We were on a BREAK!

Quick name that show!  Hello food enthusiasts, I unfortunately have to say I'm taking a brief break from blogging for a couple weeks.  Too many things going on at once including trying to get back into school.  Not to worry, I will be back in full force once things settle down again.  I already have a few places in mind that I want to visit.  Let me know if there are places worth checking out.  And because I can’t resist…

“You slept with someone else?!”

“We were on a BREAK!! We were… where are you… I’ll find you.”

“I can’t believe you slept with another woman.”

“You’re one to talk.”

 

Ok one more for the road:

 

“We were on a Break!”

“You know what Ross, why don’t you just put THAT on your answering machine.”

Dining In: Chicken Pot Pie

 

For some strange reason I had a craving for pie crust.  I didn’t want to bake a pie because I still had dinner to worry about.  This pot pie was one of the ones with the best reviews on allrecipes.com.  Of course, unless it comes to baking sweets, recipes are just guidelines.  So the changes I made was that I omitted the peas, just because I’m not a peas kind of gal; and then before you move onto step three, I lightly sprinkled thyme and parsley over the cooked chicken and veggies just to give it some herbed-earthy flavor.  Now this is my favorite, I made a small batch of garlic parsley butter with minced garlic and two tablespoons of butter.  While the pie is baking, when there is about ten minutes left on the timer, I brushed the top crust with the garlic butter .

Tips:

Poke holes with a fork and pre-bake the bottom pie crust on 350 degree for about 10 minutes.  The holes prevent big air bubbles and the pre-bake prevent complete bottom crust mushiness.

Cover the edges with foil so it doesn’t bake too fast.

Suggestions:

For the bottom crust, I used Mrs. Smiths pie crust in the frozen isle because it’s already molded to the pan and ready to go.  For the top crust, I used Pillsbury nine inch crust in the refrigerated isle because it rolls over the and then seal the pie by molding the top crust to the crimping the bottom crust already has shaped out.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Pot-Pie-IX/Detail.aspx

Dessert First: Tempura Ice Cream from RA Sushi

 

 

I hope you guys have been taking care of your teeth because I have been posting a lot about desserts, and so here’s another one!  Now I’ve been to RA for dinner and the sushi is good but on the expensive side, but that’s another review.  If you’re like me, and visits a place just for desserts, then this is a place that qualifies.  This is their cinnamon-tempura ice cream drizzled in raspberry sauce.  I don’t know how they do this but they take about a pint of vanilla ice cream and coat it in tempura.  The tempura batter itself contains the cinnamon.  And then of course it’s deep fried.  The tempura batter that is closer to the ice cream is fluffy and soft, while the outside has a light crispiness so that it does not feel greasy or feel like it has been drenched in oil.  It’s $6.75 and good to share with friends.  Definitely a great unique way to eat ice cream.

http://www.rasushi.com/

Sushi Ba-Ru, A Sushi Buffet in your Own Home

 

This is my first time talking about catering, but these guys deserve to be recognized.  My mom had Sushi Ba-ru catered to us in her home for my sister’s baby shower. She learned about them through a co-worker.  Now keep in mind, sushi was not the only food at my sister’s shower.  Let me tell you that, if you want to stray away from the same old cookie cutter family function, get sushi catered by these guys because it will be a run away hit!  And yes I have to have the exclamation point.  I was not in charge of the logistics with Sushi Ba-ru  but I believe this is how it works: when you get in contact with them, they will give you a choice of different party packages along with the different sushi it comes with.  I believe we had the package where it was a little over $400 but it was made to feed over 40 people, which if you think about, is a steal compared having 40 people eat at a sushi restaurant.  On the day of the party, everything is prepared, sliced, fried, baked, stuffed, and rolled in your home.  They provide their own equipment and serving platters.  The only thing you have to provide is plenty of counter space and an oven.  Now because of the sheer quantity of the different types of sushi made, I can’t go into too much detail and description.  But I will tell you, the presentation is memorable, the ingredients are high quality ingredients, the flavors are clean, the food is great and the experience and satisfaction you’ll give your guests will be rewarding.  Having something like this in your home and with great quality, I felt like I was on an episode of “Real Housewives,” except without all the cat-fights and Louis Vuitton.

