Dan Dan Mian (Dan Dan Noodles)

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 Believe it or not, even though I am a native of China I have never eaten Dan Dan Mian while I grew up there.  The first time I had Dan Dan Mian was actually at a Taiwanese restaurant.  Nowadays many restaurants and cultures have their own version of this delicious noodle dish.

 The original Dan Dan Mian came from Sichuan province in China and is supposed to be very spicy cooked with peppercorn and hot chili oil.  However, for this recipe I have tailored it to suit my non-spicy tongue and my four-year old toddler.

If you've been following my blog, you would know I do not like complicated things, that includes my style of dressing and cooking.  As always, I tried to look for recipes with the least steps and ingredients.  I found this one from Momofukufor2 to be the simplest.  I've changed up the recipe here and there based on my own preference.

Dan Dan Mian (Serves 2)
Ingredients:
4 cups of chicken stock
Sesame Paste Mixture:
2 tablespoons Sesame Paste (or Tahini, can be found at local Asian markets)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced shallots

Meat
1/2 lb ground beef
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil

 1 cup of chopped Choi Sum (Chinese vegetable usually sold in Asian markets, can substitute with Spinach or Bok Choy)
1 egg (I made mine soft boiled because I wanted it to resemble the Dan Dan Mian eaten at a Japanese restaurant)
noodles of your choice (I used ramen)
sliced green onions for garnish
Chili oil (for the spicy lovers.  I sprinkled some on top of my noodles at the end for that authentic Sichuan taste)

Instructions: 

1. In a small wok or frying pan, heat up the teaspoon of vegetable oil over medium high heat and add the minced garlic and shallots. Fry until fragrant, but not burned.  Add in the sesame paste and sugar and mix well.  Put the sesame paste mixture aside or store in container to use later.
2. On a separate pan, cook the ground beef until done. Add in chili bean sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil.  Remove from the heat and keep warm while you cook the noodles.
3. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions and drain.

4. Heat up the chicken stock, blanch the Choi Sum once it boils and take out after a few minutes.

5. Spoon the sesame paste mixture into a bowl, add in the chicken stock and mix well.  Place the noodles inside and mix with the sauce.  Top with ground beef, Choi Sum and egg.  Garnish with green onions and enjoy!

Photos and recipes are owned by Lily and Ftfinspirations.  If you wish to use the photos and contents for any purpose, please contact Lily first and provide a direct link to the original post.

Life Is An Adventure

Hi! It's been awhile since I shared a post on toddler style.  To kick off Spring, I've decided to share some pictures of my little man with his new spring look on the blog.  I also want to share about this really cool Asian fusion restaurant (Kai Kadai Kitchen) we stopped for lunch that day, hope you like it!

How cute is this skate board print top from Target?  The brand is Circo and the material of this shirt is so soft!  E paired his top with a grey skinny pant from Old Navy, another favorite brand of mine.  His shoes are his favorite right now because they have Paw Patrol graphics and are so easy to put on.

He loves collecting flowers and giving them to people, such a sweet little guy.  Getting little flowers that he picks off the ground always makes my day.

After taking a walk we decided to stop by Kai-Kadai Kitchen in Rosemead for lunch.  If you like south Asian food, this place has all of your favorite dishes such as fried rice, noodle soups, pan fried noodles and charbroiled steaks.

 The hubby decided to be adventurous and ordered this Laos Crispy Fried Rice ($9).  This was our first time eating something like this and we have to say it was very good!  I don't know how they cooked the rice but the texture was crispy and crunchy and every bite was full of flavor.  A fried egg on top was a bonus.

I ordered this Tew Chow noodle soup ($8) that had fish cakes, meat and fish balls, slices of pork and shrimp.  I threw in the leeks and the bean sprouts that were provided at the table.  To be honest, it wasn't anything special but it did not taste all that bad.  It tasted as it should a noodle soup.  I found it interesting that they put both egg noodles and rice noodles in there, so you get to try different textures.

E practicing his chop stick skills.  In this picture, he layered his Circo top with a button front cardigan from Old Navy.

