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Baked French Toast

Hello Fall even though it feels like Summer in Asia. Seriously... Los Angeles needs to get it together! I can't stand it. I need to get toasty, and snuggly, and watch the rain pour from my window, while cooking something with cinnamon with the coffee brewing all day, with the coffee beans left out all night to perfume the living space.

That is what I call comfort living.

But no. We are heading into October with 90 something degree days, and rain in the forecast next Sunday? Oh joy! but what? It's still going to be in the 80s? What the hell am I supposed to do with that information? I went shopping recently ok? and bought a lot of cute snuggly coffee drinking looking clothes. So LA, I don't know what's up but you need to stop.

I'm in withdrawal from the cold. So this morning, I was up around 6AM (yes on a Sunday Funday), contemplating in bed about how I'm going to make my French Toast. I have a whole loaf of Brioche Bread that I bought from Fresh and Easy the other day (around $5), and a new Le Creuset casserole dish that I still need to break in. After much thought, I've decided to make baked french toast to kill all the birds you can think of with one slug.

Recipe:

  1.  8 Eggs - I use "Happy Eggs"
  2. 1 and a 1/4 cup of whole milk - I used Lactaid Milk.
  3. 3 tablespoons of sugar - granulated
  4. A pinch of salt
  5. 1/4 Teaspoon of nutmeg - I used pre-ground from Trader Joe's (I believe it was $1.99-$2.99)
  6. 1/4 Teaspoon of Cinnamon - also from Trader Joe's
  7. A teaspoon SPLASH of Vanilla Extract
  8. 1 Loaf of Brioche Bread

The loaf of bread I got was already pre-sliced. I had 3 layers of 4 making a total of 12 slices used. With everything else, I mixed in a large bowl before pouring in on top of the bread. It soaked up pretty quick and easy.

The oven was preheated at 325 with my Breville convectional oven (Click HERE the best thing you can buy). The french toast was baked for 40-45 minutes. The top may get a little dark due to the sugar, but once you top it with your syrup it will be ALL GOOD.

All Good in the Hood syrup.

Recipe:

  1. 1/2 a stick of butter
  2. 1/4 cup of light brown sugar
  3. 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
  4. 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
  5. pinch of salt
  6. 1/2 a cup of toasted pecans

Everything you see above minus the pecans, heat in the microwave until the butter has melted and your sugar is syrupy. Mix the sauce until everything has combined, then add the pecans and fold.

Baked French Toast with butter brown sugar pecan sauce

After drizzling the Pecan sauce, I drizzled a little of maple syrup (Aunt Jemima, Duh) to balance the dish (it helps).

Lastly, don't forget the BACON.

Bacon, you're a star!

This will definitely be a crowd pleaser. For a second, everything felt okay. I forgot about the weather, and all the errands that I needed to make (and it was a lot). The bacon, the sweet sauce with the nutmeg and cinnamon singing the holidays to me 'Tis the Season'. Enjoy this recipe with hot black coffee. You'll need something to wake you up right after.

As always, happy eating.

Daiisies

 

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Fogata Mexicana

I've drove by this place a few times within a week. And every time I would check the reviews, it would remind me that they have a $1 fish taco deal every Wednesday. I was feeling a bit under last week and decided to stay home to rest (conveniently on a Wednesday). Being pretty hungry and wanted to stay local, I remembered this place, finally.

2123 San Gabriel Blvd
Rosemead, CA 91770

Pulling in, I had high hopes that this was going to be one of those "hole in the wall" gems that people rave about. Honestly, I am sick of people raving about how great a joint is because it's small, cheap, family owned, friendly service, in a ghetto neighborhood where you shouldn't be bringing your Chanel, the best secret find. Yeah, I'm sure you can tell where I'm going with this place.

When pulling into the small cramped parking lot shared with the donut shop, you kind of think to yourself "Ooo, donuts sound amazing right now" but then you remembered, "Oh that's right! $1 fish tacos!", and you think you are winning because this was going to be a gem in the neighborhood where nobody knows about.

Once we stepped in, all you can smell was oil and bad insulation. You know, when you are frying up some chicken or potatoes at home and you realize the oil is too hot creating a whole mushroom cloud of smoke that you are fighting to open all the windows and doors to air out your house? That's what we walked into. And there was definitely no chance of escaping from it. It made me skeptical. Doubt my judgements. Maybe the donut route was the better choice. But I am a sucker. Just give me that smile and you can just take my money.

