California Shabu Shabu

This past week, I tried for the very first time, shabu shabu. Shabu shabu is a Japanese hot pot dish cooked with beef. I went to California Shabu Sabu in Fountain Valley to experiment with this dish.

I was new to the entire experience, so I went with a seasoned shabu shabu expert. The restaurant was small and it featured a round counter seating with the waitresses serving you in the middle. I wouldn't suggest it for large parties because you cannot face each other while eating. 

Once seated, there is a pot of boiling water in front of you. You can season the water however  you want with chili powder, soy sauce, and chili sauce. Each person also receives a plate of vegetables to cook in the broth, a bowl of rice, and two bowls of dipping sauces. One is a peanut sauce, and the other is a soy sauce. You can also season the sauces with powder and radish. 

Next, you order your plate of beef to cook in the broth and eat with the rice and veggies. You can select from four to twelve pieces of varying qualities of beef. The beef comes in choice, prime, and kobe, which are all thinly sliced. Upon receiving your plate of beef, you cook the pieces one by one until their are fully cooked. Then you can dip the beef in the sauces and eat it with some vegetables and rice.

I was skeptical at first because I had heard it was mostly vegetables and sounded too healthy for me. But I was pleasantly surprised. The sauces flavored the broth very well and the beef was tender and worked well with the soy dipping sauce. I would not recommend this dish for everyone however. It is quite healthy with low fat and sodium. Also, it is quite pricey. You're expected to pay at least $10 for a couple of slices of beef with mostly vegetables and broth for lunch. However, it was a new experience and I would be delighted to eat shabu shabu again!

A Good Old Fashioned Cup

There really is nothing better than your favorite mug filled with steamy hot cocoa and miniature marshmallows during the winter season. 

There's something about the rich chocolately smell that just sends you right back to every wonderful winter memory you've ever had. The little ones enjoy smushing the marshmallows with their tongue and even the dieters can find it in themselves to enjoy hot cocoa's irresistible pull. 

Recently I've had the pleasure of participating in a hot chocolate fundraiser. We passed out the comforting beverage to passer-bys in a neighborhood known for its Christmas decorations. I got to experience first hand what this hot drink could do. Children screamed out in glee when we asked if they wanted marshmallows and wives dragged their husbands in to enjoy a cup. This is one drink that has the power to bring people together, and it doesn't even have to be cold out. 

Starbucks Hot Cocoa Kit

Hints of sweetness shine through the cocoa flavor as the warmth creeps along your tongue. This is one drink you just can't pass up this holiday season. The perfect gift for the holidays is a hot chocolate kit, complete with hot cocoa powder, marshmallows, and, two mugs (for sharing of course). Make a kit yourself or buy a pre-made one! Hot cocoa powder ranges from all price ranges but even the classic, affordable Swiss Miss packets bring joy and cozyness. But Ghirardelli and Starbucks offer hot chocolate powders as well for a more refined cocoa flavor. Whatever the price range, whatever the occasion, you just can't go wrong with a good old fashioned cup of hot chocolate. 

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Clause.

 
It's the holiday season again, really the most wonderful time of the year. KOST 103.5 is playing their month long of Christmas songs again and there's a slight chill in the air. Everywhere you go you are bound to run into a beautiful Christmas tree draped with all sorts of twinkling tinsel and ornaments. 

This time of  year brings the urge to be with family, stuff your face with goodies, and cuddle with that special someone. This time of year is also the time for giving. Every year, Macy's sponsors the "Yes, Virginia" Believe Campaign, explained here in this article.

Macy's sets up red mailboxes and letter stations in their stores for about a month. Customers can sit down at the station and write a letter to Santa Clause. For every stamped letter that is dropped into their red mailboxes, Macy's will donate a dollar to the Make-a-Wish organiztion.

Make-a-Wish is an organization that grants the wishes of children diagnosed with terminal illnesses. They have sent children all over the world and had them meet their favorite celebrities. 

Virginia's Original Letter to The Sun

The "Believe" campaign is unique because it is based on a popular story of a little girl named Virginia who wrote to The Sun asking whether or not Santa Clause was real. The response that appeared in an editorial was "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Clause". Since then, her letter has left a legacy and has inspired many holiday stories and short films.

So this year, head on down to Macy's and write your Christmas wish list to Santa Clause. You can help grant a child's wish this holiday season. I personally asked for a Christmas miracle this year. Because yes, there is a Santa Clause.

Tous Les Jours

  
Tous Les Jours, which means "everyday" in French, is a bakery and cafe located on Garden Grove Blvd in the Korean district. 

