DON'T NUT, DONUTS!

My friend made some donuts and cinnamon rolls for her little nieces' birthday couple months ago.  When she told me she is going to make cinnamon rolls, I told her to add bacon in your cinnamon rolls.  She and everyone else thought I was nut at first, but she still "bought" my idea.  And suprisingly, they turned out great and unique and everyone loved them.  Her recipes of making the cinnamon-bacon rolls and donuts are super easy -

Cinnamon-Bacon Rolls -

1 roll of ready to bake cinnamon rolls
1 round cake pan
1 pack of bacons

1. Open the ready to bake cinnamon rolls and put one slice of bacon and roll the rolls.
2. Place the rolls in a round cake pan (I suggest using round cake pan because it is the perfect way to keep the round shape of the cinnamon rolls).
3. Bake as directed and then done!

Donuts -

1 pack of store bought biscuits
Vegetable oil for frying
A big and a small round cookie cutters

1. Open the store bought biscuits and use your round cookies cutters to cut them in a donut shape.
2. Heat the vegetable oil, once it's heated.  Put your donut dought in the oil until golden brown on both sides.
3. Decorate your donut with powder sugar or with an easy donut glaze (click here).

And find these cuper cute donuts on the website.  They are from a bakery in Japan.  How cute!

Baklava Recipe

Due to my background of growing up in a multi-cultural town and the love of traveling, I always enjoy trying out recipes of different countries and/or regions.  In the process of preparing the dishes or deserts makes me understand more about the culture of each country.  Beside traveling, making food is a great way to learn more about other countries. 

My parents started taking us to travel when I was just a little kid.  We have been so many wonderful places (Greece, Turkey, Egypt, England, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Italy, Portugal, France, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, portion of Mainland China, and America [of course], etc) throughout the whole world.  I feel so lucky that I got to see so many different things (good and bad) in such a young age; it surely opened up my mind and sights to think outside the box and learnt the best from other countries. 

Just a few weeks ago, I had an itch of trying to make a famous and popular Mediterranean dessert - Balkava at home.  Believe it or not, this dessert is so easy to make and is additively delicious.

Recipe (adopted from All Recipe.com)

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough (from the frozen section of the gocery store)
• 1 pound chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds or pistachios)
• 1 cup butter (melted)/PAM
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup honey

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.

2.  Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan.  I used my new Ninja blender/juicer/food processor.  I will tell you more about how much I love about my Ninja blender later.  It is a great piece of tool to add to your kitchen=)

3.  Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.

4.  Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.  (The blodded and colored note is very important!  Once you baked it, they are very hard to cut.  So DO remember to cut it before putting it in the oven.)

5.  Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

6.  Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool.

Pulling it out from the oven when they are golden brown.

Pour your honey sauce on it immediately

Serve in cupcake papers.  This freezes well.
 Leave it uncovered because it will get soggy if is wrapped up.





Tamarind Water Recipe

We just went to try a new Korean BBQ place by our house.  Food is good and we enjoyed spending time with our family, but now I am so full, and also feel and smell like a big piece of greasy-beezy pig belly...when we got home, the first thing came up in my mind was the tamarind water I made last week.  Hm...hm...so refreshing, and now I successfully turned myself from a fatty big belly to a less fatty one=)

So you will ask, what is tamarind?  Tamarind is a fruit found in Africa and tropical Asia.  These not so good-looking (they look like Mr. Henkey from the South Park, see picture above. LOL) but surprising tasty fruits are very popular in India, Mexico, Southern Asia, Egypt and portions of Spain.  Tamarind water is one of the most popular agua fresca drinks from Mexican cuisine.

This drink is super easy to prepare and you don't need a lot of ingredients.  Here is my recipe:


6-7 tamarind pods (usually you could get this fruit from Mexican market or Indian/Asian market)
6 cups of water
2 cups of white sugar

Tamarinds with shells

Getting the pods out by hands

About 6-7 pods

1.  Remove the pods from the shells by hands.  I used about 6-7 pods, but it depends on size of the tamarinds and your personal preference (Remember this fruit is a little on the tart side).

Boil 6 cups of water in a tall pot.

 2.  Boil 6 cups of water.  Once the water got boiled, put the pods in the pot and boil for another 25 mins.

3.  Grab the pods out from the pot (they are very soft after boiled, so using a strainer will be a great choice to take them out from the pot).

Mash them good.

4.  Put the soften tamarinds in the strainer and put a bowl at the bottom of the strainer, and try your best to mash them good to get as much as liquid out from them.  After you got the liquid from the fruits, you could discard the seeds and the tamarinds.

5.  Put the liquid back to the boiled water and now you could add 2 cups of water.  Boil for another 10 mins.  

6.  Let the tamarind water cool down before putting it in the fridge.

7.  Add ice and enjoy=)

This drink is so refreshing, so easy and cheap to make, and it makes a good addition in your fridge.  Whenever you need something to refresh your mind, just pour some out and add some ice, and it will certainly put a smile on your face=)

Whiskey White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe

I made some cookies for the family during Christmas time.  Sound strange but I got to admit that I don't like to drink any kinds of alcohol beverages.  However, I do like to use alcohols to cook and bake.  I think the alcohols take the food or the baked goodies to a deeper level of flavor.

Whiskey White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe (Make about 24 cookies)

Ingredients

You could ignore the oatmeal in the picture. 
I was thinking of putting some oatmeal inside the batter, but I though it will be too much texture for one little cookie.

• 1/2 cup of Whiskey and 1/2 of Gold Rum (to soak the cranberries in, then saving 2 teaspoons of it for later), if you don't have rum, just use 1 cup of Whiskey.
• 1 cup of dried cranberries
• 1 cup (two sticks) of butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup of lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of white chocolate chips

Instruction

1. Put the cranberries in a measuring cup and then pour whiskey and/or rum.  Put the cup in a microwave and heat it for 30 seconds.  And let the cranberries soak in the alcohol for about 15 to 30 minutes. 

2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until light, fluffy and well incorporated.

3. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and add 2 teaspoons of the Whiskey that the cranberries soaked in. Beat well until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl midway through to ensure even mixing.

4. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then add to the mixture a bit at a time, beating until just mixed. Fold in the brandy soaked cranberries (get rid of the liquid by squeezing the cranberries) and white chocolate chips. Let chill for 15 minutes in the fridge.

5.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Flour your hands (to prevent the dough sticking on your hands), and grab about a spoonful of dough and make it about a size of ping-pong ball.

6. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I made some little vintage inspired tags to dress up the cookies.

Bruxie Gourmet Waffle Sandwiches

It's been ways too long to post this entry.  Today, I am going to introduce this little fun restaurant/spot for everyone.  I discovered this little spot totally by a wrong turn.  I was crusing in Old Towne Orange and made a wrong turn, and then saw this little fun retro spot with a lot of people waiting outside (who knew that a "wrong" turn could make it so "right"?!).  As soon as I got home, I googled and tried to find what this line about, here is what I discovered: Belgium waffle + sandwich = interesting! 

Last Christmas Eve was our first visit to their original location in Old Towne Orange.  The owner was there too; he was super friendly and helpful with the menu to the newbies.  After that visit, we barely went there. Why?  Don't get me wrong that their food was super awesome and service was great.  Just that long line outside scared us away.  And waffle sandwich should be eaten at the restaurant, because they won't taste the same after you take them home.  About a month ago, my mother-in-law told me that they opened a new location in Downtown Brea.  Since she heard so much good thing about this restaurant from me; she could not wait to try.  So one lazy evening, we all went to their new location in Brea (not one but twice in a row).  The new location is much bigger and nicer than the original one in Orange.  However, the line was still long, but the wait was fast though. 


Long line, but suprisingly moving fast.

 Here are some interesting things I found online on their website and also some tips I want to give out to all the foodies, who plan on visiting this restaurant:

Brucks-ee

How do you pronounce “Bruxië”?
Brucks-ee!

What does Bruxië mean/How did you come up with the name Bruxië?
In French, Brussels is spelled “Bruxelles”; so Brux comes from the French spelling. Belgie is a Flemish term for Belgium and also used as a slang term for a waffle. We combined the “Brux” with the “ie” from a Belgie and incorporated the umlaut (two dots over the ë from German, which is also common language in Belgium) and the dot for the I (English artistic license) and we came up with Bruxië. The color of the three dots represent the colors of the flag of Belgium).

Pastrimi waffle sandwich

Turkey waffle sandwich

How did they come up with the concept?
Bruxië is the result of the collaborative effort of the three founders; chefs, Dean Simon, Kelly Mullarney and Philippe Caupain who have been friends for over 25 years. The Story – In 1999 Dean and Philippe were visiting Belgium on business. Dean was fascinated with the local farmers markets and street vendors and in particular the homemade waffles. Philippe was born in Belgium and grew up in this fabulous culinary culture. Upon their return to California, Philippe began developing recipes and Brux Waffles born. Over the next several years Brux sold product to some of America’s finest hotels and cruise ships. In 2009 Chef Kelly Mullarney was hired as a consultant to Brux Waffles in hopes of expanding sales to multi-unit foodservice operations. During the collaboration between Dean and Kelly the idea of making this waffle an all day offering was created. While traveling in Asia Kelly experienced dessert style sweets that were offered by street vendors similar to what was observed in Belgium. Because of the unique characteristics of the Brux Waffle, Dean and Kelly began pairing up a wide variety of sweet and savory combinations. The waffle was made thinner and then folded to make it portable…Bruxië AKA “The Bold Fold” was born!

What’s the difference between a Brussels and Liege?
The Brussels waffle is the platform in which all of our sandwiches are made. It is light, crispy and made with yeast. It is not sweet at all. The Liege waffle is more dense and sweet like a breakfast pastry. It has chunks of pearl sugar that gets caramelized into a sugary crust on the waffle.

Do you know Dairy Treet is misspelled?
It’s not misspelled! Before Bruxië came along the building was a restaurant called Dairy Treet. It was established in 1949 and was the oldest hamburger stand in Orange. They offered burgers, fries, and soft serve ice cream. The portion of our menu is a tribute to Dairy Treet.

Tips from me:

Good for big group of people:  No!  Both locations are not really good for big group of people.  So if you want to invite your family and friends to join you to try out this place, keep your group small.  The one in Brea is a little bits better since they have bigger tables.  The one in Orange is a very tiny spot, you will have a hard time if you come with a big group of people (and their parking lot is super small).

Should I come in a raining day?  The last time I went to the one in Brea, it rained quite badly.  However, we got a table indoor, so it's not a big problem.  And they do have cover and heater.

Is it good for to-go?  As I mentioned earlier, it's a BIG NO NO!  Eat there even you need to stand and eat. 

Pumpkin shake

How's their seasonal shake?  I tried their peppermint shake last year, and my mother-in-law tried their pumpkin shake.  They both are delicious; however, since they are so rich and creamy, better to share with someone you love=p.

Grape soda made with 100% sugar cane

How's their soda?  They don't sell typical soda here.  All of their soda are made with 100% sugar cane and they are absolutely delicious.

What's your favorite?  I love their goat cheese spanish and mushroom waffle sandwich with sun dried tomato.  I also love their liege waffles are also great.
For locations and full menu, click here.

Roasted Banana Cupcakes

I was craving for banana cupcakes earlier this week.  After I got home, I decided to make myself a warm roasted banana cupcakes.  For the frosting, at first, I wanted to make Nutella buttercream.  But I changed my mind, I want something lighter to go with the cupcakes.  I ended up making a honey buttercream frosting to go with my roasted banana cupcakes.  YUM-MO!


Thanksgiving is right around the corner.  Are you still thinking of something to bring to your family dinner or just want to share some love with your friends, family and co-workers?  These roasted banana cupcakes will be a perfect gift for the people you love.  Contact us for information. 

Easy Panna Cotta Recipe

Panna Cotta means cooked cream in Italian.  It is a classic Italian dessert made by simmering together cream, milk and sugar, mixing this with gelatin, and letting it cool until set. It is generally from the Northern Italian region of Piemonte.  The dessert could serve with fresh fruits or hazelnuts.  If you want to have some bitter sweet flavor, try green tea powder (aka matcha) panna cotta.

Here is my recipe (adopted from all recipe.com):

Ingredients:

1/3 cup reduced fat milk

1 (0.25 ounce) envelope unflavored gelatin (look for it from the jello section at the grocery store)

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (look for it from the baking section at the grocery store)

6 cleaned ramekin dishes

Direction:

1. Pour milk into a small bowl, and stir in the gelatin powder and mix well. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, stir together the heavy cream and sugar, and set over medium heat. Bring to a full boil, watching carefully, as the cream will quickly rise to the top of the pan. Pour the gelatin and milk into the cream, stirring until completely dissolved. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla extract and pour into six individual ramekin dishes.
3. Cool the ramekins uncovered at room temperature. When cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight before serving.
4. Serve with fresh berries (optional).