To Be Continued

This is the end of Sudden Cravings.

I've moved on to another publishing platform.

So if you're Hungry for More, check out www.eatdrinktravel.posterous.com where I'm seeking out restaurants that are experimenting with new techniques, flavors and presentations.

Introducing...my BeaterBlade

So I have to admit, I had some help with my red velvet cupcakes.

Help from my new BeaterBlade, that is.

Gosh, I love this thing. Who invented it? I owe her a thank you note.

I received the BeaterBlade as a Christmas gift from my sister in law.

It worked like a charm. Shaved off time during the mixing process. Not exactly cutting my time in half, but by some.

I used to have to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl every now and then. Now, I turn on the mixer and walk away. The BeaterBlade acts like a windshield wiper blade that continuously scrapes the sides and bottom of the bowl while it mixes.

Genius.

Sweets for My Sweet

Success!

My Martha Stewart red velvet cupcakes were a hit at the office and home. The  majority of them were devoured at a Valentine's social on Thursday. I brought them in because I'd already planned to decorate a couple for my husband. Since the recipe yields 24, I'm glad the other 22 had somewhere to go.

Turns out that I wasn't the only one who thought it would be fitting to bake red velvet cupcakes for the social. I heard that others (others more proficient in the kitchen than me) had hoped to bake red velvet cupcakes. I just got to the sign-up sheet first.

So the pressure was on. If my cupcakes didn't turn out, there would be several disappointed coworkers in  my midst.

I hit the market to gather the ingredients that I'd need.

I didn't have:

cake flour
unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
red gel-paste food color
buttermilk
cream cheese (for the frosting)
confectioners' sugar (for the frosting)

Which had me questioning: What's wrong with all-purpose flour? And can I substitute Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder for the Dutch-process version? What's the difference? Can't I use the red liquid food color that I already have on hand? Need I go out and buy the gel-paste version? Why is this recipe so complicated?

Once I got started, I learned that the ingredients list wasn't a reflection of the recipe itself.

In fact, the recipe was straightforward. I followed it to a tee, with one exception:

I couldn't find gel-paste food color, so I bought gel-paste icing in the hopes that it would have the same effect. I added the 1/2 teaspoon of gel-paste icing at the designated time and soon found that it did not. The color of the batter remained brown (from the cocoa powder).

In a moment of panic, I rummaged through my pantry and pulled out my liquid food color collection. I don't know why, but I apparently own a BIG bottle of red liquid food color. I held my breath and poured a generous dollop of liquid color into the mixer. Voila. The batter quickly turned a bright red. A VERY bright red. I likely even added way too much color. But, hey, a little food color hasn't hurt anyone, right?

Besides that one hiccup, all turned out fine. My cupcakes were soon in the oven for 20 minutes.

Tired, I sat on the couch to rest while the cupcakes baked.

Big mistake.

It was hard to muster the energy to get back in the kitchen for Round 2: The frosting.

But I did. Martha' frosting recipe was simple, and oh so good. I coaxed the frosting into a freezer-sized resealable bag. Cut the corner and piped the cream cheese frosting on my cooled cupcakes.

Had a bite to taste my creation: a moist cupcake with a creamy, rich frosting. It melted in my mouth.

I then proclaimed Martha's red velvet cupcakes as my favorite recipe from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes. Granted, I am still early in my journey to conquer the book. As you'll recall in my "Sunday Sweet Treats" post last September, I announced my intention to try my hand at 17 of Martha's cupcake recipes. In"A Labor Free Treat," I attempted Martha's Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes.

That's two down, 15 to go.

Does Size Matter? Part II

Exhibit A                                        Exhibit B

Last September, I posed the question: Does Size Matter?

On Sunday, I learned that it does not.

Exhibit A: Kalua pork oven baked to perfection for my post-game dinner. It was the perfect Super Bowl dish. It took just a few minutes to prep the pork shoulder and pop it into the oven in the early afternoon. I then sat back and enjoyed the game. Right after the Saints clinched the win, the pork was ready to eat. The timing couldn't have been better.

