Key Lime Habanero Cheesecake

I meant to post this yesterday, but I got caught up in movie watching and margarita drinking with friends last night. Yesterday was National Cheesecake Day. Earlier this week while I was watching Bitchin Kitchen, Nadia G made a cheesecake. Coincidence? I think not.

My love for spicy things continues to grow, but don't be alarmed. Although this cheesecake has habanero pepper in it, it's not spicy at all. Next time I make it, I will probably put the whole pepper in rather than just half.

I also have a question for all you readers. Have you ever tried to juice and zest key limes? They are the size of a bouncy ball...not the easiest task. Next time, regular limes will suffice.

Key limes.

It is important to note that this recipe calls for whipped cream cheese. Regular will be fine, but the whipped cream cheese gives it an extra fluffiness, which combined with the meringue is amazing. The original recipe also shows how to make a lime and candied hibiscus coulis to top the cake with, but I skipped that step.

Key Lime Habanero Cheesecake
from Nadia G


Crust:
30 chocolate wafers (enough to make 1 1/2 cups of chocolate crumbs) (I used chocolate Teddy Grahams)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted


Filling:
5 egg yolks (save the whites!!)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup key lime juice
1 tbsp key lime zest
1/2 habanero pepper, seeds removed and minced (use gloves when doing this!)
2 cups whipped cream cheese, softened
1 cup mascarpone cheese


Meringue:
5 egg whites
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp white vinegar


1. Preheat oven to 350. Crush the wafers or teddy grahams using a meat mallet, rolling pin, or a food processor. I used a rolling pin then a mini food processor. Mix with the butter. Press into a springform pan along the bottom and half way up the sides about a quarter inch thick. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, brown sugar, lime juice, lime zest and habanero. Mix in the cream cheese and mascarpone. Beat with an electric mixer for 15 seconds until combined.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites, sugar and vinegar on medium speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. 
4. Fold the meringue into the cream cheese mixture until combined.
5. Pour the filling into the pan over the crust.
6. Take 2 layers of aluminum foil and place in a roasting pan. Place the springform pan on the foil and wrap the sides of the springform pan to create a seal, but do not cover the cheesecake. Pour warm water into the roasting pan until it is halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.
7. Bake for an hour to an hour and a half until top of cheesecake it golden brown. Let sit on a cooling rack until it completely cools, then refrigerate overnight.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Sage, and Goat Cheese Lasagna

Yesterday was lasagna day! I half forgot, then half got really busy and didn't have time to post this recipe. I actually made it Thursday night, since I don't cook on Fridays, unless baking a cake counts. That comes later....

I have a few new lasagna recipes and I was really waiting to try this one in the fall, but I wanted to compare it to my regular butternut squash lasagna recipe. This one is more flavorful, but my regular one is healthier. Of course. As I was looking up the link for my original recipe, I found that it was the first recipe I had ever posted. That was almost a year ago.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Sage, and Goat Cheese Lasagna
adapted from Perry's Plate

1 1/2 cups smashed roasted butternut squash
8 ounces goat cheese
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 T minced fresh sage or 1/2 tsp dried ground sage
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/8 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
3 cups marinara sauce (about 25 oz or so)
9 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl combine the goat cheese, ricotta cheese, egg, 2 T minced fresh sage, salt & pepper. Mix thoroughly. Set aside.
3. Prepare an 11x7 inch  (I used a 9x9 square dish) casserole dish with nonstick spray and add spread a couple spoonfuls of marinara sauce in the bottom. Put a layer of lasagna noodles over the sauce.Spread about 1/2 cup smashed squash over noodles, followed by 1/3 of the goat cheese mixture, 1/3 of the marinara sauce and 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella. Repeat layering two more times with remaining ingredients and top with remaining mozzarella cheese.
4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake, uncovered, for another 15 minutes until everything is bubbly, heated through, and the cheese begins to turn golden brown.  Allow to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

In my last post, the one with the Blackberry Cabernet Cupcakes, I mentioned that  had leftover frosting and puree that I would use up. Well, I used it.

