Living each week like it's shark week

Japantown to the Mission District (5/30-31)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:59:00 +0000

Moving Day! After deciding we were taking up far too much of Magnus's "me" time, Magnus tactfully asked us to leave. It was our fifth day; who could blame him. We did leave with a little parting gift though--remember the Before?

The After:

Ah. Makes me feel clean.

I couldn't do anything about his closet. A girl can only do so much.

What's that? You're looking for a grille that has dollar signs written in rhinestones? Why, it's the strangest thing!

I saved that tidbit about Magnus's grille for you until after we'd left...I didn't want you to prejudge him or anything. It's cool guys, I only saw him wear it in public once. It might also be safe to tell you now that he loves the new Melrose Place, candy and any romantic comedy you might throw his way. Single alert!

Once again we tried braving the chill and exploring Golden Gate Park. This is the view of the California Academy of Sciences, recently redesigned by Renzo Piano, from across the Music Concourse. It's beautiful, and the museum is a lovely place, but we came too late this time around to go inside.

The De Young Museum is across the Concourse. We also missed it. (Note: arrive earlier than 5 p.m. if you actually want to, you know, visit.)

Then we headed over to Manny's, where we'd stay the rest of our trip. He's a former coworker of mine who moved to the Bay Area. This is Manny.

Here's his room. In case you were interested, Manny's taste in movies is a little different. We watched Dumb & Dumber the first night. It was hilarious! I did not expect that. One of his roommates, Stephanie, had an impromptu dinner party that she welcomed us to join, so we did.

More on that room later. In the meantime, Lauren and I went to hunt down some food. First of ly, I had to find an ATM, which resulted in the creepiest hunt-for-an-ATM-in-a-hospital-in-the-mist ever. The only photographic evidence I have from that period is a shot from inside the lobby (I'm pretty sure we had to go inside some dude's office to get to the ATM).

Luckily, we made it out and found our way to Farolito Taqueria, another recommendation from yet another former coworker. Are you aware of the LA vs. SF Mexican food feud? I might be making this up, but I believe there's this ongoing battle of Mexican cuisine in the two regions. San Francisco's known for their big burritos. Naturally, we had to try it.

My torta--I couldn't stomach a burrito, but I tried some of Lauren's.

I'm not biased or anything, I'm just saying Mexican food in San Francisco sucks. Los Angeles Mexican food blows it out of the Bay! But let's not argue. I'd much rather have peace in this world (and all other worlds). That's why I'm leaving you with this photo taken back at Manny's. Remember I said I'd tell you more about Manny's room? This was on his closet door. Ladies, you'd better act fast!

San Francisco Day 4 (5/29)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:59:00 +0000

Ever been to the Ferry Building in the Embarcadero? It's a loooong building...by the ferry...with lots of little foodie shops. Like Faneuil Hall in Boston. Or Costco on the weekends.

At Joy's suggestion Lauren and I headed over to the Cowgirl Creamery inside, an artisan cheese shop. In other words, I was in heaven. We had a very helpful lady who discussed cheeses with us and we ended up with a variety of wedges. All we needed to do was get a loaf of crusty bread from Acme Bakery next door and we had lunch!

From left to right, San Andreas (semi-firm sheep's milk), Ewe's Blue (a sheep's milk blue made in the style of Roquefort), Mt. Tam (the creamery's award-winning signature cow's milk) and Fenacho (a semi-firm goat's milk). I happen to have a deep affinity to sheep's milk cheeses; they are always so earthy and complex. I loved the Ewe's Blue, but I could have eaten my way through the entire shop. The Creamery's Library of Cheeses is a great place to go drool--thanks for the recommendation, Joy!

Lauren dragged me into some hotel nearby and we sneaked on to the glass elevator. Pressing all the buttons! It did have a nice view.

Tomorrow: Lauren and Christine move to the Mission!

Exploratorium.

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:05:00 +0000

And on the third day, God made the Exploratorium at the Palace of Fine Arts. And we paid homage to this king of buildings, and it was good.

If you think I'm exaggerating, you've never been to the Exploratorium. How can I describe it to you? It's like you walk into a room and suddenly you've been given the gift of magic. Only instead of magic, it's SCIENCE.

1. Remember those 4x5 objets d'art you'd find next to the Newton's cradle in fancy offices, with those pins that conformed to whatever shape was pushed into it? And more often than not, that meant your 6-year-old face? Well, there's one of those at the Exploratorium. Only, it's a table.

2. If you've ever been curious to see what ice crystals look like as they form (and let's face it, who hasn't), feel free to pour a warm shock of water over a very cold glass table and watch it freeze before your very eyes.

3. Hey! It turns out, if you put a mirror underneath a bowl of water and cup some air between your hand and the surface of the water, the reflection of the water looks like you're cupping a handful of water in your dry hands!!

4. Giant bubble wall.

5. Jostling aside the 5th graders on their field trips is an unfortunate necessity. But we can't all hog the cool lights, and they've got to learn manners somehow!

6. Since we all secretly loved bullying in elementary school, relive fond memories by posing with a friend at the end of a mirror! Look Ma, a wedgie!

7. Appear even taller than usual, or tall in general (and especially tall next to children)!

8. When you convince your friend to "just try it, it'll be fun," stand on the other side, wait for her to head toward the shoe and then scream when she touches it. You know, to mix things up a little.

9. Discover the joys behind hidden treats like musical water fountains.

10. Heck, you might as well go all out and make the cafeteria food look better than it tastes or even more expensive than it costs!

11. Giant bubbles.

12. Giant bubbles.

13. Impress your friends by learning the nuances connecting Hokusai and rubber duckies.

14. Wander around outside to look at the mallards and the buildings.

15. Take pictures with your friends.

16. Get suckered into eating at an adorable Euro-style eatery in North Beach.

Congratulations! In 16 short steps you've spent a memorable, exciting third day in San Francisco and unlocked the key to your imagination with science. Tune in next time when we ask, is stupid as really as stupid does it as? Is?

p.s. Prepare to have your mind blown. This is Ladle Rat Rotten Hut.

San Francisco Day 2: Flowers, Facial Hair and Pizza (5/27)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:17:00 +0000

Magnus lives on a sweet little street in Japantown. There are trees outside his window, elderly people live in most of the apartments, and the lobby has an old-fashioned gate. This is his charming, peaceful view.

And this is how he repays it.

OK, so he's a bachelor. He can't cook. And he is rather tidy, at least judging from his bathroom. Oh, and his fridge.

Also, we stocked the orange juice.

I mean, seriously??

Notice the paper bag/trash can. In the sink.

Needless to say, we went out. A lot.

On our first full day, Magnus recommended a crepe place nearby, so we boogied on over and bought ourselves what we thought would be a nice little snack savored delicately on our forks. Then we were given this.

Nutella, strawberries, and vanilla bean gelato in a crepe cone. Messier than it looks and even better than it sounds.

After our dainty breakfast we took the bus over to Golden Gate Park, stopping in a place we'd only driven by before: the Conservatory of Flowers.

But first, silliness.

So there we were, done taking our weirdo snapshots and all ready to go inside, when something caught my eye. I paused.

Lauren, look! It's a couple dressed in the height of Victorian fashion! How quaint! Wait till they get a little closer!

Then I froze.

Ladies and gentleman, the award for the world's craziest facial hair goes to the gentleman in the top hat!

And I'm pretty sure that was a little daisy at the end of it.

When we picked up our jaws enough to go inside, we saw how lovely the Conservatory actually is. The entire building categorizes its plants by environment and divides the room into these microclimates, so one place would be cool and shady and the next oppressively humid.

