My Life is Yummy

Bolinhos de Bacalhau

2011-01-28T13:39:00.001-08:00

Oh, wow. Loooong time no post.
Life gets busy with an infant around! I've still been cooking and trying new recipes once in a while, I just haven't been getting around to blogging about it.
This week I saw some salted cod at the local market. Salted cod (Bacalhau) is a Portuguese staple and it's not so easy to find in grocery stores so I was very excited when I found it. My Portuguese hubby really seems to appreciate it when I make Portuguese dishes for him.When I bought the fish, I didn't really realize what a hassle it would be to make it! I had to soak the cod fish for 24+ hours and change the water every 3 hours (or whenever I remembered).
It was definitely a time consuming dish but it turned out quite nice! Very similar to the bolinhos de Bacalhau that I've had in Brazil and Portugal.
Bolinhos de Bacalhau Recipe

Ingredients:

- 18 oz. Bacalhau (Dried, salted Cod)

- 4 peppercorns

- 1 bay leaf

- 1 small onion, quartered

- 2 cups cooled mashed potatoes

- 2 beaten eggs
- 2 tbsp. chopped green onions

- 2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley

- oil for frying

Recipe:

Place salted cod in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Place in refrigerator and soak for 24 or more hours, changing water every 3 hours or so.
Drain and cut the cod into small pieces.
In a pot, combine 2 cups water, peppercorns, bay leaf and onion quarters. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add cod and 2 cups cold water. Return to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
Drain cod, discarding spices and onion. In large bowl and using a fork, flake the cod. Stir in mashed potato, eggs, green onion and parsley. Let mixture stand for a half hour before forming fritters.
Form cod mixture into balls. In batches, fry for 4 minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towels.

Hot Doug's

2010-11-22T06:53:00.000-08:00

"This place convinced me the Chicago red hot is, in fact, superior to the New York hot dog. And it's home to two great innovations in American gastronomy: the "foie gras dog" and the weekends-only practice of cooking French fries in duck fat. It's proof that food doesn't have to be expensive to be great." ~Anthony Bourdain Anthony Bourdain declares that Hot Doug's is one place you need to go eat before you die. This place has been featured on the Food Network and Travel Channel numerous times, that's how much this place is hyped up.
As a foodie who just moved to Chicago, I just had to try it.
This little hot dog joint is not exactly in a convenient location, it's kind of on the outskirts of the city. We got there on a Monday morning when the doors opened at 10:30. I got to order my hot dog without any wait, but within minutes there was a line out the door.
The restaurant has a retro feel to it and has lots of hot dog memorabilia all over the walls. It's a lot of fun to look around at the silly decorations. The menu is pretty hilarious with items like "The Keira Knightley" (a spicy hot dog) or "The Elvis" (smoked and savory) or "The Salma Hayek" (a really really spicy hot dog).I opted for "The Dog," a classic Chicago Dog with tomato, pickle, and celery salt. It as a good, solid hot dog for $1.75. mmmmmmmmm.
I wasn't allowed to eat processed meat while pregnant so hot dogs were at the top of my list of things I wanted to eat once my baby was out! I honestly missed eating hot dogs more than sushi... haha. Hot Doug's
3324 North California Avenue
Chicago, IL 60618-5848
(773) 279-9550

Bento Boxes

2010-11-19T08:56:00.001-08:00

Now that we've settled into our new home in Chicago and Hubby is starting to get used to his new job, I've been cooking more. Lately, I've been packing a bento box for Hubby's lunch everyday. Bentos are so much fun and I plan on continuing to experiment with Hubby's lunches! :)

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

2010-10-28T13:16:00.001-07:00

I hate to let food go to waste, so I started panicking when I saw my extra ripe bananas. I didn't want to eat the mushy things so I decided to make banana muffins with a little twist.
I'm not a huge banana bread fan, but chocolate makes everything taste so much better!

CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA MUFFIN RECIPE
Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1-1 1/2 c. (3 lg.) ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips
Salt to taste

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 18 muffin tins or line with paper. Mix butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add bananas, milk, vanilla and eggs; mix well. Add flour, baking powder and baking soda. Salt if desired. Mix until moist. Add mini chocolate chips and walnuts. Fill tins 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

M.I.A

2010-09-06T14:14:00.001-07:00

Sorry I've been M.I.A from this blog. I've been missing because I just gave birth to my baby girl!!! She is one month old tomorrow. Life has been busy busy with the new baby and we've been packing up everything because we are moving to Chicago in just a few more weeks. I'm at a changing point in my life with the new family addition, a new job for hubby, new city, and hopefully lots of new friends! I promise many more foodie updates once we settle down. I'm excited to try new recipes, explore the farmers market in our new neighborhood, and try a bunch of new restaurants once we move!
xoxo

Craft

2010-07-16T10:33:00.001-07:00

I'm 9 months pregnant right now and due any day. I'm so tired of being pregnant and feel more than ready to meet our little girl.
Yesterday, hubby and I decided to go on one last grown up date before our baby arrives and the two of us make three! We wanted to go to a romantic place with good food that was close to home so we decided to have an early dinner at Craft (which is walking distance from our house). It was my first time trying this place and I was thoroughly impressed! If you watch "Top Chef" you know Tom Colicchio, and I was excited to hear that he is the chef/owner of this beautiful restaurant with spectacular food. First off this restaurant gives quite a few freebies! Yes, I said FREE. When you sit down at the table they bring you a free amuse bouche (bite-sized hors d’œuvres). The amuse bouche of the day was a cool cucumber soup with crème fraiche, which was light and a perfect way to start our meal.

For my drink I had a virgin cocktail: strawberry ginger beer with mint. It didn't have any alcohol in it but tasted like a real cocktail so I was happy! :) Everything here is served "family style" so we ordered a few dishes to share. I loooooved the potatoes gratin. I know it's not a complicated dish, but damn... how did they make it so good? The cheese on top was so crispy and fragrant. And there was a perfect amount of cream and garlic. yummmm.
We also had the mixed mini lettuce salad with radishes (which I forgot to take a photo of). The dressing and pickled radishes were so fresh and tasty. Another appetizer we ordered was the Anson Mills grits & cheddar. It was simple and went well with our main course.
For the main course: braised beef short ribs that just melt in your mouth! So soft, tender, and with the perfect amount of sauce. It doesn't look that appetizing in the photo but it was divine!
For dessert amuse bouche they served us a hazel nut panna cotta which was so creamy and yummy. I felt the need to indulge a little more since this would be our last fancy dinner in a long time so I also ordered dessert after all that food!

I ordered the corn crepes with corn ice cream and blueberries. I thought this dessert dish sounded really interesting and promising but honestly it wasn't very good. Hubby and I didn't even eat half of this dessert. It tasted like frozen corn soup and it just didn't taste like dessert. There was cream corn or something inside the crepes and it was weird... I was disappointed in this dish but the freebies to come really made up for it.
Let me just say that the service here was stellar. The waitress was really attentive and brought a pillow for my back when she saw how pregnant I was. When we told her that we were due any day now, she brought out a chocolate cake at the end of the meal with a candle in it. (and wow was that cake good!)

After we paid the bill the waitress boxed up MORE of our free dessert for us because we couldn't possibly eat any more! These amuse bouche desserts were an assortment of mini macrons, chocolate cherry truffles, and white chocolate cookies. THEN they even gave us corn bread muffins to have for breakfast the next morning. The freebies were just out of control! And I loved it.

Our last dinner as a childless couple was so special and we can't wait to meet our little girl soon!

CRAFT

10100 Constellation Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90067

(310) 279-4180

Baby Shower Food!

2010-06-21T11:20:00.001-07:00

My family threw me the most wonderful baby shower last weekend! It was a big shower with about 65 people. I had so much fun!!! I just wanted to share with you the wonderful food we had at our shower!My sister and I made our own "Edible Bouquets" in little plant pots. They turned out really cute and were a big hit. These are fun and easy to make and are great for parties and showers.The cupcakes were catered by a pastry chef and were cookies n' cream cupcakes. S0oo cute and sooo yummy!

We also had a gourmet taco truck catering company at the party. OMG. The tacos were so good. I highly recommend SOHO taco catering if you live in SoCal.

Not just the food, but the company, decorations, and games were all so perfect! Our baby shower was spectacular and is something I will never forget.

MILK

2010-06-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

My friend told me about a cute little ice cream parlor in LA called Milk. She spoke of an ice cream sandwich with a big glob of ice cream in between two macaron shells. I had to try this place for myself.

This place is a fat kid's (my) dream come true. Supposedly they have sandwiches and salad here too, but I wasn't paying attention to any of that stuff. They got a big selection of baked goods, milkshakes, ice cream, bonbons and other sweets!

I figure since I only have about a month of pregnancy left, I might as well take full advantage of it and eat the fatty stuff while I can. Once I have the baby, I need to whip myself back into shape you know?

The ice cream sandwiches were pre-made and waiting patiently in a glass freezer for me to gobble up. I had the cookies n' cream sandwich with the chocolate macaron shell. OMG... why have I not been here before? This is seriously the best ice cream sandwich I've ever had. The chewy shell with the creamy ice cream is pure genius. Genius, I tell you.

MILK
7290 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Tel: (323) 939-6455

Tea Time in Tokyo

2010-05-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

I still haven't gotten around to posting everything from our trip to Japan last month. One thing I love about Tokyo is that there are cafes everywhere. And not just boring places like Starbucks or Coffee Bean. There are plenty of cafes that offer a variety of cakes, pastries, teas and coffees. We wandered around for a little shopping in Ginza and took a break for high tea at a fancy little cafe called Tsubakiya. I just love having tea with dainty & elegant tea cups. I was excited to have my freshly brewed tea served in Royal Copenhagen china.

This cafe was no joke. They were very particular in the way they brew their coffee and tea. There was a professional barista behind the counter looking like he was conducting science experiments. The cafe has a retro European feel to it and was really calming after a day of walking.

With my lemon tea I had a cherry blossom chiffon cake that was so modestly scrumptious. It was light and airy with a floral undertone to it. Hubby of course had his favorite, rare cheesecake. Everything was so perfect and delicious! I wish we had more cafes like this back home!

TSUBAKI-YA

東京都中央区銀座7-7-11 管原ビル　２Ｆ・３Ｆ

Tokyo, Japan

Tel: 03-3572-4949

Mother's Day Dinner

2010-05-15T10:01:00.001-07:00

Sunday, May 9th was mother's day. It's become a sort of tradition in our family to cook mom dinner on mother's day. I know it's usually breakfast in bed for mom on mother's day. But a fancy homemade dinner just seems more special to me since dinner always takes more time and preparation than breakfast usually does. Hubby, bro, and I spent the afternoon slaving away in the kitchen that Sunday. It was the least we could do for the best mom ever.

This mother's day, hubby came up with the fabulous idea to pamper my mom with fancy caviar and champagne!

