Class 302 {Rowland Heights}

After seeing this, I stopped to manually use my hands to close my jaw. I was in pure shock. It was something so beautiful, so foreign, so WEIRD!

It's shaved snow is what it is! No, it is not shaved ice, not at all. It's something completely different and completely more delicious. The most fabulous part about this shaved snow is that the ice itself is flavored. Today, we chose the green tea/ matcha ice which they use a special machine to shave off super thin sheets of ice. 

Topped with sweetened red beans, condensed milk and huge chunks of chewy rice cakes, it could not have been a more perfect treat. Mind you, we even ate this huge pile of ice on one of the colder days of Winter and enjoyed it immensely despite the teeth chattering. 

The texture is so enjoyable and odd at the same time! The whole time when eating it, my friends and I couldn't stop commenting on how odd the look of the ice was but how delicious it was all the same! It's basically fun and delicious - two good things when talking about food.

Best treat ever!

Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeelicious!

Look at those layers upon layers of ice!!

Mmmm chewy rice cakes!

Yelp

New York, New York!

Hello! I'm back from New York and I can't wait to tell you all of my delicious adventures!

I'll be posting a new 'New York' entry in the Eating Out page, so be sure to check it out if you are ever in need of some great, spectacular, mind-blowing and utterly indulgent eats!

But for now, here are some of my favorite photos from the trip, enjoy!

One of my first photos after landing in the glorious New York!

We stayed in Brooklyn and the view of Manhattan was amazing!!

Oh how I just love long exposures - the water and sky almost look creamy!

Instead of staying at a hotel, we rented a super cute studio apartment through Air BnB. This was the sunrise as seen from the roof.

My favorite part about the apartment was the rooftop access! These steps to me, personify everything I know about living in the city.

Of course, what is New York without its subway? We bought unlimited weekly passes and sure used the heck out of them! Everyday our feet were pulsating from the pain of walking millions of miles a day - but it was worth it!

Our home subway stop - Parkside!!

Central Park was gorgeous and I expected no less. We were told it would be raining and stormy - this photo begs to differ.

My ultimate favorite thing about the city though, if not the food, are the trees and not just the ones in the park. There's foilage EVERYWHERE and the trees are so unique - ones I've never seen in California. They just filter the light so perfectly.

THE MET! Thoroughly felt like a socialite from Gossip Girl while taking photos on the steps! Me (on the left) with my sister (on the right).

All of the art at the MET was fantastic - from Van Gogh to Magritte to Dali. There was even a temple from Egypt! I could have stayed there the entire day and not have looked at everything there was to see. One of my favorite exhibits though was the Big Bambu exhibit - it was interesting and incredibly gorgeous.

The Guggenheim is another museum must see, if only for the structure alone. To me, it's The Getty of the east side - both with the most beautiful architecture housing tons of great art. 

Good eats! I think the primary goal of this whole trip was to eat New York, literally. We ended up eating at 20+ places in a matter of 5 days - which is insane. I feel so bloated haha, but it was truly worth it!

Fall! My favorite season although it wasn't really Fall weather in the city as it was still quite sunny and warm. Nice though that I got to see some leaves turn their color at least.

Grand Central Station is just one of those places where you can feel the history. It was vast and filled with hustle and bustle.

See! Beautiful trees EVERYWHERE!

If you love Italian food, you have to check out Eataly - the creation of Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Oscar Farinetti. It's filled with all kinds of imported and authentic Italian goods, handmade pastas, dried meats and cheeses galore!

I heart & pretzel New York!!

I heart New York trees!

Chinatown/ Little Italy! It's funny because in San Francisco, they're right next to each other too and they're so similar in all major cities. Although, I must say, New York's Chinatown sure did have a nicer selection of goods :)

Last and final museum visit: The National History Museum, which was probably my favorite of all three. It appealed to the inner geek and science lover in me.

Deep sea creatures are probably the MOST interesting things on the planet to me, probably because we almost know nothing about them!

We like to take pictures, lots of them.

Me, in Bryant Park, which is a lot smaller than I thought it would be, but also, a lot more beautiful then I thought it would be! It's the perfect place to take a midday break and enjoy a bit of quiet in the midst of the busy city.

