The Best of Both Worlds: Cookie Bars!

During the week, I typically make cookies or bars and scones or muffins. It's just what Nick and I prefer to eat. Of course I love the somewhat biweekly challenge of making a cake, cheesecake, pie, tart, or anything that is not one-bowl and a bit more involved but cookies and bars are definitely the everyday, satisfying, delightful dessert of choice. Recently, cookie bars have caught my attention because the combine the heartiness of a thick, dense brownie and the sweet saltiness of a gourmet chocolate chip cookie. The two cookie bars below are definitely on my Favorites list now because of the texture and taste both being perfect.

There are no real words to describe how amazing this dessert was. I brought it into work and a few people said it was the best thing I've ever made. I ate this for 6 days in a row and wanted to cry the day I ran out (okay, not really, but I definitely missed not having that afternoon snack to look forward to). The texture is unreal. It's flaky and crispy on the outside from the graham crackers but has a lovely sweet and salty (more sweet though, without a doubt!) soft, gooey center. You must make these. A coworker who doesn't really bake that often at all asked for this recipe and made it the same week. THAT good.

Even the picture doesn't do it justice! Oh well. Take my word for it. This thing is awesome. It is a beast of awesomeness.

Graham Cracker Chewies 

• 2 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2/3 cup graham crackers, crushed (I think it's about 7 whole graham crackers) 
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped

Crust

• 3 cups graham cracker crumbs (probably two whole packages if memory serves) 
• 3/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp flour

1 Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and flour until well-mixed. Press the mixture firmly and evenly over the bottom of a 13-inch by 9-inch baking pan. Bake until the crust is golden brown or for about 10 to 15 minutes.

2 While the crust is baking, mix together the brown sugar and eggs. Add the graham cracker crumbs, vanilla, salt and baking powder and stir until well-blended. Stir in the pecans.


3 Spread the mixture over the baked crust (it doesn't need to cool before this step) and return to the 350-degree oven until the filling is dark-golden on top and jiggles slightly when tapped, about 25 minutes.

One of the best desserts ever taken from LA Times who got it from Julienne, a San Marino bakery whose chef-owner featured it in Celebrating with Julienne and who adapted it from Nantucket Open-House Cookbook.
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/apr/15/food/fo-sos15

These luscious blondies are basically a chocolate chip cookie but sturdier and chunkier and in square form. Nothing wrong with that. I liked the nuts for once and also liked that it'sa little bit more on the salty side. Definitely quick and easy to make for dinner parties or guests.

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie Bars

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, divided

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line with a piece of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Butter the top of the parchment paper as well.


2 In a large bowl, mix butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add in egg and vanilla. Add flour and salt and mix until moistened. Fold in 1/2 cup each chocolate chips and walnuts. Transfer the batter to pan and smooth the top with a knife (doesn't have to be perfect...I like imperfect desserts). Sprinkle top with remaining chocolate chips and walnuts.

3 Bake until the top is golden brown or about 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool and then take out the parchment with the cookies on top and cut into 9 squares.

Adapted from http://www.marthastewart.com/336484/blondies-with-chocolate-chips-and-walnut?xsc=eml_cod-2012_03_01&om_rid=Dk51-A&om_mid=_BPT3LTB8eBLtMr

A Week of Sweets...Starting with Lemon!

People always ask me where my baked goods go. Into my and Nick's stomachs of course! But only to a certain extent, though that extent might still surprise you. I'd say that most recipes make about 12 (for muffins and scones) to 24 (cookies, bars) items and we'll eat about 12 of them ourselves. Nick will eat 6 cookies a day (3 after lunch and 3 after dinner) and I'll eat at least 1 or 2. At that rate, we go through them by ourselves fairly quickly but thankfully, I always have willing coworkers and weekly meetings with friends to share the bounty. This helps us "get rid" of the other half of whatever we bake so that I can continue to bake new items every other day.

And yes, I try to bake at least every other day. When I have the oven heated, I feel compelled to make use of the fact that it's ON by baking at least two items (if not three). And 9 out of 10 times it's a new recipe I'm trying. I enjoy scouring the web, using Pinterest, and dutifully following a handful of food blogs so I am constantly and daily being reminded of amazing new recipes to try. The scary part is I don't just "pin" or "bookmark" things. I actually make them (typical of every area of my life...if I get an idea in my head, I DO it, for better or worse).

This exceptional rate of follow-through has created a huge backlog of baked items that I've been meaning to share with you.  Hence, the title of this post is "A Week of Sweets" since it will take at least that long to share all the awesome sweets I've made lately.

On a final note, I'm going to start posting the actual recipe in the body of my blog posts. I figure I should share what I do during the baking process (what I tweak from the original, what I improvise on) and then you won't need to click on a link to go to someone else's inferior recipe (assuming my tweaks are always for the better ;-).

Lemon is one of my favorite dessert flavors so it's fitting that I start my dessert week with two new Lemon recipes.

Lemon Poppy Seeds Muffin Recipe

• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tbsp poppy seeds

• 10 Tbsp unsalted butter (1 1/4 stick), softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest

Lemon Icing

• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)

Directions 

1 Preheat oven to 375°F.

2 Add together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds, and salt and mix with a fork (my lazy version of whisking). 

