Fruit tarts

These are the fruit tarts I made. The tart is from a short bread cookie recipe. While I tried to make the custard pudding from a recipe I found, it didn't turn out right, sadly. Instead, I used ready made vanilla pudding (Snack Pack), and placed fruits on top.

I bought both mini cupcake molds and flower molds. But the flower one, depicted here, made it difficult for me to pull out the tartlet.

~ A

ABC Bakery and Restaurant

Located on Noriega, this restaurant is always busy. You can find Chinese American food for a decent price. I order a shrimp chow mein while my friends ordered seafood fried ramen. Both were good. The chicken wings which were crispy with a hint of spiciness was also very good. My only issue with this place is the service. My noodles came out relatively fast but the ramen took an extra 15-20 minutes. It just seemed too long of a wait.

~ A

Powderface

In San Jose, on Story Road by Walmart, I've seen a sign for "New Orleans Beignets and Coffee." Curious my cousin and I went to try it.

Unfortunately, because we've had beignets at Cafe du Monde in the French Quarter of New Orleans, the beignets at Powderface cannot compare. The beignets are supposed to be light and fluffy, covered with powdered sugar, but this place was more like a churro than anything else. I was disappointed.

Perhaps eventually I will find a place here on the West Coast that truly captures the tastiness of beignets of New Orleans.


~ A

Strawberry Banana Muffins

Friday, June 17, 2011

Strawberry Banana Muffins

I went to Sweet Tomatoes, a restaurant similar to Fresh Choice, last week. They had very good strawberry muffins. I wanted to make my own. But then, I thought since my friends and I like banana nut muffins, why not try strawberry banana muffins?

So here is the result. While banana nut muffins are best straight out of the oven, it's not quite so with strawberries. I think the strawberries taste a bit sour fresh from the oven. Once it cools, it tastes sweeter. *shrug* Maybe it's just me.

Ingredients:

2 large ripe bananas

1 cup of cut fresh strawberries

1/3 cup olive oil/melted butter

1-1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

a pinch of salt

1. Mash the bananas and mix in the oil or butter.

2. Add in the strawberries.

3. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt.

4. Mix in the flour.

5. Put batter into muffin tins.

6. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Makes 12 regular muffins.

Buffalo Wild Wings

Monday, April 18, 2011

One of the reasons why we went here was to try the fried pickles. Usually I'm not a fan of pickles, but these were pretty good. And interesting to try. Pictured on the right, the pickle slices were fried in batter. A creamy, slightly spicy sauce was included with the appetizer.

We also ordered mozzarella sticks and mini corn dogs from the $3 Happy Hour menu. I didn't try the corn dogs because I wasn't sure what kind of meat it was, but the mozzarella sticks were very good.

There were many flavors for the wings. But we tried three: Mango Habanero, Asian Zing, and Caribbean Jerk. Of the three, I really liked the mango habanero the most. There's a slight kick. The Caribbean Jerk was more barbeque than anything else.

The meal was a bit on the pricer side. But it was worth a try. I think it's comparable to Wingstop. The only difference is Buffalo Wild Wing has more flavors for their wings.

The restaurant itself was split into two sections: the bar and the dining. Each side has about 25 tv screens. If you're a sports fan, this is probably the best place to go to see a game.

~ A

Stockton's Farmers Market

Sunday, April 17, 2011

I went to Stockton for my spring break and one of my first stops was at the Stockton Farmer's Market Sunday morning. There were so many fruits and vegetable stands, so many fresh produce to choose from. But the most incredible thing to me were the pastries.

Everything looked so good, but I chose to buy the strawberry turnovers. After all, they're strawberries. How could I pass up a chance to try one?

In season and sweet, these turnovers were huge and fluffy. The outside was slightly coated with sugar. I'm told that these were sellouts. The first to disappear. I'm so glad I got a chance to try one.

These turnovers were big enough for a meal and weren't too sweet. They were very worth their price. 1.75 for one of these strawberry turnovers. If I'm ever in Stockton on a Sunday, I would go back and buy more.

~ A

Candybar Dessert Lounge

Friday, April 1, 2011

Marina and I went to Candybar for dessert after having dinner at Khan Toke Thai House.

Located on Fulton St at Divisadero St, the candlelit lounge is very easy to miss at night among all the bright signs of the surrounding nightlife. Candybar is known for its desserts, cocktails, art gallery, and of course, how could I forget?, board games.

I don't know what the atmosphere is like earlier in the day, but I was there around 11 pm and most of the tables were occupied. Although the candlelit lounge seemed to be the perfect setting for a romantic date, most people went with small groups of friends.

I personally prefer a brighter setting. I felt I couldn't take in my surroundings that well in the dimness. How can one admire art in the candlelight? I'll just have to come earlier next time.

The glass on the left is the Strawberry Kiss, which was a cocktail of sparkling wine, ginger ale, and a frozen strawberry. Of course, that was the one I had to get. The glass on the right is the Raspberry Delight, which was a mix of sparkling wine and raspberry syrup.

This was my first full drink so I thought the first few sips were too strong. But when paired with the desserts it tasted a lot better. The bottom of the drink was much fruitier, more to my liking.

Photo on the left is the Strawberry Limeade. According to the menu, it's made of strawberry mousse, vanilla cake, calamansi cream, and topped with chopped strawberries. I could definitely taste the hint of lime. Photo on the right is the Lavender Honey Creme Fraiche Semi Freddo. It consists of almond brittles, nutella powder, and cantaloupe. I've never had lavender flavored dessert before so it was definitely interesting.

As good as the desserts were, I couldn't enjoy it as much as I would have if I weren't so full from dinner. Lesson learned for our next visit.

~ A