Korean Chicken Soup (영계백숙)

Cornish game hen works best. It is tender and has less fat. If you can buy organic, fresh, unfrozen ones that’s the best. If cornish hens are not available you can also buy small, young chicken. Best way to thaw is to leave in the refrigerator overnight or 10 hrs. If you have less time, you can also put the chicken(still wrapped) in cold water to thaw for 3-4 hrs. If you are really short on time, you can also thaw the chicken in the microwave but it’s really not recommended.
Cut off the wing tips, neck and the tail end. My mom told me that the wing tips and the tail end are bad for you so why eat it since there’s not much to eat there anyway. If the chicken has any giblets inside the stomach, discard it. There may be quite a bit of fat near the breast area or near the bottom, trim the fat as much as you can. Wash the chicken well under running water and pat it dry.
Prepare the garlic – if you have a whole bulb, soak it in water and peel them.
Peel the onion and leave it whole.
Simmer at medium low or low heat for 35 min for smaller chicken (less than 2 lb) and 40 min for chicken larger than 2 lbs.  Check if chicken is fully cooked by piercing the area between the thigh and the belly to see if any blood comes out. Cook a few minutes longer if you see any redness.
Take the chicken out onto a plate and let it cool a couple minutes. Chop up the green onions into small pieces (1/3 in).  Serve the soup, rice, pieces of the chicken and green onions in a bowl. Serve with salt and pepper so it can be seasoned at the table. Also make some vinegar-soy sauce for dipping the chicken meat if people want to eat the meat alone without the soup. You can also serve chicken with salt and pepper and people can dip the chicken pieces in salt/pepper mix instead of the soy sauce dip. Finally serve some kimchi and dried roasted seaweed and you have a complete, delicious and healthy dinner!!

Iconic Armani Look in Emporio Price

Love this good looking pee-toe heels from S/S2012 Emporio Armani. Block-heeled sandals with clear plastic straps, peep-toe shooties with neon lucite shaped wedge heels, front-panel booties, clear plastic ankle boots. http://www.armani.com/us/emporioarmani

Are You a New Gypsy?

I have to say..., I'm not impressed with any of S/S 2012 collection. Apparel and accessories are so boringly expected... This one kind of caught my eyes though... New S/S 2012 from Emilio Pucci's collection. Simple suede peep toes with ankle straps in red, black, nude or deep purple; strappy caged stilettos in black, red or gold; pink satin peep toes with a patent leather trim.

http://www.emiliopucci.com/emiliopucci/home/realgender/WOMEN/tskay/8D8F600C/gender/D

Short Motocycle Boots

Gap is not usually the place I went for getting a pair of boots, but I love these boots! They are true to size, and they have nice cushion inside. The great part is you can wear them with skinny jeans or bootcut, however you want to style them. Just what I was looking for. http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=56993&vid=1&pid=862797&scid=862797012

Alexander Wang's New Motocross Girls

Pointed is back by Wang! Pointed courts with ankle straps and multiple strap details, strappy shoe-boots. I love this ink blue. I also love the single monochrome, subtle pattern.

Goat at the Sunny Spot

I LOVE this place!!! New fun spot in Venice Beach, CA.

This was the goat place served with fresh mango and lettuce. All of their food was awesome, and must try their special cocktails. My fav was dry harbor.

http://sunnyspotvenice.com/

Why is This Boot so Fabulous? Gucci!

I mean the answer is obvious! Gucci. You can totally showcase your allegiance to the ultimate fashion house, Gucci, by donning their chic boots. So bluntly branded with big Gucci ring on the side, but it does not feel garish. Gotta have this!

http://www.gucci.com/us/styles/246703AIT001000#

What's cooking at the Mountain?

My latest fav place for healthy yummy Korean food. Tonight is the Seafood hot pot night! Yummmmm...

http://m.yelp.com/biz/mountain-gardena

Yummy Tum Yum

Another cold night. I did shrimp and tofu Tum Yum soup. So awesome!!!

Fish sauce, Coconut milk, Kaffir lime leaf, Galangal(or ginger), Lemongrass, Palm sugar, Bird’s eye chilies, Roasted chili paste, Cilantro and Lime
If you have the ingredients above, you can pretty much whip up any good Thai recipes as you wish. Technically, Tum Tum is the chicken soup without coconut milk, but for the title sakes, I am going to stay with Tum Yum! ;p And I used shrimps and tofu!
Add coconut milk, water, lemongrass, ginger, chilies, kaffir lime leaves into a pot and bring it to boil. Add straw shrimps and tofu and boil it on medium heat for a few minutes or until the shrimps are cooked through. Add lime juice and fish sauce to taste. Add chopped cilantro before serving.

