The Food Librarian

English Peas and Rice

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:00:00 +0000

English Peas and Rice

This blog started as a way for me to document my attempts at baking. Back in 2007 (can't believe the blog is that old), I was trying to go from cake-box baking to baking from scratch. Only my closest friends read this blog. Then, somehow, a few more people started reading it. I've been lucky to meet people via the blog that I now consider some of my best friends. It's been an interesting journey. Sometimes, I go back and read earlier posts...especially the ones where I'm traveling, eating out and visiting friends. This blog truly is an open online diary so I won't forget special people, places and times.

This post is simply about documenting the taste of English peas in summer. It's not about the recipe (toss in peas in rice), but about the fun of grabbing all the little peas...and eating half of them raw because they are fresh and delicious.

Ahhh. So pretty. I want to remember this.

If everyone had fresh peas, there might be peas on earth.

I bought these at the farmers market. They also have a big container of shelled peas. That seems like it takes away a bit of the fun so I always buy them whole.

Premium brown rice (purchased at the Japanese grocery store - Nijiya and Mitsuwa have great selections of premium California rice) and the Zojirushi rice cooker (pricey but it's just lovely to have perfectly cooked rice available for hours).

I just threw a handful of peas into the rice cooker and pressed start. They come out mushy (very English :)

Along with stone fruits, English peas are edible summer. Hope your summer is off to a great start! - mary

Parrish Magic Line Baking Pan Factory Retail Store, Gardena (Los Angeles)

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Parrish Magic Line Factory in Gardena, California

Southern California Friends,

Heya! Pick up your cake round and flip it over. Does it say "Magic Line" Gardena, CA 90248? If so, I went to the factory where it is made today!

Parrish Magic Line is located in Gardena, California (in the South Bay area of Los Angeles). The factory is located in the very industrial part of the Gardena and you can just walk in and buy stuff Monday - Friday!

I've been once before and picked up a few cake pans. My favorite place, Surfas carries Magic Line pans. I've seen them in most restaurant supply stores like ChefsMart and Chef's Toys. I think they are the commercial, industry standard.

I love how the edges of the square or rectangle pans are perfectly square. Not like the casserole Pyrex 9 x 13 pan...save that for the lasagna and Jell-O. The edges make lovely brownies, coffeecakes and all bar cookies. All the bakeware is easy to clean, sturdy and offers consistent baking.

Today, I picked up extra 9 x 13 rectangle, 9 x 9 square, and 8 x 8 square pans. (I'm going to do some major baking next week and the extra pans will come in handy.)

I checked my closet and realized I own a lot of Magic Line. Um... some of my inventory includes lots of cake rounds (from 10 inch down to a 3 inch round, most are 2 inches high, but a few are deeper 3 inches). I now have two sets of 9 x 13, 9 x 9, 8 x 8 rectangle and square pans. I also have a jelly roll pan and I think there is a larger square one too...I think I'm pretty covered.

The retail outlet in the factory is less expensive than stores I visited. Today, I went to ChefsMart and a 9 x 9 square was over $14. At Parrish, it was $13.50. The 8 x 8 square was $12.50 (it's $15.50 on Amazon) and the 9 x 13 was $15.50.

Don't think this is like a fancy Outlet Mall factory store. You can walk around the shelves and pick what you need, while passing workers who are busy filling orders. You might see some people making the pans too! They have wedding cake size pans, metal rings and some other baking stuff. The staff is friendly...I spent time talking to the cashier about libraries and crazy Friday nights of watching 20/20. It's low tech...the cashier looked up prices on a sheet, swiped my credit card and then used those carbon sheets to make an imprint of my card (remember that?)

Amazon's description says "Made in the USA" - it should say "Made in the awesome South Bay!" I love them...as you can tell by my collection!

If you aren't in the South Bay during the week, here are some links to get the pans on Amazon (full disclosure, I'm in the Amazon Affiliate program so if you buy something, I get a few cents)
Parrish on Amazon
Parrish Magic Line 8 x 8 x 2 Square Pan is $15.50 on Amazon

Parrish Magic Line 9 x 13 x 2 Inch Oblong Cake Pan is $20.00 on Amazon

Parrish's Home of Magic Line Factory Retail Store (I couldn't find a working website for them)
Open (as of May 2013) Monday - Friday, 9 AM - 4:30 PM
225 W 146th Street
Gardena, CA 90248
(310) 324-2253
Yelp (just has the address and phone)

Peanut Butter Crunch Coffee Cake

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 15:44:00 +0000

Peanut Butter Crunch Cake from Piece of Cake Cookbook

Last week, I went to Smart & Final (a mini warehouse type store with more restaurant stuff than Costco) and picked up two giant jars of peanut butter. Thus, the peanut butter kick is on.

The recipe is from From Piece of Cake: Home Baking Made Simple by David Muniz and David Lesniak. Published by Rizzoli, the cookbook is filled with homey favorites. Beautiful photographs, easy to understand instructions, and weight measurements are highlights. When do I know that I like a cookbook? When there are multiple post-it tabs peeking from the top...at last count, there were 10 tabs showing!

Americans David and David opened the Outsider Tart in London. Their book says it is the first American bakery in London. Have you been? Sounds like a fun place...more places to visit on my wish list of travel!

This coffee cake has two layers of melted chocolate chips & peanut butter. Yes, two layers of goodness. And the cake batter has peanut butter. As well as the topping. Um, any craving you have for peanut butter is satisfied with this cake.

I made this in the morning, but measured what I could the night before and laid out the ingredients - mise en place.

For this recipe, you mix soft butters (unsalted butter and peanut butter) together with the sugar and flour. This makes a crumble. Pull out some of that for the topping and then add the liquid ingredients to complete the cake batter.

In the meantime, you melt chocolate chips with even more peanut butter. Then the whole thing gets assembled with two layers of batter and melted chocolate mixture. It's easy to put together! P.S. A small offset spatula is your friend to smooth out the batter.

Two layers of chocolate/peanut butter makes for a delightful coffeecake. I didn't let my cake fully cool (I was heading to work!) so the cutting was a bit messy. I image a cool cake might be nicer.

Everyone at work really enjoyed this cake! I think adults and kids alike will love this tasty cake.

Peanut Butter Crunch Cake
From Piece of Cake: Home Baking Made Simple by David Muniz and David Lesniak of Outsider Tart, London

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Swirl:
2 cups / 12 ounces / 340 grams - semisweet or milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup / 4 ounces / 115 grams - smooth peanut butter (I used Skippy)

Crumb & Batter:
3 cups / 16 ounces / 450 grams - all-purpose flour
2 cups packed / 16 ounces / 450 grams - light brown sugar
1 cup / 8 ounces / 225 grams / two sticks - unsalted butter, softened
1 cup / 8 ounces / 225 grams - smooth peanut butter
4 - large eggs, room temp
1 cup / 8 fluid ounces / 240 ml - whole milk (I used low-fat milk...I don't drink regular milk so I have those little kids cartons in the house to use one cup at a time. Some bakery aisles also have whole milk in shelf stable one-cup cartons)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a pan by lining it with parchment and/or butter & flour. The cookbook uses a 9 x 12 pan, but I used a 9 x 13 pan. If you use a bigger pan, be sure to check it a few minutes earlier.

2. Make the swirl by melting the chocolate chips and peanut butter until smooth. I used a double boiler, but the cookbook says to use low heat in a small saucepan. Set aside to cool slightly while you make the rest of the batter.

3. For the crumb and batter, mix the flour, sugar, butter and peanut butter in an electric mixture with paddle attachment on LOW speed until coarse crumbs form.

4. Topping: Pull out 3 packed cups of the mixture and set aside.

5. Batter: Add eggs, one at a time, then add milk, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the remaining mixture. Turn up to medium speed and beat for 2-3 minutes until smooth.

6. Assembly: Spread half the batter in the pan. Drizzle half the melted chocolate mixture on top. Spread the remaining batter on top. Drizzle the remaining chocolate mixture, followed by the crumb topping. Gently press the crumbs into the cake.

7. Bake at 50-60 minutes (if you are making this in a 9 x 13 pan, start checking at 40-45 minutes). It's done when a toothpick comes out clean. If the topping starts getting too brown, you can loosely cover with aluminum foil. Let cake cool on wire rack and then cut into squares. Enjoy!

*Full disclosure: I get a small % from Amazon if you purchase the book from this link.

Banana Chocolate Chunk Walnut Loaf - Dahlia Bakery Cookbook

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:01:00 +0000

Banana Chocolate Chunk Walnut Loaf - Dahlia Bakery Cookbook

During a time of incomprehensibly tragic news (Boston Marathon, Texas refinery explosion...), I find that baking provides a small sense of relief. Creating comfort food for you and your friends.

I made a couple things last week (will post them soon), but I think Banana Bread defines comfort food. I made this last Sunday, and enjoyed it at a meeting on Monday morning.

My loaf didn't come out very tall...the loaf pan was wider than the instructions. However, it was still yummy.

Chocolate chunks or chips and walnuts give the loaf texture and sweetness. And I believe that bread with "good fat" nuts and fruits in them push them into a good breakfast food category. :)

Have you been to Dahlia Bakery in Seattle? I haven't but can't wait to visit. The cookbook is beautiful.

Last week was also National Library Week. For the past few years, I've celebrated on the blog with a week of posts and giveaways. But last week just didn't feel right. I do hope that you visit your library soon, and celebrate all things library...and librarian!

Banana Chocolate Chunk Walnut Loaf
Adapted from: The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook: Sweetness in Seattle*
Find it in your library with WorldCat

1/2 c (2 3/4 ounces / 79 grams) bittersweet chocolate chunks (I used dark chocolate chips)
1/3 c (1 1/4 ounces / 35 grams) walnuts, toasted, cooled and roughly chopped
1 1/4 c (6 3/8 ounces / 180 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t kosher salt
About 1 pound of very ripe bananas (2-3)
1/4 c canola oil
1/2 c (3 1/2 ounces / 100 grams) sugar
1 large egg
1/4 c (2 ounces / 58 grams) sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. Prep a loaf pan (they recommend 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches) with butter & flour, or spray with non-stick spray. I line my pan with parchment paper to make it easier to remove from the pan.

Mix chocolate chunks and walnuts in a small bowl. Add 2 Tablespoons flour and toss to coat. Set aside.

Sift together the remaining flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl or some parchment paper.

Peel the bananas, cut into chunks and place them into the bowl of an electric mixer. On low speed, beat the bananas to a smooth puree until no large lumps remain. Measure the puree - you should have 1 cup (discard or add as necessary) On low speed, add the oil, sugar, egg and sour cream. Mix until everything is combined and the banana is well incorporated.

Add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Fold in reserved chocolate-walnut mixture. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until skewer inserted into the loaf comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging but no batter, 65-70 minutes (if you use a different size pan, start checking early). For the best rise, do not open the oven door while the banana bread is baking. The loaf will be dark golden brown and there will probably be a crack running through the top. Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Unmold the banana bread, then cool on a wire rack to slightly warm or room temperature before slicing and serving.

* I'm part of Amazon Affiliates and get a small % if you purchase from this link.

Pecan Chocolate Espresso Coffee Cake - Back in the Day Bakery

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 03:32:00 +0000

Pecan Chocolate Espresso Coffee Cake

Coffee Cake is one of my favorites things to eat and make. No frosting, easy to cut and share, and usually just a few pans to clean up. And, you can eat it morning, noon and night.

I picked up The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook from the library. The owners of this Savannah bakery wrote a fun cookbook filled with lots of comfort food. I can't wait to try more recipes, and placed the book on my Amazon wishlist. Have you been to the bakery? If I ever visit Savannah, I definitely want to go!

This is a really easy recipe. You combine the butter, flour, and sugar until crumbly in a mixer, and then pull out 3/4 cup of the mixture and combine with the rest of the topping: pecans, chopped chocolate and pecans. The remaining batter is mixed with the eggs, buttermilk, leavening (baking soda), and extracts. Just a few items to wash up so it is simple to make in the morning.

The pecans and espresso powder are a lovely addition to your typical coffee cake. Everyone's favorites are included: nuts, chocolate and coffee. A winner.

