Little Sister's Food and Photos

Felix Continental Cafe

2011-10-11T19:10:00.000-07:00

Felix Continental Cafe

36 Plaza Square
Orange, CA 92866

http://www.felixcontinentalcafe.com/

Green Tea Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-10-01T23:34:00.000-07:00

Green Tea Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Sweet Kitchen
Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients:

3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cake flour, not self-rising
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh matcha powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and matcha powder; mix on low speed until combined.
Add butter, mixing until the cubes of butter are peanut-sized or a little smaller.
In another bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla.
With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.
Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese, at room temp
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a bowl, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
Beat with an electric mixer until everything is fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting is still too wet, then add more powdered sugar.
Place frosting into a pastry bag with a cake decorating tip and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Have fun with your cupcakes and decorate them however you like. My cupcakes turned out beautifully. I'm no decorator, but the cake was very moist and fluffy on the inside. I thought black sesame went well with green tea, so I made a sugar tuile and sprinkled some black sesame on it. Great recipe.

Enjoy!
Little Sister

Panang Curry with Beef and Bamboo Shoots

2011-10-01T23:18:00.000-07:00

Panang Curry with Beef:

Yields 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons panang curry paste
2 tablespoon roasted peanuts
2 cups thinly sliced beef
1 cup of sliced bamboo shoots (I used canned)
1/2 cup water
4 kaffir lime leaves
Fish sauce and Sugar to taste

Pound 2 tablespoons of roasted peanuts into the 2 tablespoons of panang curry paste.
Pour 1/3 cup of coconut milk into a sauce pan. Heat the coconut milk over medium heat until it starts to boil.
Add the peanut curry paste and stir into the coconut milk until its well incorporated. Then add your beef slices and coat them with the curry paste.
Add the bamboo shoots, the rest of the coconut milk, and water. Let the beef cook until it's nice and tender.
Once the beef is tender, add the kaffir lime leaves and season with fish sauce and sugar. Depending on the curry paste you use, you might not have to add any fish sauce. I found mine to be too salty so I added about a tablespoon more of sugar.You can also add more water.
Serve with some jasmine rice and enjoy!

-Little Sister

Foo Foo Tei

2011-09-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

Green Calpico Drink

Nanchatte Ramen: Creamy white broth

Hot and Sour Ramen

Foo Foo Tei

15018 Clark Ave

Hacienda Heights, CA 91745

Pho Quang Trung

2011-08-30T15:08:00.000-07:00

Of course my Mom makes the best pho, but if we are ever out in Garden Grove and want something filling, quick and cheap, this place is definitely second best. It's our go-to restaurant. My family and I have been coming here for years. We've eaten at many other pho restaurants and none of them seem to compare to this one in all aspects; quality of the meats, freshness of the herbs, clearness of the broth, flavor, setting, service, and price. Order in and they'll bring out your pho in about 2 minutes or less. No joke, I timed it :) One thing I also like a lot about this restaurant is that it is very clean, the interior is nice, it's spacious, and better lit compared to other pho places in Garden Grove. Highly recommended.

Pho Quang Trung

10072 Westminster Ave
Garden Grove, CA

http://www.phoquangtrung.com/

White Chocolate Chunk Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

2011-08-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

This is my most favorite cookie recipe of all time. Might as well consider it to be my favorite cookies of all time. Why? It's the ease of the recipe, the harmony of the oats, dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, and the use of only 1 stick of butter. These are considerably healthier than your classic chocolate chip, in which a good chocolate chip cookie recipe calls for at least 2 sticks of butter and chilling time before you can actually bake and eat them. I'll take these cranberry white chocolate oatmeal cookies and a glass of milk over those any day. Sprinkle the tops with a little bit of sea salt and wow...just wow.

White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

makes about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup dried cranberries

2/3 cup white chocolate chips

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Add oats, cranberries, and chocolate chips and mix on low speed until incorporated.

Scoop spoonfuls of cookie dough and shape them into rounded mounds and place them on to the cookie sheets. Arrange them so that they are spaced evenly apart. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden brown.

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Pieology Pizzeria

2011-08-18T13:17:00.000-07:00

Choose your sauce, choose your cheese, choose your toppings. As much as you'd like for one set price.

