Snow Storm 2010

Will this be the last of it before spring arrives??

Did you enjoy the quiet time during the snowfall?

I could only remember two things - wet socks and an aching back from snow shovelling. In all, it wasn't that bad. At least I survived. NYC survived.

Random thoughts...

I took this random picture while I strolled around the Meatpacking District in Manhattan. I love rundown, realistic objects. If I had a choice of career, I would love to be a documentary photographer. It's a risky job, but it would be so fulfilling and meaningful.

When I saw this fan, I could imagine it had labored through many hours of usage, keeping the person/space cool and comfortable. Now that the weather is cold, this machine has no further purpose, but only as a decoration by a barred window. The fan's weathered condition hasn't been remedied by anyone. For once, I felt sorry for this object, wishing someone would at least brush off the prolific dust or at least adjust the fan so it isn't drooping its 'head'. We often under appreciate the small details around our lives.

Just a thought. A random thought.

Happy Lunar New Year!

Happy Lunar New Year! Today is the start of the Year of the Tiger. Roaaarrr!

According to the lunar calendar, this year's New Year's Day conveniently falls on Valentine's Day as well, so people can just celebrate both holiday all in one! Recession-proof holiday I tell ya. :)

Lunar New Year isn't solely celebrated by the Chinese, as most expected, but rather other Asian countries also take part of the festivities as well, such as Taiwan, Korea, Philippines, Laos, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Yes, more excuses to indulge in various types of Asian cuisine!

As for Chinese traditions, there are dishes that are especially created for our new year and one of them is my favorite 'dessert', which is 'sweet mochi cake', also known as 'Nián gāo', which is a homonym for "higher year", but really a symbol for growth and prosperity. I love it because it's chewy, slightly sweet, and just very warming. I like to pan fry it a little to give it a more 'mochi' chewiness.

I was also in Chinatown, NY to join in the festivity (and crowdiness). Lots of confetti were flying around and kids everywhere were slapping firecrackers on the ground. Scared me to death! :)

Hope everyone had a fun Lunar New Year/Valentine's Day!

Revive Leftover Bread - Make French Toast!

Let's face it. As much as we wanted (or tempted) to eat an entire loaf of freshly baked bread or bought one from a well-sourced bakery, we still end up with some leftovers in the fridge. Then I would go out and find another shop and buy something there and I would end up with a box full of old bread at home. What to do?? I don't want to feed them to the pigeons (don't want to attract bird doo doo for me to clean up) and I definitely don't want to trash them (a big waste of food!) Since I couldn't sleep this morning (perhaps I was worried about the snowstorm that was predicted for NY, but turned out pretty calm after all), I had some time 'to waste' so I managed to revive some of the old bread to create a french toast breakfast for mom.

It's quiet easy to cook this dish without much effort. All you need is egg, a touch of sugar, milk, a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg and my secret ingredient is corn starch to create a 'crust' on the french toast. For the final toast, I just sprinkle some powdered sugar more for visual effect than for the sweet taste. As for toppings? It's up to your imagination. I was lazy, but I went for the default maple syrup and butter. But if you'd like to fancy up the meal, you can easily make a fruit compote by cooking up some fruit with easy part sugar and water and reduce the mixture down to a thick sauce.

So the moral of the story is - Want not, waste not. :)