a delicious sunday funday! (chili crab recipe)

Hello and happy Monday! Hope you all are feeling fresh and ready for the week! Our first remix is coming out on Wednesday, but here's a quick post to hold you over :)

One of FLAN's east coasters made a quick visit to SF for the weekend. It was a weekend full of shenanigans, and also lots of delicious food. Off the Grid, palace of fine arts, Vietnamese bar, cafe, giants game, and the necessary out-of-towners' visit to in n out and pho, kept us pretty busy, but Sunday was a day of relaxation.

Mimosas were in order while waiting for our feast. 

Sunday we got to finally make our long awaited crab feast a reality. One of my favorite seafood recipes to make is a chili crab  (original link here) which has even impressed my grandma, the best cook in the world.

It's suprisingly easy and fast. Impress your friends and family with it!

Here's how.

Chili Crab (adjusted by half for your convenience.)

~2 Dungeness crab (about 4 lbs cut and cleaned .. with the guts put aside)
Spice paste (see below)
1/8 cup of sugar 
1/4 cup tamarind juice (I used concentrate)
salt to taste (omitted)
1/2 cup water
cooking oil

Spice Paste:
1-3 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp Taucheo (fermented soy bean paste/sauce)
8 cloves garlic
1 1/2 inches ginger


1. Mix spice paste, grind using food processor if available. (I skipped the grinding)
2. Heat up wok or large pot over medium heat, add cooking oil.
3. Fry spice paste until fragrant.
4. Add crab and water. Toss gently and cover with lid for ~3 minutes.
5. (optional) add guts.
6. Add in sugar, tamarind concentrate, stir until well mixed, cover until all crab pieces are red. (Probably only 2-4 minutes)
7. Plate, and serve. Rice is not a necessity, but good to finish up all the leftover sauce.


Enjoy!

<3 d

meet this phu :D

Hi! :) I feel so honored to be part of this project because I live all the way in Chicago where as my girls live in California. Even though I don’t physically see them everyday or as often as they see each other, we are always sharing our love for food and fashion together since we basically talk to each other everyday (we actually send pictures to each other while we're shopping so it feels like we're shopping together sometimes). 

The weather in Chicago is unpredictable, basically bipolar. It’ll be cold one moment, then windy, humid, hot, sunny, cloudy, etc and sometimes even a combination of sorts. Come on Mother Nature, please decide! Because of the always-changing weather, I have to dress appropriately so these days I’m always in layers. I love dresses, ruffles, one-shoulder styles, shoes, and lots of color. However, when I am shopping these days, I try to step out of my comfortable box and try different styles. My eyes are instantly attracted to colored tops and dresses so shopping in the spring and summer are my favorite seasons to shop. 

Since living in Chicago, I’ve been cooking a lot more (even though I want to try every restaurant in Chicago). I am always telling my friends that if I had the income to eat out everyday, I would. I have a sweet tooth so I love to bake more than cook but I love learning how to cook different types of food. My favorite foods consist of sushi, Thai, and Vietnamese but that doesn’t mean I'll exclude other types of food. I love food adventures! Feeding my belly with good food is one way to my heart. ;)

I am super excited about this project because this will challenge my cooking/baking and styling abilities.  I hope you readers will enjoy our little baby (flan baby!) as we grow together in our journey with food and fashion and see where it takes us (also, please excuse my awkwardness with my "model" poses haha). Thank you for supporting us, we deeply appreciate it! :)


<3, phu

come C about me, C about me baby

I'm probably the least stylish of the bunch, and here's why. I wore a school uniform every weekday in grades "K" through senior year of high school. I love uniforms, though! I'm sure I got at least 30 minutes more sleep than the average school-age girl each morning because I never thought about what to wear and if my socks matched my day-glow leggings and puffy-painted tee.

Now, I'm grown and living in Oakland, CA (but still look 16 according to the security guard at my work place who is sure to remind me EVERY morning.) I work at an art college. So typical office wear is optional and in most cases discouraged. And I consider myself an artist (lightweight.) So I'd like to add pieces of clothing and accessories that show my creativity. I dance hula pretty seriously. So for folks that know what that's really about, I need accessories that can be removed easily. I also work at the farmer's market and babysit on the weekends. So comfort is my main priority.

This is what I end up with most days. Actually, the blue velvet blazer is a bit out of the ordinary. You know you have to remix your style when your idea of "fancy" is throwing a vintage store find over your usual jeans and a tee. Consider this the "BEFORE" pic.

Looking through pics for this post, I was amused by how many there were of me eating. I love my grub! I grew up in a restaurant and worked in one for most of college and a few years afterward. Now I work at the farmer's market. So expect to see lots of fresh seasonal veggies in my posts! (I'll leave the baking to my companeras.)

When Roe says we live, breathe, and dream food she isn't kidding. I once had a dream I was a donut! A bright pink raspberry-iced original donut with beautiful sprinkles and googley eyes! Although I enjoy my food (to the point of wanting to be it!) I lack motivation in cooking it. I hope this blog and these women will help inspire me. I was always taught one thing when it comes to food; you don't have to like everything, but...

