Spinach & Feta Pizza with Garlic Crust

It's pizza time! Want to eat something that's easy-peasy and not too filling? Give this a try. Recipe creates 4 individual sized pizzas.


Spinach & Fetta Pizza with Garlic Crust

1 can Pillsbury pizza dough thin crust
(They also have the classic style, if you want a thicker crust.)
1 small box or bag of frozen spinach (defrosted)
2 c crumbled Feta Cheese
4 sandwich-sized slices of swiss cheese (I used Tillamook)
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
Garlic Powder


Preheat oven 400˚F

Unroll pizza crust onto a baking sheet and divide dough into 4 squares. If not using a silpat, be sure to grease sheet before placing the dough or put it on parchment paper.

Place one slice of swiss at the center of each dough. This will prevent the middle of the dough from becoming soggy.

Make sure you squeeze out the excess water from the spinach and then place over the swiss cheese leaving one inch from the edge for the crust. Then sprinkle over the crumbled feta.

For the crust, brush the olive oil on the one inch edge left untouched then liberally sprinkle garlic powder over on top. (Garlic bread anyone??)

Bake for 10-12 min (until dough is golden brown)


When you bite into it, you'll get a nice crisp thin garlic crust and a string of swiss when you reach the filling.

Buttered Veggies with Roasted Eggplants

Home-cooking doesn't get any better when my mom decides to cook a weekend lunch. Yum!




Buttered Veggies

2 Tbsp Oil
2 Tbps Butter
Salt
Pepper

1 Carrot
1 Large Potato
1 Large Sweet Potato
1 Large Chayote

Cut and peel veggies into 1 inch sticks that are a quarter of an inch thick.

Heat oil and melt butter on medium heat in sautee pan. When butter is nice and melted, add in veggies. Season with salt and pepper. Stir veggies until they look soft and of a "mashed potato" texture.


Roasted Eggplant

2 Large Eggplants (peeled)
1 Medium Sweet Onion - Sliced into rings or strips.
1/2 c Soy Sauce
Lemon juice
1 Tbsp Oil


Place eggplants in an oven safe pan and put into the broiler for a good 30 min. It will make the eggplants soft. Let cool.

Mix soy sauce and lemon in a small bowl.

Heat oil in sauce pan and sweat onions. You want them just to become almost translucent. Add in soy sauce mixture and stir.

Put the eggplant into the pan and coat with soy sauce to marinate. It will be ready to serve in 2 min.

Serve with steamed or fried rice.

A lovely gift

My mom's best friend had recently gone to Greece for a pilgrimage. I believe their stay was in Santorini. As with any trip, there are souvenirs to be brought back. I wasn't expecting anything really. I'm just glad they had enjoyable time. So I was a bit surprised when I received this lovely apron. My face lit up with delight when I saw it. It's not too big as I am small person and it's not too small either. I love it!!!

The size is from the torso to about the thigh. It's of a mesh cloth material with an olive-green stitched lining with neck and waist ties, so it's easily adjustable to a person of any size. The design is embroidered and has two large pockets at the bottom. The word Rodos is also embroidered at the center of the pockets. Here's a little itty-bitty geography lesson: Rodos is a Greek island that is southeastern to Turkey in Eastern Aegean Sea.

I'm little scared to use it as it's from Greece, it's brand spankin' new and I don't want to ruin it. I'll eventually come around. Gotta break it in sometime. =)

Vanilla Almond Wafers

Cookies and milk doesn't have to be with chocolate chip, oatmeal or oreo.

Here's a wafer cookie that bring back some childhood memories. These are Vanilla Almond Wafers. Kind of like those Nilla Wafer cookies. This goes well with some moooooo juice (milk), tea, yogurt, ice cream, cookie sandwiches. Anything you do with a regular cookie, you can do with this.

It has a flavor similar to a fortune cookies, but better, not processed, without the weird shape and the paper fortune generated by a computer that sometimes gives you a haiku rather than a fortune.



