Sundried Tomato Pasta and Apple Banana Muffins

This post contains two of my favorite things in the world. Not just favorite foods but favorite things overall: Pasta and muffins. After making the Pasta all Vodka last week, I decided to wing another recipe based on that one.

I basically followed the same steps of sauteeing a diced purple onion and 3 garlic cloves in 2 T of butter and 2 T of olive oil for 2 minutes. Then I added pureed sundried tomatoes (a can of them from Trader Joe's) instead of a can of tomato sauce. After this, I added 1/2 cup of vodka for 3 minutes and then the 1/2 cup of heavy cream. I added salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. It was good, but not GREAT. But I think the vodka dish was a hard one to beat.

I did, however, love using one of my favorite pasta shapes!Strozzapreti!

These Apple Banana Muffins were really wet but if you get over that they're still pretty awesome. I missed having my crispy muffin top but the body was light and not too dense. They're made with applesauce, apple chunks, and banana and almost no oil or butter. Pretty impressive if you ask me!

I adapted it from this bread recipe and baked at 350 for 25 minutes. Maybe if you baked at a higher temperature it wouldn't look as soppy!

I can't wait to have this weekend to bake and cook and sleep in. We were planning on going snowboarding but Nick is a little sick and we decided to postpone until we've recovered from all the partying and I've made enough pasta and muffins to feel like a trophy housewife again :P

http://www.bellaeats.com/blog/2008/11/14/banana-apple-bread.html

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/12/friday-night-dinner-pasta-alla-vodka/

Birthday Binge

You know how I had that carb craving from last week and made risotto and pasta to try to quell it? Well, it's officially quelled. Obliterated. Demolished. My birthday was the best one yet, and not only because I was overstuffed with gourmet foods for a week straight, but also because I have so many friends who are excited to celebrate with me. I couldn't have asked for a more splendid birthday. Thank you to all my long-distance friends who sent their love via notes, emails, and mail packages (which are simply the best thing ever). I cannot express my gratitude and joy :)

You may think it's narcissistic to post all my birthday activities and it is. But I think it's always nice to reminisce on fabulous things since I tend to always anticipate. Sometimes a little looking backward is good for reflection and thankfulness.

We kicked off the weeklong celebrations with a stop at my favorite restaurant in town: Mozza!!! This is the Margherita with the beautiful crust and delicious tomato sauce.

Nick's meat lover is stupendous. Sausage, porcetta, bacon, prosciutto...who knows what else is on there but it's all top-quality and delicious.

I would have to say happy hour at Rascal's with my coworkers was the best happy hour I've ever been to. The $5 sangria was strong. not too sweet, and entirely gulpable, and the $5 burgers were very solid. They're normal-sized burgers with a side of salad and although not too stand-outish in flavor, they totally hit the spot. The best part of this place is definitely the couple that runs the place though. Completely hands-on, attentive, sweet, and inviting, they will talk wine with you, hang out with you, and make you feel like you're family. Complete 4/5.

I've been to 26 Beach before and loved it but this visit with my girlfriends was mind-blowing. The picture above is the California Roll Burger. I got the Spicy Tuna (pretty similar, tuna instead of crab) and it was amazing. I would never think of combining sushi with burger but it tasted incredible! The seaweed shreds added crunch, the wasabi-mayo added kick, the tuna was fresh and delicious, and I LOVED having ginger on my burger. An amazing combination that I can't wait to try again. This place also has really cute decor - very shabby chic and girly but not overdone. Oh, and I think they have about 20 types of french toast including s'mores and the polar bear which is 2 croissant french toasts with berries, white chocolate, melba sauce, and a scoop of ice cream. Yeah, I'm definitely coming back. 5/5

For dinner with Nick's family, we went to a Thai place (creatively called Thai Vegan) in Santa Monica. It was the cheapest, healthiest, and most flavorful Thai I've ever had. It's all vegan, but the tofu in my vegetable rolls was unnoticeable, which is a huge compliment from me because I usually despise tofu in all its forms. Be warned: it doesn't have atmosphere or seating really, so it's meant to be a takeout place. But definitely a tasty and lighter follow-up to my burger for brunch.

On the actual day of my birthday, my sweet coworkers took me to Il Covo, an Italian restaurant I've been wanting to try. It was definitely one of the best Italian places I've been to in LA. The risotto was perfectly creamy and spiced (with porcini mushrooms and crunchy leeks on top) and I tried my friends tagliatelle with bolognese sauce - perfect! The ambience is very romantic and the service was fitting to such a high-class place. Though it was a bit pricey for lunch ($16~ entrees) it was worth every penny (of my friends who treated me :P). The almond cookies that followed lunch were little nuggets of gold as well. I wanted about 15 more!

