Matsuhisa

Ben, thank you for an amazing dinner at Matsuhisa. Last time I went, I thought I was crazy for getting 2 desserts, but we topped it off this time with three.

http://www.nobumatsuhisa.com/

bridal shower

my aunt terri threw me an amazing bridal shower in chicago.

see below for the delicious food she made!

gibsons famous deserts

normally i do not order desert, but when my mom said we HAD to get the mud pie at gibsons in chicago, i nodded my head.  after all, chicago is the mecca for over the top, fattening foods that are unavailable to me in los angeles. so why not.  the more i think about eating it, the more the guilt sinks into my soul and i have to quickly make myself start thinking about something else. but let me tell you, it was worth the estimated 1,000 calories per serving.  the crunchy gram cracker crust was pretty grainy and course, which complimented the soft vanilla ice cream. the hug slice was also topped with chocolate sauce and whole macadamia nuts. every bite was worth it, and it was hands down, the best desert i have ever eaten.

gibsons

1028 north rush street

chicago, il

my summer hangover cure

everytime i think i find a new miracle hangover cure, i like to share it with everyone.  i have found myself sitting on my couch on various sunday mornings googling "hangover cures", and trying every one in the book.  this one is simple and really does the trick. an arnold palmer. something about a little sugar, a little caffeine, and the cool crisp and refreshing taste of lemonade swirled with ice tea.

Lindsey's B Day!

Everyone that knows me knows that I am a little over ambitious when it comes to celebrating birthdays.  Starting out with my homemade invitations, and ending with my homemade cupcakes, I really try my hardest to pick a specific theme and stick to it.  For Lindsey's birthday, that was quite difficult because her sister Erica and I got excited over everything from pinatas to lanterns, to food choices, to drink options.  In the end, we decided to serve heavy appetizers, frosted sugar cookies, and chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. It was defiantly a night to be remembered.  Thanks to Mar, Nicki and Michelle for all of your help!
xoxo

                                                  

                                        

                                         

mai tai season. the best season.

dip n dots

the amazing melt in your mouth beads of ice cream that my sister describes as "ice cream cavier" are COMPLETELY underrated. and why can i barely ever find the stuff anymore? at balboa bay club in newport, they offer over 10 flavors in two sizes. they are also looking for people wanting to open the franchise in california. anyone? please? for me?

this is really why ur fat...

every summer calls for montage laguna beach brunch. breakfast burritos, chicken tenders made with a light and fluffy batter that i really cant compare to anything else. mimosas. pure pleasure hounding.

if you are in seattle...

you must pick up beecher's macaroni and cheese, from beecher's homemade cheese in pikes place market. the self proclaimed "best macaroni and cheese in the world" most DEFIANTLY wins the title in my book. for $25 bucks a tray, you can serve 4, and it is worth every penny!!

http://www.beechershandmadecheese.com

bay cities brought to me on my bday!

mother's day at aunt terris...

cafe habana, open in malibu!!

i nearly fell out of bed this morning when i opened daily candy to find that cafe habana is opening in malibu today.  on my last visit to new york, jeff and i trenched through blocks and blocks of a snow storm so i could indulge in the melt in your mouth corn and cuban sandwich.  only to find he wasn't interested in the 45 minute wait.  cafe habana's amazing food and island cocktails will be an indulgence of mine every weekend this summer. and we can all hope jeff WILL suck it up and wait! 

                                        

bouchon, beverly hills

happy birthday to me! 

new ice cram shop just in time for summer, Sweet Rose Creamery

while it isnt often that i find myself in the brentwood country mart, i did want to post this for all my westsiders. this place looks amazing, there is NOTHING like freshly made ice cream, especially after a long day at the beach!!

http://sweetrosecreamery.com/

mercidato

one of my favorite restaurants from new york city has finally opened in chicago.

mercidato is an an amazing place to get ice cold margaritas, tacos make of fresh seasonal ingredients, and thick and spicy guacamole.

hopefully this is a sign they are making their way out west! 

http://www.mercaditorestaurants.com/

yum! new in malibu

http://beachycream.com/index.html 

new pinches!!

dailycandy.com

paula dean has brown casserole from oprah

my mom, being an avid oprah follower, saw this recipe today and asked me to get it for her off the internet. after reading the ingredients, i knew it was something that was right up my alley.

i will let you know when i try it out.

• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 small yellow onion , chopped
• 4 cups frozen shredded hash browns
• 1 pound bulk sausage , mild, hot or sage
• 2 1/4 cups whole milk
• 8 large eggs
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 8 cups cubed French or Italian bread , crusts removed
• 2 cups (1/2 pound) grated cheddar cheese
• 2 cups (1/2 pound) freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°.

Spray a deep 13" x 9" casserole dish with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the onion and sauté over medium-low heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the hash browns and break apart. Sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.

In a second frying pan, sauté the sausage, breaking apart large clumps. When the sausage is cooked through, remove it from pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk, eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and mustard, and briskly stir to blend.

To assemble, spread the onions and hash browns evenly at the bottom of the greased dish. Place the bread cubes evenly on top of hash browns. With a slotted spoon, distribute sausage as the third layer. Pour the milk and egg mixture over these layers. Add Parmesan as the next layer, while then adding the cheddar*.

Bake the casserole uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.

*Cook's note: Save a few tablespoons of cheddar for the last 10 minutes of baking, when you can add a fresh topping of melted cheddar. 

http://www.oprah.com/food/Paula-Deens-Hash-Brown-Casserole

cake monkey!!!

yes, its true. my all time favorite makers of the thinnest oatmeal cookies with maple cream in between them, mini red velvet cakes with raspberry cream, and the mini black and white cake dipped in chocolate frosting with cookie crumbs will have a pop up store in silver lake this weekend.

i know i said bridal boot camp would begin, but maybe i can stop and get something after? 

POP GOES THE MONKEY!  Come to our Pop-Up Sale April 23 - 25 at 2912 Rowena Ave. in Silver Lake.  Li'l Merri Ice Cream Sandwiches and more!

www.cakemonkey.com

how exciting is this?

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2010/04/food-network-and-cooking-channel-serve-up-cornucopia-of-programming.html

this is why ur fat, the new kfc sammy where fried chicken is the bread

Easter means more cuppie cakes...

hamburger fatty melt

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef *

Salt and freshly ground pepper

8 Very Thin Grilled Cheese Sandwiches 

4 medium-thick or 8 thin tomato slices (optional but recommended)

Procedure

1. Divide beef into 4 equal parts. Shape into square patties slightly larger than the grilled cheese sandwiches that will serve as buns. (Use a slice of the Pepperidge Farm Very Thin bread as a template if you're uncomfortable eyeballing this.) Create an indentation in the centers of the patties—this will help maintain even thickness, as the center typically swells up when cooking.

2. Preheat a cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottom pan to medium-high. Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, prepare the Very Thin Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

3. Salt and pepper both sides of burger patties liberally. Throw those suckers in the cast-iron pan, cooking them in batches of two if your pan isn't big enough to hold them all at once. Cook about 3 minutes per side for medium. Remove patties from pan and let rest a couple minutes.

4. Sandwich patties between two grilled cheese sandwiches and top each with 1 medium-thick slice of ripe tomato. (Variation: Slice tomatoes thinly and 1 slice directly into each Very Thin Grilled Cheese Sandwich.)

http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/10/the-hamburger-fatty-melt-a-burger-with-two-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-as-its-bun.html?ref=aht-bb2

http://www.chrismadden.co.uk/food/balanced-diet.jpg

bacon bouquet

if jeff really loved me he would send me this:

www.thisiswhyyourfat.com

scanwich

http://scanwiches.com/

leftover easter eggs?

Egg salad sandwich with dill

Total time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled

2 tablespoons minced green onion

1/4 cup minced celery

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

2 tablespoons chopped dill

8 slices olive bread

Cracked black pepper

1. Chop the eggs. Stir in the onion, celery, mustard, vinegar, mayonnaise and salt. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

2. Toss together the shredded lettuce and dill.

3. Divide the egg salad among 4 slices of the bread, spreading it to the corners. Grind black pepper over the egg salad, then place equal amounts of the lettuce-dill mixture on each sandwich. Top with the remaining bread slices. Cut in half and serve.

www.latimes.com

AMAZING

paninis

paninis with ham, turkey, swiss cheese, sauteed mushrooms, balsamic, and brown mustard.

madison club in la quinta