Pretty impressive, if I say so myself

This was a semi-homemade recipe. I used the homemade puree and frosting with a boxed devil's food cake. This was my first cake I have ever successfully made (the last boxed cake I made crumbled to pieces) and the first cake I have ever decorated. The decorating came out not as bad as I had imagined, but also not as good as I had imagined. That's ok, I have plenty of time to practice.


My amateur-ness came through when making this cake as well. I took my leftover frosting out of the fridge and found it to be a solid block in the shape of the tupperware it was in. I panicked. I don't know why I didn't expect it, it's a buttercream...BUTTER, which hardens when it gets cold. I ran to my trusty best friend Google and looked up what to do. Turns out I just had it let it come to room temperature and then beat it in the electric mixer until it becomes smooth again. If you happen to refrigerate some buttercream, do not panic. And also, let it beat for almost 10 minutes. Mine looked super grainy for almost 8 minutes and I began to panic again, but it all came together shortly after. Just follow the boxed cake directions and frost it how you want it.

A box mix makes two of these

Level one off for the bottom piece

Add a layer of frosting, then a layer of puree (not shown)

Turn it into a giant whoopie pie

Decorate it!

Blackberry Cabernet Cupcakes

Let's chat. Let's discuss how I went from being pretty lazy lately and not wanting to cook, to making cupcakes and lasagna in one afternoon. I'm not complaining or anything, but that much cooking kind of wiped me out. I think I need a nap. Seriously, who needs the gym?


I do if I keep making AMAZING cupcakes.

Now, I'm not one to brag, but I seem to have a knack for making tasty cupcakes. I wish I could take full credit, but I steal other people's recipes. I have been starting to adapt them into my own lately, so that's a step in the right direction, right? Besides, I bet they steal their recipes too. These are my favorite cupcakes I've made so far.

This recipe proves the theory of deliciousness, which is: wine + blackberries + chocolate = deliciousness.
Seriously, I was very much intrigued when I first saw this recipe and I actually made a whole week before I caved and made them. SO glad I did, they are beyond good.

There were a few flaws with this recipe. First of all, the frosting. I thought it was never going to get thick enough. I even had to add some meringue powder and a cup of powdered sugar to it so it would be a good enough consistency to pipe onto the cupcakes. Second of all, the frosting. I hate when I don't read a recipe thoroughly before going into it, I'm not a fan of making frosting that requires making meringue first, I think the meringue is where the frosting may have gone wrong (but I fixed it! Cuz I'm awesome!). And lastly, the recipe makes 12 cupcakes. Twelve! Just twelve.....

My last gripe is that it's probably weird and slightly gross to spoon-feed myself the blackberry Cabernet puree. Even if I was home alone with no one but the dog to witness, I would probably be ashamed of myself for doing so. Luckily, I have found a solution to having leftover puree and frosting. That idea will be shared soon enough.

Blackberry Cabernet Cupcakes
adapted from Baker's Royale (my baking idol)

For the puree:
3 cups blackberries
1/2 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
1 tablespoon sugar

For the cupcakes:
1 cup flour
1.5 cups plus 2 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup Blackberry mixture
** The cupcakes may fall a little flat after baking, to combat this, double the amount of baking soda if you like.

For the frosting:
1.5 cups sugar
5 egg whites
4 sticks unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup blackberry mixture (or more if you want a stronger flavor)
** If you frosting does not thicken enough, you may want to have the following ingredients on hand:
1 tbsp meringue powder
1 cup powdered sugar

Make the puree ahead of time. Gently mix the blackberries, wine and sugar together in a bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours up to overnight. In a food processor, blend the mixture for a minute or two until pureed. Set aside.

1. For the cupcakes, mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, and baking soda together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat in the melted butter and eggs. Mix until incorporated and add the salt and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add the puree and mix another 20 seconds. The batter may be a little thick, that's ok. Evenly distribute the batter between the 12 cups. Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the middle of a cupcake.

