Seared Scallop Pasta

Before my affair with food started, I didn't know anything about choosing the right ingredients. I didn't know it mattered what brand of soy sauce I buy and I definitely didn't know anything about buying scallops. I ate bright white frozen scallops, drenching them in sauce, not knowing they could be better. I started reading about scallops and here's what I learned. I learned that scallops that are white are actually treated. Scallops that haven't been treated actually have a pinkish or off-white color. Frozen scallops are sometimes treated with chemicals to make it white. Because they're treated with chemicals, they become awfully watery when you cook them, which only means you're paying a high premium for water!! To make sure you're buying chemically free scallops, look for "dry" scallops or chemical free scallops. I like to buy my scallops from Kokua Market, they're a bit more expensive there, but no water comes out of them and they taste really really good. If for some reason, you're can't find "dry" scallops, try this before you use the scallops. This tip comes from Cook's Illustrated.

Soak them in a solution of 1 quart cold water, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons table salt for 30 minutes. Place scallops on a piece of paper towel and microwave on high for 15 seconds. This will exude the water from the scallops allowing for a nice sear.

Armed with these great scallops, I made this scallop pasta. It's my best scallop recipe yet!! This recipe is adapted from a Lemon Ricotta Pasta from Crumb and from Cook's Illustrated. The original recipe calls for ricotta, but I didn't have any on hand, so I substituted with some heavy cream. It was really good, slightly creamy with a bit of tang from the lemon. I love it!! Try it!

Seared Scallop Pastas
adapted from Crumb and Cook's Illustrated

1 lb of pasta of your choice
1 1/2 lbs large sea scallops, 10 to 12
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp good-quality olive oil, divided
1 tbsp butter
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 cups green peas
2 tbsp fresh thyme, minced (see note)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup of heavy cream (see note)
1. Cook the pasta per package directions until al dente.

2. Place scallops on rimmed baking sheet lined with a clean kitchen towel. Place a second clean towel on top and gently press to blot liquid. Let scallops sit for 10 minutes at room temperature while the towels absorb excess moisture.

3. Sprinkle scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12 inch, nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of the scallops in a single layer and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes without moving until well browned.  Add 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet. Carefully flip scallops and continue to cook. Tilt the skillet so that the butter collects on one side and use a large spoon to baste the scallops with melted butter. Cook 30 to 90 seconds more until the sides of the scallops are firm and the centers are opaque Remove smaller scallops from the pan as they finish cooking, transfer to a
large plate, and tent loosely with foil. Wipe out skillet with a wad of paper towels and repeat cooking with remaining oil, scallops, and butter.

4. Drain pasta and return to the pot over low heat. Stir in lemon zest, juice, remaining 3 tbsp olive oil, peas, and thyme. Toss to coat, then season with salt and lots of pepper. Add the heavy cream and mix gently until pasta is coated evenly.

5. To serve, divide the pasta between four plates, topping each with scallops.

Note:

• Original recipe calls for 4 tbsp fresh thyme.  I only used 2 tbsp.
• Original recipe calls for 1 container (475g) of ricotta, I substituted with heavy cream.  

Hong Kong Bun

I think this bun is called Hong Kong Bun in the states. In Hong Kong, it's called Cocktail Bun (literal translation). Until now, I had no idea why it had this name. I even asked my dad, and he had no idea either. I did a quick search on google, and came up with this from Wikipedia.

The cocktail bun is said to have been created in the 1950s in Hong Kong, when the proprietors of a bakery resisted the wasteful disposal of unsold but perfectly edible buns. The solution was to incorporate these buns into a new product to be sold fresh. The day-old buns were ground up, with sugar and coconut added in, to create a tasty filling mixture; fresh bread dough was wrapped around this mixture to make the first filled "cocktail bun".

Its name is said to have come from comparing the baker's mixture of hodgepodge of ingredients to a bartender's exotic mixture of alcoholic liquors, both formulating a "cocktail". The Chinese name is a literal translation of "cocktail", and is called a "chicken-tail bun".

How cool is that? I loved eating this bun when I was growing up in Hong Kong. When we moved to Hawaii, we found this place called Red Ruby that made wonderful Cocktail Buns. The filling was so buttery and coconut-y, it was such an indulgent bun! The bad part is the saleswoman (owner?) was so grumpy (I hope she's happier now in retirement!). She had a horrible attitude and would get so mad when you only wanted to buy one. Now the bakery is closed and I can't find a comparable version anywhere. Doesn't this seem like the theme of my blog? So here I am attempting to create my own at home. The results?! Not nearly as good as Red Ruby's, but not too bad for a first try. The bun is incredibly soft, but the filling is not nearly as indulgent. I probably need to add another pound of butter to create that filling. For now, it's a good substitute. Hope you enjoy it!!

Hong Kong Bun
adapted from Aunty Yochana

Bread:
500 g Bread Flour
8 g custard powder
20 g milk powder
1/2 tsp salt
100 g Sugar
10 g Instant Yeast
230 g water
75 g unsalted butter, softened
1 egg, beatened
toasted sesame seed

Filling:
250 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
250 g dessicated coconut, unsweetened
120 g plain flour
100 g milk powder
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

Topping:
50 gm. unsalted butter, softened
20 gm. sugar
45 gm. plain flour

1. Combine the bread flour, custard powder, milk powder, salt, sugar and instant yeast in a large bowl. Gradually add the water until a rough dough is formed. Knead the dough briefly in the bowl. Transfer to a floured surface and continue to knead until a smooth dough is formed. Gradually knead in the butter until fully incorporated.

2. Roll the dough into a a large ball and let it rest in a greased bowl until double in size, about 45 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients for the filling together and set aside.

4. Divide dough into 20 portions. Roll into balls and let it rest for 10 minutes.

5. Wrap with coconut filling and seal the ends tightly. Arrange onto tray and let it proof for another 45 minutes.

6. In the meantime, combine all the ingredients for the topping and set aside. Glaze proofed buns with beaten egg, sprinkle with sesame seeds and then pipe lines on top using the topping mixture.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or till golden brown.

Shrimp Etouffee

The food scene in Hawaii has improved over the last few years. We have a lot of new restaurants coming up that are really exciting. Having said that though, Hawaii seems to have a problem holding on to a more unique genre of foods. A lot of my favorite restaurants close down within a year, replaced by Steak Outs (or versions of them), or maybe some Pho restaurant.

One of those restaurant is Taste of Bayou (will you ever come back?!!). I can't remember how long it has been since we went there, but I will never forget that meal. It was my first taste of Crawfish Etouffee and it was AMAAAAAAZING!! The etouffee had so many levels of flavor and everything just married together perfectly. It was spicy, but not just hot. It was just incredible. I was so bummed when they closed down, because I only got to eat there twice.

So when my sister sent me a recipe for Crawfish Etouffee from Emeril, I was so excited. I scoured all the grocery stores for crawfish, but it can't be found in Hawaii. I even went to Tamashiro Market and they didn't have them either, not even the frozen variety!! So I found a recipe for Emeril's Shrimp Etouffee. This will have to do until then. I have to say, I was not disappointed!! It was so good!!! I've made this twice now, the first time I used a mixture of clam juice and chicken broth. The second time, I actually took the time to make the shrimp stock. The conclusion is make the shrimp stock. Don't use frozen shrimp shells though, you're not going to get any flavors from that. Use fresh shrimp!!! If you live in Hawaii, Costco has amazing fresh Kauai shrimp. It's so fresh, super sweet and makes a world of difference. Enjoy!! Please leave a comment if you know of an underground crawfish distributor, I know someone must have it, they serve them at those Cajun seafood places.

