Interlochen camping & boating

中文：INTERLOCHEN 露营记5

Usually Labor Day marks the end of summer in Michigan.  A lot camping sites gradually shut down for the season after Labor Day.  However, it looks like we are having a longer summer in 2017.  A couple heat waves have brought over ninety degree hot days even weeks upon us. 

So we take advantage of that and go on camping. 

The leaves are starting to change colors even though it is still very hot.

Set up our tent

Prepare to build a campfire

I plan to grill beef short ribs

ingredients：

2 lbs beef short ribs
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 to 2 tablespoons rice cooking wine
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix the beef short ribs and seasonings together.  Refrigerate overnight.  Pack in Ziploc bag and store it in cooler.

When the firewood is half burned, it is time to grill!

Heat a cast iron rack nearby fireside.  When it gets hot, add beef short ribs.  There is usually high amount of fat in short ribs which will prevent from sticking to the cooking rack.

Looking good

Ready to eat  O(∩_∩)O~

BBQ and cold beers go hand in hand

This is the view we have when having dinner

Isn’t it gorgeous?

The second batch of short ribs is ready.  The trick is to perfect campfire grilling is patience.

Bacon wrapped scallops and shrimps are next.

Sprinkle the scallops and shrimps with sea salt and freshly ground black peppers. 

Wrap each scallop with a slice of bacon.  Secure with bamboo sticks. 

Skew the shrimps with bamboo sticks too.

The firewood is turning to charcoal.  It is perfect for grilling.

Add bacon wrapped scallops and shrimps to the grill

Be patient.  Drink some beer and relax

Bacon wrapped scallops will take some time to be cooked to perfection

Shrimps cook faster than scallops

Dessert is cinnamon rolls I bought from nearby grocery store

Heat up a cast iron skillet.  Grease it with oil and add cinnamon rolls

Flip them over when half cooked.  

To be honest, they are as good as I expected.

So we decide to drove to monomers for dessert

I have chocolate + pistachio flavor.  My husband has chocolate + rocky road

The chocolate coated waffle cone is good.  But chocolate is too thick to chew.

After dessert, we go hiking in the park for a while before it gets totally dark.

The moon hasn’t risen yet.  When we look up, we can see the amazing star night sky.  The sparkling stars are so bright and beautiful.

We walk to the lakeshore to get a better view.

We have been living in Michigan for years.  But we haven’t seen such beautiful stars before. 

We can even see the Milky Way very clear right upon us in the sky

I wake up early the next morning; sneak out the tent to watch the sun rise.

The sun isn’t up yet.  The sky is turning color from gray to blue to purple to rose to deep pink

Here comes the sun!

My husband is up too.

We start another campfire for breakfast.

Heat a cast iron by the fireside.  Add chopped bacon.

Add bacon wrapped scallops to the grill

Add diced cooked potatoes.  I bought the mini potatoes from local farmer’s market.  It is one of my favorites. 

Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

When the potatoes is golden brown, add chopped green onion and rosemary

I enjoy campfire cooking even more than I realize

Alright, time to eat!

Make good use of the fire and grill some sweet corns

Grilled corns are sweet and light smoky; very tasty.

Lets cook and pose like an iron chef! O(∩_∩)O~

You think the breakfast is over?

Of course not!

Let there be smore! O(∩_∩)O~

I add a couple dark chocolate with caramel filling to cookies and briefly heat them up by the fireside too; just warm enough to melt the chocolate.

And toast the mashmarrows

Add the mashmarrowson top of chocolate

Now we have perfectly cooked S'Mores

Ok, now it is time to dissemble the tent and pack.

Moomers ice creams again

We drive to Traverse City downtown and rent a double kayak for 4 hours

I have my camera and keys locked on shore and take just my phone with me.

Traverse City downtown rive doesn’t look pleasant this time.  So we turn around back into the lake.

The water near old mission peninsular is very clear and beautiful

4 hours later, we get back to the shore and ready to go home.

