Pomegranate Yogurt Parfait

Every year, I host a Christmas brunch or dinner for a few of my girlfriends.  This Christmas season seems to have gotten away from me and left me feeling a little under the weather.  I decided that quick and easy was the way to go.

One thing that was ridiculously easy but so tasty was my pomegranate yogurt parfait. Personally, I suspect it may have been the dollop of whipped cream that was the true winner and reason why my friends loved it so much, but the most important thing was that they enjoyed it!

Pomegranate Syrup
16 oz PomWonderful Pomegranate Juice
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar
Juice & Zest of 1 lemon

Combine all ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  If you can draw a clear line through the coating of Pom Syrup with your finger, then it is ready.

Whipped Cream:
16 oz of heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Whip cream, sugar, vanilla together.

Vanilla Yogurt [or Plain Greek Yogurt]Granola
Pomegranate Arils

Mix Pomegranate Syrup with the Yogurt until well blended. Add dollop of whipped cream, top with Granola & Pomegranate Arils.

Agedashi Dofu

I had the most amazing Agedashi Dofu the other night. My friend's [Fuyumi] mom is an incredible Japanese cook so when Mrs H asked me if I'd like to help out at a dinner she was hosting, I jumped at the chance. One thing to note about Japanese Cuisine is that it is very labor intensive.  Making renkon [lotus root] and carrots look like little flowers may have looked lovely but I was ready to stab myself over the laboriousness of it all.  Not to say that I'm not going to do that for my family's New Year's party. I think the memory of how long it really took will be gone by the time New Year's comes around.

There were so many wonderful items on the menu but my favorite was definitely the Agedashi Dofu. Deep fried tofu steeped in salty sweet richness of the tsuyu [soup], it was impossible to resist. This was always something I would only order at restaurants, but Mrs H assured me that this was the easiest thing in the world to make. She was right. 

Firm tofu tends to be easier to handle but I prefer the consistency of the softer silken tofu, which makes for a creamier inside of the crispy shell.  Press out as much of the water as possible [my mom uses jars filled with water placed on top of plates, placed on top of the tofu]. 

I've seen various types of batter from tempura and flour to katakuriko [potato starch]. Mrs H uses katakuriko to flour the tofu.

After heating up the oil, gently drop the tofu into the oil and allow to deep fry until the exterior is firm and crisp. Turn over and repeat.

Top the tofu with various colorful items such as spinach, katsuobushi, green onions, daikon sprouts, asparagus, tomatoes, grated ginger & daikon. Pour the tsuyu over the tofu and serve immediately.

Best dish ever.

Tsuyu Base:
1 cup dashi [my friend, Rachael, has a WONDERFUL explanation on how to make it!]
2 Tbsp Shoyu [soy sauce]
2 Tbsp Mirin [Sweet Rice Wine]

Combine tsuyu ingredients and keep warm until ready to use.

After draining tofu of water, coat tofu with flour. Deep fry until shell is crisp and firm. Pour Tsuyu base over tofu.

Mac Attack in Los Angeles : Sweet Tartelette's Southern Invasion...

Macarons, the most amazing delicate cookie I've ever had the pleasure of tasting. It's been a source of great joy...and the greatest frustration.  I even took a group class, thinking, "ok, i got this..."  I got home and thought, "oh fuuuuuudge...i don't got this..."

What did I do wrong?? Over and over and over and over and over again [that WAS 5 times, right??], I tried my hand at the macaron.  Surely it couldn't be THAT difficult right? Who's ever been totally beaten by a baked good? Well, it turns out that *I* have been beaten by a baked good. Darn it! I refused to be beaten by a baked good.

So alongside Rachael [La Fuji Mama] and Gaby [What's Gaby Cooking] we hatched the scheme to bring the Tartelette out to Los Angeles to learn us some Macaron making.  The first few days of Helen's stay was marred with her having a totally insane hostess [I think she may have crapped her pants a few times while I was driving. What? I couldn't pile my poor driving skills on to my poor hostessing skills - I've got some very, very small amount of pride, you know]. 

Something akin to a bag of moths fluttered around in my stomach [or too much alcohol if I'd been drinking] as we prepped for class - a combination of excitement and absolute dread.  I mentally slapped myself, told myself to suck it up and pull myself together.  I was ready to face the world...well, at least these stupid hellish macarons.

Each step of the way, I looked to Helen like I was a first grader, looking for approval at every dotted "i" and crossed "t".  She eyeballs my batter and instructs with absolute confidence, "Five more turns".  I do what I think is 5 turns but could've been 15 since I couldn't remember where the starting point was.  By this point, the voices in my head starts singing, "yeah...uh huh...I'm bad. I know it..." all accompanied with a little head bobbing.

