Jenny

from bakerella.com by bakerella

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I was in LA for some fun Emmy events?

Well, I had a little free time and at the last minute I tweeted my friend Jenny of Picky Palate. We met about a year ago at a blogging event and hit it off right away. I remembered she lives in California, so I took a chance and crossed my fingers that she could rearrange her day and spend it in LA with me. Luckily for me, she could.

Before I show you all the yummy stuff we ate, I want to take a minute to reflect.

You see, before I ever started blogging, I remember hearing about people that blogged. I thought why in the world would anyone do that. Why would anyone waste their time sitting in front of their computer … blogging. Especially, when they could be out doing something. Something more fun. That’s stupid. I would never waste my time.

Nope. Not me. Not gonna blog. And definitely not going to blog for almost three years.

But I have to tell you now, as a blogger, attached to my computer, I’ve done more things and met more people than I ever would have otherwise.

People like Jenny and the Pioneer Woman and Tartelette and Steamy Kitchen that I’ve been so happy to spend time with. And people that I may have met briefly but still made a big impact on me … and of course all you that I feel connected with everyday … so many adventures that have truly made the last few years some of the best ones of my life. If I had never decided to post that first photo… on my blog, none of this would have happened. None of it.

Never say never I guess. You don’t know what you’ll be missing out on.

Anyway… enough gushy stuff… back to Jenny.

Jenny drove in to LA Friday afternoon for lunch and we spent time visiting a few places before I went to the Emmy Performers Nominee Reception for Duncan Hines.

First stop… Joan’s on Third. Neither of us had ever been there before, but now we both can’t wait to go back. It’s my new favorite place.

We had cute little bullet sandwiches with prosciutto and apricot glaze. Oh so simple, but oh so fantastic.

Then we had a little dessert.

Just a little.

There were two of us. Come on. It’s not that much.

Snickerdoodle cake, Cloud cupcake, macarons and more.

FYI… I guess you can see why I wanted to make Hi Hats. Looking at these photos, though… I want mine this high next time.

And … like bloggers, do. The photos come first …

… and during. I’m pretty sure people around us thought we were weirdos.

But that’s okay. We were having a blast.

Macarons. Wow. These were much better than my first solo attempt. I’ll have to try them again.

P.S. Jenny – You’re so perty!

After all those sweets, we needed a little milk.

Lucky us……

Milk was just down the street.

This was a cute little shop full of ice cream, cookies, ice cream sandwiches, cake and cupcakes, too.

Help.

We went for an assortment of frozen treats.

Our own little ice cream party.

Butterscotch, blueberry, oreo, black and white. All delicious.

When we finished, we decided it was time for dessert. ; )

So off to Scoops for some gelato.

I had caramel brown bread gelato and Jim beam ricotta gelato. I was too consumed to remember what Jenny had, but it was a great way to top off the day.

After we satisfied our sweet tooth, we headed back to the hotel.

Jenny flipped through a copy of the book while I started to get ready for the Emmy party. By the way, the room Duncan Hines put me up in was super swanky. It was covered in mirrors and sliding doors. Here’s a few pics if you’re interested.

The next day, was all free. So I rented a car and met Jenny in her neck of the woods.

And as luck would have it, there was a huge Food Truck Festival going on that Saturday.

Way cool. Fifty plus food trucks all in one location.

Our first truck stop was World Fare.

Hi Jenny!

See these. They’re called Bunny Chows – bread filled with braised short rib, chicken curry, barbeque or vegetarian chili. And they were amazing. And cute to boot.

Also a winner was the blueberry lemonade. Refreshing. Track down this truck and try it.

But the absolute best thing we ate all day was this. It doesn’t look like a lot, but let me tell you… spectacular.

It’s a butterscotch bread pudding and I would get it again in a heartbeat.

Here’s a slideshow of some of the other food trucks at the event.

Jenny – I had the most fun with you in LA. I can’t wait to do it again sometime.

P.S. – Have a favorite food truck worth tracking down? Do tell.

P.S.S. – So glad I started blogging.