Exhibit B: Kalua pork slow cooked to a stone. I brought a petite slow cooker out of retirement in order to test my co-worker's theory about my crock pot-to-meat ratio. That is, my original 4-pound pork shoulder was too small for my 6.5-quart crock pot. With a mini slow cooker, I hoped to avoid the frustrations chronicled in What a Crock. I sliced off about 2 pounds of my 6-pound pork shoulder before I sent the bulk of the shoulder into the oven. The slice certainly filled up the little crock pot. I turned it on before the game.

Again, a disappointing result. Not sure if my setting was too high (there's only one setting on my mini crock pot) or I left it in too long (the duration of the game).

In any event, the meat was so tough that my fork didn't give when I speared it. Instead of fall-off-the-bone morsels, I found a piece of meat that shrunk into itself. Barely edible.

Contrast this to the oven-baked version. The oven-baked meat easily shredded and was savory in its salty juices.

So after some experimentation, the verdict is in.

No more messing with the crock pot when it comes to kalua pork. The oven is the way to go.

A Super Bowl of...Pretzels

I hit the kitchen this morning in preparation for the big game.

I wanted to whip up a batch of Giant Bavarian Pretzels from a recipe I saw in Every Day With Rachael Ray.

I made them (pictured at left) last September. I remember thinking that they were the best tasting soft pretzels I'd ever had. Soft, chewy dough inside. Salty crust outside. Plus, the baking soda bath lent an extra savory flavor.

The downside?

Only six pretzels for what amounts to nearly an hour of work.

But it's good for special occasions. Special occasions like the Super Bowl.

I got started on the dough. Mixed the lukewarm water and packet of yeast. Flour, light brown sugar, salt, egg yolk and melted unsalted butter went into the mixer. After 5 minutes, I added the yeast mixture.

Then, disaster struck.

I must have not given the dough my full attention. Not sure if I added too much flour or spilled a little too much yeast mixture when I transferred it to the mixer. In any event, the dough ended up flaky and dry. It barely held together. A little kneading helped to incorporate the flaky bits, but it was still tough to roll. My hands were raw and sore by the third pretzel. But I was too far into the baking process to give up on the entire batch. So I rolled out all six pretzels, gave each a baking soda bath and brushed them with egg white. I sprinkled each with salt before baking them.

The result?

Dry soft pretzels (pictured at right). A grotesque version of the batch I made last year.

Yet, count on my husband to snag one as he watched the big game.

Why?

"They're made with love," he said.

Look Ma, No Tears!

It's time to parade out the kitchen gadgets that I received for Christmas.

First up: the Vidalia Chop Wizard.

How well did it perform?

It easily and quickly diced an onion. The onion went straight through the blade and into the container below. The result: no tears were shed in the process.

The carrots were another story. It took a lot of leverage to get them through the blade. I struggled with each piece. The lid made a loud smacking sound, which made me cringe, with every chop.

But I must say, my diced vegetables have never looked more uniform. The mise en place was a thing of beauty.

Collectively, the vegetables formed the base of a vegetable gratin. The recipe, courtesty of Real Simple, is a household staple. It's my go-to dish for something warm, healthy and filling.

As for cleaning the Chop Wizard? Not the easiest, according to my husband who graciously volunteered to do the night's dishes. It took a bit of scrubbing to get the vege bits out of the crevices.

A small price to pay for swiftly diced onions. 

From The Heart

Valentine's Day came early.

In the form of a heart-shaped cake courtesy of my friend Melissa.

I shared it with my husband. We passed it back and forth. Each taking a bite at a time. It was devoured within minutes.

Had to ask Melissa how she made it.

Figured that my cake-mix-only friend had spread her wings. That she had traded in her box for real batter made from scratch.

I was fooled.

Apparently, I have Duncan Hines to thank for my fine-tasting fudge swirl cake. And a mini heart cake pan from Crate & Barrel.

Who knew?

Perhaps it was all that chocolatey goodness on the cake that masked the fact that a box mix was used.

Who cares?

Not I.

unPHOgettable

Pho.

A hot, steaming bowl warms the soul. It's the perfect dish for a rainy day such as yesterday.

