Corrie Food

Dole Whips in Clovis!

2017-07-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

1177 N. Willow Ave., Suite 106
Clovis, CA 93611
(559) 900-79-50
Website

* They also have locations in Glendale and now Riverside (Tyler Mall)! I lived in the Riverside area for grad school so I can picture Leilani in that mall. *

I've been MIA for almost a full year now. Yikes. Time flies. Why haven't I been posting? I've been busy, lazy about posting, and mostly prefer sharing via Instagram (@corriefood) since it's so fast and easy. I also tend to share more in a blog post and I don't feel like sharing like I used to anymore.

Anyway, I was excited when I found out awhile ago that you can get a Dole Whip or Dole Whip float in the Fresno area! I had my first one (and second) at Disneyland and figured you could only get one there. Apparently the Dole Plantation in Hawaii and these branches have them too. I also learned some Disney parks serve Dole Whip with rum. Leilani's Dole Whip is SO GOOD! You can also get Hawaiian-style shave (not "shaved"!) ice, which is one of my favorite things to eat ever, but this post is about their Dole Whip options.

OPTIONS:
Cup/cone: $3.49
Chamoy & tajin: $3.99
Waffle cone: $4.49
Float (famous Dole Whip float!): $4.49 (Pineapple juice topped with pineapple soft serve)

I recently started LOVING tajin, so of course I chose the chamoy & tajin option. SO delicious. I could have had the pineapple soft serve swirled with mango soft serve, which is probably also delicious. The sweet Dole Whip combined with the salty, tangy, spiciness of the tajin is just perfect!

My friend got the pineapple and mango swirl:

My other friend got a plain Dole Whip:

Here's the inside of my Dole Whip w/ chamoy and tajin. Yep. It's hollow. :/ SO so good.

Dandelion Chocolate - San Francisco, CA

2016-08-20T07:56:00.001-07:00

Dandelion Chocolate
740 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 349-0942
Website
Drink menu and treats menu (These were kind of difficult to find on their website)

I lived in Berkeley for four years for undergrad, but I didn't go into the city (SF) all that often. During a break at a training in SF, I tried looking for foodie places I could try nearby. I had a few options in mind and spent a good deal of time looking at websites, checking store hours, reading Yelp reviews, and looking at pictures. I decided to try Dandelion, which I had actually never heard of until that day. Ohhh my goodness. If you love chocolate, you will love this place. You can even go on a tour and take classes! This is a small batch chocolate chocolatier with chocolate bars, drinking chocolate, hot chocolate, pastries, and special treats like toffee. They also had free samples!!

** Foodie note: It happens to be a couple doors down from Craftsman & Wolves! You know...where you can find a whole egg baked into your savory muffin! My friend, Grace, had just told me about this place.

Anyway, I got a few items for my family (parents and in-laws), including this beautiful dulce de leche bar ("Almond and hazelnut sable crust, dulce de leche layer, and chocolate caramel ganache"):

Delicious flavors. My only small critique is that the bottom was slightly harder than I would like. It was slightly difficult to cut and bite, but it wasn't teeth-breaking or anything.

Another shot of that dulce de leche bar

Just look at those options. I don't even know how I chose what I chose without buying two of everything. Recently someone from my newest favorite food show, Unique Sweets, said that she has ordered one of everything from a dessert menu before. Total desire and feeling validation.

I love drinking chocolate but have only had it twice now (once in New York at Marie Belle and now once at Dandelion), and it is just heaven. This one below (Marocchino: "European drinking chocolate topped with espresso and cocoa nib infused whipped cream") was exactly what I was hoping it would be: deep flavors, only slightly sweet toward the end, and topped with whipped cream...and then they made it even better with a free delicious cookie! I just wish it would be maybe five times bigger? Is that bad? I wonder how much I would have had if I had made it myself.

Here's the bottom of my drinking chocolate:

And here's their "nibbun" ("Our version of a morning bun with Camino Verde chocolate custard and nibs. Rolled in cinnamon and nib sugar") below. Sooo good in flavor, texture, and sweetness. It actually is not at sweet as it looks in my opinion. You also have to be a fan of nibs and be open to its slight bitterness. If you're expecting chocolate chips all over, that's not what this is. There's definitely chocolate flavor everywhere, but it's less sweet than, for example, a morning bun loaded with chocolate chips or a chocolate babka. So delicious.

I HAD to take a picture of the inside!! How beautiful is that?!

