Rebecca's Birthday Dinner

Another year, another amazing meal at Rebecca and Albert's. This was last Saturday. I ate so, so, so much. The oxtail in particular was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I wanted to swim in the seafood bouillabaisse! So yummy. And I was quite pleased that we got to play Pictionary! It was girls against boys and the boys won. boo. I declare rematch!

Good times. :)


The chef: no pictures!

Full set here.

Dad's Secret Garden

His hands have toiled every square inch of the tiny back yard, coaxing an ever changing array of vegetation from each nook and cranny. Throughout childhood I nursed a secret garden fantasy (a la Frances Hodgson Burnett) gazing into and playing in that yard. My sister and I shared a room that looked into the garden and dad purposely chose the most fragrant rose bush to plant under our window. The man is 81 and he still describes his plants with bright, open enthusiasm. Now that I have my own garden to tend, I aim to channel some of his instinct and deep sense of wonder while I move amongst the leaves and flowers.

Alabama Shakes

Really, really diggin' this. Soulful Alabama Shakes. They're blowin' up. Gonna be everywhere in a second.

Groove:


K. Off to buy ALL their music.

4. Dessert

Downtown Art Day

The Affordable Art Fair & LA Art Show were happening at the same time and right near each other. Art perusing is really one of our favorite ways to spend time. Also, the breezy, bright day made strolling around Downtown so pleasant.

Monday Meow!

Micio prefers her morning coffee served in Heath. She's got good taste this one.

Year of the Dragon

The Dragon is considered to be the most fortunate and revered in Chinese astrology symbols. This is a pretty big deal in China and other Asian countries. Chinese New Year traditions our family observe include making savory turnip cake, putting fresh flowers in the home and enjoying New Year's Eve dinner (tuan nian/reunion dinner).

Instead of cooking at home, we decided to eat out at ABC Seafood in Chinatown. It recently reopened -- refurbished, refreshed and under new ownership. Rumor has it David Lam sourced Master Chef Chui all the way from Hong Kong! Without reservations, we waited about an hour for our table of seven. And it was worth. every. second. The food was so fresh and perfectly seasoned. From the soup to dessert, each morsel was perfect. The service was also quite good - which is somewhat of a rarity in Chinatown.

• Abalone and sliced chicken soup
• French style X.O. filet Mignon
• Honey walnut shrimp
• Fried tofu
• Fresh lobster with ginger and green onion
• Poached chicken with garlic sauce
• Pea shoots with garlic
• Calamari with pickled mustard greens
• Green bean soup dessert

I'm lucky to get two New Year's celebrations. Growing up bi-cultural is kind of awesome. And just think, thanks to my Italian/Russian-Jewish-American husband, our future children will have their pick of up to FOUR cultures! ha.



Full photoset here.

A Sunset

We attended the funeral for a friend's mother today. It was an unexpected passing.

Excerpt from Tina Fey's book Bossypants

"A mother's prayer for its daughter"

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered,

May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half

And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her

When crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the nearby subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock N’ Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance.

Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes

And not have to wear high heels.

What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen.

Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long,

For Childhood is short -- a Tiger Flower blooming

Magenta for one day --

And Adulthood is long and Dry-Humping in Cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever,

That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers

And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister,

Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends,

For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord,

That I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 a.m., all-at-once

exhausted,bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.

“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck.

“My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental note to call me. And she will forget.

But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.

Thrifty Thursday! 1.19.2012

We spent some time with my mom at the Long Beach Antique Market last weekend. It was our first time to this flea market and we had a great time. Also, since when did flea markets sell beer? Anyway, hidden amongst some overpriced wares and other items of questionable saleability were some really nice finds. We're trying to be budget conscious this year so we walked away from most. There was that London Fog trench that fit perfectly. And that amazing ostrich feather mini jacket/bolero. And that cute painting that reminded me of my sister. Sergio found an incredible deal on a couple of wirey patio loungers that needed just a bit of TLC but were too big for our car.

I did get this. Vintagey goodness. And only $5.



Classy.

Sick Day

Dumpling Day

One of my favorite indulgences is dumplings. I could probably eat more than one tray by myself if no one was looking. ha. This is from our vacation time a couple weeks ago.



Full set here.

Elora update

Impromptu pizza dinner at Betsy and Justin's. Of course, I mostly took photos of Elora. She's so much bigger than the last time we got to see her! She's so strong and happy.








I really do need to visit Elora in the daytime so I can get better photos. I'm just not skilled enough in low-light conditions. Her cuteness shines through anyway though!

Full set here.

Hasta luego Rob Lee

Rob is going to cook in San Sebastián, España, for three months. Martin Berasategui is a three Michelin starred Basque restaurant on the northern coast, two cheek besos away from the French border. (I know, right?) We gathered to say farewell at Honda-Ya, an Izakaya in the Little Tokyo Shopping Center. Sergio and I were pleasantly surprised to come across a cool art show on our post-dinner stroll.





Full photoset here.

3. Snack