I have been there previously to buy baked goods  because sometimes they have great three pastries for a dollar deals, but today was my first time buying a cake from them. 

We usually go to Paris Baguette, another bakery located in the Korean district, to buy our cakes, but we decided to give Tous Les Jours a try today.

The inside of the bakery is meant to look like a quaint Parisian bakery and their workers dress in ridiculously adorable green and white uniforms with a mushroom like hat to match. 

The attendant behind the counter was very friendly and helpful. We browsed around their pre-made cakes. They had options of mocha, fresh creme, white chocolate, and more. However, the selection was not that large but it might be because I came in around 6pm.

We eventually chose the white chocolate cake. It costed us $22 which wasn't too bad for its size. Other bakeries usually charge more for a similar cake. But now to how it tasted!

It was a delicious cake. The white chocolate shavings added an extra "oomph" to it. It wasn't terribly sweet which is a must for me in cakes. I was a little disappointed at the creme inside the cake though. It tasted too buttery for me as I like my cremes lighter in consistency and taste. However the cake was moist and fluffy, not crumbly and dense. Overall, a satisfying cake.

I would recommend Tous Les Jours if you're looking for an elegant cake, not those tacky ones that have frosting piled on, and are on a budget. Most of these specialty bakeries charge at least $25 for cakes that are even smaller than this one. My personal favorite is Paris Baguette if you're willing to pay the price.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

There's nothing like a cup of coffee in the morning. Or afternoon. Or evening. Or really, anytime. And now all coffee lovers can rejoice. Starbucks has started their infamous holiday line of drinks again!

Yes, Starbucks have unveiled their red cups for the 2012 holiday season! And red cups mean delicious holiday inspired flavors. Victoria Ptashnick wrote the article  Starbucks’ holiday drinks in red cups are back — just two days after Halloween for TheStar. In the article, Prashnick writes of the anticipation surrounding Starbucks new line, especially the Peppermint Mocha drink. She also furthers discusses the calorie content of each of the drinks.

I am one of those people who highly anticipated the return of the red cups, and in particular, the Peppermint Mocha. The Peppermint Mocha is a frothy blend of light minty sweetness with the darker tones of Mocha and coffee. And it's topped with chocolate curls. You can't go wrong with chocolate curls. I realize the Starbucks is not the healthiest option for coffee, but this is a once a year occasion!

The 2012 line of drinks is:
Caramel Brulee Latte
Peppermint Mocha
Gingerbread Latte
Eggnog Latte
Toffee Nut Latte
Cranberry White Chocolate Mocha
Eggnog Latte

I haven't tried all of the drinks yet, but I definitely will attempt to this holiday season. The perfect opportunity to fatten up on these drinks is coming up too. From November 15-18, Starbucks if have a buy one get one free promotional offer on their holiday line. But you have to buy it from 2-5 pm. Seize this wonderful time! I live for these days. You'll know where I'll be from the 15th to the 18th.

Thirstea?

Bootea Shaker from Tastea

Fortunately for me, I live in an area heavily condensed with various tea lounges. I have become obsessed with sampling teas from all of these different places. Naturally, I have picked out my hits and misses and have decided to compile a list of three popular tea lounges in northern Orange County.

Tebo Tebo Tea Lounge (Westminster, CA)
Tebo Tebo is one of the most popular tea lounges in northern Orange County. Its decor is very modern and chic and offers a sit down restaurant area as well. Tebo Tebo also serves their drinks in vase like glasses which adds a fun twist. They offer milk teas like most other places, but my favorite drink from here is the Jolly Rancher drink. It's not a tea, but rather a fruity smoothie with chunks of fruit. I think the drinks here are little too sweet for my taste but I still can't complain.

Tastea (Garden Grove, CA)
 I always appreciate a good pun and "Tastea" is so clever. Their "Speacialteas" menu is my go to crowd pleaser. Their teas are fruity and have delicious fruit chunks at the bottom making for a very fresh taste. I can never go wrong with the "bootea" shaker or the peach me sweet tea. I like how the teas aren't too sweet either and focus more on the fresh fruit taste. The atmosphere is cozy as the store is quite small. However, when it's crowded, it is quite uncomfortable and hard to hear.

