food blahg

I can take you to Cheddar Bay.

2012-01-21T02:02:00.000-08:00

I've been there. And it is glorious.

Even haters will admit that Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits are bomb. And if you haven't tried them, you'll just have to trust me. Believe in the Biscuit.

RL's biscuits are more ~~scone-shaped~~ blob-shaped, but I personally love using a biscuit cutter for these. They puff up to reveal the cheesy, flaky and buttery layers. The baked biscuit is also easier to split for adding a dab of butter. Not that it needs it really, but who doesn't like their biscuit buttered?

Definitely use both a baking mix for the base AND buttermilk.

Take Me Away to Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Yield: 12-14 Biscuits

2 ½ cups Trader Joe’s Buttermilk Pancake/Baking Mix
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
4 tablespoons cold butter (1/2 stick), cut into small pieces
1 to 1 ¼ cup grated cheddar cheese
¾ cup cold buttermilk

To brush on top:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Stir together baking mix and garlic powder. Add pieces of cold butter to mix and combine using a pastry cutter or two knives. Do this until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with small pieces of butter throughout. Add the shredded cheese and stir to combine.

Add buttermilk to the mixture, a little at a time, while stirring together with a fork. Stir until just combined; do not over-mix. Use your hand if needed to help the mixture come together.

Turn the dough out onto a floured workspace and knead the mixture gently a few times. Roll out the dough using a well-floured rolling pin to ½-inch thickness. Cut out biscuits using a 2-inch round biscuit cutter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spaced 1 inch apart. Knead leftover scraps together and repeat until all dough is used. (This is where you'll have an opportunity to get a couple blob-shaped biscuits. I hate wasting biscuit dough! Just don't do it.)

Stir together melted butter, garlic salt and garlic powder in a small bowl and brush mixture on top of biscuits using a pastry brush. If desired, sprinkle top of biscuits with a little freshly ground black pepper.

Bake for 11-14 minutes, or until tops and bottoms of biscuits are golden brown.

Serve warm.

Next stop: Cheddar Bay. Bon voyage/appetit!

MMMMANGOES.

2011-05-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: I wrote this blog post back in March, but didn't publish it because I wanted to explain where the heck I've been all this time first. Well it turned out that I didn't even have time to tell you I haven't had time to blog (except I just did, I guess). So here's a post about mangoes instead.

A couple weekends ago I was suckered into buying 11 mangoes while making a trip to Kmart for some necessities. As one of my favorite fruits, mangoes could be considered a necessity. Probably not 11 of them, but that's how the guys were selling them.

Yes, I bought them from guys that were selling them out of the back of a van along with oranges (they are there every weekend and seem to have more fruit offerings every time I go -- this past weekend, they had pineapples!).

They were all extremely ripe (in fact, that's why I bought them -- I couldn't resist after sampling a wedge), so I had to figure out how to use them up before they went bad. I took this as an opportunity to use them in dishes I've always wanted to try out but never have because every time my family has bought mangoes, we just cut them up and simply eat them as is, or with mom-made rujak, as Indonesians often do.

Because I've mentioned it: Rujak is a spicy and sweet condiment/sauce made from ground tamarind and hot red chilies. It looks like brown sludge, but is terrific with juicy and fresh veggies and fruits, like jicama, pineapple or mmmango. Also, it is best when made by Indonesian moms that are related to me.

Anyway, since I didn't have any rujak on hand, I decided to make the following with my mango bounty:

Mahi-mahi tacos with mango-cucumber salsa
Mango-tango sorbet

I also made tandoori chicken with mango-jasmine rice, but basically followed this recipe. And I cut up the rest of the MMMMANGOES to eat as is. So sweet and juicy and delicious.

Recipes after the jump!

Mahi-Mahi Tacos with Mango-Cucumber Salsa
(Makes 8 tacos)

1 lb mahi-mahi fillets, cut evenly into 4 pieces
Salt and pepper
Juice of half a lime or lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil (I used garlic-infused EVOO)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
8 oz shredded cabbage
16 white corn tortillas
Crumbled cotija cheese

For the salsa:
1 to 2 large, ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Half a cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 a small red onion, diced
Half a jalapeño, minced
1 large garlic clove, minced
Juice of half a lime or lemon
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste

First, combine all ingredients for the salsa. Cover and refrigerate.

Whisk juice of half a lemon or lime with the olive oil. Carefully add about 1-2 tablespoons of the liquid from the mango salsa; whisk to combine.

Season each side of the mahi-mahi fillets with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Place fillets on a foil- or parchment-lined sheet pan and drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of the citrus and olive oil dressing.

Bake fish in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes, or until tender and flaky.

While the fish is cooking in the oven, run through the shredded cabbage with your knife a few times and place in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of cilantro and toss together with the citrus and olive oil dressing in a bowl until lightly and evenly coated. Set aside.

(Optional) Heat the corn tortillas directly on a gas range set on medium heat and keep warm on a plate, covered with foil. Or if you have an electric range like I do, wrap the tortillas loosely in foil and place in the oven for about 5 minutes.

Now it's time to build a taco! Stack 2 of the corn tortillas, about 1 ounce of the shredded cabbage mixture, 2 ounces of flaked mahi-mahi, 2 tablespoons of mango salsa, and a sprinkling of cotija cheese. And repeat!

Team up these tacos with some rice, beans or veggies.

Mango Tango Sorbet
2 large, ripe mangoes

1 cup water

3/4 cup sugar
1-2 teaspoons tangelo or tangerine zest
1/4 cup tangelo or tangerine juice

In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Heat over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, and then cover and refrigerate.

Meanwhile, peel and cube the mangoes. Place mango in a bowl; cover and refrigerate.

Process cooled mango and syrup in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add zest and juice and pulse a few times to combine. Cover and refrigerate this entire mixture for at least 3 hours. It is important for the mixture be as cold as possible (without being frozen) before being poured into the ice cream maker.

Pour chilled mixture into an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze at least 2 hours before serving.

(Sorry these photos are pathetic. I used my phone!)

Veggie storage.

2010-09-09T20:48:00.000-07:00

Today in Totally Unnecessary But Irresistible Kitchen Splurges:

These adoooooorable containers from Cost Plus World Market.

They actually weren't that much (I can already hear the scoldings from my sister and boyfriend); they were $12 for all three and you can buy them separately! And I can use them to store salads and things I make using veggies and herbs from my garden! For a picnic or potluck! Yay! Exclamation points!

Where I've been.

2010-08-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

Because it's obvious I haven't been here, at my blog.

Well, I took a trip to Seattle.

Pike Place was my Favorite Place. More photos from my Seattle foodventures soon!

Spent a weekend sipping wines in Santa Barbara.

Beautiful Sanford Winery. And delicious Sanford wines.

But mostly, I've been in my little balcony, tending to my little garden.

Now, I'm notoriously terrible at gardening -- an attribute that is known by former roommates, old co-workers, friends and family. But I love the concept of growing one's own food. I love working the soil with my fingers, planting a tiny seed, and waiting patiently for it to grow into a beautiful plant. I love thinking about Mother Nature's amazing ability to do this. And I love semi-frightening people with my hippie talk.

Many, many times I have tried and failed to grow plants (and keep them alive). Herb garden kits, tulips, even bamboo plants have suffered and died from my gardening inability. But with a little inspiration and encouragement from my co-worker, whom I now call my "garden godmother," I decided to give it another go.

I started with edamame seeds I had bought in Japan a year ago. I was amazed and encouraged when they germinated quickly and grew so rapidly (considering they had been dormant for more than a year). They were doing incredibly well for a very long time, until...

Still clinging to life.

They got attacked by what I later figured out were leaf miner bugs (awful tiny things that burrow inside the leaves of the plant). I also read somewhere that edamame plants apparently need a soil depth of at least 13-15 inches. My poor plants, which were in a 5-inch planter, were seriously suffering from lack of soil nutrients. And I probably overwatered them, too. Oops.

BUT I was able to harvest four little pods from my entire set of plants. I steamed them quickly in the microwave and the beans were so sweet and tasty. They may have tasted just as good as a frozen bag of edamame from Trader Joe's, but I had to give myself a little pat on the back for keeping something alive long enough to produce something that was actually edible.

The edamame plants eventually died, but I've learned from my mistakes and I'm totally encouraged to try again. In the meantime, I've been growing, from transplants, strawberries (regular and alpine), purple basil, Italian parsley, piquin peppers and a variety of succulents.

My sempervivum tectorum began flowering!

I'm also growing daisies, sweet pea and cilantro from seed, and sweet basil from cuttings. One of my strawberry plants even produced a baby plant from a runner!

So, I guess the point of this post is: I'm sorry I haven't been blogging because I've been gardening, but really I'm not sorry because gardening is awesome and everyone should totally feel encouraged to garden and grow their own food.

Also, I'll post a wrap-up of my Seattle trip next.

Crushin'.

2010-07-01T02:11:00.000-07:00

Sooooooo. This post is a week late. When does the busy craziness end? Please someone tell me so I can comfort and reassure my lonely blog.

Also, now I'm in Seattle. Vacationing and enjoying the lovely city, the clean air, the trees (SoCal is SoNot as green as Seattle), and of course the FOOD. More updates on Seattle later. First: Back to OC.

Thanks to an invite from awesome OC blogger and food blahg reader Suz (Alive in Wonderland), I attended a BlogCrush event at Lazy Dog Cafe in Irvine, where we were treated to menu items selected by executive chef Gabriel Caliendo.

Favorites (and definitely things I would get again):
Togarashi edamame - soybeans made even more addictive with a slightly spicy seasoning
Shanghai tacos (lettuce cups) - savory and refreshing
Wok-fired calamari - crispy, spicy and sweet
Spicy Moroccan chicken and couscous - only tried the couscous, but would have been content laying my face in the plate

I was also at Lazy Dog for lunch that day (inadvertently booked lunch and dinner plans at the same restaurant) and got -- and loved -- the chicken salad sandwich and parmesan zucchini fries. I'd probably have no problem eating at the Lazy Dog Cafe for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Too bad they're not open for breakfast.

Now: Back to Seattle! Food updates soon, hopefully.

* * *
Lazy Dog Cafe (The Market Place)
13290 Jamboree Rd
Irvine 92602
714.731.9700

I want to hug my Crock-Pot.

2010-06-13T23:55:00.000-07:00

I've been trying hard to get into the habit of posting more frequently, but have been distracted with my TV show obsessions as of late. Luckily, they've all finished up their seasons, so I can finally get back to my LIFE. And this blog.

This slow-cooker stroganoff was something I made a while back, when it was probably a bit cooler. But with June gloom in full swing, a warm, meaty plate of slow-cooked beef and pasta is totally appropriate for dinner, I say.

Beef Stroganoff (recipe adapted from Everyday Food)

2-3 pounds beef chuck (with decent marbling), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 sweet brown onion, chopped
2/3 pounds white button mushrooms, trimmed and halved
1/3 pounds cremini mushrooms, trimmed and halved
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Cooked egg noodles, rotini, or other short pasta
Chopped fresh dill, for garnish

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, toss beef, onion and mushrooms with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Turn off or keep on warm.

In a 2-cup heatproof measuring cup, stir cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Ladle about a cup of cooking liquid into measuring cup, whisk to combine. Pour mixture into a small saucepan over medium-low heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 minute, until smooth and thickened. Pour cornstarch mixture into slow cooker and stir well. Stir in sour cream and Dijon mustard.

Serve beef over noodles and garnish generously with dill and a dollop of sour cream, if desired (and you will desire it).

* * *
Bonus: A short play about me and Crock-Pots. Based on a true story.

Walking through Target with her boyfriend, IV spots a Crock-Pot on sale.

IV: OOOO!

G: But ... you already have a Crock-Pot.

IV: But THIS one has a digital timer!

G: You just said the other day you wanted to hug your Crock-Pot after it worked all day and made some delicious beef stroganoff for you. And this is how you show your appreciation?

(After a long pause.)

IV: Fine. (Another pause.) I'm sorry.

G: Don't apologize to me.

Later, at home, Inez hugs her Crock-Pot tenderly.

Annnd scene.

WWYD (FAKB)?

2010-05-26T23:06:00.000-07:00

Things I would do(oo-oo) for a Neapolitan Klondike bar:

1. Tweet about craving it after hearing about Neapolitan Klondikes from the helpful mustached fellow employed at my local Paper Source.

2. Visit KlondikeBar.com and use its store locator in an attempt to find the Neapolitan bars, only to discover the closest store that carries them is located 50 miles away; tweet about my disappointment.

3. Say YES PLEASE after the kind folks at Klondike offered to me, on Twitter, a "free one-time shipment" of Neapolitan Klondikes in response to aforementioned tweet.

4. Stumble out of bed the next morning to accept a big cold package packed with dry ice while addressing my mother's quizzical stares.

5. Completely disregard my dentist's recommendations to eat only soft, lukewarm foods after getting my wisdom tooth pulled that same day.

6. Substitute my breakfast for one the following day.

7. Begin working on a strategy to somehow obtain future boxes of Neapolitan Klondikes.

(Unique) LA day.

2010-05-03T22:20:00.000-07:00

Being primarily an OC gal, I don't get to explore LA all that often. But my cousin lives and goes to school there, and she is the perfect excuse to visit. Also, she knows her way about town, and I get to be her chauffeur for a day. It's a win for all.

I had scheduled an "LA day" on my calendar not really sure what was in store. But I did know that we were going to start the day with grilled cheese. I had been looking forward to this for weeks. Clementine was having "Grilled Cheese Month" specials the whole month of April, and I was lucky to make it for the final weekend.

Behold the baked potato melt:

Potato, bacon, broccoli and cheesy goodness between two slices of potato dill bread. I was able to eat about a third of the sandwich before my appetite succumbed to its richness and I could not take one more bite. Eating a tuna-cheddar salad and part of my cousin's ham and Gruyère on pretzel bread probably had something to do with that, too.

Also, the sweet homemade pickles. Delicious. Take it from someone who hates pickles. Or don't. It's up to you. (But seriously, eat the pickles.)

Our bellies quite content, we boxed our leftovers and were headed to our next stop: the Unique LA expo. This show features clothes, art, jewelry, awesome things, etc. from hundreds of independent local designers and artists. And, of course, it's fun for foodies, too.

Yummy things we saw:

Friggen' cute plush fruit by Janie XY.

Graze reusable sandwich/snack bags.

Sugars and herb packets by Backyard in a Jar.

Yummy things we ate:

An avocado vanilla popsicle from the Popshop. My cousin had lime mint mojito.

A CoolHaus snickerdoodle and candied bacon ice cream sandwich. (Yes, we had ice cream and ice cream.)

Flying Pig's smoked chicken and short rib "tacos." I had only a bite of the chicken, and all I can say is: This truck better be coming to OC soon.

P.O.P. Candy's rich, buttery toffee. The thyme, walnut and cherries one was my favorite.

Yummy things I brought home with me:

An adorable steppie art print for my kitchen.

Strawberry chipotle jam by Backyard in a Jar. It's sweet with just the right amount of heat. It's been a little over a week and the jar's almost finished.

A Subeco shirt. For every shirt they sell, they plant a tree in the rain forest!

Yay LA!

Identity crisis now averted.

2010-04-26T23:37:00.000-07:00

Question: What do you think Val is short for? Valerie? Valkyrie? Val Kilmer?

If you guessed any of these, I'm afraid you are incorrect. (I bet a few of you out there were kinda maybe hoping for Val Kilmer. Don't lie.)

The truth is, Val is a pseudonym. Well actually, it's kind of a pseudonym. It's a pseudo-pseudonym. Because it isn't completely fictitious.

Val is short for Valentina, my middle name. My first name is Inez.

There. It's out. You know my real first name.