Appetizers - deep fried jalapeno w/ cream cheese & spicy tuna, deep fried mushroom w/ spicy tuna

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sashimi Boat- red tuna, salmon, white tuna, bass, albacore

 

Tempura tray - fish, shrimp, soft shell crab

 

Maki tray (cut rolls) - futo-maki, baked salmon, soft shell crab

 

Baked sushi - California roll w/ salmon, CA roll w/ bass, CA roll w/ albacore, CA roll w/ mixed fish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deep fried sushi - California roll, salmon & cream cheese roll, salmon & avocado roll, California roll with jalapeno

 

Email: sushibaru@yahoo.com

For bookings & orders: fax# (909) 466-1646

Phone: (909) 466-1646

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sushi-Ba-ru/106871812676826?sk=info

M&M Donuts in Anaheim, CA

 

If you thought you’d stop making offensive noises after Bruxie waffles, guess again.  And not only that, now you have a hole.  I’m talking about M&M Donuts’ blueberry donuts.  Be warned, getting a taste of this deep fried godliness requires commitment.  A shack in the middle of a parking lot, this little hole in wall is open during odd hours and requires patience.  Opening at 9 p.m., that’s right 9 p.m., I was advised to get there at least a half hour before opening.  Unfortunately, I did not make until ten.  I travelled about twenty-five miles and waited an hour and a half, and I heard weekends are worse.  But boy was it worth it and would gladly do it again.  However, by the time I was done eating and was ready to leave at 11:30, there was no line and for the people that just got there and they got their donuts within five minutes.  The reason it takes so long is because the blueberry donuts are made to order and come fresh from the fryer, enough to warm the new glaze coating.  It is a little bit on the greasy side, but how can you beat biting into something that tastes like a glazed deep-fried blueberry muffin.  They have the regular-traditional donuts, but I can get chocolate glaze, sprinkles, and donuts holes anywhere, but this is the only place you can get glazed-blueberry donuts.  Oh, and their French Vanilla cappuccino is a delicious compliment.

Budget: $, each blueberry donut is $0.75

Rating: 5/5 Fingers

Tips: Get there super early or super late.  The risk with arriving super late is that they can run out of blueberry donuts.

1614 W Katella Ave
Anaheim, CA 92802

What do you think?

What do you think?  I wish I had thought of doing a blog two years ago when I actually started to travel and appreciate the art of food, but sadly that didn't happen.  Now my memory of those "game over" status foods are still pretty clear, yet significant time has passed (a year plus) and don't know when I can revisit those places again.  Do you think it's too late to write about those foodventures outside of SoCal? ~ C

Dining In with Dessert First: Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

I did not name this recipe, the person who created this recipe did, and right fully so.  Bake this for your children and your kids will probably be part of the one-third experiencing childhood obesity because that’s how much your kids will love it.  Just kidding.  But seriously, bring these to any company meeting, and they will hate you for adding onto their waistline, yet love you for introducing them to such bliss for their coffee.  It’s right there in the name, you can’t go wrong.  The cookies are soft and airy on the inside and has the slightly firm, baker’s edge on the outside.  Top it off with vanilla ice-cream and you’ve got a party in your tummy.  The best part is that you can store these in an air-tight container for a few days and it will still be soft cookies.  But no more than a few days, just because it won’t last that long.   I think the secret ingredient is the use of vanilla pudding mix.  Next time I bake this, I will try chocolate pudding mix and update later.

Tips:

It may not look done because it is incredibly soft when it comes out the oven, but trust me it is, just stick a toothpick if you’re unsure.  Also, because it’s really soft at first, use a spatula to take it off the sheet and onto a cooling rack otherwise you’re going to taco-it. 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Award-Winning-Soft-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies/Detail.aspx

Dessert First: Pizookie at BJ’s Brewery

 

I know that Pizookies at BJ’s is not exactly a discovery and that everybody knows about it, but they’re just so good that I have to give them some special attention.  I mean you attempt baking an oversized cookie at home and slapping some ice cream on top, and while its suffices if you don’t feel like spending $6, there’s just something about the original that can’t be beat.  I think is has to do with not just the cookie dough itself but also the pan it gets baked in.  It gives it that edge that’s slightly overdone to a perfection, like when people fight over brownie edges.

Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate:  Now I honestly did not pay attention if this is a limited offer or if it is a permanent item on the menu, but I hope this one sticks around.  The cookie tastes like a dark chocolate cookie, which is a huge score for dark chocolate lovers but is not so good for those who don’t favor dark chocolate.  However, this is my blog and not yours so I get to write about it and represent the dark cocoa lovers.  The ice cream is not rocket science, it’s just regular chocolate ice cream but is great the ice cream counters the slight bitterness from the dark chocolate cookie.  And then it’s topped with a Ghirardelli milk chocolate, which I believe is the third component for this triple chocolate Pizookie.  I think that’s a bit of a shaft but that’s just my opinion.  Nevertheless, it’s still an overall great Pizookie and would gladly order this again.

 

Oreo Pizookie:  Hands down, this is my favorite Pizookie; above the chocolate chip, the white chocolate macadamia nut and all the others.  Cream filling from an Oreo cookie set aside, just imagine baking the Oreo cookie dough and having it come straight from the oven, all soft and warm and having that signature chocolate flavor that everyone knows from Oreo.  Then you slather some vanilla ice cream and top it off with Oreo flavored whipped cream.  I wish pictures alone could do it justice, but then again, that’s what eating is all about.

Bruxie–Sweet edition

We are finally on part two of the Bruxie entry.  For more details on the Bruxie establishment itself and quick facts, refer to the Bruxie- Savory edition.  When you do make the stop to Bruxie, you have to save room for dessert.  You will be so disappointed if you don’t.  And if you thought your moaning was offensive while you were eating your savory sandwich, just wait until you eat your dessert.  I’m pretty sure making those kinds of noises and along with crude comments constitutes as public indecency, especially when this is a family restaurant and there are children around.

Peanut Butter and Jelly:  Puts the classic PB&J sandwich to shame.  If you introduce this to your kids, you can never send them off to school with a regular PB&J sandwich again.  It better come in a waffle and it better come with a Bruxie waffle.

Smores:  Drizzled with chocolate gouache and smothered in an in-house made marshamllow cream that’s toasted with a torch, if it weren’t for the specials I could call this my favorite waffle sandwich of the bunch, but keep in mind everything falls closely behind.   However, because there are specials and as you’ll see with the last waffle sandwich featured, I’ll call this my favorite regular menu item.

Hazelnut, Cream and Banana:  Need I say more?  It’s rich, creamy, and everything you need to worsen your cavities.  But believe me, the trip to the dentist is worth it.  I mean sure I couldn’t feel half my face and kept drooling on that side after my appointment, but I definitely would not take it back.

Strawberry crème brulee:  Do not wait to kick yourself in the ass when strawberry season is over and lost your opportunity to have this.  I didn’t know you could put crème brulee in a sandwich but Bruxie has made it work, and perfectly.  You taste the custard that you would get from crème brulee but you also get the crunch and texture of the torched sugar.  Top that off with fresh strawberries, and you’re going to need some along time with this.

For rating, budget, and tips, refer back to the savory edition of  Bruxie but you really don’t need to look back to guess what my rating for this place would be.

www.bruxie.com

Dessert First: Honey Brick Toast at Tokyo Table , Irvine CA

Not wanting to go home after dinner, my friends and I decided to hang out at Tokyo Table for drinks and dessert and I’m so glad we did.  We ended up ordering Honey brick toast and as you can see, the name speaks for itself.  Literally the size of bricks, these slices are slathered with butter and toasted, and then the middle is cut out into bite size cubes.  They then drizzle honey and put two ginormous sized scoops of vanilla ice cream.  Normally $7 and big enough to share between 4-6 girls, you can add on a second sauce for another dollar.  Of course the most obvious choice is chocolate, but you can also get caramel, cinnamon or strawberry.  It’s such a simple concept, but believe me, there’s nothing more this dessert needs.  Don’t worry, I’m done talking so you can now wipe the drool off your shirt.

http://www.tokyotable.com/

Some Changes

Hello interweb friends.  In an attempt to better organize my posts, I will start to categorize select entries under the following: "Dining In" featuring meals I happen to cook at home that I really like, "Happy Hour" which is pretty self explanatory, and "Dessert First" where the main meal may be average but the dessert is worthy enough to pay special attention to.  Thanks for reading!  Will post more adventures soon.