For happy hour on my birthday, we drank fantastic margaritas and ate guacamole at El Carmen. The following day at worked, I knew I had a surprise cake party coming but what I didn't know was that it would involve the best cake in the whole wide world. It was not sweet, it was light, it was rummy, it was the perfect tiramisu (cake). Actually, it wasn't so much a cake as it was shaped like a cake which is probably why I liked it. I can't wait to try the rest of Susina Bakery's items because they seem to have a Japanese/French background and all their sweets are on the light and often fruity side. AND they're open late so I have FINALLY found my late-night dessert place! Eeee!

Wow, what gluttony ;-) I've been blessed to eat such amazing food (not a single bite was eaten without internal moans of pleasure) with even more amazing friends!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/pizzeria-mozza-los-angeles Pizzeria Mozza, my favorite restaurant in town. 5/5 (duh)

http://www.yelp.com/biz/rascal-los-angeles Rascal, my new favorite happy hour! 4/5

http://www.yelp.com/biz/26-beach-restaurant-venice 26 beach, one of the best burgers and best brunch 4/5

http://www.yelp.com/biz/thai-vegan-santa-monica Thai Vegan, amazing thai food at such low prices. 4/5

http://www.yelp.com/biz/il-covo-los-angeles Il Covo, delicious Italian food and such great atmosphere. 4/5

http://www.yelp.com/biz/el-carmen-los-angeles El Carmen, delicious $4 margaritas at happy hour 4/5

http://www.yelp.com/biz/susina-bakery-and-cafe-los-angeles Susina, a Japanese bakery. Tiramisu cake changed my world forever. 4/5

You'd think that'd be enough birthday celebrating but it's not. I would love to post about my big birthday bash (which looked so bright and sparkly!) and the birthday lunch and two more dinners which are slated for later this week. But you and I both can only take so much of myself at any given time so I propose a normal post about homemade food. Although I love all the festivities I've been craving a little routine and normalcy so hopefully a post about pasta and muffins will help me recreate that sense of normalcy ;-)

Italian Dishes: Pasta all Vodka and Butternut Squash Risotto

I had a craving for carbs this week. You might ask, when *don't* you have a craving for carbs? This is true but usually I crave sweet carbs like scones, muffins, gummy candies, etc. This week, I wanted some good old-fashioned pasta and risotto. None of this whole wheat or brown rice version of it either...I was determined to have some straight-up wheaty pasta.

Oh my gosh, my cravings were certainly satisfied. I made this Pasta alla Vodka, courtesy of The Pioneer Woman, and it was fantastic. I am always wary of sauces that involve heavy cream but this sauce was light and tangy and slightly sweet. I think I ate two bowls the first night within 4 minutes. 

This picture does not capture the bright and wonderful orangeness of this dish. Nor its deliciousness. But it surely bright orange and freakin' delicious! A new classic for me...one I might make again next week?

Nick loves eating risotto and so do I. It reminds me of congee that my mom made for us when we were sick but it is more refined and sophisticated. I made this with some gewurtztraminer (Found Object, Trader Joe's, $5.99) and butternut squash and chicken, cooked just like she mentioned in her recipe. The process is long, and I did end up adding that extra 1/2 cup of water like the original recipe mentions, but it was worth it. And it made enough for a dinner and two leftover lunches for Nick! 

Question: how do food bloggers take pictures of food with natural lighting? I always eat around 8 PM and by then there isn't any natural light to be found. Sigh. 

Anyways, back to the risotto. This risotto was a little bit on the sweet side thanks to the butternut squash and the white wine choice (I think this gewurtztraminer was a bit sweet) but I still liked it, surprisingly. It's not something I'm dying to make again though...I think I liked risotto with more flavor, like those fusion risotto with Mexican flavors).

Even though I loved both these dishes, I find that my carb carving is still on the rampage. What are some other carb-heavy, savory dishes I could make? Hmm...we all know what I'll be thinking about this afternoon. 

Chicken Butternut Squash Risotto adapted from Rachel Ray

http://thisweekfordinner.com/2009/10/05/chicken-butternut-squash-risotto/-----

Pasta Alla Vodka by The Pioneer Woman

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/12/friday-night-dinner-pasta-alla-vodka/

My Little Sister's Birthday - Broccoli Pesto Pizza and Oreo Stuffed Cookies

My little sister, my not-as-little sister, and my mom came into town this weekend which obviously made my weekend since my sisters and I are very much the three musketeers when we're together. We started the day off with a waffle brunch, then went and did some shopping in Beverly Hills followed by a coffee+macaron afternoon pick-me-up, and finally a pizza+cookie dinner celebration. It was a fabulous day filled with giggles and of sugar-induced hyperness.

