tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309803202024-03-08T06:24:44.853-08:00Yuzu EatsJoin me in my adventures in eating, cooking and food-inspired crafting!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-30249193636267840412008-10-20T11:41:00.000-07:002008-10-20T15:52:58.727-07:00Afternoon Tea at Jin Patisserie<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51yxH7%2BZVYL._SS500_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51yxH7%2BZVYL._SL500_SS75_.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:80;"><b>Yuzu is Reading</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/One-Fifth-Avenue-Candace-Bushnell/dp/1401301614/" target="_blank"><b>One Fifth Avenue</b></a><br />Candace Bushnell</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />A coworker and I lunched at Venice's <a href="http://www.jinpatisserie.com/" target="_blank">Jin Patisserie</a> last week. It took us just over ten minutes to drive there, and we scored street parking right in front of the eatery. There were two showers (one bridal, one baby) going on, so seating was very limited. We ended up sitting on two mismatched chairs with five little "stools" pushed together to comprise our table. Although we had no umbrella to shade us from the sun, we were fortunate to sit by some lovely bamboo which kept us sunburn-free.<br /><br />We both ordered the Afternoon Tea ($19) as it was our first time eating there, and we wanted a decent sampling of what Jin has to offer. The meal comes with a pot of infused tea of your choice — I went with the Péché Mignon because I like sweet teas. It's a Chinese green tea flavored with peach, passion fruit, melon and wild strawberry. It tasted yummy and fruity, and I didn't even have to add sugar to sweeten it up. A short while after receiving our teapots, our meals came out.<br /><br />The set we got that day came with two egg-salad finger sandwiches, mini mushroom & spinach quiche, tiny macaron, two bite-size cakes, two mini scones w/jam and clotted cream, slice of butter cake, mascarpone & peach parfait and a caramel clove chocolate. As you can see, the sweets outweighed the savories. Three savory pieces and eight sweets? As much as I like sweets in small doses, I wish there was a better balance.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/jinpatisserie_afternoontea.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/jinpatisserie_afternoontea.jpg" border="1" height="452" width="375" /></a></div><br />Not surprisingly, neither of us finished our sweets, so we packed them up to take with us. Before heading back to the office, I <em>had</em> to pick up a box of the much-blogged-about macarons. I went with a pack of eight and asked for a variety with no repeats — there were 10 flavors available.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/jinpatisserie_macarons.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/jinpatisserie_macarons.jpg" border="1" height="354" width="375" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2008 Yuzu Eats; Jin logo © Jin Patisserie</span></div><br />I later discovered that the woman packed two caramel macarons, both of which were cracked and oozing caramel filling inside the pretty box. And I have no idea which flavors I missed out on. I made it through the box of macarons in several sittings, with help of my three-year-old niece who loves gulping down pretty macarons like nobody's business. My favorites: vanilla, strawberry and pistachio. Lemon was good as well. Chocolate was okay. Caramel is a never-again. The verdict on Jin's macarons? Way better than <a href="http://yuzueats.blogspot.com/2008/08/macarons-from-cake-house.html" target="_blank">Cake House</a>'s, and <em>almost</em> as good as <a href="http://yuzueats.blogspot.com/2007/10/bouchon-bakery.html" target="_blank">Bouchon</a>'s.<br /><br />I would definitely eat at Jin again and maybe try the Lunch Set next time. The savories offered with this particular Afternoon Tea were really tasty, but I'm a carnivore and would've liked something with chicken or fish. So in the future I'll order a sandwich with chicken, prosciutto, shrimp or salmon.<br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">Jin Patisserie<br />1202 Abbot Kinney Blvd.<br />Venice, CA 90291<br />(310) 399-8801</span></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-77588820610347081072008-10-09T11:38:00.000-07:002008-10-10T12:43:13.273-07:00Autumnal Cookies<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31gxjqV7HcL._SL500_AA180_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31gxjqV7HcL._SL500_SS75_.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:80%;"><b>Yuzu is Reading</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nick-Norahs-Infinite-Playlist-Rachel/dp/037584614X/" target="_blank"><b>Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist</b></a><br />Rachel Cohn & David Levithan</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I have been out sick most of this week. Some virus has been making the rounds through my office, as several other coworkers have been calling in sick as well. I've been in my pajamas for the past couple of days. Watched a lot of daytime TV. Surprisingly didn't do any crafting or much reading (I'm too lazy and tired to make an effort with anything).<br /><br />Last weekend, however, I baked some cookies to welcome the season of autumn. They're plain sugar cookies with a festive touch — green & brown sprinkles and orange candy pumpkins that sort'a look like hearts.<br /><br /><div align="center"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/autumn_sugar_cookies.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2008 Yuzu Eats</span></span></div><br />We're still experiencing a bit of a heatwave in southern California. Temperatures are higher than normal. It was cloudy and rained for a split second last weekend, but it's back to hot, sunny days again. I wish it would quit being so hot!<br>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-29087449423348798332008-09-30T16:31:00.000-07:002008-09-30T16:44:49.801-07:00Felt Macaron Plushies<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512FOL6EQGL._SS500_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511tgW3wdAL._SL500_SS75_.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:80%;"><b>Yuzu is Watching</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gavin-Stacey-Complete-BBC-1/dp/B000VA3J52/" target="_blank"><b>Gavin & Stacey: Complete BBC Series 1</b></a><br />Mathew Horne, Joanna Page, Ruth Jones, James Corden</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Motivated by my fascination with macarons, I had the need to make some of my own last month. Not edible ones, of course. Just macarons sewn by hand. :) I used sheets of acrylic felt, of which I have an abundance, to make the food plushies. Below are raspberry, original (almond) and chocolate flavors. Their sizes are true to life.<br /><br /><div align="center"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/felt_macarons.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2008 Yuzu Eats</span></span></div><br />It's officially autumn now, but the weather is much like that of midsummer. This week we're having temps of 80-100ºF (25-40ºC). As much as I love the longer days of summertime, I'm done with the heat. I want it to get cold already! I feel like baking pumpkin bread or something autumny like that.<br>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-73076099722086534262008-08-21T11:15:00.000-07:002008-08-25T15:53:08.512-07:00Macarons from Cake House<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/61%2BrX%2BcORqL._SS500_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61%2BrX%2BcORqL._SL500_SS75_.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Yuzu is Listening To</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spring-Awakening-2006-Original-Broadway/dp/B000J3FBFC/" target="_blank"><b>Spring Awakening</b></a><br />2006 Original Broadway Cast<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div align="center"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/cakehouse_macarons.jpg" border="1" height="350" width="268" /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2008 Yuzu Eats</span></div><br /><p>A couple of workmates and I went to lunch on Sawtelle Boulevard in West L.A., where there is an abundance of Japanese restaurants and stores carrying cute knickknacks. After spending an hour (or two) browsing the shops, we felt it was time for dessert. So we made our way to <a href="http://www.muginohousa.com/" target="_blank">Beard Papa</a>. But before crossing the street, I spied some colorful macarons in a bakery window. I rarely get to eat macarons because they're not widely available, and I have to drive far (or fly to New York) to eat some. So I was quite pleased that a Korean bakery named Cake House offered them in their shop. I bought four macarons at $1.50 each — chocolate, lemon, raspberry and green tea — and later enjoyed them with my little niece. Verdict? The chocolate was yummy, as was the green tea (you can really taste the matcha), but the raspberry and lemon ones were rather dry. Perhaps this is because the macarons are not baked on the premises, so who knows how fresh they are when they're sold?<br /></p><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/more_cakehouse_macarons.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /></span></div><br />Later that day, I realized there's a Cake House in Buena Park, so much closer to me than the one I visited off of Sawtelle. Apparently, I had been driving past this bakery in Orange County every day, never knowing it existed because it's nestled in a strip mall next to a Ralphs supermarket. One would never expect to find macarons near Ralphs, after all.<br /><br />The day after I visited the L.A. location, I made a quick trip to the Buena Park Cake House after work and purchased every flavor macaron they had available — coffee, chocolate, raspberry, lemon, green tea and blueberry. I shared them with my mom and dad, who enjoyed them with a cup of hot green tea. The blueberry macaron (which my mom thought would've been taro-flavored) didn't taste much like blueberry. It was more like a plain macaron with blue food coloring. The other flavors tasted the same as they did before. I didn't try the coffee one, as I gave it to my dad, the coffee addict.<br /><br />I much prefer the Orange County location to the L.A. one because, for one thing, it's much bigger. The shop has tables in the back that you can sit at and hang out with friends. The baked goods, with the exception of the cakes and fancy pastries, are available for customers to just grab and place them in plastic basket trays to bring up to the counter for checkout. I'm glad I got to try the various macarons Cake House has to offer, but they sure don't beat the yumminess that is <a href="http://yuzueats.blogspot.com/2007/10/bouchon-bakery.html" target="_blank">Bouchon Bakery's macaron</a>.<br /><blockquote><table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td valign="top"><span style="font-size:85%;">Cake House<br />11301 Olympic Blvd.<br />Los Angeles, CA 90064<br />(310) 914 0404</span></td><td valign="top"><span style="font-size:85%;">Cake House<br />5410 Beach Blvd.<br />Buena Park, CA 90621<br />(714) 522-0101</span></td></tr></tbody></table></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-68736535552035555222008-08-21T11:08:00.000-07:002008-08-21T11:41:35.877-07:00Green Tea Bag<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0811856526/ref=sib_dp_pop_fc?ie=UTF8&p=S001#reader-link" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ar61RauVL._SL500_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_OU01_SS75_.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:80%;"><b>Yuzu is Reading</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Softies-Simple-Instructions-Plush-Pals/dp/0811856526" target="_blank"><b>Softies: Simple Instructions for 25 Plush Pals</b></a><br />Therese Laskey</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><em>Yawn</em>...I am so sleepy from staying up past 1:00 a.m. every night watching the Summer Olympics. They are addicting! I'm going to miss the games when they're over. :(<br /><br />I picked up the <em>Softies</em> book above when I went to Borders during my lunch break earlier in the week. I had been eyeing it for a long time, and after perusing it from cover to cover, I finally took it home with me. There are just so many cute projects in there! I started with something quick and simple — the green tea bag.<br /><br /><div align="center"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/matcha_teabag.jpg" border="1" height="350" width="268" /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2008 Yuzu Eats</span></span></div><br />This is the tiniest thing I've sewn on a sewing machine. Normally I screw things up so badly on the machine when trying to sew something small, that I resort to sewing it by hand. But this was a win! I'm now looking through my Aranzi Aronzo books to see if maybe I'll try something in those...or make another plushy from this book.<br>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-40223225472455708952008-08-04T13:40:00.000-07:002008-08-04T14:21:09.313-07:00Strawberry Hello Kitty<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ukn0hIueL._SL500_BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_OU01_AA240_SH20_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ukn0hIueL._SL500_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_OU01_SS75_.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:80%;"><b>Yuzu is Reading</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seer-Shadows-Avi/dp/0060000155/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217882304&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><b>The Seer of Shadows</b></a><br />Avi</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Strawberries are food. So a crocheted strawberry Hello Kitty is food-inspired craftiness. :D I made this amigurumi a couple of weeks ago. As with a lot of the plushies I make, my niece got her little hands on the kitty as soon as I finished it. This is the first Hello Kitty I've crocheted, and I'm amazed at how easy it was!<br /><br /><div align="center"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/ami_hk_strwbry.jpg" border="1" height="350" width="268" /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2008 Yuzu Eats</span></span></div><br />Ever since I read <a href="http://www.susanrunholt.com/characters.html" target="_blank"><em>The Mystery of the Third Lucretia</em></a>, I've been on the lookout for new mystery/suspense books in the juvenile section of the library. I picked up the book noted above, and so far it's interesting enough to keep me reading. I'm also slowly working my way through the rest of the Narnia series (by listening to the audio books during my commute). A little less than three to go.<br>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-12621904426990234882008-07-21T12:27:00.000-07:002008-07-21T13:06:52.540-07:00Crocheted Cupcakes<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/lucretia_cover.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/lucretia_cover.jpg" height=60 width=40 border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:80%;"><b>Yuzu Just Finished Reading</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Third-Lucretia-Susan-Runholt/dp/0670062529/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216668626&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><b>The Mystery of the Third Lucretia</b></a><br />Susan Runholt</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I crocheted a couple of cupcakes last week using this <a href="http://amigurumipatterns.blogspot.com/2007/05/cupcake.html" target="_blank">pattern</a>. They're chocolate-strawberry and red velvet, and they're just slightly smaller than real-life cupcakes. The first cupcake has a vanilla flower on top, and the other has a chocolate flower. I used worsted-weight, 100% wool yarn and Swarovski crystals. They turned out kind'a cute, and I'll probably end up making more. They're really quick to make (save for the sewing parts).<br /><br /><div align="center"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/ami_cupcakes.