Kuppa Joy - Fresno & Clovis, CA

2016-07-29T11:13:00.001-07:00

Kuppa Joy (Website)

Original location in Clovis:

518 Clovis Avenue

Clovis, CA 93612

Newer location in Fresno:

1900 N Echo Avenue

Fresno, CA 93704

I highly recommend this place!

I've loved everything about this place: The atmosphere, the friendly employees, the interesting menu options, the homemade-looking pastries, the latte/coffee art, and the delicious coffee. Another awesome fact about this place is that its founder is a Clovis native named Zack Follett, who played pro football for the Detroit Lions. He decided to bring back the joy of a coffee shop he visited in London to the Clovis/Fresno area with the goal of connecting to his community. He has also spread the love and joy of God through this business, which I think is an amazing thing whether or not you are a Christian.

This cinnamon roll was sooo good warmed up, and it was just perfect with my coffee, which I'll describe below.

Sometimes I like to buy myself a pastry and a coffee (black if with a pastry) or just a coffee and enjoy them alone. I think it's perfectly fine to go to restaurants and cafes by yourself. One time at the UC Berkeley Crossroads dining commons I got breakfast or lunch by myself, and a peer saw me and made fun of me for being there alone. I believe he expressed his shock and then said, "That's sad." I was already slightly self-conscious about not having my usual floormates and friends from Units 1 and 2, but I didn't see anything wrong with being independent. Ever since that meal I decided it's not cool to make fun of people for eating alone. People do it all the time. If anything, it shows that you don't NEED others to be happy.


How can you resist?

"The Fire" pour over: I believe this is actually my first pour over. The idea is that the coffee is made individually for someone to drink. How you pour the water over the beans affects how the drink turns out. I guess it's like the idea of "small batch" chocolate and other delicious things. It's more personal and isn't made exactly the same for each person. Anyway, "The Fire" is a new menu option that's a Nicaragua/Brazil blend with a medium/dark roast profile. Kuppa Joy states that it has notes of "Campfire Smore // Toffee // French Toast," but my cousin (Eric) and I are not really sure how people identify these notes. I guess I could taste these flavors if I thought about it, but I'm guessing they just need a way to describe the flavor to people who are considering their options. Anyway, the main point is that I enjoyed this coffee very much and would order it again. I love darker blends, and this didn't taste bitter or burnt at all to me. Speaking of Eric, he's pretty much my go-to person for local and Bay Area food and drink recommendations. He also lived in SoCal, so I could always ask him about that area too. He strongly recommends the almond croissant from Kuppa Joy, which I was going to try yesterday, but they were out! I'll try again.

The Fire up close

Below is a Kuppa Joy I ordered from the Clovis location on 12/30/15 when my dear friend and former classmate and roommate (I forgot we took MCB together!), Kurtis, was in town. We used to study at libraries and cafes like FSM (Free Speech Movement Cafe) together while at Cal, and I even remember us waiting outside of a library for it to open on a Sunday. Nerdy much? Lol Who cares? I actually started to enjoy studying probably because of the good company and coffee. I conditioned myself well. This time we studied together again but for grad school/work instead of undergrad classes. Good memories. The Kuppa Joy is espresso blended‏ with chocolate and creme brulee-infused milk. Love it! Not too sweet. I could have ordered another one easily.

Kuppa Joy at the Clovis location

Below is a regular cappuccino from the Fresno location on Echo. Also delicious and just beautiful! I think latte art makes everyone happy and excited, and it's perfect for Instagram. :)

The pour over bar at the Clovis location

Inside the Fresno location

It says "Kuppa Joy," but you can't see the "y."

Cookiebar - Alameda, CA

2016-07-18T13:16:00.002-07:00

Cookiebar
1606 Webster Street
Alameda, CA 94501
Second location in Oakland)
Website

Grace took me to this awesome ice cream/cookie/ice cream sandwich place in Alameda the other day when I visited the Bay Area. Check out their Yelp ratings if you don't believe me! Yum! We both thought their peanut butter chocolate pretzel ice cream was really good. Everything was good, although we both agreed that the Cinnamon Toast Crunch ice cream needed some more cinnamon flavor. It tasted exactly like whole milk leftover from eating a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (except a little creamier than just milk), but it didn't have a strong cinnamon or Cinnamon Toast Crunch flavor. I'd definitely go back!

