Orange and Anise Seed Cake

http://agoisfoto.com/2012/01/26/bizcocho-bundt-cake-de-naranja/

Ingredients

1 Cup butter

3 Cups flour

1Tbsp baking powder

2 Cups sugar

1 Tbsp Salt

2 Tbsp orange zest

Juice of 3 oranges

3/4 Cup plain yogurt

1 Tbsp vanilla

6 eggs

2 tsp. anise seeds (my addition to the recipe)

-Preheat oven to 350

-Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

-Beat sugar and butter with mixer until smooth.

-Add eggs one at a time, and then add in orange zest and juice.

-Gradually mix in flour mixture and yogurt, and then add in the vanilla and anise seeds.

Butter and flour bundt cake pan

Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

 

Let the cake cool about 10 minutes before turning over onto a plate.

I like BIG Bundts and I cannot lie!

Butter Cake Bars

 I guess I was craving something sweet and boy did this fit the bill.  It was easy, with only a few ingredients, but very dense and sweet.  The recipe calls for cutting it into 1" squares and believe me, one bite in you will understand why.

Was browsing foodgawker.com and saw the recipe here first:

http://somekitchenstories.com/2012/01/17/momofukus-butter-cake-bars/

 

Ingredients
1 box of yellow cake mix (1 pound)
4 ounces of butter, melted
3 eggs
8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1 pound (16 ounces) of powdered sugar
1 tsp. of vanilla extract
Prepare
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper.
2. Make the base first: mix together cake mix, butter and 1 egg.
3. Pat into pan, create an even layer.
4. Make the ooey gooey layer: Cream together the cream cheese, 2 eggs, sugar and vanilla.
5. Pour gooey layer over cake layer, spread to edges.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until edges are golden brown, center should be a creamy consistence like cheesecake or heaven.
7. Cool completely in pan before cutting into 1-inch squares with a clean, dry knife. For best square results, pop into freezer and chill before slicing.

Yes, you use the ENTIRE bag of sugar!

Melt that butter!

The cake and butter is the bottom layer.  It was very playdoh like.

Spread evenly in the bottom of the pan.  I used a round 9" cake pan because I didn't have a small square pan.

Next is the gooey cream cheese and sugar layer...

Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Behold the sugary goodness!

Honestly, a little too sweet for me!  Still, I ate most of it though :)

Shabu Shabu House

So many good places to eat on Convoy Street!  We tried a new place the other night called Shabu Shabu House.  We both ordered Sukiyaki with beef.

This dish was quite the feast and was served with udon noodles, shitake and enoki mushrooms, kabocha squash, carrots, green onion, tofu and seaweed.

The beef is very thinly sliced and cooks quickly in the broth.

We each had our own individual iron pot filled with a sweet broth.  Once the broth starts bubbling you add your meat and veggies and cook accordingly.

Sukiyaki is served with egg for dipping meat and vegetables before or after cooking.

http://shabuhousesd.com/

4646 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Kanpai Restaurant

Recently lunch time brought me to Kanpai- Best Japanese restaurant in Chula Vista! I have eaten here many times, but this last visit was probably one of my all time favorites.

I ordered a lunch combination with Tonjiru and Onigiri.

Onigiri are balls of rice, wrapped in seaweed, and filled with various traditional ingredients.  They had three different choices for fillings- salmon, umeboshi (pickled plum), and bonito flakes with soy sauce.  I had one of each!  This was served with yellow daikon pickles.

Tonjiru is a traditional Japanese winter miso soup with pork and root vegetables.  Need I say more..?

http://www.kanpairestaurant.com/?cmd=contact

Kanpai Restaurant
301 Palomar St.
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Captain Crunch Chicken

This recipe just sounds dirty...and it is. Dirty sweet...

Ingredients

Chicken

1 cup flour

1 tsp. garlic powder

pepper

1 egg

1 cup milk

2 cups Captain Crunch cereal

1 1/2 cup Corn Flakes

I used a rolling pin to crush the Captain Crunch and Corn Flakes cereal between two paper towels.

Mix flour with garlic powder and pepper. Mix egg with milk. Mix crushed cereal.

Dip chicken into flour. Shake of excess. Then dunk into milk and egg. Then put chicken in tupperware and shake with crushed cereal until coated.

Place on foil lined baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for around 15 minutes.

I served it with potatoes and broccoli!

Nozomi's Chirashi Salad

Nozomi is located on Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa.  Many a time have I eaten here, but this was the first time I tried their specialty, the Chirashi Salad!

Definitely don't attempt this alone!  This massive salad can easily feed 2-3 people!  It has sushi rice on the bottom, then lettuce, spouts and cucumber, topped with an assortment of chopped raw fresh fish and fish eggs!  You mix it all together, then serve it in individual bowls.  And it's served with a delicious spicy sesame dressing.

So, that was an amazing experience.  Definitely would do that again.

Also had the "mushroom special" hot appetizer.  Another large portion, it was 6 large tempura coated mushrooms topped with spicy crab meat.

Don't let me forget the turtles! 

The turtles have a pond at the entrance of Nozomi to help greet the customers as they come in.

These two are practicing their circus act!

Turtles love teamwork! ;)

2012 Year of the Pickle

I have been obsessed with Japanese food lately.  I mean it's always been one of my favorites, but recently I have come to the conclusion that it is my all time favorite!

Part of what helped me reach that decision was a birthday lunch at my favorite restaurant Okan.

I have only eaten there four times, but each time I do I am amazed, and I vow to go back more often! It is always an opportunity to try lots of new, unique, and traditional Japanese dishes.

Here is a glimpse of their "lunch set." ($6.50) Pictured are three different types of Japanese tapas and some Japanese pickles.  Also included is rice and soup.  This particular lunch I also had a chance to try the seared beef tongue which was very flavorful and melt in your mouth delicious!

Okan is small and charming, has great food, and don't even get my started on their bathroom! (Toilet seat is warmed, and toilet performs various spray functions at the touch of a button!)

So anyways, this year I want to start cooking more traditional Japanese dishes, I want to eat more Japanese food, and I want to make all kinds of pickles!  I found a couple of amazing looking books in English on Japanese pickle making but they are too expensive ($60 and $250!) so I am going to stick with online resources for the time being.  Those are my food related goals for the new year inspired by Okan!