우경 sprained her ankle yesterday by falling down. So we ended up not meeting up at MFA. But she kept walking around on it when she should not. It was swollen by the time I saw it. My mom told me if it is a sprain (no broken bones) then this can be done to reduce swelling and bruising. Take a little bit of alcohol (drinking) and mix in some sugar. Mix it to dissolve and then have someone else (not yourself) rub it in "hard" for a few minutes. I did it for three minutes. But I tried to ice it up beforehand. (It still hurt alot!)

Well over night, the swelling was greatly reduced and only see light pink (no bruising colors of yellow, purple, red). It is a trick I learned from my mom. I had personally sprained my ankles many times growing up. The times my mom did not rub it with the Chinese medicine (though the alcohol sugar solution does the trick too), I suffered longer with swelling and bruising.

영복아! 고마워! Always good to catch up with pals! Almost one year ago I met one of my pals through a language partner's bday (one and only Beantown bday bash). He was the lil bro of his best friend! We became friends and I was his only language partner.

Thanks to technology,  he won't SKYPE but he will do Kakaotalk/ FB Chat because he won't have to speak English. A sophomore, he wants to come back to Boston for JR at BU. (He misses us here in Beantown.) Like all other friends from abroad, they have a tough time and miss their own food, friends and family. So I try to help planning activities or meeting up with them. But in the end when they get back home, they always say they miss Beantown. (I like to think the people too!)

I cannot wait to try his mom's new Japanese/KR fusion place or check out the sandwich place in Gangnam too. He said he knows alot of good places to eat he wants to tell me or introduce me to when I am in South Korea. I cannot wait! (I won't have enough time which makes me sad!)

It was good to catch up as he NEVER emails. But he is studying and got good results from his recent midterms last month, so I am happy.

Take care my friend!

A Food Aficionado: Make Life Sweeter… Eat Dessert First!

by Anna Ing SAMPAN NOV 4, 2011

Locals in the know have heard of restaurateur, cook book author, pastry chef and owner of Flour Bakery and Café’s Joanne Chang, who has supplied Beantown’s sweet tooth for over a decade with her decadent yet wonderful food and baked goods.

A Harvard graduate with a double major in Applied Math and Economics, she diligently worked as a consultant in a large international management firm for two years While there, she soon realized that her passion was in baking and not in consulting. Leaving her stable job, she decided to work towards her dream of opening her own bakery.

To Bostonian’s luck and fortune, Joanne worked and learned the trade from the ground up; first as an apprentice starting out as a bar food cook and then rising through the ranks and learning pastry and dessert making in both Boston and New York. All the while acquiring valuable industry experience.

Photo by Anna Ing

After her stint at the famous Payard Bakery in Manhattan, she then returned to Boston and opened her first Flour Bakery and Café just over 11 years ago in the then up-and-coming edge of the South End, close to Mass Avenue. Since then, Flour has blossomed with two more locations opening up in Fort Point Channel and in Central Square.

Flour Bakery and Café is most famous for their delectable Sticky Buns ($2.95 each) which were showcased on the Food Network’s famed-celebrity-chef Bobby Flay’s show, “Throwdown with Bobby Flay”. Of course, she won! Plus these delicious treats sell out quickly! (Here’s a helpful tip: customers can call to reserve some to pick up later.) Each Sticky Bun has a generous amount of toasted pecans and “goo” aka the sticky sweet caramel sauce which tastes wonderful over the soft, not overly flaky or buttery brioche bread. Washing down all this sticky, sweet goodness with milk is mandatory for me! More recently I discovered Sticky Buns Bread Pudding (not always available) which are also amazing! This combination of eggs and Sticky Buns is a great treat that has a sweet caramel sauce mellowed with a tasty and more custard like edge. Great stuff!

All of Flour’s mouth-watering baked goods are worth every bite! Favorites such as their Carrot Cake made with raisins, walnuts and spices are wonderful but the best part is the sweet cream cheese frosting. Or check out their yummy Banana Bread ($2.25 each slice) which is packed full of the sweetness from ripe bananas and crunch from the walnut bits. Also available are croissants, tarts, cakes, cookies, muffins and other baked goodies, too.

Each location also offers refreshments: a wide variety teas, coffees, milk and juices. All of their sandwiches, soups and salads are made fresh and taste delicious plus the menu has everything well labeled as vegan, gluten free, and vegetarian friendly. Each of the three locations is set in a bright and cozy setting with a black board that has a quote of the day as well as the weather forecast written down. Their talented staff (some of whom are talented bakers too) are friendly and knowledgeable. Flour Bakery and Café is a Boston favorite and a must for me to bring out of town friends to for a little taste of sweetness while exploring Boston! Joanne’s favorite motto is very appropriate,” Make life sweeter…eat dessert first!”