Pecan Chocolate Espresso Coffee Cake
Adapted from "The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook," by Cheryl Day and Griffith Day (Artisan, 2012), page 47. Find it in your library or on Amazon.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted (I didn't toast mine)
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 teaspoons espresso powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup regular or low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (I omitted this because I couldn't find the bottle of extract...)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prep a 9-inch square baking pan with baking spray or butter, and line with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, both sugars, butter and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on low speed, then on medium speed until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Pull out 3/4 cup of the mixture and place in another mixing bowl. Stir in the pecans, chocolate and espresso powder to form the crumb topping.

Sprinkle the baking soda onto the remaining flour-butter-sugar mixture; add the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla and almond extracts. Beat on medium speed just until combined. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle the crumb topping on top.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Lydia's Austrian Strawberry Shortbread Bar Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 05:24:00 +0000

Lydia's Austrian Strawberry Shortbread Bar Cookies

These are lovely little bites of heaven. Light and delicate, these are perfect for a potluck, dessert bar, or with a cup of coffee or tea. You can exchange the jams for different flavor profiles. Or, you can add some chocolate to the dough too.

These photos write their own jokes.

Okay, so you make the dough and split it into two. The instructions say to form into balls and freeze. Then, you grate the balls. Yes, grate the balls.

After making this recipe a few times, I came up with, I believe, is a better plan. First, grating balls of dough by hand is a pain in the neck. Pull out your food processor for this one - it's worth the washing. Second, when I tried to grate the balls in the food processor, I had to cut frozen balls to make them fit into the processor - annoying. Finally, it dawned on me to form the dough into logs so they fit into the food processor! Now, I can easily grate the frozen dough with one easy push of the machine.

The recipe calls for Raspberry Jam. For this one, I substituted Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves.

You grate one frozen log and place the pieces in the bottom of the pan (for this one, I used a 9 x 9 pan...the full recipe is for a 9 x 13 pan).

The instructions say to use a spoon or flexible spatula to spread the jam. However, I ended up carrying shreds of dough all over and it was kinda messy. So, I now put the jam into a bag and kinda pipe it into the pan. Easy peasy! Top with the second log of shredded dough.

Adapted from Butter Sugar Flour Eggs by Gale Gand
Recipe on Epicurious too

Note: Above, I made 1/2 the recipe and used a 9 x 9 pan.

Lydia's Austrian Raspberry Shortbread Bars

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
4 egg yolks
2 cups granulated sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup raspberry jam, at room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter until soft and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolks one at a time.

With the mixer on low, add the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt until just incorporated. Don't overmix.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and form into two logs that will fit in your food processor. (You can form into two balls if you want to grate them by hand). Wrap each in plastic wrap and freeze at least 2 hours or overnight (I let it freeze at least overnight - this is a good one you can make ahead).

When you are ready to assemble the bars, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grate one of the frozen balls or logs. Place the shreds of dough the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking pan or a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Spread out evenly and do not press down.

Spread jam over the surface, leaving a 1/2 inch border. You can use a spoon or spatula, but I put the jam in a plastic bag and pipe it onto the shreds. I found the the spoon/spatula method was difficult because you picked up a bunch of shreds along the way.

Remove the remaining dough from the freezer and coarsely grate it over the entire surface.

Bake until lightly golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. As soon as the shortbread comes out of the oven, dust liberally with confectioners' sugar.

Cool on a wire rack, then cut in the pan with a serrated knife. You may want to dust a bit more powdered sugar on top when serving.

Spitz & Cafe Dulce, Little Tokyo, Los Angeles

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 22:18:00 +0000

Spitz - The Home of the Doner Kebab

As I mentioned in my last post (My Thoughts Over Time), I met friends for lunch in downtown LA. We stopped by Spitz on 2nd Street in Little Tokyo. I've never been (I always seem to stop at T.O.T.) and it was yummy! It's a bar/restaurant, good prices, fresh food, lots of options, and delicious sweet potato fries. Menu here.

The combo comes with a sandwich or wrap, beverage and fries or a salad. I got the super blurry Mediterranean Garden plate (lower left) (Hey, cell phone photos. And total tangent here: I'm excited to get the new Samsung 4 next month when my contract is up!)

Top photo (L-R): Spirulina churro, Sweet potato Roti, Green Tea donut
Bottom (L-R): Green Tea (donut filled with yummy light cream), Roti (super light and delicious, filled with a little sweet potato), Churro (it's chewy and fried...yum!)

Yes, I realize that I should have made the collage to correspond to the photo above it...but I wanted your mind to work. And I've gotten pretty good at cutting food into thirds with a plastic knife #lifeskills

After Spitz, we hit up Cafe Dulce in the Japanese Village Plaza (between 1st and 2nd Streets in Little Tokyo). OMG. This place is great. I come here a lot (check my instagram for proof).

Okay. My review for both places: Go.

Little Tokyo, Los Angeles
Spitz: Website | Yelp
Cafe Dulce: Website | Yelp

My Thoughts Over Time Graph

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 22:15:00 +0000

My Thoughts

Number of Words/Time

Last week, I met some friends and we talked, ate, talked and ate some more. I told them I realized as I age (I hate that I need reading glasses to see my food now), my thoughts are getting smaller and smaller. Or, as my friend says, concise. See above.

P.S. You know you have a food blog when you are too lazy to hook up the scanner and just take a photo of your graph.

St. Patrick's Day Food Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:40:00 +0000

This coming Sunday is pretty crazy. It's St. Patrick's Day. It's the day thousands of people run the LA Marathon (not me). It's Selection Sunday for the NCAA March Madness BB Tourney. Here are some ideas if you want to make something green to eat on Sunday!

St. Patrick's Day Jello Cream Cake

St. Patrick's Day Ice Cream Jello

Green Tea Matcha Mochi Cupcakes

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Meyer Lemon Buttermilk Bars - Williams Sonoma

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 07:01:00 +0000

Meyer Lemon Buttermilk Bars

My folks have a great Meyer lemon tree. They are lovely lemons...very fragrant, thin skinned, less tart than regular lemons.

Sometimes, you have a few lemons on the counter and some leftover buttermilk. Solution? These bars!

This was originally created for regular lemons, but I substituted meyer lemons. It has a simple crust that is pressed into the bottom of a pan.

Topped with some powdered sugar, these are a nice treat. Lemon bars are always a delight 24/7, no?