So for appetizers we had a cheese plate, mini toast crackers, caviar, champagne, and Grey Goose vodka. Very fancy indeed.

For our side dishes we had artichokes with garlic butter, french bread, and cheesy mashed potatoes.

The main course was ginger-scallion crusted salmon with ponzu butter sauce, served on a bed of cucumber salad. I didn't really know what to make for dinner so I simply googled "best salmon recipe ever" and this recipe popped up on allrecipes.com. The recipe did not disappoint. It was a fusion dish with a Japanese twist and tasted like something you might order for $20+ at a restaurant (if I may say so myself). Only the best for mom!

GINGER SCALLION CRUSTED SALMON RECIPE

(borrowed from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

Cucumber Salad:
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup mirin (Japanese rice wine)
1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
2 cucumbers, halved, seeded, and cut into very thin slices
Ginger Crust:
1/3 cup minced fresh ginger root
4 green onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup peanut oil
Salmon:
2 tablespoons peanut oil
4 (8 ounce) center-cut salmon fillets
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons honey
Ponzu Butter:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons ponzu sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Kosher salt to taste

Directions:

To make the cucumber salad, stir together sesame oil, dill, rice vinegar, mirin, and sesame seeds in a glass or plastic bowl; add cucumber, and toss until well coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
To prepare the ginger crust, stir together the ginger, green onions, and garlic in a sturdy, metal bowl; set aside. Heat 1/4 cup peanut oil in a small saucepan over high heat until it begins to smoke. Remove from heat, and carefully stir in the ginger mixture; set aside.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a large, ovenproof, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season salmon fillets to taste with salt and pepper. Sear salmon until golden brown on both sides, 30 to 40 seconds per side. Transfer to a plate, and wipe excess oil from skillet. Spread honey over top of fillets, then evenly spread with reserved ginger crust.
Replace salmon into the skillet, and place into the oven. Bake until the center of the salmon turns opaque, 6 to 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir in shallots, and cook until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. Pour in white wine, then simmer until nearly evaporated. Add the ponzu sauce and heavy cream, reduce by 1/2. Remove from heat, then whisk in cold butter pieces until dissolved; season to taste with kosher salt.
To assemble the dish, season the cucumber salad to taste with salt. Divide the salad evenly onto four plates, spreading it out into a 4 to 5-inch circle. Drizzle the ponzu butter onto the bare area of the plate, around the cucumber salad. Place a salmon fillet, crust-side up, on top of the salad, and serve.

Al Dente

2010-04-09T16:55:00.000-07:00

While in Japan, hubby must have his "Al Dente" fix. Al Dente is his absolutely favorite pasta restaurant since he was a kid. This is where his carbonara spaghetti obsession all began.
It's a tiny little place that is on the 6th floor of the Sony Building in Ginza. The restaurant probably only seats up to 20 people or so. You get to watch the pasta chefs whip up your dish as you sit at the bar.
The green pea salad is simple and yum. I tried to recreate this dish at home once but failed miserably. I don't know how I messed it up, but I think it's basically garlic, olive oil, green peas, salt and pepper. I have to try making this again.
Without looking at the menu, hubby knows that he must have his carbonara. He usually orders the "oomori" which means extra large portion! This is the dish that he dreams of and craves when we are back home in the states. After he slurped it all up he said that it wasn't as good as he remembered. I guess after hyping it up after all this time he expected more? haha. The carbonara here uses minimum amounts of cream and maximum amounts of egg so it's quite different from the carbonara we make at home. Still, I thought it was pretty darn good.
I had to have the spaghetti in meat sauce. For some reason, spaghetti in Japan tastes very different than spaghetti in the states. I think it's a little sweeter and a little lighter. Preggo me, always hungry, slurped the whoooole plate up.

Sakura

2010-04-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Japan just a few days ago as the pale pink flowers of the cherry blossom trees in Tokyo began to bloom. Japanese people love Sakura (cherry blossoms) because of their fleeting beauty, a reminder of how short and fleeting our very own lives on earth are. Sakura are in full bloom for probably just about a week, so I was extremely excited that this year I would get to see them during our trip to Japan! I've been to Japan dozens of times but I've only experienced the glory of the cherry blossoms once before, so it is very special to me that I get to see them again this year. We took a nice long walk around the Tokyo Imperial Palace yesterday. The parks and areas around the palace are said to have one of the most picturesque cherry blossom scenes in Japan.
Not all of the cherry blossoms were completely blossomed yet, but it was pretty close! The parks were packed with people enjoying the pretty pink flowers.
Everywhere I looked was insanely gorgeous! gorgeous! gorgeous! It's no wonder this country is so obsessed with Sakura.

Sweet 16

2010-03-28T20:14:00.001-07:00

It was a picture perfect, sunny California day today so we decided to take our dogs to the beach. My parents and I collectively have 3 loving dogs that bring happiness into our homes everyday. Today we just took two of our dogs, Xabi and our old family dog Sandy to the Huntington Dog Beach.Sandy is a Golden Retriever and a senior citizen. This year, she will be turning 16 years old! Do the math 7x16= 112... In human years, that would make her 112 years old! I grew up with this sweet dog. She is the kindest and calmest dog you would ever meet. Even though she is a wobbly old woman, she is 16 (in dog years) at heart. She runs, smiles, and plays like she's still a puppy. Her hind legs are getting weak, and she falls over often but that never seems to stop her. We believe she might make it to be the oldest living dog in history. At least we hope so :)
Xabi is our rambunctious pup. He loves to swim and will go no depths for his beloved ball. Today he swam until he was POOPED! At the end of the day he was drooling and blowing bubbles from his mouth because he was so exhausted. haha. It was too cute, I couldn't help but laugh at his foamy mouth.

Homemade Pasta SUCCESS!

2010-03-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

My first time making pasta from scratch was a success! (Quite the confidence booster after that homemade bread fail). I had some help from a friend who is a experienced pasta maker, so that made a big difference. I envied her Kitchen Aid attachment for rolling pasta, so my siblings bought it for me & pasta drying rack as a Christmas gift! It was so sweet of them, but I just didn't get around to trying it out until now.Making pasta was surprisingly easy and so much fun! Unfortunately, I didn't have a pasta cutter so we cut the pasta with a knife. It didn't really matter because it doesn't change the flavor and it made it that much more homemade-y. Only 4 basic ingredients go into making pasta.

BASIC PASTA RECIPE
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water

Directions:
Basically, you just knead all of the ingredients together until consistent. If the dough is too dry, add a little more water. Roll through the pasta roller, cut, boil and bon appetite! Having a pasta drying rack is so helpful because otherwise the noodles would just clump and stick together. The pasta came out delicious! It tasted so fresh, and elegant. I had my pasta noodles covered in artichoke tomato sauce with scallops and shrimp. I don't know if I'll be making homemade pasta every time I want spaghetti, but I'm definitely going to be making good use out of my pasta roller from now on. I'm thinking lasagna and ravioli next!

Homemade Bread FAIL

2010-03-08T18:15:00.001-08:00

They say that all you really need to make bread is a little bit of milk, butter, yeast, and flour. Lies... all lies... My little homemade bread making experiment was pure failure. The dough was as hard as a rock and would not rise even after waiting for hours.
The end product, although looked edible was the weight of a softball. Hard on the outside and still raw on the inside. Is it truly possible to make a nice loaf of bread at home without the assistance of a bread making machine? I am determined to succeed one of these days.

Trader Joe's Pizza Dough

2010-02-25T10:07:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've really been into pizza. It's been one of my top pregnancy cravings. You just can't go wrong with a good crust, sauce, and cheese! I've thought about making my own pizza dough but it just seems like such a hassle. Why go through all the time and trouble to make dough when they sell perfectly good dough at Trader Joe's? They have a plain dough, a whole wheat dough, and a garlic herb pizza dough in the refrigerated section of the store & it's only 99 cents! I think pretty much everything at TJ's is fabulous and tasty.
It's really simple to use this dough. It's just pretty sticky, so I made sure to put flour on my working surface. I'm not a professional pizza tosser, so I just stretched the dough out into a rough circle shape.
The best part about making pizza at home is that you get to play with the toppings. This time, I added some pizza sauce (also TJ's), shredded mozzarella cheese, slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, prosciutto, artichoke hearts, and sun dried tomatoes.
We had arugula lettuce on our pizza for the first time in Brazil last year, and hubby just loves it. So after the pizza came out of the oven I sprinkled some arugula on top. The crust was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. This pizza is semi-homemade cooking at it's perfection!

Been Busy Baking...

2010-02-22T18:38:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been missing from the food blogging world for the past few months!!! I've been busy baking... a baby in my oven! This is our first child and we are beyond the moon excited. Right now I am about 4 and a half months pregnant and our baby girl is due in July.
I would have been food blogging... but morning sickness has been hell. I've had so many food aversions and had no interest in looking at food, eating food, or smelling food during my first trimester. I was so sick and nauseous all day that I ended up losing a total of 7 pounds. Now that I'm halfway through my pregnancy, morning sickness has finally let up and I'm interested in eating again! I even gained back the weight I lost. I've been avoiding cooking but I feel like I'm ready to get back into the kitchen again. I feel like I need to practice my cooking skills more than ever, now that I'm going to be a Mama! <3

Strawberry Short Cupcake

2009-11-12T18:56:00.000-08:00

It was my friend's birthday the other day, so I decided to bake something to celebrate. The strawberry shortcake I made for hubby's birthday in August was such a hit that I decided to make something along those lines. I decided to make strawberry short cupcakes!
They turned out really cute! I topped the shortcake with fresh whipped cream, mini jelly candies, and a strawberry. They tasted nice, but honestly... I think when you put the airy cake batter inside the small cupcake paper, it deflates a little and loses a lot of its soft airyness.
Still, they were very cute and my friend appreciated them! :) I used my original shortcake recipe to make these cupcakes. The recipe can be found on my past post HERE.

Trails Cafe

2009-11-11T09:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Hubby and I took our dogs hiking in Griffith Park. It was a beautiful and sunny November day, perfect hiking weather. We let the dogs run around off leash and we all got a lot of exercise.Of course, all that hiking got us hungry so we had lunch at the The Trails Cafe located inside Griffith Park. It's a cute little shack that looks kind of like a log cabin where you order and pick up your food. There are plenty of picnic benches in the shade around the cafe where you can enjoy your meal. It was perfect for us, because we had our two doggies with us.
The cafe offers a mostly vegetarian menu with fresh homemade food, and everything is so tasty! I absolutely adore this rustic little cafe.
I had the vegetarian avocado sandwich with tons of sprouts, avocado, tomato, cheese, onions, and vegetarian bacon bits. This vegetarian sandwich was surprisingly filling and delicious! I'm going to try making this at home!
Hubby had the "snake on a dog" which is a hot dog wrapped in puff pastry. This dog came with a side of cabbage salad. It was one of the few carnivorous items on the menu. It was warm out of the oven and yummy as well.
We got a mini rhubarb strawberry pie for dessert. The crust was crunchy and sweet. Loved the mini pie!
This place is definitely worth a visit if you are ever around Griffith Park.

TRAILS CAFE
2333 Fern Dell Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90068
(323) 871-2102

The Chicago Dog

2009-11-10T18:13:00.000-08:00

We were set on having some Chicago style hot dogs while we were in town, so our friend took us to a local hot spot called The Wiener's Circle.

The place was pretty disgusting, small, and dirty. The people working there gave us nasty looks and were completely rude to us, hubby didn't even get what he ordered... but that's what makes this place so fun!

Even the tip jar is rude... Notice the bottom of the jar that says "Shakes $20"?
See that big, mean looking lady behind the cash register?
Well, if you put $20 in the tip jar, you will get a chocolate milk shake... meaning that the lady will lift her shirt and shake her ginormous boobies at you. I wasn't in the mood for a milkshake so I skipped on that one. Maybe another time...

Everything was deliciously greasy. And I'm not being sarcastic, I loved the dog.

Ohhh, look at all that oozing cheese and oil. yum! I will be back for the food, and the service! :)On our way back to LA, at O'Hare airport we decided to have one last hot dog at the Jodi Maroni's stand. Chicago dogs are so awesome, having those veggies in my hot dog makes me feel a little less guilty about eating a super processed and fatty snack.

WIENER'S CIRCLE
2622 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614-1523
(773) 477-7444

FALLing in Love with Chicago

2009-11-10T13:28:00.001-08:00

We experienced wonderful weather and beautiful fall colors during our trip to Chicago recently. I really love this city.

A Taste of Chicago

2009-11-03T19:42:00.001-08:00

We visited Chicago for the first time this year. I immediately fell in love with the city.
We did all of the touristy things that people do in Chicago. We went to a Cubs game at the famous Wrigley Field and watched the Cubs win.
And of course we had Chicago style stuffed pizza!
We went to Bacino's Pizza in Lincoln Park. Basically, it's pizza with a thick heavy crust with TONS of cheese stuffed inside.
Every slice literally had one brick of melted mozzarella cheese inside... I'm sure of it!
Aside from the fact that you feel sick and bloated after eating just once slice... it's pretty decent. I still prefer the traditional pizza. But when in Rome... right?
BACINO'S PIZZA

2204 N Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614

Tel: (773) 472-7400

Kiss My Bundt

2009-10-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

I heard about Kiss My Bundt from a friend and I read on her blog about how fabulous this place was. When I saw online that they offered baking classes, I jumped on the opportunity.
It was a hands-on baking class with the owner, Chrysta as the instructor. She was such an upbeat and friendly person who offered me so much new information on baking.
The class had about 10 people and we split up into two groups. Each group worked from a "Blank Canvas" recipe for Chrysta's bundt cake and added our own unique flavors to make a new bundt cake creation. Unfortunately I can't post her famous recipe due to copyright reasons. :(
My group made vanilla cappuccino bundt cake with Baily's Irish Cream frosting, (pictured below). The other group made a raspberry, Guinness beer bundt cake with Belgium chocolate frosting. It was all so unique and yummy! I had such a great time meeting new people, baking together, and trying all sorts of great bundt cake flavors at Kiss My Bundt!
I highly recommend all of the cakes and classes at Kiss My Bundt. I even follow them on Twitter because they have discounts and special flavors all the time!

Kiss My Bundt Bakery
8104 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 655-0559

Dragon Fruit

2009-10-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

My friend was serving this beautiful and exotic looking fruit at his house warming party that I attended. I have never seen or eaten anything like it!
He told me that it was called Dragon Fruit. Dragon fruit, formally called Pitaya is the fruit from a cactus originating in South America. This fleshy fruit was amazingly sweet with crunchy little black seeds like the kiwi fruit.
On my recent trip to the Farmer's Market I discovered another variation of Dragon Fruit with a hot pink flesh! Dragon fruit contains high levels of vitamin c, calcium and phosphorus and lots of antioxidants. I don't know why I've never had this fruit before, but I'm officially hooked!

Fugu Me!

2009-10-15T18:25:00.001-07:00

We went out to eat Fugu (Puffer Fish) a major delicacy in Japan. It's not everyday you get to eat Fugu, and it's very hard to find in the states so I was excited about our full course fugu meal.
We went to eat at Torafugu Tei, which just so happened to be celebrating their 2 year anniversary with 50% off the entire menu! Still... Fugu is not cheap!
The beverage of choice: Hire Sake, hot sake with a puffer fish fin inside. The traditional way to drink this is to light the sake with a match and let the fin steep in the sake.
It tastes like a hybrid sake/fish soup.
The course started off with Fugu skin sashimi.
We also had Fugu Nabe (hot pot). The hot pot was a basket with a thick piece of paper and boiling water inside. I thought it was really neat!
Now the creepy part was that the pieces of cut up fish were still twitching on our plates before we immersed them into the boiling hot water.
So you boil your pieces of Fugu and veggies and dip them in Ponzu sauce before devouring.My favorite Fugu dish is Fugu sashimi. It is so delicate yet has a crunchy texture to it. Some people say that the small traces of Fugu poison leaves your lips and tongue tingling. If you ever saw that Simpsons episode where Homer is about to die from Fugu poisoning, you know that Fugu contains lethal poison (Tetrodotoxin). Fugu poisoning is very rare, especially in Tokyo but my best friend in Japan ended up in the emergency room on life support due to Fugu poisoning. So be very careful that to eat Fugu at a proper restaurant with licensed Fugu chefs.
Ohhh, Fugu kara-age is deep fried Fugu. So yummy! Tastes like chicken!
At the entrance of the restaurant there was a huge tank of Fugu swimming around, but at the end of the night after all of the guests ate the little guys, the tank was nearly empty...

The Glass Forest

2009-10-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

We visited the Hakone Glass Forest, a Venetian glass Museum and Italian Garden during our stay in Hakone.
The museum had impressive displays but the real treat was the gorgeous European style garden that made me feel like I was in Belgium. I especially loved the crystal trees that twinkled in the sunlight.
The gardens also showcased seasonal flowers such as lavender and cosmos.
There is a little tea house in the garden where an Italian singer entertained us with "It's Amore" and other Italian tunes while we had our tea and snacks.
I had the Chiffon cake with fresh whipped cream and apricot jam with fresh fruits. This is a great romantic spot to go on dates with your lover. Such a cute place!

Eating at the Ryokan

2009-10-08T09:50:00.000-07:00

Stayed at a ryokan (Japanese style inn) while in Hakone. The hot springs were so wonderful, but the food was amazing. They bring your full course dinner right to your room.
Breakfast was served in the main dining hall which had a nice scenic view of the gardens.
I absolutely love traditional Japanese breakfast!

Autumn in Hakone

2009-10-07T20:19:00.000-07:00

We had a one night trip to Hakone. Hakone is about an hour away from Tokyo by car and is famous for it's hot springs and natural beauty. The scenery was beautiful this time of year.The above picture is a view of Owakudani. It is an active volcanic zone of sulfurous fumes and hot springs.The torii of Hakone Shrine floating on Lake Ashi.We also visited the remains of Hakone Sekisho (Hakone Checkpoint), which was an important checkpoint to control traffic along the Tokaido highway which linked Tokyo with Kyoto during the feudal Edo Period. We hiked to the top of the hill to enjoy the stunning view of the lake. This is a shot of a Japanese puzzle box called "himitsu-bako". It is like a puzzle because there is a secret series of steps to open each unique box. These beautiful boxes were designed over 100 years ago in Hakone. So pretty!

Octopus Balls

2009-10-04T16:47:00.001-07:00

I used to joke around and call takoyaki octopus balls when I was a kid. Actually, I lied... I still do it. Takoyaki is basically a small round ball of savory batter stuffed with a small piece of octopus in the middle.
At the Osaka bullet train terminal there was a booth selling hot off the grill takoyakis. Being an Osaka signature food, I couldn't leave the city without having some!
It is so fun to watch the cooks whip up these takoyakis with speedy precision making the balls turn round and round on the pans.
I bought a box to enjoy on the train ride back to Tokyo. It was ridiculously delicious.
It's quite similar to flavor in okonomiyaki but the center is always half cooked and gooey inside.
*That's a bad picture because the takoyaki balls shifted inside the box while I was walking but it still tasted yummy!

Momiji Manju

2009-10-04T16:35:00.000-07:00

While in Hiroshima I picked up a few boxes of Momiji Manjus as gifts. These are Japanese sweets shaped like maple leaves and are a famous confectionery from Miyajima Island and Hiroshima. The original ones are filled with red bean paste but there are lots of popular variations with green tea, chocolate, cream or cheese fillings. While in Miyajima we went to a shop specializing in these sweets and saw machines making fresh manjus. We even got to try fresh made manjus hot off the press. They were so tasty! If you wonder what they taste like, its kind of like a dorayaki or pancake-like outside with a sweet creamy filling. The maple leaf shape is really fitting for the fall season.

Itsuku-shima Jinja Shrine

2009-09-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

During our trip to Hiroshima we also visited a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered a national treasure. Other than that, I don't know much else about the history of the place. I've seen many pictures of this beautiful shrine and had always wanted to visit. The day we visited it was raining pretty hard. We took a boat from our hotel to the little island as a day trip. The red tori (gate) in the water with the rain added to the dramatic effect and it was absolutely beautiful.We even got to see a part of a traditional Japanese wedding going on at the temple that day.
Miyajima is also known for it's deer population. The deers are pretty domesticated and friendly towards tourists. They are wandering all over the island.One deer even tried to eat my sis-in-law's shirt!

A-Bomb Memorial

2009-09-28T16:34:00.000-07:00

No, we didn't go to Hiroshima just to eat. We took a trip to Hiroshima with the family to get a little history lesson on the events of the Hiroshima atomic bombing.On August 6, 1945 the first nuclear bomb to be used against mankind detonated directly above this dome building in Hiroshima, Japan. When the bomb exploded, thousands of badly burned victims jumped into the rivers but most didn't survive. Stories say that the river was red with blood and thousands of corpses were floating in the water. My visit to Hiroshima was frightening and depressing. To see and read about the after effects of the bombing at the Hiroshima Peace memorial Museum made me seriously think about war and humanity.
The museum was quite graphic; displaying gory photos and objects of people injured or killed in the bombing. Grandma and otousan didn't come inside the museum because they said they had been there before. I totally understand, because it is a place I never want to visit again. Once is enough. It's hard to think that America did such a horrible thing to Japan, especially since my father is American and my mother is Japanese.The high radiation levels of the atomic bomb continue to affect people today. Children were born with disabilities and diseases. There is a famous story about a little girl named Sadako Sasaki who was two years old and living in Hiroshima when the atomic bomb dropped. Ten years later, because of radiation, she died of Leukemia in 1955. Now, there is a Children's memorial dedicated to her and all children who suffer from war. Hundreds of thousands of paper origami cranes made by children adorn the memorial.
A Nuclear Abolition Flame is lit near the A-Bomb dome. It is a flame that will remain lit until all nuclear bombs on the planet are destroyed and the planet is free from the threat of nuclear annihilation. I hope that in my lifetime the flame will no longer burn.

Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki

2009-09-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

After Osaka, we got on the bullet train and headed to Hiroshima. It was my first time there, and when in Hiroshima you must try the Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. I've only had (and cooked) the typical Osaka-style okonomiyaki before so I was very excited to try this different version.
Once we got off the train, my eyes were bombarded with rows and rows of okonomiyaki restaurants. It was hard to choose one, but in the end we decided on "Yocchan".
A small restaurant with a counter and only a few tables, you can watch the chefs whip up the massive okonomiyakis. I wonder how many of these okonomiyakis the chefs make daily, because they got it down to a skill!
Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is quite different from the Osaka okonomiyaki. It is like a thin, crepe-like batter topped with lots and lots of cabbage and yakisoba noodles. It's actually a lighter meal than the Osaka okonomiyaki that uses lots of heavy flour. I think I even prefer the Hiroshima okonomiyaki.
If you wish, you can add thin slices of meat or seafood. Drench your okonomiyaki in special sauce and you're good to go. Okonomiyaki's are something you definitely have to experience when you go to Hiroshima.
YOCHHAN OKONOMIYAKI
お好み焼きよっちゃん
広島県広島市中区基町11-10 プライム紙屋町 B1F
Tel: 082-221-8267

Minoh Waterfall

2009-09-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

The Minoh Waterfall is located in the Meiji Memorial Forest Minoh Quasi-National Park and was near the ryokan that we were staying at. It wasn't quite Iguazu falls, but it was a beautiful waterfall nonetheless. The quaint little red bridge with a waterfall backdrop really made me feel like I was in Japan. We originally made the hike to the waterfalls hoping to spot some monkeys but unfortunately didn't see any. The area was surrounded by lush forest mountains and the trees were slightly beginning to change color. So far in my life, I've always been a student or teacher (and the school year begins in September) so even though I've been to Japan over 2 dozen times I have never experienced Japan in autumn. I hear that in October & November the mountains turn color to vivid reds and oranges. In Southern California I've never really experienced the four seasons, so I hope I get to see that one day.

Osaka's Rising Sun

2009-09-24T10:34:00.001-07:00

The upside of jet lag is waking up early enough to watch the sunrise. On our second day in Japan, we took the bullet train to visit grandma who lives in Osaka. Normally we stay in a hotel, but on this trip we stayed in a fabulous ryokan (a Japanese style inn) called Kaze no Mori. I woke up before 5am and I went to take a dip in the Onsen before anyone else woke up. It was so relaxing to take a warm bath outside with the cool air on my face, just watching the day begin.
Since I was the only one in the baths, I took a photo before anyone showed up. Ahhhhh I absolutely love onsens. On this short trip to Japan we went to onsen 3 times and in those 3 days I took at least 10 baths. That's how much I love onsens.
The other great thing about staying at a ryokan is the meals. Most places serve up a traditional Japanese style breakfast and dinner. At this particular ryokan in Osaka, we enjoyed a full spread of a Japanese breakfast.
I was so content to eat such wonderful food for breakfast!
They even gave us natto (my favorite).
The meal had fish, eggs, various pickles, rice, miso soup and yudofu (which is a very simple dish of tofu simmered in a kombu dashi).
So delicious, so relaxing. It felt like a true vacation.

Tsukiji Fail Blog

2009-09-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

Even before boarding our flight to Tokyo, we knew that we would visit Tsukiji the next morning. The upside of jet lag is that we would wake up extra early the first few days... early enough to be the first ones at the famous Tsukiji fish market when they open at around 4-5am.

I was so excited to eat a fresh sushi breakfast and when we arrived at Tsukiji around 4:30am we thought we beat the crowds. "Yes! We're going to be first in line!" I thought... and then we started walking around the markets to see nobody. Just emptiness.

Then we saw this sign. (The Market is Closed Today). NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Say it ain't so. I thought Tsukiji was never closed except for national holidays and Sundays!?

The only thing open was this 24 hour sushi restaurant we stumbled upon a few blocks outside of the Tsukiji market. This place had to do since there was nothing else open at 5am, and our stomachs were hurting for some sushi.

We were the only customers in the restaurant and the sushi chef seemed happy to have some company and people to talk to. He informed us that the Tsukiji Fish market closes on some random Wednesdays. According to him, most people don't even know when they close. Great.The sushi was better than most places in Los Angeles, but wasn't nearly as good as our past Tsukiji sushi experience.

The seafood was fresh, and it did quiet our cravings but left a little more to be desired.

At least I got to eat my favorite! Akagai (Pepitona clam or ark shell?) love the texture, crunchy and chewy.

Oh, well maybe next time. On our next visit I want to try Daiwa Sushi inside of Tsukiji.

I Did It!

2009-09-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

I ran my very first (1/2) marathon yesterday! I ran the "Happiest Race on Earth!"
I didn't train for it as much as I hoped to, but at least I made it to the finish line! My time for 13.1 miles was 3hours and 15 minutes. I wasn't the fastest runner but at least I got the blinging medal for completing the race! I am so proud of myself.The marathon was so much fun. We ran through Disneyland, California Adventureland, and even inside the Anaheim stadium. I'm so sore, I can barely walk right now... but I can't wait till next year's marathon. My goal is to be under 3 hours next time.

Coconut and Walnut Baklava

2009-09-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

Baklava is so yummy. I'm into anything with a good crispy crunch. I've had my share of Baklava in Greece and Turkey, and they were all delicious. The delicate layers of Baklava and combination of sweet honey is really a dream. Baklava is also one of hubby's favorite desserts, so I had to try my hand at making it myself.
I thought that phyllo dough might be hard to come by, but all of the ingredients were easy to find at my local grocery store. Once I got the hang of handling the delicate dough, layering the walnut mixture and dough was quite fun. Hubby is also a big fan of coconut so I added some for a chewier texture. The baklava came out perfect! My friends and I ate them all up.

COCONUT BAKLAVA RECIPE
Ingredients:
1 cups walnuts (chopped)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/8 cup sugar
1/8 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup sweet cream butter, melted
1 package phyllo pastry, thawed
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup honey
chopped pistachios for topping

Directions:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 35o degrees.
2. Mix the walnuts, coconut, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
3. Brush the bottom of a square baking pan with butter.
4. Butter each later of the phyllo dough and layer 4 sheets at a time then add walnut mixture and repeat the layers until you use up all of the nut mixture and dough.
5. Slice the baklava into small squares with a sharp knife.
6. Bake in for 25-35 min until golden brown on top, make sure you check on it often because phyllo dough burns easily.
7. For the syrup: bring the water, sugar, and cinnamon to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Add the honey and simmer for another 2 minutes.
9. Pour the syrup over the baklava when it comes out of the oven and decorate with crushed pistachios.
10. Let the baklava cool for a few hours and let they syrup seep in before eating.

Homemade Burger

2009-08-31T10:23:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I were craving hamburgers (especially after reading Ila's posts about her fabulous burgers) so I decided to make some homemade burgers with the random ingredients in my fridge. They were so fresh and tasty.

HOMEMADE HAMBURGER
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
4 sliced of bacon, fried
1/2 onion grated
2 cloves of garlic, grated
1 tsp sriracha sauce
salt and pepper to taste
sliced tomatoes, lettuce, red onions
sliced cheddar cheese
ketchup
mustard
mayonnaise

Panini bread

Directions:
1. Mix together ground beef, sriracha sauce, salt & onion, grated onion and garlic.
2. Pat into (4) patties and grill to your liking.
3. Place hamburger patties on toasted panini bread with melted cheddar cheese, and top with sliced red onion, lettuce, tomato, and fried bacon.
4. Don't forget the ketchup, mustard, and mayo.

Greek Salad

2009-08-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with Greek food when I visited the Greek islands with hubby almost 5 years ago. Till then, I've never even tasted Greek food before. While traveling the islands I had Greek salad every single day. I was obsessed with Feta cheese and the fresh sweet tomatoes. This salad has become one of our favorite summer salads. With a side of pita bread, hummus, and tzatziki sauce, it is a great summer lunch.
GREEK SALAD RECIPE
Ingredients:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 red onion sliced
4 tomatoes roughly cut
3 cucumbers cut
4 oz. Feta cheese, diced or crumbled
handful of Kalamata olives

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together, toss salad and eat!
This is a photo I took in Oia, Santorini. Some of the places hubby and I visited during our trip to Greece was; Athens, Santorini, Paros, and Mykonos. The islands were magically beautiful and romantic, I hope to visit again one day!

French Toast

2009-08-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

French toast is one of hubbys favorite breakfast dishes. French toast is called pain perdu in France and they say that it was created as a way to use stale bread. I like to make French toast to use up the "ends" of my loaves that otherwise go to waste. It's ridiculously easy to make and tastes so yummy.

FRENCH TOAST RECIPE
Ingredients:
4 slices of any kind of bread
4 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tbsp butter for frying

Directions:
1. In a shallow mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon.
2. Dip slices in egg mixture and cook until golden brown on both sides.
3. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with warm maple syrup & fresh whipped cream.

Honey Madeleines

2009-08-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

Just bought a brand new silicone Madeleine pan. I was dying to try out this recipe I read on Confessions of a tart. These Madeleines were surprisingly easy to make. They were so fluffy with a nice hint of honey, hubby and I just ate them warm as they came straight out of the oven. They tasted kind of like Japanese baby castellas, so hubby requested that next time I fill them with custard somehow. But these little cakes were wonderful just as they were.
HONEY MADELEINES
Once Upon A Tart
borrowed from Confessions of a Tart
(makes 12 full sized Madeleines or 24 minis)

3/4 cup all purpose flour
4 tbsp butter (plus more for buttering pan)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp honey (I prefer to use dark, fragrant honey)
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

In a small saucepan or microwave, melt the 4 tbsp of butter (some people like to brown it, but I haven't tried that yet). Stir in honey and extract. Let cool to room temperature.

While the butter/honey/extract is cooling, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl. For full disclosure, I have to tell you that for the best, the tenderest cookies, what you really need to do is sift the dry ingredients together, and possibly sift them twice (but if you are short on time or patience, or you are me, whisking is just fine).

Break the two eggs into a large bowl and add the sugars. Now, this part is really important - whip the eggs on a high speed for at least 3 minutes -- possibly as much as 5 -- until they are thick and light in color, and fall in a dense ribbon when you lift your beater out of the bowl. This is what gives Madeleines their airy texture, so don't skimp on the whipping.

