marketing foodie

Connie Lu, marketing foodie (noun): 1. Marketing girl who is passionate about food; 2. Eats more than you expect; 3. A Boston oyster marketer. (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-43234539-2', 'tumblr.com'); ga('send', 'pageview');

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Last weekend, Jonathan and I had some friends over, so we decided to make some Hawaiian food! Even though Jonathan is from Hawaii, he's never actually cooked Hawaiian before... I had thought about making Lau Lau a while back, but couldn't find taro leaves in Boston, so at some point, I had flown home to LA to pick up the closest thing I could find: dry lotus leaves. I packed them back in a hanging suit case just to keep them flat... so finally putting them to good use was not a bad idea at all. Jonathan tackled making the Lau Lau, which is pork and butterfish steamed in taro leaves (in this case lotus leaves), the Lomi Lomi Salmon, and tuna poke, while I handled the MALASADAS! As you recall, I had made malasadas once before (see link to post here), and I was not prepared. But this time, I knew exactly what I was getting myself in to, and lo and behold, they turned out to be beautiful, golden, round donuts! We're booked to return to Hawaii this coming January, and I will have a chance to go back to Leonard's again. One day, I will become a malasada master just like him, but for now, I gotta learn how he injects that coconut cream...

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If you haven't visited this little gem in Newburyport, MA, definitely check it out. Definitely in love with all the creative signs in the seaside town.

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I'm flying back to Boston today, and it definitely feels bittersweet. I'm pretty exhausted from the last day we spent in Bulgaria and thinking about work at 7 a.m. tomorrow makes me want to cry. Regardless, a week has been a good amount of time, and I'm ready to go home and sleep in my own bed. Before leaving Melnik for Sofia on Saturday, we went by the winery again for a few more tours and goodbyes. It was clear that many tourists were impressed with the underground caves, which act as temperature controlled wine cellars/storage. With a little internet marketing saavy, I think Villa Melnik has a really good chance of becoming a top tourist attraction in Bulgaria. We returned to Sofia in the afternoon and went to the local shopping mall where I stocked up on my Milka chocolate and lutenitsa supply. What I'll miss most is the fresh produce and groceries. Everything just tastes better and nothing is GMO'ed. I was trying to explain to Mili's mom what I wanted to do in sustainable food, and the simplest way I put it was, "Help Americans feel comfortable with eating weirdly shaped tomatoes." Since it was our last night in Sofia and Mili's birthday, I wanted to make the most of it. After a light dinner at The Apartment, a wonderful Tibetan-inspired coffee shop, we made our way to a few bars before ending up at La Biblioteca. It was a Top 40 club and oozed of Americanism. Most of the music were by American artists and the local Bulgarians sang the lyrics loud and proud. When "Turn It Down For What" came on, I got ape shit crazy hyphe and got some intrigued looks. God, I'm so American. The evening wouldn't have been complete without late night munchies after a night of drinking and dancing. In Bulgaria, it's a thing to eat pizza with corn and ketchup... So, we went to a 24-hour pizza shop to get our fill, and in my opinion, I think I will pass from now on. As we strolled the streets of Sofia in the early morning singing "Mr. Brightside" and "Row Row Row Your Boat," it was the perfect ending to an amazing week. We woke up, had birthday cake, packed up, and said our goodbyes. Flying Lufthansa has been a really positive experience (minus the fact I've been on Airbus planes...). About to leave Europe for good as I'm posting this from the Frankfurt airport, but really excited to be home soon and see Jonathan again.

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While in Melnik, we stayed at Mili’s place in Kapatovo inherited from her grandfather. In Bulgarian villages, it’s normal for each house to have fresh fruit and vegetable gardens, and so early in the morning, Mili’s dad took me through the neighborhood to pick produce from approved gardens.

I’ll be honest, walking through Melnik made me a little jealous of Mili’s childhood. It must have been so nice to be able to retreat to a summer house outside the city where you can pick figs from the trees in the backyard, have fresh grapes from the Villa Melnik vines, or know everyone in the small town because your family has lived in the area for many years. I am who I am because of my past, but one day I hope to have a summer house and garden of my own.

After eating the most amazing figs in my life (it really was a foodgasm), we hiked up to the monastery and sand pyramids. Like everything else I have seen, the landscapes were breathtaking. We hiked back down to the village, enjoyed some lunch, and walked through a 200-something year old merchant house. All the ornaments and details of the house were preserved to reflect the lives of that time. I loved the mosaics on the ceilings and the beautiful carpets and tapestries that lined the floors and walls. Though it’s not exactly my taste in interior design, I deeply appreciated the time it took for each piece of that house to be put together.

All in all, it was a good day. Had good food, of course, and stayed up having late night conversations over tea. Tomorrow, it’s back to Sofia, and soon, back to Boston.

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Bulgaria is officially one of the most beautiful countries I have ever been to. Before leaving Bansko, we made a trek to the nearby Banderitsa mountains. The views again were stunning, and although Lena and I didn't hike to the mountainous lakes, it was equally wonderful to sit in the fog, peacefully enjoying hot cocoa. After a two and a half hour drive, we reached Bulgarian wine country where Mili and her family have been producing wine. We toured her winery, Villa Melnik, and enjoyed a complimentary wine tasting complete with oil essences to test our sense of smell. The winery was an expanse of 150 acres with more grapes on the way. We were leaving just as the sun was setting, and looking out from the observation deck, I finally understood why wine was made for the gods.

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Bansko was amazing. I learned the Bulgarian horo dance, had Bulgarian French toast with fresh blueberry jam, bought a new hat, and stayed up drinking with good friends. The view every morning was breathtaking, and the town was filled with history. It also didn't hurt that I won some money from poker that night. I still got it.