Daylight savings is back! Although I'm jetlagged for a week (even though I try to get up and go to bed earlier the week before the time change), I love daylight savings. Cidney the Girl Dog loves it too...longer walks, more to see and smell, and a happier Auntie Mary.

Recipe:
Lemon Buttermilk Bars - Williams Sonoma
Found in Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Baking, by Lou Seibert Pappas (Oxmoor House, 2006) and Weeknight Cook (Oxmoor House, 2009)

Crust:
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup (2 ounces) sugar
2/3 cup (3 ounces) flour
1/8 tsp. salt

Topping:
2 eggs
2/3 cup (5 ounces) granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
1 Tbs. finely grated lemon zest
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (I used Meyer lemons)
1/2 cup buttermilk

Confectioners/Powdered sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan, or line with parchment paper.
2. In a mixer with paddle attachment, beat together the butter and 1/4 cup granulated sugar on medium speed until creamy. Reduce the speed to low, add 2/3 cup flour and the salt and beat until blended. Spoon the dough into the prepared pan and press evenly into the pan bottom. Bake until the crust is golden, 15 to 18 minutes.
3. While the crust is baking, make the filling. Beat the eggs and 2/3 cup granulated sugar on medium speed until blended. Add 2 Tbs. flour, the lemon zest, lemon juice and buttermilk and beat until smooth. Pour the filling over the baked crust.
4. Bake until the top of the filling is set and barely browned at the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into bars, dust with sifted confectioners’ sugar.

Girl Scout Thin Mint Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 23:00:00 +0000

Thin Mint Muffins

Chocolate Muffins.
Girl Scouts Thin Mints.
Morning happiness.

These muffins are based on my favorite chocolate muffins - from King Arthur Flour. Instead of chocolate chips, I chopped up a sleeve of Thin Mints and added a few Andes Mint Chips too.

My UCLA college roommate, Agnes has two beautiful daughters, Lucia & Julia. They are in the Girl Scouts and each year I put out the cookie order form at work. To be honest, I don't know why anyone orders anything but Thin Mints... especially those Samoas covered with coconut (yuck!)

Over the years, I've tried to incorporate Thin Mints into favorite baked goods. You know, baking with seasonal ingredients and all. This year, I ordered six boxes of Thin Mints for myself. I'm not sure how long they'll last though. There have been incidents that require Thin Mint assistance: a bad week, nothing in the fridge to eat, and actors leaving Downton Abbey which translates into sad, sad endings (total thin mint worthy).

So, what have you been up to lately? Obviously, I haven't been blogging too much... I've been watching some TV. What's on your DVR? I have:

The Following with Kevin Bacon on Fox. Holy smokes. This show is fantastic but scares the beeejesuzzz out of me. I can't watch it on Monday night because then I can't sleep. I have to watch it on the weekend during the day. With the doors locked.

The Good Wife. CBS. Still a good show. Liked Julianna Margulies since her Nurse Carol Hathaway days on ER.

Elementary. CBS. Took some episodes to warm up to this one, but it's a good one to keep me in the Holmes world until the BBC releases more Sherlock.

Southland. TNT. Great cop show...and I like seeing Los Angeles landmarks throughout. :)

House of Cards. Netflix streaming. Damn, this is sooo good. Kevin Spacey is amazing.

Comedies: The Mindy Project, New Girl, The New Normal

Waiting for more episodes from: White Collar (season just ended), Mad Men (coming back in April), Downton Abbey (if they don't kill off everyone...)

I don't have premium channels on cable so I have to wait and buy Amazon instant videos of Homeland (don't tell me what happens in Season 2 please! :)

Fun way to start the morning. Or to enjoy while catching up on your DVR. ;)

Here are some other Thin Mint creations:

Thin Mint Scones

Thin Mint Brownies

Thin Mint Pancakes

Thin Mint Cupcakes

Recipe:
Thin Mint Muffins

Adapted from King Arthur Flour's website's: Chocolate Breakfast Muffins with added Thin Mint cookies and Andes Mint Chips.

2/3 cup (2 ounces) Dutch-process cocoa
1 3/4 cups (7 1/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/4 cups (9 3/8 ounces) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 sleeve of Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies, chopped (in 2013, that was about 15-16 cookies and equaled about 1 1/4 cups)
1/2 cup Andes Mint Chips
2 eggs
1 cup (8 ounces) milk (I used whole milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons vinegar
1/2 cup (4 ounces, 1 stick) butter, melted

Prep: Preheat oven to 400°F. Prep muffin tin (I sprayed mine with Pam with Flour spray).
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, chopped Thin Mint cookies and Andes mint chips.
2. In a large measuring cup or medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and vinegar.
3. Add the wet ingredients, along with the melted butter, to the dry ingredients, stirring to blend, just until combined. Do not mix.
4. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin. King Arthur makes 12 muffins with big tops, but I made them smaller and made 16-18 muffins.
5. Bake the muffins for 18-25 minutes (depending on size), or until a cake tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven, and after 5 minutes remove them from the pan, to cool on a rack.

Upside-Down Blood Orange Cake - NY Times

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 08:01:00 +0000

Upside-Down Blood Orange Cake

On my last trip to San Francisco, I lounged in my friend Sumi's beautiful sun-filled apartment reading the New York Times and drinking tea. I love vacations that include lots of lounging and napping. I came across this recipe for Upside-Down Blood Orange Cake in the New York Times, clippped it out and brought it home to make!

I made half the recipe and filled a 5" round pan. I didn't have the fine cornmeal called for in the recipe, so I tried processing some regular cornmeal. I don't think that made much difference (perhaps it was my small food processor), so next time I'll take awesome cookbook author Alisa Huntsman's @janeofmanytrade recommendation and get corn flour instead. It's so cool when I ask something on Twitter and a super nice pastry chef writes back! Alisa, totally owe you a bundt cake :)

I think there is nothing prettier than blood oranges. They are the sassy ones in the citrus family.