3 In a large mixing bowl, cream  the butter and sugar with electric hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, waiting until first egg is fully incorporated until you add the second one. Beat in the lemon zest.

4 Beat in one third of the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Beat in one third of the yogurt. Beat in a third more of the dry ingredients. Beat in a second third of the yogurt. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients and then the remaining yogurt. Technically, you're not supposed to "overincorporate" the wet and dry ingredients but I like a consistent, storebought-texture in my muffins, so I beat until it looks like there's no dry parts left. 

5 Put cupcake liners in your cupcake pan and divide the batter evenly among them. I made 11 with my batter but I like big tops so I fill almost to the rim. Bake until muffins are golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. 

6 While the muffins are baking, whisk the lemon juice and powdered sugar together with a fork. The recipe says to brush the tops of the muffins with the glaze so the muffin absorbs some of it, but I prefer a harder icing on top so I add more powdered sugar and let it drip on top until dry. 

I always store muffins uncovered on a plate in my microwave. Learned that trick a while ago and it keeps it moist without getting all wet (like it does in a covered container). Yay, tricks! 

Recipe adapted from http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/lemon_poppy_seed_muffins/

Ah, the lemony goodness continues! I made these glazed lemon cookies and people LOVED them. I can tell when something is really popular and when it's just appreciated, like, "This is tasty and well-made (not burnt or too sweet or too salty or dry) but not a personal favorite." It felt like this cookie was one of everyone's favorites. Soft, moist, and just lemony enough...I still have some in the freezer for a rainy day (or a lemon-craving day!). 

Lemon Glazed Sugar Cookies Recipe

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Lemon Glaze

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (use a microplane! There's no other way to do it!) 
• Lemon juice of 4 lemons (about 1/3 cup)

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2 In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. In another and larger bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat until combined. Add flour mixture to large bowl with a wooden spoon. I try not to overmix cookies because I like mine to have texture and not to be perfectly smooth in this case. Total personal preference.
3 Drop about a tablespoon of dough onto baking sheets (you don't have to make them into round balls with your hands) to form cookie. Bake until edges are golden about 20 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. Make the glaze while they're baking and once cookies are cool, generously cover the tops in glaze. 

Recipe adapted from http://www.marthastewart.com/312567/lemon-glaze

Nick's Birthday: The Spice Table, Lemon Meringue Cupcakes, and Tarte Tatin

Nick unwittingly managed to stretch his birthday celebrations over the course of two weeks, almost as long as mine!

Laksa. Photo c/o Yelp.com/Rick Poon

We had dinner at The Spice Table, which we both loved by the end of the night. I like the brick and metal décor (with antique birdcages acting as lampshades) and the service was some of the best and smartest we’ve had. The food was tapas style, which we were initially unhappy with because we suspected we wouldn’t be full enough by the end of the night. However, we ordered 2 plates each and were very stuffed by the end of the night. If you’re looking for a normal entrée-sized dinner, order the rice or noodle dishes. But the small plates are not to be missed and surprisingly filing as well. I thought the price point was fair as well. A pretty solid 3.75/5. 

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-spice-table-los-angeles 

I made some lemon meringue cupcakes for Nick and another friend whose birthday was the day after Nick’s. These cupcakes were definitely a process and I made them over the course of two nights. I made the lemon cupcakes and the curd the first day. This lemon curd was most excellent. It was a lighter version but I couldn’t tell at all! It tasted tangy and had just the right texture and thickness. Easy to make as well J You won’t need a double boiler. And the cupcake was moist and dense as well...very yummy!


The next night I made the meringue by putting a small pot in a deep sauce pan filled with water. The meringue definitely took me more than 7 minutes but it was worth it. It is a bright, sticky, marshmallow-y, and fun frosting. I popped it in the broiler to toast. I had to keep a really sharp eye on it because within a span of 30 seconds it can go from toasty brown to burnt black!

http://www.marthastewart.com/336435/lemon-meringue-cupcakes 

Lemon Curd from this recipe, a definite keeper

http://bakingbites.com/2008/04/low-fat-lemon-curd/ 

Not all of them looked so great. I just put a big dollop of meringue on with a spoon but if you have a piping bag, it might look better!

We also went on a coffee date which we try to do once a week anyways but we stepped it up a notch and went to our favorite coffee, pastry, breakfast, and lunch place – Tarte Tatin! Every time I go there, I’m reminded of how food really is art to Kobi the owner and chef. It’s not that he makes art out of food but he treats food like art – delicately, thoughtfully, beautifully. Everything I’ve had there has tasted beyond excellent. Too good for words. And Kobi is so sweet…if you’re a friend living in LA or visiting LA, I will gladly take you there as a treat because I think everyone should experience this place. Give me a ring if you desire a transcendent meal! J

Nick's freshly made croissant sandwich. The croissants were baking as we walked in. I have to say I even loved the cucumbers! Yum! 

http://www.yelp.com/biz/tarte-tatin-bakery-beverly-hills 

the best almond croissant ever.

