ALL THINGS CONSIDERED

I'm starting to cook again!

2011-02-19T23:17:00.000-08:00

breakfast crepe with caramelized onions, egg, and ham.

also...pistachio macarons

The Little Door

2010-12-27T17:56:00.000-08:00

Adorable little deli/cafe located near the Beverly Center. Macarons there...were terrible. But, the omelets were pretty delicious. I'm definitely coming back here soon. (need to try the escargots) I love how this cafe is K-9 friendly.

The Parisian Omelet : wild mushrooms, parisian ham...Also, the potato gratin is amazing!!

Back!

2010-10-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

I know...I was m.i.a for the past month. Crazy schedule, but I still have some time to cook...but not to update. Forgive me.

I made brunch today! Eggs in a basket (with fresh bread I bought from the local farmers market!) along with a prosciutto and fig salad.

fooood adventures,

2010-09-17T15:44:00.001-07:00

http://laviedelucy.tumblr.com/

I had SO many food adventures, but here are a few that I actually documented.

Hi/Bye!

2010-09-13T09:12:00.001-07:00

Bye facebook.

Just f.y.i to everyone who is wondering "what happened to Lucy?"

Just go on my tumblr for my day to day. I just got tired of having all these blogs, and distractions in my life. Maybe I will be able to cook more.

Email: Lucychen7@gmail.com

au revoir and bonjour to a new life

Hello!

2010-09-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I am not dead. But, finals did drain me...and forced me to eat like a true college student. (Ramen, $5 footlongs where you eat it for two meals, candy, COFFEE...etc).

I will also be m.i.a for this month because I will be in NEW YORK! Volunteering for Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week, and possibly for Milk studios and/or Pier 94 (Alexander Wang show).

Don't worry I will keep everyone updated with my celebrity/model sightings and all the wonderful restaurants I will be eating at. Follow me on my tumblr (I JUST created it...so nothing there...fail.) http://laviedelucy.tumblr.com/

FOLLOW MEEEE

au revoir California, bonjour New York!

I'm ready!

2010-08-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

I am ready to move to Italy or Paris! One day...soon.

I've been inspired by the book Eat Pray love, to just ENJOY life. Take things slow, even if I have to study, pay bills, and work. I have come to the conclusion that I can find some enjoyment in those little responsibilities too.

Today I walked to the closest grocery store bought a baguette, some cheese, eggs, spinach, melon, and smoked salmon.

Here's my Eat Pray Love inspired brunch!

I put some Greek yogurt and honey on the deliciously sweet melon (which I bought for 99cents!)

Oui, I am still in the process of reading this book, and I also watched the movie this past Friday...and I personally thought it was parfait!
Also, my sister's apartment mate is from Italy...definitely going take advantage of that and ask her to teach me Italian.

Spicy Baked Shrimp!

2010-08-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

Super tired from my classes, but I decided that I wanted to cook! So, I made some spicy baked shrimp. I added a bit of my own twist on this recipe. Its so goooood, I think I can eat it all day with buttered french bread.

Adapted from Bon Appetite
Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Cajun or Creole seasoning (I made my own with this recipe )
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/3 of a can of diced tomatoes
1/2 an onion (diced)
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, shelled, deveined

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in 9x13-inch baking dish. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Refrigerate 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 450°F. Bake until shrimp are cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve shrimp with French bread.

What?! Another tart?

2010-08-04T21:40:00.001-07:00

Because it was my friend's birthday (Happy 20th Jen!), I made a dessert fruit tart with lemon custard inside!

Okay, I know I haven't been posting recipes...but I'll put this recipe up Friday! (I have an 8am class tomorrow. gotta looooove summer school).

recipe

Crust:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt

-In the bowl of an electric mixter, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour and salt until just combined. Press dough into prepared tart pan and puncture the tart with a fork. Place in freezer for at least 10 minutes. This lets the dough rest and will help it hold its shape while baking. Place a piece of parchment paper over the tart shell and fill with pie weights, dry beans or rice. Place in oven for 10-15 minutes, until edges are lightly golden brown and set. Carefully remove the parchment paper from the pie and place back in the oven for 5-10 minutes until center of tart is golden brown.* Place on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, move tart shell to the refrigerator until ready to fill!

I used this recipe for the Lemon Custard

Asparagus and onion tart!

2010-07-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

No time to update the recipe! I will do it after finals, but yummm.

