Christmas Cake Balls

My family is having our Christmas Day dinner up in Whistler at my sister's, and I was put in charge of desserts. Several batches of cookies and a pie have already been baked for the occasion, but on Wednesday night I decided to add something new and unique to our dessert line-up. You know - because I don't already have enough on my agenda this week.

I decided to make Cake Balls. For those of you who aren't up-to-date on the happenings of the baking world (or who have been living under a rock) Cake Balls are all the rage among foodies and dessert lovers these days. In a nutshell, they're little balls of cake dipped in melted chocolate. In reality, they're time consuming little suckers that took me several hours to complete and kept me up until the wee hours of the morning.

But look at the finished product ... adorable, right? Yup, I think so too.

For those of you who want to give this treat a try, all you need is cake mix, cake icing and chocolate to melt. Oh, and HOURS of free time. (Kidding. Sort of. No, not really.)

I really wanted the red and white look for Christmas so I bought colored melting chocolate at Michaels for $3.99 a bag, but you can probably get the same result with any chocolate as long as it can be melted down to a smooth, creamy texture. Once you've got all the necessary ingredients, bake the cake as per usual and let it cool for at least 20-30 minutes. I believe this is where I went wrong with my Cake Ball attempt ... I was impatient so I only let it cool for 10 minutes or so. Because the cake was still warm when I added the icing, it was extra gooey and hard to work with. Let it cool people, trust me, otherwise you'll waste lots of precious time trying to get the right texture.

When the cake is cool, crumple the cake dough into a bowl and begin to add the icing. Blend well. You should end up with a sticky, batter-like texture. Roll the mix into small balls. If they're extremely gooey (as mine were) you may need to put them in the freezer for a few minutes to keep them from falling apart. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove. Using a lollipop stick, a chopstick or a fork gently dip each ball into the chocolate. If you're planning to add sprinkles to your balls, do this as soon as you've coated the ball in chocolate ... if you wait too long, it won't stick. Place the balls on a plate and put in the fridge for one hour to set.

serve & enjoy!

Autumn kick-off ...

If you've been reading my blog for awhile now, you might remember a post I wrote around this time last year about Mid-Autumn Festival, the popular lunar harvest festival celebrated by Chinese, Taiwanese and Vietnamese people. Last year, I was completely caught off guard and totally surprised when my co-workers surprised me with boxes of moon cakes and other little gifts. Let it be known, though, that I am not the kind of girl who forgets a good holiday - especially one that includes yummy goodies like moon cakes - and this year I was prepared.

Boyfriend was away for the weekend so I celebrated with my BFF and new roomie, Bunny. She decided that she wanted to treat me to a traditional Chinese dinner so we headed out to the biggest Asian supermarket in town and stocked up on things we'd need for our feast. (And, yes, a few boxes of moon cakes also ended up in our basket.)

While Bunny cooked, I got to play around with her fancy schmancy digital SLR camera. Here are some of my favorite shots from the afternoon -

To say that dinner was delicious would be a major understatement. It was DELICIOUS!

I said it last year & I'll say it again ... this holiday beats Halloween any day. Good food and delicious pastries and pretty lanterns and quality time spent with loved ones? Yes, please. It has officially been added to my list of autumn favorites, right up there with Thanksgiving and football homecomings and pumpkin spice lattes.

xo

Serious about Sushi

Fact: You cannot live in Vancouver and not fall in love with sushi. You just can't. Spare me the whole "but I don't like fish" spiel and just trust me on this. There are more sushi shops in Vancouver than there are McDonalds and with good reason - sushi in this city is da bomb. That's right, da bomb. *happy dance*

Last week, Xinxin and I decided to treat ourselves to some serious "sushi-ness" and we ended up here:

Tomokazu, 1128 West Broadway #201

All you can eat sushi. Be still my heart. ♥

{Caught in the act. Don't judge. Those udon noodles were amazing}

They had a really great selection and unbelievably quick service (we were served out first plate of sushi within 5 minutes of us sitting down). Everything we ate was delicious (especially the spicy tuna rolls!) and it was all really fresh. I also appreciated the fact that the restaurant was unbelievably clean and the tables weren't crowded together ... sometimes "all you can eat" places can get messy and noisy, but Tomokazu had a really classy ambiance. It's a great place to go for an intimate date night or an evening out with friends.

Next time you're craving a California roll or some tuna teriyaki, I highly recommend you check out Tomokazu. Just make sure you eat lightly all day to save room for the buffet!

What about you, fellow Vancouver friends? Where's your favorite place to grab sushi?

xo

All Greek To Me

Tonight, a group of my friends and I went out for dinner here ...

{ photo credit - Waqas Ahmed }

Stepho's Souvlaki Greek Taverna is, according to many, *the* Greek restaurant in Vancouver. Popular among both tourists and locals, it's located right downtown, on Davie Street, and is known for its inexpensive but delicious souvlaki, pitas and lamb roast. I was really excited to try Stepho's, not only because I've heard so much about it, but because I rarely eat downtown. There are so many fantastic restaurants and cafes right in my neighborhood (Kitsilano) that there really isn't any need to venture across the Burrard Bridge into the downtown core to find good food. That being said, one of my goals for 2011 is to expand my foodie insight to all corners of the city ... and Stepho's downtown was a great way to kick-start that goal into motion.

From the outside, it certainly doesn't look like anything to write home about. Nestled cozily between a little convenience store and a sushi restaurant, it actually looks a little run-down. As my friends and I joined the queue of diners standing outside, I wasn't convinced that the 45 minute wait was going to be worth it. Luckily, once we stepped inside I was pleasantly surprised. They've made the inside of the restaurant look like a little Greek village with one half of the restaurant looking like a little house and the other half like a garden. The service was fast, our waitress was friendly and our food arrived about 10 minutes after we ordered it. I ordered the moussaka and it was very good - not the best moussaka I've ever had, but delicious nonetheless.

{ Grace, Bo and I enjoy some warm Greek bread }

So, is Stepho's worth all the hype? Yes and no. I loved the atmosphere ... the authentic decor, the Greek music, the jars of olive oil and the vintage wine display. I loved the checkered blue and white table cloths and the flickering candles and the little vases of flowers on each table. I would happily wait 45 minutes in line, on a chilly Vancouver evening, just to sit in a place that makes me feel like I'm in Greece. As for the food ... well, while I certainly liked and enjoyed it, truth is it's not the best Greek food I've ever had. Dishes at Stepho's average $7-$12 and you get what you pay for ... it's yummy, but it's not the creme de la creme. Will I go back? Yes, probably many times. Will it get my vote for best Greek restaurant in the city? Sorry, Stepho's, but no.

What's your take on restaurants with hype? Do you find they typically deliver, or do you usually leave feeling a little disappointed?

xox

The Chocolate Chronicles, part 1

Xinxin and I are both foodies and every time we hang out together, our conversation always finds a way of shifting to food.

"Have you tried such-and-such restaurant yet," she'll ask.

"No, I haven't. I've heard of it, though."

"Oh, well we HAVE to go! Add it to the list."

"Consider it added. Oh hey, that reminds me ... have you tried such-and-such cafe?"

I'm not even kidding, this is how 99.9% of our conversations unfold. The list (and yes, we really do refer to it as "the list") is a continuously growing collection of restaurants, cafes, bakeries, delis, grocery stores and sushi bars that we have promised to explore together. One of the places on the list was Thomas Haas Patisserie. Xinxin is a big Thomas Haas fan, and when she heard that I'd never been it was one of the first things she added to our "must try" list. Then Lynda showed up at Grace's birthday party with a Thomas Haas crispy chocolate raspberry cake and goodness gracious it was "shut your pie hole" delicious! What really sealed the deal, though, was the ridiculous craving I've been having lately for French macarons. When I did a little research online and found out that Thomas Haas apparently has the best macarons in the city, I knew we had to cross this place off the list pronto. So a chocolate date was set, and this afternoon Xinxin and I braved the damp rainy weather outside to get lattes and dessert here:

Thomas Haas grew up and began his career as a culinary genius in Europe. He came to North America in 1995 and has worked as the executive pastry chef at the Four Seasons Vancouver Hotel and, later, as executive pastry chef at Daniel restaurant in NYC. He's appeared on Martha Stewart several times and was voted one of the top ten chefs in America by both Chocolatier and Pastry Art & Design magazines, so you know he's the real deal. Needless to say, with credentials like that, I had some big expectations for his patisserie.

Truth be told, it doesn't look like much from the outside. In fact, I've passed by here a bazillion times during my strolls down Broadway Street and I had no idea it was even there until I googled it to find out the address. But trust me ... once you step inside, it's love at first sight. Chocolates, truffles, cookies, cakes, cupcakes, macaroons, croissants, danishes, breads and scones all neatly showcased in clear glass shelves, each one calling out to me. I eventually chose a champagne truffle and Xinxin ordered almond mascarpone. And, of course, we ordered six French macarons in pistachio, chocolate and raspberry flavors.

The champagne truffle was delish, but the French macarons are what really stole my heart:

I'm not gonna lie - this place is just a tad bit crazy expensive. The $7 truffle didn't really surprise me as that seems to be the going rate for gourmet desserts here in Vancouver, but six macarons cost a whopping $9.99 .... and in case you can't tell by the photo, they are teeny tiny! Gosh.

Overall impression - Thomas Haas is definitely home to some absolutely fantastic goodies and I'll be back for more French macarons when I need an indulgent pick-me-up, but with such a lofty price tag I doubt this patisserie will become one of my frequent favorites. And that's probably a good thing, because I could seriously eat those macarons every day, all day, for the rest of my life.

Love + chocolate, Stephanie

xox

Cupcakes!!

I'm quickly learning that Vancouver is a cupcake city. There are several cupcake shops all around town and, unlike the cupcake shops back in Montreal, these ones actually seem to be thriving. What can I say? We're just a city that loves little bundles of deliciousness. You can find yummy cupcakes pretty much anywhere, but my personal favorites are sold here:

The name of this adorable pink mecca of awesomeness is Cupcakes by Heather & Lori. If that name sounds familiar to you, you've probably seen an episode or two of Cupcake Girls, the reality show that's filmed here. It's not the camera crews that keep me coming back, though. It's the atmosphere. This is just hands down one of the most adorable places on the planet and the cupcakes are sooooooo good. I mean, look at these babies:

My favorites are Red Velvet (of course!) and Blue Hawaii (coconut and vanilla flavor - yum!). There are several Cupcakes by Heather & Lori locations around the city, but this particular shop is on Broadway Street - just a 15 minute walk from my apartment! I have to say, I've been REALLY good and I've only slipped in once or twice to pick up a treat for myself. Usually when I swing by, it's to pick up a birthday cupcake for a friend. Here's the one I picked out this afternoon for Alan's birthday -

Mint Chocolate Chip. *be still my heart*

Happy Weekend! :)

xoxoxox

Coconut Pumpkin Seed Cookies

Happy Saturday everybody! This morning was cloudy and overcast so I decided to do some baking. I originally wanted to try my hand at organic brownies, but I was missing some key ingredients (aka chocolate!) so I decided to improvise on cookies instead. I've had a bottle of Agave Nectar sitting in my pantry for awhile now and it was calling out to me to give it a try. Agave Nectar, in case you aren't familiar with it, is a natural sweetener that is very popular in the organic cooking community. So, anywhoo ... I pulled out the nectar and some other ingredients I had lying around and whipped up these:

Coconut Pumpkin Seed Cookies. If you don't like pumpkin seeds you can use sunflower seeds or flax seeds or any other seed. You can also use dried raisins or cranberries. So, let's get baking! You will need the following:

Ingredients:

1 cup of butter or margarine

2 cups of flour

1 large egg

1/2 to 1 cup of sweetened coconut flakes

1/2 to 1 cup of pumpkin seeds

2 tsp of nutmeg or cinnamon

1/4 cup of blue agave nectar (or you can use 1/2 cup of sugar)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375*F.

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and blend well.

Place little drops of the dough on a cookie tray.

Bake for 10 minutes at 375*F.

Remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy!

These cookies are super easy to bake and I think they're really tasty too. Have a wonderful weekend. I'm off to an all-day scrapbook crop at Pick of the Patch Scrapbooking tomorrow. I admit, I'm a little nervous and I hope the ladies are nice! Oh, and thank you for the wind words regarding my mission's trip (see last post). I think there might have been a little misunderstanding, though. I'm not going away for a year ... I'm going on the trip in a year. I'll be going to this country for 2 weeks and if it goes well and I feel comfortable, I can look at going again for a longer period of time. But yeah, I'm not moving to another country! Sorry for the confusion! :)

loves to you all

xox

Eggnog Cupcakes

I made these yesterday for the girls and I to munch on as we scrapbooked. They turned out fantastic & were a big hit. (I bought the little edible icing snowflakes at Michaels.)

Eggnog Cupcakes
1/4 cup dark rum or bourbon - optional. I omitted this.
1 cup eggnog
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix together rum, eggnog, vegetable oil and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together nutmeg, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Pour in the first mixture and whisk until well combined. Divide evenly into muffin tins.
Bake for 18-20 minutes.
Enjoy!

Key Lime Pie ♥

photo credit: Pillsbury on Flickr

I know. I'm becoming a bit of a blog post-a-holic, aren't I? *sigh* Guess this is what happens when you have lots of random things on your mind and nobody around who wants to listen to your tangents. (Just kidding. My friends listen to my tangents all the time with incredibly patient smiles & nods ... love you guys!)

So, it's time I come of the closet and admit that I'm a foodie. I am a complete and utter food nerd. Yesterday, I almost bought a book on the History of French Cuisine. (No ... not French Cuisine recipes, a history book about the origins of some of the most popular French recipes!) I actually spend my Sunday afternoons reading cookbooks ... ask Tara, she'll tell you all about it. Anywhoo ... here's another random fact you might not know about me: I love key lime pie. It's actually my favorite dessert. I also love lemon meringue pie, traditional Southern coconut cake (Louisiana style, y'all) ... raspberry sorbet, cheesecake with a drizzle of blueberry puree. Yum. I think I've gained ten pounds just thinking about my favorite desserts. :o)

Tonight I read this awesome article by Michele Humes called What's Wrong With Chocolate. *hehe* ... I have to say, she's got some valid points. What's so great about chocolate, anyway? Give me lemons over cocoa any day. Oh, don't get me wrong - I love a delicious brownie every now and then, but I think it's time chocolate stepped aside and let zesty desserts have their well-deserved moment of fame.

You can read Michele's article here.

Let me know what you think ... are you a chocoholic or a lemon-head???
xox

Cupcakes & Andy Warhol

Minus the freezing winter weather outside, today was the perfect day ... one that began with delicious food and ended with amazing art. Jessica and I had breakfast this morning at Orange Bistro, which is this new contemporary restaurant on Stanley Street downtown. It certainly lives up to its name - the decor is orange and white, and modern art covers the walls. (Jess and I ate our meal under a giant ceramic nose .... it was kind of awkward, actually). The food there is absolutely delicious, but it's pricey and the service is reallllllyyyyy slow. I'll go back, but I'll be sure to do it on a day when I have lots of time on my hands and extra cash that I'm willing to splurge.

Anyway, moving on ... we ate at Orange Bistro and then headed over to Cho'Cola for some cupcakes and java. Originally, we wanted to check out Cocoa Locale (another cupcake place on the other side of town) but it turns out they're closed for the month of January so that was a no-go. Cupcakes at Cho'Cola never dissappoint, though, and I thoroughly enjoyed my peppermint chocolate cupcake and toasty warm latte. Yummmo.

After a morning of eating and girl talk, Jessica headed off to class and I headed off to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts to *FINALLY* get to see the works of Mr. Andy Warhol. Those of you who know me know that I've been excited about this exhibit since I first heard of it back in August, and today I finally got to see it for myself. I was impressed. His paintings are huge and the colors are even bolder in real life. I also didn't realize how involved he was in music, film and dance. A few months ago, I ordered a book called The Warhol Economy: How Music, Film and Fashion Shaped New York City. I hadn't had time to read it, but I think tonight I'll curl up with a nice tea and read through it. It'll be the perfect way to end a pretty perfect day.

xOxOx