Jambalaya

I am easy to please. Just feed me something delicious and you'll see me grin ear to ear. Through my travels, I get to sample authentic dishes that are only available in certain city/region. Unfortunately, that also means my palate has become much more refine and I have become a much pickier eater.

That mean the food has to be extraordinary good (to others) to please me. For example, I avoid ordering creole dishes now because they are never as good as the dishes I tasted in New Orleans a few year ago (I had the best gumbo, at The Gumbo Shop, and Étouffée , at The Acme Oysters). This past weekend, I had the most expensive and the crappiest Étouffée at New Orleans Cajun & Creole Cuisine in Hermosa Beach (the other choice was Raging Cajun but the food there is not good either, but at least Raging Cajun does not charge $20 for a bowl of Gumbo).

Luckily, I can cook so good food just require a bit more effort. I made the yummiest Jambalaya since New Orleans and had it for dinner and lunch. I used this recipe from Epicurious (my favorite recipe site) :

JAMBALAYA
(Makes 6 servings.)

ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 celery stalks, diced (I used carrots since I didn't had celery and bell pepper)
3 tbsp fresh Italian parsley,
minced4 oz extra-lean smoked ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (used spicy sausage instead )
5 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced (used spicy sausage instead )
1 large bay leaf
1 tsp cayenne pepper (Ancho Chilie Powder work too)
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
3/4 cup brown rice, uncooked (add more rice if like thick, ~2 cups)
1 1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped into bite-sized pieces
(I also added a can of chicken broth and tons of water because I like my Jambalaya in soup form)

preparation
Add oil to a large nonstick saucepan. Over medium heat, sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper and celery until onion is translucent. Add parsley, ham, chicken, bay leaf, and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes. Add tomatoes (with juice), tomato sauce, and 1 3/4 cups cold water (I also added chicken broth and more water). Gently simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Pour rice into the pan and stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, 45 minutes or until rice is cooked and absorbs most of the liquid (Since I prefer Jambalaya in hearty-soup-form, wait till rice is cooked). Stir in shrimp and cook 5 minutes more. Remove bay leaf. Season to taste with cayenne pepper and salt.

(Tip: Taste even more flavorful the next day).

INFJ

Did you know that INFJ is the RAREST personality type of 16 MBTI?

Some interesting facts:
-Unusual in his or her eating habits and living arrangements (It's call I do it better ;).
-A bad speller (Good thing we've MS Words to solve that problem).
-Possessed of a mischievous sense of humor (Who? Me?)
-Single (I am doom to spinsterhood)
-Usually the eldest or an only child.

Note to self: Read Dolphin Cove and links for more interesting info.

And for those of you that thinks I am outgoing and for those of you think I can be anti-social, this paragraph should explain to you why I am this way (see, there's explaination for everything).

INFJs are deeply concerned about their relations with individuals as well as the state of humanity at large. They are, in fact, sometimes mistaken for extroverts because they appear so outgoing and are so genuinely interested in people -- a product of the Feeling function they most readily show to the world. On the contrary, INFJs are true introverts, who can only be emotionally intimate and fulfilled with a chosen few from among their long- term friends, family, or obvious "soul mates". While instinctively courting the personal and organizational demands continually made upon them by others, at intervals INFJs will suddenly withdraw into themselves, sometimes shutting out even their intimates. This apparent paradox is a necessary escape valve for them, providing both time to rebuild their depleted resources and a filter to prevent the emotional overload to which they are so susceptible as inherent "givers". As a pattern of behavior, it is perhaps the most confusing aspect of the enigmatic INFJ character to outsiders, and hence the most often misunderstood -- particularly by those who have little experience with this rare type.

You're Just Like Me

While IMing with a friend about his recent trip back to East Coast, he asked: "How often do you fly back East?"

(I am not from back East.)

I find it very interesting that people tend to assume their friends are just like them. Logically, we know that is not the case, but why do we make this assumption?

Is it
I don't like cilantro. You're my friend, then you must not like cilantro too.

