Harajuku crêpe.

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.

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.

I love doing this.

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!

Biking off tamales.

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.

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.

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.

Coco-pandan in cupcake form.

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.

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.

Buttercup and pumpkin.

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!)

Snack bonanza!

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!

Summer grubbin': A look back.

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!!

I heart Greek Street.

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.)

Culinary art.

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.)

Chocolatey goodness.

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