 Vanilla ice cream from Fosselman's was free if you check in on Yelp.  Who would say "no" to ice cream, especially when it is free?

Thank you for reading!

:: On E :: 

Circo Skateboard print t-shirt from Target

Old Navy Skinny pants (similar here)

Old Navy Button-front cardigan (similar here)

Paw-Patrol Velcro strap light-up sneakers from Kohl's

Kai Kadai Kitchen 

8877 Valley Blvd

Rosemead, CA 91770

(626) 872-0026

Photos were taken and owned by Lily. 

Sage Bistro (Restaurant Review)

One of the things I love about Southern California is living among diversity.  Being able to taste food from all around the world, and not having to travel across the globe is a blessing in itself.

My little family and I recently stumbled onto this cute and cozy cafe managed by this sweetest lady who was very down to earth and personal.

The food itself was wonderful too, think of it as cafe food but better quality and taste.  Their menu didn't have many items but it seems each of the entrees were thoughtfully put together.

Braised Beef Ribs $18

This beef short rib was so tender! and the sauce was so yummy too! I loved that it was served over rice and veggies.  The portion was fairly big and I didn't end up finishing it and had to take some home.

Pork Chop Casserole $10

The hubby ordered Pork Chops with creamy mushroom sauce.  It wasn't so bad either but the sauce seemed to lack flavor.  The chops were cooked well and was tender.

Like I said earlier, the lady who manages the restaurant is very sweet.  She engages with the customers and always made sure the food was to your liking.  She gave us a cheesecake on the house because she thought my 4 year old was too cute! :)

cheesecake on the house

Sage Bistro

521 W Main St

Alhambra, CA 91801

(626)289-8713

Photos by Lily

Beef Soybean Tofu Soup

Hello!  Today I am sharing with you a very heart warming recipe that was very easy to make.  The first time I made this beef soybean tofu soup was by accident.  I was craving for soon tofu (Tofu Soup) from Korean restaurants so I started creating that from imagination.  During trial and error, I have adapted the recipe over time and this is what I came up with.  Hope you guys like it!

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs ~Top Round Beef- sliced very thin and cut into 1x2 strips (if you are pressed for time, pre-sliced beef can be found at some Asian markets)
12 oz. ~Tofu cut into bite size cubes (silken or soft preferred)
2 ~ large eggs
2 ~ small zucchinis- cut into 1/4 slices
10 oz. ~ tiny Oyster mushrooms- separated and cut into bite sizes (can substitute with fresh shiitake mushrooms)
1 packet of Enoki mushrooms - cut off the roots, rinse and separate
2 ~ green onion
4 ~ tablespoons of soybean paste (usually in a tan color container and can be found in most Asian markets)
1 ~ tablespoon of rice cooking wine
2 ~ dashes of salt
Korean chili powder (to taste and the amount depends on how spicy you want the soup)

 

Instructions:

1. Marinade the sliced beef with some salt and rice cooking wine and mix well.
2. Place 5 quarts of water in a pot and bring to a boil.
3. Add in the sliced beef, be sure to separate it as soon as it enters the boiling water, otherwise it will stick and form into big lumps.
4. Add the soybean paste into the soup.
4. Let the beef cook for about 30 minutes and then add the green onions, zucchinis and tiny oyster mushrooms. Cook for another 15 minutes with the lid covered.
5. Add the tofu and the chili powder if using and cook for another 10 minutes.
6. Add the 2 eggs into the boiling soup and stir well to mix
7. Garnish with Enoki mushrooms. (it gets cooked when mixed into the hot soup)

And... there we have it! 

Enjoy!

 Photography by Lily

Chicken with Lemon, Cilantro & Garlic Over Pasta

The recipe of the meat and marinade were adapted from http://www.food.com/recipe/grilled-pork-chops-with-lime-cilantro-garlic-133511.  The pasta recipe was just simply from my imagination.

I came across this recipe the other day and really wanted to try it.  I changed up the recipe here and there to simplify the steps and to suit my taste buds, I hope you like it!