Unfortunately we couldn't disturb the plants too much, otherwise I definitely would have climbed in there and pulled a Kate from LOST hiding from the smoke monster. No? Too much?

Uh, am I the only one who never thought about how pineapples grow? Because holy cow, how adorable are pineapple plants??

We then moved into the tropical room.

And this is what happened immediately to my glasses.

They had this eerie giant tank in the middle of the room that was murky and covered with lotus leaves, so you wouldn't be able to tell an alligator or Jason Voorhees was lurking in it until too late.

We left to find an even colder, foggier city than before.

The only thing to do, then, was find pizza. And thanks to my coworkers Natalie and Drew, boy, did we ever find some. Escape from New York Pizza is a place wars could be fought over. Hearts broken. Wallets emptied.

"The Gourmet": spinach, feta, sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes. In the background, a slice of pesto.

Then the holy grail of pizzas: "You Say Potato." Thin slices of potato and whole cloves of roasted garlic over a pesto base.

The crust was wonderfully crisp, not soggy or laden down. The toppings themselves were fresh and flavorful, and service was fast. Cash only is how you know it's good. That was some of the best pizza of my life.

Afterward we stumbled into the San Francisco Giant Robot, where there was a gallery of artwork devoted to pencil as a medium.

Now I can't get the pizza out of my head. Oh man. That pizza. I burn, I pine, I perish! Here, in case you forgot:

I leave you now with a video taken at some point that day, recapping an experience Lauren and I had had a few minutes prior. That one "heyooo" heard in the beginning is a reminder of the egregious use we made of that word during our trip. Like, every hour. It was awesome.

San Francisco Day 1 (5/26)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:51:00 +0000

I have a habit of keeping up-to-date with new travel deals and last-minute price drops. Blame it on my reckless 20s. When I found out JetBlue was having a "$20 sale" I informed Lauren immediately and we booked flights that same day. San Francisco? Why not?

This is what we did instead of attending our commencement ceremonies. And because I am a sucker for punishment, our return home was set for the day before I left to Vietnam. Hilarity is bound to ensue. For instance, look at my face.

We loved flying out of Long Beach Airport! It was my first experience there. The TSA officers smiled, guards were friendly and our "terminal" was open and airy. So airy, in fact, that we had feathered passengers waiting on standby a few chairs over. Those birds would have been Tasered if they managed to break into LAX!

Lauren double-checks that she's sufficiently stocked up on the color yellow.

I brought this Travel Scrabble that we ended up playing a total of one times. We always try to play for reals, but it tends not to work out. "Volva" is a word, right?

OK, will somebody please tell me what the hell this is? I was both fascinated and horrified to spot this from the air.

EDIT 8/18: Hey! We do learn something new everyday! While watching Modern Marvels on TV I discovered that these multicolored bodies of water are actually brine evaporation ponds! Those pictured are a notable collection operated by Cargill. Salty!

We were lucky enough to ingratiate ourselves with a friend of my sister's who lives in a sweet one-bedroom place in Japantown. This is the sparse but charming lobby.

And the sparse but charming Magnus, escorting us by bus to a pizza place he knew

(photo by Lauren)

Later we dragged him to Trader Joe's because we have to do these sorts of things. This is Store #100, which used to be #1 before the Manhattan store came along.

Their back room is so large it has stairs. Stairs!

And check out the height on that full-sized fridge! *wolf whistle*

Can I be a dork about this? Even the billboard post outside had Hawaiian flowers on it. Awesome.

We got back to Magnus's, where we soon discovered his tastes leaned more toward the romantic side. And by that I mean he owned movies like "Definitely, Maybe" and "No Reservations," so I'm pretty sure we just watched a rom-com and called it a night. Definitely our idea of an evening well spent!

Clementine and the Ocean (5/6)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 22:13:00 +0000

Lauren and I tried to go see Nathan Fillion when he was a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Unfortunately the audience was packed and we couldn't get seats. So what did we do? We ate.

And it turns out, we're hilarious! Who needs celebrities?

We decided to go to Clementine, because it was mostly on our way back. Clementine is a sweet little restaurant in the Westwood-ish part of LA with a seasonal menu and food that you can pick up to-go.

Lauren's Monte Cristo-style sandwich with homemade strawberry jam

My asparagus and garlic sandwich with house-pickled cucumbers

This was just before we graduated, and our talk had consisted of exams and study sessions. But Mars shifted its rotation that day and we were both, well, free: neither of us had work, or class, and for one day we didn't worry about finals or papers or being late to anything except dinner. So we drove down the coast.

The air was so warm! The sun set as we headed home, and there was just music and salty ocean air. Anything could have happened and it would've been OK.

It was a good day. Even though we didn't see Nathan Fillion.

Blueberry Yogurt Muffins (5/2)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:04:00 +0000

Oh yes, I am on a quest. A yogurt quest. A yuest.

How could anyone turn down that face?

These muffins were a spin from Cook's Illustrated. I substituted yogurt for buttermilk and cut down the baking times, and boy, if there's a go-to blueberry muffin recipe this is the one. The one I'm going to marry, Ma, if it'll just give me a chance.

There's nothing like a recipe that requires a bowl, a wooden spoon and some elbow grease.

Ho boy.

What are you still doing here? Didn't you have some muffins to bake?

Blueberry Muffins
Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated via food. according to me.

2 cups (about 10 ounces) fresh blueberries
1/2 cup dried blueberries (optional)
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
3 large eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup plain, whole-milk yogurt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tsp turbinado sugar

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position to heat oven to 350F.
2. Bring 1 cup fresh blueberries and all dried blueberries to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently and pressing blueberries against the side of the pot, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened, about five minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in the large bowl. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Slowly whisk in melted butter and oil until incorporated. Whisk in yogurt and vanilla until combined.
5. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in remaining one cup blueberries.
6. Gently fold in flour mixture until just moistened. Batter will be very lumpy.
7. Using a large spoon, divide half of the batter equally among the 12 muffin cups (about a third filled.) Place a heaping teaspoon of berry mixture on top of batter. Scoop remaining batter on top of berry filling. Using a skewer, gently swirl berry filling into batter.
8. Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top of the muffins.
9. Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 15 to 17 minutes, or a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean--they will continue to cook in the pan when removed from the oven.
10. Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Eat. All.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (4/30)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:01:00 +0000

When I discovered the magical powers yogurt has in baking, I started looking for it in recipes or figuring out how I could use it. From my basic understanding, yogurt/sour cream/buttermilk (in other words, acidic liquids--from my AP Chemistry class in high school, solutions with a pH <7) tempers gluten strands in flour batters, allowing a higher rise, more tender crumb and all-around deliciousness. That acidity is balanced by the addition of an alkali, like baking soda and powder. In other words, make these muffins.

Tiny, soft and puckeringly tart, these muffins are a great way to make friends. I don't understand how poppy seeds work so well with lemon. For example, the phrase "they got along like poppy seeds and lemons" is so very appropriate I just might use it today.*

*Think that's nerdy? I have this in my repertoire: "He liked her as much as a weak acid likes protons." Trust me. It works.

In any case, this recipe from the inimitable Ina has been used to make a beautiful loaf, many mini loaves for gifting, and in this sweet bite-sized form. Make them however you like; just make them fast.

I mix the glaze ingredients in my 1-cup measure and just heat it directly over the stove.

Delicious here:

Embarrassingly good here.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
adapted from Ina Garten

makes about 24 mini muffins, 12 regular-sized muffins or one 8 1/2" x 4 1/4" loaf

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease baking pan, muffin tin, or loaf papers, then flour.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil and poppy seeds into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes in a loaf pan, 25 minutes in a muffin tin or about 20 minutes for mini muffins, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the batter comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in, or brush over individual muffins. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake. (Note: I usually leave out the glaze and the muffins are wonderful without it.)

