Earl Grey brioche: bread flavored with Earl Grey tea A lot of Asian bakeries like to infuse tea into their pastries. Usually, there's a splash of matcha in a few items. This time around, though, I wanted to check out the Earl Grey offerings. I found the Earl Grey brioche. The bread was soft and thick. However, it wasn't the same fluffy texture of a classic brioche pastry. I really enjoyed the black striations of tea mixed in. There's something rich about the taste and scent of … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Sugar Pie
January 18, 2019 2 Comments
Sugar Pie: super sweet single-crust dessert When I visited Canada, I tried a traditional Canadian dessert: sugar pie. I’d never heard of it before. I love the coloring of the deep brown in this dessert. It reminds me of fall and leaves fluttering off trees. The sugar pie lives up to its name. I hear it can be made from brown sugar or maple syrup. (You can try one version of the recipe here.) Warning: This dessert is super sweet! The sugar overload on my taste buds prevented me from … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: ANZAC biscuits
September 28, 2018 2 Comments
ANZAC biscuits: simpler oatmeal cookies with flair! I've gone Down Under! At the request of one of my kids, we made ANZAC biscuits. These were cookies sent as part of care packages to soldiers in Australia and New Zealand during World War I. Note the name of the treats: ANZAC = Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. Made from simple and spoil-proof ingredients, these biscuits are quick to make. I love how they're rolled in oats, so I feel like I'm eating kind of healthy. Also, I like … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Tlayuda
July 27, 2018 2 Comments
Tried out this tasty Oaxacan dish recently… Tlayuda: giant toasted tortilla with lots of fixings This was not your average tortilla. A large crisp circle, it spanned the size of a personal pizza. I loved the different colors offered up by the black beans, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, and avocados. The winning culinary flavors, though, belonged to the meats: cecina, tasajo, and chorizo. Cecina tasted a bit too dry, but after all, it’s a partially dried meat (typically beef or pork). Tasajo … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Arepas
June 22, 2018 2 Comments
I love being part of a writers' group. One of my friends there, Lisbeth Coiman, is Venezuelan. I had the luxury of being treated to her home-cooked arepas. Arepas: tasty "pancakes" made with maize dough I don't quite know how to describe these puffy bits of dough. They're maybe akin to pupusas and have a biscuit-like texture. However, they're not flaky. There's a heartiness to them as you bite in. Arepas can act like bread, and you make sandwiches with them. A lot of times, the interior … [Read more...]
Mercado La Paloma
June 13, 2018 2 Comments
"You are broad minded and socially active." I love living in Los Angeles because of its multitude of cultures. One lively gathering place is the Mercado La Paloma. This area in the South Figueroa Corridor historically suffers from a lack of business opportunities and community spaces. The Esperanza Community Housing Corp decided to renovate an old garment factory to revitalize the area, and this project finished in 2001. The Mercado La Paloma is now home to yummy eateries and unique retail … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Siu Mai
September 29, 2017 4 Comments
Siu mai: dim sum dumplings, usually filled with meat I can’t believe I haven’t food blogged about this before. Siu mai is a staple of the dim sum cart. The dumplings are quite distinctive because of the pleated edges that decorate their tops. Usually, these dumplings are filled with ground pork, and possibly shrimp. A few other ingredients like mushrooms and scallions round out the flavor. Like other steamed dumplings, the layer of dough is very thin, so it’s the taste of the … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Sweet Duck
May 26, 2017 2 Comments
Sweet duck: a more sugared-up version of roast duck I admit it. I’m a big duck fan. Ever since I saw the glistening displays in Chinese barbecue shops, I’ve been a sucker for duck. In fact, I’ve posted about roast duck before. Recently, though, I had a sweeter version. The dish was actually called sweet duck. It featured a glaze on top of the skin, a slight subtle honey flavor. Even though the components were the same (tender meat, crispy skin), it didn’t quite compete with the traditional … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Szechwan braised pork
February 24, 2017 Leave a Comment
It's been a long time since I've gone for hot and spicy. With the cold and wet weather outside, though, I braved the fiery food. Szechwan braised pork: saucy pork belly Okay, so this actually was one of the dishes without a red hot chili pepper next to its name. The plus part? Lots of tender meat. The minus? Loads of fat. It was too greasy for my taste actually, but it's packed full of umami flavor. Here's a recipe for it. … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Lobster Noodles
December 16, 2016 2 Comments
Lobster noodles: Lobster meat with long noodles This is a gratuitous foodie picture. Yes, long noodles signify longevity. You can find this dish (with or without the lobster) at birthday parties and New Year feasts. The taste is what you would expect--tender lobster over gravied mein. However, I liked the visual aspect of the dish the most. There's something striking about the vibrant red of the seafood against the more subtle tones of the noodles. What symbolic foods do you eat? … [Read more...]
