Pink's ... + Jane Lynch! Before the Glee Concert

5.22.10 with Mom and Auntie Jill in Universal City's City Walk before the GLEE concert (We met up with Ashley later)

This was an extra cool eating experience because Jane Lynch was shooting an online Nike commercial nearby, so we watched (and even joined!) that after we ate. All you had to do was step into the big circle/ring area, wear a free Nike shirt that they gave people, and you were in the commercial.

*Not the original*

I got a mushroom w/ swiss (not the greatest, but it was good) & my mom got a Chicago polish dog (see receipt below):



And there she is (Jane Lynch, who currently plays Sue Sylveter on Glee):

And...in case you're wondering, this is the inside of my dog:


...and this is the inside of Mom's Chicago-style dog (looks gross with those round things in the middle):

Mango Slaw with Cashews & Mint

I've tried a couple of recipes from Smitten Kitchen, and this is my favorite so far. I'd make both of these dishes again! They're easy recipes, but you spend a lot of time chopping and prepping the ingredients. I love recipes that make you prep a lot but are easy to put together (like for this one you just throw everything together) because the product is impressive despite the prep's simplicity. Seriously...food blogs provide you with easy, fun, free cooking and baking training for when you go off for college or live on your own/start a family. Wow. I sound like an advertisement, but I really mean it.

I made the "thai-style chicken legs" that go with this side, but I didn't take any pictures because...I was lazy and distracted. The sauce for the chicken is a bit salty, so I would lower the salt, but my dad loved it like it was. Both my dad and Smitten Kitchen said that they would make a bunch of the sauce alone and freeze it for future use. I think that says something, although I could see how some picky palates wouldn't like it. It does NOT taste like fish, so don't let the fish sauce scare you away. Anyway, It took a long time to make these two things with all of the julienne-ing and stuff. Yikes. Anyway, here's the wonderful mango slaw (original recipe here):


Simplified (just re-written into Corrie language):

Mango Slaw with Cashews and Mint
from Smitten Kitchen (original recipe here)

2 mangoes, peeled, pitted, & julienned (I ended up with a lot of extra saucy juicy stuff, so I'd add another half mango or maybe even a full one 'cause I love mangoes so much in salads)
1 to 1 1/4 pounds Napa cabbage, halved & sliced very thinly
1 red pepper, julienned
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons of fresh lime juice (from about two limes)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons oil of your choice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste (or omit this and whisk in a chile paste to taste)
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup toasted cashews, coarsely chopped

1) Toss mangoes, cabbage, pepper & onion in a large bowl
2) Whisk lime juice, vinegar, oil, salt & red pepper in a smaller bowl & pour over slaw
** Can serve this immediately or let the flavors mingle for an hour in the fridge.
** Before serving, toss with mint leaves & sprinkle with cashews (or peanuts!! One of my favorite Thai restaurants serves this dish with peanuts and without the napa).

Somen, Tea, & Other Church Food

I rarely go to church, but this was a special occasion. Sometimes you get real food after church services, but usually they serve punch/tea/water and cookies. OH! Scroll down for more church food.

7.18.10 in the 'No: Somen is so good on a hot summer day.


I'd never been to a service (one in Fowler) that served so much food for just a snack! Each person gets one of these plates!! That jell-o cheesecake thing is delicious. I've had it several times before, but the last time I remember was this one from when we were making mochi. Again, I'm not a huge jell-o fan, but this and that one jell-o dish with pretzels, butter, etc. are so yummy.

Mah's Teriyaki Express

Mah's Teriyaki Express
605 W. Herndon Avenue
Clovis, CA 93612
(559) 297-8831

Consumed on Thursday, 7.22.10 with Gaurav, Jason, Lawrence, and Miguel

Here's my Yelp review (I JUST posted this) below:

"REALLY GOOD chicken teriyaki and chicken katsu. The katsu doesn't come with traditional katsu sauce, which might not be good to snobby Japanese/Japanese Americans, but I'm more of a fan of teriyaki than katsu sauce, so I love their katsu. My uncle goes there for lunch often, and my dad absolutely loves their chicken teriyaki. The other day when he heard I was going to Mah's, he said, "You just can't beat their chicken teriyaki." Yeah. It's pretty darn good. Big, plentiful chunks of meat and thin teriyaki sauce (that thick, goopy sauce at other places is nasty). I also love the fact that it's owned by a nice family. I'd definitely recommend this place, and I'm a huge foodie."

My chicken katsu ($7-something). Such a generous amount! I was eating hungrily almost non-stop for quite some time, and I still had plenty of leftovers.

Jason's chicken:

Gaurav's fish 'n' chips: