tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65306192012-01-22T10:11:26.671-08:00One Los-Angeles-by-way-of-Tokyo-by-way-of-Los-Angeles girl's adventures in all things culinary.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.comBlogger3611100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-37361079675330664902011-05-18T13:21:00.000-07:002011-05-18T13:24:40.921-07:00

After nearly six years, I've finally made the Wordpress leap and have a URL that you can actually remember! I am now at Tuna Toast- www.tunatoast.com See you there!

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-67161076621115963702011-04-24T16:23:00.000-07:002011-04-24T16:31:17.663-07:00

Do you ever hit a road block when you're trying to figure out what to make for dinner?  It happens to me on weeknights here and there, but it hardly ever happens when I know in advance that people are coming over.  In fact, I get really excited about the prospect of cooking for others and have so many recipes I want to make that I have to reign it in.  Yesterday, however, was totally different.

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-57078049346326599222011-04-18T15:55:00.000-07:002011-04-18T15:55:29.549-07:00

The second I read about a new, wood-fired pizza place opening up in Los Feliz, I bookmarked the page and made a mental note to get there as soon as possible.  First of all- the name of the restaurant- Mother Dough- just grabbed me.  You see, the dough is- by far- the most important element of any pizza (to me, at least!) and after reading about how their recipe was sourdough-based, I knew we

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-80667722440710045462011-04-12T08:15:00.000-07:002011-04-12T08:15:24.427-07:00

Just a quick post to catch you up on what I've been making lately.  Sorry to have not posted in a week, but it seems all I've been making are those Peanut Butter Crispy Bars which I've already blogged about twice!  I did take some quick pics of other things I'd made, so although a proper post is coming up, I wanted to fill in the gap with these breakfast items.   It seems everyone has been

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-62205408858270329862011-04-04T09:57:00.000-07:002011-04-04T09:57:01.635-07:00

Just a quick post to give Los Angeles a big 'ol pat on the back for raising a whopping $15,484.00 during the Bakesale For Japan for Japanese earthquake and tsunami victims, which will be distributed via Peace Winds Japan.  Who would have thought that image-conscious Los Angelinos loved sweet baked goods so much, ha?!  I'm happy it was such a success, and I had a fantastic time participating.  

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-2683488828985847872011-03-29T08:41:00.000-07:002011-03-29T08:48:39.930-07:00

Hi everyone! If you're a food blogger, you've probably already heard about Saturday's nationwide Bakesale for Japan.  If you haven't, I'm here to tell you about it! On Saturday, April 2nd from 10:00am- 2:00pm, bakers from around the U.S. will be selling their homemade goodies at various locations.  The price of each item is up to the buyer- donate as much as you feel is appropriate.  Of

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-41906670288932004082011-03-27T18:19:00.000-07:002011-03-27T20:05:09.846-07:00

Last week, I took my maiden voyage to the great city of New Orleans.  My best friend M was my partner in crime since she'd lived there for six months a few years ago and had been itching to get back.  When you tell people you're going to New Orleans, the recommendations start coming almost immediately about where to eat and what to eat.  Having seen my fair share of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-56179233888979332522011-03-19T18:56:00.000-07:002011-03-19T18:56:41.840-07:00

I've baked a lot of cookies, cupcakes, cakes and pastries over the last few years, and the items that seem to get the biggest reaction are things that take people back to their childhood.  When I made a version of Ding Dongs for my former coworkers, you'd have thought I handed out $100 bills- they were damn near in happy tears over the chocolate cupcakes with the little squiggle of white icing

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-5575192974449984432011-03-14T13:06:00.000-07:002011-03-14T19:27:20.230-07:00

It seems I rarely blog about my "regular" places- as in, I only post about special-occasion restaurants.  I guess if you get coffee at the same shop three times a week, it never occurs to you to whip out the camera.  However, we all keep going back to the same places because they're GOOD, and the other day I was thinking of how I should stop taking them for granted and start blogging about the

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-52808554870398164682011-03-04T17:23:00.000-08:002011-03-04T17:36:39.136-08:00

Ok, you're probably wondering what the stink bugs are all about.  Let's just say there is a first time for everything, and my trip to Mexico City last weekend contained many firsts, including eating the tiny little critters as part of a fantastic tasting menu at Pujol.  I also had Mexican wine- several different kinds- for the first time and it blew my socks off - it was THAT good.  My friend R

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-85173091808806245652011-02-28T15:05:00.000-08:002011-02-28T17:19:03.721-08:00

This dessert is everything you'd want in a bar: creamy, sweet milk chocolate and peanut butter sandwiched between a thin layer of rich dark chocolate and another of Rice Krispies.  We could just simplify and call them Crack Bars, because once you try them, you'll want them.  All the time.  Every day.  Then pretty soon you'll find yourself in a room with Candy Finnigan while your family looks on

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-60776153765318367322011-02-23T13:41:00.000-08:002011-02-23T13:41:53.572-08:00

Wow, unemployment sure is busy!  It's amazing how little time I seem to have these days to take photos of what I'm cooking.  I guess I'm also cooking a lot less since J is on the road, so I tend to eat the same things (chicken, Mexican doria which is a baked rice dish I just made up, egg whites, toast) so it isn't very interesting. My sister recently wrote a post, "The Secret Life of Twins,"

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-45720249519009603742011-02-16T17:32:00.000-08:002011-02-16T17:40:03.924-08:00

I have a lot to cover in this post, so I guess it's best to get started! Before I get into this pasta making experience, I wanted to share with you the experience I was lucky enough to have had with Todd and Diane, AKA White On Rice Couple.  As their many loyal blog readers and Twitter followers know, T&D are extremely talented and gifted photographers, cooks, teachers and just all-around