I just got a waffle maker and am gaga over it. It's my baby and I love it! I made these Brown Sugar Bacon waffles and they were AMAZING. I cannot get over how fantastic the brittled bacon tasted in the waffle. I am definitely a fan of salty sweet things after this recipe!

The major thing that was lacking in the previous waffle was crispy texture. I like my waffles to be nice and crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. It wasn't the fault of my waffle maker, as I originally believed, but simply the recipe. This overnight yeast recipe churned out PERFECT original waffles. In fact, they were the best waffles I've ever had and I love to order waffles for brunch. We topped with fresh berries, whipped cream, and maple syrup for a truly delectable breakfast! Keep in mind these batter recipes make a lot of waffles. I was able to make 8 waffles from each recipe and froze a bunch for later this week (planning on popping them into the toaster oven for a quick weekday breakfast).

Here is my crowning (hehe) glory for the weekend. I make AMAZING pizza if I do say so myself. I've figured out the perfect dough, perfect baking time, and amazing topping combinations (chicken tikka masala and this one are me all-time favorites, followed closely by buffalo chicken and BBQ chicken (both with homemade sauces of course!)) over the past couple years but I have to say this was one of the best. Best. Best. Best. Got that?

Broccoli was sprinkled with red chili pepper flakes, olive oil, salt, freshly ground pepper, and freshly minced garlic. I then sauteed until a bit blackened. I topped the dough (I always bake a little before topping) with pesto sauce and loaded the broccoli, parmesan, and mozzarella on. Divine!

Now we can't end a birthday celebration without some dessert right now? If you think all I made for my little sister were some chocolate chip cookies, you'd be wrong.

Because these definitely had a surprise in them! Another cookie! Even better, that childhood favorite cookie :Oreo!!! These were definitely rather big cookies and people were tipped off by its size but I still loved telling people they were "just" chocolate chip cookies and seeing their delightful reaction after the first bite. I can be mischievous like that :P Oh, housewife tomfoolery. I must be getting really domestic and old and I don't mind one little bit.

That's all for now folks! The big birthday week is kicking off tomorrow with a surprise date from my husband! I can't wait!!

Brown Sugar Bacon Buttermilk Waffles
http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2009/08/03/brown-sugar-bacon-buttermilk-waffles/

Overnight Yeast Waffles by one of my all-time favorite recipe guys, Mark Bittman
http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/161156/Overnight-Waffles

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip cookies
http://www.beckybakes.net/2011/01/20/oreo-stuffed-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Yellow Foods - Aloo Gobi and Banana Bread

I made these on the same day and thought how sad it was that the color tone of the pictures didn't accurately reflect the tastiness of these dishes. Bright yellow is one thing - it conjures up images of sunshine and butterflies and youthful joy. Dull, brownish yellow is just sad and unhealthy. But don't be misled by the color tone in these photos (PS It's on my to-do list to learn basic blog photography skills and color-correction tools) because both of these dishes were excellent and extremely healthy.

I really didn't expect another slam dunk in the homemade Indian curry department after discovering Dal Nirvana earlier in the week. Yet, it happened again. This Aloo Gobi isn't my favorite type of curry but this recipe was really easy and delicious. It also made a LOT. I love cauliflower and potatoes so I will keep eating the leftovers but if it's just you, I'd surmise it will last you at least 3-4 days if not more (with rice).

This aloo gobi is definitely deceptively spicy. It kind of nudges you in the back of your throat after you swallow and then the nudge expands into a large and softly burning sensation in your entire mouth. Hm, that's a bit melodramatic but suffice it to say it's spicy. But I like spicy! And the squeeze of lemon on top helps to cut the spicyness :) Oh, and did I mention this is super healthy? Because it is. It's filling thanks to the potatoes and rice but also fiber-ful and vegan.

