(Unique) LA day.

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!

Kiss My Bundt.

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.

Flappy Jack's.

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

My Thanksgiving weekend...

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.

Friendly stalking.

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

Officially leaving the Bay Area.

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?

Happy Independence Day: The red velvet strike ends!

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!

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

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

Tasty trivia.

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?"

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

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!

Ooey-gooey bubbly cheesy baked tortellini.

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.