commences, I’ve been reflecting on these more than usual. I’ll share them soon, but let me organize them in my head first.

NOT!!!

Damn you, damn you, damn you, you irritating speckled fluff! I’m going crrraaazy stuck here at home! And to think Los Angeles is a balmy 70 degrees right now! Needless to say, I’ve been really restless. I’ve been strutting around the house poking my nose into my parents’ business. I think even my parents are wishing I’m in L.A. right now. >.<

Okay, fine. Being cooped up at home with nothing to do and nothing to eat isn’t the worst thing in the world. At least I’m home. I’m not basking under the SoCal sun, but I’m basking under my parents’ love.
That’s my dad, preparing for Sunday’s sermon…

And my mom, nagging at me to wash my face:
Here’s a couple of wonderful people who never tires of listening to me talk about me. Hee hee. Look, they even cleaned up my room:
But they neglected to burn this pillow:
Still, my restlessness was going to stifle me. So my dad proposed an adventure: Let’s go driving in this horrid snowstorm! What a marvelous idea!

We decided to drive to the local Korean supermarket to stock up on some groceries. Now, I was definitely perking up!
That’s me, perking up. Sort of.

Well, I got to wear the new  hat my mom bought me from Korea. Fluffy and pink. Not really my style, but it’s cute!
And somehow, even though we inched in the pace of a roller-skating granny, we made  it to our destination!
 Super H Mart. Love this place. I missed it!

I got my mom to stand still for a picture:
And then we went in and bought about 10 lbs of sweet potatoes. And some other stuff. I forgot.

So. While I bemoan my plight here, I’m sure many east coasters are telling me to shush up. Lord knows how much worse it is north! Brrr…

Okay. Think happy, warm thoughts…Well, there’s good food. And good friends. And warm weather. Ah yes, I believe I still have yet to share my last lunch with Mimi before we parted ways. We were supposed to meet with Kathryn for sushi, but the poor girl got hailed with a terrible stomachache, so Mimi and I settled for the international food court at our University Village.

We decided on Thai. I got the BBQ pork noodles:
With the soup on the side:
Yum, MSG! It was chock-full of MSG. You could even see the MSG particles in it. I lapped it up. Delicious!

Mimi was a sweetheart and gave me an early  Christmas gift:
Two DVDs:
 Heathers and Casanova (LOVED Heath Ledger!)

And a Probar and chocolates:
They were gone by that evening as snack.

I, however, was a horrible friend and didn’t get her anything.
I know, I know…But I forgot that you’re supposed to give gifts on Christmas! My family never did this tradition. I’ve always had a pretty giftless Christmas…

Anyway. I’m right now working on my new domain. I’ve already signed up and have imported my blog, but being technically-challenged, I’m having massive troubles with the themes and CSS and blah blah blah. I don’t have a clue what I’m doing, but I’ll figure it out. But please stay in tune for my new blog!

It’s tough being a pastor’s kid. You’re always on the pedestal. Inevitably, the pastor (my dad) will mention me in his sermons, which will then be downloaded into the internet and spread worldwide. Inevitably, people will be staring at me, observing me and noticing whatever weight I have gained, whatever I’m eating, etc. Inevitably, there will be people coming up to me to tell me they are “praying against the devil within” me. Inevitably, I will feel like I’m still an Anorexic.

At least, this is what I’ve been telling God all week. I have no one else to turn to, and He’s the only one who truly understands. So I’ve been bitching and moaning about all the pressures “they” are putting on me. And then, God shut me up by asking me a simple question: “Who is this they you keep mentioning?”

Hm. Good question. Who is “they”?

Honestly, I can’t pinpoint one person who makes me feel this way. When I think about each individual, all I can remember is the exact details of how much they cared for me.

And that’s when I realized— that “they”? It’s me. I’m the one who is confining and oppressing myself. I’m the one who’s working myself up with anxiety and stress. I’m the one who keeps feeling like I should do this, I should do that.

Social pressures? It’s really all from the inside. It’s all about the point of view, and a sense of belonging.

I guess I’ve never really felt like I belonged there. In my eyes, I was the sick patient, and they were the ones who looked at me with pity. I was the odd one out, the emaciated girl who looked like a monster. And I certainly felt like a monster. I was incredibly insecure, and these insecurities fed on every single action and speech that others made by twisting them into a skewed perception.

Well, it’s time to break that cycle of insecurities and negative perceptions. I refuse to go back home with my head bowed low and my eyes shifting around suspiciously, almost actively seeking out things that will prove my insecurities right.