Kimchi Fried Rice

Easiest and yummiest creation with Kimchi. All you need rice, Kimchi, any type of meat, green onions and eggs. Simply mix them all together. Fry, fry stir fry them!

Beef & Chicken Sausage Stew

First, marinate the stew beef with fruit juice as a tenderizer. I used Acai berry juice. Sprinkle sea salt with 2 table spoon open any Chardonnay. Leave it for 10-20 min. Chop 2 medium size of white onion in 1.5 X 1.5 cubes. Put little EVO in a pot heat it up. Throw onions and pre-marinated beef and stir it in high heat for 2-3 min. Add cut chicken sausage and put some dry basil and black pepper. Stir it until juice comes out of in mid heat. Add cubed carrots. I use stewed canned tomatoes for thickness and flavor. Keep the heat in mid-high for 10 min. Add chopped fresh tomatoes and parsley and lower the heat to low. I will add yellow squash per my husband's request for this one, but it's pretty much ready. Leave the pot as long as you'd like keep adding none salted chicken broth or just water. For me, I honestly prefer day old stew because it had more flavor. Serve with rice, bread or noodle.

Mutiara Malay Restaurant

So yummy! Weekend special, tofu salad. 5 stars out of 5!! Gotta check out. http://www.urbanspoon.com/m/r/5/1532635

Shabu All The Time

I posted their shabu couple of times already, but for the day like this, cold and windy, it tastes better...

http://m.yelp.com/biz/mizu-212-los-angeles

Sent from my iPhone...

Jacki P.

http://jackihits.blogspot.com/

Ojinguh Bokum is a Spicy Squid Dish

Mix all sauce ingredients and set aside.(1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp gochujang, red chili pepper paste, 1 tsp sugar, 6 fresh garlic cloves, peeled and puréed, 1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and puréed, 1 tbsp gochugaru, red chili pepper flakes, 1 tbsp sesame oil, Salt and pepper)
Clean squid and wash well in cold water. Cut head wing and tentacles from its body cavity. Slit the squid body cavity open and flatten. Cut into ¼ -½ inch wide strips from the head to the tail and then cut the strips into 2 inch sections. Slit tentacle ring, flatten and cut into desired biting pieces including head wing.
Wash vegetables(onions, carrots, zucchini and broccolis) in cold water and trim all stems. Cut and slice into desired biting pieces for all vegetables. Preheat a large stir fry pan over high heat and add cooking oil. First add carrots and onions and stir fry for about 1 minute. Then add squid, zucchini and broccolis and green onions. Stir fry for 30 seconds. Add sauce and stir fry for additional 2 minutes. Sprinkle ground pepper to meet taste. Remove from heat and toss around with sesame oil. Serve hot over rice.

Home Made Seafood Soo Je Bi

In a mixing bowl add 4 cups of flour, 1 egg, and about 1 cup of water and knead it into dough. Add the water a little bit at a time and just bring it to a play dough consistency. Add a dash of pepper and about 1/2 TB of salt. After it's all kneaded, place it into the fridge until you need it later...this will make the dough more chewy and YUMMY. In a pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil and add about 10-15 dried anchovies (large) and a few big pieces of dashima. Let it boil for at least 30 minutes (if not LONGER). While the anchovy broth is boiling...chop up the vegetables. I actually didn't have any potatoes in my fridge today, but pretend it's just there! ;) Put chose of your sea food(I used shrimps, mussels and white fish tonight) into boiling broth. Reduce the heat to low....and then get your dough out and start pulling small pieces off and into the broth. When you're about halfway through with the dough, add the squash and then finish up the dough pieces and bring everything to a boil for about 5 minutes. The pieces of dough shouldn't be too big. Try to make them bite size... Then you are finally ready to serve! You can garnish with green onions. Or no... 