YOU MUST TRY EVERYTHING AT LEAST ONCE!

See you for my Remix post on Wednesday, 5/16.

<3 c

the supremes - come see about me

meet Roe, like the Fish Eggs

Hello, friends! and thank you, again, for joining us on this food and fashion journey! I hope that this journey helps me kick up my food palette and cooking skills a notch, helps me define my style, streamline my closet, and inspire all of you.

Who am I? I'm 27 years-old, I've been with the same company for over 5 years, and enjoy them very much. Recently, I've started a hobby that I enjoy immensely, event planning, mostly weddings. I come from a family full of kids, and we've come to the age where our family is growing. I have 2 older brothers, 3 younger sisters, a sister-in-law, and the most adorably, smart nephew.

I love, love, LOVE to eat! and bake! I'm always ready for a new food adventure, whether it be fine dining, a hole in the wall, or in the comfort of my own kitchen. My favorite cuisines? Japanese, Korean, Italian, Vietnamese, and South African (okay, so I've only been to one place, but it was soooo delicious). The meal I'd want to have as my last meal? Bo Nhung Dam (literally translated as beef dipped in vinegar - a Vietnamese hot pot). My mom knew that this was my favorite before I did. Whenever she felt like I was getting too thin, or when I'd come back home to visit, she'd make this for me, and oh boy did I appreciate it!

But what defines my style? I'm still working on that. I guess you can say it's evolved from my lazy days at UC Davis, and my career choice in retail banking. If I had to label it, I'd probably say it's office/classic chic, minus the chic. Lately, I've been throwing blazers over dresses and running out of the house. Although, lately, I am trying to 'finish' my daily outfits with accessories and lip color, currently obsessing with Revlon's Lip Butter. I am trying to branch out into a more comfy laid back style for lazy days, but never feel like I have the right wardrobe to do so. Which brings me to my shopping personality. I'm kind of a shopaholic, that buys on impulse most of the time, but will take the time to make calculated purchases for quality items I really need and want. I've ended up with a closet overflowing with clothes from stores like F21 and H&M, because they're so cheap!! I seriously need to stop. I want to be able to become a person that thinks through the purchases, whether I'm spending $2 or $200. I want a streamline, workable closet, and hope that my fellow FLAN members and readers keep me honest to that. Can't wait to see where this journey takes us! 

Thanks for joining us!


<3, Roe

haaaave you met d?

I have the honor of the first flan remix post!

I guess it makes sense to tell you that my daily routine right now includes going to school, spending hours at starbucks doing homework/labs/random projects and/or going to the gym. Which means at the ripe old age of 27, I am still tempted to dress like I did as a student 10 years ago.

I'll give in occasionally (sweat pants, hair tied, chillin with no make up on) but I try most days to look a little more grown up, because I have these other girls to inspire me.

My uniform: skinny jeans/leggings + t-shirt/tank + cardigan/hoodie + boots. Easy peasy. I might get fancy with a scarf or something (pictured below).

Put me in some warm weather, and I'll wear dresses all day, because dresses are the ultimate easy. Living in SF, where weather is unpredictable and on the cooler side, you'll find that I, like all the locals here, stay layered up. I wish I could stand being in heels every day, since they make everything look better, but I'll leave the fancy shoes up to the other girls (ahem.. roe).

When it comes to food, I would have to say my favorites are Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Italian, but I would never turn down any kind of noodles, chicken wings, or a good burger, or pizza, or thai.. ok lets be honest here..  I never turn my nose at any kind of food. I usually cook pretty healthy, but definitely let myself indulge in desserts, since I love baking, too.

The picture is awkward. Taken from my iphone. I promise to try harder in the future. Looking forward to documenting my journey alongside some of my favorite people! Hope you stay tuned!

<3 d.

FLAN: Food/Fashion Lovers Anonymous Nationwide

Hi, everyone! And thank you for joining us on this food and fashion journey!

FLAN: Food/Fashion Lovers Anonymous Nationwide

Food Lovers Anonymous Nationwide at Fizzee's in San Francisco, CA

We, initially, started as just "Food Lovers Anonymous Nationwide". It consists of a small group of friends, both male and female, stretched across the US. As the name suggests, we were brought together by our love of food. We live, breathe, and dream food. However, the ladies of the group always have something to say about fashion, constantly online web browsing, looking for deals and steals. We often say how funny it is that we have the same articles of clothing, but style them in completely different ways. And that is essentially, how Food/Fashion Lovers Anonymous Nationwide, the REMIX was born.

Courtney, Nancy, Diana & Roe: at HOME in New York, NY

Here you’ll find that we take one item and one ingredient, and remix them 4 different ways according to our 4 different styles. Each month we'll choose an article of clothing and ingredient, and you’ll uncover various ways to style and eat them.

Check in with us everyday this week to meet the ladies!

Courtney, Roe, Nancy & Diana at Motif in San Jose, CA