I know it may not seem like that big of a deal (and many of you have already known), but it has been kind of a big deal for me. When I created this blog, I wanted to keep it completely separate from other aspects of my life (namely, my job). I wanted to be almost anonymous. That's why I went with Val: a shortened, ambiguous version of my middle name. Val was an alter ego, an online identity I hid behind to allow me to indulge in, without holding back even one tiny bit, what has been a serious passion of mine for years: food. Cooking food, eating food, rambling about food, food and more food.

But I'm outing myself now for these reasons:

(Most importantly,) I realized Val, this blog, and @myabsentmind do not make up an alter ego. This is me. And I don't want to be anonymous anymore. This is who I am, and I'm proud of it. YAY.
People in my personal life who later found my blog kept asking me why I posted as Val. I'm over explaining it, and the reason is no longer valid (as previously stated).
Many of the people I interact with at work already know about this blog anyway.
I was getting seriously annoyed with myself and my Val/Inez inconsistency in posting comments on other food blogs (Food Frenzy, Monster Munching, Furey and the Feast -- my favorite OC blogs). Sidenote: My photo of smoky beef stew with blue cheese and chives was totally on Food Frenzy a couple months back.
I love my first name. Kudos to my mama on that one.

So, that's pretty much it. Thanks for putting up with that, and sorry I kind of rambled. But that's how I do. That's why this is called food 'blah'g. (blah blah blah blah..)

This is my last blog entry posting as Val.

Wait for it...

2010-04-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

This blog is coming back on or before May 1.

Get ready.

Happy New Year.

2010-01-19T11:26:00.000-08:00

Here's to the start of a new decade!

And yes, this blog is still alive. But with a faint pulse for now.

All I want for Christmas...

2009-12-07T01:03:00.000-08:00

I have decided that I ~~want~~ need the following items for Christmas:

A paella pan. Crate & Barrel, $30. With it, I will make Christmas paella. And/or New Year's paella.

And (of course), this paella cookbook. Amazon.com, $12.89 ($18.95 list price).

Ad Hoc at Home, by Thomas Keller. Amazon.com, $29.25 ($50 list price). Visit one of my favorite blogs, Furey and the Feast, for a recipe for brownies from this cookbook.

This deep-dish red lasagna baker. Cost Plus World Market, $20.

This ridiculously expensive Emile Henry pie dish (although this can wait as my mom recently discovered and gave to me a lovely blue Chantal pie dish among her seemingly endless supply of dishware/bakeware). Williams-Sonoma, $44.

Lunchbox Project prints by Lisa Orgler (in love with these right now). Etsy.com, $15.50.

Also, I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin chocolate fleck sugar cookies.

2009-11-10T22:47:00.000-08:00

I meant to make these for Halloween.

Actually.. I've been meaning to make sugar cookies for Halloween for at least the past three years, ever since I bought Halloween cookie-cutters at a post-Halloween sale at Crate and Barrel. Those post-holiday sales are so very dangerous. My cookie cutter and cupcake liner collections are proof.

Anywho, as I had written in my last post, I have been doing a whole lot of pumpkin-hankerin' lately. And I wanted to make jack-o-lantern pumpkin sugar cookies that actually tasted like pumpkin. So here's a tried and true sugar cookie recipe from one of my favorite cookbook authors, Carole Walter, altered a bit with a little pumpkin-chocolate pizazz.

These cookies are sugar cookies with a hint of pumpkin -- not anything like pumpkin drop cookies that have more of a cakey texture. Also, I'm pretty particular about my sugar roll-out cookies. They've got to be firm (though not dry), and they've got to hold their shape -- 'cause cookies that spread out into indistinguishable blobs bug me.

But these.. these make me grin.

Pumpkin Chocolate Fleck Sugar Cookies
Adapted from "Classic Sugar Cookies," Great Cookies, Carole Walter

3 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (plus more if needed)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly firm
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup finely shaved semisweet chocolate
1 large egg white, lightly beaten with 2 teaspoons water

To decorate:
Sparkling white sugar OR
Icing of various colors (made with confectioner's sugar and a bit of milk)

1. Strain together flour, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar on medium-low.
3. Beat the egg and vanilla together and mix into the butter-sugar mixture. Add the canned pumpkin. Mix in the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing just until combined.
4. Measure out about 1/4 the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly knead the chocolate into the dough, being careful to not overwork.
5. Empty out the rest of the dough onto the floured surface and lightly knead the all the dough together three or four times to create a marbled effect. Divide into quarters and shape into four disks. Wrap each disk with plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.

6. Using one disk at a time, roll the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut using various cookie cutters and transfer the cookies to a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Brush tops lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with sparkling sugar if desired.
7. Bake the cookies in a 350 degree oven for 12-14 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Remove from oven and wait a few minutes before moving the cookies to a cooling rack. Wait until cookies are completely cool before decorating with icing, if desired.

These were yummy, but I think I'd prefer them just a tad sweeter. I might try adding 1/4 cup brown sugar next time, see what that does.

Summer and fall obsessions.

2009-11-03T23:58:00.000-08:00

Hello! I'm slowly resurfacing and it's taken longer than expected. But, here we go. Up and at 'em.

Let's see. I think I still had a few posts left on Japan, but it's friggen' November for Pete's sake. I might do a wrap-up later.

For now: A few summer obsessions that have trickled into fall.

YummyEarth Organic Hot Chili Pops

Particularly, the Chili Mango Mambo pop -- a sweet, fruity sucker with a hot chili kick. And it's organic and natural and made with real, good stuff. Win! I get them at my local Sprouts.

Breyers Rocky Road Ice Cream

I practically lived off this during the hot summer months. I originally thought I liked Breyers ice cream in only strawberry and mint chocolate chip, and that the more traditional, richer ice creams just weren't.. rich enough. But their good ol' rocky road proved me wrong. Maybe it's just 'cause Breyers makes rocky road just the way I like it -- marshmallow swirl instead of whole marshmallows (a pet peeve of mine), chocolate-covered toasted almonds instead of just plain nuts, all in creamy chocolate ice cream. Mmm mm.

Pumpkin and chocolate

Oh, man. I have been craving this combo like mad recently. My boyfriend even offered to stack a brownie on top of a slice of pumpkin pie to help satisfy my craving, and I probably would have eaten it if it weren't for the root canal I had earlier that day.

Terrible experience, by the way, that root canal. I do not recommend it.

Rutabegorz has pretty much saved my life on more than one occasion with its gargantuan iced pumpkin cookie. It is thick and soft, almost cake-like, and my attempts to savor it slowly are always met with utter failure. I only wish chocolate milk was at the ready to wash it down.

The other weekend, I trekked out to Claremont for Some Crust Bakery's pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

These are perfection -- the texture emulates a chocolate chip cookie over pumpkin cake, and the chips are always warm and gooey. I wanted to buy a hundred of them, but I walked away with only two. Whyyy did I buy only two?

It's ok though, because the following week I made these:

Pumpkin whoopie pies. Here's the recipe on MarthaStewart.com. When making the cookies, drop the batter in little spoonfuls unless you are planning to undertake whoopie pies the size of burgers.

I have been going pumpkin crazy -- expect future pumpkin posts.

Hi!

2009-09-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

..atus. As in: hiatus. As in: this blog is taking a break (if you couldn't already tell), until October! See you then!

Happy belated anniversary to me.

2009-08-31T13:57:00.001-07:00

I missed my own blog's anniversary by more than a week! I am ashamed. I can't believe I've had this blog for two years. I've had some big ideas for it mulling around in my head lately. I wonder if they will ever come to fruition. Only time will tell.

Thanks to all for reading!

Earth's bounty. On a tiny little island.

2009-07-23T00:07:00.000-07:00

If you ever venture to Yoron, you simply must experience the fresh, wholesome, organic goodness that is Sharon Fruit and Herb Garden Restaurant.

This restaurant is situated on an organic farm, and wouldn't you know it, all the fruits and vegetables and herbs come directly from the farm. The farm right outside the restaurant's doors. The farm that is tended to everyday by the happy people of Yoron. And by the happy kids of Yoron, who come to the farm from the neighboring preschool to learn about how veggies and fruits and plants grow.

I just loved it. All of it.

On to the actual eats: to start off, we had two kinds of pizza -- one with corn and ham, the other with calimari and shrimp and peppers. You can start off any meal with pizza, I think. Especially if they taste like these did.

Then, spaghetti with pork belly and fresh okra, onion and tomato.

And just in case we weren't stuffed from the huge mounds of pasta, they gave us little sandwiches, too. These were as simple and as scrumptious as can be.

Dessert was just amazing: fresh mango pudding. SO fresh, and you could taste it. I felt like I was eating the mango straight off the tree.

And finally: refreshing homemade papaya soda.

And something that isn't shown here: fresh lemongrass herb tea. Made from fresh lemongrass. That is GROWN, right THERE, in the gardens outside. That they hand-picked just for us. You just can't get any fresher than that.

I tasted Earth's bounty that day. And it was delicious.

Don and don. (But not done.)

2009-07-14T23:19:00.000-07:00

First, I have to disclose that I am no longer in Japan (unfortunately). I've been back for a few weeks now, but there was too much good food consumed to stop blogging about it! So bear with me as I hammer out these last few posts.

During our stay at Yoron Island, a tiny little island near Okinawa, we frequented a delicious little restaurant in town run by by the nicest Yoronese couple you might ever meet.

A small group of just strolled in one night, stuffed our faces, and in appreciation, brought back our friends a few more times to partake in the tasty local grub-eating.

A sampling of what was devoured:

Ten-don -- tempura (with the dipping sauce IN the batter) over rice.

Katsu-don -- breaded pork cutlet over rice.

Gyu-don -- beef and soft-cooked egg and onions over rice.

Wow.

That's a lot of don. I ate a ton of don in Yoron. I realize this just now. Well, can you blame me? It's yummy, comforting, cheap cheap, and filling. We did a TON of walking. I needed don, for the energy and sustenance. Yes, that's right.

I probably didn't need this homemade gyoza, but I sure as hell wanted it.

Take me back! I'm overdue for my don.

Markets in downtown Naha, Okinawa.

2009-06-14T08:28:00.000-07:00

Glorious sensory overload, especially for seafood lovers:

Mini mangoes! Together now: Awwww.

An Okinawan specialty: Taco rice.

Miso that resembles salsa:

I picked up this strange fruit: kanisuteru. The flesh was sweet, soft and starchy, and tasted similar to chestnuts.

Mango Tango ice cream from Blue Seal -- how Okinawans do ice cream.

Multi-course meal at Ichi No Yuu.

2009-06-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

Our hotel in Hakone, Ichi No Yuu, served up some of the tastiest dishes ever for dinner, which came with our stay. This was one of the best meals of the trip thus far.

Fried unagi salad appetizer.

Delicate, custardy tofu with shrimps.

Cold buckwheat udon noodles.

The main course: sliced, steamed pork belly.

..With ponzu. I was in heaven.

Smoked salmon with wasabi spinach.

No meal is complete without steamed rice.

It just kept on coming: scallop fishcake with nori and mushrooms.

And for dessert: Fresh yuzu sorbet with pieces of candied yuzu peel.

We also had a multi-course breakfast the next day. Mmm!

Shiso kamaboko from Hakone.

2009-06-10T23:06:00.000-07:00

This was just a little ball of fishcake goodness with bits of shiso.

Sensei shared her bag of kamaboko (fishcake) with us. I was going to get my own, but we would have missed our train. Hakone is known for its kamaboko.

Serious comfort food.

2009-06-10T22:08:00.000-07:00

Delicious shio ramen from a little dive in Chidori-cho in Tokyo, near our hotel.

I feel like I haven't eaten enough ramen on this trip. I've only had it twice. Blasphemy!

Pork katsu curry rice from Coco Curry House in Shibuya. The curry had bits of tender meat.

I finished it ALL.

More food on-the-go.

2009-06-07T00:28:00.000-07:00

We're traveling around a ton, so a lot of the food I've been picking up comes from the konbini (convenience stores), train stations, food stands, etc.

A mixed sandwich box right before we're about to hop on the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Hakone.

Ham and cheese, egg salad, and tuna. I tasted a hint of curry in the wheat-looking bread.

By the way, looking at this photo again is making me crave American food. A really big, cheesy slice of pizza sounds so good right now.

Harajuku crêpe.

2009-06-07T00:19:00.000-07:00

This is the filling of a stuffed crêpe, obtained in the Harajuku district of Tokyo.

Fresh strawberries, strawberry pudding, whipped cream, and rice dumplings. I wolfed this puppy down, and then I craved another. Are ichigo (strawberries) sweeter in Japan?

They just do some things a little better here.

2009-06-02T09:18:00.000-07:00

Things eaten in Japan I just can't get in the States.

McDonald's McFlurry (makkufuruurii) with real strawberries and crushed Oreos.

Makku also cooks eggs perfectly -- as in: soft to medium, and not rubbery and overcooked -- for their breakfast sandwiches. Yes, I went there. So?

Thick and luscious mango gelato in a waffle cone from 7/11.

EDIBLE -- and delicious -- chirashi-zushi bowls from your local supermarkets and convenience stores.

Balls of fruity sorbet from Circle K.

As much as I love food back home, I know I'll seriously miss this stuff when I return.

Nishiki Market in Kyoto.

2009-06-02T08:23:00.000-07:00

Biking allows for fantastic exploration. In Kyoto, I rented a bike and decided to find Nishiki Market, which I read about in my travel book. Tucked away between residential alleyways, the market takes up a couple blocks and, according to the book, is where chefs and cooks go for fresh ingredients and supplies.

I could totally imagine myself living in Kyoto and biking to this market regularly.

By the way, you know the scene in Kill Bill when The Bride gazes lovingly at Hattori Hanzo's collection of katanas, while angelic music provides the soundtrack? That is similar to what I felt looking at these knives.

As I was wandering around, I passed by a vendor selling various yakitori and fried things on sticks. They pulled me aside, quite forcefully, for a sample of fried unagi (eel).

I was so glad they did.

Umakute Bikkuri.

2009-05-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what this is. The box says umakute bikkuri. All I know is that I waited 15 minutes in line for them and it was worth it.

I determined that they were pancakes filled with mung bean/azuki (red bean), with a roasted chestnut in the middle of each.

They were delicious, sweet, and warm, and drew a consistently long line. I picked them up at the lower level of Kyoto Station's vast food market. I had been trying to figure out what to eat and I think I made the right decision.

Hidden okonomiyaki.

2009-05-28T05:46:00.001-07:00

After today, I've noted to myself to continue tagging along with Sensei, who can chat it up with shuttle bus drivers who tip us off to hidden okonomiyaki restaurants and drop us off there instead of at the intended stop at the train station.

The tiny restaurant was tucked away in the middle of a narrow alleyway in Kyoto -- we as gaijin (foreigners) would never have been able to stumble upon this ourselves without the help of locals.

Okonomiyaki with buta (pork) and soba noodles, cabbage, fried egg and sweet and spicy sauces.

One of my classmates got it with ika (squid), which I liked better. But both were oishi katta (delicious!).

Bakeries at Tokyo station.

2009-05-28T05:46:00.000-07:00

There are too many bakeries here. I need to try my best to not stop at all of them, because I'd seriously get so left behind.

Stella's Kitchen.

Andersen Bakery.

Sesame bun with Gruyere and French toast.

Fairycake Fair.

Airplane food.

2009-05-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm even documenting the airplane food. Wow.

Unagi-don (eel over rice), served with cold soba noodles and dipping sauce, a piece of California roll, seaweed salad and shrimp.

As much as I enjoyed it, I hope it's only the least interesting meal of my trip.

Sayonara, and um.. bon appétit.

2009-05-24T18:41:00.000-07:00

(How do you say that in Japanese?)

I've been keeping a secret: I'm headed to Japan tomorrow for about three and a half weeks.

But this actually is good news for this blog, because I am taking my laptop with me and plan to post here as I eat my way through Japan. I am sure to be inspired as Japanese cuisine is probably my favorite.

Japan, HERE I COME!

Corn bliss.

