times are hard for dreamers

First things first: greetings! And also, sorry for the six month dry spell. How are things with you? You’re looking good these days. Is that a new hair cut? Or a new shirt? Whatever it is, it’s working for you.

But seriously, I’m back! A lot has happened in the past six months (for starters, Sam came to visit and I got a full-time job), and a lot is going to happen in the next six (!!!). I don’t want to spoil the surprise yet, but I can’t wait to share it with you (yes, you) in due time!

In the meantime, here are a few summery jams that I’ve been listening to over and over and over again lately to celebrate this wave of nice weather. First, Passion Pit’s newest single “Take A Walk.”

Sure, the lyrics are poignant enough to make you cry (it’s a song about suburban alienation and financial instability, after all). But listen to that thumping synth! Thump-y and synth-y enough to make you want to clap your hands and stomp your feet, am I right? No? Just me? Fair enough.

Second, “Little Talks” by Of Monsters and Men — one of my favorite bands to come out of Iceland since Sigur Rós. I’ll be the first to admit that I love Iceland’s brand of spacey, ethereal, glacial rock ‘n roll. I’m hanging by the cooler, drinking the Ólafur Arnalds kool-aid. But Of Monsters and Men is refreshingly innocent and upbeat. They inject their own folksy sunshine into an otherwise icy stereotype of Iceland’s musical exports. And I’m into that flavor of kool-aid, too.

Lastly, “Barcelona” by Tinpan Orange — a roots/indie folk trio based out of Melbourne. Anecdote time: I heard this song for the first time last summer, right after I got back from my first winter in Australia. I spent more than a month trying to trick my body into believing that it was winter in July, so stepping off of the plane into California’s blazing summer was not only a slap in the face, it was a kick in the pants.

It was unbearably hot, and it was taking me longer to re-acclimatize to the hottest summer in California history than anticipated. Needless to say, my sweat stains (and subsequent body odor… too much information?) were out of control. Even after the sun set, summer nights were muggy and unforgiving.

So I’d listen to “Barcelona” a lot because it’s just one of those songs that reminded me of a nice breeze on a balmy evening filled with laughter, lemonade, and loved ones. It didn’t do much for my overactive sweat glands, it just made me feel better about them (and I’ll take a small victory wherever I can).

It’s the perfect of combination of boisterous and fun (my two favorite summer adjectives), with a dash of whimsy and dreamy dizziness for good measure. So if you’re looking for the quintessential summer song, you’ll like Tinpan Orange’s “Barcelona” (if not, give it a couple more listens. It’ll grow on you!) In any case — happy listening, friends! And I promise, the dry spell is over.

sizzling saigon crêpes

Not too long ago, my aunt and I made bánh xèo (which means “sizzling cake” in Vietnamese) for dinner. Although they’re sometimes referred to as crêpes or omelets, they don’t actually contain any eggs.

The batter is primarily made of rice flour, turmeric powder (which gives it that vibrant yellow, egg-y color), and coconut milk. Look Ma, no eggs! The difference between good vs. phenomenal bánh xèo is the thickness and crispiness of the crêpes (for lack of a better word).

The thinner and the crispier, the better. My family has a few tricks of the trade when it comes to crisping the batter, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise: half of the fun of cooking is experimenting for yourself.

The two pictured above were part of the first batch that we made. Sure, they’re not as crispy as they could be – but we were feeling peckish and impatient, so a medium crisp sufficed. As you can see, they’re filled with pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts. In a word, they were delicious.

Bánh xèo can be eaten straight off the skillet (which they do in North Vietnam), but it is traditionally eaten in a rice paper roll (as they do in South Vietnam). To make a roll, all you’ll need is: rice paper, lettuce, herbs (mint, cilantro, basil, etc), and bánh xèo.

Put it all together, roll it up, dip it into the nuoc mam pha (the dipping sauce), and you’re all ready to eat. Making bánh xèo may seem daunting at first, but you’ll see that it’s a lot easier to make than you might think. And in no time at all, you’ll be the Obi Wan of bánh xèo.

Are you ready to accept the challenge, young Padawan (where are these Star Wars references are coming from? I don’t know)? If so, the bánh xèo recipe can be found under here.

a little relish magazine

Last month, I could not stop gushing about how much I loved Tartine Bread – a delightful, albeit intimidating, cookbook by Chad Robertson.

