Searching for the perfect cup part duo

I went to my favorite coffee shop Berlin today in the East Village Arts District.  My favorite aspect is this long solid wood table situated along a folding glass wall.  I went for good coffee and for a comfortable reading spot, but I also found community among the baristas and fellow customers.

I had nearly finished my cappuccino when the barista put another in front of me.  He said he wasn’t happy with the foam of the first soy cappuccino and wanted to make me another but the line picked up.

I not only was blessed with more caffeine but also got to admire the beautiful foam and snow peaks that formed.

The extra coffee sustained me for another hour and gave me the opportunity to connect with the barista.  It was a beautiful morning!

Searching for the perfect cup

Today I had some extra time in between going to LA for work and meeting up with friends, so I stopped in at Lord Windsor Roasters located in a residential neighborhood close to my house.  This coffee shop and roaster opened up months ago on 3rd street in Long Beach which contains only a handful of commercial spaces east of downtown.  The other one being The Starling Diner.  The neighborhood is mixed, but many young professionals and hipsters live within a few blocks.

I am a coffee connoisseur, but when it comes down to it I am a very picky coffee drinker.  I don’t know if I have a refined palate, but I know what I want.  I expect every local coffee shop to have a great cup of coffee and a good environment, but I know that I’m not in Seattle or Europe.  I am searching for the perfect cappuccino such that when you drink it you are transported to Italy, the Balkans, or some small coffee shop you visited on vacation.

My favorite coffee shop is in Ventura on the main strip; a great place to stop on your way to Santa Barbara.  The seating is very comfortable with a gift shop in the back.  Lots of natural light pours in through the front windows.  I realize that most of my favorite coffee shops are located in a place that I’ve only visited once on vacation, but they left such a mark that I long to return.

I don’t drink milk very often, so to me the perfect soy cappuccino is light, airy but not bubbly, with a nice body.  The foam should give you a “milk mustache” and be as satisfying as roasted marshmallows or homemade ice cream; where in their natural state the ingredients are pleasant but when transformed completely engage your senses.

I am not an expert in steaming milk (I worked for Starbucks for two years which doesn’t give me street cred), but I think for soy the brand of milk is a huge factor.  The better coffee shops I visit seem to use Pacific Natural Foods Barista Series Soy Blenders.  The website says that it is “Specially formulated to withstand high temperatures and foam so beautifully, you’ll think you’re using dairy milk.”

I am not advocating a particular brand, just to say that the quality of soy milk seems to be a huge factor in the end result.  I love the atmosphere of Lord Windsor, but my cappuccino was heavy.  The foam did not mix evenly with the espresso and was a little cakie.  However, I do look forward to returning to read a book and try their fresh brewed coffee.

Sesame and garlic-ginger baked tofu with soba noodles and avocado

A few years ago, this game called “Would you rather?” was popular to pass time on a road trip or get to know someone.  The game always consisted of two bleak and undesirable scenarios, both of which were very unlikely.  I never liked this game, especially when it dealt with unthinkable scenarios.

It seems that our generation can easily fall prey to the “Would you rather” of life.  Given two evils, which of the lesser would you choose?  It is an obnoxious question, and so our generation seems to ask, “Why not choose the best of two good things?”

I am beginning to see how I grew up with such privilege; with options to choose so many good things for my life.  I am very thankful for the life I have and the good choices that brought me here, but I am also wanting to choose the best and not just something good because it will make me feel comfortable.

This blog is one of those things that is best for me, not just good.  I am excited and propelled for reasons that I can’t explain to explore food, photography, and writing.

This recipe is birthed out of my experiences while living in Long Beach.  Living in LBC, I am exposed to such great food with Pho (really, how do you pronounce it??? I have heard it both “pho” and “pha”.) in Westminster, dim sum in Alhambra, and Cambodian in my back yard.   Not to mention the many foodies and great cooks that I know.

I have seen tofu cooked multiple ways; with lots of flavor and with no flavor.  I am a firm believer that the flavor of tofu comes from what you add to it and how you prepare it.  It might seem boring and spongy, but if you purchase the right tofu and cook it with the right ingredients it will be amazing.  My accidental Tofu Tacos are a case in point.

Sesame and garlic-ginger baked tofu with soba noodles and avocado

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 16 ounces extra firm tofu
• 2 servings of soba noodles
• 1 avocado
• sesame seeds
• 2 Tbs Cilantro
• (2 Tbs) sesame oil or olive oil
• marinade (see below)

Directions

• Preheat Oven to 400 deg. F.
• Wrap the tofu in paper towels while preparing the marinade.  Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch squares and mix with the prepared marinade and pine nuts.  
• Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out the tofu and marinade mixture.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes, turning the tofu every 10 minutes until all the marinade is absorbed.
• Prepare the soba noodles according to the package instructions.  Drain and mix with the oil.
• Top with the tofu mixture and avocodo as desired.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and add salt to taste.

