Like Someone in Love

More photos from Kevin and Tinwin's wedding, by Jen Huang Photography.

After the initial pillaging

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These Things Take Time (LOTS AND LOTS OF TIME)

Shiny and new, before seasoning

Last year I picked up some high quality tin-lined copper canele molds from E. Dehillerin - only six because they were like 10 Euro each and I couldn't imagine myself making them often enough to buy a full dozen. Well, that was a good call because they are a pain! I used Chez Pim's method and recipe, and if you take the time to scroll through the entire post, you will understand why it was quite the daunting task. Unlike macarons that are just as dependent on having the right ingredients as the method, canele batter is very straight-forward, but the baking is what is so so finicky. I don't even want to get into the details because just thinking about it gives me a headache, and for some crazy reason I decided to make a lot of batter which meant caneles up the wazoo for an entire week. I would really like to know how bakeries make them in bulk because just baking off one batch of six took HOURS (really, read the Chez Pim post. I am not exaggerating). My very first batch (out of many, many batches) turned out the best, probably because I was getting more and more disgruntled.

My first batch, out of the oven at like 11pm

Crisp and custardy, SO much better freshly baked

After I made my first batch I was really unsure if I did it correctly. They were quite tasty, but far more custardy and not as chewy as any I had before. The only ones I was familiar with in SF were from La Boulange ($1.75 each), so the next day I decided to pick a few up for comparison. I also got a few from Boulettes Larder ($3.50 each, good God). The La Boulange ones were baked really early in the morning, possibly at 1am according to the cashier, so I thought mine should be comparable since they were baked within a few hours.

I don't know when Boulettes Larder baked theirs since they seemed quite fresh, but mine were actually very similar. Delicately crunchy caramelization on the outside, soft, almost flan-like custard in the middle. Yes, this is how caneles are traditionally described, but let me tell you... the ones from La Boulange were completely different - not as crisp, and more chewy than custardy in the middle... almost mochi-like. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but everyone I had taste test the three agreed that theirs were the worst. While I could easily pat myself on the back, I won't because I would rather eat theirs than make them myself. While $1.75-$3.50 sounds insane for one canele, it is worth the trouble. Trust.

Boulettes Larder, my first batch (I was able to even out the coloring in subsequent batches), La Boulange

Mine was very close to Boulettes Larder's (L), but a little more custardy

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Thoughts on Coffee

While there's a burgeoning coffee culture in other cities like Portland and New York, SF's is pretty much unrivaled (as of now). I've never known much about coffee or even liked it very much, but living here has taught me a lot. Just a few years ago I was still adding cream and sugar, likening my cup to that of melted ice cream. I remember my first revelatory experience - that $20,000 cup of Blue Bottle siphon brew that was so sweet and smooth on its own. I'm still no expert, but I've learned to appreciate the seemingly pretentious latte/cap art as a good indication of the quality of microfoam, and can better understand the reasons behind increasing prices.

Who makes your coffee also makes such a big difference, which is why I think I'm drawn to Blue Bottle. My friend, who has biases of his own, admitted that they have really great technique, while other roasters might do more research on their beans and farms. Even within Blue Bottle though, some people are markedly more skilled than others (I for sure have a favorite barista), so I feel like discussions about the "best" coffee shops are a bit pointless. What does it even mean to be the best?

I've also realized what a snob I've become, ugh! The other day I had to meet a friend at some random cafe, and I seriously considered not getting anything so I wouldn't have to waste my money on burnt mediocrity or spongy foam. Good coffee is a treat for me, and I don't drink it out of habit, addiction, or for a caffeine fix. While I sound super elitist right now, I think it's justifiable to save my money for something I deem worthy of indulging in.

I don't have a point or message I'm trying to make, except that coffee can be something to be savored, and it's a real privilege to delight in the work of so many hands that strive to make it something special. Anyway, I'm excited to see how this community grows and where it's going!

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Kevin + Tinwin

Here are some photos I took of the candy table I set up for my dear friends Kevin and Tinwin. I only made some lavender cupcakes with lemon buttercream (probably my most popular wedding flavor) and dipped the marshmallow sticks. The bride and her friend made the cake pops. Grace of course designed the candy bar wrappers and was a huge help as always!

I was also able to flex my flower arranging skills (or lack thereof) yet again, and I was reminded of why I am not a florist. Let's just say that I strongly dislike ranunculus.

