Sometimes We Just Have to Dance It Out

After a wonderful weekend filled with friends, a birthday celebration, lots of laughter, dancing and great food, I can’t believe it is already over (making little time to blog–sorry!). More details to come with all of the festivities including a birthday dinner at a Japanese Grill in Sacramento, big breakfasts, lots of cake, and my first taste of Persian food at a UC Davis Engineers Without Boarders fundraiser. There was also a lot of dancing this weekend in celebration of the birthday and also at the fundraiser gathering. Sometimes in life, you just need to add a little hop in your step, put on your favorite song, and dance your worries away! I personally feel like dancing is a wonderful way to relieve stress, especially when you jump around and dance like no one’s watching (you know you’ve all tried it at least once!). And it is especially fun when you’re in the kitchen cooking a meal and tapping to the beat. I hope everyone had a relaxing, food-filled weekend, and don’t forget to dance every once in a while! Here is a fun video clip to end the evening– even the Food Network cooks enjoy dancing it out!

One Fish, Two Fish, Three Fish: None.

Since President Obama’s State of the Union Address, salmon has been the talk of the town this week. His reference towards this subject got me thinking (and also many others), and I wanted to learn more about the issue. In our day-to-day lives, we tend to be as venturous as we can about educating ourselves about the world and issues that surround us. But it is impossible to know everything, and with all of this information coming at us from multiple mediums, how are we suppose to make sure that we catch everything let alone retain every little detail we read on a daily basis? This issue got me thinking about sustainable fishing. I mean, I have taken classes on sustainability, done research projects, read books about it and also try to read any article I come across that mentions sustainability in my RSS feeds. But the fun (and sometimes frustrating) thing about life is: There is always more to learn. With the desire to expand my knowledge, this viral influx of discussion on salmon–freshwater, saltwater, smoked–whatever type it may be has gotten my attention in terms of sustainability with fish. The day after Obama delivered The State of the Union, the issue pretty much punched me in the face and forced me to see something that I didn’t really want to look into (because man, do I love eating seafood).

A while back, many people gave up red meat as testament of global warming and devotion to contributing to our world’s sustainability issues. Because many cows are not fed with natural grass and instead with corn and by products, their manure (that once was in high demand for fertilizer) became unusable and the gases they emit into our atmosphere significantly contribute even more to global warming. As gracious as I am to the people that gave up their love of red meat for this, here is the twist: many of them switched to chicken and fish as sources for protein and in my recent discoveries, eating fish is extremely unsustainable too (if eaten improperly). With more extensive research done in the past week by many reports curious about this subject, the investigations began! And the results? This article is quite lengthy but very informative, so I have decided to sum it up for you. According to the article, here are a couple tips for fellow seafood eaters: sardines and squid are A-OK to eat plenty of because they reproduce quickly, Atlantic cod and red snapper should be avoided as they are close to becoming extinct, and instead of eating farmed salmon, wild-Alaskan troll-caught salmon is your most sustainable bet.

Troll-caught, you say? That is where the fishermen tie up jigs to the back of the boat and slowly drag their lines behind them to catch the fish. Although they don’t catch as many fish as net catching, it is environmentally sustainable and has a low impact on the waters that the fishermen encounter. Another method, using industrial bottom trawlers, is extremely destructive to the sea habitat and unintentional catches. This large and heavy contraption sink directly to the bottom and drags on the floor for up to 25 miles! It destroys everything in its path and even catches things that it shouldn’t  like bethnic life and coral reefs. This method is used a lot to catch shrimp. And then there’s the long-line method–this consists of multiple lines up to 60 miles in length that contain a large number of hooks on them to catch fish. This is also extremely harmful because it bycatches hundreds of things such as dolphins and turtles (no!).

The best method of sustainable fishing? The good ol’ rod and reel—one hook per line. This allows for anything that is bycatched to be released back unharmed. Another great alternative is the Scottish Seine. It’s like a bottom trawler but is extremely lightweight and moves much slower leaving less impact after it passes. All of this information has really opened my eyes to the depths that revolve around the delivery of the fish in my sushi and food! I am grateful to have learned about these issues and I hope this helps you too!

