Strawberry Cones and Pa Pa Walk, San Gabriel, CA

A few weeks ago, the LA Times Food Section's article "In LA, pizza goes global," mentioned Strawberry Cones, a new Japanese pizza place in San Gabriel. Immediately emailed JustJenn and said we need to go. They have Mochi Pizza. And if it has mochi, I'm there.

Strawberry Cones, a chain in Japan, has unique pizzas. They have 200 outlets in Japan and one in Canada. This San Gabriel restaurant is the first franchise in the United States. A different franchise owner just opened one in Little Tokyo. They sell pizza and pasta; we had the pizza.

While waiting for our pizza, Jenn's son colored Red Tornado. Recently, he kicked my butt in an intense game of Disney Memory. I've been practicing at home getting ready for a rematch.

The most popular one is the Teriyaki Mochi Chicken Pizza. The crust is made with rice flour and the pizza is topped with chicken pieces, small pieces of mochi that melt into the crust, onion, teriyaki, cheese, mayo (the Japanese put mayo on everything...you really don't notice it), and topped with nori (seaweed). This was definitely my favorite pizza. ($11 for a small)

Is that crust gray? Yes, it is a Ninja Pizza. It uses powdered chikutan, Japanese bamboo charcoal that is supposed to be mineral rich. We got a 1/2 and 1/2 pizza: Avocado Salmon (above) and Mochi Mentai (below). I wish the avocado salmon was double avocado instead. I didn't care for the salmon - it was a little like lox on your pizza. ($12.80 for a small)

This is the Mochi Mentai pizza. I saw the mochi, and didn't even think about the Mentai. Mentaiko is marinated roe of the pollock fish. It is salted and gives it a seafood flavor. I love seafood, but I probably wouldn't get this one again because roe isn't top on my list of favs. However, I do love the nori on all the pizzas. Life is better with nori.

After our trip to Strawberry Cones, we walked through the entire little complex...including visiting the Hilton Hotel (you know, hotel bathrooms are always the nicest). We stopped at Pa Pa Walk for this awesome Brown Sugar Milk Snowy.

They have two types of yummy frozen desserts: Shave Ice and Snowy. Shave ice is the usual - finely shaved blocks of frozen water. But the Snowy is super finely shaved blocks of milk, coffee, green tea flavor. We got the milk snowy with "toppings" - that are actually served UNDER the mound of snowy ice! We got mochi balls (of course!), almond tofu jello, red beans, pudding and condensed milk. I love, love all things shave ice - more than ice cream! I know that is crazy to some people, but I think shave ice is much more refreshing on a hot day. Sweet and cool.

If you are in San Gabriel, check out these two places. And see JustJenn's post about our trip.

Strawberry Cones (Suite 118-B): (626) 293-1852
Pa Pa Walk (Suite 148-B): 626-281-3889
227 W. Valley Blvd. San Gabriel 91776

Chockablock Cookies - Tuesdays with Dorie

Chockablock Cookies

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection, my blogger buddy MARY of Popsicles and Sandy Feet picked Chockablock Cookies on page 86 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours.

My blogger friend Mary is awesome! Mary wrote to me back in September 2008 about an upcoming trip to Los Angeles. I gave her some food recommendations, and we have exchanged DVR shows. Mary and I are friends who never met in person but share a cool name and a love for Mad Men (see our Mad Men salute here and here). Mary stalks, I mean, has met Dorie Greenspan on numerous occasions in Connecticut. How lucky is she?

This was my experience with these cookies:

1. I used pecans, walnuts, dried apricots, dried cranberries, raisins, chocolate chips.
2. Of course, I skipped the coconut strands. Yuck.
3. Oh, molasses. I love molasses.
4. Easy to mix together.
5. Scoop, drop, bake.
6. I got over 50 cookies using a medium cookie scoop (12 on a ½ sheet pan). (continued...)

7. I’ll just have one. You know, to make sure they are okay to give out at the library.
8. Well, this one is a little darker than the others (different batch). I’ll try that one too. Just to make sure it is okay. I’m thoughtful that way.
9. Antioxidants in nuts are so important for good health. These cookies have nuts? I’m there. Just one more. (continued...)

10. Oatmeal has fiber. Everyone needs fiber. I’ll have some via this cookie.
11. I’m bringing in the cookies the day after I made them. They sat for about 20 hours. I need to have one to see if they still soft and delicious, and suitable for my co-workers. Again, always putting them first.
12. I wonder how these would taste with soy milk? Hum, I’ll just have a nibble.
13. I spent the day checking in on the batch of cookies in the break room...and helping them disappear.

