Korean Style Katsu

What's up with L.A., and the good eats in the food courts of Asian markets? There's Santouka for ramen in the Mitsuwa Market (Venice and Centinela in Culver City), and now there's Katsu for a Korean spin on Japanese katsu in the Galleria Market (Devonshire and Reseda in Northridge).

This Korean style katsu is called donkkaseu, and both are basically chicken or pork cutlet that  have been dipped in panko (bread crumbs) and fried. Apparently you can also get shrimp or hamburger at this place. The Korean version of katsu includes banchan, which in this case are sides of marinated jalapeno and radish kimchee. 

I thought that was it for the Korean spin on katsu, until I had already ordered and paid for the chicken katsu, when the cashier stepped aside and I read "kimchee pork cutlet."

Kimchee pork cutlet? I quickly changed my order and paid the...wait for it...56-cents more for the kimchee stuffed pork cutlet. It was the best additional 56-cents I've ever paid.

This combination just makes so much sense (okay, maybe it's because I'm from Hawaii), that I'm surprised I've never heard about this before. I don't know why it's not being served in Hawaii!

This is now my new lunch spot. And I am thrilled because there aren't very many great options near my work. By the way, I read about Katsu while researching restaurants on the Los Angeles Magazine website. I happened upon a blog by Eddie Lin, and the very next day, I left my leftovers at home, and went for my first round of dokkaseu.

Sharp Provolone

Next time you make pizza, try sharp provolone instead of mozzarella, or in addition to it. My work-friend's husband uses it all the time (except he calls it, "stinky mozzarella"), and I finally tried it out. Yummy.

Quick Quiche

I love this quiche recipe from the Food Network. It is super easy, and it always gets such a great response. The only adjustments I make are to use white cheddar cheese, and I defrost and squeeze the water from the spinach.

Quick Quiche
adapted from the Food Network 

4 eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup mayo
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup minced onions
Salt and garlic powder
8 ounces shredded Swiss or sharp cheddar cheese*
1 package frozen chopped spinach
1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Hand whip the eggs, half-and-half, mayo, and flour in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into the unbaked pie crust. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown.

Not Every Girl has to be a Princess

Review of Agnes and the Butterfly Dragon by Nalin Desilva

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The world of little girls is most often filled with pink, princesses, and dresses. I personally don't mind the girliness of it all, but I can appreciate a girl character who isn't so girly.

Agnes of Nalin DeSilva's Agnes and the Butterfly Dragon is that non-princess, pants-and-sneakers-wearing little girl. And you know what? I think she's a good character to have out there in the universe of children's books. Agnes is brave and spunky, and what I appreciated most is that she doesn't whine, she's not sassy, and she's not a brat. Her bravery isn't even about fighting an evil king; rather, it's about everyday stuff - insects. Not being scared of insects leads to Agnes' adventure, and in the real world, could probably lead to some encouragement for parents who have kids who are afraid of bugs.

The book also features some wonderful artwork. DeSilva not only wrote the story, but illustrated it as well. The illustrations are amazingly detailed, and remind me of the kind you find in graphic novels. An added visual bonus, I think, for parents who read books aloud to their kids.

Reading aloud is probably a good idea when it comes to Agnes and the Butterfly Dragon. Some of the words and phrases may need explanations (i.e. gullet; soft, silky voice; vanished), but it seems like most parents want their kids learning "big words" at younger ages. Besides, don't people read books aloud to kids so they can introduce a higher reading level to younger ages?



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Finally, I Read Eat Pray Love

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


For 187 weeks, Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love sat on the New York Times Bestseller list. I refused to read it for every one of those 187 weeks.

It just was not my kind of book. I didn’t know much about it; just that it was about some woman who went on a trip, found herself, found love, etc., and I was not one of those women who needed to read this kind of book.

Fast forward to December 2012. I am emotionally lost, and struggling to right myself and be happy. Talking to my very encouraging and supportive friends is helping, but only temporarily, so I think, “Maybe it’s time to read Eat Pray Love.” Maybe if I can read about someone else’s struggles, I can be okay again.

It turns out that this was a good way for me to approach this book.

Yes, I enjoyed Eat Pray Love. Mostly I think because I identified with the author. From her neurotic tendencies to the racing thoughts to the inability to separate herself from a particularly unhealthy relationship, I got it all. My own brokenness was mirrored in hers, and I found help in the conversations she had with her friends and in her thought process.

At another point in my life, I don’t think I would have enjoyed this Eat Pray Love in the same way. I found myself thinking that Gilbert’s issues were very…well, very American. They seemed to be about personal fulfillment, and not very real world. At the same time, I felt like she acknowledged this in a way that satisfied me. She realized that she was lucky in that she could afford to travel for a year. I know it seems unfair in terms of life experiences (who wouldn’t love to escape for stretches of time to fix themselves when it all falls apart), but I have no problem with it. Gilbert had the means, she used it, and she shared her experience with anyone who wanted to read her book.

Without her book, I would not have read this:

“People think soul mate is your perfect fit, and that’s what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who you everything that’s holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you’ll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake…Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then they leave. And thank God for it.” P. 149 (what Richard says to Elizabeth about David)

“Eventually, everything goes away.” P. 174 (Elizabeth’s own thoughts about mosquito bites, but related to life in general)

“Groceries, you need to control your thoughts just the same way you select what clothes you’re gonna wear every day. This is a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind.” P. 178 (more Richard)

By the way, I read the hardcover edition, printed in 2006, with 334 pages.




