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8-31-2010 Tue. hot , sunny
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed dumplings
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- honeydew
DINNER --- parboiled pea leaves with garlic vinegary sauce | sauteed button mushroom and button zucchini with curry sauce | stir-fried bitter melon with fermented black soy bean sauce | rice | fennel and avocado salad | white wine
- no cake, just a feast of fresh vegetables.
8-30-2010 Mon. hot, sunny
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- Chinese taco ( steamed buns with BBQ pork)
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- peach
DINNER --- steamed dumplings with fillings of green mustard, shittake and chicken | fennel and avocado salad | chilled sake
8-27-2010 Fri. warm, sunny.
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- (at G.Joe's) pastrami sandwich with a little bit everything | twisty fries
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- fried rice with zucchini, red pepper, and eggs | fennel salad | wine
- very best pastrami sandwich in town, time goes back at least sixty years in there.
8-26-2010 Thu. warm, sunny.
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed buns with mushroom and mustard green filling
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- peach | green tea
DINNER --- pan-roasted stuffed green pepper | stir-fried green beans with fermented fava bean sauce | corn on the cob | rice | fennel salad | wine
- green pepper, green beans, mustard green, and green tea
8-25-2010 Wed. mild, sunny.
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed vegetables
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- plums
BEFORE-DINNER-DRINK --- (at Sidney's ) rosé | nuts
DINNER --- ( at C.O. tapas restaurant ) black bean hummus with pita chips | ground beef with polenta | grilled shrimp | pastry stuffed with minced vegetables and yogurt sauce | beer
- tapas every corner, not very good most of time.
8-24-2010 Tue. mild, cloudy.
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with boiled greens and red pepper
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- plums | tea
DINNER --- Kung Pao chicken ( stir-fried diced chicken and roasted peanuts with caramelized onion and Sichuan hot chili and peppercorn) | sauteed bean sprouts and smoked tofu | rice | fennel and avocado salad | red wine
- chicken cut to small pieces absorbs flavors from spices and other ingredients, homemade Kung Pao is much less "saucy" and much spicier than what is usually dished out at Americanized Chinese restaurants
8-23-2010 Mon. warm, sunny
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with Thai-style spicy cabbage and red pepper
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- plums
DINNER --- stir-fried red pepper | parboiled spinach | tofu stew with mushroom and kimchi hot sauce | rice | fennel and avocado salad | red wine
- this southeastern Asian spinach variety has big leaves and thick stem, but very tender and a little slippery when cooked.
8-22-2010 Sun. hot and humid.
WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | baguette | brie | watermelon | Concord grapes | middle eastern style yogurt | peach and raspberries with raspberry sorbet
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | grapes
DINNER --- rice soup with minced salmon and scallion ( Cantonese style fish congee ) | pickled celtuce | spicy cured smelt | pan-fried dumplings | garlic bread || Napoleon cake | red wine
- rice soup is a simple comfort food, perfect for a relaxed Sunday light meal
8-20-2010 Fri. hot, sunny.
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed vegetables
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | peach
DINNER --- sauteed cabbage, red pepper and zucchini in Thai coconut milk curry sauce | pan-fried new potatoes | broiled Norwegian salmon with mustard, ginger and scallion sauce | fennel and avocado salad | mojito
- Norwegian salmon has tender texture and more fat than those from Alaska. It is important not to overcook the fish, the ginger scallion sauce keeps the fish moist.
8-19-2010 Thu. warm, sunny.
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- pasta and sauteed green beans
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- peach
DINNER --- fresh sweet corn fritters | pickled hot peppers | sauteed king mushroom, flat-leaf chives, and spicy tofu | ratatouille ( eggplant, zucchini and tomato ) | rice | salad of radish, sweet pepper and lettuce | wine
- it is almost the end of the fresh sweet corn season at the farmer's market. corn kernels are scraped off from the cob, and mixed with egg yolk and seasoned flour. The egg white is beaten separately and fold everything together. the mixture is fried in a hot cast-iron pan till golden.
8-18-2010 Wed. damp, rain.
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed dumplings
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | sesame flute cookie
DINNER --- fennel salad | stir-fried green beans with fermented fava bean sauce | pasta with sofrito sauce | red wine
- sofrito is a versatile sauce, it works very well as tomato sauce for pasta
8-17-2010 Tue. hot, cloudy.
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed bean sprouts and wood-ear (leftovers)
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | peach
DINNER --- steamed dumplings with fillings of mustard green and chicken | fennel and avocado salad | wine
- mustard green is a good substitute for bok choy as dumpling filling in summer
8-16-2010 Mon. hot, humid.
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- pasta with roasted red pepper sauce
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | peach
DINNER --- curried tiny eggplant, button zucchini, and okra | sauteed bean sprouts, wood-ear and bamboo shoots | rice | fennel salad | white wine
- got a bunch of very cute summer vegetables from farmer's market and oriental market, thin purple eggplants about the same size of okra; green and yellow zucchini look like little buttons.
8-14-2010 Sat. warm, cloudy
WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- ( at P.Q. Belgian brassiere) coffee | croissant with ham and cheese AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | peach
DINNER --- ( at F. Afghan restaurant ) Aushak ( scallion-filled dumplings topped with yogurt and meat sauce) | Pakowray Kachalu (fried slices of sweet potatoes ) | Bulanee (turnovers stuffed with spiced scallions and herbs ) | Badenjan Goushti (braised lamb with eggplant, onions, and tomato) | basmati rice
- a fashion photo crew worked in the garden, took most of the space including kitchen for wardrobe and makeup. no cooking possible the whole day. the Belgian breakfast at PQ was so-so and over-priced. the afghan dinner at F. was excellent as always.