Biker Boots Meet Goth N Graphic

Everyone did biker boots. But I never seen anything like this before. Gareth Pugh is my new fav fashion designer. He is young and talented with British accent and live in Paris!!! Check his 2011 F/W collection.

http://fashiondailymag.com/gareth-pugh-paris-runway-fall-2011-on-fdm/

Home Made Korean Style, Caldo de Siete Mares

Cut daikon into cubes. Deseed red chili pepper & cut diagonally into 1/4” slices. Cut green onion into 2” pieces. Mix red pepper, bean paste, soy sauce, garlic, ginger juice & sugar. In soup pot, bring four cups of water to a boil, add clams and boil until they open. Take clams & mussels out of pot, add kelp to pot & boil 2 minutes. Put daikon pieces into seasonings & mix well. Add this mixture to pot & boil until daikon is cooked. Add cubed tofu, bean sprouts & mushroom. Add white fish & shrimp, boil until cooked. Add clams & mussels, green onion & chili pepper slices. Add salt to taste, chopped parleys, and serve.

The Pair of Boots I Must Have!

Prada's tall snakeskin boots! Yes, please!!! With shaped heels; suede sock boots with faux Mary Jane. I see Prada's signature look all over... Talking about reinventing a wheel? I say this takes 1st prize for sure.

Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2012

Hot ribbon-lace shooties for your Spring closet update. Dolce & Gabbana did it again. Incredibly fabulous...

Home Made 3 Course Dinner

Kale avocado salad, made from scratch-lobster bisque and seafood paella. It was very satisfied, lovely dinner with my husband. If anyone needs recipe, please let me know...

Derek Lam's fabulous new wedges

This is new idea! Leather cage platform wedges in brown and silver cage heels... Love this graphical print making using such a cool technique. He also played awesomely with dark coral, spearmint, banana yellow, white, and black were key to the collection. Prints were a marine and green mix and knits were a pretty pink.

3.1 Phillip Lim: S/S 2012

Block-heeled peep-toes in powdery fish skin leather, high-shine silver leather or clear plastic with mirrored heel. Candied pastels including lilac, peach, lemon and shell pink with a barely there mint, anchored with graphic black, white, khaki and stonewash denim blue. Love, love this pair!!!

Palio in Atlanta, GA

Palio, Atalanta, GA

Steak with mushroom risotto. I liked the way they cooked veggies. Food, service and experience are much better than I expected... I will give 3.75 stars.

Chicken Burger Tonight

Eddie Murphy might think home made burger is neighborhood kids laughing matter, but this chicken burger is off-the-hook! I paired with tomato, cucumber salad with grilled zucchini. Beauty of this burger is that I got the ground meat from local halal market. Freshly grounded, so no one has to wonder what's in the meat!!! Visit Super Hayat Market in Torrance, CA for "known" meat you can really enjoy. http://local.yahoo.com/info-20540564-super-hayat-market-torrance

Home Made Seafood Paella

Preheat oven to 450°F. Heat grape-seed oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped bacon and cook until fat is rendered, about 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels and drain. Set aside.

Sprinkle chicken sausage pieces. Add chicken sausage to bacon drippings in pot and cook over medium heat until brown, about 7 minutes per side. Using tongs, remove chicken sausage from pot.

Add chopped onions and garlic to pot and saut
 until beginning to brown, scraping up any browned bits, about 10 minutes. Stir in rice, roasted pimientos(I usually use olives) with juices and saffron. Add clam juice and chicken stock to pot and bring mixture to simmer. Remove from heat.

Pour rice mixture into 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange chicken sausage, shrimp and clams  in rice mixture. Sprinkle with chopped bacon and peas. Cover with foil.

Bake paella until chicken sausage is cooked through and clams open and rice is tender, about 45 minutes (discard any clams and mussels that do not open). Remove foil from baking dish. Let paella stand 10 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges. 

Sunday Night is Home Made Tacos

Carne Asada tacos!!! Freshly made home made salsa, all home prepared meat, grilled and served on organic white corn tortilla... Squeeze of line with chilled Pacifico... Sunday night is good. Always welcome for requesting my secret recipe!

Hollywood Studio Bar & Grill

Their Gumbo is too die for. Check their event calendar for sure. Tonight is awesome Jazz night. Featured artist is Izzy Chait!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hollywood-Studio-Bar-Grill/127799047998?sk=wall

짬뽕-Jjambbong

JjamBbong is a Korean version of Chinese spicy seafood noodles. It is as popular as JaJangMyun(blackbean paste noodles) in Korea. You need a lot of ingredients to make this, but it is not that difficult to make and does not take a long time. Do you like spicy seafood dishes? Then, you have to try these noodles someday. God... This was good!

