Introducing @HuckEats – the Manger Seul rebrand

The COVID-19 situation has had us sheltering-in-place out of our usual element (in San Francisco & Oakland) and finding centeredness in body, mind & spirit amidst nature & the extraordinary Pacific coastal scenery.

I have never before felt so much gratitude for the magnificent sparkle that the ocean greets us with each day.

Since we have decided not to eat out during this time, I have been working on overdrive as ‘Head of Kitchen’

  1. getting stocked up on shelf-stable pantry staples starting in early March,
  2. doing a ton of recipe research on creative ways to keep nutritious, interesting & varied meals on the table,
  3. and of course actually doing the meal-preparation and execution –

and I realized, now that I am cooking for a teamthree meals a day, everydaythe ethos once associated with @mangerseul has been long foregone.

So Friends,

I am very excited to share with those who have been following along with my culinary adventures (Hi, Mom!): @HuckEats!

@huckeats is a foundational element of the Adventures of Huckleberry Kim‘s identity!

Throughout my life, sharing good food has been a huge part of my social & family culture, creative exploration and manifestation of both external & self-directed love.

A fun quote that Sug shared with me recently was one from a friend who has recently discovered cooking and described that:

“…it’s like having a little restaurant inside your house!”

I love that newbies in the kitchen can find such delight & gratification from putting together a simple meal for themselves (and/or for loved ones); and I hope that I can make a little impact in inspiring you to try out something new in your kitchen & to share it with someone you love because honestly it’s perhaps not as hard (& actually might be a fun challenge) as you’d have assumed it might be 🙂

I love being able to support local farmers and makers who are an integral part of our society’s backbone on which limelight is seldom shown upon.

I love being able to create & share meals with my family & friends – new and old – while connecting over great conversations that nourish our bodies, minds & spirits.

♥️ Please share some love, give @HuckEats a follow and take a peek into the little restaurant inside our house.♥️

& for more details from Huck Eats, check out: huckleberrykim.com/category/eats

xo,

Huckleberry Kim

Massaman Curry Noodles with Instant Pot Caramelized Pork Shoulder Recipe

Massaman Curry Noodles with Caramelized Pork Shoulder

After one of the best Sundays ever, Sug & I spent it surfing for hours in the sunshine, under some of the greatest conditions, at one of our favorite places in the entire world, we were due to dive into a delicious nutrient-packed meal. I gave Sug the choice of protein, and off I went to throw together this slightly sweet, extraordinarily flavorful Massaman curry noodle dish! Check out recipe below:

Huckleberry’s Massaman Curry Noodles with Caramelized Pork Shoulder & Vegetables

Ingredients:

  1. ~2 lbs of pork shoulder – cut up into ~3cm cubes
  2. 0.25 cup sugar
  3. ~3 tbsp ginger – minced
  4. 4 cloves of garlic – minced
  5. 5 tbsp dark soy sauce
  6. 2 tbsp fish sauce
  7. ~2.5+ cups of duck/chicken/vegetable broth (sub water OK)
  8. 1 package (~7 cups) fresh ho fun rice noodles – sliced into ~2cm strips & separated
  9. ~ 0.25 cup of Massaman Curry Paste (e.g. this is the kind I used – available on Amazon)
  10. 1 ~14 oz can of unsweetened coconut milk
  11. ~6 mini sweet red peppers – halved
  12. ~1 cup of bamboo shoots – drained
  13. ~1 bunch of broccolini – chopped into ~2cm pieces
  14. Optional: extra chili to taste (e.g. bird’s eye chili, red pepper flakes or ghost pepper flakes)

Instructions:

  1. Turn your Instant Pot to Sauté on High, then add the sugar, stirring constantly so that it doesn’t burn but turns dark golden brown ~5 minutes.
  2. Add the stock or water and stir in the dark soy sauce, fish sauce, and grated ginger; once well combined, add the pork shoulder. *Note you can substitute with any other protein, e.g. tofu, chicken, beef, duck, etc.
    • Massaman Curry with Caramelized Pork
  3. Turn Instant Pot to Pressure Cook on Quick Release for ~30 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, slice the rice noodles up and set aside.
    • Massaman Curry with Caramelized Pork
  5. Then heat up a wok or large pan with a bit of oil, add the garlic, broccolini, red peppers & bamboo shoots. Cook on medium-high heat for ~4 minutes.
    • Massaman Curry with Caramelized Pork
  6. Turn heat down to medium & add the curry paste – cook for ~3 minutes. Then add half of the coconut milk to deglaze the pan.
    • Massaman Curry with Caramelized Pork
  7. Add the pork (drained – reserving the liquid for later) to the wok and mix well. Add the remaining coconut milk.
    • Massaman Curry with Caramelized Pork
  8. VERY GENTLY fold in the fresh rice noodles so as not to break them down too much.
  9. Optionally, add some of the liquid from the pork if there isn’t enough liquid to coat your noodles. And add some chili if you like extra spice.

Let me know if you try out this recipe! It was quite delicious & we’ll have a lot of leftovers for lunch tomorrow too 🙂

Happy Cooking!

Huckleberry Kim

the surf stoke

Honoli'i Beach, Hilo, HI

Surfing is such a mental, physical & spiritual {t r i p} – full of contradictions. 

On one hand, floating on your board in the middle of the ocean is so serene & meditative.

Present-mindedness is requisite. 

On the other, moments after catching a wave – and feeling the stoke from at once almost defying gravity in such a harmonious way with the universe – another wave might come crashing in, completely rocking & humbling you. 

No moment amongst the waves is the same as the last.

Never before in my life had I given any thought to surfing; but after hanging with a very sweet human for a few months & listening to his surf stories, totally awestricken, my sense of adventure quickly trounced fears regarding my mediocre swimming skills, sharks, heartbreaking smizes, etc. All of a sudden, probably on a Tuesday, I’d found myself deep-Googling the best nearby destinations to learn how to surf.

It was the last weekend of May 2019 when I first got up on a surfboard in Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico. 

Surfing Goofy in Sayulita

I remember catching my first wave (probably with a little push-assist from our instructor, Brenda): goofy-footed, high-probability of also goofy-smiling. 

It was the first time I felt the stoke

And almost immediately, I knew in my heart of hearts that pursuing the stoke would become a significant part of my life from then on.

Kuta Beach, Bali, Indonesia

Since then, in the last ~5 months, between Sayulita, Bolinas, Pacifica, Hilo, Canggu and San Diego, I’ve probably clocked 40 or 50 hours, switched from goofy to regular, joined a surf club, watched Momentum Generation 2.5 times, got my first board!

My next few weeks are pretty packed with work, life & trying to survive, and I’m not sure when I’ll yet again be out on my board. But today, sleep-deprived, exhausted & ever-so-slightly heartachey, I’ve found comfort and much deep gratitude that the stoke has manifested in my life in such a strong & meaningful way. As per the Emperor from Disney’s Mulan:

“You don’t meet a girl like that every dynasty.”

‘comma playboi’ I’d add.

As I reflect on how my stoke has deepened via so much universal synchronicity – from running into my Pacifica surf instructor at a basketball court in SF who shared with me the magic that is Bolinas to coincidentally meeting the best local surf guru in Hilo – I realize that my life has evermore been full of so many blessings, and I hope to live every day in this life exhibiting more loving kindness to be deserving of them.

All My Love & Light,

A Grateful & Wonderstruck Huck

Some fishermen on the beach in Sayulita noticed us and told a photographer named Fernando that he ought to capture some photos of us; this was one of my favourites 🙂 I’d be so lucky to feel and share with others this degree of effortless stoke again in this life!

