The Adventures of Tin-Tin

Gilroy Garlic Festival 2007

Today we went to the Gilroy Garlic Festival. This was my first time going so I was very excited. I guess they were cooking shrimp scampi in these huge firey pans.

C and S tried out this really cool bread slicer. It lasts over 200 hours of cutting time! I wonder if it just starts to give out at around 199 or if 200 is the point of complete failure.

Everyone always says you HAVE to try the garlic ice cream, so we did...Not at this stall though. We stood in line for free garlic soft serve. I bet the ice cream would have been better. I thought the soft serve was just okay. The garlic wasn't overpowering at all. Like J said, "It's like eating vanilla ice cream after eating garlic fries."

Even though it was the Garlic Festival, I felt more drawn to non-garlicky food. For instance, this funnel cake with bavarian cream and fudge sauce caught my eye. Screw the garlic ice cream! I'm eating fried batter!!!

Check out this huge garlic bulb!

All in all, it was a pretty good day. We left at around 2pm right when it got unbearably hot so I was glad to have arrived early-ish (noon) when it wasn't so hot. I am also glad I got to eat a funnel cake. Diet's not really doing so good today. But at least I didn't get sunburned (I think).

   

The Cows Came Home---OAAAKAAAAY

Today I saw cows grazing by the 880 south bound freeway between Fremont and Milpitas. It was awesome to see them so close to all those high-tech companies and luxury car dealerships. It's so rare to see cows in the Bay Area--in south bay at least. It's like the cows went away while the dot-com-boom was going on and now they are coming home. WATCH OUT!

Note: Okay so this photo isn't really from 880. This pic is from my trip to Point Reyes, where the cows are rude. Hmph.

Meanwhile, M sent me this awesome music video for Kanye West's "Stronger" with that dude who was in Fiona Apple's video lip syncing to her song, too. Click here to see Fiona's music video "Not About Love." I guess everyone has to have a talent. Click here to see Kanye's "Stronger" music video and listen to the song that is now my official job-hunting-and-drowning-in-student-loans anthem. yay.

"Laaaalalala...wait till I get my money right. Laaaaalalala...then you can't tell me nothing right."

Curried Pork Stuffed Mushrooms

J surprised me today by cooking! I don't have pics of the tender tri-tip he grilled for lunch, but I do have some of the curried pork stuffed mushrooms he made so lovingly. They were delicious!!! The pork was lightly seasoned and the mushrooms were surprisingly tender.

I must admit I have never seen ground pork look so disturbing as when it is stuffed into a white eye-ball shaped mushroom.

 

If you're wondering, there really is no exact recipe to follow. From what I know, the filling has some chopped onion that was pre-sauteed in butter, some curry powder and ground black pepper. Then it was all cooked in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes, sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese and broiled for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the cheese was brown and bubbly. Or maybe there really is a recipe and J doesn't want to share...

Bike Knives

These are cool.

Bike-handled knives from MKS Design via Uncrate.com

The Blueberry Le Creuset Petit Blueberry Casserole

This is riduculous.

But I want it. It's a Le Creuset Petit Blueberry Casserole and it is on sale at Amazon.com. Apparently, there is also a pear, an artichoke and an eggplant casserole. Something about the blueberry one though. Maybe because it's round. I am round. Ergo, I like round things.

What can I say? I have a thing for enameled cast-iron French cookware. Case in point: longtime wishlist placeholder--> the Staub chicken roaster

Considering the blueberry casserole is only $25, I am wondering if it is actually the size of a real blueberry. Le Creuset isn't exactly cheap ya know.

I am also wondering how confusing and possibly very amusing it would be to serve something like liver and onions or haggis in an unassuming little blueberry shaped casserole. Guests would open the lid thinking some sort of sweet fruity compote would be inside but NO HO HO! It would be chopped up entrails! MUAHAHAHHAHAHAH.

Thanks, Outblush for telling me about it!

Manju-The San Jose Japantown Treat

I bought some manju at the Manju Shop (duh) while J was waiting in line for my shave ice at Obon.  Shuei-Do Manju Shop is pretty popular judging by all the great reviews on Yelp. There are lots of different kind of manju, but the ones that I like are kinda like mochi in that they made with sweet sticky rice flour.

Out of those three varieties I bought, I like this one the best because it was soft, squishy and white. The red bean filling is not bad either.

 

I couldn't find a recipe that sounded like it would make the manju I like, but I did find a ridiculously easy recipe for making manju in your microwave. Note: I have never tried it, so don't blame me if your microwave explodes.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

There's a fatty version of this recipe floating around somewhere, but Cooking Light Magazine (one of my favorite food magazines) lightened it up and made a healthy version. My old roommate, S, loved this casserole because it was creamy and comforting. I like this casserole because I won't feel guilty after eating it.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

• 3 quarts water
• 1 (12 oz) package broccoli florets
• 4 (6 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 (12 oz) can evaporated fat-free milk
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 oz)
• 1/4 salt
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Dash of nutmeg
• 1 cup fat-free mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 (10.75 oz) can condensed 30% reduced-sodium 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 cup (4 oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Bring water to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, and cook 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Transfer broccoli to a large bowl with a slotted spoon. Add chicken to boiling water; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until done. Transfer chicken to a cutting board; cool slightly. Cut chicken in bite-sized pieces, and add chicken to bowl with broccoli.
3. Combine evaporated milk, flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a saucepan, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook 1 minute, stirring constatly. Remove from heat. Add mayonnaise, next 4 ingredients (through soup), and 1/2 cup cheese, stirring until well combined. Add mayonnaise mixture to broccoli mixture, stir gently until combined.
4. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes or until mixture bubbles at the edges and cheese begins to brown. Remove from oven; let cool on a wire rack 5 minutes. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup).

Nutritional Info: Calories 276; Fat 7.8g; Protein 31.1g; Carb 18.9g; Fiber 2.1g;Chol 66mg; Iron 1.6mg; Sodium 696mg; Calc 365mg

Elizabeth Bacon , Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2005

My Favorite Filipino YouTube Videos

Filipinos on the Family Guy:

Famous Filipinos:

One of my favorite Rex Navarette comedy sound bytes:

And last but not least, Terry Maddox

Filipino Inmates Dancing to Michael Jackson's "Thriller"

Pillowig!

I love the Pillowig. I wish I thought of it. It's too bad. I don't think anyone wants to get legal advice from someone who is ready for a nap at any time. It looks very katamari-esque. Which reminds me, I haven't played PSP in a long time.

I would be jumping up and down, too, if I got to wear the pillowig to work. Sigh...

BTW Thanks for the link, M! 

San Jose's Obon Festival 2007

Today we went to the Obon Festival in San Jose's Japantown. It is a Japanese event to honor ancestors. I don't know much about it except that there is a big dance, lots of lanterns, people dressed in kimonos and lots of yummy treats like imagawayaki, shave ice, and some of the best buttered corn I have ever had. Here are some pics for your amusement.

There was a HUGE line for shave ice at the manju shop. But it was well worth it considering how hot it was today.

J said to get the strawberry with condensed milk and vanilla ice cream. It was breathtakingly refreshing and delicious. I don't think I have ever had shave ice before. It was so soft and fluffy! A snow-cone to the 100th power!

The food stands were packed but moved quickly. I only really came for the buttered corn and...

the imagawayaki!!!! yayayayayay. So tasty!

Look! Sister and M love them, too!

Another awesome thing about Obon...babies in kimonos! So cute.