When I get the craving, I typically head to my go-to favorite: Pho Thanh Long Restaurant in Santa Clara.

When I'm in downtown San Jose, I frequent Dalat. It serves a variety of Vietnamese delicacies, but I go for the pho.

But where does one go in South San Jose?

The hunt was on.

Via Yelp, my husband found a pho restaurant on Capitol Expressway. It had solid reviews, so we decided to give it a go.

We arrived to find a large, square dining room. Nearly every table was taken with a mix of professionals and everyday locals. I took this as a good sign.

We were immediately seated and it wasn't long before we had made our selections off the menu. Chicken pho for me. A combination beef pho for my husband.

Then we waited. And waited.

For context, it was 1 p.m. We were hungry, especially after inhaling the collective, seductive aroma of steaming bowls of pho.

Ten minutes elapsed (the equivalent of a decade in most Vietnamese restaurants). Five guests who arrived after us were served before us.

So my husband decided that we needed to get up and leave. I disagreed. I was sure someone would come to take our order soon. The pho sure smelled good and I'm sure it tasted just as great.

But minutes later when our situation didn't improve, we left the restaurant (which will remain nameless Pho Y #1).

Luckily, I had spotted another pho restaurant right across Capitol Expressway. Beef Noodle No 1.

There, we were seated right away. So far, so good.

In less than a minute, a server came to our table to take our order. We hadn't even put down our menus! Chicken pho for me. The special for my husband.

In a few minutes, we were enjoying our steaming bowls of pho. Rice noodles, generous slices of skinless chicken, basil, been sprouts and pepper in a savory broth (pictured). It hit the spot. Especially the broth. I could drink that stuff every day.

Total tab: $13 for two people. Not bad for a tasty, filling lunch and excellent service.

Sudden Cravings Returns

Took a brief hiatus.

There was good reason.

I packed a bag or two and hit the road for a few months. Flew to Hawaii, Greece and back to Hawaii again.

With every trip home to Hawaii, I found a new favorite place to dine. Like Therapy. The sports bar, not the counseling sessions.

I also revisited some old favorites. Like Leonard's Bakery.

But Greece is where I left my heart. I did not know good Greek food until I visited Greece - traveling from urban Athens to romantic Santorini. My two-week culinary immersion deserves its own series of dedicated posts. There are a plethora of pictures and tales that I cannot wait to share.

But first, given that it is a new year, I'd be remiss if I didn't share some family traditions. For us, it's about the soup. Two, in particular. Ozoni and pig feet soup.

We believe that a bowl of ozoni soup, made with mochi and vegetables and prepared as the first meal of the first day of the new year, brings good luck. Time will tell if this is true. So far, so good.

Pig feet soup is an Okinawan tradition. When homemade, it's healthy and tasty. I'm talking slices of shiitake mushrooms, knots of konbu, pieces of daikon radish and fall-off-the-bone pork. My folks say it'll bring me good health. Can't be mad about that.

So by consuming both on January 1, I hope that I'm covered for the year. Bring on 2010!

Gardening For Dummies

Herbs.

Always need 'em. Never have 'em.

It's tough to keep fresh herbs on hand. The store bought varieties go bad so quickly.

I would grow my own, but I don't have a yard for a reason. I can't keep plants alive.

Still, it's a pain and shame to run out to the market every time a recipe calls for fresh herbs.

So I was pleasantly surprised to see a simple, all-in-one basil kit at my local Ikea.

What a concept! The kit included:

a clear pot

soil tablet

seed package

Basically, everything I would need to create my own mini kitchen sill basil garden.

The directions looked so easy that even I, a novice, felt confident in giving it a go.

All I had to do was add water to the soil tablet (which instantly expanded in size to fill the pot), sprinkle the seeds on top and wait 10-12 weeks for the basil to grow.

And grow it did.

Signs of growth started within days.

Now, two weeks later, the basil shoots are about 1-2 inches tall.

Does Size Matter?

I commiserated with my coworkers yesterday. Turns out everyone has a crock pot disaster story.

Some shared their tales of woe with such passion that even I was a bit surprised. Bitter frustration underscored each.

