Maja and James' Banana Bread

This is the most perfect banana bread and that's all I can say. It's the perfect intersection of bread/cake, moist, and the right amount of banana-ness. You'll have to try it yourself to see what I mean. This recipe was given to me from one of my nearest and dearest friends, Maja, which makes it more special. Maja is a great cook and in college we use to stay up studying in her cozy apartment and many times that would include Maja whipping up late night snacks like Thai chicken soup and/or baking something like this bread. OK, I'm talking to her as I write this and she just told me that it is a James Beard recipe...but to me it will always be Maja's banana bread, hence the title I used. The original recipe adds walnuts, but I prefer mine without. Last time I had some almond slices so I decided to sprinkle some on the top and it was lovely. So in my opinion, and in Maja's words, here is the greatest banana bread:

Banana Bread 
(makes 1 loaf)

1/2 cup room-temperature butter (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
2 (very) ripe bananas (seriously if they're black it's great)
2 eggs

2 cups flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

1/3 cup milk
1 t lemon juice or vinegar

walnuts (or other nuts optional)

Cream together the butter and sugar. Mash the bananas and mix them with the butter and sugar. Add the eggs; mix well.

Combine the dry ingredients (flour, soda, salt). Add the lemon / vinegar to the milk. Alternating between dry and liquid, add the ingredients to the butter-sugar-banana-egg mixture, mixing well after each addition. You should start and end by adding dry ingredients. Then add chopped walnuts (as many or as few as you want).

Pour into a buttered loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour + (It almost always takes longer) until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the pan after a few minutes out of the oven (if you're not careful you'll lose the bottom of the bread and have a tasty, hot mess!) and allow to cool on a cooling rack.

Enjoy and spread the love xx

Coconut Bread

If you love coconut you will love this. People feel very strongly about coconut one way or the other and I happen to be a fanatic. This recipe is so easy there is simply no excuse not to make your own baked goods! It also does not have butter, which just gives me another excuse to eat more of it and feel less guilty. This is great for breakfast and perfect with a cup of coffee.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 coconut milk 
• 1/2 cup grated dried coconut

I used coconut milk instead of regular milk that the original recipe calls for (note do not use the thick coconut cream but rather the milk). This gives more coconut flavor, which to me is always a good thing.

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and mix. 

Add the coconut milk and coconut flakes and mix until all well combined.

Oil a loaf pan and pour in the batter; bake for 1 hour, or until the bread is springy to touch (toothpick trick always works here)

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack before slicing.

Try with some jam or toasted with some butter. Coconutty contentedness. 

I tried it with some peach salsa my friend brought back for me from Georgia. Loved the salty-sweet combo. Nomnom.

Happy Baking! xx

Hummus happy

In Beijing, foods like hummus can be found at foreign markets but it is super expensive, so making your own hummus is definitely the way to go, seeing as you can buy a can of chickpeas for 8 kuai  (just over 1 us dollar – kuai is the slang for yuan/rmb). But it is one of those things that is worth skipping store bought anywhere I think! This hummus is very smooth, creamy and delicious. The trick is peeling the chickpeas and lots of Tahini.

Hummus ingredients:

1 can chickpeas (450 g)
5 tablespoons tahini paste
1 large clove of garlic
Lemon juice of half a lemon (or to taste)
Salt
Reserved chickpea water

Drain the chickpeas out of the can and save the water.

Now you want to remove the thin outer shell of the chick peas – it’s a bit labor intensive but very easy! Gently squeeze the chickpea with your index and thumb and the shell pops right off. I did this while watching Community so it didn't feel tedious at all.

After they are all shelled, put them in a food processor and grind until it's coarsely ground up - scraping down the sides as you go along.

Add the Tahini paste, garlic, salt and lemon juice and blend again. Careful with the salt as the chickpea water may be a bit salty, depending on the chickpeas you buy.

Now add half the chickpea water and blend. It'll become much more easy to blend and you’ll start seeing the consistency, add the rest if needed and blend so it's blissfully smooth. Add more salt or lemon to taste.

Transfer to bowl or container and chill in the fridge for at least a few hours to let all the flavors come together. Serve drizzled with a generous amount of olive oil.

Homemade pita chips

perfect with hummus or anytime

- Buy some good pita bread and slice in half (like you are going to make a pita sandwich) so you have two evenly thin slices. A lot of pita bread is already sliced; mine was very unevenly sliced, which was ok but the thicker bits are harder to crisp up. Then cut into chip sized/hummus dipping pieces.

- Drizzle olive oil in a pan and spread the pita chips flat over medium heat.