2. Let the cupcakes cool completely. To make the frosting, combine the sugar and egg whites in a heat safe bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk constantly until the mix reaches 150 degrees. Transfer the mix to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed until it thickens and doubles in volume, about 10 minutes. Mix in the butter, a piece at a time. It may begin to look lumpy or curdle slightly, don't worry, it will smooth out again. Add the salt and vanilla and mix to combine. Add the puree and mix to combine. **Before adding the puree, check to see if you have the consistency you want. If not, now add the meringue powder and the powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

3. Decorate cupcakes as desired.

**If you are feeling fancy, do as I did and inject some of the extra puree into the cakes. They are much better this way! I did this by using a squeeze bottle and poking it into the cakes and squeezing some puree inside.

Close up so you can see the color of the frosting

Yes.

Tequila Lime Shrimp

Happy Tequila Day! It's always kind of sad when there's a special day dedicated to liquor and it falls on a Sunday...the day of rest and the day of recovery. I'm not on a recovery track today, I behaved myself last night. I even held back from announcing to all of my friends that it's Tequila Day, in fear that I would be lured out for margaritas.

Tequila is something I can only drink in a margarita if it's masked well enough, especially gold tequila like Jose Cuervo. I do, however, love me some Patron. Patron doesn't always love me back. But that's beside the point. Today, my tequila target was shrimp, not margaritas.

I am still on a little bit of a lazy track, trying to find shortcuts in my meal planning. I recently ran out of gold tequila, and I scoured my parents liquor cabinet as well. I thought I was going to have to stop at the store and buy some tequila nips (which made me feel shameful, it being Sunday and all), but mum walked into my kitchen with this:

Tropina is a fruit-flavored tequila. I immediately dismissed it, but then my laziness and more-so my curiosity got the best of me. I figured if it was going to be mixed with some lime juice, the fruit flavor probably wouldn't be so bad. I forged ahead with the tools at hand. This made my meal planning easier, all I needed was the shrimp.

Once I had my mind set on making the shrimp, my mom let me know that she bought enough Swordfish for me share some for dinner tonight (I tend to get left out of the good stuff she buys....sometimes). So we decided to tag-team dinner and make grilled swordfish and shrimp. I wish we had high-fived when we made the decision.

Tequila Lime Shrimp
adapted from Use Real Butter

1/4 cup tequila (gold is the standard, but go crazy..I did!)
1/4 cup lime juice (fresh squeezed if possible)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin
shake of salt and pepper
1 lb. raw shrimp, tails on

1. Mix the first 6 ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Put shrimp into a large ziploc bag and add marinade.
3. Marinate for 30 minutes up to 4 hours. (I marinated for an hour.)
4. Skewer the shrimp onto metal skewers. (If using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes before cooking so they don't burn!)
5. Light grill and grill shrimp for 5-6 minutes per side.

Ready to marinate.

Ready to grill.

Tag-team dinner.

Mini Strawberry Cream Cheese Tarts

Well, this heat continues to have me pretty unmotivated to cook. Yesterday was the day of my friend's parents' annual pig roast, and it was about 98 degrees out I think. In my head, and in my home with central AC, I thought to myself "I can at least work on my tan today". But it just wasn't so. I sat in the shade for the majority of the day until the sun began to set. Then around 9, after all of the children had left, the adults took over the pool. Thankfully many people brought cold pasta salads, because with the heat and the beer, I had to force myself to eat something other than the pig (no amount of heat will stop me from eating a freshly roasted pig...).

I said I would bring dessert, so I pondered all week on what to make. Should I make something cold/frozen because of the heat? Will they have room to keep it in a freezer? I decided on a Strawberry Cream Cheese Tart.

Yes, I said "a" tart. It was supposed to be one big tart, but that didn't happen. Tart crust failed it's blind baking test.