Tonight is the big hurrah for Nick’s birthday. We’re throwing an intimate burgers and beer dinner party for his closest friends and I can’t wait. It’s been a long, busy, slightly stressful week at work and I can’t wait to try all three beers we bought the other night!

Hope you have a great weekend ahead of you! 

Catfish Dishes

Have you cooked with catfish before? It's really easy. I admit I'm scared of cooking fish or any protein besides chicken, eggs, and ground beef but I tackled catfish using Mark Bittman's The Best Recipes in the World book and it was a cinch! Plus, I made one of my favorite childhood recipes, Ca Kho, or claypot caramelized catfish (served with white, fluffy rice) and it tasted even better than I remembered it! Definitely a plus. Or TWO pluses because I even managed to get two Vietnamese recipes out of one whole catfish.

Ca Kho's most important part is the caramel. Since I have a history of burning caramel when I make it, I was nervous and took precautions (which meant I watched the pan instead of wandering away to talk to Nick or to do another project while it was cooking...I do that  a LOT). Guess what? It STILL burnt. But the recipe was flexible enough to accommodate my lack of caramelizing skills because I carried on and added a little more water to loosen up the super dark, stiff caramel and it ended up tasting fantastic has I said.

Here they are in the pan. I would highly recommend using a nonstick because that caramel is STICKY. 

http://www.bootsintheoven.com/boots_in_the_oven/2010/01/vietnamese-caramel-fish-fillets.html

You can find the recipe at the above link but I highly recommend buying any of Mark Bittman's books. It's the only physical cookbook I refer to for recipes because they're super authentic, clearly written, and uncomplicated (or as uncomplicated as an exotic dish can possibly be).

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Recipes-World-Mark-Bittman/dp/0767906721

The next dish was actually my favorite soup growing up! It's Vietnamese Sweet and Sour soup but it's not the same as the Thai or Chinese version. It's based on tamarind sauce, which I buy a jar of for a couple dollars at any asian store. The tamarind and pineapple lend both the tangy and the sweet flavors. It's a healthy broth that usually involves some catfish in it, but my favorite parts are definitely the vegetables: Okra and taro stems!! Okra is wonderfully slimy to me. It's weird because I have an adverse reaction to most weird textures but I love okra. And Taro stems are nice and crunchy (I add them at the end so the hot broth doesn't soften them too much).

http://todayicooked.blogspot.​com/2010/02/canh-chua-chay.​html

This recipe is for vegetarian canh chua and the bowl above basically is. I tossed in some leftover catfish at the end but it's hearty and delicious enough to go without. If you're vegetarian, there are vegetarian versions of fish sauce out there. I understand almost all Vietnamese dishes involve fish sauce but my mom uses a vegetarian one that captures the essence pretty well..as long as you can stomach the fishyness!

Once again, two very healthy and flavorful Vietnamese dishes. I love my heritage and the foods it's offered me :)

Chicago {Part 2}

Ah, Chicago. Just writing about it in my last post made me pine for it that much more. The first couple days were a bit hectic in terms of sightseeing. It was perfectly fun and invigorating to see Sonia for coffee, tour the University of Chicago campus and visit a beautiful garden and library (the highlights of our walking tour for sure!), head downtown to see another museum, shop on Magnificent Mile, eat at Xoco, and grab drinks at Hancock Tower but we needed a slower day to recuperate.

Mansueto Library that is great for studying (natural daylight rocks right?!) and where robots retrieve books. Read more about it by clicking on the link below!
http://mansueto.lib.uchicago.edu/ 

On Sunday, we woke up closer to the PM side of the day than expected (exhaustion and spring forward and a two hour time change all caught up!). We slowly got ready for another day downtown and started off with this:

Deep. Dish. PIZZA.

I picked this place based on yelp reviews between it, Pizzeria Uno, and Giordano's. I don't think I made a mistake. First off, deep dish is an entirely different beast from gourmet pizza (which I love). The thick buttermilk crust is so tangy and crispy and dense throughout (no soggy parts), the tomato sauce was delicious, and the house sausage was tasty and surprisingly not heavy (it did say "light sausage" on the menu but I'm not sure what that means exactly). I loved this pizza. LOVED it. The proportion of crust to sauce to meat to cheese was quite even and in my mind, perfect. It wasn't quite as heavy as I had been warned it would be. In fact, I ate more than one slice.

If you're in Chicago, this will complete your experience.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/lou-malnatis-pizzeria-chicago

Afterwards, we wandered around looking at buildings and bridges and art/sculpture which is Chicago is replete with. I don't know why it has so many interesting things to look at, but it certainly is a form of cheap/free entertainment that I will never complain about. We mused about certain sculptures, craned our necks up to look in awe at some skyscrapers, and then went to Millennium Park, the capstone of such artful delight.

The requisite bean picture. I certainly excited! 

The bean was so fun! Everyone was having such a great time around such a plain concept that I am inclined to think it's a genius piece. We continued to the face fountains, walked along Gehry's bridge and amphitheathre, and walked through yet another garden where spring was just budding. After visiting an architectural museum that helped us confirm our speculations about the architecture in Chicago, we headed home for our dinner of chicken bouillabaisse and garlic knots (both blogged about here) and some Dijon braised brussels sprouts and a chocolate brownie pudding (brownie edges with pudding center...heaven).