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2008 Yuzu Eats</span></span></div><br />I just finished reading a young-adult mystery novel called <a href="http://www.susanrunholt.com/characters.html" target="_blank"><em>The Mystery of the Third Lucretia</em></a>, which I really enjoyed. It takes you through the streets of London, Paris and Amsterdam along with two teenage girls who uncover, well, a mystery. ;P If you like Dutch art, European travel, or books about friendship and mother/daughter relationships, this is a good read. I also liked reading about the food the girls eat while dining out in Europe.<br>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-66890123316032837132008-07-14T10:29:00.000-07:002008-07-14T11:51:19.383-07:00Un-Macarons for Bastille Day<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51bweDjWHkL._SS500_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51bweDjWHkL._SL500_SS75_.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:80%;"><b>Yuzu is Listening To</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Narnia-Prince-Caspian/dp/B0015HZAP2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1216058279&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><b>The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian</b></a><br />Harry Gregson-Williams</td></tr></tbody></table><br />In celebration of France's national holiday, I brought some wannabe French treats to work today. Almost everyone knows of France's famous little sweet, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaron" target="_blank">macaron</a>. Inspired by My Paper Crane's <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mypapercrane/2352353861/" target="_blank">wannabe macarons</a>, I baked my own version of the treat.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/faux_macarons.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/faux_macarons.jpg" border="1" height="400" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2008 Yuzu Eats</span></span></div><br />They're sugar cookies sandwiched together with frosting. The brown ones are chocolate, the pink are raspberry, the green are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandanus_amaryllifolius" target="_blank">pandan</a>, the yellow are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuzu" target="_blank">yuzu</a>, and the violet and teal ones are almond-flavored (I ran out of other flavorings, although ube would've been cool for violet). With the exception of the chocolate "macarons", I used bottles of pure extracts to flavor the cookies and frosting. I cheated on the frosting and used the store-bought kind, but I changed the flavor up a bit to match the cookies I paired them with. The longest step in the process was mixing the food coloring to get each section of cookie dough (and frosting) the right color, but I'm really happy with how colorful and flavorful these turned out.<br>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-33904939505941429382008-05-08T08:00:00.000-07:002008-07-21T12:55:55.421-07:00Faux Chocolate Truffles<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51wSCVq3UWL._SS500_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51wSCVq3UWL._SL500_SS75_.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:80%;"><b>Yuzu is Watching</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hairspray-Widescreen-John-Travolta/dp/B000W4KT6E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1210233184&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><b>Hairspray</b></a><br />John Travolta, Michelle Pffeifer, Queen Latifah and Zac Efron</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Sorry, not a <em>real</em> food post again. =P I made more crocheted food to share with you! These little truffles were inspired by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/pukashell/" target="_blank">Pukashell</a>'s adorable little bon bons. I wanted to crochet something super quick and easy, and this trio of truffles fits the bill.<br /><br /><div align="center"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/ami_truffletrio.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2008 Yuzu Eats</span></span></div><br />I bought 'puffy' paint (which I probably hadn't used since junior high school) at <a href="http://www.michaels.com" target="_blank">Michaels</a> and used it to add the drizzle effect on the tops. The flavors are (clockwise from the top) raspberry white chocolate, lemon with milk chocolate, and chocolate strawberry. Yum! <br>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-24459601973636063282008-04-28T10:32:00.000-07:002008-07-21T12:55:55.422-07:00Strawberry Pudding...Sort Of<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51IeXBi2ehL._SS500_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51IeXBi2ehL._SL500_SS75_.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:80%;"><b>Yuzu is Reading</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Northanger-Abbey-Barnes-Noble-Classics/dp/1593083807/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209404361&sr=1-5" target="_blank"><b>Northanger Abbey</b></a><br />Jane Austen</td></tr></tbody></table><br />This is a food journal, and while this doesn't technically qualify as 'food', it's a likeness of food. :) So I thought I'd post it. I've made several food-related crafts over the years, and hopefully I'll keep making more.<br /><br /><div align="center"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/ichigo_pudding.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2008 Yuzu Eats</span></span></div><br />It was so hot out this past weekend, I spent most of my time indoors. To pass the time while watching television, I crocheted this strawberry pudding. It looks kind of like a miniature flan. My favorite part is the teensy strawberry on top of its head. :)<br>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-90396605895022830712008-04-03T12:45:00.000-07:002008-04-04T16:58:24.997-07:00Cupcakes for My Sister<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/418gWRlVW8L._SL160_AA115_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/418gWRlVW8L._SL160_AA115_.jpg" height=70 width=70 border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:80%;"><b>Yuzu is Reading</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Without-You-Memoir-Love-Musical/dp/0743269764/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207003870&sr=8-2" target="_blank"><b>Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent</b></a><br />Anthony Rapp</td></tr></tbody></table><br />My sister's birthday was last week. She'd just given birth to her second daughter the day before. As we awaited their return home from the hospital, I baked cupcakes to celebrate both birthdays. I was babysitting my two-year-old niece at the time, so I didn't want to fuss with a bunch of ingredients. Thank goodness for boxed cake mixes. Vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting...mmm!<br /><br /><div align="center"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/strawberrytop_cupcakes.jpg" border="1" height="350" width="268" /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2008 Yuzu Eats</span></span></div><br />My sister likes her cupcakes simple. So I didn't pipe the frosting or cover the tops with sprinkles. Instead, I used an offset spatula to spread the frosting, and I topped the cakes with sliced strawberries. They came out quite tasty, and my sister liked them a lot. Mission completion!<br>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-46519228252050314852008-03-20T15:40:00.000-07:002008-04-04T16:57:26.422-07:00Spaghetti is Yummy<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51aqb3oov0L._SS500_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51aqb3oov0L._SS75_.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:80%;"><b>Yuzu is Watching</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Jane-Anne-Hathaway/dp/B000ZIZ0RA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1206054957&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><b>Becoming Jane</b></a><br />Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy, Julie Walters, James Cromwell, Maggie Smith</td></tr></tbody></table><br />After church on Sunday, I swung by the grocery store to pick up some ground beef, onions, grape tomatoes and basil (the only ingredients I was lacking at home) to cook spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. I've only made homemade tomato sauce a few times, and I find that using a good jarred sauce saves so much time and tastes just as good. I didn't even use a recipe for the meatballs — I just eyeballed all the ingredients as I tossed them into the large bowl to mush the meat with my hands. The eyeballing worked well, because the meatballs were juicy and delicious!