Times Square! I actually didn't see much of it but it in the minute I was walking through it, I was amazed by how many people could be in such a small space.

The last night - bittersweet, but maybe just a bit more bitter. Having dinner at the famous 63rd and 5th Halal Cart near Radio City and watching the people move past me. 

Tailored Tuesdays

I'll be in NY this week for the first time in my entire life!!!!!

(Can you tell I am excited?!)

My perfect NY outfit: beautiful pieces, comfortable, WARM!

1. D&G "Shearling-lined cotton parka"

2. MIH Jeans "Circle checked smocked shirt"

3. Acne "Flex black skinny jeans"

4. Newbark "Devon crocodile-effect shoes"

5. Ray-Ban "Round-frame acetate sunglasses"

6. Vanessa Bruno "Leather shoulder bag"

all images can be found at net-a-porter.com

Gluten-Free Rhubarb Financiers

I know... I'm a little late with this whole rhubarb thing. Let me explain: I've never, ever tried rhubarb before and for the longest time, I didn't even know of it's existence. Ever since I had learned about it, I've always wondered what this mysterious fruit/ vegetable tasted like. This summer, I've been on somewhat of a lengthy quest to try to get my hands on some rhubarb;  I searched Farmer's Markets, specialty grocery markets, everywhere (or so I'd thought...).

You'll never believe where I found them, I'm still pretty baffled myself. Well, I finally found them at freaking Albertsons! Really?! After all this time, I found them at the regular supermarket? It was like I had been stuck by fate - they magically found me on the last days of Summer and boy am I glad.

I didn't really know what to expect with rhubarb but I was pleasantly surprised with the results - especially in these financiers! I've been eyeing financiers for some time now but never had the opportunity to make them, and I must say, I am quite enamored. The beurre noisette or browned butter smelled so incredibly divine when added to the batter and added this rich, nutty flavor. The poached rhubarb was slightly tart and had the most lovely texture, which I find very hard to describe, so you'll just have to try it yourself.


Since these are gluten-free financiers, it uses rice flour, which can easily be substituted for all purpose, but perhaps this is why I loved these little cakes so much, because they reminded me of mochi cakes, which have a dense and slightly chewy texture. You will definitely see me & rhubarb in the future!

Rhubarb Financiers

Yields: 12 financiers

Original recipe here.

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

1 cup unsifted powdered sugar

1/2 cup ground almonds

1/3 cup sweet rice flour

pinch of salt

4 large egg whites

1 cup poached rhubarb (recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 375 F and position the rack in the center. Lightly spray or butter the inside of 12 financier molds or muffin cups with cooking spray and place them on a baking sheet, set aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, melt the butter until it turns into a rich hazelnut brown color, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes before straining it to remove the little dark butter particles at the bottom of the pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the powdered sugar, ground almonds, flour and salt on low speed until just combined. Add the egg whites and mix until all the ingredients are coming together. Add the brown butter, increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth. Divide the batter among the molds and divide the poached rhubarb pieces evenly among the top. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Poached Rhubarb

1/4 cup water

juice of 1 lemon

1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb (about 1-inch pieces)

1 tbsn. sugar

Place the water, lemon juice and sugar in a heavy bottom saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and add the rhubarb. Poach for 2 - 3 minutes then gently remove the rhubarb from the poaching liquid and set aside (they will continue to soften as they cool). 

"Best Ever Soft Chocolate Chip (Almond) Cookies"

A little rant: Blogger has really been annoying me lately! What's up with all the changes?! Now, change is not normally a bad thing but when you worked so hard to make your blog look a certain way and you begin to love it, it's totally not cool for Blogger to screw it all up! Ugh anyways... onto the post!

As a baker, you should have certain things in your arsenal, such as the perfect chocolate cake or the perfect pie crust, but really, the most important is the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I must be honest, I haven't tried very hard to find one, but maybe it's best I leave it to find me.