No, I’m going to smile. I’m going to laugh. I’m going to exude confidence. Of course, as a pastor’s daughter with a rather scandalous past, I won’t be able to entirely avoid the gaze of others, but you know what? I’ll just show myself off as a living testimony of God’s grace. Look at me, everybody! Look what God did for me! I may be weak and flawed, but God deemed me worthy enough to heal me! If I have to endure a bit of unwanted attention to manifest God’s amazing power and love, so be it!

And honestly—I think I better get used to that attention, because I am pretty freaking amazing like that.
I mean, my brain just astounds me how brilliant it is! I’ve been trying to use up all the bits and scraps leftover in my fridge and pantry before I left town, and boy I came up with some pretty darn good creations!

Transfer the stewed sweet potato into a dish, and top with provolone cheese. Serve!
I admit, it’s rather monotone in color. I would have added some sprinkle of chopped green onions, but I had none. Spinach would also have been nice, but I also had none of that.
Still, the taste was incredible. I mean, you’ve got it all…sweet potatoes, coconut milk, and peanut butter. You never would have thought so, but the combination works. It freaking works!
How should I describe the taste? It’s rich. It’s sensuous. It’s sweet, yet nutty and spicy at the same time. The only alteration I’ll make for next time is adding a squeeze of lime juice. It just needed a bit more acid in there.
And I loved the crunchy peanut butter in there, which added bits of chopped peanuts. I suppose you can add your own.
And ooey, gooey cheese. Mmm. I almost put an egg on top, but I used the egg for another dish (recipe to come!).
All hail to Sophia, Queen of Crazy Dishes!
I think I’ve done enough self-praising. Now it’s your turn. Haha, just kidding! But you know what? It feels nice to be able to let loose a little, and even poke fun at myself. I take myself too seriously sometimes!

Anyway. In about 12 hours, I’ll be flying back home to Virginia…See you in the East Coast!

Despite what I said about the blog world reminding me a lot like high school, I think the key thing that distinguishes our blogging community from the high school cliques is the fact that we have an instantaneous, open, and uncensored discussion.

I love that. Because it reminds me that despite the trends and the labels I mentioned, we are all unique with individual, original thoughts and opinions. So thanks, guys! Thanks for contributing and providing such a lively, interesting debate!

However, I’d like to emphasize that I was not condemning anyone in any way. What I wrote on my last post was just an observation. Obviously, I’m not saying that you have to do everything different from everyone else. And I’m not saying that following some of those blog fads are a bad thing, as I specifically mentioned on my last post. Plus, I’m sure some of you liked those things way before it even became “in”.

I also mentioned a few of my own personal “blasphemies” not because I think it’s wrong to like chia seeds or Larabars, but to suggest that it is okay to disagree with them and branch out! I may not like froyo anymore, but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna persecute you for loving froyo! I mean, I love kabocha and cheese, but that also doesn’t mean I expect everyone to love them, too.

That said, I’m sorry if I sounded accusing or judgmental. I’ve always been a bit of an extremist, so that shows in my words, too. If you like liquefied kale, that’s okay. We can still be friends.

Okay. Now that we’ve tied up some loose ends, I’ve got exciting news to share: My last final exam is TODAY! In just a few hours, I’ll be done for this semester! This calls for a celebration, so after that, I’m going out for sushi with Mimi and Kathryn! Can’t wait! >.<

Meanwhile, there’s been some random pictures stored in my camera, and they’re in need of a massive clean-up. So these are just some random snacks and eats I’ve been munching on to fuel up during the past week of final exam preparations…Get ready for an influx of pictures!  

Right, let’s see what brain fuel I had…

 Free Chick-fil-a sandwich!
They were handing these out on campus, and I gleefully snagged one home. Hey, when you’re a college student, you take free food wherever you can get!
Hm. I wasn’t impressed. This was one boring sandwich; just a breaded and fried chicken filet between a limpy bun. Blah. I ended up dumping a lot of hot sauce in it.

Oh, and shocking news…I’ve decided I rather like chocolate after all!
But just mild milk chocolate, preferably with something like nuts included. I still can’t really do dark chocolate. And I’m loving the S’mores edition goldfish graham crackers! Anyone tried those yet?

More chocolate:
I think chocolate candy bars may be the best brain fuel ever. It’s instant energy, and during the next couple of hours, I manage to have intense concentration in my work. The problem is, after that two hours, I crash. That’s why I try to avoid excessive sugar if I can.