<br /><br /><div align="center"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/spaghetti_meatballs.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2008 Yuzu Eats</span></span></div><br />I bought a large container of fresh basil leaves and totally went crazy with it when I fixed my bowl. I took a few leaves and tore them over my warm pasta. I know basil has quite a strong, peppery flavor and is probably best used moderately. But I always put a lot of freshly ground pepper on everything I eat anyway, so what harm is there in adding even <em>more</em> peppery goodness?<br>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-32700110114744768912008-01-30T12:45:00.000-08:002008-01-30T13:23:06.891-08:00Bakery Tour at Disney's California Adventure<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515FH2goikL._SS400_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515FH2goikL._SS75_.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:80%;"><b>Yuzu is Listening To</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Undiscovered-James-Morrison/dp/B000MGUZ9I/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-2839765-2427056?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1190326391&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><b>Under the Blacklight</b></a><br />Rilo Kiley</td></tr></tbody></table>On one of several trips to the Magic Kingdom this month, I took some photos of the <a href="http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/parks/attractions/detail?name=BoudinBakeryAttractionPage" target="_blank">Bakery Tour by Boudin<tt>®</tt> Bakery</a> at <a href="http://disneyland.disney.go.com/" target="_blank">Disney's California Adventure</a> theme park. In all the years that I've been going to the Disneyland Resort, I didn't even realize this tour existed.<br /><br /><div align="center"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/boudin_bowls.jpg" border="1" height="354" width="300" /></div><br /><span class="fullpost">There's a process that Boudin's been using for over 150 years to make their famous sourdough bread. I wasn't really paying attention to the video that was playing overhead as I walked through the tour because I was busy trying to take indoor pictures from behind the glass while munching on the free sourdough bread samples they gave me when I first entered the tour. Isn't it cute how there are Mickey Mouse-shaped heads throughout the bakery? Disney has to leave their mark on everything, after all.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Click for a closer look<br><a href="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/boudin_bakery_tour.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/boudin_bakery_tour.jpg" width=375 height=303 border="1"/></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2008 Yuzu Eats</span></div><br />After the sourdough breads are done, they're brought over to the kitchen where someone slices into the tops to turn them into bread bowls. Then they're ready to fill with a variety of delicious soups served up in the theme park. The next time you find yourself in a Disney theme park, you have to try a soup bread bowl (especially the clam chowder bowls served in New Orleans Square at Disneyland). They're quite yummy, and they're definitely a nice break from typical amusement-park food.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-79433981690898477212007-12-18T13:42:00.000-08:002007-12-18T13:51:06.059-08:00Caprese Tartlets<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51pCvA6k1yL._SS500_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51pCvA6k1yL._SS75_.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:80%;"><b>Yuzu is Watching</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/December-Boys-Daniel-Radcliffe/dp/B000XFVIN0/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1198012645&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><b>December Boys</b></a><br />Daniel Radcliffe, Lee Cormie, Christian Byers, James Fraser</td></tr></tbody></table><br />My department had a holiday pot luck today at work. If I ever bring food to share with coworkers, it's almost always something sweet. But I opted for the savory this time because I figured there'd be a lot of sweets already. We've been receiving baskets of muffins, cookies, chocolate and fruit from various vendors. I'm kind'a sugar'd out...and it's not even Christmas yet!<br /><br />I woke up early this morning to bake something I came up with while I was grocery shopping over the weekend. I knew I wanted to make something very simple with very few ingredients. And, well, here's my contribution to the department pot luck.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/caprese_tartlets.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/caprese_tartlets.jpg" border="1" height="382" width="375" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2007 Yuzu Eats</span></span></div><br />I used crescent-roll dough to create little shells and filled them with shredded mozzarella, diced tomatoes, fresh basil and freshly ground pepper. I baked them in a mini-muffin pan for eight minutes in a 375ºF oven, and the result was four dozen little caprese-style tartlets.* Kind of a nice festive snack for the holidays!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*Or you can call them what they look like — mini pizzas.</span><br>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-23435353753554310692007-12-12T17:43:00.000-08:002007-12-13T17:23:22.390-08:00Tiny Thai for the Solo Diner<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HAtvD7mYL._SS500_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/11QZFJ2FFoL.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:80%;"><b>Yuzu is Listening To</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jersey-Boys-2005-Original-Broadway/dp/B000BFH2QY/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-4011669-8911225?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1193770906&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><b>Jersey Boys (2005 Original Broadway Cast)</b></a><br />John Lloyd Young, Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard, J. Robert Spencer</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I have been craving Thai food lately. So much so that I made the mistake of ordering the Thai chicken pasta at <a href="http://www.cheesecakefactory.com/" target="_blank"><b>The Cheesecake Factory</b></a> this past weekend (a peanut-allergy sufferer's worst nightmare). It was like eating a jar of Skippy peanut butter, tossed with linguine, chicken-breast chunks, bean sprouts and a can of crushed peanuts. It wasn't <em>completely</em> horrible because I <em>do</em> like peanut butter, but I think it's a little heavy on the peanuts. I wish I took a picture of the plate when the server brought it over — peanuts ALL around the edge. A <u>lot</u> of them.<br /><br />From now on, I shall not let my current cravings dictate what I order if I'm not in the right establishment to order that particular food. Stick to what each restaurant does best, that's what I learned. Funnily enough, I already knew this a few months ago when I was in New York City and was craving Thai curry..<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">Dim lighting = blurry photo</span><br><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/tinythai_panang.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2007 Yuzu Eats</span></div><br />That right there is probably one of the best meals I've ever eaten. I don't know if it was because I was 3,000 miles away from home, and the stewy dish was comforting to me. But gosh...chicken panang curry from <a href="http://www.tinythainyc.com" target="_blank"><b>Tiny Thai Cafe</b></a>, you were delicious. It was sweet, slightly spicy, and light...all at the same time. The chicken breast was tender and absorbed the flavor of the curry very nicely. The curry juices mixed with steamed Jasmine rice — yum! I think coconut milk should be used in <em>every</em> dish. ;)<br /><br /><div align="center"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/tinythai_interior.