lizelle

I Heart Eggs

My husband and I recently dined at the newly moved-in Quince. And, as expected, everything from the service to the atmosphere to the food was spectacular. My favorite, especially because I adore "the egg", was the raviolo di ricotta with a farm egg neatly nestled in the center. Oh my, did that just make my eyes roll back? Deliciously warm with the perfect balance of gooey cheese and yolk. I'll have one for breakfast, lunch, and dinner please.

Pardon my blurred & grainy images. My iPhone does not do well in low light.

Panko-Breaded Fried Cod

Four helpings for my daughter and three for my son, this dish was definitely a winner at supper time (... but what kid doesn't love breaded & fried?). From one of my favorite Japanese cookbooks, Washoku.

It's the simple things...

that make my mouth water.

Hello Pink

It’s October and National Breast Cancer Awareness month. I couldn’t help but think of pretty pink things.

photo by Butter Baked Goods

photo by Dieline

photo by Sprinkles

photo by Such Pretty Things

photo by oh joy!

I Heart Eggs

photo by Robyn Lee

I just read about Prime Meats in Serious Eats: New York and am now craving their mushrooms with poached egg and bratwurst - my kind of any-time-of-the-day meal.

I Heart Eggs

Ellen Silverman read my mind.

Raspberry Meringues

I'm trying not to feed my daughter's pink obsession, so only a small amount of fresh raspberry purée was used for a hint of color.

I love how Gesine Bullock-Prado refers to meringues as “crunchy clouds” in her book, “Confections of a Closet Master Baker”. My daughter thinks there is something magical about meringues - fluffy little treats that she cannot categorize as a cookie, cake, or chocolate (as she explains to her younger brother). What she does know is that they are full of sugar goodness and make her giggle (always important).

Along with the recipe, Gesine writes about her experiences with families who visit her bakery. I laughed at her comparison of adults and children as decision-makers. When it comes to sweets, the kids “always know what they want, how they want it, and when they want it.” So true.

Ah, to be a child again.

Apple and Peaches

We've been away trying to catch more sun and fun before the kids begin school. However, just before our week long holiday, my husband and daughter visited our local farmers market and brought home a bounty of richly colored apples and peaches. 

As a good-bye summer treat, they decided to make a pie with the wonderful fruit. No objections here. And, they were determined to use a wooden spoon and spatula for every part of the pie. Of course, I suggested using something electric for the pâte brisée, but they would not hear of it (shame on me). To their credit, they did everything the old fashion way and WOW what an excellent pie. The crust was so pretty and flaky. The fruit was so moist, juicy, with bursts of flavor. What a nice treat. 

I don't enjoy clean up but knew it was my turn. Thankfully, I managed to find an affordable (& cute) dishwasher who was very thorough. I may just hire him again.

Mama look, treasures!

My children delight in finding treasures. So do I. Here are my little gems.

photo by 6%dokidoki

I am so excited about New People located in Japantown - 20,000 square feet devoted to Japanese pop culture. I haven’t been yet but just look at 6%dokidoki shop – pure cloying eye candy.

Not only will it be visually captivating but their in-house café serves some of my favorite culinary delights from DELICA - yum yum.

On Friday, America’s crookedest street, Lombard Street in San Francisco, was converted to Candy Land in honor of the game’s 60th birthday. For one day only, children from local hospitals were the only ones allowed to run down the colorful larger-than-life Candy Land path. My kids simply enjoyed all the eye-candy. What a nice treasure for everyone involved.

I like supporting fair trade products. I think it’s important to do our part, no matter how small. My husband was recently on Virgin America and was pleasantly surprised by the unBAR flavor 65 from sweetriot –a true chocolate head since a child – and loved it. And, it support fair trade with developing countries. Their identity reads “sweetriot is human, globally responsible, irreverent and built for a new generation.” Sounds good to me.

Mini Carrot Treats

My daughter loves having tea party playdates; I am sure it’s all the decorating and special treats. This morning, she set the table with her favorite tea set and iced the carrot cupcakes with vanilla bean yogurt.

I love these carrot cupcakes. They come out moist and are a nice balance of sweet flavors. I like to top it off with a creamy yogurt, which also keeps the cakes moist (of course, it’s quite good with a cream cheese frosting too!). My kids and their friends love them.

Carrot Cupcakes

1/2 C. sugar

1 C. canola oil

3 eggs

1 1/4 C. whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 C. oat bran

1/4 C. golden flax seed meal

1 tsp. cinnamon

touch of nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

3 1/2 C. shredded carrots

Heat oven to 350, grease muffin pan (or use baking cups). Mix sugar, oil, and eggs until blended, beat on high for 1 minute. Stir in remaining ingredients except carrots, beat 1 minute on high. Stir in carrots. Pour in muffin pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes for mini muffins and 20-25 minutes for average size muffins, until inserted wooden pick comes out clean.