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I just wanted to thank all of you who wished me well on my move to Boston. In the world of food blogging, it’s really quite rare that people will actually read what you write, so I’m thankful to those that take the time to read my blurbs. While many of you might be a bunch of internet strangers, I appreciate the generosity & support you’ve shown me as my blog & academic career continue to move forward. Here are a bunch of pictures of food I ate &/or made that I forgot to put up. For more posts on pictures of food I ate, explore my Foodie Fridays category.
My Obsession with Sushi Has to Stop
Sango Sushi is a chain of a few restaurants sprinkled throughout California. It’s not the best sushi & anyone who gives it a 5 star rating on Yelp! probably can’t tell you the difference between nigiri & sashimi, but it tickles your sushi craving, however doesn’t satiate it by any means. Their prices are similar to what you’d pay at an established sushi restaurant that has significantly better quality fish. Since I’m obsessed with chirashi more than I am with specialty rolls–too Americanized, too many complicated flavors going on taking away from the fish–Sango’s chirashi bowl is not so bad.
Foodie Words of Wisdom: Try getting a chirashi bowl at the next sushi restaurant instead of the typical specialty rolls you otherwise would. It’s the perfect way to gauge the quality of the fish & how good the chefs are. Judge a sushi restaurant by their sashimi, not by how many different mayo sauces they can pour over a California roll. Also, if the rice is plain & has no seasoning &/or they used Jasmine rice instead of short grain sushi rice, they don’t know what they’re doing.
Political Activism: Stop buying Bluefin Tuna. If you love sushi, stop ordering it. It’s currently one of the most overfished species of fish & is quickly becoming endangered. If we want to enjoy this fish in the future, we should only order it when it’s in season (if you really can’t control your cravings) or quit it cold turkey. It also has a high mercury content so if you need a health reason, there you go. You can do it, sushi addicts, I believe in you.
Homemade Udon
My #1 favorite Japanese noodle dish is udon, a thick rice flour noodle. Udon tastes great in restaurants, but not that great at home because the noodles I used aren’t freshly made. Since learning that udon really only requires flour & water, I had to give it a go. Took a bunch of attempts to perfect it, but it turned out great!
Foodie Words of Wisdom: When trying to recreate this at home, make sure you use the right flour with 9g of protein, found in a Japanese grocery store. Any other flour with less than 9g of protein will not hold its shape correctly.
Goodie Friday…?
I signed up to be part of Influenster a while ago, hoping that maybe one day, I’d get some free loot out of it & I did! I’ve been so caught up with traveling & my move that I nearly forgot about documenting it. I’m strongly encouraged to review the products, so these opinions are mine, blah blah blah.
I love Pure Leaf! I’ve had their drinks before & it legitimately tastes like brewed tea, except of course it’s not as fresh as freshly brewed tea. The lemon flavored one was really quite nice. Refreshing & sweet, perfect for non-loose leaf tea drinkers. These are starting to really gain popularity as well, so you can try one out the next time you go grocery shopping.
Elizabeth Arden’s Flawless Future Powered by Ceramide Caplet Serum is really adorable. The beads are supposed to be activated when they pop to help reduce fine lines & wrinkles. I’ve used it a few times, but I can’t say I notice much of a difference yet because I haven’t used it consistently enough.
Haven’t used this yet because I haven’t burn myself yet. They wanted me to share a strange burn story (have none) & take a selfie with this…I mean, come on…
Bikini Ready gummy bites are these caffeinated gummy candies that are marketed to get you “bikini ready,” but they’re honestly just caffeinated gummies. I read the ingredients, the first being corn syrup, go figure, so I wouldn’t be popping these in your mouth thinking you’re going to wake up with abs. They’re supposed to keep you energized so you’re not fatigued at the gym. They taste great nevertheless & they’re quick to consume versus drinking an entire cup of coffee, but they are corn syrup gummies & that just isn’t great for you.
I was sent a Softlips lip balm that was warn vanilla flavored. I love lip balm & the feel of this is really nice. It moisturizes my lips really well.