Kogi BBQ Truck (4/25, 5/8)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:07:00 +0000

Taco trucks in LA are ubiquitous. Some people say we use the derogatory term "roach coach" because of their dubious sanitation standards, but I'd argue that it's more of a term of endearment. Why else would people shout "roach coach!!" while running toward it with such glee? This city loves its portable Mexican food.

Which is why I found myself standing in this line for almost three hours.

Ladies and gentleman, this is the Korean BBQ truck.

I think it's safe to say most food bloggers/readers have heard of Kogi BBQ, especially those in LA. A fusion of Korean and Mexican food from Korean-American Chef Roy Choi, the truck has amassed a huge online following due to its novel approach to dining: you go to the food, but the food always moves. Diners meet at locations specified on Twitter (@kogibbq), often forming a queue even before the truck arrives, and occasionally work to help the truck find a location where it won't get ticketed.

We finally made the venture when a truck (there are now three, but two at the time) decided to putter over to the Lakewood area. Unfortunately I think this had the effect of drawing every single person from greater Orange County who had previously been hesitant to drive up to Hollywood or Venice, and the line was excruciatingly immobile. We were limited to 3 tacos a person, with no other menu options. After we got our food and left, we found out that they ended up calling over the other truck to come help out and restored the full menu.

Chef Roy himself was gracious enough to walk the entire line himself, offering free peanut butter truffles as appeasement for the craziness. It worked.

First rule of Kogi BBQ: bring beer. Not only will beer greatly enhance your dining experience, it will pass the time in line swimmingly. This explains how I wasn't too bothered by the wait.

This is near the middle of the line. I think I can see the truck from here.

The menu, which we weren't allowed to order from.

Kogi is cash-only and specializes in its $2 tacos--pricier than most taco trucks but a pretty sweet deal. Don't forget the 9.75% tax.

Guillermo ordering in Spanish. Second rule: bring a Mexican. Guillermo was dubious when I explained the food to him, but he changed his mind.

Quiet, intense Chef himself.

We were so hungry by the time we got our foods, I was barely able to snap this. According to the website, every taco is seasoned with "sesame-chili salsa roja, julienne romaine lettuce and cabbage tossed in Korean chili-soy vinaigrette, cilantro-green onion-lime relish, crushed sesame seeds, sea salt and garnished with lime wedge, orange wedge and red radish wedge."

And because I had so briefly glimpsed the food from my weak car light, I went back two weeks later with my dad (in the name of research). I tried to order the kimchi quesadilla, another popular choice, but they were out and substituted with a short rib quesadilla.

Three short rib (kalbi) and one tofu taco. The tofu is perfectly tender and flavorful, but the kalbi steals the show. Meat is succulent with a charred crust, and every bite combines juicy meat with a burst of the Korean vinaigrette and a kick from salsa.

Come to mama.

They recently started dessert specials, which change often. That night was a chocolate chip cookie with sea salt. Good but definitely not worth the $3+.

Verdict: Insanely good. I've been three times so far. The lines are still nuts, but drinking with friends is definitely a good way to have that pass. Leave the desserts for another time; they're way too expensive. Stick with the gold: kalbi tacos are the way to go, and the kimchi quesadilla that I've finally tried is really great. Burritos have egg and hash brown in them, an homage to the quintessential Mexican breakfast burrito.

Whether it's worth the wait is up to you; part of the reason I like it so much is the chance to stand around and chat in a new setting, but it's definitely a bad idea if you need food fast. Bring lots of friends and drive a truck, if possible, hooked up to some good tunes, and tailgate the hell out of that food. For the experience alone it's worth hunting down that elusive truck, that king of roach coaches.

Chocolate Sheet Cake (4/26)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:05:00 +0000

I'm not one for particularly cold foods. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for ice cream and salad (separately), but when food is generally designed to be hot I prefer it that way. Cold chicken, cold pizza--count me out. And I consider myself to be fairly moderate about this. Lily enjoys her food at about scalding.

That being said, I ate this cake cold and I've never regretted it.

I hurriedly made this before work because it was the last day for my favorite boss. I had no inspiration. I scrolled listlessly for anything to make and thankfully I had the good sense to unearth this recipe. Of course, anything remotely smelling of "homemade" at my work has the tendency to disappear within seconds, so the safe thing to do is leave it in the walk-in refrigerator until ready to unveil. That meant putting my fresh cake straight into the cold box, which was how it was served, and boy, was it ever good. Make this cake.

Chocolate Sheet Cake
adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

Cake
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting
1 stick butter
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and finely chopped

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan or the microwave. Stir in cocoa powder, then add boiling water. Let simmer for 30 seconds, then remove from heat. Pour over flour mixture and stir lightly to cool.

Combine buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla extract. Stir into batter and mix until just incorporated. Pour onto half-sheet pan and bake 18-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make frosting. Melt butter over medium-low heat, stir in cocoa and remove from heat. Thoroughly mix in milk, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Stir in pecans and pour immediately over cake.

Cut into squares and serve. Cold if you like, but I doubt it'll last that long.

Truffled Deviled Eggs (4/22)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:35:00 +0000

I'm an egg lover. Prepare me an egg six ways from Sunday and I'll happily eat it. In my egg compendium (my compeggdium, if you will) there is a special place reserved for deviled eggs. The first time I had them was from a platter at Amanda Perkins's 8th birthday party, quietly sitting beside the much more popular chips sidled up next to the dip and those annoyingly outgoing cookies.

I thought to myself, "Self, this is some sort of egg. But an egg the likes of which I have never seen in all my years. I must eat it at once." And I did.

I liked it so much that I probably ate far more than I should have, and since then I eagerly nose them out at parties where that all-American heritage runs deep. I don't know how to put this delicately, so I'll just say it: this is the whitest way to prepare eggs I can imagine. A blob of mayonnaise, a squirt of mustard and a little sprinkle of paprika? My Vietnamese-American self could never imagine such flavors.

I also assumed that everyone knew what they were, which is why I was so confused when I got involved in this conversation at a Denny's a few years later:

Waitress: And how do you want your eggs?
11-year-old-self: Deviled, please.
Waitress: I'm sorry?

I still think she was faking. She just didn't want to go back there and tell them that a little girl had just asked for her eggs to be hardboiled, the yolks seasoned and then piped back into their shell.

Well, I'm here to tell you that I will have my eggs deviled, dangit! (chews and spits something)

This recipe was based on Anne Burrell's that I got by way of Menu for Love. I thought that preparing 4 eggs would be a nice lunch, forgetting that I'm eating essentially eight deviled thingies loaded with mayonnaise, so I'd say try to set these out for other people. This is why I can't go to buffets. Careful not to overdo it on the truffle oil, because that stuff is strong. Sta-rong.

I used both whole grain and Dijon mustard, but substitute whatever you like. And am I the only one who thinks that the truffle oil looks like the "2001"/monolith tribute shot from "Clueless" when Cher gets the call from Christian on that huge black cordless? Or am I reading too much into this? Don't answer that.

Truffled Deviled Eggs

Ingredients
4 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp truffle oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp whole grain mustard
Pinch cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Chopped chives, for garnish

Directions
Place the eggs in a pot and cover with tap water. Bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain, cool and peel.

Cut in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks and add to mayonnaise, truffle oil, mustard, cayenne, and pepper. Mix to combine, then whip until very light and fluffy.

Spoon or pipe the yolk mixture into the whites. Sprinkle with chopped chives. I held back on salting the yolk and instead sprinkled coarse sea salt on top, which lent a sharp crunch and nice contrast. Otherwise, just season to taste with kosher salt.

