Weekly Snapshots

26 Sep

Stocking up on fruit at the Urban Radish in Downtown L.A.

Now that college is in full swing, I’m suddenly drowning in endless pages of reading, essay deadlines, and extracurricular activities. Cooking a homemade meal offers a much-needed break at the end of my day. I slip into comfy clothes, dance on my own to my favorite Shakira songs, and take my mind off everything I have to accomplish. I have a bunch of new recipes that I’m excited to share, but for now want to give you all a taste of my week courtesy of my iPhone.

A romantic dinner that I prepared for my roommate and me.

I had my first acai bowl at this amazing food truck parked next to my school.

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I literally would not survive in college without eggs. They are packed with protein, quick to prepare, and extremely versatile. I have a whole post dedicated to egg recipes coming soon.

I nearly jumped for joy upon discovering my school’s weekly on-campus farmers’ market. In addition to all the wonderful produce at my fingertips, ethnic foods like this Jamaican jerk chicken add excitement to my lunch routine.

Roasted eggplant and zuchinni from the farmers’ market–easy to store and reuse throughout the week.

College Cooking: Quick & Healthy Breakfast

1 Sep
Greek yogurt with fresh fruit (and me in the spoon!). 
I’m the person who thinks about what she’s going to have for breakfast while in bed the night before. I love taking in the smell of freshly brewed coffee and flipping pancakes while reading the front page of The New York Times. Now with classes starting everyday at 8 and 9:30 a.m., my college schedule does not accommodate such luxuries.

Rolled omelette made with veggies from dinner the night before. 
Though my mornings are considerably more rushed than they were during those idyllic summer days, I refuse to compromise when it comes to breakfast. These two simple and healthy recipes take minutes to prepare and make me feel energized and focused during lectures. 

The first–greek yogurt with sliced fresh fruit–will work with whatever produce you have on hand, no kitchen appliances required. For extra sweetness, mix in a bit of almond butter or jam.

The kitchen in my dorm–where all the magic happens. 

The second recipe–mixed veggie and goat cheese omelette–was inspired by an exquisite mushroom and spinach omelette I had at French Blue in St. Helena, CA. The omelette’s exterior was just set, encasing the veggies like a blanket, while the egg inside remained silky and almost molten. While my homemade version does not match the buttery goodness of French Blue’s, it received a seal of approval from my roommate, who declared that if all else fails, I could become a chef. 🙂 

For the filling, I recycled veggies from a stir-fry I made the night before. Transforming leftovers is a fundamental skill in college cooking, because you maximize the amount of time you spend in the kitchen and never waste precious produce.

Mixed Veggie and Goat Cheese Omelette  

Ingredients 
2 eggs 
Tblsp of milk
Handful of diced, sautéed vegetables of your choice (I used eggplant, red bell pepper, and zucchini) 
Crumbled goat cheese (or any other cheese you prefer)
Salt and pepper 

1. Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-low heat. Crack one whole egg into a bowl with one egg white, placing the yolk in a separate bowl. Add the milk to the yolk and combine with a fork. Salt and pepper both egg mixtures to taste. 
2. Pour the egg/egg white mixture into the skillet, spreading it into a circle, and cook for a few seconds until just set. Place the veggies in a line in the center of the circle and sprinkle crumbled goat cheese over them. Pour the egg yolk mixture over the veggies and fold the two sides of the omelette over the veggies. Press down lightly on the omelette with a spatula, cooking until the yolk center is soft but not liquidy. Remove the skillet from the heat and serve the omelette immediately.

These recipes are part of my ongoing quest to cook nutritious meals from scratch in my college dorm. I encourage readers’ comments and suggestions as I continue on this journey. For more information about the College Cooking series, click here.

Easy Yogurt Popsicles and Preparing for College Life

17 Aug
Dorm food has a bad reputation. Pizza, chips and candy, energy drinks, and Cup Noodles constitute the four major food groups of the college diet. So how does a teen food blogger, one who considers the Saturday morning farmers’ market the highlight of her week, navigate this daunting new environment?  
Well, for starters, I will live in an apartment-style dorm this fall. My two roommates and I share a kitchenette equipped with a refrigerator, stove, and (hopefully) a small oven. I have access to fresh produce and pantry staples from an on-campus grocery store, but everything I cook must be quick and simple. Healthy snacks are especially important because they keep me going throughout the day and dictate my energy level. 
 
Enter yogurt popsicles with granola and fresh figs. 
This recipe allows you to use whatever you have on hand, mixing and matching flavors, with no fancy equipment required. Layer granola, mixed nuts, and ripe fruit with dollops of yogurt in a glass vessel, pop the glass in the freezer for a few hours, and enjoy a specially-designed, portable snack.
 