Peanut butter chocolate pretzel ice cream for me and Cinnamon Toast Crunch ice cream between a snickerdoodle cookie and an oatmeal cookie for Grace! Everything was delicious!

Oo..cookies 'n' cream cookies!

Even the font made me want to try their ice cream!

Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Frosting

2016-06-29T12:33:00.001-07:00

OMG! I rarely post right after I make something, but I was SO excited about this recipe when I tried it yesterday that I had to post about this ASAP. I randomly stumbled on it while looking for a good vanilla cupcake recipe (I wasn't even looking for a frosting recipe!). If you like browned butter, YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS. It is so good and so easy to make.

Browning the butter

Note: You don't usually need to whisk anything while browning butter; just swirling it in the pan works, but I figured I should follow the recipe's instructions since this was my first time browning butter with vanilla bean specks in it!

My browned butter

You can see the browned butter bits AND vanilla bean specks!

Recipe here from Self Proclaimed Foodie (I made minor changes like using a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer)

* Note: Makes 2 cups or enough for 12 cupcakes (You can add more frosting on your cupcakes than I did; I was playing it safe and only adding the amount of frosting I usually prefer...although after finding this recipe I prefer more!!)

1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter
2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise (I used 1.5 beans because that was what I had)
3 cups confectioner's sugar
3 tablespoons milk or half and half

In a saucepan (medium heat), melt butter with vanilla beans (specks and throw in the leftover pods too). Whisk frequently. As the butter foams, continue whisking to release brown bits that may stick to the bottom. Once the butter has browned (once you start to see brown specks, the butter turns a brownish color, and it starts smelling more nutty), remove from heat. Remove vanilla bean pods from butter.
Using the whisk attachment on a stand mixer or your hand mixer, beat cooled browned vanilla bean butter with the confectioner's sugar on medium speed.
One tablespoon at a time, add milk (I used nonfat milk, but half and half or whole milk would work well, of course) & continue beating the frosting until you've reached the desired consistency.

In case you need a vanilla cupcake recipe too, I tried this recipe from Brown Eyed Baker and loved the flavor:

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
½ cup sour cream
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard cupcake tin with paper or foil liners.
2. Beat together flour, sugar, baking powder, & salt w/ a mixer. Add butter, sour cream, egg and egg yolks, and vanilla; beat w/ a mixer at medium speed until smooth and satiny (about 30 seconds). Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula and mix by hand until smooth.
3. Divide batter evenly among cups of prepared tin & bake until cupcake tops are pale gold and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean (20 to 24 minutes).
4. Remove cupcakes from tin & transfer to wire rack. Cool cupcakes to room temperature before frosting.

Recipe from Sprinkles: Strawberry Cupcakes!

2016-06-22T09:56:00.002-07:00

If you haven't tried cupcakes from Sprinkles, you have to add that to your foodie bucket list. I've had a few now, and all of them have been perfectly flavorful and moist. The only thing I don't like is their signature nipple topper. You'll know what I mean when you see it. I've posted about Sprinkles here and about their Cuban Coffee cupcake here.

Anyway, I absolutely love this strawberry cupcake recipe. I've made them a few times now. The only change I made from Candace Nelson's original recipe was that I kept in some strawberry pieces instead of straining them out because they seem more fresh and less fake when you can see pieces or bits of fruit, nuts, etc. in my opinion. I wanted to make the frosting with my new decorating tips, but I was in a rush and just ended up using a butter knife.

Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe (adapted from Martha Stuart's website)

2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed - Ends up being 1/3 cup strawberry puree
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg whites, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners & set aside.
Put strawberries in a small food processor & process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree (Save any extra puree for frosting)

- I just diced strawberries and smashed them with a fork
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, & salt; set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, & strawberry puree; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), cream butter on medium-high speed until light & fluffy. Gradually add sugar & beat until well combined & fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium & slowly add egg & egg whites until just blended.
With mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture until just blended.
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Put muffin tin in oven & bake until tops are just dry to the touch (~22-25 minutes). Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack & let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

Sprinkles's Strawberry Frosting Recipe (from Martha Stuart's website)

1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed (I just use fresh strawberries) - You end up only needing 3 tablespoons of strawberry puree
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
Pinch of coarse salt
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1) Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor & process until pureed.
- I just diced fresh strawberries and smashed them with a fork
2) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter & salt on medium speed until light & fluffy.
3) Reduce mixer speed & slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined.
4) Add vanilla & 3 tablespoons strawberry puree; mix until just blended. Do not overmix! Frosting should be dense and creamy.

