Fatty Sumo

Toasted Marshmallow in a Milkshake

I miss NY.  I miss mostly the food in NY.  NY bagels, NY pizza and chicken rice.  And I miss Stand’s toasted marshmallow milkshake.  It’s one of the best milkshakes I’ve ever tasted.  It’s ice cream with toasted marshmallow.  It’s amazing, so amazing that it reminds me of my childhood and s’mores with every sip.  Lucky me, I had ice cream in the freezer and a new bag of marshmallows.  My first time making this shake and it came out well.  Of course, it was really late and I didn’t want to make so much (Mo didn’t want to make alot) so we cut back the ice cream in half.  Don’t make this mistake.  Follow the recipe exactly and you’ll get a better result than the half cup milkshake we got.

Stand’s Marshmallow Shakes (from Gourmet.com)

• 3 scoops vanilla ice cream
• 1 tablespoon whole milk
• 1 large dollop of yogurt (it’s just there to add a little more liquid and balance out the sweetness of the ice cream a bit)
• 5 Kraft Jumbo Jef-Puffed marshmallows
• Whipped cream

1. Toast marshamllows under a broiler, or, if you’re frisky, over a flame until they just start to blacken evenly (the trick is to make sure it’s evenly toasted and dark, but not turned to charcoal).

2. Put the milk, yogurt, and then ice cream in the blender. Blend carefully, just until you get a “donut”—when you see the shake holding to the sides of the blender with a hollow core.

3. Add three of the toasted marshmallows to the blender, and whirl it just until they’re all broken up and distributed evenly. Be careful not to overblend it, making it too melty.

4. Pour shake into a glass, top with a dollop of whipped cream, break the last two marshmallows on top, and serve with an extra-wide straw.

5. Repeat if necessary. And it will probably be necessary.

Egg Puffs

When I go to a Chinese restaurant with my family, we always order the same dishes and end the dinner with a sweet red bean soup.  In San Jose, Hong Kong style Chinese cuisine is very popular.  Mo’s family took us to Cooking Papa (too cute of a name indicates it’s asian) and the food was really delicious in their own style, very different from mainland Chinese cooking.  I never knew the difference until I ate here.  At the end of the evening, they came out with a huge doughtnut/cream puff like dessert.  It’s a Hong Kong style egg puff and it was huge!  Just for comparison, look at it next to my hand (trust me, I have very big man hands). 

Once I cut into it, the puff turned flat.  I expected it to be chewy on the inside but it was hollow.  The sugar covering the egg puff was slightly sweet but not as intense as a regular doughnut.  I don’t know how I feel about it.  I don’t think I love it but I still ate it all.  I guess if they filled the puff with a custard or whipped cream, I would of liked it a little bit better.  That’s how the inner fatty in me likes things.

Throwback with Chicken & Broccoli

The first ever meal I cooked for myself was Chicken & Broccoli Chinese stir-fry.  It was made sometime back in high school or early college, which means it’s been more then a decade since I’ve started cooking.

Tonight was the first time I’ve cooked since Susan and I moved into our SF apartment.  I thought it would be a befitting meal to celebrate my inaugural cooking in our new pad.

I’m pretty sure the recipe has changed since the first time I’ve made it, and hopefully changed for the better.  Here’s how I made it:

Throwback Chicken & Broccoli

• 1lb of chicken breast, cubed
• 1 head of Broccoli (more if you’re a fan of veges)
• Soy sauce
• Sugar
• Garlic
• Corn Starch
• Black Pepper

Marinate the Chicken

The first thing you should do is marinate the chicken.  After cubing the chicken breast, soak it with soy sauce, freshly chopped garlic, sugar, black pepper, and corn starch.  Apologies for not having the exact amounts of each ingredient, but I tend to just estimate on the fly.  Let this sit for at least 30 minutes.

Stir Frying

The most important thing to do here is to make sure the meat is not overcooked when you’re done cooking.  There’s a small trick that I picked up from my mom when it comes to the art of stir fry.  First, cook the mean until about 80% done and remove from heat.  Next, start cooking the vegetables until they’re 50%.  Finally, mix back in the meat and stir fry everything together. 

So, applying that trick to this dish.  Heat the pan/wok with some oil, and throw some freshly chopped garlic in there.  Wait a moment or two, throw all the chicken in there including the marinade.  Don’t mess with it too much, just stir it occasionally so the meat gets some nice looking marks and starts to brown.  When the chicken meat gets to be around 75% done, remove it from the heat and put it in a separate dish.

Next, cook the broccoli in the same pan with about 3/4 cups of water and throw the lid on if you’re using a pad.  The steam from the water helps to cook the broccoli and the water will eventually become the tasty sauce.  Wait a few minutes for the broccoli to cook and then throw the almost-done chicken back in.  Continue cooking until the chicken is fully cooked.  The final step is to adjust the taste of the sauce to your liking, and thicken it with some cornstarch.