Another perfect camping trip accomplished! O(∩_∩)O~

Houston Weekend Eats

中文: 休斯顿HOUSTON的美食之旅

Last weekend, my husband surprised me with a weekend getaway trip to Houston.  We are both foodies.  So it is no surprise that our weekend trip turned into a culinary adventure. O(∩_∩)O~ 

I did some homework right before we leave.  Every star on the map stands for the restaurants on our to eat list.

We went for a hair cut in Chinatown after arrival.  So we had our dinner at a nearby Sichuan cuisine restaurant named Mala Sichuan Bistro. 

We ordered crispy and water boiled beef, sour and spicy noodle, dan dan noodle, spicy pork intestines.

Water boiled beef came first.  It was really far away from authentic Sichuan style.

Neither of us enjoyed it at all.  The beef was coated in thick and mushy starchy batter and boiled into a bowl of beef soup.  

Sour and spicy noodle was bit heavy on the sour side.  The broth was kind of flavorless despite of heavy dose of chili oil sauce.

He thought it was ok.  I agreed to disagree O(∩_∩)O~

Don’t be scared by the name of spicy pork intestines.  They were actually a delicacy in Asia. 

It was the only dish I found ok.  It was hot and spicy.  The intestines were a little bit crunchy and crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. 

Dan dan noodle was also far away from traditional and authentic.

Dinner didn’t go well, so we treated ourselves with dessert at Star Ice & Teriyaki.

Matcha shaved ice was really good. 

Although it was named shave ice, it was just like eating fine ice cream. And you can pick four toppings.  

Milk tea was ok.

The second morning we went to Rudy's Country Store & Bar-B-Q for breakfast.  This one is conveniently located close to the Houston Space Center.

They had breakfast menu.  I asked if they had BBQ, and yes they did! O(∩_∩)O~  They were sold by pound.  We ordered 1/4 pound lean beef brisket, 1/4 pound moist beef brisket, one jalapeno smoked sausage. 

Lean brisket was good; tasty and smoky. But they were so lean that they taste a little bit dry.

There was a seasoning basket on every table.

The moist beef brisket was so much better than the lean one.  They were smoky, juicy, tender and loaded with tons of flavors.

Each piece came with beautiful smoke ring.

The sausage was surprisingly tasty!

We spent most of our day at Houston Space Center.

We went toJinya Ramen Bar for lunch.  It has two locations in town.  This one is really close to Space Center too.

I am ordered number 2 Cha Cha Cha

The pork broth is very thick and rich, just the way I like it! 

He ordered NO.3 Jinya Tonkotsu Black

The noodle was thicker than mine.  Brussel sprouts were added to the broth to create rich and refreshing flavor which was also quite tasty.

We continued our tour back at Space center for the afternoon.  And then we headed back to midtown for dinner. 

We made a reservation for two at 6:15 at Pappas Brother Steakhouse.  The parking was already full although we arrived before 6: oopm.

The restaurant atmosphere was great, elegant and upscale.  A gentleman in suit was playing piano next to the entrance. 

My attention was soon distracted by the meat counter.  There was a huge display of all kinds of dry aged meat.  I was drooling like crazy inside. O(∩_∩)O~

Numerous waiters and waitress greeted us on the way to our table.  Too bad it was so dark in there that every photo blurred even though I bumped up the camera ISO to 2000.

The bread was really good.  It was crunchy on the outside but with a soft and light inside texture. 

Pappas is famous for their wine collections.  I couldn’t drink at the time.  So he ordered a glass of cabernet sauvignon.

We ordered bacon-wrapped scallops, steak house salad and 18 oz dry aged prime ribeye.

The scallops were very amazing.  They were wrapped in crunchy bacon but stayed tender and juicy inside. 

Salads were a bit too sweet for my taste.

Maybe I had held my hope too high for the steak that I was slightly disappointed by the steak.  Yes, it was grilled to medium rare just the way we like.  And it was good steak, juicy and tender.  But I didn’t find the beef flavor intensified by the dry age process.     

What I am trying to say is that I prefer my husband’s version of fire grilled ribeye over Pappas’. 

