Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina

The Shops at Crystals, 
3720 S Las Vegas Blvd #240, 
Las Vegas, NV 89158
http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/fine-dining/53877

We came to Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria inside Crystals for a light meal because we have some coupons that came with our hotel room at Aria.  The service is impeccable and the food is very delicious.  We ordered a classic spaghetti and meatball pasta, wild mushroom fire-oven roasted pizza, and a special entree of beef short ribs with gnocchi in a red wine reduction sauce.  To finish off our meal, we had their deep fried donuts rolled in orange and caramel sauce.  

Spaghetti, Tomatoes, Basil, Garlic with House Made Meatballs

Special - beef short rib with gnocchi in red wine reduction

Wild Mushroom, Béchamel, Fontina, Thyme, Arugula

Zeppole Warm Doughnuts, Orange Custard, Caramel Sauce

GO Fish Ocean Emporium

1505 West 1st Avenue, 
Vancouver, BC V6J 1E8
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/180709/restaurant/Fairview/Go-Fish-Ocean-Emporium-Vancouver

Located  near Granville Island, this little fish n chips joint is a hidden gem!  Most people would head straight into Granville Island and get their fish n chips, but this joint is tucked away and has a cute charm to it.  There are some outdoor sitting with wooden benches around, it would be lovely to go in the summer time.  We went, however, during the Christmas, and were freezing by the ocean.  Great fish and chips though! Next time I would definitely also try their sandwiches.

1 piece of cod fish and chips ($7.50)

2 pieces of salmon and chips ($11)

Bubble Queen

8888 Odlin Crescent

Richmond, BC V6X 3Z8

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/1481552/restaurant/Vancouver/Richmond-Central/Bubble-Queen-Richmond

Neat chocolate bar bubble tea!  I ordered my favourite Ferrero Roche BBT.  There are also Strawberry Kit Kat, Oreo, Maltese, Bueno, After Eight and more!

Marutama Ramen

780 Bidwell St, 
Vancouver, BC V6G 2J6
http://japanesenoodle.com/

Most ramen broth are made from pork bone.  This ramen joint is uniquely using chicken broth instead.  Very unique and different than the traditional Ramen places I have been to before.  Recommended! 

Kakuni ($5.75) - braised pork belly

Daishimaki ($7.00) - egg omelet 

Tamago Ramen ($10.50) -  BBQ pork, seaweed, and crispy onions with a soft boiled egg in a rich chicken broth ramen.   

To Ne sushi

414 Queen Street West,
Toronto,ON, M5V 2A7
http://www.tonesushi.com/

Dynamite Roll, California Roll, Salmon Roll (20 pcs) - $13.50

Salmon Sashimi (5 pcs), Sushi (5 pcs), Salmon Roll (6 pcs) - $13.95

The Stockyards

699 St Clair Ave W, 
Toronto, ON M6C 1B2
http://www.thestockyards.ca/

Super crispy delicious deep fried chicken is at the Stockyards!!! Their fries taste also fresh cut from real potatoes, the hint of sweetness is so good!!  The beef brisket sandiwch is awesome too!

Cream Soda (Vanilla)

Stockyards Fried Chicken Dinner ($15) - 4 pcs. of Buttermilk marinated chicken served with fries, coleslaw, and hot sauce.

Pulled Beef Brisket Sandwich ($12) - Oak and hickory Smoked beef brisket with Stockyards BBQ Sauce, mustard,house slaw.

Little India Restaurant

255 Queen St W, 
Toronto, ON M5V 1Z4
www.littleindia.ca

From time to time, I crave Indian curry and naan bread.  There's this lovely Indian buffet joint on Queen St.  that is always packed and lunch is less than $12.

Fonding Memories

I miss you so much Stephen. 

Rol San Restaurant

Rol San Restaurant

323 Spadina Ave, 

Toronto, ON M5T 2E9

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/134981/restaurant/Kensington-Market-Chinatown/Rol-San-Toronto

Delicious all-day dim sum in the heart of Chinatown in Toronto.  

Notable - Ding Dong Bakery that is right beside the restaurant have PLJ chinese buns and egg tarts and swiss roll.

Sabai Sabai Kitchen & Bar

225 Church St, 
Toronto, ON M5B 1E1
http://www.sabaisabaito.ca/

Before a play, we went to Sabai Sabai for lunch.  We ordered the green curry with fish and Thai BBQ pork.  I'm very pleasantly surprised with the Thai BBQ pork.  It isn't anything like the Chinese one.  It has a nice sweet & savory balance with a hint of spiciness to it.  Very delicious with the soft-boiled egg.  Would definitely come back again!