Mini Strawberry Cream Cheese Tarts
heavily adapted from from Annie's Eats

for the ganache:
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened


for the cream cheese filling:
12 oz. strawberry, sliced into quarters
20 oz. cream cheese, room temp
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp. heavy cream

15 mini graham cracker pie crusts

Optional:
Chocolate for melting and drizzling over the top


1. Start by making the ganache. Simmer heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to a boil. Pour over chopped chocolate and let sit for 1 minute before whisking until smooth. Let cool for 2 minutes, then add the butter and whisk until combined. To thicken the ganache, either let it sit at room temp for 1-2 hours or put in the refrigerator or freezer for 20-30 minutes. If cooling by fridge or freezer, be sure to mix every 10 minutes to avoid lumps and uneven thickening. Freezing takes less time, but watch it carefully!
2. Once the ganache has thickened, spread a small spoonful over the bottoms of each graham cracker crust.
3. To prepare the cream cheese filling, start by beating together the cream cheese and confectioners sugar in an electric mixer over medium high speed for 3 minutes. Blend in the vanilla and heavy cream. Spread the filling over the ganache in the pie shells.
4. Top with sliced strawberries and refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. Optional: Melt chocolate and drizzle over the tops before refrigerating.


I have an abundance of candy melts left over from attempts at making chocolate candies for decorating cupcakes. I melted some milk chocolate pieces in a squeeze bottle and drizzled the chocolate over the tarts in a circular swirly pattern. I thought I took a picture of the finished product...but I didn't. I am not good at photographing food that I make in a hurry.

Bad lighting. Good tarts.

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

Or as I like to call them, Migraine Cupcakes. My body can handle about as much chocolate as Hershey Bar in one day, or a bite-sized piece of dark chocolate before I get a migraine. This happens about 75% of the time I eat chocolate. I think I can safely eat half of one of these cupcakes and escape a migraine. They are chocolate ridiculousness.

I haven't been cooking much. I've been busy/sick/lazy. It's been really hot and I've had no motivation to cook really. I made a salad this past weekend for Erin's wedding (which was spectacular) (the wedding, not the salad). The salad was made from ribbons of summer squash and zucchini, I will post the recipe at some point. I forgot to take pictures though...too much to prepare for the day of the wedding.


These cupcakes have been on hold for almost 2 months. I was going to make them back during the NHL playoffs, but I was too afraid to jinx the Bruins. Then I was going to make them when we won the Stanley Cup, but I got busy and then I was off to L.A. These little suckers are easy to make, but time consuming. They require you to have ingredients at room temp, melting lots of chocolate for ganache and frosting, and it makes a lot (about 32). The frosting is also absurdly thick, and took forever to reload my frosting gun. The cupcake recipe is great, a nice moist chocolate cupcake resembling Devil's Food Cake. The ganache is a nice bittersweet chocolate, and the frosting reminds me of the Cheesecake Factory's chocolate cheesecake. What is there not to love? Other than the possibility of an impending migraine, of course.

It's worth the risk.

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes
from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
¾ cup hot water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1¼ tsp. coarse salt
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
2¼ cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

For the ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature

For the frosting:
14 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
9 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
9 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
6 tbsp. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sour cream

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line standard cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter and the sugar over medium heat.  Heat, stirring occasionally to combine, until the butter is melted.  Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Beat on medium-low speed, 4-5 minutes, until the mixture is cooled.

 Mix in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed and beating well after each addition.  Mix in the vanilla and then the cocoa mixture and beat until incorporated.  With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, beating just until combined.
Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling them about ¾ of the way full.  Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating the pans halfway through baking.  Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, remove from the heat and pour over the chopped chocolate.  Let stand about 1 minute.  With a whisk, gently stir the chocolate and cream together in small circles.  When the ganache has become smooth, whisk in the butter 1 piece at a time until incorporated.  Transfer the bowl to the freezer or refrigerator to chill and thicken the ganache a bit.  Whisk every 5-10 minutes to help it cool evenly.  Once the mixture is slightly thickened and no longer runny, you are ready to fill the cupcakes.

To assemble the cupcakes, cut a cone out of the center of each cupcake with a small paring knife.  Drop a spoonful of ganache into the center of each cupcake. Smooth out to make an even surface with the cupcake.