By the way, this is now currently my favorite sandwich:
 Smoked ham, brie cheese, tomatoes, honey-mustard, salad greens, cottage cheese in whole-wheat pita.
 Grilled like this:
Yum. I never get tired of this combination.

I’ve also been befriending my buddy, Carl’s Jr:
I usually get the Teriyaki burger, but I tried the Western Bacon Cheeseburger for something new:
Charbroiled All-Beef Patty, Two Strips of Bacon, Melted American Cheese, Two Crispy Onion Rings and Tangy BBQ Sauce on a Toasted Sesame Seed Bun.

I also got bored pretending to study so I took some random pictures of myself:
I look so serious. Pretty ridiculous, considering that I’ve got a lollipop stuck in my mouth.
Exam period sucks.

Question of the day: What is your favorite brain fuel?

[Edited to add] I did not get my sushi fix today. Poor Kathryn had a nasty tummyache! Hope you’re all right now, Kat!

First, we have that Great “Popular Group” Divide. Some blogs are just more popular than others, for whatever reason. It might be their fancy pictures. It might be their fancy writing. It might be their gregarious and charismatic ways. Or it might simply be the reason that they’ve been around longer, thus building a more loyal readership.

I’m not necessarily saying it’s a bad thing. But I wonder…will we ever be rid of high school? Seems like it’s following me wherever I go, even to the Internet.

So there.

Anyway. I’ve been watching a lot of Anthony Bourdain’s foodie escapades in No Reservations, and it made me think that part of being a foodie should be that excitement of trying something completely new. Something you never thought you would try or make. After all, the realm of food is vast and adventurous, and limiting your eats to within the fads of the  blog world is just so…limiting and boring?

That’s why I immediately agreed to try out Pepperidge Farms’ Puff Pastry as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program. This is a new adventure for me, because in truth, I don’t really like puff pastry. I’m just not a pastry person. The texture of flaky, crispy dough is just not as appealing to me as a dense, chewy bread. But, in the interest of broadening my foodie horizons, I decided to give it a try.

Note: For this post’s pictures, please excuse the glarish tone of my pictures…I made it in the evening, and the color quality is just horrible.

Everybody, say hello to Mr. Puff Pastry (or is that Mrs?):
Here’s how it looks inside the box:
Two rectangular sheets of fresh pastry dough. I left it out to thaw while I prepared my ingredients:
 Potatoes and sweet potatoes. Now, those are pretty predictable.

Same with apples and onions:
But the new ingredient I incorporated was beef Mexican chorizo and heavy cream:
With kale, because you can never go wrong with some greens in there.

Now, I’ve never cooked with chorizo before, nor with heavy cream, unless you count baking desserts that I never ate a long time ago. So this was a new thing for me. Ooh, exciting!

Here’s the recipe:

Sweet & Spicy Puff Pastry Ball with Chorizo, Apples & Potatoes

• 3 medium Yukon potatoes
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 package beef Mexican chorizo
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 green apple, diced
• 1 big bunch kale, chopped
• 1 handful raisins
• heavy cream
• 1 sheet puff pastry

Chop up both potatoes, and roast in 350 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes until cooked through:
Next, heat up a skillet and dump all the chorizo into it:
Ok. Here’s my first mistake: I think I might have bought a cheap-ass chorizo, because this was 60% grease and 30% meat and 10% “bonus” substance. Honestly. It was disgustingly greasy, and I had to drain most of that grease out.

Moving on. Dump in onions, garlic, and apples. Cook for a few minutes.
Add in the potatoes, mix and cook for 2 minutes or so:
Then dump in the kale:
And then the raisins:
And then pour about 1/4 cup heavy cream in there:
Let the whole thing cook until the kale is wilted and the mixture has absorbed all the flavor of the chorizo.

Next, take a sheet of the puff pastry and mold it into a small bowl:
Spoon in the chorizo filling, and seal it shut, trimming off the extra dough.

Flip the bowl over to release the ball:
Then slit the middle. Brush some extra heavy cream on the dough.
Bake in oven.

Here’s my mistake #2: I baked at about 350 degree temperature, only to find that the dough was not rising. Holy crap. I frantically rushed online to check, and found out that puff pastry only rises at a temperature around 400 degrees. Thankfully, I raised the temperature early enough for the puff pastry to bake perfectly.