The inside. I kept the strawberry pieces in there too.

Browned Butter Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Treats

2016-05-22T20:16:00.003-07:00

I love browned butter. It makes things taste extra rich and dark. I highly recommend this recipe. I've tried it twice now, and it's pretty easy. Thanks, Joy the Baker!

I made some traditional treats too

Paletas @ Paleteria y Neveria la Mixteca - Madera, CA

2016-04-23T10:14:00.001-07:00

Paleteria y Neveria la Mixteca

1100 N. D Street

Madera, CA 93638

Facebook page

I had my first paleta (Mexican popsicle) years ago, but I just never found a conveniently located paleta place since I tried La Reina de Michoac án in Fresno. I found a delicious Mexican paleta and ice cream place in Madera and am tempted to go there all the time. I've been there twice now and wanted to share the information so you can try it too! I want to try other things like ice cream and snow cones. Yum! I highly recommend this place, especially since they make their own ice cream!

Here's their vainilla con fresa (vanilla with strawberry), which is sooo good. The white part tastes like a sweet rich cream or milk (some recipes call for coconut milk), and obviously those are sliced strawberries! This makes me want to try making these with pieces of different things in it like fresh fruit and Oreos.

Here is their leche quemada (burned milk... AKA caramelized milk...just like those cajeta candies and those obleas con cajeta de leche I posted about before). SO GOOD!!!

Below is their arroz (rice) flavor. Yet another delicious flavor. I love how it tastes like horchata and that it contains grains of rice.

Other flavors to try... One of their friendly employees said their most popular flavors are lemon, walnut, and something I don't remember at the moment.

Apple Pancake from Richard Walker's Pancake House - San Diego, CA

2016-03-28T09:38:00.001-07:00

Richard Walker's Pancake House
Website here (Several locations)

I was in San Diego in January with my now in-laws :) and happened to eat at this pancake place. I'd never heard about it before, but apparently they're known for their made-to-order baked pancakes. My bro-in-law mentioned that their apple pancake looked good and suggested that I try it. Of course I ordered it. Their website describes the pancake with this description: "Fresh Granny Smith apples and pure imported cinnamon glaze." I was worried it might be too sweet, but I imagined a delicious Dutch baby smothered in apples and cinnamon and just had to try it. I'm so glad I did because it was SO delicious. I'd love to try their other baked pancakes. I want to try making this too. Dutch babies aren't too difficult...so hopefully adding some cinnamon and apples wouldn't be too challenging. Now my mouth is watering!

I promise it only looks like a baked chicken. lol It tastes like APPLE PANCAKE HEAVEN!

Copycat Starbucks Petite Vanilla Bean Scones

2016-03-26T10:42:00.001-07:00

Starbucks has some delicious vanilla bean scones, but they're pretty expensive. Now that I've found this copycat recipe, I can just make them from home, and they're not too difficult.

Copycat Starbucks Petite Vanilla Bean Scone

Author: Stefanie Fauquet (from HERE)

SCONES

2½ cup flour
½ cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ cup cold butter, cubed
½ cup heavy cream
1 egg
½ vanilla bean, scraped
2 tsp vanilla extract

GLAZE

3 cups powdered sugar
6-7 tbsp Heavy Cream
½ Vanilla Bean, scraped
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. Whisk or pulse in a food processor to mix.
Add butter and cut in with a pastry cutter or pulse in food processor until it looks like cornmeal texture.
In another bowl, whisk together cream, egg, vanilla scraping & extract.
Add liquid to flour mixture & pulse until just combined or stir by hand until dough forms a ball.
Put the dough onto a floured surface & knead briefly until dough comes together.
Roll out dough to about ½" thickness.
Cut dough into 8 rectangles or squares. Then cut each or this on one diagonal and then on the other, creating 32 petite scones.
Place on baking sheet and bake 10-12 minutes (or until edges begin to look golden brown).
Transfer scones to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Whisk together glaze ingredients, adding cream one tablespoon at a time to achieve desired thickness. Dip cooled scones in glaze & place back onto cooling rack to harden.

Lavender Fest 2015 - Cherry Valley, CA

2016-03-06T12:55:00.002-08:00

I'm not a huge fan of the taste or smell of lavender, but it looks beautiful, and this festival had delicious food with and without lavender. I love festivals like this, and I was about to leave Southern California so really wanted to go to this with Catherine and Josh!

