Tuen Ng Festival (duan wu jie) 端午节

It's Cinco de Mayo, but with no alcohol and lots of glutinous rice. It is the fifth day of the fifth month on the Lunar calendar, and you know what that means: eating zhong and watching dragon boat races. But because I am far away from my family, I totally forgot about the holiday until my friend in Tanzania was telling me about how he would like a zhong right now. You can eat zhongs year round, but it is something quite particular to crave, so I figured it must have been tuen ng jit.  

A wrapped zhong, not in any particularly traditional shape

So, now that I've used the word multiple times, what is a zhong? Known as zong zi in Mandarin, zhongs are steamed glutinous rice balls wrapped in bamboo leaf. My family is Cantonese, so I am used to seeing them in tetrahedrals (yay organic chemistry), but apparently northerners wrap their's in long cone shapes. So why is this food purposely eaten on this holiday? Well, here's the story that I remember my mom telling me when I was a kid. 

Back in the Chu Dynasty during the Warring States Period, China was in turmoil. Qu Yuan was a high ranking official who served his people justly, but because the emperor ignored his advice, this detrimentally affected the citizens of the kingdom. Out of despair, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the river on the fifth day of the fifth month. But because he was so popular among the local people, they wanted to retrieve his body and provide him with a proper burial. Therefore the men paddled out into the water, banging on drums and making noise to scare away the fish. The women wrapped rice in bamboo leaves and dumped them into the river, so that the fish would feed on the rice instead of Qu Yuan's body. So there you have the origins of zhong, dragon boating, and the festival. 

And that is the story that I grew up listening to every fifth of the lunar fifth while eating a kan shui zhong (alkaline rice dumpling) or a ham yuk zhong (salted pork rice). There are many types out there, and everyone makes them differently. Generally speaking, kan shui zhong are glutinous rice prepared with alkaline water filled with red bean paste. The alkaline treatment causes the rice to turn a translucent brown color (Why? Maybe I'll learn during the acid/bases orgo lecture). Because it does not have much taste, I grew up learning to lightly dip it in raw sugar with each bite. I'm not a huge fan of red bean, but I do enjoy the plain portions of kan shui zhong. Ham yuk zhong are its savory counterparts, which my friend Kevin succinctly summarizes: "meat is the best. With a drizz of soy sauce. The meat has to be fatty so the oil goes into the rice.That's my evaluation of the whole situation." My Chiu Chow grandmother wraps her own ham yuk zhongs, which she generously stuffs with fatty pork, salty egg yolks, and peanuts. I completely agree with Kevin, because I am just craving the taste of soy sauce as I typed that. Though, my dad still grabs for the sugar. There are just some childhood habits you can't break. 

So whatever story you grew up hearing, or if this is your first time ever hearing of such a strange holiday, just make sure you get to eat some zhong tonight! 

Kan shui zhong, made with alkaline water

Red bean paste filling

Mile End, Montreal: Fairmount Bagel, Wilensky's, Drawn and Quarterly, & Dieu du Ciel!

Je suis obsédée par Montreal. Obsessed. Sure, I've never been there in the dead of winter, but even a cold rainy weekend could not stop me from falling for the city. Just a mere 8+ hour bus ride away from Boston, this Canadian city so proudly boasts its French descent that you will feel as if you traveled to a different continent.

Mile End is a neighborhood in Montreal known for its art and culture, which is saying a lot because Montreal is known as Canada's cultural capital. Not only does it house numerous cafes, art galleries, designer workshops, and boutiques, but it also has some of the most famous eateries in Montreal. Let's just say that I could not have hoped for a more perfect morning than the one I am about to share with you.