Here’s the baby:
I have no idea why I slit a hole in the middle. It just seemed to make sense. But it looks kind of like an asshole. A very big asshole. Damn it.
Ah, well. It’s the taste that counts.
And it was mighty tasty. Although I forgot the cheese. I was meaning to add some Cabot Cheese in there, but I totally forgot. Mistake #3.
But that’s okay. It actually didn’t really need the cheese, because with the spicy chorizo and the sweetness of the sweet potatoes, apples, and raisins, the flavors worked really well. Cheese might have been an overkill.
It doesn’t look that great, I admit. Kale loses its green quality when cooked in the red grease of chorizo.
Unfortunately, my eyes were bigger than my stomach, because try as I might, I almost couldn’t finish this in one sitting. Almost, save for a tiny bite:
As you can probably guess, I did not use all my chorizo filling for this pastry. I decided to turn it into soup. I dumped everything into a pot with some chicken broth:
Poured in more of the heavy cream:
Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble…
The result was a really interesting, thick stew:
By interesting I mean yummy, of course.
Leftover fillings are best turned into a rich, satisfying stew.
Phew! That was quite an interesting adventure. Honestly, I was afraid of making a big fat inedible mess, but they both turned out delicious! And it was great fun!

And how do I find time to do this while I’m in the middle of final exams, I don’t know…But I have just two more left until everything is over!! I cannot wait, wait, wait!

Question of the day: Let’s be frank…anything “blasphemous” in the blog world that you want to confess out loud here? I won’t tell!

You know, we live in an age of absolute convenience and indulgence. We’ve got everything at the touch of our fingertips—literally. We have instant access to anything and everything:

Bored? Click. Ooh, Food Network on TV!
Hungry? Click. Hello, Papa Johns?
Lonely? Click. Hi, *insert best friend’s name here*, whatcha doing?

We live at the peak of The Age of Pampering. Maybe…a bit too pampered. To the point that we are immune to it. To the point that we have become fat, petulant, ungrateful children. At least, I think I have.

Sometimes, I wonder what real hardship is like. What does it mean to physically toil away, dripping sweat and blood to earn all the riches and pleasures I’m enjoying?

I mean, look at me: I’m moaning and groaning because my internet connection isn’t working the way I want it to be. I sigh tragically because I have to sit through two hours of examination (my first final is in…2 hours). I pout because my parents are too busy ministering in China to send me an email. I scowl because I’m not allowed to sneak food out of the dining hall.

Oh dear. What am I turning into? I think there is a point where I become too comfortable and happy that I become uncomfortable and unhappy with the most minor and ridiculous details.

That’s why…I needed that. I needed that little nudge, that little prick in the butt while I lay all too relaxed in my big fluffy couch. I need something to go wrong, just so I am reminded of how fortunate and blessed I am. When things go wrong, I remember all the things that are right. Thus I suppose sometimes, having problems in my life is a good thing.

Still, I am relieved to say that my problems are fixed…for now. WordPress issues are gone. I don’t know how, and I don’t really care; I’m just so freaking happy whenever WordPress loads up on my computer that it’s kind of embarrassing.

Also, God answered my prayers. I met up with my history TA to discuss some exam questions, and she actually agreed to let me turn in my history project! Of course this isn’t really “allowed”…but she must have been enchanted by my charms.
In addition, she informed me that my final paper was one of the best in the class! Double woo-hoo!

Oh, and parents finally emailed. I told them as courteously as possible that they are very, very, very mean for ignoring their one and only daughter like that. They apologized, and said they’ve been preaching for up to 14 hours each day, and practically fainted on their beds each time they got back to their hotel. So all is forgiven.

Of course, I’m pretty sure something is going to go wrong again sometime. But in the meantime, I’m damn well gonna enjoy and be grateful for all the things that are good right now.

And you know another thing I’m never going to take for granted? A freaking good sandwich. Remember that disaster sandwich at Newsroom Cafe? And what about this sandwich? And this one? Maybe not, but after those episodes, I realized that you certainly can mess up a simple sandwich.

Not so for Langer’s Delicatessen. Oh Lordie. If you want the best sandwich ever, fly down to Los Angeles and hit this place up. I swear, you’ll never want to leave.
Langer’s is known for the best pastrami sandwich in America. That’s right—The best pastrami sandwich in America. Perhaps even the world. And yes, it’s in Los Angeles. Not New York, home of the pastrami delis. In fact, I’m pretty sure Langer’s is the only deli place that got the James Beard Award. Here’s the stamp on the menu to prove it:
Take that, New Yorkers! Kanz, go to the corner and cry!