Spicy Seafood Soup

Cold weather. Hot soup! This is my latest new creation. Broth is made with all fresh veggies: basil, thyme, cilantro, rosemary and lots of onions. Boil the veggie broth for at least an hour, add chopped tomatoes and cut sun-dried tomatoes into it. Add cut potatoes and carrots in 1 X 1 cube size into prepared veggie stock, and add sea salt or Kosher salt as you wish. I put mussel, shrimps, squid. Do not over cook these guys. It will get rubbery and chewy. I sprinkle white pepper and dried rosemary right before serving with chopped chives. This is good with pasta, bread or rice. My husband had 3 servings!!!

Brie Cheese On Steak

I marinated the sirloin with sea salt and Texan style bbq sauce. Rare to Mediumrare this the best way to serve this Brie Cheese steak. When the steak is almost done, think sliced brie cheese on the steak and let it melt. Serve with grilled asparagus, sweet white corns and cranberry/candied walnut/mixed green salad. Love this French style steak. Easy to prepare, and yummy in my tummy...

Korean Pizza Noodle – Japchae

Japchae  is a stir-fried noodle dish mixed with slightly cooked vegetables. My husband always says that the flavor of this dish reminds of him pizza. So I call this Korean Pizza noodle. The noodle is made with yam starch and it looks similar to vermicelli.  It is one of most served party foods. You can serve it as a side dish or a main dish. Also you can make Japchae rice by simply putting Japchat on the top of rice.

8 oz Dangmyeon (yam starch noodles)
thinly sliced mushrooms
1/2 thinly sliced carrot
1/2 thinly sliced onion
1/2 steamed spinach
soy sauce 3T
minced garlic 1T
sugar 1T
sesame oil 1/2T
pepper little bit
sea salt little bit

1. Soak Dangmyeon (noodles) in cold water for 1 hour until the noodles get softened. Drain water.
2. Stir fry sliced mushrooms and other vegetables separately except sesame leaf.
3. Stir fry the noodles and all cooked vegetables quickly.
4. Put them in a big bowl and add spinach leaves.
5. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, sugar and pepper and mix them well. If it is too blend, add sea salt. 

Haystack Fries from Tin Roof, Manhattan Beach

God, this fries are good. Shoestring fries, garlic, homemade bleu cheese dressing, dash of spicy sauce. Yummy in my tummy fries.

http://www.tinroofbistro.com/

Pesto Cafe in Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii

Creative island cuisine. Well... This awesome Pacific Seafood risotto was my last meal for this Hawaiian vacation. This was so good, it didn't help me leaving and going back to daily rat chase...

Anyhow, please visit the Pesto Cafe, if you are in Hilo. http://www.cafepesto.com/

Hilo Home Made Ice cream

Thai Thai Restaurant serves the best thai food I've ever tried. I posted several reviews on their fabulous Mahi curry, Tom Yum and Shrimp Pad Thai. But!!! They also serves the best ice cream that I've ever tried. "Hilo Home-Made" ice cream. I've been to the original place and it is a hole in the wall. But this most delicious smooth ice cream I know of. Yum!!!

http://m.citysearch.com/profile/3212059/volcano_hi/thai_thai_restaurant.html

Canoe House in Kona, Big Island, Hawaii

Romantic sunset dinner? The Canoe House in Mauna Lani Resort, Kona will take care of that. I tried my favorite "Ahi" in their menu. This one is prepared in light miso broth, soba noodle with bok choy. Just thinking about it makes my mouth all watery...

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g29217-d495115-Reviews-CanoeHouse-Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii.html

Full Moon Cafe, Hilo Big Island

What a nice surprise!!! I ventured out to new restaurant in downtown Hilo, Big Island. Full moon cafe. The night's special is stir-fried pumpkin. It was perfect mixture if natural sweet and hint of Thai curry and herbs. Highly recommend this place to everyone and this dish!

http://www.urbanspoon.com/m/r/37/1567541

Ono Loco Moco

Lovely 50's decos & 50's musics... Burgers, fries and milkshakes. This place is our must-stop whenever we make ourselves to the Big Island, Hawaii.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Back-to-the-50s-Highway-Fountain/116767694341

Hilo Burger Joint

Love burgers? Love Hawaii? Here is the perfect place joined these 2 forces. Hilo Burger Joint. I really enjoyed their creative burgers and Hawaiian draft beer selections. http://hiloburgerjoint.com/

Shrimp with Spicy Tomato Sauce

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the garlic in the olive oil until just golden, approximately 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Add the tomatoes and hint of sea salt and cayenne pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Season the shrimp with sea salt and add to the tomatoes. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until no longer pink. Stir in 1 tablespoon of butter for added richness, if desired. I love serving this with Mexican rice. Salad on the side. Ranch dressing is well match with this meal.

