Thursday, July 31, 2008

oooooh...Come to Mama!

Chocolate Goodness, by Katie Moon.

Chocolate Cake! yummm! I was writing about healthy food, eating them and as I was doing so, my door bell rang and there stood an angelic face of my neighbor with what I see as food in her hand. I was already smiling. Nothing looks like that than Chocolate Cake! Yummy, glistened shiny chocolate frosting see through from the container. oh my! She ask me if I would like to have some chocolate cake!!! "PINCH ME!" I told her:) Thanks Katie! oh I am so running/cycling/walking this weekend and I don't care! It's worth every bite!

I can't wait. Not to even put in on a plate. here's a few seconds damage I have made.

No mercy!
Yumm! That is a serious cake! Smooth, Chocolaty and Super Moist!
oh..my! leave me alone now:)

Katie is my neighbor whose kids I go play with whenever I hear their voice outside. They have been my remedy of my missing my nieces and nephews at home. Bless those kids. We exchange food a lot, which I also do to my other long time friend and neighbor, Naomi:)

Yang, if you read this, there might be or not be any left:) heheheh. Its mine..all mine...muuuahahahahahaha!

Turmeric Pepper Chicken Salad®

Turmeric Pepper Chicken Salad®

I have been eating good lately. I am gonna make some of my friends who read this drool:) you know who you are:) Its healthy, cheap and so yummy. I call it clean food. [ substitute any greens according to your region]

I miss my mom and her cooking especially fried fish marinated with turmeric and salt. I can eat a plate of just that.

Its cut chicken breast about half inch thick, marinated with turmeric powder, salt and fresh cracked pepper. Sometimes a squeeze of lemon juice. That's the short marinate. The long marinate, my fav chef, Alton Brown would soak chicken with salt water with a few peppercorn and overnight it in fridge. I love this technique. Your chicken is so moist and flavorful when you cook 'em. I would soak the whole chicken breast before cutting it.

Pan fry chicken with a bit of olive oil in pan . 5-7 minutes on each side or like I do, I would flip it if I see the one side all caramelized:).

Once cooked, I let those good eats rest a bit. That is if I can stand it. I'll have romaine and iceberg lettuce with chopped parsley. A mixture of the lettuce creates the crunch factor, then come the cut into cube chicken. Sprinkle with raisins. Yes, raisins. Anti-oxidant, sweet and scrumptious, a contrast in taste against the salty goodness, crunchy almost tasteless vege with aromatic parsley. No. I did not forget the dressings because I don't use dressings in this one. yeah..you may think, "R U nuts? Salad without dressings???" Trust me. Enjoy the taste of just the cold raw vege against warm or even cold chicken, with sweet raisin and aromatic herb, is enough to tease your taste buds:) let it dance, let it dance:) yummm. Well, if you still want dressings, squeeze some lemon and drizzle olive oil:) m-m-m-m-m:)

Try it, cooking is an art, not science;) Baking is. Just watch your salt:)

Monday, July 28, 2008

Li'l Teddy chillin' on a Big bike*!

Last Saturday, we spotted and saw this on the highway and I thought that this was the cutest thing! A very cute teddy bear riding as a passenger on a beautiful big bike* ! oooowh ...:) My cameraphone did not do justice, but I'll share it with you anyway:) click on it to see more.

* my brother-in-law, Boh, who is a bike aficionado, whom at this moment in a diving chamber, told me its a Japanese bike, which I thought was a Harley:) Thanks Boh! shows how much I know about bikes:) Boh, you have to come here one day:) bring your girls!

Dive Safe, bro!

click on the images to enlarge

Saturday, July 19, 2008

I stopped, stared & analyzed. Ann Arbor Art Fair 08

My recent asthma prevented me to walk and enjoy what I have been waiting for the last few months and today, the weather cooled down. I went. As I was in my zone, "Beep!", my camera phone's says low battery:( I wish so much I got a high res DSLR right then:( Words could not express what I saw. I went to their website, nah, that didn't help either, the images on their site, I would say, did not do justice to what you would see with your own naked eye. What I can tell you, if you ever get to know if these artists are coming to a nearby art fair, you go! Don't think. Just Go! You stare and analyze then wonder why they are who they are. Nah, not talking about that one you see here. those are pre-dead phone battery. but those are fun ones. - Bug'ems (pic above) & glass work seen in the art fair.


