My Gang Of New York, Part IV: We Ate Stuff

Here's another post on New York! Try not to throw things at the screen - it's my last one. And cheer up - it's about food. Who doesn't want to hear about food? I'm only going to tell you about two of my favorite food experiences while I was there, not every hot dog and pizza slice I ate. That would be totally indulgent, like having a website where you talked about yourself and posted your vacation photos. This is nothing like that.
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Mommy Needs Her Crack

I have to confess that one of the real reasons I was eager to get to New York was this:

It must have been that first line, "She thought she didn't even like sweets..." that got my attention. That was me! The writer went on to say that she had fallen in love with something called Crack Pie, and by the end of the article I was ready to shell out $44 + shipping to have one flown across the country to me. Who pays almost fifty bucks for a pie and then has it mailed to them? This was crazy talking. I decided to wait and put my money towards something sensible, like those cute rainboots for my cat.

I was obsessed, though, so I emailed my hip, young, urbanite niece Allie and asked her to try it out for me. She did, and said it was everything it was cracked up to be. (No pun intended.) After that, that crazy pie was never far from my mind and when I found out I'd be going to New York, getting my hands on some Crack was all I could think about.

Which is why on our last night of our trip we found ourselves at Momofuku Milk Bar, having our first taste of Crack Pie, thanks to Allie.

It didn't disappoint. More like a cookie because of its denseness, it was a slice of buttery, carmelized sugar heaven. Check out those ingredients – when the first four are butter, sugar, brown sugar and cream, you know you're headed straight to hell. I think it was Allie who said, "If I feel completely sick afterward it will have done its job."

In fact, it was so worth every crumb of its $5.25-per-slice price tag that I'm still considering spending the cash to have an entire pie shipped to me, just so I can share it with my friends. Besides, I'm tired of the cat telling me how to spend my money.

Epilogue: When we were leaving our hotel the next day with our Momofuku bag stuffed with take-home cookies and pie, Kiyomi was pulling my suitcase and yelled out across the crowded lobby, "Don't worry mom - I've got your crack pipe." (Of course, she was saying pie, but no one knew but us.)

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Sphere Factor!

This might be old news to you foodies, but it was the first time for me. Spheres of food - really big caviar comes to mine - that sort of explode in your mouth when you bite into it. I had it my first night in NYC, at Asiate at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. It sort of feels like a really soft grape when you first put it in your mouth, and then once you bite into it you get an explosion of cranberry. Having an exploding ball of food in your mouth might not sound exciting to you, but I was intrigued. Then again, I get all tingly when the McRib is back in town, so maybe I'm easily pleased.

We had the same thing the next night at the Nintendo event, except these spheres were made with mozzarella. I have to say this one wasn't quite as tasty – I would rather have had a really good piece of actual cheese – but this time I got to see how it was done. Also, just to get extra indulgent, these were served with tiny syringes filled with basil extract. I was almost expecting to be laid down on a feather bed and fed by a naked chef. (That didn't happen, but gave me an idea for my next birthday party.)

Lucky for you I made a video of the whole process! The technique is called Spherification and was apparently made famous by a chef at the legendary restaurant El Bulli in Spain. First the liquid 'essence' is scooped up and then put into a bath of what was described as a seaweed extract, and then put into another bath of cold calcium chloride solution that sets it. The result: a sphere with a slightly crisp exterior and a liquid interior.

Try not to get distracted by my awesome video and music editing skills.



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My Gang Of New York, Part III: Meeting Jimmy Fallon & MetroDad On The Same Day!

One of the great things about traveling to far-flung, exotic locales is you might come face-to-face with mythical lifeforms. Here of course I'm talking about New York, and getting to meet the infamous MetroDad. Oh, and Jimmy Fallon, too.

I've been reading MetroDad for years so I was looking forward to meeting him in person. And talk about mythical lifeforms - an Asian blogger! Although it did cross my mind that maybe Pierre (aka MetroDad) didn't actually exist. Let's face it, this is the internet and he could actually be some really prolific, French 14-year-old.

But as you can see, he wasn't! Here's a picture I took of Pierre and his friend Jim, who is a producer on the show. Kiyomi is eating a red velvet cupcake she stole from a table in the hallway. That cupcake probably cost the show $45.