Frisée aux Lardons

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Sat, 23 May 2009 18:12:00 +0000

Classic. Beautiful. Bacon.

Bacon fat rendered from crisp fried bits is whisked into a warm vinaigrette and drizzled over a salad of mixed greens, served with a poached egg. Classic bistro fare.

Frisée aux Lardons
Adapted from Nancy Silverton (via Dishing up Delights)

Ingredients
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon bacon fat
1 head frisée (I used a bag of mixed salad greens)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Directions
Over medium-low heat, cook bacon until crispy. Drain fat, reserving one teaspoon, and add olive oil, shallots and garlic. Cook 2-3 minutes.

Whisk in Dijon and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about one minute and stir bacon back in. Set aside.

In a separate saucepan, set water to just below boiling. Crack an egg into a dish, give the water a strong stir and slip the egg into the water. Cook 3-5 minutes, lift egg out with a slotted spoon and set on a paper towel. Repeat for the second egg.

Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and toss to combine. Serve with poached egg on top.

Ice Cream Sandwich (4/15)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:40:00 +0000

What happens when you throw some super primo vanilla bean ice cream in between two warm chocolate chip cookies baked from frozen supermarket dough with a little leftover strawberry filling?

This. This happens.

That is all.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients
cookies
ice cream
mouth

Directions
Combine.

Disneyland. April Fool's! (4/1)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:50:00 +0000

Lauren and I went to Disneyland on April Fool's Day for the last time before our passes expired on April 2nd. It had been a while since we'd gone, so we parked, walked excitedly over to the tram (during which we witnessed the kid-punching incident) and were just about to enter the park when I remembered--

Crap. My camera was in the car.

So good friend that she is, Lauren went with me back to the tram, to the parking lot, up the escalator and over to our car (note: the Disneyland parking structure is one of the biggest in the world with over 10,000 spaces) and retrieved the camera. Now we could enter the park.

Yes! Giant letters! The gold looks much better than that awful cloudy-sky tile that was on there for a while. Here I am.

Here's Lauren.

Tradition dictates that one must stop before walking under the bridge, have one person in the group read this sign aloud in a serious, magical tone, and with linked arms, all must WHOOSH under the bridge in one breath. That's how you enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.

Sorry, vintage Disneyland posters under the bridge! We're too busy WHOOSHing!

Fresh blurry flowers on Main Street.

Please ignore that blob in the foreground. Lauren and I have almost perfected the art of "taking photos of each other" when really we're "capturing the ghastly group in the background." ("Quick! Take a picture of me in front of this pole!" = "Oh my god please get photographic evidence of that person standing right there.") They were worse up close.

(Case in point.) Look! I'd like to know this gentleman a little better. There's more to him than the tie-dyed muscle shirt, green neckerchief and bozo friends than meets the eye.

Ah! The elusive heavy metal hotties again!

Lauren and I went to eat at Cafe Orleans, which has pretty much what the Blue Bayou offers without the ambience. And as much as we enjoy the BB's ambience (we like sitting by the water and waving to the passersby on Pirates) we are still poor college students. (At least until this week. Damn, what's my excuse going to be now??)

We chose a good table for people-watching and proceeded to people-watch the hell out of this child, who couldn't seem to cut into that brick with his pirate sword, as hard as he tried. Have I also mentioned we're creepers?

Lauren and I skipped over to DCA to go on Tower of Terror a couple of times (we can't get enough of that ride. So fun!) and stopped at the letters. We took some shots, but I can't expect to hog the "C" forever. There are more important people around. I'm not disgruntled about it. No, we're all very gruntled here.

Lauren is just too cool for school.

This is what she looks like when punched in the face. Yeah, I did that. She giggles when you punch her, I invite anyone to test that.

This is me putting up with Lauren's crap.

This is Lauren putting up with my crap.

And for putting up with my crap, this is Robert, pianist extraordinaire!

That is all.

Chocolate Cake (3/24)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Mon, 18 May 2009 23:28:00 +0000

I've mentioned before that I get hit by baking cravings. That means I'll just be sitting around minding my own business when a chocolate cake might come up from behind and punch me. It's pretty awesome. I decided on a whim to make this cake with no clear idea of how it was going to get et, and in the middle of the ordeal I get a call from my mom telling me it's my uncle's birthday that night and we're all coming over for dinner. I love my life!

This recipe uses Ina Garten's famous chocolate cake. The cake is soft, rich and oh so chocolatey, with two thick layers sandwiching an oozy strawberry filling. I omitted the coffee in the cake recipe because hey, I'm just not that into coffee flavor in baked goods. Instead I used hot water, which serves the purpose just fine. The idea from the filling came from Katie of Chaos in the Kitchen, which was itself adapted from Deb of Smitten Kitchen. The frosting is a basic chocolate ganache, which was good, but I recommend using a softer, sweeter frosting.

Start by combining dry ingredients (sift the cocoa powder; I use Dutch-processed Valrhona and that stuff gets clumpy).

Give a quick whir.

I never have buttermilk on hand and use this awesome buttermilk powder whenever a recipe calls for it. Just whisk 1/4 cup of powder with 1 cup of water...

Et voilà!

Add remaining wet ingredients (except water) and give them a stir.

Slowly add wet ingredients to dry. When incorporated stir in hot water until just combined, then divide batter evenly into cake pans and bake at 350F for about 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring strawberries, sugar and cornstarch to a boil until thickened and allow to cool completely.

For the ganache, heat cream in a saucepan to boiling and pour over chopped bittersweet chocolate. Stir continuously until thick.

Following Joy the Baker's frosting tips, place 1 layer on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting, creating a dam around the edges to try to hold in your runny filling. (She makes it look a lot easier.)

Put way too much filling on the cake and watch a lot of it spill over.

Frost the second layer and carefully place upside-down on first layer, creating a frosting sandwich with the filling.

Use remaining ganache to frost top and sides of the cake, ignoring the mess, and insist that your family eat it.

Moral of the story: If the urge to make a cake hits you, accept it. Embrace it. Eat it. Or, You Never Know When it Might Be Your Uncle's Birthday.

Ingredients

Cake:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup hot water, almost boiling

Filling:
1 bag frozen strawberries, partially thawed
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch

Ganache:
100 grams heavy cream
125 grams bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the water and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

While the cake is baking, make filling. Give the thawed strawberries a rough chop. In a saucepan, bring strawberries, sugar and cornstarch to a boil, stirring constantly, until thick. Cool completely before spreading over cake layer.

Make ganache by heating cream in a saucepan until boiling. Pour over chocolate and keep stirring until thick and spreadable.

When ready to assemble, prepare first cake layer by spreading about 2/3 cup ganache on top, creating a raised dam around the edge to hold in the filling. Spoon filling onto first layer. Frost second layer thinly, just to protect it from the filling, and place upside-down over first layer. Frost top and sides of cake. Cut a fatty slice and enjoy.

Homemade Oreos (3/12)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:32:00 +0000

Ashley came home in March with her friend Chris from Boston to show him a rip-roarin' southern California time for spring break. This visit happened to coincide with a "homemade versions of your favorite childhood treats" kick I was on, and I asked her whether she preferred Oreos or Nutter Butters. She chose Nutter Butters, but I am withholding and petty. Or she said Oreos and I graciously demurred, I can't remember.

These cookies come out somewhere between crispy and chewy. Like a crisp chewy Oreo. To ensure evenly-sized cookies I rolled the dough into 0.4 ounce balls, but they turned out to be around 3 inches in diameter. I'd make them even smaller if you want them to be more authentic. They taste great--somehow missing that hydrogenated oily crunch from real Oreos, but a whimsical crowd pleaser, and the filling's pretty spot on.