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Yes, You Can Find Good Italian Food in Hawaii

When at home in Hawaii, I never want to eat Italian food. In fact, I secretly cringed a little after I read that the restaurant I was going to with my friends was the new Italian place (sorry, Ms. K.), Prima.

I was so wrong!

Prima was one of my better food experiences in Hawaii. It bills itself as modern Italian/American, and is located in Kailua. We ate pappardalle (with curry bolognese and fried curry leaves), Brussels sprouts (with prosciutto and bordelaise), di bologna pizza (pepperoncini, mozarella, soft poached egg, rosemary and mortadella), meatball pizza, and the pistachio glace (pistachio semifredo, dried sour cherry hibiscus, semolina, grapefruit and black sesame). I can honestly say that I enjoyed every single dish. I wasn't blown away by the Brussels sprouts, but that's because every restaurant does Brussels sprouts. But the rest of it...well, like I said, this was one of my better food experiences in Hawaii. And when I say "better," I mean that I was in a very happy food coma when dinner came to an end.

 

 

The pappardalle with curry bolognese is a great fusion-type dish. The curry is more like Japanese curry than Thai or Indian curry. The flavors work really well.

The meatball pizza, is actually a spicy meatball pizza. I like spicy foods, and I thought this had a pleasant kick to it. 

Now this was an interesting combination on a pizza. Mortadella, pepperoncini and a poached egg are not my go-to pizza toppings, but it was yummy.

 

Our group was torn over this dessert. I think two of us really liked it, and the other two were more like, "Meh." I was one of the ones who really liked it. I enjoyed the tart, the crunch, the creaminess of the pistacho semifredo. 

Prima also happens to have OnoPops on their menu, but none of the flavors my friends said that I had to try. After a fruitless search for the fun flavors (butter mochi, crackseed lemon peel, etc.), we decided to go to Bubbies for mochi ice cream. No kidding, this the best mochi ice cream ever.

From left to right, you are looking at mochi ice cream in chocolate peanut butter, salted caramel, and green tea. Forget the salted caramel. The chocolate peanut butter and green tea are way better!

My other great food experience while at home for the holidays was at SALT. This place has been on my "list" for months, so I was very happy to go with another group of food fans. We shared the oxtail empanadas and chicken fried local rabbit, as well as all three desserts. I can't remember the exact names of the desserts, but my favorite was the apple and bacon crumble, topped with cheddar ice cream. My entree was the brown butter gnocchi.

The empanadas and the chicken fried rabbit were delicious. I especially enjoyed the empanadas, which came with a tomato and golden raisin chutney. The apple and bacon crumble was amazing. Well, amazing if you like savory in your dessert, which I do. Some of us felt like there was too much bacon, but I was not part of that "us." As for my gnocchi? It was my favorite dish. Gnocchi is not normally something I order, but I did not want fish (not a fan), duck ramen (good ramen is easy to find in Hawaii and California), or the brick pressed jidori chicken (everyone does jidori chicken). I am so glad I went with the gnocchi!

The only thing I'm bummed out about SALT is that I missed the pork belly! I was looking for a dish called "porky belly confit", but it is actually called "bacon and egg." The dish is made up of confit pork belly, space egg, kim chee miso and english muffin. I will be back SALT!

Please, Be Kind

It's Christmas. I will say it again. It's Christmas.

It seems as if people have forgotten. Someone murdered 20 children and six adults on Friday, December 14. And today, Senator Daniel Inouye passed away. How are the two linked in my world? I don't need to say anything about Newtown. We are all in pain. As far as Senator Inouye goes; well, today, on the day he died, someone had the nerve to say that he did not serve our country because he was a Democrat.

I never knew Senator Inouye as a person. I just remember always being proud of that he represented my home state and I will always remember him in his suit and red carnation lei. I'm sure he has had his not-so-fine moments; I know I do. But this man who was a World War II veteran, a man who lost his arm in war. Let's also not forget that he fought for our country when our country interned people of his own ethnicity.

Again, Senator Inouye fought for our country.

Something that I cannot comprehend choosing to do.

But, I digress. I think people have forgotten that it's Christmas. So I can't help wonder, if not during this season, when will we be kind to one another?

There's a built-in reason to be kind right now, and in all our shock and grief, we have forgotten to be kind to other people. I am guilty of it myself. I assure you, I have been a very angry, hateful person for the past three and a half months, but I don't want to be anymore. I want to find a way to be consciously kind to someone everyday. And I'm not talking about the kindness where I buy someone's coffee or help the disenfranchised by volunteering or giving money.

I am talking about a simpler form of kindness. For example, today, I got in a huff because I was trying to make a left turn into the In-n-Out drive thru, but someone turning right cut in front of me, and a second person was about to do the same. So I cut her off. I was completely aware of my action, and I felt bad as soon as I completed that left turn. What I'm saying is I want to be kind in an everyday sort of way. I also want to be kind to my friends and family. That will most likely manifest in me sending you a text or email saying thank you for the friendship and love you have shared with me. I don't always know what's going on in your life, and maybe my message will make you smile or make your heart lift a little.

This is what I think we all need to do right now. Maya Angelous is right, we do need to say "I'm sorry" to one another about what happened in Connecticut. But, we also need to be more kind.