Inside L.A.: Sweet Eats

A lesser known fact about me: I am a quarter Japanese (and yes, a natural blonde). My paternal grandmother emigrated from Japan in the late 1940s when she married an American soldier. I've only been to Japan once, when I was 2 years old, but my entire life has been subtly influenced by Japanese culture.

One of the most important aspects of any culture is of course the food. And in Downtown's Little Tokyo, amongst the sushi bars and ramen houses, there is a little gem: a Japanese confectionery shop called Fugetsu-Do. Founded in 1903, the family-run store is said to be the oldest business in Little Tokyo. Fun fact: Fugetsu-Do lays claim to the invention of the fortune cookie (surprise, Japanese Americans invented this Chinese treat).

My family has been visiting Fugetsu-Do for years for the freshly-made sweet mochi, called daifuku. Many Americans are now familiar with the term mochi thanks to the modern invention of mochi ice cream balls. Traditional mochi is a sticky rice cake and daifuku is a sweetened mochi filled with red bean paste. My favorite is maccha daifuku, which is made with green tea mochi.

A dessert made from rice and beans might sound a little strange. But if you're up for trying something new, you should definitely take a trip to Fugetsu-Do, located on First Street across from the Japanese Village Plaza.

You can find out more about sweet mochi and Fugetsu-Do on their website.

Image taken from http://elle.fr

I Heart New York

I have always loved New York City for its unique spirit and sophistication.
And like its namesake city, the New York Times has a quality and style of journalism unparalleled in other news publications.

I grew up in Laguna, where unfortunately the mediocre reporting of the OC Register can be found in almost every household. Others may argue, but I think the Register has a bit too much sensationalism and conservative bias to be considered quality journalism.

And so I find relief in the intelligent and insightful articles of the New York Times.

The website is wonderful for non-subscribers of the print edition because the same articles are reproduced online. And yet, NYTimes.com goes further by enhancing the articles with multimedia elements you couldn't find in a print publication.

I still remember the feature last October on the 100th anniversary of New York's subways, "A Day in the Subway, as It Rolls Up a Century." The LA Times only ran a brief article on the anniversary celebration, maybe because the location was less relevant. But the New York Times produced a dynamic, in-depth story that was complimented by photos, sound bites and slideshows of the many New Yorkers who bring life to the subways each day. The page also included a link to a reader's forum on the story. A common element of the Times website, the forums are an interesting way to develop articles and promote readers opinions.

Like any large newspaper, the Times has something for everyone, from the Technology section to Dining and Wine. The average web-surfer might not find the Times to be the most engaging online news source. The articles definitely require a longer attention span and are directed at people who love to read. Even so, the web page design is simple and easy to follow (large font, small paragraphs, multiple pages), making the length of the stories less intimidating.

And if you have any interest in the city itself, you'll love the way many of the articles radiate that unique New York attitude.