Pierre took time out of his busy schedule to meet us at Rockefeller Center, where his friend Jim most generously took us on a tour of Jimmy Fallon's studio. This was the moment Kiyomi put "Be an intern for Jimmy Fallon" at the top of her bucket list. Which, if you've ever seen a 12-year-old's bucket list, is pretty impressive since it beat out things like, 'Get txt mssg from Daniel Radcliffe' and 'Buy pony.'

Ashton Kutcher was a guest on the show that night, and here are the girls outside of his dressing room plotting to rush in and steal his underwear. Next door was where The Roots were rehearsing and Rigel was plotting to rush in and join the band.

We not only met Jimmy, but he invited us onto the set to take some pictures. Kira and Kiyomi have had a huge crush on Jimmy for awhile, so this was pretty mind-blowing for them. Kiyomi was a little bitter that she didn't get to sit in the seat closest to him, but she made up for it when, as we were leaving and Jimmy went to shake her hand she said, "Hey, no HUG?" and went in for a big embrace. Sure, they called for security but it was a moment to remember.

Here's where Jimmy told us to, "Look serious" and "Now laugh like crazy" which is what we're doing in these photos in case you couldn't tell. Hey, no one said we were actors.

A big THANK YOU to Pierre, Jim and Jimmy Fallon for putting up this family of tourists from L.A. and making our day. Sorry if we said 'like' way too much and kept complaining about the weather.

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Next Up: My Gang Of New York, Part IV: We Ate Stuff

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My Gang Of New York, Part II: Really Touristy Photos With Clever Captions

As threatened, more on my trip to New York! Here are some random photos, accompanied by my banal commentary. I have lots of time on my hands, as the girls have taken turns being sick since we got back. It's like NYC is punishing us for visiting. Perhaps I shouldn't have asked that man on the subway if there were any drive-thrus where I could get a half-caf, organic chai latte with a sprout infusion.
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This is one of my favorite photos, taken at Strawberry Fields, the John Lennon memorial in Central Park. Kiyomi's a rabid Beatles fan, so for her this was one of the highlights of our visit. Also one of the only times during our freezing, snowy trip that she put on her coat.

 

 Ever wonder who shells out $80 for those carriage rides? 

On the High Line, one of those places that we wish we had in L.A. Although if I might add, could be made that much better with the addition of a coffee cart. (See? It's saying things like that that's going to get my ass kicked the next time I visit.)

Rigel and I walking through a snowy Central Park. Hardly romantic, as this was taken by the girls who were walking behind and heckling us with things like, "Awww, aren't they CUTE?" and "LOOKIT THE LITTLE SCHMOOPIES." You can't tell by the picture, but we were thinking of all sorts of ways to torture them when they start dating.

 

At Bouchon Bakery at Time Warner Center, and in our room at the Empire Hotel in their beloved hats. Kira looks extra happy because on that day we "had lunch at a normal time like normal people." And for the record Rigel and I hardly think that waiting until 10pm to eat dinner is "so weird and unhealthy and, like, child abuse." Kids these days.

The famed cultural and historical New York landmark that Kira and Kiyomi couldn't wait to visit: the 4-story, Forever 21 store in Times Square.

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Next Up: My Gang Of New York, Part III: We Met Jimmy Fallon & MetroDad, All On The Same Day!

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My Gang Of New York, Part I: It's On

So, in case you missed my Facebook posts, or my Twitter feed or that airplane I rented pulling a banner, I just back from a trip to New York with Rigel and the girls. And, since I'm into this newfangled blogging fad, I'm going to write about here in painstaking detail. Remember a few years ago when I went to Japan and I wrote about it forever and it seemed like the posts would never end, like you were in some bad dream where you couldn't escape someone's neverending vacation slide show? Yeah, like that.

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A couple of weeks before Christmas I was offered a trip to New York for the launch of the Nintendo 3DS, and I came up with the brilliant idea of turning it into a family vacation. We hadn't taken a trip for awhile, and I was eager to visit New York again since the last time I was there was when I was in my twenties. (I said 'In my twenties' not 'during the 1920's' all you smartasses. Although, come to think of it I was driving through Central Park in a Model-T while wearing a flapper hat.)

The hardest part about preapring for the trip was getting everyone clothed. How do you get a family of Angelenos, who are used to 80° weather in the dead of winter, to make a trek into a land where people wear strange things called 'scarves' and 'coats'? I tried to tell Kira and Kiyomi that they would have to pack some warm clothes, and I swear one of them said, "Does that mean anything with sleeves?" Kiyomi was convinced she'd be running around in her usual getup of shorts and tank top except the difference was she'd be wearing socks with her sneakers.

(And get this – they both informed me that they only own ONE PAIR of long pants. I'm not sure how that happened, but I suppose that's what I get for letting teenagers do their own back-to-school shopping. In a related story, I did find nine Lady Gaga t-shirts and sixteen halter tops while I was cleaning their room.)

Then there was my clothing angst. Not only did I have to pick up some warm clothes, but they had to be stylish since I'd be hanging out with some pretty hip client-type-people and blogger chicks, who'd probably frown on my usual cold-weather solution of tucking thermal underwear into a pair of boots and topping it off with a 10-year-old ski parka. Oh, and that Dukes Of Hazzards hat that I got in 1987 probably wouldn't go over very well, either, although if you ask me burlap never goes out of style.

So I did what any normal person would do when faced with a clothing crisis: I bought $40 worth of fashion magazines and dilligently studied their pages for hours trying to find out what the hip 2011 woman was wearing in cold weather. Much like the scientist who might pour over fossils for insight into prehistoric man, I was scrutinizing Vogue for some clues into the correct heel height for the newest winter footwear. Both valid, important endeavors, but I win since my research resulted in a trip to the mall and a cute pair of fur-lined leather boots.

Long story short, after plunging ourselves into debt with numerous trips to Macy's, Forever 21, Tilly's, Urban Outfitters, DSW, Sports Chalet, Victoria's Secret (I needed a warm bra) and Rite Aid (everyone needed new lipgloss) we were finally off to New York! Although, after all of our foraging and scouring and researching in the name of fashion – the items that ended up being the most coveted were these, bought off the street in Times Square for $20:

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Next Up: My Gang Of New York, Part II: Really Touristy Photos With Clever Captions

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After this I'll shut up

To those of you who I haven't emailed, texted, called, or alerted on Facebook, I've got a new social media job for the travel site UpTake.com, running their Los Angeles Facebook page and Twitter feed. Next I'll be showing up at your house with a cake that has the information scrawled across the top in icing, just to make sure I've driven the point home. It'll have rum in it, don't worry.

I'll be posting about the latest fun, hip, interesting things to do in L.A., as well as hooking you up with deals on things like restaurants, travel and events. I'll be highlighting everything from neighborhood coffee houses to cheap happy hours to where to get your hair did. Then I'll cover places to take that new 'do and get jiggy with it. I have no idea what I just said but trust me YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE THE RIDE.

So if you haven't already, come join the UpTakeLA Facebook page and follow UpTakeLA on Twitter. I won't mention it again, I promise. Then again, there's always skywriting.

Here's my latest from the site:

Labor Day Weekend: Heading To Temecula For Winnings and Wine

So, this weekend we're heading to Temecula for the last vacation of the summer before the kids go back to school. Why Temecula? Let's just say it's a trip revolving around my 89-year-old mother and her love of casinos. I'm not implying that she's got a gambling problem, but when we asked her where she might like to go for a little getaway this summer she looked up from her crocheting, adjusted her teeth, did a backflip over her walker and yelled, "Pechanga!!"

For those of you not familiar with Pechanga, it's a huge resort and casino located on the Pechanga Indian Reservation in Temecula, around a two-hour drive south of Los Angeles. So that's where I'm headed with my husband, two daughters, my mom, sister, two of my brothers and an as-yet undetermined number of nieces and nephews. And while a few of us do like to gamble a little (I've been known to feed the slot machines a paycheck or two) we're mostly going to keep my mom company while she sits for hours on a stool in front of a 5¢ Keno machine, spending our inheritance and drinking copius amounts of Sprite...Read More...

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My Favorite Restaurants. And By The Way, Art Supplies Are Edible.

I wrote about my favorite restaurants in L.A. this week for UpTake. I started off my post with a mention about the time I ate an eraser. Maybe not the best way to start off an article that's sharing my culinary opinions, but there you go. (Also, if you know of where they serve the most badass margarita in your city, go on over and leave a comment on my UpTake post. I'm going to do a compilation list later this month):

We were asked to write about our favorite restaurants this week, and the only difficult part will be writing a post that doesn’t go on for five pages. My list is long and varied, and I’m always up for trying new things - including half a Pink Pearl eraser that I once ate on a dare when I was working at an ad agency. It definitely didn’t taste like chicken...Read More...

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UpTake, a new travel search engine, opened to the public today. Check it out - it's a great site, where you can find everything you need to plan a vacation, from girlfriend getaways to pet-friendly travel (you can finally take your gerbil to Belize with you.) Plug in your destination, what you're looking for (lodging, things-to-do, etc.) and whether it's a family trip or just a getaway. And voila - you might just come up with an adventure more interesting than that Soap Opera Cruise with the cast from Passions. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Also, you can read my weekly posts there where I regale the traveling world with tales of all-you-can-eat nachos and men in tights. It's almost too much goodness in one place, I know.

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Going Green in L.A.? Doesn't Always Mean Driving a Prius

My latest post is up at Kango. This week I was asked to write about how Angelenos might celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Is this a holiday? I've always figured that if it didn't have its own, two-aisle special section at Target it wasn't worth celebrating. But come to find that there is plenty of Irish revelry scheduled for March 17 here in Los Angeles, and a lot of it centers around beer. Not that I'm complaining.

(I have no idea who this guy is in the picture. But I just discovered this new thing called Google and you can find lots of interesting crap with it!)

I have to admit St. Patrick’s Day is not a big holiday around our house. Although it should be, seeing as my husband is something like one-eighth Irish, along with some Scottish, English, Polish, and a certain allegiance to Australia since most of his relatives are there. Add to that my Japanese ancestry, and you can see how celebrating all of our cultures would be a little daunting. I think the most Irish thing my husband has ever done is hang an air freshener in his car that was shaped like a four-leaf clover...Read More...

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Wintertime in Los Angeles: Put On Your Fleece Thong

My weekly post is up over at Kango. This week I was asked to write about wintertime in L.A., which made me laugh because when I sat down to write it was around 70° here. In fact, the only time I put on a sweater last week was just to cover up my pajamas when I dropped the girls off at school.

I ended up writing about a trip we took right before Christmas, where we did see actual snow. Of course, no amount of clothing really ever keeps me warm enough, so my memories of the trip were actually just racing from the car to the indoor heated snack bar, yelling, "I'm cold I'm cold it's too freaking cold" the entire way.

When Kango asked me to make this week’s post about wintertime in Los Angeles, I thought about it for a moment, as I sat outside in my tank top and capris sipping an iced tea. What do Angelenos know about winter anyways? Even a drop of rain has the weatherman on the local news drooling with excitement. Speaking for myself, any day where it drops below 65° is reason to bundle up in a ski parka and thermal underwear.

But there are places where us sun worshippers can get a little taste of what the rest of the country experiences during these winter months. We may point and laugh when we see you on TV, digging out your cars and putting on boots just to get your newspaper, but we secretly want a little of the cold weather – just as long as we can still drive home in our shorts...Read More...

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The Traveling Pants

I was recently hired by Kango, a new travel website, to write a weekly post about things to do in L.A. I'm looking forward to this new venture, as there's nothing I enjoy more than going somewhere and then making sure everyone I know finds it as unbelievably fascinating as I do. That trip I took to the recyling plant? Let me tell you about all the different kinds of plastic I saw, and don't try and fool me with that glazed look in your eyes - I know you're mesmerized.

This week was my first post, and being close to Valentine's Day they asked me to write about a last minute romantic getaway. I wrote about the W Hotel, since it was the only truly romantic outing Rigel and I have had recently, unless you count the trip to Costco where he let me put anything I wanted in the cart and then he gallantly paid for it all. Nothing gets me hotter than a man who'll fork over his hard-earned cash for a twelve gallon drum of shampoo for his woman.

My husband and I have never been known as ‘plan ahead’ kind of people. We’re usually the ones who breeze into town without hotel reservations and then try to explain to our kids that we’ll have to keep driving for another two hours because who knew there’d be a Tupperware convention hogging all the rooms?

So Valentine’s Day has always posed a problem – without reservations and some stealth planning skills you’re likely to be stuck spending the night in a truck stop off Highway 5. (I realize that may scream romance to some of you, but try and keep that to yourselves)...
Click here to read more...

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tags: w hotel | celebrity hangouts | romantic getaways | britney stayed here

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