Summer Cocktail Party for Brother's Big 4-0

My wonderful sister in-law planned a lay back summer cocktail party for my brother's 40th birthday in their back yard. It wasn't anything big, just a simple gathering with close friends and relatives. The food and drinks were so good! And I was impressed by the little details and thought she put into the decorations and making this such a wonderful party!

Table of yummi finger foods (egg rolls, crab cakes, piggy in the blanket)and their sauces.
Other food they had but I didn't take pictures of: chicken skewers, korean style beef, korean fish cakes and some other stuff I forgot...)

delicious home made curry fish balls...
Name tags for all the food and sauces along with cute turtle chopstick holders

pretty flowers everywhere...

POG: juice with passion fruit, orange juice and guava
It was very refreshing and perfect for a summer time drink.
White sangriamore drinks...Beautiful bowl of fruit salad..

The guest "supply" table: fun activities for the kids, suntan lotion, bug spray/candle, and hydrocortisone.

mini tables and chairs set up in their yard

I got introduced to Martha's Country Bakery, OMG they make AWESOME cakes! I'm kinda glad they are so far away from me because I would seriously go there all the time, then I would gain like 100000 lbs! We had napoleon and tiramisu cake.

Happy Birthday Broo!!

Thank you, Rachael (ah so) for planning this wonderful summer cocktail party!
I love you guys!!!

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Bro's Home...

Martha's Country Bakery

41-06 Bell Ave

Bayside, NY

718-225-5200

My Foodie Twin's Birthday Brunch

Birthday Brunch at Double Crown then dessert run at Ferrara....
The food at Double Crown was really good!!! *will write about it later but here's the pics**

Happy Birthday Cecille! <3

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Double Crown
316 Bowery
New York, NY 10012
(212) 254-0350
www.doublecrown-nyu.com

Ferrara
195 Grand Street
New York, NY 10013
(212) 226-6150

www.ferraracafe.com

Food Spy for Metro Asian Food Magazine

I had the opportunity to be a food critic for a Asian food magazine called Metro Asian Food. It was such a fun and amazing experience I wish I could do this for a living!

Every issue they have a section where readers participate in "food missions"and a few are selected to be food spies aka food critics. It's a very simple process, you sign up online to be a member then they will send an email to everyone announcing the date, time and cruise. On a first come first basis if you are one of the few who reply the fastest then you will be chosen. I've been trying for a few months and I guess I got lucky! I got so lucky I got Andy to come with me too!! Our mission, Shanghai food!!!

Our special spy pins:

The first stop we went to was Shanghai Cafe.
We were excited!!!

Our other spy members, Vivian and Ling

We got interviewed by the writer after each bite of the food. The photographer was snapping pictures left and right and telling us to pose.

Our food writer Jeny

Here are some of my favorites from each of the restaurants. You can see the rest of the dishes in the article.
The must haves at a Shanghai restaurant, soup dumplings.

this has some sort of veggies and pork

Over all I thought Shanghai Cafe was so so....I've been here many times so I guess I was sick of the food. And the dish they gave us wasn't anything special.

Next stop:

interesting decoration with a mini looking bridge...

the buns were small but the skin was thinner which I like...

This restaurant went all out and served us their expensive dishes which was mostly seafood. I love seafood!!

crabs with salty eggs, one of my favorite of the day...

crispy shrimp with tea leafs, another favorite of the day...the shrimp was so crispy you can eat the whole thing like a chip...

thumbs up to the chef!!

Mission accomplished!!!

our photographer

Perks being a food spy: I got a souvenir bag filled with goodies, a pin, awesome free meal and being in a very popular food magazine!! yay!!
See article here...

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Shanghai Cafe
100 Mott Street
212-966-3988

New Yeah Shanghai Deluxe
65 Bayard Street
212-566-4884