Serving Size: 5-8
Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoon lemon zest (I added this to bring out the flavor more)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 garlic gloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried chipotle powder (I omitted this because I didn't think my toddler could handle it)
6 skinless and boneless chicken breasts
   salt and pepper (I added this as I don't like my food too bland)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

For the Pasta:
1 lb package of any pasta family such as linguine, angel hair or penne (I used multi-colored bow-tie), cook and drain according to package instructions.
2 small zucchinis, cut into bite size, blanched
2 roman tomatoes, cut into bite size
1/2 batch of spinach, blanched
2 tablespoons olive oil

 

 Lemon, Cilantro & Garlic Marinade and Dipping Sauce

Directions: 
Mix the cooked pasta in a bowl with all the veggies and olive oil, add salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese if desired.

(For the chicken)
Blend the first 5 ingredients or 6 if you decided to use the chipotle powder, cover and place in the fridge.
Reserve 1/2 cup for dipping later
Place the chicken breasts down on a baking dish that has been sprayed with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper for about 5 minutes.
The recipe said to grill or BBQ the meat but I decided to cook it with the oven (less standing around and more time spent with my little one)
Place the chicken breasts into the oven to cook for 25 minutes at 425 F, take it out and turn them over.
Start brushing the mayonnaise blend on top of the chicken until they are completely covered.
Put the chicken back into the oven for another 25 minutes at 400 F.
Serve over pasta and with the reserved mayo mixture on the side.

Enjoy! Don't forget to leave a comment and let me know how this turned out for you after trying the recipe.  I really liked the mayo and cilantro sauce, I am thinking of using it on fish next time.

Caffe Bene (Review)

A few weeks back, my little family went cafe hopping and found this one located in the business districts of San Marino.  The cafe is located on a main street where traffic is fairly fast so there is a big chance you might miss it.  We came around dinner time on a week night and the place was half filled.  The cafe interior is clean with minimal decorations.  They have a display of their own line of cups and mugs that kind of reminds me of Starbucks.  Their menu is extensive, from coffee and Boba to waffles and sandwiches.  They also sell Honey Bread, their version of Brick Toast.  As usual, my review is based on what we had and who we encountered at the time.

Price: $$

Food: A

Choco Rasberry Saudae Waffle $8.95

I literally had just one bite of this.  It's not that it taste bad it's just because I am not much of a sweets person.  According to my husband who ate most of it, it was pretty good.  Judging from the one bite I had, I would agree because the warm waffle and cold ice cream paired together was a perfect mixture.  To my surprise it was not as sweet as I thought it would be.  My son approved it too, seeing that he ate quite a few spoonfuls.

Bread Bowl Soup Combo $8.95

People often say "It tasted better than it looked" but in this case, it's actually the opposite "it looked better than it tasted".  Maybe I had high hopes for this since the picture on their menu looked very inviting with crusted cheese over the soup.  With this price tag, I was expecting something superior but it really was nothing to brag about except maybe the crusted bread bowl.  The soup was clam chowder but honestly I found more potatoes than clams.

Ambiance:  A

Like I say earlier, their decorations were kept at a minimal but I like the fact that their setup was not busy looking.  We actually felt at peace while having our meal there, which is hard to come by in cafes.

Service: B+

This place is more of a self-serve cafe so you can't expect customer service or waiters coming to check on you.  If you need anything you have to get up to their counter to ask for it.  However, the people that work there are fairly pleasant. 

Caffe Bene

2322 Huntington Dr.

San Marino, CA 91108

1 (626) 291-2393

Open Mon - Sun 7am-10pm

Photography by Herman and Lily

The Reef (Restaurant Review)

The hubby and I ate here to celebrate our 7th anniversary.  It's hard to believe that we have already been married for 7 years!  I mean where did the time go? It happened like in a blink of an eye!  Anyways, I wanted to share some photos of what we had at this restaurant and what I thought of it.

Price: $$$
Fairly expensive but worth the price as the presentation was nice and the food was good quality.  We ordered one appetizer and two entrees.  Our bill came out to be around $80 for 2 adults and 1 toddler.