Well, how can I pass up a place that holds such a fine prestige? Mimi, Kathryn, and I decided to hit up this place one afternoon and taste that wonder sandwich for ourselves.
The interior design is pretty down-to-earth, very much like a homey, low-key diner. I was already warming up to this place.
Apparently, the #19 sandwich is the sandwich to get here. See, they even have a sign that says so.
Mimi snagged that one first. That girl is fast! See, we have a mutual rule that says we will never order the same dish, so I looked up Chowhound.com for a second alternative.

I found that there is actually a pretty lively debate over the “true” taste of a pastrami sandwich. According to some pastrami sandwich-snobs, just plain pastrami with a slather of mustard is the only way to honor the ethereal taste of their pastrami. So I obliged. Plain it is!

Here it is:
 Hot, hand-cut pastrami on rye bread.

And here’s Mimi’s #19:
 Hot, hand-cut pastrami, coleslaw, and Russian dressing on rye bread (no Swiss cheese).

And Kathryn ordered a vegetable soup:
 Vegetables and barley soup of the day.

Holy pastrami. It was good. Damn good.
The meat was intensely flavorful, with just the right amount of fattiness and leanness. And oh…so…juicy…
But being a carb-whore, I definitely thought that the rye bread was the wow factor of this sandwich. It was the chewiest, yummiest bread I’ve ever had that wasn’t a french baguette. It was served warm; lovely and chewy on the inside, crunchy and crusty on the outside. Perfection!
Unfortunately…them Chowhounders lied. I don’t care if the “right” and “honorable” way to eat this is just plain pastrami. I was definitely missing some tang! I wanted CHEEEEESE!
It was just too…plain, even with a thick slather of mustard.

Thankfully, Mimi was generous enough to share a quarter of her sandwich:
Oh. Em. Gi. Now, not to sound blasphemous…but this was the Holy Trinity of Sandwiches: Pastrami, Coleslaw, and Russian Dressing. I wasn’t sure if I was tasting more of my saliva or the sandwich itself!

Now that, my friend, is a sandwich. No Arnold’s Sandwich Thins for me!

I didn’t taste Kathryn’s soup, but it seemed pretty good, with lots of chewy barley. At least, I hope it was good…She doesn’t like red meat, but was awfully kind enough to give Mimi and I a ride to Langer’s. I love this girl!

Warning: It’s a bit pricey though. A typical sandwich is about $14. Add tips and drinks, and you’re running close to $20 for a meal. But dang it, it’s worth it!

Okay, these pictures are making my stomach rumble and I’m supposed to take my first final exam soon…I hope I don’t disturb my fellow classmates! Wish me luck!

Question of the day: What is one thing you take for granted in your life? And…what is the best sandwich you’ve ever eaten?

Anyway. Life has been pretty frustrating. Things just aren’t going my way. Don’t you hate that? I think every. single. thing should go exactly according to the way I plan and want and need it to be. Don’t you agree?

Since the local connection in my room has had a lovers’ hissy-fit with WordPress, I’ve been parking my pancake-ass in my school dining hall. In fact, I’m sitting in the middle of the dining hall right now, using my school’s wireless connection to finally access my way into WordPress.

Here’s the thing: I’m paying $11 each time to sit here, drink lukewarm coffee, and use the internet. The least the school should allow me to do is “borrow” some fruits and salad bar ingredients to cook a decent meal back in my room. 

But noooo…I got a stern ultimatum from one of the workers: I cannot take any food out of the dining hall, or I’ll get into “trouble”. As if being forced into a pricey partial meal plan isn’t troublesome enough, despite the fact that I’ve got a kitchen and two good hands to cook.

As I said, things aren’t working the way I want it to be.

Add to that the fact that I completely forgot to do a final project for my history class. How the hell did that happen? I don’t know…it just slipped out of my mind. I finished my final essay a few days early, so I think I relaxed a bit too much. To think I was chuckling cheekily to myself and watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s (thanks for the rec, Christina!), while my fellow classmates stayed up all night trying to finish their essays. Guess the last laugh is on me.

Yup, things really ain’t working the way I plan it to be.

Worse. I miss my parents. I used to call them whenever I got bored, or was feeling down. Listening to their warm and loving voices always cheered me up and left me feeling warm and toasty. But as I mentioned before, they are in freaking China. And having too much fun with their mission work to send me a measly “Hi how are you doing” email.

Did I mention that things aren’t working the way I need it to be?