Vanilla Almond Wafers

2 Large Egg Whites
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Almond Extract
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil
8 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour (you may substitute half wheat flour for wheat wafers)
1 1/2 tsp Cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
8 Tbsp Sugar (or sugar substitute)
3 tsp Water
Sesame Seeds (optional as a topping)

Preheat oven 300˚F

Sift all the dry ingredients (Flour, cornstarch, salt, and sugar) together in a bowl. Then stir water into the mixture. It'll look like crumbly pieces of dough.

In a another medium bowl, beat egg whites lightly with vanilla, almond and oil. Mix until frothy, but not stiff

Next, add the flour mixture into the egg mixture and mix together into a smooth batter. Batter should not be runny, but should drop easily off a spoon.

Use a silpat or greased baking sheet. Place a small dollop on the baking sheet and gently swirl to make them into thin rounds. The diameter could be of your choice (small, medium or large). Sprinkle a little sesame seeds on top.

Bake until it turns golden brown (roughly 15 min). Let cool until cookies harden.

Then enjoy!

Frida Mexican Cuisine (Restaurant Review)

Frida Mexican Cuisine
The Americana at Brand
750 Americana Way
Glendale, CA 91210



A couple days ago, I had gone here for a casual lunch with a good friend. I've passed by it many times during my walks and drive-bys. I've been tempted to come here having seen so many people occupy the table in their outdoor patio area.

We walk in and were greeted by a hostess. It was around early afternoon, so there wasn't much people there. It was a lovely day outside and we opted to have a table in out patio area. The location of the place was perfect as to where it didn't have much of the afternoon sunlight and nicely shaded by the building it sits under. The decor had a sort of modern-spanish appeal to it. At night, the bar is lit up, so it attracts the customers attention. It's located at the corner on a major street, which is a great place to attract attention.

We sit at our table. A basket of tortilla chips and two salsa dips in gravy boats were brought out. The chips definitely tasted like it was made in-house. For the salsa dips, one was a green dip with a touch of lemon to it and a red dip that had a little kick of heat, but you'd barely even know it was there. They also brought out two little mini tostadas for us to munch on while we waited for our meals.





My friend ordered the Tostada Chicken Salad from the lunch specials. It is served in large tostada bowl with mixed greens, grilled chicken, tomato, rice, beans, sour cream, cheese. Tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette.

Chicken was lightly seasoned. Mixed greens over some rice and beans. It was a good combination of salt, savory and sour.



I ordered the Burrito Vegetariano also from the lunch specials. This had sauteed vegetables, rice, beans, sour cream, queso fresco, avocado wrapped in a flour tortilla. Garnished with diced tomatoes.

I loved this dish. It was either that or I was really hungry. Rice was well cooked. Not crunchy or undercooked. It's got a nice chewy texture that blended well with the beans. The veggie medley inside was tasty. I liked that there was a lot of zucchini in it. The sour cream was not overpowering the subtle flavors of the veggies. I added some of the salsa dips to give the tortilla a little more taste. Torillas can sometimes taste a bit bland.



Service was quick and waiter was courteous as well. Overall for the price we paid, it was an enjoyable, filling meal.


Jenn's rating: (10 being the best) 7 of 10

Banananana Nut Bread

No, I didn't misspell banana. You read the title right. Added a couple extra syllables there at the end. I was reading a few recent posts on my fellow foodie blogs and happened to come across doggybloggy's (ChezWhat?) post on Banana Nut Bread. That got me craving for some. I didn't want to go and buy a loaf or a single muffin that costs four or five bucks. I didn't want to eat dinner rolls again. I had some extra time and the ingredients, so I made some for myself and my mom. Depending if I don't devour it first.

I love bananas and you already know my love for breads. I used a 6-inch round cake pan as I didn't have a loaf pan when I made this. (I do now.) So it looks more like a cake with a dome. I love the texture of the innards in the picture below. It has a nice firm crust and a spongy center.

A lot of the recipes I've seen contain the same ingredients. This is very simple and super easy to make. No need for complicated equipment or special ingredients. The only difficult part is waiting for it to bake. But as they say, patience is virtue. You can change it up a notch by adding different nuts, dried fruits, chocolate chips, cinnamon, etc. Make it your own. It's all easy-peasy!

This recipe below will make about two loaves or one loaf and some muffins or just muffins. Your choice.