Pieology

516 N State College Blvd
Fullerton, CA

http://www.pieology.com/

Spherification: Cantaloupe Caviar and Noodles

2011-08-14T20:25:00.000-07:00

Stepping into the world of Molecular Gastronomy with the basic spherification technique.

What is spherification? Spherification consists of a controlled jellification of a liquid which forms spheres when submerged in a bath. The spheres can be made of different sizes and have been given names like caviar, eggs, gnocchi and ravioli. The resulting spheres have a thin membrane and are filled with the original liquid. A slight pressure of the mouth on the sphere makes them burst and release an amazing explosion of flavor. (Molecular Recipes)

Neat isn't it?

My setup with everything you need. The ingredient measurements and preparation instructions can be found here.

Always try to be as precise with measurements as you can. Too little calcium chloride can create too thin of a casing and vice versa. Too much sodium alginate can make your "juice" become like jello. This is my 3rd trial and I must say it turned out great. :)

Third time's a charm! From caviar to noodles to ravioli...be creative and have fun with it.

Chicken Pot Pie

2011-08-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

Reminiscent of the frozen chicken pot pies I used to eat when I was younger... but this is better since I can make it now. :) Simple comfort food on a cool summer day.

Chicken Pot Pie

4-6 servings (1 8x8 pan)

Recipe loosely adapted from Closet Cooking

-The recipe calls for pie crust, but I used puff pastry dough instead. This tastes just as great but maybe the only downside is that if you want to eat it the next day, the puff pastry probably won't be as crispy. Wouldn't hurt to pop it back in the oven.

-I used whatever I had on hand. I didn't include celery, I just used the frozen peas and carrots and canned corn.

-The filling should have a thick and creamy consistency. If you find it to be too watery, then add more flour. Taste and season to your liking.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 onion (chopped)
2 stalks celery (chopped)
1 carrot (chopped)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 pound cooked chicken (shredded or cut into bite sized pieces)
1 teaspoon thyme (chopped)
1 cup peas
1 cup corn

salt and pepper to taste
2 pie crusts or 4 sheets of puff pastry (thawed)

1 egg white

1 tablespoon water

Directions:
1. Melt the butter in a large pan.
2. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Mix in the flour and let it cook for a minute.
4. Mix in the chicken broth followed by the milk.
5. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Add the chicken, thyme, peas, corn.
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Pour the filling into a pie dish with the bottom layer.
10. Place the pieces of puff pastry on top of the filling
13. Make an egg wash with the water and egg and brush it on top of the puff pastry
14. Place the pie onto a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400F oven until the crust is golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Kean Coffee

2011-08-11T12:21:00.000-07:00

Caffe Napoli: White Chocolate and Hazelnut

Kean Coffee

13681 Newport Ave
Ste 14
Tustin, CA
http://www.keancoffee.com/

Tebo Tebo Tea Lounge

2011-08-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

Lounge seating

Lounge area in back

Full Bloom Toast Box: Honey toast box with fresh strawberry, mango, custard cream and mango ice cream

Surprise! Toast cubes on the inside...
To-go regular sized slush, For-here fruit tea served in a glass carafe, and a to-go fruit tea served in a bottle

Tebo Tebo Tea Lounge

15556 Brookhurst St

Ste B
Westminster, CA

Cream Pan

2011-08-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

Crowded at 10:30am on a Wednesday

Better hurry in before they run out of pastries!

The most popular: Strawberry Croissant (available in two sizes, mini size pictured)

Cream Pan

602 El Camino Real
Tustin, CA

Mil Jugos

2011-08-05T13:34:00.000-07:00

The Pabellon: Carne Desmechada, black beans, and freshly grated white cheese sandwiched between two grilled crispy corncakes

*special sauces* Left: 3 types of peppers, parsley, salt/pepper, olive oil

Right: Cilantro, basil, parsley, garlic, salt/pepper, olive oil, egg yolk

My arepa and jugo fresco (guava)

Mil Jugos

318 W. 5th Street

Santa Ana, CA
http://www.miljugos.com/

Manmi Bakery

2011-08-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

Custard Filled Cream Puffs: 4 for $1

Manmi Bakery
8942 Garden Grove Blvd #100
Garden Grove, CA

Joe's Italian Ice

2011-08-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

Italian Ice Flavors

3 Joe Lattis

Joe's Italian Ice
12302 Harbor Blvd.
Garden Grove, CA
http://joesice.com/

Apple Frangipane Galette

2011-07-31T10:15:00.000-07:00

A rustic tart = a tart that tastes delicious but doesn't have to look perfect ;)