With a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the eggs, being really careful not to deflate the eggs and mixing only until the flour disappears. Then, being just as careful, fold in the cooled butter/honey/extract mixture. I do this by pouring it down the side of the bowl and then swirling it around with the spatula until the texture is uniform.

Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Turn the oven to 400F and brush your Madeleine pan with softened or melted butter. Brush it well - the worst is to be stuck prying your beautiful little cakes from the pan because you didn't butter it enough. Fill the molds about 3/4 of the way - don't worry, they will spread and rise as they bake. Bake until the Madeleines rise and the edges are browned. In practice, it's usually about 10-12 minutes for full sized cakes or 8-10 for minis. Please watch carefully because even 30 seconds extra makes a difference with these.

Take out the pan and tap it lightly on the counter to unmold the cakes and then carefully pry them out of the molds (I use a dull butter knife to help me there), arrange on plate and dust with confectioner's sugar. Usually, Madeleines should be eaten the same day they are made, but these were still totally awesome the next day.

Angel Food Birthday Cake

2009-08-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

Dad, my dog, hubby, and brother all share birthdays just within a few days of each other. It has become our family tradition to celebrate all 4 birthdays together. This year, we celebrated by having a backyard BBQ. Dad requested an angel food cake for his birthday so that's what we had! For some reason, the cake deflated a little after I took it out of the oven and it was not as fluffy as I hoped it would be (it was a little on the dense side for an angel food cake). But I covered it up with some fresh whipped cream and strawberries and it tasted pretty good.

ANGEL FOOD CAKE RECIPE
Ingredients:
1 cup cake flour (sifted)
1 1/2 cup sugar
12 large egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt, beat on medium high.
3. Add 3/4 cups of sugar slowly on high until stiff peaks form.
4. Add sifted cake flour and another 3/4 cups of sugar while continuing to beat on low.
5. Fold in the vanilla and almond extract, scraping the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.
6. Pour the mixture into an ungreased angel food cake pan.
7. bake for 30-35 minutes until the top springs back when you touch it lightly.
8. Let it cool on a cake rack and then invert the pan. (This is the hardest part!)
9. Decorate the cake with homemade whipped cream and strawberries if desired.
Check out this new gadget I got! A cake sifter to add to my baking tools. I've always wanted one and I love it. I've only had it for about a week and I've been using it a lot. Is it lame that I get super excited over kitchen utensils?

Banana Dream Pie

2009-08-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I visited Mazatlan back in 07' it was a great trip, but I reminisce about the pie I had there. I actually had banana cream pie for the first time in the small village of Copala, Mexico, about 40 miles from the beach resort of Mazatlan. Above is a picture of that legendary pie before I inhaled it. I don't even remember what the name of the restaurant was, but I was blown away with the first bite! They served a coconut banana cream pie that just melted in my mouth. I've been dreaming about that pie for about 2 years now, and I decided to relive the moment by creating my very own banana cream pie. I even made the crust myself. I didn't add any coconut to it, but wow... I think this pie is like one of the best things that I have ever baked. It was so delicious!

BANANA CREAM PIE RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 9-inch baked Graham Cracker pie shell
3 cups whole milk
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 bananas

Directions:

1. Have a baked 9-inch Graham Cracker pie shell ready.
2. In a large saucepan, scald the milk.
3. another saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt; gradually stir in the scalded milk.
4. Over medium heat, stirring constantly, cook until thickened. Cover and, stirring occasionally, cook for two minutes longer.
5. In a separate bowl have 1 mashed banana ready for use.
6. In a small bowl, have the 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten, ready; stir a small amount of the hot mixture into beaten yolks; when thoroughly combined, stir yolks and mashed bananas into hot mixture.
7. Cook for one minute longer, stirring constantly.
8. Remove from heat and blend in the butter and vanilla.
9. Let sit until lukewarm.
10. When ready to pour, slice bananas and scatter in pie shell; pour warm mixture over bananas.
11. If desired, decorate with fresh whipped cream before serving.

Summer Veggies

2009-08-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

I love summer! The weather in LA has been wonderful this summer season. Not to hot at all. One of the best things about summer is the seasonal veggies and fruits! My parents recently started a little garden in their backyard and I reap the goodness.
I especially love the bright red cherry tomatoes! They are so sweet they taste like candy. These tomatoes are too good to put into any recipe so I just ate them all straight up, right off the stem. yum.

Custard Pudding

2009-08-17T14:30:00.000-07:00

A few friends came over during the weekend for a dinner party at my house. My girlfriend and I decided that it would be fun if the two of us challenged ourselves with a little desert project. We wanted to make something that the both of us has never made before so we decided on Japanese style pudding. I totally messed up on making the caramel sauce. I didn't leave it on the heat for long enough and it ended up being more of a creamy color than the rich dark brown color. Other than that, our desert was a great hit after dinner!
JAPANESE STYLE CUSTARD PUDDING

Ingredients:
For the pudding
4 eggs
500cc whole milk
70g sugar
1tsp vanilla essence

For the caramel sauce
3tbsp water
70g granulated sugar

Directions:
1. First make the caramel sauce. Heat the sugar on a moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. As the sugar begins to melt, stir it vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to center position. Lightly butter custard cups and set them into a large baking dish.
3. Pour caramel sauce into the bottom of each custard cup.
4. Now prepare the custard. Heat 500cc of milk for 1 minute in the microwave and add the sugar.
5. In a large bowl, beat eggs slightly; add sugar, milk, and vanilla extract, beat until dissolved.
6. Pour mixture into prepared custard cups.
7. Bring the water for the water bath to a light simmer on the stove, carefully pour hot water into the baking pan to come half-way up the sides of the custard cups.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the custard is set around the edges but still slightly loose in the center.
9. Cool on a wire rack and refrigerate.
10. Turn the cups upside down when ready to serve.

Camping in Yosemite

2009-08-15T10:18:00.001-07:00

The final destination of our road trip was Yosemite National Park. I have never been to Yosemite before so I was so excited! I was not dissapointed, it was just gorgeous.
We were amazed by the beauty of the trees, waterfalls, and cliffs.

We even got to enjoy a sunset from Glacier Point and watch the colors of the sun change shades against the half dome.

Hubby and I camped out at a campsite inside of the park near Glacier Point. We didn't have a tent, so we slept in our car again. But we came prepared for a campfire and of course, Smores!
Smores are the best! The perfect Smores just take a few simple steps and ingredients.
Campfire. check.

Graham cracker. check.

Marshmallows and chocolate. check.
I learned that I have been roasting my marshmallows the wrong way all these years. I would plunge my marshmallow-on-a-stick into the fire until it was a flaming fire ball and then I would blow out the fire and peel off the black burnt skin of my marshmallow before eating it. But this time, I think I perfected the art of marshmallow roasting.

The best way roast the marshmallow is not directly in the flames of the campfire but slightly over it, while making sure to rotate your stick. This will take longer to cook than the fireball method, but is definitely worth it. Make sure to check your marshmallow to make sure it doesn't burn. Once it is a golden brown color, you know its ready for that chocolate and Graham cracker.After stuffing ourselves silly with sugar and chocolate we were in dire need of some exercise the next morning. What better way to burn off those calories than a beautiful nature hike! One of the best hikes of our trip was to the top of Sentinel Dome.

We also hiked the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias The Fallen Monarch was so cool! It was a giant Sequoia tree that fell more than three hundred years ago. To see those huge towaring roots was really neat.

Monterey Bay Aquarium & Seafood Watch

2009-08-14T12:24:00.000-07:00

During our road trip we made a stop at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The jellyfish and seahorse exhibits were really extensive and beautiful. I had a field day taking photos through the glass. Not only was our visit to the aquarium fun, but it was really insightful. The aquarium has a program called "Seafood Watch" that educates people about how the choices we make about our seafood impact marine life.

I never really thought about the sources of my seafood but reading about the species of fish being threatened by overfishing and improper fishing practices really opened my eyes. Worldwide, the demand for seafood is increasing. Many populations of the large fish we enjoy eating are over fished and, in the U.S., we import 80% of our seafood to meet the demand. God forbid tuna should ever go extinct! But by choosing to eat fish caught or farmed using environmentally friendly practices, we will be supporting healthy, abundant oceans.

These sea dragons look like kelp!

Dametra Cafe

2009-08-12T12:11:00.000-07:00

While walking along the shops on Ocean Ave. in Carmel, we came across a crowded little restaurant called Dametra Cafe. It is a Mediterranean restaurant and they seemed to be quite popular in the area so we decided to try it out for lunch. Hubby ordered the gyros, and I honestly think it was the best gyros I had outside of Greece. Ever since I had gyros for the first time in Greece 4 years ago, I have been searching for a good gyros place in the states with no luck. Dametras still can't come close to the gyros I had in Santorini, but it was still pretty good.
I had the chicken schwarma sandwich, which was marinated chicken in Lebanese spices roasted and wrapped in flat bread. It was very fresh and was kind of a Californian Mediterranean fusion style. I really enjoyed the lemon garlic aoli sauce in the wrap.
*Outside the restaurant
We sat by the big windows and enjoyed the sunny weather and watching people walking by. I have to mention that service at this restaurant was superb, the waiters were very attentive and friendly.
After lunch we visited the Borromeo del Rio Carmelo Mission. This historical mission was a serene and beautiful place. The gardens and flowers and surrounding the courtyard were lovely. I really enjoyed the exhibits, museums, and old cemetery in the mission. It brought me back to my 4th grade self when I was so excited about our "mission reports".
And did I mention what wonderful weather we had?
DAMETRA CAFE

South East corner of Ocean & Lincoln
Carmel by the Sea, CA 93921

tel: (831) 622-7766

BORROMEO DEL RIO CARMELO MISSION
3080 Rio Road
Carmel, CA 93923

tel: 831-624-1271

Wedding Anniversary

2009-08-11T22:07:00.000-07:00

Today is our wedding anniversary. On this day, three years ago, hubby and I were married at the American church in Paris, France.
To celebrate, I made tonkatsu. The first meal I ever made hubby when we first started dating.
To my warm loving husband, I love growing old with you. May we have many more tonkatsu dinners together.