Marinade (serves 2)

Ingredients

• 4 Tbs soy sauce
• 2 Tbs rice vinegar
• 1/2 Tbs honey
• 1 Tbs sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 Tbs ginger, minced
• 1/2 cup Cilantro, torn
• 1/4 cup pine nuts

Directions

• In a large bowl, mix the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, cilantro and pine nuts

This marinade is very simple and is a fusion of multiple Asian influences.  I think I actually got the idea from my Japanese manager at work.  I used to buy ginger whenever I needed it, but lately I have ventured to keeping it and cutting off fresh portions.  I added pine nuts for texture and extra taste; an inspiration from many happy hours at The Yard House.

Soba noodles stick together very easily, so toss them with Sesame oil or Olive oil; though I am no expert at noodles of any kind!  The tofu will absorb most of the Cilantro, so add some fresh if you would like.

One Domestic Goddess Restaurant Night

A few months ago I was photographing food in our courtyard and I thought, “this would make a great restaurant.”  We have a beautiful courtyard and have hosted amazing parties, but I thought it would be fun to make it into a restaurant atmosphere.  Blogging has encouraged me to share my love for baking and cooking with friends and what better way to share my blog than with a party.  The challenge would be to only serve food that I’ve posted to my blog so that 1. I get the chance to practice before game night 2. My guests preview the menu through photos 3. I introduce and expose my blog to a wider audience.

My friends were very supportive and gave me great tips for planning.  I reviewed my blog entries and realized that I needed more items that I and others would want to eat at a restaurant.  I started looking at restaurants differently and I wondered how they crafted their menu.  The last two months, nearly all my blog entries were with this dinner in mind.  It took so much planning and thanks to amazing friends we had a beautiful night.

We had two seating’s to give each party plenty of time to relax and enjoy the atmosphere.  We are blessed not only with space, but also with great patio furniture, so all I had to do was borrow a table.  We kept the decorations simple: lights, candles, flowers, and of course a fire pit.

An important item to this party was that all the dishes and most of the napkins were real dinnerware.  I wanted my guests to feel at home and so I begged, borrowed and stole to make it happen.  No…I was very blessed to find, be given and lent dishware.  One item that we were short on was wine glasses, but just the week before we celebrated my roommate’s boyfriend’s birthday in Santa Barbara and were blessed with many free wine glasses.

I am blessed with amazing friends and after a weekend in Santa Barbara I felt like I had known these new friends for much longer.

My friend who helped me cook also gave me tips for hosting.  These were my favorites (in my own words).

1. Find out what people are good at and ask them to help in that way.  If they find a way to invest, they will also receive something in return.
2. Prepare, prepare, prepare.  Make a list and have extra food.  Shop for the groceries three days before, bake desserts the day before, and be ready early the day of.  I didn’t do any of these perfectly, but everything still turned out great.
3. Keep your cool and be present with your guests.  I went to each group when serving desserts and asked if they were enjoying themselves.  Everyone was having a great time and I had a great time as well.

I have such talented friends and I loved the personal touches that they added.

A few items on the menu were:

Baked Almond Crusted Manchego Cheese with Dry Sherry Garlic Oil

Blue Cheese Burger with Caramelized Onions, Maple infused Bacon, and a Balsamic glaze

Tofu Tacos 

and Pumpkin Cheesecake

The night was topped off with:

Great servers.

Making new friends.

And enjoying a great atmosphere.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Pecan Topping

It rained last week for the first time this season.  When it rains in LA we become crazy drivers.  The entire city shuts down.  75% of our office was late to work.  Did I mention that it rained?

Rain in LA also marks the beginning of fall. It’s been getting chilly since October 1st, but on a rainy day the heavy clouds will guarantee that it stays cold.  While many people mark the changing of the seasons by brisk mornings, dying leaves, and hot apple cider, we mark the change of the season by the temperature.  That doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy pumpkin pies and spiced cider, but the temperature is the one mark that we have to go by.

This fall weather is making me crave pumpkin. That and I have a dinner in two weeks that is short a few desserts. I am not one that celebrates the excuse to bake, eat, and drink pumpkin, but as it gets colder I will begin to crave the comfort foods of fall.

This cheesecake is special! It is the first cheesecake I have ever made, turned out fantastic, and I get to make it again in two weeks for my restaurant night.

I am hosting a restaurant night to celebrate the birthday of my blog; and all together a good excuse to share my food with friends.  My back patio will transform into a “restaurant” with lights, candles, a fire, and music and I’ll be serving up a selection of food I’ve made for my blog.  All with some help of course.

