100% recycled white elephant gift.

A white elephant gift exchange is probably the only situation in which re-gifting is appropriate and/or encouraged.  I'm involved in at least two of them this year; today I actually went and spent $ buying a new one because it didn't occur to me that I could find something relatively nice, if useless to me, gift lying around my apartment.

For tomorrow's exchange at work, I'm giving away a set of sushi plate + soy sauce saucer that I inherited from someone; it's actually quite cute but I don't eat sushi at home at all, so I've barely even taken it out of its original box.

In the spirit of re-gifting I recycled some old wrapping paper as well as some green tissue that I cut into rectangles and fashioned into little flower-pom-poms.  They hide the wrinkles in the paper nicely, I think, and anyway I don't feel too badly about using wrinkled paper for something that will be torn into anyway. Adds a bit to the rustic charm, methinks ;)

It was a modest Lim family Thanksgiving...

Having gorged on Wendy's pre-Thanksgiving feast the week before, and already eaten turkey leftovers all of that week, I was glad my parents kept it simple on Thanksgiving Day.  We just had some family over for Burmese curry chicken rice.  Yum.

I dropped by Taco Nazo with Karin, but somehow the tacos tasted kind of different.  Good, but not quite as spectacular as I remembered.

Saw New Moon at the Grove with Lils, followed by burgers, beer and baskets of fries at Father's Office.

Had some down-home Hawaiian at King's Hawaiian in Torrance with high school friends.  And closed out the long weekend with Mexican eats at Los Sanchez in Santa Ana.

Foodie Tuesday: Cooking with egg whites, or, Don't let this happen to you.

Behold.  A double-decker pancake?  Mexican pastries?  Some kind of odd flatbread?  Oh no, friends.  What you see here is my first and miserably failed attempt at making angel food cake.  I only embarked on this strange journey because I happened to have 10 egg whites left over after I made my glorious homemade eggnog for Wendy's pre-Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday.


I used this recipe on allrecipes that got tons of great reviews, but with the caveat that you had to do things just right.  I am usually a cook who likes to "wing it," "play it by ear," or even "cut corners."  And the discipline of cobbling together an angel food cake just goes to show that in some cases, one must adhere to a very strict and deliberate process.  One that I did not quite follow tonight.  A list of my transgressions:

  • The recipe called for cake flour.  Not having any, I used mostly white flour with a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed in.
  • The recipe called for cream of tartar.  Not having any, I used 1 tsp. lemon juice as a substitute.
  • I forgot, and added the salt to the dry ingredients instead of the egg whites.
  • I forgot, and dumped all the sugar into the bowl in the beginning, instead of adding it to the already-whipped eggs.
  • I didn't have an angel food pan, or even a bundt pan, and used a regular 9'x13' pan instead.
  • I am not sure, but I probably overmixed.  Even though I folded as carefully as possible. (That link leads to an excellent tutorial on folding by Chef John Mitzewich, the same ingenious and hilarious guy who brought us 'How to Eat a Chicken Wing."  My favorite line?  "You're not folding yet, you're just like, "Hey, how're ya doing, batter?'"
At any rate, the cake collapsed miserably and I'm really not sure which of my sins had the greatest impact on its inability to stand upright.  I'm hoping some more experienced bakers (ahem...Reggie...Wendy) can tell me exactly how to avoid this sort of disaster going forward.

'Vintage' Lady Gaga video: When she was Stefani Germanotta. Brunette. Normal. But still f-ing amazing.

My friend Lily forwarded me this clip of Lady Gaga performing 'Captivated' and 'Electric Kiss,' two rather lowkey original songs she wrote and performed for a student audience at NYU.  This should answer any question her naysayers may have regarding her incredible talent.  

And for us fans, it re-affirms why we loved her in the first place.  Without all the crazy costumes, makeup and sexified style, her rich voice and freshness still shine through.  It's no wonder she revolutionized pop music last year!  I like how at the very end, one of the judges says, "Norah Jones, look out!"  Hahaha. Little did she know that Stefani had bigger dreams than taking out little Miss Norah Jones.

In contrast, check out her latest video for 'Bad Romance,' which is a theatrical wonder. (In case you've been living under a rock and haven't seen it yet.)

Most people probably won't care, but I am super excited that my alma mater is finally recognizing Ethnic Studies as a legitimate secondary concentration (major).