2009-05-17T00:44:00.000-07:00

I waited way too long to check out Mil Jugos in Santa Ana since reading this review on Food Frenzy/Gluttonista. What was wrong with me? Because these arepas -- little stuffed corncake sandwiches -- are just too good to miss out on.

The reina papeada arepa comes warm and crispy around the edges, overstuffed with tasty chicken potato salad and avocado. A squirt of the zingy green dressing that accompanies this, and it is good to go. Straight into my belly.

Fresh, sweet papaya juice is a delicious way to wash it down (and attempt to mask the potent green sauce breath).

But most importantly, at Mil Jugos I've learned that cachapa means 'corn heaven.'

Well, not literally. But to me, it does. The cachapa con queso blanco:

Corn, pancake, cheese, fresh cream. Yes. Yes, yes, yes.

I need not say anything further to convey the love I feel for this.

* * *
Mil Jugos
318 W. 5th Street
Santa Ana 92701
714.836.4601

Korean BBQ instructional.

2009-04-24T23:16:00.000-07:00

Korean BBQ connoisseurs: Please feel free to bypass this post. I am not one of you, and I will be the first to admit that.

That doesn't mean I don't absolutely love Korean food. I SO do. I just needed a little instruction from the server when she set down 4286-or-so dishes on the table at Shik Do Rak Korean BBQ in Irvine.

I have to give myself a little more credit. No, this was not the first time I've had Korean BBQ. I already knew those little plates (see above) were various side dishes you eat prior to or alongside the BBQ, called banchan -- kimchi (spicy pickled cabbage), fish cake, seaweed salad, pickled cucumbers, spicy pickled daikon, pickled bean sprouts, etc. Oh, and more pickled things.

But there were other components to the meal that required a step-by-step tutorial. In the past, my family and I would just eat the BBQ meats with steamed rice and ignore these. We are rice eaters and that's how we do. But I wanted to find out what the heck these other things were, finally.

So now, I'll share what I learned from the very patient server:

The lettuce mix. At other Korean BBQ places, you might see a bowl of pajori instead -- a green onion/green garlic salad. But I like the way they do it at Shik Do Rak.

Pickled daikon radish sliced super thin. It's cool and slightly vinegary, and it doesn't overwhelm -- it enhances. Other places might offer leaves of bibb lettuce.

Rice flour sheets/rice paper. But it's not like paper at all. The texture is closer to a wonton wrapper.

The meat. In this case, it is unmarinated deckle, aka chadol baki, aka thinly sliced brisket. There's also short rib, sliced pork belly, and various marinated meats like bulgogi.

Deckle sounds like the name of a Pokémon character.

Here's where the fun begins.

Get the meat going on the grill.

Note that deckle will cook quickly because it's sliced so thin.

Here's what you do with all those components I just laid out.

Step 1: Take one slice of daikon and put it on your plate, and pile on a little of the lettuce mix.

Step 2: Take one of the rice sheets and lay it on top of the lettuce. I like stacking it in this order because the rice paper weighs down the lettuce a bit and makes it less likely to fall apart on you when you try to pick it up later.

Step 3: Grab a piece of meat from the grill. These two standard condiments are usually offered: a spicy chili paste and sesame oil that's got a bit of salt and pepper in it. They're dip-friendly ways to season your meats. So dip as you please.

Step 4: Take your meat and place it on top of the nice little stack you've got goin'. Almost done!

Step 5: Pick it all up, pinching two ends of the daikon together and folding it up like a taco. If you are adept, you can use your chopsticks for this, or you can be like me and say "f-you chopsticks!" in frustration and hunger and just grab the damn thing with your fingers.

Yeeesssh. Come to me...

Needless to say -- Step 6: EAT and repEAT.

You still get steamed rice, but it comes toward the end of your meal, to fill up your belly the rest of the way if it's needed. It does not come at the beginning WITH the meats, though my family usually demands this.

But I so much prefer eating it the other (REAL) way now. When I think about all those times I ignored this method, I am just shocked at myself. And appalled.

Oh, and as if there wasn't already enough going on, they also give you a boiling hot bean curd/miso soup at the end.

The end!

* * *
Shik Do Rak
14775 Jeffrey Rd.
Irvine 92618
949.653.7668

P.S. My party and I ordered a combination meal at Shik Do Rak -- there are other things on the menu that may not require so much instruction. Also, Wikipedia's entry on Korean barbecue really helped me with the Korean spelling in this post!

I love doing this.

2009-03-29T10:36:00.000-07:00

Cupcakes for my friend/co-worker's surprise baby shower. She's having a girl, but we were told she doesn't like pink, so I made them in yellow and turquoise. Later, we found out that this wasn't true. Oh well.

Yellow: P-Dub's chocolate sheet cake recipe translated to cupcakes.
Turquoise: Magnolia Bakery's vanilla cupcakes. The vanilla buttercream is also Magnolia's recipe.

I didn't "cater" the whole party this time, which allowed me to focus on cupcake cuteness. Hee.

Congrats, Martha!

Tales of Yummy Breakfast, Ch. 1: Love at third sight.

2009-03-20T23:38:00.000-07:00

I know you're dying to know.

Who IS this handsome-looking bagel anyway?

Or perhaps the more likely question is: What the hell is that thing?

Well, it's a bagel keychain. And his name is Benny. Or Lenny. Or I can't remember what I named him. I just call him "bagel keychain."

It's a member of Kid Robot's Yummy Breakfast blind-box collection. For those of you who've never bought a blind box, you are probably better off. It can become a dangerous addiction. Basically, it's like sticking a quarter into one of those little toy/junk dispensers at the grocery store and getting some random surprise toy/junk. Except instead of a quarter, it's a $5 bill. And instead of some surprise toy/junk, it's one of these:

AHH.

But there's no way to tell what you are buying -- all the boxes are labeled exactly the same. It's a gamble each time.

So, wait: I actually wanted to start a series of short stories of my Yummy Breakfast keychain encounters, as I've had quite a few.

I'm very fond of bagel keychain now, but we weren't always lovers. Nope. I was very disappointed to meet him, actually.

I wandered into the Go, Rilla! shop at City Place in Santa Ana on some random day at some random time, to make some random purchase. There were a bunch of Yummy Breakfast keychains that had been unwrapped and were on display, and I decided I just had to get one.

I hoped for a pizza, or a blueberry muffin, or a watermelon. Something colorful. I love color.

Alas, it was just a plain ol' bagel. No color! Just some black poppy seeds. Boo.

I thought about giving it away. I was ready to. But then I kept looking at it. And I noticed its wide eyes peering up at me, with a crooked little smile that said,

"Hey. You and me, we can be friends. Eh? Eh??"

Aww shucks, bagel keychain. How could I not love you?

* * *
Go, Rilla!
3013 N. Main St.
Santa Ana 92706
714.547.5451

Biking off tamales.

2009-03-12T01:00:00.000-07:00

Have you heard? Biking is my new obsession.

It's a good one for me, though. Much healthier than my old fondue obsession, for example. (Go ahead, ask me how many fondue cookbooks and fondue sets I have.)

Anyway, I've been trying to bike at least 4 or 5 times a week. Most of the time, it's past 10 p.m., so I just bike around the neighborhood. I now know better what Old Towne Orange looks like at night than during the day.

But I feel such a great sense of satisfaction when it's early enough to get a chance to run errands -- dropping off a package at the post office or picking up some quick groceries. I'm biking with a purpose.

Like when I biked 10 miles the other day on my visits to Target and the bookstore. And after that, when I biked to La Poblana Bakery/Panaderia to reward myself with steaming, sweet tamales.

Sigh. I did it again.

I don't think this little Mexican bakery wants me to be healthy.

So, I had no idea that dessert tamales were even possible. But they ARE, and they are wonderful. Strawberry/fresa tamales have fresh-strawberries-turned-gooey within; pineapple/piña tamales have the occasional raisin. They taste like sweet, fluffy corn bread.

But you must eat them right away, while they are still warm. Inhale them, if at all possible.

Champurrado is hot chocolate that is spiced with cinnamon and almost thick enough to chew. It is a perfect accompaniment to sweet tamales. Even though it looks like a cup of mud.

By the way, it is really difficult balancing champurrado in your bike basket on the ride home.

(Updated with address on March 13, 2009. Oops.)
* * *
La Poblana Bakery
604 W. Chapman Ave.
Orange 92868
714.771.4465

I heart cheesecake, sushi, and creepy elevators.

2009-02-24T12:49:00.000-08:00

Some favorite moments from Valentine's Day weekend. No, these are not in chronological order. Yes, this post is late.

3. "New York-style" cheesecake with Nutella drizzle.

I used a standard recipe from Gourmet, then heated a bit of milk and whisked in Nutella until it was of a drizzling consistency. I must remember next time to make the crust thicker. Mmm, graham cracker crust.

2. Sushi surprises at Fusion Sushi 313 in Glendora.

Ok, the first part of that may sound a bit scary, but I promise it's not; it's very, very good. I think we found our new sushi place that night. (Our old standby changed owners a while back. Now the void has been filled. W00t!)

More to come on this at another time, when I've remembered to charge my camera battery. I know, I'm probably the worst food blogger ever.

1. Tower of Terror at Disney's California Adventure.

The last time we visited Disney's California Adventure was at least 4 years ago. We probably would have gone on Tower of Terror then, but I had to get all dizzy and sick after riding the California Screamin' roller coaster. I practically passed out on a bench, so we had to go home right after. I'm silly like that.

Anyway, we decided to go on Tower of Terror first this time. All the while I kept thinking how this was a terrible idea. I loathe rides that just drop you. I bitched and whined like a baby up until I secured the seat belt.

And then our elevator took off into another dimension. And it was so. Freaking. Awesome.

Disney does a great job creating a super creepy, fun and thrilling experience. I loved it. Seriously, I could not shut up about this ride the rest of our time there.

It's too bad the photo of us dropped into another dimension, never to be seen again! *Cue evil laughter and signature Twilight Zone theme music.

Ok, shutting up about it finally.

Kiss My Bundt.

2009-02-05T22:09:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about cupcakes.

Following that: pancakes.

And today: bundt cakes!

From left: Red velvet, cinnamon pecan, mocha chocolate, and lemon drop bundt cakes from Kiss My Bundt Bakery, located near the Beverly Center and the Farmer's Market on 3rd in L.A.

I suppose you could think of the bundt cake as a naked cupcake. There's no wrapper that gets in the way (aside from the one that provides a safety net for your crumbs as you take a bite).

Also, the bundt really does focus on the cake part -- not always so with the cupcake. And these bundts were everything a good cake should be: moist, dense, and rich.

My favorite was the one I chose: the mocha chocolate. It was just a damn good chocolate cake -- one that makes you feel comforted, safe, happy. I only wish there was just a leeettle more coffee flavor to it.

They let us have a sample of anything we wanted before we made our choices. It was very difficult to not be too greedy.

I'm looking at their menu of cake flavors -- some I'd especially like to try next time: mandarin chocolate, peach melva, peanut butter (I miss you!), pineapple upside-down, strawberry, and rum.

Hang on -- they have double-dipped raspberry kisses, too? (Description reads: Fresh raspberries double-dipped in white chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate.) How did I not see these??

Distracted by the fine bundts on display, I guess.

They come in various sizes: the "big ol'" bundt cake, which you can get whole or by the slice, as well as "baby" bundt cakes. But wait! They go even smaller...

The "mini" bundt cakes ($2.50 each) are the cutest size:

Aww. Precious.

* * *
Kiss My Bundt Bakery
8104 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
323.655.0559

Oh, quick shout-out to my cousin/biggest fan/aspiring hand model, who directed us here. And who is "modeling" above.

New "travel" category.

2009-02-05T01:05:00.000-08:00

I was looking at my list of restaurant posts the other day and noticed that nearly half of them were places I ate at when I was in Berkeley. Since that's not where I live (duh), I thought it was silly for me to continue to have them lumped them all together. Thus, I've created a list for out-of-town restaurants to belong, to which I will continue adding!

Also, I noticed another trend: I really, really love bakeries. But I already knew this.

Flappy Jack's.

2009-01-30T07:36:00.000-08:00

I think I appreciate being often near Route 66 more now than as a kid, when all I was concerned about was how confusing it was that this street had multiple names (Route 66 v. Alosta v. Foothill Blvd., etc). But now, all I care about here are the great food finds.

A prime example, well-known and well loved: The Donut Man, with its killer strawberry-stuffed donuts. And really, there's nothing else to say about this place that hasn't been said already. If you haven't yet visited The Donut Man, just get down there, pronto.

Today I want to share my foodventure at another Route 66 establishment that has become really popular among locals: Flappy Jack's Pancake House Restaurant.

In contrast to The Donut Man, which has a natural, authentic Route 66 charm (whatever the hell that means), Flappy Jack's is one of those places that tries super hard to give off the look and feel that it's been around forever. Inside its walls are adorned with cliché Americana decor, but I remember driving by this building when it used to be a Carrows.

No matter. As long as they can back it up with good food, who the eff cares, right?

Yes, it's very easy to forgive and forget once the waitress plops down in front of you a plateful of pancakes each larger than your face. (Those with small, dainty faces: pretend just for a moment that your face is large and rotund, like mine.)

These banana-nut pancakes -- with bananas and pecans throughout and on top -- were warm, fluffy and inviting. As if I could just snuggle between them and sleep and/or eat contentedly.

This quickly got to be a very rich breakfast, so I countered with a side of savory sausage links. Maple syrup and sausage is always a beautiful thing. I would say the sausage became the guling to my pancake bed, but that would be taking this metaphor just a little too far.

My cousin got the stuffed French toast -- logs of bread filled with sweet vanilla cottage cheese, and served with strawberry compote.

The next time we visit I must remember to ask them how they construct such a fine bread log of cottage cheesy goodness.

My boyfriend went with the country fried steak smothered in gravy and served with "home-style potatoes" aka hashbrowns, and a small stack of (normal-sized) buttermilk pancakes.

This regularly comes with eggs instead of fruit, but he does not like/eat eggs.

A dish I'm tempted to try next: bacon pancakes. After all, everything is better with bacon, as they always say.

* * *
Flappy Jack's Pancake House Restaurant
640 W. Route 66
Glendora 91740
626.852.9444

Coco-pandan in cupcake form.

2009-01-19T23:53:00.001-08:00

I made cupcake versions of pastry chef cousin Irene's coco-pandan cake the other day, and found my method so innovative, I had to share.

Actually, I lie. This is not innovation. It is a fluke.

Upon removal from the oven, I noticed the cakes started deflating rapidly. So much so that it had created quite a significant crater in the middle, in which I spooned the coconut-mochiko filling. Around the edges I piped vanilla whipped cream using a fluted tip.

Success! Yay.

Also, in the recipe for coco-pandan cake, I noted that it's not necessary to dissolve the mochiko in coconut juice. Correction: it is completely necessary, unless you want gritty filling.

Resolution #5: Eliminate use of plastic water bottles.

2009-01-14T23:04:00.000-08:00

One of my first steps to being greener was using reusable canvas bags. This year, I'm trying more and more ways to step it up.

Which brings me to my New Year's Resolution #5: I'm going to attempt to eliminate the use of plastic water bottles. I've enlisted the help of these BPA-free canteens made by CamelBak:

I like these because they're sleek and pretty durable (I've banged mine up a few times without consequence), and they hold a decent amount of water (24 oz). And, I also like them because they're pretty handsome lookin' bottles. Because I always take it back to the cuteness/attractiveness factor.

But, honestly though, if I'm allowed to get my nerdy greenspeak on for a bit: Plastic water bottles are terrible for the environment -- even if you recycle -- because it's wasteful to just produce them.

Plus, by using a canteen and either using a water filter system at home or filling large 5-gallon jugs with water at the supermarket, you will save money. I mean, a lotta LOTTA money. (Think $1.25 to refill a 5-gallon jug versus $5+ for a pack of water bottles.)