So, according to the sustainable fishing guides, I guess I’ll stick with my Tilapia, Wild Alaskan salmon, bi-valves, Alaskan halibut and squid as much as I can! With consideration to the fish we eat and the way we lead our lives, let’s all continue to learn more and try to be more like the Scottish Seine instead of a destructive bottom trawler, shall we?

To read the entire article (along with great tips and guides), click here. I highly recommend it. Happy Friday!

Peruvian Cuisine: Love at First Bite

This weekend in Wine Country, my eyes, stomach, and pallete got the tastiest little treat. After reading a review about a newer Peruvian restaurant, Sazon, in the SF Gate, I was determined to try it out. It didn’t take me long to convince a couple of friends to join, and together we had such a wonderful experience. The tastes, the ambiance, the service and of course, the company made for such a delightful afternoon. The little restaurant is hard to spot because it blends in with all the other shops in the area but once you find it and head inside, your surrounding instantly changes. Like a diamond in the ruff, I was extremely surprised with the well-designed interior and cozy atmosphere. Now, I’m going to take you through the late lunch as if you were there, so for those of you who haven’t had a Peruvian food experience yet, get ready to crave something you’ve never even tried (and now have to!). And for those of you that have, get ready to feel those distinct flavors and tastes hit you again like you were eating these dishes just yesterday.

We sat down, looked at the menu, and immediately started to uncontrollably drool. Not having the patience to wait for the last of our party to arrive, we went ahead and ordered the causa limeña for an appetizer, a glass of sangria, and a traditional chicha morada for drinks. Their sangria came served over ice in a wine glass with tiny bits of freshly chopped green apple layered on top as a garnish. The first sip tasted delectable–refreshing, fruity and not too sweet! The other drink we tried, the chicha morada, is a Peruvian drink made from purple corn, cinnamon, fruit, and cloves. It’s sweet and fruity with a kick of spice–our table came to the conclusion that it kind of resembles, and excuse us for our rough analysis, a blend between fruit punch and horchata (if you can imagine that). You can see (in the picture to the right) the sangria, and behind it is the glass of chicha morada. Both of these drinks started off our meal right and even gave us a little amusement! (As we finished the sangria at the end of the meal, the bits of apple were stuck under the ice at the bottom of the glass and we couldn’t get to them, but we experimented and we were able to get those suckers out with our forks! Classy, I know, but very entertaining!)

Before we knew it, our appetizer arrived. The splendid visual element of all the bold colors and sauces instantly attracted our eyes. Below you will see the causa limena. With the soft, tender and bright yellow potato as a base, it was then topped with crab, a hard boiled egg, avocado and an olive. That by itself spoke to us with the fusion of flavors, but add the two sauces to that mix and you might as well have just knocked us out of our chairs yourself!

Each bite was more delicious than the last, and the flavors just melted into your mouth. The potatoes were infused with aji-amarillo (a yellow Peruvian chile pepper) and lime. The two sauces were spicy (one more than the other) and the plate was completely clean by the time we finished.

One of the main dishes that entered our table next was the Pan con Chicharron which is a fried pork sandwich with thin slices of sweet potato and salsa criolla. This dish came with a side of fries, and it was huge! It’s always nice to see a good sized sandwich served with an enormous amount of fries. The Pan con Chicharron made a perfect meal for a sunny afternoon lunch.

Then came the Ahi Tuna Ceviche Nikei–what a beautiful visual appeal to the eyes (and the stomach!). The tuna was extremely fresh and seasoned just perfectly. Subtle hints of aji verde (a sauce made from Peruvian green chiles), sesame seeds, sesame oil, red onions, cilantro, and very thinly sliced jalpenos were scattered throughout the dish. Needless to say, it was hard not to keep asking my friend for more tasty nibbles! This a definitely a great plate to order and/or split with a friend because there was so much tuna on the plate that my friend ended up taking half of it home. I highly recommend it.

Next came the two other ceviche dishes we ordered–Ceviche de Pescado Clasico and Ceviche Mixto.

