Chocolate covered marzipan

When you have someone who loves chocolate and loves marzipan, this is probably the best thing to make them. Marzipan is a sticky and tricky mixture to make, but when you finally have the consistency down, you have quite a bit of workable candy. I made use of some great cookie cutters that I had gotten for Christmas, and voila...a nice romantic plate of treats as a delicious welcome home snack.

The chocolate was not only festive and delicious but it sealed in the moisture of the marzipan so that it kept for quite some time. Although in this case, the plate was finished off pretty quickly.

It's a shame that I don't really like marzipan all that much.

Boston

Boston: There are good days and then there are the bad days...

Ultrathin Pancakes

I'd like to think the Chinese restaurants here have it wrong. Traditionally Peking duck is never served with a bun but rather wrapped in ultra thin pancakes. The problem is that they are a pain to make so somewhere along the way, tradition took a back seat to laziness.

These are the same pancakes that are also served with Mushu and other "chinese burritos". To make them, you roll out two pieces of dough at the same time separated by a thin layer of oil. After baking them, and while it's still hot, you have to master the art of separating them apart.

When done correctly, they can be so thin as to still let light through; however, thickness is up to the chef and the dish. Sometimes for a little extra kick, I add in a few scallions and five spice sauce and it's good to go. My fingertips however, always need a little time to recover. But trust me, it's worth it.

Homemade Dumplings

I have been making dumplings with my mother and my grandmother ever since I could remember. Everything surrounding dumpling-making was done by hand, and as usual all the recipes were handed down but never written down. When I was tiny, I had a tiny little rolling pin along with a small stool to match, and I would sit there and roll the wrappers with glee. Dumplings symbolized tradition, celebration, and family time, and I embraced the chance to help make dumplings just like my mom because it also meant that I was a big kid and that I got to be a part of the bustling kitchen. I guess I loved the kitchen even before I realized it.

A couple of months ago, I went home and I finally got taught the secrets of my mom's recipe. Again, I opted not to write anything down but to just remember what the dough should feel like and the what the filling should smell like along with a hundred other little intricacies and "feelings".

The end result is always better than what I can get at the store. Maybe it's because of the extra bit of nostalgia and history that comes with every bite.

I Leaf You

Summer Dinners

Summer dinners have been good and plenty. I have had the time and freedom to just throw together fresh ingredients I find in the store, and I have had wonderful taste testers. I am thankful for that.

Nectarine, Strawberry, Walnut & Spinach salad with a berry dressing

Figs stuff with a goat cheese and fig spread, baked in the oven

Carbonera with ham and peas

Ocean

Fruit Tart

The season of fresh berries are upon us!

or atleast, it was...

I say "was" because with a deep sorrow in my heart, I have to admit that today I saw the first yellow leaves on a tree. GASP.

I think this must mean that Fall is creeping in on us, but I dare not say it too loudly as it may tempt fate. Thus, in the midst of this "northeastern" (translation: downpour) week, I think back to the summer days, when the heat from the oven while making this tart was unbearable, when I carried this tart over a friend's house in flip flops and a summer dress, and when this tart served as dessert to an outdoor summer BBQ and as backdrop to great company. On that summery night, it was loved by all, and there was not a single yellow leaf in sight. The end.

Berry Picking

Some photos capturing our memorable, delicious-but-sometimes-sour, itchy-yet-relaxing get away with friends. We hope you enjoy!

This last one is for Yolanda because she loved the clouds....

Lasagna with Steffie

Every time Steffie is in town, we end up making lasagna. She and I roast eggplants like no other! While the men were off mastering their tennis moves, we created a feast as a surprise. The menu included lemon pepper asparagus, Gouda and herb eggplant, and tofu basil lasagna.

Before we started, I asked: "Steffie, you think this will cover 4 dinners and maybe 2 lunches?"

She said "Yes, I think so."

We ended up with enough for 4 dinners, 4 lunches, and 4 dinners the next night.

If you will notice, it was "one hunk of a lasagna," although the photo really doesn't do it justice.

Amsterdam, Part III

Most of the feel of Amsterdam came from walking around in the city and local parks. Here's the stereotypical view of a windmill, bikes, a river, boats, lush greens, and sunshine. It was truly beautiful and relaxing, especially where there's a river every other street.

While enjoying the view of either the North sea or the green lush parks, my friend Steffie introduced me to some of the local cuisine. On top of taste-testing ice cream (tough job), we also had Bitterballen, whose larger version is called Kroket. These beauties are fried food rolls with different fillings consisting of mashed potatoes, meats, seafood, veggies, bread, egg, onion, and so much more. Ours tasted like it was filled with an Indian curry.

The other thing we tried were fries dipped in mayo. Not only was it popular, but getting mayo cost half an euro more! It was...okay...but very European. We finally just ended up dipping our fries in the kroket filling and that was heavenly when you've got great company and a great view!

Amsterdam, Part II

In Amsterdam, I fell in love with the waffles, or specifically the stroopwaffles of the Netherlands. These are a specific waffle sandwich that consist of a layer of caramel surrounded by two thin waffles, or pizelles. It's usually eaten slightly warm, and when you buy them pre-made, the custom is to put the stroopwaffle over your cup of hot coffee or tea so that it softens and warms just the right amount from the hot steam. They are so popular that I did even find stroopwaffles on sale in the Starbucks in Amsterdam. Some days, I still crave them, just not enough to go out and buy my own pizelle maker (although I did find a recipe online already)

Below are some representative images of a local bakery. I wanted to take EVERYTHING home. yum!

Amsterdam

The land of waffles... and pancakes.

The pancakes remind me more of crepes, and like crepes, you can get them salty or sweet with a large variety of toppings. What sets it over the top are the stroop syrup and the powdered sugar condiments. Apparently, you can add these two to any pancake (even the salty ones). I had my initial doubts of its versatility but after trying syrup on a chesse and ham pancake, I'm now a believer!

My Travel Journal

It's been awhile since my summer travels, but I figured there are things, especially food related that I should post.

I started my journey with a train ride from Paris to Amsterdam. In Brussells, I had breakfast with horse in a zebra suit. He was kind and inviting except the table falls right a the level of his privates which were very detailed. He also talked a lot...in French...and I kept getting the feeling that he was looking down at me.

I had a stereotypical latte avec pain au chocolat. It was simple but delicious and you could be staring at the single chocolate croissant that pushed me to resolve that I would make my own chocolate croissants one day.

Or maybe it was this one that I got with my 1st class seat (2nd class was sold out, and this was only $5 more).