At the Table: Japanese, other then sushi

Living in the South bay, there is more to Japanese food then sushi. Some of which I have thoroughly enjoyed.

My sister took me to Ichimann on PCH one night

I had the zaru soba with tempura

She was in the mood for the soba noodles and soup with tempura. I must say, the broth is a bit salty but very tasty with the chewy noodles.

Another favorite of mine in the South Bay is Musha Restaurant.

MFC, or musha fried chicken

Ebi mayo

Cheese risotto

Mixed and served out of a gorgeous block of parmesan. Did I tell you I love cheese?

I forgot the name of this dish, it might be the itame somen.

Looks tasty though

I believe this is the takotama

 

And of course, dessert. Chocolate lava with vanilla ice cream. Although another time I went there, we tried out the sesame dessert, which is what I would recommend. And the kakuni, slow broiled pork.

Kick a$$ fondant

Challenged accepted!

So I never really liked fondant. I mean, sure, it looks great and oh-so-smooth, but the taste is just not worth the looks - too sugary and pasty, ugh! Plus, just seems like such a daunting task to take on.

Yet when my decorating skills were called into question recently, I had to respond. Gauntlets were thrown. I accepted, and anyone who knows me, knows when the stubborn streak hits, I can't back down.

I have never heard of or seen fondant cutters before. When I received the flower fondant cut-outs from Tita, I knew I had to put them to use. Aren't they pretty? The one on the left are actually cookie cutters I found at Cost Plus World Market. It's becoming my favorite place to shop for special items.

I started with some basic devil's food cupcakes paired with a new topping, bittersweet chocolate ganache frosting. This was truly a chocoholic's dream! It was extremely moist and tasted decadent and rich.

Smooth as possible so as not to disrupt the fondant surface later. Now, on to the hard part. Armed with no knowledge or experience, I researched online for the bare basics and decided on Bunnywoman's marshmallow fondant recipe. It seemed straightforward and simple enough for a newbie to start with. Honestly, not as easy as the directions said but tons better then what I had previously imagined. Plus all that kneading gives you a good upper body workout. Just be careful with the dyes!

Very sticky. Lots of powdered sugar helps.

First attempt wasn't too bad, slightly off center.

Then I just went for it.

Kneading color into the fondant was actually pretty fun! Created such a mess.

I haven't tried gumpaste yet, but that will definitely be my next project. In the meantime, I had to improvise.

Yes, those are martini glasses dusted with powdered sugar. The half cylinder curve used to bend the tiny purple flowers is from a cut up paper towel roll lined with wax paper.

Hmm, tempted to add some alcohol and create my own cocktail. Fondant surprise, anyone?

I know it won't keep, but I loved being able to curve and bend the flowers. It gives the whole look much more dimension and texture.

The purple flowers are simply adorable.

Possibly my favorite of the night. I know, one shouldn't favor a particular one, but it was just very delicate and tender looking.

I got to point out that in place of the stamens are pink pearl candies.

Getting closer...

Glossy! Just gently brush off the powdered sugar residue. If patient enough, wipe with a moist paper or brush to give it a smoother, finished look.

Side views.

Close ups for greater details:

A collage for your enjoyment. Who am I kidding, these tickled me pink!

  

And of course, some really BIG flowers to defy gravity.

I wanted to take a second to thank Tita and Bunnywoman for their support and experience. A special thanks to the challenging spirit that allowed me to overcome an intimidating task. And quite honestly, I enjoyed myself immensely when tackling this experiment.

There you have it. My first attempt with homemade fondant. Can't definitively say I conquered it, but as far as starters go, I definitely kicked ass!

Virgo birthday

Happy, happy birthday!

So I realize, I know many and am close to WAY too many Virgo babies. Sigh, I just can't help myself, they tend to be lovable - for the most part.

So here is to the one and only 'Bacon' LT. On a side note, 'Bacon' demanded that I surprise her on her 27th birthday with some baked goodies, since I have "never made anything specifically for her."

Some things you need to know about 'Bacon' is that she simply loves bacon. She does have a strong obsession with her initials. And since purple is her absolute favorite color, I figured to incorporate a few of her favorite things.

This surprise spread includes: one mini red velvet cake, some personalized dark chocolate Hostess style cupcakes, lavender cupcakes with butter cream. And of course, I prepared some red velvet cake balls with chocolate or vanilla candies, in martini glasses. 

The lavender cupcakes were an experiment as this was my first time ever making them. These are actually vanilla cupcakes with lavender creme filling and topped with a citrus butter cream. I used both oranges and lemons for the butter cream and it turned out to be my favorite! 

Nothing beats a chocolate cupcake with marshmallow filling. The rich ganache topping made with bittersweet chocolates made it even better. Ahh, reminds me of childhood.

Purple candy melts + plastic tip bottle = lifesaver

I know, a little camera happy here, but both the birthday girl and I were so excited.

Much, much sweeter then a Dirty Martini drink, but I hope you still love them!

And of course no birthday is complete without a birthday cake. Don't believe? Just look it up in my rule book.

I decided with so much color, to keep it simple and white. Although next time, I would attempt some chocolate curls on top. But that's for another experiment.

Those layers always tempt me...

Haha, this was before I added pastel purple food coloring. The tart citrus balances well with the sweetness of the lavender. Indeed, no soapy taste. I consider that a big success when baking with lavender.

Oh, and here's another demanding Virgo. A few days following Bacon's birthday was RG's. He absolutely craves the buttery goodness that is the lemon bar.

Look at that crust. I try not to think of the amount of butter involved and just enjoy. Since birthdays don't count, I hope that includes me ;)

Simple enough to make, so I thought I'd indulge him. Especially since he's been ever so helpful and sweet with me hitting my goals. 

Happy, happy birthday RG!

And now back to Bacon. You are and will always be my soul bit@!

Let's keep it classy. After all, you are 27!

Happy birthday Bacon! May this year and the coming years get even better and sweeter.