Holiday Cookies!

Tis the season to whip out grandma's cookies recipe and start baking up a storm!
We had a holiday cookie baking exchange and here are some of the delicious results!
Oatmeal, thumbprint, peanut butter blossom, pecan shortbread and so much more!

Crème de la Crepe! (Restaurant Review)

How would you spend a lovely Sunday afternoon?

For me, that's an obvious--having brunch! And what not a better way than in France overlooking the Eiffel Tower? Or at least this was my southern California version of it!

A trip to Old Town Pasadena brings you the hustle bustle of shoppers looking for the latest Christmas sales and the eclectic flair of what southern California's melting pot has to offer... in terms of amazing food, that is! Crème de la Crepe is cute and cozy, located in a small corner store front along a quiet ally with a huge selection of French wines and their very own sparkling miniature version of the Eiffel Tower.

A wide variety of both savory and sweet crepes and warm paninis are made to order and served all day--this includes their breakfast crepes. I absolutely just love it when you have the option of having breakfast for all three meals!

Mignonne: asparagus, goat cheese, avocado, spinach, walnuts, and tomatoes

Jambon: ham, goat cheese, tomatoes, avocado, and dijon

Bon Appétit!

Almonds for Breakfast!

I made this for my family this weekend and it was an absolute treat! It's the basic french toast recipe subbing in Almond Milk and Almond Extract as opposed to regular milk and vanilla extract.

Topped with fresh strawberries and bananas...

Topped off some more with blueberry infused maple syrup!

Food meets Fashion!

My two loves in life...food and fashion...finally they meet in the most eloquent way possible!

Check out this amazing vegetable headpiece by Hanayuishi Takaya made to order using raw and edible veggies:

Takaya started out in the culinary industry before transitioning over to becoming a floral artist. He has gracefully captured the beauty and essence of how food and fashion can cross paths as rare as that may be at times.

Cold Sesame Noodle Salad

DRESSING:

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons hot chile sesame oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

SALAD:

1/2 pound dried pad thai-style rice noodles

1 cup thinly sliced green onions

2 small carrots, thinly sliced

1/2 cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 cup of shelled edamame

Cilantro sprigs for garnish

My Morning Omelette!

Favorite meal of the day? I would have to say, BREAKFAST!
Why? Not only can you chose to have savory and/or sweet, you can also chose to have coffee and/or juice! Oh, and I can't forget, it's the most important meal of the day!

Check out my protein and energy fix after my morning run: egg omelette with onion, spinach, black beans, garbanzo beans, corn, tomatoes, red bell peppers, and a bit of goat cheese, on a slice of 12-grain toast!

My Breakfast!

Raw creamy almond butter, strawberry preserves, and sliced banana on toasted multi-grain bread with a cup of coffee! What a great way to start your day!

Taco Tuesday and some beer (just in time of Oktoberfest)!

So apparently today is National Taco Tuesday and I didn't even have a chance to get a taco! =( Boo to that! So for those who did get to enjoy your tacos today, next time try it with this new Mexican craft beer--to hit the shelves in the American Market soon!

What really caught my eye were the cool graphics and package designs by Senor Cervecería Sagrada and how he integrated the Lucha Libre masks of the wrestling/fighting heros of Mexican pop culture. Super clever and quite crafty. Kudos to Senor Sagrada and Happy Taco Tuesday!

Tara's Goodbye Cookie!

This is a bit late, but I found the photo on my iPhone and realized I never blogged about this amazing compost cookie my friend, Tara, baked for my going away gift! If you don't know yet, I left my humble little apartment in Brooklyn, NY and relocated back to my home state---good ol' sunny California. =) I hope to have more Mexican food posts up very soon!

Tara used oatmeal, M&M's, candy and cereal bits, chocolate chips, and some more yummi-ness and lots of love! This concept of using all the tiny bits of left over cereal and candy is similar to Momofuku's compost cookie, which I absolutely love! Potato chips, coffee grinds, pretzels, etc. Check out the ingredients and recipe here!

Hello Kitty gets a Foodie Makeover!

Hello Kitty is on display to fight hunger at South Coast Plaza--this sculpture was constructed with canned foods! Such an interesting way to promote National Child Awareness Month in California. The "Canstruction" was put together by Dougherty & Dougherty's Architecture Firm on behalf of the Orange County Food Bank using cans of tuna, packets of Emergen-C, and applesauce cups!

Churros!

Back home in LA and who do I come across downtown near Union Station...the infamous churro lady! I totally forgot to get a photo of her because I was so excited about getting a fresh churro. Sorry NYC, but the churro lady at the Union Square subway station had some stale churros... You really can't beat this crunchy, cinnamon-y sweetness outer shell with the soft and chewy inner! Munch, munch!

Wedding Cupcakes!

Cupcakes in place of the traditional cake at weddings is a very popular trend this season--it's a cute and fun way to appease all the chocolate vs. vanilla lovers. I personally think that the size of cupcakes when baked just make them taste so much better than just a normal cake, right?! =) Anyway, check out the photos below from the Turgeon and Earl Wedding I attended a few weeks ago:

Vegan Root Beer Float

Boylans Natural Creme Vanilla Soda with Almond Dream's Cappuccino flavored (Vegan) Ice Cream!

Fresh Fruit and Mexican Style Grilled Corn!

My friend is training for a triathlon in Switzerland so we planned another bike trip down to Red Hook this past weekend and went for a 700-800M swim at the big outdoor pool. We got hungry after our long work out and ventured over to the food trucks for a quick fix:

Freshly cut watermelon and mango seasoned with lime juice, salt, and pico de gallo:

Grilled Corn smeared with mayo/butter and dusted with parmesan and pico de gallo:

Food Truck: Veggie Tacos!

I was down in Red Hook last weekend and saw a dozen food trucks parked along the little park behind IKEA down in Brooklyn. I'm always complaining about the not-so-great selection of Mexican food here in NYC and finally found the "mythical" location of where all the Mexican Food Truck vendors park! I was quite pleased with my Veggie Taco and for once it did not contain baby corn or grilled zucchini! Both of which are tasty veggies, but really do not belong in a typical Mexican taco or burrito, it's just weird! Save those veggies for some weird fusion Asian wrap or something, not my TACO!

French Baguettes!

I have to admit, it's been a while, but I'm slowly trying to make a comeback so lets start with a bang. Months ago a friend taught me how to make my own French baguette bread! We made the fancy ones and the normal ones and had a little indoor picnic and tea party of sorts!

Take a look:

The Mud Truck

Cold, early morning walk to the train and I came across The Mud Truck--it's a gourmet coffee truck! I guess it's part of that growing trend of NYC Food Trucks that sprouted up the last few years. I still think LA has the best food trucks with Philly rounding up on 2nd place. The truck offers a few different blends and of course your early morning breakfast scone or muffin.

Coffee, not too shabby.

Macarons! (Restaurant Review)

I was out shopping and got a little hunger pang, but also wanted something to satiate my sweet tooth...I ducked into this cute little French Macaron Cafe that serves delicious French Baguette Sandwiches and delightful macaroons!

I had Rasberry, Lemon, and Nutella (pictured above) all of which were very tasty!