You might have seen in a previous post, my lentil taco recipe -- the split yellow lentil is actually the same as mung beans, or moong dal.
I actually found in the kitchen a mung bean powder and was inspired to make a makeshift noodle bowl inspired by Vietnamese noodle bowls I used to have all over the country of U.S. of. A.:
Recipe:
Mix the moong bean powder with water and pour the solution in a flat ceramic dish, and steam it in a wide-pot (one can also microwave it for a faster result)
Once the gel has cooled, cut into thin strips to desired noodle shape.
Make a soy-peanut sauce
Serve with sliced salad greens (whichever you like), plus any other add-ons
It's now Holiday season, if you or someone you know loves Jasmine Tea (I personally love it, and its delicate aroma)! Boy, do I have some recommendations for you, courtesy of Amazon results (and my personal picks!):
1) Harney & Sons Dragon Pearl Jasmine Tea
For the most exquisite, luxurious and sophisticated method of extracting the floral notes of jasmine tea, the sachets containing leaves stored in pearl form are an excellent choice. The metal tin decorated in white and gold is another regal touch, that can be re-used for other purposes, or easily recycled.
2) Sunflower Jasmine Tea, Original Jasmine Blend, 16 Oz
For those wishing to recreate the ambiance of authentic dim sum restaurants, with their bustling carts, and steaming fragrant sweet, and savory choices of buns, look no further than this brand, with the golden and black metal tin -- this loose-leaf brand tastes the most authentic to me from my time dining solo in Boston Chinatown dim sum restaurants. A lot of hidden gems in the place at the time -- I know a lot of my classmates from affluent backgrounds and who were a little racist shied away from such places, but having grown up with people who appreciated Chinese/Cantonese/Japanese cooking, I knew what to choose and appreciate for myself, and explore. It was a gold mine of treasures -- from cheap, but high-quality unagi rice-seaweed wrapped triangles to giant steamed pork/water chestnut buns, to custard tarts inspired by the Portuguese confection. I know that my generation had some racism against people of Asian origin like me in academia, the same way people got racist against people of Jewish origin in academia, much like Malcolm Gladwell predicted in his New Yorker article "Getting In:" https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/10/10/getting-in-ivy-league-college-admissions
There can be all kinds of weird stereotypes and cultures within academia. For example, my generation had to deal with AOA (the medical honor society) perhaps positively favoring blonde, white women. One of the numerous deans of my school had a more positive bias towards me when I told her I didn't want to be a dermatologist, and I never did -- and my heart broke for her, because I knew why.
After awhile, it got to be a little too much.
I hope you can understand.
I love public spaces like libraries, airports, libraries, dance halls, museums and orchestras because I can embed myself in a collective consciousness that transcends racial prejudice and gatekeeping.
3) Ito En Jasmine Green Tea Unsweetened
For those without the time, effort, energy, or other means to brew jasmine tea, and need it on the go! I highly recommend this brand. It is some of the best bottled tea I have ever tasted, and often was my beverage of choice when dining in the food court area of H Mart in Cambridge, MA.
Continuing to live every day as if it's my last, whatever will bring out the best in me --
still believing that art can change the world.
Featured Film:
Many people typecast Nancy Kwan as a breakout Asian Hollywood darling, but she had both European and Asian ancestry.
She was much more than beauty - she had brains, gumption, class, and knew how to have fun, too.
What kind of art do you want to create? I am still working on pieces of mine. In a way it feels like a reset, a rewinding of going back to a simpler time, but also moving forward in a fresh way.
I found the rawness of Toni Morrison's voice in literature classes when I was much younger to be particularly impactful -- she faced much prejudice and many enduring challenges -- but one thing I found particularly inspiring was something she said, or perhaps it's just the theme of her work in general -- "to be so good / make art so good that they can't ignore you or afford to lose you." That's the kind of art I want to create.
My generation loved Asian-American films like Crazy Rich Asians, but I personally didn't find the film all that great, the way I didn't really like the Barbie movie -- it was a crowd-pleaser, but I didn't find it having a timeless, classic quality that would last over time - the way a classical musician tires of playing Pachelbel Canon but might play Bach for a lifetime and still learn something new with every iteration. But perhaps I might be proven wrong. I found Everything Everywhere All At Once much more meaningful and original, executed with technical artistry as well as with cohesive genius as an art form. I cried 3 times during that movie -- I felt like it was made for me, not because I was Asian or Asian-American, but because it was just that beautiful and timely, the way The Strokes' "The New Abnormal" featuring Basquiat's Birds on Money (1981), a tribute to Charlie Parker, on the album cover felt so perfectly timed in its release to me.
If I can make a piece of art that does something like that, like move a person to tears, or move a person in such a way to make more meaningful art to speak from their soul, that would mean more to me than any tacky award, degree or piece of filigree in the world.
Featured Song: The United States of Eurasia by Muse
Influenced by Ravel, Tchaikovsky, and ends with a Chopin Nocturne.
Eurasia reminds me of 2 people who were absolutely brilliant and offered me information that no amount of schooling ever taught me - about the Belt and Road Initiative (New Silk Road):
For more information regarding foreign affairs (tends to have an American perspective, according to a few sources online):