Cookies for the Holidays

Dec 24, 2009

Coconut Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookie

To continue my home made gifts to my family, I decided to make cookies. I'm really not much of a baker, just ask Mr. T who has to endure the pain of eating random cookies in order for me to make the perfect one. What don't I like about baking? The fact that I don't have control while it's in the oven cooking. I either under cook them or over cook them. When it comes to cooking, I can always add ingredients during the cooking process. Maybe I just need to practice, practice, and practice some more.

Ingredients: 

2 1/2 cups of flour

1 tsp of baking soda

1 tsp of salt

1 cup of butter, softened

1 cup of granulated sugar

1 cup of packed brown sugar

1 tsp of vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1 cup of chopped walnuts

1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Shift flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl until creamy. Add eggs and beat well. Add dry ingredients gradually. Stir in morsels, nuts, and coconut.

Using a cookie scooper or tablespoons drop cookies onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 8-10 minute or until golden brown. Cool cookies on wire racks.

Macaroons

Ingredients:

14 oz of sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup of sugar

6 tbs of flour

4 egg whites

2 tsp of almond extract

1/4 tsp of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Combine coconut, sugar, flour, almond extract, and salt. Whisk egg whites in a bowl until soft peaks start to form. Fold egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Drop the batter into a lined cookie sheet, approximately 2 tbs.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely

Lobsters at Ideal Bar & Grill in Santa Cruz, CA

Dec 23, 2009

Birthdays are always a great reason to go out, get dolled up, and have somebody else cook for you. It was Mr. T's birthday and he always likes going to Santa Cruz on the Wharf for some clam chowder and seafood. We landed at Ideal Bar & Grill on a chilling evening after a windy car ride on Highway 17. After checking out the menu online we already knew that we wanted the Maine Lobster which was a steal at $14.95 on Wednesdays. I have never been to Bar & Grill before, I always passed by it in the summer time and it was always crowded with half naked people drinking margaritas at the outside bar playing loud music. It was not the scene this time, it was quiet, no host in sight. We waited for a few seconds before the bartender greeted us and told us he'd be with us shortly. He seated us right after making a drink right next to the window. There were a few diners eating lobsters in groups of 4. Our waitress/waiter was nowhere to be found until she greeted us with "I'll be right with you after I serve those people their drinks." Not the greeting I wanted to hear even if it was a casual place. Maybe a "How are you, can I get you started with a drink." would've do. She came back later to take our orders and drinks soon followed. Once we got our bowl of clam chowder, we were happy.

The clam chowder was  buttery delicious with chunks of clams and potatoes. We were going to order a bowl each and relieved we didn't because the bowl was enough for both of us.

For the lobster, I was expecting just the tail but I was pleased and surprised to have received a whole lobster. The lobster was meaty, tender, and absolutely delicious dipped in clarified butter.

I let our waitress know that it was Mr. T's birthday and she added the sparklers on the mud pie. There were two other birthday celebrations that evening and the entire restaurant sang Happy Birthday to all three. Mr. T was very happy with his Birthday dinner and I was too. 

Overall the meal was delicious but the service could improve. It took a while for another round of beers to arrive to our table and wished I hadn't ordered it in the first place. After she dropped it off, I was shocked that she said that it was busy when the place was empty. Eitther she got used to the slow pace of the winter or she was new. She was nice though and very apologetic. I would return and recommend this place. The lobster dish is a great deal that's hard to pass up. The restaurant also has other weekly specials: Monday night baby back ribs for $11.95, and Friday night prime rib for $14.95.  Ideal Bar & Grill is located on the left side just before entering the gates of the wharf at 106 Beach St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060. You can check out their website at: www.idealbarandgrill.com

Chocolate Truffles Recipe

Dec 21, 2009

Got to hand it to the French for making a melt in your mouth chocolaty treat that resembles the most expensive fungus in the world. Whenever I crave something sweet, my first choice is always a truffle. I love the hard coating truffles which protects the soft filling that when you bite into it just melts in your mouth. For the holidays, I decided to make home made truffles to give it out as gifts. They're quite easy to make but I did have trouble on my first batch when the mixture didn't set. I may have added too much amaretto or I may not have stirred it well enough. The second batch set and I was very pleased with the results.

Ingredients:

10 oz of bitter-sweet chocolate, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream

2 tbs of unsalted butter

1 tbs of cream de cocoa

pinch of salt

1/2 cup of water

1/4 cup of dutch-pressed cocoa powder

Directions:

Chop chocolates into small pieces and set aside on metal bowl. In a sauce pan, heat cream over low heat until cream starts to form bubbles on the side. Add butter, cream de cocoa, and salt and stir well. Pour cream over chocolates and let it sit for 3-5 minutes. In a small sauce pan simmer 1/2 cup of water. Place the chocolate and cream mixture and continue to stir until smooth and creamy.