That pretty much concludes my Voxbox loot, but I do have a problem with these Voxboxes. While I love receiving free merchandise & I have no problem talking about it, I do have a problem with how much work they actually require you to do to gain a “badge.” My Instagram is mostly about food & photography, so if I suddenly started posting tons of pictures of beauty products & tampons, that’s just flippin’ weird. I can only imagine how many guys would start unfollowing me if I instagrammed the Playtex tampons…
I’m just never going to get any of these badges at this point. There’s so much you have to do just for one badge & I just don’t have time for it! Regardless, I think everyone should sign up for Influenster even if you don’t have time to complete the badges, it’s a great way to sample products from brands you’ve either never heard of or have always wanted to try. Realistically, I think blogging about it is enough, but what do I know?
Last, but not least: very belated birthday gifts from Nancy. Nancy runs a really great music blog so if you love concert photography that doesn’t suck, go visit her blog & check out her pictures, reviews, & opinions on music!
Stay tuned for more recipes. I finally got my pots & pans delivered from home, so nooodles comin’ at ya!
I can’t believe you were able to make udon noodles. That’s crazy talent right there! I wish I had the patience to make actual noodles.
I don’t eat sashimi often, but I agree with the tuna being endangered. I watched a documentary when I was on a airplane in 2012, and I watched as the fishermen were explaining to the reporter that the tuna was being hunted so extensively, that they were getting rarer and rarer. I wished more people would stop killing animals that are endangered.
I agreeeeee, girl, I agree. We need to stop selling & hunting animals that are endangered or on their way to being endangered. There are laws against many animals from being hunted, but there are always people out there who do it for the money anyway. Tuna is one of the most lucrative fish out there & even though we have an association that has created strict laws against the fishing of tuna, there are pirates out there that will catch them anyway & sell them just to make a pretty penny. I understand that people need to feed their families, but doing it so dishonestly & hurting an ecological system while doing it so no way of feeding your family at all.
I love your photos. They’re so beautiful! The udon looks great 🙂
It does seem weird that influenster want you to have specific comments about their products. You’d think they’d just let you do what you like and hopefully promote the products.
Thanks!
The udon noodles you made looks great! I would have never considered making my own, but it’s a good idea. I also didn’t know about how one should use flour with 9g of protein. Good to know, though! Definitely will try to remember that 🙂
And I really like that bag you have in the last photo. I’m on an eco-bag kick, so that caught my eyes.
All those photos of sushi and stuff looks so good. I am not into eating raw fish, but I can still enjoy your gorgeous food photo and grow hungry looking at it! ^^
Thank you! The protein content is a huge deal when it comes to making udon. Chemistry is everything with cooking! 😀
The tote bag was a gift from my friend for my birthday. I didn’t bring it with me when I moved, but I do love tote bags. I just never seem to really use them unless they’re the larger ones for groceries. Good for you for being on an eco-bag kick! Every time you use your bags instead of plastic shopping bags, you’re doing the world a huge favor!
So much good stuff here. Where to start? Oh the noodles, how beautiful they are! I recently watched a video showing a Japanese cook mastering the art of soba. Lots of attention is required to make those little noodles. Handcraft work is the best, even in the kitchen.
Like you, I’m not a fan of products with corn syrup as first ingredient 🙂 but I like the lip balm, so cute!
Right?! It’s no wonder that Japan has been awarded so many Michelin stars. Their culinary cuisine is amazing & requires so much attention to detail. Making udon was so tedious, but rewarding when done right. Soba…I can’t even imagine trying to cut the noodles so thin. It’s some dedication right there!
I HAVE AN OBSESSION WITH SUSHI TOO. Your chirashi bowl looks more legit than the one I had from Monrovia (I’m guessing it’s because the styrofoam bowl ruined the atmosphere, haha). How much was that plate? IT HAS UNI TOO!!! Recently, I’ve been judging by the way the chefs cut the fishes. I encountered a couple of ugly cuts when I went to eat out with people at work :I. And some sushi places actually use Jasmine rice? /o\.
Your homemade udon looks legit x1298371984. Especially since it’s freshly made and doesn’t contain extra ingredients aside from flour and water. I must try that out one day!
The caplet serum looks interesting. Basically when you squeeze the top part, some of the beads pop? Hopefully they will work in the long run. And wow, who needs coffee when you got those “bikini ready” energy gummies. I like the way the Softlips balm look!
Hope you’ll enjoy those gifts~
I love chirashi! I’m trying to cut down on my fish consumption though because it’s not great for the environment & your health. Well, fish is loaded with nutrients, but it has a drawback (mercury) so more vegetables, less animals for me! The bowl was around $17 I think. The quality of the fish isn’t so bad, the uni is actually decent, but the rice itself isn’t well prepared – not seasoned. Some sushi places don’t use the right kind of sushi rice! Short-grain, y’all! Come on!