So, 15 cookies later, I can say that I LOVED them!
Thanks my friend Mary for a great pick!
Be sure to check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers!

Recipe:
On Mary's awesome blog, Popsicles and Sandy Feet or...
page 86 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours.

Chocolate-Caramel-Banana Upside-Down Cake

Chocolate-Caramel-Banana Upside-Down Cake

The upside-down cake is a big favorite of mine. After the Bundt, of course. And no worries...I'm not going to make 30 days of upside-down cakes. Because people who do that kind of thing are just crazy.

Chocolate.
Caramel.
Bananas.
Perfect!
(Well, this post isn't for my banana hater friends, Clara and Jenn)

This is from the cookbook, Cake Keeper Cakes: 100 Simple Recipes for Extraordinary Bundt Cakes, Pound Cakes, Snacking Cakes and Other Good-To-The-Last-Crumb Treats by Lauren Chattman. I made the Orange-Ricotta Pound Cake Bundt earlier this month and it was delicious. So I'm two for two with this cookbook. And the rest of it looks very very promising!

Some brown sugar and butter is heated to make caramel. A layer of bananas is placed on top. Then a chocolate cake tops the banana-caramel mixture. I thought there was a bit too much caramel, making the cake a bit too sweet. Next time, I would cut the caramel by 25%.

After baking, let it sit for 5 minutes and then flip onto your serving tray. Voila!

I want to try David Lebovitz's Banana-Chocolate Chip Upside Down Cake next!

Chocolate-Caramel-Banana Upside-Down Cake
Click here for printable recipe
Adapted from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman (2009), page 58. Buy it here or see if your library has it here.

Topping:
1 stick butter
3/4 c light brown sugar
3 ripe bananas, cut into 1/4-inch slices
(I thought the caramel was a little too much. I would use 3/4 stick butter, 1/2 c brown sugar next time)

Cake:
3/4 c plus 2 T unbleached all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur flour)
6 T (1/4 c plus 2T) unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
3/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
6 T (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 c granulated sugar
2 large eggs (room temp)
2 t vanilla
2/3 c buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a 9" x 2" cake pan.
2. Topping: Heat butter over medium heat until melted and foamy. Whisk in brown sugar, turn heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, for two minutes or until the mixture is thick. Spread on the bottom of the 9" cake pan.
3. Arrange the bananas in a circle on top of the sugar mixture. Set aside.
4. Sift together flour, cocoa, soda and salt.
5. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy (I used my KitchenAid mixer on medium for 3 minutes). Scrape down sides of bowl.
6. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
7. Stir in vanilla.
8. On low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk (3 flour and 2 milk additions).
9. Scrape down the sides and then beat batter on high for 30 seconds.
10. Pour batter over the bananas and smooth out.
11. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let sit on wire rack for 5 minutes. Then carefully invert onto your serving tray. Let sit at least 20 minutes before diving in. The author says it keeps for 2 days in a cake keeper at room temp.

National Library Week 2010 Winners and Hello Kitty Librarian

Hello Kitty Librarian

Can you believe this page?! It's Hello Kitty Librarian!!! Holy smokes! It combines so much in my life...if I could just have her hold a Bundt cake....

Huge thanks to my friend-with-a-cool-name, Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet for sending me a photo of this book "What Will I Be A to Z?" by Higashi Glaser from her son's preschool library. The book is out-of-print (ISBN: 978-0810945951) and I picked it up on Amazon for $.99! I'm going to frame this page.

Thanks SOOOO much for celebrating National Library Week with me! Whoo hoo! I loved all your comments about your library. We are facing some tough times, and library staff appreciates your support! Some comments this week:

- I always feel at peace when I am in the library, kind of like I do when I cook, everything just kind of melts away! (Emily)
- We're heading to our library for story hour in an hour. We've had a long lasting love affair with our local library. (Sarah)
- I am sitting in my university's library right now... (Memoria)

I also heard from several people who want to work at my library to eat the desserts I bring in! Hee hee!

Special thanks to my co-workers (Patty, Susan and Karen) who loaned me their Nancy Pearl Librarian Action Figure doll.