Both came beautifully arranged and with a side dish that included cusco corn (the larger, boiled white corns in the picture below), two little sweet potato bites and cancha (toasted corn nuts). The Ceviche de Pescado Clasico (pictured on the right) is fresh halibut with red onions, cilantro, ginger, and a spicy leche de tigre sauce. It definitely gave our taste buds a little jolt (in a good way)! Leche de tigre (translated as tiger’s milk) is a citrus-based marinade used to cure the seafood in ceviche. And in my opinion, the spicier the better–and this dish was nice and spicy–needless to say, we were glad we had ordered the sangria and chicha morada so we could cool down our mouths! Last in line for our entrees was the Ceviche Mixto (pictured on the left). Similar to the Ceviche de Pescado Clasico, this mound of savory goodness was loaded with fresh fish, squid, scallops, shrimp and then topped with a clam. They were layered on top of each other, creating a beautiful presentation and great way to get a little bit of everything into each bite. The Ceviche Mixto was also marinated in leche de tigre and even a little bit spicier than the Pescado Clasico. These two dishes were some of the best ceviche I’ve ever tasted, and even just writing this makes me want to run back to that restaurant and order another helping.

And last but not at all least was dessert. We couldn’t help ourselves, so when our server listed about 10 items off, all of which sounded alittle unfamiliar to us, we just said Um, we’d like the first two please! And we were not let down. Helado de lucuma is ice cream made from a native Peruvian fruit called, you guess it, lucuma! It tastes like a blend of maple and butterscotch–if that’s fruit, I would be glad to get more than my daily serving of fruit everyday! Added to that, we ordered some alfajores (Peruvian sandwich cookies made with dulce de leche and powered sugar) to go along with it– a simply perfect way to finish our lunch.

By the end of the meal, we were all about ready to give up our current lives and move to Peru for more of their food. This interaction with Peruvian food and Sazon has been nothing but positive and fulfilling. It has opened my eyes to their culture and now that I have a better idea of what to expect, I am excited to see what other dishes I will encounter. The spices and blends they use with their seafood, the strong flavors that sync together as you are chewing is an unforgettable feeling. With the friendly service and quaint atmosphere, you can bet I’ll be back at Sazon and also on a hunt for other unique and adventurous experiences with Peruvian food!

Peru ha robado mi corazon. Soy feliz para la comida buenisima y las companeras marvolosas. Salud!

My Soul Mate, Food.

Intimacy and close relationships are essential in our everyday lives. In the book, The Art of Happiness, the author states that an individual’s most basic fear is the threat of being separated from other human beings. The book also dives deeper into explaining that the notion of intimacy also benefits an individual physically. Scientists have proven that the chances of heart disease and cancer significantly decrease if a person has a spouse or close friend they can trust in their life. This idea of intimacy is a strong tool that we sometimes forget to use. I have always been someone that seeks new friendships while trying to maintain the old, and I truly feel defeated if someone I once cared so much about is no longer a part of my life but that digression has influenced me try even harder to keep the bonds with the people I truly care about. So no matter where life takes us, we must remember that having people close to us is a very important factor in our happiness, health and mere existence as human beings.

This notion has also opened my eyes in the food realm. As strange as it may sound, I feel like one of the intimate relationships I have in my life is with food. Now I know that sounds a little abnormal, and before you start thinking how unhealthy or that is sort of sad, let me clarify by saying that this relationship is a healthy one. And don’t worry, I’m not a binge eater or do anything so drastic that it becomes unhealthy, it’s just—I am in love food! Every crunch, bite, texture, and aroma leaves me bright-eyed and yearning to taste more. To say that I don’t have a strong, intimate connection with food would simply be a lie. And I think it’s safe to say that my relationship with food is an everlasting one—it has always remained loyal to me, when I travel it encourages me to try new things, it greets me every night when I come home from work, and never ceases to surprise me in the most random moments. Like any relationship, we have our tiffs (burnt chicken, flat soufflé, etc.) but for better or worse, I wouldn’t change a thing. My day consists of reading, thinking, watching TV shows, and even blogging about food! If food were a human being, I think it’s safe to call me a stage 5 clinger! All humor aside, I feel (and I think many would agree with me) that if the ability to cook, explore new dishes, and taste flavors were all taken away from me, that basic threat mentioned earlier of being separated from something would severely overwhelm me.

Strong and positive relationships are a key ingredient to living a happy and healthy life, and with anything (people and/or hobbies) we should not cut corners on our investments in them. Everyone deserves to have people in their lives that they can share healthy and close relationships with whether it’s family members, friends or a spouse. I am incredibly lucky to have many people in my life that surround me with love and support each day. So, remember to show how much you care about the ones you love and take a bite out of something delicious today. After all, life tastes like food.