To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Set aside to cool until just barely warm.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and salt.  Beat in the melted and cooled chocolate and then the sour cream.  Continue beating until the mixture is smooth and well blended.  Frost cupcakes immediately.

I also added some sprinkles I found at Michael's yesterday for little fun touch.

Cookies & Cream and S'mores sprinkles

Et voila!

Bonus pic! Erin's wedding cake (Not made by me!)

Awwww....

Restaurant Review: Feng Shui

Since my Cali trip, I've decided that I need to start trying different restaurants in my area. People seemed to have enjoyed my posts about the restaurants in Cali, so why not blog about the ones around here? The past few days I have been busy with my final paintings for Erin's wedding. My friend Jeff and I have been painting pieces of fencing as backgrounds for pictures and things. The rain put a damper on day 1 after about 30 minutes, so we decided to stop painting and start eating. It was decided that we should go to Feng Shui, a Japanese hibachi and sushi place. I've eaten there before, but I figured I would try something new this time.

We got the normal appetizers of dumplings and crab rangoons. No photos of those, they are your run of the mill apps. Then, Heidi got their tempura and the Alaska roll, Erin got pad thai and the crazy maki and the spicy tuna roll, and I got avocado shrimp and the spicy scallop roll. I have had the spicy scallop roll at a few restaurants, so I felt comfortable getting it even though the menu had no description of it. Bad choice. This is what I got...

Yeah. That's topped with eel. EEL! They should definitely alert you when eel will be tagging along with your other (tastier) sushi. The inside was a scallop tempura that was not spicy at all. I felt horrible about it, but I picked all of the eel off the top. Note to self: ask questions if the menu has no description.

Avocado shrimp

Tempure temple

Crazy and spicy tuna rolls

My avocado shrimp was kind of a let down. It is jumbo shrimp wrapped in philo dough "nests" and fried. The avocado sauce was just plain avocado whipped up with maybe a little cream. There wasn't much favor, so I started dipping them in the dumpling sauce.

Heidi's tempura looked good. It came in the fancy shape of an Aztec temple of sorts. Aside from the giant slabs of tofu that were included, she was pleased.

The other rolls were great, no eel creeped into them. Or onto them....or near them.

Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole

And the cold continues....

Late last night I was pretty sure I had strep, because for me to actually have the common cold is bizarre. Whenever I get a cough it immediately turns into strep or bronchitis. Nope, this time it's a cold. I think I'd rather have strep...

I've been in a veggie mood lately and have been waiting to make this dish. I modified this dish from the recipe, which was already pretty modified from the original recipe. It came out pretty good. It gives you the flavors of a veggie enchilada, but isn't as heavy.

Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
from this blog


1 poblano pepper, cut into matchsticks (no poblanos at the market, I used 3 small yellow chiles)
1 red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
1 onion, halved and cut into slivers
1 roasting potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 cup corn kernels or 1 (15oz) can corn kernels
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. cumin
salt and pepper
9-10 corn tortilla, torn into pieces
2 cups enchilada sauce (or salsa)
2 cups shredded mexican cheese (or any kind you like)

1. Preheat oven to 425. Oil a large rimmed baking sheet.
2. Place peppers, poblano, onion, potatoes and corn on the baking sheet. Toss with olive oil. Sprinkle with cumin, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
3. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until veggies get tender and start to brown. Stir the veggies every 10 minutes or so for even roasting. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 350.
4. Grease a 9x9x2 baking dish. Pour 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the dish and cover with some of the tortilla pieces. Spoon half of the veggies on top and cover with half of the cheese. Repeat the sauce, tortillas, veggies and end with the remaining cheese.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

So good.

Apple Turnovers

Happy Apple Turnover Day!

Today was also the first day of summer school, and the day that Casey Anthony was found not guilty. Florida, you can just detach yourself from the U.S. and sink in the ocean. Take Casey with you.

Leave behind my cousins, though. Thanks.

I also have a cold that I brought back on my coast-to-coast travels. Thanks Kimberly! (JK, it's worth it!) I promise to those who sampled my turnovers that they are germ free!

