asian

throw a dumpling party.

in ,

my family has been throwing a dumplings of the world party every year around christmas for the past few years now, and it is probably the best tradition in the world, even better than the afikomen. and now all of our secrets are published in the violet's winter issue, which came out yesterday! 

so if you feel like sinking your hands into some dough and throwing your own dumpling party, read my article which is somewhere in the middle of the issue*. and if you don't feel like sinking your hands into some dough and throwing your own dumpling party, you are a silly face pumpkin pants and i should reevaluate my friendship with you. just kidding. but seriously.

{in it you will find recipes for...}
samosas
soy chorizo empanadas
chicken potstickers
honey + ricotta + caramelized onion pierogies 

*obviously don't stop there because the other articles in this issue are so beautious and amazing you should read them all.

-yeh!!!

second guesses and summer dresses

in , , , , ,
a politic-free tuesday list 
when, as if i suddenly just became my mother, pumpkin scones appeared on the brunch table at the too-early hour of sunday before noon.

after a night of sipping away sandy and eating midnight chicken buns with rob over conversations of chemistry and the future,

and meeting the human behind one of my most favorite blogs, meg. 

+++

the smell that is happening in my kitchen right now, as onions and sauerkraut cook down for pierogies. {that when i google "what is the plural form of..." the first guess that comes up is "moose."}

and the other dumplings that i'm working on for the violet's winter issue!

and the live dumpling-making soundtrack that is going on in my living room right now.

+++

the i-woke-up-at-4am bagel topped with the generic brand nutella that has crunchy bits of nougat mixed in. 

+++

crisp morning runs.

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celebrating the life of elliott carter: remembering the absolutely enjoyable hours spent on his improvisation for solo timpani that got my butt into college, sitting in a box seat when i was five to see my dad play his clarinet concerto, recognizing that, yes, elliott carter spent his 103 years right. rest in piece.

-yeh


chicken sausage bánh mì buns

in , ,

 on monday i went to the m2m and purchased a ton of those
plain frozen ready-to-be-steamed buns and for every meal
since then, i've put various things inside of them.
these buns are one of the things that reminds me of my grandparents,
because my grandma always nailed it when it came to stocking
up on steamed buns whenever a little me would visit her in california. 
 these buns take care of my everlasting craving for bánh mì
and sausage buns and steamed buns. and part of me thinks that
the comfort that they provide will reverse the abundance of grey
hairs that have lately been popping up on my head {frowny face}.

they're pretty basic to make... just put these things in a bun:
sausage {or i also had fried tofu-- very tasty!}
cucumber
cilantro
daikon + carrots tossed with vinegar + sugar + soy sauce
mayo
soy sauce
sesame oil
sriracha
...and hot chinese mustard

omg so good.
scanwich that shit.
scanbun.
ima turn into a bun soon.
other things i plan to put in these buns:
speculoos
ice cream
bacon
eggs
bunny rabbits
pb + j
taco things
lentil burgers

-yeh!

happy new year!!

in ,

"happy lunar new year, erryone!"
says one half of me.
the other half celebrated back in september,
and currently my two halves are battling over which new year was tastier.
oh is it close!
because we're basically talking apple donuts vs. dark chocolate sesame balls,
and pumpkin ice cream vs. orange black sesame ice cream.
alls i know is, i am on dumpling hangover after an amazing chinese new year party last night.
{quoth the invitation, "100+ dumplings"}
there were big dumplings and bigger dumplings and gooey ones and
sweet ones... there were ones i had never had before, and ones that got deformed, so by default we deep fried them.
oh it was great!
my favorite non-edible part was the company,
and how everyone had a dslr glued to their face.
it was camera dumpling shoptalk everywhere and i am unashamed to say i loved it.
p.s. who else is super excited that it's dragon year? i would totally have a pet dragon if i was a mermaid.
-yeh!