This banana oatmeal bread is actually from the Weight Watchers website! Shocking! I never thought I'd write those words on my own blog but there it is. I didn't know it until after I made the bread so I'm glad the bias didn't prevent me from making it. It's excellent. Light and loosely packed thanks to the whipped egg whites, but still dense from the whole wheat flour and oats. It has the prerequisite cinnamon and has a wonderful crackly top. It's a classic banana bread recipe for me now and I think it tastes just as good as the one I love with sour cream. But no sour cream!

http://norecipes.com/blog/2010/03/07/aloo-gobi-recipe/

http://joythebaker.com/2009/04/low-fat-oatmeal-banana-bread/

Upside Down Apple Pie Muffins

Wait, say that again? Did that blog title throw you off a bit? A muffin that's an apple pie that's upside down? Seems a little too much. But it's most definitely not. These muffins are fancy enough to be served as a dinner dessert but also can be eaten for breakfast (perfect as leftovers for the next morning!). They look gorgeous, taste delicious (the muffin part is thick and tastes like pie), and are relatively easy to make (especially when you have a friend slicing and caramelizing the apples!).

 I feel like I'm grasping for new words to describe the wonders of this muffin, but it is truly amazing. The crunch walnuts on the top, the caramelized apple array, the moist and dense muffin center that is spiced like a pie....ahh, I love them! I never liked pie before this "pie."

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/dining/06apperex.html?src=me&ref=style

Funfetti Cake (Semi-Tutorial)

I have a huge list of things to post about so I'm churning them out tonight while my husband is working an overnight shoot. I promised this post about a cake I made for my boss's birthday a few weeks ago and it really bothers me when I don't follow through. I'm sure no one else has noticed but it's been sitting on my conscience and I apologize for the delay.

I really like making cakes. I don't like eating them but I like how it intensifies the therapeutic effect of baking for me becuase it involves focus (I'm not that good at building them) and several hours of focus to boot. I'm not a very focused being partly because I'm proud and self-centered and find few things worthy of my full attention. Cake making, however, pulls me into a zone that is very singleminded.

I found a very thorough cake tutorial online that I've used for all three layer cakes I've made in my short cake career (the other ones were this awesome tiramisu cake and Tim Keller's coconut cake).

http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/03/layer-cake-tips-the-biggest-birthday-cake-yet/

I highly recommend it and will be showcasing some of the key steps I couldn't do without.

I baked the cakes according to The Kitchn's post on funfetti cake. Who doesn't like funfetti cake right? Usually it's made from the box mix, which is actually really tasty to me, but making it from scratch was just that much better.
http://www.thekitchn.com/cake-recipe-funfetti-cake-from-147011

Once the layers are made (I made four), I set up the cake platter it's going to be served on. You form this lining of parchment paper so that when you decorate the outside of the cake with frosting and sprinkles, it doesn't get all over the plate. Simply remove the parchment pieces for a clean plate. And the frosting holds the cake in place - it didn't slip at all in the car ride to work!

Start assembling the cake by placing a layer on the dollop, and layering that with frosting and repeat. I wish I had put more frosting on the inside because when we sliced the final cake, you couldn't really dechiper the layers of frosting in between since they were so thin. And there was so much leftover that I used on the outside, it ended up being very thick on the outside.

So what I didn't know is that there are at least two coatings of frosting on the outside. The first one traps all the cake crumbs in it so that the second layer is smooth and picture perfect. I wouldn't have thought of this myself and would probably have picked off the cake crumbs one-by-one :P

The finished product. A long night (3 hours total?) but totally worth it if you ask me. Homemade cakes are so rare and make me feel like the perfect housewife. :)

It dried a little by the next day because I don't have a proper cake cover/dome but it was still tasty. Very sweet but made me feel like a little kid because of the confetti...it truly felt like a celebration eating this colorful cake!

Guacamole and Margarita

There are certain things worth searching for your entire life. Like true love. The perfect LBD (little black dress for all my male readers out there). Chicken Tikka Masala recipe. And guacamole and margarita.

Nick and I like to have a drink after dinner every night to unwind and to cleanse our palettes (that's what we tell ourselves at least). Usually it's a glass of red wine, sometimes it's whiskey for Nick and a girly cocktail like Mai Tai for me. We also love to make mojitos and margaritas and we finally think we found the best margarita recipe possible.

I don't like slushy margaritas - I like mine on the rocks. You'd think it'd be easy to find a good recipe for that because it's simple - tequila, triple sec, and lime, right? But although there are many good ones out there, we only recently stumbled on the perfect proportional portrayal of those three ingredients (which we always have in our house).

Our preferred Tequila for this cocktail. We actually didn't have cointreau that night, which is probably a cardinal sin. But it still tasted GREAT.

BAM. No salt, strong, lime-y, tasty, easy to gulp. Did you also see how those two avocados in the first picture magically changed to the guacamole in this picture?

