My aunt and uncle just opened a new Chinese restaurant so I helped them build a small website (my first one) It wasn't showing up in search engines so I googled how to do it and they said to post the link in a indexed site, which my blog is. So here's the link for Dragon Island Chinese Restaurant in Phoenix: www.dragonislandphoenix.com.
Hope this works.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
My Best Friend on CNN
My best friend, Samuel Burke, has worked for CNN for the past year on Amanpour. Currently, he is working on the program Clix on CNN en Español. Please tune in to watch and support him if you get CNN en Español. Here's a sample:
Samuel Hood Burke CLIX CNN en CNN en Español from Samuel Hood Burke on Vimeo.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Obie Turned Two!
Obie turned two years old on May 7th. We decided to throw him a birthday party because earlier that week, there was a Groupon for Maribelle Cakery for $20 and I wanted to eat cake.
If you have not signed up with Groupon yet, please do so by clicking HERE. They will send you daily deals for the cities you choose. They have some really great things. To date, I have gotten 5 bottles of wine for $25, a car wash and wax for $14, $35 gift certificate to a local restaurant for $15, and the cake for $20. It's free to sign up and if you use the link above, I'll get a referral bonus, so thanks in advance!
Back to the party. It was actually really cute. We invited a few friends over and two of them brought their dogs. The adults got cake and ice cream and the dogs got lots of dog treats and doggy ice cream. Obie threw up about 30 minutes later, like a real kid who ate too much and got too excited
Our friends brought him lots of presents as well. After the cake and ice cream, we took the dogs to the dog park that is down the street. They played at the park for awhile, but it was so hot that there were not that many people there. Soba swam in the lake for a bit, but we left shortly after that because our friend's dog got stung by a bee.
I think the humans were more wore out from the party than the dogs because after the park, I promptly napped for about 4 hours. Happy Birthday lil guy!
I think the humans were more wore out from the party than the dogs because after the park, I promptly napped for about 4 hours. Happy Birthday lil guy!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Cold Soba Noodles
Summers in Southern Arizona gets ridiculously hot so one of my favorite things to eat for lunch is cold soba noodles. It's so quick, refreshing, and delicious!
I cooked the soba noodles in a large pot of soft boiling water (no rolling boil like you do with pasta and no salt!). Drain and rinsed in cold water. You can soak them in an ice bath, but I was too hungry to wait so mildly cold and not completely chilled was fine with me.
Then, you can add anything you like to it. We used shitake mushrooms, green onions, dried seaweed, and added a raw quail egg. I know making the tsuyu sauce is not too hard, but nowadays there are so many brands of tsuyu in Asian markets, it just makes things easier. I bought the Danya sobatsuyu the other day at Lee Lee's and it was just as tasty.
T had these Asian dishes and platter lying around so we finally used them. We're not usually this fancy ;)
Tortoise, Too Cute!
You all know how much I love animals (except for cats-domestic ones, yuck. Lions and tigers, okay). One of my favorite things are when animals dress like other animals. Think dog in a bee costume, duck in a panda costume, etc.
A new animal favorite though are these videos of tortoises eating things. Their little mouths, the way they stick their necks out, ahhh they are just so freaking cute.
I only wish they were not spotted. I am very creeped out by random spots. Can't win them all.
A new animal favorite though are these videos of tortoises eating things. Their little mouths, the way they stick their necks out, ahhh they are just so freaking cute.
I only wish they were not spotted. I am very creeped out by random spots. Can't win them all.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Lemon Bundt Cake
In the middle of April, my boss was out of work for about two weeks because of knee surgery. I really like my boss so on the Monday of her return, I decided to bake her something. She loves lemon flavored things so I decided to make her Ina Garten's Lemon Yogurt Cake, which I had made a similar version in the past.
I made one and a half of the recipe so it would fit into a bundt pan because it was easier to serve at work. T made fun of me because he said, "What is this? The 1970s?" But after it was done, he even said it looked nice.
This cake has a really nice texture and is very moist. The lemon sauce that you pour onto the cake and the glaze gives it an extra oomph!
Dulce de Leche Duos
From Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home to Yours, she had a recipe for dulce de leche cookies and I just had to make them. I made my own dulce de leche (peeled off label from a can of sweetened condensed milk, put two tiny holes on top, put it in a sauce pan and made sure it was constantly filled with water 2/3 way up and let it cooked for about 3 hours), but the store bought stuff worked just as well and is way faster.
