This afternoon Michael, Jessie, and I made our first proper meal all week! With just three of us in the house, full meals are not necessarily a priority- we’ve been eating sandwiches and lattes everyday for a while now.
My Southeast Asian meal is definitely checked off the bucket list with this lunch consisting of Malaysian curry, stir-fried bokchoy, and Chinese tea (普洱茶).
Maddie-
We missed you this evening at our get-together with the Chin family. With an aura of celebrating relationships felt throughout the afternoon, I dearly missed you.
I was invited to share some baking techniques with Sister Cai and her husband to give them time together and a shared pursuit. I so enjoyed teaching and guiding them through the process of making chocolate cupcakes.
After a successful turnout, we topped the freshly baked cake with dollops of whipped cream. You know I love it when a sweet treat is thrown together in a completely natural way.
What started out as a cupcake-baking lesson turned into a Chinese cookout with our Uncle and Auntie Cai. We grilled meats of all shapes and sizes: lamb, shrimp, and fish skewers, grilled beef steak, and even a delicious rotisserie chicken in the oven!
We made a huge dent in my bucket list today. What fun.
Dad is out of town for two weeks, and with Michael still in HK finishing up his semester, its just girls for a while…
Being Mother’s Day yesterday, we had real reason to celebrate as we have a truly wonderful Mother. So, after a relaxing post-church rest time, we all went out for a late Sunday lunch at our favorite Italian restaurant. Everyone is usually so busy with school/work, that we never have the opportunity to spend an entire day simply being. As a result, days like these are rare and precious.
Arriving back home, we immediately piled onto the sofas and quieted down for an afternoon movie. During intermission, I served this coconut cake, tea, and coffee to everyone.
(roasted artichoke and red onion pizza)
(on my list of beverages to make in the NEAR future: Italian lemonade- there were hints of basil amidst the citrus sweetness)
Having recently moved to a new district in Tianjin, we are now a 10 minute walk from several Korean food restaurants. I love Korean food so much that I can’t help but go once, twice, or even three times a month : ) Korean style complimentary appetizers are a highlight of my meal… you see, shortly after being seated, you are served a variety of taste-testers before the meal *no waiting idly while my stomach growls uncontrollably!* If you’ve never tried Korean food, I highly recommend it, check out a few of my favorite dishes below!
My ultimate favorite dish is 냉면; translated “cold noodles.” Yes, I know it sounds odd but trust me, its “oh-so-yummy!”
Yes, I know its been a month since Valentine’s Day but to be honest, I couldn’t pass up this post no matter how late. I am putting it out there as the best tasting cake that I’ve ever made. It couldn’t of come at a better time either, as baking is my #1 method of showing my affection (which is what V-day is all about, right?).
There were many “firsts” for me in baking this cake, it was my first try at: red velvet cake, a 6-layer cake, filling with whipped cream… my first successful piping experience, the first cake that I’ve made for a specific occasion other than a birthday, to Megan’s delight, my first time using the cake plate she bought me for Christmas, and last but not least, the first cake that I’ve properly hoarded all for myself!
The reason I enjoyed this particular cake so much is its unique combination of flavors. As is tradition for a red-velvet cake, there is a cream cheese based filling which then alternates with a pink-colored, vanilla whipped cream. Covering the outside of this cake, is possibly the best chocolate icing I have ever tasted. However, the prize-winning factor has to do with the original nature of red-velvet cake. Unlike many cakes that I bake, this cake is “not” overwhelmingly CHOCOLATE… red-velvet cake is no more than a vanilla cake with a bit of added cocoa and a bunch of red food coloring. Hence, the ratio of vanilla to chocolate is just right.
The genius behind this monstrous cake can be found over at Sweetapolita -you can find the recipe and full description here.
For the past month my oven has experienced literal tidal waves of cupcakes entering and exiting by the dozens. Seriously, for about a week, J, M, & M could expect a fresh cupcake every afternoon awaiting their return from school. Other than spending WAY too much time researching cupcake flavor variations, gaining a quite few extra pounds (eek!), and frustrating my Mother to no end with piles of dirty dishes, I have immensely enjoyed these sugar-filled days of baking.
We are a little s’more-crazy around here, so I couldn’t resist trying the cupcake form of a traditional campfire s’more… The first time around, I piped a fluffy meringue atop chocolate cupcakes. Sadly, however, I couldn’t taste the true “marshmallowy creaminess” famous in s’mores. Hence, a few days later, I tried a completely different frosting made from cream cheese and marshmallow fluff.
At this point, I am still tackling the introductory techniques of cupcakes. I have not reached the level of originality and creativity required for developing new flavors and design aesthetic. For now, I am benefiting from the experience of all the excellent bakers ahead of me… this particular recipe was developed by the very talented Rosie from Sweetapolita. She is such a sweetheart and I am constantly wowed and inspired by her work.