[Happy birthday to the strongest woman I know and one who I share one of these loving relationships with: my Mom.]

Being Fearless With Food

“Sharing food is the best way to experience other cultures.”

Lately, I have been obsessed the TV Show Bizarre Foods. For those of you who have never watched the show, the host Andrew Zimmern visits cities around the world and explores their culture through their food. He finds many traditions and foods that our culture is not use to and gives insight on how they give character to that particular region. Although many of the things that Andrew Zimmern eats do not appeal instantly to my taste buds, his encounters and perspective keep me hooked episode after episode. I still giggle every time he mentions durian (a fruit with a hard, spiky shell that gives off an odor you can smell a mile away after you open it) and how it is one of the only things he still can’t eat. His references to it makes me smile because I use to eat it all the time as a kid and still do sometimes when I’m with my family–I think it’s delicious, but it is very smelly. The important thing though is that he still tried it. Simply attempting something is one of the most prized risks and joys in life!

I think what keeps me interested in the show is that a) he is willing to try anything at least once, and b) he finds culture and lifestyle through food–sort of like me with this blog!

Whether it’s ants that taste like lemon found in a the rain forests of Ecuador or fried bees from Taiwan, he almost always willingly pops the food right into his mouth. Some people are down-right fearless and willing to try anything at least once whether it be a new food or something crazier like base jumping. And this notion of being fearless–so bold and courageous–makes me wonder why people go to such extremes and to what extent. What does it mean to be completely fearless? And in what sense? Can anyone actually be completely fearless? I have been pondering this word for a while and it’s meaning (probably not as much as Taylor Swift has though), and I’ve come to the conclusion that there isn’t a concrete definition of being completely fearless in life. I think Andrew Zimmern is fearless with food, but to be completely fearless in all things is just, well, close to impossible! Although a rare feat, I still think the idea is a wonderful way to explore new foods, activities, emotions, and other aspects of life.

And through his explorations and being fearless with food, Andrew Zimmern is able to offer the viewers of the show up-close glimpses of the unique food, background information on the particular region and why they eat those certain foods. Trying food from different places around the world sounds heavenly but I don’t think my mouth salivates much when I picture eating pickled tuna fish eye balls or roasted guinea pig! Nonetheless, I admire the show and Andrew’s commitment to food along with his non-judgmental attitude. He has made me believe that I, too, should do the same if ever in a foreign land and offered a taste their culture. I strongly believe that you can discover a myriad of qualities and traditions wherever you are in the world that you wouldn’t have found otherwise through food.

So, let’s follow in Andrew’s “food”-steps and be fearless in something and embrace the unique qualities that surround us! What’s the craziest thing you’ve eaten fearlessly?

The Secret to a Great Scone

Freshly baked scones and hot tea or coffee are the best way to start Sunday mornings. My favorite thing about eating scones is that there is such a wide variety to choose from: fruity, sweet, nutty or a little of each! I would have to say my top choice is either blueberry or chocolate chip. This weekend, however, fresh blackberries were on sale at the market, so I decided to see how blackberry scones would taste! Now, blackberries are one of my favorite berries–I use to hike the back trails of my house when I was younger and pick buckets of them off of the abundant wild bushes that grew along the path, so I may be a little bias with the turnout of my scones.

When I took them out of the oven, they were golden on top and fluffy on the inside. I let them cool a little bit and then added just a touch of glaze. Now, the trick to a delicious scone is making sure that it is moist and flaky on the inside. The key to this is the temperature of the butter. It must be really cold and cut into the dry ingredients–if you use melted or softened butter, you won’t get the same pastry-like texture. When I make scones, I cut the butter into very tiny pieces (to where your dry ingredients start to look crumbly) using a fork and knife. It is much easier if you have a pastry cutter but I don’t have one so the good ol’ fork and knife with a little arm strength did the trick. Once the pieces of butter create a coarse texture in the dry ingredients, you can then add the wet ingredients and whatever berries or chocolate chips you decide to put into your scones. When the scones bake, those tiny pieces of butter that you cut up melt and form pockets between the dough. These pockets are what gives the pastries that flaky texture! And then voilà, the next thing you know they are coming out of the oven and you are taking your first bite!