- As they start to crisp up, move them around the pan so they don't burn. (for thicker pieces I also used a spatula to press them down so they would toast more thoroughly)

- Sprinkle with sea salt and toss in the pan to finish.

You can also throw in black pepper or rosemary or chili flakes to make a more seasoned chip; get creative! 

Go get hummus happy! xo

Gnocchi at home

So for the holidays my mother got me Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, which I think is amazing since she really emphasizes the fact that you do not need fancy gadgets, a huge kitchen or crazy ingredients to be a really good cook and serve up beautiful dishes. I feel the same way-- cooking is all about sharing the love and making it accessible!

I loved her gnocchi with tomato broth recipe mostly because it taught me that gnocchi is not hard to make; quite the contrary, after making it once I'm now confident I (and you) can whip up some gnocchi in no time! 

Ingredients:
2 pounds (905 grams) Russet potatoes (3 to 4)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon table salt
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups (156 to 190 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting surface

1. Bake potatoes for 45 minutes at 400 F or until they are done (when a knife can be easily inserted) 

2. Let potatoes cool for 10 minutes, then peel them with a knife or grater. seriously let them cool or you'll probably burn yourself with hot potato steam.

3. Grate the potatoes, using the largest holes on the grater - or run them through a potato ricer if you have one, but really not necessary!  Let them cool again then add the egg and salt and combine.

4. Now add 1/2 cup flour, mix, then add the next half. Watch for the consistency. The dough should not be sticking to your hands (photo below, you can see it is still very sticky) If it's sticky then add the last 1/4 cup flour and if needed continue to add in very small amounts to get the right consistency.  Kneed the dough on the counter briefly; it should hold it's shape.

5. Divide into quarters and then roll it out into a long rope about 3/4 inch thick

6. Cut and lay them on a parchment paper lined baking tray (at this point you can also freeze these on the trays and keep for later- if you put them in a bag they will all stick together!).

cute little gnocchi pillows!

7.  Place in boiling water and cook for 2 minutes or until they float to the top. Then drain and enjoy with your sauce of choice! I made the tomato broth that's in her book, but we opted to keep the veggies in so it was more like a soup; a bit more "rustic" would you say? 

Have fun and enjoy your homemade gnocchi! 

Chocolate (Birthday) Cake

Ok I have been on a baking binge recently!  I kind of realized I love baking, partially because I'm very good at following recipes, and let's admit, baking usually requires an exactness of ingredient quantity and method, which you can give up for creativity in cooking.  Hence I've also realized that I must buy a hand mixer with a dough hook attachment and eventually when I can afford it, a good standing mixer! (as a bribe my mother has offered to buy me one when if I move back to the States).

Here is a chocolate cake I made for my mother's birthday (check out her blog here, and her new book!!) It uses oil and not butter, giving it that delicious moist cake quality I love! So without a heavy frosting it can be a healthier option. If you love chocolate cake you were surely love this, and it's super easy! I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, a beautiful mess, and they've taken the recipe from Ina Garten.  

Ingredients: 
makes two 8x2 inch round pans 

• 
  
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed coffee

Preheat oven to 350 F and line pans with parchment paper. Really push the paper around the bottom of the pan to ensure a smooth circle shape. If you wish, you can also then butter the paper (the cake sticks a tiny bit, but wasn't a problem).

By hand or using a mixer with the paddle attachment, mix all the dry ingredients to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Then on slow speed/slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry until you have a smooth batter.

Pour the batter into the parchment lined pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a utensil inserted comes out clean. Let cool on a cooling rack.

note that great frosting spatula, it was my grandmother's! i could just picture her making a layer cake :)

Easy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting: 

make sure you have room temperature butter, I melted mine too much and my frosting was a little too melty. I also didn't have cream, which probably affected the consistency but it was still ok! 

• 
  
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream

Using a standing mixer with whisk or a hand mixers, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more.

To make letters or decoration, simply melt chocolate in a double boiler, put it in a plastic bag to pipe, and  then cool in the refrigerator. I stuck mine outside, it hardened up very fast.

My piping skills are poor, so it was a bit sloppy! Also I used a silpat but wax paper would be better since you'd be able to peel off the letters/decoration more easily. Also any thin bits were very hard to remove, so I recommend keeping it all thick enough so it won't break when removing it. I also made some decorations for around the cake just for an experiment and it looked cute (again, thicker lines will do the trick!) 

the best part - getting to spend time with my amazing mom on her birthday! 

The Best Brownies (yes, best)

sorry no beautiful photos, so got this one from buns in my oven who used same recipe..thanks!