~ Mo

Yogurt and Latte

Woke up to a really sunny SF.  The past couple days were so foggy in the morning, so foggy that I can’t even see the bay bridge from the window.  I am still not used to the SF weather.  I feel like it’s always teasing me, in the AM it would be cold and then afternoon would roll around and the sun will be out.  I really need to start layering my clothes.  Another strange thing living here is the false earthquake alarms.  The first time I heard it, I thought that something major happened.  I have never heard an alarm like that before, at least not on the east coast.  I froze, didn’t know if I should run out of the apartment to get help or lay under the table.  After the alarm, came the voice “This is just a test. In case there is an earthquake…..”  Thank goodness.  And then today, I heard the same alarm.  Jeez.  This can really give a person anxiety problems.  I don’t think I ever want to see what happens during a real earthquake. 

In the mornings, I always make myself cereal and coffee.  Today I did something different.  I made yogurt with fruit and nuts and a latte.  I love lattes but hate spending $4.50 for one.  So today I busted out my espresso maker. 

It’s an inexpensive one that you put on a stove to heat up and the water goes from the bottom chamber to the top.  It’s a stronger brew and again, cheaper than buying a $1,000 fancy machine.  I grinded up the blue bottle coffee beans and brew myself some smooth strong deliciousness.  Since I don’t have a milk foaming device, I made use of my magic bullet.  Took half a cup of milk and heat in the microwave for 45 secs.  Take the heated milk and blend until foaming starts.  Pour the milk and foam into the coffee and voila!  A latte at home. 

The yogurt was also very yummy.  I fell in love with Trader Joe’s Creamline yogurt (Only full fat.  I used to do non-fat but the fake sugar content is not doing nice things to my tummy.) and added some bananas, roasted almonds and a drizzle of honey.  Perfection in the mouth. 

~ Susan

Cranberries, Caramelized Onions and Apples, oh my!

I was inspired by the crisp fall weather.  It’s chilly in the apartment and I’m trying my best not to turn on the heat (I’m very sensitive to the cold).  Looking around the pantry and I noticed my 48oz bag of Craisins from Costco.  What will be good with cranberries?  I looked at the back of the package and there was a recipe that looked very appetizing.  It had cranberries and caramelized onions.  Automatically I knew it was going to be a good recipe.

Now, what can I make for the protein portion.  Apples are in season and I had tons of organic tart fuji apples in the fridge.  So I saute up an apple for a sauce to cover pork chops.  The pork chops really complemented the sweetness of the rice.  Good combo.

Wild rice with Cranberries and Caramelized Onions
adapted from Ocean Spray Craisins’ recipe

• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1/2 cup wild rice
• 1 TB unsalted butter
• 2 TB olive oil
• 2 medium onions, sliced in thin wedges
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 3/4 cup Craisins dried cranberries
• 1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest

Combine chicken broth and both rices in a rice cooker and let cook until ready.  (Or you can do the old fashion way and use a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat and then reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer for 45 mins until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.)  Meanwhile, melt the butter and add the olive oil in skillet over medium high heat.  Add onions and brown sugar.  Cook for 6 mins until liquid is absorbed and onions looked translucent.  Reduce heat to low and slowly cook onions for another 20 mins, stirring occasionally until they are caramel color.  Stir in dried cranberries.  Cover and cook for 10 mins until the cranberries plump up.  Gently fold the cranberry mixture and orange zest into the rice.  Makes 4-6 servings. 

Apple Pork Chops

• 2 - 1/2 in. pork chops
• 1 TB olive oil
• 1 TB brown sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 TB unsalted butter
• 1 tart apple, peeled and sliced

Salt and pepper pork chops on both side.  In a medium skillet, add olive oil and then the pork chops.  Give each side 2 mins on the stove.  Do not cook the chops all the way because we need to add them to the apples later.  When the pork chops are cooked, set them aside and cover with aluminum foil to retain the heat.  In a small bowl, mix in brown sugar, salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg.  In the same skillet, add butter and apples over medium heat.  Mix in the brown sugar mixture.  Stir occasionally and cover the skillet for 10-15 mins until the apples are tender.  Lower the heat and put the pork chops in with the apples.  Mix around and let the chops sit for 5 mins until thoroughly cooked.  Makes 2 servings.