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Original image from <a href="http://www.tinythainyc.com" target="_blank"><b>Tiny Thai</b></a></span></div><br />The restaurant, which is located in Manhattan's famous Hell's Kitchen, was difficult for me to spot at first. I must've walked by it two or three times before realizing it was there. The front of the restaurant is <em>that</em> small. Once inside, I was warmly greeted and seated at a table for two (for my party of one). I placed my order and was served my meal with a minimal wait. I ate dinner here before seeing a Broadway show (hooray for multiple viewings of <a href="http://www.siteforrent.com" target="_blank"><b>Rent</b></a>!). The restaurant is just far enough from the craziness of Times Square to not have the Broadway crowds, but it's close enough to only have to walk a few blocks to the various theaters. I am definitely going to eat here again when I go back to New York.<br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">Tiny Thai Cafe<br />693 9th Avenue (between 47th & 48th Sts.)<br />New York, NY 10036<br />(212) 265-2229</span></blockquote><br /><u>Notes to the solo diner</u>: <em>It's not a bad experience to eat at a restaurant all by yourself. Pick a time of day when a restaurant is less likely to be busy so that your servers will be more attentive to your table of one. And don't sit at the table near the window, because people on the street might point and laugh at you (kidding).</em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-39519893973347793622007-12-04T12:10:00.000-08:002007-12-04T12:49:18.310-08:00Green Tea Muffins<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51iSJEAP6OL._SS500_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51iSJEAP6OL._SS75_.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:80%;"><b>Yuzu is Watching</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rent-Rod-Arrants/dp/B000LXH0AY/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1196792750&sr=1-3" target="_blank"><b>Rent</b></a><br />Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Jesse L. Martin, Wilson Jermaine Heredia,<br>Idina Menzel, Taye Diggs, Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thoms</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I went to the ophthalmologist last week and found out I have a bacterial infection in both of my eyes, so I've been on antibiotic eye-drop medication for about six days now. I am back at work today, and so far my eyes are doing okay. I just can't strain them too much by reading a whole lot. So what am I doing? I'm blogging! ;P<br /><br />Picked up some green tea muffin mix at <a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/" target="_blank"><b>Trader Joe's</b></a> last week and baked them for my parents, who love to drink green tea. I'd tried them previously when someone baked them at work, but wanted to give them a go myself. I used my jumbo muffin pan for the first time, and the batter was the perfect amount to make six plump muffins. I added a few pinches of sugar to the mix because I personally like green tea a little sweet. The muffins came out yummy, moist and not very sweet at all. I think I found a good balance of sweetness because they were sweet enough for me (a sweet tooth), yet not too sweet for my parents (who aren't into sweets as much as I am).<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/greentea_muffins.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/greentea_muffins.jpg" border="1" height="382" width="375" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2007 Yuzu Eats</span></span></div><br />I finally watched <em>Rent</em>, the movie based on one of my most favorite Broadway musicals ever. I had really low expectations of it because you can never be too sure about stage-to-screen adaptations. But it was surprisingly good! I've watched it twice already. My <em>Rent</em> CDs are back in rotation after a few weeks' hiatus.<br>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-86538680927374269072007-11-27T14:40:00.000-08:002007-11-27T15:33:49.836-08:00Pumpkin Cake<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51zXJWMCkiL._SS500_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51zXJWMCkiL._SS75_.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:80%;"><b>Yuzu is Watching</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Knocked-Unrated-Widescreen-Seth-Rogen/dp/B000TZJBPQ/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1196203975&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><b>Knocked Up</b></a><br />Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl</td></tr></tbody></table>I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday last week! Did you eat good? I didn't eat as much as I expected to. The food was great, of course, but I guess I just wasn't in the mood for stuffing myself.<br /><br />For dessert, my mom baked her traditional walnut cherry cheese delight (which is basically a yummy cheesecake), and I baked something new. Pumpkin cake! Well, pumpkin <em>bars</em>, depending on how you slice it. I call it cake because it wasn't dense enough to be a bar, and it was so moist and delicious, it's pretty much like a cake!<br /><br /><div align="center"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/pumpkin_cake.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2007 Yuzu Eats</span></span></div><br /><span class="fullpost">The recipe for the cake/bar portion is courtesy of <a href="http://www.foodtv.com" target="_blank">Food Network</a>, with minor tweaking by yours truly. The frosting recipe is for my most favorite cream cheese frosting in the world. Try it — it's easy!<blockquote><em><u>Pumpkin Cake</u></em><br />4 eggs <br />1 2/3 cups granulated sugar<br />1 cup vegetable oil<br />1 15 oz. can pure pumpkin<br />2 cups sifted all-purpose flour<br />2 tsp. baking powder<br />2 tsp. ground cinnamon<br />1 tsp. salt <br />1 tsp. baking soda<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350ºF. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined, and batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 x 9" baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.<br /><br /><br />Frosting:<br />1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened<br />½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened<br />1/8 tsp. salt<br />3¾ cups sifted confectioners' sugar<br />½ teaspoon vanilla extract<br /><br />Cream the butter, cheese and salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugar gradually until smooth. Add vanilla extract and mix until incorporated. Spread onto cooled cake.<br></blockquote></span><br>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-52393814345457344952007-10-25T12:18:00.001-07:002007-10-25T11:35:06.272-07:00Rice To Riches<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/61%2BrX%2BcORqL._SS500_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/111Dv6R5kUL.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Yuzu is Listening To</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spring-Awakening-2006-Original-Broadway/dp/B000J3FBFC/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-5927696-8008632?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1191612008&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><b>Spring Awakening</b></a><br />2006 Original Broadway Cast<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spring-Awakening-2006-Original-Broadway/sim/B000J3FBFC/1/ref=pd_sexpl_s_m/103-5927696-8008632?ie=UTF8&pf=music" target="_blank">see related</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div align=center><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/ricetoriches1.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2007 Yuzu Eats</span></div><br />How have I managed to eat at this place several times and not once blogged about it? It's been in my links list since I started this blog. I first happened upon <a href="http://www.ricetoriches.com/frameset.php?content=/startpage.php" target="_blank"><b>Rice To Riches</b></a> three and a half years ago. <a href="http://www.eatdrinknbmerry.com/" target="_blank"><b>Eatdrink&bemerry</b></a> suggested I check the place out because...umm, we're Asian and we like rice. ;P But it's so much <em>more</em> than rice — it's all about rice pudding here.