After piping out something that I hoped would suddenly round out from its oblong shape, I let my macs rest.  After 30 minutes rest time, during which Helene instructed us on various methods, ganaches, etc, she asked for some "test" trays to put into the oven.  II nonchalantly handed her mine.  It didn't dawn on me that anything could possibly go wrong until she looked over at me and said, "Brave."

That's when the pants crapping started.  Rachael and I were the "test" Macs.  I looked at her and she said, "One of ours is not going to come out, you do realize that, don't you?" I looked at her without batting an eye said, "Don't worry. It's going to be mine."

Rachael's photo from "A Weekend with Tartelette"

You know by now that my Macs were the ONLY one in the WHOLE class that didn't come out.  [See the photo above? The pretty ones were Rachael's...you can see mine in the background.] I would've cried but for the fact that I don't believe in crying in the kitchen and  quite frankly, I wasn't really surprised. Karma seems to be torturing me in the form of the MACARON.  

So I determined that I would practice, practice, practice everything that I learned in Helen's class [over 2 day period]. I used it as my mantra.  My big test came in the form of my high school get together on Saturday.  They insisted that I bring the Macarons.

So with sweaty hands, pounding heart I began the process.  Encouragement from my twitterfriends came and gave me confidence.  And you know what??? I succeeded. YES!!!

A little skirting but this is such progress that I'm excited to try it again soon! Thanks, Helene!

Malasadas [Hawaiian Style Donuts]

The first time I tried Leonard's Malasadas in Hawaii, I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  The hot, soft pillows of deep fried goodness brought a tear to my eyes. I can still picture that first bite...not even my first experience at Cafe Du Monde's Beignets could take this place. 

I've made variations of Okinawa Dangos/Andagi before, but never Malasadas [you know...my whole fear of yeast thing].  I suddenly had this crazy craving for it last night so decided to make it for my Sunday morning breakfast...and use the photos to taunt my friend, Miles, who happens to *LOVE* malasadas.

It's a messy process so I wasn't able to take as many photos as I would've liked.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• ¼ cups Sugar
• ¾ teaspoons Salt
• Lemon Zest of 1 lemon
• ¼ ounces, fluid Yeast
• ¼ cups Warm Water
• 4 whole Eggs
• 1 cup Whole Milk [or 1/2 Cup Evaporated Milk]
• 2 Tablespoons Oil
• Oil For Deep Frying
• Sugar For Sprinkling

Sift together:

• All purpose flour
• sugar
• salt
• lemon zest

Dissolve yeast in warm water

In a small bowl, combine:

• eggs
• milk
• oil

Add mixture to dry ingredients and add yeast, mixing well.

The dough will be more wet & batter-like. Place dough in a well oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until it doubles in size.

Heat oil for deep frying. Drop dough into hot oil by the teaspoonful, until brown.

To test for doneness: Using a toothpick or skewer, insert into the center. It should come out clean when fully cooked.

Let drain on a paper towel.

Put about 1/2 cup of sugar in a brown paper bag. While the donuts are still warm, place into the brown paper and shake to coat.

 

How did i end up here?

Last weekend, I was living the high life in San Fran - views of the Bay Bridge, Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge from my hotel room; eating at Contigo with some of the most exotic dishes I've had in years; and meeting  some of my blogger heroes at the Food Blogger After Party.  In stark contrast, this weekend I've got a view a hotel parking lot and miles and miles of flat, grey, rainy scenery.  Help...I'm lost in Oklahoma City...

All right, I exaggerate. I'm not lost.  I know exactly where I am. It's not all bad.  I thought, "Here's my chance to bring my blog back to being a travel blog..." Unfortunately, the only thing I've done since landing here is to drag my friend, Carrie, to the Oldest Antique Bar in Oklahoma - Eischen's in Okarche.  After I pet the world's cutest dog, trout:

Eischen's SALOON was opened in 1896 until the prohibition.  Eischen's BAR opened shortly have the end of prohibition by the grandson's of the original Eischen's Saloon.  What's so spectacular about this place aside from being the oldest bar in Oklahoma??  Well, they've also got some of the best fried chicken I've ever had.  And I don't even like fried chicken. 

Battling through the rain [ok, so it was a light sprinkling but it doesn't rain in Southern California so i'm just not used to it] and traveling an hour from Edmond, we finally arrived in Okarche [after getting lost because Carrie had folded the instructions in half and a crucial part of the instructions was on the crease of the fold]!  The first thing we noticed when we got out of the car was the smell of fried chicken wafting out of the bar.

After circling the building to find the front entrance [made us a little crazy because the smell of fried chicken was even stronger the closer we got], we decided that we liked the back much better. 

The menu was short and sweet with only a limited number of options. It's great for indecisive people like me who can't make up their minds.  Diet cokes were expensive at a $1.50 per can...Beers were actually a better value and were served up quicker. 