Also, I ran out of butter...so I had to use half cream cheese in the crust...and guess what, turned out fine!

Shiitake pasta!

2010-07-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

Made this recipe on a whim.

I used Shiitake mushrooms instead of crimini since...well, I ALWAYS use crimini mushrooms.

Ingredients (for the chicken)

2 chicken thighs (or breasts!)

1/4 of an onion (minced)

2 tablespoons honey mustard (I didn't have an dijon, but same thing. Improvise)

a dash (or two) of worchester sauce

2 garlic cloves

salt and lemon pepper

1. let your chicken marinate for about 30 min.

2. cook your chicken (with the minced onions), cook it so its ALMOST done, but with a slight pink on the inside. (we're going to cook it again so that your chicken won't be overdone)

3. take the chicken out of the pan and set it aside.

Ingredients (for the sauce)

1 tablespoon of butter

1 cup of sliced shiitake mushrooms

1/2 cup of chicken stock

1/4 cup of cream

2 (or more) tablespoons of grated parmesan

a handful of chopping parsley

about 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

1. Using the same pan you used before, put the butter in the pan then add the mushrooms, let it brown a bit.

2. Then, add in the balsamic vinegar, cook for about 4-5 min.

3. add the cream, chicken stock, and the chicken you cooked prior.

4. Let it cook for about 15 min on medium high.

5. Lastly, add the parmesan and parsley, and voila tu es fini!

of course, I hope you guys all know how to make pasta...

Skins. Kaya Scodelario

2010-07-20T01:01:00.001-07:00

need to watch my Skins.

Chipotle...NOT!

2010-07-17T20:24:00.000-07:00

Homemade Chipotle. So easy to make...and cheap!

I made my black bean corn salsa, fresh guacamole, and some jamaican jerk chicken.

Black Bean Salsa (it makes A LOT)

1 can of black beans

1 can of corn

1/2 an onion (minced)

1 can of roasted bell peppers (chopped)

lime juice, so about 1 whole lime (squeezed)

salt and pepper to taste (about a teaspoon of both)

- mix all these ingredients together, and you have black bean salsa! Super delicious and easy to make.

Guacamole

3 avocados

1 tomato (diced)

2 tablespoons of sour cream (or as much as you want)

1 1/2 tablespoons of onion powder

1 whole lime squeezed

salt and pepper to taste

- mash to avocados, and then add in the rest of the ingredients. You can also add in minced onions, but I prefer onion powder.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

I cheated.

I had Jamaican Jerk seasoning. I cubed chicken breasts and then added in the seasoning, letting it marinate in the fridge for 30 min.

Cilantro Rice

Cook the rice as you would normally, but right before cooking it, add in some cilantro (I put about 2 tablespoons), and a sliver of butter.

Of course.... Chipotle Tabasco!!

I Blame Coco.

2010-07-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

Simply talented.

I Blame Coco - Caesar from Stamp Films on Vimeo.

Breakfast.

2010-07-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

Yes, I forced myself to wake up this morning so that I can study for my two midterms on Thursday. =(

Talk about summer vacation.

Plus, it's FINALLY a sunny day in San Diego! Sunny days in San Diego is what California is all about. I cooked up a bagel breakfast panini, to make myself feel better about my midterms.

It's definitely the EASIEST thing anyone can make. I added spicy sausages too! yum.

2010-07-11T12:42:00.001-07:00

Follow my blog with bloglovin

Jajangmyun! (Black Bean noodles)

2010-07-08T21:49:00.000-07:00

I basically grew up eating this. (Since my mom is, I guess you would call it, a Chinese born Korean she always cooked Korean food.)

I LOVE BOYS

2010-07-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

music- LCD Soundsystem: Dance Yrself Clean

flatbread

2010-07-02T20:51:00.001-07:00

Tonight I made flatbread with mozzarella and caramelized onions and mushrooms and then I topped it with wild arugula (tossed with a bit of Italian dressing).

Definitely the perfect summer dinner, light but hearty.

I made a second flatbread as well, I rubbed a bit of garlic before I baked it and also added chicken.

Ingredients

pizza dough (from Trader Joes)

mozzarella (I wanted to use fontina cheese, but didn't have any!)

half an onion (sliced)

about a cup of sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

arugula (or spinach)

1. heat a skillet with about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add in the onions and mushrooms. Salt and pepper, then the 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Let it cook down for about 5-10min.