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On Day 3, we headed to the town of Plovdiv, an old Roman merchant center along the Silk Road. I saw Roman ruins for the first time of my life, and it’s amazing to think that I was walking on thousands of years of history.

We headed to Bansko that night, a famous ski town, and had amazing wine, food, and company. Definitely a highlight of the trip being serenaded to.

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On Day 2, we went to the Rila Lakes, and it was the most gorgeous view I have ever seen. Most hikes tend to be mountainous trees with a view of more mountain ranges at the top, but at Rila, the ancient glacier valley opened up into this expansive landscape, and it was so hard not to fall in love with it. I told Mili it was one of the few places I would consider camping at. To see 7 Lakes all at once was amazing. Nature always reminds you how beautiful and glorious God made this earth.

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Today, we toured the city of Sofia. To summarize it, it was pretty much ABC (Another Bloody Church) and the remnants of a socialist, Eastern European country. The highlight of my day was cooking dinner and catching up with Mili. We're going hiking tomorrow to see the 7 Lakes, so pretty excited about that. Even brought my hiking shoes with me.

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I am traveling this week in Bulgaria with Mili, so before I got to BG, I planned a long layover in Munich to visit the charming Bavarian city. I was impressed with how much ground I covered! Here are some comments accompanying these photos:

1. When in Bavaria, drink like a Bavarian! 2. Sweet mustard is the shit. 3. I visited a German museum only to see American works in more than half of the museum. Renewed my appreciation for American artists like Richard Avedon. 4. Roombas can do much more than just clean. 5. My dream is to own a Naguchi table one day. 6. Love the Viktualienmarkt! 7. German architecture is exactly what it looks like in the movies.

Looking forward to seeing Bulgaria and Mili’s backyard!

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Looking for something to do in Boston? Take a tour of the Taza Chocolate Factory in Somerville. All you can eat chocolate samples for $5!

And you get to wear awesome hair nets.

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Making Indian Food At Home

Back in April, Andrew and I attempted to make Indian food for the first time... and it turned out awesome! Much better than we expected, haha.

Andrew made Chicken Tikka Masala and I made Palak Paneer. Interesting fact I learned along the way: the difference between palak vs. saag paneer are the greens that are used. "Saag" can be cooked with multiple types of greens, while "palak" is only puréed spinach.

We were nervous how the curries would come out because most of the recipes online seemed... inauthentic? But the most difficult thing about Indian food is that there really are no "true" recipes. When I ask any of my Indian friends how they cook Indian food, it's always "Oh, a little bit of this spice, add a little bit of that. My mom never wrote it down... Just grab a whole bunch of stuff, throw it together, and usually it's awesome."

Thanks Indian friends, that's really helpful for those of us who did not grow up cooking or eating Indian food.

As I was following the online recipe for palak paneer (http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/palak-paneer/), I realized what my friends meant. Sometimes, you just had to go off-recipe by adding more cream because the texture did not turn out creamy enough or the spinach needed more spices because the purée was bland. I suppose there's just so many regional differences or taste preferences that it makes it hard to write down an exact recipe to follow. Just like everyday cooking, I had to make it my own.

The thought of making Indian at home is intimidating for many of us when you can buy a jar of pre-made curry from your local Whole Foods or frozen palak paneer from Trader Joe's (which is SO yummy), but if you're feeling adventurous, it's definitely one of the more challenging (and fun!) cuisines to make at home. Definitely have a lot of respect for Indian chefs who know these recipes inside and out.

Oh, your clothes might smell like Indian food for a while, haha.

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3-person breakfast for $10 total. Gosh I miss living in LA... #chinesefood #soymilk #buns #latergram

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In the test kitchen, we appreciate the beauty of bacon with a crispy and tender bite, rather than its being burned to a crisp. What innovative method ensures this perfect texture? We cook the bacon in water in a skillet.

Why? The addition of water keeps the initial cooking...

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When I have some free time, I still find myself in the kitchen... #sushi #iphoneography #vscocam

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Korean Dinner Night: Japchae Recipe

There is a family-run Korean market that is a ten-minute walk from my house. And whenever I shop there, I am always reminded of the awesome Japchae my friend's mom made for us. So when Jonathan suggested making Korean barbecue for a dinner party, I saw an opportunity to learn how to make Japchae.

Of all the recipes I found online, the one from Maangchi (link to recipe) seemed the most authentic. The directions were slightly confusing, so I had to reference a few other recipes to make sure I was doing it right. Since I have the legwork done already, here's some simplified/aggregated tips for the recipe:

When cooking your vegetables, you can cook them all in one skillet. Just be mindful of how long it takes certain vegetables to cook. For example, if you are using carrots, make sure to add them to the pan first because it takes longer from them to soften.

Lots of the recipes call for different amounts of sugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Instead of measuring the ingredients, I recommend adding to your taste preference. The soy sauce serves as the salt; sugar for the nice balance of sweet and salty; and the sesame oil provides the umami. Stir fry the vegetables with a little bit of the soy sauce and sugar so the vegetables can absorb some flavor, but add the sesame oil when mixing the noodles with the vegetables. If you decide to cook the ingredients with the sauces initially, you will find that you will be adding more of the ingredients to mix in at the end.

You can also serve it cold. When cold, the Japchae works really well like a noodle salad. Great when eaten with warm rice!

We finally had a nice day in Boston, so we decided to grill the Korean barbecue outside and eat on the backyard picnic table.

It was a perfect evening with good company and good food. Definitely looking forward to more delicious outdoor meals!

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AMAZING #sangria #recipe from @quadywinery: 2 oz Electra Moscato, 1 splash Elysium Black Muscat, 1 splash seltzer, squeeze 1/4 orange and add to glass!