Yep! Just flour, water, & a little bit of salt. I was pretty proud of it. You should try it if you have like 3 hours of your life to blow on making noodles haha. It’s rewarding when they come out right!
& yep yep! I keep forgetting to use it. Can’t even find it right now, but it’s cute. Smells nice too. I use the softlips lip balm daily, but my lips are still chapped. Go figureeeee.
I have periods where I’m totally obsessed with sushi and get it every week. (I think it’s mostly in the summer when I don’t want hot foods.) Getting a chirashi bowl is a good tip! Plus, some of the bowls come with a very large variety. I typically get nigiri at sushi restaurants because I think most rolls have too much sauce on it. It really distracts from the taste of the fish! It’s sad about bluefin tuna being overfished though 🙁 That’s actually a sushi I normally don’t order.
That’s awesome that you make your own udon noodles! They look great 😀 I’ve only ever made my own pasta noodles and that took me a few attempts too.
You got a lot of things in your Voxbox! I think that’s funny that they wanted you to take a selfie with the burn cream, haha. I haven’t heard of Influenster, though I get pretty lazy about reviewing things I get so that’s probably not for me.
Cat, the struggle is real. There are about 5 places that deliver, so, you can see that this is testing my self-control. If my metabolism weren’t faster….I swear I would be 300 pounds. Just kidding, I eat pretty healthy aside from my dine-out days. Even then, I’m not at a fried food eatery! Anyway, yes, I concur! The rolls DO have too much sauce on it. Catering to what the Americans like of course. They’re good, but you can’t even taste the fish, which is kind of ohhh you know, the point of sushi. Good on you for not ordering Blue Fin! I’m so proactive about telling my sushi loving friends not to eat it. Save yourself that extra mercury hahaha.
I’d love to see pics of your pasta attempts! I know you have a standing mixer so I’m guessing you also have the attachment for pasta. JEALOUS. Cooking from scratch takes a lot of effort & patience!
Free things are fun, but reviewing, ehhh. You’re right. Plus you’re way too busy for such things.
The food looks amazing! It’s also really cool that you cooked udon noodles at home. I don’t know how to cook at all (except for maybe pasta or ramen or something lol) so I think it’s always cool when someone does know how. Not to mention, cooking seems like a different type of art form.
It is indeed an art. You should try to give it a go. I have tons of recipes & lots of them are easy to follow & replicate. Survival skill, ya know.
Mmm that udon looks so good! I’ll have to try making it sometime. Now that it’s just me and Mike, I’ve been making a conscious effort to cook more often. I’m starting to enjoy it, though I’m still missing a few tools. I’ll have to check your blog more often now. XD
I’ve got a burn story for you. When I was 11, I tried to put out a match without wetting my fingers. My thumb had a nasty blister for weeks.
Ouchhhhh, what a burn story! Don’t think I’ve ever been burned like that before. Here’s hoping you don’t have another burn story with your adventures in the kitchen. I’ve found that Sur La Table or Amazon really have all you need for kitchen stuff. Well, even Target (mini food processor/chopper from Kitchenaid for $40 is a steal. They even have one in green! I got mine in mint/celadon/Tiffany Blue because obvi I’m obsessed with the color).
honestly, sometimes, I know why some visitors don’t really bother to read the whole post or every word written in it. I’ve been there and I still am, from time to time but I still appreciate the post and the author and read word per word, repeat and re-read the post again if I didn’t catch what the blogger wrote. I think it’s the least a visitor can do (plus, we all know how annoying it is when visitors leave comments that are unrelated / oblivious to the post…if you get what I mean). Nowadays, I read every word written because I respect the blogger, even if I’m friends with him/her or not.
ugh, I’ve had it. I’ve had enough. Nancy always make me drool over her sushi fest (she eats them too often okay!!) and now I’m reading your post which is totally a bad idea x___x I need to have my sushi craving filled this week ugh I’m melting..