2.Preheat the oven at 450 degrees. Roll out the dough (instructions are in back of the bag) make sure to roll it super flat.

3. I added the mozzarella first and then the caramelized onions and mushrooms. (you can definitely add whatever you want)

bake it for about 10-15min. Just watch for the cheese to be golden.

4. toss the arugula in any dressing you like. Top it on the flatbread andddd voila! Bon appetite

I'M BACK!

2010-06-28T18:52:00.001-07:00

Sorry, I've been busy moving out (off campus, finally!) and I haven't had internet for the past 2 weeks. Definitely facebook deprived.

Because I've been pretty busy with work and classes, I have decided that I will start making a series of lunches. Preparing for lunch is somewhat annoying, but worth it after working 4 hr shifts of re shelving books. (That's what I get for working in the library.)

Today I made a light Bruschetta with heirloom tomatoes and basil.

grilling with the Foreman

2010-05-14T15:05:00.000-07:00

MMMMMM

black bean and corn salsa and shrimp tacos!!

Taiwanese Beef noodles

2010-05-13T17:36:00.000-07:00

I missed home cooked food, and this definitely hit the spot. yum.

ingredients:

Beef chuck (I used beef neck bones)

3-4 star anise

2 tbsp on olive oil

light soy sauce

regular soy sauce

1 cup of chicken stock

5 cups of water

3 tomatoes

1 onion

3 slices of ginger

4 garlic cloves (smashed)

instead of 2 tbsp of chili bean paste I used 1 1/2 tbsp of garlic bean paste and 1/2 tbsp of chili paste

1/2 tbsp of 5 spice powder

2-3 stalks of green onion

garnish with bok choy and/or green onions

1. put the beef in a pot of water and let it boil (to get the impurities out)

(I boiled it with two stalks of green onions (sliced in large pieces) and 2 slices of ginger, you don't have to)

2. take the beef out and set it aside. put some olive oil back in the pot and sautee the ginger and garlic in the oil (to flavor the oil). Add in the beef back in sautee with the 5 spice powder. Add in the veggies. (tomatoes and onions, (I added carrots in mine too...about 3 sticks))

3. add in the soy sauces, stock, water, star anise, chili paste, and green onions. Let it simmer for about 2-3 hrs.

Grilling on a George Foreman!

2010-05-08T23:35:00.000-07:00

Grilling chicken on a Foreman grill.

Marinated Chicken in salt, pepper, pamplemousse perrier(makes it tender), and a few slices of ginger.

The sauce: soy sauce, sugar, a bit of chili sauce, honey, and ginger.

NO15 vol.1

2010-05-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce the first issue of NO15 a lot of hard work put into this

Open publication - Free publishing - More no15 magazine

black forest cupcakes with chocolate covered strawberries!

2010-04-23T23:22:00.000-07:00

MMMMM
made them for my apartment and best friend everr!

I loveeee baking cupcakes!!!

Janelle Monae ft. Big Boi

2010-04-11T01:23:00.000-07:00

I want to be her! She is amazing.

Brick Toast and Pork!

2010-04-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

brick toast <3

I bought thick slices of toast from a Japanese market recently, because I've been craving brick toast. So here it is!
all you need is butter, condensed milk, strawberries (soaked in sugar of course), and some nutella!
steamed/fried pork!

I tenderized the pork, and steamed it in a rice cooker for about 15 min with onion powder, cilantro, and ginger. While that was steaming, I made a delicious sauce from soy sauce, grated ginger, garlic chili, sugar, and sesame oil. yum.

Delorean

2010-03-29T12:20:00.001-07:00

L.A FASHION WEEK- Concept show

2010-03-25T22:33:00.000-07:00

The perks of being in a magazine? Front row seats to a fashion show. The two shows that my friend Ivy and I saw were B.Scott and Fremont.

Here are a few pictures!

Ivy on the left, me on the right
My friend Kevin, who is a talented designer btw!

Sear Tuna

2010-03-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

Seared tuna for one. I'm back from a hectic mon-thurs. Fun times.

This is pretty simple to make

ingredients

sashimi tuna

1/4 cup of flour

salt

pepper

1. mix the salt and pepper with the flour. (put as much as you would like, I put about less than 1/2 a tablespoon of salt, and a lot of pepper (I love a little spice!)