These canteens are quite affordable: $9 at The Container Store. But you can find them just about anywhere nowadays.

So, will you make this resolution with me?

Resolution #23: Reinstate salad-eating regimen.

2009-01-08T21:49:00.000-08:00

I made a pretty lengthy list of New Year's resolutions this year, and by golly, I'm going to try to keep them. Yes. I'm feeling super positive.

Two of my overall goals for this year, which I hope my resolutions will help accomplish:
1. Be healthier.
2. Be greener. (But more on this one later.)

I don't know about other food bloggers, but I personally have always had a challenging time eating healthy while satisfying my love of food. How does everyone else do it? It amazes me sometimes. Maybe I just have no willpower. See, when I cook, it's always gotta be "the real stuff," I say. I pass on the margarine and reach for butter, I opt for the full-fat cream cheese, and I could never, ever bring myself to substitute in Splenda for sugar.

I just can't do substitutes like that. I can't! Don't make me.

What I can do, however, is try to eat more of the "real stuff" I like that's actually somewhat good for me.

Which brings me to New Year's Resolution #23: Reinstate my salad-eating regimen.

A couple years ago, I used to make and eat salad for lunch at least 4 days a week. Not only that -- it was the SAME salad every day: roasted chicken breast, blue cheese, walnuts, cranberries, and granny smith apples over a mesclun lettuce blend with balsamic vinaigrette.

Man, I loved that salad. What am I talking about -- I still love it.

Anyway, I kept that up for several months and it was GREAT. I didn't get the least bit tired of it, until one day, when I forgot the apples. And all of a sudden, I didn't feel like eating that salad anymore. It was strange, and a little sad. It was almost like that scene in Forrest Gump when Forrest all of a sudden decides he wants to stop runnin'.

And I fell off my healthy lunch regimen and haven't seemed to pick it up again.

So, this year, I'm going to try to eat salad at least four times a week. And it's not going to be a burden. Nope. Because they're fun to create!

Asian Sesame Salad

Ok, I have a confession to make. I pretty much stole this salad from Panera Bread. It's roasted lemon herb chicken breast, sliced almonds, sugar snap peas, cilantro, green onion, sesame seeds, mandarin oranges (which I added later) over mesclun and romaine lettuce with Asian sesame dressing. And I topped it with noodle crisps I picked up from a local Chinese dive.

Cilantro Lime Salad

Baja chipotle chicken breast, diced tomato, corn, avocado, cilantro, green onion over mesclun and romaine lettuce with creamy cilantro dressing. I added tortilla strips (I have to put in a little carby crunch) and a squirt of lime juice. You could also add monterey jack or cojita cheese.

Both dressings I got from Fresh and Easy, but I know Trader Joe's also makes a really tasty cilantro lime dressing.

Kinda relevant: For more lunch ideas, LA Times just ran an article that has a ton. Well, 40. Compared to my measly two, that's a ton.

Butternut, before I forget.

2008-12-30T00:15:00.000-08:00

AH. The month's practically vanished!

I guess I forgot to say that I was going on an extended vacation. To the land of back-to-back family shindigs.

I missed Food Blahg and Twitter. I hope everyone had a great holiday. Well, I suppose it isn't all over yet, with New Year's coming up and all. And yes, even more family shindigs await.

At least one more thing to wrap up here before year's end, though. Even though it's old news. Oh well.

Busted butternut.

You may remember that I went a little squash crazy this fall. I managed to cook with a handful of different squashes -- kabocha, buttercup, and pumpkin -- but my favorite was definitely butternut.

The first I bought was a beaut -- practically perfect as far as butternuts go. I got it early on in squash season so I had prime pickin.' And then I bought a couple more later on. I used up the less attractive ones first because I really adored that first one I got. My mother, who also discovered how much she liked butternut squash after she'd had a bit of mine, asked if she could have it. I refused.

And then later, this happened:

My beautiful butternut took a dive to the kitchen floor and cracked (see the bottom left?). I teared up a bit. I suppose this is the consequence of being a butternut hog. And since I could not just leave it out like that, I reluctantly cut it into two manageable pieces to be able to store it in the fridge. Bye bye, butternut.

Oh, and thank you for the tasty dishes.

Roasted butternut with shallot and sage, tossed with goat cheese and penne:

Butternut gratin with goat cheese and hazelnuts:

I also made a butternut bisque to help soothe my cough (no photo).

Yes, I realize I made pretty much the exact same dish with three slight alterations. You can't blame a girl from wanting to use up her leftover ingredients from Thanksgiving!

I still want/need to try the spaghetti, acorn, and delicata varieties. Perhaps it'll be a New Year's resolution. Along with updating this blog more often.

See you next year.

My Thanksgiving weekend...

2008-12-02T23:10:00.001-08:00

In a word: rough.

Here's a summary of what went down:

- Felt a little handicapped by two new recipes for the mashed potatoes and stuffing/dressing (the previous recipes I could do with my eyes closed).
- Was completely confounded by a new turkey-trussing method, which, ironically, was Alton Brown's. Every year, I forget how to truss turkey (I guess I need to make whole poultry dishes more often), so I look up the same instructional video on Food Network -- except I couldn't find it this year. Aren't you supposed to be making this easier for me, Alton, instead of delaying my turkey from getting into the oven by half an hour?
- Took out the turkey too early because I am apparently unable to properly use a thermometer. I just could not get in sync with my turkey this year! My stuffing and sweet potatoes were taking up space in the oven by the time I realized that my bird was a few degrees away from saying "GOBBLE," so I had my sister make a frantic run to my aunt's house where Thanksgiving is hosted (luckily only 3 minutes away) with the turkey in the passenger seat, while my car was beeping incessantly warning her to buckle in her 20-pound turkey child.
- Made a mess in the oven by forgetting to place my springform pan, containing my post-Thanksgiving pumpkin cheesecake, on top of a sheet pan. I felt really bad about it because my mother had just made the oven all spic and span when she cleaned up the turkey splatters. After that, I cleaned it up myself of course, but not without forgetting to use kitchen gloves. So now I have a scaly monster for a right hand.
- Finally: contracted a really, really annoying cold/cough.

BUT. Despite all the mishaps, Thanksgiving was a success. After we cooked it all the way through at my aunt's, the turkey was still super tender and tasty. The two new recipes -- caramelized shallot and sage mashed potatoes and hazelnut, sage, and mushroom stuffing -- were well worth the extra effort. I added a little oomph to my turkey stock this year, resulting in a superbly rich gravy.

I just hope next year's Thanksgiving runs a tad more smoothly.

Now, please join me as I look back on reaping the rewards of a rough weekend!

Counter-clockwise from top left: my mom's salad with peanut dressing -- a staple at any family party (oh, forgot to mention that we always have American + Indonesian food at Thanksgiving), BBQ chicken, mac 'n cheese, corn spoonbread, baked sweet potatoes and apples, turkey turkey, Honeybaked ham, creamed spinach and corn (a dish I'm retiring to the dismay of a beloved cousin), fried bakmi, Oma's bakso soup, krupuk, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberries. I only made seven of these dishes.

The stuffing was among my favorites this year. I used a Pullman loaf from Poul's Bakery in Orange instead of a box of dried bread cubes. I'm definitely not opposed to shortcuts, but using real bread is WORTH it. The creminis are great, and the hazelnuts make it so festive!

Aaaand this is why I love having a pastry chef for a cousin.

YES that is a mini crème brulée next to the mini fruit tart, pumpkin pie, pecan pie and brownie!

A pretty good first attempt at making cheesecake, if I do say so myself. The crust is made from gingersnaps, pecans and candied ginger; the topping is sour cream and marshmallow. All of it is creamy, dreamy and wonderful.

Thanksgiving is still my favorite holiday.

Buttercup and pumpkin.

2008-11-25T22:32:00.000-08:00

Yes! I'm squeezing in at least one more post before Thanksgiving.

Buttercup squash is similar to kabocha, although the texture is more starchy and the flavor is less rich, in my opinion.

I just baked it, scooped out the flesh, and topped it with cinnamon, brown sugar, and walnuts. And then I baked it again.

It was not my favorite. It would probably be better suited in a stew. At least its funky appearance provided some amusement.

As for the pumpkin.... I cheated and used canned. (I am reserving my actual sugar pumpkins for something more exciting.)

But this chocolate pumpkin tart still counts, right?

The fresh whipped cream and pecans are essential. This tart recipe was super easy, but I should have lined the bottom with parchment. The bottom of the pan pops up from the sides, but the melted chocolate + caramelized sugar cemented parts of the tart onto the pan. I hate fighting with my food.

But we kissed and made up.

Next: My butternut debacle. (P.S. Take the poll if you haven't already!)

So much squash, so little time!

2008-11-22T14:10:00.000-08:00

Ack. How the heck is it the weekend before Thanksgiving already?

Since I'm running out of time, I need a little help in deciding what to do with the remainder of my butternut squash. Please take my poll to the left!

And wish me luck in my Thanksgiving prep.

Snack bonanza!

2008-11-17T22:39:00.000-08:00

Lately, mostly due to lack of time to cook a full meal for myself on weekdays, I've been snacking myself into oblivion. Here are three recent favorites, to satisfy three separate cravings:

Pretzel Crisps (savory):

This buffalo wing-flavored snack might as well be laced with crack. I can't get enough of them. They're as addictive and light as potato chips, but are crunchier, taste way better and are better for you. Look how gloriously thin they are:

I bought the buffalo wing and garlic flavors at my local Sprouts, to justify my passing the sample tray about a dozen times to snatch up more and more of these. They really should not leave those things unattended.

Trader Joe's also has its own version -- and they're everything-flavored. Though, they carry them kind of sporadically, so don't get mad at me if you can't find them.

Isabella's Cookies (sweet):

These were a random impulse buy while waiting to purchase my lunch at Ivy's Cafe in Tustin (simple, healthy, yet somehow super delicious sandwiches/salads). I like these cookies because they (1) taste homemade (which they are) and (2) come in unusual flavors. The above is "The Paddy" -- mint chips and semisweet chocolate chips. And below:

"The Muffy" -- a tribute to a muffin top (undoubtedly adding to my "muffin top"), this cookie is studded with dried blueberries, white chocolate chips, and milk-chocolate covered blueberries. I've also tried "Chocolate Haze," which has whole hazelnuts and dark chocolate chunks. I'm still trying to find "The Shortcake," an homage to strawberry shortcake.

The Pure Bar (healthy):

Although it's not common, I'd imagine, I suppose it's possible to have a healthy craving. The Pure Bar is all-vegan raw food -- organic, nothing cooked, no preservatives, and all that jazz. Now, I am usually not into these super healthy meal-replacement bar dealios. In fact, I find many of them quite awful, especially when I have to think for longer than 15 seconds about how the vegan peanut butter and chocolate bar I'm chewing tastes even remotely like peanut butter and chocolate.

Maybe that's why The Pure Bar is not only tolerable, it's astonishingly delicious: It doesn't really try to emulate any flavor. It just is.

Example: The wild blueberry bar, my favorite, just tastes like dried blueberries, complemented with little bits of walnuts -- enough to satisfy, but rare enough to invoke a fond appreciation for each walnut encounter as I slowly make my way through. Same thing goes for the apple cinnamon.

While I tend to stay away from the ones promoting themselves as chocolate, the chocolate chip trail mix bars offer an interesting alternative: cacao nibs. It's not as indulgent as a good, rich bar of dark chocolate, but it's definitely still "the real thing," and a suitable substitute if you're trying to be healthy.

But like many good things, The Pure Bar does not come cheap, and so far I've only been able to find it at Whole Foods.

As my snack preferences change as often as my cravings do, only time will tell what my tastebuds have yet to discover in the tasty world of munchies!

Kabocha.

2008-11-13T22:11:00.000-08:00

Yeah, so, I haven't really been following the schedule o' squash as well as I had intended. But I have started!

First up: Kabocha squash.

Kabocha is a Japanese pumpkin and its flavor and texture, according to Wikipedia, is comparable to chestnuts. I'd have to say I agree.

It's commonly used in tempura. Mmm. That's what I love about squash: its versatility in creating both sweet and savory dishes. The following recipe is an example of the latter execution.

Miso-glazed kabocha squash:

(I'm annoyed because my camera battery died before I could upload my own photos, and I don't have my memory card reader with me. But blah di blah di blah, you probably don't care.)

This recipe from Sunset Magazine was a good first one to try, although when I make it again, I'll probably cut slightly thicker slices, to be able to savor more squash per bite. Also, I over-glazed them; saltiness hampered the natural sweetness of the squash. Let the taste of nature's bounty shine through! Power to the squash! .. And other hippie phrases.

More tips for my future self!
- Be patient when baking; semi-crunchy squash is not so yum.
- Don't leave out the sesame oil; it's a nice finishing touch.
- It's pretty tasty on a bed of steamed rice.
- The rind, while edible, gets annoying after a while.
- Kabocha is fun to say. Kaaboochaaa. Heh.

Yay, 1 down, several more to go (picture a butternut squash, a buttercup squash, and sugar pumpkins all lined up in a row on my counter).

Summer grubbin': A look back.

2008-10-31T02:38:00.000-07:00

Well, hello.

It's three in the marnin'. But goshdarnit, I promised I'd do this, didn't I?

Needless to say, I have been one busy mofo. Three separate time-consuming activities, all important to me, have swallowed me up whole. At least I won't have to worry about one of these anymore after the next four days.

It is one sad, crazy world when a food-loving gal is unable to contribute to her own food blog. It makes me long for the yum-filled days of summer, when I could afford the money, time, and patience to buy fancy pastries, make stews, and layer popsicles, respectively.

So as a gift to myself, here's a look back at a few snapshots of summer, when life was perhaps a smidge more carefree, and a whole lot tastier..

Some Crust Bakery in Claremont... Oh, how I miss the raspberry- and lemon-mousse cupcakes and chocolate chip pumpkin cookies.

And the key lime cupcake.

Just.. the key lime cupcake. That's all. Try it and this jibjabba might make sense.

Summer was also the time of whimsical movie-plus-some-food-completely-unrelated-to-the-movie-and-vice-versa nights. Okay, I only held one of those. But who could forget "Japanese Curry and James McAvoy Movie Night"?! James McAvoy's Scottish accent and Vermont Curry-brand curry, with "a touch of apple and honey," will forever be ingrained together in my mind, that's for sure.

Finally -- the art of popsicle making!

Step 1: Buy a ridiculously unnecessary popsicle recipe book.

Step 2: Buy a ridiculously unnecessary -- but freakin' adorable -- Sailboat popsicle mold set.

Step 3: Create beautiful and delicious frozen treats in an attempt to justify the silly splurges committed in steps 1 and 2.

.... After I've finished my nostalgic sobbing about summer's end, I'll do my best to focus on what fall brings:

THANKSGIVING!!

Schedule: squash. Or squashed schedule.

2008-10-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

This fall, I am determined to cook with a multitude of winter squash. Butternut and kabocha are at the top of the list. Oh, and pumpkin, of course. I've got a schedule of recipes mapped out, so hopefully, I'll be able to follow it.

I know I've been seriously neglecting Food Blahg. :( If time permits, look forward to a full-fledged post later this week..

See you in a couple weeks.

2008-09-18T01:10:00.000-07:00

Agghhh.. In case you couldn't tell, Food Blahg is on hiatus for the time being, until after this month is over. Enjoy the rest of your September, and I miss you!

I heart Greek Street.

2008-08-31T18:37:00.000-07:00

It is, by far, the best street at Street Fair. I rave constantly about the gyros and souvlakias. And the desserts aren't too shabby, either:

Ok. Sorry for being the worst food blogger ever in that I can't remember what the official names of these two items are. But both are delicious. On the left is a moist walnut spice cake; on the right, rich custard between layers of phyllo and then drenched in honey. I wonder what the latter would taste like right after it's constructed -- with the phyllo still crunchy... one can only wonder. Still, it was terrific.

