Chocolate Tart

This chocolate tart is one I have been making for years.  It's one of my go to desserts because it's so simple but so good.  I usually make it with a sable "sweet" cookie crust.  You can flavor it in various ways, just fresh berries, hazelnut, mocha, and etc.  I wanted to make a peppermint for a holiday team potluck.  

My team is mostly guys and last time I made a peppermint version of this, I was amazed at how many guys came up to me and said it was one of the best dessert they had.  I wanted to make it extra special, so this was the first time I decided to infuse fresh mint into the cream mixture vs. using a peppermint exact that I normally use. I first learned of using real fresh mint infusion from the chocolate tour at Theo's chocolate.  They have a fresh mint infused chocolate bar that is amazing!

Well...mine didn't turnout amazing.  The flavors were not there for me.  It was not the typical chocolate tart I usually make.  It was not sweet enough and a bit bitter.  The mint flavors weren't as vibrant for me.  I think my mistake was using 72% dark chocolate, I should have stuck with normal semi sweet which I think is about 60% chocolate.   Anyways, I'm going to try again with the fresh mint infusion and less dark chocolate.  I'll post my recipe after another try.

Christmas Dinner

Christmas dinner is a tradition at my parents.  Like Thanksgiving, my mom usually makes the main protein, along with some Korean dishes, and my siblings and I make the other items.

This year we had alot of food because we had 3 families joining us.  


Mom made so many dishes...she is such an amazing cook!  She has never used a recipe in her life.  She tells of adjustments she made in her cooking from watching cooking show but she does it all by taste.
Roasted Turkey

Rice Stuffing

Tempura

Japchae, a Korean Noodle Salad

Mashed Potato

Turkey Gravy

Gobi, this is so good and unique.  It's a root that is sliced super thin and tossed with soy sauce, sugar, sesame, and other ingredients.  It's great to eat with rice.

I don't even know what this is and forgot to ask.  :)

2 kinds of Kimchee - cabbage and turnip

Steamed Spinach

Corn

Dong made...
Prime Rib

Oreo Truffles.  I forgot to get a pic of these. They were well done and tasty.  Who has a brother that makes truffles.  :)  We are such food family.


Soung made...
Her signature salad that has sauteed Kale, Quinoa, among other things.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Mushroom Truffle Risotto.
Jello Salad


I made most of the appeitzers and desserts, as well as roasted potato.
Bacon Wrapped Dates

Brie, Date, Pecan Bite

Spinach Dip


Christmas Lemon Cranberry Cake

Rochers

Garlic Herb Roasted Potato

We are definitely a family that loves too cook and feed people!

Honore Artisan Bakery - French Macron

Honore is a little neighborhood bakery in Ballard.  It's only about 5 blocks from my house.  I love this place.  Somethings are better than others here, but this place has things that are not available in most bakeries.  Things like Kouign Amann, a salty sweet dense croissant like pastry and Cannles, the dark brown baked custard pastry. 

But I'm here to talk about their Macron.  I think they have the best french ones in Seattle.  I've tried them all available in Seattle...the ones from Fresh Flours, Bakery Nouvoue, and Le Panier.  The ones at Le Panier are good but these are better.  They taste more fresh and the flavors are more vibrant.  The cookie itself is nicely crisp on the outside, full almond flavor, and their fillings are unique.  I've had salty caramel, coconut caramel, chili chocolate, lemon, passion fruit, raspberry, coconut, pistachio, and coffee.

It's divine!


They don't have a website but here is their address.
1413 NW 70th St
Seattle, WA 98127

Homemade Caramel Sauce

After shopping, Sue and I came back to my place where I had to make a Red Velvet Cake for a friend for lunch tomorrow.  That's another posting.


I had told Sue that I love making Caramel sauce and promised her some before she starts eating healthy with the new year.  :) 

It's really one of those favorite things to make. I also love the reaction I get from people when they taste this sauce, especially when they've only tried store bought caramel sauce. It's simply the easiest and best thing on earth.  Mine are just white sugar, heavy cream and salt.   I make it a bit salty for the salty sweet flavors. But I cook the sugar until a rich amber and then layer the cream favors.


2 cups of white Sugar
2 cups of Heavy Cream (room temperature)
1/4 cups of Heavy Cream
1 to 2 tsp of Kosher or Sea Salt (based on taste)

-Cook sugar in a pan over medium heat until melted and color equal amber.  It will be a good 15-20 min.  Keep stirring.
-Add room temperature heavy cream.  This is important because the colder the cream, the harder the sugar will be.  When you add the cream, it will boil violently and the sugar will harden and the cream will liquefy more, but just keep stirring until all is dissolved and the mixture thickens slightly like pouring oil.  It will thicken as it cools.
-Add salt.  1 tsp at a time until desired saltiness.
-When cooled to room temperature, add the additional cream and stir.  This step really adds the additional layer of flavor and creaminess to the caramel sauce.