Just take my money.

Fish Tacos

The batter for the fish tasted like it was soaked in oil for a long time. Oh, by the way, it took a while for these tacos to come out. Yes, it looks beautiful and delicious, which it kind of is if you like the flavor of burnt oil, but the flavors could've elevated if the oil that was used didn't taste old, cooked at the right temp (one of my fishes were burnt on the bottom), and added some more flavors and seasoning to the fish and salsa.

Eggs and Chorizo

Was overcooked and the chorizo had no flavor. This was a safe dish to order, but I've had dirt cheap chorizo eggs that tasted a lot better (even the samples they make at Costco are tasty!).

Maybe it's just a bad day? There was only one chef and one guy running the whole place. He was very kind and hard working. I would come back just to show support for their dedication to serve the community.

Next time I go back, I'll try their meat tacos, their fish tacos again, and this giant taco called Old California. Just imagine a giant taco that's deep fried.

There are also a lot of other joints in Montebello/Whittier/East LA has a TON of $1 fish taco Wednesdays that are AMAZING. I'll venture off on that soon, just for you.

Daiisies

 

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Gyoza diet

If you are on a diet, you are going to die. I mean, there's a sign that tells you pretty much. DIE-t. Diet sounds like quit it. So we should all quit diets. Please. Someone. AGREE WITH ME! Why can't I eat chili cheese fries and drop 10 pounds at the same time? WHY? Why must life be so hard! Shutup all you skinny fast metabolism mother f'ers because one day you will get grubby. Or you will have babies with someone with fat genes. (this statement ONLY applies to people who giggles, and say 'I can eat whatever I want and not get fat ho-ho-he-he').

Ok... ok ok ok I'm sorry for being so vulgar. Let me take a step back.. But I'm sure, we've all been, tried, or still on some kind of diet. The diet doesn't necessarily mean weight lost. Some can just be a way of eating habits. Some can be... on a cookie diet. I love cookies... and fries.. and chicken.. fried... and I am DEFINITELY one of those people that goes to a steak house, and look for the largest oz of steak on the menu. I don't believe in 12-16oz steaks... 24oz+ and I'm in HEAVEN!

*sigh* I digress.

GYOZA TIME:

Recipe:

  1. ONE BAG OF FROZEN GYOZA.
  2. 4 tablespoons of Olive oil (or vegetable).
  3. 1/4 cup of water

I've been using a lot of canola oil after seeing Bobby Flay use a ton of it on his show "BBQ addict" shown of Food Network from 6:30AM-7:00AM pst. But, I realized that it had a strong flavor I wasn't too pleasant with. Normally, I can't really taste the difference between oils. But after using the Olive Oil from Costco for a LONG TIME (literally 2 large jugs for like, $24, a STEAL), I've grown to love the flavors it provided to my dishes. With that said, I could really taste the canola oil take over the dishes that I've made. So for this gyoza, I would honestly, use olive oil.

This is the intense part. No one is allowed to talk to you in this moment of solitude. The sound of the sizzle, the oil splatters, the sounds of your heartbeat as you are scared to your buns that oil is going to pop your eye out. Don't worry, that will all end. I poured the water into the pan maybe about 2 minutes of watching it sizzle on medium high. After the water drops, close the lid for about 5 minutes. Once the lid opens, the gyoza should look translucent. But the real test is when you flip them.

This is when I die. The crispy bottoms just makes me oh-so-happy. I tilt all of them to their side to get the slightest color on them before turning off the stove. During the process of waiting for the bottoms to color, I needed to add a little more water to make sure the dumpling was cooked throughout. But this really depends on your stove and how much your pan wants to work with you that day.

I ate this with a lot of Sriracha and some Broccoli sauteed in a lot of garlic.

So quick, so comforting, so happy.

Happy dumplings and oil splatters.

Daiisies

 

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Hashbrown Breakfast

Here I go again. OK, so watching Homeland till like 2-3 in the morning has not been the best thing for me. I am groggy during the day and my blood pressure has possibly gone up from all the stress that has been going on from seasons 1-3. Now that I've completed season 3, I can relax for a bit, because there wasn't really a cliffhanger that begs me to start season 4.