Food: B+

 Grilled Shrimp and Scallops with Bacon Fried Rice

This fried rice turned out to be really flavorful and yummy!  I mean what's not to love? It's got all of my favorite foods in one plate: seafood, fried rice, bacon and pineapple!  The only downside was that the grilled seafood were slightly too salty for my taste.  It wasn't a big deal, I just rubbed the seasoned side of scallops and shrimp against the pineapple to take off the excess salt, it tasted even better with the tangy pineapple flavor.

Appetizer: Calamari

The Calamari tasted just like it should be, what made it tasted better was the tomato dipping sauce that came with it, a must try!

Almond Crusted Trout with Flavored Rice and Veggies

This surprisingly tasted really good, the gravy on top of the trout was perfectly seasoned, it didn't take away the original trout flavor at all.

Ambiance: A

 The Night Lights

This is the view from inside the restaurant.  If you don't mind the uncomfortable patio chairs and the breeze, you should definitely sit outside!  We couldn't get a good picture since our reflections showed on the glass window but you get the idea!

Service: A
Our server was very attentive, came to check on us often even though we were away from the crowd.

Parking: A
They have their own lot!

The Reef

Long Beach Location

880 S Harbor Scenic Dr.

Long Beach, CA 90802 

(562) 435-8013

 

Photography: Herman Lee

Bon Appetea Cafe

 

 

 Milk Tea with Boba

Boba was very chewy and the milk tea had the perfect amount of sweet!

 Truffle Eggs Open Salad Sandwich

Interesting concept but it was nothing special, tasted a bit bland, over priced egg sandwich I'd say!

 Fried Pork Chops

I passed by this place couple months ago while taking a walk with the family.  It looked really cute from the outside and I've been wanting to pay a visit.  Last Sunday night we finally dropped by because the hubby wanted to lounge somewhere relaxing.  So there we were!  The cafe indeed was very cute with their well thought out decos and dreamy wall arts.  If I could, I would take pictures of all the details but I didn't want to appear awkward to the other patrons ;)

Thank you for reading!

Atmosphere: A

Price: $

Food: B

Service: A

Drink: A

Bon Appetea Cafe

7 S 2nd St

Alhambra, CA 91801 

(626) 281-2266

Photography: Herman and Lily

Japanese Egg Custard (Chawanmushi)

I have been very adventurous with my cooking lately, as a result I cooked up this traditional Japanese appetizer that sometimes is served at sushi restaurants.  "Chawan" means tea cup or rice bowl and "mushi" means steamed in Japanese.  I always had a love for steamed egg dishes such as the Chinese one here that I grew up eating.

The texture of the steamed egg custard is very smooth and melts in your tongue as it enters the mouth.

The recipe I am sharing consists of pork and shrimp, if you are allergic to either of the ingredients you can just omit them.  If you want just a plain egg custard without any of the toppings/fillings and save time, you would only need eggs, water and salt.

The other reason why I decided to make this dish besides my love for Japanese food is the fact that it's nutritious and super easy to eat.  My mother was recently hospitalized due to an accident related to hot liquid.  A feeding tube had to be placed through her nose, throat and down to the stomach so she was having a hard time chewing and swallowing food.  This steamed egg custard was perfect for her as she could easily ingest it.  If you have a little one at home, this would make a great snack as well.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 2 cups (480ml) Dashi (powder fish stock, read instructions on package on how to mix)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp Mijiu (sake is traditionally used but rice cooking wine would do the trick)
• 1 tsp Mirin (sweet cooking rice seasoning)
• 2-4 shrimp, sliced into 2 pieces each if big
• 1/2 pork meat, cut into bite size pieces
• 1-2 shiitake mushroom, sliced
• green onion, chopped