Place the mixture into a small bowl and let it cool completely in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight.

Using a melon baller or spoon, form a ball, with your palm (use gloves for easy clean up) shape it into a ball and set aside. Once all the chocolate have rolled approximately 30, refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Place cocoa powder in a bowl. Place the balls in the bowl and coat the balls evenly.

Brunch at Taqueria Los Charros in Mountain View, CA

Dec 20, 2009

Hidden away on Dana St is a corner Taqueria called Taqueria Los Charros that serves up one of the best Authentic Mexican Food in town. The burritos, enchiladas, tamales, and fajitas are excellent. I met up with my friend, Ana for a late morning brunch birthday and to discuss our upcoming trip. Whenever I am in the downtown area of Mountain View I always hit up this place when I'm craving Mexican food. It's cheap, good, and fast which is always a big plus. I ordered the breakfast burrito which is $7 bucks and it's gigantic with fresh squeezed orange juice. Thanks Ana for a wonderful brunch.

 My friend, Ana who looks angelic courtesy of the steam from my burrito.

My giant hot breakfast burrito

If you're ever in the area, try Taqueria Los Charros which is located on 854 Dana St., Mountain View, CA

Holiday Chocolate Lollipops

This year for Christmas I decided I would make gifts instead of buying them. While I was at Michael's getting some packaging for my treats,  I came across a Candy Making Kit and decided to give it a shot. I've never worked with chocolate before so I did not know what to expect. It came with 3 trays of molds, 4 different colored chocolate chips, a paint brush, lollipop sticks, and small plastic bags with ties. It looked simple enough, just pour and set right? As I read the instruction further the chocolate had to be melted in the microwave. Since I'm not a big fan of microwaves I decided to melt the chocolate in a double boiler instead. Once melted, I dipped the brush to the color and painted the mold. It wasn't really painting like painting a canvas, you had to lay it on thick to give it the color you want otherwise it'll be translucent and it wouldn't show at all. It was quite time consuming but relaxing at the same time. After painting the mold, I placed the lollipop stick into place, poured the melted chocolate, and refrigerated it for 30 minutes. The 3 chocolate lollipops turned out better than expected.

 

 

Happy Birthday To Me!

Dec 19, 2009

 

 

Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes on the 16th. It was a great day to take a break from studying for finals. My day was very relaxing filled with delicious goodies. I had planned on spending the day with the girls making cookies but unfortunately they got sick. They did drop off a big brown box which contained a 12 cup Kitchen Aid Food Processor that I've been eying for a while and I was extremely surprised when I opened it. Thank you Jen, Thai, Joy, Hope, and Zoe. I love my new gift and I can't wait to make a very flaky crust next time...Get well soon! They also stopped by my favorite bakery, Fleur Flour in Willow Glen, to bring me 3 different mini cakes and a quiche. Thank you again!!!

Lumpia - Filipino Egg Roll

Dec 15, 2009

Lumpia is a Filipino egg roll  appetizer that you'll always see at Filipino get-togethers.  They're crispy with a meaty vegetable filling and they're additively good. Lumpia brings me back to my parent's kitchen of rolling Lumpia on the kitchen table with family. We kids would see who can make the best and the fastest one. When I first starting rolling them, I remember I was banned from making them because I never made them before so they had me separate the sheets. They easily tore and when I was good at separating them I was moved to the filling part which was a big deal at that time to me. With practice Then after the 50th roll, the excitement wears off and you just want to cook them and eat them. I miss those days...now whenever there's a party, my mom makes extras and gives me the frozen ones to cook at a later time. The holidays are coming and I wanted to make some since the parents are in Old Country this year. So I decided to make some tonight so that I didn't have to rush next week in making them and freeze them. Of course I couldn't resist eating them and cooked a few. I dip my Lumpia in a vinegar with a little garlic. 