Homemade Oreos
from Retro Desserts by Wayne Brachman via Smitten Kitchen

Makes 25 to 30 sandwich cookies

Ingredients
For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1 large egg

For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375F.
2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly
mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While
pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue
processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment
paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With
moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes,
rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
4. To make the filling, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl,
and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the
mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and
fluffy.
5. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round
tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie.
Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream.
Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the
cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been
sandwiched with cream.

Notes:
-I don't have a food processor. When recipes call for cutting in butter, like pie crust, I just use two knives and cut the butter into the flour mixture just like I would cut a steak: the two tips pointed toward each other, moving back and forth, until the dough is crumbly.
-I hate piping bags. For this recipe I rolled the filling, which is relatively stiff, into little balls and sandwiched them between two cookies, being sure to apply pressure evenly as the cookies may crack.

Ina Garten's Herbed Baked Eggs (3/3)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Wed, 06 May 2009 19:39:00 +0000

Of the many ways I prepare eggs, this is my sister's favorite. They are baked in a little melted butter and sprinkled with cheese, garlic and fresh herbs. I mean, really?? Thanks, Ina!

Herbed-Baked Eggs
adapted from Ina Garten via Dishing Up Delights

Ingredients
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated Parmesan
4 large eggs
1/4 cup tomatoes, diced
1/2 tablespoon heavy cream or milk
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and Parmesan and set aside.

Place 2 ramekins on a baking sheet. Pour cream and a small pat of butter in each dish and place in the oven for about 3 minutes. Quickly, but carefully, crack the eggs into the ramekins and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked. Be careful, the melted butter can seem liked uncooked white. Don't be fooled! The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. Allow to set for 60 seconds and serve hot.

(By the way, I've made this recipe so many times now that my method is to throw a pat of butter and splash of heavy cream in the ramekins to melt in the oven, then add 2 eggs to each and sprinkle with pinches of cheese, garlic, herbs and tomatoes. Throw back in and bake 15 minutes. Seriously delicious.)

Baby Aviators and Matt Kollar & The Angry Mob at Clancy's (5/3)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Tue, 05 May 2009 09:03:00 +0000

I dragged Lauren with me to see our friends play at a local pub on Sunday. Oh hey, it turns out I do have a life!

The 250th Anniversary Guinness is delicious: slightly bitter, full-bodied and lip-smackingly creamy. Slainte!

Fil made Lauren Head Merch Associate. The heads are in the box.

Baby Aviators. Left to right: Ty, Fil, Dave, and Collin behind on drums, who all drove out from Phoenix. Sounds like my idea of a good time.

It was also Dave's 25th birthday that night. Dave likes to tongue Yan Yans.

The delightful Ryan Booth, documentarian.

Followed by Matt Kollar and the Angry Mob, a band based in Huntington Beach.

Here is Matt Kollar.

Part of The Angry Mob.

Uh-oh. He's standing up. This is serious business.

Oh snap! Out comes the jumpsuit!!
(by Lauren)

Thanks to Jeremy the bouncer and our server Janel for contributing to a great time at Clancy's. Diamonds Under Fire came on after the Mob and also killed it.

The night was all kinds of fun.

Case in point: here's Matt Kollar & The Angry Mob, brought to you with a little gyration, some musical slides and one piggyback ride.

Now get out. Oh, I'm sorry, that was rude. Please get out.

Artisan Bread in 5 (2/3)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Mon, 04 May 2009 09:12:00 +0000

I know the authors recommend waiting for the bread to come to room temp before serving or slicing, in order to enjoy the full flavor from the loaf. Unfortunately, I have no idea what this tastes like at anything below 10-minutes-out-of-the-oven, because the irresistible crackle and warm, chewy crumb forces me to risk burning my fingers in order to get that in my mouth, stat. Did that make sense? Who cares! The bread is ridiculously easy and is a nice gateway into working with different yeasted doughs.

Master Recipe
from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

Ingredients
3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
6 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Cornmeal for the pizza peel

Directions
Mix all ingredients with a spoon in a food-safe bucket. Let it rise, covered (but not airtight) at room temperature for 2 to 5 hours. At this point, use or refrigerate the dough for up to two weeks, baking as needed.

When ready to bake, cut off a one-pound hunk, flour well and form into a ball, leaving to rest on a peel or parchment for about 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450F with baking stone on the bottom and an empty baking sheet on an upper rack.

Slash the top of the dough several times and quickly slide onto stone, pouring 1 cup of water into the preheated sheet and shutting the door to trap the steam. Bake for about 30 minutes until the crust is a deep brown, then remove and leave to cool on a rack. Somehow this bread never gets past the "tear into chunks and dip in balsamic vinegar/olive oil or eat with cheese" phase. Beats me.

Grand Marnier Crème Brûlée (1/22)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Sat, 02 May 2009 08:55:00 +0000

Ah, crème brûlée. A custard of heavy cream, egg yolks and sugar with a shell of caramelized sugar on top--what more could one ask? Oh, a splash of Grand Marnier and a clementine suprême in every dish? Why, thanks, Peabody!

I follow Alton Brown's advice on everything/torching the sugar, which he does by holding the flame directly above the ramekin, focusing on one spot, then moving over a little after that one's all done, rather than rotating the flame over the sugar in circles. You can also finish these off under the broiler, but keep an eye on them!

Grand Marnier Crème Brûlée
from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Ingredients
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup crème fraîche
pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier
2 clementines, peeled, sections and skin removed
sugar for topping (about 1/8 cup)

Directions
Position rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 300F.
Have ready four-6 ounce ramekins or custard cups and a 10-inch square
baking pan. Place three slices of Clementines at the bottom of each
ramekin. Put on a kettle of water to boil for the water bath.

Combine the cream, crème fraîche, and salt in a medium heavy saucepan
and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, just until hot.
Remove from heat.

Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and Grand Marnier in a medium
bowl. Slowly pour in the cream mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the
mixture through a fine strainer set over a large glass measure or
bowl.

Divide the custard evenly among the ramekins, skimming any foam from the
top. Place the ramekins in the baking pan, place the
pan in the oven, and carefully add enough boiling water to the baking
pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until custards are set around the edges but still
slightly jiggly in the center. Do not over bake--the custards will set
further as they cool. Remove the pan from the oven and let the custards stand
in the water bath for 10 minutes.

With tongs or a wide metal spatula, carefully transfer the ramekins to
a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, tightly
covered, for at least 3 hours, until thoroughly chilled and set, or for
up to 2 days.

Sift sugar evenly over the custard. Using a kitchen torch on low
flame, melt sugar until it has turned a dark amber color and serve.

Pioneer Woman's Creamy Herbed Potatoes, or The One Thing Your Doctor Advises Against Eating (11/17)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Fri, 01 May 2009 02:10:00 +0000

Hi, I'm Christine. These are potatoes that have been sliced and baked with a lot of butter, cream, cheese, cream cheese, and some herbs for the health. I made these during the holidays (welcome, spring!) and kind of regretted it. Click for my tamed-down version of the recipe, but know that even that was really, really heavy. I mean, I can tolerate a lot of fat, but...phew. My sister loved it, by the way. She also eats sunflower seeds in bed, so that should tell you something.

Creamy Herbed Potatoes
from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients
4 to 5 russet potatoes
1/2 stick (2 oz) butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped sage
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.

Slice potatoes very thinly.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium low heat and add onion. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add cream cheese to the pan and stir to melt.
Pour in cream and milk, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then stir in herbs.
Arrange potatoes in a greased baking dish. Pour contents of skillet over the top.
Top with Parmesan cheese and bake for 45 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. Allow potatoes to sit 15 minutes before serving. Which you should do by giving away. So...much...cream...

