Kale Caesar Salad

I love dark greens, such as chard, collard or what have you may, but my most favorite is kale. It's not too bitter and is amazing cooked or raw. My favorite thing to do with it is simply make kale chips by tossing them in some s&p, then roasting it in the oven for a bit. Fixes my craving for something salty and crunchy while being healthy too! If that isn't a win, I don't know what is...

Another thing I love is a good caesar salad. If you've got a great recipe for caesar dressing, it's something to tuck into your recipe book to pass along to your kids and cherish forever. I'm pretty serious about a good caesar dressing. Anyways, kale smothered in a good caesar dressing plus some crispy croutons makes a great meal.

Wouldn't you agree?!

Kale Caesar Salad

Yields: 2 full servings, or 4 small servings

Original dressing recipe here.

For the croutons:

6 1" slices of crusty white bread, cut into cubes

2 tbsn. olive oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tbsn. fresh flat leaf parsley, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

For the dressing:

2 anchovy filets, or to taste

2 garlic cloves, or to taste

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup half-and-half cream or milk

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsn. fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsn. Dijon mustard

salt and pepper, to taste

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, or to taste (optional)

buttermilk or half-and-half, for thinning

2 bunches of kale, washed and dried thoroughly, torn into bite-sized pieces

shaved Parmesan cheese, to taste


To make the dressing, in a small food processor or blender, mince the anchovy filets and garlic together until finely minced. Add in the remaining ingredients and process for 30 seconds or more until well combined. Adjust the seasonings to taste and thin with buttermilk or half-and-half for a thinner consistency, if desired. To make the croutons, preheat the oven to 350 F. In a medium-sized bowl, toss the bread cubes with the remaining crouton ingredients. On a large parchment paper lined baking sheet, toast the croutons until golden brown, about 10 - 15 minutes. To assemble the salad, add the kale leaves into a large bowl. Add croutons and parmesan cheese according to how much you like in your salad. Add enough dressing to coat, then divide among plates. There will be a lot of dressing left over!

Quinoa-Farro Salad with Grilled Lemon Chicken

This quinoa salad has been my lifeline for the past month... and this just in: I'm still not sick of it!

It's love.

Inspired by a salad from a restaurant, I was determined to make it myself at home. Simply determined. So the next day I went to my local market to get my hands on some farro, which I must say is quite expensive compared to other grains! But on the upside, it's delicious and has this amazing toothy quality that adds to the quinoa's soft almost rice-like texture. If you want to keep it low budget - I suggest trying barley instead (I plan on trying it myself soon).

Anyways, with all the fresh herbs and veggies, it's simply perfect. I had never tried farro before and was stunned at how much I loved it. The combination might not sound so appetizing to non-health freaks but I swear, everyone who has tried has loved it! The lemon-y dressing and French feta make it so irresistible  and all of the textures keeps your taste buds guessing at each bite. This salad is equally amazing with some grilled shrimp on top!

Quinoa-Farro Salad with Grilled Lemon Chicken
Yields: 10 servings


For the chicken:
10 chicken tenders
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt


For the salad:
1 cup quinoa
1 cup farro
2 large red bell peppers, seeds removed, sliced, cut into 1" pieces
5 Persian cucumbers, seeds removed, sliced into 1 cm pieces
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup golden raisins, rehydrated in warm water
1 cup French feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped


For the dressing:

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. crushed dried mint

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. seasoned salt

To make the dressing, whisk together everything in a small bowl to blend and set aside in the refrigerator until needed. For the chicken, add the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper into a large bowl. Mix together and add the chicken. Stir well to coat, then cover the bowl in plastic wrap. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Before grilling, allow the chicken to come to room temperature. Grill over a medium-high flame until cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side.


To cook the quinoa, add the quinoa and 1 1/4 cups of water into a rice cooker. Cook using the 'white rice' setting. Once done, remove the quinoa and allow to cool to room temperature. While the quinoa is cooking, heat a large sauce pot over high heat. Add the farro and 2 1/2 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low to a simmer. Cook for 20 - 30 minutes until tender. If there is excess water remaining, drain the farro and set aside to cool.


In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled grains, all of the vegetables and drained, re-hydrated raisins. Mix to combine. If not serving immediately at this point, you can refrigerate this mixture until ready to eat, it usually keeps in my refrigerator for up to a week. When ready to serve, toss in the feta cheese and enough dressing to lightly coat. Eat cold or at room temperature and serve with the warm chicken.