2. make sure you flour your tuna, but very lightly.

3. sear it on a pan about 30 seconds each side.

For the sauce I used Ponzu mixed with Soy sauce. The other sauce I used was mayo with siracha.

Croque Madame

2010-03-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

Because finals are really getting to me...I must cook. I'll update with the recipe later, after finals. haha. But I have to say, the sauce...DELICIOUS.

Also, I made a croque madame because I miss Paris, and my friend Alyssa is there right now. I'm jealous.

Since, I'm procrastinating...

Ingredients

2 slices of Bread (I used potato bread...I LOVE IT)

1 egg

1-2 slices of ham

1 slice of swiss cheese

the sauce

1 cup of heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon of pepper

1 teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon of onion powder (or you can chop up onions and cook it in butter first until its translucent...and then add the rest in...in the end just put it through a sieve)

1. pre heat your oven at "broil" heat up the heavy whipping cream, add all the ingredients for the sauce in...let it heat up for about 5min. Then place it in the fridge to cool. (can be made a day ahead)

2. toast your bread. Then put the sauce on both sides, ham and cheese. Put it in the oven, so that the cheese melts.

3. fry an egg, make sure the top is still partially raw.

4. put it on top of your sandwich and place it back in the oven until the top of the egg is perfectly...and the cheese is melty and delicious!

"I'm a total egg slut" - Bourdain

2010-03-10T21:27:00.001-08:00

PRETTY sure this is something I would have in my kitchen.

Summer Camp- Ghost Train

2010-03-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

Chocolate mousse cheesecake

2010-03-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

I've been playing around with recipes these past few days...so not really sure about the measurements on this cake...but turned out delicious!!

Screaming Catherine Baba. Vienne Westwood fall2010

2010-03-05T16:12:00.000-08:00

The Ten Minute Dinner

2010-03-04T20:43:00.000-08:00

I had some pre cooked soba from before, so I just whipped this little Asian inspired dish up.

I call it, Lucy's most awesome ten minute dinner.

ingredients

a fillet of salmon

a few asparagus spears (I used about 5)

soba noodles

2 tablespoons of oyster sauce

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

2 tablespoons of rice vinegar

salt and pepper

1. Heat up a pan with oil (I used garlic infused olive oil, if anything use olive oil...or as rachel ray says "evoo") Cut the asparagus length wise and then diagonally, leave it on the side for now.

2. I sprinkled the fillet with salt and pepper, both sides and cooked the salmon throughly. When its done, place the fillet on the side.

3. Using the same pan, put about a tablespoon of oil and saute the asparagus for about 3-4 min. Then add in the oyster sauce, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. (yes, its a bit tangy, but I love it...it just depends on your preference on the level of saltiness and sourness) Saute for about 5-6 min

4. Toss in the soba noodles in the pan with the asparagus. (I had leftover soba noodles, but its overall simple to make)

5. place the salmon on top, and you're done!

Okay, maybe it WASN'T ten minutes, but close enough. haha

Balmain Fall 2010

2010-03-04T09:41:00.000-08:00

I love it.

2010-03-03T15:45:00.000-08:00

Okay, people MIGHT throw it away, but I still think its awesome
I want this.
mmhmm. [s]nuff said.

Comfort food.

2010-03-02T20:02:00.000-08:00

My friend and wonderful roommate needed some comforting...so I thought..hmmm..something baked and something warm!

So I thought up of a baked rice with eggplants and Italian sausages. Success!
I also decided to make use of my Bon Appetit magazine and made a lime meringue tart.

ingredients for the baked rice

2 boxes of garlic long grain rice (haha yes it is from a box)

1 eggplant

2 links of Italian Sausages

1 cup of spaghetti sauce

1/2 cup of parmesan cheese

1. Cook the rice (I put it in my rice cooker...much faster)

2. Pre heat oven on 350 degrees. while the rice is cooking, sauté the sausages until done.

3. once both the sausages and rice is ready, I tossed it together and put it in a baking dish.

4. Slice the eggplant (make it into thin circles) and lightly cook it in the pan with sausage drippings (tastes sooo good)

5. assembling is pretty easy, put the rice/sausage mixture in the pan, (to balance out the saltiness) I poured spaghetti sauce over the rice, sprinkle the parmesan cheese over it, and then placed the eggplant circles on top. Bake it in the 350 degree oven for about 15 min, just until the eggplant is brown and the cheese is gooey. yum. I garnished it with a little bit of basil and parmesan.

baked eggs= best breakfast ever!