8-13-2010 Fri. warm, cloudy
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with stir-fried cabbage ( leftovers )
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- water melon | mojito
DINNER --- garlic bread | corn on the cob | pasta with roast red pepper sauce, cod, cucumber and mushroom | fennel salad | wine
- not easy to make good seafood pasta here, fresh clams or sweet shrimp are hard to find. Alaska cod is pan-fried with bonito sauce and ginger flavored starch coating.
8-12-2010 Thu. hot, thunder storms
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed chive flowers (leftovers)
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | green tea candy
DINNER --- stir-fried five-spice cabbage | shanghai salsa | pan-fried pork chop | rice | fennel salad | wine
- again a quick dinner, fried cabbage and pork chop from some down-to-earth diner menu
8-11-2010 Wed. hot and humid.
WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with bitter melon and tofu
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | peach
DINNER --- scrambled eggs with tomato, mushroom and cilantro | stir-fried chive flowers and spice cured tofu | rice | avocado and fennel salad | white wine
- be a minimalist in the kitchen for a hot day like this, 30 minutes for everything
8-10-2010 Tue. hot and muggy
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice and sauteed vegetables
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- raspberries
DINNER --- parboiled spinach and needle mushroom with sesame dressing | cod and new potato stew with roasted red pepper cream sauce | fennel salad | white wine
- the cod is from Alaska, not Atlantic, flaky and tender.
8-09-2010 Mon. hot, sunny
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed vegetable buns
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- cherries | green tea
DINNER --- stir-fried eggplant, shiitake and wood-ear mushrooms | spicy soft tofu and bitter melon | steamed and pan-fried Brussels sprouts | rice | white wine
- amazingly many flavors and textures in these fresh vegetable dishes, truly enjoyable to cook and eat them
8-08-2010 Sun. hot, sunny.
WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- ( at Peter's ) coffee | Mediterranean style omelet | Greek yogurt with black berries
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- cherries
DINNER --- ( at A.J.) pickled cabbage | soy beans with mustard green and tofu skin | threaded chicken | Si-chuan spiced noddles | chili pickled cucumber | soup dumplings | pan-fried pancake with fillings of chives and mong bean noddles
small dishes at AJ***
Barnes Foundation in Lower Merion, Philadelphia- it is a visual feast at Barnes Foundation, hundreds of Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse and more cover the entire wall space all the way to the ceiling height. one experiences these incredible art works in a very different way from that in other art museums. It is said that the entire collection will be moved from this original site to a new downtown museum in 2012.
8-07-2010 Sat. warm, sunny
WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- ( from McDonald's ) coffee | hash brown
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- (at Luke's) Maine lobster rolls | New England calm chowder
BEFORE-THEATER DINNER --- (at K.P. Korean restaurant) Bibimbap ( sizzling stone bowl of rice, vegetables and grilled octopus ) | stir-fried sweet potato noddles | boiled spinach with sesame dressing | beer
- Luke's is a relatively new hot spot in Manhattan, serving fresh Maine lobster rolls and other shell fish food in Maine tradition.
8-06-2010 Fri. warm, sunny
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- pasta with red pepper cream sauce (leftovers)
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- peach
DINNER --- steamed taco-shaped buns with BBQ pork and watercress || ratatouille ( zucchini, eggplant, red pepper, onion, tomato and mushrooms) | stir-fried green beans with fermented black bean sauce | pan-roasted jalapenos stuffed with minced chicken and peanuts | rice | riesling wine || peaches with Grand Marnier liquor flavored whipped cream | chocolate | tea
- cook, drink, eat, chat and be merry, a family gathering
8-05-2010 Thu. hot, thunder storm
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed dumplings
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- peach
DINNER --- boiled summer greens with Japanese vinegar dressing | German cured ham | Spanish goat cheese | tomato confit | pasta with roasted red pepper sauce | Shanghai salsa
- not a meal of "anything goes", these small dish foods from Asia and Europe go well together
8-03-2010 Tue. warm and humid
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed chives and bean sprouts
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | plums
DINNER --- hot & sour soup with egg drops, vegetables and mushrooms | Chinese taco-shaped buns with BBQ pork and stir-fried chives with Si-chuan hot sauce | fennel and avocado salad | red wine
- the taco-shaped bun is called "lotus leaf bun" in Chinese, this meat bun ensemble could be Chinese + taco , or + hamburger, or + hot dog.
8-02-2010 Mon. warm, cloudy
BREAKFAST --- coffee | Pocky
LUNCH --- pasta with mushrooms
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- plums
DINNER --- marinated chayote,white fish and jellyfish | toasted garlic bread | sauteed zucchini,okra,mushroom and tomato | stir-fried bean sprouts and Chinese flat-leaf chive | rice | fennel, cherry tomato, lettuce and radish salad | white wine
- Jellyfish from Chinese food markets usually comes in salt-dried and sliced form and has to be revived by soaking. it has unique crunchy texture, absorbs the hot & sour marinade very well.
late summer garden 
shiitake and wild berry tomatoes
long red pepper and skinny eggplant
to the tea house
Houjicha, Keemun, Bi Luo Chun
continental breakfast
blue crabs
manila clams
rock fish 
Thai chili mong bean noddle salad
pan-roasted stuffed jalapeno
spicy stew Kaofu (wheat gluten)
small dishes at AJ
Barnes Foundation in Lower Merion, Philadelphia
Luke's Maine Lobster Roll 
bibimbap, glass noddles, spinach 
Bruce Nauman: Days at MOMA
Mark Morris' at Lincoln Center
"Little Night Music" violin recital Isabelle Faust
vegetable soup with wood-ear mushrooms
ceviche with caper berries
Roma grape tomato confit and Manila clam
corn fritter, eggplant & okra