1 cup unsalted butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons soda
4 cups flour
6 large bananas, very ripe, mashed
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Cream together butter and sugar. (Combining them into one mushy blob)

Add in the other ingredients once that is done. Mix well and place mixture into a greased loaf pan.

Bake for 1h 15min in a preheated 325˚ oven or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10min, remove from loaf pan and enjoy.

The best way to slice into a loaf of bread is to use a bread knife. If you don't have one, a knife with a serrated edge would do. This'll keep you bread from getting squished while you're slicing. Finally, spread some butter, jam or eat it alone. Whatever way you like, this bread is oh-so nutritious and delicious!!!

Pesto Penne & Garlic Bread

I made another batch of pesto as I'm going to try my Pillsbury recipe again and I only needed half. I decided to make a simple Filipino-Italian dinner with the other half. You can do these two dishes with any kind of bread and pasta you prefer. My choice for this dish was penne rigate and wheat pan de sal (a Filipino version of the dinner roll). The latter is the Filipno aspect of the meal. It was delish, filling and just right. No need to go to Olive Garden anymore. Although, I do like their endless soup and salad deal.






Garlic Bread
3 Tbps butter or margarine (softened)
2 Tbsp Garlic Powder or 2 minced garlic cloves
2 Tbsp Dry Basil
2 Tbsp Dry Oregano
2 Tbsp Grated Parmesan (plus extra for garnish)

Combine ingredients. (Sometimes rather than combining them, I'll layer each on the bread like butter, garlic, parmesan, oregano, then basil in that order. Takes a bit more time, but I like doing it that way too.)

Take your bread of choice (dinner roll, baguette, white, wheat...), sliced, exposing the chewy innards, and spread a thin coat of the butter mixture from edge to edge. Please the slices under the broiler until bread is nice and toasted. Roughly 5 mins, if broiler is preheated.

If you're not in a hurry you can toast the bread in a preheated 350˚ oven (roughly 10min) or in a toaster oven. You'll need to keep an eye on these as bread can burn pretty easily especially if you don't have a timer. No one wants burnt toast.

When toasted, sprinkle a little parmesan on top for garnish and enjoy.

This makes about 4 servings.


Pesto
You can see my pesto recipe here.

For this mix, I chopped in some sun-dried tomatoes.


Cooking Pasta
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. When water is bubbling like crazy, add in pasta of your choice. Season the water liberally with salt. (It'll give the pasta a little flavor). Stir a few time to keep the pasta from stick to each other.

Pasta generally takes about 8-12 minutes to cook, but when in doubt follow the directions on the package.

When the pasta is ready, drain in a strainer or carefully dump out the water from the pot. You'll want a tiny bit of that pasta water for when you mix in the pesto. It'll help combine the two together.


Note: Half the pesto mix will make about 2-3 servings. The full pesto mix will be 4-6 servings. Again it's all what you're in the mood for and how many people.

Mix in pesto with the pasta. I added in a few whole sun-dried tomatoes to give the dish a little color contrast. Add more grated parmesan, mix well and...voila! You're ready to eat.

Pure Sugar Cane

Pure Sugar Cane, originally uploaded by Misadventures of Little J.

Thought you'd never see anything like this. During my stay in the Philippines last year, I was treated to a nice sight. A truck load of pure freshly cut sugar cane on their way to someplace to be processed. It's not too often we see it in it's purest form. I was excited when my aunts pointed it out to me. In some countries in Asia, pieces of sugar cane are actually a treat. You can lick it like a lollipop. I haven't tried it, so I can't tell you how it actually tastes. But I'm sure it's super sweet.

Bangus (Milkfish) & How to pick fresh fish

Probably one of my favorite fishes. It comes second to tilapia. Then there's also my love for ahi tuna and catfish. Bangus is the named used in the Philippines, which is also the unofficial national symbol of the country. Here in the US it's called Milkfish. But like many fishes the taste can be a bit bland. Usually I like mine baked with chopped red onions and tomato with cilantro and seasonings stuffed into the belly. (Renellong Bangus in Tagalog) Wrapped tight in foil and baked for 20min on 350˚. The flavors combine into a tasty meal. Squeeze a little lemon on the meat and you're good to go. I also like it pan fried as seen in the picture above. But drained really well of any oil. If it's a whole fish, I always like to save the belly for last. There's just something about the belly fat of the fish that just makes it good.

