Obsession of the Moment

Winter is here (well not really because it's still a high of 70s in the day bleh) and just the thought of Christmas makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

I'm craving all of these beautiful things.

Oh. so. beautiful.

Don't you just die for anything Anthropologie?!?!

All images from Anthropologie.

Basil Limeades/ Soda Chanh

This recipe is a twist on the traditional Vietnamese drink called Soda Chanh, which is essentially a carbonated lime-ade. At the restaurant I work at, they add some torn basil leaves on request and it's really delicious.

Don't be thrown off for a loop! I was kind of shocked about the idea too... basil in my lemonade?! Sounds kinda weird to me, but I was intrigued, took a sip and what do you know? I actually liked it, I really, really liked it! I think you guys will like it too! The basil flavor is just a subtle note in the background that adds great depth in flavor. Mint would work well as too, I'll have to try that next time. I love this drink especially in Summer because it's so refreshing but since it's never quite Winter in California, I can enjoy this baby all year round!

Basil Limeades

Yields: about 4 servings

Printable Recipe

For the simple syrup:

1 part water

1 part sugar

1 part simple syrup (1/2 cup)

1 part fresh lime juice (1/2 cup)

5 - 6 parts carbonated water (2 1/2 - 3 cups)

small bunch of basil leaves, torn

To make the simple syrup, combine the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until all of the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and store in a container (simple syrup is essentially a 1:1 ratio of water to sugar, so you can make as much or as little as you want). To make the limeades, mix everything together. Serve over ice and enjoy!

Sweet simplicity at its best:

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Mmmm pumpkin cheesecake.

I've been wanting to make this for so longggg and what better time than Thanksgiving itself?

I tried cutting down the sugar on this recipe because I kept seeing various recipes that called for a range of 1/2 cups to 2 whole cups of sugar in similar recipes and I was so confused! How could one recipe have 1/2 a cup and another one have 2 cups with the same amount of 4 blocks of cream cheese? I figured I would compromise and use 1 1/2 cups of sugar, which sounded reasonable.

Results? Although the cheesecake was good it wasn't great. The pumpkin flavor was just a bit lacking and I think it's because of the missing sugar. The original recipe is below, 2 cups and all so I suggest using the full amount so that the sugar can bring out the full pumpkin flavor. But I really did love the pepita brittle on top of this cheesecake! A nice added layer of texture (you can find the recipe here).

A mini cheesecake fresh out of the oven (although it looks pretty big here huh?):

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Yields: 2 large cheesecakes

Slightly adapted from this recipe, which can be found here.

Printable Recipe

For the filling:

4 8oz. packages cream cheese

2 cups sugar

3 tbsn. flour

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp. salt

1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree

5 large eggs

1 tbsn. vanilla

For the crust:

1 cup pecans

2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a 2 9-inch diameter springform pan with nonstick spray. Grind the cookie crumbs, pecans, and brown sugar until finely ground. Add butter and process to blend. Split the mixture evenly between each pan and press the crust into the bottoms. Bake until set and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.

Keep oven at 350 F for the pie. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in pumpkin, add eggs 1 at a time, beating on low speed to incorporate after each addition. Add flour, spice and salt and beat to blend. Beat in vanilla. Transfer filling to cooled crust. Bake until filling is just set in the center and edges begin to crack (filling will move slightly when pan is gently shaken), about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cool 1 hour. Run knife around sides of pan to release the cheesecake. Chill cheesecake uncovered in pan overnight.

Tailored Tuesdays

Mmmm classic basics in classic colors. Reminds me of the lovely style of Olivia Palermo.

1. Chloe "Asymmetric silk blouse"

2. Chloe "Wool blend cropped pants"

3. Marni "Fabric frame clutch"

4. Lanvin "Patent leather peep-toe pumps"

5. Dannijo "Carmela silver plated spike necklace"

all images can be found atnet-a-porter.com

I love, love, love EVERYTHING that this girl wears. Especially those silver brogues! She puts things together so nicely and is never afraid to take a risk. She wears classics but incorporates trendy pieces to keep things fresh. I would love to mingle around in her closet for a while.

Pumpkin Cream Pies

I saw a recipe for pumpkin cream pie and I was astonished! It sounded so unbelievably perfect since I love, love, love cream pies. And guess what I did? Instead of making the custard, with all of its intense technique, listed in the recipe, I went back to my trusty faux-custard recipe that I've used for everything, including Boston cream pies, banana cream pies, fruit tarts AND cream puffs.

I added some pureed pumpkin and some spices and tada! Delicious pumpkin cream. Topped off with some whipped cream and pepita brittle??? Yeah... you know that's gonna be good! I especially loved the pepita brittle because it added the needed change of texture: delicious crunchiness, and some salty goodness.
The pepita brittle was incredibly easy to make, so don't be afraid to attempt it. I think its almost too easy to mess up. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Cream Pie

Yields: about 10 mini pies

Pie recipe slightly modified from this recipe. Original pepita brittle recipe can be found here.