The recipe is a little time consuming because the cookies are small and you have to spread dulce de leche on each one to make a sandwich. I used a teaspoon to drop my cookies, but someone had suggest pipping them- just make sure you don't go much bigger than a teaspoon because the cookie does spread and when they are too big, they are a little too crispy.
It is rare that I eat a lot of my own baked goods, but these were so delicious that I must have eaten a good amount of them myself before sharing. They were so good that I made them twice that week and everyone LOVED them. I highly suggest these!
Dulce de Leche Duos
by Dorie Greenspan from Baking From My Home to Yours
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cups dulce de leche, plus more for filling
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed until soft. Add the 3/4 cup of dulce de leche and both sugars and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Don't be concerned if the mixture looks a little curdled- it will smooth out when the flour mixture goes in. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into
the batter.
Spoon the dough onto the baking sheets, using a heaping teaspoon of dough for each cookie and leaving 2 inches between them.
Bake the cookies 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front the back at the midway point. The cookies should be honey brown with a light sugar crust, but they will still be soft, so remove the sheets from the oven but don't touch the cookies for another minute or two. Then, using a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to room temperature.
Repeat with the remaining dough, making sure you cool the baking sheets before spooning the dough onto them.
When the cookies are completely cool, spread the flat bottoms of half the cookies with a small amount of dulce de leche, and sandwich with the flat sides of the remaining cookies.
Makes about 30 sandwich cookies
Vanilla Panna Cotta
I love my friend N and she loves panna cotta. It was over a month ago that I decided to make her some panna cotta. I do not remember the occassion, but she did help me immensely when I was having car troubles so perhaps I was being nice? Can't remember.
Panna cotta is super easy to make since baking is not even necessary. I tweaked a recipe for vanilla panna cotta that I had found on epicurious.
The recipe ask that you mix 4 tsp of unflavored gelatin into 2 cups of cream until it gets soft, but I was afraid the finished product would be too stiff so only used 3 tsp.
While the gelatin softens, heat 2 cups of whole milk, 1/2 cup of sugar, and the beans from 2 vanilla beans until the sugar has dissolved, amount 2 minutes. If you do not have vanilla beans, you can add 4 tsp of extract after the sugar has dissolved.
Whisk in the cream mixture to the milk mixture slowly. If you see lumps, make sure to strain this through a fine mesh sieved. Ladle the mixture to ramekins. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture has stiffen (about 6 hours).
I did not have enough ramekins for the amount of mixture so I used some of my white stemless wine glasses, which actually looked really nice.
I made my own quick strawberry sauce (heated 2 pints of strawberries, half cup of sugar, quarter cup of water, until the strawberries have broken down- adjust sugar and water if necessary) and spooned some on top.
I still have not figured out my light box and it's driving me insane! Photo above is with no flash and looks too yellow. Photo below is with a flash, white but horrible!
Panna cotta is super easy to make since baking is not even necessary. I tweaked a recipe for vanilla panna cotta that I had found on epicurious.
The recipe ask that you mix 4 tsp of unflavored gelatin into 2 cups of cream until it gets soft, but I was afraid the finished product would be too stiff so only used 3 tsp.
While the gelatin softens, heat 2 cups of whole milk, 1/2 cup of sugar, and the beans from 2 vanilla beans until the sugar has dissolved, amount 2 minutes. If you do not have vanilla beans, you can add 4 tsp of extract after the sugar has dissolved.
Whisk in the cream mixture to the milk mixture slowly. If you see lumps, make sure to strain this through a fine mesh sieved. Ladle the mixture to ramekins. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture has stiffen (about 6 hours).
I did not have enough ramekins for the amount of mixture so I used some of my white stemless wine glasses, which actually looked really nice.
I made my own quick strawberry sauce (heated 2 pints of strawberries, half cup of sugar, quarter cup of water, until the strawberries have broken down- adjust sugar and water if necessary) and spooned some on top.
I still have not figured out my light box and it's driving me insane! Photo above is with no flash and looks too yellow. Photo below is with a flash, white but horrible!
Pon Pon Patapon and Kingman
We went to Kingman, Arizona to visit T's family during his Spring Break from school in the middle of March. The day we left for Kingman was also T's birthday. He said he wanted a funfetti cake. I haven't made a box cake in ages and I thought it was funny that I was going to make one for the love of my life. I even said I could make him something fancier, maybe a chiffon cake or something more challenging, but he said nope, only funfetti- so funfetti it was.
