This is going to be the summer of Astoria, I had promised myself. Greek food, Italian food, outdoor brunches, and midday cafe people watching with my cutey sidekick dog, Ker Ai.
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Lavender Lemon Cake
After attending the bookclub meeting, I had a craving for tea and cake, specifically lavender tea. Did you know lavender is used to treat anger and insomnia?
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Meatball Stuffed Ridged Gourd
Ridged gourd is one of those vegetables I was completely turned off by as a kid. It has a strange bitter taste, it looks green, and it has spikes. Seriously, it is a not an appetizing looking vegetable. My mother used to make meatballs stuffing them into these ridge gourd and cooked them in a soup. I resented eating them for a very long time.
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LIC Flea Market Opening Weekend 2014
Sure, flea market is not the correct term used for events like this. But calling it LIC Open Market for Expensive Food and Tinkeries doesn’t ring the same bell. It’s quite long and cumbersome to roll off the tongue.
From stall to stall, I enjoyed viewing different food, reading ingredients, looking at the colors, the richness and the beauty of all the food out for display. It takes you out of the city mode for a few bit of seconds before you have those annoying rushing-off-off-somewhere-New-Yorker pushing their way to get to something. I mean, what exactly are you rushing off to in Long Island City? It’s literally a ghost town.
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Stir Fried Tofu with Greenoodle
Astoria has a growing Japanese population that ramen houses are popping up alongside sushi restaurants. And they aren’t those generic half Chinese/Mexican food type of chain restaurants. They are quite decent and innovative with their flavors and dishes.
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Chocolate Honey Banana Bread
Spring seems less likely to arrive as March enters mid-month with temperature barely above freezing. Some days, it’s a balmy 50 degree F and then the next, dips below freezing with freezing wind.
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Blood Orange Earl Grey Cake
If anyone knows me, they’ll know that I absolutely adore Earl Grey tea. One time I went to Paris, I bought boxes of earl grey and green tea cookies from Mariage Frères, Maison de Thé à Paris. There were so many boxes that when I went to the airport, a flight attendant asked me to put the wheels of my luggage in my bag. When we opened the bag, cookies (and chocolate) spilled out at the check-in counter. I was so embarrassed by my cookie and chocolate hoarding and the crew just laughed at me. (This is not the first time I went to Paris where the crew laughed at a food I took from Paris.)
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Heart-Day Dinner
Valentine’s Day could just be another ordinary day but it’s definitely a GREAT excuse to have a special romantic dinner at home with candles, flowers and wine. I got a text message from my mother, which always feels good. And I got my dog a toy. I know that everyday should be a day to tell your loved ones you loved them, but it’s not a bad idea to a commercial reminder once in awhile.
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Lavender Tofucotta with Strawberry Sauce
I have had such a fascination for lavender for quite some time. Last summer, I had bought dried lavender to make lemonade and it’s been taunting me since I was not sure what to make with it. Last month, for the bookclub meeting, I had met up at this French restaurant in Brooklyn that had Blanc Manger, which was basically lavender panna cotta. It was amazing!
Veggie Chik Lettuce Cup
Meatless Mondays started out as a way for my boyfriend and I to have dinner together instead of eating out or working late. We also found it as a good habit to have for our quest to maintaining a healthy and fit lifestyle.
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