Jessica's Dinner Party

US Open 2009

I don’t follow many (actually any) sports with the exception of one, tennis. My sister introduced me to to the sport a couple of years ago and have been hooked ever since. If you live in New York or are a tennis fan you probably know that the US Open is held here in the city (yes, Queens is part of New York City) at this time every year. It started this past Monday and will continue on for two weeks.

So how is food related to the US Open? Well, like at any event or amusement park, food is overpriced and very expensive at the Open. When you’re hot and thirsty, $5 for a cold bottle of water is necessary but can also feel like money down the drain. I’ve made it a habit of spending no more than $10 to $15 at the Open and I thought I’d share with you what I do.

First of all, I always bring a couple bottles of water and drinks in my bag. I freeze them the night before so that they stay cold throughout the day. This year I decided to make my own beverages instead of buying power drinks. I made a thin smoothie by blending frozen berries with some water. I also made a minty, amateur lemonade by squeezing a couple of lemons, adding sugar and lots of mint. The berry juice was delicious but the lemonade wasn’t spectacular, however both were refreshing.

Half frozen

September 03 2009 | new york and thoughts | 5 Comments »

Cold Black Bean Soup With Noodles

Korean summers are excruciatingly humid and hot. Temperatures will rise above the 90s and for a few weeks monsoon season hits so it rains cats and dogs. Fortunately, throughout my life I have only spent a handful of summers there. I love being there and it’s where I call home, but summer is just not its best season.

One great thing about summer in Korea though is the cold noodle soups. They’re cool, refreshing, and very flavorful. The most common and popular cold noodle soup is probably, naengmyun, 냉면. It is made with buckwheat noodles and a cold broth garnished with julienned cucumbers, asian pear slices, half a hard boiled egg, and pieces of steamed pork belly. It’s a bit complicated to make naengmyun from scratch, which is why they sell packages of naengmyun “kits” in Korean/Asian supermarkets. Everything is included, so all you have to do is boil the noodles and pick your garnishes.