Before we left, he had bought himself a PSP and was obsessed with this game called Patapon. I decided to theme his cake with the characters from Patapon (they are really cute afterall). I printed out pictures of the characters onto cardstock and staked them to wooden skewers. I used food coloring to make the frosting purple. I wanted to make a two tiered cake, and since his mom did not have wooden dowels, drinking straws worked just as well.
For not having a box cake in awhile or funfetti for that matter, I actually really liked it.
Also, Soba saw snow for the first time. She was so cute bouncing all around!
Before we left, he had bought himself a PSP and was obsessed with this game called Patapon. I decided to theme his cake with the characters from Patapon (they are really cute afterall). I printed out pictures of the characters onto cardstock and staked them to wooden skewers. I used food coloring to make the frosting purple. I wanted to make a two tiered cake, and since his mom did not have wooden dowels, drinking straws worked just as well.
For not having a box cake in awhile or funfetti for that matter, I actually really liked it.
Also, Soba saw snow for the first time. She was so cute bouncing all around!
Back from Hiatus
Wow, can't believe I only wrote one blog in April. Life and work just got so busy. But, I'm back. A bunch of food things to come.
Look how big Soba got!
Look how big Soba got!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Be My Only
I've been really bad about blogging. Lots to update on, but I haven't had a time to compile it all and publish it on here. Will do soon, I hope!
For now, here is my new favorite song by FM Radio, a collaboration project between Schulyer Fisk, whom I loved since seeing her live, and Tim Myers. It's titled "Be My Only" and should be on Schuyler's next album in the fall. I heard it on the episode of Ugly Betty when Hilda married Bobby (side note--I'm really that show ended! I loved it!).
For now, here is my new favorite song by FM Radio, a collaboration project between Schulyer Fisk, whom I loved since seeing her live, and Tim Myers. It's titled "Be My Only" and should be on Schuyler's next album in the fall. I heard it on the episode of Ugly Betty when Hilda married Bobby (side note--I'm really that show ended! I loved it!).
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Momofuku Pork Belly Buns
After making the Pork Steam Buns awhile ago, S suggested that I test out the famous Momofuku's Pork Belly Buns by David Chang. She sent me the recipe here. It was simple enough and did not require that many ingredients, but there were a lot of steps.
My initial thought had been to make the brine for the pork belly on Monday night and have it sit until Tuesday after work, where I would roast the belly and make the dough. However, after making the brine and then reading through the entire recipe, I realized if I started at 5:30pm (usual time I get home after work), we would not actually eat until midnight. Thus, I had to push the work off to T, who graciously accepted and they turned out great!
I have never actually had Momofuku's before, but my sister had. I asked her if they were the same and she said no. She said Chang's were very greasy and fatty and the ones we made were not. She didn't actually say which ones were better, but she did say these were very good. Success!
They were absolutely delicious. The fattiness of the pork, lightness of the buns---heaven. I stopped my inner fat kid though and only had two buns while T had six! If it didn't take hours to make or was not so fattening, I would want to eat them all the time! I saw that the cost at Chang's restaurant was $9 for two buns. I think this cost us about $10 for over a dozen buns and we still had pork belly leftover.
My initial thought had been to make the brine for the pork belly on Monday night and have it sit until Tuesday after work, where I would roast the belly and make the dough. However, after making the brine and then reading through the entire recipe, I realized if I started at 5:30pm (usual time I get home after work), we would not actually eat until midnight. Thus, I had to push the work off to T, who graciously accepted and they turned out great!
I have never actually had Momofuku's before, but my sister had. I asked her if they were the same and she said no. She said Chang's were very greasy and fatty and the ones we made were not. She didn't actually say which ones were better, but she did say these were very good. Success!
They were absolutely delicious. The fattiness of the pork, lightness of the buns---heaven. I stopped my inner fat kid though and only had two buns while T had six! If it didn't take hours to make or was not so fattening, I would want to eat them all the time! I saw that the cost at Chang's restaurant was $9 for two buns. I think this cost us about $10 for over a dozen buns and we still had pork belly leftover.
Note: I used my light box and my sister's digital SLR camera to take these photos. I still cannot get the lighting the way I want it (why is it so yellow/orange?), but I think they turned out better than my usual iPhone photos. The second photo was without the lights and just the camera's flash.