Check out the official Lavender Fest website

Bought this for a friend. She enjoyed it!

Cute little things to buy, including lots of lavender products.

Vanilla bean lemonade

Vanilla bean specks at the bottom of my lemonade

Not bad...but I think the cheese was a little weird if I remember correctly.

I don't know this couple; I just happened to take this while they were taking a picture. lol

Local peach crisp - DELICIOUS!

Lee's Sandwiches - Riverside, CA

2016-02-27T21:51:00.000-08:00

Lee's Sandwiches

1889 University Avenue

Riverside, CA 92507

Website

They have several other locations too!

** Please open a branch in Central Cal!! **

Ahh I love banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich made with a French baguette, meat, jalapenos, pickled vegetables, & cilantro) and coffee. They have different types of meat, so if you don't like that bright pink color, just get beef, chicken, or something else. I usually like grilled pork, but this time I got BBQ pork. Usually I drink black coffee, but once in awhile I do like the sweet ones. This Lee's coffee is pretty sweet, but I think I still like it because it also has a strong coffee flavor. I also just love their ice! It might sound weird to mention ice, but it really does make a difference. There are big chunks of ice that keep the drink cold but also small shreds of frosty ice that make it seem almost like it is turning into shave or shaved ice, which I love.

Lee's coffee

That ice is so good!

And now the BBQ pork banh mi:

Thai Omlette, Pad Thai, Bagel Sandwich, & Bagels @ Fresno Bagel Co. - Fresno, CA

2016-02-15T09:28:00.002-08:00

Fresno Bagel Co.

7739 N First Street

Fresno, CA 93720

You wouldn't normally find thai food at a bagel place, but what a good idea! You can come here for just regular bagels or bagel sandwiches OR thai food.

I discovered it is difficult to describe what a thai omelette is to someone who's never had one before. When you say it has green onions, cheese, and peas, it just doesn't sound good. When Grace visited, I took her to try the thai food and bagels here, and she was pleasantly surprised. Delicious breakfast!

The whole spread

YUMM. I'm not a huge fan of cold cuts or bagel sandwiches unless they have a lot of flavor and intersting ingredients (not a big ham and cheese fan at all), so the bagel sandwich was forgetable, but everything else was delicious. My family and friends have gotten food here for years. It's definitely a favorite of many Fresnans.

Pad thai!

Strawberry bagel w/ strawberry cream cheese...LOVE

Backstreet Restaurant - Riverside, CA

2016-01-03T11:41:00.001-08:00

Backstreet Restaurant
3735 Nelson Street
Riverside, CA 92506

I miss this place so much and am sad that I only recently heard about it through my former colleagues last year. This is a popular lunch spot on weekdays! They are only open from 11am-3pm Monday through Friday. Their sandwiches and condiment bar (pickles, relish, cucumbers, pasta salad, etc.) are delicious!! Another thing I love is that its decorations are very quirky and eclectic. Wish I had more pictures of their decor. I really can't tell you how much I enjoy their pickles, cucumbers, and pasta salad. I love how you can pick which items you want and how much of them you want!

Pastrami

Roast beef in a library... lol

Not pictured is their banana cream pie. I tried it because I saw positive ratings on Yelp and I had heard it was good as well. It was ok. It was definitely more like a creamy jello pudding with stiff whipped cream (not real whipping cream unless it was mixed with something that makes it hold its shape) than the homemade banana cream pies I prefer. I'll stick with eating their sandwiches and everything else!

Dutch Freeze @ Dutch Bros. Coffee

2015-12-27T14:18:00.000-08:00

Dutch Brothers (Bullard branch in Fresno)
Website

Tasty coffee and friendly people. Every time.

Their Dutch Freeze ("A frosty, creamy espresso blend made from scratch") is delicious.

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict & a Cucumber Bloody Mary @ Home Restaurant (Los Angeles, CA)

2015-12-22T08:04:00.002-08:00

Home Restaurant
1760 Hillhurst Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Website

Ever since last year I've been in love with smoked salmon, which I used to dislike. I had smoked salmon eggs benedict with Nicole in LA before I moved out of SoCal and was SO happy. I also tried their cucumber bloody mary. SO GOOD. Btw, this place has a bunch of eggs benedict options and serves them until 4pm! It was difficult to decide what to eat because so many things sounded delicious, but I was satisfied with what I ordered!

