Korean Cravings

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Maddie

Having recently moved to a new district in Tianjin, we are now a 10 minute walk from several Korean food restaurants. I love Korean food so much that I can’t help but go once, twice, or even three times a month : ) Korean style complimentary appetizers are a highlight of my meal… you see, shortly after being seated, you are served a variety of taste-testers before the meal *no waiting idly while my stomach growls uncontrollably!* If you’ve never tried Korean food, I highly recommend it, check out a few of my favorite dishes below!

My ultimate favorite dish is 냉면; translated “cold noodles.” Yes, I know it sounds odd but trust me, its “oh-so-yummy!”

Red-Velvet Valentine’s Day Cake

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Rae

Yes, I know its been a month since Valentine’s Day but to be honest, I couldn’t pass up this post no matter how late. I am putting it out there as the best tasting cake that I’ve ever made. It couldn’t of come at a better time either, as baking is my #1 method of showing my affection (which is what V-day is all about, right?).

There were many “firsts” for me in baking this cake, it was my first try at: red velvet cake, a 6-layer cake, filling with whipped cream… my first successful piping experience, the first cake that I’ve made for a specific occasion other than a birthday, to Megan’s delight, my first time using the cake plate she bought me for Christmas, and last but not least, the first cake that I’ve properly hoarded all for myself!

The reason I enjoyed this particular cake so much is its unique combination of flavors. As is tradition for a red-velvet cake, there is a cream cheese based filling which then alternates with a pink-colored, vanilla whipped cream. Covering the outside of this cake, is possibly the best chocolate icing I have ever tasted. However, the prize-winning factor has to do with the original nature of red-velvet cake. Unlike many cakes that I bake, this cake is “not” overwhelmingly CHOCOLATE… red-velvet cake is no more than a vanilla cake with a bit of added cocoa and a bunch of red food coloring. Hence, the ratio of vanilla to chocolate is just right.

The genius behind this monstrous cake can be found over at Sweetapolita -you can find the recipe and full description here.

A Little Coffee, A Little Chat

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Rae

In Chinese you would say “一边喝咖啡，一边聊天”, which quite literally means “A Little Coffee, A Little Chat”. Sometimes (okay – most of the time) coffee and good, long conversations can do wonders for one’s mood. Thankfully, Rachel was up for just such an outing. We dressed up for the occasion and were off to a cozy coffee shop.

Unfortunately, choosing the day of China’s Lunar New Year (their biggest holiday of the year), most of the cafes we moseyed over to were closed! In a final attempt to follow through with our plan, we spotted the Korean owned, “Alice Cafe,” with doors open and ready to serve us some Joe.

The great thing about going out with Rachel is that I never feel strained to carry on conversation. We both worked on separate projects until either her or I sparked an interesting topic, which was then talked through to completion…

As we ended our stay (which had lasted three hours +), we took advantage of Cafe Alice’s adorable store front by shooting a few photos, (this didn’t last long because it was freezing outside!)

Cupcake Phase

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Rae

For the past month my oven has experienced literal tidal waves of cupcakes entering and exiting by the dozens. Seriously, for about a week, J, M, & M could expect a fresh cupcake every afternoon awaiting their return from school. Other than spending WAY too much time researching cupcake flavor variations, gaining a quite few extra pounds (eek!), and frustrating my Mother to no end with piles of dirty dishes, I have immensely enjoyed these sugar-filled days of baking.

We are a little s’more-crazy around here, so I couldn’t resist trying the cupcake form of a traditional campfire s’more… The first time around, I piped a fluffy meringue atop chocolate cupcakes. Sadly, however, I couldn’t taste the true “marshmallowy creaminess” famous in s’mores. Hence, a few days later, I tried a completely different frosting made from cream cheese and marshmallow fluff.

At this point, I am still tackling the introductory techniques of cupcakes. I have not reached the level of originality and creativity required for developing new flavors and design aesthetic. For now, I am benefiting from the experience of all the excellent bakers ahead of me… this particular recipe was developed by the very talented Rosie from Sweetapolita. She is such a sweetheart and I am constantly wowed and inspired by her work.

There are actually four parts to these cupcakes. 1.) graham cracker (or digestive cookie for those of us living overseas) crumbled base. 2.) Chocolate cupcake. 3.)Dark chocolate glaze spread directly onto the surface. 4.) Marshmallow frosting piped on top. I find this combination a perfect ratio of each s’more component: cracker, marshmallow, and chocolate bar.

Parts #2 and #4 are found here, and parts #1 and #3 are written below.
Graham cracker crust:

scant 1/2 cup butter 1-1/2
cup of Graham crackers crumbled

Chocolate Glaze:

2/3 cup Dark Chocolate chopped
2 TBL Heavy Whipping Cream
4 TBL Powdered Sugar
4-5 TBL warm Water

(~credit given to Bakersroyale for the above recipes)

I’m Lovin’… Food Gawker

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Maddie

First and foremost I’d like to repent of beging terribly MIA on Connecting4 lately.

It’s a new year and I am super excited for all the new that is coming my way. Finally I can start a fresh with all my goals, ideas, and planning… Also, *fun fact* this is about the time we first started connecting four so… happy birthday Connecting Four!

——

Anyways… Food Gawker is always the place to go when you’re either bored out of your mind, or when you’re searching for “that perfect” recipe. Below are five recipes that are officially on my “upcoming-cooking-adventure” list. Of course, Rachel will be helping me in this particular field of expertise, since the kitchen and I don’t particularly see eye-to-eye.