This month, I am beyond excited to gush about my latest gastronomic idée fixe (obsession): a little relish, a charming e-magazine by Chantelle Grady – the stylish mastermind behind Little Things.

Unsurprisingly, the first issue of a little relish is visually stunning. Flip through its pages and you will find mouth-watering recipes, restaurant reviews, and plenty of gorgeous photographs to get lost in.

Can’t get enough? Well, you’re in luck because the second issue is slated for November 14th. To celebrate, a little relish is having a cookbook and kitchenware giveaway. For more information, click here. Enjoy!

from a mess to the masses

Over the weekend, Arte premiered a documentary called From a Mess to the Masses by Sorriano Franciso and Antoine Wagner about one of my favorite bands, Phoenix, and their meteoric rise to fame.

Phoenix has been making sweet, sweet music for our listening pleasure since 1999 (they released their first full-length “United” in 2000). But it wasn’t until the 2009 debut of “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix” (their fourth studio record, and a full decade later) that they really took off.

Running 53-minutes, From a Mess to the Masses chronicles the creative process behind “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix” – which eventually thrust Phoenix straight into Grammy award-winning super-stardom. You can view the trailer below or watch the entire documentary here:

Update (10/18): unfortunately, the full video has been removed from Vimeo. But if you’re in France or Germany, you can still watch it here.

As someone who heard “If I Ever Feel Better” for the first time in grade school (and later developed an awkward crush on Thomas Mars in her early teens) it seemed like Phoenix’s popularity happened over night. It was strange, but unsurprising. For a band as talented as Phoenix, this was long overdue. And I’ll openly admit that the first time I heard “1901″ on the radio, my heart skipped a beat. It’s like seeing your best friend of the opposite sex for the first time post-puberty: you almost can’t believe your eyes (or your ears) because they’re all grown up now.

polarized weather patterns

My current playlist must have taken a cue from California’s fickle Fall weather pattern because they’re both all over the place: a little dreary one minute, intermittently sunny the next.

We’re on a meteorological roller-coaster, and neither I nor this week’s music round-up can keep up. So if you’re reading California, let’s pump the breaks on this heatwave and remember why we love Fall: pumpkin carving, spiced teas, scarves, and vin chaud (mulled wine). It’s hard to enjoy those things with an Indian Summer looming over your shoulder, California. But I digress! I really just wanted to share a few songs I’ve been listening to lately. So without further ado:

First, “The Kiss” (a song tinged with an air of starry-eyed heartache) by the woozy Swedish duo, Pallers – who claim their music is “dance music for the lazy, the blazers, and for the slightly depressed.”

Pallers recently debuted their first full-length, “Sea of Memories,” which was great timing because it’s the perfect soundtrack for Fall. It’s dreamy and unassuming, and I just can’t get enough.

Seriously, I listened to “The Kiss” all day. There’s something mysterious and exciting about Pallers’ sound that I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s as if they had taken a page from New Order, seasoned it with shoegaze à la My Bloody Valentine, and by a stroke of genius – frankensteined the two together to become ethereal electro with a hazy, atmospheric pulse.

If romanticized nostalgia is right up your alley – I’d suggest checking out to “Sea of Memories” (hey, even the title sounds sentimental). Then you’ll love Pallers, too.

Next is song reminiscent of sunshine, lemonade, and a fleeting summer: “Shuffle” by English folk-pop sweethearts, Bombay Bicycle Club. Off of their third album “A Different Kind of Fix,” “Shuffle” opens with a splashy piano melody, accompanied by hand-claps, bouncy bass riffs, and an effortlessly charming chorus. Like the California weather – it’s sunny, it’s sweet, and it’s really hard not to like.

But it’s also everything that confuses me about Indian Summers. Should I wear a sweater today or a sundress? Are Uggs and a mini-skirt an okay compromise? Tell me, California. Tell me how to dress!

Anyway – last but not least, “Higher Love” by James Vincent McMorrow – which is a stripped down, Bon Iver-esque cover of the 80s classic by Steve Winwood. As a point of reference, you can listen to the original here. McMorrow’s cover of the synth-pop ballad is stripped down to its bare essentials: a simple piano arrangement and a hauntingly soft falsetto. This rendition is as beautiful as it is heart-breaking, making it sound like a completely different song than its original counterpart.