Apple Turnovers
modified from here

2 tbsp. lemon juice
4 cups water
3 granny smith apples
2 tbsp. butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. water
1 pkg. (17.25 oz) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners sugar
2-3 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 400. Mix the lemon juice and 4 cups of water in a large bowl. Peel, core and slice the apples and place them in the water bowl, this will keep the apples from browning.
2. Lay out your puff pastry sheets and make sure they are square, trimming as needed. Cut each sheet into 4 equal squares, leaving you with 8 squares.
3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain the apples and add to the skillet, stirring and cooking for 2 minutes. Add brown sugar and cinnamon; cook and stir another 2 minutes.
4. Combine the water and cornstarch in a small bowl and add to skillet; mix well. Stir and cook another minute or until sauce thickens.
5. Spoon some apples into the center of each pastry square. Fold across from corner to corner and seal edges.
6. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until pastry has risen and is golden brown.
7. Remove from oven and let cool completely before glazing.
8. To make the glaze: Combine sugar, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk at a time. Mix in between each addition of milk until desired consistency is reached (I used about 3 and a half tbsps of milk).
9. Drizzle glaze over turnovers and eat!

Note: This was my first time using puff pastry. I am also really bad at sealing edges...so do it neater and tighter than I did.

I hate these apple corer-slicer contraptions

Slices

MMMM

Ready for filling

Ready for folding

Ready for baking

Glaze

Puffy and spilling over, but yummy

 My dear friend Jaime gave me a bag of her old Food Network magazines. I, in turn, gave her some turnovers. Hope they were good! Now I'm off to scavenge for new recipes.

Cali Chronicles: Finale

I am home from Cali and have been for a day. I came home to my dog, the humidity, and a cold. Great.

Friday night, Bryan and I went to dinner. It must have been my lucky day, because not only did I get the Grilled Cheese Truck, but we went to Umami Burger for dinner. Those were my top 2 places I wanted to eat at, and we did them both in one day. Umami Burger has a few locations, and we went to the one that's in "Urban", meaning it's next to the giant Urban Outfitters. I have seen Umami Burger on more than one show between the Food Network and The Cooking Channel. The one in Urban is a pretty small place with a pretty small menu, but it's as good as they say. We ate semi-early, so we beat the crowd. I got the Port & Stilton Burger, which has exactly that on it, Stilton cheese and caramelized onions soaked in port. It was just the right size. I really hate when restaurants give you a massive, overcooked burger that you're never going to finish. Burgers, in my opinion, are not a good leftover food. We also got a side of smushed potatoes, which are yellow creamer potatoes that are baked and smushed. Delish. Top it off with a Kirin Ichiban beer and we were good to go.

Branded

Smushed Potatoes

We then went to Lola's. a swanky little martini bar that has over 50 martinis. I didn't get a martini, I behaved myself and stuck with Stella Artois, my beer of choice for the week. The party was fun, but it's a bar with 3 small rooms and our room was loud, crowded and hot. After a while, drinking just made everyone feel hotter and stickier, and our group disbanded and headed home. Bryan and Alex had a tee time to be up for in the morning.

While the boys golfed Saturday morning, I went to brunch with Kimberly and Becky at Bottega Louie. Becky knows that guy that runs the place and she hostesses a couple days a week. I wish I had had dinner there, as the dinner menu looked really good. We started with some mini muffins...and when I say mini, I mean mini.

After that, I got the Burrata and Pancetta Scramble. It was scrambled eggs with pancetta and cremini mushrooms, topped with burata mozzarella (which is the best mozz). Kimberly got the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, and Becky got scrambled eggs with bacon and potatoes. I got to try a little bit of everything, and everything was gooooooood.

We grabbed some pastries on the way out. Now, I really wish I had a good camera, as the glare on the dessert case showed up too much on my phone. Their pastries are PHENOMENAL. They have those ritzy, beautiful pastries that one can only dream of. Yes, I sometimes dream of pastries. I got some assorted macarons (which I ate for the first time), I got a chocolate peanut butter terrine for Bryan, and Kimberly and I got a Chocolate Raspberry Tart and this chocolate cupcake that had chocolate frosting with big sugar granules on top and the cupcake was filled with salted caramel. I NEED MORE.