It's always best to get the fish fresh from the fishmonger. Here's some tips in choosing the freshest fish:

-If you're going to buy whole fish make sure the eyes are clear and bright, not sunken or cloudy. The skin should be shiny, moist, and have a firm appearance.

-For fillets, look for neat and trim and should have a white translucent appearance

-Flesh should be firm to the touch

-No brown spots, which is an indication of decay.

-The appearance should look like the fish could still be alive.

-if you find no desirable fresh fish and need to go the frozen route, make sure the frozen fish in question has no signs of partial thawing, in an undamaged package and no sign of freezer burn.


Happy Fishing!!

Picture From The Daily Mail Online

10 Fun Food Facts of the Day

Here's some fun food facts. Definitely more to come. Enjoy!

One-
Did you know that the cheese residue left on your fingers after eating a bag of Cheetos is called "Cheetle"?

(Yes, there is a name for it.)

Two-
Fortune cookies are not a chinese invention. They were invented in 1916 by George Jung, a Los Angeles noodle maker.

(So, if you ever go to China, don't expect one after your meal.)

Three--
Lettuce is a member of the sunflower family.

Four-
The first lollipops were made by George Smith in New Haven, Connecticut in 1908 and was named after a race horse - Lolly Pop.

Five-
Did you know it takes 50 gallons of maple sap to make one gallon of maple sugar?

Six-
The first breakfast cereal ever produced was Shredded Wheat.

Seven-
You're more likely to be hungry in you're cold! Temperature can affect your appetite.

Eight-
In Japan, the most popular topping for pizza at Domino's pizza is Squid.

(Is it in fried calamari form?)

Nine-
Peanuts are an ingredient in dynamite.

Ten-
The first ice cream cone was made, served, and eaten in New York City on September 22, 1886.

Duritos

Duritos, originally uploaded by Misadventures of Little J.

Growing up in and around Los Angeles, I remember these mexican treats being sold by push cart vendors on the street corners, walking up and down my street or by churches on Sundays. The constant honking of the bicycle horn reminds me of the little kiddie music being blasted from ice cream trucks as they drive by. Their own way of saying "I'm here!" I remember my excitement as my friends and I would buy a bag as an after school snack and devour every bite.

They come in small or large bags (depending on who is selling them) and look like pin wheels. There are also square shaped ones, too. These tasty treats resemble chicharones (pork rinds), but are not made of any meat product. They are made of flour and deep fried. If done well, they shouldn't be overly greasy.

Pop open a bag and squeeze a generous helping of lemon juice and hot sauce. Tapatio is usually the hot sauce of choice. Shake the bag really well, so that every or most of the tasty morsels are nicely coated, then enjoy. If you wait too long, they will turn soggy and mushy. Yet, still good enough to eat.

Eggplant Parmesan - Dinner for Two

I decided to make some eggplant parmesan for dinner. I baked the eggplant rather than fry it before hand as some recipes tend to call for. The pic below has a paprika bottle in it, which is actually supposed to be oregano. I didn't realize that I had put the wrong herb out until I already started cooking.



Ingredients:

2 medium sized eggplants

1 1/2 c Panko Crumbs
1/2 Grated Parmesan
1 egg

1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 small tomato diced and deseeded
1/4 sweet onion (chopped)
1 garlic clove (minced)
1 tsp dry basil
1 tsp dry parsley
1 tsp dry oregano
Salt and pepper

fresh mozzorella

Preheat oven to 375˚


For marinara sauce:
in a sauce pan, heat some extra virgin olive oil and sautee the garlic. Add onions and cook until semi-translucent. Then add in diced tomatoes and stir to mix flavors. Add in tomato sauce. Season with basil, parsley, oregano and a nice pinch of salt and pepper. Cook to simmer.

Baked Eggplant:
Grease baking sheet or ovenware with a little olive or canola oil. (I use pam)

Cut off both ends of each eggplant, slice down the center and divide each half into two. You should have 8 pieces. You may peel the skin, if you'd like.