Apparently, one size fits all - whole chickens only so Carrie and I decided to share an order of fried chicken and okra. After a brief 45 minute wait for our order [the waitress assured me that I was lucky I didn't have to wait 2 hours for it], the piping hot chicken finally arrived.  The chicken was wonderful juicy on the inside [as it should be] and crispy on the outside [again, as it should be].  What was so amazing about this chicken was how it MELTED in my mouth.

After stuffing my fat face with fried stuff, I felt the need to take a [short] walk through the very small town.  The area was quaint, yet stark.  Modern, yet a throw back from yester year.  

If you find yourself going through Oklahoma, I recommend you swing through Okarche and enjoy some fried chicken!  But only if you've got the time.  

Eischen's Bar

108 S 2nd
Okarche, OK 73762

405.364.9939

Napa Eats!

I'm one of those people who is usually just one (or 5 steps) step behind any trend. I'm usually pretty suspicious of anything new and need to scope, study, research, hold, smell, shake, and kick it until I'm absolutely sure. Well, that's pretty much what happened with the Girl and Fig in Sonoma. I've heard about this place for years but just didn't feel it. Inspiration struck this time around and with no other plans in place, this was the first real meal of the trip!

We started with a cheese plate. I have this love-hate relationship with Cheese. I love it, it hates me. (hmmm....i'm not waxing philosophical on that so back off, friends.) Darn Lactose. What good has it ever done me?? Moving along, I really can't explain why I chose the Mussels in a Pastis butter sauce. I hate Pastis due to its heavy licorice flavor. Oh...and I actually hate mussels - they creep me out. I used to see them clinging on to dear life beneath the Venice Pier...and all the locals know how polluted THOSE waters are. Overall, we found that our meal was really heavy handed with the salt (as evidenced by the pitcher of water I drank) but that wasn't the fun part of the evening. It was the people surrounding us.

On one side, we had the romantic couple, a young lady with the little girl voice who (loudly) professed her love and adoration to the relatively bland and uninteresting fellow she was with. No joke, people...i had to stop the gagging noise coming from deep within my throat from coming out into the big wide world. On the other side, we had a hysterical...i mean hysterical, travel writer from the New York Times who insisted on sharing her dessert with us. She saved the night for us. Thanks, Laura...you rock!

Whenever you hear the words, "The BEST" in relation to food, you know that many times it's totally subjective. Case in point: Boon Fly Cafe's donuts. I dragged Erin to go to this place because I heard the donuts were the "Best". They were ok. JUST ok. I can make better donuts than this. I had the chilaquiles which I devoured. Now THAT was great!

Personally, I thought that the best meal of the trip came from Ad Hoc. Ad Hoc is a Thomas Keller restaurant that started off as an experiment! Due to popular demand they kept it the way they had it - why mess with a good thing??!! I'm really into family style dining, and "pre-fixe" menus, especially since I really have few food restrictions and I have a hard time making up my mind. They do ask if you have any allergies and I know that they have alternative meals available for those with allergies or those who wish a vegetarian option (they like to be notified in advance).

We started with a salad...and the biggest hunks of applewood bacon I've ever consumed by myself. We moved along to the Kansas City Steak - this meat just MELTED in my mouth. How can meat be so rare but still taste perfectly done?? I must know this secret...for those in the know...please share!!!

I don't normally like au gratin but the way they prepared it was perfect (not pictured)!! We finished off the evening with a chocolate mousse and a cheese plate. I had to stop myself from licking the bowl clean. Such restraint, I know...

We were tipped off by our bartender at the Wine Merchant about this place, Bistro Jeanty, after he had to pry the finished bowl of tomato soup from my hands. I swear Wine Merchant at the Oxbow Public Marketplace has the BEST european style (rustic, not thin....and not thickened by cream) Tomato Soup outside of Europe. Chef Miguel Sanchez ROCKED THAT TOMATO SOUP. Sorry. ok, back on track. Bartender...Bistro Jeanty. The only thing more intriguing than the BEST TOMATO SOUP outside of europe was PUFF PASTRY over creamy tomato soup (even if it was the thin runny kind). That's all we had with a salad. And i promptly gained about 15 pounds right onto my @$$. *SIGH*.

One would think I stopped there. Oh no...

With Bouchon Bakery just a few blocks away, how could I ignore this destination? This lemon tart made me cry...and wish I had the foresight to buy TWO!! Oh well...something to look forward to!!! Clearly, I couldn't even be bothered to wait to take a picture before devouring half of it. It was worth the wait to find a parking space AND to get into Bouchon Bakery (no joke, the line was out the door).

Ok, seriously...let's not act all shocked if I die of diabetic shock. I actually downed 6 of these bad boys all by myself. They were delicious. And also available at the Oxbow Public Market.