2010-03-01T11:52:00.000-08:00

Baked eggs are so delicious!

ingredients

1 link of Italian turkey sausage

1 tomato

BBQ sauce

a few leaves of basil

parmesan cheese

1. pre heat the oven at 450. Sautee the sausage until done

2. dice the tomatoes and toss the sausage with the tomatoes, basil, and BBQ sauce.

3. Put it in a ramekin. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and break an egg over it.

4.Put it in the oven and wait about 15-20 min, just until the eggs is perfectly runny, or however you like it!

GLUTTONY

2010-02-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

Oh gosh. homemade burgers. I have food coma right now.

girls night IN.

BEFORE:

DURING:

fierce.

2010-02-26T15:05:00.000-08:00

Versace, definitely reminding me of power rangers.

Soba noodles and braised tofu

2010-02-25T16:19:00.000-08:00

Recently, I've been wanting to make vegetarian dishes and see what I can come up with it.

I decided to braise tofu and make some soba noodles! yum.

ingredients needed

a packet of soba noodles

firm tofu

1/4 cup rice vinegar

about 1/2 cup soy sauce

1tbs sesame oil

4-5 stems green onions

1 cucumbers

1 teaspoon korean chili paste

1/3 cup of water

1 tbs of lime juice (at the end)

1. cook up the soba noodles, drain and let cool.

2. chop up the green onions, the cucumbers

3. mix the vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, chili paste, and water together. Set it aside.

4. cut the tofu in squares, and sear it on both sides.

5. Put the sauce you mixed on the stove and bring it to a boil.

6. Once that boils and your tofu is lightly seared, put the tofu into the sauce mixture and bring it to a simmer.

7. simmer for about 15min, and then serve it on top of a bed of soba and some cucumbers! I used the sauce from the braise and then I squeezed just a bit of lime over the noodles. yum.

lomography

2010-02-23T15:54:00.000-08:00

I can't wait to develop my two rolls of film.
But here are some shots for now.
Taken by a holga.

I want some...

2010-02-21T21:40:00.000-08:00

even though this has potential of being tacky...I would love some of these Chanel temporary tattoos.

I can see it paired with a Preen cocktail dress, which I will attempt to recreate over spring break, but also make it my own.

The XX

2010-02-21T14:51:00.000-08:00

I've been listening to The XX nonstop.

check them out!

The xx "Basic Space" from Jean Hürxkens on Vimeo.

Alexander McQueen

2010-02-11T20:30:00.000-08:00

R.I.P
A genius, an artist, a visionary.

Fruit tart with a lemon mascarpone mousse!

2010-02-10T15:07:00.001-08:00

This is a very light dessert. I kind of just made it up. First off, I LOVE Mascarpone cheese. Its so light, creamy, with a sweetness to it. This is my first time making the tart crust with almonds.

I got the tart crust recipe here

As for the mascarpone mousse...

ingredients

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

1 teaspoon of lemon zest

2 tablespoons of lemon curd

a squeeze of lemon juice

-whip the heavy cream with a mixer until its semi stiff (but not all the way) so about 3-4min

- add in the mascarpone cheese, lemon zest, and lemon curd, use the mixer for about another 4-5 min until peaks form

-squeeze the lemon juice in the whip and fold it three times.

-put it in a pastry bag, or use a spoon (its soooo delicious if you dip it with strawberries by itself) enjoy!

home made pork and cabbage dumplings AND salmon!

2010-02-08T15:02:00.000-08:00

I haven't updated in a while...even though it has only been a week.

Today there was a mini photo shoot at my apartment for an upcoming magazine I'm in called No.15. I'm really excited to see the final product of the magazine. (Big thanks to Kevin Nguyen for taking these photos! go visit his amazing blog!)

Pork Dumplings

ingredients for filling
2 lbs of ground pork
6-7 leaves from a napa cabbage
1 tablespoon of grated ginger
salt
pepper
3 tablespoons of oyster sauce
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 scallions (green onions)
-add all these ingredients together and mix it around (I used my hands)

ingredients for the wraps
2 cups of flour
3/4 cups water
- slowly add the water in with the flour, and knead it for a few minutes, if the dough is still sticky, add in some more flour.
Sauce
1/2 cup of soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch
1/4 (or more) of water
2 tablespoons of sugar
3 tablespoons of Ponzu
Additional garnishs: red pepper flakes and scallions
- boil the soy sauce first, add the cornstarch until it turns into a paste.
- add the water and rest of the ingredients in while whisking. Once everything has dissolved, take it off the heat and enjoy!