Extra special thanks to:

  • Matt who first sparked the stoke, helped me through epic battles with my 5.5 hooded chest-zip, tandem carried when my lanky arms have given out, and whose enthusiastic support of my pipe dream of becoming a free surfer has been vital in the growth of my skills and of my heart.
  • Drew, Ginger, Nick & Ian for the kindness they’ve shown in granting me a 2 Mile student visa and the knowledge they’ve patiently & generously shared in spite of my wide-eyed, newbie, over eagerness.
  • The “2nd best surfer in Mexico” who made sure that I ended my last Sayulita sesh on a high note even as my fatigue pushed me to call it.
  • My wonderful community of friends – new & old – who’ve shared suggestions, their own boards, rides to the beach and much more as I find my feet as a wee surfer babe.
  • Baru, one of my instructors in Bali, who taught me about Canang sari (an Indonesian Hindu practice).  I vividly remember when I first asked Baru about the ritual; he emerged from a squat, clove cigarette smoke billowing from his nostrils and in broken English said, “a prayer & thanks for safe and good surf, Tik-ayy.”  The loving purpose behind his ritual inspired me and is something that I’ve adopted in my own practice through moments of reflection before and after my surf sessions regardless of how they went.
  • And to Mark – the one and only – who’ll likely never know the many impacts of his knowledge of obscure artists. So much love for Mark.

You’re Not My Boyfriend

Trendy Wendy

My best friend and I were in a “band” in high school.

We called ourselves Trendy Wendy, for obvious reasons, which have yet to change.

We had one die-hard fan; his name was Kyle.

He drew this for sketch and posted it on an old website called MySpace.com.

This song’s called You’re Not My Boyfriend.

It was written in the summer of 2006 and released in 2007.

My 16-year-old self definitely wrote this before I’d truly experienced what I’d consider to be a real relationship / boyfriend,

but I still think some parts are fun / relevant.

And that’s what makes it magic.

It is an over-share, & I’m ok with that.

Please, enjoy.

(And leave funny comments.)

xx,

#huckleberrygrooves

manger seul

Alimento LA - Tortellini con Brodo

i’ve spent a lot of time putting together complex recipes & extravagant menus for others – from perfecting a chocolate chip cookie for a boy i fell in love with (down to number of granules of volcanic sea salt i sprinkle on top) to going to barcelona for one day to learn how to make paella for a family feast.

my mother calls me a word in vietnamese that i cannot actually spell, but all that’s relevant is that it effectively translates to “being v extra”. it’s just who i am – i’m an all-in kind of girl.

i truly love cooking for others. to feed the ones i love is an innate instinct for me – a demonstration of care & love that i undoubtedly inherited from the endless matriarchs who raised me. i was pretty much born to become an overbearing grandma

conversely, i rarely cook for myself. if i actually have dinner, it’s most often a glass of some red varietal paired with a handful of something produced by Haribo.

we’re going to change that.

my last lengthy personal challenge was to practice playing guitar until i had enough confidence to play in front of another human (shout-out to that housekeeper in mykonos for helping me succeed). this time i want to practice some over-effing-due #selflove. i can’t recall the last time anyone cooked for me (except my homegirl mckittrick who makes me easy mac at the office with so much love). so now, i’m going to take a day at least once a month to make myself a balls-out incredible meal, and no one else is invited. keeping accountable: one fancy meal at a time @mangerseul

what should I make next?

Easy & Delicious Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Huckleberry's Mexican Tortilla Soup

After a long Sunday afternoon at Lake Temescal, I wanted to prepare something really comforting and tasty for our Sunday supper, but I didn’t want it to take too long or require too many ingredients. Drumroll… so since I had some chicken broth & thighs waiting already at home, I decided that I’d try a new recipe for Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup.  And if B’s jumping in for seconds counts as anything, I think it was a success for my first attempt!  Try this recipe and let me know what you think!

Huckleberry’s Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 teaspoons of vegetable oil
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, minced
  • 6 oz. tomato paste (one of those small cans)
  • 14.5 oz diced tomatoes with liquid (one regular sized can)
  • 4 teaspoons of chili powder (I used this one from Frontier Co-Op – purchased at Berkeley Bowl.)
  • 32 oz. concentrated chicken broth (I used this one from Roli Roti – purchased at Berkeley Bowl.)
  • 1 lb. skinless chicken thighs
  • Sea salt & ground pepper to taste
  • Ghost pepper powder to taste (optional, I’m obsessed with this one from Trader Joe’s – thanks Korey!)
  • 3 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
  • 1 cup of sweet corn (I used some frozen corn, you can use whatever works for you)
  • 1 cup of black beans
  • 1 avocado, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup of cotija cheese, crumbled
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • Key lime wedges, for serving