Dun Huang plaza became our new favorite hang out spot in Houston.

We went to Gong Cha for tea.

It was late in the night.  There was still a long line.

One bubble milk tea and one red bean milk tea.  The tea flavor was really good.  But both of them tasted too sweet for me.  I should have asked for half sweetness. 

It was only 11:00 pm.  The night was still young. O(∩_∩)O~

What would you do when you see somebody is selling rolling ice cream?  Join the line!

It looked like they were making crepes.  The ice cream batter was spread evenly on a flat pan.  It cooled and frozen very quickly, and then they scrape and rolling the ice cream from one end towards the other. 

It tasted no difference from regular ice cream.  But it was really fun to watch the whole making process.

The next morning, we drove to Fung’s kitchen for dim sum. 

The restaurant was spacious and clean.

Pu erh tea

Dim sum is served in a traditional style here.  Food carts loaded with all kinds of snacks and dishes come and go.  You can stop the waiter or waitress any time if you’d like something from their food carts.

Shrimp noodles were great.  The silky fine texture made it one of my favorites.

Beef tendon was very tender and seasoned in traditional Cantonese way. 

I added a couple teaspoons of chili oil sauce to spice it up.

Tofu skin rolls were ok

Shrimp dumplings sucked.  The dumpling wrap was really thick and sticky.  The shrimp filling felt out when we tried to pick it up with chopsticks.

Chicken feet with black beans sauce were good. 

Egg tarts were good too.  They would have been better if served hot right out of oven.

The layers were very light and flaky.

These were one of their signature dishes: salted egg yolk custard buns

He found it ok but I didn’t like it. 

First of all, they are cold. A lot of Chinese snacks need to be served hot to remain their taste and flavor.  Salted egg yolk custard buns definitely should be served immediately right out of oven.  Second, the filling taste greasy and lack of flavors. 

After dim sum, we went shopping.  And then we went back to Dun Huang Plaza for desserts. O(∩_∩)O~

I ordered taro flavor shave ice.  It was not as creamy the matcha shaved ice as I had before.

You can pick up to four toppings.

And then we went back to Gong Cha for tea.

Two cups of bubble black milk tea on ice was a must for a 90F muggy day!  We asked for only half syrup this time so they tasted a lot better!

We drove to airport after the milk tea.  The amazing weekend getaway trip was over.  But I know I will be back soon!  O(∩_∩)O~

American Harvest Livonia, MI

中文：AMERCIAN HAVEST 探店

I learned about American Harvest from a friend.  I was immediately attracted by the desserts she posted.  So I made a reservation online.  They only open on Thursdays and Fridays. 

 We arrived a few minutes prior our reservation time, and waited at the entrance with other guests. 

A display of trophies and media coverage of their school and restauran 

Love the details

My husband ordered merlot and I ordered Michigan local beers.  Both were very good. 

I wasn’t sure what went wrong.  South American and Latin American cuisine were listed for that Friday I reserved.  But they served Asian cuisine instead. 

As a Chinese, I wasn’t that into the Asian food served here.  To be honest, they just looked like Asian food, but the taste and flavor were definitely far away from authentic ones.  

Tuna was ok.  Beef was way too tough and chewy for fork and knife.  The rib was too dry.  Spring roll is ok. 

Not of fan of the Kong pao chicken

Teriyaki chicken was too lean and dry.

The scallops and shrimps, on the hand, were tender, juicy and very tasty. 

They were so good and I got some more O(∩_∩)O~

Salmon was very good too.  It was so tender that it could melt in your mouth.  

Not a fan of Vietnam pho either.  My husband thought it was ok.  So was the Pad Thai.

Dessert bar!  

The fruit tarts were outstanding!  The tarts were crispy and crunch, topped with fruits.

Macaron was ok.

Apple mousse was very pretty and tasty too!

I couldn’t tell what was the filling inside but it was good too. 

Chocolate mousse stood out in this plate. 

It had intense chocolate flavor, light and airy texture, and a beautiful presentation.  

What we love American Harvest are their awesome atmosphere, great service and nice staff, and all the fabulous desserts!   