Ginger and Clam Soup (姜丝蛤蜊汤)

Ginger and Clam Soup (姜丝蛤蜊汤) pictures (1 of 3)

Back I love soups of all sorts, especially Chinese soups. To the Chinese, soups are highly nourishing as each ingredient in the soup delivers a certain health (and beauty) benefit and promotes overall strengths to the body. Drinking soup is a huge part of the Chinese food culture, soup is often considered as “tonic” (補品). There are endless variations of soups in Chinese cuisine as so many ingredients could be used—Chinese herbal (medicinal), meat-based (chicken, pork, beef, duck, bones, etc.), vegetables (fresh and dried), dried seafood (dried scallops, abalone, oysters, etc.), fresh seafood, the exotics (bird’s nest, shark’s fin, etc.), and the combination of all the ingredients above. The possibilities are endless, and most importantly, delicious, wholesome, healthy, and certainly much more than the regular egg drop soup and hot and sour soup…

One of the easiest soups that I always make at home is ginger and clam soup, or 姜丝蛤蜊汤. This soup is especially popular for the Taiwanese, and served at Taiwanese restaurants. It takes only a few ingredients and practically 15 minutes to prepare, but the end result is absolutely pleasing. According to my Chinese soups cookbook, ginger and clam soup is great for the liver and stimulates a healthy appetite.

Ginger and Clam Soup Recipe (姜丝蛤蜊汤) Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchstick strips
1 lb Manila clams, rinsed and scrubbed
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (not Shaoxing wine)
Salt to taste
Dash of white pepper Method: Bring the water to boil and add the ginger and clams. Cover the pot and let cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until all clams are open. Add the Chinese rice wine, salt to taste, and pepper. Dish out and serve immediately. Cook’s Note: For this recipe, please use the regular Chinese rice wine which is transparent in color, and not the amber-colored Shaoxing rice wine.

Mushroom Picking with My Dad, a Risotto and a Story for Finn Air

from Cannelle et Vanille by noreply@blogger.com (Cannelle Et Vanille)

It was the morning before we were leaving for our vacation, when I received an email from Finn Air asking if I would like to become a contributing food writer, stylist and photographer for them. I was so honored and how could I not. I accepted without even knowing what I would write about, but I was sure I would find the perfect subject since we were going back home for a three week vacation.

I knew a million of food stories and images would await me there.



When we landed in Bilbao, my parents picked us up at the airport. We hauled our bags from the terminal to where my dad had parked his car. We were tired, yet excited to be home. We couldn't stop talking about all the things we wanted to do. Then, my dad opened the trunk of his car and suddenly, it hit me, "I must write about mushroom picking!".

There they were, my dad's old wellies and his wicker basket. The mushroom picking basket.



Mycology and foraging, in general, are a very important part of our food culture. It is something that my grandfather used to love to do and I remember everyone sitting around the dining room table talking about where the best spots were.

Although I have to admit I know very little about mushroom picking, I have always been fascinated by it. Spending time in the wilderness looking carefully and patiently for them, separating the good from the poisonous and enjoying the outdoors. Something so zen about it, no?



The weather had been perfect for new wild mushrooms to grow. It had rained when we first arrived, then temperatures soared. Rain, heat and humidity are essential. Some foliage must also be happening, that is why late summer is always a good time to go.

Early one morning, my dad, my sister in law, the kids and I drove to the nature preserve of Urkiola. It was a beautiful, cool morning. We hiked and let the kids play.

My dad started wandering and I followed silently. there is a lot of silence during these hikes. I found it fascinated how he knew where to look. Almost like a sixth sense about it. Must be years of experience. We also spoke to another hiker who had been there since dawn and had found some gorgeous varieties. That's also another part of all this that I love, the camaraderie and bond that food brings to people.



I asked a million questions and my dad answered them patiently. It was wonderful to spend that time with him. I learned about the different kinds of russulas; gibelurdinak (russula virescens) and urretxak (russula grisea). So coveted.

We cooked a delicious russula and clam risotto with lots of fresh parsley, garlic and a touch of Idiazabal cheese. My brother even came to lunch and we all devoured the entire pot.



You can see more photos and read more about the mushrooms we picked on their website. Hope you like it!