<br /><br /><span class="fullpost"><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/ricetoriches5.jpg" border="1" height="350" width="268" /></span></div><br />I've eaten here with friends, and I also took my parents here a couple of times. Mom and Dad seem to really like this place because a) their rice pudding is yummy, and b) their public restroom is probably the cleanest non-hotel restroom they've ever seen in New York City. Located right off Mulberry Street in NoLIta, Rice To Riches sticks out like a sore thumb on Spring Street with its futuristic, brushed-metal exterior. Upon entering the store, you see high, white tables shaped like surfboards (or maybe they're supposed to be like rice kernels) and flat-screen televisions displaying colorful, bizarre pop art that mostly has to do with food. I think I recall spotting a doggie on the screen one time, though. Sometimes the TVs display random definitions like <em>"SLEEP: a poor substitute for caffeine."</em><br><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">The ambiance is retro and modern at the same time.<br><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/ricetoriches2.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /></span></div><br />Rice To Riches makes their pudding right in the store, so you can be sure you're getting the freshest rice pudding available. Their flavors carry some interesting names that almost seem to give them their own personalities. Take, for instance, Stubborn Banana or Forbidden Apple. Or maybe you're in the mood for a Cinnamon Sling, Almond Shmalmond, Coconut Coma, Don' Cappuccino or perhaps even Sex, Drugs 'n' Rocky Road. Their puddings can be topped with anything from 'blessings' (toasted coconut) to 'mischief' (graham cracker crumbs). Pudding flavors and toppings vary throughout the year. My dad had a yummy mango pudding last year, but it wasn't there when I went a few weeks ago.<br><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">I'm so predictable — I get Understanding Vanilla every time.<br>It understands how boring I can sometimes be with flavor choices.<img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/ricetoriches4.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /></span></div><br />It's been a lot of restaurants' and stores' goals lately to be certified <em>green</em>. Using less plastic, more recycled paper and generating less waste in general is what many businesses are doing to help the environment. I've read complaints that the plastic containers in which Rice To Riches serves their rice pudding are not good for the environment. Nay, I say! Why throw away those containers after you're done stuffing your face with rice pudding? From the very first time I went to Rice To Riches, I vowed to save every container I've ever used. The second and third (and fourth) times I ate there, I asked for containers in specific colors because I wanted to complete my collection. I only have the 'solo' sizes, though...not the 'sumo' ones. =O<br><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">Their containers are really cute and quite durable, so<br>I save them and reuse 'em to carry snacks in my bag.<img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/ricetoriches3.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /></span></div><br />A word of caution: if you are watching your carb intake, it's best to steer clear of Rice To Riches. This place prides itself on being carb-heavy. There's a sign hanging over the cash register that says, <em>"We sell rice pudding. If you don't want that you can have rice pudding. And if you don't want that you can have rice pudding."</em> Rice pudding is pretty much all you get here. And that is totally fine with me.</span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">Rice To Riches<br />37 Spring Street (at Mulberry)<br />New York, NY 10012-5723<br />(212) 274-0008</span></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-49079753430205592412007-10-23T11:32:00.000-07:002007-10-23T12:04:09.558-07:00Master ChefLast year I blogged about a game for the Nintendo DS entitled <a href="http://yuzueats.blogspot.com/2006/08/cooking-mama.html" target="_blank"><em>Cooking Mama</em></a>. That was the game that made me actually go out and buy a pink Nintendo DS Lite. I still play the game every once in a while, but only if I'm completely and utterly bored. Don't get me wrong, it's a pretty fun game, but after I've cooked so many dishes on there, I'm worn out. ;P<br /><br /><div align="center"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/master_chef.jpg" border="0" /><br />©Imagine | Ubisoft</div><br /><a href="http://imagine.us.ubi.com/" target="_blank">Imagine</a> just released a new cooking game today called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000N2HF4E/ref=ord_cart_shr/103-5473232-7187051?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance" target="_blank"><em>Master Chef</em></a>. The game play is very similar to that of <em>Cooking Mama</em> in the sense that you use the DS's stylus to do various kitchen tasks, i.e., chop, peel, slice, knead, stir. But it goes beyond all the cooking mini-games by including features like kitchen challenges and cooking quizzes, and even the ability to customize your kitchen with appliances! Sounds like a sweet game to me. Now if only it was as low in price as <em>Cooking Mama</em> was.<br>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-88591870641258967722007-10-09T10:28:00.000-07:002007-10-09T10:28:16.950-07:00La Creperie CaféA great place to dine at on a sunny afternoon is <a href="http://www.lacreperiecafe.net" target="_blank"><b>La Creperie Café</b></a> in Belmont Shore. It's a French café that serves up a variety of delectable savory and sweet crêpes, as well as pastas, salads and sandwiches.<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">The front of the restaurant on Second Street<br /><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/lacreperie1.jpg" border="1" /><br /><br />The east-facing wall inside the restaurant<br /><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/lacreperie2.jpg" border="1" /><br /><br />A fake window on the west-facing wall inside<br /><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/lacreperie3.jpg" border="1" /><br /><br />Heh...a crazy bicycle stuck on the wall<br /><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/lacreperie4.jpg" border="1" /></span></div><br /><br />I always order a crêpe when I eat here. Their pastas and sandwiches are equally tasty, but I think at least one person at the table should order a crêpe, and that person usually ends up being me. Be sure to order a basket of garlic fries to share at the table — they are <em>so</em> yummy, with chopped parsley and real chunks of garlic to satisfy the taste buds.<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">You cannot have a meal here without the fries!<br /><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/garlic_fries.jpg" border="1" /><br /><br /><em>Au Bon Curry Crêpe</em><br />Curry, coconut milk, chicken breast and cilantro cream sauce,<br>topped with sour cream & mango chutney<br /><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/au_bon_curry_crepe.jpg" border="1" /><br />©2007 Yuzu Eats</span></div><br />The chicken breast pieces in the crêpe were a good size; actually, they were quite filling. The curry itself was tasty, but I could've done without the mango chutney. Don't get me wrong — I love mango stuff — but I felt that its sweetness tended to overpower the flavor of the curry. When I order a curry dish, I expect to mostly taste the curry. But, in this case, I tasted a whole lotta mango, and only a little bit of coconut milk and curry flavor. About halfway through eating the crêpe, I scraped the mango chutney off of it so that I could enjoy the curry. Not sure about the sour cream on top either. I enjoy sour cream with Mexican dishes, but I've never before had sour cream with curry. It's not an entirely bad combination ('cause it's hard for me to say no to sour cream) — it just caught me by surprise, that's all.