In the Kitchen: Cooking Cod Fish

I rarely cook any meat since by the time I get home from work, I am usually exhausted and cooking is the last thing on my mind. But last weekend, I had some free time to cook a meal.

Heat up vegetable oil, add in ginger slices, garlic slices, and green onion

Once it starts sizzling, throw in the fish. Slide the fish inside the pan, flip to cover with oil.

Add Shaoxing Cooking Wine (I found mine at 99 Ranch Market) and soy sauce

Soy sauce and cooking wine

Bring it to a boil, add pieces of star anise for flavor

Once the soy sauce and cooking wine are almost dried up, add water. Turn the heat down to low, cover and simmer.

Once the soup is almost gone, add green onion for flavor and garnish

All done

Tender pieces of fish that melts in my mouth

Eating Out: Eat Real Festival in Oakland

Los Angeles prides itself with food trucks, and I wasn't surprised when I found out through the grapevine that a friend of a friend runs a food truck in DTLA. On September 23rd to the 25th, Northern California hosted its own Eat Real Festival at Jack London Square in Oakland where numerous food trucks gathered on the pier, and local organic growers and brewers presented their pride and joy.

"Eat it, make it, Grow it" - Eat Real Festival poster

Center stage/picnic area with local band

Citrus Pork Falafel

Chop Bar's food stand

Corn bread and pork from Chop Bar ($5)

Chairman Bao Truck

Chairman Bao Truck menu

(From top left to bottom) Braised Pork Shoulder, Red Sesame Chicken, Crispy Garlic Tofu, Spicy Pork Belly ($4 each) - my favorite would probably be the braised pork shoulder

All mine!

This is probably the most interesting item we saw - an upside down jell-o cup with a flower molded into the jello-o

Eating Out: Cafe Aquarius in Emeryville

Last weekend, I checked out Cafe Aquarius in Emeryville (1298 65th Street @ Hollis) and loved it. It's an adorable cafe for casual brunch with friends or SO. I had the pleasure of meeting the cafe owner, Patrick, who gave us a tour of the kitchen. Pat told us that Cafe Aquarius was a 50s pub that he converted into a cafe. He's been a baker for over 20 years and opened Cafe Aquarius four years ago, with the intention to establish it as a community cafe. Pat even let us try his to-die-for cinnamon rolls!

Cafe Aquarius will be featured on KQED's Check Please, and with over 250 reviews on Yelp - I am a loyal customer.

Cafe Aquarius kitchen, the ceiling of the kitchen is cut out to let natural light in

Main dining room leading to outdoor seating

Earthly delight: omelet with shiitake mushrooms and chives

Chicken-apple sauce with two sunny side up eggs and potato

Delicious cinnamon roll, $2.50 each

It was only 11am, but the pastries are almost all gone

And of course, delicious mimosa to compliment yummy food.

Midnight Cravings: Classic Shoulder Strap Purse

Classic leather look, versatile for almost every set of outfit and perfect for mini weekend trips.

Eating Out: Lunch Spots in San Francisco's Financial District

Spicy Pulled Pork Sandwich from Golden West

Working in the heart of the financial district and usually having to work through lunch, I choose to reward myself with buying lunch everyday and taking a walk outside (while it's still somewhat warm in the city). Below are some of my picks for this week:

• Working Girl's Cafe (259 Kearny); my pick - pesto chicken sandwich on focaccia bread
• Chez Falaya (200 Pine); used to be called Chez Carla when I worked in the city 4 years ago, buffet styled + sandwiches to order
• The Golden West (8 Trinity Pl, off of Sutter and Montgomery); my pick - spicy pulled pork sandwich with cabbage and mustard (love the sesame bun)

More pictures & lunch spot suggestions coming soon!

Currently Loving: Essie's Mamba

Since I can't wear anything too bold or too dark on my nails because of work, I've been searching for the perfect medium - and finally found it today after a trip to CVS.

Essie's Mamba

It's a perfect mauve color that's not too loud. With three brush strokes, two layers plus top coat, I am set for another week of work. Oh Monday.

Eating Out: Cheeseboard + Masse's

Saturday has officially became my favorite day of the week. The luxury of being able to sleep in and not having to worry about waking up at 7am to catch the fickle-minded bus that sometimes decide not to come on time contents my heart. And of course, only during Saturday do I actually have time to go out and eat.

This Saturday, we made a stop by The Cheese Board Collective, a local Berkeley restaurant that makes a different kind of vegetarian pizza each day of the week. On the menu was crimini mushroom, onion, French goat cheese, mozzarella, fresh herbs, and garlic olive oil (click here for the pizza menu). It was delicious as usual, but my favorite still remains to be the corn pizza. (Fresh corn, Chile pasilla, onions, French feta, Mozzarella, Mexican key limes, Cilantro, Garlic olive oil.)

After pizza, we made a stop by Masse's pastries across the street, where we picked up mango, pistachio, vanilla and framboise macarons.

From left to right: mango, pistachio, vanilla, framboise

Pistachio macaron

Can you see the cherry fillings peeking out?

It's also Mid-Autumn Festival in China, when the people celebrate being together as a family. The night of Mid-Autumn Festival is also the night that the moon is at it's brightest and biggest during the year. Thus, Chinese people eat "moon cakes".

Lotus fillings inside of a moon cake

Eating Out: Cafe Claude in San Francisco

Last weekend, I strolled into Cafe Claude nested in an inconspicuous alley way in the financial district of San Francisco. Yelp has once again been right - 4 stars, 964 reviews, happy bellies.

Sourdough bread & butter

Pate de Campagne

Country style pork pate flavored with black pepper and red wine

Escargots en Croute

garlic, butter, parsley, almond

Poulet Roti

Half roasted chicken, sauteed swiss chard, nicoise olives, rosemary, lemon

Truite

Seared white trout with pomme de terre puree, summer asparagus, sauce grenobloise

Tarte Tatin

Upside-down apple tart, caramel sauce, whipped cream