Vietnamese Green Mango Salad/ Goi Xoai

I'm Vietnamese and I love Vietnamese food. It's my ultimate fave. I love almost all kinds of ethnic foods but even if I wasn't Vietnamese, I think it would still be my favorite. Most people who aren't Vietnamese don't have a clue about what real Vietnamese food is. People tend to think all Vietnamese food is beef noodle soup aka Pho, fried rice or spring rolls. But it's so much more than that - I can testify!

I think this dish is the epitome of why I love Vietnamese food. Our food can be so light and refreshing and often highlights seasonal ingredients. Since it's so damn hot in Southern California right now, this meal is the perfect solution to ending your day with a meal that can be made without slaving over the stove (just the grill for a few minutes). 

Mango is my favorite, so it's probably obvious that I adore this green mango salad. Since the mango is green, it's not too sweet, but delightfully tangy. To freshen it all up, a bunch of fresh herbs are thrown in and the salad gets a bit of bite from some onions. The dressing adds the sweetness that is missing from the mangos and takes it to this whole other dimension. I just love this salad, simply.

Vietnamese Green Mango Salad/ Goi Xoai
Yields: 4 - 6 servings


For the salad:
3 green mangoes, cut into matchsticks
1/4 cup dried shallots, fried
1/2 cup vietnamese coriander (rau ram), chopped
1/4 cup sliced onions
1/2 cup peanuts, toasted and roughly chopped
20 medium shrimp, shelled and de-veined


For the sauce: (makes much more than needed for the salad)
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup lime juice


In a large bowl, toss together all of the ingredients for the salad. To make the sauce, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and fry until golden. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the fish sauce, sugar. Boil until the sugar is dissolved, let cool slightly, then add the lime juice. Add more sugar if needed. Heat a grill over medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with some salt, pepper and olive oil. When the grill is hot, add the shrimp and cook on both sides until done, about 3 minutes each side. When ready to eat, divide the salad among the serving dishes and top with shrimp. Drizzle each serving with 1 - 2 tsp. of the dressing.

Granny Smith & Gouda Salad

You know, sometimes you give and you give and you get nothing back. I've come to accept that it's just a part of life. You've heard of that anecdote, "Life's not fair," right? Well, it's true. Sometimes life can hand you a bucket full of sunshine and other times you want to stuff yourself into a closet and never come out. Yeast makes me feel that way sometimes...

The last couple months, with all the free time I've been having, I wanted to give myself a bit of a challenge: yeast (well maybe not a bit, more like a mound). First, it was Jim Lahey's groundbreaking no-knead bread. Did I mention I met the guy while at his bakery in New York? Yep, it was amazing and he was incredibly kind and witty. Even though the bread was incredibly easy, I still managed to mangle it a little by over baking it. Hmph!

Next, it was lion house rolls. Upon first meeting, it charmed me with its warm buttery bliss. But, the next day it dried out like a river in the summer. Dry, dry, dry. Tears were shed. Anywho, then it was on to this epic 7 grain bread that received more than merry reviews from the plenty of folk at Allrecipes. It came out beautifully yeasted, nice and toasty brown on top but the flavor was less than satisfactory. After all this... I have come to the conclusion that yeast and I are not friends. No siree. 

After all of that mess, I've decided to take a break from yeast for a while. It was necessary. During this break, whaddaya know? Life brought me something delicious, addicting and all kinds of good. The dressing is my favorite part; slightly tangy and just a bit creamy. This salad is filled to the brim, but don't let the crowd of ingredients scare you! They all fit together wonderfully. 

It was funny, as I was shooting the salad, I noticed so many other things in my garden that exhibited the same color palette as the salad. It was awesome. Please enjoy!

Granny Smith & Gouda Salad
Yields: about 4 - 6 servings
Original recipe here.


For the green apple vinaigrette:
1/2 Granny Smith apple, cored and coarsely chopped
1/3 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tbsn. Dijon mustard
3 tbsn. honey
3 tbsn. minced shallot
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2/3 cup vegetable oil


For the salad:
8 oz. smoked gouda, cut into matchsticks or cubed

1 large granny smith apple, cored and thinly sliced

1 red delicious apple, cored and thinly sliced

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced diagonally 

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
1 cup candied walnuts
10 oz. fresh baby spinach (I used baby greens), about 8 lightly packed cups
salt and pepper, to taste
*smoked turkey can be added for a heartier salad


To make the dressing, combine all of the ingredients except the oil in a food processor and whiz until well combined. With the food processor still running, slowly drizzle in the oil until slightly emulsified and combined, set aside in the refrigerator until use. To make the salad, toss the gouda, green apple, celery and onion in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to coat lighly. Toss the spinach in another large bowl with enough vinaigrette to coat lightly. Season the spinach to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange the spinach on top of each plate. Top with some of the gouda-green apple mixture, then sprinkle with some tomatoes and walnuts. Lastly, arrange the red apple slices around the salad and serve.

