Author: doodledweller
-
Phở
Phở is considered the hallmark of Vietnamese cuisine. Yet it may surprise that it was only created about a century ago in the city of Nam Định, 50 miles south of Hà Nội, the capital city. In the 1950’s, phở migrated south of the country along with its people. Since then, it has traveled a…
-
Stock & Broth
The difference between broth and stock is not apparent. Some say stock is made of the animal’s bones, while broth is made from its meat. Others say broth is a reduced stock with additional aromatics and seasonings. Call it a broth or a stock, it is an essential potable in the kitchen, whether as a…
-
Loose Screw
The first time I heard the phrase, “art follows money,” was during a guided tour of the Hearst Castle, built in 1919 by the media tycoon William Randolph Hearst. Resting on a 40-thousand acre hilly estate with a sweeping view of the Pacific Ocean, it was described as “this is what God would have built…
-
The Ideal Woman
Among the first movies I watched after immigrating to the U.S. was The Secret Garden, bedecked with beautiful garden footage in springtime. It’s the story of an unruly orphaned girl, Mary, who moved back to England from India when her parents died. Since no one taught her how to be a proper English girl in…
-
Women In Vietnamese Literature
I have previously written about the Vietnamese poet Hồ Xuân Hương, who was truly an outlier in Vietnamese literature. In a culture heavily influenced by Confucianism, during a time when women were to abide by the three obediences and the four virtues, she had the audacity to write poetry that was outlandish and sexually clandestine. …
-
Woman
That woman has been considered the secondary sex since the beginning of time is a mystery. Throughout the history of humanity, the construction of societies has been patriarchal, and current consensus sees matriarchal societies as exceedingly rare, if ever existing at all. In woman-led societies, the queen ruled together with men in her leadership ranks. …
-
Embroidery
I’ve owned this black hoodie for more than a decade. It is medium weight, warm, and well made. To have a perfect black hoodie is just as essential as a little black dress, which has been affectionately acronymed to the LBD. While the LBD is usually reserved for formal events, the black hoodie is casual,…
-
Gifting Story
It’s tough to give a gift to the one who has everything; and it would seem as if everyone had everything nowadays. Long gone are the days to just drop a bouquet of flowers and some chocolate, because you are regularly expected this minimum level of effort in expressing your love. But with thoughtful strategies…
-
Sleepless Cookies
When having a bout of insomnia, baking cookies with a loved one makes for a good remedy. It keeps off sleeplessness anxiety, reduces stress, and perhaps even releases endorphins to boost happiness. Where brownie is all about chocolate, what constitutes cookie is infinite. At its most basic, the cookie is a shortbread, containing flour, fat,…
-
Brownie
It happened during my first study abroad trip. Passing by a bakery, I saw alluring sprinkles of powdered sugar atop brown squares, stacked neatly on the other side of the window pane. Having been away for a while, I was very excited to get a taste of home, but my excitement was only quickly replaced…
hardlyplaying.blog 