Try it over vanilla ice cream with toasted pecans and banana slices.  I love to dip fresh apple slices, the possibilities are endless.

Staples & Fancy Mercantile

Is Christmas already over?  It must be, because I spent the day shopping and everything festive was 50% or more off.  I have baked a ton the last few weeks but haven't had time to post those. I will do that in the next few days.

Today however, was a splendid day with my good, long time friend Sue.  We spent the day shopping for post holidays stuff, but fun stuff.  I am one of those that want to shop for the bargain holiday things but the thought of storing and using anything one times a year prohibits me to.  My friend Sue on the other hand went ballistic.  She got so many holiday things that she had to go home to unload before meeting me to shop.  She drives a mini van.  I on the other hand bought things like a good quality ice cream scooper for my cookies, new velvet pillows, and a tea pot.

After the shopping, I wanted to take Sue to Walrus & Carpenter for some drinks and apps.  I had gone there last week or so for some holiday cheers to catch up with friends.  Sue loves little plates so I knew that would be the perfect place.  Well...they are closed on Sundays, so we went to the next door Ethan Stowe's newest restaurant Staples and Fancy Mercantile.  

I've wanted to try this place for a long time.  I love Tavolata and was eager to try, and the place is in Ballard.  I was not disappointed. The food was amazing!  Simple but so flavorful.  Sue was also impressed.

Here is what we had...

Salad of Beets with Soft Boiled Egg, Watercress, Avocado

This was so good.  Perfectly roasted beets and balance of flavors.  The avocados was so good for some reason.

Sea Scallops with Farro, Squash, Radish, Mint

Not my first time eating scallops but I would say the first time really tasting the texture and flavors.  You can really taste the smokey caramelized flavors. Love Farro!

Rigatoni with Tomato Sauce

This was perfect.  Well cooked pasta, tomato sauce is perfectly balanced with tartness, sweetness, and the garlic slivers.  Yum!

Polenta with Anchovy and Chilies

This was by far the most impressive.  So toasty polenta with the "good", a bit grassy olive oil that tasted so fresh.  Check out the knife skills on the chilies.  The pic looks big but the actual size of the polenta rounds were about the size of silver dollar so the chilies were super small but perfectly square.  I love it when someone pays attention to the little details.

Sturgeon with Controne Beans, Golden raisins, Celery 

Sue said this was great.  I tasted the veggies and they were a great balance of flavors.

Almond Cake with Cinnamon Ice Cream

This was okay.  Cake a bit over baked but the ice cream was not.  Sue didn't care for this and perhaps we should have gotten the chocolate cake.

Definitely a place to go back!  But first we need to go back to Walrus and Carpenter.  I didn't have a camera with me the first time I went, I will make sure I have it next time.

Coffee Cake

This week has been all about coffee cake. I made 3 versions this week for office mates at work, and for a brunch this morning.  I'm still in the process of testing and perfecting the recipe.  I keep over baking it and the bottom is a but tough.  I really want it to be moist, tender, velvety cake with fabulous flavorful toppings.   I'll keep trying...


Apple Spice
This had green apples, cardamon, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  I think I over did the spice.  I do love this round cake the best.

Banana Pecan
This was pretty good made with over-riped bananas and toasted salty pecans.

Apple Cinnamon
In terms of classic flavor, I think this is best.  Keep it simple with cinnamon and forgo the other spices.

More to come with recipe once I can perfect a recipe.

Holiday Brunch with Friends

This morning I had some dear friends over for brunch.  This meal of the day is truly one of my favorite things to make.   It also helps to serve with Mimosa!

Fruit of Melons and Blueberries
I love the colors here.

Bagels & Lox
My brother brought over some fresh bagels, smoked salmon, and good cream cheese.  He did such a great job slicing the salmon so thin.

Cheese and Scallion Biscuits

Apple Spice Coffee Cake

Roasted Pepper Potatoes

Simple Scrambled Eggs with Chives

Maple Bacon
I wish at times I could eat bacon.  It fills the house with a smell that says it's morning.  This version is made in the oven.  I brush the bacon with pure maple syrup then bake it in it's own fat until "almost" done.  I then take it out of the oven, drain the fat, put it on a rack, then bake some more until crisp.  

Janine said it was the best bacon she's ever had.  Looks her son Wilson also liked it too.  He is so cute!