Wild Mushroom and Clam Risotto

1 cup wild mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
1 cup arborio rice
3 cups chicken stock (might need a bit more)
salt
1/4 cup freshly grated Idiazabal or Parmeggiano cheese

1 lb clams, washed
1 clove garlic, minced
bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbs olive oil

In a small pot, bring 3 cups of chicken stock to a boil.

In a large shallow pot, heat 2 Tbs of olive oil. Add the chopped mushrooms and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt. Sautee them for a couple of minutes. Add about 1 Tbs of chopped parsley. Add the rice and stir it with the mushrooms for about a minute or so until the rice starts to stick to the bottom and is well coated with the olive and flavors.

Add a little bit of the hot chicken stock and stir. When all the liquid has been absorbed, add some more stock and keep stirring. Continue like this until rice is cooked al dente and the risotto is creamy. It should take about 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, wash the clams. Make sure all clams are closed before cooking them. Discard any open one. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 Tbs of olive oil with the minced garlic. Add the clams and the parsley. Cover the pan and let the clams open up. Should only take about 1 minute.

At this point, the risotto should be cooked. Add the clams with all their juices to the risotto and stir thoroughly so all the juice from the clams is incorporated. Add some more freshly chopped parsley and grated cheese, if desired.

Mirabelle Plums & Almond Frangipane Tart

from Tartelette

I have not been here a week yet and my heart is already replenished and my eyes filled with beautiful memories. I keep catching myself throughout the day thinking "I can’t believe I am here". It’s good to go home and see all my cousins for a joyous occasion for once. I’ve been enjoying my mom’s wonderful cooking, let my nose take me to the cheese box and renewed my love affair with the most fragrant cantaloupes, Saturn peaches, and tiny mirabelles. I’m in complete bliss.

On Saturday my grandfather gathered the family for a celebration of his 100th birthday. As he said, never in his life did he imagine that the family that he and my grandmother started at 2 would grow to an intimate (!) group of 50 - children, grandchildren, great grandchildren (and their spouses). That’s us. We as a whole function as a giant tribe composed of many smaller clans. It’s joyous. It’s loud. It’s everywhere and all at once. It’s tensed and climatic. It’s pretty darn awesome when I get to be there (and so grateful my uncle took this photo!).

When you think that there are exactly 100 years between my grandfather and his last great granddaughter, well you are slightly inclined to smell the roses and open up the bubbly! And celebrate we did! My cheeks hurt so much from laughing and smiling as I looked over my shoulders to see my cousins now all grown up and parents of their own.

As I said, my heart is full. Even fuller now that I got to spend quality time with my brother’s children for a few days. Because of their age difference we were able to take full advantage of both their rhythms and while Camille was napping, Lea and I spent time baking and chatting about life and other “very serious things” (her words!).

We did have a little baking spree last Thursday afternoon and kept the oven quite busy while filling my parents’ home with the most captivating scents of cardamom, mirabelles, honey, almonds,… A perfectly golden Tarte Aux Mirabelles was the reward of an afternoon of rolling, mixing and whipping.

Perfect sun gold tiny mirabelles from a neighbor’s garden with soft as silk pulp and just enough juice to keep you busy licking your fingers clean. Time to pit the mirabelles literally flew by as we talked and laughed. While I was taking care of the fruit, Lea rolled the remainder of a pate sable my mom had made a few days prior and I started on the almond filling. I noticed that my love for stone fruits and frangipane is a family thing. Lea was all about it too. Of course! She’s my niece…ehehe!

We are leaving the cool weather of Paris tomorrow for the sunny terrain of the Hautes Alpes and Provence and where I grew up and finally taking a little detour to go to Toulouse in the South West to be with my brother on his turf for a couple of days. It’s going to be a few packed days of driving and visiting!

I want to walk up and down my old street once more. I want to stare at the mountain Sainte Victoire again, sit under the tree where I used to watch the old guys play “la petanque”, drink a menthe a l’eau in the shade and bite into a pompe a l’huile one more time.

Can’t wait to show you more of the gorgeous scenery and foods of the South of France.