The recipe is from Food & Wine and I knew it had to be good because for one they produce beautiful cookbooks and for two it takes 5+ hours to bake.  I looked for recipes that took less time, but this one stood out because of the ease, simple ingredients, and caramel pecan topping.  This is also one of the few recipes I saw that has you dry out the pumpkin.  This is somewhat of a mystery to me, but the cheesecake was so good that I will follow it every time!

Check out the Pumpkin Cheesecake and Caramel Pecan Topping recipe and if you are like me and are a visual learner, keep on reading for some tips I learned in the process.

I have observed that a few easy but important tips in baking make all the difference.

1. Bring all the ingredients to room temperature before mixing,
2. Beat your butter (cream cheese in this case) until it is creamy but don’t over overbeat the batter.
3. Scrape down the bowl to avoid lumps.
4. With the addition of each ingredient, beat the mixture while scraping the bowl until fully combined and creamy.
5. Don’t skimp on any ingredient unless you know the chemistry of what it does and what to substitute it with.
6. And lastly, never underestimate the beauty and wonder of a baked dessert.

And now dig into that beautiful cheesecake and don’t forget to share!

Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers; with Shallot & Bavarian Red Triple Cream Cheese, finished with a Balsamic Honey Glaze

Life really seems to be in motion right now, both for me and my friends.  I would expect Fall to slow us down, but we seem to race through Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.  Maybe it’s the four holidays in about two months that keep us busy or the shortening of the days that remind us the year is coming to a close.

My friends and I go out for happy hour every Friday and we treasure the opportunity to slow down and watch the sun set.  Our favorite spot overlooks a marina; momentarily stopping time.  This Friday we extended happy hour to an art walk and then to enjoy Tapas at The Factory Gastrobar in Long Beach.  They have a large selection of Tapas that are served as small portion appetizers.

What I love about Tapas is the many surprises to your taste buds in a small package.  The serving sizes are small, but packed with flavor and kept together with a toothpick.  Conversation flows more freely since the focus is not primarily on eating a meal.

These are fashioned after Piqillo Peppers stuffed with goat cheese and shallots.  I love baby bell peppers in place of traditional bell peppers and Trader Joe’s was featuring the Bavarian Red Triple Cream Cheese.  A warning, don’t ever fall in love with a spotlight cheese from TJ’s because it will disappear as if it never existed.  I’m sure that I could find them at cheese shops, but I love the variety and price of TJ’s.

This cheese takes on the soft-ripened character of Brie with a reddish rind as a result of a paprika wash.  It’s very buttery and great baked.  Brie or Manchego cheese would also be a great option.

After the peppers are stuffed and baked, they are drizzled with honey and a balsamic glaze and accented with chocolate mint.  The tastes are decadent but also a delight to your senses.  Next time I will roast or boil the peppers prior to make them more tender.

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 2 mini bell peppers
• 1 shallot minced
• 1-2 ounces Bavarian Red Triple Cream Cheese, Brie or Manchego cheese
• Olive oil
• Balsamic glaze or reduced Balasamic Vinegar
• Honey
• Chocolate mint or traditional mint

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 deg. F.
2. Remove the seeds from the peppers and stuff with shallots and cheese.
3. Arrange in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil.
4. Bake for 15 minutes or until tender and cheese is melted.
5. Transfer to a serving plate and drizzle with balsamic glaze and honey.
6. Add mint to taste.

Baked Almond Crusted Manchego Cheese with Dry Sherry Garlic Oil

This one is a mouthful but it tastes oh so delicious   I am preparing for a restaurant themed dinner party, so I am scouting for recipes and ideas on what to serve.  Everything at the dinner party will be something I’ve featured on my blog, so I have to keep looking and cooking!  When you’re considering what other people may like or what may be a menu item at a restaurant, it gets you thinking and testing new recipes.

This recipe is from Food Network and it’s a keeper!  I used pale dry sherry instead of sherry vinegar.  The sherry is mildly sweet with aromas of toasted almond and yeast, so I thought it would be a great compliment to this dish.

My friends are very supportive of my blog and dinner party, especially when I share one of my creations with them.  During Happy Hour I am often the one with a critique, but most of the time I am devouring what is laid before us.

Today at Happy Hour my friend Nathan asked what is the one thing that would surprise us about each other.  Now that we are in our 30s, we’re in a stage of life where friendships are very valuable and the true test of a friendship is how well you know each other.

The irony about surprises us is that they are the things that define us as a person.  We are always changing as people and a true friend will ride out the ebbs and flows.  Apparently what would surprise my friend Nathan is if I took up tai chi.  This was a funny image and not something I imagine taking up any time soon!

This Manchego Cheese is the perfect appetizer to start a night.  It smells amazing, so your tastebuds don’t have to do the work.  The cheese is smooth and the almonds and breading add just the right texture.    It is one of those appetizers that is best enjoyed with close friends!