homemade chocolate syrup

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Don’t you just I love it when something homemade turns out just as good and cheaper than the store-bought kind.  In this case, it’s bye-bye, Hersheys and hello Chris’ homemade chocolate syrup!  This do-it-yourself syrup has a rich chocolate flavor and has a nice smooth texture. It is fat-free and does not contain any high-fructose corn syrup.  It does contain a couple of tablespoons of corn syrup to prevent the crystallization of the sugar.  So not only does it taste great, but it’s also healthier, too!  If only I could think of healthy items to drizzle it on, but I digress…. Continue reading →

valentine’s day sugar cookies

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The thought of making decorated sugar cookies has intimidated me for years.  The whole process seems so laborious – making the dough, cutting out shapes, making the royal icing in a multitude of colors, and then actually decorating the cookies.  This year, however, I wanted to give a special Valentine’s Day treat to Audrey, a friend’s 5-year old daughter.  She loves cookies, especially sparkly ones.  So, I decided that I would make heart-shaped cookies for a sweet little girl. Continue reading →

tres leches cake

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Tres Leches Cake, is aptly named for the three types of milk – evaporated, condensed, and whole milk or cream (or in this recipe, half-and-half) – that are poured over a cake to create this very indulgent dessert.  There is some debate to its origins.  Recipes for this cake can be found in Mexican, Cuban, Nicaraguan, Costa Rican, and Puerto Rican cuisines.   Nowadays, this dessert is not only popular in Latin and Central America, but is gaining popularity in the United States as well. Continue reading →

easy devil’s food chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting

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Are you looking for an easy Valentine’s Day treat that your whole family will love?  Then, give this Devil’s Food Chocolate Cupcake  with Peanut Butter Frosting a try.  Not only is it quite good, it is also easy to bake since all of the ingredients, except for the egg, are combined directly into the bowl of the stand mixer.  There’s no big mess to clean up and you’ll have cupcakes in no time flat!  I admit I was a little hesitant to just throw all the ingredients together, but the recipe worked, without having to cream the butter first.  The best part is that these cupcakes are moist and light, and thanks to the extra semi-sweet chocolate chips that are folded into the batter, the centers have a little gooey surprise.  The peanut butter frosting recipe gives these cupcakes a devilishly rich and sweet topping.  A little of which goes a long way. Continue reading →

the “baked” brownie

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Chocolate symbolizes, as does no other food, luxury, comfort, sensuality, gratification, and love.

― Karl Petzke and Sara Slavin

Today is my husband’s birthday, and to mark the occasion, I chose to bake something chocolatey.  I came across this recipe that I knew he would love, so move over birthday cake, and make room for birthday brownies!  I wanted to bake a special treat and these certainly are!!  These made-from-scratch brownies are utterly decadent, intensely rich and dense and are best eaten with a glass of ice-cold milk.  I added a little bit of ground cinnamon since I know Chris loves a touch of it with chocolate. Continue reading →

white chocolate macadamia nut cookies

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While reorganizing my pantry, I discovered that I had a bag of Ghirardelli White Chocolate Chips that, really I don’t remember buying. I don’t use white chocolate very often, but since I found I now have a bag that is only a few months shy of its expiration date, I wanted to bake something with it. First of all, what is white chocolate, anyway? It is a mixture of sugar, cocoa butter, milk solids, lecithin, and vanilla. Technically, it is not really chocolate because it does not contain any chocolate liquor, which is the smooth liquid paste which comes from grinding the cacao beans. It is this liquid paste that gives chocolate its flavor and color.

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pork meatball bánh mì sandwich

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pork meatball bánh mì sandwich
The result of the French influence on Vietnamese cuisine is very evident in the bánh mì sandwich.  Usually served on a baguette and slathered with spicy aioli that is borrowed from French cuisine, this sandwich is then filled with meat and other ingredients that are decidedly more Vietnamese –  vegetable slaw made with pickled carrots and daikon radishes, sliced jalapeños, and fresh cilantro.  Other typical fillings include barbecue or roast pork, pâté, sliced ham and other deli meats, and even tofu. Continue reading →

microwave mocha “cup” cake

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After resisting for so long, I’ve finally succumbed to making  microwave “cup” cakes after watching Iron Chef Michael Symon prepare them on his new Cooking Channel show, Symon’s Suppers.  Over the years, I’ve seen various recipes from food bloggers, many of them with mixed reviews.  The chief complaint I’ve read about microwaved cup cakes is that they can be too dense and dry.  Well not these!  They turned out surprisingly well, considering it only took about 5 minutes and minimal effort on my part.   To top it off, clean up was easy with only one bowl to wash. Continue reading →

southern buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy

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Southern Buttermilk Biscuits and Gravy