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-45919953593843672572011-02-07T17:55:00.000-08:002011-02-07T18:08:14.751-08:00

Ah, The Super Bowl.  It might be the second biggest eating "holiday" in the U.S. after Thanksgiving.  I'm not really sure where the tradition of stuffing your face while watching football started, but I'm not complaining about it!  I mean, any excuse to eat while watching TV can't be bad (for your soul...but it could be bad for the body!) plus the food gives the football haters something to

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-24146382099659415602011-02-02T11:39:00.000-08:002011-02-02T11:39:13.230-08:00

I went through a cinnamon-roll-making phase two years ago, right after I started reading the amazing and uber-popular blog, The Pioneer Woman Cooks.  I spied this recipe and decided to make cinnamon rolls for the first time in my life.  It was so easy and so fun that I made them every week for the next month.  I think my husband, friends and colleagues refer to that time as The Fat and Happy

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-45259357282509954942011-01-28T12:41:00.000-08:002011-01-29T16:23:05.510-08:00

We recently had some friends over for dinner so we'd have an excuse to open up some wine that we received as a present.  Our friend Jesse's parents, who live in Boston, were kind enough to send us some T-Vine Psychedelic Rooser Zinfandel-Petite-Sirah, so we invited Jesse to come and share it with us.  What goes well with such big, bold red?  Beef! Skirt steak.  It certainly isn't the prettiest

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-3632423538128516992011-01-24T15:04:00.000-08:002011-01-24T20:13:38.925-08:00

About two years ago, J bought me a blowtorch for my birthday.  No, I'm not going all Flashdance on you with dreams of becoming a food-blogging welder- he figured I'd need it in case I ever wanted to brulée something.  I think the main motivation for him to buy me the torch was because he wanted me aburi something.  Aburi means "flamed" in Japanese, and if you go out to sushi often you've

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-15949941966154236992011-01-19T15:33:00.000-08:002011-01-24T15:05:16.313-08:00

I'm finally posting about the mini-vacation J and I took to Palm Springs last month.  It was only my second time in the desert town, and I have to admit I wasn't the biggest fan before this last trip.  My sister and I decided to make our maiden voyage to Palm Springs last August, and although I was aware that it gets really hot I wasn't prepared for the blistering desert heat.  Don't know what

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-57764704366352030982011-01-12T18:22:00.000-08:002011-01-12T18:22:55.402-08:00

Last weekend we had the pleasure of having our nephew, Jake, come and stay with us for one night.  He's a freshman in college and asked J if he had a bass guitar he could borrow, so I jumped at the chance to reduce our number of basses (I lost count after 20, but to be fair, J is a bassist!) and told Jake to hurry over.  Since he lives in the dorms and probably doesn't get a lot of "real" food,

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-62310461912553657902011-01-10T16:57:00.000-08:002011-01-10T22:12:31.363-08:00

I was going to call this post, "The One With The Terrible Photos" but I didn't want to turn you away before you could get an idea of how wonderful the food at BLD Restaurant is.  So, I changed it to what you see above, and you'll simply have to close your eyes and imagine the lovely plates of food I'm going to tell you about, because clearly these photos do them no justice whatsoever.  Trust me.

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-58773453345405853512011-01-06T08:38:00.000-08:002011-01-06T08:40:57.761-08:00

If you've ever dined at a Japanese restaurant, you've probably had a miso-glazed fish of some sort..most likely miso-glazed cod.  It's ubiquitous on most Japanese or sushi restaurant menus, and I really think it's because it is just plain delicious.  The dish is also very easy to prepare and uses ingredients found in most Japanese kitchens, so you can see why it's a regular on so many menus.  

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-89148816440313336652011-01-02T16:04:00.000-08:002011-01-02T16:04:31.710-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!  It's a rainy day here in Los Angeles on the 2nd day of 2011, so I thought I'd take the time to post some pics from our annual Japanese New Year meal that my parents have at their house and J looks forward to for about 12 months.  We all do, because it's tradition, and happily for a family of food lovers, it's awesome to sit and eat many different kinds of Japanese

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-41949620966826217822010-12-31T13:26:00.000-08:002010-12-31T18:22:46.295-08:00

Wow- it's the end of another year already, and I find myself shaking my head, wondering where the last 12 months have gone.  It seems like just yesterday I was going bonkers in the kitchen, cooking for 40 people for the New Years party we threw last year.  I'll go ahead and say it with you- time flies when you're getting old! I know there are lots of "Best Of" lists out there, so I figure why

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-82512843148553682392010-12-28T14:56:00.000-08:002010-12-28T16:32:19.319-08:00

Ok, how many of you read the title and thought of Bugs Bunny?  Perhaps you had memories of a cute, fuzzy childhood pet...possibly named Hoppy or Money Da Bunny (ok, maybe you didn't but it'd be a cool name, ok?) to whom you'd feed carrots and cuddle with after school.  Maybe the word "rabbit" instantly takes you to the scene in Fatal Attraction when the little girl is running to her bunny cage

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-38746001127023920772010-12-08T11:12:00.000-08:002010-12-08T11:12:13.538-08:00

Christmas is right around the corner, and although I don't go bananas over every holiday tradition, I do love holiday baking.  One of the my favorite things about cooking is being able to feed the ones you care about, so distributing Christmas cookies is a great way to cover a LOT of people at once. I made my first batch of goodies the other day, and although none were traditional Christmas