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict:
"A toasted English muffin topped with smoked salmon, grilled tomato, sautéed spinach, and two poached eggs, topped with Hollandaise sauce."

Homemade Bloody Mary (Cucumber) - Tomato-y and spicy! Loved everything but the celery, but I never like raw celery:

Funfetti Gooey Cream Cheese Butter Cookies

2015-11-11T10:43:00.001-08:00

I tried this recipe out in April, and people seemed to like the cookies. My friend's friend also has fallen in love with this recipe. She said it has changed her life! :) I used the recipe again today...

The recipe came from Cookies & Cups.They're like little soft bites of funfetti cake but with the taste of cream cheese and the slight texture of a crinkle cookie. The extra sprinkles are definitely necessary.

Recipe (Cookies & Cups)

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup Challenge Butter, room temperature
1 egg
1 box Funfetti cake mix (15.25 oz)
¼ cup sprinkles
¼ cup powdered sugar

With a mixer, beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
Add egg & continue mixing, scraping sides as necessary.
Add cake mix and beat until combined and finally stir in extra sprinkles.
Chill dough for about an hour.
Preheat oven to 350°
Form dough into 1 inch balls and roll in powdered sugar.
Place on baking sheet 2" apart and bake for about 10 minutes.
Cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Pumpkin Spice Macaron @ Eddie's - Fresno, CA

2015-10-25T08:49:00.001-07:00

Eddie's Bakery & Cafe
7089 N Cedar Ave
Fresno, CA 93720
Website

(559) 323-0900

Sometimes when I'm working on a big project (e.g., my dissertation), I treat myself to something delicious for motivation and to prevent myself from being negative going into my work mode. It really works for me!

This morning I got a pumpkin spice macaron and a cappuccino from Peet's! Anything pumpkin makes me happy, macarons are delicious, and since we don't have a full Peet's cafe in Fresno, this is the next best thing--having a partial cafe in Eddie's Bakery. :) I highly recommend both this macaron and the Peet's cappuccino. I love strong flavored coffee, and Peet's seems to have the best one in this area, although Kuppa Joy in Clovis is delicious and fun with its foam/milk/coffee art. Yesterday I had a cap from Le Parisien, and it just wasn't strong enough for me.

I love that texture!!

Cappuccino

Potted Plant Green Tea Ice Cream - 1920 Tea Club (Fresno, CA)

2015-09-27T14:51:00.001-07:00

1920 Tea Club
732 W Bullard Ave
Fresno, CA 93704
Yelp reviews

I've noticed that this has been a food fad lately at boba and other Asian tea places. It looks like a plant, but it's basically ground up Oreos/chocolate cookies and mint leaves. I usually see this topping with milk teas, but I got a green tea ice cream this time. Honestly, my ice cream was good (and that potted plant topping was good!), but I didn't love the drinks my parents and brother had. I'd go back to try other things like their boba drinks. Their snacks look good too.

Klatch Coffee - Rancho Cucamonga

2015-09-12T19:43:00.002-07:00

Klatch Coffee
8916 Foothill Blvd, Ste. C
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
909-944-JAVA
Website
Other locations here (Ontario, San Dimas, LAX, Korea)

I was about to meet up with a friend in the Rancho area but wanted to prep for work for an hour or so beforehand, so I stopped by this place. My cappuccino was delicious and pretty! Too bad we don't have a Klatch in the Central Cal area. I love fancy cappuccinos (as long as they also taste good). I also recommend Augie's in Riverside, Blue Bottle in SF, and Redlands and Caffe Ladro in Washington.

Rosemary's Family Creamery - Bakersfield, CA

2015-07-28T00:03:00.004-07:00

Rosemary's Family Creamery

2733 F St, Bakersfield, CA 93301

(661) 395-0555

Website

My David's Tan & White ("Vanilla and Toasted Almond Ice Cream with yummy Marshmallow and our homecooked Caramel sauce with Nuts, Whipped Cream, and a Cherry") was huge and delicious, but my parents helped me eat it. The whipped cream tasted like real cream and was thick. The almond ice cream was delicious and not overwhelmingly almond-y. The homecooked caramel sauce and marshmallow sauce were really good too! So happy with my pick.