Croissants et Pain au Chocolat: A Tale of Woe (10/22)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 02:53:00 +0000

When I was 12, my best friend Lauren (still my best friend) pulled me into her kitchen, where we made a batch of chocolate chip cookies. I'd never considered that normal people outside of TV (or at least the ones I knew) made their cookies--in my odd, second-generation way, I thought fridges were designed for oyster sauce and fish paste alone. But that glimpse showed me the knack I have for baking, and the pleasure I derive from it.

My family has never been too crazy about sweets, but Lauren's all-American family sure was, so my baking was strictly limited to her kitchen throughout the rest of middle school and high school. And although I went over there a lot (easy to do when you live down the street), I didn't bake every day. So I stuck to the hits: chocolate chip cookies, the occasional snickerdoodle, and my secret show-stopper: brownies.

I may not have understood what was happening when I combined things, but I knew if I followed the instructions exactly I would have a pan of sweet bribery to offer any takers. Which is easy for me, because I like being ~~manipulative~~ meticulous. Now that I've been baking in my own kitchen for the last few years I've had a chance to diversify, try new things, buy crazy ingredients and tools for myself (like tuile cones, gods know I need six of those).

Once again, this has very little to do with the following subject. It's a pretext for me to hide behind while I explain how sometimes I can get wide-eyed by a single recipe or demonstration I see and am seized by a sudden urge to make THAT, using THAT EXACT recipe, RIGHT NOW. And by now I mean, at some point several months in the future.

Also I blame WikiHow for making "How to Make Croissants" show up on my home page.

In short, I saw a video demonstration for homemade croissants last year, before I was really into baking beyond my limited repertoire, and I was so enthralled by the relatively simple process that I filed the recipe away, never to research the subject again. That was sometime in July. I finally made it in October. And now I'm writing about it in April. How am I graduating college again? (Turned in my last paper Thursday. It feels as good as it sounds, even the whole sleep-deprivation from staying up all night after starting a 12-page research paper midnight of the day it's due thing.)

This is probably the most difficult baking project I've embarked on yet, which I attribute to poor technique and undeveloped baking sense. The recipe itself seems entirely simple, it's really no more than a pâte feuilletée with yeast. If you'd told me that 6 months ago, though, you would have been greeted with silence, a suspicious glare and a slow shoulder twist in the direction away from you. I've since forced myself to become more comfortable with yeast, from breads to sweet doughs, but I still have yet to revisit this recipe. Actually, as a soon-to-be unemployed college graduate, I'm sure I'll have plenty of time!

The recipe comes from Video Jug, a very interesting how-to website devoted only to the video platform. They have sharply produced tutorials without talkative hosts, preferring to use a level-headed voice over narrator instead. This, of course, makes for pure comedy in their romantic advice videos, such as their classic How to Remove a Bra. Since they're headquartered in England, their cooking section features some pretty interesting British classics too. The WikiHow recipe is easy. The Video Jug video they base it off is brainless. (Which explains a lot, when it comes to me.*)

Breakfast: How To Make Croissants

*sly self-deprecation. I'm actually convinced I'm the smartest person in these pants.

I can't say that this recipe produces the tastiest or most authentic croissants, considering I effed them up pretty horridly and it wouldn't be fair to blame outside forces, much as I would like to. Perhaps we'll touch on this again in Croissant Wars: PART DEUX. But until then, here's the play by play.

Ingredients:
17 1/2 oz flour
1/2 oz yeast
3 1/8 oz sugar
1/2 oz salt
10 1/8 oz warm milk
12 oz butter, room temperature
1 egg beaten with 2 tbsp water
extra flour for dusting

Directions:
Begin the dough
Put the flour into the mixer. Add salt, sugar, milk and yeast. Mix on low for 8-10 minutes until it has a smooth elastic consistency. Dust the dough and a large bowl with flour. Remove the dough from the mixer and transfer it into the bowl. Cover with the towel and let rise until it doubles in size, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours.

Prepare the butter
Put a sheet of plastic wrap onto work surface. Place the butter on top and cover it with a second layer of plastic wrap. Flatten with hands, then use a pin to roll into a rectangle about 20 X 25 cm (a sheet of copy paperish) and place into the fridge to chill.

Roll out dough
After the dough has doubled in size, sprinkle with a little bit of flour. Gently deflate and place onto a floured work surface. Roll dough out into a large rectangle approximately three times the length of the sheet of butter, adding more flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to the work surface or pin.

Fold in butter
Unwrap the chilled butter and place it onto the middle of the dough. Fold one end over the butter, then the other on top of that. Rotate the dough 90 degrees so the open end of the dough is facing you and the seam is vertical, and roll into another rectangle about the same length it was originally. Fold this into thirds again, brushing off the excess flour as you go. This completes the first turn.

Sigh. Notice the clumps of butter uncouthly puddling around the left side. The right side only looks so straight because this was the point in the recipe after I'd cut the dough in half and frozen one part for future use.

If there is an issue at any point with the butter oozing out of the ends or squishing through the dough, the butter is too warm and needs to go back in the fridge to firm up again. I wish someone had told me that when I was going mad with butter all over my rolling pin. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place into the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes--essentially allowing the dough to relax a bit after all the rolling and giving the butter a chance to become cold again, as butter is one thing raw dough generally shouldn't warm up to. Eh? Eh?

Turn the dough
At the end of the 30 minutes (or however long you need), sprinkle work surface with flour. Unwrap the dough and make sure that the it is placed with the seam vertical (that is, running up and down in relation to you). Dust with flour and roll it out into another rectangle. Fold, brush and wrap, exactly as before. This now completes the second turn.

The key here is to create alternating layers of dough and butter, which in the case of puff pastry results in a delicate flaky mess and in the case of croissant dough results in a chewy delicate flaky mess. That's why there are so many turns and rolls, only no fire drill. If you're careful.

Chill and turn again
Place the back into the fridge for another 30 minutes. Once removed, roll and fold for the third and final turn. Make sure that the dough is well wrapped before placing into the fridge once more to chill overnight.

Shape the croissants
Once chilled, cut the unwrapped dough in half on a floured surface. Dust the dough with some flour and roll one half of the dough into a rectangle. Reflour the surface when necessary and continue to roll until the dough is roughly less than half a centimetre thick. Trim the edges of the dough neatly and cut into triangle shapes (geometry, anyone? We're looking for isosceles here). Take the bottom of the triangle at its widest part and tightly roll it up. You can freeze the other half of the dough for use another time, or repeat the process to make more.

"Oh hey guys, you must have forgotten to invite me but it's cool 'cause I found an invitation. Where's the bathroom?" (below is the culinary version of this scenario)

Variations: cut horrible uneven "square shapes" and fill with your confiture of choice, or a gaggle of bloomed Belgian dark chocolate chips like I used here from the back of the fridge.

Here we see a classic case of childhood selfishness, wherein the patient refuses to share and conceals all chocolate from outside forces.

Allow to rise
Place the croissants onto a baking sheet lined with parchment (not entirely necessary, as there's so much butter I don't think you'll have trouble removing them). Place inside clean plastic bag and leave to double in size. Or, if you don't live in England, leave in a warm, draft-free area for 1-2 hours sans bag. Ooh, "sans." Look how continental these are making me.

We've all seen "The Wedding Singer," yeah? That scene where Robbie's fiancee Linda has just left him and he goes to sing at a wedding anyway, and is so raw and emotional in a way only seen in gritty documentaries and 80s period pieces, including the part where he points out the Mutants at Table Nine.