Well, coincidentally, I have a perfect guacamole recipe to share too. Guacamole is a house staple for us. We like to have it with chips chips, quesadillas, breakfast burritos, etc. I know what I like in guacamole so it didn't take long to find my favorite recipe. I like chunky guacamole so I never puree it; I just cut the avocado in half and use a knife to draw a grid across the avocado half and scoop out the cubes with a spoon. I also like a little flavor but not too much. After all, you want to taste that yummy avocado. This recipe has a hint of cayenne and chile (for the spicy kick) and some cumin and salt (for the flavor) but is relatively mild otherwise. I LOVE purple onion and cilantro in my guacamole as well. I threw in diced tomatoes this time but I usually like it without.

Delicious! And we love the jalapeno tortilla chips for dipping!

These are some true household classics that I'm so happy to share. These two together certainly make us happy at night!

http://www.chow.com/recipes/10643-perfect-margarita

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/carnitas-soft-tacos-with-guacamole-and-pico-de-gallo-recipe/index.html

Red O - 5 stars!

This will be a quick review since my last restaurant review was pretty long. Red O is my second favorite restaurant in this city for all the reasons I stated before but with EXTRA umph. Food? I love Mexican and Rick Bayless is the king of reinventing Mexican dishes in a way that is more clean, flavorful, and inspiring. Service? It could be my favorite thing about this place because the servers I've had (a different one each of the 4 trips) are all intelligent, interested but not too interested, and so cheerful. This last time we were given two cocktails on the house because our food was delayed (though we didn't notice because we were enjoying our first round of cocktails and coffee so much). Decor? Potentially my favorite in all of LA. The front of the restaurant is open ceiling and the way the light plays on the wall, you feel like you're by the beach. The high-end patio furniture also helps. Ah, I love this place and cannot wait for our trip to Chicago in a couple weeks to try out Rick Bayless restaurants there!

Guacamole. I make pretty darn good guacamole myself but this stuff is the most literal form of perfect in object form. It's everything you want guacamole to be and you didn't even know it. I get this every time and it comes with three housemade salsas that are no sidekick act either!

That tomatillo sauce is divine. These goat cheese tamales were a bit on the small side but they wre so rich and filling, I don't think I wanted more after having eaten one. I love all their appetizers though... taquitos, tamales, ceviches, sopes - they've all been fantastic.

Nick's chilaquiles and coffee (which was excellent by the way). The red sauce is crazy good. I didn't order this but regretted it. My experience with chilaquiles in Mexico City was so heavy (fried tortillas and meat for breakfast?) and rich that I was shocked by this dish's lightness and flavor. The tortillas are "quick-simmered" here and the dish itself has a spare amount of cheese, which I loved.

The BEST dish of the day was by far the churros. Churros are one of my favorite desserts which is surprising if you saw my recent post on my favorite desserts. Churros are heavy, fried, and paired with chocolate dipping sauce (and we all know I'm not a huge fan of chocolate). BUT I don't know why I just love eating them at Disneyland, Costco, or anywhere I can find them. I love the cinnamon sugar coating, the crispy exterior, the doughy inside, and even love the chocolate dipping sauce. I don't love filled churros (that definitely is too heavy and rich for me) but the plain ones are just oh-so-satisfying after a Mexican meal or a late night out at bar. I have to say these churros were the best I've ever had. They were long (about 6") and we get 5 of them so you definitely get FULL fast. But we had to finish them while they were hot. And who can say no to KAHLUA chocolate dipping sauce? So crispy and so doughy and so HOT (I mean that temperature-wise and  in the"Oh, my knees shake when I see you because you're so attractive" way).

Nick looks dubious because his cocktail turned out bright pink. I agreed to switch because it tasted better to me and I didn't want to jeopardize his manliness. But just look at the ceiling! I love this place!!!

Ahh, the joys of eating out and eating well are never ending to me. I wonder if the excitement will fade with time and maturity. I will let you know if anything changes in my 25th year as a human being. I kind of doubt it! :)

http://www.redorestaurant.com/#/menu

Asia De Cuba - 5 stars!

I don't think I give 5 stars to restaurants that often. Off the top of my head, I can count the restaurants I think deserve 5 stars on one hand (Mozza, Tarte Tatin, Red O, Amelia's, and Extraordinary Desserts come to mind). I admit that a tiny reason is for the sake of appearances; to appear like a highly critical and discerning food critic. I think if I were honest with myself, that reason is complete bullcrap. If a restaurant is awesome, it deserves to be called awesome. If there are plenty of awesome ones, so be it. That's a good thing that should be shared with others, not hidden for the sake of what I perceive as me own credibility. But the other truth is, there are few top-notch restaurants that fit MY criteria. So as a quick recap, I'll tell you what I like before I unravel a 5-star restaurant I recently had the pleasure of going to.