Recipe: Upside-Down Blood Orange Cake
From the New York Times Dining Section, Jan 16, 2013, D2

270 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks plus 3 tablespoons - divided), at room temperature
130 grams light brown sugar (about 2/3 cup)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (I used a meyer lemon)
2 medium-sized blood oranges
122 grams fine cornmeal (about 1 cup) (I used regular cornmeal that I whizzed around in the food processor for a bit. I don't think that helped much...next time, I'm going to get corn flour)
65 grams all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)
8 grams baking powder (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
2 grams fine sea salt (about 1/2 teaspoon)
200 grams granulated sugar (about 1 cup)
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream (I didn't have any sour cream so I used some Greek yogurt)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan. (I made HALF the recipe and used a 5" round cake pan)
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add the brown sugar and lemon juice; stir until sugar melts, about 3 minutes. Scrape mixture into bottom of prepared pan.
3. Grate zest from the oranges. Cut away the skin and white pith. Slice into 1/4" wheels, discarding seeds. Arrange oranges on top of brown sugar mixture in a single, tight layer. I cut some pieces to fit in the pan.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. In a bowl of a standing mixer, rub the sugar together with the orange zest. Then cream together 2 sticks (225 grams) butter with the granulated sugar. Beat in eggs, one a time, then beat in sour cream (or yogurt) and vanilla. Fold in the dry mixture by hand.
5. Scrape batter into pan over oranges. Transfer to oven and bake until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean, 40 to 50 minutes. (I didn't note how long I baked the 5" round cake - but check early). Cool cake in pan 10 minutes, then run a knife along pan’s edges to loosen it; invert onto a platter and cool completely before serving.

Cafe Surfas Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 07:54:00 +0000

Cafe Surfas, Culver City, California

Friends Jenn of Justjenn Recipes and Jami of Night Baking met for breakfast at Cafe Surfas this morning...prior to some shopping at one of our favorite stores in Los Angeles! I've never had the breakfast at Cafe Surfas so this was a treat.

Pictured above: Delicious seasonal Blood Orange Blend fresh squeezed juice. Very refreshing.

I didn't get one this time, but if you visit, be sure to get the Lavender Lemon Bar from the Cafe. Soooooo delicious!

Breakfast Sandwich with bacon, egg, bread, cheese, tomato and more bacon. Jamie and Jenn got this toasted panini.

I ordered the Veggie breakfast sandwich on challah bread with roasted veggies and fried egg. In the store, I bought some parchment mini cupcake liners, non-French rolling pin, and whole wheat pastry flour. Let's see what I make with those supplies! Also, I got a discount with my KCRW Fringe Benefits card - always awesome to be a member of public radio.

Both breakfast sandwiches were under $10. Cafe Surfas has indoor and outdoor seating, WiFi, and water bowls for your doggie. It's a great place to start the day...before spending all your money in Surfas. :)

Cafe Surfas & Surfas Restaurant Supply
8777 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232

Brown Sugar Buttermilk Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Brown Sugar Buttermilk Muffins

Do you bake much? Sometimes you have some leftover buttermilk...and although you can keep buttermilk for ages, you need another recipe to use it up. This is that recipe! 1 cup of buttermilk, some flour, cinnamon, brown sugar and you a great breakfast treat.

My friend JustJenn tweeted about these muffins the other day. She made them in 2010, but sometimes you need to be reminded of little gems. That night, our friend Nosh with Me tweeted that she was going to make them...and I joined in too!

They are easy to make and assemble. The night before, I mixed the dry ingredients together in a bowl and made the simple crumb topping in another bowl (and refrigerated the topping). In the morning, I just mixed the liquids together and folded it all together. Easy peasy.

These are so yummy! Everyone at the library liked them - make them for your office or family today!

Recipe:
Brown Sugar Buttermilk Muffins
Find the full recipe on JustJenn's blog here!

My changes: Added 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Baked for 18-20 minutes. I got 16 muffins, and Nosh With Me got 20 muffins.

Biscoff Swirl Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 08:01:00 +0000

Biscoff Swirl Brownies

One morning, I woke up and this happened.
Brownies and Biscoff.
Awesome.

I've made Martha Stewart's Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies in the past and wanted to make them with Biscoff cookie spread. I googled a bunch of recipes for biscoff brownies and many of them included a biscoff-cream cheese dollop. That sounded good, but I didn't have any cream cheese in the frig. I saw Oh Lady Cakes' Speculoos Swirl Brownies and saw that she just melted some Biscoff spread and swirled it. Score.

The layer of Biscoff isn't very deep. I only used 1/2 cup. Next time, I might use a cup or try a cream cheese-Biscoff recipe.

Biscoff Swirl Brownies
Based on Martha Stewart's Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies and Oh Lady Cakes' Speculoos Swirl Brownies

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup Biscoff spread or Trader Joe's Cookie Spread, melted

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter or spray an 8-inch square baking pan and line with parchment.
2. Put butter and chocolates in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Let cool slightly.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
4. Whisk granulated sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture; fold until incorporated.
5. Pour batter into pan. Pour melted Biscoff spread (microwave in 15 second increments) onto batter, and swirl with a butter knife.
6. Bake until a cake tester inserted comes out with a few crumbs, between 25-35 minutes depending on your oven. Let cool.

Cara Cara Orange & Ginger Scones - Mark Bittman Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 08:01:00 +0000

Cara Cara Orange & Ginger Scone

The Cara Cara Oranges from the last post? I used one to make these scones - adapted from the Mark Bittman's Scone recipe.

Mark Bittman's basic scone recipe allows for a lot of add-ins and combinations. I had some delicious Cara Cara Oranges, and I think crystallized ginger should be included in Every Single Baked Good on the planet.

These scones aren't very sweet and more like biscuits. In fact, everyone thought they were biscuits when I brought them into the library. I brought strawberry jam - they are good with or without. Mark Bittman calls these Classic Scones and suggests cream and/or jam. These are not Starbuck's-like scones.

My cousin got a bonsai tree for the holiday. It came in the mail and it was from Costco! Who knew Costco sold hot dogs, pizza, crazy amounts of toilet paper...and ships bonsai trees.

When I want items to get golden brown, here is what I usually do: I bake the cookie or scone at the recommended temperature. I set the time for one or two minutes less than the recommended time. Then, I switch the oven from regular heat to convection oven for the last one to two minutes. Convection oven is awesome at blowing air in the oven and browning the scone. I haven't gotten a handle on adjusting recipes to convection only baking...if I do it 100% convection, sometimes they bake to quickly even if I lower the temp by 25 degrees.