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Avril 14th

Ramen I've eaten recently:
- Ramen Dojo: spicy!
- Orenchi: unsatisfying, and my soft-boiled egg was pretty hard-boiled
- Hapa Ramen revisit: much better

- Katana-ya for the millionth time

Fun things I've made recently:
- raw vegan bars: almonds, medjool dates, shredded coconut, honey, cocoa powder, ground flax = delicious and healthy
- green onion pancakes
- cilantro hummus
- breakfast waffle tacos: waffle, scrambled eggs, bacon, cheese, maple syrup, sriracha (optional)

One more sxsw-related food item of note:
- MCF's brisket reminded me of Texas and was not Asian at all (which Mr. Bowien acknowledged as he served it to us). Quite delicious and quite possibly better than the other things I've tried there.

Off the Grid
Senor Sisig - pork taco and pork fries. nothing particularly filipino about them
Japacurry - katsu curry. katsu comparable to muracci's, but curry was thinner
Chairman Bao - braised pork (steamed and baked)
Malaysian tent - laksa needed mucho salt, banana fritters

Underground Market
Spring rolls - 3 for $6 might have been worth it if they weren't drenched in grease, falling apart, and the size of my thumb (granted, I have big hands)
Meatballs
Stroopwafels - nice pair to four barrel!
Banh mi - pretty decent with a nice mix of herbs
Bacon-wrapped mochi - of all the bacon-wrapped things in the world, this I had never thought of. Genius.
Afghan "pancakes"

Misc
- Ritual Silencio: get it
- Zero Zero: not memorable except for the ricotta doughnuts, and I just ate there yesterday
- Oyaji's portions have gotten much smaller =(
- Shanghai House's pork and pickled veg soup with knife-cut noodles: can't get enough. So, so satisfying
- Best discovery at a Korean market: chocolate-covered peanut-filled mochi
- Mama's, hunt for parrots, Bernal Hill, Sandbox Bakery, and having fun with salts and spices all make for a really nice day
- Good coffee is such a privilege and SF has really been the OG mecca. Can't wait for USBC coming up!

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South By

Had a crazy few days in Austin for SXSW and somehow managed to eat some good food, most of which was consumed late at night unless you count the free vegan tacos and spirulina bars that provided us sustenance during the day.

Top 2 Pig-related Food Truck Names:
1. Pig Vicious
2. The Notorious P.I.G.

The following photos primarily consist of 2 things: meat and tacos. Detox!!

Pulled pork from Jackalope, dripping with fat

The pit at Salt Lick's Driftwood location

Sausage, brisket, and pork ribs

Brisket at Rudy's 360; "extra-moist" brisket was intensely fatty and delicious but I just couldn't roll with it

La Mexicana Bakery in South Congress neighborhood, one of the many 24-hr diners

Breakfast tacos: middle one is cactus

Torchy's Tacos, where Aziz Ansari is apparently a big fan heh

Green chile pork

Love migas from Magnolia Cafe, yet another 24-hr diner on South Congress

Chili cheese waffle taco from Lucky J's makes me wonder why I've never thought of that

Amy's ice cream is like a glorified Coldstone, but they have fun ice cream flavors even without the "crush'n" toppings. Pictured here is the "cop stop," coffee ice cream with doughnut bits, and mexican vanilla which tastes just like wedding cake

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Work is a Four-Letter Word

After slaving away for an unreasonable period of time, I personally celebrated the only way I know how: fried chicken and all the fixins!

Lettuce straight from the French Laundry garden

Biscuits with burnt-end gravy

Winner winner! Juicy with very light, crispy skin... definitely lived up to expectations. We had a nice chardonnay with a smooth finish to pair. The good life, really =)

Very fudgey chocolate cake, good caramel, delicious hazelnut whipped cream. Straight-forward and satisfying.

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Happy Birthday... Jeff?

Sweets from the super kawaiiiii (I'm listening to Gwen Stefani at the moment) Pinkie's in SOMA: ganache with sea salt and hazelnut praline

My friend Jess celebrated her birthday this past weekend at Beretta and I was in charge of the cake. I've been meaning to check out Pinkie's for a long time, so I ordered up a vanilla-lilikoi cake and some additional treats. They must have misheard me on the phone because when I picked it up, it wasn't exactly what I had expected....

DOH!!! I didn't ask them to change it either because I knew the person who did it and felt bad =T My attempt at damage control was not very successful, either....

MASSIVE FAIL

Almost believable?

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Monkey Bread; Gone to Heaven

Went to Bouchon with my favorite mama-to-be to check out their weekend-mornings-only doughnuts. We got there a little before 9am, just early enough to beat the rush and didn't have to wait in line! I thought there would be more selection, but there were only two choices - chocolate and coconut with pineapple filling. The chocolate was enjoyably not sweet and the crispies were a nice touch, a great pairing to a latte from the Coffee Caboose. I thought the coconut was ok, but it may or may not have tasted like fish to someone else. =)

I also tried monkey bread for the first time, a very good idea for using up croissant dough scraps, although I think it would have tasted better warm or right out of the oven. It was a nice morning and a lovely day!

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