Carmel-by-the-Sea

2009-08-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

Carmel-by-the-Sea was another stop during our road trip. It was my first time visiting this quaint seaside town and I was instantly in love. I would love to have a vacation home here! Who wouldn't!?We arrived early morning and hiked through the Point Lobos State Reserve. Although the water was freezing cold, we enjoyed walking along the white sandy beaches and watching the seals play in the water. This state reserve had many picturesque hiking trails and I think that this is the most wonderfully calming and serene place that I have ever hiked.
I love this little town not only for the nature and beauty, but all of the wonderful trendy boutique shops and little restaurants. We had breakfast at an amazing cafe called Katy's Place. I don't drink coffee, so I normally have tea or juice for breakfast but I love to order hot chocolate as a special treat once in a while. The restaurant was so cozy and had a real family restaurant vibe. This breakfast joint is known for their amazing egg Benedict so we had to order that. They have a very large selection of all different kinds of egg Benedict. We got the Sonora Benedict with Canadian bacon with guacamole ($14.95). We shared the plate because it was HUGE and got the Hollandaise sauce on the side. OMG it was a heavenly breakfast. It was the finest egg Benedict I ever had. The combination of avocado, ham, and egg was amazing. I have to learn how to make egg Benedict just like this!
The potatoes were also very wonderful, especially with this Pepper Plant hot sauce! I love any kind of hot sauce but this was great! I need to get a bottle of this for home.
When we go back to Carmel, we will definitely be visiting Katy's place and the Point Lobos State Reserve again. We had a wonderful time.KATY'S PLACE
Mission St
Between 5th & 6th
Carmel, CA 93921
Tel:(831) 624-0199

California Coast

2009-08-10T14:41:00.000-07:00

During our road trip we drove north along PCH. The ocean views were so beautiful.
It was starting to get dark while we were driving around Big Sur. All of the campgrounds in the area were booked up, so we made an illegal camp spot ourselves and slept in our car.
Just look at that gorgeous ocean view from our "bed"!
We also stopped to view the huge seals and elephant seals nesting near San Simeon. They were so funny looking!

Happy Birthday Cake

2009-08-08T07:06:00.000-07:00

Today is Hubby's Birthday! A very special day indeed. Last year I baked him a cheesecake, but this year I decided to go all out and bake a cake from scratch. Hubby likes "Japanese style Strawberry Shortcake":buttery, light, and creamy without being overwhelmingly sweet. I'm not the most experienced cake baker so I knew this was going to be a challenge for me.The sponge cake is a chiffon cake. My first attempt was a total failure. I didn't whip the eggs up enough and the cake ended up coming out of the oven looking like a dense pancake. At this point I'd already been baking for over an hour and I had to start all over again! Agh!
The second attempt turned out so much better! I whipped up the eggs and sugar until stiff peaks formed (and this took a while with a hand mixer), and the cake was so fluffy!

JAPANESE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE RECIPE
(used metric system measurements)
*adapted from cookpad

Ingredients:
For Cake:
4 eggs
60g sugar
60g whole wheat pastry flour
5g baking powder
30g butter

For Cream:
200cc Heavy whipping cream
30g sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence

For Syrup:
4 tbsp boiling water
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp rum
1 pack of strawberries

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.With a mixer, mix the eggs and sugar until stiff peaks form.
3. Sift the pastry flour and baking powder together and fold into the egg mixture gently so you won't deflate the batter.
4. Melt the butter in a microwave and fold into the batter once cooled.
5. Pour the batter into 2 greased cake pans and bake for 20-25 minutes.
6. Once the cake is baked, pop it out of the pan and cool on a rack.
7. For the cream, mix the heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla essence with a mixer until thick.
8. For the syrup, melt the sugar with boiling hot water and add desired amount of rum.
9. Once the syrup is cooled, cover one layer of the cake with the syrup.
10. Top that layer with whipping cream & sliced strawberries (like my picture below)
11. Cover strawberries with another layer of cream, and place the second layer carefully on top.
12. Ice the final top layer of the cake and decorate with strawberries as desired.
13. Sing "Happy Birthday" and eat!
I'm so proud of myself because the cake turned out wonderful. Just like the kind you buy at the Japanese bakery. The slightly sweet and aromatic cake complimented the sweet and sour strawberries.
Happy birthday Hubby! I love you! Eat your cake~

Hearst Castle

2009-08-07T23:28:00.000-07:00

Second stop on our road trip was Hearst Castle. I have never been but I've been curious about the castle and I'm so glad we got to check it out. Hearst Castle is in the city of San Simeon, about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Basically it's a HUGE castle that super rich newspaper guy, William Hearst built with famous architect Julia Morgan. The architecture, the antiques, the environment, view, everything was amazingly beautiful. I especially enjoyed the Neptune pool and the Roman pool with real gold inlay! I wish I could just jump in.

Solvang: Danish Town

2009-08-06T13:37:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I embarked on another road trip last week. Since we don't have the funds to go on an international trip this summer, we decided to visit nearby places that we've never been to. Plus, we recently purchased a hybrid car and want to get the most of it! The first stop of this road trip was Solvang. It's a small Danish city in Santa Barbara county. It's a really cute place where a lot of the architecture is in a traditional Danish style. We walked up and down the streets checking out the bakeries, restaurants, galleries and merchants offering a taste Denmark. I've never been to Denmark, but I suppose it would look like this place.We found an adorable restaurant called The Belgian Cafe for breakfast. The interior of the restaurant was very cute and made me feel like I was in Europe. I love Belgium waffles so I got excited when I saw the waffle maker at the front of the restaurant. I, of course, had the Belgium waffles with homemade whipped cream (which was so fresh and yummy) with bananas. I was in heaven. This waffle was amazing! Next time I head up north, I would stop in Solvang just for these waffles.Hubby got the Belgium waffles with fruit and a Danish sausage. Everything was delicious. I need to learn how to make waffles like this with my new waffle maker!After breakfast we checked out the Elverhoj Museum of History and Art. It was a really neat museum with exhibits devoted to Danish culture and the history of Solvang. THE BELGIAN CAFE

1671 Copenhagen Dr
Solvang, CA 93463

(805) 688-6630

Madame Sori

2009-08-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I'm a master. A tea ceremony master to be exact. After almost 14 years of practicing the art of Japanese tea ceremony I have earned the title of "Tea ceremony master." I have been named "Madame Sori" by the Urasenke master in Japan. How awesome is that? In celebration of my accomplishments, my longtime Sensei hosted a tea ceremony for me and her students and prepared a wonderful traditional meal for us. I have been blessed with the most amazing Sensei that anybody could ask for. I hope to continue practicing tea ceremony and strive to become better for years to come.Containers of matcha: koicha and usuchaJapanese kaiseki lunch

Joe's Restaurant

2009-08-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I went down to Venice today for lunch. We walked up and down the sidewalks watching the freaks doing their thing, and sat on the sand while soaking up the sun.
We went to Joe's Restaurant for the lunch special that I've read so much about. This place is a Michelin rated 1 star restaurant and you can enjoy a 3 course meal for 18 bucks. Not too shabby.
The meal started off with a variety of warm and fresh baked bread with an olive spread.
Hubby got the soup of the day for an appetizer: lentil soup. A little too hot to be eating bean soup I thought...
I got the grilled Spanish octopus salad with spicy chick peas and coriander. This was so tasty!
For the main course hubby had grilled Hanger steak, fingerling potatoes, chick peas and sweet onions in chimichurri sauce. (Sorry it's hard to see these photos because we ate outside and there were so many shadows).
My main entree was east coast Haddock with mixed summer pole beans with a fennel puree. Very delicate and yummy. For dessert we got the peach melba with verbena ice cream and peach nectar. Overall, Joe's was a cozy and restaurant with great food at an affordable price. Since the recession, there have been great deals going on at many restaurants in our area. I love eating great food for a great price.
JOE'S RESTAURANT
1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 399-5811

Banana Nut Muffins

2009-08-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

I had some pretty gnarly looking bananas staring me down the other day and I didn't want to waste them, so I put them to good use and made some banana nut muffins.
I used some whole wheat flour to try to keep it on the healthier side. The muffins turned out dense, not too sweet, and delicious! A great way to turn unwanted bananas into a healthy, hearty breakfast.
BANANA NUT MUFFINS

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 ripe bananas
1/4 cup chopped and toasted walnuts
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix sugar, oil, and egg until creamy and light yellow.
3. Add bananas and walnuts, flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until smooth.
4. Spoon the batter into greased muffin tin.
5. Bake for 30 minutes until toothpick poked in center of the muffin comes out clean.

If You Give A Girl A Cookie...

2009-07-31T19:05:00.000-07:00

The night started off like a typical boring Thursday night. We were having leftovers for dinner and decided to break open a bottle of wine. Somehow we ended up downing the entire bottle and dancing in the living room. High off Mendoza wine, I felt the sudden urge to bake. So I drunk baked chocolate chip cookies. It's like drunk dialing... but worse. I've never baked chocolate chip cookies before but for some reason I just had to do it at that moment. Hubby was my partner in crime and mixed the batter while I violently threw in the ingredients (probably all wrong measurements). I totally forgot to put in the nuts and brown sugar. I drunkenly spilled more ingredients on the floor than ended up in the bowl, so I obviously didn't follow the recipe to a tee but somehow the cookies turned out super soft, sweet and yummy. Warm cookies in hand, hubby and I wandered out into the streets of LA to the nearby movie theater and enjoyed these fluffy cookies while watching "(500) Days of Summer." What was a dull night turned out to be such a fun time. Even though I woke up to a disastrous kitchen, it was probably one of the best dates we've ever been on.
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE
Adapted from the Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar8 tablespoons (1 stick) (115 grams) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch (1cm) pieces
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt or 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt (Deb option)
1 1/2 cups (200 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup (130 grams) walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped

Directions:

1. Adjust the oven rack to the top third of the oven and preheat to 300F (150C). Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Beat the sugars and butters together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda.

3. Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.

4. Scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon (5cm) balls and place 8 balls, spaced 4 inches (10cm) apart, on each of the baking sheets.

5. Bake for 18 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

6. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Shabu-Shabu Salad

2009-07-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

I'm a whuss when it comes to the cold. Growing up in SoCal I've been spoiled my whole life with wonderful weather and anything below 70 degrees is considered freezing to me. I love the summer and I welcome the heat. I'm comfortably warm up to 100 degrees... but if it gets any hotter I'll start to complain.

When it gets close to that complaining temperature, I just don't feel like making a fussy meal. I want something quick and fresh, like this shabu-shabu salad I made the other day. Traditionally, shabu-shabu is made over a boiling hot pot of water but it's just too hot for that so I made the cold salad version. This dish is great for those lazy summer days where you just don't feel like doing a lot of cooking or heavy eating.

SHABU-SHABU SALAD RECIPE

Ingredients:

Thinly sliced pork or beef, boiled

Salad greens and lettuce

Tomatoes

Onions

Sliced cucumber

Ponzu dressing

Grated daikon

Directions:

1. Make sure the boiled meat is cooled to room temperature.

2. Place the meat on a bed of salad, top with grated daikon and ponzu sauce.

Blueberry Scones

2009-07-29T12:22:00.001-07:00

I've never had REAL scones until my trip to Scotland last summer. Until then, I've only had the kind they sell at coffee shops that have been sitting in the glass cases for so long that they turn hard as rocks. But in Glasgow I had fresh baked blueberry scones with heavenly clotted cream, and discovered how amazing real scones were. It was my first time trying clotted cream too... it was like butter but better. Scones and clotted cream, a match made in heaven. A new found obsession.
For some reason, I have been totally craving scones lately. I've never made scones before so I scoured the Internet and food blogs for a simple and delicious scone recipe. The other day I came across The Recipe Girl's blog about strawberry scones and I knew that I had to try it out. Unfortunately, I didn't have fresh strawberries or maple sugar that the recipe called for, so I adapted.Borrowing recipes from other people can be like the game of telephone sometimes; the information exchanges hands and becomes something different with each person it meets. The Recipe Girl originally adapted the recipe from Confessions of a Tart, switched it up a little, and now I adapted the scone recipe from The Recipe Girl and switched it up once again. I don't think the Confessions of a Tart blogger would recognize her own recipe if she came across this one. hehe.