YES -- Loukoumathes! Or loukoumades. Whatever the hell you call them, they are out of this world. These crispy donut-like balls come fresh out of the fryer and are dumped into a vat of honey, where they soak and float around for a few minutes like yummy little buoys in a swimming pool of sticky sweetness. A quick dusting of cinnamon sugar make them sparkle and glisten, enticing you to eat them right this very second. And as you bite through the perfectly crisp outside, the honey oozes out and almost burns your tongue, but you don't really care because it was all worth it...

I say again: I heart Greek Street.

(Click for other Street Fair goodies I tried this year.)

Yay for Street Fair!

2008-08-28T22:37:00.000-07:00

The Orange International Street Fair is back in town this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I'm looking forward to pigging out on favorites from last year as well as stuff I didn't get a chance to sample. Check back for reports on my loukoumathes and aebleskivers adventures. (That was a mouthful.)

For some awesome Street Fair food tips, hit up the Register's Fast Food Maven, Nancy Luna, who covered Street Fair extensively last year.

Friendly stalking.

2008-08-27T23:31:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered Twitter and I am surprised to find it so addictive. If you care to stalk me online, "follow" me -- my username is myabsentmind. I seem to "tweet" about food a lot. (Hah, look at all these silly verbs Twitter created. )

http://twitter.com/myabsentmind

Food Blahg is one year old!

2008-08-23T22:06:00.001-07:00

How quickly a year goes by. I'm actually pretty proud of myself for keeping this up. To my (3 to 4) faithful readers: Thank you, and here's to another year and hopefully more frequent posts!

Actually... I missed my flight.

2008-08-14T00:20:00.001-07:00

Oh my goodness. How could I forget about Nabolom Bakery?

Their apricot cheese danish alone is worth revisiting Berkeley for another post. A real, whole apricot, not some measly jam, is baked within. The cream cheese, more savory than sweet, is melty against the soft fruit on the inside, but actually has somewhat of a crust as it peeks out from under the flaky criss-crosses.

Compared to the satisfying danish, the sunflower sesame cookie (on the right) is a mere afterthought. And much too healthy for me -- I later regretted not choosing the banana cheese danish instead.

(And yes, we did miss our flight going home. I guess it was difficult to leave!)

* * *
Nabolom Bakery
2708 Russell Street
Berkeley 94705
510.845.2253

A mangled Pocky box. :(

2008-08-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when hunger takes over logic in the darkness of your car while driving home:

As you can see, I was attempting, unsuccessfully, to open it at the fold. (To give myself a little credit, Pocky boxes were originally designed to open at the top, not the side like this photo shows.)

After I overcame this temporary confusion, the actual Pocky sticks, thankfully, escaped unscathed.

Officially leaving the Bay Area.

2008-08-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

Ok. We're gonna do it. All in one go.

Let's wrap up the Berkeley foodventures and be done with it already!

Highlights from the rest of our trip, in reverse order of favoritism:

4. Chowdahs in the chill at Fisherman's Wharf.

Before our hike up the insanely steep and crooked Lombard Street in San Francisco, we needed proper sustenance. Fisherman's Wharf is a very touristy -- therefore, expensive -- spot, so we had to be a little creative:

First, we got an adorable sourdough turtle from Boudin. After promptly devouring its legs, tail and head, we headed over to the cluster of fresh seafood offerings where we purchased a cup each of crab chowder and clam chowder, each costing only a few dollars. Because it was biting cold and we didn't really feel like eating next to the pigeon poo, we headed back over to Boudin's heated outdoor patio to eat. (Wasn't that such a great idea?!)

The crab chowder was my favorite. It was the corn in it that sold me.

3. What is a Gypsy's? It is a delicious.

Spaghetti carbonara at Gypsy's Trattoria Italiano, located at none other than Asian Ghetto.

Man. I wish there were an Italian place like this at home. Gypsy's has a huge selection of pizzas, calzones and pastas (cooked perfectly al dente), which are prepared quickly, come in hefty portions, and cost you no more than a matinee movie. My carbonara was creamy and eggy, generously adorned with crispy pancetta.

As for the garlic bread? Instead of the usual garlic buttered-toast, Gypsy's dishes come with a slab of bread and a generous smear of real roasted garlic so soft and sweet, you'd think it was butter. But better. Better butter. Of garlic.

2. Hot/cold confusion, and the creamiest gelato ever.

The sun didn't peek out once during our trip, so it's a good thing I love eating ice cream in cold weather. Almare served up some of the most decadent gelato I've ever tasted (texture is always key). Pistachio was rich and nutty, kiwi-strawberry was true to its fruity flavors but not overly sweet, and both were perfectly creamy and thick.

Ici, on the other hand, is on a whole 'nother plane of ice cream existence. The flavors here, which change daily, are always unconventional: Earl Grey and cookies, Santa Rosa plum, gingersnap-honey, cardamom-rose... so many chances to try something you've never tasted before.

On this particular day, my cousin and I both opted for peach-habanero. Its searing heat was immediately soothed by sweet tanginess, which quickly turned back into spiciness. While sitting on a bench outdoors, we vocalized this strange, but wonderful sensation:

"I'm cold. But it's hot! But it's cold... I'm so confused!"

1. Diamond dogs.

From the hole-in-the-wall (literally) Top Dog, my sister got a chicken-lemon dog (left), I got the linguica, my cousin got the original Top Dog. Unfortunately, the one I got was my least favorite -- probably because I unwittingly slathered it with a very spicy horseradish mustard (I didn't know what "Russian mustard" was!). At least now I know that spicy, smoky sausage does NOT go with horseradish. The O.G. "New York-style" hot dog was classic and wonderful, and the chicken-lemon was surprisingly juicy and tender. I really, really wanted to go back to try the smoked chicken apple dog, but didn't get a chance to! Boo. I want to try each of the dozen or so flavors.

Phew! This post was long, but it included only highlights; I took way more food photos:

For my next visit, I've vowed to make it down to Berkeley's famed "Gourmet Ghetto" -- home to the likes of widely-praised Cheeseboard and Chez Panisse.

Let's go! Now?

Culinary art.

2008-07-23T23:18:00.001-07:00

I'm back now (sad!). And because I need to catch up on sleep, I'm just going to give one more quick little highlight before I sum up the whole trip:

We spent the second half of our Saturday in Golden Gate Park where we attended San Francisco's Zine Fest, a conference for independent and underground publishing. I didn't know what 'zines' were before that day (short for 'fanzine,' Wikipedia defines them as a "small circulation, non-commercial publication of original text and images"), so it was a super neat experience in learning about something completely new and observing such diverse talent in art, storytelling, wit, humor and weirdness. The last part I say with admiration.

And wouldn't you know it, there were even some food-inspired items:

These deliciously adorable note cards are by Motormouthpress, which produces stationery rather than zines (it's sorta related, I guess). Click through their site to see more food-themed cuteness.

I should have gotten twenty more of these. Although, then I'd just have a huge stack of note cards that would sit on my desk forever, as they are almost too pretty to part with. I suppose I could send them to myself.

"Dearest Me,

I WANT TO EAT THESE CARDS.

Love, Me."

(And if you're wondering what's on the other side of the card, it has the chocolate petite cake in a gift box, with a speech bubble that says, "I miss you, too, Raspberry." AWW.)

Lunch at Haight and Ashbury. Or near, rather.

2008-07-21T02:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm really behind. And now I only have time (and room) to talk about one part of my Saturday: lunch at a Nepalese restaurant.

Metro Kathmandu in/near the Haight and Ashbury district was my first venture into Nepalese cuisine. And first impressions were delicious.

A mango lassi was a sweet, thick thirst-quencher, which whet my appetite and made me hungrier. Luckily, the food came out quickly.

A chicken and mango spinach salad with tamarind dressing and shaved fennel. The chicken was a little on the tough side, but the perfectly ripe, juicy mango more than made up for it.

Chicken curry with basmati rice was a lighter, less rich version of Indian-style curry. Which isn't bad at all -- just pleasantly different. This time the chicken was fall-apart-in-your-mouth tender. SUPER MONEY TENDER. Hahaha silly Guy Fieri.

Finally, I was most excited to try these Everest momos -- stuffed with ground buffalo meat, curry, onion, garlic and ginger, served alongside a tomato chutney. Since this is the first time I had buffalo, I can't really say yet what its distinct qualities are. Perhaps.. a juicier version of beef? 'Yummy' could be another distinctive quality..?

I would love to try more of Nepalese cuisine. I wonder if there are any restaurants in Orange County.

Sounds like a food quest is in order.

* * *
Metro Kathmandu
311 Divisadero Street
San Francisco 94117
415.552.0903

"Asian Ghetto," nap, sushi.

2008-07-18T23:00:00.001-07:00

Hah! You probably thought I wasn't going to update, huh?! Yet, here I am.

So just a quick rundown of today's food consumption:

A late lunch at Berkeley's "Asian Ghetto" on Durant Ave. consisted of lamb gyros from Meesha's Berkeley Gyros and a lychee-avocado smoothie from Sweetheart Café. Both were yummy and filled an empty stomach caused by preceding hours of luggage-towing.

Don't ask me why we got Greek/Mediterranean grub at an Asian Ghetto. There happens to be pretty good Italian there, too.

After an impromptu tour of UC Berkeley's campus, we returned to my sister's apartment where I promptly collapsed on the floor and snoozed for an hour and a half. I awoke to: "I'm hungry -- let's go eat some sushi!" and groggily (and happily) obliged.

We got three monstrous rolls at Joshu-ya Sushi. They were too gigantic for this blog, in fact. I'll show you only one: The Lucky Danny Roll. (I wonder who this Danny is. And why is he so lucky?)

Shrimp tempura, crab meat, asparagus tempura, topped with fresh salmon, avocado and tobiko. Quite heavy because of all the fried goodness, but pretty damn tasty. And the fish was very succulent.

To sum it up: Traveling, food, nap, more food, sleep. It was a pretty good day.

Tomorrow: San Francisco!

* * *
Meesha's Berkeley Gyros
2519 Durant Ave.
Berkeley 94704
510.849.4771

Sweetheart Café
2523 Durant Ave.
Berkeley 94704
510.540.0707

Joshu-Ya Sushi
2441 Dwight Way
Berkeley 94704
510.858.5260

Berkeley foodventures to come!

2008-07-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving for vacation to Berkeley tomorrow, camera in tow, and the part I'm most excited about is checking out all the local food places! Oh, after seeing my sister, of course.

I've heard that Berkeley has some of the best food and most talented chefs in the country. Ooh! I'll try to update while I'm there, but I might be too busy having fun or stuffing my face.

On a separate, but related, note: I am really wanting and trying to update this blog more often. It's not that I have a lack of material (SO many things to ramble on about) -- it's a lack of time! Boo, bill-paying job!

Chocolatey goodness.

2008-07-08T00:17:00.000-07:00

When your pastry chef cousin Irene asks you if you want to attend a free Valrhona chocolate demo, all you can do is say 'hells yes.'

I mean, come on: it's free, at Surfas (absolute heaven for chefs, gourmands, and cooking enthusiasts), and it features the be-all and end-all of chocolate -- mother effin' Valrhona. You don't have to ask me twice.

Corporate chef for Valrhona, Derek Poirer, with his endless capacity for patience and chocolate knowledge, demonstrated recipes and humored silly questions from participants for more than two hours.

Oh yeah, and he also fed us chocolatey goodness:

Above, a chocolate financier, studded with streusel and "Valrhona's solution to the chocolate chip," per the description of chef Poirer's assistant. And that Tootsie Roll-looking thing on top? A luscious log of chocolate custard.

Valrhona's chocolate mousse topped with macerated strawberries. Because 'macerated' is a way cooler word than 'chopped.'

Chocolate soufflé, which was actually a baked version of the chocolate mousse.

Finally, chocolat chaud made with a special chocolate spiced with curry, cumin and other spices. Oh, and topped with fresh vanilla foam, of course.

The recipes are supposed to be available someday soon on the Surfas website -- if and when they do post them I will include the link here. For now, please join me in drooling at the photos and fantasizing about swimming in a giant tub of chocolate mousse.

* * *
Surfas
8824 National Blvd.
Culver City 90232
310.559.4770

Happy Independence Day: The red velvet strike ends!

2008-07-07T18:56:00.000-07:00

In celebration of 4th of July, my cousin Cha and I made red velvet cupcakes. Or rather: "Blue(berry), White, and Red (Velvet)" cupcakes. Tee hee hee.

I had a much better, less redder experience with red velvet this time around (we only put half a teaspoon of red food gel into these babies).

My cousin preferred red sugar crystals for decorating:

"Aww, yours are cute. They're rustic and homey!"
"Hey, Irene always uses 'rustic' whenever she messes up on something."

"Rustic" or not, they were mighty tasty. And not frightening in the slightest. REJOICE!

Beaucoup chili.

2008-06-17T23:55:00.000-07:00

Ack! I totally forgot to blog about this last week.

The Tustin Street Fair and Chili Cookoff is long gone (June 1), but for the sake of reminding myself what I should try next year, I am documenting it anyway.

The Tustin News did a full report of the chili cook-off winners as named by the International Chili Society, but here are the favorites as named by the Supercool Spicy Sexy Chili Society (my sister, boyfriend, and myself):

Out of the dozen or so we tried, my boyfriend's top pick was Duffy's Fantail Chili (front), which placed fourth in the aforementioned judging. It was just all-around good, flavorful chili -- one of my favorites, too.

The chili in the mini bread boule, for which I can't recall the name, was fricken' adorable but much too salty.

My sister's favorite was the Spice Girls Chili. I forgot why. I think because of the tomatoey flavor.

Mine was the Fire Ant Chili. It was unique, smoky and had a really nice kick. Y'know, it had "layers of flavor," and all that jazz.

I also really liked the Paradise Chili, which I forgot to photograph. Mostly, I think I liked it because it had corn in it. Everything is better with corn. You should know that by now.

And to cool off, Repicci's mango-flavored Italian ice was the perfect treat on this scorching summer day:

Next year I must remember to try:
Blue Ribbon Chili (sold out before we even arrived)
Roadkill Chili
Ring of Fire Chili
Oh, and we overheard people talking about steak chili... but could not find the vendor ourselves.

* * *
Tustin Street Fair & Chili Cookoff
El Camino Real & Main Street
Tustin 92780
714-573-3326

Apparently, I cater, too.

2008-06-05T00:34:00.000-07:00

As a bridesmaid for my friend's wedding and one who loves to cook, I offered to be in charge of food for the bridal shower. And because this turned into my first catering experience, I'd like to share how it went.

Let's start kind of backwards -- the dessert is always everyone's favorite part anyway:

These chocolate-covered strawberries were a collaborative effort by both me and my sister -- I dipped and she drizzled. My first few attempts at drizzling the white chocolate resulted in a couple messy, weird, "artsy-fartsy" strawberries -- or so my bride later called it. I called it more fartsy than artsy. To be completely accurate, it looked like a mentally unstable leprechaun took a tiny little can of white silly string and went to town on the strawberries. My sister had pointed and laughed hysterically at them and at me. That's when I made her my designated drizzler.

She was on a roll and helped me decorate the party favors as well -- homemade giant fortune cookies.

After attempting three and a half recipes for fortune cookies, which all failed because they turned out too delicate, too soggy, or too gritty, I finally settled on a standard tuile batter recipe, provided by pastry chef cousin Irene even before the other recipes' trials and errors. She later made fun of me for ever doubting her recipe in the first place. I promise I won't do it again.

Fortune Cookies (Basic Tuile Batter)
5 oz sugar
3 oz butter, softened
3 oz egg whites (equivalent to about 3 egg whites), slightly beaten
4 oz flour (in weight, not volume -- it equals about 1 cup of flour)

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg whites and beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until combined. Beat in the flour. The batter should be a peanut butter-like consistency.