1. Food is the most obvious and important factor in my 5-star rating. I am not a really picky eater (I generally like any ingredient) but I prefer things to taste fresh, clean, and not too greasy. There's a time and place for greasyness (my favorite taco truck for instance is not fresh, clean, and is overly greasy) but I'm saying that on a more regular basis and when I pay more $$$ to eat out, I like my food to be those things. I also love intelligent flavoring. I don't want to be overloaded with flavors and spices in such a way that the essence of an ingredient is destroyed (like its texture or its inherent flavor) but I definitely like my taste buds to "feel" something at least somewhat spectacular.
2. Service. I think it's because I'm a people person and am generally really cheerful myself, so if I run into poor service (it can be negligent/slow service or efficient but grumbly and grouchy service) it tends to stick with me and spoil my overall restaurant experience. I also find it highly commendable when servers ARE cheerful and attentive because God knows Los Angeles crowds are hard to serve.
3. Decor. I don't take off points if decor is nonexistent but I am overjoyed when it's well-thought out. It makes the experience so much more complete. I don't think this criteria is typical but blame it on the designer in me. I definitely take notice.
4. Pricing. I usually don't find pricing to be a big problem - most restauranteurs know what the value of their product and know that if it doesn't match up with the price, the restaurant is in big trouble. So I don't normally have to worry about this except in extreme cases where the price is too low (a surprising but good thing) or too steep (in which case I'm hardpressed to return).

Now, onto Asia de Cuba in the Mondrian Hotel. This was definitely a fancy dinner with one of my favorite foodie friends and I had to try not to let my expectations get out of hand. This is actually one of the first places I remember having "foodie" thoughts about when I first moved out to LA. It seemed like a match made in heaven - asian and cuban food combined? Something about the combination seemed to click in my head unlike a lot of fusion cuisines. But, it was expensive, and I rarely spend more than $40 on a fancy dinner (and this one was definitely going to be at least $60 before tax and tip).

The first thing that struck me about Asia de Cuba is the decor. Located in the fancy Mondrian hotel, it has simple, elegant, contemporary-verging-on-modern furniture. It's a white palette that lets the back wall of windows that lets you see the ENTIRE city come into the forefront. We didn't sit right at the window but just one table away and it was definitely beautiful.

The food hit the right spot. I already told you what I like so I'll just explain with pictures from here on out. I like that they made sensible fusion decisions instead of going all crazy with the fusion. For instance, the tunapica was an excellent fusion. Description from their menu below:

TUNAPICA tuna tartare picadillo-style on wonton crisps  |  Spanish olives, black currants, almonds and coconut  |  soy-lime vinaigrette

My friend and I agreed this one of the best salads we've had. Usually, you'd be delighted to get a lot of calamari and not a lot of cheap romaine leaves but this dressing was so delicious, we wanted more greens!

CALAMARI SALAD ‘ASIA DE CUBA’ crispy calamari  |  chayote, hearts of palm, banana, cashews, chicory and radicchio  |  sesame orange dressing

Their most famous dish and for good reason. This fish was so buttery and perfectly cooked. Easily the best fish I've tasted. What was even more amazing was the edamame salad on the side. It had this wonderful crunchy yet creamy texture (similar to chunky guacamole) and had a spicy kick that paired perfectly with the fish. If anyone can crack that recipe, I'd pay you good money for it!

MISO CURED ALASKAN BLACK COD edamame ‘ fufu’  |  grilled shishito peppers

This was our least favorite dish of the night. If we hadn't had the fish before it, I think we would have rather enjoyed it. But the level of genius in this dish was definitely a drop from the fish. The thai sticky rice was too sweet for a main dish. The mango salsa was good but the bbq sauce was too sweet as well. At this point, I would like to mention that the portion sizes here are nothing to complain about. They serve every part of the meal family-style depending on how many people are at your table. I figured with it being just us two, it'd be meager, but we took home almost this entire chicken dish as leftovers (and half our dessert). Totally fair prices if you ask me!

CUBAN BBQ CHICKEN Thai coconut sticky rice  |  avocado cilantro fruit salsa  |  tamarind sauce

Every single dessert on the menu sounded so enticing but we went with hte most popular - Cuban opera cake with coffee brittle ice cream.

Now, I don't like chocolate. But this cake was divine. It had layers of mousse, thick cake, light cake, fudge topping, and it all wound up being not too sweet but just the right amount of richness and decadence. The coffee ice cream was awesome as well. Very strong and bitter, and a perfect play off the cake.


