Monday, January 26, 2009

Pancakes For One

Pancakes are the best.
Good Morning
They make everyone smile! Have you ever been sad to see pancakes? I didn't think so. I like mine super thick and fluffy, which makes me really want to purchase this someday. I was recently talking to a friend about Chocolate Chip pancakes. I'm not sure I've ever had one before, but for some reason, it doesn't sound as good as wheat and/or fruit pancake. Can anyone convince me I'm wrong? Should I experiment? Has anyone ever tried putting cheese in their pancake? I'm thinking of experimenting with a savory rosemary and cheese pancake. I once ran of of flour while I was making pizza and made a pizza pancake. It was interesting. Fluffy, sweet, and savory. So much a person can do with a simple pancake!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted

A very happy and belated new years to everyone! Things have been non-stop since I got back from my west coast trip.  I'm in my last 5 months of graduate school, so things might be hectic in the Daily-Craft household, but rest assured, I will continue to post with every free moment!  The abundance of homework and heavy work schedule have got me feeling a bit stressed.  I find myself daydreaming a lot about the vacation I just got home from.  It was so absolutely wonderful.  Included below are a few of the culinary highlights of the trip...
Trophy Cupcakes, Seattle
We didn't spend enough time in Seattle! We really only had a day there, so I had 2 very special requests. I had to see the library and go to Trophy Cupcakes. Ohhh, Trophy Cupcakes, how I love thee! That coconut cupcake was heavenly. If I could, I'd have one every day! I've had quite a few cupcakes in my day, but the coconut cupcake from Trophy was by far my favorite. Also photographed, Sweet Potato and Hummingbird Cupcakes - also tasty, but the coconut really left an impression. How tasty?
Trophy Cupcakes, Seattle
Two people and 3 cupcakes later, I think you could say we did pretty good. The sweets didn't stop at cupcakes, we also got a few crazy doughnuts over at Voodoo Doughnut in Portland.
Voodoo Donuts
Voodoo Donuts
Voodoo Donuts
Voodoo Donuts
This place was amazing! I think I will go back every time I visit Portland. Believe it or not, we did also eat some substantial food too. We had a lovely Swedish breakfast at Broder I ordered the very cupcake-doughnut like, Aebelskiver! These little puffs of heaven are Danish pancakes.
Aebelskiver!
They came with maple syrup, ingonberry jam, and my favorite, lemon curd. Also of interest on the breakfast table was the baked scramble with potato pancake.
Swedish Breakfast
I was lucky enough to steal a few bites, and I must say, that potato pancake was almost as good as my Danish pancake. I must try to recreate both of these someday! One of the last stops on the road trip was to San Francisco. We really only had time to have dinner there, so we thought we'd do it right. We took a walk over to House of Nanking. There seems to be so much controversy over this place and I was curious. Unlike what the reviews say, we didn't feel rushed at all. We did have to wait in a long line, but were rushed to the front within minutes, due to a table opening up with the perfect amount of seats for us. We were all full after devouring the first dish of Sesame Chicken, but I was also there to fulfill another mission. Noodles. Last year, my most favorite restaurant for noodles closed down, Veggie Bistro. Since then, I've been searching for an equivalent noodle to make the closure of Veggie Bistro a little more easy to handle. Did House of Nanking match up?
Noodles at House of Nanking, San Francisco
It was good, but it was no Veggie Bistro. Very few are. One thing I will say about House of Nanking, they served me the most wonderful hot tea that I have ever had. It was a mixture of many different types of tea, but they came together so harmoniously. It was a good night in San Francisco. As much as I wish I was still on vacation, it's good to be back home in LA. I've got lots of craft projects piling up, so as soon as I finish my homework, I will get to it!