You know, the ones who looked FUBAR?

I'm baring my soul here. Have mercy.

p.s., pre-proof and post-proof. Think maybe I should have been a little less ambitious for my first yeasted recipe?

Preheat the oven
Set the oven to 190ºC (375ºF).

Wash and bake
Once the croissants have risen remove the plastic bag, if necessary. Very gently brush them with the egg wash. Place into the center of the oven and bake for roughly 15 minutes. When they are a deep golden brown remove them from the oven.

One of my less-unfortunate looking attempts at pain au chocolat.

Serve
Your croissants are now ready to serve! They go well with anything, from plain butter, jam and marmalade to ham and cheese. By the way, serving this butter pastry with butter is a GREAT idea. Tell all your friends. And thank you for bearing with me. Don't try this at home.

Homemade Croissants
de Video Jug

Ingredients:
17 1/2 oz flour
1/2 oz yeast
3 1/8 oz sugar
1/2 oz salt
10 1/8 oz warm milk
12 oz butter, room temperature
1 egg beaten with 2 tbsp water
extra flour for dusting

1. Put the flour into the mixer. Add salt, sugar, milk and yeast. Mix on low for 8-10 minutes until it has a smooth elastic consistency. Dust the dough and a large bowl with flour. Remove the dough from the mixer and transfer it into the bowl. Cover with the towel and let rise until it doubles in size, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours.

2. Put a sheet of plastic wrap onto work surface. Place the butter on top and cover it with a second layer of plastic wrap. Flatten with hands, then use a pin to roll into a rectangle about 20 X 25 cm (a sheet of copy paperish) and place into the fridge to chill.

3. After the dough has doubled in size, sprinkle with a little bit of flour. Gently deflate and place onto a floured work surface. Roll dough out into a large rectangle approximately three times the length of the sheet of butter, adding more flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to the work surface or pin.

4. Unwrap the chilled butter and place it onto the middle of the dough. Fold one end over the butter, then the other on top of that. Rotate the dough 90 degrees so the open end of the dough is facing you and the seam is vertical, and roll into another rectangle about the same length it was originally. Fold this into thirds again, brushing off the excess flour as you go. This completes the first turn.

If there is an issue at any point with the butter oozing out of the ends or squishing through the dough, the butter is too warm and needs to go back in the fridge to firm up again. Once the first turn is done, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place into the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.

5. At the end of the 30 minutes (or however long you need), sprinkle work surface with flour. Unwrap the dough and make sure that the it is placed with the seam vertical (that is, running up and down in relation to you). Dust with flour and roll it out into another rectangle. Fold, brush and wrap, exactly as before. This now completes the second turn.

6. Place the back into the fridge for another 30 minutes. Once removed, roll and fold for the third and final turn. Make sure that the dough is well wrapped before placing into the fridge once more to chill overnight.

7. Once chilled, cut the unwrapped dough into half on a floured surface. Dust the dough with some flour and roll one half of the dough into a rectangle. Reflour the surface when necessary and continue to roll until the dough is roughly less than half a centimetre thick. Trim the edges of the dough neatly and cut into triangle shapes. Take the bottom of the triangle at its widest part and tightly roll it up. Freeze the other half of the dough for later use, or repeat the process to make more.

Variations: cut dough into smaller rectangles and roll around a stick of high-quality bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate, placing on a sheet seam-side down.

8. Place the croissants onto a baking sheet, lined or not. Place inside clean plastic bag or in a warm, draft-free area and leave to double in size, about 1-2 hours.

9. Preheat the oven to 375F. Remove the plastic bag, if necessary, once the croissants have risen. Very gently brush them with the egg wash. Place into the center of the oven and bake for roughly 15 minutes. When they are a deep golden brown remove from the oven and serve immediately with a mug of hot chocolate, ignoring the terrible mess in your kitchen while trying not to cry.

Variations:
1. Go to Paris
2. Enter a patisserie
3. Politely ask for un (ou neuf) croissant(s), s'il vous plaît
4. PAY and then leave
5. Serve immediately with a mug of hot chocolate

Chicken Teriyaki (10/21)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 06:04:00 +0000

I saw this delicious-looking recipe on Soy and Pepper and decided to make it that night for dinner the next day. With so few ingredients, I knew I couldn't eff up that badly.

I love how confident I am in myself sometimes, despite how wrong I can be.

Honestly, I didn't really ruin the dish. It was just lacking that oomph, that extra something that makes chicken teriyaki such a distinct and delectable dish: sticky-sweet, tender chicken meat good enough to be served over plain rice. Which reminds me, I've got a big ol' rice cooker sitting in my Honda Civic right now. Any more stereotypes you want to throw my way? I'm ready.

Anyway, I realized later that I had, in my ignorance, decided to substitute the mirin with michiu. Mirin is a Japanese rice wine with a sugar content that can go up to 50%, meaning it is sweet. Michiu is a Chinese rice wine that is not sweet. Try not to swap the two when the dish's signature taste is, well, sweet.

Chicken Teriyaki
from Soy and Pepper
serves 2

Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless (I buy kosher because it eases my carnivorous guilt)
3 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sake
3 tsp sugar
toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Directions
1. Prepare the chicken by rinsing and patting thoroughly dry. Place in a bowl and add soy sauce, sake, mirin and sugar. Mix well and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
2. Heat some oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from the bowl and pan fry for about 2 minutes on each side until the chicken is nicely browned.
3. Add 5 tbsp water to the reserve marinade (whatever's left in the bowl) and pour over the chicken. Cover and simmer on low heat until cooked through, about 2 minutes.
4. Uncover, increase the heat and reduce the sauce to a glaze to coat the chicken, being careful not to burn the sauce. Remove chicken and slice. Pour remaining teriyaki sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve over warm rice alongside grilled vegetables. Eat slowly, puzzled, you figure out the mirin mystery.

That One Pizza (10/19)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 04:21:00 +0000

I made this pizza with some of the marinara sauce I had leftover from the lasagna rolls. The toppings include chicken sausage and grilled onions and I'm not sure what else. Spinach? Cotton? Don't ask me to remember these things.

I can't remember which recipe I used for the dough but I'll leave you with my current one, which comes from Peter Reinhart's much-lauded "The Bread Baker's Apprentice." This recipe makes a whole mess of dough that I freeze. When the mood hits I get very excited, remember my dough is frozen, disappointedly move it to the fridge, wait 24 hours, then make pizza. Other than that my method is perfect.

This recipe was also the November Daring Bakers' Challenge, so that might hint that it's fairly lengthy. Other than the proofing times, though, it's a pleasure to work with and is really helpful for those people like myself who like to make a big mess in the kitchen all at once, instead of several little messes.

It really is worth the time. The dough is soft and pliable and bakes into a crusty, chewy bread. Making the entire batch for one night is great for a crowd and allows all kinds of crazy variations. I brought a tray of these relaxed balls (I love being able to say these things) to a friend's house and spent an evening testing a buttload (sorry) of pizza toppings. Some of my favorites are a slather of pesto and slices of mozzarella, baked until bubbly then draped with prosciutto and fresh arugula right out of the oven; some sweet butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar; and a generous glaze of garlic-infused oil under studs of crumbled feta, melted mozzarella and dollops of freshly strained ricotta. What can I say, I'm from California. I eat salad on pizzas.

Basic Pizza Dough
from "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" by Peter Reinhart

Makes 6 pizza crusts (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter).