This is the result of over 30 years of activism and fighting the good fight.  I was involved in the push for Ethnic Studies during my college years and I never thought I'd see the day it finally came to pass.  This is awesome news and I'm so excited!
_______________________

From: A***** L**
Date: Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 11:07 AM
Subject: Ethnic Studies Secondary has passed!

Hello everyone,

Harvard's Educational Policy Committee has officially approved the Ethnic Studies Secondary Field! Beginning in Fall 2010, students will receive official recognition from the college for completing coursework in (as the official title calls it) "Studies of Ethnicity, Indigeneity, Migration, and Human Rights." 

THIS IS A HUGE VICTORY FOR ETHNIC STUDIES AT HARVARD!  Current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will be able to apply for retroactive secondary credit (meaning - if you are taking "Ethnic Studies"-related courses this year or have in past years) next fall.

Other developments in the Ethnic Studies program at Harvard:
  • First Harvard Ethnic Studies Conference to take place on Apr. 9, 2010. We hope this is the beginning of a yearly or at least biennial event.
  • Active faculty on Standing Committee on Ethnic Studies, which oversees development of courses, course credit, Ethnic Studies events, prizes, etc.
  • Development of several Gen Ed "portal courses" which can double-count for Gen Ed and Ethnic Studies
  • Current development of praxis courses
  • Creation of Ethnic Studies Prize for the best senior thesis/theses in Ethnic Studies
  • Academic advising
  • Office with 1 staff member
Harvard students have had an extensive history fighting for Ethnic Studies (see Crimson archives here), and our success this year could not have been possible without all the efforts of the students, faculty, and alumni who came before us! 

We're honored that we could be here to witness the results of those efforts. Many thanks to the Faculty Committee on ES (which has been VERY open to working with students), the student organizations that have been involved, and individual undergraduate and graduate students alike who have supported and been involved this year and in years past.

Will keep you updated,

The Ethnic Studies Coalition

Want to see something bizarre? Watch all the clips of Dakota Fanning on the Ellen Degeneres show. In chronological order.

At 15 years old, 11/1609 (yesterday).  Talking about playing the villain in New Moon.

Yesterday, Dakota Fanning appeared on Ellen Degeneres' talk show for something like the fifth time in the last 8 years.  She was there to talk about her role in Twilight: New Moon, as villainous vampire Jane.  It's the most grown-up any of us have seen her yet, but us old fogies might remember when she was nothing but a pocket-sized tot, albeit an extraordinarily talented and preternaturally mature one.

Watching the clip made me curious about watching some of her other appearances, and seeing the clip of Dakota on The Ellen Show at 9 years old in early 2004, with so much infectious giggly energy and an incredible vocabulary, I was struck by how mind-boggling it is to watch someone grow up before your very eyes.  

Not to mention how bizarre it is that at 9, she behaves EXACTLY like some grown women I've seen, from the perfect half-hug-kiss-on-the-cheek she gives Ellen to her amazing story-telling abilities. I'm really impressed with what a graceful 15-year-old she's grown up to be--much calmer but you can still see that spark, the way she says "thank you SO much!" as a proper response to compliments, and, of course, that impressive vocabulary.

I'm still a little sad they never got the Ender's Game movie together in time for her to play Petra Arkanian, because she would have been perfect for it.

1) At 7 years old, in an episode of The Ellen Show called "Missing the Bus."  She appears at 1:20 if you want to skip forward.

2) At 9 years old, her most adorable ever.  She is like a miniature-sized adult.  Bizarre.

3) At 11 years old.  Still giggly but a little more subdued.

4) At 14 years old.  No longer a child, not yet a woman.

I just converted on a FB ad for One Kings Lane. Somehow Facebook knows me enough to target me pretty darn well. O_o


I suppose it's not that big of a mystery, seeing as I've listed myself as a fan of Gilt Groupe on Facebook and this new service, One King's Lane, is a down-to-the-letter copycat of the original "exclusive online sample sales" site, except it's for home decor rather than designer fashion.  But it is so weird, as someone who works on online ads but who never clicked on ads before going to Google, to 1) see an ad, 2) realize it was targeted to me with laser precision, 3) click on it knowing that I was making Facebook money (I even bought that call-to-action!), 4) like the landing page and see that it was relevant to me, and 5) actually fill out the form and become a member.  

