Cooking Com Ga Siu-Siu

Chicken dipped in a garlicy sauce and eaten with chicken broth-infused rice. Who could ask for more?

I can't tell you what is in the special sauce, but it is delicious!

This dish was made from organic chicken, which didn't have as much fat, so the broth and rice didn't have as much flavor as it would have if we used a normal chicken, but it was still very delicious...

Summer Classes at Sur la Table

We went to Sur la Table for a "More Macarons" class, and we got to learn how to make macarons and actually got to make them! Jamie Williams, our instructor, taught our private class.

Coffee Macarons

She taught us how to pipe perfect macarons, which was very easy; easy enough that even the smaller children could pipe!

Coconut Macarons

Mint Macarons

Coconut Macarons

Mint Macarons

I even got to pipe my own tray! Well most of it...

Sesame Macarons. Beautiful.

Sesame Macarons

They taught us to put a little water on top to smoothen the top if there is a peak, but I learned that it made the top burst open while baking. So I recommend to leave it out for an hour or so to even out and also create a skin on the outside, preventing the breaking while baking.

Coffee Macarons

Sesame Macarons. They had beautiful feet!

So that was our private class.. I will surely post more about macarons, but a "How-to" post! Yes, we are trying it out, again, this weekend because we bought a bunch of new supplies yesterday! Yay!

A 3 Michelin Star Restaurant, Le Bernardin

Still on the NYC restaurants, Le Bernardin is a french restaurant right off of Broadway. We dined on the courses of the chef's tasting menu, however the restaurant had run out of a few ingredients, like the fish of the main course, that were replaced. I'm only going to post the desserts, which were fabulous!

Lemon Panna Cotta

This was a very lemon-y dish that was a palate cleanser to the chocolate dessert. It doesn't compare to the absolutely DE-licious, "Lemon, Lemon, Lemon" dessert at Spago in Beverly Hills.

Chocolate Ganache with Earl Grey Ice Cream, and Chocolate Sponge Cake Cubes

This was a very delicious dish because of not only it's creamy and smooth chocolate, but also it's interesting ice cream. I never thought ice cream, not sorbet (that's delicious!), could've been so delicious! The ice cream had so much flavor and was extremely aromatic! My sister isn't a fan of chocolate but she did eat the ice cream by itself.

Le Bernardin is on 155 West 51st Street in NYC (Next to Broadway).

Spago is on 176 North Cannon Drive in Beverly Hills.

Korean BBQ

Boka in NYC

Soju (Drink) and Korean fried chicken

Sorry to say, but I only have one picture of the food (thanks Jennifer!). This small restaurant definitely has the best wings ever! It is saucy, but it has a lot of flavor and is very aromatic. Their Jjam-Bbong soup is also delicious because it is clean yet hearty! Boka is in East Village on 9 St. Marks Place between 3rd Ave. and Astor Place.

Ippudo in NYC; an Exciting Ramen Experience



Shishito Peppers With Yuzu Salt, and Japanese Cucumbers with Red Pepper Flakes, Salt, and Yuzu Sauce



While in NYC, we ate at a few restaurants, including Ippudo. The flash-fried peppers weren't guaranteed to be non-spicy and, of course, I got the singled spicy pepper. However, the peppers were still delicious because of their fragrance and texture. The sliced cucumber had a very crunchy and clean feel when I bit into it, but was also very flavorful with its garnish and sauce.





We also had pork buns as an appetizer at Ippudo. The pork was so tender and had so much flavor to it, but the bun itself was so light.



Agedashi



This tofu soup was so delicious because of its tender inside and crisp skin. The soup, mushrooms, scallions, and garnish really helped bring the whole dish together. I ate most of the whole table's servings!

Overall, I really enjoyed my second trip to Ippudo. The restaurant is on 65 Fourth Avenue, NYC.

Tea & Cookies

PG Tips' English Breakfast tea, condensed milk, and Private Selection's Belgian Waffle Butter Crisp.

After I finished making PG tips' English Breakfast tea, sweetened with condensed milk, I decided to pair a belgian waffle butter crisp with it. I put it across the top of the cup to let the steam soften the delicious cookie. It was the perfect snack to start my day!

Duck & Bamboo Shoot Soup

A very traditional soup, with the earthy flavor of the bamboo shoots (both fresh and dried kinds) and the gamey taste of the duck meat brought together in a soup bowl, spiced a little with ground chile if you like it hot, a little wedge of lime, some chopped cilantro.  And there, a sort of Vietnamese chicken soup.



Crème Brulée

The crème was buttery, nicely balanced by the crunch of caramelized sugar, yet the poached pear added a different dimension to the palate while not interfering the classic brulée.  Beautiful.

Best crème brulée ever, hands down.

From Masraff's with love...

Banana Bread Pudding

The Vietnamese version, which calls for coconut milk, gives the pudding a lighter summer taste.  I like to add some tart cherries betweens the layers.  And with some brandy sauce, it can go from breakfast, midday snack to after dinner treat.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Those cute little mushrooms have a very meaty taste.  Baked with a little sautée bread crumb, topped with fresh crabmeat, dusted with paprika and garnished with chopped cilantro, and voilà, a nice hors d’oeuvre.

Vietnamese Crepe

It's always a treat to make these turmeric fragrant crunchy crepes, but seriously, it has to be eaten right off the pan. 
Break it up, roll it in a leaf of green lettuce, with some mint, shiso, cilantro, Vietnamese coriander (rau ram), and dip it in a bowl of sweetened fish sauce with red hot chili pepper.
Try it...