Shrimp Etouffee
from Emeril

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped green bell peppers
2 cups chopped celery
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons Essence, recipe follows
1 quart (4 cups)shrimp stock, recipe follows
3 pounds medium shrimp (21 to 25 count per pound), peeled and deveined
1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves
Steamed white rice, for serving
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion tops, for garnish

1. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the flour and stir continuously to make a roux. Stir the roux over medium heat until the color of peanut butter, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic to the roux, and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the pot and season with the bay leaves, salt, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon of the Essence. Cook the tomatoes for 2 to 3 minutes and then whisk in the shrimp stock.

2. Bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cook the etouffee, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. Season the shrimp with the remaining tablespoon of Essence and add them to the pot, stirring to evenly distribute. Cook the shrimp for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are cooked through. Add the chopped parsley to the pot and stir to combine.

3. Serve immediately over steamed white rice and garnish with sliced green onion tops.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning
from Emeril

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

1. Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Shrimp Stock
from Emeril

1 pound (about 1 quart) shrimp shells and heads
1 cup coarsely chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery
1/2 cup coarsely chopped carrots
3 smashed garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons salt

1. Place the shrimp shells and heads in a large colander and rinse under cold running water for several minutes.

2. Combine the shrimp shells and remaining ingredients in a heavy 6-quart stockpot, add 4 quarts water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim to remove any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, skimming occasionally.

3. Remove the stock from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean container; let cool completely. Refrigerate the stock for up to 3 days or freeze in airtight containers for up to 2 months.

Thomas Keller Brownies

A friend of mine recently went to Ad Hoc in Napa Valley, which planted a seed in my mind about Thomas Keller. I started researching about Thomas Keller and his restaurants and came across a recipe for his brownies. Now I haven't had a chance to go to any of his restaurants yet, but if this is recipe is any indication, I will be going there soon..hopefully!!

I'm having a hard time describing this brownie to you. When it comes to brownies, I'm definitely on Team Fudge. I don't like cakey brownies because they don't seem indulgent enough for a brownie. This brownie is more cakey in texture, but it is also very indulgent!! I have never had a cakey brownie like it. It's light in texture, but oh sooo chocolately!!

Like most brownie recipes, this comes together fairly quickly...there's really no reason to use a brownie mix (no judgment!). The ingenious thing about this recipe is the part about the melted butter. The recipe says to melt half the butter, and then add the remaining pieces of the butter into the melted butter. All the butter will melt and it will be in room temperature!! Genius!! Keep that in your tricks box!

Now before I send you off to your kitchen, a little note about Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder. There are two types of cocoa powder, natural and Dutch processed. The Dutch processed type just means that it has been alkalized to remove the acidity. If you're not sure if your cocoa powder is Dutch Processed (not always labeled), just look for alkali in the ingredient list. Enjoy!

Thomas Keller Brownies
from What's Gaby Cooking

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste
6 oz 61 to 64% chocolate, chopped into chip-sized pieces ( about 1 1/2 cups)
Powdered sugar for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9" square pan. Set aside.

2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside.

3. Melt half the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Put the remaining butter in a medium bowl. Pour the melted butter and stir to melt the butter. The butter should look creamy, with small bits of unmelted butter, and be at room temperature.

4. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, mix together the eggs and sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until thick and very pale. Mix in the vanilla. On low speed, add about one-third of the dry ingredients, then add one-third of the butter, and continue alternating the remaining flour and butter. Add the chocolate and mix to combine. (The batter can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)

5. Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a cake tester or wooden skewer poked into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs sticking to it. If the pick comes out wet, test a second time, because you may have hit a piece of chocolate chip; then bake for a few more minutes longer if necessary. Cool in the pan until the brownie is just a bit warmer than room temperature.

6. Run a knife around the edges, and invert the brownie onto a cutting board. Cut into 12 rectangles. Dust the tops with powdered sugar just before serving.

Garlic Cheese Bread

Photo courtesy of Mr. O (thank you!!)

I love these Garlic Cheese Bread!! I've made these so many times, but only when I have company. The reason being is these are so good that I can't be left alone with them. I will eat the whole loaf and not even think twice!! I only make these when society rules tell me I can only have one or two slices. The thing is, these are so easy to make!!! You can make all sorts of substitutions, add other ingredients and it will still be great!

This recipe comes from the Pioneer Woman. She has a lot of mouth watering recipes, but I'm always afraid to make them because they seem to be so fatty. For example, in her original recipe, she used one whole stick of butter, 4 3/4 cups of different cheeses, and half a cup of mayonnaise. That's quite a bit of calories for just one loaf of bread!! In the adapted version below, I used a lot less cheese, and I thought it was cheesy enough! I think something that always helps is I always grate my own cheese. I think pre-grated cheese just doesn't taste as good. I also always use a strong tasting cheese, like sharp cheddar instead of medium or mild cheddar. You don't need as much cheese and you still have really good flavors.

Garlic Cheese Bread
adapted from Pioneer Woman

1 1/2 cups grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 cup of grated Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 whole Green Onions, White And Light Green Parts Minced
1 dash Salt
1 loaf Crusty French Bread
1/2 stick Butter
4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced

1. Mix cheeses with the mayonnaise and the green onions. Add dash of salt to taste and set aside or keep in fridge until you need it.

2. Cut loaf of bread in half, then each half into half again.

3. Divide the butter into four portions. Working 1/4 loaf at a time, melt one portion of the butter in a skillet and add 1/4 of the minced garlic. Place one of the 1/4 loaves face down in the skillet, swirling it to soak up the butter and garlic. Allow bread to toast in the skillet, removing garlic if it starts to get too brown.

4. Repeat with remaining butter, garlic, and bread.

5. Spread cheese mixture on warm loaves and bake in a 425 degree oven until cheese is hot and bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Notes:

• Original recipe calls for 3 1/2 cups of grated cheddar cheese, 3/4 cups of Monterey Jack cheese, 1/2 cup of real mayonnaise (I tried using light mayo and olive oil mayo, and it was fine!), and 1 stick of butter.  I use whatever cheeses I have on hand, usually cheddar and mozzarella.  I've also tried using all Mozzarella, it's not as flavorful, but still very good.  
• Add ins:  I've tried adding little bits of bacon, thinly sliced onions and also chopped artichokes.  They were all very good.  I really don't think you can go wrong with these!  