New Glasses, Finally
After an unfortunate accident last May where my glasses broke in half in my purse, I finally got a new pair (10 months later).
They look weird though, huh? N said it looked like a butterfly and I thought it had its own nose. T said the lady at Costco had to bend the sides that way because the distance from my nose to my ear was very short. Hmph.
They look weird though, huh? N said it looked like a butterfly and I thought it had its own nose. T said the lady at Costco had to bend the sides that way because the distance from my nose to my ear was very short. Hmph.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
School Lunches, Fruits and Vegs
I've been reading the Fed Up: School Lunch Project pretty regularly since I saw it in SE two months ago. It's a blog created by an anonymous teacher who has decided to eat a school lunch every day in 2010. It's pretty interesting and gross to see what her school offers. I remember my school lunches in elementary and middle school being more appealing and healthier. It was definitely not that prepackaged either.
She posted a link from Health Child, Healthy World that listed the 10 fruit and vegetables you should buy organic based on studies from the Consumer Union and the Environmental Working Group. I like to go to Farmer's Markets but I am not an avid organic buyer at all. Mostly because it's more expensive and I really am not that concerned healthwise. BUT after reading this, I am definitely only buying organic for these items.
Here is their list (click link above to see why):
Peaches
Apples
Nectarines
Strawberries
Pears
Sweet Bell Peppers
Celery
Imported Grapes
Spinach
Potatoes
Potatoes
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Biology Raps
I saw this posted on facebook awhile ago and it's so funny.
I went to their YouTube site and they have two other videos, one on DNA and another on TAQ (some other DNA bio thing from what I watched). But the one posted above was the best.
Kind of made me wish I was a science person so I would actually understand what they were saying. Or wished my business professors had been this creative...
I went to their YouTube site and they have two other videos, one on DNA and another on TAQ (some other DNA bio thing from what I watched). But the one posted above was the best.
Kind of made me wish I was a science person so I would actually understand what they were saying. Or wished my business professors had been this creative...
What A Pretty Girl
My sister bobby pinned some pink bows to Soba's head the other week and it was so adorable. However, the bobby pins do not stay on very well because Soba has very short hair and it's very soft and silky.
.
We went to the mall last weekend and picked up cute little flower clips at Claire's. I was a total tomboy when I was younger, but I loved that store. We had to get two packs because each one came with two different colors (makes no sense at all). They make Soba so pretty.
She does not really like to wear them though and always shakes them off. Guess she doesn't understand the price of beauty.
.But you can get them to stay on if you clip them while she is eating.
She now weighs in at hefty 36 lbs (31.1 lbs more than when we adopted her).
Monday, February 15, 2010
My Very Own Croquembouche
I went home this past weekend to run the Great Urban Race with N in downtown Phoenix and to celebrate Chinese Lunar New Years with my family. When I got home Sunday afternoon, I found this on the counter:
T had made me my very own croquembouche! A croquembouche is a french dessert piece that is a cone of cream puffs and then decorated with spun sugar, nuts, caramel, chocolate, and whatever else.
T's version was a complete tower (no holding structure in the middle- that's skill) of cream puffs filled with strawberry whipped cream, sugar cookies, and spun sugar. I was most impressed with the spun sugar because it not only looks really cool, it tastes really good. It was a nice treat and a surprise because T rarely ever makes desserts and when he bakes, its usually bread. But his cream puffs are delicious and of course, I could eat spun sugar all day long.
I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday weekend. It was a big one. Happy late Valentine's Day, Chinese Lunar New Year, and Arizona's Birthday!
Light Box
I finally made my light box! I have been talking about making one forever so I finally got around to it a few weekends ago. I googled "how to make my own light box" and followed the DIY instructions from the site Digital Photography School. You can find the directions by clicking here.
I went to Joann's Fabric and picked up four yards of the cheapest white fabric I could find and a .59 poster board from Walgreens. I took a large UHaul box I had laying around in the garage and carefully drew out even rectangles on four sides. The most tedious task was cutting out the holes, but other than that, I think it only took about an hour to get the whole thing put together.
The poster board was actually shorter than the size of my box, but I figured I only needed the bottom half to be covered, it should not matter too much.