Steak Veggie Soup

Home made soup... Always good. It's good for your tummy, good for your soul and it was goooooooood for Thursday night!

First get Trader Joe's frozen veggie in a bag. And get a tri-tip steak marinated in ginger, garlic soy sauce for at least 30 min. Boil water and put chopped cabbage and tomatoes with hint of sea salt. Grill up your steak. This case medium well is the best bet! When cabbage, tomato broth start boils up add TJ frozen veggies and season your now the veggie soup the way you want. Slice up your grilled steak. Toss them into your soup... Yes, now you got yum, yum steak veggie soup. Enjoy!

Chloé – Sneak Peek F/W 2011/12

Platform wedge mules, chunky pumps in snakeskin, chunky block-heeled sandals with nail-head studs, patent T-bar shoes with ribbon bow. Fabulous!!!

http://www.chloe.com/#/en

Braised Pork and Soy Black Cod

This was the chief's special dish for the Gonpachi Soba course meal. I am not much of a pork eater, but this pork was so good. Melting in my mouth... Have you ever heard of pork melting in someone's mouth??? You gotta go Gonpachi and try!

http://gonpachi.globaldiningca.com/

Gonpachi in Torrance

I instantly felt in love with this restaurant. Interior is superb, service is good, food is delicious... Everything I wanted!!!

I saw the chief making soba noodle in front of my eyes. So later, I had to try!

Must go spot for sure! Highly recommend from "Jacki's Greatest Hits" http://www.miyakohybridhotel.com/default.aspx?pg=dining

Havana Mania in Redondo Beach

This family owned Cuban restaurant, Havana Mania has live music on weekends and the corking fee is $10.00 per bottle here.

Our waitress was friendly and she was very helpful with advise on what's tasty here. I took her up their Whole Red Snapper. Yum!

http://www.havanamania.com/

Fiesta Martin

Do I love this Arbondiga soup? Yes!!! So yummy... Check out this local jewel in Inglewood, Fiesta Martin Mexico Grill.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/fiesta-martin-mexican-grill-inglewood

Don't mess around with Soba

Inaba. This place really rocks. If anyone is in love with eating health buckwheat noodle known as Soba, this is the place you must try. Today, I added marinated tuna sashimi bowl on the side. What a yummy lunch! Their service was great, and lunch special price was also the plus on top of great tasty food.

http://www.restaurantinaba.com/

SALE: ROBERT RODRIGUEZ Black Pleated Chiffon Dress

ROBERT RODRIGUEZ Black Pleated Chiffon Dress. his dress is on sale!!! Call 424.236.9058.

Never worn. New/price tag on.

$284.00 regular price, but on sale for $79.00

Want to hear a secret? Pleats aren't just big for Spring; they're slated to be one of Fall's biggest trends. Debut this Robert Rodriguez dress with bare legs now, then pair with opaque tights when the temperature drops.
Black pleated chiffon with nude underlay.
Surplice neckline; wide, bra-friendly shoulder straps.
Banded waist cinches easy-fit silhouette.
Straight, mock-wrap skirt.
Silk.
Imported.

SALE: Robert Rodriguez Black Label Sweetheart Neck Silk Chiffon Gown

This dress is on sale!!! Call 424.236.9058.

Robert Rodriguez Black Label Sweetheart Neck Silk Chiffon Gown

Never worn. New with r[price tag.
$1088.00 regular price, but on sale for $399.00

Beautifully ruched black chiffon overlays ivory satin, creating a dramatic and highly textured evening gown. Raw-edged ruffles and lush silk roses offset the bodice, and a handkerchief-hemmed layer adds extra fullness to the floor-length skirt.

Back zip with hook-and-eye closure.
Spaghetti straps.
Approx. length from center front: 59".
Fully lined.
Silk; dry clean.
By Robert Rodriguez Black Label; imported.
Special Occasion.

Miezko at Francal spring/summer 2011

The best orange in town. Meizko is Brazilian shoe company. Once again, they bring Brazilian heat and colorfulness into their designs. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Miezko/104293339632564?sk=photos#!/pages/Miezko/104293339632564?sk=wall

2nd Floor was in Rio

Yes, it's been a while..., and now I'm in the mood for shoes and food again!!! 

2nd Floor, S/S 2012 show in Rio was AWESOME!!! Love this bright colors. Must-Haves for this summer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCCJzdqPX7s