Amazing brussels sprouts with shallots and mustard and parsley.

These are from one of my favorite blogs, Smitten Kitchen. A delicious side dish that I could eat as a main.
http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/11/dijon-braised-brussels-sprouts/

As someone who loves brownies, I ate a double portion of this with vanilla ice cream. 

This torte was amazing. Click on the link below to see what happens when you cut into it. It's completely molten.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/brownie-pudding-recipe/index.html

The next day was another lazy and perfect day of sunshine and conversation. We went on a tour of one of my favorite architect's buildings/houses in Hyde Park. The Robie House is definitely worth your while as the tour was perfectly interesting and well-organized. After a light brunch of brown butter crepes (blogged about here) I made some Mexican burgers (seasoned with cilantro and onions and taco seasoning) with an avocado salsa that was sublime. Topped with provolone cheese and served on pretzel buns (the recipe calls for tortillas instead of a bun but I thought the structural integrity of that was, well, nonexistent) it was the perfect foodie exit for the weekend. I am so glad I got to spend time with my husband and good friends in such a magical city. Can't wait to see you again, Chicago!

A first class flight where we each drank 3 glasses of wine helped dampen the sad blow of heading home back to normal life.

Chicago {Part 1}

Chicago was one of the most wonderful vacations Nick and I had taken. We spent time with one of my best friends from college and one of my oldest friends from before college. I didn't know what to expect from Chicago and I have to say that going into it without high expectations and assumptions was surprisingly rewarding (meaning I should do that more often). From the moment we arrived at the airport, we were impressed. Nick and I loved taking the easy train ride directly from the airport into downtown. We got a glimpse of the suburbs and the city's feel along the way! We also loved staying in Hyde Park instead of Downtown, and experiencing smaller town benefits like a coffee shop owner who knew everyone by name and a grocery store that is literally across the street from my friend's apartment that has amazing organic everything at super low prices. To get to downtown, it was another easy bus ride (15 minutes) and once there, we could and did walk for hours discovering random art and bridges and beautiful old and modern buildings and popping into coffee shops whenever we wanted to warm up or sit. By the end of our trip, I didn't want to leave Chicago at all and begged Nick to miss our flight but alas, it was probably better to leave before the weather turned severe again (another reason we loved our trip - it was 65 and sunny the entire time. Cool and bright and perfect).

This is mainly going to be a food recap of our trip, but will also involve some fun people photos :) Hope you are intrigued by Chicago if you haven't been yet. If you have already,  I hope these photos make you want to go back as eagerly as we do!

We got off the train from the airport hungry and cold. Cafecito, a cuban lunch hot spot attached to a hostel, was the perfect place to welcome us! It was crowded for a good reason: it has cheap and tasty food. We got lunch for both of us for $10!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafecito-chicago

This is Nick's Guava-Q which had Roasted Pork, Guava BBQ sauce, and caramelized onion.

For dinner, we went back to my friend's apartment to make some Lamb Meatball Sandwiches with Saffron Sofrito. I had a strange craving for meatballs throughout the week (I know, random!) and this definitely satisfied. The meatballs had some great zing from the lemon zest and parsley and the saffron sofrito of tomatoes and onions (and saffron obviously) was a great sauce compliment. Definitely a nice twist on the usual meatball sandwich, and definitely goes well with french fries and chocolate chip cookies :P A fantastic homemade meal.

Recipe from San Francisco restaurant, Public House.
http://www.tastingtable.com/entry_detail/chefs_recipes/1979/Giving_the_meatball_sub_a_once_over.htm

The following day, I met my friend who's a cheerful, chatty genius attending U of Chicago Law School (told you she's a genius) at Cafe 57 for some Intelligentsia (which is ALL over Chicago to my surprise) coffee. The latte was perfection and Belinda, the owner was absolutely charming and outgoing. She offered us some housemade apple pie bars as well. Can't not love a place that does that!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/caf%C3%A9-57-chicago-2

My smart lawyer friend and I outside the coffee shop, which rests under train tracks.

For lunch, we ran back to the apartment where my friend made us some amazing Turkey Avocado panini with an avocado mayonaise, spinach, provolone, home roasted green peppers, and mesquite Turkey. There is nothing quite like a simple, hearty, healthy sandwich to warm your tummy and heart. Especially when served by a wonderful hostess and friend!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/turkey-avocado-panini/

That evening, we ventured into the city and explored the International Museum of Surgical Science which was definitely super nerdy and fun, walked down Magnificent Mile (with a pitstop at Top Shop), and then had what was probably the highlight meal of the trip at Xoco.

Now you all know how much I love Red O and Rick Bayless. He has transformed Mexican food for me and I've never disliked something he's had a hand in creating. His dishes are clean (you can detect what ingredients are used in the dish) and ultra-flavorful. Somehow, astonishingly, Xoco blew Red O out of the water. Of course, I will still go to Red O but it really is just the dust of the shining star that Xoco is. We went with 6 other people who agreed that it was probably the best sandwich/soup they've ever tasted. I shared guacamole and chips appetizer (always a prerequisite), beer, carnitas soup, and a Goat Barbacoa torta with Nick. Oh, and some churros with Mexico City chocolate and a maple pecan bacon yogurt with salted caramel. That's right. I basically felt like I was in heaven that night.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/xoco-chicago

Carnitas Soup with arugula and avocado, serrano chilies, chayote, and potato masa dumplings. The broth was so lime-y and bright and refreshing (not fatty at all!) and everything else came into play so beautifully! I was moaning. MOANING.

