Stay out of my food flu!

Yeah, it's flu season, and the nearly the entire US has declared a "flu epidemic". I took the flu shot this year, yet I'm still laying in bed with a high fever. However, for those lucky ducks who haven't coughed their guts out yet, here are a few tips for staying healthy this year:

1. WASH YOUR HANDS!!! Billions of germs are on your hand right now...

2. Buy fresh produce, and wash carefully. You don't know for sure if the butcher/farmer was healthy, but you can wash the germs off of your food.

3. Stray away from raw foods like salads and, unfortunately, sushi :(

4. Drink lots of water, and not soda during your meals. It has been scientifically proven that soda decomposes calcium minerals in your stomach. You need calcium!

5. Drink drinks with a cap on it. That way, if the person next to you sneezes, only the cap gets dirty.


Good luck to you all, and let's stay healthy!

Smoked Salmon and Sesame Macaron

Here is a recipe I found of the Martha Stewart website. It's...well, it looks interesting. Try it if you dare! Makes 75 macarons.

INGREDIENTS             

• • 2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
  • 2 cups fine almond flour
  • 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds, ground in spice grinder, plus whole seeds for decorating
  • 7 large egg whites
  • 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 ounces smoked salmon, finely chopped
  • Smoked-Salmon Creme Fraiche

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INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Pulse confectioners' sugar, almond flour, and the ground black sesame seeds in a food processor until well combined. Sift mixture 2 times.
  2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk egg whites in a mixer bowl on medium speed until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, and add granulated sugar about 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each. Increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Sift flour mixture over whites, and fold with a rubber spatula until batter is smooth and shiny.
  3. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain round tip (such as Ateco No. 802), and pipe 1 1/4-inch rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, dragging pastry tip to the side of rounds rather than forming peaks. Sprinkle whole sesame seeds on the tops of half the cookies. Tap the bottom of each baking sheet on a work surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes, until a crust forms on top of the macarons.
  4. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until macarons are crisp and firm, 10 to 11 minutes.
  5. Let macarons cool on baking sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (If macarons stick, lift parchment and spray water onto hot baking sheet underneath; the steam will help release them.)
  6. Just before serving, assemble macarons: Spread chopped salmon on the undersides of the plain cookies (about 1/4 teaspoon for each). Place creme fraiche in a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, and pipe about 1/2 teaspoon onto the underside of each sesame-seed-topped cookie; sandwich it with a plain one.

Rose Macaron Recipe

Recently, I bought a book filled with macaron recipes from Home Goods. I haven't tried it yet, but please try it and if it comes out successful, please leave a comment! Be sure to start preparation 1 day before. BTW, if you have any cool macaron recipes, please share! Makes 15 macarons.

INGREDIENTS

• For the Shells

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup ground almonds
  • 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsps superfine sugar
  • Pink food coloring

• For the Rose Ganache

  • 2/3 cup whipping cream
  • 2 tbsps rose water
  • 2 3/4 oz white chocolate
  • 
    

  • ---

    
    

  • INSTRUCTIONS

    To Make the Rose Ganache

    
    
    Put 3 heaping tsp of the whipping cream in a saucepan, add the rose water, and heat gently. When the mixture comes to simmering point, remove from the heat and set aside. Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt gently in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, then add the rose cream. Blend well, remove from the heat, and add the remaining cream. Chill in the refrigerator.
  • 
    

    To Make the Shells

    
    
    Preheat the oven to 300°F. Finely grind the ground almonds and confectioners's sugar in a blender. Strain the mixture over a baking sheet and cook for 5-7 minutes. Let cool.In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites into snowy peaks using an electric hand mixer. When they start to stiffen, gradually add the superfine sugar, beating constantly. Add a few drops of pink food coloring and combine until evenly dispersed. Strain the almond-sugar mixture over the egg whites and fold in using a silicone spatula.Fill a pastry bag with this mixture and pipe out 30 x 1 1/2-inch uniform circles onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Let stand for at least 1 hour in a dry place until a crust forms on the surface, then cook for 10-12 minutes. Let the shells cool, then pour a trickle of water between the parchment and the baking sheet and remove the shells using a small frosting spatula.
  • 
    

    To Assemble the Macarons

    
    
    Lightly whip the rose ganache using an electric mixer. Spread it over half the shells,then top with the remaining shells. Chill for 1 hour before serving.

Newport Seafood Restaurant

For all you crab lovers there willing to spend one hour of your life waiting in line for authentic Cantonese style seafood, I recommend Newport Seafood Restaurant. Once you step into the beautifully decorated dining area and fill your nose will scents of savory sauces and steamed delicacies, you'll forgive the waiting list (playing Cut the Rope on your phone will help too!). I visit the restaurant pretty often, which has two locations:

1. 518 West Las Tunas Drive, San Gabriel, CA (626) 289-5998 (My favorite location)

2. 18441 Colima Road, Rowland Heights, CA (626) 839-1239 (An older location but newly remodeled)

Once you are at your table, DO NOT ask the waiter for recommendations. The waiters there are less than friendly and will read you a bunch of numbers that correspond to the numbers on the menu. Trust me, they speak fast and do not repeat. However, you can save some time by ordering these tried and true dishes:

1. House Special Lobster
2. House Special Crab
3. Salt and Pepper Shrimp
4. House Special Clams

*Some names might be a little incorrect because we usually order in Chinese...

These four dishes and a bucket of rice will satisfy your hunger! Just be prepared for the bill...

Apple Penguin

My own artwork!!!

Vegas Updated

My grandparents came to town from Taiwan this winter break, and my grandpa wanted a little taste of "American Culture." I'm pretty sure he didn't mean it literally, but my parents took my grandparents to Las Vegas. Personally, I don't like Vegas. There's really nothing for me to do except eat, sleep, and watch  t.v. You can probably imagine how bored I was.

The first night were were there, we ate at the off strip M Resort. I have to admit, the place is pretty nice, but the buffet food was shabby. The only thing that interested me was the lobster, but the rest was pretty bland. It was the type of buffet that you could walk through and still have an empty plate.

The next night we ate at the Aria Resort at the new The Buffet. What was nice was that we were also staying at Aria, which made eating convenient. Trust me, the name "The Buffet" is an understatement. It should be called "Las Vegas' Gem Buffet." The food was amazing. My eyes feasted on everything as I walked by the endless array of Asian, Italian, French, and American cuisine. Each cuisine was authentic and impressive, not only by taste but the look of the food as well. My favorites included the all-you-can-eat king crab, the roasted peking duck sandwiches, the array of salami, and the grilled cheese sandwich with dipping tomato soup. Even though I am not a dessert or sweets fan, the dessert section tempted to have a few scoops of their specialty sorbets and ice creams.

After my two nights in the town of CHA-CHING, I learned that the saying "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" doesn't apply to calories. Or fat.

                                                                            

Snapeee

Ok, so this post isn't exactly about food, but I'm just recommending this super awesome photo app. So once you take a pic, you can decorate it with these super kawaii decorations! You have to try this app! Please follow me @Sushiangel. You can see many pictures of gourmet food.