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

  2. Slice tortillas into strips and toss with 2 teaspoons of oil. (I also added a few turns of the ghost pepper powder for some extra kick.) Bake them until crisp and golden (about 5 minutes – tossing them halfway through). *Note: the tortilla strips will crisp up quickly, so keep an eye on them!
  3. In a large pot, heat 1-2 teaspoon oil over medium-high. Add garlic & ginger and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. (To make my life easier and to save time, I threw the garlic & ginger into my mini food-processor to mince). Add tomato paste, diced tomatoes and liquid, corn, black beans, and chili powder and cook until most of liquid is evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.

  4. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil; season with salt, pepper, and optional ghost peppers.

  5. Add chicken thighs and cook for at least 20 minutes.

  6. Remove chicken thighs and let cool.  Once cool, shred the chicken using two forks in a separate bowl. Return bones to the broth.
  7. To prepare: Scoop a generous helping of soup into a bowl, add chicken, avocado, cotija, and cilantro.  Top with some more broth and tortilla strips, and serve with key limes (cut in half).

Bon appétit!

Huckleberry Kim

…savor every moment slowly…

Huckleberry Travel Guide: Magical Santorini

Huck in Santorini

This is a very overdue post! But my darlin’ friend Carlina & I have decided to buckle down on our content posting schedules, so I’m making it a priority.

We took a very spontaneous trip to Greece

last month and one of the wildest things I learned was that Greece has over 6,000 islands – 227 of which are inhabited. Talk about a lot of choices!

Obviously there are some main islands that are very popular holiday destinations, but I’m the type of traveller that believes that you can find interesting things to explore anywhere!  We were traveling for about two weeks, and we decided to first dip our toes in gorgeous Greek waters by way of Mykonos and Santorini. Let’s get into Santorini first – because it was amazing – also, I can’t find any of my photos from Mykonos today!

1. Atlantis Books in Oia: 

Of course, I packed really last minute & forgot my books – silly Huckleberry; so after finishing Noah’s extra book while we were in Mykonos, I was in need of some new reading material to accompany all of the intense beach bumming and lounging around drinking cappuccinos that we were doing.  Luckily, we happened across Atlantis Books – just down the street from our hotel in Oia – that had a great little selection of novels in English, French, Spanish, Greek – you name it

 

2. Amoudi Bay

Take a stroll down to Amoudi Bay for dinner and enjoy the breathtaking sunset at Sunset Ammoudi Taverna.  It was impossible not to take countless photos here before we got settled in for a lovely dinner.  The friendly servers will take you over to select your fish (which was brought in by the fisherman earlier in the day) and it’s perfectly grilled, no frills, with some simple accoutrements.  We tried a fish that was new to the both of us – a white croaker – which was absolutely lovely (sort of similar to a sea bass). Go there. Enjoy.  Make reservations ahead of time if you want a better table next to the water.

3. Kamari Beach

For some very chill beach vibes, head over to Kamari Beach – on the eastern side of the island.  Since Santorini was formed from a volcano, the beaches aren’t as sandy as Mykonos, but Kamari’s coarse black sand beach was definitely still a lovely place to spend an afternoon laying out.  With a number of small beach clubs, restaurants, and hotels around, it’s easy to grab a bottle of wine to enjoy.  We rode there from our place in Oia by way of ATV and it only took about 30 minutes to get there.

4. Every Sunset From Everywhere
Sunset from literally everywhere and anywhere on the island is pure magic.  At first when we arrived, we’d enquired with our concierge what the best places were to go for sunset; they gave us some great dinner-with-a-view suggestions or go out on a boat suggestions, which all sounded great. Though to be honest, my favorite sunset was on our last evening there when we just picked up a great bottle of wine and climbed up to this cliffside to watch the no-bullshit-sun fall into the sea. 