Tarte Frangipane Mirabelles - Almond and Mirabelles Tart

Serves 8-10

Note: you can substitute mirabelles with any stone fruit that you favor. If you are not baking gluten free, replace the rice, millet, sorghum flours and cornstarch with 1.5 cups of all purpose flour and omit the xanthan gum.


For the crust:
5 tablespoons (70gr) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 egg yolks
pinch salt
1/2 cup (80gr) superfine sweet white rice flour
1/2 cup (60gr) millet flour
1/4 cup (30gr) sorghum flour
1/4 cup (40gr) corn starch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup cold water (optional if the dough seems too dry)

For the filling:
1 stick (115 gr) butter, softened
1/3 cup (115gr) honey
1 cup (100 gr) ground almonds (blanched, slivered, whole, your call)
2 eggs
1/4 cup (60gr) heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon cardamom

1-2 cups pitted mirabelles plums (or your preferred stone fruit)

Prepare the crust:
In a mixer, whip the butter on medium speed until light and airy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time and beating well after each addition. Mix until incorporated. Add the salt, and all the different flours, and the xantham gum and mix briefly. Add some water, one tablespoon at a time if the dough feels too dry. Dump the whole mixture onto a lightly floured (use more rice flour) board and gather the dough into a smooth ball. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
Preheat oven to 350F and position a rack in the center.
When the dough is nice and cold, roll it out on a lightly floured board or in between two sheets of plastic to fit your prefered pie pan. If the dough tears while you roll or/and transfer into the pan, just patch it with your fingertips. Line the dough with a piece of parchment paper, fill with pie weights or dy beans and par bake for 10-15 minutes until almost completely baked. Remove the weights and parchment paper. At this point you can refrigerate the baked crust for up to 3 days before using.

Prepare the almond filling and mirabelles topping:
Place the butter, honey, ground almonds, and the eggs in a large bowl and whisk until smooth (can also be done in a food processor). Add the cream and cardamom but stir in it instead of whisking not to emulsify it or it will rise while baking.
Arrange the mirabelles halves at the bottom of the pie crust and pour the cream over them. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350F. Drizzle with a bit of extra honey if desired when still warm.

The Matterhorn Burger Challenge – Euro Deli Restaurant

from thenomadGourmand by rebeccasaw

The monstrous Matterhorn Burger at RM88++.

The burger measures 22.9cm X 15.2cm – (9″X6″) and consisted of 11 slices of Swiss cheese together with generous slices of tomatoes, gherkins, bacon, lettuce and a 1.5kg of pork patty topped with special burger sauce tucked in a homemade bun.

10 contenders took the challenge this morning at EuroDeli, Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, KL.

Watch the video & ask yourself – Can you do it?

Popout

The Matterhorn Burger Challenge:

Time: 45mins

Prize: Free burger (price of RM88++ waived), a mystery gift & cash reward of RM100.

Rules:

Participants must sign a liability waiver form prior to entering the contest.
A complimentary polaroid photo will be given to commemorate the occasion & one will be displayed on a table near the entrance of the restaurant.
To win, The Matterhorn burger must be finished within 45 minutes. No leftover of vegetables, cheese, patty, bread or any part of the burger should remain on the plate.
If a participant fails to finish within the stipulated time, the cost of the burger at RM88++ would be charged. Any leftover of the burger cannot be shared with other diners but allowed to takeaway.

So far, only 1 person (male) was able to triumph over the Matterhorn as of today. We saw his photo & he was actually a pretty skinny dude! But he is an ang -moh (foreigner) though.

So, who’s up for the challenge next?

For enquiries:

EURO DELI RESTAURANT 41, Jalan SS20/11, Damansara Kim, Petaling Jaya (Tel: 03-7726 7495). Business Hours: Daily, 10am-midnight.

EURO DELI RESTAURANT No.29 Jalan Yap Kwan Seng 50450 Kuala Lumpur Tel : 03-2162 6991. Business Hours: Daily, 10am-midnight.

I baked: All-in-one chocolate cake

For Baby C's birthday this year, we decided to bake her a baked sweat bread instead of buying a single from a shops. Baby C loves it when we bake cakes at home as well as a look of contentment upon her face is just priceless.