In two separate dishes, place one with the panko crumbs and parmesan, the other with the egg - scrambled. Dip each piece of eggplant in the egg (coating well), then into the crumb mix (again coating well) and place onto baking pan.

Bake in oven for a good 20-30min.

To serve in casserole, ladle 1/3 of the tomato sauce coating the bottom. Arrange eggplant accordingly on top and pour over the rest of the sauce. Place pieces of the mozzarella on top and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese look like melted blobs.




My wacked scoop, which doesn't do the inside justice. But it was delicious.

One of the best baking utensils invented

First, I'd like to shout out a YIPPY because I'm now a featured publisher on Foodbuzz. Sweet!!!!


Alrighty, so what is one of the best baking utensils invented? One word: Silpat.

I had first seen this rubbery thing on various cooking shows. I was always amazed how the food always comes out looking good. It is a silicone non-stick mat primarily used in baking. I've always baked on a baking sheet with either wax paper or some sort of grease agent and a lot of the time the end result was not, let's just say... satisfactory. So when I had bought myself one of these mats, I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

The silpat has time and time again helped keep cookies from becoming coasters and biscuits from turning into hockey pucks. Baked goods slide off with ease. Helps goodies bake evenly. Pus, there's no need to put any grease on the baking sheet. Just put the silpat on top and you're good to go. Cleaning it is easy-peasy. It's also mirowave safe. Even if you're a novice at baking, this will help you out a lot. Besides, no one wants to eat a burnt cookie, right?

There are a few different sizes to choose from and are available at Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table or any place that sells bakeware.

Check it out!! Silpat


Example:

Batch one., originally uploaded by Misadventures of Little J.

Pesto & Spinach Pockets

I'm been thinking about entering the Pillsbury Bake-Off this year. Either in the appetizer or dinner category. Been doing a little trial and error in making a really simple and easy recipe.

My Pillsbury product of choice: The Creations Flaky Dough Sheet. So I made two creations for dinner the other night. One was with pesto with fresh tomato and another was a spinach with feta. It's best to have a food processor for this.

Fresh out of the oven!





Pesto
1 package or bundle fresh basil
2 Garlic Cloves (finely chopped)
1/2 cup pine nuts (about two handful)
1/3 c EVOO (you may add more to your liking)
1/3 c grated parmesan cheese
Pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

A few tomato and swiss cheese slices to put in the dough with the pesto.

Place all pesto ingredients in a food processor and grind well into a paste like consistency. The measurements are not approximations. I usually eye-ball it whenever I make this.


Spinach with feta
1 small package of frozen spinach (defrosted and drained)
1 small package feta cheese.

Crumble feta into spinach and mix together. Since the feta is already a salty type of cheese I just added a pinch of pepper to the mix.

I divided the dough into four and made two of each. Place a nice dollop on one side of the dough then fold over the other half and crimp edges to seal.


Baked it for 15-20 minutes or until the dough was a nice golden brown. Voila! Serve immediately. Eat it with a fork or pick it up with your hand.

Presto Pesto!


Mmmm... Spinach


I had a little bit of pesto and tomato slices left over and made little ritz cracker appetizer. haha...




I'm still fine tuning these, so this isn't the final recipe. Though, it's a start.

A good ol' pint of Guinness

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! To celebrate the day, there's no other food or drink that would be better than a nice cold pint of Guinness. I would love to travel to Ireland one day and visit the factory in Dublin. It's been a while since I've had a pint myself, so today may be the perfect day for one. Goes well with a good helping of corned-beef hash or which ever dish you'd prefer.

So eat up, be merry and have a pint or two. Get your green on! Cheers!!

Calamansi - Fruit of the day

Calamansi Tree, originally uploaded by Misadventures of Little J.

This tiny little fruit is the cousin of the lemon. Much more sour than a lemon and half the size of a golf ball. Also called calamandin or suter in certain countries. It grows on a tree or shrub. A nice substitute for the lemon or lime. Instead of lemonade, make calamansi juice. Very refreshing on a hot summer day. It can also be found in a lot of Philippine cuisine.