Ingredients:
1 tbs of peanut oil

1 lbs of ground beef or ground pork
carrots, diced
1/2 cup of  yellow onions, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced or grated 
4 oz of canned water chestnuts, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 cup of cabbage, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1 package of 50 egg roll wrappers
1 egg, beaten
1 tbs of water
2 cups of vegetable oil

Vinegar Sauce
1/4 cup of vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp of fish sauce
pinch of fresh ground pepper

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat oil and cook beef until brown. Drain grease. Add onions, garlic and cook until translucent. Add carrots, cabbage, and chestnuts and saute for 2-4 minutes until cooked. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside until cooled enough to handle
Beat egg and water and set aside.
Place a wrapper on a clean surface with the corner pointing towards you. Place 2 tbs of the meat mixture towards the tip, fold the tip over then fold the sides over and tightly roll. Towards the end of the roll, dab a little egg mixture to seal.
Heat oil in a skillet, fry the egg roll until golden brown.

Class Outing at BJ's & Happy Birthday Mr. Haze

Dec 14, 2009

Today was the last day of Basics Food Class and we finished it with an outing at BJ's Restaurant Brew House in Cupertino after our final exam. It has been a great semester and I am sad that's it's over but glad at the same time. Now I can practice and practice at home without a time limit. I remember being nervous, eager and excited at the same time on first day of putting on the white chef coat making it official that I was making a commitment for the entire semester. Not knowing anyone in class, new faces quickly became teammates which turned into friendship. It didn't take long for all of us to work as a team to get things done. There were good days and bad days, undercooked, overcooked, and burnt food but that's how we learn. We make mistakes and learn from them. I learned a lot this semester from preparing sauces, meats, poultry, pasta, vegetables, cakes, pies, and appetizers. It was a lot of information and I learned that I want to pursue it even further and see where it goes from here. I am already looking forward to next semester and I can't wait to see old faces and new faces. For now, it's time to say farewell. Good Luck on Finals! Happy Holidays! Happy New Year. I hope to see y'all next semester. 

Mr. Haze, HAPPY Birthday! It's been a fun semester, and see you next semseter.

Craig, thank you for organizing today's lunch at BJ's.

Happy Birthday, Mr Haze!

Chicken with Tomatoes and Rice

Dec 12, 2009

As much as I like to cook, I don't like spending all day in the kitchen. I love recipes where you just throw ingredients together, forget about it, and eat it. This chicken recipe is just that. I've made many versions of this recipe. I originally made it from pork a long time ago and somehow I made many versions of it using various protein such as beef, veal, or turkey, as well as adding mushrooms. I've topped it off with grated cheddar cheese or a mixture of Mexican cheese which is delicious. As I always say about cooking, you add what you like and take away what you don't like.

Ingredients: 
2 skinless chicken breast
1 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of uncooked brown rice or white rice
2 can of diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
2 cups of chicken stock or broth
1/2 medium onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
Heat olive oil in a frying pan, season chicken on both sides and cook until golden brown.
Add rice, tomatoes, chicken stock, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper.
Cover the pan and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes or until rice is tender.

Chicken Soup

Dec 10, 2009

The snow on Mt Hamilton in San Jose was gorgeous that I just had to snap a picture of it while I was driving. Yes, I shouldn't be driving and taking pictures at the same time but there's no law on that one yet. This shows that it's been really cold in the Valley. My soup making obsession continues with Chicken Soup for tonight's dinner which has comfort food written all over it. I am absolutely loving Swanson's Organic Chicken Broth and I'm glad I stocked up. Nothing beats homemade but it just takes so much time. I'll have to make a huge pot and freeze them real soon.

Ingredients: 
1 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
2 chicken breast, julienne
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery, trimmed and diced
1/2 medium size onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups of organic low sodium chicken stock
1/4 tsp of dried rosemary
1/4 tsp of dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tbs of sherry
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a saucepan, saute onions, celery, and carrots in olive until lightly caramelized, then add garlic.
Add chicken and saute for 3-4 minutes. Increase heat and add chicken stock. Add rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, sherry, and season with salt and pepper. Decrease heat and simmer for 45-60 minutes.

Broccoli Soup

Dec 9, 2009

It's cold in Silicon Valley when you're driving and notice there's snow up on the Mountains. Sometimes I wish it snowed here but then again I've never lived in snow before so I'm not sure how I'd adapt to it especially driving in it. Since it's been cold, all I've been craving is soup. I love making them because I know what I'm putting in there unlike the store bought ones which contain preservatives. Tonight's soup contains only 3 ingredients: broccoli, cream, and chicken stock.

Ingredients: 
2 cups of organic chicken stock1 head of broccoli (approximately 1 1/2 cup), cut and trimmed
1/2 cup of cream
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 
In a pot, simmer the chicken stock. Add broccoli and cook until tender. Using a hand blender, puree the broccoli. Stir in cream and serve.