This was so delicious and simple. Highly recommend this recipe! For those that don't know what Frangipane is, it's a light and flavorful almond cream. Spread it on your pastry dough, place your cinnamon sugared apples on top, and bake. Voila! Yummy :)

Apple Frangipane Galette

Adapted from Bake List

Pate Brisee

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 stick ( ½ cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes

¼ cup ice water, plus more if needed

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and sugar, pulse a few times until just combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some large butter pieces remaining. Add half the water and then process, if the mixture is too dry and does not hold together, add the remaining water plus more if need until the mixture just holds together and forms a nice ball. Form the dough into a disk and refrigerate for at least one hour before using.

Apple Filling

4 Granny Smith apples, washed (I just used the leftover apples in my fridge)

¼ cup white sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

A pinch of kosher salt

1. Peel and core the apples. Set in water until all the apples are peeled so that they don't turn brown. Slice the apples into thin slices. Toss with the sugars, cinnamon, flour, and salt. Set aside.

Frangipane

½ cup almond flour, lightly toasted

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ cup white sugar

A pinch kosher salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs

1. Whisk together the almond flour, flour, sugar, and salt. Add the softened butter and whisk in the large eggs. Set aside.

Assembly

1 large egg, beaten mixed with a little water/milk for an egg wash

Sparkling sugar (optional)

Cinnamon sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out into a 16-inch diameter circle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the dough circle to the baking sheet. Brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash. Sprinkle the dough with cinnamon sugar. Spread the frangipane out in the center of the dough, leaving a 1-½ inch to 2-inch border. Taking the apple slices, start at the edge of the frangipane and layer the apples until reaching the center. Fold the edges of the dough up and over the edges of the apples and frangipane, crimping as you go. Brush the edges of the tart with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle with sparkling sugar and then cinnamon sugar over the entire tart. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the apples are soft and the edges of the tart are golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Little Sister

Phoenix Food Boutique

2011-07-31T09:47:00.000-07:00

Mixed Fruits Tapioca

House Special Pan Fried Egg Noodle (Shredded

Duck & Chicken, Bean Sprouts)

Fish Ball Noodle Soup

Coconut Milk & Black Sticky Rice Custard

Fresh Mango Creme Custard

Green Tea & Osmanthus Custard

Coconut Milk & Taro Custard

Phoenix Food Boutique

18166 Colima Rd
Rowland Heights, CA
http://www.phoenixfoodboutique.com/Phoenix/Phoenix.html

Waffle Window

2011-07-30T22:37:00.000-07:00

The Spring Fling Fresh strawberries, coconut panna cotta, and rhubarb sauce

The Three B's Pepper bacon, Brie, fresh basil and house-made peach jam.

Farm Fusion Mushroom, spinach, roasted pepper, tomato and marinated chevre

Waffle Window

SE Hawthorne Blvd & SE 36th Ave

Portland, OR 97214

http://wafflewindow.com/

'Lette Macarons

2011-07-30T08:03:00.000-07:00

Left to Right: Caribbean chocolate, Sweet wedding almond, Columbian coffee, Early grey, Pistachio, Violet casis

'Lette Macarons

333 S Alameda St Los Angeles, CA

http://www.lettemacarons.com/

Bottega Louie

2011-07-29T23:09:00.000-07:00

Portobello Fries with Basil Aioli

Trenne: Pan sauteed trenné pasta with braised

prime rib eye, Tuscan black kale & shaved

Grana parmesan

Hanger Steak Verdura: Prime beef, farmers’ market vegetables

& black truffle sauce

Rose and Earl Grey Macarons

Bottega Louie
700 S. Grand Avenue Los Angeles,CA
http://www.bottegalouie.com/

Jungle Tea Bar

2011-07-26T22:07:00.000-07:00

*Crystal boba and boba noodles*

Jungle Tea Bar
18178 Colima Road Rowland Heights,Ca
http://www.teabarcafe.com/

Molcasalsa

2011-07-26T18:03:00.000-07:00

Super Fries- French fries topped with carne asada, guacamole, salsa, refried beans, and sour cream

Molcasalsa
115 East Imperial Hwy Brea,CA

Chocolate Cranberry Flax Cookies

2011-07-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

No way, healthy cookies!? Those two words don't even belong together in a sentence.