BLUEBERRY SCONES
*Adapted from The Recipe Girl (Who adapted from Confessions of a Tart)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried blueberries
2 Tbs granulated sugar
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
3 Tbs butter, in cubes, slightly softened
1/3 cup whipping cream
coarse sugar for topping

(makes 6 scones)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine sugar with flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter with pastry cutter or 2 knives (can use your fingers too). When a good crumb mixture has formed, stir in dried blueberries and cream. Gently stir the dough until it comes together.

3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead just a few times until dry ingredients are incorporated. If dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour.

4. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheet and pat into a circle that is about ¾-inch thick. Cut the circle into 6 wedges. Pull wedges out from center of circle to create ½-inch space between each scone.

6. Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake 5 to 10 more minutes, or until scones are golden brown and spring back when touched. Don’t over bake, or your scones will be dry.

The scones turned out so wonderful! Especially with a cup of English tea, jam and butter... I don't know where in LA I could find clotted cream, so butter had to do, but it was a perfect breakfast and really hit the spot.

Tempura

2009-07-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

I love to eat tempura... but I hate to make it. But someones gotta do the job *ahem, mom*. Especially when you fry squid and shrimp, the hot oil just pops right at you. It's not that I don't know how to make it, I'm just too scared! I avoid making tempura, so whenever I crave it my mom or oba-chan takes on the task.

Enjoyed a great tempura dinner at home while visiting the parents over the weekend. Thanks mom.

Pao de Queijo

2009-07-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

During my visit to Brazil I saw signs all over, "Lanchonete." At first I had no idea what it meant but I caught on quickly. It means snack! Everyone in Brazil eats snack between lunch and dinner. Even when I was staying at my aunt & uncle's place in Manaus, my auntie served us lanchonete everyday. She would bake a fresh cake, make us sandwiches, and even serve us fresh squeezed juice.

One thing I loved having for lanchonete was pao de queijo, a Brazilian cheese puff pastry. *This is a photo of a bag of pao de queijos I picked up at a bakery in Ipanema when I was in Brazil.

This ping pong ball sized bread is just so cheezy and chewy. I love pao de queijo so much that I even attempted to make these from scratch myself, but failed miserably. They turned out tasting like balls of chalk... But this time, I went to the local Brazilian super market (Supermercado Brazil) in Culver City and picked me up a bag of pao de queijo mix!The bag of mix costs about $2.50, and is completely fool proof. All you do is mix some water and eggs, then roll the dough into little balls.Pop them into the oven and bake!Sooooo easy, soooo delicious, and quite the crowd pleaser. They taste especially yummy when they are hot out of the oven. I don't think I'll ever try making these from scratch again. Why bother when the instant mix is so yummy anyways right?

SUPERMERCADO BRAZIL

10826 Venice Blvd.

Culver City, CA 90232

(310) 837-4294

Atsuyaki Tamago

2009-07-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

Hubby loves atsuyaki tamago (Japanese rolled omelet). It's enjoyed as a side dish in any meal of the day and I'd often find it in my bento box as a kid. Basically it's just egg... but this slightly sweet and salty moist square-shaped goodie is wonderful! Although I love to eat Atsuyaki Tamago, I avoid making it because it's a lot harder than it looks! You need a special square shaped frying pan, and rolling the egg and cooking it to a perfect consistency is not an easy feat. But since my hubby likes to have it for breakfast I decided to do some research and study the art of Tamago making with Youtube.

I admit, I totally burnt the first batch and it ended up in the trash can but the second batch came out alright. Hopefully with practice I can improve my skills.

ATSUYAKI TAMAGO RECIPE

Ingredients:

3 eggs

Pinch of salt

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup dashi

Directions:

watch youtube! You need to visually learn how to make Tamagoyaki.

Homemade Kogi Tacos

2009-07-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

I decided to try making my own "Kogi" style tacos today for lunch. I used marinated short ribs in corn tacos. I topped the tacos off with cilantro, chopped onions, and spicy cabbage salad. They actually turned out really good! These are going to be on my regular menu now.

Kogi

2009-07-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

What is all this hype about Kogi Tacos? It's the hottest thing in LA right now.
Basically all it really is, is a taco truck! But it's not just a regular taco truck. They serve Korean/Mexican tacos, quesadillas, and burritos. A simple but brilliant concept. Korean marinated BBQ meats wrapped in Mexican tortillas. Why didn't I think of that? I heard that the lines for these trucks can be upto 100 people! The day we got there we were one of the first 20 people in line so the wait wasn't all that bad, but boy, they must make bank! Another unique thing about these Kogi trucks is that you never know where they will be. You have to find out where they will be headed or located via Twitter. I got the three taco combo with marinated Korean BBQ pork, beef, and chicken. Each taco is an affordable $2. The tacos are topped with a cilantro, lime, and onion relish, a crisp salad of cabbage and Romaine lettuce dressed with a sesame-chili salsa roja, and then garnished with radish, and lime wedges. I don't know if these tacos are worth the wait or hassle but they were quite yummy. Next time I crave these tacos, I can attempt to make them myself or go to their restaurant the Alibi Room.

The Windy City

2009-07-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

Hashbrown Breakfast

2009-07-21T18:55:00.000-07:00

Hubby has been studying hard lately and woke up early to prepare for his midterm, so I decided to make him a energy packed breakfast. We love having hasbrowns at breakfast joints and I've never tried making them myself so I decided to take on the task this morning.

CRISPY HASHBROWNS
Ingredients:
1 Russet Potato
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cooking Oil

Directions:
1. Wash and peel the potato, then pat dry.
2. Shred the potato using a cheese grater.
3. Pat the shredded potatoes again with a paper towel and make sure you get all the moisture out or you will have mushy hash browns.
4. Spread cooking oil evenly in a medium sized frying pan.
5. When the oil is hot, sprinkle the shredded potato pieces on the pan.
6. Season with salt and pepper and continue to layer the shredded potato about a quarter inch thickness.
7. Fry the potatoes until the underside is golden brown.
8. Flip it over and fry the other side till golden.
9. Enjoy your crispy potato hashbrowns!

Hubby thought that the hashbrowns were store bought. I took that as a compliment because they sure did turn out perfectly.

Bobby Q

2009-07-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

All that long driving made us hungry! During our stay in Phoenix we "Yelped" restaurants and found Bobby Q. BBQ has been my thing lately. I've been craving saucy ribs and eating them whenever I get a chance so I was excited to try this place out.

The restaurant itself was very cute and the service was great. We even got a 10% discount off of our bill when we mentioned Yelp.

The meal started off with cornbread and it was soooo yummy, fluffy, and warm! We ate it all up!
We got the two rib combo with baby back ribs and St. Louis style ribs. It was so finger lickin' good we scarfed it all up. The meat just melted in your mouth and fell off the bones. I love me some good BBQ.

At the end of the meal, the waitress even brought over a bag of "Thank Q's" so cute! It was a little paper bag filled with mini Q shaped donuts. I wish we had a BBQ place like this in LA~.

Bobby Q

8501 N 27th Ave.

Phoenix, AZ 85051

Tel: (602) 995-5982

Page, Arizona

2009-07-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

After the Grand Canyon we headed to Page, Arizona. The first thing we did was hike to Horseshoe Bend. Saying it was HOT is an understatement but the sweaty hike was well worth it because the view was amazing. It really took my breath away. The rock formations in Arizona are just so neat! Arizona was all desert and I've never been anyplace like this before.The highlight of my trip was probably Antelope Canyon in Page. At first you arrive to an unimpressive little slot canyon... but when you walk inside... wow! The afternoon sun just made the walls of the canyon glow! Antelope Canyon was formed by Sandstone and flash flooding. Hubby and I took so many photos!

The Grand Canyon

2009-07-19T12:27:00.000-07:00

Hubby drove 1,360 miles on this road trip! Thank goodness for our hybrid car, we saved a lot on gas. We had such a fun time that I can't wait till our next one! :) At one point a herd of elk were running along our car as we were heading towards the Grand Canyon at sunrise. I have always wanted to visit the Grand Canyon and it was spectacular. I'm so happy that I got to experience it! Words can't really describe the grandness of this place. (*love this shot I took of a Buddhist monk at the Grand Canyon! National Geographic here I come.)The canyon was created and carved by the Colorado River over a six million year period. I tried to take this picture while zooming in on the roaring rapids far below the canyons. Definitely a place you must see before you die.

Road Tripping: Sedona, AZ

2009-07-19T11:11:00.001-07:00

I've traveled quite a bit internationally but I've never really seen America so we decided to take a spontaneous road trip to Arizona! We stopped in Phoenix, Sedona, Grand Canyon, and Page. I'll start this series of blog posts off with our highlights from Sedona.In Sedona we saw the Chapel of the Holy Cross, a beautiful chapel built on a twin pinnacled spur about 250 feet high, jutting out of a thousand foot red rock wall. It's hard to believe this modern looking structure was built in 1956. We also went hiking to Cathedral Rock and walked along the creek. The water was cool and refreshing so we took a dip in the water.Sedona is a strangely calming and relaxing place. Sedona is said to be a place of many energy vortexes. A vortex is the funnel shape created by a whirling fluid or by the motion of spiraling energy. Some say that the strongest energy vortex is where we hiked, where the creek is closest to Cathedral Rock. I didn't really get into the whole "energy vortex" thing, but this is a map of the energy vortex areas in Sedona. I thought it was quite interesting.Another fun thing we saw in Sedona was the world's only teal colored McDonald's Arch! I decided that I had to visit this Micky D's after I read about it on Fumi's blog. They say that to preserve the city's Native Kachina Indian purity, McDonald's was allowed to build in Sedona only if they agreed to modify the world's most recognizable brand by changing their famous golden arches to Desert Teal. We took a Pink Jeep Tour and went off roading on the Broken Arrow trail. It was bumpy and frightening at times but totally thrilling!We went down some pretty rocky terrain and steep passages but we got to see beautiful scenery.

Michel Richard Patisserie

2009-07-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

I've been eating pastries from Michel Richards for as long as I can remember. A good family friend of ours, Yoko-san, lived in Beverly Hills near Robertson Blvd. and would bring a box of the apple turnovers ($2.50) every time she came to visit us in the OC. Needless to say, I always looked forward to a visit from her and her daughters who were the best playmates. This little cafe restaurant has been around since 1977 and French people actually work in the kitchen and at the counter so you know it has to be great!

