nom nom nom

I've made it a goal to cook at home more and create some interesting dishes. I said in December that I was going to try to recreate dishes from the New York Times Minimalist section. I did make one, the pasta with chicken and mushroom, risotto style. However, I didn't have my camera to take a picture of what I made. It was super easy though, and the risotto style cooking resulted in a chewier pasta (I used gemelli, which is like a denser fusilli but smaller than rotini). The pasta was also infused with the flavour of the chicken stock and wine. I should make it again so I can snap a photo.

Recently, I've had a few delicious creations as well. I seared some halibut and topped with a pine nut-walnut butter sauce. John and I made orzo as well. Lucy thought it was RICE! haha. Unfortunately, no picture of that creation.

This here is the fried rice I made with the same pine nut-walnut mix, mixed with Lucy's preserved veggie thing and topped with some garlic buttered kale. It was a delicious meal as we watched Up in the Air.

I'm a bit of a pasta fanatic. This is a pasta primavera of sorts, minus the carrots and bell peppers, so I guess it's not so primavera. I used cavatappi pasta, which I also used when I made my pesto sauce over the summer. Here, I just mixed some mushrooms, zucchini, leftover kale, and tomatoes with a bit of garlic butter and topped off with a bit of Parmesan. Yum. No complaints from Lucy!

I LOVE SOBA. John asked me if I could eat any type of food everyday, what cuisine would it be from. I told him, Japanese food. It's healthy and yummy. What more could a girl want?! This is my lunch. Just some buckwheat soba noodles mixed with edamame and carrots. There's also pieces of chicken in this but I guess they're shy and hiding under the noodles. The broth was simple. Ok I cheated. I had a broth mix that my mom brought for me from Taiwan. I'm trying to think of ways to change this noodle combo up. I used to make soba with miso, but got a little tired of that. I wish I had some ebi tempura to top this off!!

I have more food pictures but I'll save those for another post. There'll be more pasta and a certain red wine chicken that I'm bound to make again sometime this week because Lucy actually called it an "orgasm in her mouth". LMAO.

Bon appetit!

P.S. I'm so happy Meryl Streep was nominated for and Oscar for her role in Julie and Julia. She was SO GOOD in it!

Friday Favourites No.2

Today is Friday, and I'm sitting in a busy Starbucks at the corner of Adelaide and York. Gosh I how I miss this area! I don't think I'll ever tire of the tall buildings covered in glass and stone or tire of being surrounded by men in suits (teehee). I couldn't help but escape to Toronto my first weekend back at school. I remember back in first year that most people went home for the first weekend and that made me quite depressed. I suppose I've accepted Toronto as a third home (Vancouver being the first, and Taipei being the second). It's nice to be able to see some of my good high school friends who have ventured out here with me in Toronto. I also find that I'm able to meet a lot more new people in Toronto as opposed to Waterloo. I'm supposed to be working on my Work Term Report, but I decided blogging is more appealing. So here are my list of favourites for the day, and one un-favourite.

1. Marc by Marc Jacobs New Q Long Wallet

Julia, you're a doll for getting me this wallet for Christmas. The one I used was a nice wallet from my mom but it wasn't very stylish. I absolutely love it!

2. Learning
I was really dreading my time back at school. Now that I've went to all my courses this first week back, I'm actually quite excited to be learning again. It feels like some of my courses won't be too challenging with the exception of Environmental Law, which also happens to be at 8:30 in the morning twice a week. I'm quite ready to face another challenge. A school term isn't complete without a challenging course right?

3. New roommates that don't suck
I've had my fair share of random roommates, and my experience has been less than mediocre. However, the two other girls Lucy and I are living with are really nice, and also quite neat. Living with nice roommates makes all the difference! Still, I can't wait to be out on my own with my own place (with a nice kitchen) so I can cook and do what the heck I want. I could walk around naked if I wanted to.

4. UN-FAVOURITE: WORK TERM REPORT
I know I complain about this every term. But honestly, I don't learn anything from doing these reports. What starts off as an interesting topic slowly becomes a nuisance, especially in the first week back at school. Formatting and all the unnecessary requirements of this paper is not worth my time at all. I'm almost done though. Just have to finish my case study and do my conclusion and recommendations and all that extra junk.

I suppose I shall get back to my pertinent task. Have a great weekend everyone, and stay warm! (With the exception of somebody who happens to be in balmy Singapore)

edit: I'm done my report! I'm so happy that I got it done 3 days before the due date that I have to announce it here. 

Rosa does the darndest things

So my good friend, roommate, and fashionista Lucy at In My Music Box tagged me to share 7 random facts about myself. I'm grateful it's shorter than the 25 Random Facts on Facebook. I guess I'm going to add 7 more to that list so I don't repeat myself. Does a person really have 25+7 = 32 Random Facts about themselves? Well, we shall find out. I wanted to do a Friday Favourite today so I'm going to mix that in to this list.