Dough Ingredients:
4 1/2 Cups (20 1/4 ounces/607.5 g) Unbleached high-gluten (%14) bread
flour or all purpose flour, chilled
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1/4 Cup (2 ounces/60g) olive oil or vegetable oil
1 3/4 Cups (14 ounces/420g or 420ml) water, ice cold (40° F/4.5° C)
1 tablespoon sugar
Semolina/durum flour or cornmeal for dusting

DAY ONE
1. Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl (or in
the bowl of your stand mixer).
2. Add the oil, sugar and cold water and mix well (with the help of a
large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in
order to form a sticky ball of dough.
3. On a clean surface, knead for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is
smooth and the ingredients are homogeneously distributed. If it is too
wet, add a little flour (not too much, though) and if it is too dry
add 1 or 2 teaspoons extra water.
NOTE: If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and
mix on medium speed for the same amount of time.The dough should clear
the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the
dough is too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour, so that it clears
the sides. If, on the contrary, it clears the bottom of the bowl,
dribble in a teaspoon or two of cold water.
The finished dough should be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just
tacky, and register 50°-55° F/10°-13° C.
4. Flour a work surface or counter. Line a jelly pan with baking
paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper.
5. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough
into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you want to make larger pizzas).
NOTE: To avoid the dough from sticking to the scraper/cutter, dip the
scraper into water between cuts.
6. Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry
and then flour them. Gently round each piece into a ball.
NOTE: If the dough sticks to your hands, then dip your hands into the
flour again.
7. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them
generously with spray oil. Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in
plastic food wrap TIGHTLY.
8. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight
or for up to thee days.
NOTE: You can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag if you
want to save some of the dough for any future baking. In that case,
pour some oil (a few tablespoons only) in a medium bowl and dip each
dough ball into the oil, so that it is completely covered in oil. Then
put each ball into a separate bag. Store the bags in the freezer for
no longer than 3 months. The day before you plan to make pizza,
remember to transfer the dough balls from the freezer to the
refrigerator.

DAY TWO
1. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make
it, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator.
Dust the counter with flour and spray lightly with oil.
2. Place the dough balls on a floured surface and sprinkle them with
flour. Dust your hands with flour and delicately press the dough into
disks about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter.
Sprinkle with flour and mist with oil. Loosely cover the dough rounds
with plastic wrap and then allow to rest for 2 hours.
3. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone
on the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible
(500° F/260° C).
4. Generously sprinkle the back of a jelly pan with semolina/durum
flour or cornmeal or flour. Flour your hands (palms, backs and
knuckles). Take 1 piece of dough by lifting it with a pastry scraper.
Lay the dough across your fists in a very delicate way and carefully
stretch it by bouncing it in a circular motion on your hands, and by
giving it a little stretch with each bounce. Once the dough has
expanded outward, move to a full toss.
NOTE: Make only one pizza at a time.
NOTE: During the tossing process, if the dough tends to stick to your
hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then
continue the tossing and shaping. In case you would be having trouble
tossing the dough or if the dough never wants to expand and always
springs back, let it rest for approximately 5-20 minutes in order for
the gluten to relax fully, then try again.
5. When the dough has the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm
in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough), place it on the
back of the jelly pan, making sure there is enough semolina/durum
flour or cornmeal or flour to allow it to slide and not stick to the
pan.
6. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.
NOTE: Remember that the best pizzas are topped not too generously. No
more than 3 or 4 toppings (including sauce and cheese) are sufficient.
7. Slide the garnished pizza onto the stone in the oven or bake
directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for about 5-8
minutes.
NOTE: After 2 minutes baking, take a peek. For an even baking, rotate
180°. If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move
the stone or jelly pane to a lower shelf before the next round. On the
contrary, if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you
will need to raise the stone or jelly.
8. Take the pizza out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board
or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3-5
minutes before slicing or serving.

Biscuits & Gravy (10/13)

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:35:00 +0000

The first time I ever ate biscuits and gravy was during an aerobics class. I love telling this story.

I went to a high school that required 2.5 years of physical education classes. I think to those older than I this would be ridiculous (as opposed to four years) and to some of my contemporaries a bit excessive (many schools require two years). So to avoid being forced to take some random physical course my junior year, I chose to take a summer class with my aerobics teacher. It would be a four hour class, Monday-Friday, and I'd have a year's worth of credit just like that!

Luckily for me, this teacher was very easygoing and a fun person to be around. And because I went to high school in a city near the ocean, to change things up a bit she'd have us meet at the beach for class to walk along the water--an area known as The Strand, a beautiful stretch of pavement for pedestrians, athletes and gawkers that extends primarily from Redondo Beach, through Hermosa Beach to Manhattan Beach.

We'd meet at our spot every day and start walking from one end to the other. We may have done a bit of exercise on the beach itself, but I remember mostly the stroll down the Strand. When she'd dismiss the class we'd sometimes rendezvous (herself included) at some nearby diner or restaurant for lunch, and one day that place happened to be Scotty's on the Strand.

Initially the concept, frankly, grossed me out. It still does in that oh so good way, but come on. It's two buttery biscuits that have been halved, smothered in gravy and served usually along with some sausage. Not exactly beach fare. I'm glad I would wear sweats, but let's just say that I didn't exactly lose weight the summer I decided to take an aerobics class. (Other excursions included a burger joint, where I'd indulge in a crusty grilled cheese on sourdough. I have no regrets.)

And I can't imagine myself ever making this had I not seen The Pioneer Woman's disgustingly delicious-looking recipe for it, and I had to just give in like I did that summer before my junior year. I've accepted the fact that I'm the type of person who gains weight when she takes an exercise class.

It's not too much of a recipe, really. The basic idea is to take the fat from the sausage you've cooked and make a roux with it by adding enough flour for a paste. This is cooked for a bit to remove any raw flour taste and then milk is steadily whisked in to make a sauce (gravy), which is then liberally seasoned and spooned over the biscuits you've baked.

Start by cooking some sausage. This is spicy pork sausage, but any should work (assuming it's fatty; that apple chicken sausage might not be the best for this dish). You'll probably have more success if you cook the kind without casing or remove the casing, because you want to release all the fat that's being held in there.

Gettin' there.

Yeah, that'll work. I got too impatient and broke up the sausage to try to coax that lovely fat out. Shoulda removed the casing.

Remove the sausage and leave the fat in the pan. There isn't too much here but if you have a lot, you'll want to pour it out and add back the amount needed.

To make a roux directly in the pan, eyeball the amount of fat and add the equivalent of that in flour. This means for the tablespoonish of fat in my pan I'd whisk a tablespoon of flour and let it all get coated by the grease. If you've poured the fat out, it's easy to measure equal amounts. You're going for a stirrable paste that is not too dry or too wet. Once the flour is added let the roux cook a little. It'll start to deepen in color. Keep whisking.

Whisking constantly, slowly pour in milk 1 cup at a time. I'd say 1 tablespoon of fat with a tablespoon of butter should need roughly 1 cup of milk, so work with that ratio. The consistency you're going for is a bit thinner than a traditional gravy, because the heat will thicken your sauce quite a bit as it sits on the heat. Taste and season liberally; because you've just diluted your roux with a bunch of milk it'll taste pretty bland--I mean Ann. Once it's gotten a chance to set up and bask in its fatty glory you've got some creamy gravy on your hands! No literally, like all over your hands. Don't ask me how gravy has that effect. In any case, go crazy!

Or just spoon over biscuits and serve. Try not to eat too many. Well, do whatever you want. But seriously, you might regret it. In your stomach, not your heart.

One thing I've learned about biscuits & gravy is that it gets cold fast and most stomachs can't handle too much of this too quickly. Make and serve only what you think you can eat immediately, because the gravy cools down at the end while you're still working your way through the front. It helps to have other people, as long as they are nice people. Enjoy!