7 Leaves (Westminster, CA)

Jasmine Tea with Sea Cream and Strawberry Hibiscus Tea

 As of right now, this is my favorite place to get drinks. 7 Leaves is unique in that they integrate distinctive flavors and do not have the standard milk teas that the other tea lounges have. I absolutely adore their strawberry hibiscus tea. I can't get enough! The taste is so refreshing and it's like drinking summer in a cup. 7 Leaves also offers a sea foam cream that can be added as an extra to their drinks. The sea foam tastes amazing with their jasmine tea and adds a creamy and salty element to the tea. The only flaw I find in 7 Leaves is that their menu is not as extensive as I would want it to be, and the decor inside is rather bland and dingy.

The World of Animation

Spirited Away, How to Train Your Dragon, Howl’s Moving Castle, Toy Story, The Secret of Arrietty, Finding Nemo. They all just take you to a whole new world where fantasy and magic prevail and new doors of enchantment open up before your eyes. They leave the old world behind and take your breath away.

Poster for Studio Ghibli's Howl's Moving Castle

Excuse me as I digress for a moment here. I have recently rekindled my love for another medium of art, the world of film animation.

Almost everyone has grown up with their beloved Disney animated classics. I personally adored Cinderella and The Lion King. It always gave me chills when Cinderella is being transformed from her rags to her ball gown, and when Simba is thrusted into the air to see his kingdom for the first time. I still turn back to these films when I want to bring out the child in me. I still turn to these magical animated films as a place of wonder and imagination.

Over the years, I have discovered other equally talented animation studios. I have fallen deeply in love with Pixar and Studio Ghibli. My recent rekindling with the world of animation is actually due to the movie The Secret of Arrietty by Studio Ghibli.

Scene from Spirited Away

I want to focus in on Studio Ghibli for a moment. It's a Japanese animation studio co founded by the genius Hayao Miyazaki. This studio has produced some of the most breath taking and captivating films. My personal favorite from this studio is Spirited Away. Spirited Away is the ultimate culmination of daring fights, mysterious places, and the wonder of hope. It never ceases to enrapture me how Studio Ghibli's films are able to whisk me away to fantasy worlds.

Lately, there seems to be a notion that we need 3-D and realistic CGI to be able to create new realms, but Studio Ghibli is able to accomplish this with just simple 2-D animation. Its animation is by no means realistic, but it still convinces me more than Avatar ever could, although Avatar is also an excellent film.

There are so many things that 2-D film animation can accomplish, but it seems to be a dying art medium. 

Love at First Bite

If I wrote the dictionary, I would dedicate an entire page in the "D" section for desserts. It needs that much room to be defined and described. 

Desserts can be viewed as Google's standard definition- Desserts- noun. The sweet course eaten at the end of a meal.

This definition makes me laugh. That is such an archaic way of thinking about desserts. They have evolved in such a way that they need a new definiton.

Cake Pops

Desserts- noun. Any sweet edible object that brings one joy. They can be baked, fried, frozen, boiled, or toasted. It does not matter. What matters is that the dessert makes the diner happy. They can be eaten at anytime during the day or night. Midnight dessert snacks are highly recommended.  

Allow me to elaborate on what "happy" means. Desserts should have the power to embrace you emotionally. Essentially a warm hug to your insides. So warm that it melts away the diner's mind temporarily. After all, "stressed" spelled backwards is "desserts". Desserts are a cure, an antidote. They are friends and food, completely necessary for life to go on.

There have been times where I have been completely and blissfully at peace with just myself and some cake. As sad as that image may appear, I was not sad at all. As I have said before, desserts are not just sugar and flour, they are relievers. 

Desserts captured my love at first bite. The way they linger on my tongue and then spread their warmth to my fingertips and toes has made me a believer for life, no matter what those scientists say. This is my attempt at defining my passion, though I could never do desserts justice.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Rose Shaved Snow with Strawberries and Nuts

    My current obsession at the moment is with shaved snow. No, not shaved ice. Shaved snow is a completely different and ten times more delicious then shaved ice, well at least to me. 

    Shaved snow is like the love child of ice cream, shaved ice, and frozen yogurt. It has a creamy texture, yet it is still not has heavy as ice cream. It tends to have fruitier flavors like shaved ice and it comes with options of toppings like frozen yogurt. It is quite an experience for the taste buds and one worth trying.

    My personal favorite hot spot for this treat is a shop called Snow Station in Westminster. It opened about a couple of months ago and it has already become a popular place for the young folk. It offers refreshing flavors like watermelon, mango, and lychee. But there is a green tea and rose option as well.