So when things are a big fat mess, what do you eat? A big fat mess, of course:

It’s black. It looks like a soup made out of charcoal. But this time, this dark glob of mess is exactly the way I wanted it to be. Ah, the irony. I love it.

Pour the soaked rice and seeds into a blender, together with the water that the rice was soaked in:
Blend for a few minutes.
Pour in a bit more water, and then blend until smooth:
Boil up a bit of water in a pot, and then dump the pureed mixture into the pot. Bring to a boil, and add more water as necessary. Stir constantly, be careful not to burn it:
Cook until the mixture comes to a thick, gooey, smooth paste:
Season with salt. Store it in a container and in the fridge, where the stuff will become thick and goopy, like black clay:
Don’t let a single drop go to waste. This is precious stuff! After scraping down the pot, lick every bit remaining on the spoon: 
To serve, mix about equal amount of the porridge with milk, heat it up, stirring constantly, and then sweeten to taste. Drizzle with coconut milk, and then serve with fresh bread for dipping:
Oh my homemade goodness. Gosh, it smells and tastes like home. Just what the doctor ordered.
The black sesame seeds are imported from Korea. This is the legit, expensive stuff. Please, no “Made-in-China” crap (Sorry, China). Genuine Korean sesame seeds is the way to go!
Really, I can’t give you a definite measurement of how much water, milk, or sweetener to use. It all depends on your own likings. Some people like it thicker, some people like it sweeter. So just make it the way you want it!
It’s been a whole day since I ate this, and my room still smells wonderful…
Can you see the little grains of sesame seeds in there? This stuff is black gold, baby! It’s so freaking good for you. Apparently, it helps you retain your youth. An elixir of youth!
Oh, and this porridge is not complete unless you’ve got some bread to dip in…
Now, do yourself a favor and go make this dish. It’s rather exotic, with a real toasty intense flavor…the only word I can think of is: Exquisite. Mmmm…

Question of the day: What do you do when things aren’t going the way you want it to be?

Phew. What a scare. What a total nightmare. I feel like it’s been years since I’ve last blogged. In truth, it’s only been…3 days?! Huh? How can this be? Man…I really need to get a life.

As I stared into the Spinning Circle of Doom (Mac-users will know what I’m talking about), I was in a daze. I didn’t know what to do, and I was freaking bored. I couldn’t blog, nor could I read blogs. So I tried to recall back what I used to do when I had the whole night to myself.

I was never a party girl. Heck, I’ve never even been to a “real” party in the sense of booze and dancing. I’m a horrible, awkward dancer (all limbs and jutting bones), I hate alcochol, and loud music makes my head pound. Naturally, I stay away from parties.

I didn’t feel like preparing for my final exams. I’d already spent 2 hours that day preparing for them, and that is more studying than I’ve ever done in a day.

I briefly considered going out for a stroll, but it was freaking cold outside and I was already freezing in my little no-heat room.

Anyway. Back to point: I just didn’t know how to entertain myself without blogging. So I looked across at my roommate, who was chuckling and giggling like a schoolgirl. Hey, she looked like she’s having fun! I snuck a look at what she was doing. She was viewing some Korean drama on the YouTube.

And then I remembered. I used to love watching TV shows and movies. So I signed my soul away to Netflix. And now, I’m hooked.

Freaking bad idea, Sophia. Getting obsessed with TV shows in the middle of freaking exam week?! Way to go.

Well…at least, I’ve re-discovered my appreciation for good screenwriting. For some reason, I’ve never really watched movies or TV shows without constantly wondering about all the writing that takes place behind all the scenes. It’s fascinating how these writers come up with all these interesting plots, realistic characters, and witty dialogues. I love the idea of how they play God…they create characters, they create settings, they determine their actions, speech, thoughts, and fate.

But thank you, God, for not being one of those screenwriters…Wouldn’t you hate for your life to be toyed around like those characters? At least I can trust my life in God’s hands, that He has a genuine purpose and definite plan in it. You can bet He won’t be throwing dramatic twists and turns into your life just out of whim or for entertainment’s sake.

Anyway. Looks like I’ve got yet another vice to tackle as a college student. What with the TV show-addiction and blogging-addiction, it’s a wonder I can get anything done. Oh, and I still don’t have a life.

I still make good food, though. In fact, sad to say, making creative and delicious meals may be the highlight of my day. At least, when I die, people can say, “She made interesting food.”

But generally, I try to have kimchi on days when I have no social activities. Hm. Maybe this is why I have no life.

Question of the day: Besides blogging, what do you do to keep yourself entertained?