Abridged:
1. Fairmount Bagel: grab a sesame bagel with cream cheese to go!
2. Wilensky's Light Lunch: must order the special with a chocolate egg cream
3. Drawn and Quarterly: spend some time looking through their collection of graphic novels
4. Dieu du Ciel: try a few of their specialty brewed beers

Unabridged:
It all starts at Fairmount Bagel, which has been around since 1919 and is on every Montreal tourist's to-do list, including Anthony Bourdain's. I had mixed feelings about trying the best bagel in Canada. I am from New York City, and all real New Yorkers live off of bagels and sparkling water. Therefore I am always down for a good bagel, but I must admit that I am quite particular about my bagel texture and generally refuse to eat bagels outside the New York City vicinity, save a few exceptions (Mag Muff). But because there are across the board raving reviews for Fairmount, I had to try and was genuinely concerned that they would out-do my NYC bagels and that I would be forever tainted by the knowledge that I would have to travel all the way to Montreal to attain the best bagels. Well, long story short, Fairmount was by no means life changing. I will not deny that they are delicious bagels, but my everything bagel with salmon and cream cheese was quite... unsurprising. I did not order it toasted because I wanted to try the original work, but it was a bit tough and not as chewy as I hoped. Maybe I should have went with the sesame, for loads of people were buying those by the dozen. All in all, it was good, but good thing I won't have to go out of my way to Montreal to get bagels in the future.

After my bagel breakfast I was still unsatisfied, so Michael and I went down the block to the famous Wilensky's Light Lunch. It maintains its old fashioned furnishings as if nothing has changed since 1952. Wilensky's is famous for its "special," which is a beef bologna sandwich with mustard on a kaiser roll. Honestly, it was probably the best thing I ate all trip. It was just so simple and induced some serious nostalgia. Maybe because I haven't had a slice of bologna since I was in elementary school or maybe because I was also drinking a hand mixed chocolate egg cream, which I also haven't had since elementary school. Whatever it is, everyone has to go to Wilensky's and order the special with a side of pickles and a chocolate egg cream. A little bit more on what their chocolate egg cream actually is: there's no egg. It's just their housemade chocolate syrup, sparkling water, and 2% milk. All the best things mixed in a glass. I also tried their vanilla milkshake, which they use the same syrup for their cream soda, but there's no ice cream at all. Just 2% milk and the syrup treated with a mixer. I'm telling you, simple really does it for me.

After Wilensky's, we went to Drawn and Quarterly's bookstore. They're a Montreal based publishing company that specializes in comics. However, their bookstore contains a lot more than just graphic novels. They have quite a well curated collection of classics, fiction, art books, and pop journals. Michael and I lost ourselves in there for close to two hours, and I must admit that our only purchase in Montreal (besides the sturdiest $3 umbrella from a dollar store) was at Drawn and Quarterly. I picked up a short story collection by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya and Drawing Food, a journal to guide me into yet another medium to express my love for food. Michael picked up The Complete Optic Nerve Mini-Comics, other graphic novels, and a real keeper, Daily Rituals: How Artists Work. This store is a must-go for book lovers! I promise that you will not be able to leave empty handed.

And finally to end the afternoon, we stopped at Dieu du Ciel!, an artisanal brewpub. They have about a dozen site-brewed beers on tap, but I unfortunately do not remember what I ordered (as refreshing as it was). However, I do distinctly recall how delicious our pressed ham and cheese sandwich was! I don't know why everything I ate in Montreal seemed extra delicious, but this sandwich was good. Michael doesn't even like grilled cheeses. Also, it came with a glass of pickles, which is always good news. If you like beers, this bar will definitely have something to suit your palette. (Also, even though it was 2pm on a Friday afternoon, there was a solid crowd going.)

So when you visit Montreal (because everyone should), definitely reserve half a day or at least a morning to spend at my new favorite neighborhood, Mile End!

The house of the original Fairmount Bagel!

Behind the scenes of a bagel plant

Everything bagel with salmon and cream cheese for about CAD$6

Wilensky's iconic store front

My chocolate egg cream in the making!

Two specials with pickles and a chocolate egg cream

Vanilla milkshake time!

Inside Drawn and Quarterly

Our afternoon snack at Dieu du Ciel!

My Japanese attempt: Miso Marinated Broiled Salmon

After my trip to Tokyo (shabu, raw foods), I was inspired to purchase a Japanese cookbook. I was not so interested in sushi preparation; I wanted to learn about the use of fundamental ingredients and flavor pairings for typical cooked foods. Therefore I settled on Washoku: Recipe from the Japanese Home Kitchen by Elizabeth Andoh. The book pays great attention to "kitchen harmony" and the explanation and treatment of ingredients accompanied by few but inspiring photographs. It prepares a wide range of seasonal vegetables, fishes, and meats in ways that are achievable, though might require some time and lots of effort.