“Higher Love” is one of those songs that makes me wish I could bundle up with mon chéri (my darling), drink spiced tea (or vin chaud), and make some sense memories (songs that remind me to people/places) without falling victim to heatstroke (it was 79°F today!)

When the temperature drops, “The Kiss” and “Higher Love” will be on heavier rotation than they already are because they make dreary days (the 3 we’ve had so far) seem just a little bit cozier.

If only the dreary weather was more predictable, then maybe I’d know how to dress, what to drink, and who to listen to on any given day. In the meantime, I guess my playlist will just have to remain as indecisive as the weather is. But happy listening anyway, friends!

it’s a celebration, britches!

Here’s a quick picture from the 3-way grad party that my parents threw for Brittany (whose name they misspelled on the cake), Arthur, and me while we were home this past weekend.

There’s not a whole lot to say about the party besides the fact that it was as chaotic as it was fun. There were hundreds of people at our house! My Mom enlisted the help of friends and family for three days of prep: cooking (did I already mention the hundreds of guests that they were cooking for?), cleaning, anything domestic – you name it, they did it.

My contribution (because I wasn’t allowed to cook or clean. Something about my questionable definition of “clean,” which I imagine they learned from personal experience) was the candy station.

I can’t take all of the credit though, my Aunt Oanh arranged most of the glassware. I poured a small child’s weight worth of candy and nibbled on jellybeans when no one was looking. Or when everyone was looking. I didn’t care, they’re jellybeans and there were hundreds of them!

So needless to say, the party was a success. I’m thankful that my family did this for us, and I’m even more thankful that my Mom slaved away in the kitchen for days on end when she could’ve easily hired caterers.

Now we’ve got enough leftovers to feed a small army. And more candy than my little heart knows what to do with. Halloween may be coming up – but with the right mindset (and proper sweatpants) – I think I’ll be able to eat the remaining candy. No jar will be left unturned…

Remember, friends: it’s always good to set goals for yourself. Even if you’re putting yourself at risk of sugar-induced comatose and/or diabetes. No pain, no gain – right, guys?

“russian unicorn” – michael buble

Arthur showed me this gem this afternoon, and it has been stuck in my head all day: a bad lip-reading of Michael Bublé’s “Just Haven’t Met You Yet,” re-dubbed “Russian Unicorn” (aka my new song du jour).

The lyrics are so absurd, but so catchy! I want to have pre-drinks to this song, go clubbing to this song, and most of all – I want to shoot a rare, vermillion, Ukranian unicorn to this song.

I like that the party-vibe of the original video matches the absurdity of its new lyrics, so for all we know – it could very well be a Michael Bublé original. Sure, it’s a change of direction for the new-age crooner  – but it’s good for musicians to grow and experiment as artists. It’s also important to raise public awareness about Russian unicorn-related violence.

more adventerous

This past weekend was quite an adventure! I haven’t had the chance to upload any adventurous pictures yet (too busy adventuring still), so I’ll recap with instigram photos.

What’s that, Internet? Say adventure (or its derivatives) one more time? Don’t mind if I do: adventu–just kidding. Let’s recap, shall we? First, my cousin Brittany graduated from university! I couldn’t be any prouder of her, but now that she’s got a degree under her belt – I’m not sure how I’m supposed to exploit her for cheap (and/or free) web design labor in the future. But those are worries for another day.

Anyway – to kick start the graduation celebration, we headed to the San Diego Air + Space Museum for Brittany’s portfolio show. Personally, I thought she had the most professional portfolio out of everyone in her graduating class (check out her website, it speaks for itself) – but that’s just me. Me? Biased? Never.

On Friday, we watched Brittany walk across the stage at her graduation ceremony at the Sheraton Hotel by the San Diego Harbor. It was everything that any graduation should be: short and sweet. And I mean literally sweet: they served dessert at a post-graduation reception, so you better believe that my family and I (all 20 of us, but me first) were the first ones cutting into the cake. Because if it’s free, I want it.

Might I add that it was Restaurant Week in San Diego, so we grubbed on delicious food from the prix fixe (fixed price) menus for dinner. It was very European of this beach town – and I wish it was something that every California restaurant would consider doing all the time.