CUBAN OPERA
RICH CHOCOLATE CAKE LAYERED WITH MILK CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
AND COFFEE MOUSSE WITH COFFEE BRITTLE ICE CREAM

Service was great, though it got a little spotty towards the end of the night when this place got surprisingly busy for a Wednesday night. We were pretty willing to savor each bite though so waiting a bit longer than normal wasn't too much of a hassle. I highly recommend Asia de Cuba for a special occasion and can't wait to go back!


http://www.chinagrillmgt.com/restaurants-and-bars/asia-de-cuba-mondrian-la

What Should I Make for My Birthday Dessert?

I need your help! I am usually so decisive but I'm having a hard time choosing what to make for my birthday dinner next weekend. As you know, I eat anything with sugar in it, but I generally don't favor cupcakes, cakes, cookies, bars, etc. All those American desserts are usually too rich or sweet or filling for me. When I'm full after dinner, I want a clean, light, fresh-tasting dessert so European desserts often fit the bill PERFECTLY.

My favorite desserts in ORDER are:

1. Macarons!!! I love how delicate yet flavorful they are! There are so many different kinds (I love salted caramel, lemon, pistachio, and almond the most though!) and they just look so beautiful. I've never made them before so I truly hesitate making them for my party. I know they're laborious and fickle and my friends who do make them actually advise buying them. The effort and time and cost actually ends up being more than just buying them! Crazy, but I'd still like to master them someday.
http://www.weddingchicks.com/2011/10/28/how-to-make-macarons/

2. Tiramisu. Ah, tiramisu. It's the only non-fruit dessert I truly love but it makes sense since I LOVE coffee and this traditionally has espresso (and rum and mascarpone and other wonderful ingredients) in it. We're having empanadas and sangria at the party though, so this Italian dessert seems like a weird flavor to follow.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/tiramisu-recipe/index.html

3. Raspberry Charlotte. I'm pretty predictable right? I like fruit, I like light airy things like macaron shells, and so it makes sense that I love lady fingers which are also in tiramisu. Raspberry charlottes are filled with raspberry mousse and topped with fresh raspberries and make quite a statement as a dessert. Hm. Tempting.
http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/raspberry-charlotte

4. Fruit Tart. Duh. I'm just really picky about the filling because the pastry cream can't be too creamy...must be light and fluffy and not too sweet! 
So if I made this, I might try this recipe with mascarpone cheese (similar to tiramisu filling) or just go with a pastry cream and hope for the best!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4715960

http://annies-eats.com/2009/06/29/fresh-fruit-tart-with-vanilla-pastry-cream/

So, readers, help me decide!!! I am leaning towards the last two but I really would love someone else to make the choice for me so I can just start baking! :)

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend devoid of food obsessions and indecision like mine! ;-)

Morrocan Beef Stew

One of my goals for this year is to try other cuisines. I tend to gravitate towards American, Vietnamese, Thai, and Tex-Mex dishes but I'd like to start trying some more Mediterranean, Japanese, and African (ha, that's a BIG category) dishes. Maybe some Argentinian as well. I do have the rest of my life to cook around the world so I'm not in a rush. I am mainly in the mood to start searching for and collecting new staple spices and ingredients :)

To that end, I made some Moroccan food this week for Nick and some guests. I have to admit it's difficult to make something that I've never tasted so maybe next time I will have to try it at a restaurant before I make it myself because I couldn't tell if this was even remotely authentic.

I found the beef stew oddly sweet (which is to be expected from taking a look at the spices and the ingredients which include raisins and apricots) so I wasn't a huge fan but everyone else definitely was. I love anything in the slow cooker because it makes really tender and delicious meat but I avoided the raisins and apricots like a little kid avoids spinach. :-P

I added shredded carrots and forgot the star anise...it was still very flavorful and rich but I do wonder what it was missing from the lack of anise.

If you have a Moroccan recipe to recommend, please send some my way! And a restaurant in town...I've had Tagine on my list for a while. Anyone been yet?

http://allrecipes.com.au/recipe/10929/slow-cooker-moroccan-lamb.aspx

Found it! Amazing, Easy Indian Curry - Dal Nirvana

I indeed feel like I'm in nirvana right now because I finally discovered an Indian curry recipe that is easy and tastes like (admittedly) restaurant Indian food (which is probably not that authentic but hey, it's delicious!).

This recipe definitely has a spicy kick to it from the cayenne but it's nothing you can't tame with a slab of garlic naan and some basmati rice. I also used green lentils because it's what I had at home and don't think I was at a loss because of it. And if you're worried about the heavy cream, it really doesn't taste that creamy; I'm somewhat lactose intolerant and am pretty sensitive to very milk-y dishes.