The only thing left is for me to actually buy something on One King's Lane with my new $25 credit, thus becoming a backend conversion success story.  Somewhere, there is a freshly graduated marketing strategist is looking at his/her numbers and celebrating the number of conversions in his FB ads account.

I mean, in my job I manipulate people all the time into this very conversion process.  I know that's the nature of the beast, that this whole online ads ecosystem exists to bring value to both sellers and users.  And to be sure, if I wind up using my $25 credit to buy some beautiful home stuff that I love, then both parties have come out ahead.  It's just that, as an educated user, I can't help but feel a bit manipulated myself right now.

I am most definitely dating a 'nerd.' Now it all makes sense!

Garry sent me The Nerd Handbook via Rands in Repose, quite possibly one of the best blog posts of the year, so I could better understand where he's coming from.  Having grown up with my brother as a role model (such that my definition of 'manhood' involves being able to fix my computer rather than carry heavy stuff or play sports etc.), and having some nerd tendencies myself, I can definitely relate, but this guide spells it out so much clearer than anything I've encountered before. 

This article comes at a particularly pithy and relevant time for me.  Despite my adolescent fantasies of romancing tortured writers, wiry athletes, warrior princes, revolutionaries, asian-american christian worship leaders, and shyly passionate high school history teachers, deep down I always knew I'd wind up with a crusty engineer.  My parents are both physics majors and my brother is a classic CS videogame ENTJ, so it's...how you say... in my blood.

I'm amazed at how accurately the guide describes the inner workings of a nerd's mind!  I'm at the same time fascinated and bemused by these odd creatures and I'm sure it will come in handy the next time I want to tear my hair out.  Some quotes that struck a particular chord in me:
  • "A nerd needs a project because a nerd builds stuff. All the time."
  • "At some point, you, the nerd’s companion, were the project. You were showered with the fire hose of attention because you were the bright and shiny new development in your nerd’s life."
  • "It’s clichéd, but a nerd is defined by his computer...He sees the world as a system which, given enough time and effort, is completely knowable."
  • "System-redefining events force your nerd to recognize that the world is not always or entirely a knowable place, and until he reconstructs this illusion, he’s going to be frustrated and he’s going to act erratically."
  • "Your nerd has built himself a cave."
  • "As each part of the project is completed, your nerd receives an adrenaline rush that we’re going to call The High."
  • "Your nerd listens hard to recognize humor potential and when he hears it, he furiously scours his mind to find relevant content from his experience so he can get the funny out as quickly as possible."
  • "Your nerd has an amazing appetite for information."
  • "You love to travel, but your nerd would prefer to hide in his cave for hours on end chasing The High."
  • "You want your nerd to eat healthily so that he’s here in another thirty years, so how do you change this behavior? You make diet and exercise the project."
  • "It’s just as much a nerd’s job to figure you out and maybe someone somewhere is writing an article about your particular quirks. Good news, he’s probably reading it right now."

Foodie Tuesday, 1 day late: Blue Corn Pancakes

In keeping with my growing love for purple things, I thought it appropriate to share this discovery I made at Rainbow Produce about a month ago: blue cornmeal.  As soon as I saw it, my mind started racing, thinking of all the great things I could do with blue cornmeal.  Blue corn tamales. Blue cornbread and blue corn muffins.  Blue corn pizza dough!

But the first and most obvious thing to do with the cornmeal was this: blue corn pancakes.  Because they are AWESOME.

I adapted a couple different recipes that I found online (weeks ago... I can no longer find them because of the f-ing Google search algorithm change).  They are all more or less the same: varying portions of blue cornmeal, white flour, egg, melted butter, sugar, baking powder, salt.  I put it together and was mildly alarmed at how thin the batter was.  I had to keep whisking it so the ingredients would stay incorporated, and they made for some really flat, thin pancakes (you can even see holes through them, below).

But what I really love about these pancakes is that they are so versatile.  They have a hearty texture and nuanced flavor, and they can go either salty or sweet, opening up a world of possible accompaniments.  Here are some of my favorites:
  • Wildflower honey: the deep, nuanced flavor of really good honey plays beautifully against the rich nuttiness of the pancakes.
  • Avocados
  • Creme fraiche
  • Honey butter
  • Eggs
  • Any number of fruit preserves and jams
  • Smoked salmon
  • BACON!