1 9-inch prepared graham cracker crust

(I used 10 mini graham cracker crusts)

For the custard:

1 large box french vanilla pudding

1 1/4 cups whole milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 15 oz. can pure pumpkin puree

For the pepita brittle:

butter or vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

4 oz. unsalted butter

1/3 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup + 2 tbsn. water

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tbsn. sea salt

1 1/2 cups pepitas, raw and untoasted

To make the custard, mix together the pudding mix, milk, and heavy cream and beat until nice and thick, about 5 - 10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla, spices and puree. Mix well then pour and spread into the prepared pie crust. Set in refrigerator. Top with whipped cream if desired, then with the brittle

For the britte, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat. If using parchment, grease the paper with butter or oil. In a medium or large saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, corn syrup and water. Stir the sugar until it is completely moistened. Cook sugar over medium heat until it thickens. It bubbles quickly and often so keep an eye on it and reduce heat as necessary to keep it from bubbling over. The sugar mixture should turn golden after ten minutes. When it is just shy of the desired color, remove from heat and whisk in the baking soda and salt carefully. Using a heatproof spoon, fold in the pepitas and pour onto the baking sheet and quickly spread out evenly. Break it into pieces when completely cool, store in airtight container.

P.S. I will no longer be posting hostile, ill-mannered comments. Though I do believe that everyone has a right to express their opinions, I think that once racial slurs start to appear, a line has been crossed. A big thank you to everyone that reads this blog, who has supported it and I do hope you enjoy my posts :)

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls

Believe every word when I say, you absolutely have to make these at some point in your life.

Pioneer Woman. I swear, that woman is a goddess to me. Never have I ever had so many successful recipes from one site. Successful is even a bit of an understatement. What I meant to say was wondrous, spectacular, and bewitching. Wow these babies are good... mmmm.
My sister actually made these while I documented. This recipe makes oodles, so I think it's the perfect gift. Just pre-bake them, drizzle them in heavenly glaze then give them away and instruct your receivers to just pop in the oven for about 5 minutes to warm them up. My sister even made them in these little to-go foil pans that came with plastic tops and everything! So precious!
OMGGGGG please, please make these. I ate two right as they came out of the oven, and I surely could have scarfed down the whole plate... shame on me!
Pioneer Woman's Fabulous Cinnamon Rolls

Yields: about 8 pans worth (8 rolls per pan)

Original recipe can be found here.

Printable Recipe

For the rolls:

1 quart whole milk

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

2 packages dry active yeast

8 cups, plus 1 cup extra (separated) flour

1 heaping tsp. baking powder

1 scant tsp. baking soda

1 heaping tbsn. salt

3 - 4 cups melted butter

2 cups sugar

generous sprinkling of cinnamon

For the frosting:

1 bag powdered sugar

2 tsp. maple flavoring

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup brewed coffee

1/8 tsp. salt

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. "Scald" the mixture (heat just before boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool for 45 minutes to 1 hour. When mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of yeast. Let sit for a minute, then add 8 cups of flour, stir mixture together, cover and let rise for at least an hour.

After rising, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. At this point you could cover the dough and refrigerate until you need it, overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye one it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down. When ready to prepare the rolls, sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form into a rectangle. Roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1 1/2 to 2 cups of melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

Now starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go, next pinch the seam of the roll to seal it. Spread 1 tbsn. melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls about 3/4 to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans. Repeat with the other half of the dough, let rolls rise for 20 - 30 minutes, then bake at 375 F until light golden brown, about 15 - 18 minutes.

For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls, don't skimp on the frosting!

Mmmmmm maple glaze...

I'm going in people!

Disneyland {Anaheim, CA}

Most people wouldn't know it, but Disneyland is a great place for food.

Yes, it can be overpriced but every once in a while, it's nice to spurge. Plus, Disneyland knows, if you're paying that much for something, it better be worth it. What's nice is that most of the things offered are delicious!

Above, the turkey leg is probably the most 'bang for your buck.' It's a gigantic leg of salty, tender meat. What could be better? Although, it does get a little iffy looking as you get to the bone and there are bunches of tendons and stuff...

Ice cream is a sure bet on a hot day. This mint chocolate sundae sure did hit the spot! But the best thing on a summer day has to be all the things offered at the Dole Tiki Bar!
You can either get a dole sundae (pictured above) or a dole whip (pictured below). The dole sundae combines the dole whip with fresh dole pineapple juice. It's tangy and creamy and perfectly tart. I prefer the dole whip on it's own - look how pretty it is!
At Bengal Barbecue, they have varieties of meat skewers, grilled veggies and more. I loved this one below, which I forget the name of now, but it was spicy and so tender! And asparagus wrapped in bacon... now how could that ever go wrong?
One of my favorite all time treats from Disneyland now though has to be the jalapeno-cheddar soft pretzels! I loooove jalapenos and I love cheese. Combine that with soft pretzels and you've got an unbelievable winner. Plus, it's portable so you can take it along while you're meandering through the park, score!
I just HAD to get this caramel apple because it's so darned cute. At the end of the day though, it was just a caramel apple. Delicious but something you could get anywhere. Also, it was weird but they wouldn't cut it for us, so it was so hard to cut by ourselves.