Apple Cake

I hope all of you had a great Memorial Day weekend. Mr. G and I went to the lantern floating ceremony at Ala Moana Beach Park last night and it was so beautiful. There were probably close to 10,000 people there, I'm sure one of you was there with me. I haven't been to the ceremony for many years, but after seeing it last night, I wonder why I don't go. I know originally Memorial Day was to honor the men and women who died serving our country, but I guess it has become a day to remember those who have left us. And that was exactly what I did.  It was so peaceful to be at the beach, looking out into the sunset with the beautiful lanterns floating in the water and just taking a moment to remember those who left us. 

photo from Civil Beat

Since I had a long weekend, I decided to bake bake bake!! There will be more posts from this weekend coming up. I baked up a storm this weekend..heehee =P First is this Apple Cake. The other day Foodland had a crazy sale on Fuji Apples. I went crazy and bought 10 lbs!!! There was no way the two of us would be able to finish 10 lbs of apples. So I searched for a yummy apple recipe. I decided on this Apple Cake from Smitten Kitchen. This cake is really easy to make, it does take a bit of time in the oven, but it's worth it. The cake is moist and the apple gets all soft and yummy. If I can't decide on what to do with the other 6 lbs of apples, I might make it again!! Here's the recipe.

Apple Cake
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

5 apples (see note)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons sugar

2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a tube pan. Peel, core and chop apples into chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

2. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, orange juice, sugar and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.

3. Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Spread half of apples over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean.

Notes:

• The original recipe calls for 6 McIntosh apples.  My apples were really large, so I used 5.  I think it was about 4 lbs of apples.  
• The original recipe has an option to add 1 cup of chopped walnuts.  I didn't have walnuts, so I decided not to add it.  

Tuscan Mashed Chickpeas

Ina Garten is my favorite Food Network cook. In my perfect world, Ina and I would be best friends. We would cook and bake together and then we would talk and laugh about food. That would be my perfect world, but since we're not best friends, I'll just stalk her through her cookbooks. Ina just wrote another wonderful cookbook, this one is called Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes you can trust. That's just it! I always trust her recipes. It's like you got the recipe from your best friend...see!!

I chose to make this Tuscan Mashed Chickpeas first. A friend came over for dinner and I wanted to have an appetizer ready while I finished up cooking. This came together in no time and it was good. Don't think of it as a hummus because it's not. It's not as creamy and smooth. It's a hearty dip and I love the little bits of tomato. I also love that it was a warm dip. It tastes great with some pita chips! What more can you ask for...

Tuscan Mashed Chickpeas
From Ina Garten

2 (15.5-ounce) cans chickpeas, preferably Goya
1/2 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for serving
2 ripe medium-size tomatoes, seeded and small-diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grilled country bread or pita chips for serving

1. Pour the chickpeas into a colander and rinse them under cold running water. Drain well. Place the chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the chicken stock and pulse until the chickpeas are coarsely pureed.

2. In a medium (10-inch) saute pan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the tomato and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until the tomato is softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the chickpeas, stirring to combine with the tomatoes and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and taste for seasonings. Pile in a serving bowl, drizzle with extra olive oil, and serve with shards of grilled country bread.

Carrot Cake

At a recent first birthday party, I had an amazing Carrot Cake. It was an unusual Carrot Cake because it was a Banana Carrot Cake. The mom told me that it was from Whole Foods. The moist carrot cake with a bit of banana bread flavor and the sweet cream cheese frosting kept creeping in my head. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I even went to Whole Foods to see if they sell just a single piece of the cake. I couldn't find it. They had the plain carrot cake, but not the banana flavored one. I guess I had to take matters in my own hand.

I had every intention of making this Carrot-Banana Cake. I went to the store looking for ripe bananas, but I couldn't find any!! I went to three groceries stores around our house, and every banana was green!!! How is that possible? I HAD TO HAVE MY CARROT CAKE NOW!!! So I decided to make this Carrot Cake from Mel's Kitchen. I love Mel's blog, and if she chooses the word UNBELIEVABLE to describe her carrot cake. I know I would love it too.

The cake was soo good!! It's so easy!! I took it to the office and everyone just loved it! It's incredibly easy to make and it tastes amazing. I chose to use another cream cheese frosting because I've been dying to make this frosting again since I made it almost three years ago!!! It's much lighter and less sweet than the traditional cream cheese frosting. If you prefer the sweet, thick frosting with your carrot cake, then you should definitely go with Mel's recipe. Otherwise, give this a go!

Carrot Cake
from Mel's Kitchen

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces)
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 lb. medium carrots (6 to 7 large carrots), peeled
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable or canola oil

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Grease and flour a 9X13-inch baking pan or 2 9-inch round pans.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in large bowl; set aside. In a food processor fitted with large or fine shredding disk, shred carrots (you should have about 3 cups); transfer carrots to bowl and set aside. You can also shred by hand on a box grater if you don't have a food processor.

3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or in large bowl and using hand-held mixer), beat granulated and brown sugars and eggs on medium-high until thoroughly combined, about 45 seconds. Reduce speed to medium; with mixer running, add oil in slow, steady stream, being careful to pour oil against inside of bowl (if oil begins to splatter, reduce speed to low until oil is incorporated, then resume adding oil). Increase speed to high and mix until mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 45 seconds to 1 minute longer. Turn off mixer and stir in carrots and dry ingredients by hand until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.

4. Pour into prepared pan(s) and bake until toothpick or skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 32 minutes for 9-inch round pans and 40 minutes for a 9X13-inch pan. Let cakes cool for about 10 minutes in the pan and then invert them onto a cooling rack to cool completely (the 9X13-inch cake can be cooled completely in the pan if you don't plan to invert and ice all the sides). At this point, once the cakes are cooled, they can be wrapped in plastic wrap and put in a ziploc bag and placed in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature prior to frosting.

Yummy cream cheese frosting
source unknown

1 1/4 cup whipping cream
8 oz cream cheese, softened (see note)
3/4 cup white sugar (see note)
2 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

1. Beat whipping cream until soft peaks are formed, set aside.

2. Combine cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Fold in whipped cream in three additions. Refrigerate until use.

Bombay Sloppy Joes

I love sloppy joes and love to make different variations of it. I rarely use ground beef for sloppy joes. I think because sloppy joes are so saucy, you really don't need to use beef. I always use ground turkey for sloppy joes. Before this recipe, I go back and forth between this recipe and this one. Now this recipe will be a top contender. I don't know why I like sloppy joes so much, I think it's nostalgic.

This sloppy joe recipe comes from Aarti Sequeira. I haven't actually seen her show, but I remember her from the Food Network stars competition. I was rooting for her the whole time because I love how she uses Indian spices and flavors in her cooking. Like the sloppy joes, you can really taste the Indian influence, but it's still very much a sloppy joe. I did have to adjust the spice level in the recipe, I think I pretty much doubled the spices because it didn't have enough umph. Here's the recipe.

Bombay Sloppy Joes
adapted from Aarti Sequeira

For the Sauce:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 serrano chile pepper, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce

For the Sloppy Joes:
3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Small handful (about 1/4 cup) raisins
Small handful (about 1/4 cup) shelled pistachios
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 large white onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 serrano chile pepper (don't chop it unless you like things spicy!)
Kosher salt
2 tsp garam masala (see notes)
1/2 tsp chile powder (see notes)
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup half-and-half
Small handful fresh cilantro (soft stems included)
4 sesame buns

1. Make the sauce: Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic and chile pepper and cook until the ginger and garlic brown a little, about 1 minute. Add the garam masala and paprika and cook 30 seconds. Add the tomato sauce and 1 cup water, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the sloppy joes: Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the raisins and pistachios and cook, stirring occasionally, until the raisins swell up and the pistachios toast slightly, about 1 minute. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

3. Return the skillet to medium heat and add the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add the cumin seeds and let sizzle about 10 seconds, then add the onion and bell pepper and cook until softened and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the chile pepper and cook 2 more minutes, seasoning with salt. Add the turkey, breaking up the big lumps, and cook until opaque, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the prepared sauce to the turkey-and-onion mixture in the skillet. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the mixture thickens slightly, about 10 minutes.