Tortas are made in the woodburning oven and you can tell from the smoky flavors of this Braised goat, Oaxacan pasilla-tomatillo salsa, avocado, onions & cilantro torta. I seriously could not decide which torta to get but I'm glad I got the special of the day. I'm pretty sure I could eat a torta a day for the rest of my life...

The churros were the same as they were at Red O which is to say they are divine. They look a little pale but are perfectly crispy on the outside and doughy on the inside. I die just looking at this photo.

My cute, crazy-smart, awesome, curly-haired friends and I before we head to Hancock Tower and grab some drinks on the 96th floor. A beautiful night that I won't ever forget!

The view from Hancock Tower. Not too shabby...:)

Battle of the Breakfasts: Crepes vs. Bread

We like to make a point of enjoying breakfast and celebrating it in the morning. It gives us something to look forward to in the morning a chance to spend a little time together before we head out for the day. But the real reason I love breakfast is because I can basically eat a dessert in the morning. My palette tends to favor fruit-based and not too sweet desserts and breakfast pastries often fit that bill naturally. Recently, I made an Orange Blueberry bread and some Brown Butter Nutella crepes that made waking up a lot easier.

This bread was pretty sweet actually. I think it was partly because I had really ripe oranges with sweet juice. The recipe could have used some less sugar (I used a scant 1 cup, but would have preferred half a cup instead). For these reasons, I won’t make it again but the recipe was definitely nothing to frown upon!

http://www.beckybakes.net/2010/09/09/blueberry-orange-bread/ 

Overall, I preferred the Brown Butter Nutella crepes. These were a little time-consuming but they can also be made the night before and refrigerated overnight. Then you simply pop them into the oven at 325 for 8 minutes and you have an enticing morning meal! I definitely burnt my butter instead of browning it (I have a history of doing that whenever I make salted caramel sauce) but it still tasted fantastic. I would recommend doing bananas and nutella as the jam+nutella was too sweet for me.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/brown-butter-crepes-with-nutella-and-jam 

Of course, the breakfast item I will never tire of is muffins! I haven’t made them for a week and I’m just itching to make something fun and new. Unfortunately (but not TOO unfortunately) I have a bunch of ripe bananas sitting on top of the fridge so I’ll probably be making a banana muffin recipe tonight. If you have any favorites let me know! 

Pot Roast vs. Bouillabaisse

I made pot roast a long time ago for a dinner party. I happen to love these type of hearty dishes with tender meat and tender cooked potatoes and carrots. It’s like a very filling curry or a very saucy and overcooked (or slow cooked?) meat and vegetable dish. Very American and very satisfying, especially in the winter.

This pot roast was a slow cooker recipe that I was very nervous about. I texted my husband all day long, afraid that a fire would start because there wasn’t enough liquid in the recipe and it’d cook out and leave a charred meat behind. I was mainly worried because cooking times for slow cooker pot roasts vary GREATLY between recipes. I wanted very tender meat  so I opted for the longest cooking time but then I just got too worried. My worries were all for naught as I went home to find my home filled with sweet red wine and rosemary aromas and the most tender meat I’ve gotten out of my slow cooker yet. I highly recommend cooking overnight (8 hours) and through the day (another 8 hours) on low if you use the recipe I used.

http://leitesculinaria.com/5875/recipes-barefoot-contessa-pot-roast.html

I found a great trick for the vegetables as well. I wrapped them in foil and put them in towards the last 8 hours at the top. That way they don’t get too mushy in the liquid. Yay for tricks!

So. Much. Grating.

I paired this with a very special bread – Apple Cheddar Beer (quick)bread. It was really time consuming (not quick at all!) to shred the apples and the shallots for this recipe and the final result was delicious but a bit sweet for my taste. I don’t think I’ll be making it again but it was a fun bread to offer for the dinner party.

http://www.crumbblog.com/2011/11/secret-recipe-club-apple-cheese-beer-quickbread.html 

So this is about to become a long post but I have a HUGE recipe backlog (of things I’ve tried and want to share because they were so splendid) and because I discovered a better and more amazing pair of slow-cooked meat dish+bread side dish.

I made it this weekend with my friends in Chicago and have to say, Chicken Bouillabaisse beats Pot Roast anyday. We used chicken breasts because it’s what we had on hand, but the sauce. Oh, the sauce. It was one of the most layered and delicious sauces I’ve had. We didn’t even use anise liqueur but I believe the fennel seeds had enough of and similar enough effect. Boy, oh, boy, this was a FANTASTIC dish that didn’t require hours of cooking (in fact, just 1.5 hours so you can do it the night of).

