>Fried Chicken and Waffles

1 Feb

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Fried chicken and waffles. I never really thought much of the combination, but wow, after enjoying a tasty meal at Home of Chicken and Waffles in Oakland’s Jack London Square, I now realize what all the hype is about.

First of all, you just can’t go wrong with a good homemade waffle. The ridges and grooves are made for the syrup that slips inside. And fried chicken is just so freakin’ delicious. The chicken should definitely be eaten with the syrupy waffle all in one bite. Genius, just a genius combination.

With a side of some real buttery mac and cheese, I was set.

Ok so this may be a major artery-clogging meal, but it was so darn good that it did not even matter. With every bite, my friends and I could not stop talking about how good everything tasted.

For another finger-lickin’ fried chicken find, check out Bakesale Betty’s fried chicken sandwich in Oakland’s Temescal district.

>Blondies with Chocolate, Dates, and Shredded Coconut

30 Jan

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When it comes to food, I have no self control. I want I want I want. And then I want some more.

I’ve got a weak spot for uber rich desserts. The richer the better. Sometimes I hear people talk about a dessert, claiming it is so rich that they can only have a few bites. I could probably eat a whopping platter of the stuff.

Did you know that cats/felines cannot detect “sweet?” Yep, that’s right. They do not have the T1R2 taste receptor that is one of the components of sweet. No wonder cats and I don’t click (just kidding…maybe).

Today I made some sweet blondies for my favorite blondie’s birthday. I added a mixture of chocolate chips, shredded coconut, and chopped dates to the batter. The dates and chocolate chips packed quite the sweet punch, and (gasp) I may have erred on the side of too sweet. If I just add a touch less sugar next time, no one would know, and the natural sweetness of the dates could really shine.

You ask me, “What is the difference between a blondie and a brownie?” According to cakespy,

“Generally, a blondie is accepted as a type of brownie–but not so much a brownie flavor, more like an identical cousin. An identical, albino cousin. Generally, it uses vanilla or butterscotch base instead of chocolate, and thus has a lighter hue which gives it its name. In our opinion, the finest blondies will have a texture (though not taste) halfway between a cakey and a fudgy brownie: that is to say, delightfully chewy, rich, and dense.”

These blondies are super easy to throw together and you can choose whatever add-ins suit your fancy. Bourbon, walnut, and chocolate is another favorite combination of mine (just add an extra tablespoon of flour to soak up some of the bourbon). I must confess, however, that I made a minor mistake in the process. I was supposed to melt the butter but intsead I just used softened butter and creamed it together with the brown sugar. I’m assuming that my batch came out more like a cookie than a fudgey cakey texture, but either way these blondies are bomb!

Oh, and I may have purposely under-baked these, just a tad.

Fresh and hot out of the oven, the melty oozing chocolate just kills me.

Blondies with Chocolate, Dates, and Shredded Coconut
adapted from SmittenKitchen

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar NOTE: If using dates, I might cut my brown sugar down by a few tablespoons.
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
A pinch of salt
1 cup flour

3/4 or 1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup shredded coconut
3/4 to 1 cup chopped dates

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 by 8 inch baking pan.
2. Melt the butter and let cool slightly. Mix it with the brown sugar until smooth.
3. Add the egg, then the vanilla and salt.
4. Stir in the flour.
5. Add in the chocolate, coconut, and dates or any additions of your choice.
6. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until set in the middle (Although a tad gooey is a-okay in my book).

Meet my Dogs: Finnegan, Penny, Molly

27 Jan

Meet Finnegan. We call him Finn. Finn is the sweetest dog you will ever meet and maybe the laziest, too. Finn looooooves to lick.

He especially loves to lick sweaty feet and floors. He will just lick and lick, making some pretty grotesque noises as he licks. If ever something happens to drop onto the floor, Finn will be there to lick it up. He knows the smell of peanut butter. Immediately he starts crying if a jar of pb is nearby. He also really likes to stand in front of the warm oven just when I need to open it. But how could I possibly get mad at him for being under my feet and in my way all of the time? He is just so darn loveable. All he wants is love. And when he sleeps, he sticks his tongue out. It’s precious.