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-60037040907707413032010-11-26T15:20:00.000-08:002010-11-26T19:16:43.688-08:00

Has everyone woken up from them turkey/food coma yet?  I definitely have, and was happy to realize that today is the day after Thanksgiving which can only mean one thing: TURKEY SANDWICHES!  As much as we all enjoy the bird, potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, salad, corn and pie, I think you'll agree that one of the best, if not THE best thing about Thanksgiving is the leftovers.   I love

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-60573826659159813242010-11-23T11:45:00.000-08:002010-11-23T16:21:59.643-08:00

In my last post, I wrote about tweaking recipes in order to make them lighter and/or healthier. In the comments section, fellow Los Angeles food blogger Diana mentioned she often does the same thing, and was recently thinking about trying out tofu as a substitution for ricotta cheese in lasagna (adding that it might be a "crazy" idea!). Not so crazy, Diana (and PS, great minds think alike).  I’

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-74606531164005388202010-11-15T16:12:00.000-08:002010-11-15T16:13:25.699-08:00

 I’m always looking for ways to tweak recipes of my favorite dishes so they're a little bit healthier by reducing the fat or upping the fiber. Don’t get the wrong idea- I’m not going to present some dried-out hockey puck and try and sell you on the merits of how healthy it is. Healthy food has to taste good in order for one to want to eat it, and I do believe that it has to at least resemble the

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-79458623296765010912010-11-11T12:25:00.000-08:002010-11-11T14:22:45.399-08:00

Today marks five years since I first started Tuna Toast.  Wow.  Where did the time go?!  Back in 2005, I stumbled upon a NY-based food blog called The Amateur Gourmet, written by a then new-to-the-kitchen guy named Adam who is now quite big in the food media world and is no longer an amateur but quite an accomplished cook!  His honest and often hilarious stories of his foray into cooking really

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-44067676493498942732010-11-09T17:01:00.000-08:002010-11-09T18:52:38.690-08:00

  I’ve written about my addiction to cookbooks before, and I’m not lying- if I spy a beautiful, hard-covered cookbook filled with glossy photos of beautiful food, it’s virtually impossible to turn away without buying it.  Ditto if I see one online, especially if it’s won a James Beard Award or is highly recommended by a chef or food personality I admire.  So you can imagine how quickly I

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-30046085522634452602010-11-04T15:03:00.000-07:002010-11-04T15:08:18.527-07:00

As readers of this blog probably know by now, I love sushi. Being half-Japanese, it’s something I grew up eating, whether it was of the roll your own variety that my parents served for dinner when I was a kid, boxed sushi in an eikben (a boxed bento sold at train stations in Japan) or at one of the two or three regular sushi joints J and I frequent around Los Angeles. J is particularly fond of

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-71513961970805416792010-11-01T13:29:00.000-07:002010-11-01T15:23:40.394-07:00

Don’t you find it difficult to answer when people ask you what your ONE favorite food in the world is?  I mean, there are so many delicious options that I’m not sure one can truly name just ONE thing that is their absolute favorite.  It depends on my mood, where I am, even the weather- I love a bowl of rich, deeply-flavored boeuf bourguignon, but it’d be the last thing I’d want to eat in August

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-38164202418385304772010-10-28T14:34:00.000-07:002010-11-01T13:30:24.241-07:00

  Thomas Keller. The man is the God of chefs. Not godfather; I mean he is literally some higher non-human power whose touch makes food turn into something other-worldly. He is known throughout the universe for his perfect attention to detail and is revered by chefs, food journalists, food bloggers and probably even some carrots or cows hoping to make it into one of his famous creations one day.

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-28356616647165806082010-10-25T13:38:00.001-07:002010-11-01T13:35:21.752-07:00

Over the weekend, I got a chance to check out Artisanal LA, a 2-day showcase of local bakers, chocolatiers, chefs and other food artisans held at the Cooper Building in Downtown L.A. It was nice to go to a food event that was extremely inexpensive ($10 tickets, if purchased in advance) where you actually get to speak at length with the people behind the yummy food, all of which were being

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-36679955693797093032010-10-24T19:31:00.000-07:002010-11-01T13:34:54.058-07:00

Over the weekend, I attended Artisanal LA, a gathering of local food artisans showcase their handmade items. I sampled a LOT of yummy food, met some incredible people and took many photos, so I'll be posting more about the event later. In the meantime, I got a chance to use one of the things I purchased while I was there and I wanted to share it with you. Chef Zarate (of Mo Chica fame) was

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-47563570582333838002010-10-22T12:47:00.000-07:002010-11-01T13:35:49.160-07:00

  Lately, I’ve become the kind of person who’d rather eat a little bit of many things, rather than a lot of one thing. At restaurants, I usually prefer to order two or three appetizers than feast over a big entrée, and I’ve never met a tapas bar I didn’t like. I also find that appetizers tend to be more interesting than main dishes, but that’s just my opinion. How else am I going to get my tuna

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-1241433452472746292010-10-21T10:59:00.000-07:002010-11-01T13:36:09.103-07:00

  I first tried Tender Greens a couple of years ago when it first opened in Culver City and fell in love with the concept of fresh salads and proteins prepared right in front of your eyes. I was happy when one opened up near my office, and yesterday my friend Dmitri and I decided to go for lunch. The place was packed at 12:45pm, and it's easy to see why- Tender Greens is a mecca of healthy,

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-77004787464195170502010-10-20T11:37:00.000-07:002010-11-01T13:36:35.405-07:00