Don't tell me I don't have a life. I have a life, and that involves watching whatever I want, eating whatever I want, and basically doing whatever I want. Don't you want this life too?

Breakfast was simple this morning. It consisted of Eggs, Bacon, and homemade Hash browns.

The video was shot on my iPhone 5S so please forgive the quality.

Everything is pretty much self explanatory. Eggs and bacon.  For the Hash Browns, I got one large russet potato which feeds 2 people and sometimes even 3 depending on how large it actually is. I scrubbed the potato under some running water making sure that it is clean. I didn't peel my potato, but you can always do so.

I grated the potato on the coarse side with a standard box grater (I used OXO < click for reference). A quick rinse will help relieve the starchiness of the potato. Make sure the potatoes are dried with a towel to relieve the moisture. On medium high heat with your choice of oil, layer on your hashes. I let it go for about 3 minutes before deciding to flip. You will know it's read to flip when the hash browns become a sheet from crisping on the bottom.

One important rule! Don't forget to salt your hash browns! I'd rather have NO hash browns than to have bland ones. AND! A nonstick pan was also used.

I sliced up a Spanish (Yellow) onion and sauteed it to pour over the hash browns. The dish is served with ketchup and hot sauce.

Daiisies breakfast plate

This face was inspired by all of you. Because this is how you make me feel. I don't even know how to explain the way it looks. Kind of like the cookie monster right? Gosh I feel so freaking creative right now. Give me a moment....

I am forever turned to home making hash browns. If you are going to make a big batch, use a food processor. I decided to use a hand grater instead since I didn't feel like washing an appliance for one potato.

Good Morning ;P

Daiisies

 

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Dandan’s Guilin Rice Noodle - with Mom

So. My mom calls me, twice. She asked me if I had dinner yet, at 6 PM. Ok just say it, what is it? She got a new car and said she wants to drive me. Keeping in mind that I was assuming she got the car some time this or last week. I got to her place from Pasadena within 30 minutes. As I parked and got out, she was getting ready to back out. After getting in, I looked at her like 'whhhaaattt are you doing..?'. She stops in the middle of the road as she was trying to switch to drive. I asked her "Did you just get the car today?!" she said yes in the afternoon.

AND.I.LITERALLY.JUST.DIED.

I'm not even kidding you. The seat belt fastened so quick it just took one click. And then, I kept my arms away from the doors, and sunk my body into the seat. I feared she was going to make an asian move into the intersection to merge and a car was going to slam on my side. If I had balls, they shriveled. I was so terrified! I'm not going to lie I wanted to cry. She sees a random restaurant and asked me if I would like to try it. I, immediately said yes. Especially because it was around the corner from her place and I don't want to be a passenger for more than 1 mile.

Dandan's Guilin Rice Noodle

600 E Valley Blvd Ste A San Gabriel, CA 91776

Just to start. I kind of felt this vibe as if our patronage was not necessary. Given they were fairly empty for their little shack, I felt bad to not try it while my mom wanted to leave and eat somewhere else. I'm not sure if I would come back because of that. My mom was speaking to the waitress in cantonese. I could hear it in her tone and see her body gestures that she was not into us. I don't tend to do this... but when someone upsets me and I feel disrespected, I give them the look. I have this thing I do, that I just stare. Into their eyes. Suck out their soul. And that's it. But my goal now, is to eat, pray for my safety as my mom drives back, and go.

First dish

Cold trio appetizer

You are able to choose 3 different types of cold dishes that they offer for this trio appetizer. My mom chose the seaweed, spicy pig ears, and some dried been curd. It was mediocre, not bad, but not great. A typical appetizer that I love to snack on. The seaweed is in a slight tangy vinegar, sesame marinade.

Beef Brisket rice

This dish was actually pretty good. It was stewed till tender, and it came out pretty quick. Literally, in about 2 minutes. There wasn't anything particularly special about this dish. It was just comforting and hearty. I doused this with a lot of chili oil.

What's not shown are some scallion pancakes that were also mediocre. Not sure if they made it in house, but it lacked a lot of color, and can be cooked a little longer to cook out the grease.

Not sure if I will come back because of the bad attitude. I will always try a restaurant again for their food. For service, it only takes one bad impression for me to walk.

And, honestly, this is 626. I can find this food anywhere.

Thanks Mom!

Daiisies

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