Make sure to enjoy the fireworks too! Preferably with a churro in your hand ;D

Yelp - Tiki Juice Bar

Yelp - Bengal Barbeque

Yelp - Turkey Leg Cart

Yelp - Churro Cart

Website

Tailored Tuesdays

1. Marc by Marc Jacobs "Classic Q hillier hobo"

2. 3.1 by Phillip Lim "Sequined silk chiffon taste"

3. Current/ Elliott "The skinny distressed jeans"

4. Giuseppe Zanotti "Camouflage flat sandals"

all images can be found atnet-a-porter.com

Zucchini & Eggplant PIzza

My sister brought home a plethora of zucchini home the other day. We've been trying to use it up because one, they are beautiful zucchini that should not go to waste and two, because zucchini is awesome and unbelievably delicious and not to mention versatile. So far we've made whole wheat zucchini muffins, zucchini frittatas and now this: zucchini and eggplant pizza!

I think so far this has been my favorite of the recipes we've tried. Actually, my sister made this genius pizza. Super thin crust, just how I like it and bursting full of flavor. Such a great combination with the eggplant and uber melty mozzarella. Try this immediately, I love it.

Zucchini & Eggplant Pizza

Yields: 1 large pizza, about 10 slices

Printable Recipe

1 (16 oz.) package of pizza dough (I use Trader Joes' whole wheat version)

1/2 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 - 1/2 cup pizza sauce/ marinara sauce

1 zucchini, thinly sliced

1/2 purple eggplant, thinly sliced

10 - 15 basil leaves

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried oregano

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and lightly grease with non-stick spray or some olive oil. Take your pizza dough and press out onto the baking sheet till about 1/2 inch thick. Using your hands spread the minced garlic all over the top of the dough, then spread the pizza/ marinara sauce all over the dough, leaving a 1 cm thick border around the edges. Sprinkle with the cheese and oregano. Spread the basil leaves, zucchini and eggplant evenly over the surface of the pizza and cook in the oven until cheese is melty and crust is golden brown, about 10 - 15 minutes.

Vietnamese Crab & Asparagus Soup/ Súp Măng Cua

When I went to Vietnam last summer we spent most of our time in Saigon, also known as Ho Chi Minh City. Everyday was for the most part, an adventure. Either it was meeting new people, exploring new places or most importantly, eating more food. I have never experienced Vietnamese food as good as it was in Vietnam, which obviously makes sense.

Near our hotel was an outdoor market that my family and I would visit almost every single morning. Our popular choices for our meals were either noodle soup or Chè, which is a type of Vietnamese dessert. The woman who sold the Chè also sold the most amazing súp măng cua I have ever tried in my life! Fresh, always steaming hot and filled with deliciously large chunks of crab. This soup has always been one of my favorites and surprisingly its super easy to make too. This recipe is from my mother and is equally as delicious too. Warms me up perfectly on these cold winter days!

This recipe is kind of a mix between the traditional Crab/Asparagus soup and Shark Fin soup. I couldn't find anything else like it online, so I think it might just be something my mom made up herself. My mom's súp măng cua doesn't have any eggs in it, as you see in some other recipes and she adds enoki mushrooms, which is by far my most favorite part of the soup! Also, we use imitation shark fin because we happen to think cutting off the fins of sharks is definitely not right. But in the pictures you can see some clear-ish noodle looking things, which is actually the imitation shark fin. It adds a really nice texture to the soup. I tried looking up imitation shark fin online so I could show you guys what I'm talking about, but no luck! It can definitely be found in Vietnamese grocery stores and I'll update you if I find out more information. If it can't be found, this soup is equally delicious without it.

Vietnamese Crab & Asparagus Soup/ Súp Măng Cua

Yields: about 8 servings

Printable Recipe

10 cups homemade chicken stock, low-sodium canned also works

1 large can white asparagus, drained

2 cans of enoki mushroom, drained

imitation shark fin

1/2 lb. crab meat

1 - 2 tbsn. cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 cup water

fish sauce, to taste

pepper, to taste

cilantro, chopped (for garnish/ optional)

Heat your chicken stock over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus, mushrooms, imitation shark fin and crab meat. Next, add the corn starch mixture, stir until incorporated and bring to a boil. Stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Turn heat to low and add fish sauce and pepper to taste, top with some cilantro and enjoy!