Anyway, after all was said and done in San Diego, everyone headed back to Lancaster on Saturday for a BBQ while weather permitted. It was also my Grandpa’s 84th (technically 83rd on a standard calendar, rather than my Grandma’s crazy lunar calendar) birthday, so we were able to celebrate that too. The picture of him blowing out the candles on his cake is one of my favorites. And that was the weekend in a nutshell: a lot of family and even more good food.

Also, I’m back in the Bay for a few days preparing for a huge three-way graduation party (for Arthur, Brittany, and me) and two job interviews in San Francisco! It’s good to be home, and I’m glad to be here. But it’s also very hectic. So this weekend is guaranteed to be another adventure.

Luckily, Sam surprised me with a snack-pack (full of my favorites: pizza Shapes, Mint Slices, and Chomp bars!) sent straight from Australia – so in the event of a stress eating emergency, I’ll be covered.

so long, sweet summer

Fall (or autumn, n’importe quoi) doesn’t officially start until Friday, so I wanted to take the opportunity to share some last minute summer songs before the seasons change and the leaves start falling.

First, “Streamers” by Melbourne-based musician Brous. I saw this video for the first time on Rage (the Australian equivalent to MTV in the 90s) in Adelaide, and it has been on heavy rotation on my iTunes ever since. If you don’t like “Streamers” at first (truth be told, I wasn’t immediately taken), give it one or fifteen more listens and it will grow on you. Eventually.

What it is about Brous that’s so entrancing? Maybe her stirring vocals or her ability to mix psychpop, jazz, and a certain je ne sais quoi together in a perfect musical mélange – I don’t know, I can’t put my finger on it. All I do know is that I’m a fan and that her EP (which drops on September 23rd) doesn’t disappoint.

Next is “Adieu” by the Québécoise singer Coeur de Pirate. A few friends introduced me to her music while I was studying in France, where she had a hugely loyal (and growing!) following for a Canadian.

Her first album, which debuted in 2009 (the same time I arrived in Lyon), is both heart-achingly sweet and hauntingly melancholic. Her sophomore album Blonde, on the other hand, takes a page from the book of Lykke Li. Moving away from simple piano arrangements (which were accompanied by the occasional acoustic guitar rift, soft drum kick, and tambourine jingle), Blonde sounds a little bit darker and grittier – with a dash of dance-y thrown in for good measure.

And last, but certainly not least, “At Last” by the almost unbearably sweet French/Finnish pop-duo The Dø (pronounced dough). This song isn’t new by any means (it came out in 2008), but it reminds me of warm nights out in the garden with that one person you’ve “been dreaming of,” drinking fresh-squeezed lemonade served in dewy glasses, eating orange wedges, and laughing until your sides hurt.

Anyway, that’s all from me for right now in the way of music. Happy listening, friends! And enjoy what’s left of the warm weather, long days, and sunny afternoons. See you next year, Summer.

breaking (tartine) bread

For the longest time (to some, two weeks can seem like an eternity) – I could not figure out where these incredible bread-ographs came from. Not even the slightest hint about the photographer. Nothing!

They were floating around the blogosphere uncredited, and even the cleverest of Google search terms (“cheese + bread + country road” or “artsy? + dough kneading”) were leading me to dead-ends.

That was until I serendipitously discovered Little Things, which helped me solve the mystery (finally!) of who and what – but not when, where, why, or how (in fifth grade, interrogative sentences weren’t my strong suit; exclamatory sentences on the other hand…!)

Turns out, I fell in love with a book called Tartine Bread (the what) by Chad Robertson and Eric Wolfinger (the who). Finally able to put a title to a cover, I bought a copy a few days ago and haven’t put it down since. Not only is this book a baker’s guidebook to the ultimate loaf, it’s also a remarkable visual treat to the eyes (which you eat with first anyway).

The recipes (all incredibly in-depth, intimidating, and bread-related at first glance) aren’t just lists of ingredients or directions; they’re stories – personal anecdotes about how San Francisco’s Tartine Bakery came into being and Robertson’s love affair (or rather, loaf affair) with baking.

Each story is poignant and, as some (me) would say, well-leavened. So if you’re passionate about bread, this book would be a wise investment. Not only will it feed your passion, it will also inspire you to experiment with the recipes in a quest to perfecting your own loaf.

The next cookbook I want to get my baking mitts on is Tartine (another gem from the Tartine Bakery). It’s exactly like Tartine Bread, but with less bread and more pastries. But that will have to wait for another day! In the meantime: happy baking and bon appétit, friends!