5. Remove the whole chile pepper (unless you want to eat it, like my dad does!) and stir in the honey, half-and-half, raisins and pistachios. Taste for seasoning. Add the additional garam masala and chile powder to taste (see notes). Stir in the cilantro right before serving.

6. Toast the buns and fill with the sloppy joe mixture.

Notes:

• The original recipe didn't call for the extra garam masala and the chile powder.  I didn't feel like the sloppy joes had enough taste so I added some extras.  

Lemon Crunch Cupcakes

I'm baaaack!! So sorry for not posting for so long, Mr. G and I have been traveling, but we're finally back to Hawaii! It's nice to be home after a long trip. While away, I was really missing my kitchen and especially my oven. When I got home, I had a long list of things I wanted to bake straight away, but I settled on these Lemon Crunch Cupcakes to start.

The creation of these cupcakes started when I tried the Lemon Crunch Cake from Aiea Bowl. It's a white cake with a light lemony frosting with little bits of crunch like toffee bits. I really wanted to recreate this cake because it was so delicious. I found this copycat recipe from Group Recipes. I was so disappointed because the cake from the recipe uses a cake mix.

I decided to make my own recipe. I used this recipe from The Stir for a light lemony cupcake. I made a lemony cream cheese frosting and made the crunch from Group Recipe. The result is a delicious lemony cupcake. The problem I had was the cream cheese frosting didn't hold up very well to the increasingly hot weather here. Another problem was the crunch part, it was really good when I first put it on the frosting. But after awhile, it just melted into the frosting. If you make these, don't chop up the brittle too much so you can maintain the crunch. Enjoy and thanks for sticking around! =P

Lemon Crunch Cupcakes

Lemon cupcakes
Lemon cream cheese frosting
crunch

1. After the lemon cupcakes have cooled, frost with lemon cream cheese frosting. Top cupcakes with crunch!

Lemon Cupcakes
from The Stir

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
lemon zest from two lemons
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

1. Center a rack in the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare cupcake tins by using liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.

4. Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and, working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light.

5. Beat in the extracts, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated.

6. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.

7. Finally, give the batter a good 2-minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed. Place the batter into the cupcake tins.

8. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the cupcakes are well risen and springy to the touch -- a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 stick of butter, softened
1 3/4 cups confectioner's sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
zest of one lemon

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the butter and continue to beat for 2 to 3 minutes more.

2. Add the confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time and beat until smooth and no lumps of sugar are visible. Add the lemon juice and zest and beat until it's combined.

Crunch
from Group Recipes

1-1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons baking soda

1. Combine sugar, water and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, to 300 degrees on a candy thermometer, or until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold or ice water separates into hard, brittle threads.

2. Remove from heat and quickly stir in baking-soda until light and foamy.

3. Pour mixture onto a buttered 8-by-12-inch cookie sheet and quickly spread to 1/4-inch thickness; cool.
Break into pieces, then crush into crumbs.

Taiwanese Pineapple Cookie

Check out my cute plate!! heehee =P I am a huge huge fan of Hello Kitty!! I am a bit of a closet HK fan because as a woman in her 30's, not living in Japan, it's a bit hard to broadcast my love (I'm sorry, HK, I know you deserve so much more!!) I spend more money than I should on HK products, but I rationalize it by buying HK home items. I stand by my $60 HK bread mold that I absolutely need for a healthy and balance diet!! =P

Anyway, on to the yummy cookies on the lovely plate. I grew up eating these Taiwanese Pineapple Cookies. They are unlike any American cookie and taste more like a flaky biscuit with a pineapple jam filling. I found this recipe from Cafe of the East. Her cookies are so pretty because she uses molds to make them, but I can't get mine to come out of my mold in one piece. I end up just shaping them with my hands. Even though they're not the prettiest, they are very tasty. I ended up using the pineapple jam recipe from Table for two or more. I love that I can control the amount of sugar in the jam to my liking. One less thing to buy from the store!! =P

Taiwanese Pineapple Cookies
from Cafe of the East and Table for two or more

Pineapple Jam
adapted from Table for two or more

1 large pineapple
1/2 cup of sugar (see note)
1 cinnamon stick

1. Cut pineapples into chunks. Do not discard the core.

2. Put half the pineapple chunks into a blender, add 1/3 cup of water and puree. Pour 80% of the blended pineapple into a pan or a wok. Use a pan with a large surface so that the pineapple puree can evaporate quicker.

3. With the remaining blended pineapple in the blender, repeat blending process with the rest of the pineapple. You should not need any additional water.

4. Pour all of the pineapple puree in a pan with the cinnamon stick. Cook on medium heat until it's very pasty, like thick oatmeal.

5. Add in sugar, it'll turn watery again. Turn to lower medium heat, and cook until it is very pasty. Stir once in a while.

6. Increase the heat to high. Don't stir and let the base take on some color. It will caramelize the jam. Stir once in a while to check on the color. Stop when it almost reaches your preferred color. Some pans will continue to caramelize even when the heat is off. It should be golden brown color. The jam will thicken after it cools, so don't overcook.

Pastry:
240g plain flour, sifted
60g vanilla custard powder, sifted
pinch salt
50g icing sugar, sifted
180g ghee
1 egg yolk

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Cream ghee and egg yolk briefly. Add sifted flour, salt, custard powder and icing sugar. Knead into a soft and pliable dough.

2. Divide dough into approximately 15 to 20g pieces and divide the Pineapple Filling into approximately 15g pieces, or adjust according to the size of your cookie cutter. Wrap each portion of the filling inside each piece of dough. Round into a ball shape. Repeat with the rest of the dough pieces and filling portions.

3. Use your cookie cutter to shape the wrapped dough pieces. Place the round dough inside the cookie cutter on an ungreased baking sheet. Press down with the heel of your palm to make the dough fit into the cookie cutter shape. Carefully remove the cookie cutter. Finish moulding the rest of the wrapped dough pieces.

4. Bake for about 18 minutes (also depending on the size of your shortbreads), or until the shortbreads are light golden brown. Cool on the tray for about 10 minutes as the shortbreads are very fragile at this stage. Then use a flat spatula to remove the shortbreads to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in airtight container.

Notes:

• *I halved the original recipe and it was just right for the amount of dough I had. Go to Wendy's website for additional tips for a successful jam.
• *The original recipe calls for one cup of sugar for one pineapple. I only used 1/2 cup of sugar because my pineapple was very sweet.  I made this once without adding any sugar at all. It all depends on the sweetness of your pineapple.