Ah, just seeing this picture again makes me sigh with happiness. I've been searching for this for too long but there's something particularly gratifying about finding something that you never gave up on...

http://steamykitchen.com/10989-indian-dal-nirvana.html

Red Wine Themed Valentine's Dinner

Since going out in LA on Valentine's Day is insane (what with the traffic, overpriced fixed price menus, having to make reservations way in advance), we decided to stay in and cook, which is what most of our friends did as well. Since I also love themes (the theme for our wedding was fairy tale, the theme for my birthday party this year is Bright and Sparkly!), I had fun creating a theme for our Valentine's Dinner. Nick has particular flavors or ingredients he's crazy about so it's not too difficult to hone in on one. This year, I decided to do "red wine" and it turned out brilliantly.

We started with some toasted bread and fontina cheese for our appetizer. It was spectacular in its simplicity and I have a weakness for semi-soft cheeses in general. But the star of the night was definitely the steak. We splurged a bit and got some premium rib eye steak. Even though it was a splurge it was still not that expensive - $13 for a huge steak? I'll take that over eating out at a steakhouse any day! Plus, I love the smell of premium steak searing in my house. I'll take that over a floral candle any day as well!

The sauce was where the red wine got involved. It was essentially a reduction of red wine, balsamic, dijon mustard, shallots, and other delicious ingredients that sound good alone and are even more fabulous together. We finished the sauce remnants by sopping it up with our bread. Yum!

If you've never made steak at home before, it's really, really easy. I seared the steak 4 minutes (without oil) on the first side, and 5 minutes on the next side at medium high heat for a medium rare steak. The key is to not disturb the steak while it's searing. Since our steak was thick (more than 1"..) I also broiled it for 4 minutes. It was nice and charred on the outside and pink throughout the middle. We let it rest for about 5-10 minutes and it was perfect! I think this was the best steak we've ever had...

For dessert, I made some dark chocolate red wine cookies. To be honest, the red wine flavor wasn't very apparent to me but the cookie was still delicious. Although I expected a brownie-texture, it was rather crispy and light. Dangerous because you can eat a lot very easily!

Don't they look divine???

I used a cheap Malbec ($3.99 from Trader Joe's) to cook the steak and cookies but we drank a very nice and affordable Malbec for dinner. In fact, it was one of the best wines I've ever tried!

It's about $15 at Wally's - go get it!!! It's really smooth and pleasing and has a very full-bodied flavor! Do you like my attempt at sounding like a connoisseur? ;-)

I'm a little sad that Valentine's is over but I am already looking forward to preparing for my birthday festivities. I may be turning 25 but I still get excited like a 12-year-old!!

http://www.crumblycookie.net/2008/09/26/pan-seared-steak-with-red-wine-pan-sauce/

http://www.keepitsimplefoods.com/vegetarian/dark-chocolate-and-red-wine-cookies/

Valentine's Pie Pops

Happy Valentine's everyone! I love this holiday. It's a great excuse to eat candy and give candy (my loot consists of macarons, muffins, red vines, toffee, and lots of chocolates so far!), and to give hugs and valentines filled with cutesy messages.

Nick and I have been celebrating this holiday for three days, starting with a wonderful brunch at Red O (review coming), steak dinner at home (recipe coming), and breakfast this morning at Urth! I am obviously spoiled and loved by someone who knows me very well.

I do think it's hard to disappoint on Valentine's. If you think it's a super commercialized, depressing, or tacky holiday, you still cannot deny a sweet made with love, can you?

I found that even the coldest shells were cracked and many unexpected smiles surfaced at work and around our apartment complex with the arrival of these pie pops.

I made almost 50 pie pops in 3 hours. It was a lot of time but these things were just so gosh darn cute! And quite delicious to boot! I made strawberry jam+white chocolate chip ones (pictured above - if your filling has any liquid in it, like jam, which will spread with heat, make sure to use only a scant teaspoon of filling if you don't want any insides bursting out) and apple pie pops with glazing. The latter won out as my favorite but both of them were the perfect amount of sweet which is not too much since these pops are definitely less about the filling and more about the pastry dough.

These were easier to seal and manipulate because the filling is more of a solid.

Now that I have heart-shaped cookie cutters, I think I'm going to have make a lot of heart-shaped baked goods just for the fun of it. Happy <3 Day!

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/01/sweetie-pie-pops-plus-hand-pies-pie-jars-and-printables/