This is a recipe that I've used quite a number of times since I've purchased the book. However, I've altered it slightly because there are just some ingredients that I do not find practical to invest in (i.e. freeze dried yuzu peel). Furthermore, I've used mostly salmon filet because it is easy to come by, but definitely try this out with black cod, saberfish, or kingfish if you can come across it and if it fits in your budget.

From my Japanese kitchen: mixed mushrooms with ponzu dressing,
miso marinated broiled salmon, and homemade miso soup with enoki

Miso Marinated Broiled Salmon
1 1/2 lb salmon fillet with skin intact
Lemon wedges (optional)

Marinade:
3 tbs light miso
2 tbs mirin
2 tbs sake
1 tbs ponzu

1. Mix together the ingredients of the marinade.
2. After rinsing and patting dry the salmon filet, wrap it in a cheese cloth or surgical cloth.
3. Spread the marinade over the cloth and marinate for at least twenty minutes or in the refrigerator for up to an hour.
4. Preheat the broiler on medium-high.
5. Remove the cloth layer and place filet on an aluminum pan. Broil for 3-4 minutes or until the skin develops a golden color and the meat turns an opaque pink. Flip the filet and do the same for the other side.
6. Serve accompanied with lemon wedges and a steaming bowl of white short grain rice.

---
Also see, My French Attempt: Lamb Stew and Gratin Dauphinois 

Hiking in the Harriman-Bear Mountain State Park

When I studied abroad in the French Alps, I learned the hard way that I was scared of heights. I really have not done much hiking or mountaineering since, but I have recently purchased a pair of on sale hiking boots (they're Gortex, okay?). What I realized was that I totally noobed out in France because I was wearing a pair of gripless Nike ID 6.0s, when I should have been rocking my current New Balance hiking shoes. I'm still a bit slow on the decent, but I have a definite new found self-confidence. 

But in reality, the most important thing I gleaned from my weekend hiking trips with my host dad in France is that a hike is no hike without a picnic. I honestly think he went hiking so often because he just wanted a scenic lunch spot. Every hike, he would pack a baguette, some ham, leftover cheese, a tomato, fruit, and some sweets. So when I went hiking with Tiffany this past weekend, I did exactly the same. 

We followed a trail that included the Timp-Torne/ Appalachian Trail and Beechy Bottom Road, but we got lost a total of three times, which I think added approximately 1.5hrs and at least 3-4 miles to our planned 5 mile trek. Because of this, we completed a significant amount of the rest of the West Mountain Loop as well. There was a significant amount of forestry, climbing, and not to mention backtracking, but we finally made it to the scenic viewpoint including a glimpse of the Manhattan skyline and the Hudson River. Only, it wasn't even the original picnic spot we were aiming for because, yup, we were lost. Regardless, we were still able to construct our sandwiches, re-energize for the long way back, and probably ruin some ecosystem by feeding some ant families leftover cheese. 

It was an eventful hike with snakes, caterpillar colonies, and lots of ants, and I can only wish to make it back to see the views during autumn for the foliage... with a very generous picnic packed, of course! 

This is where Timon and Pumba find their grub.. grubs.

We had to scale some pretty vertical climbs!

Sad realization: I don't remember the last time being able to see this far away

Tiffany cutting the very squished tomato

Absolutely glorious. 

Hesitant ants scoping out my fallen cheese

American Museum of Natural History: Our Global Kitchen

The week before my graduation from my masters program in food policy and applied nutrition, I finally made it to the Museum of Natural History to visit their featured exhibit on how food affects our health, the environment, and the people who grow, trade, cook, and eat it. With the issues of food becoming more and more prominent in popular media and understood by the masses as a critical component to the function of every society, it makes sense that there is now an entire exhibit dedicated to the development, transport, trade, consumption, and celebration of food. 