There are actually four parts to these cupcakes. 1.) graham cracker (or digestive cookie for those of us living overseas) crumbled base. 2.) Chocolate cupcake. 3.)Dark chocolate glaze spread directly onto the surface. 4.) Marshmallow frosting piped on top. I find this combination a perfect ratio of each s’more component: cracker, marshmallow, and chocolate bar.
Parts #2 and #4 are found here, and parts #1 and #3 are written below.
Graham cracker crust:
Chocolate Glaze:
(~credit given to Bakersroyale for the above recipes)
First and foremost I’d like to repent of beging terribly MIA on Connecting4 lately.
It’s a new year and I am super excited for all the new that is coming my way. Finally I can start a fresh with all my goals, ideas, and planning… Also, *fun fact* this is about the time we first started connecting four so… happy birthday Connecting Four!
——
Anyways… Food Gawker is always the place to go when you’re either bored out of your mind, or when you’re searching for “that perfect” recipe. Below are five recipes that are officially on my “upcoming-cooking-adventure” list. Of course, Rachel will be helping me in this particular field of expertise, since the kitchen and I don’t particularly see eye-to-eye.
As you can probably tell from the selection above I am a very traditional yet snacky type of person when it comes to eatables. I couldn’t help but include a funnel cake recipe, although it may be on the unhealthy side, the thrill and excitement of its traditional environment <AMUSEMENT PARKS!> rubs off on me. The spinach pesto sauce is my second favorite… I am reminded of late night dinners which consist of sprawling out on the couch with a huge bowl of basil covered pasta, while watching A Cinderella Story with my sisters.
I think it’s safe to say that food gawker is perfect for food lovers- whether or not the kitchen is your playground!
Sources/*recipes*: {one, two, three, four, five}
This morning we woke up to a winter wonderland outside. So lovely. 
Being the sweet older sister that I am, I dragged myself out of bed extra early to bake warm, fluffy biscuits for breakfast. Baking for my sisters is such fun; Jessie will never get tired of a sweet snack to pair with her tea obsession, Maddie won’t tell me if she’s unimpressed (which is a very good thing ;), and Megan has considerably low expectations (she’d rather have an oreo than chocolate mousse!) What will I do without these three? Anyway. While obediently washing my dishes after sticking these delights in the oven, I lost myself in the slow-paced world of morning grogginess. Thankfully, Mom saved our breakfast just in time from being baked to a deathly crisp. 
I happily enjoyed a honey-butter filled breakfast this morning while the flurries quietly drifted to the ground all around me. 
I made this bread for breakfast Saturday morning to begin our Autumn Bucket List with a BANG. However, If you ask my family, they’d say this delicious concoction wasn’t a true breakfast (seeing that the bread came out of the oven at around noon), but seriously, what is that?! In my book breakfast can last all day on a Saturday.
For the past year I admit I’ve been a play-it-safe kind of baker. I follow my recipe to the ‘T’ like an obedient little cook, and on the off chance that I am forced to alter a recipe (most likely due to the lack of ingredients), I worry myself sick thinking that the outcome will turn out disastrous. Well guess what?! I actually changed this recipe. On purpose. You see, I didn’t want “cinnamon sugar pull-apart bread” I wanted “pumpkin spice cinnamon sugar pull-apart bread…”
~I added a bit of pumpkin puree here, more flour there, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg and voila, what I like to call “Pumpkin Octopus Bread” appeared on the counter. And do you know which family member liked it the best? Dad. Unexpected for sure. Dad hates cinnamon and isn’t keen on pumpkin either. Surprises never cease in this family.
One image came to my mind as I sat staring at this loaf of pumpkin bread baking in the oven; Jessie’s “Squid 2-Go” drawing. You may remember the beginning stages of this pieces here. I love the finished product and I am so proud of Jessie’s hard work and determination.
Can’t you see it? squid tentacles reaching out of the depths vs. swelling layers of pumpkin bread extending from a loaf pan? Maybe not.
Here’s a closer look… if not identical, there is definitely a resemblance!
Anyways, enough with the squids. The pumpkin cinnamonrollish bread was bliss and I highly recommend this treat for a chilly autumn morning/afternoon :) I hope you get the chance to enjoy this festive season with friends this week.
Oh, and Jessie, I know octopuses & squids are sort of, not really different, but pumpkin “octopus” bread sounds so much better than pumpkin “squid” bread.
I’ve decided to bring my baking passion to a new level by starting a small cake business here in 天津. Our kitchen is prepping for a whole new dimension of baking and, honestly, I can’t wait to get started! I’ve been working on a simple brochure (below) advertising various cakes which will be sold. Enjoy!
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