Scones are very easy to make and are also a great alternative to those store-bought frozen pastries that you pop into the toaster oven. Each week can even consist of a different flavor–apricot, raspberry, pumpkin, cranberry, chocolate, almond–the sky’s the limit. Whatever flavor you decide to make, these scones are perfect for an afternoon catching up with friends, a morning treat during the hectic work week (easily made the night before), or even a midnight snack! They’re so fun, and they add the perfect touch to any weekend. Give it a try!

Here is the Recipe (adapted from the Food Network’s Tyler Florence):
[This recipe makes 8 scones.]

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into chunks
1 1/4 cup heavy cream (plus a little more for brushing)
1 cup blackberries (or you can substitute for chocolate chips, blueberries, etc.)

[If you’re using fresh berries, I would recommend putting them in the freezer a little bit before you start baking so they are easier to work with.] Mix all of the dry ingredients together. Using a fork and a knife (or two forks) cut the butter into the dry ingredients until your mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Then form a well in the center of your ingredients and add the heavy cream. Fold everything together and add the berries. You might want to use your hands (rub them in flour if it gets too sticky) so you can fold lightly; try not to press too hard on the berries. Once everything is incorporated, shape your dough into a circle that is about 1 1/4 inch thick (sometimes shaping it in a floured pie tin helps). Then cut the dough into quarters and cut each quarter in half (you should have 8 triangle wedges). Place each piece on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush some cream on top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes (or until the top and edges start to look golden brown)!

For a very quick glaze, take 3/4 of a cup of confectioner’s sugar and keep adding 1 teaspoon of whole milk at a time until you achieve a thick icing-like consistency. (You can add more milk if the glaze is too thick for you but add it very slowly because it takes less milk than you think!) Spoon the glaze into one corner of a ziplock bag. Using scissors, cut the corner of the bag (only a very small part) and pipe the glaze onto the cooled scones. Enjoy!

The Loaded Burger

“Life is like a box of chocolates loaded burger!”

I am still in awe that my last post was featured on Freshly Pressed two days ago! (A big thanks to everyone that read it!) Being a newbie in the blogging scene, I am very fortunate and grateful that this happened, and now I am even more excited to keep up with my blogging adventures! For the many that don’t blog or read blogs often, being on Freshly Pressed probably isn’t a very big deal, but for me, it was all I needed to start the New Year off with a bang!

Just one day before my post was on Freshly Pressed,  it was the first time I had ever received a comment on my blog from a total stranger. After reading it, I did a full-fledged victory dance (yes, arms pumping, legs kicking and everything!) in my room for about 15 minutes and then went to bed with a huge grin on my face. I was ecstatic! And honestly, this one comment in itself would have made me entirely content with my blog. The ability to reach out to anyone, even if it’s just one person, is such a magnificent feeling. (And not only via blogging, but in life as well.)

I realized that if the small recognition I received from this blog made me feel so happy, there are definitely so many more things that surround us daily that we often forget to appreciate. So I gave myself a couple minutes just to acknowledge the other simple things that I am grateful for and know I don’t give proper credit to, such as the ability to take a hot shower every morning, the delicious tea that starts my day, and the sunny weather that decided to come out today amidst all of dark skies that have been looming around this entire week. Sometimes we have to consciously make ourselves stop and be thankful for the little things. And once we are able recognize these tiny indulgences throughout the day, all of the bigger worries don’t seem as bad. We become a little happier. And after all, that’s what we’re all essentially striving for in life, right? Happiness. So take a look around you and just meditate a little on what you are lucky to have but haven’t consciously appreciated in a while. Maybe it’s warm socks that come straight out of the dryer and directly onto your feet, the cell phone that allows you to keep close contact with your family and friends any time of the day, or that picture on your wall that always seems to brighten your mood when you walk by it–whatever your little joys may be, none of them are too small to appreciate. Try and practice this everyday and you will begin to see all of the wonderful things around you.