I Want One: Decorating Pen
I am horrible with piping so that's really why I rarely ever make cakes. But I saw this Cuisipro Decorating Pen on Serious Eats last week and I want one! Reading the SE review, it doesn't seem nearly as useful and cool, since the two tips only fits certain viscosity so it's more for saucing rather than frosting. I still want it. It's only $9.99 on Amazon.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Puppies
My sister took these photos on her new SLR camera about a month ago. Soba has now grown to double Obie's size, weighing in around 25 pounds. She is really sweet and adorable. I'm glad we saved her life.
Lemon Thyme Sea Salt Shortbread
I heard this recipe on NPR a few months ago and thought it sounded delicious. I love lemon flavored things and thyme is my favorite herb. I thought the sea salt would make an interesting addition to the savory biscuit.
I had really high hopes for this being really delicious, but unfortunately, I did not like them. They were very dry and I didn't think the lemon or thyme flavor really stood out. But maybe I just could not get over the very dryness of a usually very buttery shortbread.
It was weird that I blended the butter into the flour at room temperature. Typically, when making a dough, the butter should be ice cold. I might try these again sometime with some tweaks to the instructions. I made these the same night as the gorgonzola and leek creme brulee so I may have been distracted working on two separate thing. The best part about them was the nice salty finish on top.
Recipe from Savory Baking by Mary Cech. Click here.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Gorgonzola and Leek Creme Brulee
While looking for ideas for creme brulee flavors for my family last week, I stumbled upon a Gorgonzola and Leek Creme Brulee recipe on Epicurious.com. We were walking around the store earlier and T suggested I give it a try.
I have never made a savory creme brulee before and was excited to try this one out. I use to always say, "If I could only eat two things for the rest of my life, it would be donuts and cheese (except feta and goat)." I really like gorgonzola, but I was a little nervous that it was going to be too strong for the delicate custard, but it was not at all! The usually strong cheese really mellows out with the cream in the custard. The leek adds good flavor and texture. I've only had one bite so far because the custard has not set completely, but it was a tasty bite.
This is it before I added the parmesan crust. My roommates thought it was a quiche, which I guess it sort of is.
This is after the parmesan crust, which I browned by using my torch. I really do love that thing. Any excuse to use it is a good thing. T said it was one of the best things I've ever made. This is a keeper.
For recipe, click here.
I have never made a savory creme brulee before and was excited to try this one out. I use to always say, "If I could only eat two things for the rest of my life, it would be donuts and cheese (except feta and goat)." I really like gorgonzola, but I was a little nervous that it was going to be too strong for the delicate custard, but it was not at all! The usually strong cheese really mellows out with the cream in the custard. The leek adds good flavor and texture. I've only had one bite so far because the custard has not set completely, but it was a tasty bite.
This is it before I added the parmesan crust. My roommates thought it was a quiche, which I guess it sort of is.
This is after the parmesan crust, which I browned by using my torch. I really do love that thing. Any excuse to use it is a good thing. T said it was one of the best things I've ever made. This is a keeper.
For recipe, click here.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
T's mom got me Martha Stewart's Cupcakes: 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone's Favorite Treat for Christmas, and I had been itching to test out some of the recipes.
I had made the zucchini spiced muffins and one other recipe from the book since I was able to find the recipe from other websites, but ever since I got the book, I have not been able to decide on what to try first.
Last week, I suddenly had an urge to make Red Velvet Cupcakes. I probably have not made them in over a year and I could not actually remember where I found my old recipe, so I thought I would give Martha a try.
Sadly, they did not turn out. The batter was very thin and I opened my oven door to early to check them and they fell immediately. I do not like how she mixed the baking soda with the vinegar in the end. I do not know what really happened, but I think that was the downfall (literally). These went right into the trash.
The next day, I tried again, but this time I used Magnolia's recipe since I like their vanilla cupcake recipe so much. This batter was thicker, however, they also do the baking soda mixed with vinegar and it confirmed my belief that I am no good at that method. These cupcakes turned out better since I watched them rise from my oven window and was careful not to open too early. But they still were not very domed.
I made a mixture of mini and regular sized cupcakes. Everyone knows the best red velvet is topped with cream cheese frosting so I skipped Magnolia's vanilla and piped on Martha's cream cheese frosting. I took them to work and a sorority rush event and everyone said they were good, so I guess that's okay. For Magnolia's recipe, go here.