I brought the scones to a meeting last week. Along with some New York Times Chocolate Chip cookies (2 dozen...minus one I HAD to eat for quality control purposes). There were six people at the meeting. We ate most of it. :)

Cara Cara Orange & Ginger Scones
Adapted from: Scones, How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman (page 845-846)

2 cups all-purpose or cake flour, more as needed
1 scant teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons (1 T + 1 t) baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
2 eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup crystallized ginger, cut into small pieces
Zest of one orange
Egg wash or cream: 1 egg or heavy cream

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar together in a bowl. Add the butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to cut butter into flour until it has a sandy or cornmeal texture. You can also pulse in a food processor. Then add the ginger and zest to the dry mixture.
2. Beat 2 eggs together with the cream.
3. Quickly mix the liquid and dry mixture. Don't overmix. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead just a couple times to pull the dough together.
4. Press dough about 3/4 inch thick and then cut out circles or cut into squares. I made about 18 smaller circles.
5. Brush the top of each scone with cream or an egg wash and sprinkle with sugar (I used sanding sugar but you can also use granulated sugar).
6. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown.
7. Serve with jam, clotted cream, or other delights.

Winter Citrus: Kishu, Satsuma, Cara Cara Oranges

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 22:30:00 +0000

Oh, California Citrus. Love You.

Just a quick, random post about the bounty of citrus available at Farmer's Markets in Southern California right now.

I have great sympathy for places that don't have year-round farmer's markets nor citrus in their backyard. Being conceived, born and raised in Southern California, this just blows my mind. That...and snow. And how to layer clothing for cold weather. And how to drive in snowy weather. And all things related to the cold.

I just finished listening to Frank Bruni's book - Born Round: A Story of Family, Food and a Ferocious Appetite. It was a very interesting read/listen (he reads it himself) about his relationship with food, his weight, fad diets, bulimia, exercise, his family and being the NY Times Restaurant Critic. Anyway, at one point, his parent's move from the East Coast to La Jolla (San Diego) for a time. He wrote that they were amazed they could go into the backyard and pick citrus off their own tree at Christmas. Cracked me up...and reminded me how lucky I am to live in a place where you can have all types of citrus grow in your backyard.

Cutie mandarins or clementines are available nationwide now in those Cutie boxes. They are okay to me and I eat a handful at a meeting...but these oranges from the Farmer's Market are so much better. If you are in So Cal, please head out to your farmer's market this "winter" (Los Angeles Winter, that is)

Right now, my favorite is the kishu mandarin. The season for this small packages of deliciousness is short...so I usually get 3 pounds a week. When they are gone, I move onto the Golden Nugget mandarin and Sumo Citrus - my own season of citrus.

The Los Angeles Time's David Karp wrote about the seedless kishu in 2010. They are so sweet and delicious!

The Satsuma Mandarin or Mikan is the old standby for me. The skin is loose so it's a breeze to peel. Sweet and lovely. Sometimes they are small, and some a little larger. Seedless delights.

Oh, the Cara Cara Orange! It's got a great pink color and very tasty. To me, it's a cross of an orange and sweet ruby red grapefruit (but the official cross is between two navel oranges). I've seen them at Costco (Sunkist producer) and, through the years, at more stores. Seedless.

I hope you get a chance to try these yummy citrus fruit. You know, scurvy is bad. Let's all avoid it.

Sandbox Bakery, Bernal Heights San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 07:00:00 +0000

Sandbox Bakery, San Francisco

My friend Sumi and I went to Sandbox Bakery in the Bernal Heights area of San Francisco. The owner, Mutsumi Takehara was trained at La Farine and Chez Panisse...with time at Rubicon and Slanted Door. With that past, I knew it would be delicious.

The bakery has a lovely display of yummy pastries. They sell single drip coffee as well as some savory foods too. See the full menu here (prices I quote are from a January 2013 look at the website menu).

Ginger scone. If there is a ginger scone in the bakery, it is going into my bag. I love ginger scones. This one was very light and tasty. I would definitely buy it again. $2.00

Top: Melon pan. This is a very light, sugar topped brioche. I could probably eat a dozen of these...but they are brioche so that probably isn't the best idea :) $2.25

Bottom: Curry pan. Oh, this is yummmmmy. You can find a curry pan at many Japanese bakeries and it is an easy way to get a bite to eat. $3.00 (online menu, but from the photo I took, it looks like it is more than $3.00 now - anyway, worth it)

This is the Negi-Miso Kashi Pan. It is challah bread with miso paste and green onions inside! Challah and Japanesey flavors? Lovely, and my favorite item from our little visit. $2.25

If you are in the Bernal Heights area of San Francisco, be sure to try out Sandbox Bakery!
Sandbox Bakery
833 Cortland Avenue, San Francisco

Arugula Salad with Blood Oranges, Beets, Avocado and Almonds

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Arugula Salad with Blood Oranges, Beets, Avocado and Almonds

I went to the Bay Area last weekend and had the most lovely time! The next few posts will be about the trip.

While there, my friend Sumi made the most delicious salad for lunch for me and my other UCLA roommate, Diane. I'm lucky to have such wonderful friends - you know the ones where you pick up just where you left off no matter how much time there is between visits? Sumi and Diane are those friends (although I promise to visit more frequently so the stretches aren't so long!)

Sumi went to the Ferry Building's Farmer's Market and found great citrus including blood oranges, and golden beets. She adapted a vinaigrette from a Martha Stewart cookbook.

We microwaved the beets to save some time. I love golden beets - they are sweeter than red beets, and they don't get all over your hands...an added bonus.

Sumi picked up some Asian pears...my favorite. Asian pears are perfect for a snack tray because they don't brown like regular apples.

The salad was a reflection of California agriculture! Everything was grown locally: arugula, avocado, blood orange, almonds, golden beets.

Because Sumi is just kinda awesome, she had some poached pears in the refrig. These are Harry & David pears too - awesome! Topped with caramel sauce, ice cream and/or herbs...lovely finish to our delicious lunch.

Friends.
Food.
That's all you really need.

