Fish Congee

Banana Bread Cupcakes ?

So I had a couple of ripe bananas on the counter the other day and decided to revisit the banana bread!  As you may know, if you've read my last post on banana bread, I do not own a loaf pan.  My last banana bread came out looking like biscotti.  This time, I decided to finally use the ramekins that my sister gifted me as part of a baking set one year for Christmas, and it worked pretty well I must say!  The bf and I both spooned it out of the little cups bite by bite, and it was delish.  I love banana bread and how my entire apartment smells like bananas.  Going bananas for banana bread!  I swear I purposely buy bananas just so they can go ripe and made into banana bread lol.

Smoked Salmon Overdose

Am I possibly eating too much smoked salmon?  I've been having it for breakfast daily!

On a side note, GO USA!  Love the London Olympics.  USA Rocks!

Banana Bread Biscotti?

When life throws you lemons ... you make lemonade.

When life throws you ripe bananas ... you make banana bread!!

So last week I bought 2 bunches of bananas.  This morning, I was left with two that had enough black dots on them to make me not want to eat them by itself.  There's nothing worse than eating mushy, ripe bananas that can bring others to a misophonic state.  I truly HATE that sound.

I'm looking at the bananas and one thing pops in my head.  Banana bread!  I've never made them before so I thought this was the perfect time.  I pulled up a few recipes and was surprised by how simple it was to make this bread.  So simple that I had all the ingredients in my pantry!  As for all the tools ... I say nay!  I was missing a loaf pan, so there was no way that my banana bread would come out looking like a loaf of bread.  I followed my recipe of choice, which can be found here, replacing the sugar with Splenda granulated sugar, and poured the batter into my baking pan, trying my best to shape the mixture into a loaf form.  I checked on the bread every 15 minutes and decided that I had to cut the time down to 30 minutes since the bread would most likely cook faster in a flatter pan.  And I was right!  I took it out in 30 minutes and the bread was perfectly baked.

This is no loaf!   =(

However, my attempt to shape the bread into a loaf failed ever so badly.  The bread ended up looking like biscotti after slicing, but on a good note, they were SO DELICIOUS!!  I also loved the pattern that was formed.  Bananas never looked this beautiful to me lol.

Banana bread biscotti!!

Pretty patterns and so yummy!

I had the bread for breakfast and it paired pretty nicely with a cup of coffee.  I will surely make banana bread again.  But first, I have to get myself a loaf pan =D

A Congee for Your Libido!

I made this for breakfast this morning!!  Congee with dried oysters, dried scallops & dried shrimp!  This is probably one of my favorite congees to make and eat.  First of all, congee is very simple to make, especially if you're boiling it with dried ingredients like I did.  No need for washing, chopping or getting your hands dirty ... besides washing the bowls and pots afterwards obviously.  Simply have all the dried ingredients soaking in water until they soften, then dump the entire thing (water included) into a pot with washed rice and additional water, enough to produce your preferred thickness and consistency.  Don't forget to keep stirring to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot or burning!!  Flavor, you ask?  A touch of salt is all you need because the dehydrated ingredients create enough flavor to satisfy your taste buds.

Look at the fat oyster ...

I love love love dried oysters and scallops.  Not only are the oysters good for your libido, they have such a distinct taste that differentiates itself from any other seafood ... or any other food for that matter!  Likewise, scallops are good, but dried scallops, in my opinion, taste nothing like a scallop.  The dehydration process, whatever that entails, gives it so much more flavor.  Together, they make a perfect bowl of congee.  Yummayyy

Disclaimer:  If you're a spoiled brat who enjoy food drenched with sauce or food jam-packed with "flavor" from sodium and artery-clogging ingredients, this may not be a dish for you.  You may find congee to be bland or mild.  Oftentimes, they are, but there are some who are appreciative of such natural & subtle flavors!  I am one of them!!

Restaurant Review: Jean Philippe

I woke up this morning with one thing in my mind:  I'm fat.  Not only did I wake up extremely bloated from eating a whole package of Chinese pickled cabbage an hour before bedtime, but I had a dream about crepes.  LMAO!  Dreams are so odd.  Frankly I haven't had a single thought about crepes recently.  I don't know where the dream came from and what triggered it but what the hell, here goes a blog post about crepes!

There are three reasons why I love crepes:  simple, light and tasty.  They work like a slice of white bread that can be used to make french toast or a delicious sandwich.  To create a savory crepe, wrap it around some meat and veggies.  To create a dessert crepe, top it with some chocolate syrup, fruits or ice cream!  The good part is they are so simple to make.  The bad part is, there is no bad part!  Try it out with this recipe!

One of the best crepes I've had was from Jean Philippe Patisserie at the Bellagio Hotel in Vegas.  It wasn't an extensive menu so it didn't require much time to come up with my savory crepe and dessert crepe of choice.

We arrived at the Patisserie and was automatically hit with the lovely scent of crepe

While waiting in line, we enjoyed the view of stacked croissants (I picked up one the next morning!) ...

and the many other applications of phyllo dough

Ooh what's in this wonderfully boxed present?

My savory turkey crepe with a side salad!

Believe it or not we came here for breakfast but couldn't resist the sound of a dessert crepe with coconut ice cream!  It was topped with warm mango and paired with a memorable cup of hot coffee.  It was divine!

Pretty stirrer too!

It makes clear sense to me now why I would dream of crepes.  Time to visit a creperie in New York!

Protein Pancakes and Cafe du Monde

Today, I have the pleasure to stay home on a lovely Friday morning, enjoying some homemade protein pancakes with sugar-free syrup and a cup of Cafe du Monde ... with lots of milk please! Birds are chirping, the weather is pleasant, and life is just amazing!

Coffee is a staple in my breakfast. I drink coffee not so much for the caffeine, although the more caffeine it provides the better it probably tastes. I drink coffee for its boldness in flavor and aroma. Coffee offers a lot as it comes in a variety of flavors and ... just look at its color when blended with milk! I'm not a big fan of light or medium roasts although I'd take a cup if it's the only thing available. I'm more of a dark roast type of girl... and that is why Cafe du Monde is my coffee of choice. However, I have to say that it really stains my teeth! Therefore, I unwillingly switch my coffees around...

I've always loved pancakes. What girl doesn't, we love carbs! However, the pancakes I have come to know were either drenched in syrup, or loaded with fruits AND drenched in syrup. They ARE good, I can't deny that, especially with butter and whipped cream on top, but adding a different twist to it can not only diversify the taste of pancakes, but make it healthier! The special ingredient is ... *drum roll please* ... flavored protein powder! Adding flavored protein powder enhances the taste so that syrup, butter, fruits or even the wonderful dollop of whipped cream is not needed. You should all give it a try! Use a basic pancake recipe and add a serving of flavored protein powder into the mixture. Experiment with chocolate with some ground cinnamon, or just vanilla by itself. You'll love it!