Though this isn't your traditional CCC, since I threw some chocolate covered almonds in, this cookie has got it happening. After stumbling upon this recipe from Lindsay Yeo's blog, I felt I had to make them, especially after reading her little link to the strange amount of flour used - it was so intriguing, so scientific, so me!
What drew me in was, not only did she title them "the best ever" but "the best ever SOFT chocolate chip cookies." I love soft cookies! Give me chewy and soft over crunchy any day! These are perfectly soft, just as she said they would be, but they did have just a bit of an outer crunch of a shell, which made them awesome.

The almonds added a nice crunch and had delicious almond scent from the extract. I threw them in because I had them on hand, but the next time I want to try a real almond chocolate chip cookie, I'll have to try these. And if you want the classic, go ahead and leave the almonds and extract out!

"Best Ever Soft Chocolate Chip (Almond) Cookies"

Yields: about 5 dozen

Adapted from here.

360 grams flour (about 2 3/4 + 1/8 cup) Scientific explanation here.

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

2 large eggs

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, chopped

1 1/2 cups chocolate covered almonds, roughly choppped

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Melt the butter in a large bowl on low in the microwave or on the stove. Add the sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and whisk until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, then fold in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate overnight. To bake, preheat the oven to 375 F. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 9 minutes or until light brown around the edges.

Tailored Tuesdays

1. Anna Sui "Silk tuile sequined waistcoat"

2. T by Alexander Wang "Racer back jersey tank"

3. J Brand "Low-rise glossed stretch denim jeans"

4. Michael Kors "Darrington large crescent hobo bag"

5. Alexander McQueen "Leather skull bracelet"

6. DKNY "Aura wedge suede ankle boots"

All images can be found at net-a-porter.com

Kalbi Spring Rolls

Ah, Korean Kalbi, it's the meat of the gods. Juicy, incredibly flavorful and fatty beyond words. 

I've wanted to make Kalbi spring rolls for I don't even know how long. As you all know, I'm pretty obsessed with spring rolls. They're portable, delicious, refreshing and for the most part, healthy. Ever since I made Japanese inspired spring rolls, the Ahi Tuna Rolls, I knew I'd have to make a Korean inspired spring roll, and here it is!

I think the most challenging part of making these rolls were deciding what kind of dipping sauce to serve  with them. Stuffing them was the easy part: kalbi, check! Kimchi, check! Deliciousness, check! For the dipping sauce, I decided to make a tangy gochujang and lime juice dressing. It reminded me more of a salad dressing but the tanginess was nice with the fatty pieces of kalbi. Next time though, I'll try to make a creamier sauce. Mmmmm.

Mmmmm juicy, grilled Kalbi:

Kalbi Spring Rolls

Yields: 4 - 6 servings

For the spring rolls:

2 lbs. marinated kalbi, grilled

1/2 head of romaine lettuce, chopped

1/4 package of rice noodles, cook according to package

1 cup kimchi, roughly chopped

4 green onions, chopped

rice paper

For the dipping sauce:

1 tbsn. gochujang

1 tbsn. sugar

1 tbsn. soy sauce

1 tsp. sesame oil

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted

4 tbsn. fresh lime juice or rice vinegar

To make the dipping sauce, whisk all the ingredients together until the sugar is dissolved and everything is well combined. Add more lime/ vinegar or soy sauce to your liking, set aside. To make the spring rolls, slice the kalbi into bite-sized pieces, set aside. To make rolling easier, set the ingredients out like an assembly line. To assemble, wet one rice paper and lay out on a clean surface (I like to use one and a half sheet for stronger rolls). Add some pieces of kalbi, some lettuce, some kimchi, cooked rice noodles and green onion. Roll by pulling the top towards you covering the fillings, then pull in the sides, then finish by continuing to roll to the bottom. Enjoy with the gochujang sauce!

In & Out {Orange, CA}

Ah, In & Out, the Southern California staple.

I'll tell you, as a Southern California native who was born, bred and fed on this stuff - I'm committed to the stuff and I'll stand by it till the end. With a simple menu, it's hard to go wrong. Everything is fresh and delicious!

Must have: banana peppers! Never seen them before? That's because you haven't asked for them! Ask and an employee will magically whisk them out from behind the counter and you can proceed in enjoying them with EVERYTHING (but not the shakes, please).

Yep, it can get pretty messy.

Shakes ftw!

Yelp

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