LB Says Hi

It’s been a while since my last post, and it’s safe to say that since then I’ve indulged in a fair amount of good eats… GREAT EATS! A week ago, my mom came to visit (She goes by Mamabarbs.) I want to create a separate post for her trip to NYC, which will detail all the amazing food we consumed here and in Boston. But, before that, I wanted to share my first REAL Chinatown experience since moving to New York. Disclaimer: JP doesn’t like certain foods, especially seafood. Any dish that’s served cold but looks like it should be served hot is a no-no. Anything that has more than two legs, tentacles or smells like the ocean, he won’t touch. So, naturally, Chinatown is not JP’s forte. (Not to say that all Chinatowns wreak of fishy smells, but not saying that they don’t, either…) All of that to explain that I haven’t explored New York’s Chinatown because I haven’t had anyone to go with — until Ali moved to the city. Between the two of us, we share a love for a lot of the...

The view from my parking spot... Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about my first apartment in Hawaii. I tried to find photos of it, but couldn’t find any. I asked friends if they had some, but they didn’t either.   I rented this 300SF space off of University Avenue after a nasty fight with my mom. We were arguing about my decision to get back together with a boyfriend she hated, and her conclusion was: “If you decide to go down this path, then I think you should move out.” That really hurt me, but now I can see why she was frustrated. Initially, she had suggested that I live with the guy, in the hopes that I’d see how truly awful he was — experience it firsthand. Since he lived with his grandma, that clearly wasn't an option. For the next few days, I scoured the internet for a decent apartment to rent. One fateful night, after refreshing the listing’s page a number of times, a new post appeared; It was exactly midnight. The humble space cost $900 a month, was clos...

It’s safe to say that I am NOT used to the cold weather yet. All the New Yorkers I know have reminded me that this is nothing compared to past winters, but I don’t care. I am literally freezing my buns off! When you’ve lived your entire life in a near-perfect weather climate, snow storms, snow flurries and snow PERIOD is abnormal. A coworker even informed me today, “LB, it’s snowing in Hawaii!” It actually does snow on Mauna Kea, but never in an area that people actually populate. So, basically, snow is pretty dang foreign to me.   After I grew tired of groaning and griping, I desperately searched for something to warm my body … and my bitter soul. The options were order-in ramen or cupboard ramen (you know, the endless packs of Ichiban ramen that your mom has consistently sent you since you moved). Nothing was striking a chord.   After watching way too many YouTube videos featuring delicious food, I knew what I had to do. We needed hot pot, and we needed it...

In celebration of Chinese New Year, I decided to make wonton. This idea, although seemingly simple, included A LOT of steps.   Step 1: Call Mamabarbs for the recipe. I’ve published a blog on making wonton in the past, but wanted to make sure I was remembering it right, as this was the first time I was making it on my own.   My conversation with my mother went something like this:   Me: So there’s ground pork, Spam, water chestnuts, shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, Chinese parsley and green onions for the filling?   Mom: You don’t need Spam or the shrimp. Actually, you can just have one or the other. Me: Wait, but do you usually put Spam?   Mom: Yes, but you don’t need it. Or leave out the shrimp — whichever. Me: But, you usually put both? Mom: Not Spam. Me: I feel like there’s Spam. Mom: Maybe there’s Spam…but you don’t have to put it. Me: -_____- I’m gonna put Spam AND shrimp. Step 2: Scour New York Cit...

While this post isn't about the normal topic of food, it's still an important one.  When I was little, I was an overly sensitive kid. It didn't take much to hurt my feelings or make me cry, and I mostly coped with that by masking my sensitivity with false toughness. So, naturally, I was a bully. My feeling was, if I hurt you first, you can't hurt me. Once I grew out of that shameful phase and started to let my sensitivity show, I was made fun of. That confusion turned into resentment, and then bitterness, which consequently cast a dark shadow on most of my preteen-to-teen years.  I've had friendships end because of my oversensitivity; relationships that have set me back because I believed I was the problem. I didn't want to be labeled as a drama queen. Even my relationship with my mother was muddled because of unexplained tantrums and exaggerations of what could be classified as "normal" arguments. She would say one thing, and I would hear some...

In the days leading up to our trip home, I was rarely in the kitchen. JP and I relied on Postmates, Uber Eats and Seamless to survive. I don't know if it was the end of the year, or the stress of a new job (and new city), but there was absolutely zero part of me that wanted to cook. I don't even think we stepped foot in a grocery store for the last three months of the year, and we definitely didn't have the urge to try out new recipes — something that normally excites us.  When I got to Hawaii, I still didn't have the urge to cook, but upon my nephews' requests, I put on my chef's cap once or twice during the trip. A home-cooked meal is always better, especially when your mom is cooking — and she definitely spoiled me this Christmas! Here are some of the homemade meals I had in Hawaii: 1. Aunty LB's Mac n Cheese I've realized that my twin nephews (now 11 years old) love anything with bacon and cheese. I've made a variation of dishes wi...