Salmon with Garlic Chicken Rice

ingredients

salmon

salt pepper

lemon

-salt and pepper the salmon, and add a squeeze of lemon juice

-pre heat your oven on 350degrees

- heat extra virgin olive oil, and sear the salmon, skin side up (for about 3-4 min), place the lid of the pan while your salmon is searing

-take it out of the pan, and put it into the oven for about 15 min...and you're done!

ingredients for the sauce

4 tablespoons of mayonaise

(depending on your taste) I used about 1 tablespoon of pepper

a squeeze of siracha (trust me its a must)

The rice was one of those box rices with spices in it already. (I'm a cheater)

The poor students pad thai

2010-02-01T18:29:00.000-08:00

I was craving some pad thai, but unfortunately all I had were the following ingredients...

"pad thai" but more like stir fry

Fish sauce (from my Vietnamese apartment mate =) )

green bell peppers

red bell peppers

onions

canned corn

egg

sugar

soy sauce

sesame oil

fettucini pasta

lime

and through all this...I created...my poor version of pad thai, which does actually taste like pad thai! I have my room mate to vouch for me.

I guess this is college dining in a nutshell.

Last nights dinner = today's lunch!

2010-01-31T13:23:00.000-08:00

I sound like a carnivore, but oh how I have missed the taste of steak!!

Last night I cooked up some steak with caramelized onions and mushrooms, and since we had leftovers...why not eat steak again?? My apartment mate and friend Daniella made a delicious salad with a citrus vinaigrette, and so I saved it and today I just put together the salad and the steak and voila a filling salad!

Marinade for the tri tip steak

3/4 cups of soy sauce

1 cup of balsamic vinegar

pepper

onion powder

cumin

1 clove of crushed garlic

half a lime

3-4 tri tip steaks

1. mix the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and garlic in a separate bowl.

2. dry rub the steaks with onion powder and pepper (I just used about 2 teaspoons of both onion powder and pepper on each sides of the steak)

3.Place the steaks in a large container and then pour your marinade over the steaks.

4. The finishing touches sprinkle about a pinch of cumin over the steaks and squeeze half a lime. Cover and refrigerate for about 2-3 hours (the longer the better of course)

5. Pre- heat your oven at 400 degrees. While that's preheating, heat up a skillet and sear each of the steaks for 6 min (depending on whether you like your meat medium rare)

6. place the steaks on a rack and put it in the oven for 25-30min (also depending on how you like your meat)

yum. enjoy!

Elie Saab, Chanel, Valentino, Armani Prive Haute Couture 2010

2010-01-27T15:36:00.000-08:00

Elie saab never fails.

I love majority of these dresses! It has a bit of whimsy-like feel mixed with old fashioned Hollywood glam. I think the best thing about all these pieces is the use of capped sleeves, or just sleeves in general. All I want to do is touch the fabric, is that too much to ask for?

Although many of Elie Saab's past collections are similar, I think what stands out this season's was the print.

Chanel (kind of eh. I'm not so sure about this egg shape look, but love the tights!)

Valentino.

Now THIS is Haute Couture! But, it seems very incoherent. Too many ideas that don't really encompass an overall theme or concept. Amazon + the future + western?

Armani Prive.

I liked this collection, it was nice, but NOT amazing.

roasted bone marrow and roasted red pepper and tomato soup!

2010-01-24T17:44:00.000-08:00

It has been so cold these past few days in San Diego, which means lots of soup and bread!

I roasted bone marrow and added a parsley and onion salad to go along with it. It was amazing. I'm definitely going to make it again. All I did was add salt and pepper on the bone marrows and roasted it in a 450 degree oven for 20 min.

Roasted red pepper and tomato soup!

It was a recipe that I just made up, I used roasted red peppers from a jar, along with tomatoes, onions, and red and yellow peppers. I added various spices, but I kept it simple. Blend, strain and BAM, soup!

I love making up recipes.