Holiday Buffet Lunch at Owl Cafe

Dec 8, 2009

The roses are in placed, napkins are folded, plates are ready, and most importantly the food are in their chaffing dish. Manager of the day, Maureen Grace is making her rounds in the kitchen and in the dining room with her staff making sure everything is perfect. On the other side of the door, customers sat in front of the entrance at The Owl Cafe at Mission College waiting patiently for the doors to open at 11:30. The line continued to grew longer towards the door letting the cold breeze sneak in. A crowd of students chatted away while they read the menu.Today's Lunch Buffet Menu:  Hawaiian Style Baby Back Ribs, Roasted Whole Chickens, Slow Roasted Beef, Fresh Baked Dinner Roll, Corn Chowder, Mixed Green Salads, Jeweled Rice, Creamy Polenta, Roasted Vegetables, Cheesy Eggplant, Tiramisu, Bread Pudding, and Orange Cinnamon Poached Pears. Did I mention this was a buffet meaning you can go return for seconds or thirds all for a steal at $10, and $9 for students. The Owl Cafe at Mission College has been serving lunch all semester long run by it's very own Hospitality Students Led by Chef Instructor, Mr. Haze. The food was excellent and delicious. My favorite would have to be the Hawaiian Style Baby Back Ribs with it's peppery sweet taste of the Islands, and the unforgettable Tiramisu made perfectly by Maria. 

The Owl Cafe had a great run this semester and it is shutting it's doors for the winter break. It will resume it's operation next Spring semester with it's Restaurant Operations class running the show. If you're in the area be sure to have lunch Tuesdays and Thursdays next semester. To keep up with the latest news, be sure to become a fan on Facebook by clicking here.

all you can eat ribs at Armadillo Willy's

Dec 7, 2009

One of my all time favorite cheap bites in the Bay Area would have to be Armadillo Willy's on Monday nights after 5pm where they serve all you can eat ribs, and I mean ALL YOU CAN EAT. My record would probably be 4 or 5 trips which calculates to 20 - 24 ribs depending if they give me 3 or 4 each time. I have been coming here for the past 4 years at least once or twice a month. The ribs are good and their sauce compliments the smokiness of the ribs. For only $14.95 you get 2 sides and all the ribs you want. What more can a meat eater like me want. The one that I go to is located in San Jose at Blossom Hill and Santa Theresa. The service is quick and the staff is super friendly.

Tomato Soup

Dec 6, 2009

I bought these gorgeous tomatoes on a vine at the Farmer's Market the other day thinking I'd make a salad out of them but the cold weather changed all that when I got home to a cold house. Something about tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich by the window reading a book is what I needed to remind me I should be inside slurping on my nice hot tomato soup. A few simple ingredients makes this soup ready in no time. The chili flakes gives the taste buds warmth and the sweetness of the tomatoes give this soup a great balance.

Ingredients:
1 tbs of olive oil

1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp of red chili flakes
3 cups of diced tomatoes
3 cups of chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 tsp of dried thyme
1 tsp of dried basil
3 tbs of tomato paste
2-3 tbs of parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Directions:
In a sauce pan, saute garlic and chili flakes in olive oil over medium heat
Add tomatoes and saute until soft then add remaining ingredients. Turn heat to high until it begins to boil then turn down the heat to low. Simmer for 45-60 minutes.
Using a hand blender, food processor, or blender, blend the mixture until smooth. Return the mixture to the pan and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

Brown Rice and Edamame Veggie Burger

Dec 5, 2009

I never thought I'd make my own veggie burger until my classmate made one from scratch for her demo in our food preparation class. She made it out of edamame, ginger, carrots, eggs, and millet which is a grain similar to quinoa. After watching her demo I was inspired to make one tonight. Looking at my fridge, I had edamame, carrots, eggs,  brown rice, but not millet which I substituted for ground flax seed I had in my cupboard. For some flavor I added hoisin and soy sauce. The veggie burger turned out really delicious and light at the same time. I used to buy veggie burgers but now I'm going to experiment and make my own versions.

Ingredients:
1 cup of cooked edamame
1/2 cup of shredded carrots
1 cup of cooked brown rice
1 egg
3 tbs of ground flax seed
1 tbs of soy sauce
1 1/2 tbs of hoisin sauce
1/4 tsp of Lowry's seasoning salt
1/4 freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
In a food processor, process the edamame and set aside.Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with your hands or with a plastic spatula.
Shape the mixture into desired size patty (approximately 4)  and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with olive or vegetable spray. Bake veggie burger for 40-45 minutes.

Serve your veggie burger with your favorite bun/bread, cheese, fillings, and condiments