1. I'm very slow to be in the Christmas mood. This year more than particular. It just bothers me that right after Halloween and Remembrance Day, the Christmas lights and all the red and green starts popping up at our malls. It just starts earlier and earlier each year. Christmas feels like a commercial gimmick, and it works. I actually feel pressured to buy gifts. I've kept the number low this year though. Just family and close friends. The moment I felt Christmasy was on Monday. I was walking down to Harbourfront Centre at lunchtime for a skate. While leaving my building, there was a nice band playing some great Christmas tunes. When I walked past Union, another youth brass quartet was playing to raise money for the Salvation Army. By the time I laced up my boots, it started to flurry rather gracefully. That moment put me in the Christmas mood.

   
   

2. I dislike washing my hair. Don't worry, I wash it every couple of days. I just think it's such a waste of time! I wish there was an automatic hair washer that does the washing and drying for me. Drying is my least favourite part. But gotta dry the hair, especially in the winter.
3. SOUND OF MUSIC. I've watched the movie countless times. I most of the movie, except for all the corny bits. Tonight, I went to watch the musical down at Princess of Wales Theatre. $25 student rush tickets are superb! We had first balcony seats, 4th row, and had a great view. The set design was amazing. The singing was pretty good as well. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. So yes, I like Sound of Music. My favourite song has to be the part when she's going to meet them for the first time, and she sings "I have confidence". It's seriously the most uplifting and happy song. I will listen to that everytime I feel negative.
   
4. I have a thing for Bokeh. So the heartshaped ones are girly. I haven't been able to find the lens cover for the heart shaped ones yet, but I haven't really been looking very hard. I need to take my camera out to practice some more. That and buy some new lens!

   

5. I sleep with earplugs now. I'm a light sleeper and I can't sleep with noise, light or heat. Give me a cold room, quiet, and pitch black room and I'll have the best sleep of my life.
   
6. I'm really beginning to enjoy spending time alone. I usually eat lunch alone, and I like having that time to myself for self-reflection and to do some reading. I've read quite a few books this term because of all the time I spend reading at lunch.
   
7. After spending a few months in Toronto for this work term, I've come to appreciate the city a lot more. I used to think that no other Canadian city is better than Vancouver, but I've gotten off my high horse and thoroughly enjoyed my experience in Toronto. Some of my favourite places:

St Lawrence district - especially the Flea Market. Went there 3, 4 times with K.

The Underground PATH - albeit not direct and with rather poor signage. It is quite useful when you're trying to stay warm. Also lots of great underground shopping =D

The Four Seasons Centre for Performing Arts. I watched the Nightingale and Other Short Fables here and it was just amazing. I've been inside to see Sonny Rollins perform. But it was something else watching and hearing the sound quality for an opera. I love all the performance venues in Toronto in general. A lot more than Vancouver, that's for sure.

OK my list is done! Going to enjoy some jazz at The Rex tomorrow afternoon. Can't wait!

Friday Favourites

With the holidays quickly approaching, I can't help but be influenced by all the product advertisements thrown in front of me everyday. So here is a list of consumer and non-consumer favourites on this very chilly Friday evening.

1. MUSIC
1.1 John Mayer | Battle Studies

Released a couple of weeks ago, I've been listening to his CD on repeat. My favourite songs are Perfectly Lonely and Edge of Desire. This guy has real talent. I went to his concert two years ago in Vancouver, and it was a great continuous flow of melodic music, great guitar, and smooth vocals. His next tour - Sign me up.

1.2 Sophie Milman | Make Someone Happy & Take Love Easy

I love her covers. She doesn't write lyrics or music but she brings such a unique style to her covers - both jazz, classics, and even rock and roll covers. I have both her CDs as well, ones that I actually purchased from the store. I'm actually going to her concert tonight at Massey Hall, which leads to Favourite Thing # 2

2. Going to concerts by yourself
Yes I'm going to the Sophie Milman concert by myself. I didn't really ask anyone except Julia, and I kinda knew she wouldn't be interested. It's ok. By going on your own, you can get better single seats! I went to a concert at RCM's Koerner Hall in October for a Venezuelan brass ensemble and it was a great time even though I was alone. I should be leaving after I'm done with this post.

3. Mulberry bags
Ok...I've always LOVED Mulberry bags for their simplicity and great quality. The leather they use is soooo soft and supple. I could hug one of their bags to bed. Unfortunately, Mulberry bags cost an arm and a leg and a few fingers...I'll have to wait a few more years until I purchase one. Still. I can look at them and love them.


4. Good friends who are there for you
I did some real stupid things last week. I'm glad I have friends who don't judge and are there for me when I need some loving and support. Thanks ladies! <3

Ok this wraps my Friday Favourites.
Happy weekend and bundle up!