In short, it starts with a dark room with circular screens flashing images of macronutrients, types of food, food access, and other meal or food related concepts. Then it leads to information on farming and agriculture practices of the past, present, and future and how our actions have altered the planet and its inhabitants. They have visuals that show how Japan developed methods of growing cubed shaped watermelons, the effects of over fishing in the Atlantic, and the complicated story of corn in America. There are then displays of how food is used in different cultures and how food was preserved, prepared, and consumed in ancient Rome, Victorian England, the Yuen Dynasty, and other histories. You can pretend to have a sit down dessert of ice cream with Jane Austen, learn the art of fermenting kim chi, or see what Michael Phelps eats at a typical meal. And of course, no food exhibit would be complete without a taste kitchen! We were able to sample cacao nibs (see: Taza Chocolate Factory Tour) and raw jicama. The exhibit is also book ended by two video rooms, which starts with a video on the future of food and farming and ends with a video on using food in celebrations in New York City. 

Overall, I think this exhibit is extremely well curated and it successfully engages people of all different ages and backgrounds. Everyone has a different relationship with food, and everyone can relate to the information with a different level of understanding. It's interactive enough to keep kids interested, and it's informative enough to keep adults absorbed. Look through the photos below to get a better understanding of what the museum teaches on food, nature, and culture: 

Current farming methods on the left, hydroponics on the right

Is vertical farming the solution to feed the anticipated 2bil population? 

Stepped back in time and visited a lively Aztec Market from 1519!

An interactive projected table where you can learn how to cook different recipes 

The taste kitchen at Our Global Kitchen

Learned all about my favorite meal from different places around the world

My brother smelling different spices at the scent stations

A meal in Rome with olives, figs, and fresh sea urchin!

A video featuring shopping for Chinese New Years on Bayard Street in Chinatown

Great fruit themed seats for the short film features

Not in the exhibit, but a relevant promotion of tap water around the museum

American Museum of Natural History
200 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024

Sam Adams Brewery Tour and Doyle's Cafe

I am perhaps the farthest thing from a beer expert, but when Fukuko visited me from Tokyo (shabu, raw foods), we decided to venture out to Jamaica Plain for Boston's Sam Adams Brewery Tour. For everyone graduating in the greater Boston area within the next few weeks, this is a spot in to seriously consider visiting before heading back home!

The tour is free with a suggested $2 donation, and you get a free mini glass to sample the original Boston Lager, their seasonal brew, and whatever they're testing out at the moment. With so many perks, why wouldn't you stop by? (Only downside -- you have to be 21+ to try anything, otherwise it's not too exciting.) At the beginning of the tour, you get an entire spiel on the brewing process and you even get to try and smell malted barley and hops. (Did you know that hops are actually flowers?) When we visited, most of the brewery was under construction, so we did not get much instruction on the tanks and all, but we did get to go straight to the tasting. In addition to the Boston Lager and the delightfully refreshing summer ale, we were able to taste test their citrus ale. Our guides don't think it will make it on the shelf, which is a shame because it was a crisp beer that I would've definitely grabbed for any upcoming summer time barbecue.  

After the tour, we were highly encouraged to take the free party trolley to the neighborhood Doyle's, which was the first bar to ever serve Sam Adams. Furthermore, if you show your tour pass at Doyle's after you order a Sam Adams, you get to keep the especially developed Sam Adams glass for free! Have you ever heard of so many upsides?? Anyways, I've never had a more passionate driver or met someone who was more obsessed with Boston. He adamantly insisted that we tried the lobster roll, the Reuben with sweet potato fries, and the clam chowder at Doyle's. I also learned from him that the Sam Adams 26.2 brew is only served at bars along the Boston marathon path and of course at Doyle's.  

Because Fukuko and I had a gigantic brunch at Paramount, we could not stuff down a lobster roll or Reuben, but we did get an enormous heap of garlic fries. Doyle's has a charming old tavern feel, for the bar, booths, and floors were all wooden and it's decked out with posters and advertisements dating back to the late 19th century. Now that I can navigate Jamaica Plain, I know I will be returning to Doyle's for an actual meal with a Sam Adams Red Brick or 26.2! 

This is what a hop looks like!

Our guides explaining how to taste the beer with different parts of  the tongue. 

Our free glasses filled with Boston Lager

Outside Doyle's

Delicious garlic fries served with honey mustard

Sam Adams Brewery

30 Germania St. Boston, MA 02130 Doyle's Cafe 3484 Washington St Boston, MA 02130