Daily Archives: January 5, 2010

Getting to know Juju Chang

Recently, Juju Chang joined the Good Morning America crew. GMA did a profile on her for the show. Here’s some of the interesting facts about Juju Chang.

  • immigrated from Seoul Korea at the age of 4
  • at 10 years old, she was a nationally ranked swimmer for the 100m breaststroke
  • her fully name is Hyunju Chang and got nicknamed Juju while on the swim team
  • She’s a Star Trek geek
  • William Shatner played a role in her wedding proposal
  • she’s got 3 kids

Watch her family reveal the personal side of Juju Chang.

Getting to know Juju Chang

Tiger Woods on Vanity Fair cover

Just when you thought the Tiger Woods stories were slowing down, he lands on the cover of Vanity Fair. The photo was shot by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz back in 2006 showing a topless Tiger Woods showing off his guns and abs. Guess this is what the women who had affairs with Woods saw. Here is what Leibovitz herself had to say about the photo: “Tiger is an intensely competitive athlete—and quite serious about his sport. I wanted to reveal that in these photos. And to show his incredible focus and dedication.”

Read more about the Vanity Fair article here.

Tiger Woods on Vanity Fair cover

Healthy recipes for the new year with Ming Tsai

If you you have a new year’s resolution to eat healthy, the recipes from Ming Tsai could do the trick. With light and flavorful recipes for ginger-thyme scallops, Asian ratatouille with couscous and preserved lemon-edamame tapenade, you can’t go wrong. Also check out his recipes on cooking for kids with allergies

Healthy recipes for the new year with Ming Tsai

Seared scallops with ginger-thyme pan sauce

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 8 large day boat scallops, foot removed

• 2 tablespoons butter, divided

• 2 minced shallots

• 1 tablespoon minced ginger

• 1 cup thinly sliced rounds of carrot nubs

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

• 1/3 cup white wine

• 1 cup chicken stock

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• Canola oil for cooking

DIRECTIONS

Have a saute pan over medium-high heat coated lightly with oil. Season the scallops and sear about 3 minutes until golden, brown and delicious. Set aside. In same pan, add 1 teaspoon butter and sweat the shallots, ginger and carrots. Season. Deglaze with wine and add thyme. Reduce and add stock. Simmer and reduce by half. Whisk in butter, check for seasoning and adjust. Plate.

Asian ratatouille with couscous

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling

• 1 small red onion, 1/4-inch dice

• 1 Japanese eggplant, 1/2- inch dice, skin on

• 1 red bell pepper, 1/2-inch dice

• 1 large heirloom tomato, 1/2-inch dice

• 2 cups (12 ounces) whole wheat instant couscous

• 2 tablespoon Wanjashan wheat-free organic tamari

• 3 cups water, boiling

• 12-15 Thai basil leaves, ripped

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

In a non-stick saute pan over medium-high heat coated lightly with extra virgin olive oil add onion and eggplant and season and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add bell peppers and saute until slightly softened, then add tomato, stir and season. Meanwhile, make couscous: in a large, heat-proof bowl, combine couscous, tamari and 2 tablespoons olive oil and season. Pour boiling water over and stir quickly to blend and immediately cover bowl with plastic wrap, sealing tightly. Allow to steam until couscous is tender, about 5-7 minutes. Fluff couscous with the back of a fork and stir in Thai basil ribbons. Check flavor and season if necessary.

To serve, using a ring mold or similar, plate couscous in mold on plate and layer ratatouille on top. Unmold and drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil and garnish with Thai basil sprig, if desired.

Preserved lemon-edamame tapenade

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup cooked and peeled edamames, rough chopped

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1 teaspoon minced ginger

• 1/3 cup minced, preserved lemons

• 1 tablespoon minced parsley

• 1 tablespoon Wanjashan Low Sodium Organic soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• Blue Ginger Multi-Grain Brown Rice Chips (available at club stores)

DIRECTIONS

Combine all tapenade ingredients in a large bowl or mortar and pestle, check for flavor and season. Serve with Blue Ginger chips.

Lonely Asylum : The Demo Collection by Kristine Sa

Kristine Sa released an album with 6 original songs called the “Lonely Asylum : The Demo Collection.” The album is self- distributed and raw. You can hear a sample of her sultry voice in the songs “No More Roses” and “The Song Ends” below. Listening to the lyrics you can feel the pain and heartbreak in the Lonely Asylum.

If you’re wondering if she lonely, here’s a statement on her blog:

Thank you again to you for standing by me and supporting what I do. The older I get, the more I’ve learned to appreciate you. You really do keep me sane and I am not lonely because of it. Thank you and I love you.

Pick up her album at Kristine Sa - Lonely Asylum : The Demo Collection or Amazon

No More Roses by Kristine Sa

The Song Ends by Kristine Sa

Introducting BLYSS

We’ve seen Asian American boy bands like Legaci and IBU, but where have all the girl groups gone? (We wanna see more from girl groups One Vo1ce and Jazmin.) YouTube singers Kat Badar, Cathy Nguyen, Jenny Suk, Jasmine Rafael (AJ Rafael‘s sister) are taking collabo up a nothch to form a new girl group, BLYSS. Check out the new group. Listen to their introduction and sing their first cover.



Hope to see more from BLYSS in 2010.

Introducting BLYSS

Emotions by BLYSS (Destiny’s Child cover)

Hollyhoodrats by dumbfoundead x Wax

dumbfoundead and Wax wrote a song about stupid chicks in LA trying to break into the Hollywood industry called “Hollyhoodrats”. The songs got racy lyrics and nice beats. Overall a sick track. You can download it FREE here. Look for the official music video dropping soon. We can’t wait.

dumbfoundead’s been on a tear for collabos. Hear him on Different Galaxies and Forever Remix. And in case you missed it, he went viral with the Dumbfoundead Freestyle Battle Knock Out Fight. Wax also recently did a collabo Get Up by Lil Crazed x Traphik x Wax

Hollyhoodrats by dumbfoundead x Wax