Deep-Fried Oreos = Chewy Deliciousness

Deep-Fried Oreos, originally uploaded by Misadventures of Little J.

The sheer thought of deep drying a batter-covered oreo like you do poultry or seafood was a strange idea to me and still is. I had my first taste of this at the Los Angeles County Fair. I was hesitant as I love oreos with a nice glass of milk. I thought to myself, "how can they desecrate such an iconic cookie?! How?!?" But I'm not biased. I give equal opportunity to all food-kind. It was either that or the twinkie. The hostess treat that can last for 20 years. If ever there was a food shortage, go for a twinkie.

I get an order from one of the food stalls that sell the dessert in question. It was still hot and fresh from the fryer. Drizzled with chocolate syrup, sprinkles and some powdered sugar. I pick one up and take my first bite. All I could say way "Whoever invented this concoction, I love you!!" The crisp batter turned the oreo like a soft cake. My taste buds danced with delight as I shoved the other half into my mouth for more chewy deliciousness. It was nice, surprisingly moist and chewy. Probably one of the more decadent treats I've ever eaten. It's one of those you'd put in the "heart-clogging, but so good" category. I'd definitely eat this again.

I'm still waiting to try the deep-fried snickers bar, which I hear is pretty delish as well.

Chewy Deliciousness!!!, originally uploaded by Misadventures of Little J.

Mac & Cheese

Delish, originally uploaded by dickiesandchucks.

Here's another fabulous photo my friend took recently. He had made two kinds of mac and cheese. Chorizo and Manchego & Roasted Garlic and White Cheddar mac and cheese.

I think it is probably one of the ultimate comfort foods anyone can think of. Am I right? Plus, there's a sense of nostalgia that comes with it, I think. I prefer mine a bit creamy with extra cheese on top making a nice blanket of the goodies underneath. I love it when you pick up a bite and there's that little string being pulled as you insert the fork into your mouth. Brings back childhood memories.

How do you like your mac and cheese? Do you prefer it to be with extra cheese? Seasoned? Creamy? A mix of cheeses? There's so many ways to make this one classic comfort food. You'll never get bored with just one.

Simple Sweet and Sour Sauce

Today I'll share with you my simple sweet and sour dipping sauce.

1/4 c. Apple Cider vinegar
1/4 c. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 c. Stock or Water
2 tbsp. Cornstarch (dissolved in 2 tbsp water)
1 tbsp. Cooking Oil
2 tbsp. tomato ketchup
1/2 c Pineapple Juice

Combine vinegar, pineapple juice. sugar, salt, stock and cornstarch.
Heat oil on large wok or saucepan and "fry" tomato ketchup until near simmering. Then add the vinegar mix and boil until thickened. Let cool and serve with egg rolls, dumpling, or which ever side dish you prefer. It should look red-pink in color.

You can also add some chili pepper to give the sauce a nice kick.

Garlic Shrimp & Crab

Last May, I traveled to the Philippines to visit family and the day before we left to return to the States, we had a big family dinner at this restaurant (I think it's called Seafood 88 or something like that) near my cousin's law office. It was a nice sort-of upscale type restaurant. You can bring in your own meats and seafood and they'll cook it anyway you'd like. Two of the dishes that really stuck with me that night was the delicious crab and shrimp.

The crab was boiled to perfection and the shrimp was not rubbery at all. You could actually bite into it without having to fight it. Both were tossed in a garlic sauce that was made some spices (cumin maybe? or a touch of cayenne) and a hint chili peppers. So it had some heat to it, but not so much to make your mouth feel like it's on fire. It was just the right amount, where it gives you a little kick and you go. "Oh, where did that come from? I like it" No milk needed afterwards. The bright red color in the photos below are how they actually looked when they served it. My mom, who usually stays away from any kind of spicy food, ate and loved it.

To this day I can't forget those dishes. I've been trying to find a places that can match up to that, but no luck. If anyone can suggest otherwise, I'm all for it.

Me, being so hungry that night, totally forgot to take some photos, but as it just so happens that my cousin took a couple of shots of the dishes before everyone devoured it. Just looking at them makes my mouth water. How could you not resist those?