Or is it
I don't like cilantro. You don't like cilantro too? Great! Let's be friends!

PS. I found my people ^_^ ---> http://ihatecilantro.com/

Heroes

Heroes finale was last night. I was very disappointed that the show did not delivered like it did in past episodes. There were many plot holes.

Just in case my 3 readers haven't watch it, I won't spoil it here. If you already watch it, this message thread contains the plot hole discussions.

Being a Dance Instructor

I know enough Swing to have fun and dance to the music, but my skill is nowhere near expert/professional level. One of my friend called me up at last minute and asked me to partner with him in teaching East Coast Swing in a private party this past Saturday night.

Me? Seriously? You must be kidding, right?

After he explained that only beginner steps would be taught, which I know pretty well, I agreed to partner up with him.

It was a bit surreal being in a stranger's private party and not knowing any of the party guests/hosts . I wonder if this how one would feel if one were to crash a stranger's party. While waiting for the guests to finish their dinner, my friend and I spent 5 minutes or so going over the steps that we would teach them.

The lesson itself wasn't too bad. About 7-9 brave couples joined us on the patio for the lesson. At the end of the one hour lesson, only one couple remained. Other guests watched and heckled, everyone looked like they had a good time. I had fun too and was less anxious than I'd anticipated.

It's even more surreal at the end, when we were leaving, the host paid us.

Does this mean I am a dance instructor now?

Interesting, But Not Surprising.

In this month's Psychology Today, Helen Fisher M.D. wrote an interesting article on The Law of Chemistry.

The premise of the article is that people fall into four broad biological types: Explorer, Builder, Negotiator and Director. The Explorer is novelty seeking, risk-taking, and curious. Builders are often social, traditional, orderly and cautious. Negotiators tend to be sympathetic, intuitive, verbal and flexible. The Director tends to be direct, decisive, focused, and analytical. Fisher's research and data find that we tend to be attracted to people who are biologically not like ourselves, perhaps to create more genetic variety in our offsprings. For example, An explorer would be attracted to a builder. This Fisher's blog entry pretty much summarized the article.

I took the test within the article. Not surprsingly, I am an EXPLORER director.

Nightlife in LA

It's approaching midnight, you're wide awake and want to go out, what can you do at this hour (besides clubbing or bars)?

This the question that I was pondering this past Saturday night. I had no desire to go clubbing or to go drinking (bars/lounges), what could I do at this hours? I searched online for events around here but found nothing.

Despite that, my evening turned out well. I met up with a friend for tea, we walked around downtown Alhambra and in a random gallery exhibit, we bumped into someone from my High School that I lost touch with since graduation.

LA has a lot to offer, but it seem if one does not want to be in an environment that encourages drinking or dancing but still wants to go out, there is really nothing to do in late evenings. Maybe that's why people over the age of clubbing/drinking popped out babies to keep themselves busy in late evenings ;). Maybe I am just ignorant, if so, please enlighten me.

Besides clubbing or bar hopping, what is there to do (in any cities) in late evenings?

The Dangerous Book for Boys

The commercial is so cute. The book looks like it has a lot of potentials.

I am going to get these books for my cousins' boys when they're a bit older.

Check Out the Fingers

Another interesting article from Psychology Today:

Because of the influx of sex hormones at this prenatal stage, men tend to have ring fingers that are slightly longer than their index fingers. In women, these fingers are usually the same length or the index digit is just a bit longer.

Females with masculine digit ratios have more masculine behaviors, he says. Likewise, males with a typically female ratio exhibit more typically feminine behaviors.

Do your fingers exhibit the typical female (or male) ratio?

Seriously? :O

From Psychology Today:
Sixty percent of the world's marriages are arranged.

A Few Pictures From This Weekend

(using camera phone)

Celebrity Sightings

A building name after my friend?


Lunch at 3 Square Cafe on Abott Kinney, Venice
(Beautiful presentation, so so taste)

Sandwich Sampler

Avocado Fries (Greasy)