Thank you everyone for your words of encouragement and support on my previous post about the job situation. I still don't know what I'll do once it's over, but I'm actually pretty excited about the possibilities and for this opportunity to create a different life for myself. One thing's for sure: it won't be hakwon-related! hehe.
Also, thank you to those who wrote tips and suggestions on eating vegan in Paris. The countdown has begun and I have just shy of 3 weeks to plan where to go, brush up on my French, and research where/what to eat etc~ I anticipate that eating out at restaurants will be a bit of a challenge, but I'll probably be budget-eating as much as possible anyway (ie. buying ingredients and assembling meals on my own). Seriously, just give me a loaf of baguette, some olive tapanade, and fresh fruit, and I'll be a happy camper.
Anyway~ I had a pretty great weekend, thanks for asking.^^ Vegan friends Sean and Kia threw a house-warming party on Saturday and fed everyone some impressive eats and drinks. All I gotta say is that Kia is one badass vegan domestic goddess. Not only does she bake some amazing sweet treats, but she also knows how to cook actual food-food (not to mention, mix a mean raspberry lemonade vodka!). I thought I took way more photos of the food, but turns out, I was too distracted with eating and playing with the doggies that I completely forgot to document some of the eats, namely the amazing vegan sausages and ham slices. Bah. After having Kia's homemade seitan, I'm inspired to finally try making it myself. Well, here are photos of the food I did manage to capture:
Roasted potatoes
Focaccia bread topped with herbs.
Gnocchi! This was my first time ever having gnocchi, after only seeing it all the time on Top Chef. I tried to stay focused enough to follow what Kia was doing and learn the steps... Looked easy enough, but I'm still scared of making gnocchi on my own, especially when all the contestants on Top Chef seem to mess this dish up.
The final result: a vibrant platter of pillowy-soft gnocchi, smothered in basil-cashew pesto, and sprinkled with pine nuts. This dish was loved by everyone and disappeared super fast.
Mediterranean olive bread with sun-dried tomatoes, which paired really well with the gnocchi. I believe Kia used the recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking, which I've also made before. This quick bread is really scrumptious and I really should make it more often myself.
On the dessert-end, there was plenty of fresh fruit...
blondies...
coffee crumb cake...
... and some lemon poppyseed softies, provided by yours truly. :)
Oh, and I can't forget all the furry friends at Kia & Sean's house. I don't know how they do it, but Kia and Sean share their space with three adopted/rescued dogs (Soju, Darwin, and Marcel) and two cats! It's one happy animal sanctuary!
The star of the night: Marcel was looking mighty sharp and dapper in his new tux outfit.
Pancakes! "Sigh, too many humans invading my space..." hehe.
Soju and Darwin.
So that was my Saturday night. It was a ton of fun and I was so happy to get to hang out with such wonderful, generous people. Can't wait for our next summer party! :)
Other things I did this weekend: I ran 15k along the Han River (my longest distance yet!) and got a bit pink from the hot sun. It is officially Summer and I'm dreading the sticky humidity that will soon be upon us. I also baked several batches of cookies for orders from the bake shop- thank you to those who submitted orders!
Hope everyone has a great upcoming week!