They report that, without fail, food will burn and crust on the bottom of their crock pots – even when set to low.

A clever coworker pointed out that our crock pot-to-meat ratio might be off. That is, my 4-pound pork shoulder was too small for my 6.5-quart crock pot.

An interesting theory. One that I am tempted to test out with yet another pork shoulder. But before I go out and acquire a third pork shoulder in two weeks, I need to finish the remaining kalua pig in my fridge. Already, the husband is rolling his eyes at the prospect of consuming more kalua pig. And he LOVES the stuff. But even he has his limits.

So I might give it a week or two, but I will be buying a larger shoulder or using a mini crock pot.

My coworker mentioned that there's a hotline one can call for help in disasters such as these. I couldn't find one other than the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at 1 (800) 535-4555. It seems to specialize on fielding safety questions, though. If you know of a general one, do share.

Onolicious

Success!

My second attempt at kalua pork turned out light years different than the first. The meat fell off the bone when I poked it with a fork. Just as it should. The pork was so moist and tender. I transferred it to a casserole dish and easily shredded the meat with two forks.

I beamed with joy.

I made a mental note to put this recipe on regular rotation. I love it because the recipe calls for few ingredients and requires little prep. Within a few minutes, I can stick the prepared pork in the oven and forget about it for 4 hours. The oven does all of the work.

Oh, and the smell. The scent of slowly cooking pork pervaded my entire kitchen and adjoining living room.

It's so delicious that I had to resist the urge to sneak a peek.

It's a good think that I let it be because the result is salty pork goodness. Enough for many meals for a couple of two. We enjoy ours with King's Hawaiian sweet rolls.

What A Crock

It was bound to happen.

After all my kitchen successes, I had a kitchen failure.

My kalua pig.

Kalua pig is a Hawaiian favorite. A salty shredded pork dish, usually eaten with rice and, if you're lucky, lomi lomi salmon. I grew up eating kalua pig. I miss it now that I've moved to California.

Whenever I have the craving for some kalua pig, I whip out Hawaii's Best Local Dishes by Jean Watanabe Hee. This cookbook boasts the best kalua pig recipe that I've seen. The dish turns out perfect every time I make it. A little taste of home.

The directions say to rub the sides of a pork butt (which I don't always see in my supermarket) in Hawaiian salt (which isn't easy to find in California) and liquid smoke. Then, place the butt in ti leaves (which I don't grow in my backyard here) and secure with string (which I never have on hand). Then, place it in the oven.

Here's my mainland version:

Ingredients:

4 to 6-pounds pork shoulder

2 to 3 Tablespoons kosher salt

2 Tablespoons liquid smoke

aluminum foil

Place pork shoulder on a tray. Rub all sides of pork shoulder with kosher salt and liquid smoke. Place shoulder on aluminum foil and seal well so no steam escapes. Place the prepared shoulder in a shallow roasting pan and roast in a preheated 450-degree oven. After 1 hour, reduce heat to 400 degrees and cook 3 to 4 hours longer or until done. Shred with two forks. The meat should fall apart upon touch.

This recipe has never failed.

So why I wanted to tweak it is beyond me.

Something possessed me to use my shiny new crock pot instead of the oven. So I prepared my pork shoulder and placed it in my crock pot with an inch of water. I closed the lid, set it for 8 hours on low and watched it turn into a right hot mess.

The meat (pictured) completely dried out and had little taste.

Utter disappointment set in. I vowed then and there that I'd attempt kalua pig again on the weekend. This time, I'd do it the right way. In the oven.

It's now Saturday and guess what's in the oven?

You got it.

Kalua pig take two.

A Labor Free Treat

Baked Martha's Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes and brought them to a Labor Day holiday BBQ and pool party yesterday.

They were a hit.

I wanted to take on this recipe because I already had most of the ingredients. I only had to pick up the cream cheese and sour cream.

Best of all, the cheesecakes were easy and quick to make.

This surprised me because Martha is not known for easy recipes. I tried to make her frosting once. It flopped and the ingredients separated. I had to throw the whole thing away.