~ Susan

My Sweet Tooth

I get to look at this every day through my kitchen window.  With this view, who wouldn’t be inspired to bake and cook.  This post is for the sweeties.  I have the biggest sweet tooth and chocolate and ice cream are my weaknesses.  My husband, however, is not and likes to eat healthier (alot healthier) than I do.  So when I bake, I have to keep in mind what he might like.  Well this time, I couldn’t decide so I made 2 desserts.  =) 

Rice Krispies, his favorite, and brownies.  The rice krispies are made from the standard recipe from the back of the Rice Krispies box. Nothing special but always delicious nonetheless.  The brownie recipe was hard to find because I have never made them from scratch before.  I’ve always went for the boxed Ghiradella brownies which are amazing but I really wanted to try making them myself.  I searched all over the internet and found a recipe from David Lebovitz’s new book Ready for Dessert.  I chose this recipe because a) they had good reviews and b) used ingredients I had in the pantry except for the nuts.  The recipe was easy and the brownies came out well.  It definitely tasted fudgey and not too dense but I wouldn’t say they are best I had.  It’s a good, simple recipe but I might want to try a different one next time.

Robert’s Absolute Best Brownies (from David’s Lebovitz’s, Read for Dessert)

• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces/85 g) unsalted or salted butter, cut into pieces
• 8 ounces (1 cup) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C).  Line a 9-inch square baking tin with two pieces of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on each side.  Lightly grease the parchment paper with butter or cooking spray, set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.   Add the chocolate and with a spatula, stir over low heat until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.
3. Whisk in the sugar until well combined.
4. Whisk in eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla.
5. Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift in the flour.  Whisk batter vigorously for 1 full minute, until batter loses its graininess and becomes smooth and glossy, and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan.
6. Add the chopped nuts and with the wooden spoon, stir to combine.
7. Pour batter into prepared baking tin and bake for about 30 minutes, until the centre feels almost set, do not over-bake.

And it’s better if you wait an hour after they come out of oven before cutting into them.  And grease your pan well! Enjoy!

~ Susan

Brussels Sprouts and Blue Bottle

Last night, I decided to cook something for the first time in our new SF apartment (side note: so in love with the new place.  the bay bride view through our kitchen window helps).  So to officially initiate the kitchen, I cooked brussels sprouts.  They’re really strange and I never thought they came attached to a stalk.  I remember eating them once when I was really young.  My mom just boiled them and doused them with soy sauce.  The taste was really salty and bitter.  Ewww!  But last year, my friend Elise introduced them to me when we dining in Astoria NY.  It was delicious the way they roasted them.  The sprouts almost caramelized a little so it tasted sweet.  Now I love them!  The recipe was very simple.  However, I wished I had some onions that I can caramelize in a pan and then quickly coat the roasted brussels sprouts with some more sweetness.  Anyway, below is the recipe.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

(adapted from Ina Garten but you can eyeball everything. you really can’t mess this up)

• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut off the brown ends of the brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from every 7-10 mins to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more salt, if necessary.

______

This morning, I woke up and needed coffee so badly.  Woke up way too early and I am not a morning person.  I walked to the ferry building to try Blue Bottle coffee for the first time.  There is always a line and on Saturdays so plan on waiting up to 20 mins.  Yeah I tried this past weekend and gave up waiting.  No patience for lines.  But I got there today with no tourists (yeah!!!!) and decided to try their New Orleans style iced coffee. New Orleans usually mean chicory flavor very much like vietnamese style.  At Blue Bottle, they sweetened it slightly and added tons of whole milk.  It was really nice.  Not too overpowering and lightly sweet and creamy.  Yum! I approve.  I think I will get a bag of their coffee beans tomorrow and make some at home.

~ Susan

Bill’s Cafe

This past Saturday, hubby and I went to meet up with some friends for brunch.  Brunch might be my favorite meal of the day.  Eggs and an excuse for bloody marys at noon. It’s heaven!  Well I was researching on yelp and found Bill’s Cafe with tons of great reviews.  The wait wasn’t long at all and the menu had everything possible.  I decided to go for the mexicali eggs benedict.  What is it you asked?   English muffin topped with poached eggs AND carnitas.  Really tender carnitas covered with salsa and a side of hash browns.  Carnitas were good, hash browns were yummy but could have used more seasoning but I really wished they added more salsa to the dish.  Oh and of course, I must have my bloody mary and it was sooooo good.  Really good!  It’s was strong, peppery and spicy.  It had a really nice kick.  Might be one of the best I have every tried.  Mo ordered an omelet with a side of potatoes.  It was good but wasn’t anything special.  I would totally go back and try another dish.  Or just go back for a bloody mary. =)

~ Susan

Red Rock Coffee

Of course my first post would be on coffee.  I drove my husband to work in Mountain View this morning.  On the way back, I decided to stop by Red Rock Coffee located on the cute and popular Castro St.  Above was my delicious small soy latte with 2 shots of espresso.  Not one but two shots.  Yes!  I love strong lattes.  But pretty smooth.  It’s no stumptown coffee but it was still pretty tasty. 

What I enjoy most about Red Rock is that they use fair trade coffee and they’re non-profit.  Their tagline is caffeine, culture and community.  Pretty cool, eh?  Check out their story and go in for cup to support your community.

~ Susan

Fatty Sumo in SF!

San Francisco, our new home.  This is going to be an amazing adventure!