Thanks and Hello to the librarians and library staff that stopped by this week! I hope you had a great National Library Week!! Everyone, please visit and support your local library every week of the year! :) - mary the food librarian

Here are the winners of my 2nd Annual National Library Week on the Food Librarian blog! (All picked through Random.org)

Day 1 Giveaway: Cookbook and Chef Post-its
Dianna of Double Batch (#94)

Day 2 Giveaway: Loaf Pans
Jennifer of Cinema Cupcakes (#127)

Day 3 Giveaway: Disney Stuff
Natalie of Crafty Natalie (#44)

Day 4 Giveaway: Cupcake Liners
Tracey of Tracey's Culinary Adventures (#47)

Day 5 Giveaway: Magazine Subscription and Chef Post-its
Amy (#63)

Thanks for visiting and congrats to the winners!

Sweet Cream Biscuits - Tuesdays with Dorie

Sweet Cream Biscuits

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection, Melissa of Love At First Bite chose Sweet Cream Biscuits on page 23 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours.

I made half the recipe. I'm not really a biscuit gal...nothing against them, just didn't grow up with 'em, but I found these very tasty and will make them again!

I couldn't find my biscuit cutter. Then I remembered I don't own a biscuit cutter. Yes, I know I could have used a cup or something, but I just made rectangles instead.

Served with delicious jam and lemon curd.

Be sure to check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers!

Recipe:
Melissa of Love At First Bite's blog, or...
Sweet Cream Biscuits on page 23 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours.

National Library Week Day 5: Chocolate Chip Scones and Magazine Giveaway

Chocolate Chip Drop Scones

Today is the last day of National Library Week on the Food Librarian blog! (Sure, NLW actually goes til Saturday, but I gotta rest!)

Thanks for all your nice comments about libraries! They are really inspiring. We are all facing tough times, and it is great to hear that you appreciate your local library. Did you know that one easy way to support your library is by Going. To. The. Library. People love statistics, and high circulation and visits to the library really say a lot. So, please visit your library and check it out (get that pun? Yeah, library humor ain't so great...I'll stick to baking.)

I made some easy-peasy Chocolate Chip Scones. Most of my baking is done before work; I'm a morning person and wake up at some crazy hour. But, hey, it's morning and I don't have time to fuss. Thus, the Drop Scone. No forming in triangles, just scoop, drop and bake (and take a shower while they bake! :)

Check out those sensible shoes on the Librarian Action Figure and her cool pile of books.

Today's library thing is WorldCat and Interlibrary Loan. Sometimes, your local library just doesn't have the book you want. So, here is a suggestion. Look up the book in WorldCat - a global collection of library catalogs. You can see if a nearby library has the item...perhaps it is worth the drive. If not, look into your library's Inter Library Loan (ILL) program. ILL is a worldwide system of borrowing books from other libraries. You start the process at your local library (there is usually a nominal fee). Even if your local library has a small collection, ILL can bring you books from all over the world!

To celebrate Day 5 of National Library Week, I'm giving away the following to one lucky winner:
a. Magazine subscription to Everyday Food OR Cooking Light (one year, U.S. addresses only)
b. Chef Set Page Tags (purchased from Girl of All Work)

To enter the Day 5 Giveaway, simply leave a comment below (one entry per person) and I'll pick the winner from a hat (aka Random). Deadline for all contests: Monday, April 19, 2010 at midnight PDT. If your comment isn't linked to a blog where I can find you, please leave your email. Shipping to U.S. addresses only. Librarian Action Figure not included.

Also, don't forget to all the giveaways! Deadline is Monday!
Day 1 Giveaway: Cookbook and Chef Post-its
Day 2 Giveaway: Loaf Pans
Day 3 Giveaway: Disney Stuff
Day 4 Giveaway: Cupcake Liners

Thanks soooo much for celebrating National Library Week with me! And a special Hello to all the librarians who stopped by the blog! - mary the food librarian

Recipe:
Chocolate Chip Drop Scones
Click here for printable recipe
Adapted from Bon Appétit, December 2000
Original recipe yields 6 triangle scones. I got 18 small drop scones.

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced
1 teaspoon (packed) grated lemon peel (I skipped this)
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chilled buttermilk
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze: Milk and 2 T sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line with Silpat or parchment two baking sheets.
3. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. In a small mixing bowl or your measuring cup, blend together buttermilk, egg yolk and vanilla. Set aside.
4. Cut up cold butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. (If you are adding the lemon zest, add here). Using your fingertips, rub in butter until the mixture is sandy or like rice grains.
5. Mix in the mini chocolate chips
6. Pour buttermilk mixture over the flour mixture and mix until dough comes together. Do not overmix. Dough will be moist and soft.
7. If you want to make triangle scones, gather the dough and press out on floured surface into an 8-inch round. Cut into 6 wedges.
8. If you want to make drop scones, use a scooper to scoop dough onto lined baking sheets.
9. Brush tops of scones with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
10. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. (Mine were small so they baked in 18 minutes).