Spread the batter evenly in a very thin, 4-inch circle on a silpat or on parchment paper. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 7 minutes or until edges are browned. Remove from the oven and wait 30 seconds, then loosen the cookie from the pan with an offset spatula and flip it over. Place the "fortune" face down on the cookie.

Working quickly (and it helps if you wear thin gloves), loosely pinch two ends of the circle together like a taco. Press the folded side of the cookie perpendicularly against the rim of the baking pan, and gently bring the edges closer together to make a fortune cookie shape. Set the shaped cookie in a muffin pan to cool and harden.

If you're brave and fast, you can try making two at a time.

Other things on the "Asian-themed" bridal shower menu:
Chicken satay
Gyoza
Thai lettuce wraps
Maki-zushi
Egg rolls
Edamame
Tofu with peanut sauce

I also offered to make phallic cupcakes for the bachelorette party, but was reminded of the non-phallus policy. Boo!

Farmers Market, part 2: Bounty of baked goods.

2008-06-03T22:26:00.001-07:00

Whenever I spend a day exploring someplace new or rarely-visited, I like to take part of the (food) adventure home with me to savor later.

I call it my "bounty." Because it's like a reward given to myself after a long day of food hunting.

My Farmers Market bounty isn't terribly impressive, but it's worth noting:

Baclava from T&Y Bakery, stall #222.

This Russian bakery features astoundingly large pastries in its display case, including gigantic cheese-filled croissants (I was debating on getting those, too). Their baclava was rather different from the Mediterranean treat of pretty much the same name -- instead of layers of phyllo and pistaschios, this was a crispy puff pastry sandwich of whole raisins and large chunks of walnuts. And I don't know if that's how all Russian-style baclava is, but that's how mine was.

Next: Peanut butter bark from the Ultimate Nut and Candy Company, stall #522.

It looks fantastic, no? Unfortunately, it was just mediocre. I tasted 90% butter/milk/rice-crispiness, and only 10% peanut butter. Lame. I should have gotten the rainbow popcorn.

Finally, meringue cookies from Thee's Continental Bakery, stall #316. Actually, my first-ever treat at the Farmers Market was one of Thee's famous apple dumplings three years ago, when my boyfriend and I stumbled into the area while waiting for our movie to begin at the adjacent The Grove shopping center.

Anyway, these are just large meringues riddled with chocolate chips. It makes me wonder how they taste when they're still warm from the oven. The one I decided to feature front and center is mint chocolate, but I actually preferred the regular chocolate chip because of its walnutty surprise. But I really do need to revisit the apple dumpling.

I can't wait to go back to the Farmers Market. I am craving another hunt and an even tastier food bounty.

* * *
T&Y Bakery
323.930.2355

Ultimate Nut & Candy Company
323.938.1555

Thee's Continental Bakery
323.937.1965

The O.G. of farmers markets. Part 1.

2008-05-28T23:10:00.000-07:00

My visit to L.A.'s Farmers Market on 3rd and Fairfax was during one of those sweaty, so-hot-my-face-might-melt weekends Southern Californians are all too familiar with in late spring/early summer... even though oddly, we haven't been experiencing any recently. (The lateness of this post is so apparent.)

Anyway, it was midday when my cousins and I arrived at the Farmers Market, when the scorching sun was at its peak scorchability. I walked around in a daze, overwhelmed by the heat and too many delicious food choices.

In order to avoid passing out, I decided first to find something to drink. I found it at The Salad Bar, stall #424.

"Whatever that is, I'll have it."

It was a clear barrel of pale, natural orangey liquid, with ice cubes and pieces of fresh fruit afloat. It looked so yummy. And ice cold. Perfect.

"It's fruit punch, and sure."

Oh my. With fresh strawberries, grapes, chunks of apple, orange, cantaloupe, watermelon and honeydew, the juice was fruit salad in drink form -- a flavorful fruit party of all the aforementioned fruits. (YES A FRUIT PARTY.) Nope, this was definitely not the gross, artificial crap that stains your tongue red for days. And special bonus: After I slurped up all the juice, I had an actual fruit salad waiting for me at the bottom! Wonderful.

My cousins, who opted instead for watermelon lemonade and a $4+ smoothie, were envious of my $2.50 fruit punch from heaven.

For food-food, I settled on a heaping plate of Mediterranean cuisine from Moishe's, stall #336.

Here it's been half eaten, but shown are pieces of lamb kebab, tabboule, rice pilaf, and in the back is a couscous salad and hoummus. All were delicious -- especially the lamb, which was tender and packed with flavor, and the couscous, dressed with a spicy-sweet vinaigrette.

I washed it all down with a second fruit punch. Mmm.

Next.. Part 2: My bounty of baked goods.

* * *
Farmers Market
6333 W. 3rd Street
Los Angeles 90036
323.933.9211

The Salad Bar
323.933.3204

Moishe's Restaurant
323.936.4998

Crackberries.

2008-05-09T18:23:00.000-07:00

Two new addictions this month:

Pinkberry green tea swirl and my new BlackBerry Curve!

I know. I'm hopeless.

Adorable obento. Plus: perfect homemade sushi rice.

2008-05-06T01:32:00.000-07:00

As a child, if it didn't come from the cafeteria, my school lunches consisted of either leftovers, simple sandwiches or Indo-Mie noodles. Definitely nothing like this:

Obento are elaborate, terribly cute lunch meals made for kids by moms in Japanese culture. See more pictures and read a feature about it here.

Kind of makes me wish I had grown up in Japan. I still love Indo-Mie, however. And my mother.

Also, this may be related or unrelated, but I have to share that I had a go at making my own maki-zushi this weekend (nothing fancy, just some simple rolls), and the recipe I used for the sushi rice was just.. wonderful. I've attempted to make my own California rolls (and the like) before, but I could never get the rice right. In fact, it's my main gripe about homemade sushi. The rice turns out mushy and overcooked, or weird-tasting, or both! Blech.

But Harumi Kurihara, apparently "Japan's Martha Stewart," walks you through the sushi rice-making process very thoughtfully, from the rinsing process to the seasoning and cooling. The rice turned out plump, yet firm and sticky, with a perfect, subtle balance of salty, sweet and slightly sour elements. Needless to say, IT MADE ME SO HAPPY.

I won't even post the recipe -- if you want it, you'll just have to trust me and buy her book. You will not be disappointed.

Thanks to Mau for sharing the link on obento, and to Lisa for telling me about Harumi Kurihara.

Walking off cookies.

2008-05-02T01:23:00.001-07:00

Loving food means that dieting always begins tomorrow. Or sometimes it means walking a couple miles for exercise only to find yourself in front of a little Mexican bakery down the corner from your house and regaining the calories you'd just burned by consuming various forms of butter, sugar and dairy product.

I haven't decided yet if my walk was productive (because I made a "discovery") or counter-productive. My everlastingly squishy gut is arguing the latter. But who cares about you, gut?! Let's hear what the tastebuds had to say about La Poblana Bakery/Panaderia in Orange:

Ah. Give me any form of Mexican butter cookie and I'm content. Walnuts, cinnamon-sugar, rainbow sprinkles... Especially rainbow sprinkles. Why do I love the rainbow sprinkles so? BECAUSE THEY'RE RAINBOW. And because I'm five years old.

The "seeds" are chocolate chips.

And I also decided to try this thing:

It's something.. perritos! I asked the name for it and forgot. :( Anyway, it's gelatin made with condensed milk and shaped/decorated to resemble a puppy. Cute, but a little too sweet and milky for me.

I'll try the bread items when I've had a chance to walk off more calories. And I'll try the champurrado when the weather's not so sweltering.

* * *
La Poblana Bakery
604 W. Chapman Ave.
Orange 92868
714.771.4465

P.S. Alternate post title: "My gut is telling me no. But my gut is also very hungry." If you know that quote, you are my friend.

Tasty trivia.

2008-05-01T00:31:00.000-07:00

My awesome cousin got Foodie Fight for me recently. I'd first read about this trivia game in the L.A. Times' Daily Dish blog before Christmas last year, and I was so excited to finally have it. So we played:

See all those pie pieces filling in the plates? That means you win. I'd like to tell you that this was my card. I'd like to report that I kicked mondo ass. But alas, my boyfriend p'wned both me and my cousin on this game. Who knew he was such a foodie? (I KNEW I shouldn't have given him that one freebie!! After that, he was on a roll..)

This, on the other hand, was my card at the end of the game:

... Pathetic! Even my cousin fared better.

Oh well. I've got much to learn. Or perhaps next time I'll, too, get a question like, "Who has a 'hoo hoo' giggle when poked in his doughy middle?"

Dude, I'm cheesing my f-ing brains out right now. *

2008-04-17T22:09:00.000-07:00

M.
F.

That's what I said when I stumbled across a particular article in L.A. Times' The Guide today. Actually, it was more of a Tourette-like shriek of excitement that I apparently could not contain. You'll read why in a second. Here, I'll walk you through it (my thoughts are in parentheses):

" YES, IT'S CHEESY (Hmm, what? Cheese? You've caught my attention..)

It's a slice of life organizers bill as "an orgy of cheese." (Ooh, please do go on..)

Begun in 2003 by a group of friends living together in a loft, the Grilled Cheese Invitational (Wait just ONE minute. THERE IS A FESTIVAL EVENT DEDICATED TO GRILLED CHEESE?! I'm going to piss my pants right now I'm so excited.) has grown from 16 competitors and 80 attendees to 150 sandwich makers and a crowd of as many as 800 attendees, who will serve as judges (!!!) blah blah blah blah... FREE.. blah blah. Blah. "

.. Yeah, actually right there I just kind of just skimmed through the rest and bolted to my computer to RSVP, only to find out it's fricken' maxed out its capacity! And then I got really bummed. And then after I pulled out of my momentary depression, I signed up for its e-mail list to be notified of cheesy announcements and to know in advance when the next event rolls into town.

And I can't wait. Just check out the categories for the competition.

Mmm.. my imagination's running wild with cheesy fantasies.

*

They say goodbye, and I say hello.

2008-04-15T23:32:00.000-07:00

Sigh. Blogging's a challenge when you're feeling uninspired -- especially after discovering that three of some of your favorite places to eat have recently closed up shop.

* * *
The first victim: TeaZone (often mistaken for a Lollicup) in Fullerton, located on State College and Chapman.

Yelpers apparently weren't fans, but I wholeheartedly stand by a statement I've made many-a-time: TeaZone had the best spicy chicken karaage combo meal out of any boba dive I've ever eaten at. Albeit MSG-ridden, no doubt, the chicken was the crispiest, tastiest around, and it was piled high on a bed of perfectly firm and sticky steamed rice (you can't imagine how hard this is to ask for at a boba joint). Additionally, the overstuffed box came with two mystery side items (which were always hit or miss for me) and what I like to call the "scene stealer" of the meal: a small offering of a wonderful spicy green relish thing embedded in the rice, buried under the chicken along with a few salted, roasted peanuts.

TO THIS DAY, I still have no idea what that was. And it pains me greatly to think that I may never find out.

Oh, and this seems rather insignificant after all that, but I also LOVED their chopsticks. They were the cylindrical kind that are tapered and have a good weight to them -- you know what I'm talking about -- not the cheapo boxy things that look like tiny pieces of lumber, which separate terribly unevenly and leave splinters in your grub.

* * *
Second: I nearly cried (no joke) when I drove by what used to be Main Street Pizza Pasta and found out that it's been replaced by some generic-looking Greek food place. I can't even remember the name of the new place. I'm too heartbroken.

No more plump homemade cheese raviolis in creamy tomato-ricotta sauce. No more fast fixes of linguine with clams. No more al dente pasta cheaper than the non-al dente pasta served at Olive Garden and the like.

I mean, seriously, how could you not want to cry?

* * *
Lastly, the Asiana Grill bid farewell to Tustin. This one I kind of saw coming -- not because the food was terrible. It was pretty great -- not the best, by far -- but certainly much better than the other Chinese lunch option I'd been going to. It was the really awkward location. Coming from a certain direction, I would have to make a u-turn quite a ways away to be able to get to it. It's not a place you stumble on easily.

Anyway, as a Chinese fast-food joint, they made everything fresh and to order. Orange chicken is so much better crispy and piping hot than it is soggy -- wouldn't you agree? And you could get cream cheese wontons as one of your combo items. Sa-weet. But alas, it's no more.

Luckily, I read about Chicken Bowl Express in OC Weekly last week and decided to give their kung-pao chicken a try this evening.

I think it will be a very satisfactory Chinese food replacement. And by satisfactory I mean excellently YUMMY.

* * *
Chicken Bowl Express
554 N. Tustin St.
Orange 92866
714.532.6858

P.S. This post officially concludes "international month," which was kind of a bust. Oh well.

Goodnight and sweet corn.

2008-03-21T02:03:00.001-07:00

I clutched the bubble-like bag of Golden Sweet Corn snacks in my hand and just stared.

I know it's still Lent. I just don't care.

The bag broke open with an easy pop and I proceeded to pour them into my mouth in a steady stream of salty-sweet snacky goodness. I grinned as my cheeks puffed up like a chipmunk's. I ate the whole damn bag, and they were heavenly.

And then I woke up.

Wow. I can't believe I actually dreamt about eating snacks. I don't think Lent's ever done that to me before. When I decided to give up snacks, soda and non-homemade confections, I thought it'd be easy. But apparently it's had a profound effect on my subconscious. Okay, I'm probably being very melodramatic, but really, I can't recall the lack of fried food, red meat, or bread ever haunting my dreams before!

These corn snacks by Regent (they come from the Philippines!) are one of my favorites. What I find so special about them is: not only are they made from corn, they mimic the flavor. Other snacks will trick you, and show a cartoon of a giraffe eating some corn, or a potato-person roasting a cob of corn, or even the corncob itself dancing and speaking Korean. But these snacks won't taste anything like corn. These cartoons apparently just illustrate that the snack is made from corn. I know, it's all very disappointing.

These, however, do not disappoint:

By the way, after I took this photo, I had a very difficult time putting them back into the bag. Man oh man.

But I did allow myself to lick the corn-flavored crumbs that were graciously left on my fingers. Hopefully it will hold me over for the next two days.

Golden Sweet Corn is available at many Asian grocers. Your best bet is probably 99 Ranch Market.

Next stop: Indonesia (or Southeast Asia) for coco-pandan birthday cake.

2008-03-17T20:18:00.000-07:00

One of my birthday presents to myself each year is the joy of making my own cake. Unfortunately, I was so bogged down with other obligations this year that I couldn't start my cake until the very last minute.

But I think I still worked it out:

This coco-pandan cake was actually still a blank canvas as party guests were arriving, and I finished decorating it with the help of my pastry chef cousin Irene while people were eating birthday brunch.

I was going to do some fancy piped shiz on it, but I was too lazy. Luckily, Nature gave me some lovely decorating tools: I took leftover kiwis originally intended for healthy snacking, sliced them ever-so-thinly (as I only had 3 left), strategically stuck them on my cake and patted myself on the back.

Of course, Irene showed me up by piping adorable chocolate embellishments all over it. As her former "bakery assistant" (I use the term loosely), I loved watching her work.

In fact, she gave me this recipe for coco-pandan cake. The cake is a simple chiffon with pandan flavoring, with fresh (actually, canned, but y'know, NOT dried/flaked) young coconut between the layers.

Coconut-Pandan Cake, courtesy pastry chef cousin Irene
8 oz cake flour
9 oz superfine sugar, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup oil
1/2 cup water
Pure vanilla extract, to taste
20 egg yolks
10 egg whites
1 tablespoon pandan extract (recommended: Kupu-kupu brand)
Green food coloring, if needed

Sift together the flour, 8 oz of the sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Combine oil, water, egg yolks and vanilla in a mixer fixed with the whip attachment. Mix on low speed until everything is incorporated. Add the flour mixture and whip on high speed until doubled in volume. Add the pandan extract. Add green food coloring for extra color, if needed.