Strawberry Tart

I recently went to the afternoon tea service at Halekulani and I was so disappointed (gasp! who dares speak against Halekulani? Don't get me started on the brunch...all I have to say is run for the hills!) I was really excited about it, because it was a chance to hang out with my girlfriends and have yummy finger sandwiches and desserts. Let me tell you, most of the desserts were ehhh at best! The sandwiches were dry, and the scones were just okay! The tea was excellent though! If you are the type that can taste atmosphere, you will love Halekulani. It's pretty and relaxing, and a great place to spend an afternoon. But if you're there for the food (like i am), you would be happier elsewhere (any suggestions?). I thought for sure that they would have some type of fruit tart, but they didn't.

How can they not have fruit tarts? I love fruit tarts!! I love the contrast of fresh fruit with the creamy pastry cream all enveloped in a sugary buttery crust. Rarely do you get this when eating a fruit tart. The cream is often too gelatinous and the crust often soggy. If you're tired of these sub par fruit tarts, make this fruit tart yourself!! You'll love it!! It might look like a long recipe, but it's not hard at all!! The only thing you need to bake is the crust. I'm thinking I have to have my very own afternoon tea service at my house. Anyone want to make a reservation?

Strawberry Fruit Tart
adapted from Art and Soul of Baking

1 recipe Vanilla Shortcrust Dough (recipe follows)
1 1/2 ounces white or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 recipe Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream (recipe follows)
1 lb of strawberries
2 tbsp seedless raspberry jam
2 tsp water

1. Bake the shell: Preheat the oven to 375°F and position a rack in the bottom third. Line the chilled tart shell with heavy-duty foil, pressing the foil firmly and smoothly into the crevices of the pan. Fill the pan with pie weights. Make sure the weights reach up the sides to the rim of the pan (the center does not need to be filled quite as full). Bake the shell for 20 to 22 minutes, until the foil comes away from the dough easily (if it doesn't, bake another 5 to 6 minutes and check again). Remove the pan from the oven (hold the pan by the sides and not the bottom), close the oven door, and lift out the foil and weights from the shell; set them aside to cool. Return the pan to the oven to continue baking the shell for about 10 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven, close the oven door, and check to see if any cracks have formed. If you see a crack, very gently smear a tiny bit of reserved dough over the crack to patch it-you need only enough to seal the opening. Return the pan to the oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes longer, until the crust is a nice golden brown all over. Transfer to a rack and cool completely.

2. Moisture-proof the crust: Bring an inch of water to a boil in the bottom of the double boiler. Place the chocolate in the top of the double boiler off the heat. Then place the chocolate over the steaming water. Stir occasionally with the silicone or rubber spatula until the chocolate is melted and smooth. (Or, melt the chocolate in the microwave-safe bowl) Scrape the melted chocolate into the cooled tart shell and use the offset spatula to spread it into a thin layer across the bottom and about ½-inch up the side. Chill for 10 minutes to firm the chocolate.

3. Fill the tart: Spoon the pastry cream into the tart crust and spread into an even layer. Refrigerate while you prepare the fruit. Pour the raspberries and blackberries onto the baking sheet and pick out and discard any moldy berries or debris. These berries are usually not washed, as they absorb water quickly and turn to mush. Rinse the blueberries in the strainer under cold water and pat dry. In the medium bowl, gently mix all of the berries together. Transfer to the tart, making sure there is a nice balance of all the berries in each area of the tart.

4. Finish the tart: Heat the raspberry jam and water in the small saucepan over low heat until melted, hot, and fluid or, microwave on low in the microwave-safe bowl. Do not let it boil or it will caramelize. Brush just enough of the melted jam over the tops of the berries to glaze them a bit. You don't want to overdo it; simply touch the brush to the berries to give them a shiny look. Refrigerate the tart until ready to serve.

5. Place the tart pan on top of a large can (the 28-ounce tomato cans are good) so that the bottom balances midair as the rim falls to the counter. Use the metal spatula to transfer the tart to a serving plate, or simply leave the bottom of the tart pan under the tart for support. Slice the tart with a thin and sharp knife, cutting down in one quick motion rather than sawing. This tart is lovely all by itself, though a spoonful of raspberry sauce is a good accompaniment.

Storing: The tart holds beautifully for 2 days, but is at its prettiest the day it is made. Cover with plastic and refrigerate. After a couple of days the juices from the fruit begin to seep into the pastry cream, though the tart still tastes delicious.

Vanilla Shortcrust Dough
from Art and Soul of Baking

1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 to 3 teaspoons water

1. To mix the dough using a food processor: Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 5 times to blend. Add the cold butter pieces and pulse 6 to 8 times, just until the butter is the size of large peas. In the small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, vanilla, and 1 teaspoon water. Add to the butter mixture, then process just until the dough begins to form small clumps, 5 to 10 seconds. Do not let the dough form a ball. Test the dough by squeezing a handful of clumps-when you open your hand, they should hold together. If they are crumbly and fall apart, sprinkle 1 teaspoon water over the dough and pulse several times, then test again. Repeat, if necessary. To mix the dough by hand: Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the medium bowl and blend well with the whisk. Add the cold butter pieces and toss until they are lightly coated with the flour. Use the pastry blender or your fingertips to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs or crushed crackers. If at any time during this process the butter softens and becomes warm, place the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes before continuing. In the small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, vanilla, and 1 teaspoon water. Add to the dry ingredients and toss between your fingertips or with a fork 20 to 30 times to evenly distribute the moisture. The dough will still look very crumbly, but if the mixture is squeezed in your hand, it should hold together. If not, sprinkle another teaspoon of water over the top and toss to blend. Repeat, if necessary.

2. Finish the dough: Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work surface and knead gently 2 or 3 times, just to finish bringing it together. Shape it into a disk about 6 inches in diameter. If the dough is still cool to the touch, continue on to the next step. If the dough is soft and sticky, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes before continuing.

3. To make the tart shell by rolling the dough: Make sure the dough is cool but malleable. If it has been refrigerated or frozen and is quite hard, let it sit on the counter for 10 to 12 minutes before rolling; otherwise, the dough will crack under the pressure of the rolling pin. Since it's difficult to remove this dough from the work surface without tearing it unmercifully, place the dough disk between two 14-inch pieces of waxed paper, parchment paper, or plastic wrap. Roll it into an 11-inch round, rotating it (and the paper) clockwise slightly after each roll to create an even round. Remember to roll from the center outward and to lift the rolling pin at the edge to avoid smashing the edge into the paper, which will make removing the paper difficult.

4. As you roll, the paper or plastic wrap will get wrinkled into the dough. When this happens, peel it off, smooth out the wrinkles and lay it back on the dough. Flip the dough over and repeat, if necessary, with the top piece. Continue to roll, flipping and smoothing wrinkles as necessary, until the dough is 11 inches across and between ⅛ and ¼ inch thick. If the dough is soft and sticky, transfer it to a baking sheet and chill it for 30 minutes. Peel off the top piece of paper or plastic. Leave the bottom piece attached-this will hold the dough together while you transfer it to the pan. Lift the dough by the exposed paper or plastic and flip it over and center it over the tart pan as best you can.