I think I will just have to go back and search my archive for what red velvet recipe I used in the past. I will probably try it again in a few months. I'm a little red velvet out after one complete fail and one minor fail.
I had made the zucchini spiced muffins and one other recipe from the book since I was able to find the recipe from other websites, but ever since I got the book, I have not been able to decide on what to try first.
Last week, I suddenly had an urge to make Red Velvet Cupcakes. I probably have not made them in over a year and I could not actually remember where I found my old recipe, so I thought I would give Martha a try.
Sadly, they did not turn out. The batter was very thin and I opened my oven door to early to check them and they fell immediately. I do not like how she mixed the baking soda with the vinegar in the end. I do not know what really happened, but I think that was the downfall (literally). These went right into the trash.
The next day, I tried again, but this time I used Magnolia's recipe since I like their vanilla cupcake recipe so much. This batter was thicker, however, they also do the baking soda mixed with vinegar and it confirmed my belief that I am no good at that method. These cupcakes turned out better since I watched them rise from my oven window and was careful not to open too early. But they still were not very domed.
I made a mixture of mini and regular sized cupcakes. Everyone knows the best red velvet is topped with cream cheese frosting so I skipped Magnolia's vanilla and piped on Martha's cream cheese frosting. I took them to work and a sorority rush event and everyone said they were good, so I guess that's okay. For Magnolia's recipe, go here.
I think I will just have to go back and search my archive for what red velvet recipe I used in the past. I will probably try it again in a few months. I'm a little red velvet out after one complete fail and one minor fail.
Espresso Creme Brulee
I love creme brulee. I love how easy it is to make, it's sorta fancy, and everyone loves it. Last day after Thanksgiving, I ate dinner at N's house and her brother made espresso creme brulee, which was DELICIOUS. I asked him for the recipe shortly after via facebook, but I never got around to making it until last week.
I was mostly inspired to make it because I went to Ross to get another dog food bowl (since Soba is growing so fast and couldn't share with Obs). What I also found were six mini 2 oz. ramekin dishes! I love all things mini and these were such a great deal (six for $2.99) that I decided the next day I had to make creme brulee.
I also lost my home torch awhile back so I bought a new one. This was $25.95 and I love it. It is so much better than my old torch since it has so much more power. Oh, that brocolli on the board is from our garden.
Of course six mini ramekin dishes only holds 12 oz of the mixture so I made some in my normal ramekins and since it was espresso flavored, I decided to make some in our espresso cups as well.
Like I said, so simple. You only need a few ingredients and you just need to watch your custard so it doesn't overcook. If I do say so myself, these were perfectly done. I took some home to Phoenix and my family immediately asked me to make more next weekend. Therefore, this past weekend I brought them vanilla creme brulee, almond creme brulee, and of course, more espresso creme brulee.
Stay tuned: Tonight I made gorgonzola and leek creme brulee. They are currently cooling on the counter.
Espresso Creme Brulee (no source as N's brother facebooked me the recipe):
Ingredients
4 cups heavy cream , chilled
2/3 cup granulated sugar
pinch table salt
1/4 cup espresso beans placed in zipper-lock bag and crushed lightly
with rolling pin or meat pounder until coarsely cracked
12 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 - 12 teaspoons turbinado sugar or Demerara sugar
Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Combine 2 cups cream, sugar, and salt in medium saucepan; add espresso beans to pan, submerged in cream, and bring mixture to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to ensure that sugar dissolves. Take pan off heat and let steep 15 minutes to infuse
flavors.
3. Meanwhile, place kitchen towel in bottom of large baking dish or roasting pan and arrange eight 4- to 5-ounce ramekins (or shallow fluted dishes) on towel. Bring kettle or large saucepan of water to boil over high heat.
4. After cream has steeped, stir in remaining 2 cups cream to cool down mixture. Whisk yolks and vanilla extract in large bowl until broken up and combined. Whisk about 1 cup cream mixture into yolks until loosened and combined; repeat with another 1 cup cream. Add remaining cream and whisk until evenly colored and thoroughly combined. Strain through fine-mesh strainer into 2-quart measuring cup or pitcher (or clean medium bowl); discard solids in strainer. Pour or ladle mixture into ramekins, dividing it evenly among them.