I found and adapted this recipe from Eat Good 4 Life and I couldn't have been more pleased with the way my cookies turned out. I've been avoiding buying cookies at the store because looking at the nutrition facts would give me a little heart attack every time. 2 measley oreos contain almost 200 calories and 7grams of fat! This recipe is super simple and I had cookies on the counter in no time. They didn't even taste "healthy", which I loved. In my recipe I substituted a 1/4 cup of flour for a 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and left out the chocolate chips.

Yield: 14-16 cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup canola oil
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dry cranberries

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl whisk oil, sugar, egg and vanilla. Add flour, cocoa powder, flax, oats, baking soda, cranberries and mix well.

Drop rounded scoops onto cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. (I refrigerated my cookie dough to make it less sticky on the hands and easier to round)

Cool in the cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes and transfer to a wire rack.

Eat and Enjoy! :)

-Little Sister

The Donut Man

2011-07-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

The Donut Man

915 E Route 66 Glendora, CA

Built to Grill

2011-07-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

Gnocchi with sundried tomatoes and fresh basil

Built to Grill
SW 3rd Ave and SW Washington St

Portland,Or
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Built-To-Grill/233536508483

Pacific Bakery

2011-07-10T17:01:00.000-07:00

13 Flavors

Pistachio and Coffee Macarons

Pacific Bakery
13908 Brookhurst St
Garden Grove, CA

Chocolate Biscuit Cake

2011-07-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

Made with semi-sweet salted chocolate ganache

Recipe adapted from SheSimmers

Portola Coffee Lab

2011-06-29T22:05:00.000-07:00

Mocha with house-made ganache

Portola Coffee Lab
The OC Mart Mix
3313 Hyland Ave
Costa Mesa, CA
http://www.portolacoffeelab.com/

Tasty n Sons

2011-06-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

Polenta & Sausage Ragu with mozzarella & fried egg

Baked Cherries with teleggio and grilled bread

Grilled Asparagus with sunny side up egg, bacon, and parmesan

Red pepper & tomato stew with baked eggs and merguez sausage

Tasty n Sons

3808 North Williams Avenue
Portland, OR

http://tastynsons.com/

Basta Pasta

2011-06-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

Chicken Gorgonzola with walnuts in a cream sauce with Penne

Baked Stuffed Eggplant stuffed with roasted red peppers, mozzarella and spinach with fresh linguini

Basta Pasta
319 Western Avenue
Cambridge, MA
http://www.bastapastacambridge.com/

The Big Egg

2011-06-26T18:11:00.000-07:00

The Monte Cristo One egg over easy, black forest ham, gorgonzola cheese, and a maple glaze between brioche French toast dusted with powdered sugar

The Big Egg
4233 N. Mississippi Ave Portland,Or
http://thebigeggfoodcart.blogspot.com/

Tecnique @ Le Cordon Bleu

2011-06-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

Complimentary fresh bread with a trio of whipped butters (dill,regular,cinnamon)

Cheddar Beer Soup

Fingerling potatoes with truffle vinaigrette and chive blossoms

Sauteed fresh halibut fillet on pappardelle pasta with thyme, shitake mushroom, and tourne zucchini

Choux pastry filled with pastry cream and topped with chocolate

Technique @ Le Cordon Bleu
600 SW 10th Avenue, Portland, OR
http://www.techniquerestaurant.com/LeCordonBleu.html

Saucebox Cafe & Bar

2011-06-26T13:33:00.000-07:00

Complimentary fried taro chips

Pulled Pork Udon Noodles

Deep-fried noodle wrapped meatballs with tamarind dipping sauce
Shrimp & Bacon Fried Rice

Saucebox Cafe & Bar
214 Southwest Broadway Portland,OR
http://www.saucebox.com/

Papa Haydn

2011-06-25T18:13:00.000-07:00

Autumn Meringue Swiss meringues layered with rich chocolate mousse and pot de creme, wrapped in ribbons of chocolate.

Papa Haydn
701 Northwest 23rd Avenue Portland, Or
http://www.papahaydn.com/