I also tried my hand at her crepe paper black-eyed susan kit. It took me a all day to cut and assemble the 18 artificial flowers to fill a vase.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I took on her Cookie and Cream Cheesecakes. No hiccups along the way.

You just beat the cream cheese. Then gradually add sugar, vanilla, eggs, sour cream and salt. Then, stir in chopped Oreo cookies by hand. The recipe doesn't call for much. And yet, it yields 40 or so dense, creamy cheesecakes.

I placed one whole Oreo cookie at the bottom of each cupcake liner to form the perfect base. The combination of the sandwich cookie + cheesecake batter made for the right cookies-and-cream taste.

An “A” Martha recipe.

Sunday Sweet Treats

I couldn't resist.

I broke down and bought a copy of Martha Stewart's Cupcakes.

I have a weakness for cupcakes and Martha's book featured some of the best I've seen. The pictures are delectable.

So I thought I'd try my hand at a few 17. Below are my favorites that I'm committing to make and review.

Red Velvet Cupcakes
Banana-Pecan Cupcakes
Blueberries-and-Cream Cupcakes
Mocha Cupcakes
Applesauce-Spice Cupcakes
Brown Sugar Pound Cake
Tiny Cherry and Almond Tea Cakes
Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes
Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
Strawberry-Jam Tea Cakes
Mint-Filled Brownie Cupcakes
Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
Chocolate Salted-Caramel Cupcakes
Shark and Sand Dune Cupcakes
Ladybug Cupcakes
Wise Owls Pretzel-Topped Cupcakes
Ice-Cream Cone Cupcakes

First up? Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes.

Cha Cha Cha!

Looking for a good sushi place in San Jose?

You're not alone. I set off to find one and stumbled across Cha Cha Sushi (547 W Capitol Expressway).

Is it a hit or a miss?

For the verdict, check out my full restaurant review at FoodieByte.

What's your favorite sushi restaurant?

Summer Daze

Last weekend, temperatures topped 100 degrees. To beat the heat, I enjoyed a tall glass of iced tea.

Specifically, guava green tea with pearls from Fantasia.

Although there are three Fantasia shops nearby (in Santa Clara, Milpitas and Cupertino), I don't always find time to go.

So to satisfy a sudden craving, I make my own.

I experimented to recreate the original. The following recipe comes close.

Makes 2.

Ingredients:

½ cup tapioca pearls (I buy the WuFuYuan brand at my local Chinese market)

1 cup water

guava juice (I use Kern's Nectar)

1 green tea bag

ice

Boil the pearls according to the instructions on the back of the package. Pour boiled pearls in a bowl and cool to room temperature (You can place the bowl in the refrigerator for a few minutes to help the cooling process along).

While the pearls are cooling, steep the tea bag in 1 cup of water.

Add ice to two tall glasses. Add half the pearls to each glass. Fill glasses half full with guava juice. Top each with ½ cup of tea.

Add extra-large straw (available at your local Chinese market), stir and enjoy a refreshing, light drink for a hot summer day.

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

Just read that Katherine Heigl threw a baby shower for Grey's Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo.

Who knows what they feasted on, but it's hard to imagine a better spread than the one I enjoyed at my dear friend's baby shower yesterday.

The centerpiece of our brunch was an eye-catching watermelon carved in the shape of a baby buggy. The fruit was carved out, cubed and tossed with grapes. Four thick orange slices were affixed to the watermelon with chopsticks to form wheels. It was the talk of the party.

I loved that such a simple idea could solicit such a strong reaction.

The cake was another party favorite. A quarter was cut from a round cake to form the buggy shape. Blue icing provided detail. Two chocolate cupcakes for wheels completed the cake.

About Sudden Cravings

My passions in life come down to two things: food and travel. After enjoying an amazing dish in a remarkable city, I'll immediately want to share the experience with others. I'll do my research to find the best eats in a given area. Inevitably, there will be some misses. I'll dish about that, too.

I eat what I crave. Sometimes I'll hunt down a particular dish until I find it. Other times, it's easier to attempt to replicate the dish in my own kitchen.

So I started this blog in the hopes of sharing (and exchanging) recipe ideas and restaurant finds.

What are you craving?