I found a recipe for a chocolate baked sweat bread upon BBC Good Food website; it looked elementary sufficient to have as well as a picture of a baked sweat bread looked positively tempting. This baked sweat bread is positively perfect as a birthday baked sweat bread for tiny parties. We really had a really gratified birthday lady in a house which day.


Custom-made for a special lady

All-in-one chocolate cakePreparation time: 45 minutesCooking time: 25 minutesServes 8
Ingredients175g self-raising flour, sifted3 tbsp cocoa powder175g unsalted butter, malleable at room temperature175g caster sugar1 tsp baking powder3 eggs1-2 tbsp milk300ml pot stand in thickk thickk thickk cream (I substituted with whipping cream)
For a ganache icing50g butter, cubed (I halved a strange volume as we felt we did not need so most icing)50g dim chocolate
1. Preheat oven to 160C. Line 2 x 18cm sandwich tins with baking paper. 2. Take 3 tbsp of flour from a full flour volume as well as put it back in a bag. The cocoa powder will have up a difference.

3. Place all baked sweat bread ingredients (except a stand in cream) in a vast play as well as kick them together with an electric drive until we have a tawny mixture. Add a little milk if a reduction is too stiff - it should tumble simply off a spoon.
4. Divide a reduction in between a two tins as well as level a surfaces of a baked sweat bread mixtures.
5. Bake upon a same shelf in a preheated oven for 20! -25 mins or until a consume springs back when pressed.

6. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, afterwards spin out onto a wire shelve to cool completely. Peel off a baking paper.7. To have a ganache icing, melt a butter as well as chocolate in a play set over simmering water. Stir well, as well as leave to cool so which we can widespread it onto a cake.
8. Whip a thickk thickk thickk cream as well as use it to sandwich a baked sweat bread together. Spread chocolate ganache over a top of a cake, letting a little run over a edge.9. Refridgerate a baked sweat bread for 1-2 hours to allow a chocolate ganache to toughen slightly. (Not in a strange recipe, though we preferred ours like this)
10. We also made a little chocolate thinly slice cupcakes using this recipe. We cut off a tops so which it's prosaic as well as decorated a cupcakes as we desired.

How a chocolate baked sweat bread should look




A birthday baked sweat bread baked with love




Rich as well as tasty chocolate cake

Five Ways To Bake Like A Grown-up

from Joy the Baker by joythebaker

I’m so bad at being an adult.

But… I’m super great at pretending to be a reasonable grown-up. I mean, seriously. I somehow pay my taxes and have car insurance… but I eat brownies for dinner and write a blog for a living. Most days I need adult supervision.

Grown-ups get in pickles. Sticky situations. I know. I’ve been in my fair share.. Luckily I know how to bake my way out. It’s a skill and a gift… and I’m sharing.

Note: perhaps the following examples are based on personal experiences. Perhaps.

Double Note: Hot Fudge Sundae Cupcakes are bomb.

What to bake for your parents when you stop by their house, unannounced, with a truckload of dirty laundry to wash in their machine: Oatmeal Chocolate Pecan Cookies.

You get away with such blatant laundry abuse because your mom used to do the same thing to her mother. Tell Mom it’s the circle of life if she tries to give you a hard time. Circle of Life…. there’s no fighting The Lion King.

What to bake for your brother when you forget his wife’s name: Dark Chocolate Brownies.

Actually… you should feel extra bad because his wife’s name is basically the same as your own mother’s name. How could you forget that!? Tacky.

What to bake after a night of drunk texting people you shouldn’t even be sober texting… and your mom: Brown Sugar Bacon Waffles.

I mean…. I’m just guessing here. It’s not like this has ever happened to me. Except that one time… and then maybe that other time too.

Ugh.

What to bake when you’re matched with your ex-boyfriends best friend on an Internet dating site.

Oh Lordy. You’re gonna need some Rice Pudding.

Pudding soothes the awkward.

To avoid writing out bills, I always find that whipping up some yeasted sweet bread fills up my time. You might consider it.

Pan Dulce. Time consuming and delicious.

But bills must be payed eventually. Adulthood is annoying like that.