Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'd like to introduce to you, my new love! Impossibly soft pumpkin cookies kissed with the perfect amount of chocolate.

I've heard everyone rave about Joy the Baker's soft pumpkin cookies. I made these cookies months ago, but haven't had the chance to post them until now! It wasn't even technically fall yet, and I had already pulled out my pumpkin puree and fall spices! I love the fall, with its beautiful light and chance to cuddle up in bundles of coats and knitted scarves.I slightly adapted the recipe by substituting whole wheat flour for the all purpose and by reducing the sugar and oil. It did nothing, and I mean NOTHING, to the taste of these babies. That's what is so great about all things pumpkin; it's so forgiving! The cookies were still incredibly moist and with the chocolate chips, the sugar wasn't even missed. So basically, when you munch on these monstrous cookies, there's no need to feel any bit of shame. Just let that pure joy wash all over you!

Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields: about 16 large cookies

Slightly adapted from here.

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper, set aside. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth and lightened in color. Next, mix in the oil,

pumpkin and vanilla until well combined. Mix in the flour to incorporate. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Using an ice cream scoop (1/4 cup size), scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2 inches apart. Use a thin metal spatula to smooth and flatten the rounds. Bake until tops feel firm and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 16 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tailored Tuesdays

Mmm layers!

1. MCQ "Double breasted wool blend coat"

2. Rag & Bone "Greville alpaca and wool-blend sweater"

3. Paul & Joe "Un carre contrast-trim shirt"

4. Fendi "Peekaboo large leather tote"

5. J Brand "Houlihan low-rise skinny cargo pants"

6. J. Crew "Perforated-leather oxfords"

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

Hoecakes

I've been known to cook/ bake on a whim. Crave chocolate cake? Okay, I'll bake it. Crave some kimchi fried rice, that's easy! I'll whip some up real fast. Hoecakes? Hmmm, hoecakes. Well, I've never made those before...

I was watching True Blood the other day and in the episode, Sam, one of the characters cooks up some hoecakes using bacon grease and it sent my tummy rumbling right away! I've heard of hoecakes before, but never tried them nor made them - but I knew I had some bacon grease that I reserved on hand, so I set forward to making them immediately.

I found this recipe from Paula Deen, and with the simplicity of the recipe and all of the rave reviews, I knew I had to make them. They were as simple as can be, just mix all together, fry them up and then enjoy! I think the bacon grease is imperative; it adds this salty dimension and the hint of bacon flavor is simply divine with the maple syrup.

The hoecakes themselves are toothsome and hearty. They're opposite to a pancake completely! They're not fluffy but rather thick and heavy due to the cornmeal, but in a good way. I enjoyed mine with some maple syrup but these are wonderful because you can enjoy them sweet or savory.

Hoecakes

Yields: about 18

Original recipe here.

1 cup self-rising flour

1 cup self-rising cornmeal

2 eggs

1 tbsn. sugar

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup + 1 tbsn. water

1/4 cup bacon grease (or vegetable oil)

oil or butter, for frying

Mix the flour, cornmeal, eggs, sugar, buttermilk, water and bacon grease until well combined. Heat the oil or butter in a medium or large skillet over medium heat. Drop the batter, by full tablespoons into a hot skillet (use about 2 tbsn. of batter per hoecake). Fry each hoecake until brown and crisp, then use a spatula to turn the hoecake and brown the other side (about 3 minutes per side). With a slotted spoon, remove each hoecake to drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Simple, homely hoecakes.

Spring 2011 RTW

The latest & greatest of Spring 2011 ready-to-wear!

There was too much to love, really, too much.

Of course, Marc never fails. Ever since becoming head designer of Louis Vuitton, I really respect how incredibly versatile of a designer he is, it is truly amazing. Once you think you have him figured, he pulls another one of his classic 180's and dishes you something you would have never expected... amazing.

The soft tones of Alberta Ferretti were so beautifully romantic. I feel like the models need to be on horses, galloping on the beach with the wind in their hair or something!

Luisa was filled with girly pinks, and even though I don't love pink, I absolutely loved it in this collection.

When does Gucci ever fail to impress? The collection presented a strong, fashion forward and confident woman and it was wonderful to see.

Gosh I love Oscar. His pieces are always wonderfully structured but romantically soft at the same time. He really just knows how to dress a woman.

I will always have a special place in my heart for lace. It's classic, feminine, delicate and gorgeous - and Erdem really did perfect it in this collection!

Monique's color scheme was sooo perfectly Spring! I loved the pop of red along with the mint green, one of my favorite colors! She really knows how to dress a woman.

I am absolutely enamored by that coat from the end look! It's so chic and effortless.

I loved the earthy tones and the cutouts at Rodarte!

Chris Benz is always, always one of my favorites. His work with color is always phenomenal and I love his quirky designs.

There are so many Asian designers out there now! And I love ALL of them. Maybe it's because I'm Asian and we have the same aesthetic but nonetheless, gorgeous vision, design and execution. Loved the lightness of Thakoon's runway.Oh Derek, you never seem to disappoint, do you? A perfectly spring color palette with pieces that look incredibly easy to wear, yet still look like you could rule Manhattan.
I looooved Adam's color palette, but then again, I'm a sucker for neutral colors! What I also loved was his play on proportions - I mean look at those black trousers! They make the model look a million miles long and I adore the flair-ed bottom.

Close second as my favorite was Malandrino. I loved her work with textures and knit. It was wonderful how she had every color in the rainbow, yet delivered a collection that still had a uniform vision. It's the perfect wardrobe for vacation wear.

My ultimate favorite though, was definitely Jason Wu. I mean, I couldn't even bare to limit myself to 5 - 6 looks; it was impossible. Everything was incredibly chic, feminine, glamorous and had this incredible luxe look. I loved everything!! A pure celebration of the woman figure.

All images from Style.com

Rhubarb Gin & Tonic

Many people have preconceptions about what a lady likes to drink. Often times more than not, people associate "girly drinks" with well, girls. I guess I'm kind of an anomoly. I actually quite love beer and prefer them ten times over mixed drinks. When I do hit that "hard stuff" I prefer gin, especially in the form of gin & tonics!

There's something so refreshing about the herbal notes in gin mixed with some fizzy tonic water, and of course with a good dose of fresh lime. After perusing through the Foodgawker and Tastespotting archives for rhubarb recipes, I was quite taken by the idea of rhubarb gin & tonics. It's the combination of my favorite drink with my new favorite Summertime ingredient!

The rhubarb syrup is simple enough, and actually, so is the cocktail - no muddling, shaking, or stirring required! Of course the color is just stunning, but the taste is just as well. You get a bit of tartness from the rhubarb that is incredibly delicious! And as it would seem, I guess I like girly drinks after all :)

Rhubarb Syrup

Yields: about 1 cup

Original recipe here.

4 cups chopped rhubarb

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Combine everything in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook gently until the fruit is soft and the liquid has thickened slightly, about 20 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to remove excess liquid. Pour into a bottle and refrigerate until ready to use. 

Rhubarb Gin & Tonic

Yields: 1 cocktail

2 oz. gin

5 oz. tonic water

2 tbsn. rhubarb syrup

Combine everything over ice, enjoy!

Daikokuya {Los Angeles, CA}

Finally! I've now tried "the best ramen" of Los Angeles. I wanted to compare the "best ramen" of Los Angeles to the other major cities: San Francisco and New York, but it turn out, they're not really comparable. 


New York and San Francisco had completely different views on ramen. Ippudo of NY was a more modern take where as Katana-Ya of SF was a mix between modern and traditional. Daikokuya though, Daikokuya was traditional all the way. 

To start we had those beautiful things above. They are nubs of spicy tuna, wrapped in shiso leaf, then enrobed in a tempura batter and fried to perfection. Served with coarse salt, they were the most pleasing little packets of goodness that I've had in a while!

Daikokuya serves the most traditional ramen. They only offer one type, because well, they've perfected it and don't need to add any finicky toppings or add-ins. The broth is incredibly rich, almost buttery! The soup is filled with tender pieces of pork, a whole egg, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts and green onions and its the perfect mix. 

The bowl is so big you can fit your face in it - and then some! The best thing about Daikokuya is that it's cheap! Compared to the $15 bowls from SF and NY, Daikokuya serves up a larger bowl at only $10. It's a steal and a delicious one at that!

Yelp

Website

Levain Bakery {New York, NY}

I know... I just exploded with an influx of New York foodie posts, but I just wanted to get them out of the way! The 'Eating Out' NY page is now officially updated :)

AH Levain Bakery, I love you. More honestly, I LOVE your chocolate chip walnut cookies! I've heard much, much, much goodness about Levain Bakery and their famous cookies and my visit to New York would have been utterly incomplete without it.

I mean how good can a cookie be? I make cookies all the time, and though I do love my cookies, they will never come even close to how good these cookies are. First, they are ginormous - almost the size of a large scone and they weigh about half a pound! They come to you warm, and when you break it apart, it's still gooey and melty inside - unbelievable. Basically these cookies are the best I've ever had, and no, I am not exaggerating!

COOKIE PORN!

Ahhhh, gooey ooey deliciousness.

Yelp

Website

Wafels & Dinges {New York, NY}

It's amazing to me how on my trip to New York, I was able to eat so many "Bests." I had the best pizza ever, the best bread ever, the best milkshake ever, the best sandwich ever and now: the best waffle ever!

Hurrah to bests! We tried the liege waffle with the famous Spekuloos spread and boy were we in shock. My sister, who doesn't even like gingerbread/ spiced things enjoyed the spekuloos spread immensely - and even bought two bottles to bring home!


The waffle was a bit crispy, a bit chewy, and wholly perfect. The spekuloos spread was the icing on the cake: creamy, spiced, decadent and delicious.

Yelp

Website

53rd & 5th Halal Cart {New York, NY}

When talking about food in New York, certain things always come up: Katz Deli, Gray's Papaya, Pastis, etc. Another one of these things is the 53rd and 6th Halal Cart. Halal carts are all over the city, and when you pass them by they always have an alluring scent. When you walk past the one at 53rd and 6th, the same alluring scent is paired with an extremely long line of avid fans. 

For some reason, the one at this specific location has blown all others out of the water! And it's only at a specific time too! After waiting in a long line, which surprisingly went by fast, we finally got our hands on the chicken and gyro combination plates.

For $6.00 a pop, these things were HUGE and extremely filling. With perfectly cooked rice, super moist meat and fresh pita, these things were delightful and delicious. They also offer BBQ sauce or a ranch-ish white sauce if you want some extra zip. Although it was delicious, I'm curious as to what makes this one so much better than all those other halal carts you see in the city...

Yelp

Website

People's Pops {New York, NY}

Ah! New York in the Fall is supposed to be chilly, slightly rainy and a twirl of yellow, orange and red leaves! But in the midst of October, New York weather begs to differ and gave me a warm, sunny day to shop the Brooklyn Flea Market. 

Also, New York gave me People's Pops to appease the warmth of the day! Hurrah! I chose to try the Apricot-Salted Caramel which was delicious. Filled to the brim with chunks of fresh apricot and had the most unbelievably fresh flavor. Definitely a great, great popsicle. 

Yelp

Website