While the flour mixture is mixing, add the remaining 1 oz sugar to the egg whites. Whip the whites until soft peaks form. Fold the whites into the flour mixture in 3 additions.

Divide the batter among two 10-inch round cake pans lined with parchment paper on the bottom. Bake at 350 degrees until tops are firm and golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-ish minutes (unfortunately, I didn't time it).

"Fresh" Coconut Filling:
3 cans young coconut meat (recommended: Aroy-D brand)
Mochiko (sweet Japanese rice flour) to thicken
Sugar, as needed

Drain the coconut meat, reserving some of the juice. Chop the coconut meat into 1/2-inch pieces and place in a bowl. Add the Mochiko to the coconut, a tablespoon at a time, until the filling is a creamy, but not pasty consistency. Thin it out with the juice as needed, and add sugar if you want to sweeten it even more.

Right here I actually heated equal parts of Mochiko and coconut juice in a saucepan over low heat in order to dissolve the flour and make it less gritty before I added it to the coconut, but it's not entirely necessary.

Simple Icing:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat the whip cream and sugar in a large bowl on high speed until stiff peaks form. Beat in the vanilla toward the end.

I had originally planned to make coco-pandan cupcakes, but I couldn't figure out a way to translate the fresh coconut element to cupcake-form in time for my birthday. I'm still thinking about it.

Hey dontcha know that we're off to see the world.

2008-03-10T21:29:00.000-07:00

Willkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome...

.. once again to my blog.

This month I will take on an "international theme." A majority of recent posts have been all about American comfort food, but it's true I love all types of cuisines. So this month, I will commit to blogging about non-American food. I realize this is quite an ambition for someone who blogs so sporadically. But! I will do my best.

To kick off this theme, I'd like to share a meal that was inspired by a film about excitement, intrigue, kick-ass songs, killer dance moves, and worldly adventures. A film that stands the test of time.

That's right, I'm talking about The Chipmunk Adventure.

Don't hate. You know this movie's awesome. And no, this isn't that blasphemous update starring Jason Lee.

Anyway, at one pivotal moment of the film, Theodore is husked away by the rest of the gang to have a crazy rock n' roll jumping dancing showdown thing with the Chipmunks' female counterparts and rivals, the Chipettes. Poor little Theodore, who hasn't been able to get some hearty eats the entire adventure and now has lost his delicious Mediterranean meal, desperately cries out,

"BUT MY COUSCOUS!"

And that was the inspiration for this dinner.

Lamb and Feta Burgers with Cumin Yogurt Dressing, Bob Sloan, Great Burgers

Couscous Salad with Peas and Mint, Emily Haft Bloom, Burgers Every Way

A few alterations: I couldn't find ground lamb easily (although I imagine it would have been tasty), so I used ground beef, which was still excellent. And I used yellow peppers instead of red peppers for the couscous. Because I felt like it.

That night, we ate our couscous and watched fondly as Theodore scaled the steps of the Acropolis three at a time and enthusiastically gyrated his hips with his brothers.

A happy belated Valentine's Day.

2008-02-19T23:48:00.000-08:00

My boyfriend luurrves me. Why?

This could be one reason:

Valentine's Day fell on a Thursday this year, so we waited until the weekend to celebrate. I decided to show my love for him by slow-cooking the shiz out of some beef. This smoky beef stew with blue cheese and chives had enough tender, fall-apart meaty goodness to ensure our future together. Hehe, kidding. Maybe.

For me, this recipe is one of those where you can't argue with any of the ingredients. To quote Sunset Magazine, "bacon, smoked paprika, and chipotle chile powder give this stew layers of smoky flavor." Red wine gives it depth (I used a Shiraz Cabernet), onions add sweetness... and who doesn't like buttery potatoes and carrots? To top it all off, tangy blue cheese slowly melts into the stew to complete a flavor masterpiece.

This recipe doesn't mess around.

Cornbread muffins were a perfectly sweet accompaniment to the salty smokiness of it all. It's teetering on the edge of my dish and contemplating a skinny dipping.

DO IT. JUUMMMP.

By the way, Trader Joe's Cornbread Mix (complete with real corn kernels!) is awesome. Of course, I added even more corn and then sprinkled the tops of my muffins with sugar. I couldn't help it. I love corn and sugar.

Oh, and I didn't forget about dessert: peanut butter and chocolate fondue, with apples, bananas, pretzels and strawberries.

Yes, I garnished it with sprinkles shaped like lips. And what.

Avocado makes a better dessert.

2008-02-11T21:07:00.000-08:00

YUMZERS.

I'm sure this has an official Indonesian name (maybe just es alpokat?), but I call it avocado soup. Mother whips up this delicious coffee-flavored avocado dessert for me using just fresh scoops of avocado, ABC brand Mocca Syrup, crushed ice and a touch of water.

Actually, she makes it for herself, and then I steal it.

Guac is great and all, but the buttery avocado just.. belongs in dessert.

Lent --> Best meal I've had at Wahoo's yet.

2008-02-07T01:39:00.000-08:00

I take Lent as an opportunity (/excuse) to slightly curb my bad (but oh so good) eating habits for 40 days (when I don't slip) out of the year. My body's health shrieks, "THANK GOD," while my taste buds and love for all-things-food quip, "Dammit, is it this time of year again, already?"

But tasty foodventures can result from avoiding poultry and red meat on Fridays (and Ash Wednesday). One of the most obvious: more samplings of seafood. My dearest seafood. How I love thee.

Coming into Wahoo's Fish Taco today, I was expecting to order a standard blackened fish bowl, with rice and beans, pico de gallo -- you know, the usual Lenty food.

But hunger told me I had to get enchiladas. One fish enchilada and one shrimp enchilada, both swimming in "spicy green sauce," to be exact. And hunger get what hunger want. (Yes, I had to say it. And no, hunger didn't want a hot dog.)

By the way, for those of you who've never been to Wahoo's, the green sauce is a f-amazing creamy cilantro-lime dressing that's not really as hot as it claims, but it does have a little kick to it. I like to pour it on everything. And with enchiladas, melted cheddar floats on top for a bonus? HELLS YES.

As I mulled over the so-so black beans versus the so-so white beans, the cashier, in all his terrific genius, suggested all rice. Oh my gah! That's exactly what I wanted. DOUBLE hells yes.

All this resulted in what I believe to be my Wahoo's "recipe." Took me long enough (I found my Chipotle recipe on the third try). I wish I'd taken a photo; I didn't know this meal was going to be such a historic event.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, besides the whole "no-meat" rule on Fridays, I've given up soft drinks, chips and snacky things, and non-homemade confections.

Me, too, Cream Pan! Me, too!

2008-02-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

Waiting for even more rave reviews before visiting the little Cream Pan turned Japonaise Bakery & Café in Tustin? What's wrong with you?!

If for some crazy reason, you need a little more persuading (you crazy!), here are a couple afterthoughts from yet another humble blogger. Please do try..

The best lemon poppyseed bread ever:

So very zesty and ... poppy. Heh. Poppyseeds make me giggle. And this is loaded with them, so you can imagine that I was very happy as I was devouring it.

And the walnut bread, neither altogether sweet nor savory. Just.. nutty. And yummy. Here, it's toasted and slathered with Trader Joe's Pumpkin Butter, which practically melts into the warm nooks and crannies:

Go already. (Or come with me!)

* * *
Japonaise Bakery & Café
600 El Camino Real
Tustin 92780
714.665.8239

Heavenly heifer: Divine Bovine beef jerky.

2008-02-04T21:48:00.000-08:00

I just spent more than $30 on beef jerky.

Why, might you ask?

Because it's divine. In fact, it's Divine Bovine. She's graced me with her tender, sweet, succulent jerky goodness.

That photo still might not be convincing enough. Okay, imagine eating popular, name-brand beef jerky you buy at the grocery store. Tastes alright, but tough, dry, over-salted, and shoe-leathery may come to mind. If that's beef jerky hell, Divine Bovine welcomes you to beef jerky heaven.

The Original is savory and a little smoky, with just the right level of saltiness; Honey Teriyaki is its sweet companion.

But my very favorite, the one I fell in love with in a car dealership gift shop*, is Wild Honey Teriyaki. For a brief moment on your taste buds, it poses as its sweet angel sister, the normal Honey Teriyaki. All of a sudden, your tongue envelops in flames.

It's a heavenly heifer that will give you one hell of a mouth burn. But as your ears redden slightly and tiny sweat beads start to form on your temples, you will reach for more.

Mmm-hmm. Holy Cow is right.

*A little anecdote: I actually happened upon Divine Bovine while waiting for a routine car check-up at Longo Toyota. Bored and feeling snacky, I browsed the gift shop for something to munch on.

"Ooh, what's this? I loves me some beef jerky."

So I paid $6.99 for a 4 ounce bag at the cashier. And it was so good, I had to buy it again the next time I was back at Longo Toyota for another service.

And then since I didn't have to return for another 4,000+ miles, I turned to the Internet to get my jerky fix. I ordered one of each flavor, pulled out my credit card, and placed my order. And I got a confirmation e-mail..

.. from Anthony Longo.

COINCIDENCE?!? HA! I think not. I mean, how common of a name is "Longo"? And I was wondering why it wasn't cheaper to buy the jerky online. Don't gift shops -- especially in car dealerships -- hike up the prices? But this jerky pretty much costs the same online as it does in the gift shop. IT ALL MAKES SENSE.

Actually, I have no real idea if Anthony Longo is or is related to Mr. Longo of Longo Toyota. But thank you Mr. Longo(s). Thank you for the beef jerky.

* * *
Longo Toyota
3534 N. Peck Road
El Monte 91731
626.580.6000

UPDATE 2/5/08, 11:09 PM:
So uh... apparently.. this jerky is available at your local Stater Bros. ... for only $5.99..?? Dude, I could have gotten an extra bag with what I paid!

I've got a sheepish smile on my face right now. Heh..

Glorious mac and cheese, please.

2008-01-14T21:07:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess January is turning into a retro food month.

This weekend was all about mac and cheese. And I'm not talking about Kraft's neon-orange cheese powder. I'm talking gloriously baked, creamy and buttery, breadcrumb-topped, three-cheese, bacon-mushroom-chicken mac and cheese.

Let me back-track a bit.

Recently, I made my first trip to Yard House, and was pleased to confirm that the food's good, and the alcohol's great. And I totally dig the classic rock tunes. I love eating, drinking and being merry while listening to the Stones and Zeppelin! ... But that's probably for another kind of blog.

Anyway, my first-ever Yard House dish choice was the (Mac and Cheese)^2. Kind of a boring selection, I know, but I felt like something hearty and comforting: "roasted chicken breast, applewood smoked bacon, wild mushrooms, cheddar and parmesan cheese with castellane pasta and white truffle oil."

And I'd thought about that $16 mac and cheese ever since.

So here's my Yard House-inspired grown-up macaroni and cheese recipe. Except I don't use white truffle oil -- I was all out, of course. Silly me. But I did decide to throw in Gorgonzola for an added kick. Take that, Yard House! (It's like that one time I totally one-upped Rachael Ray's chicken cordon bleu burgers by using prosciutto instead of ham and Gruyère instead of regular ol' Swiss.)

Glorious Baked Macaroni and Cheese, courtesy Yours Truly, with a little inspiration from Yard House and a little help from Williams Sonoma (which provided the foundation for this recipe)

1 lb elbow macaroni, cavatappi, cellantani, or other tubular pasta
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk, heated
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
4-6 ounces Gorgonzola cheese (or other blue variety), crumbled
1 can chicken breast, or roasted (real) chicken breast, sliced
Salt, freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, to taste
1 cup FRESH* sourdough breadcrumbs
10 slices bacon
Cremini mushrooms, as much or as little as you like, quartered

Fill a large pot with water and set it over high heat. Boil the pasta to slightly underdone (it will cook more in the oven); drain. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

As you're waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, be productive! Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until barely simmering; remove from heat and set aside. Process cubes of crusty sourdough bread (if it's a day old, it'll make it easier on you) -- go ahead and process the crusts, too -- until you have a cup of breadcrumbs. Set aside.

* Yes, I highly recommend using freshly made breadcrumbs -- they will give a crunchier, yummier texture than store-bought breadcrumbs.

Start your roux: Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour; whisk to incorporate into the butter. Cook 1-2 minutes without over-browning. Add the milk and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil; remove from heat.

Add the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses a large handful at a time; mix well.

Toss the pasta with the cheese mixture in a large bowl. Add the chicken now, if you got it from a can. Add it later if you're using roasted chicken breast. Or you can add it now, whatever.

Fold in the Gorgonzola -- 4 ounces if you like it mild, and up to 6 ounces if you prefer the potency. Add salt (keep in mind that you will be adding bacon later), freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.

Spray a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray, or grease with butter. Spread pasta mixture into dish; sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over pasta. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave and pour over breadcrumbs. Bake in the oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes, or until top has browned.

While macaroni is baking, cook the bacon; drain on a paper towel. (Adding the bacon to the dish later will maintain its delightful crispiness.) Discard most, but not all, of the bacon drippings.

Brown the mushrooms in the remaining bacon drippings over medium-low heat. Add a pinch of salt to bring out a little of the moisture, but be wary not to make them soggy. They should be browned and fragrant, but still firm. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

When the macaroni is ready, serve some up in a bowl, and top with sliced roasted chicken breast, mushrooms and crumbled bacon. Then say, "YESSS."

Is your tummy grumbling yet?

Icebox cookies: the hottest thing to hit your fridge this baking season.

2008-01-02T23:55:00.000-08:00

First of all, Happy New Year! Please excuse me while I wipe the dust off my blog, and forgive my lack of updating! I know, spending time with family is no excuse. Neither is catching up on sleep.

Ah, sleep. I really do love the holidays.

Ok, enough of that. Now on to very serious business:

In case you haven't heard (and how dare you if you haven't), I must report that icebox cookies are so IN right now. And I wish they were IN my belly right now.

It's true! They are ALL the rage. Just check out today's LA Times, which features three recipes for "sophisticated versions" of what the article calls "chiller cookies": peanut butter and bittersweet chocolate, coffee-walnut and apricot butter.

The article will tell you, but in case you don't know what icebox cookies are (and how dare you if you don't), they are made by preparing the cookie dough ahead of time (a classic recipe is one that is simple with easy, but fabulous, variations), dividing them into equally-shaped logs of joy, rolling them in whatever you please (traditionally little toppings that are sweet and edible, like sprinkles), then letting them chill in the refrigerator -- or "icebox" -- and then taking them out a few hours later to slice and bake them. Unsurprisingly, they are also known as "slice and bake cookies" (please, no Pillsbury), but I like the "icebox" name much better. It gives such a retro charm, don't you think?

Anyway, the beauty of these cookies is that you can make the logs of joy ahead of time and save them in the fridge or freezer for a quick and beautiful treat later. But if you're like me, you don't have the patience and willpower to wait more than a couple hours before enjoying them.

I've indulged in and shared variations of these cookies multiple times over the past month or so (talk about hopping on the bandwagon, LA Times, yeesh), and I'm still looking forward to trying out more recipes.

Particularly, these pistachio cranberry icebox cookies were so deliciously festive at my family's Christmas party.

I find joy and satisfaction in slicing them before sticking them in the oven, too. After each slice, I excitedly proclaimed "GORGEOUS!" and showed them off proudly.

But they are gorgeous! If you look closely, you can see the flecks of cinnamon and orange zest, too. (Also, I must recognize Cha for being my lovely hand model. You are lovely. And your hand is lovely.)

I also made Carole Walter's icebox cookies, published in Great Cookies, my go-to cookbook for cookie recipes, including the marbled chocolate and cinnamon nut variations. You'll find that the "master recipe" is delicious in all its simplistic glory.

Finally, I stumbled across a recipe for Mexican chocolate icebox cookies. I'm trying these next.

