Homemade Espresso Chocolate Shortbread Cookies!

Every now and then, I get this mood to bake. And when that happens, I jump for recipe ideas and head to the kitchen. This time around I was in the mood to bake cookies. The only problem was that we just arrived from a month long trip, so our fridge and pantry were limited.. as in, we had no eggs.

So after some research, I decided to try out this Espresso Chocolate Shortbread Cookie recipe. And like with all cooking and baking I do, I adjusted the recipe with my own twists.
- Inside of instant espresso powder, I used a strong shot of espresso which would lighten the color of the cookies but still have that coffee taste.
- For the bittersweet chocolate chips, I chopped up Jacques Torres 60% Chocolate Chips.
- Instead of all chocolate chips, I also added a handful of Scharfen Berger Cacao Nibs. I love using these when I bake. It's the texture of a roasted nut with the bitterness of a dark chocolate.

And after cooling on the rack.. It was awesome! A successful recipe and baking experiment. A recipe to keep in my archives. This shortbread cookie is crumbly, buttery, chocolatey and full of coffee. So yum!

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album.

A Spontaneous Dinner at Home

Even though we go to the grocery at least once a week for proteins and produce, we don't plan out what we'll have for dinner every night of the week. Dinner is made depending on cravings, whether it's for seafood, meats, etc. And whether it's the mood to stay in or go out.

For this particularly night, we opened the refrigerator and had a choice between fish soup or rack of lamb. It's been too long since I've had a good cut of lamb. With risotto in the pantry, we had our dinner set!

Roasted rack of lamb, saffron risotto with lima beans, and sauteed mustard greens. Pretty great for a spontaneous menu for dinner at home.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album.

Early Morning Breakfast

One thing I can expect after every cross-Pacific flight...jetlag. This time around my jetlag had me in bed before 10pm and up by 5 or 6am (which may seem normal for some people, but I prefer sleeping a bit later and waking up an hour or two later as well). And each time I woke up, I was so ready for breakfast.

After an early 7am mass (which was the first time I was so awake and alert for a mass that early), my parents and I enjoyed a Sunday morning breakfast. Usually, our Sunday routine is brunch past 1pm. Going out to breakfast this early was actually quite enjoyable. There's no traffic, the crowds aren't hitting the malls yet, and the early morning breeze is still refreshing.

We had our first meal of the day at the only place that seemed to be open before 9am at Greenbelt mall, Museum Cafe. We opted for the a la carte menu and not their Sunday buffet selections. It was pretty enjoyable, although the service was a bit lacking.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read more about the pictures.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album.

Comparing Plane Food

When I was living and traveling in the U.S., I grew used to traveling on the domestic airlines. Passengers go in and out of planes as though they are buses. Meal service is simply complimentary juices or sodas, and maybe even a snack on Business or First Class.

Then last year I moved to Asia and began to enjoy the Asian hospitality in the air. Even for flights that are less than two hours, there is an actual meal service, whether you're in Economy, Business, or First Class. It may just be a sandwich and a drink, but it's far better than just a drink. It's amazing because these planes carry more passengers than the flights in the U.S.

On my last trip, I took a couple camera pictures of the extreme range of meal service. The first is on a flight from Connecticut to Nevada. A 6 hour flight on Southwest Airlines.

The second is on a flight from Hong Kong to Manila. A less than 2 hour flight on Cathay Pacific.

These two pictures are on opposite ends of the spectrum. On SW, there are no seat assignments, and there is no class division. On CX, we flew First Class and enjoyed the plating and variety of choices.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read more about the pictures.

This slide show here runs on Flash. If you cant' see it,check out my Flickr album.

Steak Dinner

What can follow up a lobster dinner? And what's a great meal to cook at home before another long flight back to Manila?

Steak!

Place your cursor on "Notes" as a couple of the pictures have captions.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album.

Lobster at Home

My recent visit to the east coast was to celebrate the new addition to our family. Since my nephew (who's uber cute) couldn't go out for his first month in the world, we had many meals at my brother's place.

One meal took advantage of being in the east coast.. and the start of lobster season! And what can you pair with lobster? Garlic noodles!

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see the slide show, check out my Flickr album.

(Pictures taken by my brother)

Easter Brunch at Home

Easter! One of my favorite holidays of the year. It's the best religious day of the year, it's my mark for the start of the sunny yet cool spring time, and it's family day.

Family meals at home range from simple and casual to "party foods." In all cases, they are home cooked meals that feel like we're eating out at a restaurant with the comfort of eating at home.

Our Easter meal was simple, yet it still had the celebration feel to it. All in all, another great meal with the family.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album.

Caseus - Cheesy Goodness in New Haven

I love local spots when I'm any city around the world. Meaning to say, I try to avoid global and national chains (e.g., Starbucks). I want to see and taste what the locals are doing.

In New Haven, one of these local spots is Caseus, a local cheese shop and bistro. It's local popularity has expanded to the trendy food truck, as well. Caseus is a cool, chill place to eat outdoors when the weather is warm and sunny, or indoors in a tavern-like atmosphere. If you're in the mood for some cheesy goodness, this is the place to go.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read a little more about each picture.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album.

Alfajores - An Argentinian Treat

Every country has a variety of specialties when it comes to food. They range from appetizers to desserts and drinks.

One specialty of Argentina is their dessert cookies - alfajores. Alfajores are basically biscuit cookies sandwiching a layer of dulce de leche.

I recently discovered these cookies because my brother had a batch of homemade alfajores in his place - made by his Argentinian friend's mother. The biscuits were not overly sweet, so the dulce the leche could be the star. The biscuits were crumbly good, too.

Two weeks later, I came across alfajores again at a neighborhood market in New Haven, CT. I had to try it to compare. Also homemade, and this time they were coated with coconut. A bit on the drier and flakier side, and a bit sweeter. I preferred the first batch I tasted, but nonetheless still really enjoyed these Argentinian cookies.

It's always a treat to discover new foods, sweets, and drinks. And it's even better when you get to try various versions to compare the works of each baker and cook.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read a little about each picture.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album.

Asian Burgers at Bachi Burger in Las Vegas

Asian fusion can totally be overused and overrated. But when it's done well, it's still a pretty awesome concept.

Bachi Burger, located off The Strip in Las Vegas, executes some awesome Asian fusion burgers. They combine a classic Asian staple into a burger. The flavors are authentic and, at the same time, you're also enjoying a quality burger.

The only critique I have is that the bun is too soft. The bottom bun gets so smashed from the weight of the burger. With only your first bite, the bun is already getting to be paper thin. Some people like that, but maybe they should also provide bun options for those that want wheat or heftier breads for their burgers.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read a little more about each picture.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album.

KGB - Kerry's Gourmet Burgers in Las Vegas

When you're a celebrity chef there is extra pressure to really deliver a great all around product. So with Kerry Simon's name attached to this burger restaurant, I was anticipating a pretty tasty experience.

KGB - Kerry's Gourmet Burgers - Cool name.. but unfortunately the name can't carry the whole restaurant. The service wasn't attentive and the food was disappointing. There was creativity in the plating presentation of the appetizers and burgers. But that's where the celebrity chef factor ended. In the end, it just felt like we ate a mediocre meal at Harrah's. We could have spent the same amount of money at a cooler hotel on The Strip..

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read a little more about each picture.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album.

New York's Grimaldi's in Las Vegas

When I'm back in the states, I have specific cravings. Burritos, ramen, burgers, pizza, beers, bloody marys..My stomach just grumbled..

My pizza craving was totally satisfied. I enjoyed it in San Francisco, Las Vegas, and in New Haven. I love artisan and Neapolitan pizzas. The toppings are quality and the pie is chewy, yet fluffy, yet crispy and well baked. Just pure goodness.

In Las Vegas we visited the newly opened Grimaldi's Pizzeria. Yup, Grimaldi's from New York. The interior is very family oriented and welcoming. We went there twice. The food is hit and miss. The first time was a fantastic first impression. The pizzas were perfectly baked and delicious. The second time around, the wait for our pizzas was ridiculous and the pies came out overbaked and overly crisp. If you do go, hopefully you'll catch it on their better days.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read a little more about each picture.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flick album.