You can see my brother's bright green lime Brad's Sherbet Shake ("A refreshing mixture of Sherbet, flavored Syrup and Sparkling Water blended to perfection!"). He finished it quickly and just told me a few minutes ago again that he really liked it.

More example menu items:

Pizza Five85 - Moreno Valley, CA

2015-07-20T22:32:00.002-07:00

Pizza Five85 - Various Locations in CA & AZ
12510 Day St, Moreno Valley, CA 92553
Website

I haven't tried Pieology yet, but I've been to Pizza Five85 in Moreno Valley twice now and was very happy with both pizzas. It's like a Subway but for pizzas. You just say what you want (type of crust, sauce, cheese, and toppings) and they bake it right there in front of you and then out pops a delicious personalized pizza with fresh ingredients. I love how you can add all kinds of veggies and meat options, including ham, cilantro, basil, chopped or cherry tomatoes, artichoke, mushrooms, olives, diced garlic, feta, etc.). SO GOOD!

Kansha Creamery - Torrance, CA

2015-07-05T11:21:00.003-07:00

Brother's Matcha ice cream. So good!!!

Kansha Creamery
Website here
18515 S. Western Avenue
Torrance, CA 90248

* Insider tip from my cousin & friend: Go on a Tuesday and get 2 scoops for the price of 1 or 3 scoops for the price of 2!
* Another tip: Have udon at Sanuki no Sato before or after your ice cream!

Reasons to visit this place: Delicious ice cream, unique flavors, part of your money goes toward charities, they use local ingredients when possible, and it's a family business (bro and sis!).

Cold Brew Coffee, Cinnabacon, & Matcha

Up close on my Cinnabacon. Yum!

Nabeyaki Udon at Sanuki no Sato - Gardena, CA

2015-07-01T22:37:00.000-07:00

Sanuki no Sato

18206 S. Western Ave,

Gardena, CA 90248

Phone: 310-324-9184

Website here

Apparently this is a favorite restaurant among several Japanese people I know in SoCal. My cousin introduced this place to my brother and me the other day, and it was delicious. Who cares if the weather has been hot lately... It's almost never too hot for good udon or good ramen, and the same thing applies to ice cream in cold weather. Anyway, look at all of the deliciousness in this bowl. You can't really see the udon, chicken, or roots, but every bite was delicious.

The agedashi takoyaki was also delicious. I believe I am a tako (octopus) person now...I never was before. Here was my tako ball. No picture of the complete appetizer. Guess we were all too hungry to take a picture first.

Here's our fried chicken and nasubi (eggplant):

EAT HERE!!

My Favorite Food Places in Redlands

2015-03-21T16:55:00.001-07:00

Ok...I haven't been to that many food/drink places in Redlands, but I am so happy I found these. Thank you, Kristine, for introducing me to a la minute and The Gourmet Pizza Shoppe. I'd heard of Hangar 24 for over four years and had had their beer before, but this was my first time (3/16/15) going to the brewery!

Stop #1: Picked up our Brando pizza (Website description: "Cream Cheese, Pesto Sauce, Pepperoni, Sausage, Cashews, Angel Hair Pasta, Green Onions & Mozzarella Cheese") at The Gourmet Pizza Shoppe). Sounds weird (and this is actually not the weirdest combination of ingredients they have), but it is SO DELICIOUS.

Stop #2: Hangar 24 - We took our pizza to this great brewery.

So beautiful (my friends shared this flight):

Meanwhile, I had an Alt Bier, which I have loved for awhile (Website description: "Caramel, Toasty, and Clean. This red ale is our unique version of a northern German Alt-Bier. Enjoy silky caramel smoothness, followed by toasty, bready flavors and finished with a hint of chocolate roast. These flavors all come through in the aroma and combine in a truly unique, very clean, complex, Alt-Bier."):


One of my favorite beers ever. Very easy to drink (not hoppy or bitter at all to me)

Then I had a half pint of their Chocolate Porter...and then I wished it had been a full pint. :) I loved it and even bought a bottle at BevMo to bring home.

Website description: "Rich and decadent. This strong porter is perfect for sipping at the end of the day or to accompany full-flavored foods. The intense, roasty flavor comes from two types of chocolate malt and raw cocoa nibs. Whole vanilla beans introduced post fermentation add complexity and enhance the dessert-like qualities of this full bodied beer."

Whoa

Stop #3: Finally, we went to a la minute, another one of my favorite food places EVER (You can see my salted caramel ice cream below and more of their menu items here: