Words for Thought
It is good to be uncomfortable….
Author: La Vie Partagée
Weekend Unexplored: 72 hours in San Diego, CA
I have not been to San Diego (La Jolla to be exact) since I was 13 years old when my family and I visited distant cousins. The trip was memorable because it was the first time I fell in love with California. I vowed one day that I’d move to the best coast and be in warm sunshine all year round. Fast forward a couple decades, I ended up in San Francisco with no real summers (or winters) so I’d say I’m at least headed in the right direction. I frequent LA often but never quite make it down to San Diego so when a good friend of mine from the East Coast was looking to have a getaway, I agreed to visit San Diego with my friend. San Diego has a lot to offer. It has a mix of old and new world charm. DAY 1 11:00 AM We arrived in sunny San Diego and made the 15 minute drive to downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter to check into our hotel. The Gaslamp Quarter …
Gỏi đu đủ / Green Papaya Salad
Gỏi đu đủ is one of my favorite salads in the Vietnamese cuisine. It is a very simple and refreshing dish to make, especially in the summer. The traditional gỏi đu đủ is made with green papaya and beef jerky. Vietnamese beef jerky is different from American beef jerky in that the jerky is spicier, sweeter and chewier. I have tried this recipe with American beef jerky that I get from Costco and it still tastes great. If you do not like beef jerky, feel free to top it with your choice of protein. This salad is typically made as an alcohol accompaniment for late night drinking in Vietnam. Try this recipe for a quick week night dinner or for your next BBQ. Ingredients 1 green papaya (about 2 cups of shredded green papaya) 1 small carrot (about ¼ cup of shredded carrots) Approximately 1/2 cup of Vietnamese basil (Rau Thom Que) or Thai basil Beef jerky (enough for at least 1/2 cup or as much as you prefer) ½ of a yellow onion Sriracha Roasted peanuts for …
Words for Thought
Must Do’s: Đà Nẵng, Vietnam (Part 2)
Last week, we explored Amy Dao’s recommendations for places to eat in Đà Nẵng. This week we will introduce places where the locals hang out and the must see sights of the beautiful city. Must See: Linh Ung Pagoda (In But Beach, Son Tra Peninsula, Danang) From the city center, tourists can cross the Han River Bridge and then turn left. The pagoda is approximately 10km to the northeast. The pagoda is located 700 meters high up in a hill facing to the sea with its back to the mountain. This pagoda offers sweeping views of Đà Nẵng city and the bay. The pagoda is a combination of modern and traditional architectural styles. The most striking feature is its majestic 67-metre-tall Goddess of Mercy Statue standing on a lotus-shaped platform, which is considered the highest in Viet Nam. Inside the statue, which is equivalent to a 30-story building, there are 17 levels, allowing visitors to admire the view from different heights. This pagoda is best visited once during the day and again at night to see the gorgeous nightscape. …
Online Report: Decorative Pillows
So, how is your online shopping going? Have you found any good pieces? If not, here are some suggestions that I found after checking some of my favorite design sites. Most of the suggestions in today’s post are very accessible in terms of pricing, from $20 to $80. There are some higher priced items, but you can decide if it is worth spending a little more on some special pieces. Additionally, sales are happening right now so you might want to take advantage of them. The sites below are listed in alphabetical order: Anthropology Go here for bohemian styles. You can also find great seasonal basics. Ballard Designs This is a good basic outdoor catalog. CB2 The site has a great selection with a small and manageable catalog. Crate & Barrel There are a few outstanding options to choose from. I also found really cool outdoor poufs. Dot & Bo Variety of colors and good prices. Design Within Reach The site has higher prices and a smaller selection, but interesting pieces. H&M …
Bánh patê sô (Vietnamese Meat Pastry)
Another snack I really enjoyed as a child was bánh patê sô. Bánh patê sô is a Vietnamese savory puff pastry that is likely derived from the French colonization. Many of the Vietnamese cuisines have flavors and techniques from the French culinary tradition. How else would we have the ubiquitous bánh mì which is our version of a baguette sandwich? This pastry is made with traditional puff pastry or pâte feuilletée and filled with ground pork, bean thread noodles and mushrooms. The beauty of this pastry is that you can fill it with whatever you fancy. For this version, we allowed for the ground pork to shine in its simplicity. As summer is in full swing, this is a perfect treat to take with you on a picnic or a roadtrip. This recipe makes about 9 pastry squares. Ingredients 1 package of puff pastry 1 lb of ground pork (*Optional: add 2 pieces of chicken liver grounded to mix with the pork. This is the traditional way of making the meat mixture hence the name patê …
Must Do’s: Đà Nẵng , Vietnam (Part 1)
Đà Nẵng is one of the major port cities in Vietnam and the biggest city on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. The city is situated on the coast of the Eastern Sea, at the opening end of the Hàn River. The city is also a famous beach resort town with major high end resorts that were developed over the last decade. Yet, the town still maintains a charm of a small coastal town as compared to Nha Trang. Đà Nẵng is also centrally located and within 100 km of several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Imperial City of Huế, the Old Town of Hội An, and the Mỹ Sơn ruins. Recently, the New York Times ranked Đà Nẵng 43rd on its list of 52 places to go in its 2015 list. Needless to say, Đà Nẵng is becoming a global destination with its famous white sandy beaches and fresh seafood cuisine. I know Đà Nẵng more intimately as I spent a few years there as a child and still have a majority of my relatives living in the city. When I wanted …
Where do professional designers draw their inspiration? Insight from Bullard & Xenides Interiors
One of my favorite parts about the La Vie Partagée lifestyle page is the insight to home design it provides to its readers. Recent posts from designers and design enthusiasts offer up the latest trends and design tips to inspire readers to create great spaces of their own. With such great inspiration so readily at hand for readers, you may have wondered … where do professional designers draw their inspiration as they create new spaces for clients? While it’s true that a creative mind never really rests (I often have dreams/nightmares about client projects), there are times when an extra boost of inspiration from an outside source is just the remedy to reignite the creative process. One such boost can be counted on every spring for people in the design world. High Point Market Week is a mecca for designers, architects and retailers. It is essentially a chance for vendors of furniture, design accessories, artwork, lighting, fabrics, wallpapers and many other crafts to put their best foot forward in hopes of driving popular trends in …
Mì Quảng / Quảng Nam Style Noodles for the summer
Vietnam is famous for its noodles soups: pho, bun and many others. When it is hot, it is hard to work up an appetite to eat a steaming bowl of noodle soup. Lucky for us, Vietnam also has “dry” noodle dishes which are basically noodles topped with fresh vegetables and various protein and covered in a broth to wet the noodles. One of this dishes is called Mì Quảng noodles. It is very popular in central Vietnamese cities like Da Nang. I spent a few years living with my grandmother in Da Nang. My extended family still resides in the city. This is my mother’s recipe for quick and easy Mì Quảng. It is an easy dish to prepare for the summer. This recipe serves 4 people and is rated medium in difficulty. This recipe takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes depending on how fast you prepare the ingredients. Ingredients: 2 lb of pork belly 1.5 lb of shrimp with head 1 bunch of scallions 1 red romaine lettuce 1-2 cup of Mint 1-2 cup …
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