chirashizushi is superb, probably the best. I like fusion “americanized” rolls (though not california rolls – too common it’s boring) but I still prefer the basic, traditional ones like hand pressed nigiri, for example. I can’t stay away from kanikama (crab stick) nigiri and ika nigirizushi >///<
I read about bluefin tuna's population declining… honestly, I don't know how to differentiate tunas like which one is bluefin, which one is yellow.. I think people who go to sushi restaurant eat their tuna simply because they want to eat tuna — I mean, it's not really their fault if they don't know the tuna on their plate is a bluefin? I'm one of them, to be honest. it's not like I want to specifically consume bluefin tuna but what's in it for us who can't distinguish the tuna on our sushi plate? I know I don't specifically go to the supermarket to buy bluefin tuna though… I always tell my mom that too; reject bluefin tuna if she's going to the grocery store.
correct me if i'm wrong but are ALL tunas in EVERY sushi restaurant be bluefins? hm… I'm too dumb to notice the difference.
omg you made your own udon!! YOU HOLY AMAZING CHEF YOU!! I wonder how does it taste to eat cold udon…. I forgot how it feels already haha because I always eat zaru soba and not zaru udon~ but whatever, I bet it tastes equally awesome 😉 green tea infused sobas are amazing too~
"BIKINI READY" LOL what a magical gummy! xD some ads are just strangely funny… and I had to laugh again about the tampons thing… geez, your writing is always so quirky and fun~ haha catchy chef *o*
Why? It’s kind of easy to tell you why: people are lazy. It’s funny though because they expect you to read their long pointless blog, but when you actually have a blog with a point (hey, look, I have a new recipe & a cute story), they’ll just resort to, “nice pics.” But it’s okay, it’s obvious people want to increase their exposure by leaving others comments, but the chances of networking with someone by leaving comments that don’t generate conversation is nil. You have to talk to someone & leave them a thoughtful comment, otherwise it’s obvious you’re there just to leave a link to your blog. I like that you’re so respectful of bloggers though. It’s quite rare, even more rare in the food blogging network………sigh. Blogs with photos take so much prep work & time. They’re not just strings of thoughts of a useless story or complaint, they take time to style. So I always appreciate your comments & more than welcome them when I see them because I think you already know how much effort it takes to compose a blog, so you take time to write a thoughtful comment. I love that about you!
There are times when I really crave California Rolls just because they’re so basic (fake crab meat, avocado, cucumber), but absolutely great when you’ve got some eel sauce over it or ponzu sauce, but I too, enjoy the really Americanized rolls, given that they’re not drenched in sauce. I love ika! I also love nigiri, but I’m all about sitting at the bar & asking for omakase these days. It’s expensive, but it curbs my spending. I’ve reasoned with myself that there’s just no point in going to a Japanese restaurant if I’m just going to order a $11-12 roll that is all about sauce, so I should try to get the most telling meal (chirashi or omakase) so I can actually access the quality of the fish. All fish that is served raw is flash frozen so they’re not exactly “fresh” haha.
Honestly, it is indeed your fault if you don’t know what tuna you’re eating. As a consumer, you’re responsible for knowing what you consume, so instead of blindly consuming things, you should use your mouth & ask what it is your consuming. Look, there are tons of things I don’t know about specific foods & how they’re made, but knowing that Blue Fin tuna is an endangered species, you should do your best to avoid it at all costs. If you don’t want to educate yourself (I mean, you can easily Google which tuna is which…..), then just don’t order it at all to be safe. Try ordering cheaper fish. Cheaper fish tend to be cheaper because they’re so common & easy to catch. Watch that documentary The Global Catch. There’s definitely hope for Blue Fin tuna to be around for generations to come, but it starts with us. We cannot depend on the breeding of the tuna to save them from us, we need to take action now. This is no different from shark fin soup. Hunting an animal at the top of the food chain to near extinction is incredibly harmful to the ecosystem of the oceans, which in turn affects us negatively. As you can imagine, if the tuna goes, the smaller fish they eat will overpopulate the waters & will consume all the smaller fish that they eat, which means they’ll run out of food to eat. Then the smaller animals like plankton will just kind of go unchecked in areas in which they are normally consumed. Life has a delicate balance so it should be our job, absolutely, to ensure that we maintain the balance to the best of our ability instead of being greedy about fish. Tuna is one of the most expensive fish out there to sell on the markets. While there are laws against the overfishing of tuna, there are still pirates out there that fish tuna illegally to sell to the market to make extra money. China’s population & hunger for sushi will be a huge problem for fish. With the largest population in the entire world, the demand for tuna could just possibly be the tipping point in which the ocean would be empty of tuna. So now that you know & have read about Blue Fin tuna, do your own research & ask the sushi chefs not to serve you Blue Fin tuna. It’s your job to be a responsible consumer just as much as it should be the job of companies to disclose what the heck they do to our food.