After over a month of letting this here blog lie dormant, I’m back (again!) and hoping to update more frequently. The redesign isn’t really much to write home about, but I wanted a brighter, lighter look for Tuna Toast and this is what I came up with! So I hope you’ll come back around and check it out from time to time. Cool weather is upon us, even here in usually-sunny Los Angeles. I’ve

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-91358888105007293092010-10-18T14:01:00.001-07:002010-11-01T13:36:54.176-07:00

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-15792235684878980182010-09-07T15:49:00.000-07:002010-11-01T13:37:15.081-07:00

  It was J’s birthday this past weekend, and although he was on tour in Japan on the actual day, I wanted to make something special for dinner the day he came home so we could celebrate. I went out and bought two beautiful filet mignon and decided to make some gnocchi as a side dish instead of serving plain ol’ potatoes. When I spied a recipe for spinach gundi (pronounced nu-dee) in a new

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-1428687350011434612010-09-01T13:25:00.001-07:002010-09-01T14:12:33.893-07:00

Sticky Toffee Pudding (and some other stuff)Sticky. Toffee. Pudding. Each word is so appetizing, don’t you think? When you put them together, “sticky toffee pudding” is, in my opinion, quite possibly the most mouth-watering phrase on any dessert menu…and I’m not really a dessert girl. “Sticky toffee pudding” always conjures up sweet, caramelized, ooey-gooey, warm, luscious, moist, decadent,

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-83300385450897210852010-08-30T12:22:00.001-07:002010-08-30T12:52:34.429-07:00

Lazy Friday Night SupperWho says you have to cook to have a great meal at home? Sometimes you just need some really fresh produce, cheese, crackers and wine to create the perfect supper for a hot summer night...and let me tell you, last week in Los Angeles was HOT. I didn't even want to boil a pot of water, much less turn on a single appliance.Here's what we had:Smoked trout with dill which we

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-57642320453239622142010-08-23T17:00:00.000-07:002010-08-23T17:01:07.800-07:00

Broiled Branzino, Steamed Artichokes and Panzanella SaladOh boy. Again with a post revolving around something beautiful purchased at McCall’s Meat & Fish Company. You must think I’m getting bribed with free slabs of Argentinean beef or some jumbo lump crab in exchange for multiple posts about this artisan butcher/seafood shop in Los Feliz, but I promise you, my love for their stuff is the only

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-23044982024772693282010-08-16T12:56:00.000-07:002010-08-16T13:46:34.676-07:00

Meat 'n Potatoes!This dinner is from a couple of months ago, and I’ve been eager to share it with you, so here it is!Our friends Henry and Jenn came over for dinner, and I know Henry loves his meat and potatoes and Jenn loves pretty much all food (like me!) so I decided to pick up some beef from McCall’s (yes, I realize I’m beginning to sound like their spokesperson but their meat/seafood is THE

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-77220358581511905152010-08-12T21:39:00.000-07:002010-08-12T21:50:34.108-07:00

Still eating........but obviously not blogging as much. A good friend reminded me today of why I love to blog so I'll get back on it- I have some things saved up that I've wanted to share with you (hint: Flinstones-sized rib eyes!) and I will do my best to keep on blogging about one of my greatest passions- FOOD! The photo above is one I took quickly after throwing together a plate of "

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-18023677937547882362010-07-07T16:12:00.000-07:002010-07-07T16:59:42.708-07:00

Scenes from PortoSo the Portugal vacation posts continue with this photo-heavy entry about what would end up being my favorite stop on our trip- Porto. The port town was charming, beautiful and I could walk the cobblestone streets all day looking at the colorful tile buildings and drinking Super Bock (Portuguese beer).Let's start with this perfect view from our room at the Pestana Porto Hotel. I

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-69165527881591996232010-06-29T14:09:00.001-07:002010-06-29T15:27:40.306-07:00

Quick Supper: Grilled Miso Salmon + Spicy Peanut NoodlesAnother quick post to break up the vacation ones. Right before we left, I cooked dinner for our friend SK who had generously offered to house-sit while we were gone. It was a Monday, I was driving home from work, giddy about my impending vacation and equally happy to be paying a visit to McCall's to pick up whatever lovelies they had on

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-90984756428449151972010-06-24T15:34:00.000-07:002010-06-24T16:40:42.171-07:00

Scenes from LisbonAs you know, J and I spent a few days in Portugal recently for vacation. We fell in love with the people, the food, the colors....the skies were blue for the entirety of our trip and we couldn't have had a better time in the amazing country. We started our trip in Lisbon, and I wanted to share some of the highlights of the city we had the good fortune of experiencing with you:

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-38051381210177945252010-06-21T12:50:00.001-07:002010-06-21T13:05:20.916-07:00

Father's Day Dinner: Trio of SlidersI wanted to take a little break from our vacation posts and toss in the Father’s Day dinner I made for my dad this past weekend.I always think long and hard about what to cook when my parents come over for dinner because they love and appreciate food so much (where do you think I get it from?!) so I want everything to be perfect. Even though I’d emailed my dad

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-81113087685012259812010-06-16T13:02:00.000-07:002010-06-16T14:11:38.684-07:00

Restaurante Pedro Lemos, Porto, PortugalI’m going to jump ahead a bit in our trip, because I am eager to tell you all about a wonderful restaurant we had the pleasure of dining at in Porto, Portugal. I’ll start off by telling you that we both fell in LOVE with Portugal- both Lisbon and Porto - the people, food, scenery, culture, everything really. To me, Portugal holds all of the charms of other

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-62187501371464925532010-06-15T11:28:00.000-07:002010-06-15T12:36:13.924-07:00

Scenes From A Gourmet Supermarket in Ireland We're back from our European vacation and it was awesome! We went to visit my sister in a town called Drogheda which is about 35 miles outside of Dublin, and we also went to Portugal for a few days. I have a gazillion photos so I'll try to cover the trip as thoroughly as possible without boring you all!Drogheda is a small town, but has all of the

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-45347925899308130052010-06-02T08:03:00.001-07:002010-06-02T08:06:45.946-07:00

New Posts Coming Soon!We're in Porto now, lots of food stories and photos to share...here's a sneak peek!Be back shortly!

