tofu house

My first time really having Korean food! I'd heard a lot about Tofu House from other people but only went last Thursday with my friend Gea. This cute little restaurant holds a surprisingly large amount of people and when we got there almost all of the tables were already taken.

Gea was super cute and ordered in Korean (even though the waiters were fluent in English) and she helped guide me through the menu. I decided on seafood soft tofu soup but I had no idea that there would be so many (ENDLESS) sides! Kimchi, sweet potatoes (potatoes that are sweet, not the orange ones), noodles, and more. Altogether the soup did not look like a lot but midway through the pot I had to quit because everything was so filling. There were so many items but everything complimented each other really well. My favorite part? Quite possibly the purple rice... but then again, I just love all foods purple.

weekend

Sometimes I have a love/hate relationship with the weekend. I love it because I get to go downtown with David (and get my beloved fresh taro!), stay up until 4am playing games, eat more than my stomach should actually hold, and see friends who come up from San Luis Obispo to play polo.

I hate it because it's so short. Because the whole time I'm trying to enjoy these things, I'm also trying not to worry about the three papers I have all due in the next week or so. And because my sleep schedule gets thrown off when I go to bed at 4 and don't wake up until almost noon.

But in the end it's mostly love. Just a week and a half until Spring Break!

pizzaiolo

The best first time to a restaurant imaginable. Driving from Stanford to Berkeley in the rain, Jenna and I left at 4:30 and didn't get there until 6:30. I think it's normally an hour drive. Needless to say we were late for our 5:45 reservation and the restaurant (understandably) gave our table away. The next table wouldn't be ready until almost 7:30, which was the time we needed to get going to head to campus for a Classics lecture.

The sweet, sweet hostess told us that if we could finish by 7:15, we could eat quickly at a table that was reserved. Even though it was 6:40ish by that time, we knew that we had to be out of the door by then so we agreed. Jenna, long time Pizzaiolo veteran, knew exactly what to order. Everything came out so quickly and it was amazing:

Fresh bread
Garden salad with beets
Fresh pasta with crab
Wild mushroom pizza

Seriously, this place is good. Everything is fresh, simple perfection. I'm already trying to plan my next visit!

quinoa and black beans

This week I made a vow not to buy an groceries. I have so many other things in my pantry and fridge that it was starting to get ridiculous how much I'd buy on top of the things I already had. This past summer, my sister gave me some quinoa and the first time I tried to make it, it was awful. Maybe the heat was too high or I didn't cook it long enough, but at that point I decided that quinoa and I were not meant to be friends.

Enter this week's resolution. In an effort to try to use what I have rather than wasting it, I gave quinoa another chance. Much like the time I made pancakes for one, I searched for quinoa for one, and this amazing recipe showed up (even though it says it serves 10!). The quinoa comes out at the perfect consistency! I can't wait to make this again.

quinoa and black beans
adapted from allrecipes

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped and peeled
3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a medium pot, heat olive oil and brown garlic. Add quinoa and toast for 30 seconds, stirring. Add broth and spices, bringing everything to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and cover for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add beans, parsley and lemon juice.* Serve as a main course or side dish (I had mine with paprika-seasoned tilapia).

*This recipe is really flexible. I didn't use an onion as the original recipe called for because I didn't have any with me, but you can probably add lots of other vegetables and spices. It's so delicious!

lemon & cheese pasta

One of the best meals I remember having in Florence was the most simple. It blew my mind. It was literally pasta, olive oil, lemon zest, and parmesan. On several occasions I've tried to make it without getting the perfect consistency that I wanted, but thanks to the glories of the internet I think I've found the best recipe. The best part? You can add as much or as little cheese or lemon to make the dish perfect for you. (For the record, I like a lot of both).

lemon and cheese pasta
adapted from Deb

1 pound spaghetti or long noodle pasta
3 medium lemons
for 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 1/2 cup of juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 - 1 cup grated pecorino or parmesan
1/2 - 1 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, cook pasta in salted water until al dente (12-15 minutes). While pasta is cooking, zest and juice lemons.

Set aside 1 1/2 cups of pasta water and drain pasta.* In the same pot, bring 1 cup pasta water, olive oil, heavy cream and zest to a boil on medium high heat. Slightly whisk to mix. Add pasta and reduce to medium or medium-low heat. Add cheese and 1/4 cup juice to the pasta and toss together with tongs (be sure to continually lift pasta and mix so it doesn't stick together and mix thoroughly). If you'd like add more water and/or lemon juice to thin out the sauce or add more lemony goodness. Toss in parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy with bread and chianti.

*I forgot to reserve any pasta water, but I found that regular, hot tap water with some salt was a good substitution.