5. Peel off the paper or plastic. (If it sticks and won't come off, place everything on a baking sheet and chill for 30 minutes-the paper will then peel off easily.) Ease the dough across the bottom of the pan and up the sides, pressing it into the corners of the pan with your fingertips. If the dough breaks or cracks, just press it together again. Once the dough is even in the pan, fold the excess dough at the edge inward to create a double layer of dough along the wall. Press firmly with your thumbs to fuse the two layers of dough, then roll your thumb over the rim of the pan to remove any excess dough there. Save the excess dough in case a crack forms in the crust during baking. Refrigerate for 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes before baking.

6. To make the tart shell by pressing the dough into the pan by hand: First, chill the dough for 30 minutes. Break the cold dough into small pieces roughly an inch or two in diameter and scatter them evenly over the bottom of the tart pan. Use the heel of your hand to press the pieces of dough flat, connecting them into a smooth, even layer. Press from the center of the pan outward, building up some extra dough where the bottom meets the side. Using your thumbs, press this excess up the sides of the pan to form the walls, making sure they are the same thickness as the dough on the bottom of the pan. Roll your thumb over the rim of the pan to remove any excess dough (save this for patching any cracks that might form during baking). Refrigerate for 1 hour, or freeze for 30 minutes before baking.

Vanilla bean pastry cream
from Art and Soul of Baking

1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) whole milk
1 vanilla bean (or 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract)
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) sugar
1/4 cup (1 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) cold unsalted butter

Fill the large bowl halfway with ice and water and set it aside. Pour the milk into the medium saucepan. Use the tip of a paring knife to cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Turn the knife over and use the dull side to scrape the seeds into the saucepan, then add the pod. Heat until the mixture just begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and let steep for 30 minutes. (If using vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean, skip this step and add the extract later.)

Heat the milk to just below the boiling point and remove from the heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolks, and sugar until well blended and smooth. Add the flour and whisk vigorously until the mixture is very smooth. Pour about ½ cup of the hot milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to temper the yolks. Slowly pour the yolk mixture back into the hot milk, whisking all the while.

Heat the mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the flour from lumping, until it reaches a boil. Continue to cook and whisk for another minute, until the pastry cream is very thick. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter (and vanilla extract, if using). Strain the pastry cream through the strainer set over a medium bowl to remove any lumps or tiny bits of egg. (Save the vanilla bean: Rinse it thoroughly, allow to dry, then use it to make vanilla sugar).

Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream, then set the bowl into the bowl of ice water. Once the pastry cream has completely cooled, use or store in the refrigerator until needed.

Chocolate decadence cake

This amazing piece of cake is inspired by the Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory. As you can probably tell by the numerous cheesecake posts, I *heart* cheesecake. It's my favorite type of cake!! I love cheesecake so much I had a cheesecake as my wedding cake. Before I could make my own cheesecake, I used to like going to Cheesecake Factory for their cheesecakes. The other night while strolling through Waikiki, we decided to stop at Cheesecake Factory for dessert. We decided on the Godvia Chocolate Cheesecake. It was four layers of absolute chocolate decadence. The bottom is a flourless chocolate cake, topped with chocolate cheesecake, topped with chocolate mousse and finish off with a layer of chocolate ganache!!! It was soo good, I knew I had to make it!!!

I found this recipe online for the cheesecake. The first time I made it, I followed the recipe exactly. The recipe tells you to bake the chocolate cake and cheesecake together. When it came out of the oven, the cake enveloped the cheesecake, and it was just a big mess. I smoothed it out, and put the mousse on top. It was very delicious, but I liked having four distinct layers. This time, I decided to bake it separately, and the result was much better!!! It is an incredibly rich cake. If you're a chocolate lover, you will no doubt love it!!!

Here are some things you should know before you make this cake. The flourless chococlate cake listed below makes a very large cake. I wanted the layers to be even, so I ended up dividing the batter between a 9" cake pan and a 7" cake pan. It's a perfect treat for the cook!! I think I put about 2/3 of the batter in the 9" cake pan. I didn't use the original ganache recipe because it looks like way too much ganache for this cake. I ended up using a ganache recipe that's perfect portion for a 9" cake. Okay, now you're ready!! Here's the recipe with my adaptations.

Chocolate Decadence Cake
adapted from Recipe Secrets.net

Chocolate Mousse
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream, divided use
6 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped in small pieces

1. Beat the egg yolks with 1/4 cup of sugar in a small bowl on high speed until thick and lemon colored, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 cup heavy cream in saucepan over medium heat just until hot. (Do not boil.) Gradually stir half of the hot cream into egg yolk mixture then combine back into hot cream in saucepan. Cook over low heat about 5 minute, stirring constantly, until mixture is blended and thickens. Let cool for 10 minutes, then add chocolate to mixture and stir until thick, about 5 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, just until chilled.

3. Beat remaining 1 1/2 cups heavy cream in chilled medium bowl until stiff. Mix 1/2 of the whipped cream into chocolate mixture until blended. Fold remaining whipped cream gradually into chocolate mixture until well blended. Allow to chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For The Flourless Chocolate Cake
7 oz semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces (45-50 % cocoa)
4/5 cup butter
1 cup sugar, divided use
4 eggs, separated

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 inch and a 7 inch cake tin with grease-proof or other non-stick paper and grease the tins.

2. Melt the butter and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost simmering water, stirring once or twice, until smooth; remove from the heat.

3. Beat the yolks with 1/2 cup of sugar. Beat until the yolks turn a lemony yellow color and the volume nearly triples. Gently fold in the yolk mixture to the chocolate mixture.

4. Using a standing mixer or a handheld mixer, beat the egg whites until it becomes frothy. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in the egg white mixture to the chocolate mixture. Gently fold the egg and flour into the chocolate until the mixture is a uniform color.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (the 7 inch cake make be done in about 15 to 20 minutes). The top of the cake will be dry and it will have doubled in size. Let cool on a rack. The cake will deflate slightly when it comes out of the oven. Once cool, put into the refrigerator until ready to assemble.

For The Chocolate Cheesecake
1 lb cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
4 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

1. While the chocolate cake is baking, begin on the chocolate cheesecake. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost simmering water, stirring once or twice, until smooth. Remove from heat.

2. Using a standing mixer or a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar until it's light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, waiting for each egg to be incorporated before adding the next egg. Add the melted chocolate and beat until everything is incorporated.

3. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until the middle is jiggly, but set. Allow the cheesecake to cool for two to three hours before putting it in the refrigerator. Allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

Chocolate Ganache
from Epicurious

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
3 1/2 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped

1. Bring cream to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan and remove from heat. Add chocolate and let stand 1 minute, then gently whisk until completely melted and smooth. Transfer ganache to a small bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened but still pourable, about 20 minutes.

Assembly
9" portion of the Flourless chocolate cake
Chocolate cheesecake
Chocolate mousse
Chocolate ganache

1. After the cheesecake has completely cooled and chilled in the refrigerator, gently remove from the pan and place in the pan with the flourless chocolate cake.

2. Pour the chocolate mousse on top of the cheesecake and level off with a offset spatula.

3. Pour the warm chocolate ganache on top of the chocolate mousse and spread with the offset spatula. Allow the entire cake to cool in the refrigerator. Enjoy

Portobello Mushroom Wellington

I love cooking for our friends and family and love having people over at the house. The hardest part is figuring out what to make! A lot of people have dietary restrictions nowadays, either preferences or allergies. I want to make sure my guests have something they will enjoy, but I also don't want to make a separate dish for everyone.

