Isn’t it amazing how terrible 2016 was? There were so many things that just melted our brains from Brexit to Trump, police brutality to Aleppo, devastating natural disasters to Orlando & more. Congratulations on making it to 2017, but I regret to inform you that it’s not looking up all that much. Okay, forget the whole negative introduction because we can’t fight bollocks with hatred & pessimism. Let’s start this new year at Tiffany Bee on a more positive note: how I convince people to hang out with me i.e. if you feed them, they will come. Last year, I made poké for my friends & they loved it. This year, I’m finally sharing my recipe. For those of you out of the trendy food loop, poké is a Hawaiian dish consisting of seasoned raw fish that is complemented by a variety of accoutrements including rice or vegetables. It is an incredibly fresh & healthy dish, depending on its seasoning & accoutrements. If made in the comforts of your own home, it is easily more affordable & tastier than a restaurant. California’s been sprouting poké restaurants everywhere, you’d think they weren’t in a drought. Bad pun, I’m sorry Cali, forgive me. While it’s raining poké in Cali, Boston has only grown one poké restaurant & FFS it’s not even in Boston Proper, it’s in Somerville. That’s okay though, because where Boston is slacking, I GOT YOU COVERED WITH THIS RECIPE SO SCROLL DOWN, LOOK @ MAH PICS, & CLICK ON THE RECIPE LINK 2 FALLINLURVE.
Original Recipes
Today, I’d like to share with you my delicious new recipe of Blackened Cocoa Fish Tacos, which has a fantastic mix of coffee & cocoa powder. Coffee infused with cocoa is also a great alternative to coffee + cocoa powder. After my nearly month old post on South American inspired recipes, I’ve found myself on a bit of Latin kick. While I haven’t explored much of Boston’s offerings–honestly I’ve been told that there’s not much to explore anyway, I mean we don’t even have Valentina or Tajin, you guys; the struggle is real–I love making my own Latin dishes whether it’s tacos, nachos, enchiladas, or mole. Seeeee, I don’t only eat sushi & various Asian food, gosh.
Lacey, one of my best friends who’s currently studying abroad in Sydney, took note of my absence on TB the other day. She knows I loathe Facebook, so I don’t update it, which means she doesn’t get updated on what I’m doing with my life unless it’s on my Instagram or I text her. Well Lacey & other curious/noisy people, I’m updating, so I hope you can handle it. You ready?? I’m ready.
Last month, my former roommate Gaby visited me in Boston. She had never been before & wanted to eat ALL THE THINGS. Not only did Gaby & I share a bedroom back at our days at UCLA, we also share very similar backgrounds. Both our fathers are physicians, our parents are immigrants, our cultures value family & good food, & obviously, we both grew up in Southern California. Aside from all that, Gaby is a delight to dine & travel around the city with. She’s up for anything & eats it all, raw, cooked, fermented, whatever! She has a much stronger aversion to fennel than I do, which makes pho–a very popular Vietnamese noodle soup–on her list of, “I wish I could like it, but it has fennel [seeds].” So while she was here, we avoided Vietnamese food because no one (besides Vietnam) does Vietnamese food like SoCal anyway & went for New England’s finest: clam chowder, lobster rolls, & oysters. Gaby didn’t get to try my tacos, she did get a bowl of my Bun Rieu, a delicious Vietnamese tomato & crab noodle soup that happens to both be our favorites. It’s my specialty Vietnamese soup & her favorite thing I make. I hear she’s paying me in a surprise package of Valentina & Tajin, so I’m really excited. La vida es mejor picante!! Una vida sin picante es una vida muy triste. Muchas gracias, Gaby. 🙂
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One of the questions I like to frequently ask my culinary inclined friends is what their specialty dish is. Some say tacos, while others say nachos. That was obviously a semi-clever attempt to rhyme, but realistically, some say enchiladas, while others have said grilled steak–which I think is easier than making instant ramen so I press on for something more complex. So, what do I say when someone turns the question to me? Without skipping a beat, my reply is always, “noodles.” Whether the noodles are Asian, Italian, or Jewish, I have a natural love & knack for making great noodle-y dishes. Baked, raw, stir-fried, steamed, soaked, or freshly made, I can easily whip you up a bowl of delicious noodles whether you prefer them in soups, alone, or as a dipping tool. I suppose you’d like me to provide some troth of my noodle specialty, to which I say to you, NO PROBLEMO, AMIGO/A.
Here’s a real conversation I just had with Josh as I type this at 12:29 AM on the day after his birthday:
Me: Hey Josh, what would you say is my ultimate culinary specialty?
Josh: *swivels around from his computer chair to face me* Noodles & Asian fusion.
See, I can’t even make this up. Now that my boyfriend has totally verified my capabilities, let’s get on with this recipe I’ve just posted, which I previewed on Instagram last month. I bring you my Mediterranean inspired Hearty Alphabet Soup recipe. It’s vegetarian & vegan friendly too! It’s not exactly Asian fusion, but it does feature noodles & childhood nostalgia.