~ C

Bruxie, Orange CA–Savory edition

 

*Updated 3/3/10*

Nestled in Orange and outside Chapman University, this place offers up gourmet waffle sandwiches that will have you saying, “Why can’t I be that smart and think of something like that?”  Their soda is even made in house using their own recipe and sugar, which actually tastes pretty great.  Though it’s literally a shack off the corner of the street, don’t let looks deceive you, this place won’t give you diarrhea.  The waffles themselves do not have much flavor but they are crispy on the outside, fluffy within, and surprisingly light.  By making the waffles this way, it adds a great texture that can’t be achieved with toasted bread, and allows the quality and flavor of the ingredients to shine through.  Bruxie waffle sandwiches are simple, yet sophisticated, but still has that home-body mom and pop shop feel.  Even better is that they keep things interesting by having changing specials and can fit particular events or holidays, such as Superbowl or Valentine’s.  And other than sandwiches that makes this place top-notch, is the fact that their associates have excellent customer service .  You can tell that they were trained well.  Oh and one more thing, try not to do too much moaning while eating, apparently people look at you funny. 

Be on the look out for Bruxie Sweet edition and entry updates. There are more sandwiches I have to try and will probably want to write about.  I think I’ll make it my goal to try the entire menu.  Keep in mind, when I first discovered this place, I was here three times in one week.

Goat Cheese, Sundried tomato and Arugula:  Served with a drizzle of balsamic reduction, the tanginess of the goat cheese is a nice compliment to the slight pepperiness of the arugula, which in turn compliments the ssweetness of the sundried tomato and balsamic sauce.  A great sandwich for the vegetarians.

Prosciutto and Gruyere:  Served with whole grain mustard and chives, I love this because you don’t see many places serving up proscuitto, let alone a fast food place. It’s simple and flavorful and you can never go wrong with salty cured meats and cheese.

Bruxie Burger: The burger is an Angus beef patty that has been cut in half in order to fit in the waffle and is served with lettuce tomato and mayo.  The meat is surprisingly moist, not dried out at all, and even though it’s a simple burger sandwich, not having it on a bun made this modern day staple into something unique.  If you want a tip for extra flavor and heat, add Siracha hot sauce they offer on the side.

Smoked salmon: Served with dill cream cheese, chives and cucumber, the salmon has great quality and with the cucumber and dill cream cheese, its actually light, refreshing and the flavors are very clean. 

Buttermilk Fried Chicken:  This is great if you’re craving chicken and waffles and but don’t feel like making the trip out to LA.  A chicken fillet breaded in an herbed batter and served with coleslaw and chili honey, this sandwich is great for that salty-sweet combo.  Once again, the meat is done well, the moisture and flavor stay in and the breading has that perfect golden brown color, and crunch.

Braised Beef: One of the changing specials so get it when you can!  The sandwich is cooked with onions and contains blue cheese and horseradish and served with a side of gravy.  The beef is so tender and the horseradish is does not overpower the compliment of everything.  Also, do yourself a favor and don’t overlook the gravy; its what makes this sandwich from great, to awesome.

Rating: 5/5 Fingers

Budget: $ – $$, nothing is more than $8 but if you’re like me, you’ll keep going back.

Tips:  There are no bathrooms, so unload and wash your hands before you get there.

Be aware, parking  can be a challenge so try to carpool if you can, and learn how to parallel without pissing people off.

Eat there and don’t take it to go.  The waffles will get a little soggy packaged up in a car ride home.  And though I’ve heard they’re still good, it’s not the same.

Not that I’m saying it’s a bad thing, but if you go here on a completely empty stomach, you will keep going back to the window until someone has to force you to stop ordering food.  And then you’ll be pissed at your friend for making you stop and it just makes for an uncomfortable car ride home.

Dining In: 40 Clove Garlic Chicken

Whole Chicken cut into 8 pieces (you can buy pre-cut and packaged)
Seasoned salt
Pepper
1 & 1/2 Tablespoons dried thyme
2-3 bulbs of peeled garlic cloves (depending on how big and how tired you get) Feel free to actually count out 40 cloves if you want to get anal about it.
Olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Season chicken generously with seasoned salt and pepper.  Sear chicken on both sides on high heat on the stove top in an oven safe skillet with olive oil until golden brown.