When people tell me they don't eat meat, I often turn to mushrooms. Mushrooms are filling, tasty and it's full of flavor. When talking to one of our non-meat-eating friends, I find out that she doesn't like mushrooms either!!! I was so shocked! She talked about not liking the woodiness of mushrooms.

I think the reason why she doesn't like mushrooms is the very reason I love mushrooms. Both Mr. G and I have a great love for mushrooms. I love mushrooms of every kind, I eat mushrooms at least once a week. It just goes to show that food preferences are so subjective. The best meal of my life could taste like complete crap to you. I love that! To celebrate diversity in tastes and preferences, I made these portobello mushroom wellingtons!

The recipe comes from Delicious Dishes. It's absolutely delicious (if you LOVE mushrooms). It is bursting with mushroom flavors. I love the little bits of mushroom and cheese with the meatiness of the portobello mushroom. It's so incredibly filling, I promise you won't miss the meat! Here's the recipe.

Vegetarian Portobello Wellington
from Delicious Dishes
Serves 4

4 medium-sized portobello mushrooms, washed and gills scraped out
4 cups crimini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 large cups tender baby spinach
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, minced and divided
4 garlic cloves, minced and divided
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon Seasoned Bread Crumbs
1 cup freshly grated Gruyere Cheese
Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1 sheet of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry dough (or two, depending on how big your portobello mushrooms are)

egg wash: 1 egg whisked together with 1 tablespoon water

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees f.

2. Lightly brush the portobello mushrooms with olive oil and dust lightly with kosher salt. Bake the portobello mushrooms for 15 minutes cap side up and 10 minutes cap side down. Once done baking place mushrooms on a paper towel so all the extra moisture will be absorbed. Set aside.

3. In a large skillet, saute 1 shallot and 2 minced cloves of garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add the baby spinach leaves. Stir to coat the spinach and lightly salt and pepper to taste, once the spinach looks like it is wilting, add the balsamic vinegar. Once the leaves are wilted, remove from skillet and place contents into a bowl and set aside. In the same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and saute 2 minced shallots and 2 minced garlic cloves. After about 1 minute, add in the chopped mushrooms and lightly season with salt and pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Continue to saute the mushrooms on medium heat until all of the moisture is cooked out and the mushrooms are soft. Remove from heat, add the mushrooms to the spinach mixture. Mix together and let cool. Once mixture is cooled toss in the bread crumbs, toasted pine nuts and Gruyere cheese. Mix well.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one sheet of the puff pastry. Cut into 4 equal pieces (if you have really large portobello mushrooms then you might need to use the extra sheet of puff pastry). Equally fill each portobello mushroom cap with the spinach and mushroom mixture. Place one piece of puff pastry over a filled portobello mushroom. Gently turn the mushroom over so the puff pastry is now on your working surface and the mushroom is upside down. Lightly brush the egg wash around the outer edges of the puff pastry. Place the opposite corners of the puff pastry to wrap around the portobello and then bring the other two corners up. Gently bring the sides up to completely cover the mushroom. Once all is secure, place the seamed side down onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Lightly brush the top of the wellington with a little bit of egg wash, lightly score the top and dust a little bit of salt and pepper on top.

5. Bake the wellingtons for about 25-30 minutes or until the puff pastry is nice and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Spicy Korean Chicken with Rice Cakes

I just came back from Korea not too long ago and the best part of the trip would have to be the food!! It was incredible the amount of great food we encountered wherever we went! On the street, at little hole in the walls, and even at big restaurants. Koreans must have a passion for food. One of the great dishes we had was Dak Galbi, which is a spicy chicken with rice cake.

I wanted to attempt to duplicate that at home. When researching, I came across a food blog called Beyond Kimchee. I think I must have pinned every single recipe on this blog!! Everything looks so mouthwatering. I found a recipe for Dak Galbi and I knew I had to try it.

The results? This is AMAZING!!! I knew it was going to be good as the smell of gochuchang (Korean chili paste) fills my apartment!! You really need to try this dish!!! It's that good!! With this recipe, I discovered this herb called perilla leaves. It has such an interesting taste and brings a lot to the dish, I want to put it on everything! Here's the recipe.

Spicy Korean Chicken with Rice Cakes
from Beyond Kimchee

1 lb (450g) boneless, skinless chicken thigh, diced
1/2 lb (250g) Korean rice cake sticks
1/4-1/2 cabbage, diced
8-10 perilla leaves, sliced
1/2 large onion, sliced
1 medium sweet potato, sliced into 1/4" thick wedges
2 tablespoon grape seed or canola oil
2-4 tablespoon water
more perilla leaves and toasted sesame seeds to garnish

For the sauce:
3 tablespoon Korean chili paste
2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoon Korean chili flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ginger powder
2 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
dashes of pepper

1. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Toss the chicken pieces with 1/2 the sauce and mix. Set aside.

2. Soak rice cakes in hot water until ready to use and drain (if using fresh rice cakes, you don't need to soak it).

3. Drizzle oil in a cast iron skillet, spread the chicken and top with vegetables (only 1/2 the amount of perilla leaves) and rice cakes. Drizzle the remaining sauce over and bring the skillet over med-high heat.

4. When you hear the loud sizzling noise from the skillet, toss to coat everything with the sauce. Continue to cook for about 2 minutes. Add the water to create steam to cook and reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook, about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. When chickens are cooked through and potatoes are tender, add the rest of the perilla leaves and heat through. Everything should be slightly browned at this stage.Toss gently so that you don't break the potatoes.

6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and garnish with more perilla leaves. Serve hot.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies

HAPPY 2013!!!! A friend of mine gave me this recipe and I was so thankful! I was so behind on my holiday baking this year that on Christmas Eve morning, I was scrambling to make something for Mr. G's coworkers before he left for work! This recipe only takes 20 minutes to make and you don't even need to turn on the oven!!

The original name for these cookies is Holy Crap These are Amazing Cookies. The amazing thing about these cookies is it's pretty damn good for practically no effort! The only thing that makes me so nervous about these cookies is the need for one whole cup of corn syrup. Yikes!!! I have been more conscious of looking at labels for addition of corn syrup, and I can't believe I willingly poured in one cup of corn syrup!!! Does any one know of an alternative?! Because I would really like to make these again!! Here's the recipe.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies
from Sticky Gooey Creamy Chewy

1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 jar (18 oz ounce) peanut butter, crunchy or smooth
6 cups corn flakes
3 oz good quality chocolate of your choice

1. Combine sugar and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and stir until the mixture comes to a full boil. Remove from heat and stir in the whole jar of peanut butter. Mix well.

2. Add corn flakes to a large bowl. Pour peanut butter mixture over corn flakes and mix well, taking care to coat all of the corn flakes.

3. With a tablespoon or cookie scoop, scoop out and form into 1-2 inch balls, depending on your preference, and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.

4. Put the chocolate in a small bowl and melt in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies.

Tomato and Corn Pie

A late Merry Christmas to everyone and a very HAPPY 2013 to all of you!! I have been eying this Tomato and Corn Pie from Closet Cooking for a little while now. I was thinking of making this one night and when I told Mr. G what was to be our dinner, he was not excited...to say the least.