Asian City Dim Sum, Michigan

中文： 亚洲城早茶

Asian city is one of the very few restaurants which provide traditional Cantonese style dim sum in Michigan. 

We went on a Saturday morning for dim sum only to be so disappointed that neither of us finished our food. 

There are several traditional food carts loaded with different kinds of small portion dishes and snacks strolling around the restaurant.  When the carts pass by, you can take a quick look to see if you what you like and directly order from the waiter/ waitress.  Not many restaurants are still serving dim sum this way even in main land China. 

Steamed chicken feet with black bean sauce is ok. They are soft but a little bit chewy; tons of flavors. 

Another seasoned chicken feet dish

This one tastes really wired even for a foodie like me who has an open heart to all kinds of bizarre foods. 

Beef tendon tastes like it’s been sitting on the counter for a really long time.  By the way, it is tasteless too. 

The dumplings are very thick and way too soft and mushy that the shrimp filling falls out after he tries pick the dumplings up with chopsticks.  

Shrimp rice noodle are so thick that I don’t think we should even call it noodle.  Maybe rice cake is a more suitable name for it.  

Sesame balls are ok.  I like the red bean paste filling.

egg yolk custard buns are very very very chewy. 

Ok, that is enough.  Get the check and leave.  Probably won't come back here for dim sum again, ever.

Shangri La Dim Sum, Bloomfield, MI

中文：香满楼早茶

We were suddenly craving for dim sum a couple weeks ago.   Usually we love drive to Toronto for authentic dim sum.  We decide to look around within Michigan this time.  Some research I did online plus recommendation from a friend, we went to Shangri La Chinese restaurant. 

There are traditional food carts circling inside the restaurant, jut like the old way.  I love it.  A lot of dim sum restaurants in Toronto don’t do that anymore.   It is quite fun and amazing to order food from these tiny cute food carts loaded with all kinds of delicious snack portion food.  It is the unique experience you need to try at least once in your life. O(∩_∩)O~ 

This cart is for congee. 

One bowl of congee with pork and fermented egg coming up!

Great congee with authentic flavors

Forgot to take some photos when I was eating.  Here are some photos taken by the phone.

Shrimp dumplings, steamed chicken feet with black bean sauce, steamed egg yolk buns and beef tripe 

Egg tarts are best when served and eaten hot

Beef tripe and beef tendon

Shrimp rice noodle is a little bit too thick

Salt and pepper shrimps are not crispy as they should be. 

 The dim sum here taste pretty good overall.  So the following weekend we went back there again. O(∩_∩)O~

Steamed chicken feet with black bean sauce is always on top of my favorite list.

Egg tarts are very crispy and flaky.  They are at their best when hot. 

Shrimp rice noodle is little bit below average.  The noodle is thick and too soft. 

Shrimp dumplings are another must have item when we go for dim sum.  

Sesame balls are made with sweet rice.  I heard that a lot American people are not a fan because its sticky texture.  However that is exactly why I love it.  It has been one of my childhood favorites and it is still now. O(∩_∩)O~

Pan fried chive dumplings/buns are just ok.  I don’t’ even remember how they taste. 

Steamed baby octopuses are surprisingly tasty.  They are tender but a little crunchy at the same time.  The sauce brings out the octopuses flavor but not overpowering the whole dish.

They are so good that we order another portion right after finishing the first one. 

Salted egg yolk custard buns are different from steamed egg yolk buns.  They are usually made with salted duck egg yolk, milk, cream, sugar and some other secret ingredients. 

You have to consume them when they are still hot.  The runny, tasty, creamy golden delicious filling will be oozing out of buns.   They are super tasty. 

XiaoLongBao, on the other side, are nowhere near tasty at all.  The dough is mushy and way too soft.  The filling is just a big tough flavorless starchy meatball.  Will never order it again, ever. 

Overall Shangri La dim sum experiences have been great.  The food is good, and the wait stuff are all very nice.  When we don’t want to drive all the way to Toronto for authentic Chinese food, Shangri La is a nice substitute too.