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-39688526508015635982010-05-25T12:33:00.000-07:002010-05-25T13:30:32.950-07:00

Mongolian Barbecued Lamb Chops with Chinese Mustard SauceAh, LOST. Last Sunday marked the end of six seasons filled with mystery and adventure, sometimes confusion, dare I say a bit of frustration but mostly amazement and real attachment thanks in large part to the incredible characters that made up the heart of the show. I’ve watched LOST since day one and have grown to love Jack, Sawyer, Kate,

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-64730866437361221392010-05-24T12:42:00.000-07:002010-05-24T13:01:05.652-07:00

Quick Post: Beet Green & Carrot Top SoupDon't worry- this soup doesn't contain one creepy, red headed comedian but instead some healthy, vibrant greens that you might otherwise toss in the garbage. I had a lot of greens left over from the tart I'd made for a vegetarian dinner party, so I figured I'd try them in a soup.It started just like all of my other soups do: sauté diced onions, carrots and

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-55127714739905328582010-05-21T11:47:00.000-07:002010-05-21T12:25:38.872-07:00

Veggie FeastSpring has sprung, and that means some pretty incredible produce at the local farmers markets. I’ve never really met a vegetable I didn’t like, so walking through and gawking at all of the gorgeous asparagus, avocados, fava beans and kale is akin to a teenage boy sifting through an issue Playboy magazine. Yes, my friends, springtime farmers markets offer the very best in food porn,

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-37248079265382459412010-05-10T11:23:00.000-07:002010-05-10T13:04:57.702-07:00

Sea Urchin (Uni) Spaghetti, Scallop CrudoI watch a lot of food-related TV. More than I care to admit, actually. “The Barefoot Contessa,” “Diners, Drive-ins & Dives,” “What Would Brian Boitano Make?” and reruns of “Everyday Italian” are some of my Food Network faves, but my absolute must-watch each week in terms of food TV is “No Reservations With Anthony Bourdain” on the Travel Channel. Snarky/

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-31718000752573546542010-04-13T20:20:00.000-07:002010-04-13T21:12:04.302-07:00

Slow Roasted Tomato & Goat Cheese Crostini + Arctic Char With LentilsThe main subject of this post is the fish, so let's get the crostini out of the way, shall we?This appetizer is simple to slap together, but it does take a bit of planning since the cherry tomatoes take about 2 hours to slow roast. Just cut each tomato in half lengthwise and toss in a bowl with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-74969993758992759792010-04-03T09:11:00.000-07:002010-04-03T11:18:22.702-07:00

Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc Buttermilk Fried Chicken...now that's quite a mouthful, right? With a name like that, it has to be good. The fact that this is a Thomas Keller recipe pretty much guarantees it will be good....and maybe a bit complicated? Although the process of making this fried chicken takes about two days, it isn't difficult since most of that time is taken up by chicken soaking in

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-16666139684349447672010-03-20T15:51:00.000-07:002010-03-20T16:31:31.547-07:00

When Inspiration Strikes...Last week felt like it lasted an eternity and I was looking forward to just having some wine and dinner out after work Friday. That changed when J texted me in the afternoon saying our friend was coming to dinner, so I found myself clicking through Food Gawker trying to find some inspiration. I'd pretty much decided on making a baked pasta dish, only because I had a

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-67343455797228438792010-03-18T11:06:00.000-07:002010-03-18T14:41:12.153-07:00

Garganelli con ragù d'Anatra (garganelli with duck ragu)As you can see, I finally got my camera battery and I am back in business!This meal was awhile ago- it was to celebrate my mom’s birthday which was on Valentine’s Day. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves, but I’d always loved the ridges in garganelli pasta and wanted to try making it myself. I’ve made homemade pasta in the past, but

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-35021708751192515722010-03-04T15:17:00.001-08:002010-03-04T15:23:32.093-08:00

Please Be Patient!My camera battery died, and after multiple attempts to recharge it, I figured out that it, well....died/died! I miss blogging and have been cooking and eating some pretty great food, so please stick around and I'll be back as soon as my new battery comes in the mail!In the meantime, here are some snaps I took during our epic, omakase meal at Sebo Sushi in San Francisco awhile

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-35274750550962361692010-01-29T12:34:00.000-08:002010-01-29T22:35:49.377-08:00

Tartine Bakery, San FranciscoDon’t you hate it when something doesn’t live up to the hype? The iPad is something that comes to mind, with the majority of press calling the much-anticipated tech product “overpriced and disappointing.” As a food lover, few things are as annoying as overhyped eats. I’ll be bold and say that local Los Angeles fave Casa Bianca falls under that category (in my opinion

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-14277088629528516592010-01-27T12:54:00.000-08:002010-01-27T14:31:25.034-08:00

Cooking for 40Holy cow- I truly stink at photography- ironic, really, since my father used to be a professional photographer. Sorry Papa, even though I got your Punctuality Gene and Cooking Gene, it looks as if the Photography Gene only landed in my sister and not me. I just spent the last few minutes downloading photos from my camera only to see shot after awful, blurry shot of much of the food