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/chicken-bouillabaisse-recipe/index.html

As for the bread…I made garlic knots from premade pizza dough (thanks, Trader Joe’s). They were sooo easy. You just divide the dough into four parts, roll each out into a rectangle, and cut five strips from that and tie each strip into a knot. Bake, and brush with a garlic+butter+parsley mix that is to die for. I easily ate 8 knots that night and have to conclude without a doubt that chicken bouillabaisse and garlic knots beat out pot roast+apple beer quickbread any day! 

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/garlic_knots/ 

The "Best of" Lists!

I recently went to two restaurants that topped my “Favorites” list (they’re in italics and are accompanied by photos) and decided it was time to update my list. I don’t have an official one, surprisingly, but this is the most current one.

Favorite Restaurants (overall)

1. Pizzeria Mozza
2. Red O
3. Tarte Tatin

Favorite Brunch

1. Huckleberry
2. Urth Caffe

Favorite Sandwich

1. All About the Bread
2. Amelia’s Espresso and Panini

Short rib tacos from Tinga! Best tacos I've ever eaten. 

Favorite Mexican

1. Tinga*!!! Best tacos ever!
2. Loteria Grill

Amazing blueberry coffee cake from Balconi...perfect pairing to their luscious Almond Latte

Favorite Coffee

1. Balconi* – we didn’t try the siphon coffee but my almond latte was soooo amazing. It’s ranked #1 on Yelp for coffee in LA!
2. Café Demitasse

Favorite Italian

1. Mozza
2. Il Covo*

Favorite Pizza

1. Mozza
2. Pizzeria Olio

Tiramisu cake from Susina - by far the best cake I've had. Light, fluffy, flavorful, and not too sweet! To die for!

Favorite Bakery

1. Huckleberry
2. Susina* Amazing tiramisu cake : )

Favorite Burger

1. Umami
2. 26 Beach*

Favorite Special Occasion/Splurge

1. Asia de Cuba*
2. 
   

* denotes a newcomer that I’m so glad I discovered!

I have a lot on my "To Try" list, which is actually a spreadsheet with multiple factors like neighborhood, price point, occasion/atmosphere, and level of desire to go. The top ones are probably:

1. Spice Table
2. Plan Check
3. Sotto
4. Night+Market
5. Lucques
6. Melisse (mainly because I got the cookbook for my birthday) 

I just got back from the most wonderful vacation in Chicago. It was seriously over-the-top satisfying and I left with a big grin on my face, thanks to a combination of great friends, great architecture/city, and absolutely mindblowing food. I guess I'll have to create a "Best Of" list that is not LA-limited because the things I ate in Chicago definitely trump the LA versions. Whoulda thunk?! 

Umamicatessen

This is undoubtedly the most proud and excited restaurant review I’ve ever done. Not only is Umamicatassen the restaurant opening of the year in LA (unless I’m completely in the dark about ones coming up later in the year, which I very well may be) it was designed by my good friends at SO│DA who went to USC and have AMAZING design skills and pulled off this incredible looking space! Congratulations!

So Umamicatassen. What is it? As far as I’m concerned, it’s a really big Umami with three food stations: a kosher deli (with a dynamite pastrami), a coffee bar (Spring for Coffee, which is GREAT), and PIGG. The last is probably the most standout member of the trio headed by a SF chef who I’ve never heard of before but who’s causing a positively positive riot with his numerous and delicious ways of serving pig. We had the PIGG fries with the gravy and the prosciutto and both were most excellent.

Ahi Tuna Burger- fresh and light!

The Umami menu has gotten better. I’ve always liked them but I have never had their namesake burger (which is a letdown, I hear). I always manage to order their best burgers each time I go (the greenbird, which is turkey with crushed avocado, green cheese (the pesto makes it green), butter lettuce, sprouts, and green goddess dressing and the truffle burger). The night of the soft opening, which my friends graciously invited me to, I tried the hatch burger (4 types of green chili with housemade cheese) and the ahi tuna burger; both completely impressed me and I didn't want to change a thing. The burgers are filling, perfectly greasy, the bun holds up well, the flavors within each burger meld well together (the green one is pushing the envelope almost too much but not quite yet…in my opinion the less brutal taste of white meat softens the multitude of flavors bursting from the other components), and they are thoroughly unique.

Amazing PIGG fries!

And the fries. We got PIGG fries, truffle fries, and thin fries. The portions are bigger than I remember and they are perfectly done. Not too thin, not too crispy, and they stay crispy even after they’ve cooled.

Blackjack (blackberry with jack daniels). It was okay...as were the rest of the specialty drinks (all light and refreshing but not strong like I wanted)

Umamicatassen had great, excited service that night, an amazingly lively ambience, and great food. I can’t wait to go back and try their desserts menu too. (Did you hear that? I didn’t eat dessert because the food was SO good I ate too much and had NO ROOM left for a sweet. That may be a first and I’m glad it happened at such a notable eating establishment). 

http://www.yelp.com/biz/umamicatessen-los-angeles

Amazing Maple Cake!

The last cake I made wasn’t too impressive. It was a celebration cake that was dense (as it ought to be) and super sweet (as it usually is) but it just didn’t really hit the spot. I found the cake a little crumbly and one layer broke while I was taking it out of the pan. Maybe I did a poor job following the recipe but whatever it was, I have rather tainted memories of the whole ordeal.

