August 4, 2010

Cooking Dinner For The Cho Women

Filed under: dinner, family — saehee @ 8:10 pm

SAM_0603

SAM_0602

corn and stir-fried vegetable pasta

SAM_0601

watermelon, feta, and balsamic reduction

SAM_0604

banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

I’m usually visiting my family on Mondays and while my mom and sister are doing very important things at work I am cooking them dinner!

August 3, 2010

I am trying to be resourceful

Filed under: Uncategorized — saehee @ 2:43 am

SAM_0565

SAM_0568

SAM_0567

I spend so much time at grocery stores it’s embarrassing.  I think the Whole Foods employees might be sick of my face.  Based on the money I am spending on groceries, it’s starting to qualify as a vice.  I am trying a new thing.  When I cook I am going to try and work with the ingredients that I already have on hand rather than re-supplying myself with an entirely new pantry every time I have to impulse to cook a meal with 12,000 ingredients.  This will probably lead to some experimental cooking.  Last week’s concoction was ginger fried rice with diced meat balls and garlic yakisoba.

Tiramisu Cups-Red, White, & Bluezz Dessert Special

Filed under: Coffee, alcohol, chocolate, white + bluezz — saehee @ 2:19 am

SAM_0572

Why tiramisu works is a very mysterious thing to me.  People love tiramisu.  It isn’t the thing I gravitate towards given a choice of desserts but that’s mostly because I’m not big on creamy things.

It’s alarmingly simple to make and I always think it’s a bit miraculous when I can make a dessert without the use of an oven.  Ovens complicate my life.

But here is what I can say about tiramisu:  it’s quite pretty, especially dusted with cocoa powder.  also, espresso in desserts is a wonderful thing.  and brandy in a dessert is an even more wonderful thing.

August 2, 2010

Rosewater Basil Almond Cookies

Filed under: Uncategorized — saehee @ 12:51 am

SAM_0552

SAM_0550

SAM_0553

SAM_0546

Yes, a basic chocolate chip cookie is sort of perfect in every way but sometimes I need a fancy cookie.  I bought some rosewater a while back and completely forgot about it until I came across it the other day while looking for something to eat for breakfast.  Paired with almond meal and basil, these ingredients made for a pretty excellent tea cookie.  I also sandwiched them with lemon curd.  I know that using these many flavors is a big no-no but i think all of them were subtle enough that it all worked out.  I love tea cookies.  They make me feel elegant.

oh, i also made a chocolate version with strawberry jam.

July 25, 2010

Grace, I Already Miss You

Filed under: friends — saehee @ 6:06 pm

SAM_0500

SAM_0492

SAM_0510

the lady of the day

SAM_0504

me, grace, saeyoung

Grace had her farewell party today in Laguna Beach.  She’s leaving to teach in Korea for a year.  I don’t know how or when this happened?  Grace is an absolute touchstone in my life.  I feel a little devastated that I won’t be able to see her for so long.  Tomorrow we’re going to have some one-on-one time but for today we had a big beach potluck to wish her bon voyage.  I brought a lemon blueberry loaf adapted from Smittenkitchen.

Lemon Blueberry Loaf

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 cup greek yogurt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

zest of 3 lemons

3 extra large eggs (I used 3 1/2 large eggs)

1 1/2 cups blueberries (preferably fresh but all I had was frozen and well, that worked too)

1 cup sugar

1/2 vegetable or canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the syrup:

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

1. preheat oven to 350

2. combine in a medium bowl the flour, baking powder, and salt

3. whisk together eggs, oil, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and greek yogurt

4. fold in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in 3 separate additions

5. toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour and gently fold into batter

6. pour into a greased and flour loaf pan and bak for 1 hour

7. in the meantime combine the ingredients for the syrup in a saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved

8. unmold the cake and poke holes across the top with a toothpick and brush the lemon syrup over the top of the cake

Dessert Platter of Miniatures

Filed under: Uncategorized — saehee @ 11:43 am

SAM_0442

carrot cupcakes, lime curd tartlets, and truffles

July 21, 2010

Ma Po Kkak Doo Gee

Filed under: kimchee, korean, koreatown, marcus, sister — saehee @ 11:12 pm

SAM_0433

spicy squid

SAM_0435

saeyoung, very concerned for her white shirt

SAM_0436

despite her facial expression, she really liked her noodles

SAM_0440

oh, hi marcus

SAM_0432

ban chan

SAM_0434

su jeh bee

I’ve been meaning to go to this restaurant since Saveur featured a picture of Ma Po Kkak Doo Gee’s banchan in their Los Angeles issue.  I went with my two favorite people–my sister and Marcus.  I love dinners with both of them.  I feel almost selfish getting to spend time with them at the same time.

Everyone ate a little too much.  I, as always, was the last one to stop eating.  The banchan was, as promised, very good.  My favorite was the ggeng neep.  I think it’s related to the Japanese shiso leaf.  Marcus said it tasted like toothpaste.

I’ve been craving Korean food lately, which makes me wonder—am I becoming my mother???!!

Special K Crusted French Toast

Filed under: breakfast — saehee @ 10:45 pm

SAM_0425

SAM_0426

i have an addiction to Special K cereal.  I avoid buying it because I don’t know how to stop myself.  I can seriously go through a box in 3 days, and that’s holding myself back.   I especially like the vanilla almond kind.  Not only do I have it for breakfast but I like to have it for dessert.  That’s a happy alternative, right?

I’ve found a new way to eat my favorite cereal.  Crusted on french toast and baked in the oven.  See the cute heart shaped one?

Peach Caramel Pie

Filed under: Uncategorized — saehee @ 4:41 pm

IMG_0178

IMG_0172

IMG_0170

IMG_0177

a pretty excellent crust.  the secret?  vodka!

lately at the restaurant

Filed under: white + bluezz — saehee @ 4:31 pm

IMG_0161

cream sherry granita floated with prosecco

IMG_0163

chocolate peanut butter terrine

IMG_0156

shortcake with minted balsamic strawberries

sorry about the photo quality

« Newer PostsOlder Posts »