Emily's Delicious Blog

I bought the white bitter melons from the farmer’s market. It’s fresh and unique because many grocery stores don’t sell them. I like to cook bitter melon with salted black beans.   After I washed them, I cut the bitter melons in halves.   I scooped out the seeds from the bitter melons. Then, I cut them into small pieces and boiled them for two minutes to reduce the bitterness. Finally, I cooked the bitter melon with salted black beans. The bitter melon was savory. It left a bitter taste in my mouth, but I could handle it. It’s one of my favorite dishes.

Every year Aunt Lucy invites us to her house for a thanksgiving feast, and we also bring some dishes to the dinner.   Most important, Uncle Terry always cooks the turkey for us. This year the turkey was eighteen pounds, golden brown, steaming, and fresh. I helped to make mashed potato and gravy. Their recipe was a little bit different from mine.   We also had a colorful salad, fruits, boiled Brussels sprouts, and baked yams and squashes. At the beginning of our feast, we toasted at the table and said what we were thankful for. I thanked my family, my friends, and my teachers. I ate the turkey with cranberry sauce. The turkey was very juicy this year. The stuffing was delicious. I drank a lot of apple cider and enjoyed talking with them, especially about The Nutcracker. My favorite food was turkey, salad, and homemade cherry pie.   Then, we sat on the sofa, ate snacks, and chatted near the fireplace. It was warm and cozy. What a festive Thanksgiving with the whole family and friends!  

On Wednesday afternoon,   my family and I visited the Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park in San Fransisco. We joined a free tour. The tour guide, Eric, explained the history of the Japanese Tea Garden, originally built as part of the World’s Fair in 1894. He explained that the Monterey Cypress has many different shapes and sizes. Through tree candling, the lights can pass through the tree, making it more beautiful.   In Japanese culture, turtles and cranes represent longevity. There are many drawings of turtles and cranes on the door beam and pagoda. I even touched a turtle sculpture inside the basin.     Eric also talked about the Buddha sculpture donated by an antique shop in San Fransisco. On the Buddha’s head, there are many short and tight ringlets. All the monks are bald heads. Why Buddha has ringlets? The ringlets represent 108 snails protecting Buddha’s head from sunburn when he meditates. Another exciting thing is the five-floor pagoda. It’s so eye-catching. But it’s made

On Sunday, my family and I went to see Ramses the Great exhibition at de Young Museum. Ramses the Great was a pharaoh 3000 years ago. He ruled Egypt for 67 years and died at the age of 90. He was the warrior and peacemaker. Under the reign of Ramses the Great, Egypt was strong, peaceful, and prosperous. The exhibition includes various objects from Egypt. This is my first time seeing the sphinx, and I’m fascinated. Although some of the jewelry and golden masks are dazzling, they are 3000 years old. I can’t believe it.     There were many beautiful paintings, mummies, and coffins with artistic engravings. All the exhibition was related to Ramses the Great. You can see the prosperity of his country and feel impressed by the great civilization of ancient Egypt. I really want to visit Egypt!