I apologize, friends.
Because I know you. I know that the knowledge that this challah bread exists will now eat away at you until you get the chance to make it for yourself. (Or at least until you can bribe your roommate/spouse/pet to make it for you so you can shove some in your face.) I know that one look at it already has you itching to get into your kitchen, and scanning the ingredients to see if you could get started on it right away, before any of the day’s other demands can be faced.
Leili here! After gallivanting across Europe for the past month, I’m so excited to be able to share all the things I licked/saw/touched with you guys.
Let’s be honest: a trip to Europe, for me, was always going to be about the food. Seeing the sights is almost a requisite, but tasting everything I could get my hands on has been a life-long dream. What people eat, and how they eat it, says everything you need to know about their culture – and in the last few weeks, my taste buds have tasted a LOT of culture.
First up on this culinary expedition? Paris, the City of Light! (Or as I call it, the City of Bread and Butter).
Being the pastry-crazed person that I am, I felt right at home in Paris. Boulangeries and patisseries are nestled into every street corner, luring you in with the smell of freshly baked baguettes and flaky croissants.
(more…)
You guys! Today we’re celebrating a very special birthday.
And no, I’m not talking about Harry Potter’s.
Exactly a year ago today, Wei and I published our very first post on this little blog of ours. I remember it like it was yesterday: making pestos together as the smell of roasted garlic filled the warm kitchen, and trying to figure out the best angle to photograph each other’s hands as we mortared and pestled and crushed garlic. We shared Wei’s camera and she taught me all about how to take pictures like a pro. Then we ate a lot of pasta covered in fresh pesto, and pressed “Publish” for the first time. (more…)
All I need in this life of sin is a few heaping scoops of creamy chocolate ice cream. It fits into any occasion; at any time of day – it’s perfect for elevensies, a summer afternoon snack, or some late-night stress eating after last week’s Game of Thrones finale. (I don’t want to talk about it. I just can’t even.)
But as I’ve mentioned before, I can’t eat ice cream without feeling icky afterward. Lactose intolerance is just a cruel joke. The good news, which took me way too long to discover, is that there’s a solution to this dilemma. And if you give it a chance, you’ll see what all the fuss is about. (more…)
Occasionally, a rainy afternoon will make its way into my very warm summer. On those days, I want nothing more than to stay in and inevitably develop a sweet tooth born out of boredom and laziness. I don’t like to be bitter about it.
I usually end up at work though, and I have to carry my sweet tooth with me. Most days, I’m not picky as long as it fills my sugar hunger, but sometimes I need a really special cookie to do the job. This, my chocolate toffee cookie, is it – I think this might be my cookie soul mate. It’s one of those cookie recipes that I never mind repeating, because it tastes so damn good. (more…)
Mother’s Day is just around the bend, so I’m thinking it’s time to start getting my act together. My mother literally birthed me, and aside from being kind of horrifying to think about, that’s a totally incredible thing. So while I may not be the perfect child, I know that I owe my mama something – not only for the whole birthing thing, but for all the years that I’ve managed to stay alive. So here’s to you, mothers: an honest-to-goodness thank you for everything you’ve done and continue to do. You’re all basically superwomen. The least I could do was make you a cake.
You can’t blame me for shoving more chocolate in your face.
I mean, I guess you can. Actually I’ll totally take the blame. I will do that for you, friends, because this is really more of a public service announcement: you all deserve to try these brownies, free of guilt. (By the way, whoever invented the idea of “feeling guilty” about eating should seriously re-evaluate their lives. I call bullshit.) (more…)
My name is Leili, and I’m lactose-intolerant.
The problem I have is this: I am in love with ice cream and everything that goes with it. My last meal would be this brownie sundae with Scharffen Berger hot fudge sauce from Picco. A giant bowl of smooth ice cream drenched in rich hot fudge sauce and covered in a pile of whipped cream…now that’s the good life.
If you’ve read our About page, you would know that Leili and I met while working at a bakery in Boston. Allow me to garnish with extra information on our delicious friendship. Leili worked back of house as a baker while I worked front of house – we quickly became friends by talking about boys and her occasionally sneaking me sweets.
Between the two of us, Leili is the sweets and I am the salty. I have always been intimidated by baking but slowly unlearning that fear. This all changed very recently when Leili got me the Not Without Salt Cookie Mix by the great Ashley Rodriguez for Christmas.
Guys, it’s almost the end of the year and I’m sure resolutions are being drafted up. But before we commit to those good habits, let’s have one more splurge and indulge in something decadent. We deserve it, don’t we?
Leili and I love the marriage of salty and sweet – Leili is kind of a mega-girl fan of that coupling and that’s an understatement. So naturally, this hot chocolate with salted caramel fits the bill. And since it’s so close to the New Year, why not add some Bailey’s to it and be merry?
This recipe is very similar to the hot chocolate we used to make at the cafe we worked at. It is made with ganache and steamed milk – I won’t go too in depth with ganache since Leili already covered that in the chocolate truffles recipe. I use two different types of chocolate since it was all I had but it comes out to about 67% cocoa. Use the chocolate you like, but keep in mind that the caramel is rather sweet and if you’re adding Bailey’s, well, then good for you.