The Girl and the Fig

110 Spain St

Sonoma, CA

707-938-3634

The Boon Fly Cafe

4048 Sonoma Hwy

Napa, CA

707-299-4870

Ad Hoc

6476 Washington Street

Yountville, CA

707-944-2487

Bistro Jeanty

6510 Washington Street

Yountville, CA

707-944-0103

Bouchon Bakery

6528 Washington Street

Yountville, CA

707-944-2253

Oxbow Wine Merchant

610 1st Street

Napa, CA

707-257-5200

Dear Tsukiji Market...

Dear Tsukiji Fish Market:

I’m not quite sure how to begin…I’m still feeling a bit overwhelmed from my trip to Tsukiji. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such a frenzy of activity, hustle, and bustle. I still feel a little un-nerved.

I think you need to build lanes and roads throughout the market. I nearly got killed several times just from cross traffic. Those crazy little carts that you drive like maniacs through the market are just a death hazard waiting to happen. I swear to you…the fact that more tourists aren’t killed there is shocking to me. Those on suicide missions should definitely visit here.

Furthermore, we tried to wait in line for Sushi Dai but were told that it would be a FOUR (4) hour wait. Who waits 4 hours for sushi?? I don’t care how good you think you are…you really aren’t that good. Thank goodness for Sushi Daiwa and the ONE (1) hour I had to wait for that. The service was great and as evidenced from the photos, the sushi was, too! PLUS, they actually said that my Japanese was good! (Unlike that Kyoto Lady who told me to speak proper Japanese and gave me an evil stink eye…that old bat!!)

Anyhow, I just thought you should know that since Tsukiji is a tourist destination (whether you like it or not), you really should try a little harder to make it a little safer for people like me.

Thank you for your kind consideration,

Jenny

Sushi Daiwa

Tsukiji Market Building

Tokyo, 13 Japan

03.3479.5820

5:30am - 1:30pm, Mon - Sat

Sushi Dai (next door)

5:00am - 2:00pm

coupons

Dear Oishii Eats...

Dear Oishii Eats:

Thank you so very much for your recommendation for Suteki Rando. http://oishiieats.blogspot.com/2006/06/loner-meal-2-kobe-beef-garlic-butter.html

Wow. I had no idea how dangerous this place would be for me. I had a set which included a salad (or soup), side of veggies, prime beef, dessert…oh and I did order the side of garlic butter rice as well.

Not to try to make you jealous (actually, I lie…I really am trying to make you jealous), I’ve enclosed some photos from my recent dinner at Suteki Rando. I hope it brings back many good memories for you. I can practically taste the buttery meat just looking at the photos again.

Your Friend,

Jenny

Dear Morizuya...

Dear Morizuya Ryokan (www.morizuya.com):

First of all, I’d like to thank you for taking such good care of me and my friends. Your hospitality and helpfulness provided us with such a positive experience that we can’t wait to come back!

Upon our arrival into the town, the lady from the Kinosaki tourist board greeted us and took our bags which they delivered to the hotel right at 3:05pm - only 5 minutes after our official check in!! Since we arrived at about 1:00pm it gave us about 2 hours to walk around the quaint village to do some scouting for our shopping trip the next day.

We enjoyed the opportunity to wear the yukata and the accoutrement which you so graciously provided for our stay. It was a bit of a challenge for a couple of us but I think we got the hang of it right away! We looked awfully sharp in our yukatas, don’t you think?

Thanks for the tip and for the passes to the different onsens. Experiencing more than one onsen helped us get just a taste of something new and different. Oh, and the outdoor hotspring was definitely something not to be missed. The crisp cool mountain air combined with the hot steamy onsen really helped to relax the muscles!

The meals that you provided for us was absolutely amazing!! I don’t know how I finished it. It was a never ending meal for us. As you can see from Christy’s photos, she was very enthusiastic at first…barely crossing over the finish line. Breakfast was just as delicious as dinner and plentiful as well. I don’t think I’ve ever had dessert for breakfast!!

Thank you again for your hospitality. I can’t wait to come back!

Sincerely,

Jenny

Dear Japan...

Dear Japan:

Upon my return home from your beautiful country, I was quite startled to discover that I can no longer fit into my pants. You see, it appears that although I felt like I walked through the entire length of Japan, I also ate my fair share of delicious foods which caused a rapid and massive weight gain.

I’m sure foods such as Okonomiyaki, pari pari (crispy) gyoza, takoyaki, kobe beef, kani kaiseki dinners, udon, ramen, tempura, warabi mochi, Unagi, Sushi, etc is not exactly considered low in calorie. Perhaps warning labels should be available for people like me who can not control themselves. Something along the lines of “you can’t stop once you start”.

I mean, it’s quite amazing to me that I did not have ONE bad meal my entire trip. Not one. I don’t know if that’s ever happened to me before. Anyhow, I just thought you should know that your food is dangerous. I don’t know how all those Japanese native women can stay so skinny…