How to Enjoy Mujaddara:

So… there's this thing I'm obsessed with. Most of the time, obsessions are unhealthy - riddled with heartbreak, non-sensical daydreams and horrible time management. Thankfully though, this time at least, I'm obsessed with something that's quite good for me… whew!

I'd like to introduce you to mujaddara aka moujadara aka mejadra aka megadarra aka it goes on and on! This little thing has a boat load of names but really, it's not as complicated as it makes itself seem. Mujaddara (the way I like to spell it) is a simple mixture of green lentils, rice and caramelized onions and it is, by far, one of the most delicious things I've come across. If you're unfamiliar with it, I can't stress enough how much I want you, wait, no - strike that - NEED you, to try this! I even left you here with three delicious ways to eat it - so you don't even have to think at all. Just let your body do all the work and your stomach do the enjoying!

{The recipe}

Mujaddara

Yields: about 8 - 10 servings

Original recipe from Zov: Recipes and Memories from the Heart.

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large onions, thinly sliced (about 6 cups)

5 3/4 cups water

2 cups dried green lentils

6 tbsn. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 cups long-grain white rice

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a deep large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until they are deep golden brown and caramelized, about 45 minutes; set aside. Combine the water and lentils in a heavy large saucepan. Cover and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the lentils are almost tender, but still firm to the bite, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter, add the rice, salt and pepper. Cover and bring the cooking liquid to a boil again over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer until the rice and lentils are tender and the cooking liquid is absorbed (do not stir the mixture as it cooks), about 20 minutes. If some water remains unabsorbed, rem the saucepan from the heat and let it stand uncovered for 5 minutes. Fold the caramelized onions into the pilaf. 

{How to eat Mujaddara Pt. I}

This Moroccan salmon salad is divine. It's inspired by a salad from a restaurant called Zov's in Tustin and it's the most ingenious use of mujaddara I've seen to date. Take a moment to think about it: warm, comforting rice pilaf under a bed of fresh mixed greens in a tangy but sweet vinaigrette with bites of brine-y feta, juicy tomatoes and tender, spiced salmon. Yeah... I think that about sums that up.

The essential components:

Moroccan Salmon Salad

Yields: 4 servings

Inspired by a salad from Zov's: Cafe & Bakery in Tustin, California.

For the salad:

4 salmon filets, washed and patted dry

4 tsp. Moroccan spices (recipe below)*

10 cups of mixed baby greens

2 plum tomatoes, diced

3/4 cup crumbled French feta cheese

2 cups cooked mujaddarah (recipe above)

For the balsamic vinaigrette (this will make more than needed for the salad):

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup rice vinegar

4 garlic cloves

2 tbsn. Dijon mustard

2 tbsn. finely chopped shallots

2 tbsn. pure maple syrup

1 tbsn. pomegranate molasses

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 cup canola oil

To make the vinaigrette, blend the balsamic, vinegar, rice vinegar, garlic, mustard, shallots, maple syrup, molasses, salt and pepper in a blender until smooth. With the machine running, gradually pour the oil in a thin stream until emulsified. Should keep for 3 days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Rub each salmon filet in 1 tsp. of Moroccan spice rub (or alternatively, you can do what I did below). Sear the filets on each side till cooked through, about 3 - 4 minutes on each side; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the mixed greens, feta cheese and diced tomato. Toss with just enough dressing to coat. Lay out 4 serving plates. Top each plate with 1/2 cup of warm mujaddara. Divide the salad among the four plates, then top each with a salmon filet. Enjoy!

* If you don't want to make the Moroccan spice mix, you can just sprinkle each salmon filet with a pinch of each spice listed below, which is what I did because I was too lazy to make the spice mix. 

Moroccan Spices

Yields: 3/4 cup

Original recipe from Zov: Recipes and Memories from the Heart.

3 tbsn. paprika

2 tbsn. dried thyme

2 tbsn. ground cumin

1 tbsn. ground nutmeg

1 tbsn. ground black pepper

1 tbsn. ground ginger

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. ground allspice

Stir all the ingredients in a small bowl to blend. Transfer to a jar and seal with a lid. 