As holiday season is in full swing, and sugarplum fairies dance in my head, like many people, I too am having a holiday party this weekend.  We all know desserts are huge during Christmas and one thing I love given my love of chocolate is brownies, which will definitely be included in my spread of treats.  Now that I've made these easy and yes, the BEST brownies I think, I can never ever go back to brownies in a box.  Try these babies out at your holiday or other shindig and let me know how they go over (brought these for a friend's housewarming and the last one was being fought over).

This recipe is from David Lebovitz, which I ever so slightly adapted, I added a bit of bakers chocolate and less bittersweet to give it a deeper chocolate flavor..you can also do all bakers chocolate and adjust for more sugar accordingly, smitten kitchen suggests 3 ounces (85 grams) unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped and 1 1/3 cups (265 grams) granulated sugar.

Also helpful note (taken from leitesculinaria blog) :
This recipe takes well to mix-ins. I’ll sometimes add 1/3 cup chopped dried cherries or 1/3 cup cocoa nibs to the batter. To make minty brownies, crush the contents of one 50-gram tin of peppermint Altoids in a sturdy resealable plastic bag. Add the crushed mints to the batter along with the nuts (or, if you prefer, omit the nuts). If you like very minty brownies, add 1/2 teaspoon mint extract along with the crushed mints.
–David Lebovitz

David Lebovitz's Best Brownies Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted or salted butter, cut into pieces ( I used a stick, and just rubbed some on foil) 
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped 
• (I am a brownie purest! but feel free to add)

Preheat Oven to 350 F (170 C) 

Line a 8x8 square baking pan with foil; cover completely, foil can hang over edges, and lightly butter the foil. Also I only had a 9 3/4 square pan and it worked fine.

In a saucepan melt the butter over low heat then add the chocolate; stir until melted and smooth.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla until combined. Beat the eggs in by hand, 1 at a time. Add the flour and stir energetically for 1 full minute—time yourself—until the batter loses its graininess, becomes smooth and glossy, and pulls away a bit from the sides of the saucepan.

* Seriously, make sure you stir "energetically" and for the full minute or you won't get the amazing, perfect chewiness that this brownie has!! *  (if adding, stir in chopped nuts)

Pour into pan and cook until the center is "almost set" -- don't overcook! 

Let cool completely (this takes a lot of willpower) and then lift foil out of pan and cut into squares. 

Enjoy these squares of chocolaty, chewy goodness with loved ones <3

Bean eats in Boracay!

Standard Filipino breakfast - eggs, rice and tocino! Love how rice is often fried up with garlic.

Hello Again! 

I fear due to my dissertation hiatus and well, pure laziness to be honest, I have lost the few followers I had gained, but at any rate, I'm BACK! With tasty food inspiration and recipes plus some more thoughts about healthy eating.

For now, here's the newest in my travel food log: Please feast your eyes on some Filipino treats! I was surprised by the food there, as it was a lot of chicken and rice and not as many veggies as I expected. They also tend towards sweet flavors and not spicy, such as their Tocino pork/bacony thing that is part of a classic Filipino breakfast. I partook in the chicken tocino version.  And we cannot forget the incredible Adobo - a Filipino specialty and honestly some of the best chicken I've eaten in my life! (recipe to come very soon!)

Salted fish on omlette, with capers and of course, on top on some fried garlic rice. NOM.

 Red Horse Beer local and strong (think it was around 7%?) and fruit shakes is almost all you need to get through a day in Boracay.

Sinigang! (At Smoke House - cheap and tasty) It's extremely sour. Think Tomyum soup but not spicy and more sour! and delicious. I thought it was funny because I asked the waitress if it was spicy, she said no, but neglected to say how sour it was. I think the difference is in China they would surely mention the flavor when ordering. This easily became a favorite of mine. Served with Filipino tomatoes and okra, as well as pork, shrimp, or fish.

Adobo at Bay Leaf Cafe -- twice cooked chicken, first boiled in the adobo marinade and then pan fried to crispy moist perfection.  This is the classic here - note they put the adobo sauce on the side for dipping, or you can pour it over your garlic rice...your call!  I went back for the spicy adobo (and the creamy they add coconut milk to the sauce!) 

OK, here's where it gets kind of hairy..or erm, feathery?! (ew) This is Balut, a fertilized duck egg, eaten and loved widely in the Philippines. I was told that everyone has slight preferences of how they eat their Balut (ie: plain, or with a bit of vinegar, sauce etc.) Supposedly you can also get different "ages" ie: amount of days the chick has grown, but let's not get into that.



Here's a brave brit tasting Balut (egged on by me...pun intended) As unappetizing as it looks, in the end he said it really just tastes like a regular egg.  Well done! And so interesting.