After I took a moment to take in everything that I was thankful for, I decided to make myself an appetizing Friday night dinner–a loaded burger. I put ground turkey (to attempt to make my meal a little healthier), diced onion, jalapenos, mushrooms, and feta cheese in a bowl and mixed them all together. Then I shaped the meat into patties and cooked them on the stove using my grill pan. After they finished cooking, I topped them off with a little cheddar cheese, tomatoes, avocado, baby greens and placed them on some toasted whole wheat buns.

While digging in, each little ingredient that I had added within the patty gave my tastes buds a little surprise with each bite! Yum. In a way, a loaded burger is kind of like those little pleasures in life–tiny treasures hidden randomly for you to find and enjoy each day (or every bite). 

What special ingredient popped up in your life today?

Making Resolutions (and Diets) More Attainable

“Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength.”

In honor of the New Year, I thought I’d see how everyone was keeping up on their resolutions! Each year, you can find that almost everyone adds to their list of resolutions something that has to do with health, weight or being happier. The idea of making these resolutions is very admirable, but the actual execution is usually a lot harder to attain and keep than actually making the goals themselves. Why is it that we work so hard the first couple of months and then just let our old routine sneak back up on us? Before we know it, we’re back at square one. What is that extra push that we need to complete these tasks?

A short article describes how creating New Year’s resolutions is a form of “cultural procrastination”, and I agree. We wait for a good reason to actually start changing a habit that has been negatively affecting us (because obviously the actual habit wasn’t reason enough). So we allow ourselves to keep the habit until, hm, the New Year! And although statistics prove that following through with each New Year’s resolution normally doesn’t work out, we still attempt them over and over with an incoherent faith that this time, it will be different. One reason for these failed endeavors, according to the article, is that the goals made are too broad and a year is usually too much time to give yourself. If you set more detailed goals within a stricter time line (e.g. monthly), you will be able to reach checkpoints that will eventually bring you to your desired result. Most people make their goals with expectations that are too high, don’t see results, and end up regressing to their former state. Why? Because it’s easier than changing your lifestyle, and the old routine is just too comfortable. But, is it?

Just like starting a new diet, with resolutions we begin cut-throat and with an unstoppable ambition to be better. However, after the first couple weeks of starting your new healthy routine, you let yourself slip and eat an entire box of cookies, that TV show about insects you really need to watch happens to be on during the time you’re suppose to be at the gym, and so on–you know how those excuses go. To avoid burnout from extreme lifestyle changes, creating smaller and more feasible objectives is a much better way to initiate your plan. For instance, instead of avoiding all fats and sugars in your new, hard-core diet, you should allow yourself sweets and goodies in moderation. I mean, who can resist a piece of cake every now and then anyway? This blog is about delicious food, cooking and eating and I absolutely can’t (and won’t) tell you not to eat anything that might be a little too sweet for a diet! But if you’ve made a goal (any goal!) this year, I encourage you to work hard towards it–because I guarantee the feeling and sense of accomplishment after reaching it is a feeling unlike anything else. Don’t forget, this blog is also about living a happy and healthy lifestyle!

So, take a look at those goals that you set for 2011 and refine them. Whether it’s a new exercise/diet routine, being more productive, saving money, learning a new language or keeping up with a new blog, don’t give up and settle for last year’s standards. Instead, narrow down each goal by month and write down what you would like to see at the end of that month. This will keep you on track, and each month you can see what you need to adjust to make your end result reachable. It’s ok to modify your goals, just don’t give up entirely on them.

So let’s be different this time and not just say we’re going to do it, let’s actually do it! Who’s with me? My resolutions are: post to this blog at least 3 times a week, exercise at least 3 times a week, and spend more time with family and friends. I will also remind myself to assess my progress each month to see how I am keeping up with everything!

What are your goals for this month/year?

Hot Pot is Where the Heart Is

They say you get as much out of life as you put into it. Well, the same goes for a traditional hot pot meal. After an abrupt change in plans over the weekend, I found myself back in my hometown to fix my car that decided to break down right before (literally an hour) my planned trip. As disappointed as I was to cancel my trip, the weekend actually turned out pretty well! I got to visit with my family, fix my car, and eat lots of tasty food.