National Food Bloggers Bake Sale - Saturday, April 17th

Today is Tax Day. And that can be a bummer day.

However, Saturday is going to be awesome. Why? Because there will be Bake Sales across the country on Saturday, April 17th to benefit Share Our Strength!

Gaby of What's Gaby Cooking is organizing the Los Angeles bake sale. You'll find my Cinnamon Chocolate Mini Bundts here:

Morel’s French Steakhouse and Bistro at The Grove
Saturday, April 17, 2010
189 The Grove Dr, Los Angeles
10:30 am – 1:30 pm

To see the listing of the Los Angeles bakers, click here. And if you want to donate but can't make it, you can donate an online contribution here.

Out of the area? Check out where the nearest bake sale is to you…. click here

Big thanks to Gaby and all the team captains for organizing the bake sales! The Los Angeles Bakers hope to see you on Saturday at the Grove...bring your wallet and an empty stomach. :)

National Library Week Day 4: Jumbo Cream-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes and Cupcake Liner Giveaway

Jumbo Cream-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

Whoo Hoo! It's Day 4 of National Library Week!

Today, it's a double duty post. I'm in the Martha Stewart Cupcake Club, and this month, Jess (super fun ex-pat California girl living in Connecticut) of Cookbook Habit selected Jumbo Cream-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes of Martha's fantastic book: Martha Stewart's Cupcake Book

These were easy to make. A basic sour cream chocolate cupcake filled with...wait for it...Marshmallow Creme or Marshmallow Fluff. I have never purchased this product; it's kinda strange. You are supposed to make these cupcakes in Jumbo cupcake cups but I feel that is way too much Marshmallow Creme for one person. So, I made 1/2 a batch of regular cupcakes and got 16 cupcakes.

A quick squiggle of marshmallow creme (see here) is supposed to top the cupcake but where is the chocolate topping? If these are supposed to be Hostess Cupcake wannabes, they need a chocolate topping, right? I topped mine with chocolate ganache and heavy cream/powdered sugar squiggle icing.

I also didn't add butter to the fluff. I just threw it in a piping bag, cut out a little bit of the top (I found a paring knife to cut out a cone works best), and piped in the fluff.

The library staff found this cupcake superior to a Hostess Cupcake and way cute!

The Librarian Action Figure picks out her cupcake.

Each day, I'm talking about one library thing (um, it is called Library Week). Our public library often gets the question, "Can you tell me what I've checked out this past year?" Privacy is a big deal at the library so we purge borrower information when a book is returned. So, how to remember what you read? You may want to sign-up with a free online program that helps you keep track of your books. You can even post a badge on your blog to show what you're reading. Here are three companies to check out: Shelfari, Library Thing, Good Reads.

I'm having five days of giveaway during National Library Wee!

To celebrate Day 4 of National Library Week, I'm giving away the following to one lucky winner:
A boatload of cupcake liners

These orange, yellow and green tulip cupcake liners are awesome. So pretty. I'm giving away some of each color (big and mini)...probably 200 liners or so (purchased at Surfas in Los Angeles). You'll be making lots of tulip cupcakes!

To enter the Day 4 Giveaway, simply leave a comment below (one entry per person) and I'll pick the winner from a hat (aka Random). Deadline for all contests: Monday, April 19, 2010 at midnight PDT. If your comment isn't linked to a blog where I can find you, please leave your email. Shipping to U.S. addresses only. Librarian Action Figure not included.

Also, don't forget to enter the Day 1 Giveaway: Cookbook and Chef Post-its, Day 2 Giveaway: Loaf Pans, and Day 3 Giveaway: Disney Stuff.

Come back tomorrow for the last day of National Library Week! I hope you are planning your visit to the library! - mary the food librarian

Recipe:
Martha Stewart's Cupcake Book: Jumbo Cream-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes, page 133

The Martha Stewart Cupcake Club doesn't post the recipe, but you can find it online here on Martha's website. You can use WorldCat to see if your library has it in their collection. Be sure to check out the other Martha Stewart Cupcake Club members and their version of the recipe!