After lunch, we went for a hike (Diane and I call it that) or walk (Sumi's description) in Golden Gate Park...passing the de Young museum, Stow Lake and getting to the top of Strawberry Hill for some fantastic views of the beautiful city and county of San Francisco.

Salad ingredients:
Arugula
Almonds
Avocado
Golden beets - peeled, cooked, and diced into bite-size pieces
Blood oranges
Shaves of parm cheese

Vinaigrette:
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil (depends on preference)
1 t grated orange zest and 1 t grated lemon zest
1 T - 2T orange juice (depends on preference)
1 t lemon juice
3 T red wine vinegar
1/2 small shallot, mince
Salt & pepper to taste

Whisk together. Taste and adjust seasoning. Dress salad.

Cake Decorating Birthday Party

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 22:30:00 +0000

Cake Decorating Birthday Party for Lucia

My UCLA college roommate, Agnes has two beautiful girls, Lucia and Julia. Lucia turned 11 years old (can't believe she's that old already!) and we had a cake decorating party with her friends to celebrate.

Lucia the birthday girl and her 4" decorated cake

Agnes bought some ready made "buttercream" from the cake supply store, and I made the little 4 inch cakes. Yes, somehow I have FIVE 4" cake rounds in my closet. Oh yeah, I also have 7 off-set spatulas. What?!

I made two batches of Flour Bakery Yellow Cake. This is seriously the best yellow cake on the planet. Made with cake flour, this cake has a terrific crumb and flavor. It's a winner. (See this post for the cake with a chocolate ganache frosting and check out Amazon for the book).

Since parents and siblings want to see the beautiful cake, I decided to have the kids decorate the cake and take it home whole. I made some chocolate cupcakes to decorate and eat at the party with ice cream.

Some of the prep included putting up wonderful decorations from Holland. Agnes had them in the dorms and our apartment back in the day, and I find them just lovely. (Agnes also introduced me to Nutella back in 1989 when you could only get it in specialty stores). She received a set of flower decorations from her aunt in Holland.

Agnes found Betty Crocker Fondant Topper kits at her local Vons store. I've never seen them before. Although the directions to microwave them for a short time freaked me out (you wouldn't do that with "real" fondant, right?), the fondant worked out. It was convenient because you didn't have to dye fondant (crazy messy), it gave you more than enough for 10 little cakes and it came in many colors. Worth it for a party. I ended up kneading all of them by hand instead of using the microwave because, just my luck, I feared I would end up with a melty mess. The kit comes with some cookie cutters, and Ag had a slew of small cutters too.

We colored buttercream, put it in disposable plastic pastry bags and used basic round and star tips. We also put out a bunch of toppings such as colored sugar, sprinkles, chopped candies, mini M&M, and all things kids (and adults) enjoy.

Agnes bought bakery boxes, and I picked up gold cardboard cake rounds (six inches). This makes the cake look uber professional. Your kid only turns 11 years old once...go for the finishing touches.

Aren't these kids talented?! All the kids were from 7 years old - 11 years old.

If you want to host a cake decorating party, here are some hints: (I've never done anything like this before)

1. Have more frosting than you imagine any human should consume. We bought two bins at the cake decorating shop and it was close (I had the kids go really light in the center of the cake). Make a few batches of buttercream. If you don't use it all, you can always freeze it.
2. Close off frosting bags with rubber bands or binder clips. I don't frost much (that is the beauty of bundt cakes, cookies and coffee cakes) but I can handle a piping bag. But a 7 year old may not get the physics of squishing the bag in their cute little hands. Next time, I'll be sure to tie off the ends of the piping bag with rubber bands or binder clips.
3. Bake and freeze the cakes. In my cake decorating class, we always worked with frozen cake. It is easier to cut and shape. Don't go crazy prepping the frosting and baking cakes the day before the party. Bake the cakes a week earlier, wrap each one tightly with plastic wrap and freeze. Besides you'll probably need to make a few batches to get enough cakes (unless you have endless numbers of cake pans)
4. If you don't have 4" cake pans (or whatever size you want to make), just make sheet pans or 9 x 13 of cake and cut out circles of the correct size.
5. Parchment paper is your friend. I purchase pre-cut half-sheet parchment sheets by the THOUSAND box at my local restaurant supply house. I used it as a placemat for each kid, as well as practice sheets for demonstrating piping frosting. Wax paper would work too.
6. Many hands need many people. Luckily, Ag's mother and mother-in-law were on hand to help serve lunch and help the kids at the "fondant station."

Sister Love! Younger sis Julia sings her heart out during "Happy Birthday!"

Happy Birthday Lucia! It was such a fun, sugar filled day! :) - mary

Milk & Cookies Bakery Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Milk & Cookies Bakery Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

I borrowed the eBook of Milk & Cookies Bakery cookbook from the library. So high tech to get an eBook from your library...does your library offer this service? You should check it out if they do. It's convenient and allows you to check out eBooks in your pajamas, and browse a cookbook before purchasing it.

This cookbook has several "base" recipes followed by "add-ins". This chocolate chip recipe starts with the Vanilla Base and has two types of chocolate added. You can also use the Vanilla Base to make Milk Chocolate Orange Cookies, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, and Dark Chocolate Toffee Cookies.

The vanilla base has oat flour as well as all-purpose flour. It's old fashioned oatmeal pulsed in a food processor until fine.

The chocolate chip has two types of chocolate: bittersweet shavings or curls, and semi-sweet chunks (I used semi-sweet chips). The directions say to blend it in the KitchenAid until streaky, then scrape the dough onto a floured surface and finish "mixing the dough by using a light kneading motion, working until the dough is just blended." After, you blend in the chocolate with a wooden spoon.

I was unclear if I was supposed to knead the Vanilla Base together, then put it back into the mixer or bowl to mix in the chocolate with a wooden spoon. I ended up blending the whole thing on the counter and made a crazy mess.

My cookies are smaller...the recipe yield is 2 dozen and I got about double that.

For some chocolately good cookies, try these Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies from Milk & Cookies Bakery.

Recipe: Available on Cooking Channel HERE
From the book Milk & Cookies: 89 Heirloom Recipes from New York's Milk & Cookies Bakery

JustJenn's New Year Oshogatsu Feast 2013

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 17:00:00 +0000

New Year's Feast at JustJenn's House!

