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At 10pm last night I decided to bake an apple cake, I found the recipe from House Beautiful and it seemed easy enough to make, and it only needs 2 granny smith apples. As a clumsy baker I did everything I shouldn't have or didn't use the right equipment to bake this cake. The recipe calls for light brown sugar but I only had dark so I used it, I mixed the butter and sugar when the butter was not soft enough resulted in sugar flying out of the bowl, to eliminate further splattering nightmare I mixed the batter by hand (with a spatula) instead of the mixer, I didn't use a springform cake pan because I don't have one, and I didn't sprinkle the thing with powder sugar coz I figured that it's sweet and pretty enough. I learned that I don't have to follow the damn recipe to a T, like I used to, and the cake turned out pretty good, actually delicious! It's a nice cake to have in the morning with a coffee, it's not too cakey and dense so it doesn't feel like I'm eating dessert (I'm kidding myself right now, but it IS lighter!) Let me know if you want the recipe, or buy the December issue of House Beautiful!
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A few weeks ago my friend Carmen and I stopped by our neighborhood bookstore and picked up a cookbook by Baked Bakery from Red Hook. I have never been to the store and had never tried their baked goods until recently, I got a chocolate brownie with sea salt from my local store and I became an addict, even Oprah said it's one of her favorite things (hehe)! Carmen bought the book because she wanted to make the pumpkin whoopie pies, we also made the brownies (minus the sea salt) and they were insanely good, as good as the Baked ones if not better! 
Yesterday we made an apple pie, I give Carmen most of the credit because she made the hardest and the most important thing in a pie- the dough, the night before. Since we're both perfectionists and wanted to do everything exactly right, it took us about 5 hours to make the pie! I tell ya there's a lot of work involved in making the pie but the result was A-MAZING!!! 
The crust came out perfect, it's so light and flaky. It's a bit scary to think about how much butter and sugar is in the pie but surprisingly it doesn't taste heavy or too sweet either. You know what Carmen? I think it's time for me to get my own copy of the book, and our next "project" will be the flourless chocolate cake!photos: wonting, bakednyc.com
Chad, his co-worker Joanna and I walked by Yauatcha in London's Soho one day and were mesmerized by the super bright colored macaroons and cakes. So when I found out that we were going to meet Card Boy's Mark James and his wife Sheena there for lunch I was super psyched about it. It is a dim sum restaurant that uses only the best ingredients (like prawns and chive dumplings that are so moist and delicate). Everything I tasted was heavenly, for about $8 per dim sum it is more than twice the price in New York, but boy, was it worth it! My favorite was the sticky rice in lotus leaf, but even a simple dish, like sauteed choy sum, was so fresh and tasty, how did they do it?! The highlight of the meal was those macaroons, I didn't expect much from them and of course they were so delicious that I was almost in tears. Mark and Sheena were so gracious that they gave us a box of macaroons to take home, except that they didn't make it back, they were so fresh that they got mushy in a day! I dream that one day Yauatcha would open a branch in New York and I would be its most loyal customer. (Sheena and Mark, congrats and good luck!)
FOOD! I almost always judge a place I visit by its local eateries, and here are a few places that put New York to shame.
Fresh. I could not get enough of this place. It's a vegetarian chain restaurant that offers tasty and healthy food at reasonable prices. I loved their salads with their special mini fried tofu topping, kind of like crutons but more flavorful. Also do not miss their frothy lemonade, it's addictive! Owner Ruth Tal has a cook book based on the restaurant's menu, I am going to get one so I can have Fresh anytime! 
Terroni. I was tired and cold the first night we were in Toronto and Chad said I had to try Terroni's pasta, it's the best he's ever had. After hearing that I did not care if I'd rather head back to the hotel and sleep than waiting a half hour for a table. I tried their simplest thing on the menu, spaghetti with tomato and basil, and it was REALLY good, the pasta was al dente, wonderfully chewy texture that went perfectly well with the thick tomato sauce. Next time I will definitely treat myself a 3 course meal there, I'm sure it will be heavenly. Oh I also like their rustically pretty decor. 
Saving Grace. Cute brunch place with the best French Toasts with banana and real maple syrup. I enjoyed the vibe, the people and the friendly service a lot. 
Beaver Tail. People have been asking me about beaver tail since I mentioned how much I liked it, and they know I don't eat any red meat. No I did not eat any beaver meat, it is only a dessert, it's basically a deep-fried yeast dough that is long and flat, kind of shaped like a you know what. And you can add toppings like cinnamon, lemon, nutella, etc. Mike and Katie of TADO got one and we all tried it out of curiosity and it was surprisingly good, it's like a flat donut. It was so good that Chad and I probably ate more than we should have, we owe Mike and Katie a greasy dessert, we'll have to buy them some deep fried chocolate bars when we see them in London. 
CNE- Canadian National Exhibition. It happens every mid August through Labor Day weekend. It's a festival with rides, games, shows, and yes, food! It was THE chance to eat everything that is bad for you because there was nothing else available, and it was where we devoured that beaver tail in less than 1 minute, we also shared a giant pink cotton candy with 5 other people, and to top it all off, we had more deep fried goodies called Tiny Toms (they're mini donuts)!!!
PEOPLE. I am convinced that Canadians are happier than Americans and it's all because they have free health care which they are very proud of. They are also very energetic, charming, and funny. Since flying there is such an enjoyable experience (which I will write about tomorrow), I look forward to spending more weekends in Toronto.
Ok I admit that I'm the last person on earth who discovers how good this guy's show The Naked Chef is, thanks to BBC America airing old episodes on weekends! Even Chad finds it fun to watch! I went to his website to see what he's up to, he now has 5 restaurants and an events company, and still writing tons of cookbooks which will be on my holiday wish list. 
You can find some really good and simple recipes here. The maltesers and ice cream is the easiest thing to make but, what a great idea! I love Maltesers (every person from Hong Kong were Maltesers addicts when they were young, they are like Whoppers in the U.S. but much better)!
What's so good about his food is that he strips his ingredients down to the bare essentials, nothing fancy, and some of the recipes may look a bit complicated, but once you read the instructions, you too think that you can cook like Jamie!
I'm not Jewish but I have many friends who celebrate this holiday, so Happy Hanukkah! I looked up Russ & Daughters' website because I LOVE their whitefish salad on my bagel, and wow I was impressed by how great looking the site it! The logo says everything about them, what a cute fish!!! Look at the potato latkes, the smoked salmon, and I want to get that caviar just for the packaging. Everything on there is to die for, and that is why it has been in business since 1914, you must go to the Lower East Side store when you visit New York!
white fish salad on bagel
potato latkes, smoked salmon and caviar
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