{How to eat Mujaddara Pt. II}

When I saw this recipe, I wanted to make it immediately. Then I had this thought that popped into my head, it literally was one of those 'lightbulb' moments where you realize something so great your ego, not your head, seems to glow. I decided instead of stuffing the mushrooms with rice, such as in the recipe, I'd stuff it with mujaddara! Why not? Since it already is lovely with feta, I'd knew the combination would work and be even more lovely... and can I say, it was quite lovely. The perfect appetizer or it would make a great lunch on top of some baby greens.

Mujaddara & Feta Stuffed Mushrooms

Yields: 4 servings, as a side

Adapted from here.

12 large cremini mushrooms

olive oil

sea salt and black pepper

1 cup mujaddara (recipe above)

3 tbsn. feta

1 garlic clove

2 tbsn. parsley, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to broil. Place the mujaddara, feta, garlic, parsley in a bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, set aside. Remove all the stems from the mushrooms, discard and save and add to another meal some other day. Place the mushrooms, stem side down on  baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Place the mushrooms, stem side down in the oven about 4" from the top for 2 - 3 minutes. When they are done, flip them over, fill with the rice mixture and broil until the filling is hot, about 2 minutes. 

{How to eat Mujaddara Pt. III}

This recipe was inspired by one of my new favorite blogs, Cooking After Five. I stumbled upon it the other day, and I'm in love! The recipes, the photos, everything was right up my alley! Anyways I've been looking for new ways to eat my mujaddara and I had never seen it the way Nicole from Cooking After Five eats it here. Since I already had some herbed lebni in my fridge, I decided to play around with that and this is what I came up with. It's tangy, comforting and delicious, especially with the crunch from the slivered almonds. I simply love slivered almonds... add them to anything, and it will instantly be more delicious. Promise.

Mujaddara with Herb-Lebni Sauce

mujaddara (recipe above)

herbed lebni

1 lemon, juiced

slivered almonds, toasted

To make the herb-lebni sauce, add the lemon juice to the lebni sauce to thin it out. Add some water to thin it out some more, to the consistency of a hollandaise sauce. Serve drizzled on top of the mujaddarah with some toasted, slivered almonds. 

A Brunch to Remember

I hope everyone's holiday season has been filled with love, joy and much great food! 

I took a little break from blogging to enjoy some much needed r&r in the form of snow blizzards in Mammoth, family time and overeating. 

Speaking of overeating, for New Years Eve, I decided to throw a little brunch together for some of my friends. The menu was... fantastic. I've never made so many great things in such a small span of time. Let's just say, what a way to bring in the new year!

Cute, little radishes.

Our brunch extravaganza; mimosas are a must!

First, on the menu was the 'Eggs Benedict' salad. This one is the stunner! It's gorgeous, filled with oodles of color and even more flavor. Even though I kind of piled it all together, it still made my eyes water a bit. Please, please make this - it's a wonderful reinvention of the brunch classic and it will be loved by all. Pinky promise.

Eggs Benedict Salad

Yields: 4 servings

Adapted from here.

5 thin proscuitto slices

3 tbsn. extra-virgin olive oil

5 tsp. white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar

10 cups baby mixed greens

8 radishes, trimmed, thinly sliced

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

4 large eggs, poached

For the hollandaise sauce:

2 large egg yolks

3 tbsn. fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup or 1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 tbsn. Dijon mustard

1/8 tsp. coarse kosher sale

pinch of ground white pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Arrange the proscuitto slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the proscuitto is crisp, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool, then coarsely crumble. Whisk the oil and vinegar in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, then toss the baby greens, radishes and red onion in the mixture; set aside.

To make the hollandaise, whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the melted butter, then set the bowl over a medium saucepan of gently simmering water (do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water). Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and an instant-read thermometer registers 140 F for 3 minutes, about 5 minutes total. Remove the bowl from over the water, whisk in the last 3 ingredients. Cover to keep warm. Divide the tossed salad among four plates, sprinkle with the crumbled proscuitto, and top with a poached egg. Drizzle with the hollandaise and enjoy.

Please, let us bask in the gloriousness that is brown sugar-bacon waffles. Really, they are that spectacular. Every bit as spectacular as they sound and as they look. Oh man, they are just all that and a bag of chips! Joy the Baker really has breakfast down to a science. Her pancakes, her waffles, oy vey - all a big hit for me.

But then... it gets better. Yes, it's possible. You know that ever existing problem of a carton full of buttermilk and what to do with it? Yeah, we all have that problem. Buttermilk only comes in huge containers, yet recipes only call for a wee bit of it. Well to use up the remainder of your buttermilk, make buttermilk syrup to go with your waffles. It's a double whammy: finish up your buttermilk and enjoy the best homemade syrup EVER!

