2nd place

In June, I participated in the ninth annual 72 Hour Film Shootout competition. The competition is run by the Asian American Film Lab to celebrate diversity and artistic empowerment. You don't need to be Asian to participate but there has to be some Asians on the team and I totes helped fill that quota!

The whole premise of the competition is that on the eve of the shootout, everyone is given a prompt. And the next 72 hours are spent writing, shooting and editing a 5-minute film inspired from that prompt. This year's prompt was:

"A guest in my own country."

This project was one of the hardest things I've done. Probably because we were shooting in 100 degree weather. Probably because it was my birthday weekend. Probably because we had no clue what we were doing. But hard work pays off because we got 2nd place!!! Next year though, we'll get first. ;) It's good to have goals right?

We haven't been able to share the film with anyone before judging took place. But now we know and you get to see my award-winning film!! So let me know what you think!

Phamily in NYC

My parents came up to visit last month.

We ate exotic dim sum at Jing Fong, the best pizza at Motorino and delicious burgers at JG Melon (bloody marys for me... I'm on the liquid lunch cleanse) in between the sites. My parents feng shui-ed my room. It was glorious. Don't believe me? Here's the proof:

stout chocolate cake

I've got a major case of the Tuesdays today. Summer's over compounded by my boy problems. The cure? Chocolate cake.

I don't like chocolate cake.
But I make the best chocolate cake.

My sister loves chocolate cake.

She loves it so much that she made me one on my birthday! From.a.box. Lucky for her, we don't pick sisters. And luckier for her, she's stuck with me! So on her birthday, I made her the best chocolate cake.

This recipe is based loosely on Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Guiness recipe (that looks like a Guiness!).

I used an Oatmeal Stout instead of Guiness, because I don't like Guiness because they filter the beer with fish scales (vom.com). I don't like fish in my cake. I don't like fish period.

For the cake, you will need:

1 cup Oatmeal Stout

2 sticks unsalted butter

6 ounces of good semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2/3 sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your pan. Melt stout, butter and chocolate chips in a saucepan. Drink the rest of the stout so you don't go crazy while waiting for everything to melt. Whisk in cocoa powder. Let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Beat the eggs and sour cream in another bowl. Beat the cooled beer/butter/chocolate mixture into egg thingy. Slowly add flour mixture and continue the beating! Pour batter into pan and bake for about 30 minutes.

For frosting, you will need:

1 brick of delicious cream cheese

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

2/3 cup heavy cream, WHIPPED 

Whip heavy cream. I'm talking semi-stiff peaks people. In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese with beaters until smooth. Whip in powdered sugar to cream cheese. (Is it just me or does this cake take a real beating?! hahahaaaaa, yeah ok no.) Fold in whipped cream. Frost cake when cake is cooled because runny frosting is not cute.

This frosting is amazing. Light, cream cheese-y and not too sweet. We had a little extra and couldn't let it go to waste...

THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP. 

Refrigerate cake overnight (or at least a couple of hours). We've eaten this cake fresh, and while it tastes good as far as fresh baked cake goes, it's not as good as the brownie density you get after some intense refrigeration.

For actual birthday celebration, you will need:

As many candles you need to dot your i's.

Is it Wednesday yet?