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-67650704629620471472010-01-04T15:12:00.000-08:002010-01-15T11:57:07.151-08:00

あけおめ!!! Sweet black beans (kuromame) and chestnutsSo here we are, dear reader(s)...the dawn of a new decade! The Japanese above is what my friend Sugar said to usher in the new year- it means "Ake-ome" which is short for "Akemashite Omedeotou" which is the way to say "Happy New Year" in Japanese. So あけおめ everyone! Kamaboko- fish cakeI went back and forth on whether to open up 2010 on Tuna Toast

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-68798100427447249212009-12-02T13:09:00.001-08:002009-12-02T13:43:25.694-08:00

Autumn In New YorkWarning: this will be a photo-heavy post! I just wanted to finish out my East Coast trip here by posting the rest of my New York photos. I joined J on tour for a few days in October and we had an amazing time. The weather was perfect and we had an entire day-and-a-half off so we covered a LOT of ground. Here are some highlights:Breakfast at this cute little Japanese bakery down

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-40711220445342285372009-11-24T13:39:00.000-08:002009-11-24T15:12:26.755-08:00

Where Am I? List of menu items line the wall........and one item that, er, should NOT be on any menu. Can you find the dirty word? People pack the smoke-filled izakaya.......... Yakitori on the grill.....smells gooood.... The man behind the grills............ Tsukune and quail eggs.....YUM. Gyutan, aspara-bacon and tebasaki.......... Vintage poster on the wall............... Poster of yakitori

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-9245891039989512082009-11-11T12:37:00.001-08:002009-11-11T13:23:54.226-08:00

Casa Mono, NYC + 4th Blog Anniversary!First, let's get this out of the way: Wow, four years of Tuna Toast! Four years ago today, I started this little blog with a post about chocolate macarons, and it's been sporadic postings about food, wine and travel in varying degrees of quality ever since! So thank you to everyone who has ever read this blog, I couldn't have done it without you.Do any of you

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-25469226538553117722009-11-06T11:43:00.001-08:002009-11-06T12:04:27.293-08:00

Boston, I Think I Love YouBoston, you're a lovely town. I'd never had the pleasure to visit you until last month, and what can I say, you had me the minute the cool, fall breeze blew through my hair.You have rows of brownstones on tree-lined streets dotted with cute boutiques and coffee shops……….And everything has an old-town, historical feel to it……….A place where everybody knows your name……….

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-879816608006376632009-10-18T17:24:00.000-07:002009-10-18T23:08:36.548-07:00

Memories......I love to cook for several reasons. It's relaxing after a stressful day, it's fun, it's one of the few areas in my life where I feel like a Mac instead of a PC. One of the best things about cooking, however, is the reaction you get from people when you feed them. Feeding someone is SO basic, but it's one of the most gratifying things you can do. If the person really enjoys what

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-13833063430469534732009-09-25T10:53:00.000-07:002009-09-25T13:13:16.841-07:00

Drago Centro Small Bites: Best Deal In Town!Ed note: All photos were taken by J's iPhone since I forgot my camera. Not bad for a camera phone right?I rarely use this blog to blatantly promote a restaurant, but I have to take this chance to tell you all: Run, don't walk, to Drago Centro in downtown. Sit at the bar, order yourself one of four wonderful wines by the glass (all priced $6 or under)

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-29320663228057474682009-08-28T13:42:00.000-07:002009-08-28T14:14:59.120-07:00

Plum KuchenThere are some recipes that take the internet by storm, and I think this one is well on its way. I mean, just look at this photo: (c) 2009 Gourmet -CondeNast PublishingI don't know about you, but the minute I spotted this in my August issue of Gourmet, I fell in love. It's just so dang beautiful, I had to make it mine. So I set out to bake in my un-air conditioned house in August. Love

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-31343571460595232372009-08-25T14:09:00.000-07:002009-08-25T14:18:20.635-07:00

Something Out Of Not Much6:00 PM, Saturday night: Despite having an 8:30 PM reservation to one of Los Angeles' most beloved restaurants (Sona- to which neither of us had ever been), J and I found ourselves in a heap on the sofa, exhausted from running around in unusually muggy weather all day. We got into the do-you-wanna-go-well-I-don't-care-what-do-you-wanna-do? conversations which basically

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-66871879661913493502009-08-21T14:31:00.000-07:002009-08-21T15:59:53.724-07:00

Non-Dairy Salmon & Corn ChowderI hadn't really planned to make this for supper the other night; I actually had something more along the lines of a grilled salmon with a side of veg on my mind but as the day wore on it just didn't appeal to me. I knew I had the frozen salmon thawing in the fridge, plus a drawer full of veggies that I'd bought at the Larchmont Farmer's Market, but I felt.......

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-11840144223045280082009-08-17T15:04:00.000-07:002009-08-17T15:26:50.901-07:00

Summer Dinner PartyAs I mentioned in my last post, we had some friends over for a summer dinner party a couple of weekends ago. For once, I didn't really have much of a plan and let the Farmer's Market guide my menu. It turned out to be one of my favorite menus and just really fun to put together.One thing I had decided was that I wanted to make a side dish with lobster. Since there were six

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-21149492514828605932009-08-14T11:33:00.000-07:002009-08-14T11:45:16.769-07:00

A Summer Dinner Party: Sneak PeekLast weekend we had some friends over for an outdoor dinner party, and I didn't really have much of a plan when it came to the menu, which is rare. I just took a trip to the Pasadena's Farmer's Market and picked up what was fresh and kind of just went with the inspiration provided by the gorgeous produce. I plan to blog about it next week, but here's a little