Instructions

1. Marinade pork and shrimps. In a small bowl, mix pork pieces with 1/2 tsp soy sauce and 1/2 tsp Mijiu or Sake. In another bowl, mix shrimp and 1/2 tsp soy sauce and 1/2 tsp Mijiu or Sake. Let them sit for a couple of minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix eggs, Dashi, salt, 1 tsp soy sauce, and Mirin together. Strain the egg mixture through a sieve. Let as much egg as you can go through the sieve.
3. Place 1/4 amount of pork, shrimp, and shiitake mushrooms in each of 4 small cups (small bowls work too), then pour egg mixture over them to fill 3/4 of a cup. Cover with aluminum foil and put the covered cups into a steamer.
4. Steam at medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Check with a wooden skewer to see if it's done. If clear broth comes out when poked, take the cups out from the steamer (BE VERY CAREFUL AS THE HOT CERAMICS AND STEAM CAN CAUSE BURNS)
5. Sprinkle chopped green onion and cover again for 2-3 minutes.

  Be Inspired - Lily

Vietnamese Beef Vermicelli Noodle Salad

Hi Everyone! It has been awhile since I did a food post. I want to share with you today a recipe that is perfect for summer. Recently the weather in Los Angeles has been very hot and humid, so I thought of cooking up a dish that I would enjoy eating and not sweat more than I have to.

This noodle salad can be eaten cold or at room temperature, which means it could be a good alternative to bring for work lunches (because sometimes you just want to eat something on the go and or a microwave isn't always available).

Traditionally, thin slices of skirt steak is used for this dish but I think it wouldn't taste too bad if you used grilled chicken breasts.

Ingredients:

For the dipping sauce:

• 4 tablespoons granulated light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lime juice, from 1 large lime
• 4 tablespoons best quality fish sauce, I used Three Crabs brand
• 2 garlic cloves, minced  
• 1/2 cup of water

Some recipes called for red and green chile but I omitted these since I didn't want my tongue on fire.

For the Beef (or any meat of your choice): 

•  1 pound beef skirt steak or sirloin, in thin 1/4-inch slices (if you have an Asian market nearby, they sometimes sell this already sliced in packages)
• 2 tablespoons best quality fish sauce, I used Three Crabs brand
• 1 tablespoon granulated light brown sugar
• 3 garlic cloves, minced 
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil 

 For the noodle salad:

•  12 ounces rice vermicelli noodles (dry)
• 1 head lettuce, such as butter lettuce or Romaine
• 4 scallions, slivered
• 1 medium carrot, cut in 3-inch lengths, julienned (about 1 cup, soak in vinegar and water)
• 1 small cucumber, 3-inch lengths, julienned (about 1 cup)
• 1 3-inch length daikon radish, julienned (about 1 cup, soak in vinegar and water)
• Mixture of cilantro sprigs, mint leaves, basil leaves about 3 cups
• 4 tablespoons crushed roasted peanuts
• 4 tablespoons fried shallots, available in Asian markets 
• Small handful bean sprout 

Instructions: 

For the beef:
Combine beef, fish sauce, sugar and garlic in a bowl. Massage seasoning into beef and let sit for 15 minutes.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. When pan is nearly smoking, add beef and quickly stir-fry until lightly browned and just cooked, about 2 minutes. Work in batches if necessary so meat browns and doesn’t steam. (Beef can be cooked after the dipping sauce and noodles are done to maintain heat)

Make the dipping sauce:
 In a small bowl combine sugar, rice vinegar and lime juice and stir to dissolve. Add fish sauce, garlic, ginger and 1/2 cup water and stir together. Let sit for 15 minutes for flavors to meld. (May be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated.)

Cook the noodle:
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add rice noodles and let it simmer for 5 to 8 minutes until it's soft.  then drain and rinse with cold water. Leave in colander at room temperature.

Make the salad:
Line a serving bowl or four individual large wide soup bowls with a few lettuce leaves and top with noodles.
Top noodles with cooked beef, scallions, carrot, cucumber,daikon and bean sprouts.  Sprinkle with herbs, crushed peanuts and fried shallots.  Drizzle lightly with dipping sauce.

Bon Appetit!

This recipe might seem a bit complicated and overwhelming for those of you who are making it for the first time.  To avoid a headache, I would prepare the ingredients the night before and store them in the refrigerator until ready to use.

 Be Inspired - Lily