House made green curry with fish and rice ($11)

Thai BBQ pork and soft-boiled egg with rice ($12)

Big Daddy's Bourbon Street Bistro & Oyster Bar

212 King St W

Toronto, ON M5H 1K5

http://www.bigdaddys.ca/

Big Daddy's a Cajun- and Creole-style seafood restaurants with prix-fixed and happy hour menus.  Ever since visiting Chicago, I have come to love Southern, Cajun, Creole type foods.  So I was super excited to go for the happy hour items at Big Daddy's because they are so economical!

	SEAFOOD FoNDUE ($8) A rich alfredo sauce topped with Asiago, Jack and Parmesan cheeses with shrimp, bay scallops, blue crab meat and mushrooms served with toasted Ciabatta for dipping.

SEAFOOD FoNDUE ($8)

A rich alfredo sauce topped with Asiago, Jack and Parmesan cheeses with shrimp, bay scallops, blue crab meat and mushrooms served with toasted Ciabatta for dipping.

A rich alfredo sauce topped with Asiago, Jack and Parmesan cheeses with shrimp, bay scallops, blue crab meat and mushrooms served with toasted Ciabatta for dipping. 

PEI MUSSELS ($4)

½ lb. of mussels with your choice of white wine garlic or Creole sauce. Served with garlic bread.

CREOLE-GRILLED CALAMARI ($6)

Marinated with jalapeño, then drizzled with roasted garlic Creole butter.

COCONUT SHRIMP ($6)

Made in-house and served with a marmalade-style dipping sauce.

Oyster Po'boys ($6)

CRISPY CALAMARI ($6)

Served with our house-made cocktail sauce.

Deep Fried Alligator ($8)

Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti with Chocolate Drizzle

Makes 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

For the dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 large egg, lightly beaten

For the topping:

Procedure:

• 1.  Preheat the oven to 325˚ F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  2.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; whisk to blend and set aside.  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until lightly and fluffy, 3-4 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.  Blend in the egg and then the egg yolk, beating well after each addition.  Blend in the vanilla until incorporated.  With the mixer on low speed, blend in the dry ingredients just until incorporated and a dough is formed.4.  Divide the dough into two halves.  Shape each half into a log 9 inches long by 1½ inches wide on the prepared baking sheet, spacing the logs at least 3-4 inches apart.  5.  In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping and stir to blend well.  Lightly brush the tops of the logs with the beaten egg, and sprinkle generously with some of the cinnamon sugar mixture.6.  Bake for 40-45 minutes, rotating halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown and slightly firm to the touch.  Remove the pan from the oven but maintain the oven temperature.  Once the logs are cool enough to handle, slice on the diagonal into 1½-inch slices (about 10-12 per log).  7. Place biscotti cut side-down on the baking sheet and sprinkle with more of the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until crisp and golden.

Recipe Adapted from Annie's Eats

The Burger's Priest

463 Queen St. W.
Toronto, On
Canada M5V 2A9
http://www.theburgerspriest.com/

The Burger Priest is getting a lot of attention recently in Toronto.  They are a classic burger joint.  And what's cool about them is that besides the two basic option - the cheeseburger and the "option" (A vegetarian option. A custom blend of cheesy goodness sandwiched between two roasted portabello mushrooms, breaded and deep fried then placed on a bun with your choice of toppings), there is a secret menu where you can combine these two and grilled cheese in various ways (known as the secret menu).  The "priest" is cheeseburger + the option.

The priest

Good afternoons are...

Creamy deviled eggs with crispy bacon

Ingredients:

12 eggs (pro omega, organic)

1/3 cup light mayonaise 

2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

2 scallions, chopped and diced finely

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

3 strips of bacon, pan-fried to crispy and drain fat

Paprika, to decorate

Procedure:

1.  Put eggs in a pot of cold water, covering the eggs slightly.  Turn on heat to medium high. When the water boils, shuts off the stove and cover the pot for 20 minutes. 

2.  Drain the hot water. And soak the eggs in cold water for at least 10 minutes. 

3. Meanwhile, cut the bacon strips into 4 pieces each. And pan fried the bacon until crispy. Set aside. 

4. Peel the egg shells. Cut the eggs in half, length wise. 

5. Carefully use a fork and remove all the egg yolk to a bowl. And mash the egg yolk with the fork. 

6. Add the mayonaise, Dijon mustard, Nd salt and pepper to taste. 

7. Fill the mixture into a ziplock bag and cut a small corner. Carefully pipe the mixture onto the eggs where the egg yolks were. 

