Thursday, December 23, 2010

ChoChoSan is so Funny (Rana)

ChoChoSan is a Sushi restaurant I frequent when I'm back home. Their prices are reasonable, and their quality amazing. Yet, yesterday while I was there, I noticed a new roll had been advertised on the revolving belt. The Vegan Delight.



Don't see it? Here, let me elaborate:



Can someone explain to me when fish eggs became vegan?
Or cream cheese?

I think it's just hilarious, and a little insulting.

Unless they meant VEGAN caviar, which is essentially seaweed, salt, and olive oil. It would be good to elaborate. For more information on Vegan caviar, go here:

Vegan Caviar

Speaking of Vegans, I made my first recipe from the Veganomicon!
A delicious Corn and Edamame Asian salad!
I have no pictures, but let me tell you, it was really delicious and crisp. I just wish I'd had time to roast the corn.

See you soon!
Rana

Food, food, FOOD! (Rana)

Glad to see you're back, Vivi! I'll be sure to make that amazing looking Cheesecake during the holidays.

Now as Thanksgiving has passed, I think a post showing what I ate for that glorious night is in order!

I'm just going to barrage you with photos, but let me list what you will see.
The 21 lb. Turkey
The veggie casserole (made with tons of cheese and a cream sauce)
Butternut Squash soup (The recipe of which you Spree-ers know. :])
Tabouli (Arab Parsley salad)
A separate salad that I made out of spring greens, balsamic vinaigrette, and topped with cranberries, homemade candied walnuts, and gorganzola cheese!
Roasted Lamb legs
Buttery carrots (right above the casserole)








Some things that I am much too lazy to post up:
Rosemary Roasted potatoes
Hummus and Babaganoush
The bread display
Meat pies (We call them Kubbeh)
Ceviche
and Shrimp Stew

NOW ON TO THE DESSERTS!



Pies upon PIES! We had banana cream, pumpkin, MORE PUMPKIN, and peach to name a few.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST:




Happy birthday, Grandma! Her birthday is so close to Thanksgiving, we celebrate both on the same day! <3

See you soon!
Rana

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Vivi's Back! Pumpkin Cheesecake

So finally I make a post after, what, a year? It feels like forever, anyway. But here I go. My computer is finally fixed, my camera finally works, and I finally have a reason to share these recipes. Truth: I have no life, I might as well spend my time cooking and baking ^^;

So here it is. For anyone who wants a cheesecake and pumpkin pie for Christmas, plus the goodness of marshmallows.


Ingredients:
3/4 cups of sugar
1/4 cup of brown sugar (I had none at the time so I used pilloncillo/rapadura. If you're Hispanic, you know what I'm talking about. If not... don't worry about it. It's just unrefined brown sugar.)
1 1/2 blocks of cream cheese softened
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tbs sour cream
1 tbs flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp cloves
2 eggs at room temperature
Marshmallows (whatever size you want. I used normal size since minis are too troublesome to arrange and jumbos would overpower the cheesecake)

Directions: Very simple, easy instructions. ^^ If you don't want to go through the "trouble" of baking it, just follow instruction 2 and 3, and just put the marshmallows on, pop it in the oven on "toast" until they have a nice brownness and then chill for 8 hours or over night.

1.Preheat the oven at 325○

2.Combine sugar and cream cheese until smooth

3.Add pumpkin and the rest of the ingredients except the marshmallows(add only half the amount of canned pumpkin and omit sour cream, flour and eggs if not baking)

4.Pour in pan (I used pre-made graham crusts) and bake at 325○ for 35 minutes or until cake is set. turn oven off and cool for one hour with the door slightly open. (Slightly, not halfway open)

5. Arrange as many marshmallows as you want on top of the cake, and set it on toast for about five minutes, turning the cake around frequently so that the marshmallows don't burn. (that means you don't have to close the oven door!) Cool with door open.

6. When you can pick up cake with your bare hands, cover it and stick it in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight.


So there you have it. Easier than pie pumpkin cheesecake that takes at the most, two hours to make (not including the hour cool off when you can be doing something else.) Mind you, this is the first cheesecake I've actually Baked, (for Thanksgiving. It was the first one to be finished!) so it really is easy!