Take skillet off heat.  Add an additional 1/3 cup olive oil, garlic cloves to skillet and sprinkle thyme over the chicken.  Cover the chicken with foil and slit a hole for it to vent. Then allow to bake in the oven until chicken reaches an internal temp of 165-170, about an hour. 
The olive oil combined with the drippings makes a great au jus. 

Goes great with garlic sautéed spinach, garlic mashed potatoes and dinner rolls for a special stinky night.

Tips:
Just so you know, for the most part, when it comes to meat and an oven, I don’t really rely on timers anymore.  Get a meat thermometer, it’ll be your best friend if you don’t have one already. Timers can’t really tell you when meat is done or over cooked. Thermometers can




Lightly smash garlic cloves with the flat end of a knife, it makes peeling easier.

Take some of the roasted garlic and au jus and blend it into your mashed potatoes.

Remember to come up for air while eating.

At Last Café–Long Beach, CA

I knew about this place from my friend Nicole who saw this on Food Network’s Diners Drive-ins and Dives.  The best way to describe this place is gourmet comfort food; food that is definitely familiar, but it feels like you’re eating at a fancy restaurant despite being a jeans and t-shirt kind of place.  The best part is that not only is the food fantastic, but everything is reasonably priced at about $10 per entrée and portions big enough to make two meals.  However, that most likely won’t happen because you’ll want to eat everything off your plate.  Lastly, you should know that three of the four dishes featured come with a gravy made from chicken bones, stock and tomatoes which sounds weird but trust me, it’s a part of what makes them famous.  It reminds me of a brown gravy but slightly thinner in consistency and goes with everything.  Everything I tried was so good, that it’ll make even  your burps taste good.

Stuffed Pork Chop: The chop is the most moist I’ve ever tasted, which is such an accomplishment considering pork can be dried up easily.  The stuffing is a cranberry apple stuffing that reminds me of Thanksgiving even though it’s pork and not turkey.  If Thanksgiving were revamped to serve this pork chop with this stuffing, it will change the course of Thanksgiving.

Meatloaf:  The meat has herbs and onions and stays clear away from the ketchup taste that traditional meat loaf made of.  Now I’m not sure if this actually has ketchup, it’s refreshing to bite into meat loaf that doesn’t have any hint of that ketchup flavor.  I think it has to due with the gravy.  As an added bonus, the loaf is put together and cooked so well that when you break off a piece, the meat doesn’t crumble.

Brick Chicken: Consists of a roasted half chicken, that’s right, half of a whole chicken.  Again, the meat is perfectly seasoned and moist with the skin having the perfect amount of crispness to it.  Plus look at the size of this thing, its bigger than a brick.  I honestly don’t know how this place makes any money.  There’s that gravy again.

Macaroni and cheese:  This mac and cheese is for adults, consisting of cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gouda and parmesan cheese, topped with ham and bread crumbs.  A mac and cheese that has been kicked up so much, you’ll never go back to blue boxes again, only for your kids.  I love how the cheeses compliment each other but it’s also nice that the gouda shines through.  More and more, gouda is becoming one of my favorite cheeses.  You would think that with the cheese and ham the dish becomes overly salty, but that is not the case at all. 

Rating: 5/5 Knives

Pricing: $ – It is about $10 per entree , give or take, but considering the generous portions, I’m going to rate it lower.

Make reservations!  The restaurant is cute and cozy but that doesn’t mean it isn’t packed.

Great find Nicole and Kevin, or is it Kevin and Nicole

http://www.jmchefcatering.com/

Dining In with Dessert First: Mom’s ChocoFlan

Finally, the first entry of the year.  My other half made this and I wanted to share because I’m particularly proud of his accomplishment.  He got the recipe from my mom and though the directions are not that difficult, it is a challenge in itself to be compared to Mom.  The recipe itself is a basic flan recipe baked with Devil’s Food cake.  I don’t know the science behind this, but baked, the layers do separate to create the perfect harmony.  The flan comes out perfect in consistency and the cake comes out super moist.  A must for parties and potlucks.  Sorry to say, but I’m not posting the recipe on the internet so freely.  You’ll have to message me if you want it.  This entry is mainly meant for eye-candy :)