Along with some dim sum dishes, homemade fish and crab soup, and clam chowder, our hot pot dinner was the biggest treat of all. My mom slaved away all morning to prepare this delicious meal (thanks, Mom!), and it was well worth the wait. Among these items prepared for the hot pot were enokitake mushrooms, straw mushrooms, sugar peas, bok choy, celery, onion, tofu, rice noodles, chicken, beef, squid, and shrimp. Wow. And to top it off, the homemade broth, that stewed for hours beforehand, was combined with spices to make a hot and sour Thai Tom Yum Soup that we would eventually cook our meal in. Hot pot is also served with a spicy, yet sweet soy sauce that you can dip your food in right before you eat it! What a wonderful way to end a great weekend that started so unpleasantly.

Hot pot is one of my favorite meals because you can adjust however you want! You can make it spicier, more sour, and add any ingredients that you are craving that particular day. It’s the perfect meal that gathers everyone around the table so you can all share the experience together, particularly on on cold day.

The more effort you put into your hot pot dish, the more you gain in the end. You patiently wait for your pieces of food to cook thoroughly, and then enjoy the flavors of your work. Abundance in variety and timing are the most important factors to a good hot pot. These elements are also essential in…you guessed it, life! Sometimes things don’t always work out as planned, but it’s nothing a little family time and hot pot can’t fix. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Sushi in Moderation? I Don’t Think So.

Once upon a time, in a little town outside of Sacramento, there was a  hidden gold mine of sushi buffets. College students flocked the places, told their friends and eventually, word spread like wildfire. These little gems attracted everyone: fanatics, newbies, people who liked to eat a lot, hungry college students, and some that were just curious about the rave.

For those of you who like love sushi, Davis is a must for the ultimate sushi buffet experience. For only around $12 at lunch, you can stroll into any one of these joints and order pretty much whatever you want! Elaborate rolls, miso soup, sashimi, tempura, seaweed salad, edamame, and much more. [Tip for future buffet-goers: Always designate an anchor in your group. Some buffets charge if you don’t finish all of your sushi so bring someone that will be able to finish those last couple pieces when everyone else is too full!] Also, if you find the right restaurant at the right time, you might even get to end up getting your sushi served to you in the local bar next door! This actually happened to my friends and me once on a Friday night, so you can imagine how it looked as the weekend partiers started piling in and saw us chowing down on sushi! I think it’s safe to say that you will always have a memorable experience when visiting one of these sushi buffets.

I did learn an interesting fact about sushi through these experiences though. We took a friend who was visiting from Japan to the lunch buffet. First, he told us that they actually don’t eat that much sushi in Japan (I was shocked!) and when he looked at the rolls that came out, he was very surprised at how extravagant they looked. He explained that in Japan, their sushi rolls were very simple and only usually consisted of one main ingredient. As we stuffed our faces with sushi, he gave us his approval but laughed at how hard the United States attempts to put their own personal touch on everything. I didn’t think we did it with sushi, but I guess we do! We have Americanized sushi. We like to load it with anything (see “Jackass Roll“) and everything we can so it’s the ultimate sushi roll–which of course means the best, right? Not really. I can’t deny that I wouldn’t enjoy a sushi roll as huge as my hand, but we, as a society, sometimes tend to forget to keep things simple. Through food and other hobbies, our nation has adopted a Go Big or Go Home mindset that has encouraged us to set extravagant goals and not stop until they are completed. In the case of mouth-watering sushi, I am a sucker for large portions and believe that it is ok to indulge in all-you-can-eat sushi from time to time. However, because of the bold lifestyles that Americans abide by, we sometimes tend to get out of hand. Bigger is not necessarily always better. While the United States isn’t the most obese country in the world, it ranks pretty close to the top. According to a 2010 Country Ranking, the United States comes in as the 18th most obese country while Japan is ranked 137th out of 153 on the list! [Updated: This site says that the U.S. ranks #1, so I’m not sure which is correct.]  Regardless, this fact, by no means, makes me want to eat an all-you-can-eat sushi meal any less (because the combination of endless sticky rice, seaweed and fish dipped in soy sauce is just simply too irresistible). It does however serve as a friendly reminder from our friends in Japan, and in this case with sushi, that sometimes simplicity exceeds excess.

So, if you ever get the chance to test your eating skills at a sushi buffet, I say, Go for it! The dishes are just too delectable to not try at least once (I mean, how can you resist?). But, also remember that everything in moderation (with life and food) is the key to being a healthier and happier person!