I've never actually visited the Patisserie until I moved out to LA a few years ago. And I've actually never had anything else from the pretty glass case stuffed with cakes and pastries either because I always go back for the apple turnovers. They are just so good that I can't get myself to try something new.

Once (11 years ago or so) Yoko-san brought us a box of dozen apple turnovers on one of her visits and my mom left it on the kitchen counter for us to enjoy later. Well, our golden retriever got to it before we did and ate every single one of them! We were so disappointed but the dog sure did look happy.

My parents spent the night out our place yesterday and we decided to go pick up a box of turnovers ourselves to enjoy for breakfast today, and boy did we! The flavor and texture never changes through all of the years. Light, crispy, flaky, and ultra buttery but the apple sauce inside isn't overwhelmingly sweet. I've been told that the apple sauce inside is freshly homemade everyday. I will be back to this place again and again and maybe one day I'll get around to trying something else on the menu!

Michel Richard

310 S Robertson Blvd,

Los Angeles, CA 90048
Tel: (310) 275-5707

He Loves Me...

2009-07-03T21:33:00.000-07:00

Today I was cooking and realized that I didn't have enough eggs for what I was making. I said "Quick Hubby! Go pick me up a dozen eggs!" Hubby left without hesitation and returned with...A dozen organic eggs that I asked for...My guilty pleasure, trashy magazines...And a bouquet of flowers. I love my hubby. ♥

Hotcakes Bakes

2009-06-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

I swear, I didn't eat cupcakes all day yesterday. The last post and this post were on different occasions! haha. So yesterday we were driving around Culver City and came across this adorable bakery: Hotcakes Bakes, I just had to stop in.

I am a sucker for sweets and cupcakes... The bakery was so cute and they had a nice selection of cupcakes. I just couldn't decide which one I wanted so hubby and I got a box of a few mini cupcakes.

At $3 each for a regular size cupcake and $1.50 for a mini cupcake, these are more affordable than most cupcakeries. We got a mini Oreo cookie cupcake, carrot cupcake, red velvet cupcake, and coconut cupcake. (Coconut cupcakes are hubby's favorite) The Oreo cupcake was the best one in my opinion. Although cute, I have to say Hotcakes isn't my favorite cupcake. The cake wasn't as moist and the frosting was super sweet with a funny aftertaste...

HOTCAKES BAKES

4119 South Centinela Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90066

Tel: (310)397-2324

Crumbs Bake Shop

2009-06-23T08:15:00.000-07:00

I've officially moved back to LA this week! Goodbye OC~! One thing LA is not lacking, the plethora of cupcake shops! Just a few blocks away from our place is Sprinkles, and the Crumbs bake shop. I've always wanted to try this place but I was always drawn in by Sprinkles which is only a few steps away from Crumbs.

The line at Sprinkles was too long so I decided to finally go for Crumbs. We got a red velvet cupcake and a coconut cupcake. The cupcakes at Crumbs were HUGE! They are almost double the size at sprinkles and at just about the same price of $3.75.

They have a really good variety of flavors to choose from. If you want to try all of the flavors, you can get a mini-cupcake sampler that has a bunch of little cupcakes for $18.

The unique thing about this bakery is that all of the cupcakes have a center filling. The cupcakes were pretty good, especially the coconut cupcake, but hubby and I both agree that the cupcakes are not as moist as Sprinkles and that Sprinkles wins this competition. These cupcakes were very generous with their frosting, but the frosting is not as overwhelmingly sweet as most other cupcakes. If you're a cupcake fan, definitely try it out!

CRUMBS BAKE SHOP

9465 Little Santa Monica Blvd.

Beverly Hills, CA 90291

Tel: (310) 550-9811

Carnival!!!

2009-06-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

So~ my post about the Carnival in Rio is looong overdue. Here it is!

Hubby and I actually got seats to watch the festivities at the Sambodromo and it was an unforgettable experience! The costumes, the music, the energy, it was all amazing!

Now I can say that I went to the biggest and awesomest party on earth!

Cachaça

2009-06-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

Since I'm on a roll blogging about the various beverages I had in Brazil (& I had a request) I'm going to dedicate this blog to Cachaça. Cachaça is hard alcohol, a distilled fermented cane juice to be exact. The alcohol strength can be anywhere from 38% to 80% by volume. This stuff will get you wasted! And it's the most popular alcohol in Brazil.Hubby and I visited a small mill that produces artesanal cachaças during our stay in Paraty. Traditionally, the fermentation agent is a maize flour and the distillation unit is a copper pot still, like this one we saw at the mill. There were so many different flavors to choose from but we picked a bottle of passion fruit flavored cachaça to bring home with us.Cachaça is used to make the most famous Brazilian cocktail, the caipirinha! And boy, did we have plenty during the Carnival in February.

Caipirinha Recipe

Ingredients

1 lime
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup Cachaça
ice

Directions
1. Cut the lime into wedges.
2. Put lime and sugar in a tall glass and smash with a pestle.
3. Add the same amount of liquor & lime juice and stir.
4. Add ice and stir again.
5. Get Drunk.

To be honest, I don't think I want to drink another Caipirinha again. Don't get me wrong Caipirinhas are really good! But I overloaded in Brazil during Carnival time. The smell of sugar and lime now brings on a gag reflex... haha.

Bahia!

2009-06-05T21:33:00.000-07:00

Salvador is one of the most fascinating places that I visited during our trip to Brazil. Bahia's capital is the city of Salvador and is located at the junction of the Atlantic Ocean and the Bay of All Saints. There is a lot of fascinating age and history to this city. Until slavery ended officially in 1888, it's estimated that more than 4 million slaves were brought to Brazil from Africa, and the port of Salvador was the major center of the slave trade. Because of the history, many people of African decent still live in Salvador and there is a lot of African influence in this city. The oldest part of town is called "Pelourinho." The city is quaint, lively and colorful with pastel colored houses lining the narrow cobble-stoned streets and wide open squares.The people of Salvador are also colorful and lively. While walking up and down the streets I spotted African Brazilian women wearing bright dresses with belled skirts and colorful head scarves.
Many stands near the bay sell freshly fried acaraje, a native sandwich that's like a huge "hush puppy" stuffed with votapa and shrimp. mmmmmm... stuffed fried goodness. Nothing like Brazilian heartburn!
We visited a really neat church in Salvador, Nosso Senhor do Bonfim. This church plays a very important role in the Candomblé (African) religion and is dedicated to Oxalá, one of the highest deities. The 18th century church is relatively plain but the gates are adorned with thousands and thousands of fitas, or colorful ribbons. The billowing ribbons were absolutely beautiful.
Senhor do Bonfim is unarguably Salvador's most famous church and has a reputation for granting miracles. Hubby and I bought ribbons to tie around our wrists and ankles for good luck. Legend says that you can make three wishes that will come true by the time it falls off. We've been wearing these ribbons for over 3 months and they still haven't broken off, but you have to let it fall off from natural wear and tear. Cutting it off is said to bring bad luck. I wonder when my wish will come true?
There was a small room in the back of the church and at first I was creeped out to see all of the human body casts hanging from the walls and ceilings... but it was called "the Room of Miracles". There were literally hundreds of hanging body parts, models made of wood, plastic, wax, and even gold! People actually make casts of their body parts that need healing. Very cool.

For those of you who plan on visiting the church, here are directions! :)

Nosso Senhor do Bonfim

Largo do Bonfim

Located about 5 miles north of Pelourinho on the Bonfim Peninsula

FREE admission

Phone: 071/3312-0196

água de coco

2009-06-05T21:19:00.001-07:00

All over Brazil, you will find stands or just simply people on the street with shopping carts selling "água de coco" or coconut water.

A Brazilian lady we met in Salvador told us that "água de coco is Brazilian Red Bull!" It hydrates your body on a hot Brazilian summer day and is full of electrolytes. It's a natural isotonic beverage with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. Super healthy and super yummy.

You will find água de coco everywhere in Brazil. They even offer it as a drink choice at McDonalds! How awesome is that?

Guarana

2009-06-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

Guarana. I first discovered this fresh drink on my flight to Japan via Varig (Brazilian) airline when I was a school kid. Everyone on the flight seemed to be drinking from this Christmas colored can, so I asked the flight attendant for one too. I've been hooked ever since. Except it's kind of hard to find in the states.
Probably the most popular drink after Coca Cola is Guarana Antarctica. It kind of tastes like an extra-sweet Ginger Ale. So what exactly is Guarana? I had no idea... but I had a chance to try it in it's pure form during my visit to the Amazon. I tried the "100% pure Guarana" drink which looked and tasted nothing like the Guarana soda. It tasted like a peanut butter protein shake since the guarana powder is traditionally blended with peanuts.
Guarana is actually a shrub native to the Amazon rain forest. It grows small, berry-like red fruit that contain black seeds. Guarana gives you a caffeine kick, and it's also popular as a fat-burning or weight-loss supplement.Guarana drinks and sodas are very popular in Brazil. In the Amazon I tried this dark Guarana soda called Bare and it's now my favorite~!

Açái

2009-05-20T08:32:00.001-07:00

Something I had almost everyday while I was in Brazil: Açái! I am completely addicted. Açaí is basically a type of palm tree that grows wild in the Amazonian jungles of Brazil. I took this photo of the Açaí palm during my hike through the Amazon jungle with hubby.
This Palm contains a dark colored berry called the Açái berry known for its powerful health benefits. Even Oprah lists açaí as one of the top 10 superfoods for age-defying beauty. Yummy and good for your health!
During my visit to Paraty, Brazil the Boutique do Açaí was a little cafe hubby and I went to everyday for our dose of Açaí! The "Açaí bowl" is like a slightly bitter and rich berry smoothie with a sweet crunch from the granola, honey, and banana.

I just can't get enough of it!!! The Açaí bowl is perfectly refreshing and so filling that it can serve as the perfect breakfast.

They sell frozen bags of Açaí pulp at the markets since it's really a consuming process to make the juice from scratch by yourself. Auntie bought a bag of this stuff and we made Açaí smoothies for a mid afternoon snack.

Hubby and I have been craving Açaí like crazy since we've been back and the Açaí smoothies they have at Robeks, and Jamba Juice just aren't as good... so we went to the local Brazilian grocery store in LA to buy some frozen Açaí pulp to make our own! Here is the recipe we used.

Açaí Energy Bowl Recipe

Ingredients

2 Packets Frozen Açaí

1 Banana

2 Tbsp plain Yogurt

2 Tbsp of Guarana soda or Apple Juice

2 or 3 Splash of Soy Milk

1 Tbsp Honey

Extra 1/2 a Banana, sliced

3 Tbsp Granola

Directions:

1. Blend the frozen Açaí, banana, guarana/apple juice and yogurt in a blender.

2. To serve, top with slices of bananas and granola with a drizzle of honey on top!