As you can probably tell from the selection above I am a very traditional yet snacky type of person when it comes to eatables. I couldn’t help but include a funnel cake recipe, although it may be on the unhealthy side, the thrill and excitement of its traditional environment <AMUSEMENT PARKS!> rubs off on me. The spinach pesto sauce is my second favorite… I am reminded of late night dinners which consist of sprawling out on the couch with a huge bowl of basil covered pasta, while watching A Cinderella Story with my sisters.

I think it’s safe to say that food gawker is perfect for food lovers- whether or not the kitchen is your playground!

Sources/*recipes*: {one, two, three, four, five}

Biscuits n’ Snow

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Rae

This morning we woke up to a winter wonderland outside. So lovely. Being the sweet older sister that I am, I dragged myself out of bed extra early to bake warm, fluffy biscuits for breakfast. Baking for my sisters is such fun; Jessie will never get tired of a sweet snack to pair with her tea obsession, Maddie won’t tell me if she’s unimpressed (which is a very good thing ;), and Megan has considerably low expectations (she’d rather have an oreo than chocolate mousse!) What will I do without these three? Anyway. While obediently washing my dishes after sticking these delights in the oven, I lost myself in the slow-paced world of morning grogginess. Thankfully, Mom saved our breakfast just in time from being baked to a deathly crisp. I happily enjoyed a honey-butter filled breakfast this morning while the flurries quietly drifted to the ground all around me.

A Mexican Weekend

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Rae

Mexico. I’ve never been but it seems like a wonderful place. While satisfying my recipe obsession, I came across this cinnamon, vanilla beverage. The element which originally sparked my attention was the rice additive. The flavor of white rice is simply delicious and the thought of it in the form of a cool fresh drink was irresistible. As you might’ve guessed, I was delightfully surprised by the outcome. The drink was unique and tasty to be sure.

Going along with this theme, I declared a Mexican weekend. Sunday morning Jessie and I prepared a batch of horchata with sweet, donut-like “churros” as a side. My goodness. Yum. We ate the entire plate for breakfast!

I hope you had a lovely weekend, spending time with family and friends.

Pumpkin Octopus Bread

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Rae

I made this bread for breakfast Saturday morning to begin our Autumn Bucket List with a BANG. However, If you ask my family, they’d say this delicious concoction wasn’t a true breakfast (seeing that the bread came out of the oven at around noon), but seriously, what is that?! In my book breakfast can last all day on a Saturday.

For the past year I admit I’ve been a play-it-safe kind of baker. I follow my recipe to the ‘T’ like an obedient little cook, and on the off chance that I am forced to alter a recipe (most likely due to the lack of ingredients), I worry myself sick thinking that the outcome will turn out disastrous. Well guess what?! I actually changed this recipe. On purpose. You see, I didn’t want “cinnamon sugar pull-apart bread” I wanted “pumpkin spice cinnamon sugar pull-apart bread…”

~I added a bit of pumpkin puree here, more flour there, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg and voila, what I like to call “Pumpkin Octopus Bread” appeared on the counter. And do you know which family member liked it the best? Dad. Unexpected for sure. Dad hates cinnamon and isn’t keen on pumpkin either. Surprises never cease in this family.

One image came to my mind as I sat staring at this loaf of pumpkin bread baking in the oven; Jessie’s “Squid 2-Go” drawing. You may remember the beginning stages of this pieces here. I love the finished product and I am so proud of Jessie’s hard work and determination.

Can’t you see it? squid tentacles reaching out of the depths vs. swelling layers of pumpkin bread extending from a loaf pan? Maybe not.

Here’s a closer look… if not identical, there is definitely a resemblance!

Anyways, enough with the squids. The pumpkin cinnamonrollish bread was bliss and I highly recommend this treat for a chilly autumn morning/afternoon 🙂 I hope you get the chance to enjoy this festive season with friends this week.

Oh, and Jessie, I know octopuses & squids are ~~sort of, not really~~ different, but pumpkin “octopus” bread sounds so much better than pumpkin “squid” bread.

Climbing Higher

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Rae

I’ve decided to bring my baking passion to a new level by starting a small cake business here in 天津. Our kitchen is prepping for a whole new dimension of baking and, honestly, I can’t wait to get started! I’ve been working on a simple brochure (below) advertising various cakes which will be sold. Enjoy!

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Cake Challenge: August

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Rae

Remembering what a hit January’s cake was, I decided to try it again but this time with a simple chocolate cake accompanied by smooth vanilla buttercream filling.

This particular cake was a surprise Birthday dessert for our good friends, the Gohs. A couple of weeks ago, Mr. Goh emailed my Mom about joining their family for Thai food at an eclectic restaurant in downtown Tianjin to celebrate Mrs. Goh’s Birthday. Of course Mom (the courteous mother she is) felt compelled to bring something along to the dinner. So she replied asking if we could provide the B-day cake for Mrs. Goh. Mrs. Goh has always been a very encouraging supporter of my baking passion and she herself is a queen of creative scrapbooking so I definitely wanted to bake something special for her. This cake was the result…

our family met them at the restaurant and enjoyed a lovely dinner and (an even lovelier) cake. ~Unfortunately the Gohs arrived at the restaurant before we did and seeing 11 seats at their reserved table, Mrs. Goh soon guessed who would be joining them for dinner.

In the end, I have to say my favorite part of baking cakes are the memories I hold with those I share them with.

Other Cake Challenge Posts:
January
February
March
April
May
June

MAKE YOURSELF:

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Filling: find a thorough set of instructions here.

Espresso Drizzle: find recipe in the Cake Challenge: January post.

Click on this post to see recipe for Chocolate Cake (scroll to the bottom).

C4

Category Archives: Consume