5. Carefully place baking dish with ramekins on oven rack; pour boiling water into dish, taking care not to splash water into ramekins, until water reaches two-thirds height of ramekins. Bake
until centers of custards are just barely set and are no longer sloshy and digital instant-read thermometer inserted in centers registers 170 to 175 degrees, 30 to 35 minutes (25 to 30 minutes for shallow fluted dishes). Begin checking temperature about 5 minutes before recommended
time.
6. Transfer ramekins to wire rack; cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Set ramekins on rimmed baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 4 days.
*He told me instead of doing the crushed espresso bean, he put in two tsp of Colombia Starbucks Via Instant, which is what I did. I made it before not using Via and the espresso taste is not as rich so I suggest that as well.
I was mostly inspired to make it because I went to Ross to get another dog food bowl (since Soba is growing so fast and couldn't share with Obs). What I also found were six mini 2 oz. ramekin dishes! I love all things mini and these were such a great deal (six for $2.99) that I decided the next day I had to make creme brulee.
I also lost my home torch awhile back so I bought a new one. This was $25.95 and I love it. It is so much better than my old torch since it has so much more power. Oh, that brocolli on the board is from our garden.
Of course six mini ramekin dishes only holds 12 oz of the mixture so I made some in my normal ramekins and since it was espresso flavored, I decided to make some in our espresso cups as well.
Like I said, so simple. You only need a few ingredients and you just need to watch your custard so it doesn't overcook. If I do say so myself, these were perfectly done. I took some home to Phoenix and my family immediately asked me to make more next weekend. Therefore, this past weekend I brought them vanilla creme brulee, almond creme brulee, and of course, more espresso creme brulee.
Stay tuned: Tonight I made gorgonzola and leek creme brulee. They are currently cooling on the counter.
Espresso Creme Brulee (no source as N's brother facebooked me the recipe):
Ingredients
4 cups heavy cream , chilled
2/3 cup granulated sugar
pinch table salt
1/4 cup espresso beans placed in zipper-lock bag and crushed lightly
with rolling pin or meat pounder until coarsely cracked
12 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 - 12 teaspoons turbinado sugar or Demerara sugar
Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Combine 2 cups cream, sugar, and salt in medium saucepan; add espresso beans to pan, submerged in cream, and bring mixture to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to ensure that sugar dissolves. Take pan off heat and let steep 15 minutes to infuse
flavors.
3. Meanwhile, place kitchen towel in bottom of large baking dish or roasting pan and arrange eight 4- to 5-ounce ramekins (or shallow fluted dishes) on towel. Bring kettle or large saucepan of water to boil over high heat.
4. After cream has steeped, stir in remaining 2 cups cream to cool down mixture. Whisk yolks and vanilla extract in large bowl until broken up and combined. Whisk about 1 cup cream mixture into yolks until loosened and combined; repeat with another 1 cup cream. Add remaining cream and whisk until evenly colored and thoroughly combined. Strain through fine-mesh strainer into 2-quart measuring cup or pitcher (or clean medium bowl); discard solids in strainer. Pour or ladle mixture into ramekins, dividing it evenly among them.
5. Carefully place baking dish with ramekins on oven rack; pour boiling water into dish, taking care not to splash water into ramekins, until water reaches two-thirds height of ramekins. Bake
until centers of custards are just barely set and are no longer sloshy and digital instant-read thermometer inserted in centers registers 170 to 175 degrees, 30 to 35 minutes (25 to 30 minutes for shallow fluted dishes). Begin checking temperature about 5 minutes before recommended
time.
6. Transfer ramekins to wire rack; cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Set ramekins on rimmed baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 4 days.
*He told me instead of doing the crushed espresso bean, he put in two tsp of Colombia Starbucks Via Instant, which is what I did. I made it before not using Via and the espresso taste is not as rich so I suggest that as well.
Pork Steamed Buns
T found this video about two weeks ago on YouTube posted by cookingwithdog. It's "How to Make Nikuman (Chinese-Style Steamed Pork Buns)."
I was visiting my grandma the same weekend he showed me the video so I asked her for some good dried mushroom and dried shrimp and I have since made three batches and he, two. I followed the video recipe exactly (except I added an extra dash or two of soy sauce and oyster sauce).
This is a photo of the first batch T made. He made the dough and the meat filling and I had to pleat, which I am terrible at doing, as you can tell:
The next day, I decided to try to make my own. I kept replaying parts of the video because I am not very good at dough making. I was paranoid that I was going to miss a step or mess it up somewhere along the way. But it wasn't too bad. I got better at the pleating!