Brownie update

My friend was happy enough to pass along the recipe for those brownies I mentioned in the previous post. Make sure you've got good quality ingredients for these.

Fudge Brownies

Happy eats!!!

Chocolate Brownies!!

Chocolate overload, originally uploaded by dickiesandchucks.

Yes, Chocolate overload indeed! A good friend of mine loves to take food photography, so when I saw this photo among his collection, my heart lept with joy. I had given up chocolate for lent and, of course, temptation ensued. I have until Easter. It seems like a long ways to go. It's hard enough as it is especially when I've got a box of Samoa Girl Scout Cookies staring me in the face whenever i get near the kitchen. Those coconut and chocolate ring cookies. (Must resist!!) But upon seeing this, I was in the "must eat" mode.

I need to get the recipe from him. I believe there are bits of melted milk chocolate in those scrumptious brownies bites. There's just something about brownies that makes you go: Yippy!

Buttermilk Biscuits

Here's a recipe that I use to make buttermilk biscuits. The original recipe called for some other ingredients that didn't seem necessary. So I made some minor adjustments and well...I'm happy to say that it was a success and very tasty too. The crunch of the crust with the soft chewy center. This beats buying biscuits.


1 1/2 c All Purpose Flour (cake flour works too if you don't have anything else)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
2/3 c buttermilk
1/2 c unsalted butter (best if cold, cut into cubes)


Preheat oven to 425°
Sift flour, salt, sugar and baking powder into a bowl. Crumble in butter and mix well until almost like a powder-thick consistency. Add buttermilk again mix thoroughly well until it is of a dough consistency. You can add more milk, if needed.

Then place the dough on a well-floured flat surface and knead a few times. Cut dough into desired size and place on baking sheet. Baked in oven 10-13 min.


Great with butter and jam, as mini-sandwiches, biscuits and gravy or even alone. You can even mix in some shredded aged cheddar or Parmesan to make it into cheese biscuits. I think I'll go make some right now.

Cooking Tip of the Day

When cooking or grilling fish, we all have the tendency to keep checking the underside before making "the flip". That's why a lot of the time bits and pieces of the fish get stuck to the pan or grill. Not making it good eats. Here's a way to make sure you get a nice and perfect fish:

Just leave it alone.

That's it. Don't poke or try to lift it. When the fish is ready, it'll simple just glide onto the flat spatula with ease. A piece of fish that's an inch thick would generally cook for about 4 minutes on each side. So size definitely matters. The thinner the fillet, the quicker it'll cook. But make sure it's on medium to high heat for best results.

Baked Catfish

Made myself some catfish with a honey-mustard-basil marinade and panko crumb-parmesan cheese crust. I served it with some sauteed onions and tomato. Yum!

The mustard gives the catfish a tiny zing, so you don't get that fishy taste too much, which can get a bit overwhelming sometimes when cooking any type of fish. The panko-parmesan crust on top was crisp and gave the fish a nice crunch while the meat was still tender with it's natural juices. Baked the fish in 350 degree over for 15 minutes. While that was going, I sauteed the onions and tomatoes seasoned with salt and pepper. The juices from the tomato made the mix into a slight sauce.

Put the onions and tomato as a bed for the catfish and the juices of the two mix.

Eat it over rice, veggies or in a sandwich. It's very tasty.

Welcome to Bread + Butter!!!

This blog is all about food and drink alike. The creation and consumption of it.

I've always had a passion for it. I'm really handy in the kitchen. Sometimes I wonder if I should have studied to become a chef instead of a filmmaker. That's the other thing I'm passionate about in my life. But we're here to talk about, what else...food.

Here I'll be posting as much as I can, when I can. Recipes, pictures, food experiences, places to eat, etc, etc, etc. I'll even take contributions and suggestions. I'll try anything and almost everything.

So, why bread plus butter? It's usually the first item they bring out at restaurants. The pre-appetizer in some form or other. It's tasty with a combination of things. Quite frankly, I just like the sound of it. Plus, I love my bread and butter.

Food is the thing that nourishes us and keeps us going. It can be fun and enjoyable as well. This is basically my adventures in the culinary world.

Thanks for stopping by.

Bon Appetite!!