This cake is the exact opposite. The recipe was easy to follow and proved to look and taste magnificent. The only thing I changed was to use maple extract instead of vanilla extract. I also used a buttercream recipe that used maple syrup because I find that frostings that have liquid (besides or in addition to milk) make a fluffier frosting, which is what I prefer.

The meringue was obviously integral to the fluffiness and lightness of the chiffon cake. Don’t be impatient and definitely let those stiff peaks form.

I think the flavor was a little monotonous (maple cake with maple buttercream) and I would like to brainstorm some variations or flavor combinations for this cake. But for someone who loves maple-flavored baked goods (reminds me a lot of caramel, another personal favorite) I was super pleased with the final result! 

http://thewellseasonedcook.blogspot.com/2007/06/going-to-grandmas-maple-walnut-cake.html

Cake recipe

http://bakingbites.com/2009/12/maple-cupcakes-with-maple-buttercream/

Butter Cream recipe!  

Orange and Peanut Flavors

For whatever reason, I think a peanut butter and orange go really well together as flavor compliments. I'm not sure why that is. After all, lemon and blueberry, orange and cranberry, or peanut butter and chocolate seem much more typical and natural. I guess they both remind me of the few Americanized Chinese dishes I make - one of them is peanut noodles and the other is orange flavored noodles with a Rice wine/orange juice sauce base.

I can't say I dared put them together but I had ate those two flavors back to back and it was incredibly refreshing to follow a nice, rich peanuty sauce with a light, fresh, Orange-y cupcake. I highly recommend the flavor combination!

This recipe for Asian Peanut Noodles comes from Skinny Taste. I've probably been very vocal about my dislike of "skinny" recipes or any other diet or low fat version of a dish. I particularly don't condone it with baked goods. If you're going to have a cookie, my philosophy is to eat one darn good, buttery and sugary cookie and call it quits than to eat a diet, low-fat, low-sugar one and probably end up with a hole in your soul and stomach that wasn't ever satisfied. However, I guess I just misunderstood the label of "skinny" on this particular blog because I've found that her recipes follow my general rule of cooking as well. I usually pick dishes that have no frying, very little oil (just a scant tablespoon or two) and a lot of veggies to fill up on. Since I'm lactose intolerant, I go light on the cheese and dairy wherever possible. I think those two rules generally make my homemade meals very healthy and "light" and that's what Skinny Taste achieves. Maybe the American cuisine got too used to heavyhanded use of oils and butters and fats when really a lot of flavor can be achieved with the right spices and other liquids (like fresh juice or wine!).

All that to say, I really enjoyed this peanut noodle dish. It was very light tasting and the noodle sauce is easy to make. The chicken was very tasty after being marinaded overnight and "grilled" in our broiler.

The following dessert of fresh, orange cupcakes was the perfect compliment. These were some of my favorite cupcakes because the filling is tart and light and moist (thanks for nearly a cup of fresh orange juice) and the frosting is really light and fluffy and reminded me of a creamsicle.

Also, side note, this recipe for orange cupcakes called for a package of yellow cake mix. I didn't want to buy the boxed version (I am anti-box everything unless it has a ring in it) so I made some homemade and it was soooo fast and easy! I was delighted at this!

Fresh Orange Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream Frosting
http://realmomkitchen.com/1785/fresh-orange-cupcakes-with-orange-buttercream-frosting/

Homemade Yellow Cake Mix 

http://jennifersikora.com/2011/05/homemade-yellow-cake-mixa-pantry-staple/

Asian Peanut Noodles 

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/04/asian-peanut-noodles-with-chicken.html

Reviews of Mezze and Cooks County

I live very close to (literally 5 minutes away from) Restaurant Row, which is 3rd Street and Beverly Blvd. flanked by Robertson and La Brea-ish. Here you find the likes of Lucques and AOC, Joans on Third and Doughboys, Pizzeria Olio and Sushi Isakaya, Robata Jinya and much, much more. It's a foodie's heaven on Earth, especially if you're a foodie who likes to eat flavorful but not heart-damaging food when eating out. All the places I mentioned above vary in cuisine but are all relatively healthy.

Adding to that list of "restaurant row" establishments are two newcomers: Mezze, a Mediterranean "small plates" place and Cooks County, a seasonal, farm fresh restaurant with a continuously changing menu.

Mezze has great decor (I've never been to Israel or Turkey, and both are very different countries, I'm sure, but the furniture reminded me of a nice patio I'd be sipping coffee at in either country) with a great skylight and almost a full view of the kitchen. The service was extremely attentive (almost a little too much with three different people checking in on us twice each) and the price, quality, and portion size were expected for the overall experience. However, the food wasn't THAT delicious. It was healthy and light and flavorful, which is not easy to achieve, but I didn't find it that innovative considering it was supposed to be Mediterranean. It tasted rather pared down and American to me, but what do I know? I just blab on my blog a lot and pretend to know :P

We ordered the most popular items. This is the cauliflower flatbread with feta and golden rasisins and olives. It was tasty, don't get me wrong, but I could have made it at home easily enough.