It's actually very easy, but a little time consuming because of the prep of all the ingredients and waiting for the dough to rise. The dough is soft, fluffy and flavorful due to the dashi and sesame oil. The meat filling is filled with yummy goodness. We used cabbage from our garden which made it even better. We have about 5 plants of cabbage this big.
All in all, the buns are tasty and we will probably continue making these from time to time.
I was visiting my grandma the same weekend he showed me the video so I asked her for some good dried mushroom and dried shrimp and I have since made three batches and he, two. I followed the video recipe exactly (except I added an extra dash or two of soy sauce and oyster sauce).
This is a photo of the first batch T made. He made the dough and the meat filling and I had to pleat, which I am terrible at doing, as you can tell:
The next day, I decided to try to make my own. I kept replaying parts of the video because I am not very good at dough making. I was paranoid that I was going to miss a step or mess it up somewhere along the way. But it wasn't too bad. I got better at the pleating!
It's actually very easy, but a little time consuming because of the prep of all the ingredients and waiting for the dough to rise. The dough is soft, fluffy and flavorful due to the dashi and sesame oil. The meat filling is filled with yummy goodness. We used cabbage from our garden which made it even better. We have about 5 plants of cabbage this big.
All in all, the buns are tasty and we will probably continue making these from time to time.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Prayers for Haiti
I sit and think about how sad I am I lost my grandfather last month almost every hour of the day. But in recent days, another sadness has filled my heart. It's all over the news and the internet. The aftermath of the catastrophic 7.0 earthquake in Haiti is hard to even imagine. The footage and photos of the damage and all the bodies are shocking and hard to watch.
I am not much of a praying person, but I pray for all those displaced and injured people. I pray for all those who have lost their lives. I pray for the families of all those who have passed away from Tuesday's massive earthquake. And I pray for all those who are there now, helping with the rescue effort.
US News posted to their site today 10 Ways You Can Donate to Haiti. Click here to do your part.
[image via NYTimes]
Still aches...
爷爷,
It's been just a few days over a month since you've been gone. Life doesn't get easier. I still think about and miss you everyday. Still seems so unreal. You were an amazing man and still a legend. I am so proud to be your granddaughter. Wherever you may be, I hope it's wonderful. 一路好走.
B
It's been just a few days over a month since you've been gone. Life doesn't get easier. I still think about and miss you everyday. Still seems so unreal. You were an amazing man and still a legend. I am so proud to be your granddaughter. Wherever you may be, I hope it's wonderful. 一路好走.
B
Friday, January 8, 2010
Speaking of Top Chef
Watch this video from Funny of Die titled, "Top Chef: Hungry Ladies."
Top Chef: Hungry Ladies - watch more funny videos
Voltaggio Brothers
How have I not talked about the Voltaggio Brothers yet?! Ever since the the first episode of Top Chef Season Six, I have been celebrity crushing on the good looking chef brothers so this post comes a little late.
I've never had celebrity crushes before. I mean sure, I think Brad Pitt and Jude Law are quite hot, but I definitely do not swoon over them. But give me Michael and Bryan Voltaggio and I will go weak at the knees.
I love a man who can cook really well and to have two of them and such easy on eyes, that's like jackpot. That's a blessed family. My heart rate went up a little just from gathering their pictures from their website to put on here. I think Bryan is better looking but Michael is a bit more creative and talented. Ahhh, they both light my fire.
Bryan Voltaggio: 32, Chef and Partner of VOLT (Frederick, Maryland).
Michael Voltaggio: 30, Chef de Cuisine, Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa (Pasadena, CA) and Top Chef Season 6 Winner.
I've never had celebrity crushes before. I mean sure, I think Brad Pitt and Jude Law are quite hot, but I definitely do not swoon over them. But give me Michael and Bryan Voltaggio and I will go weak at the knees.
I love a man who can cook really well and to have two of them and such easy on eyes, that's like jackpot. That's a blessed family. My heart rate went up a little just from gathering their pictures from their website to put on here. I think Bryan is better looking but Michael is a bit more creative and talented. Ahhh, they both light my fire.
Bryan Voltaggio: 32, Chef and Partner of VOLT (Frederick, Maryland).
Michael Voltaggio: 30, Chef de Cuisine, Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa (Pasadena, CA) and Top Chef Season 6 Winner.
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