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-22698778216454253072009-08-12T12:37:00.001-07:002009-08-12T13:17:32.805-07:00

Maui, Part 2Based on my last post you probably think I'm the douche who complains about Maui. After all, it's an idyllic tropical paradise, and even if the majority of the food we ate there was kind of "meh," we were still surrounded my miles of gorgeous beaches and beautiful greenery. So here's the post to counter the last one and tell you that yes, Maui is an amazing place, filled with beauty

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-72495000259613252122009-08-10T12:12:00.000-07:002009-08-10T12:54:20.154-07:00

Maui: Part 1We're back from our week-long Maui vacation!First of all, Maui is stunning. The ocean seems to go on forever, and you can pretty much pull your car over anywhere and jump into the clear, beautiful water. The skies are blue and the trees are green and blowing in the tropical breeze- basically, it's everything you've heard Hawaii is supposed to be.We stayed at the Ritz Carlton Kapalua

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-47828372363779735372009-07-28T12:33:00.000-07:002009-07-28T12:42:48.627-07:00

Maui Bound..............J and I are doing something we've never done: take a domestic vacation for a whole week and hunker down in the same spot for the entirety of the trip. We've taken lots of trips before, but they usually involve a 10+ hour flight, bouts of jetlag, currency exchange and weak attempts to speak a language we are not very good at all while hopping from city to city. So we

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-86023905568721461802009-07-21T15:52:00.001-07:002009-07-21T16:30:25.040-07:00

Bar Celona, PasadenaI basically grew up in Pasadena. My family lives in Temple City and my sister and I spent many, MANY teenage/twentysomething nights in Pasadena, usually at the old E Bar or eating at many of the good restaurants the town had to offer. I remember my parents took us to a place called Julianne (not the one in San Marino) where I had my very first duck l'orange and I thought it

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-36721059271572333502009-07-01T13:11:00.001-07:002009-07-01T13:29:03.356-07:00

Father's Day MealOy……..man I can't get back on the blogging train for some reason. I guess I don't have much of an excuse for the last month or so but the last week has been absolute hell at work. The passing of MJ has rocked the world, and the entertainment news world has been in a frenzy. Since I live in both universes, it's been bananas. And in this case, bananas is bad.So even though Father's

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-87781421789344721182009-06-16T09:34:00.000-07:002009-06-16T09:43:08.143-07:00

A Non-Food Post:But I doubt I will ever get a chance to see J, my other half, dress like this again. Long story short- the airline lost his band's luggage and they had to scramble to buy clothes for a show; he picked up this snazzy suit while shopping and decided to cruise around the festival wearing it, as a joke. Now he's on Vogue's website.Reminds me of the Laughing Cow cheese commercial.....

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-41415557904180232952009-06-05T11:44:00.000-07:002009-06-05T12:45:50.161-07:00

Cafe On Park- San DiegoOn our way out of San Diego, we really wanted to hit a local spot for a good, filling breakfast. After some serious soul-searching (oops, I mean internet-searching) we decided on Cafe On Park after reading multiple rave reviews of their breakfasts. Although we arrived before 10:00 AM, there was already a wait:Luckily it didn't take long for my sister and I to be seated. The

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-31688943246885657982009-06-01T14:36:00.000-07:002009-06-01T15:59:40.535-07:00

Pizzeria Luigi, San Diego, CAMy name is Tuna Toast and I'm a DDD addict.No, DDD isn't some new drug or booze- it's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, AKA "Triple D" on the Food Network. I guess I'm a bit embarrassed to admit it, but damn if there isn't a more prime example of a mouthwatering show on television today. If Foodgawker and Tastespotting are food porn, then DDD is the Debbie Does Dallas of

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-37408455335239690622009-05-18T14:04:00.000-07:002009-05-18T15:00:59.132-07:00

Boulevard, San FranciscoOk, I seriously don't know why I can't seem to blog more than once a week (ok, ok....once every TWO weeks!). Maybe between work, watching season finales of my favorite shows (LOST, The Real Housewives of NY, 30 Rock), Twittering (or is it tweeting?) and Facebook-ing (uh, is that a word?), I'm just too distracted to hunker down and document my meals these days. It's odd how

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-63255813007835360542009-05-07T15:05:00.000-07:002009-05-07T15:46:13.377-07:00

Blog slump + Bottega LouieHoly cupcakes- it's been forever since the last blog post! It isn't that I haven't cooked or eaten lately; I just feel like I'm in a bit of a blogging slump. J, ever helpful, often calls out "did you take a photo?" before taking a bite of anything, and I just respond by shrugging and digging in. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but it could be that I've been really

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-59588977306374041252009-04-13T12:11:00.001-07:002009-04-13T12:24:16.900-07:00

Blood Orange GaletteThe very instant I saw this blood orange tart on Smitten Kitchen earlier this year, it was love at first sight. The vivid colors of the oranges peered over a buttery crust and I knew immediately that I had to make this. You see, my parents have a blood orange tree in their front yard, and they’ve already got the jam and sorbet thing down pat, which leaves me little to do with

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-34804905238462424542009-04-08T14:11:00.001-07:002009-04-08T14:35:56.006-07:00

My current favorite: Terroni’sAs most of you already know, I absolutely adore Italian food. I always tell people I could live on sushi and Italian food alone (maybe toss in the occasional Sun Chip now and then), and although I’m not 100% certain of that statement, I do find that I never tire of either.A few months back, a friend introduced me to the pure pleasure that is Terroni’s. I fell in love

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-7579762855552566452009-04-01T11:18:00.000-07:002009-04-01T11:31:37.360-07:00