My friend JustJenn cooked, baked, and then cooked & baked some more! She hosts a great New Year's Oshogatsu feast on New Year's day. Fun times!

Here is JustJenn's post about it as well as the recipes. I'll just leave you with some photos so you can get jealous. I mean, enjoy the deliciousness with me.

What a spread!!!

Shrimp salad

Sushi from old school Sakae Sushi in Gardena

Somen salad

Root beer pulled pork, guava jelly chicken wings and tamale pie... perhaps not enjoyed by our samurai ancestors in Japan, but us Japanese Americans put our own spin on things.

Guava jelly chicken wings

You had to save lots of room for dessert - homemade an mochi, brownie mochi, mochi bundt and broken glass bundt!

I brought a bundt, of course! And the mochi in the ozoni soup was from our annual mochi making day.

Thanks for a delicious New Years lunch, JustJenn. What a great way to start the year!

For more info and recipes, see JustJenn's post! Also, don't forget that JustJenn has a MOCHI COOKBOOK! From sweet to savory - find it on Amazon.

Mochitsuki 2012 - Mochi Making with the Family for New Years

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 18:00:00 +0000

As we've done since before I was born, my family and friends came together on the Saturday before New Years Day to make mochi - a Japanese pounded rice patties used on New Year's day to give you good luck, longevity, good times, and a shot at George Clooney (what? that's not the promise of mochi? Hmmm...)

As I've described in posts from 2011, 2010, 2008, 2007, my family gets together annually to make hella mochi. Hella.

This year we cooked 200 pounds of rice. Yes, that is 20 bags of rice. Luckily, my friend Rosie was on winter break from Johnson & Wales. She washed all 200 pounds of rice! She's starting to look Asian now, huh? :)

We woke up to RAIN. What? This is Los Angeles! We haven't had rain on mochi day for years so we were pretty disappointed. The annual bouncy house had to be cancelled - so sad because you can get a good workout in the bouncy house (if you are in Los Angeles, try Planet Bouncy - Owner Sergei is a UCLA Bruin and they did a great job last year).

But is pouring rain going to stop a bunch of Japanese Americans with determination? No. We put up some pop tents and rain jackets. Above, my cousin, brother and cousin-in-law make mochi (this process is repeated for about 6 hours). Hot rice goes into the grinder and gets extruded. The mochi is cut off, and then handed to the catcher who rolls it into a round shape before placing the hot mochi onto a full-sheet pan.

This year I set up a Mochi Tasting Table. I saw it at a church function and thought it was a great way to introduce people to the different ways you can eat mochi...however, everyone just stuck with the standards: shoyu (soy sauce), sugar and kinako. We had: nori (seaweed), ponzu sauce (wasn't even opened), shoyu (soy sauce - light salt (next year, I need to have both the "red" and "green" bottle because some like the full sodium effect), kinako (roasted soybean flour & sugar), grated daikon radish, wasabi paste, and natto (fermented soybeans). Natto is a crazy very acquired taste - I find it gross, but one person did eat their mochi with it! Somehow, there is a Diet Coke in my photo...ignore that.

Mochi, mochi, mochi...

We ate and ate and ate - this is only a few of dishes. In the upper left hand corner is Spam Musubi...I'll have a post (and giveaway) soon. Someone "new" to mochi making (we always get a few new friends each year) brought Beer Can Chicken...they are totally invited back. My cousin grilled Korean BBQ at 8 am, in the rain, before coming over. That's dedication.

There are pans and pans of mochi by the end of the day. We pack it up and most people deliver it to friends so they can have fresh mochi on New Year's morning.

Although the house is covered with mochiko flour and I'm exhausted by the end of the day, it is so worth it to see lots of relatives and friends. And since we had rain this year, I think we're guaranteed clear skies for the next ten years.

Check out my friend JustJenn's post about the day! She has a lot more "process" photos so if you are interested to each step, check it out.

Happy New Year! Next up... I go to Jenn's house for a New Year's feast (with mochi, of course!)

- mary the food librarian

Related mochi posts:
Fmaily Mochi making: 2011, 2010, 2008, 2007
Sweet mochi with red beans
Chocolate Brownie mochi
Zunda mochi
Blueberry Mochi cake

Merry Christmas 2012

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 08:01:00 +0000

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas! I hope it is filled with lots of laughs, family and hella food.
- xo, Mary the Food Librarian and Cidney the Girl Dog

Dear Friends of the Food Librarian, I know Mary writes about me all the time and takes endless instagram photos on the beach, but can you believe this year's costume? It was a few sizes too small and had to be stretched over my head (luckily I have small ears). Then they put antlers on me too. Oh, the things I do for a daily walk and occasional run to the beach. :) I wish you and your furry friends a great holiday season!
- xo, Cidney the Girl Dog

Gingerbread Pancakes - Mark Bittman

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Gingerbread Pancakes

I woke up craving pancakes the other day. And gingerbread. Thus, gingerbread pancakes!

This recipe is from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman. It's a great book that I need to use more often. Are you a food blogger? I've finally started taking a photo of the recipe I'm using so I can keep track of things!

These pancakes are fluffy and have a hint of molasses and spices. Fresh minced ginger is added to the batter. When I make these again, I might also add some ground ginger to the mix to amp up the spices.

The liquid includes milk (I used almond milk), molasses and egg yolks. The egg whites are beaten until stiff and folded into the batter.

When you wake up with a craving for pancakes and gingerbread...make these!

Recipe:
Adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
Base: Light and Fluffy Pancakes (page 202) + Gingerbread ingredients

1 cup milk
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger, or 2 teaspoons ground ginger, or 2-3 Tablespoons minced crystallized ginger (I used fresh ginger)
4 eggs, separated
1 cup all-purpose flour
Dash salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves

1. Preheat griddle or pan. Cook these pancakes more slowly than others as they can burn.
2. Beat together the milk, egg yolks, ginger and molasses in a measuring cup or bowl.
3. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a whisk or electric mixer until stiff but not dry.
5. Combine the dry ingredients and milk/yolk mixture. Fold in the egg whites but don't overmix...you can leave streaks of the egg whites.
6. Butter or oil the pan and add batter. Flip when the pancake shows some bubbles, and cook through.