Brown Sugar Bacon Waffles

Yields: about 10 waffles (depends on the size of your waffle maker)

Original recipe here.

For the bacon:

10 slices of bacon

1/4 cup brown sugar

For the waffles:

3 cups flour

1 tbsn. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup canola or grapeseed oil

4 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cups buttermilk

To make the bacon, preheat the oven to 375 F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and line with foil. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with brown sugar. Place in the upper third of the oven and bake until the sugar is caramelized and the bacon is brown and crispy, about 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately remove the bacon slices using a pair of tongs. Place them on a cutting board, not paper towels (because they will stick) to cool before chopping. Once cool, chop the bacon into bite sized pieces and set aside.

Set up the waffle iron on a level, clean surface and turn on to preheat. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and brown sugar. Whisk to blend. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold. Once almost fully incorporated, add the bacon bites and stir. Try not to over mix the batter or the waffles will become tough. It's okay if a few lymph remain in the batter. Cook according to your waffle machine instructions. Serve with maple syrup.

Buttermilk Syrup

Yields: about 1 cup

Adapted from here.

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

In a medium sauce pot,  combine the butter, buttermilk and sugar. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil while whisking constantly, then turn off the heat. Add the vanilla and baking soda (watch out, it will bubble vigorously) and whisk to combine. Serve warm with pancakes, waffles, whatever.

Ahhh brunch glory:

Let's dig IN.

Last, but not least, was brunch dessert. Brunch dessert you ask? Yes, I coined that term myself... I think. Brunch must always end with dessert. In fact, all meals should end with dessert in my opinion. This coffeecake was the perfect way to end our lovely, lovely afternoon.


The cake was moist, filled with great flavor and the crumb, oh that crumb. When is crumble topping ever not loved? I think it is quite possibly the most loved thing on this planet we call Earth. Of course, I had to  top it off with a decadent vanilla-bean crème anglaise. Of course, right? Well this crème anglaise tasted like melted vanilla ice cream, and I mean that in the most wonderful way possible!

Cherry Vanilla Coffeecake

Yields: 1 9" round coffee cake, about 8 servings

Adapted from here.

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 3/4 cup sugar

2 cups fresh or thawed, frozen sweet cherries (6 oz.)

2 cups + 1 tbsn. flour, divided

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1 stick + 1 tbsn. unsalted butter, softened, divided

2 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

Preheat the oven to 375 F, with a rack placed in the middle of the oven. Generously butter a 9x2" round cake pan. Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper, then butter the paper. Scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into a food processor, add the sugar and pulse to combine. Transfer to a bowl. Pulse the cranberries with 1/2 cup of the vanilla sugar in a food processor until finely chopped (but do not puree), set aside. 

Whisk together 2 cups of flour, the baking soda, and salt, set aside. Beat together 1 stick of butter and 1 cup of vanilla sugar in the bowl of an electric mix at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the flour mixture and milk in alternate batches, beginning and ending with the flour, until just combined. Spread half of the batter in the pan, then spoon the cherries over it, leaving a 1/2" border around the edge. Top with the remaining batter and smooth the top. Blend the remaining 1/4 cup of vanilla sugar with the remaining 1 tbsn. of butter and 1 tbsn. of flour using your fingertips. Crumble over the top of the cake. Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the sides begin to pull away from the pan, about 45 - 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely, crumble side up. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. 

Vanilla Bean Crème Anglaise

Yields: 2 cups

Original recipe here.

4 large egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise or 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Fill a large bowl with ice and water, set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until lightened, about 2 minutes. Place the milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the pan and add the pod. If using extract, hold off and add later. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low. Whisk about 1/3 cup of the milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture to temper it. Return this mixture to the saucepan. Cook the creme anglaise over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of heavy cream. If the sauce is overheated it will start to curdle, so it's important to stir constantly and to keep a close eye on the sauce. Discard the vanilla pod and strain the creme into a medium-sized metal bowl. If using extract, now is the time to add it. Place the bowl over an ice bath to chill until ready to serve. Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 4 days. 

I don't know if you guys know this already, but I had a mission this past year to complete a 365 Project and that I did! It was the most rewarding and challenging thing I've ever done, and I am so glad to have lasted it through the year. New years eve was my final day where I had to take a picture to document my day, and here it is:

I think this picture summarizes my year and project perfectly: a bit sweet, a bit sparkly, and wholly wonderful. Hopefully, that's how my next year shall turn up as well.

To see the rest of my 2010 - 365 photos, go here.