Mexican Chocolate Icebox Cookies, Maida Heatter, Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup quality Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa
3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons cayenne
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Whisk the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pepper together in a medium bowl and set aside. Put sugar, vanilla, and egg into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until thick and pale, about three minutes. Add butter and continue to beat on high speed until smooth, about three minutes more. Using your fingers, work flour mixture into butter mixture until dough is just combined. Divide dough in half and roll each half into a 9-inch log. Wrap each log in parchment paper, twisting ends tightly to make a uniform cylinder. Chill dough logs for at least eight hours and as long as overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unwrap dough and slice each log into rounds 1/3-inch thick. Place rounds one inch apart on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. Bake cookies until slightly puffed and tiny cracks appear on surface, about eight minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to let cool. Makes about four dozen cookies.

Happy iceboxing!

Merry Christmas to me.

2007-12-17T01:50:00.000-08:00

My biggest problem with shopping for others during a season abundant in incredible deals is that I tend to shop for myself even more. A week out until Christmas and I am probably only 30 percent done with my friends' and family's gifts, and yet I have bought many lovely Christmas gifts for yours truly.

A few of my fabulous finds:

6-way opener, Crate&Barrel
Ok, this wasn't on sale, but isn't it fabulous?!

My mother and boyfriend say it's completely superfluous (especially that third use for it), but I am in love with it. It's a multi-tasker for sure! And so cute.

Cooks enamel cast iron cookware, JC Penney
Someday, my kitchen will contain a large collection of Le Creuset enamel cast iron cookware (gorgeous!). But today, my wallet stays (relatively) full and I still get to indulge -- thanks to this amazing find. Cooks' brand enamel cast iron cookware, which comes in a 5-qt. round or a 5.5-qt oval, is a fantastic knock-off of Le Creuset. Best of all -- it'll only set you back $70 instead of $200 or more. AND -- triple bonus! It comes with a trivet, silicone pot holders and a serving spoon.

One day we'll be together, Le Creuset.

In the meantime, I'm going to have a fling with Cooks; I hope you don't mind. But don't worry, you're still my true love. Promise.

Still on my Christmas wish list:

Potatoes t-shirt, CafePress.com
Adorable, no?

With this, I'd be able to use my wardrobe to express my love for potatoes. And also my love for a certain pair of hobbits in a certain trilogy. (I love subtle hints, don't you?)

Happy holidays and happy shopping!

Comfort food at its finest.

2007-12-11T00:18:00.000-08:00

If you love comfort food, particularly of the American variety, hearty and delicious, made with love and lots of butter, then Paula Deen's probably your go-to food TV mama for recipes. And if you're also happening to look for a food blog that specializes in down-home cowboy grub, then look no further than The Pioneer Woman.

This weekend I made Pioneer Woman's berry cobbler, a prime example of comfort food in dessert form. The original recipe calls for only blackberries, but I used a frozen mixed berry mix with blackberries, raspberries and blueberries. So it didn't look exactly like this.

But it looked and tasted just as delicious. Moist, sugary and tart, I finished probably about a third of the cobbler in one sitting. And it is SO easy to make.

(More alterations: Instead of 1 cup self-rising flour, I used 1 cup all purpose flour + 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder + a pinch of salt. And I threw in 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract in the batter for kicks.)

Remember, comfort food recipes aren't for calorie-counting health nuts. These dishes are, more often than not, bad for you. But in such a good, good way.

Wish list.

2007-12-07T14:02:00.000-08:00

I want this for Christmas, but I don't know who would play it with me. Also, I'm such a newbie foodie, I wouldn't know like, 95 percent of the answers. BUT -- this could be an awesome way to learn more!

Daily Dish, LA Times' food blog, says that it's available at Sur La Table. So... yeah. *wink.

Ooey-gooey bubbly cheesy baked tortellini.

2007-12-03T22:44:00.001-08:00

Okay. It's another Giada recipe. Yes, you may have guessed that she is one of my most favorite Food Network chefs. I probably print out her recipes more often than any other chef's (second is Paula Deen).

What can I say? Her recipes are simple, delicious, hearty and often very easily adjustable (don't like arugula? Substitute spinach!). Also, they're man-pleasin' dishes. And sister pleasin'. Cousin-pleasin', too.... But not Mom-pleasin', though. She hates cheese.

Anyway, my favorites are the hot and bubbly, ooey-gooey fatty baked pasta dishes. Last weekend was my second time making Giada's cheesy baked tortellini. This time, though, I added creamy goat cheese to the sauce mixture, and served it with Parmesan crisps to boot. I sliced up some ciabatta (focaccia would work, too), slathered it with garlic butter and generously sprinkled grated Parmesan on top. Bake the slices in a toaster oven/broiler, or with the pasta 10 minutes before it's ready.

Giada and I recommend using a simple store-bought tortellini (cheese is best) paired with your favorite marinara -- this time I used a combo of roasted garlic sauce and spinach and cheese sauce.

Now I know this looks like an indistinguishable mess of gooey Italian food, but you must understand that by this time, my hunger had taken over the patience required to get a good shot. So, unless you like the look of indistinguishable piles of gooey Italian food, you'll just have to trust me. YUM.

Broccoli (oOOooh) and cheese (aaaHHhh) soup (wooooo! ow!).

2007-11-30T00:38:00.000-08:00

Most of you probably know that although I adore the Food Network, I'm not the biggest fan of Emeril Lagasse. In fact, I find him overrated and incredibly annoying as a culinary entertainer. I cannot stand Emeril Live. Only a few minutes into the show, I am compelled to change the channel after hearing 50 "oh yah, babe"s and a billion other tiresome catchphrases. And I want to punch his audience in the collective face -- always applauding and ooh-ing and ahh-ing after Emeril slices up some zucchini, adds a pinch of cayenne pepper, or throws in some garlic. Oh yah, babe. Garlic is SOOO exotic. You add that garlic, Emeril.

(I mean, don't get me wrong -- I love garlic as much as the next gal, but come on! He uses it every show! Don't act surprised, people.)

But regardless of the obnoxious BAMs and punch-worthy audience, I have to admit one thing: Emeril's recipes are often pretty damn good. If I just pay attention to the actual dishes, I find myself wanting to cook them. And then I grimace and clench my fist.

I was recently recommended Emeril's broccoli and cheese soup. Although when I make this, I'll probably take the onions down a notch.

It's a savory world, after all.

2007-11-26T23:15:00.000-08:00

Thanks for waiting patiently as my blog emerges from the depths of the four-day weekend. I'm sure you could barely contain your excitement to hear about how my Thanksgiving went, even though most, if not all, of you (three) readers were actually there to celebrate it with me.

So, I don't have to go on and on about how fabulous it was. But considering I was in the kitchen for a good 10 hours on Thursday cooking enough food to feed a small (Indonesian) colony, I think the menu warrants at least a few words of self-appreciation.

So please join me on my revisit to what I will call: Planet Thanksgiving!

First, we'll soar through clouds of roasted garlic and cream cheese mashed potatoes.

Then journey across a hot desert of sausage and apple stuffing/dressing.

We'll romp through green fields of creamed spinach and corn.

And trek rocky mountains of baked sweet potatoes and apples.

We'll meet a monstrous roasted turkey.

But we'll conquer it, like we do with the rest of the world.

Yum.

Also, let's not forget the cranberry sauce (its individual photo looks quite murderous, which is why I didn't include it), the homemade turkey gravy (that one I just forgot about), the moist and savory corn spoonbread à la Irene, and a luscious pumpkin pecan dessert perfected by Greg's mom.

Thanks for coming along, and happy leftovers!

T minus six days until the happy turkey dance.

2007-11-16T00:07:00.000-08:00

Less than a week away until Thanksgiving.

How did this happen?! I usually have my entire menu and schedule outlined at least three weeks in advance. Such is the woe of taking work home everyday.

So this weekend I am excited to finally gather my menu and ingredients. Turkey and spinach and corn and bread cubes and apples and herbs and potatoes and cranberries and "pumpkings" will abound.

Pumpkin "butter" on fresh scones; pumpkin cookies. AKA I love Thanksgiving.

2007-11-06T23:24:00.000-08:00

The period between Halloween and Thanksgiving is what I have (just) decided to call "Pumpkin Mania!" It's the time of the year when I indulge in pumpkin goodies and love them so much that say to myself, "Hey, I should make this anytime during the year!" But of course, that never happens. I just forget about it until next Halloween.

So, I better take full advantage of the 2007 Thanksgiving season. Here are a couple pumpkin yummies to start:

Trader Joe's recently introduced Pumpkin Butter to their stock. The label's suggestions for uses include "pastry filling, poultry glaze, ice cream topping, on toast or mixed with fat free cream cheese."

They're also perfect to spread on warm plain scones. A store-bought mix by Sticky Fingers Bakeries will do, but making them from scratch is so easy!

Boxing Day Scones, Sara Perry and Leigh Beisch, Holiday Baking
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup buttermilk
Strawberry jam (in this case, pumpkin butter), for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease it lightly and set aside.
2. Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then lightly whisk. Use a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingers to cut or work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles fine crumbs.
3. Make a well in the center of the flour-butter mixture, and add the buttermilk all at once. Stir the mixture until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Using lightly floured hands, gather the dough into a soft ball and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 4 parts and pat each one into a 3/4 inch thick circle. Cut each circle into 4 or 6 wedges.
4. Transfer the wedges to the prepared baking sheet, and bake in the center of the oven until the scones rise and turn golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack. Serve warm, split and spread with pumpkin butter.

These are best eaten freshly baked of course, but if you store them in an airtight container and pop them in a 325-degree oven later for about 5 minutes, they're almost as good as new!

Ah yes, it's now time for the pumpkin cookie. There are basically two kinds: iced/frosted and chunky. I used to fancy the chunky kind, chock full of dried cranberries and pecans or walnuts. There was a recipe I used to have back in seventh and eighth grade -- as a library aide for my middle school, I had a ton of spare time on my hands and explored the stash in the storage area and found a kids' holiday cookbook with a recipe for the best pumpkin cookies I've ever tasted -- perfectly spiced, with a balanced pumpkin flavor and great texture, more cookie instead of cakey.

I wish I could share that recipe, but unfortunately, I lost it and can't remember what the book was to find it again. Even today I haven't been able to find a suitable replacement for chunky pumpkin cookies, but I was recently recommended a killer recipe for the kind slathered in frosting -- browned butter frosting, to be exact. Courtesy good ol' Betty Crocker.

Perhaps later this month: pumpkin cheesecake..?

Red velvet scandal.

2007-11-05T00:31:00.000-08:00

The first time I had a red velvet cupcake, I wondered where the red color came from. Blood red strawberries? Overripe raspberries? I remember thinking. And then I looked up a recipe.

Oh, it's just food coloring. Lots and lots of red food coloring.

This didn't wig me out, oddly enough. I continued happily indulging in red velvet cupcakes whenever I got the chance. And finally, I decided to try making my own.

Now this recipe, by Elisa Strauss in The Confetti Cakes Cookbook, calls for a whopping 6 tablespoons of red food coloring for a 3-layer, 9-inch cake, equivalent to about 3 1/2 dozen cupcakes.

While I was collecting the ingredients, I pictured myself buying a bunch of those tiny little food coloring bottles that are readily available in any grocery store. Then it came to me -- a cake supply store, duh.

I arrived at Orange Novelty Cake Decorating and asked for a bottle of red food coloring.

"Do you want the airbrush food coloring or the gel paste?"
"Um.. what's best for red velvet cake?"
"Probably the gel paste, since it's more concentrated."
"Okay, I'll take that, then."

I should have also asked, "What is the gel paste to liquid food coloring ratio?"

(.... Yeah, I'm sure any pastry chef or red velvet cake veteran reading this can imagine what happened next.)

So later when I started making the cake batter, and when it came time to add the red, I thought, Okay, since the recipe calls for 6 tablespoons of liquid food coloring, 3 tablespoons of this stuff will probably be good.

I started with a single tablespoon. And then another.

Hmm. This batter doesn't look dark red enough.

I hate it when red velvet cupcakes are pink. They're not called PINK velvet! I like dark red velvet cupcakes. So I start to squirt more food gel in, a little at a time. When I decided to stop, I still wasn't satisfied with the color and felt that it was too light. But by that time, I was becoming disturbed at how much artificiality was going into these cupcakes.

(My pastry chef cousin later told me as I was telling her this story, "Yeah, the baked cake is always much darker than the batter." That would have been nice to know before I had started dumping gobs of red into my batter.)

Anyway, so I baked the cupcakes and was delighted to find that the cakes were moist, sweet, and a deep red color. It was one of the most delicious cakes I had ever made and tasted.

But as time went on, I became increasingly worrisome: What are the health disadvantages to artificial food dye?? My paranoia prevented me from thoroughly enjoying my cupcakes, which is very sad to me.

Later I found out that I used something like 6 times the amount of red food gel that I actually needed. Needless to say, I've had my fill of red velvet for probably the next year, and next time I will be making just "velvet cupcakes." Without the "red." Because the red is only used to dye the cake and not add to the quality of it, the cake will still be luscious and tasty.

But here's the now infamous recipe:

Red Velvet Cake, Elisa Strauss, The Confetti Cakes Cookbook
3 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch-processed)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups canola oil
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
6 tablespoons (or 3 ounces) LIQUID red food coloring OR start with 1 teaspoon red gel paste at a time
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk cake flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl.
2. Place oil and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until well-blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. With machine on low, very slowly add red food coloring. Add vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk in two patches. Scrape down bowl and beat just long enough to combine.
3. Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar and add to batter with machine running. Beat for 10 seconds.
4. Divide batter among 3 round 9-inch layer cake pans, or fill muffin tins 2/3 of the way full. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes for layer cake or 12-15 minutes for cupcakes. Transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.

After going on and on about the cake, I haven't even mentioned the icing. This delectable marry of whipped cream folded into mascarpone and cream cheese is what saved the day. Thanks to the New York Times (Feb. 14, 2007) for coming up with this killer combo. I recommend using an electric hand mixer to whip the cream, and a food processor to combine the other ingredients.

Red Velvet Cake Icing, John Doherty with John Harrisson, The Waldorf-Astoria Cookbook

2 cups heavy cream, cold
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
12 ounces mascarpone
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1. Softly whip cream by hand, in electric mixer or in food processor. Cover in bowl and refrigerate.
2. Blend cream cheese and mascarpone in food processor or electric mixer until smooth. Add vanilla, pulse briefly, and add confectioner's sugar. Blend well.
3. Transfer cream cheese mixture to bowl; fold in whipped cream. Refrigerate until needed.

And there she is. Naked, violated, and bleeding.

And yes. This baby stained. Everywhere.

* * *
Orange Novelty Cake Decorating
3625 W. Macarthur Blvd. #305
Santa Ana 92704
714.556.4661

Eco-friendlier and fashionable.

2007-11-01T00:36:00.000-07:00

I admit: I'm far from being as green as I should be. But there are two things I try to be consistent at. The first is recycling. The second is bringing my own bag to the grocery store.

This Trader Joe's canvas bag was the first I bought:

Despite its petite appearance, it actually fits a relatively large amount of groceries -- you'd be surprised. (A general rule of thumb: it will comfortably carry an almost-full basket of groceries.) Just don't spill maple syrup on it and accidentally shrink it in the dryer like I did.

I forgot my canvas bag one day and saw this hanging on the wall:

It's not uncommon that I walk out of Trader Joe's with more than a single bag of groceries (or my single canvas bag overstuffed and bulging), so I thought, why the hell not? And hello, just LOOK at it. Cute, no? Here's the other side:

And even though I reuse Target's plastic bags for multiple purposes, I was on a roll:

These reusable bags are inexpensive (each of the above was under $3), sturdy and generally hold more groceries than your standard plastic or paper bag. AND they are adorable, people (because let's focus on what's really important here -- I mean, plastic and paper bags are SOO five minutes ago).

In conclusion: there's no excuse! USE REUSABLE BAGS!