     The thing I find ingenious is the options of toppings. This is coming off of the frozen yogurt fad and tends to work really well with the flavors and textures of shaved snow. Snow Station has a wide variety of toppings to choose from and two toppings are included with your purchase of a plate of shaved snow. Customers can choose from fresh fruit, mochi, and cereal. My favorite combination is watermelon snow with strawberry popping boba, and rainbow jelly. Mmmmm. My mouth is just watering at the thought of it.

     The shaved snow comes in two sizes: large and normal. The normal is the perfect size for a couple on a date and the large can safely feed four people. It's quite inexpensive and delicious, a perfect combination for a good time and good eating.

Let Them Eat Cake

    To me, weddings consist of three things: the "I do's", the first dance, and the wedding cake. Call me old fashioned, but I need my wedding cake. It might just be the hopeless romantic in me speaking, but a wedding is not complete without a gorgeous, towering, three tiered, wedding cake adorned with a miniature bride and groom on top. 

    In Copage's article in the New York Times, Let Them Eat Cinnamon Buns, he speaks about couples beginning to throw out the traditional wedding cake in favor of unconventional desserts. Some of the desserts mentioned in the article that are to attempt to live up to the wedding cake are the cinnamon bun, ice cream, and (I can barely bring myself to type this) doughnuts. How can a fried ring of dough ever hold a candle to the ever so romantic wedding cake?

    The wedding cake is more than just a tower of baked deliciousness and cream, the cutting of the cake ceremony is the first bite of the couple's sweet lives together. The cutting of the cake photos just won't look the same cutting into a cinnamon bun.

    Granted, some people do not like wedding cake, but at least have a wedding cake for the sake of weddings. I know that dessert is dessert, but some desserts should not be substituted for. To me, replacing the wedding cake with doughnuts is like hunting for brightly painted snail shells at Easter. 

    Please, just let them eat cake. And if not, at least let me eat cake.


 

Macaron Craze

   There seems to be a new dessert craze floating around. This craze takes form in a delicate, little cookie sandwich of sorts, called a macaron.

   This insanely beautiful dessert was made popular in Paris. The most famous bakery selling this cookie being Laduree in Paris. Of course, if it is Parisian, you know it is going to be a delicate dessert.

'Lette Macarons

    I had been hearing about these wondrous cookies for a while now, and I decided I had to try it. Being the dessert lover I am, I sought out the best I could find in southern California. My research (mainly Yelp) led me to a macaron specialty shop named 'Lette in Newport Beach.

    It was charming and quaint little shop, with at least one party of customers in it at all times. The walls were lined with their vibrant macarons and adorable gift boxes. I picked four macarons: the earl grey, rose water, pistachio, and passion fruit. To my utter dismay, four of these miniscule cookies cost me nearly seven dollars. But if these were the best, they must be worthwhile right?

   I wanted to adore these macarons like everyone else did. Even almost willing myself to enjoy them. However, it is hard to enjoy something that literally just disappears after one bite. The actual cookie was not that flavorful, although the filling was delicious. The only one I thought deserved recognition was the passion fruit flavor. It is rare to have such a tangy flavor in so delicate of a dessert. It took me by surprise and I rather like surprises.

   To wrap things up, I do not find this new craze worthwhile, preferring cupcakes or crepes over macarons any day. However, I may attempt to make them in the near future as a little experiment of mine. But do not let this post discourage you. Discover them yourself and prove me wrong.

Home is Where the Heart is

Heart Polka Dot Macarons & Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

     Or in my case, home is where my sweet tooth is. For some, their sweet tooth falls out along with their last baby tooth. But for me, that child crying out for desserts and baked delicacies still rages on. 

     I have always been incredibly jealous of people who have that one hobby that they can call their "thing". That one "thing" they are so passionate about that they can talk about it for hours on end. After a considerable amount of time trying to come up with my "thing", I realized that my mind kept wandering off to some sweet craving of mine. How obvious had my passion been all along! If there's one thing I absolutely adore, It is sweets. Give me any decadent pastry and I will be your best friend. 

     It is ironic to think that all my life, my parents have told me to stay away from sweets, yet here I am embracing my love for them. Desserts satisfy not only my taste buds, but my soul. As cliche as that sounds, it is completely true. Who cares if I have to visit the dentist a little more often? If I have a craving, I will fulfill it! 

    To all my future readers out there, prepare to have your mouth water. This will be a place to review bakeries, recipes, and my own failed experiments. However, I must add this disclaimer. Every now and then, I may drift off into some land of my own creation and write about whatever is fascinating me at the moment. Bon appetit, and I am not responsible for any weight you may gain as a result of this blog.