Below are list of art pieces that stopped me. Since I am camera-less, I am linking their websites with their art piece displayed. Remember, I did speed browsing as I only have a few hours and usually it would take me at least the whole day to finish.

Paper Expressions by Hetty and Norman Metzger of Florida. This one truly gave me goosebumps. The detail that these two artists had done were remarkable. So detail, all paper boxes well aligned with beautifully coordinated colors. I had a chance talking to Hetty Metzger, and how amazing her paper weave was. No, not ordinary weave, its paper fringe weave. "Oh my, how did you have the time?", I asked. An amazing lady patiently described her pieces. huhmmm..I am speechless. If I can recall..its something to do with Gators. So, so good!

Another was a metal art piece that just caught my attention. Lacosse Design by Scott & Victoria Lacosse of Sanford, Michigan. It takes true artist in my point of view to make hard metal looking so smooth and soft. I don't see it being a hard material but looking it almost like another soft textured medium. The treatment that was put into each art piece was so well thought of, colors are so well blended with its contrast of not just shapes, but the hues that interplay with each other, then a sudden copper wire and black steel ties each piece giving it a contemporary feel.

Frogs singing:)

Next three sites are for those who love textile art and how I adore these ones. Like I said earlier, their websites did not do justice to what you would see with your own eye.

Mimi Design Chicago displays beautiful modern quilt technique done from raw white textile and dyed each piece or section then sewn.

The next artist was Sierra A. Cole of Grand Rapids, Michigan, whom reminds me so much of my friend June, whom made me love textile more than anyone. Back to the artist. Her color choices are so beautiful, warm, cold and neutral colors. It would remind you of all the spring, summer, fall and winter colors in cold Michigan winter. Her fresh designs sticks in memory chip:)

Last but not least, was Susan Levi-Goerlich from Columbia, Maryland who did gorgeous silk collage using felt technique. No sticthing. She basically "paints" her pieces with silk collage. Its so amazing how it was done. I wish so much how I have a micrcospic eye where I can see each strand of material flows into each layer. too bad, she says she needs to take a year break, meaning I won't see her in the next Art fair:(

I love Art Fairs, especially Ann Arbor's. If you ever are in the area, come sometimes every 3rd week of July each and every year.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Anthony Bourdain and the King of Fruits! Hah!

I salute you Anthony Bourdain! Saw him on No Reservation Indonesia episode, he ate the King of Fruits! - the Durian. Pronounced as [doo r-ee-uhn, -ahn] Duri, in Malay language means thorn.

durianThe only thing is that, someone needs to teach Tony the exact way to extract, what most westerners think as stinky fruit, those delicious sweet, heavenly, custard-y flesh. He whacked the poor thing in the middle, diagonally. A no, no!:) The fruit, ( oooh..how I am so passionate in opening this fruit ) nature had divided into compartments:), sections. If you look carefully, there is a line, what I call a river running through the thorny valley (always in my fantasy world with thorny jungle) - tweak the top that usually cracks when ripe. ooolala!- you will find, what we call the sleeping cat, the best of all. Meaning, in a compartment, resides one, not two nor three, but one cuddly looking, fluffy, sweet, yummy goodness which, most of the time with a very small seed. Tell me how else can you describe this. Oww..I cannot think! How I miss this fruit!

Sunday, July 6, 2008

April Fool's Fest '08

Images taken at Main Street, Ann Arbor FestiFool's Fest. A festivals where volunteers of all ages make huge humongous papier-mâché puppets and parade all of these beautiful artwork in downtown Ann Arbor.





Enjoy!

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Those clumps of clouds.



Look and observe. An art gallery of its kind.

Duck swimming in BlueBerries:)

Marketing made fun. Today, at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, I see a Duck and ducklings swimming in a "pool" of blueberries, dark maroon-brownish Sunflowers, Gooseberries. Really. Gooseberries! Buckets of fresh vegetables and fruits. Ahhh..summer air, beautiful sky and slightly cool morning air. [all taken with my cell cam. I need to bring a high res cam]


Ducks & ducklings


Gooseberries.

Sunflowers.

Ooof!.. gorgeous!


Now, don't you think these are beautiful food?

Mother nature and its best creations.