Some of my favorite combinations include toasted coconut and blueberries, almond butter and banana, and mixed berries with jam.
In the coming weeks, I will chronicle every chapter of my dorm food adventure. I invite you all to share any recipes and tips with me in the comments box. I look forward to discovering creative ways to enjoy fresh food within the parameters of college life.
Inspired by The Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories
 
Ingredients 
1/2 cup yogurt (I like the tanginess of Greek yogurt)
3 tblsp granola 
2 ripe figs 
2 tblsp fig jam 
Drizzle of honey 
 
Drizzle the sides of the glass with honey. Cover the bottom with a dab of yogurt. Layer bits of jam, figs and granola with the yogurt, sealing the top with yogurt. Stick a spoon through the center of the “parfait,” and freeze for at least five hours. To release the popsicle, run the glass under warm water and twist the spoon.  

 

Semisweet Bakery

17 Jun
The 7 Up pound cake is moist and tender, dusted with a thin layer of powdered sugar.  


Food makes memories. Some of my best meals involve gathering around a table with friends and family, talking and laughing for hours, and sharing incredible dishes. I love to cook and bake because great food creates the most enjoyable experiences. 

Whenever I eat grilled fish, I remember my family’s trip to the Mediterranean, where our lunch was sourced fresh that very morning. Macarons and croissants transport me to the streets of Paris, strolling leisurely and peeking into the display window of every patisserie I passed by. The desserts at Semisweet Bakery in Downtown Los Angeles bring me back to my childhood, with classic American favorites like chocolate-banana bread, decadent layer cakes, and strawberry pocket tarts.

A generous slice of blueberry cornbread- 
the perfect balance between sweet and savory. 

Semisweet is a charming shop nestled into a bustling Los Angeles street. The decor pays tribute to the 60’s, with checkered tile tables, baby blue walls, and vintage accessories. Peering at the menu offerings made me nostalgic for the types of desserts I used to love as a kid- Oreos, Thrifty ice cream, and molten chocolate cake. 


After much deliberation, I ordered the 7 Up pound cake, blueberry cornbread, Samoa macaron, and the traditional and PB Crunch Ding a Lings. All were excellent, but the pound cake and the PB Crunch Ding a Ling definitely stole the show. A Ding a Ling is Semisweet’s rendition of the iconic Ding Dong- a chocolate snack cake filled with cream and dunked in chocolate glaze. You must try the peanut butter version, which satisfied my sweet-salty-crunchy-chocolately craving all at once.

Semisweet’s prices are also very reasonable given the top-notch quality and generous portions, a major advantage for someone who can never make up her mind on what to order. So visit this quaint bakery for delicious American treats that will make you smile. 


Semisweet Bakery 
105 East 6th St. 
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 228 9975
– – – – – – – – – – – – – 
Tuesday-Thursday, Sunday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Friday-Saturday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. 

Oat Cake with Blueberries and Blackberries

10 Jun


Just two days ago, I graduated high school. My classmates and I wore white dresses and held bouquets, walked down an aisle to an outdoor stage (sounds like a wedding, doesn’t it?), and waited anxiously to receive our diplomas. During stressful moments and late-night study sessions, I vividly imagined this day in my mind, maybe even counted down to it. Now that toasts have been made and achievements celebrated, it hasn’t sunk in yet that I will not return as a student to the place where I spent the past six years of my life.

Picking blackberries from my backyard garden.

Change is a funny sensation, because transitioning from one chapter of your life to the next never feels the way you imagined it would. I thought it would be easy to say goodbye and look forward to entering college, but this past month has been incredibly bittersweet. 

How do I thank my amazing teachers and advisors, my peers, and my family members for all they’ve done to help me grow? How do I prepare for a completely new environment filled with thousands of unfamiliar faces, historic buildings, and dorm life? Well, for right now, I’m focused on savoring the moment. I want to let my experiences come naturally rather than always look ahead or to the past. I plan to spend this summer doing what I am passionate about; no strings attached. 

Obviously baking ranks high on my list of passions. Which leads me to this cake. A cinnamon-scented oat cake filled with ripe, seasonal berries. The top is crunchy from a sprinkling of turbinado sugar, but has a soft, tender crumb on the inside. I love the cake’s rustic simplicity, because during this time of year it’s all about allowing the produce to shine. 

Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart Living, July 2013

Ingredients 
4 tblsp unsalted butter, softened 
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pan 
1 cup plus 3 tblsp quick-cooking oats, divided 
2/3 cup water 
1/2 tsp baking soda 
1/2 tsp baking powder 
3/4 tsp coarse salt 
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 
1/2 cup granulated sugar 
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 
1 large egg 
1 tsp vanilla extract 
2 cups mixed ripe blueberries and blackberries 
3 tblsp coarse sanding sugar (turbinado sugar) 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Butter and flour an 8-inch square metal baking pan, tapping out excess flour. Combine 1 cup oats and water and let stand until oats have softened, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and beat in egg and vanilla until just combined, scraping down sides of bowl if necessary. Add flour and oat mixtures and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Do not overmix. Gently fold in about half of the berries.

3. Spread batter in pan and sprinkle with remaining 3 tablespoons oats and sanding sugar. Scatter remaining berries evenly over top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack at least 30 minutes before serving. It’s best served on the day of.

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