Too Much Food » Cuisines

Baking at Home: Mulberry Scones for the Weekend

Pinjing — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 05:41:52 +0000

Weekends were made for savoring a quiet breakfast; I can’t imagine a better way to spend a Sunday morning than with a cup of coffee and a freshly-baked scone.

Not much to say here about this recipe, it’s a classic amongst the blogosphere; it’s simple and the results are beautiful. The only change I made was that instead of using dairy cream, I used a vegan cashew cream (I had made cashew cream earlier in the week and wanted to see how it’d perform as a substitute for the non-vegan alternative). That being said, these scones still aren’t vegan, but if you substitute a vegan butter/margarine (such as Earth Balance) for the butter, you’d have an animal-friendly breakfast pastry.

Mulberry Scones
Inspired by K. Miller Photographs and recipe adapted from Savory Sweet Life .
Makes 8 regular sized scones or 16 mini scones

What you’ll need:

9 oz. or 252g or 2 cups all-purpose flour (I recommend the kitchen scale when baking, always!)
50g or 4 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 oz. or 4 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes (preferably as cold as possible, frozen is best)
6 fluid oz. or 3/4 cup dairy cream or cashew cream
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 – 3/4 cups of frozen mulberries or your frozen fruit of choice
raw sugar for sprinkling
1 teaspoon of honey for wash

The procedure:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the vanilla and the beaten egg in a small bowl and set aside.

Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Whisk so that all the dry ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, work the cold butter into the dry mixture until you get pea-sized crumbs of flour-coated butter. You don’t want to overwork the dough as this will contribute to tough, flat scones. Optionally, if you have a food processor, you can cut the butter in by pulsing the mixture a few times, one second each time.

Pour the cream and egg into the dry mixture all at once, and using a spatula, give it a few quick folds until the dough is evenly moistened and there aren’t any visible puddles of cream or egg. Add the mulberries and fold them in gently.

Pour your dough out onto your baking sheet and pat it gently into a circle that is 3/4″ in height. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, score the dough into 8 pieces. Separate them slightly if you wish.

Mix the honey with a splash of warm water and mix to combine. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the scones and sprinkle with the raw sugar.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 18 – 22 minutes, or until the tops and bottoms of the scones are a nice golden brown.

Enjoy them hot from the oven with some clotted cream or jam. As with all scones and biscuity things, these are best the day are made. However, you can freeze the unbaked scones and just bake one whenever the craving hits; just pop the frozen scone directly into a preheated oven and bake for 5 – 8 minutes longer.

Enjoy!

Eating Out: True Food Kitchen, Newport Beach, CA

Pinjing — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:28:41 +0000

A few meals that I had recently at True Food Kitchen in Newport Beach. A restaurant concept by Dr. Weil, which features healthy, organic and functional foods that are light yet delicious. It’s become a new favorite of mine and if it weren’t such a drive from home, I’d go there more often.

The restaurant is immaculate and features an open kitchen where you can see the chefs preparing the food. There’s also an area with large tables, where they do demonstrations and lessons sometimes, I believe.

Cucumber Refresher: Cucumber and Honey Lemonade.

Hangover Rx: Coconut water, orange juice and pineapple.

Tuscan Kale: Lemon, parmesan and bread crumb. I’m used to eating kale cooked down and braised, but this crunchier, raw version was a good change from the usual.

Caramelized Onion Tart: Smoked garlic, black fig and gorgonzola. I’ve always loved the combination of a salty cheese with fruit, so I naturally loved this one. Put caramelized onions on top of anything == instant tasty.

Edamame Dumplings: Daikon radish and white truffle oil. My favorite of the night. Edamame and daikon were pureed to a silky consistency and dressed in a light broth, these were filling without being heavy. Highly recommend this one. Not sure of the truffle oil is real, but my tastebuds aren’t sophisticated enough to tell yet.

Wild Ahi Sliders: Wasabi aioli, radish, avocado and cucumber.

Another dinner, a few months later. It was my birthday and I decided I wanted to revisit because I was craving the edamame ravioli.

(L): The Natural – Fresh ginger, agave and soda. (R): Medicine Man – Olivello juice, Pomegranate juice, Cranberry juice, black tea, soda water and blueberries.. I ordered the Natural; really gingery and spicy. I don’t like my drinks overly sweet, so this was good. Others, however, felt it was a bit too spicy for their taste. My dad and sister both ordered the Medicine Man, which apparently is an antioxidant powerhouse due to the combination of olivello, pomegranate and cranberry juices. Others enjoyed this more, but I felt it was a bit too sweet for my taste.

Top: Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon: Goat cheese, roasted cashews, and cold pressed olive oil. So refreshing and delicious. The classic combination of watermelon and feta cheese paired with fresh heirloom tomatoes was a bit hit, hitting all the right notes of sweet, savory and acidity. Bottom: Tuscan Kale. We had to get this again.

Spicy Shrimp and Asian Noodles: My dad’s dish. I didn’t try this, but he remarked that it was good.

Roasted Asparagus: Smoked mozzarella, red onions and marjarom. My sister’s dish. Another new favorite, the pizza dough was chewy and was nicely crisped on the bottom.

Pan Seared Halibut: Snap peas, asparagus, purple potatoes and umami. I’m not sure what they meant by “umami” (perhaps this?), but this dish I felt was only ok; the halibut, while it was fresh, was slightly overcooked and bordering on rubbery. I also felt that it was underseasoned; I’m trying to remember what it tasted like and my mind comes up with a blank. The purple potatoes were slightly undercooked, resulting in some bites that were fine, and some that were crunchy. I would probably not order this again.

Overall, two lovely meals at a lovely place. I highly recommend recommendations if you have a large party as this place tends to be very popular for dinner.

True Food Kitchen
Fashion Island
451 Newport Center Dr.
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 644-2400

Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 11 am to 10 pm
Friday: 11 am to 11 pm
Saturday: 10 am to 11 pm; Brunch served until 3 pm
Sunday: 10 am to 9 pm; Brunch served until 3 pm

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Deep Fried Delicacies I: Kuih Keria (Malaysian Sweet Potato Donuts)

Pinjing — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 05:34:06 +0000

The perils of taking photos at night when you’re standing in the kitchen with your contacts out: Blurry shots.

Way back in July, my mom gifted me with a cute mini-deep fryer for my birthday. I was simultaneously excited and apprehensive at the same time; would I succumb to deep-frying anything and everything that I had? By the end of the night, I had already drawn up grandiose plans to deep fry oreos, twinkies, mushrooms, onions (ala Chicken Charlie) but I never followed through, putting health concerns first.

With the temperature in Southern California finally dipping down to the low 60′s this week (yes, my friends, I consider low 60′s cold. I know I’m a wimp), I finally decided to bust out the deep fryer in an attempt to put on another layer of fat in anticipation of winter. I had some beautiful Japanese sweet potatoes so I decided on making kuih keria, a simple but lovely Malaysian street food.

Kuih Keria is just a combination of flour and steamed sweet potato flesh, shaped into rings and deep fried. Traditionally coated in a sugar glaze that’s left to crystallize (allowing for a great crunch when you bite into one), I opted to just coat them in a layer of granulated sugar. If you’re interested in a great and informative blog post about kuih keria, check out Eating Asia’s article on a father-daughter team in Melaka, Malaysia that turns out beautifully caramelized/glazed kuih keria.

These are delicately sweet, unlike their American counterparts. This donut relies on the sweet potato’s natural sweetness, so try to pick the best sweet potatoes you can for this recipe. These are lovely fresh out of the fryer, with the granulated sugar coating providing a sweet crunch to the fluffy dough. I imagine these would be great in the morning paired with a fresh cup of coffee.

This recipe makes a small batch, as I was testing my fryer. Feel free to double the recipe and make more (you’ll probably want to).

Kuih Keria
Recipe adapted from Seasaltwithfood
Makes 5 mini donuts.

What you’ll need:

125g sweet potato, steamed and mashed
25g all-purpose flour
8 g glutinuous rice flour (a.k.a. sweet rice flour or mochiko)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
pinch of salt
additional spices to taste (cinnamon would go nicely, I think)
oil for deep frying
granulated sugar to coat

The procedure:

Place oil into deep fryer according to the manufacturer’s instructions and preheat to 375F. If you don’t have a deep-fryer, heat up enough oil in a thick-walled pot (at least a depth of 3 inches, I’d say) to a temperature of 375F. As in all situations where there’s a big vat of hot oil involved, make sure you keep an eye on it!

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, glutinuous rice flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and salt. Add additional spices, if using. Add the mashed sweet potato flesh and knead until you get a moist, soft dough. If the dough is too wet, add flour one teaspoon at a time until you get a workable dough. If your dough is too dry, add some lukewarm water; trust your instincts as different sweet potatoes vary in water content. Try not to over-knead though, as overcompacting and overworking the dough will result in tough donuts.

Divide the dough into 5 portions, about 35g each. Use your finger and thumb to poke a hole in the middle, making a cute little donut. You are free to roll out the dough and punch them out if you have donut cutters as well.

Place some granulated sugar in a shallow bowl and have it ready. Place a rack with a paper towel underneath it for the donuts that come out of the fryer. Having tongs ready right about now is good too.

Test your oil to see if it’s hot enough; a great test I’ve always used is to stick a wooden chopstick into the oil. If bubbles form immediately and quickly around the chopstick, the oil is ready. If the bubbles are slow to form, it’s definitely not hot enough. Fry the donuts, two to three at a time, making sure not to crowd the pot. Adding them all at once will make the temperature of the oil drop too much, resulting in oily donuts. Fry until golden brown and cooked all the way through, about 6-7 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, drain the donuts and immediately drop them into the shallow sugar bowl, turning them to coat. Place on the rack to cool briefly and continue to fry the rest of the donuts.

As with all fried goods, enjoy these donuts as soon as possible as their deliciousness is inversely proportional to the time out of the fryer.

Enjoy!

Eating Out: Light Lunch at 85度C, Taichung, Taiwan

Pinjing — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 06:03:35 +0000

My last post at my other blog got me thinking about the time I spent in Taiwan last year . . . and the lovely snacks I ate while I was there. Here was a light lunch I had at a bakery chain named 85度C:

Now, this sandwich (4 layers of white bread, with alternating layers of ultra thin omelet and ham with mayo) doesn’t look like much, but ask any Taiwanese and they’ll tell you this is the ultimate comfort food. I remember growing up eating these as a kid; when my classmates’ moms packed them tuna salad sandwiches, I brought these. The bread’s always super soft and fluffy, and paired with a cold cup of green tea or soymilk, this meal makes this girl very happy.

85度C
Locations throughout Taiwan

and :
85C Bakery Cafe‎
2700 Alton Parkway, Irvine, CA‎
(949) 553-8585‎

Hours:
Mon – Thu: 7 am – 10 pm
Fri – Sat: 7 am – 12 am
Sun: 8 am – 10 pm

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I haven’t tried much of the breads at the one in Irvine, so I can’t really vouch for their quality. However, there’s always a huge line out the door whenever I’m in the plaza, so there must be something about it.

Eating Out: Brunch at Formosa Restaurant (台灣小館), Lake Forest, California

Pinjing — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 05:19:06 +0000

One of the few places in South Orange County to get a traditional Taiwanese breakfast is at Formosa Restaurant (台灣小館) in Lake Forest. We’ve been coming to this tiny hole-in-the-wall (attached to a Quality Inn motel) for as long as I can remember and it’s been turning out traditional versions of the comforting, starchy Taiwanese breakfast that my parents and I love. It’s a family-run business, with a cook that’s always willing to modify dishes to your liking and a friendly waitstaff. Charlie and　Vivian are the two family members that work the front of the house, and they always make efforts to make everyone feel like they’re family. Aside from hopping on a plane and flying over to Taiwan, Formosa is the best place to get your breakfast on. (Note: Formosa also serves great lunch specials and dinner entrees, so hop on by and give them a try as well).

We always start with a few bowls of savory soybean milk (鹹豆漿):

A bowl of this milk comes piping hot with chopped pieces of pickled vegetables and is laced with black vinegar; chopped pieces of Chinese cruller (油條) give it textural contrast. For those who prefer a less-savory start to their morning, Formosa also offers the sweet version of the soybean milk (甜豆漿); which comes out unadulterated and unsweetened but with a shaker of white sugar, and leaves it up to the diner to sweeten it to his/her liking.

Three of the best things to enjoy with your soybean milk are Chinese crullers (油條), sesame flatbreads (燒餅) and five-spice beef stuffed sesame flatbreads (五香牛肉燒餅). The usual way to eat the crullers is to stuff them inside the flatbread (yes, you just made a starch-filled carb sandwich, isn’t it glorious?) and eat it between bites of the soybean milk. It’s enough starch and oil to cure any hangover. The five-spice beef flatbreads here are quite good also.

Shrimp stir-fried rice noodles (蝦仁炒米粉). Some Chinese restaurants tend to ruin this dish for me, frying the noodles so dry it feels like you’re swallowing hay; others tend to overdo it with the sauce, rendering the noodles limp and overly salted. But Formosa manages to achieve the right balance: the noodles are just sauced enough so they retain some moisture, yet they retain a right amount of chew. I also love the fact that they don’t skimp on the fried egg; my chopsticks always tend to hunt out those glorious bits of scrambled egg hidden in the nest of noodles.

Fried chicken drummettes. I’m not normally into chicken but these are delicious. These wings fried until the skin is so crisp it shatters when you bite into it and flavored with an addicting white-pepper rub. Those who love wings should definitely order these.

. . . and here comes the offal. My vegan/vegetarian friends, please look away. This is MY dish (mine being the fact that no one else in my family besides my dad and I really like eating this). Pork intestines are stir-fried in a spicy/sour sauce with pickled vegetables (大腸炒酸菜). It’s umami to the n-th degree and these are definitely worth trying, even for the offal-phobic (rest assured, there’s none of the stinkiness that sometimes comes with eating pork intestines, Formosa has always cleaned them well enough). Gross-looking? Maybe? Delicious? Definitely.

Soup dumplings (小龍包). These come four to a steamer; hefty pork-filled dumplings that are filled with steaming porky broth. Be careful when you pick them up with your chopsticks; you don’t want to tear the skin and lose any of the broth. Do yourself a favor and put some black vinegar and shredded ginger that’s offered with the dish into a spoon, place the dumpling on top, and eat it all in one glorious bite.

The last dish: glutinous rice roll (飯糰). This is the ultimate Taiwanese comfort food: shredded pork floss, pickled greens and a Chinese cruller (yes, we Taiwanese like pairing our starches with MORE starch) are stuffed into a roll made of fragrant glutinous rice and steamed. Totally gut-busting but delicious anyway. Just make sure you remember to peel off the plastic wrap before you dive in.

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Formosa Chinese Restaurant (台灣小館)
23702 Rockfield Blvd
Lake Forest, CA 92630
(949) 458-7125

Hours:
Tue – Fri: 11 am – 9:30 pm
Sat – Sun: 10 am – 9:30 pm

Happy Dragon Boat Festival! (端午節): Homemade 粽子 (Glutinous Rice Savory Dumplings)

Pinjing — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 05:06:26 +0000

Long time no post! Life has been a bit crazy around here, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t stopped cooking or baking. No recipe today, but since it is Dragon Boat Festival, my mom and I spent the day wrapping up homemade vegetarian 粽子 (pronounced “zongzi”, a type of stuffed glutinous rice dumpling). We decided to switch it up by using purple glutinous rice and filled it with deep fried taro cubes, marinated tofu, 5-spice boiled peanuts, and braised shittake mushrooms. It was my first time learning to wrap these, but I think I did all right!

The cross section.

Unwrapping.

And eat!

Mostly Photos: Dae Myoung Ok Korean Restaurant, Irvine, CA

Pinjing — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 06:00:26 +0000

One of the many Korean restaurants (I think I counted 4 last time I checked?) on Culver Dr. in Irvine. We’re faithfuls of Kaya, but this night we were faced with a 15 person-deep waiting queue and we were already starved. So off we went down to the plaza next door to try our luck at Dae Myoung Ok.

What I like about Dae Myoung Ok is the banchan (complimentary, refillable side dishes that always accompany a Korean meal); plentiful, well-seasoned (read: not so incredibly spicy or salty that you couldn’t finish more than one plate) and they give you generous portions. We ordered two noodle dishes (the white noodles is a hot seafood broth, the brown noodles is a cold, spicy broth). Again, portions are huge. We liked the cold noodles the best, while the seafood soup noodles lost their charm once the noodles started to get soggy and melted into the soup. We also got a soondobu (hot tofu soup). Standard fare; not great but not bad.

I’d say that Kaya is still my favorite, but Dae Myoung Ok has its charms. It’s definitely got it’s banchan going for it and it has some home-style dishes that the other Korean tofu and bbq places in Irvine don’t have (sujebi and mandoo anyone?). Another plus is that the service is super friendly; the woman who owns the place constantly makes rounds of the tables, asking customers how they are and how their food is; it’s akin to eating at your favorite Korean auntie’s house.

Dae Myoung Ok Korean Restaurant
14250 Culver Dr., Suite B
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 651-1177
Note: It may be a bit tough finding this restaurant; it’s a tiny place tucked in a fairly large plaza. Also, its signage doesn’t read “Dae Myoung Ok”; just look for a place called “Korean Restaurant” with mostly white interiors.

San Diego Eats: Yakitori Yakyudori and Sipz Vegetarian Cafe

Pinjing — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:57:49 +0000

From my backlog of restaurant visits that I have yet to post: Here are some eats from a recent visit to see my sister down in San Diego.

My parents and sister are all ramen lovers; so my sister decided to take us to Yakitori Yakyudori, a recently opened yakitori (skewers) and ramen place on Convoy in Kearny Mesa, a virtual mecca of Asian restaurants.

Note: When we visited, the restaurant had only ramen; they had yet to start doing yakitori. Another reason for going back, I suppose.

Starters: Takoyaki, (dumplings filled with chopped pieces of octopus, topped with mayo, a thick, sweet and sour sauce and bonito flakes, in the foreground) and gyoza (pan-fried pork dumplings, in the background). Both served piping hot and still sizzling (the waitress even warned us that the innards of the takoyaki were extremely hot and we would risk burning ourselves if eating right away). Both are two of my favorite “snack foods” from Japan, and these were delicious.

My order: I wasn’t in the mood for ramen, so I decided to go for a rice-based dish. I originally ordered the shiso-topped rice, but was informed that they were already sold out (sadness). Instead, I opted for the tofu-topped rice.

It sounds quite boring and pedestrian (chopped, mashed tofu on rice?), but its simple, light, subtle flavors were just right. The tofu was lightly seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil (I think?) and when eaten on top of the freshly cooked, chewy Japanese rice, this really hit the spot.

Miso ramen. Sister’s order. A hearty, full-bodied broth. Heady on the miso flavor. I think this is for those who like stronger flavors, or for those who don’t mind being thirsty after their meal. Quite delicious, but I don’t know if I’d be able to eat a lot in one sitting as I prefer lighter brothed soups.

Shio ramen. Mom’s order. Clearer broth, not as hearty or salty as the miso ramen, but full of flavor nonetheless. I preferred this one as the miso broth was a bit too strong for my taste.

For some reason I didn’t have a picture of my dad’s order of Chashu ramen, but he assured me that it was delicious.

Chashu (thin slices of fatty pork) comes in all the ramen varieties, and so often ramen places either skimp on the chashu or serve thick, tough, dry slices. At Yakitori Yakyudori, the chashu is quite soft and almost melts in your mouth. A success in my book.

Yakitori Yakyudori
4898 Convoy St., Suite 101
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 268-2888
Mon-Sun 11:30 a.m. – 3 a.m.

My sister and I decided to hit up a local vegetarian place (Sipz) for dinner:

My “caterpillar” roll: Brown rice, shitake mushrooms, avocado, yam, and some veggies, topped with avocado, teriyaki and sriracha. Isn’t it cute?

It was pretty delicious too. I kind of wish the rice had been seasoned more like sushi rice (vinegar, mirin and sugar, in the Japanese style); it’s the only thing that would have made this roll better than it already was. But it was good nonetheless. And incredibly filling.

My sister ordered their “chicken” chow mein: Eggless noodles stir-fried in a savory brown sauce with vegetables and their faux vegetarian chicken. I normally shy away from vegetarian faux meats (I don’t really agree with the idea and most meat alternatives that try to imitate meat fail miserable in both taste and texture). But this “chicken” was eerily chicken-like; if I didn’t know it was vegetarian I would have thought it was really chicken. It had me wondering what kind of process and ingredients they used (gluten? Too chewy. Soy? Beany tasting and would give you the wrong texture). Amazing. I imagine if you were someone who recently turned vegetarian but were missing meat, Sipz would be your to-go place.

This place was hopping on a Friday night and now I understand why. Their menu is extensive, offering Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and even Italian-inspired dishes. Apparently their vegan desserts are legendary for being super delicious (I glanced around at my fellow diners; most of them ordered some kind of dessert), but after our meal, we were simply too stuffed to eat sweets (what can we say, we’re lightweights!). In any case, it’s a definite reason to go back and try some of Sipz’s other offerings.

Sipz Vegetarian Cafe
5501 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117
(858) 279-3747
Mon-Sun 10:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.

OC Restaurant Week: Cedar Creek Inn, Laguna Niguel

Pinjing — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:27:33 +0000

Here’s a recap of our lovely meal at Cedar Creek Inn, as promised!

OC Restaurant Week offers diners prix fixe lunches and dinners (lunch can go as low as $10, dinner as low as $20) and it’s a fantastic way to try new restaurants that you normally wouldn’t visit. It took place last week and my family decided to try Cedar Creek Inn, a local restaurant that is literally five minutes from our house (yet we’ve never been there in the 3+ years that it’s been open).

After viewing the menu, all of us opted for the Baby Iceberg Wedge (Blue cheese, vine-ripen tomatoes, chopped egg and Applewood smoked bacon) over the Lobster Cappuccino (creamy lobster bisque with brandy-cream).

This was an excellent rendition of the classic wedge salad: generous portions of iceberg lettuce, lightly dressed with just the right amount of egg, tomatoes and bacon. While the Lobster Cappuccino sounded intriguing, we wanted something light before we dug into our main courses.

My dad and godsister both chose the “Surf & Turf” ($30): Petite Filet Mignon and Maine Lobster Tail (6oz):
Char-grilled bacon-wrapped filet mignon and a roasted cold-water lobster tail with grilled lemon, melted butter and three-cheese potato gratin and summer succotash.

This was a huge plate! I tried a bit of the lobster and I have to say, it was possibly the best lobster tail that I’ve eaten to date; tender, buttery, without the rubbery-ness that plagues too many lobster tails at restaurants nowadays. The three-cheese potato gratin was sumptuous; very-thin slices of potato layered with a mixture of cheeses and broiled until it got a nice, crispy crust. This was delicious, but could have been an entire meal in itself, it was so rich. I didn’t try the filet mignon, but my dad assured me that it was delicious.

My mom ordered the Roasted Rack of Lamb ($30): Herb-roasted rack of New Zealand lamb with a tarragon-Pinot Noir reduction and garlic mashed potatoes, served with summer succotash.

I also tried a bit of the lamb; again, this was really well-done, the lamb was fresh, gamey but not unpleasantly so and very tender.

Being that I’m not a huge meat eater, I opted for the Angel Hair Pasta Pomodoro ($20): Angel hair pasta with extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, tomatoes, garlic, goat cheese and toasted pine nuts.

I wasn’t sure whether getting a vegetarian pasta as my main would be a good idea; my parents expressed concern that my dish would be “one-note” or “boring”, but this pasta was delicious; the angel hair was cooked perfectly; al-dente so that there was a nice bite. The tomatoes were ripe, seasoned just enough so that their natural acidity and sweetness balanced each other nicely. Bbasil and pine nuts added a nice nutty and floral aroma and great textural contrast; and what I loved was that the chef was thoughtful enough to place the goat cheese in a single sphere in the center of the pasta so that I could eat it as I wished, scooping up bits of the soft, tart cheese and swirling it into strands of pasta for every bite.

As if all this food wasn’t enough, we still had our final course to go. Three of us opted for the Chocolate Ganache Tart (Rich chocolate ganache on a pecan crust layered over caramel creme). Beautiful dessert and insanely rich. I love chocolate, but after one bite I was done and ended up packing the rest for some other time.

My mom got their signature dessert: the Coconut Supreme Cake: Cedar Creek’s famous coconut cake, served warm with vanilla bean ice cream.

Ohemgee this was delicious. Warm, fluffy layers of vanilla cake with toasted coconut buttercream frosting, paired with a scoop of quality vanilla bean ice cream = party in my mouth. I’d come back and just order this for my appetizer, entree and dessert. Too bad we only got one for the table! If I had to recommend only one thing from this night’s dinner, this would be it.

All in all, I was very pleasantly surprised by my experience here. Service was attentive and friendly and the quality of the cooking here is excellent; definitely worth a return visit.

Whole Wheat Dill Beer Bread

Pinjing — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 23:40:22 +0000

Here’s the recipe for the beer bread pictured in the previous post; this is a super easy, quick-to-put-together quick bread. I love how it only takes one bowl and a few ingredients that you probably have in your pantry. After a bake in the oven, you have yourself a crusty, savory and moist bread that you could dunk in a bowl of hot soup or eaten at breakfast with your choice of spread (maybe a sundried-tomato,fig, and caper balsamic jam, perhaps?).

As with most of my baked goods, I opted to use white whole wheat flour. Since this is a quick, not yeasted, bread, I substituted half the portion of white whole wheat with whole wheat pastry flour to avoid a heavy texture. This worked out quite well; the bread was hearty, but not gummy or dense. As for the taste, the whole wheat added a welcome nutty flavor that complimented the yeasty aroma of the beer. As for the beer that I used, I just used a can of Kirin Ichiban, as that was what I had on hand.

Whole Wheat Dill Beer Bread
Recipe adapted from Farmgirl Fare’s Beyond Easy Beer Bread.
Yields one 9″ x 5″ loaf.

What you’ll need:

180g (1 1/2 cups) whole-wheat pastry flour
180g (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose or white whole wheat flour
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 Tablespoons dried dill
1 cup grated cheese of your choice (I used Trader Joe’s soy cheese)
12 ounces beer
1 egg beaten with 2 teaspoons water, optional, for glaze

The procedure:

Preheat the oven to 375F. Prepare your loaf pan either by oiling/buttering it or lining with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except for the beer until well combined. Pour in the beer and mix, trying not to overmix (similar to when you are making muffins, you don’t want to develop too much gluten which could result in tough bread). Mix until just combined. The batter will be thick.

Pour into the prepared loaf pan and if using the glaze, brush the top of the bread with the glaze and place in the oven. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. The crust will be golden brown. If you feel like the crust is browning too quickly, you can place a piece of tin foil over the top as a tent.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before turning out on a rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy!

This recipe is super versatile as well; you could add any number of herbs (I used dill in my case), cheeses, nuts or dried fruits. Get creative!

Enjoy!