<br /><br />The restaurant is relatively small, so expect a long wait. I've been seated immediately on a week night, but on weekends I've waited up to over an hour to get a table. Weekdays are generally less crowded, especially in the middle of the day when you can also take advantage of their smaller-sized lunch portions at lower prices. If you choose to dine outside, feel free to bring your dog. The major downside about eating outside is inhaling the secondhand smoke of diners who have cigarettes with their meal.<br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">La Crêperie Café<br />4911 E. Second St. (between Argonne and St. Joseph)<br />Long Beach, CA 90803<br />(562) 434-8499</span></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-24115203938824211092007-10-04T11:30:00.000-07:002007-10-09T10:29:15.159-07:00Bouchon Bakery<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000K3WR.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000K3WR.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Yuzu is Listening To</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00000K3WR/qid=1131946670/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/002-2819354-5572816?v=glance&s=music" target="_blank"><b>The Best Of Rent: Highlights From The Original Cast Album</b></a><br />Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Jesse L. Martin,<br />Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Fredi Walker, Idina Menzel, Taye Diggs<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/sim-explorer/explore-items/-/B00000K3WR/0/101/1/music/purchase/ref=pd_sexpl_x_m/002-2819354-5572816" target="_blank">see related</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div align=center><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/bouchon_bakery.jpg" border="1" height="348" width="400" /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2007 Yuzu Eats</span></div><br />When you grab a bite to eat at a shopping mall, you probably think Panda Express, Sbarro, Steak Escape, Hot Dog on a Stick and Cinnabon, right? That's not the case when you're shopping (or window-shopping) at the <a href="http://www.shopsatcolumbuscircle.com/" target="_blank"><b>Shops at Columbus Circle</b></a>, located inside the Time Warner Center in New York City. But then it's not like the malls most of us are used to, as the building complex is also the home of luxury condominiums, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and the worldwide headquarters of Time Warner. After attending Sunday Mass at a Catholic Church in the Upper West Side last weekend, I strolled down Columbus Avenue and made my way down to Columbus Circle. I went inside a few stores and looked around. But it wasn't until I hit up <a href="http://www.jcrew.com" target="_blank"><b>J.Crew</b></a> that I was finally able to buy a couple things that wouldn't break the bank. Hooray for "30% off" signage! I was feeling rather hungry after my non-shopping, so I went up to the third floor to check out the Bouchon Bakery, a restaurant I had read about but had never tried.<br /><br /><span class="fullpost"><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">The express counter had more customers than the actual restaurant.<br><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/bouchon_bakery_line.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /></span></div><br />On a late Sunday morning, you can expect that this place wasn't very crowded. A few couples sat at tables; some families partook in a boulangerie-style Sunday brunch. Since I was dining solo, I opted for the express counter, which serves up delightful sandwiches and a nice selection of freshly baked French pastries. I wanted to try the ham & cheese on a baguette, but someone snatched the last one, and it was going to be at least eight minutes until they brought out some more. So I went with my second choice, a ham & cheese croissant (yes, I do likes me some ham & cheese sammies). I also bought a brioche à tête and a vanilla macaron for dessert.<br /><br />It was a gorgeous day outside, so I took my food and ate it outside near the fountain surrounding Gaetano Russo's sculpture of Christopher Columbus, right smack in the middle of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Circle" target="_)blank"><b>Columbus Circle</b></a>. There were quite a few individuals sitting out on the benches, munching away on lunch and listening to their iPod<tt>®</tt>s or reading a book. I ate my ham & cheese croissant as I perused a <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/" target="_blank"><b>Williams-Sonoma</b></a> catalog. The croissant was perfectly flaky and buttery. The cheese was a bit rich, but it was still yummy. I didn't dig into the macaron until later that day after watching <a href="http://www.montypythonsspamalot.com/" target="_blank"><b><em>Monty Python's Spamalot</em></b></a> down at the Shubert Theatre. It was a nice after-theatre snack. I could really taste the almond flavor in it. The 2½" macaron was chewy, and the filling was rich and buttery. A few hours later, I ate the brioche before catching the evening show of <a href="http://www.springawakening.com/home.php" target="_blank"><b><em>Spring Awakening</em></b></a> at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. It tasted okay, but seemed a bit dry. Perhaps because I waited too long to eat it.<br><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/columbus_circle.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /></span></div><br />I'd recommend the Bouchon Bakery if you're not against spending around $7–10 for a simple sandwich (or more if you get something fancier). The atmosphere is a nice balance between upscale and casual [mall] dining. If your tummy's not in the mood for a meal, I think this place is worth at least a walk-by of the dessert counter. The way the treats are displayed so prettily will probably make you hungry.</span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">Bouchon Bakery (inside Time Warner Center)<br />10 Columbus Circle<br />New York, NY 10019<br />(212) 823-9366</span></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-24564825762009768532007-09-24T13:28:00.000-07:002007-09-24T20:16:13.218-07:00Miyabi-Tei on a Sunday<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/61xy7mmBGJL._SS500_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/11hhVsHhOJL.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Yuzu is Playing</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Arts-MySims/dp/B000PE0HCM/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-2839765-2427056?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1190592005&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><b>MySims</b></a><br />Electronic Arts<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Arts-MySims/sim/B000PE0HCM/1/ref=pd_sexpl_s_vg/103-2839765-2427056?ie=UTF8&pf=video%5Fgames" target="_blank">see related</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div align=center><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/miyabi-tei_hamburg2.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2007 Yuzu Eats</span></div><br /><p>My mom needed to go to a Japanese store to stock up on boxes of bagged green tea, so I said, "<a href="http://www.mitsuwa.com/index.html" target="_blank"><b>Mitsuwa Marketplace</b></a>!" I drove mom and dad to Costa Mesa yesterday to eat lunch and do some grocery shopping. Uhh...12:30 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon? <em>Not</em> the best time to eat there if you want to actually sit down at a table while enjoying your food. My dad was hovering over various tables, waiting for families to leave, while my mom and I ordered the food. We settled on Miyabi-Tei, which had the shortest line of all the eateries in the marketplace.<br /><br /><span class="fullpost">Almost every time we go to Mitsuwa, we end up ordering at Miyabi-Tei. Probably because it's usually got the shortest wait, but also because I really <em>do</em> like their food. I always get something different when I eat there. Last time I went I had a curry plate. Yesterday, however, I went with the Hamburg Plate ($6.25). It is seriously a bargain, with miso soup, mashed potato, a generous bowl of rice, and a hamburg steak served on a bed of lettuce & bean sprouts, and topped with caramelized onions, with a side of minced daikon.</p><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">I normally don't shove onions in my mouth, but these...I had to.