Ignoring his comments, I decided to make it anyway. The results?! This pie was GOOOOOOOD!! Mr. G ate his words and half the pie!! =P

The pie crust is a savory yummy biscuit, and inside is a yummy tomato and corn filling with a bit of kick from the cayenne. Overall a wonderful yummy pie!! Although the name (and the picture) does not scream, "make me now", it really was a very good savory pie and I will definitely make this again!! Try it and let me know what you think!

Tomato and Corn Pie
from Closet Cooking

1 1/2 cups corn, about 3 ears
1 1/2 pounds beefsteak tomatoes, about 4 medium, diced
2 strips bacon, cut into small pieces and cooked (see note)
1/4 cup mayonnaise or sour cream
2 green onions, sliced
2 tbsp fresh parsley (see note), chopped
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
2 pie crusts pastry or biscuit (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon butter, melted

1. Mix the corn, tomatoes, bacon, mayo, green onions, basil, cheddar cheese and cayenne and season with salt and pepper.

2. Fit one of the pie crusts into a 9 inch pie plate, pour in the corn and tomato mixture and fit the remaining pie crust on top folding it over the edges of the bottom one and crimping to seal in the juices.

3. Brush top of the pie with butter and cut 3-4 1-2 inch slits in the crust to let out the steam.

4. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 30-40 minutes.

Biscuit Pie Crust
from Closet Cooking

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
3/4 cup milk
1 tbsp dried oregano(see note)

1. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a food processor.

2. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles coarse meal (you can also do this with pastry cutter or two knives).

3. Add the milk and pulse until it forms a dough.

4. Split the dough in half and roll each out on a well floured surface one at a time.

Notes:

• *The original recipe calls for four strips of bacon, I only used two because I really wanted the tomato and corn to shine and not be overpowered by the bacon flavor.
• *The original recipe calls for a handful of basil, I didn't have basil but had some parsley, so I substituted that instead.
• *For the crust, the original recipe calls for 2 tbsp of basil, I decided to use 1 tbsp of dried oregano instead.

Sweet Bread French Toast

Before seeing this recipe, my French toast consists of drenching bread in lots of beaten eggs. I would use at least one egg per piece of bread. It was okay....but not quite like the ones from the restaurant. I was browsing my The New Best Recipe cookbook from Cook's Illustrated and thought I would try this!

What surprised me is there's only one egg for four servings of French toast!!! Is it just me or is that crazy? I ended up using some sweet bread for the French toast and it was so delicious!! It was nice and fluffy, not too eggy, and the perfect crisp to soft ratio. Yum!! It's also so easy, it's really doable even for a weekday morning.

Sweet Bread French Toast
from The New Best Recipe

1 large egg
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
4 to 5 day old challah or sweet bread, 3/4 inch thick (see note)
unsalted butter for frying (1 tbsp per batch)

1. Heat a 10 or 12 inch skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the egg lightly in a shallow pan or pie plate; whisk in the melter butter, then the milk and vanilla, and finally the sugar, flour and salt, continuing to whisk until smooth.

2. Soak the bread without oversaturating, about 40 seconds per side for challah and 30 seconds per side for sandwich bread. pick up the bread an allow the excess batter to drip off; repeat with the remaining slices.

3. Swirl 1 tbsp butter in the hot skillet. transfer the prepared bread to the skillet in a single layer; cook until golden brown, about 1 minute 45 seconds on the first side and 1 minute on the second.. serve the French toast immediately. Continue adding 1 tbsp butter to the skillet for each new batch.

Note:

• *You can also use sandwich bread instead of challah.  You will need about 6 to 8 slices of day old sandwich bread.  You will want to cook it for 30 seconds on the first side instead of 40 seconds. 

Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies

This cookie comes from the great Christina Tosi of Momofuku Milk Bar. I was so excited when I saw this book, I took a look at the Momofuku cookbook that came out before, but I wasn't too excited about it. Everything in there had so many steps; it just wasn't for the everyday cook. When it comes to baking though, I am willing to be in the kitchen all day!!

I love the recipes in this cookbook, I want to make everything. There's a recipe for Kimchi Croissant with Blue Cheese (eew?!) and Lap Cheong Foccacia!! Crazy!! I can't wait to make every single thing! For the inaugural recipe though, I chose this "simple" cookie. It doesn't sound that magical, maybe just your run of the mill kitchen sink cookie, but it really is a lot more sophisticated than that. The key is the CORNFLAKE CRUNCH!!

What is cornflake crunch? It's cornflakes mixed with milk powder, butter, sugar and salt and baked until it becomes this yummy goodness. Added to the cookies, it creates this crunchy, caramel-ly cookie that's out of this world! haha. Try it!! The only warning is YOU MUST REFRIGERATE THE DOUGH BEFORE YOU BAKE IT!! Don't skip this step or it won't come out right. Otherwise, make this and come join me in cookie heaven!

Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies
from Momofuku Milk Bar

16 tablespoons (2 sticks)/225 g butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups/ 250 g granulated sugar
2/3 cup/ 150 g tightly packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon/ 2 g vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups/ 240 g flour
1/2 teaspoon/ 2 g baking powder
1/2 teaspoon/ 1.5 g baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons/ 5 g kosher salt
(3 cups)/3/4 recipe Cornflake Crunch (recipe follows)
2/3 cup/ 125 g mini chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups/ 65 g mini marshmallows

1. Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg and vanilla, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes.

2. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. (Do not walk away from the machine during this step, or you will risk overmixing the dough.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

3. Still on low speed, paddle in the cornflake crunch and mini chocolate chips just until they’re incorporated, no more than 30 to 45 seconds. Paddle in the mini marshmallows just until incorporated.

4. Using a 2.-ounce ice cream scoop (or a 1/3-cup measure), portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 week. Do not bake your cookies from room temperature—they will not hold their shape.

5. Heat the oven to 375°F.

6. Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pans. Bake for 18 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle, and spread. At the 18-minute mark, the cookies should be browned on the edges and just beginning to brown toward the center. Leave them in the oven for an additional minute or so if they aren’t and they still seem pale and doughy on the surface.

7. Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or to an airtight container for storage. At room temperature, the cookies will keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.

Cornflake Crunch
from Momofuku Milk Bar

1/2 (12-ounce) (5 cups)/ 170 g box cornflakes
1/2 cup/ 40 g milk powder
3 tablespoons/ 40 g sugar
1 teaspoon/ 4 g kosher salt
9 tablespoons/ 130 g butter, melted

1. Heat the oven to 275°F.

2. Pour the cornflakes in a medium bowl and crush them with your hands to one-quarter of their original size. Add the milk powder, sugar, and salt and toss to mix. Add the butter and toss to coat. As you toss, the butter will act as glue, binding the dry ingredients to the cereal and creating small clusters.

3. Spread the clusters on a parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes, at which point they should look toasted, smell buttery, and crunch gently when cooled slightly and chewed.

4. Cool the cornflake crunch completely before storing or using in a recipe. Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the crunch will keep fresh for 1 week; in the fridge or freezer, it will keep for 1 month.