Nina Ricci and Valentino pre-fall 2010

2010-01-24T11:25:00.000-08:00

I am IN LOVE with Nina Ricci's pre fall line. I love the subtle glam, the casual but with a kick. I know red lips were "so in" for the past...what...year or so? But this, I feel, is on a whole different level.

Valentino Pre-fall 2010

I'm not too sure about Valentino pre-fall line. I really do love the red tights though. Also, those killer heels! I like the play on volume in this line, but I think other than that...it could've been better.

For the love of GUMBO!

2010-01-10T19:50:00.000-08:00

Yes, I cooked a lot today, but it was worth it!

Here's the Gumbo I made, I'll update tomorrow with the recipe.

Also, my friend made a wonderful blueberry/blackberry pie! It was really delicious, I hope she makes more pies soon.

Cinnamon crepes with nutella!

2010-01-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

It's a nice 74 degrees in San Diego right now, meaning a perfect day for crepes!

I've been procrastinating a bit because I prefer cooking over homework, so I'm probably going to cook weekends. I'm watching Anthony Bourdain right now, and I'm craving some vietnamese food. Anyways, here's my crepe recipe!
I tweaked the crepe recipe I found and added some cinnamon.

Cinnamon Crepes

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour and the eggs. Incorporate the milk and water slowly. Add the salt, butter, sugar, and cinnamon; beat until smooth.

2. heat up a frying on medium high, add about a teaspoon of butter (or more). Use about 1/4 of a cup of crepe batter and tilt the pan in a circular motion. Make sure it's nice and thin!

3. cook it for about 3 min and flip.

It was super easy, the most difficult part was probably making the crepes super thin. I then added nutella and powdered sugar. yum!

T.G.I.F!

2010-01-08T18:38:00.000-08:00

Thank God it's Friday!

Friday means that I have tons of time to prepare dinner for my wonderful apartment mates. Today I made a chicken cordon bleu, homemade bbq sauce (bobby flay inspired), and bought some frozen vegetables from the schools grocery store (thyme infused potatoes, beans, onions, and mushrooms). Well, I don't have ALL the time in the world, so this helped so we could have dinner right on time!

I'm deciding on whether I should upload my recipes in my blog. Hopefully the next time I cook, which is tomorrow. =)

helllo

2010-01-04T19:29:00.000-08:00

I'm back. Winter break has been great, I forgot to bring my camera connector so I was not able to update.

Here are two things I made over break!

egg benedict- with honey baked ham, caramelized onions, avocados, poached egg with HOLLANDAISE SAUCE (my new found love)

peanut butter cheesecake with chocolate ganache!

Angeli dell'acqua zena holloway

2009-12-17T12:44:00.000-08:00

"Dive to the depths of the gulf, Heaven or Hell, what matter?

If only to find in the depths of the Unknown the New!"- Baudelaire

photos by Zena Holloway

mini fashion post

2009-12-16T14:28:00.000-08:00

If you guys don't know yet, I do layouts for a magazine on campus called Fashion Quarterly.
So, click on it and enjoy!

One of my favorite models Natalia Vodianova.

haha. finally STARTING this blog.

2009-12-15T23:14:00.000-08:00

So, I'm not much of a cook.
But through other talented cooks, I've become more fascinated with the art of cooking and creating new recipes.

My photos are not amazing due to a poor quality camera, but I'm trying to save up to get a better camera. promise!

I've never written down the recipes I used...so hopefully this blog will help me be more organized.
I hope that one day my blog will be on tastespotting and/or foodgawker.

Here are some things I have made in the past, I usually use recipes I've found and then make it my own.

Pad thai with shrimp and tofu

a teriyaki chicken marinaded with maple syrup

a fruit tart with lemon curd custard and a dark chocolate ganache at the bottom

cream puffs with vanilla custard inside

a panini with breaded chicken cutlet.

There are a lot more photos but my internet is too slow for massive uploads.

starting new & embracing the old

2009-04-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

Hello.
My name is Lucy and I'm always eager to discover new fashion, art, music, and (of course) food!
So, I'm here to share the new and the rediscovery of the old, since there's no new without the old!

A little bit about myself, I've lived in a small little city in the L.A county my whole life, namely Temple City.
Finally graduating from high school and venturing out into the world (almost), I am now currently attending University of California San Diego (a.k.a the university of the "Socially Dead").
But, here I am, not dead...yet.

I have class soon so this is to be continued.