<br><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/miyabi-tei_hamburg1.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /></span></div><br />This is probably the best hamburg I've tasted. Either that means it's really good, or I just haven't eaten a whole lot of hamburg steaks in my lifetime. The beef is relatively juicy (not in the least bit dry by my standards — whatever those are), and the flavor of the meat has a hint of sweetness. I don't know how they season it, but it's tasty. I have a recipe for hamburg that I'd like to try. I wonder if it'll taste anything at all like this one.</span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">Miyabi-Tei (inside Mitsuwa Marketplace)<br />665 Paularino Ave.<br />Costa Mesa, CA 92626<br />(714) 754-7044</span></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-72619109067546946802007-09-20T15:15:00.000-07:002007-09-24T20:18:11.128-07:00Mac 'N' Cheese Soup<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51SAKEc0HEL._SS500_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/11w8s%2BcAapL.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:80%;"><b>Yuzu is Listening To</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Undiscovered-James-Morrison/dp/B000MGUZ9I/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-2839765-2427056?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1190326391&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><b>Undiscovered</b></a><br />James Morrison<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Undiscovered-James-Morrison/sim/B000MGUZ9I/1/ref=pd_sexpl_s_m/103-2839765-2427056?ie=UTF8&pf=music" target="_blank">see related</a></td></tr></tbody></table>I left work after only a few hours today because I was feeling kind'a queasy all morning. I hadn't eaten anything for breakfast because I just wasn't feeling hungry, but I munched on half a muffin while I was at work. As soon as I got home I started making myself some soup. I normally make chicken noodle soup when I feel crappy, but I wanted something else. Something that's been a comfort food since I was a kid — mac 'n' cheese! I made a bit of a grown-up version in the form of a veggie mac 'n' cheese soup.<br /><br /><div align="center"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/macncheese_soup.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2007 Yuzu Eats</span></span></div><br /><span class="fullpost">If you're interested in a 'soupy' soup, this one isn't it. It's got a creamy texture, so it's kind of a cross between macaroni soup and traditional baked mac 'n' cheese.<blockquote><em><u>Mac 'N' Cheese Soup</u></em><br />1 can (14 oz.) reduced-sodium chicken broth<br />¾ cup small elbow macaroni<br />1 cup broccoli florets, chopped<br />1 large carrot, peeled and sliced<br />1 tbsp. all-purpose flour<br />¾ cup nonfat milk<br />½ cup shredded cheddar cheese<br />ground black pepper (optional)<br /><br />In a medium saucepan on high heat, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add macaroni, stir and let simmer over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes. Add broccoli and carrots and cook another 5 minutes.<br /><br />Mix flour and milk together in a bowl until it's well combined. Slowly add it to the macaroni mixture, stirring until it's got a relatively thick consistency. Add small amounts of cheese at a time, stirring it around until it's melted, until all the cheese has been added. Season with ground black pepper if desired.<br /><br />Serves two.</blockquote><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I ate the soup out of my <a href="http://www.lecreuset.com/" target="_blank"><b>Le Creuset</b></a> petit casserole</span><br><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/lecreuset_petit.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-80736956956057053062007-08-24T13:28:00.000-07:002007-09-18T11:43:09.429-07:00Mmm...Cream Puffs<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="1%"><a href="http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/61lkJKuh4%2BL._SS500_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/11JDmrml0tL.jpg" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top" width="99%"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Yuzu is Listening To</b><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/High-School-Musical-Original-Soundtrack/dp/B000QCTGIE/ref=pd_nr_4_1/103-2918301-7336600?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=1ZSJYY4536C8BVDEM0QG&pf_rd_t=2201&pf_rd_p=221127501&pf_rd_i=home" target="_blank"><b>High School Musical 2 Soundtrack</b></a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/High-School-Musical-Original-Soundtrack/sim/B000QCTGIE/1/ref=pd_sexpl_s_m/103-2918301-7336600?ie=UTF8&pf=music" target="_blank">see related</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div align=center><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/beardpapa1.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">©2007 Yuzu Eats</span></div><p>For the most part, I will avoid going to Hollywood — or anywhere in the city of Los Angeles — if I can help it. But two weeks ago my aunt was in town, and my family and I took her around local places so she could see some sights. One of our stops was Hollywood & Highland.<br /><br />The most exciting thing at Hollywood & Highland (for <em>me</em>, at least) was seeing the hand-, wand- and footprints of the <em>Harry Potter</em> trio in front of <a href="http://www.manntheatres.com/chinese/" target="_blank"><b>Grauman's Chinese Theatre</b></a>. After I put my hands on the cement blocks there, we strolled down to the shopping area and — lo and behold — I spotted Beard Papa. I completely forgot one was located here! ::slaps forehead:: </p><span class="fullpost"><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">It's so clean and new-looking still. :)<br><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/beardpapa2.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /><br /><br />My dad ordered half a dozen, and we ate them while warm — delicious!<br><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/beardpapa3.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /><br /><br />I ordered a green tea latte with tapioca, which was refreshing on such a hot day.<br><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/beardpapa4.jpg" border="1" height="268" width="350" /></span></div><br />My parents and aunt were asking me, "Why is it called Beard Papa?" To which I replied, "The logo has a picture of an old man with a beard." ;P Frankly, I think he looks like a cartoon version of the <a href="http://www.gortons.com/" target="_blank"><b>Gorton's Fisherman</b></a>.<br /><br /></span>I generally don't eat at places that have been hyped up on food blogs or TV programs (did you see Pinkberry featured on MTV's <em>The Hills</em> this week? I still haven't eaten there). But I've been wanting to try these cream puffs for a long time. I wasn't disappointed, I'm happy to say. They're so fresh, straight from the oven and pumped full of custard right before your eyes. There was a green tea-flavored cream puff on special the day we went, but unfortunately I didn't try it. :( Sounds like it would've been good, though.<br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">Beard Papa Sweets Café<br />6801 Hollywood Blvd., Suite 153<br />Hollywood, CA 90028<br />(323) 462-6100</span></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30980320.post-69597992154708810892007-08-03T12:35:00.000-07:002007-08-24T13:27:32.592-07:00Red Velvet<p>Gahh...so lazy. I want to sleep. I should've gone to bed early last night, but after watching <em>Late Night with David Letterman</em>, I decided to do some beading. Why was I beading after 1:00 in the morning? I don't know. I haven't beaded in over a month, so I just felt like it last night.<br /><br />Tomorrow is a coworker's birthday. We wanted to have some treats for him today, so I baked red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. I had one for breakfast this morning, and now I feel quite sluggish. </p><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/yuzueats/blog/redvelvet_cupcakes.jpg" border="1" /><br />©2007 Yuzu Eats</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2