Saturday finished up with me, Bryan, Alex, Kimberly, Dave, and Kennedy going out for sushi at Kabuki. I went there the last time I was out in L.A. and it remains my favorite sushi place for octopus. We had all sorts of crazy rolls and some sake. We headed next door to the coolest bar/cafe I have ever been in. It's called Cafe Was, and the inside reminded me of a mix of some vinatge-y, shabby chic-ish, Victorian era place. The walls had different wallpapers that looked like they started to strip the walls to reveal a different wallpaper underneath. It had antique lamps and half of paintings hanging on the wall. The bartender knew his libations, and made me this crazy drink that was very delicious and organic tasting. We ended up going back to the apartment for some balcony beer pong and hilariousness.

My final farewell was a breakfast at the Kings Road Cafe, where I got Eggs Benedict served over a croissant. That makes two benny dishes for me served over unusual things. I then headed off the airport for some annoyance and close calls for my flights.

I am happy to be home, but sad to leave the dry heat and wonderful undiscovered restaurants back in Hollywood. Til next time....

Cali Chronicles: Take 7

We left off with me heading out on a great adventure yesterday. Well, yesterday's adventure failed and I remained sad, yet hopeful. What was this perilous journey/adventure, you ask? I set off to find The Grilled Cheese Truck. It was supposedly half a mile away from me...but nay. It was not. I walked back to the apartment, head hung low, but with Pho to go in my hand. All was not lost....and I had some great pho. If you don't know what pho is, it's a Vietnamese noodle soup, that you add veggies and meats to. There is a new place, appropriately called "Pho" that opened at the end of Bryan's block. They give you a bucket of broth (mini bucket), and put your veggies on the side so you can add what you like. I got a veggie wonton pho, so my wontons were on the side as well, with a little packet of sriracha, which is essential for good pho.

read more about pho here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ph%E1%BB%9F

Bryan and I met up with some friends for dinner at Truxton's, which is this bistro near the IMAX theater.

 

Bryan and I got some taquitos and monkey bread to start, and then I got the Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Penne. It was good, but not spicy, at all. We then headed to the IMAX theater to see Transformers in 3D. I have not seen the first two Transformers, nor do I ever really care to. The last memory I have of Transformers is watching the cartoon when I was maybe 6. The movie was great, but I think it was because it was in 3D....and Josh Duhamel was in it.

Bryan went to work this morning for a couple of hours and then, being the great brother that he is, he came back early so we could hunt down the Truck. Today, the Truck was on Sunset at the Children's Hospital. We found it and jumped in line.

It's like Christmas when you see it...

Getting closer...

And closer....

Yesss grilled cheese

LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, I completed my goal of finding the Grilled Cheese Truck and eating their food.Bryan and I got the same thing. I may never see the Truck again, so I went with the yummiest and unhealthiest sandwich they had - the Cheesy Mac & Rib. It's macaroni and cheese with BBQ pulled pork and caramelized onions with cheddar on french bread. It's flipping amazing. Worth the 45 minute wait in the temperature climbing heat. There was also a truck parked next to it that I felt really bad for. No one got their food. Don't park next to the Grilled Cheese Truck.

Lesson learned Country Chuck Wagon.

Notice the bite I took because I couldn't wait.

Oh, I almost forgot...we parked in front of Tom Cruise's house.

L.A. Church of Scientology

 After eating, Bryan and I did what most people do after eating grilled cheese...we went to the driving range. I have never golfed before, unless you count mini golf (which I do). I wasn't all that bad. I maybe drove the ball 75 feet, but I can hit it straight. It was also 95 degrees in Studio City, but they had water sprayers on at the range. We were going to play a par 3 course (Bryan thought I could handle it), but there were a lot of people in front of us, so we went home and laid by the pool instead. Now I'm getting ready for dinner and a going away party for a friend of Bryan's.