In light of Paula Deen’s recent announcement, I wondered, briefly, if I should continue on my recent quest to find my definitive version of buttermilk biscuits and gravy. However, since even I know that I shouldn’t eat this stuff every day, I silenced the voice shouting inside my head telling that the biscuits will go straight to my thighs. It’s all about moderation, y’all!  So when the day comes when I choose to indulge in biscuits and gravy, one of my all-time favorite breakfasts, I want to make them the right way. Continue reading →

mongolian beef

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Last night, Chinese communities around the world welcomed the Year of the Dragon with festive traditions that were meant to attract good health and prosperity, as well as closer family ties, peace, and harmony in the home.  In honor of the Lunar New Year, I made Mongolian Beef, one of the more popular dishes found in Chinese-American restaurants. It is a simple beef dish typically made with flank steak or tenderloin and stir-fried with scallions in a brown sauce containing many ingredients typically found in Chinese cuisine – oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and Chinese cooking wine, also knows as Shao Xing.  The name, Mongolian Beef, is misleading because none of the ingredients or the method of preparation are drawn from traditional Mongolian cuisine.  Chalk it up to some clever marketing ploy to name this dish in a way that conjures up a “more exotic” type of food. Continue reading →

carrot cupcakes with orange honey cream cheese frosting

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Today, I bring you another dish that includes a vegetable I’ve harvested from my edible garden. I pulled the first bunch of lovely “Round Romeo” carrots this week, which I planted back in October. At the time I sowed the seeds, their uncommon round shape intrigued me and looking back, I think I planted them primarily for their novelty. However, upon tasting them, I was pleasantly surprised by these smooth-skinned carrots and their sweet flavor and crunchy texture; they are delicious! I used a couple of them for these cupcakes, along with some regular carrots I already had on hand. I am going to steam the rest and toss them with a little butter and chives to fully enjoy their uniqueness and flavor.

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mini sugar doughnuts

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Mini Sugar Doughnuts

When it comes to doughnuts, there is a dizzying array of choices, but for me it really comes down to one – a sugar doughnut.  I much prefer the light and airy yeast-based doughnuts to the denser and chewier cake doughnuts.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a maple bar or chocolate doughnut every once in a while, but I really favor the slight crunch of all the sugar that coats the exterior of the fluffy, melt-in-my-mouth goodness of the simple sugar doughnut.  The inspiration for these doughnuts came from a restaurant in Seattle called Lola.  One of the items on the breakfast menu is Made to Order Doughnuts with Seasonal Jam and Vanilla Mascarpone.  The hot mini doughnuts come to the table in a white paper bag and the wait staff vigorously shakes the bag to ensure that copious amounts of sugar adhere to the fried dough. Totally Awesome!

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chicken liver pâté

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Liver, or any offal, for that matter, is a polarizing food – you either love it or you don’t. You may think of it as a gourmet delicacy or are completely turned off by it. As you can see, I am firmly in the LOVE IT camp. Today’s post is especially for those who are fans of chicken liver. If you’re not, come back in a couple of days and I’ll have an entirely organ-free recipe for you. As fans, you know that chicken liver, when prepared correctly, is quite delicious and tasty. And, although it is high in cholesterol, eaten in moderation it is nutritious as well, containing a lot of vitamins and minerals that are good for our teeth, bones, skin, and hair and nutrients that help support our immune systems. I’m not going to try to convince you to like liver; it isn’t for everyone. But for those of you who do, this is absolutely indulgent, so please try to practice moderation.

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meyer lemons: lemon soufflé with blackberry sauce

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Lemon Soufflé with Blackberry Sauce

A soufflé is such a beautiful and sophisticated dish. It is delicate, light, and airy, like a puffy cloud. I must admit, though, that the idea of making a soufflé was very intimidating to me. I tend to focus on the things that could go wrong – it wouldn’t rise, it would fall flat midway through cooking, or it would be lopsided. However, I came across the following tips for making the perfect soufflé and it gave me the push I needed to give it a try.

Tips For Cooking Soufflés (adapted from The City Cook)

  • A soufflé is customarily baked in a tall, round, fluted dish with straight sides to promote rising.
  • Soufflé dishes must be prepared with a coating that helps the batter rise. By coating the inside of a soufflé dish first with butter and then with a dusting of sugar, the batter doesn’t adhere to the side of the dish, thus leaving it free to climb to the top.  Once prepared, place the dishes in the refrigerator until ready to fill.
  • Very fresh egg whites have a high water content so they are prone to graining and do not hold air as well.  It is best to use eggs that are 4 or 5 days old.
  • When whisking the egg whites, it’s essential that there not be a single bit of egg yolk in the whites because it will interfere with getting the necessary volume.  Also, make sure the mixing bowl is meticulously clean, with absolutely no residue to ensure that the egg whites whip properly. Continue reading →

meyer lemons: preserved lemons

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Preserved lemons are a staple ingredient of North African cuisines, particularly in Moroccan foods, where it is used in tagines, stews, and sauces. In doing some research, I found out that they are also used in some Asian cuisines as well, such as the Khmer dish, ngam nguv, a lemony Cambodian  chicken soup and as the traditional accompaniment to curd rice, which is often served as the last course in South Indian meals.

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