Meet Penny. Her name is Penny Lang. She is the color of a penny. Oh, Penny, you have so many different personalities. You jumped through about four windows, you ate raw scones straight from the cookie sheet, you went through a few Prozac treatments, you are just insane. Insane, but so cute, so so so so so so cute. The best part of your day is when we load the dishwasher.

You just can’t wait to lick all of the forks and plates and bowls as they go on in (don’t worry, we do run the dishwasher after she helps us lick our plates clean). Some of my friends are scared to death of you, others just love you to death.

Meet Molly. Look, she is smiling! What a beaut! Check out those eyebrows. Molly, you fell into the pool, you got stuck in between a gate, you will not stop following my mom everywhere she goes. Molly has been known to pick up some nasty treats on her walks, example: small animals, feces…Molly is a fighter, she had some tough kidney stones to deal with, but she came out stronger and healthier than ever. You go girl!

I love these dogs.

Celery Root and Apple Puree

27 Jan


There’s nothing better on a chilly winter day than some warm, soft, mushy comfort food. This celery root and apple puree is a nice alternative to the classic creamy mashed potato dish (although them creamy mashed potatoes are mighty good!).

The recipe comes from Ina Garten’s Back to Basics cookbook. Everything that I have made from this book has come out superb: brownie pudding amazingness, baked sweet potato fries, confetti corn salad, mustard roasted fish, spanikopita…and I’ve been eyeing and oogling over the all of the soups in this book.

I think I could eat bowls and bowls of this stuff! I love the zingyness of the apples, the fresh taste of the fennel and celery root, and the smoothness of the potato. The whole house will smell like a warm bowl of heaven.

Just before serving, garnish the dish with some fennel fronds and a sprinkle of sea salt to wow your fellow eaters.

Celery Root and Apple Puree
from Ina Garten’s Back to Basicsserves 6-8

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup large-diced fennel bulb, tops and core removed
2 pounds celery root, peeled and 3/4 inch diced (I used 2 celery roots)
8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and 3/4 inch diced
3 Golden Delicious apples (I used one Granny Smith in replace of 1 of the Golden Delicious), peeled, cored, and 3/4 inch diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good apple cider
1/4 cup heavy cream (I just used low fat milk and was very satisfied)1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a shallow stock pot or large saute pan. Add the fennel, celery root, potatoes, apples, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Saute the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes (I had to use two pans because all of my veggies would not fit).

2. Add the cider and tightly cover the pot. Simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft. If the vegetables begin to burn or seem dry, add another few tablespoons of apple cider or some water.

3. When the vegetables are cooked, add the cream (or milk) and cook for 1 more minute.

4. Transfer the mixture to a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade and process (or you can use a food processor for smoother texture). Taste for salt and pepper and return to the pot to keep warm.

The Epitome of Cookie– Big, Soft, Chewy, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

22 Jan


When I’m craving a cookie, I’m craving a damn good cookie. A big, soft, chewy cookie with lots of chocolate chips, or lots of raisins, or lots of walnuts. LOTS. I feel cheated if there are only 2 or 3 chocolate chips floating among a sea of dough. No, there must be an abundance. After all, picking out the choco chips/raisins/nuts/etc. is the best part about eating the cookie (next to a tall glass of milk)!


These oatmeal raisin cookies are the epitome of good cookie for me. The oats provide so much texture and there are soo soo soo many raisins/choco chips. I absolutely looove walnuts with this mixture, too.

Today I went cookie crazy and made some homemade oreos, too.

So, whose ready for some cookies?
The Epitome of Cookie- Big, Soft, Chewy, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
recipe from the one and only SmittenKitchen

makes about 18 cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 t. vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cream together butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add this to the butter mixture.

4. Stir in the oats, raisins, nuts, and if using, the chocolate chips. Either scoop onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze for 25 minutes (or until it gets semi-hard/cold), or just freeze the dough for 25 minutes and then scoop it out onto a cookie sheet (Deb from SmittenKitchen finds that the cookie will be thicker when baked from the cold. I trust her.).

5. Bake it straight from the freezer for about 12 minutes. The edges should be golden and the tops should look slightly undercooked. Let them cool and enjoy!

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