The rest of the celebration meal………….As you saw in my last post, we spent Saturday evening at our house celebrating both my dad’s birthday and my parents’ 37th anniversary. I love cooking for others, but particularly my family since they are some of the biggest food lovers I know. In fact, food is the focus of most of our family gatherings, and last weekend was no different.I’m happy to report

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-11500547153004357302009-03-30T14:14:00.000-07:002009-03-30T14:26:27.298-07:00

Two reasons to celebrateThis past week included two special events- my dad’s birthday and my parents’ wedding anniversary. Since the two fall within a day of each other, we’ve always combined them into one happy celebration that my sister and I would dub “annibirthday” when we were younger.J and I had my parents and sister over for dinner to celebrate the happy occasions. I made many things so I’

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-12560453732016693932009-03-12T14:28:00.000-07:002009-03-12T14:41:51.635-07:00

A Good Place To EatMy favorite kind of restaurant is one that is cozy and makes you feel at home.Ones with soft, pretty lighting…………….Ones that put a nice, crusty baguette on the table to start your meal……………….A good salad is key in a good restaurant as well, you know, since every meal should have some green……………….And if they let you get a peek into the kitchen to see the magic happen, it’s even

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-86546110619331908032009-03-09T11:39:00.000-07:002009-03-09T12:17:08.619-07:00

Joe's, Venice BeachI don't have a lot of time to post today but wanted to get this in since I haven't updated for awhile! Last week J and I had dinner with our very good friends who were visiting from NYC. They used to live in Venice Beach and would dine at Joe's often, and although the restaurant is quite famous, I'd never had a chance to dine there and was excited to finally go!The minute I

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-3223417693697633882009-03-02T12:53:00.000-08:002009-03-02T13:30:54.590-08:00

My First PhoYes, its true- I had not, until about a week ago, EVER tried pho. Hard to believe, unforgivable and inexcusable, I realize. I’m not sure what took me so long- I think part of it was that star anise is mentioned as a seasoning for the famous noodle soup, and me and anything anisey-licoricey-fennely do NOT mix.Now that I’ve finally had it, I am glad that my distaste for the spice didn’t

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-43704381216225069172009-02-23T13:52:00.000-08:002009-02-23T15:26:18.982-08:00

Roll Your Own SushiOne of the first times (if not THE first time) J and I went to my parents’ house as a couple, they served what we like to call “Roll Your Own Sushi.” My sister and I had grown having these dinners where mom would put plates of sliced sashimi, cucumbers, imitation crab (hey- it’s great in sushi rolls!) and sheets of toasted nori on the table along with a large bowl of sushi rice

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-9770891097123450882009-02-20T12:38:00.000-08:002009-02-20T13:01:22.379-08:00

The Little Flower Candy Co. - PasadenaHave you ever dreamt of a fantasyland filled with piles of giant, sweet-smelling cookies and buckets of fruity, shiny lollipops in all the colors of a rainbow? A place where big, homemade marshmallows in chocolate and coffee billow out of bags and perfectly wrapped sea-salt caramels fill every shelf? If you have, it probably looked a lot like The Little

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-38560330039082457922009-02-17T17:38:00.000-08:002009-02-17T18:19:21.883-08:00

Brick ChickenI love few things more than a well roasted chicken. For some reason, I never tire of it and love the whole process of prepping, cooking, serving and eating it, then picking the meat off the bones (and making sure I get the oysters!!) and using it for another meal while using the bones to make stock. I guess saying that chicken is one of my favorite foods sounds awfully generic, but

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-59207029620289765022009-02-13T13:10:00.000-08:002009-02-13T13:23:51.132-08:00

Busy, busy.....but with good news.......I just realized I haven't blogged in awhile. The last two weeks have been really busy but filled with good stuff! I just posted this photo since a year ago, my sister took my whole family to Urasawa, and it was a wonderful experience, to say the least. Sometimes I just sift through the photos I took that night, drooling over each perfect piece of sushi.I

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-92151523614732589502009-02-02T14:55:00.000-08:002009-02-02T15:34:06.752-08:00

Mika's DoriaDoria. I’ve said that word to every food-loving friend multiple times in the seven years I’ve been back from living in Japan, and they all look at me with the same, Never-Heard-Of-It-What-Is-It look. I’ve spent time googling it and trying to find where the word originated from, only to be bombarded with endless pages of people named Doria Rice. What is doria, you ask? It’s just about

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-14258659613629760012009-01-30T12:57:00.000-08:002009-01-30T13:11:33.094-08:00

Peruvian Roasted ChickenDisclaimer: Did I say I was going to take better photos in ’09? Clearly you can see it’s a skill that still needs a lot of work.I know so many people who list Pollo A La Brasa as their favorite food, and I have to agree. Peruvian rotisserie chicken looks, smells, and tastes like savory heaven. I’m a sucker for any good roasted chicken, but one rubbed down with herbs and

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-13415125550368582042009-01-20T08:45:00.000-08:002009-01-20T08:47:24.441-08:00

OH HAPPY DAY Finally, this day has come!!!Celebrate!!!!!!!!!

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530619.post-62409702346078887782009-01-19T15:12:00.001-08:002009-01-19T15:30:39.976-08:00

Pre-holiday Lunch at BoulevardIt was a cold, windy day by the water in San Francisco, two days before Christmas. J and I were hungry for something warm, and although we initially thought to grab something yummy at one of the many of the eateries in the Ferry Building, we deemed it too drafty and searched for something cozier. When we spotted the groups of business executives and well-dressed

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00201875180006647900noreply@blogger.com2