I liked this one more because it had melted cheese and sauce and the sausage was very flavorful. The flatbreads are just flat pizzas though (guess I was expecting something more exciting) and I think I'd rather have pizza. We got a dry and unexciting chicken shawarma sandwich as well. I liked the food but not enough to make it a point to back again. 3/5

Cooks County

Went here for a birthday lunch with my coworkers (see? Birthday never ends!). The food is based on whats in season and I have to say that my chicken salad tasted very fresh. It was also quite filling with caramelized almonds, dates, radicchio, and sherry dressing. I thought it was a bit pricey at $16 though and the service and interiors were just meh. I can't say I'd go out of my way to go back as I prefer the salads and price point at Joan's on Third but I do think the dinner menu and dessert menu look more appealing! 3/ as well!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/cooks-county-los-angeles

http://www.yelp.com/biz/mezze-los-angeles

So, these places weren't stellar but I do believe I am spoiled by many stellar restaurants around here so the bar is set pretty high automatically.

The {25th} Birthday Party!

The theme for my birthday party was bright and sparkly. Let me know if I succeeded :P

Something you may not know about me: I love crafts, decor, design, and event planning. I had a blast planning our wedding and take every opportunity to throw a themed party. For this party, I re-used ribbons from a previous birthday party thrown for a friend, re-used ribbon from another friend's baby shower, and made some pinwheels during lunch at work. I bought a few paper lanterns but also got a bunch from a coworker who saw me making pinwheels at work and asked what they were for. I bought confetti, colored plates and forks/spoons/knives at Target (on sale!) but the only real splurge was the candy bar. I wanted this party to be very personalized and what reminds you of me more than sweet, bright, addictive gummies? So I ordered Haribo (the best!) gummies online, bought some jars from Ikea, and set up a candy bar for my guests as party favors/take homes (I have always loved party favors so I always make sure it's offered at parties...it keeps the party going even after you've left).

For food, we ordered empanadas from Portos in Glendale. They have amazing empanadas but the best part is how affordable they are. At $0.50 a piece, I ended up spending $66 on food for 30 people. WHAT A STEAL! I got 24 chicken empanadas, 24 chorizo empanadas, 50 of the famous mashed potato meatballs, and 24 spinach and feta pies. To add some fiber and color to our food table, my wonderful friend made an amazing quinoa salad and I made a simple broccoli salad with carrots and cranberries. 

And the dessert? Well, I know I posted recently asking my readers what kind of dessert to make and raspberry charlotte was the clear winner. Except I couldn't find raspberries that weekend and strawberries were super on sale...scroll down to see what I made instead! (PS Thank you for the feedback though, and I took it seriously, I just don't like to buy things that aren't on sale! As soon as raspberries are available and on sale, I'm making a charlotte!)

We maximize use of our small apartment by pushing the dining table to the side and using our desk (big iMac stored safely in our bedroom, away from party antics) as a drinks station. The signature drink/cocktail (another thing I love to have at every party) was a sangria using X-Rated Fusion Liqueur, a vodka based liqueur with blood orange, mango, and passion fruit. Their website actually has a list of recipes using the liqueur but I went with sangria to keep with our empanadas theme. The sangria was a lovely orange color (you can see in one of the flutes) and was surprisingly delicious. Not too sweet as I feared! It disappeared fast (but I still have enough to make one more pitcher...)

This was the food station, minus the food :P I made little food cards (some guests had allergies), got this ever-so-cute and perfect-for-the-theme tablecloth for $1 from Target, and all those bright spoons and forks from Target as well. I always have candles at any party because they create great mood lighting and warmth. Fresh flowers, candles, and music are an absolute must.

Hmm, now we see where the sparkly comes in! Sparkly dress and sparkle candles! You can spy cute little pinwheels sticking up in the bottom right corner of the picture - these were stuck into the empanadas and they were adorable! They're sold out but you can find somewhat similar ones here: http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewart-Crafts-Vintage-Picks/dp/B0052UNULE/ref=pd_sim_ac_42

Ah, the cake. Probably the part of the party I deliberated over the most because dessert is so KEY to who I am. I ended up making a Strawberry Angel Food Cake because I love angel food cake and strawberries (which were on dynamite sale!) and the recipe seemed like it would be relatively light and presumably not too sweet. I made this once in college and remember liking it but I thought it was too sweet this time around. I think my taste buds have matured because there really wasn't much besides creamcheese and whipped topping in between layers of crushed angel food cake and strawberries. I still love that it looked great and was fast to make and everyone else seemed to enjoy it!

Besides the cake, there aren't too many food pictures in this post. There are two reasons: 1. I didn't make most of the food (Porto's and Dayna were the chefs). 2. The goal of the party (which is being continued in this post) was NOT to think about food and to focus on conversation and being in the moment instead of fussing about how hot the food is, what it looks like, whether it should be replenished, etc. I obviously love food (and many other things in life) but sometimes I let that stuff get in the way of what's most important (relationships). I intended to keep my New Year's resolution of not letting that happen as much, especially around my birthday when I tend to get caught up in myself and celebrating ME. :P Hopefully it worked; I sure felt grateful catching up with so many friends and hearing them mingling with one another. And that was the really the point of it all - to appreciate my friends and to be a friend (not a foodie).