Most sushi restaurants carry Blue Fin tuna, but not all tuna is BF. Maguro & Toro are BF. Yellowtail is a fish that you should express caution with ordering because it’s near threatened. Yellowtail & Bigeye tuna are also known as “ahi” tuna & are both near threatened so you should avoid them. Albacore is also a tuna that is near threatened & should be avoided. Skipjack tuna is a tuna of least concern & is okay to eat, however, tuna tends to carry a lot more mercury than other fish, so be sure to look up the mercury levels in fish before you go tuna crazy.
I love cold udon! It’s a really a texture thing & especially amazing on a hot day. Always best to eat some vegetables with it though since udon alone isn’t a nutritious meal!
Thank you for the compliments!
I’m so glad I already ate before reading this! Yum! Though… I wish I was brave enough to try raw fish. I’ve only had the cooked sushi.
I die laughing at the stuff they wanted you to do with that burn cream. LOL Gawd, let’s hope not every person would have a story. 0_0
You have gone through so many changes it seems. (The move to Boston I mean) That’s awesome though.
Sometimes you just have to be a little adventurous & try it! I’d recommend trying salmon raw first, but in a roll. I prefer raw salmon to cooked (it just tastes better, less fishy, great texture), so I’d recommend that!
Eh, the move to Boston is the biggest change in my life since studying abroad (2012) really. It is really awesome. I like being in new places! 🙂
The sushi pictures look amazing. I definitely have an obsession with it, but since I’ve been working, I haven’t had time to go out for it. Sadly, all the pictures make me want to do is go get some. I would never think to make my own udon noodles. I’ve been too spoiled by buying them from the local stores. Definitely something I might have to try now as yours look delicious! I love Influenster, they tend to send out some awesome products and this box looks great! I love Pure Leaf tea and have not tried Soft Lips yet, but I’m addicted to lip products so I’ll have to look into it. ♥
Thank you! Yeah I really like Influenster, but the requirements to earn a badge were just off-putting. It was more of a job than fun… I have no problem blogging about the products I received or talking about them to my friends, but when you require people to tweet it, hashtag it on your instagram, etc it’s just annoying. But I appreciate the free gifts nevertheless. It’s awesome!
I have to say, I love this entry. It’s my first time seeing your foodie Friday posts. 🙂
I have a small obsession with sushi as well, though I don’t get “real sushi” – it’s still so yummy and I would eat it every day if my pocket would let me. I’ve been to three places that sell sushi and they were all within the same price range but the kinds of sushi ranged widely from place to place. One had this lovely mushroom sushi.
Udon is another weakness for me as well. It’s just something about the thick noodles. When I make regular homemade noodles I always cut them (and roll them) so thick others don’t want to eat them, but how can you say no do big doughy noodles?! I really want to try to make my own udon for my cooking blog.
I do an Influenster account for my mom. I can’t use 99% of the products they give out, so I just give everything to her and tell her to write the reviews. haha.
Thanks, Christa! Glad you liked your first introduction to my blog. I like all the vegan sushi myself & even have a recipe for it (one includes mushrooms), but that’s the thing: when I’m out, I’m not going to order vegan sushi because I can make it better at home. Many types of sushi & options out there. It’s pretty easy to make at home though, especially vegan sushi!
Loveee udon. Absolute favorite Japanese noodle. The consistency is really key. If you get udon noodles that just aren’t chewy enough, they’re wrong!
I’m getting hungry just going through your blog. Tbh I don’t really enjoy having sushi (I know, there’s something wrong with me as my friends like to say) but I do love you recipe section of your blog!
I’m trying to eat out less so this is perfect for me. Most of the food is pretty foreign to me so I’m going to start with an easy one; the French Onion soup.
Thanks again!
Ah my French Onion Soup recipe is a bit outdated, well, it’s college edition & I’ve gotten a lot better at cooking since then, but I’m happy to hear that you’re going to be trying one of my recipes. Please be sure to show me what you make! You could try the minestrone soup recipe too. You honestly can’t go wrong with minestrone soup: hearty, healthy, flavorful, & delicious!