8.  Decorate with bacon pieces and sprinkle paprika. 

Thankful

This thanksgiving, I would like to give thanks to:

1) the awesome friends, whose been so kind, caring, and thoughtful, to spend thanksgiving and birthday with

2) the changing of seasons - the flowers of spring, the blazing hot sun of summer, the orange and red leaves of fall, and snow of winter

3) the delicious food on the table everyday

4) the fruits of hard work in science 

5) the lab family that makes everyday at work fun

6) the family's love and care

7) and finally the lasting love from Charles 

I hope/ pray good things will happen to Stephen.  I miss his company, his jokes, and his fun nature.  He's been taking all the news to himself, and never mention a word when we exchanged emails/texts.  And my heart breaks a little everytime I learned that things are not going as well as we thought on Avery's blog.  Please send all good positive energies for him to combat from cancer. 

Struggle

Blurry

Dream

Me

Quiet voice

Search...

Strawberry balsamic cupcake

For Danny's bday this year, Freddy and I came up with a surprise bday party idea - where Freddy wants to make a Japanese KatsuDon and miso soup dinner combo and I want to make some kind of strawberry cake for him.  After some searching, decided between a chocolate strawberry cheesecake and strawberry balsamic cupcakes.  We then decided to make cupcakes, because it is a bit more unique and we can decorate and arrange it to make a pattern!

This is my first time making cupcakes on my own.  I have probably made it in Foods in junior high or something, and one more time under the supervision of Dana.  This is the first time making a swiss meringue buttercream though (previously was a much simpler icing).  The buttercream didn't thicken up as I hoped to, but nevertheless it was so deliciously tasting!

Note: this recipe does call for the use of a stand mixer!

Yield: about 28 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 cups cake flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1¼ cups buttermilk, at room temperature

For the frosting:
3 cups fresh strawberries (16 oz.), rinsed, hulled and coarsely chopped
1 cup plus 6 tbsp. sugar, divided
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks (1½ cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature

For topping:
3 cups strawberries, diced small
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp. vanilla extract

For the glaze:
½ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. light brown sugar

Procedure:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  Place the butter in a large skillet over over medium heat.  Let melt and continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until the butter is a deep golden brown color (be careful not to burn it).  Set aside to cool slightly.  Transfer the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer.  Add in the sugars and beat on medium speed until smooth and the bowl is slightly warm to the touch.
• Meanwhile in a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder and salt.  Whisk to blend.  When the butter and sugars are adequately mixed, beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl as needed between additions.  Blend in the vanilla.  With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Mix each addition only just until incorporated.
• Divide the batter between the paper liners, filling each about 2/3 of the way full.  Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes total.  Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  
  
  
• For the frosting, combine the chopped strawberries, 2 tablespoons of the sugar and balsamic in a small saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries have softened and the liquid is somewhat reduced, about 5-8 minutes.  Let cool slightly, then transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  Chill the mixture well before use in the frosting.
• Combine the egg whites and the remaining 1¼ cups sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved.  Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes.  (The bowl should be cool to the touch.)  Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated.  If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (or longer - don’t worry, it will come together!)  Blend in the strawberry-balsamic puree until smooth and completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• To make the topping, combine the berries, sugar, vinegar and vanilla in a medium bowl and stir to blend.  Let sit at least 20-30 minutes.  Meanwhile, make the balsamic drizzle by combining the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in a small saucepan or skillet.  Heat over medium-high until bubbling, then lower the heat and continue to cook until significantly reduced (about 4 tbsp.)  Set aside to cool slightly.
• Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (I used Ateco #809.)  Pipe a round of frosting onto each cupcake.  Use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to scoop out a small bit of the center of the frosting to create a well.  Add a spoonful of the macerated strawberry mixture to each well.  Drizzle the cupcakes with the balsamic glaze to finish.

Recipe adapted from: Annie's Eats

Thoughts:
1. Didn't know strawberries and balsamic form such a nice combination together!
2. The swiss meringue buttercream didn't thicken up as Annie's did... I think partly was because the strawberry puree was sitting at room temperature for too long (we switched to make dinner instead =(), and the puree became watery, and silly me added all of the puree instead of a little at a time.  So it became very wet and watery.  Yummy though!
3. Would love to make more cupcakes next time and try the swiss meringue buttercream again.  BUT!! as always without the stand mixer this recipe would be too difficult to make by hand.... boooooo