5. Dinner at Andronis

Dinner at the Andronis boutique hotel’s Lycabettus was one of the most incredible gastronomic experiences I’ve ever had – which given my self-proclaimed foodie status is saying a lot.  We got a reservation for an evening during which they had a special fusion menu by Chef Alex Tsiotinis – a chef, native of Greece, with experiences at world-class restaurants all over the world.  The cuisine and wine were amazing, there were musicians playing live music, the view is indescribably gorgeous, and of course, the company even better.  
andronis_santorini

6. Make time for Fira

Though we stayed in Oia for most of our time on Santorini, a day trip to Fira was one of my favorites!  Because the island is so elevated and volcanic, seeing it from Fira was a lovely new perspective.  Also, there are some great restaurants and sites to see in Fira; I’m glad we didn’t miss it!

7. Hasapiko in Oia (aka Mary Kay)

“Mary Kay” is a local bar that was recommended to us by a server at Lycabettus.  TBQH, Santorini is full of honeymooners – which is lovely – but Noah and I were also just looking to have one night of super casual chill.  Glad we found Mary Kay.  Beware of all of the cigarette smoke inside the bar. 

8. Get Lost

The pristine white caves dwellings stacked along the slopes of Santorini, cut by the perfect sky and sea blues, makes it so easy to get lost in the picturesque streets and alleys – both in Oia and Fira.  You’ll notice a lot of dogs lounging around – enjoying the lovely island lifestyle.  Grab a gelato.  Stumble into a cute restaurant with a view – sit and enjoy.

  santorini summer

xx,

Huckleberry Kim

Song of the moment:

I found a new love and it is this song <3

Prawn Saganaki

Post-vacation depression is: 

The. Worst.

Mostly because, Sweetheart, everyday life is so far from sunshine, beaches and rosé all day – especially if you live in the SF Bay Area. But, more on that later.

I recently returned from two weeks in Greece where I adventured to different parts of the islands of Mykonos and Santorini on the back of an ATV, slept in a lot, read novels on the beach, and frolicked in the glorious sunshine and Agean Sea.  Despite the fact that Greek cuisine is absolutely delicious, my travel partner and I actually skipped a lot of meals to happily prioritize the aforementioned.  But on one of the few days we totally over-ate, we tried this traditional Greek dish that we saw everyone ordering at the restaurant – Argo – we’d been recommended to try during our exploration of Fira.

 It was Prawn Saganaki.

The name totally sounds like a Japanese cartoon that features a ninja shrimp as the main protagonist, amiright?  In any case, we became pretty obsessed.  And after the first bite, as expected, my Huckleberry mind was already picking apart how I could create this Greek magic wizardry.  Like, was it only good because we were deluded from drunk-on-vacation vibes with no expectations?

Prawn Saganaki

Spoiler:

It’s completely brilliant in real, non-vacation, life too!

Prawns with Heads

Huckleberry Kim’s Prawn Saganaki

Serves 3ish.

Ingredients:

Please note: I’m one of those people who cooks by feelies and to taste (and doesn’t usually measure things much); so most of the following measurements are estimates based upon how much I think I used.  Next time I make this dish, I might update this – but the following should be close! 

  • 6 large full-bodied prawns, and by that I mean with heads intact to their tails!

↑ The heads/bodies are super important for a truly prawny base – learnt from my time in Barcelona learning how to make paella ↑ ).

  • 6 medium-large shrimps

↑ Honestly, I think the supplemental shrimp can be of any size you’d like. I like to play with the juxtaposition of textures and things in meals because I’m a mad scientist, but you do you, Babe.  )

  • 3 cloves of garlic – minced
  • Half of an onion – chopped
  • 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
  • 4 tomatoes – chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
  • 1 cup of Greek feta
  • 3 tablespoons of honey
  • 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • A dash of cayenne pepper (optional, but do it like Guy Fieri would)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Parsley – chopped (optional, for garnish)

Directions:

  1. Heat up a skillet on medium-heat with your EVOO and add the chopped onions – cook until softened
  2. Add coconut oil and garlic – cook all until nicely browned
  3. *IMPORTANT: Peel the tails of the large prawns and squeeze their heads over the pan (some weird prawn brains will ooze into the pan) – reserve the prawns – still intact – for later
  4. Add tomatoes and optional tomato paste
  5. Cook down for 10-15 minutes – or until the garlic, onions, and tomatoes embrace each other like best friends
  6.  Add the large prawns and cook until less translucent – maybe 3 minutes
  7. Add the other shrimps
  8. Add in the honey, sugar, and cayenne – stir well
  9. Very gradually add in the feta while keeping the Saganaki moving around the pan – it will slowly melt to combine with the other ingredients #bffs
  10. Add salt and pepper to taste
  11. Optionally, garnish with chopped parsley 🙂

Served with some toasted brioche for mopping up all the goodness; though this would pair well with anything! I might try doing a pasta next time. Let me know what you think!

Have you ever made a dish you tried for the first time on a trip?  How did it work out?!

xo,

Huckleberry Kim

S O N G  O F  T H E  M O M E N T

#fbf: Lovable, Even At Your Worst

Huck in Tulum - old

About three years ago, I sat on the porch of this amazing beachfront bungalow soaking up the sunshine and yelling at Trigger to stay away from the stray perros that seemed to run the beach town of Tulum.  It was easy to fall in love with this place – in all its magic and perfection.  It is easy to love under the clearest skies & the most positive circumstances.

As of about three days ago, her staunch skeleton – having clearly been abandoned for some time – was all that remained.  Though her bones remain intact – undoubtedly surviving through many storms and wild inhabitants* – she is, now, definitely a ghost of her full and lively past.  I vividly recall: the cute young family that lived in one of the main yurts on the property – now gone.  No longer does she host young so-in-love couples ready to elope in her wake.   No longer is she as easy on the eyes nor so easy to be completely enamored by.  I took a moment to walk through, and at once felt both the soft ocean breeze and let the memories of those snapshots of a love-filled history drift past me and through her forsaken walls.  At once, my heart felt so full and an aching sense of loss.

IMG_4061

Looking at her now, some might think this little bungalow has let go her final death rattle, but I don’t think so.  I still love her, even in her imperfect dilapidated state.  She may never be a reoccupied nest of love (and impeccable design) that she once was; though even in her worst shape, one of the greatest loves I’ve ever known was still as inimitable and strong there 3 days ago as it was 3 years ago.

Sugar, if you won’t love something at its worst, you do not deserve it at its best. 

And if you are lucky enough to find that sort of great, amazingly powerful, true love for/from someone/thing – the kind that transcends time, struggles, challenges, and the worst parts of life – you should consider yourself extremely lucky.  I know that I do.

With all my heart,

Huckleberry Kim

(*re: wild inhabitants:  in its state now, I found some dead reptiles inside – potentially dragged in by some of those stray perros who still run the town (lol); three years ago, I’d crawled up to the loft space to surprise Tom after he’d run out to the car to grab something…but rather than surprise him, I was surprised by the giant opossum waiting up in the loft for me #terrifying)

sound of the moment:

the smiths – there is a light that never goes out

Sunset Sunset

Whether we wake up at dawn to climb up to a rooftop in Chelsea, climb over fences into the East River, or climb up steep San Francisco hills, Mitch and I have made some epic sunrise shoots happen over the last few years.  A few weeks ago, we were back on the west coast again, and this time we decided to take on the sunset in San Francisco’s Sunset district to catch our wonderful star disappearing into the Pacific.  I’m usually still working while the sun goes down, so it was an extra special treat to get to do this! Checkout some fave selects, outfit details, and a song of the moment below <3

Photography by Mitch Blummer

pinkAF

what i wore:

| off the shoulder sweater – sold out (similar) | topshop jeans | loeffler randall sneakers – sold out (similar) |

chunky grey off the shoulder sweaters:

High-top slip ons:

Distressed boyfriend jeans:

song of the moment:

Feels, Kiiara (+ a favorite remix)

| I have way too many feels, way too much emotion | I don’t even know what’s real |

xx,

Huckleberry Kim