Celebratory meals!

This year, for my 27th birthday, my hubby made me some yummy-in-my-tummy breakfast! Bonus points for using my favorite fruit - fresh strawberries! Double bonus points for cutting them into heart-shapes!!
Breakfast item #1: Nutella French Toast with fresh strawberries & confectioner's sugar

A heart within a heart!

Breakfast Item#2: Quiche with broccoli, breakfast sausage, and potatoes sprinkled with melted mozzarella

For lunch, we went to City Crab and Seafood Company, where we got a complimentary entree for my birthday! I saw this deal because I was on their mailing list. (Tip: sign up for company coupons/email mailings and look for free stuff and good deals on your birthday!!). So we ordered Pacific NW Dungeness Crab! It was super fresh and super tasty! We ordered it steamed with melted butter on the side. It was finger licking good and totally worth all the hard work de-shelling! Here are some before and after pictures! =)

Kenny ordered the New England Lobster Roll on butter toasted brioche, which was equally delicious! Look at those huge chunks of lobster meat!! MmMmm so good!

Thank you hubby for celebrating with me and taking me through all these foodie adventures! What more could a gal ask for?

Tips on How to Make Yummy Clay Pot Rice

If you like clay pot rice likes the ones from restaurants like Yummy Noodle in Chinatown, NY (ahem, David & GG)... Cooking MaMa-Tse-ta says cooking clay pot rice just like those is easy!













You just have to follow a few simple rules:
Rule#1 - Be gentle, clay pots can crack very easily!
Rule#2 - To clean the pot use warm water only. Never use detergent or soap! To make it easier to clean any stubborn food particles let the pot soak in hot water for a few hours.Then gently clean with a soft sponge or dish towel.
Rule#3 - Ideal amount of rice for the small clay pots are no more than 1 & 3/4 cups of uncooked rice.  Then add water until it is 3/4 of an inch above the rice (this may vary depending on the grain of rice you have and your preference. Some like "mushier" rice while others like "dryer" rice.)
Rule#4 - Use medium heat in the beginning for the water to start boiling.  Once it starts boiling turn the flame down to low checking periodically until the rice has absorbed all of the water. **If you like "fon jiew" aka crispy rice on the bottom of the pot then leave it on low flame for a little longer, you will be able to smell when it starts to brown.  Be careful not to let it cook for too long or it will turn black!**

Addons for the rice may include:
-Chinese sausage "Lop Chuerng"
-Minced beef
-Egg (sunnyside up if you add it midway)
-Preserved Duck "Lop Ngop"
-Salted Egg "Hom Don"
-"Thousand Year Old Egg' aka Preserved Duck Egg "Pei Don"
-"Bot Fon Yue" dried baby white fishes
-Sweet soy sauce

Green Onion aka Scallion Tip

Mary has inherited her mothers green thumb and has begun growing scallions in our kitchen.  On a tip from Jenny Lee (Wu) when we were in San Fran visiting her and Dan the man we save a lot of money!

$1 worth of scallions can yield an abundant ever growing crop of scallions!

Instructions:

Buy scallions

Chop green parts off leave bulbs

Put greens in a container for the fridge

Put bulbs in a vase with an inch or 2 of water

Watch them grow!

They will keep growing so keep eating and cutting!

Enjoy!

Totto Ramen - The Best Authentic Japanese Ramen in NYC - even during a hurricane

No, we're not reporting to from Totto ramen right now.  We're safe at home im a safe queens zone while everyone's panicking getting last minute supplies. The lines at Totto ramen average 20-45 minutes depending on how many people give up or aren't present when called.  And let me tell you the wait is totally worth it!

Avo Tuna is really relish with a balanced flavor between the fatty slice of tuna sashimi, avocado and greens.

Niku ramen is almost too much food.  Its a meat lovers ramen filled with their pork belly char siu and chicken char siu.  Make sure you spoon out the dollop of garlic they put on top though and add according to your tastes.

Totto extra spicy ramen - this is actually not extra spicy because you're given a yummy peanut based spicy sauce to add at your own pace.  Very good ramen and yummy spicy taste.

Totto Miso Ramen: the best most well balanced ramen they serve, you can get it with tofu, pork belly char siu or chicken and the broth is delicious with a complex Miso flavor that is not overly salty.  What I love about Totto are their great fresh ramen noodles that really have snap. 

My wife tells me im a ramen nazi for not loving instant ramen like she does (she loves all ramen)but I think its because I've studied abroad in japan and had real ramen quite often.  Don't get me wrong I still eat instant ramen but there really is no comparison.  Real ramen isn't limp and msg filled but leaves you feeling giddy like a little Tokyo school girl/boy and full with an imminent food coma.

I've tried Menkui Tei and Ippudo multiple times as well and this is the most genuine place because it really feels like you could walk into a place like it in Japan and the prices are good unlike Ippudo which has an even longer wait. Also like Ippudo you can get "Kaedama" which for $2.50 only you can add another large ball of ramen into your original broth. It's good to split between you and a date but if you ordered an appetizer skip this as you can't doggie bag anything here.

Go now!  Well not now bit after hurricane irene finishes destroying the city! Also remember they won't seat groups of more than 4 together so go in small groups and remember to put your name on the waiting list board and don't leave the waiting area or you have to go to the end of the list again!

Totto is open from 11-12 on 52nd street between 8th & 9th avenue.

Come hungry,  leave satisfied!

Best Shaved Ice revealed at last...

It's ironic to be talking about shaved ice when we are expecting yet another snow storm to come our way Tuesday night in NY.... but perhaps it's all the more reason why I must remember savoring every little bit of this shaved ice... rather than having to shovel and commute through it! So without further ado, the place I've been raving about for the best shaved ice on Maui: Ululani's!!! What makes this shaved ice so good is the quality of the ice... it's shaved so fine it's almost like eating soft fluffy snow... we had the haleakala combo which is coconut flavor topped with sweetened condensed cream and with a just a buck more, we added a big scoop of macadamia nut vanilla ice cream. mmm it was soo good. the sweetness of the coconut flavor and condensed milk combined with the softest shaved ice contrasted with the creamy texture of the ice cream and the crunch of the macadamia nut... it was outta this world!!!!! Just look at how happy Kenny is eating this... (this smile is comparable to the smile he had on our wedding day!)

This combo was so good, we had to go back and get it one more time on our very last day in Maui. Here's a close-up: