The Plan

It’s our last week in Pittsburgh. The plan was to find jobs by now. I mean, there are two of us. Two people with master’s degrees and solid resumes. But there aren’t a lot of jobs out there. And for every job I apply to, I’m pretty certain there are 200 other people competing for it. So the first plan, the plan to move wherever one of us found a job, is not going to happen.

The second plan is to move where we think we will have the best chances at finding jobs in our fields (me: international education; Jon: public policy). Take a risk and just jump in. That place is San Francisco and its surrounding cities. The past two months have been dedicated to applying to jobs in the bay area, looking at neighborhoods we’d like to live in, and planning the two-week cross-country road trip. Our plan is to leave Pittsburgh next week, drive to lots of fun places in the Midwest and beyond, and arrive in the bay area at the end of the month. Find a sublet for October, find jobs by November, and voila! Life!

But now there’s a third plan. This past week, we made the wonderful mistake of going to Toronto, Canada. We learned that the economy there is actually pretty good, and family members can help sponsor you as a temporary resident of Canada. So we’re going to look into this. We’re going to apply to jobs in Toronto, figure out what it really takes to get temporary residency and a work visa, and use this as the “back-up dream plan.”

So the ultimate plan is a hybrid plan. We’re still leaving Pittsburgh next week. We’re still driving west with our doggie and camping supplies. We’re still looking for sublets and jobs in San Francisco. We still plan to GET to San Francisco. But if Toronto can happen, we will stop everything and go there instead. Because really, who can say no to Canada?

If you have any advice about any of these plans, please share! Maybe we’re crazy, but it sure beats sitting around waiting.

will we be canadians?

or californians?

Pittsburgh favorites part 2: Asian food

You may have noticed that a significant portion of my diet is made up of Asian food, particularly Chinese and Thai. I’ve been pretty pleased with Pittsburgh when it comes to the Asian food scene, especially after the less-than-stellar selection in DC. I’m sure I haven’t been to all of the great Asian restaurants in the Pittsburgh area, but this is a pretty solid list to start with if you live in the city limits. You may ask: Why no sushi? Because I haven’t had any great sushi here, and honestly I was too cheap to try the supposedly great sushi restaurants in the area. Your suggestions are welcome!

Chinese: China Star (Squirrel Hill)

After living in China and cooking with Chinese friends, I have annoyingly high standards when it comes to genuine Chinese food. I can barely bring myself to eat the American style Chinese food anymore. I preferred to cook it myself…until I went to China Star and tried their “alternative” menu. If you don’t look Chinese, the waiter will first hand you the Americanized menu. Ask for the Chinese menu. If you don’t know what any of the stuff is, ask for recommendations. It’s hard to go wrong. Squirrel Hill is overall the best neighborhood to find legit Chinese food, tea and desserts. Just follow the exchange students.

Vietnamese: Tram’s Kitchen (Bloomfield/Garfield)

While there are many deserving Vietnamese places up and down Penn Avenue, my favorite is Tram’s. It’s got a simple selection of soups and noodles, it’s fresh, it’s fast, and it’s in a tiny storefront. If you’re lucky, you’ll even be seated at a tiny table with tiny chairs. Not as tiny as the chairs in Vietnam, but still. Pretty cool. And of course, the pho is fantastic.

Thai: Thai Cuisine (Bloomfield)

This was a hard choice, because I love the shop down the street, Thai Gourmet, nearly as much. But in reality, I find myself going to Thai Cuisine more and craving their noodles, soups and curries more. But in the end, if you live near Bloomfield, you’re a lucky dog. It’s the best Thai food I’ve had outside of Thailand. It’s reliable, it’s affordable, it’s a happy place.

Korean: Tokyo Steakhouse (Bloomfield)

Yes, it’s called Tokyo, and yes, they have sushi, but I’ve never had the sushi. So I’m just going to talk about the Korean food. This is where we go to indulge. We stuff ourselves with grilled beef and chicken. We go crazy over the little side dishes. It’s rarely busy, but it makes me happy that way. I get really tired of the jazzed-up, Americanized Asian grills. You know the ones I’m talking about. This one is different. You cook your meat. There is a little bridge and a pond in the middle of the restaurant. The people who work there are actually Japanese and Korean. There are Japanese businessmen drinking beers in the corner. And the beef. Oh, the beef…

Asian Market: Lotus Food (Strip District)

Pittsburgh really does have a lot of Asian markets all around, from Oakland to the ‘burbs. But Lotus is the king. Sitting on a corner near the end of the Strip District, Lotus is a great source of cheap rice, noodles, and even vegetables. The cilantro at Lotus just tastes better. The bok choy come in all different sizes. The tofu is freshly cooked. The candy and cookie selection is overwhelming. I still haven’t been able to try all the varieties of dumplings and steamed buns that they offer. And the best part: the Chinese employees actually speak Chinese with me! I can only hope that I find a store as great as Lotus in my next city.

Coming next: Pittsburgh Parks

Amazing everything bars

Every time I go to the grocery store, I want to stock up on different flavors of granola bars, energy bars, breakfast bars…and then I remind myself that I can just make them myself. These bars are so good, you won’t believe they came out of your kitchen. They’re most like Clif bars, but immensely more tasty.

Plus, you can experiment and mix and match with the flavors and ingredients. You can try different fruits, spices, nuts, or probably different types of wheat. Once I made these with orange juice instead of milk. Another time I threw in a smashed banana just for fun. I’m pretty sure these are hard to destroy.

This recipe is my version of something originally found on about.com that tasted much more boring. You’ll probably have to buy some ingredients that you’ve never bought before, but I’m convinced it’s more economical in the long run to make your own bars instead of the pre-packaged ones!

 

1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13×9 inch pan. (or just line the pan with baking parchment so it won’t get stuck)

2) In a medium bowl, combine and blend well the following. Let set 5 minutes.

1 cup bran flakes cereal

1/4 cup wheat bran

1/4 cup wheat germ

1 1/2 tsp finely grated orange peel

1 cup of chopped, mixed dried fruit (I like to use cranberries, apples, blueberries)

1/2 cup chopped nuts

2 tbsp flax seeds

1 egg

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup milk (I use soy)

2/3 cup applesauce 

1/2 cup honey (or more if you want them sweeter)

1 tsp vanilla

3) In large bowl, stir together:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose white flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp salt

4) Stir in the wet mixture into the dry and mix until all ingredients are combined. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until golden. Cool and slice into 20 bars. Keep in an airtight container.

*Wrap them individually and bag for freezing, because they will get dry tasting after a day or so. Thaw on the counter overnight or 15-20 seconds in a microwave.*

Let me know what you think!