Blueberry Yogurt Muffins (5/2)

Oh yes, I am on a quest. A yogurt quest. A yuest.



How could anyone turn down that face?

These muffins were a spin from Cook's Illustrated. I substituted yogurt for buttermilk and cut down the baking times, and boy, if there's a go-to blueberry muffin recipe this is the one. The one I'm going to marry, Ma, if it'll just give me a chance.




There's nothing like a recipe that requires a bowl, a wooden spoon and some elbow grease.







Ho boy.


What are you still doing here? Didn't you have some muffins to bake?

Blueberry Muffins
Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated via food. according to me.

2 cups (about 10 ounces) fresh blueberries
1/2 cup dried blueberries (optional)
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
3 large eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup plain, whole-milk yogurt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tsp turbinado sugar

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position to heat oven to 350F.
2. Bring 1 cup fresh blueberries and all dried blueberries to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently and pressing blueberries against the side of the pot, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened, about five minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in the large bowl. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Slowly whisk in melted butter and oil until incorporated. Whisk in yogurt and vanilla until combined.
5. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in remaining one cup blueberries.
6. Gently fold in flour mixture until just moistened. Batter will be very lumpy.
7. Using a large spoon, divide half of the batter equally among the 12 muffin cups (about a third filled.) Place a heaping teaspoon of berry mixture on top of batter. Scoop remaining batter on top of berry filling. Using a skewer, gently swirl berry filling into batter.
8. Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top of the muffins.
9. Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 15 to 17 minutes, or a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean--they will continue to cook in the pan when removed from the oven.
10. Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Eat. All.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (4/30)

When I discovered the magical powers yogurt has in baking, I started looking for it in recipes or figuring out how I could use it. From my basic understanding, yogurt/sour cream/buttermilk (in other words, acidic liquids--from my AP Chemistry class in high school, solutions with a pH <7) tempers gluten strands in flour batters, allowing a higher rise, more tender crumb and all-around deliciousness. That acidity is balanced by the addition of an alkali, like baking soda and powder. In other words, make these muffins.



Tiny, soft and puckeringly tart, these muffins are a great way to make friends. I don't understand how poppy seeds work so well with lemon. For example, the phrase "they got along like poppy seeds and lemons" is so very appropriate I just might use it today.*

*Think that's nerdy? I have this in my repertoire: "He liked her as much as a weak acid likes protons." Trust me. It works.

In any case, this recipe from the inimitable Ina has been used to make a beautiful loaf, many mini loaves for gifting, and in this sweet bite-sized form. Make them however you like; just make them fast.






I mix the glaze ingredients in my 1-cup measure and just heat it directly over the stove.


Delicious here:


Embarrassingly good here.


Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
adapted from Ina Garten

makes about 24 mini muffins, 12 regular-sized muffins or one 8 1/2" x 4 1/4" loaf

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease baking pan, muffin tin, or loaf papers, then flour.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil and poppy seeds into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes in a loaf pan, 25 minutes in a muffin tin or about 20 minutes for mini muffins, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the batter comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in, or brush over individual muffins. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake. (Note: I usually leave out the glaze and the muffins are wonderful without it.)

Kogi BBQ Truck (4/25, 5/8)

Taco trucks in LA are ubiquitous. Some people say we use the derogatory term "roach coach" because of their dubious sanitation standards, but I'd argue that it's more of a term of endearment. Why else would people shout "roach coach!!" while running toward it with such glee? This city loves its portable Mexican food.

Which is why I found myself standing in this line for almost three hours.


Ladies and gentleman, this is the Korean BBQ truck.

I think it's safe to say most food bloggers/readers have heard of Kogi BBQ, especially those in LA. A fusion of Korean and Mexican food from Korean-American Chef Roy Choi, the truck has amassed a huge online following due to its novel approach to dining: you go to the food, but the food always moves. Diners meet at locations specified on Twitter (@kogibbq), often forming a queue even before the truck arrives, and occasionally work to help the truck find a location where it won't get ticketed.



We finally made the venture when a truck (there are now three, but two at the time) decided to putter over to the Lakewood area. Unfortunately I think this had the effect of drawing every single person from greater Orange County who had previously been hesitant to drive up to Hollywood or Venice, and the line was excruciatingly immobile. We were limited to 3 tacos a person, with no other menu options. After we got our food and left, we found out that they ended up calling over the other truck to come help out and restored the full menu.

Chef Roy himself was gracious enough to walk the entire line himself, offering free peanut butter truffles as appeasement for the craziness. It worked.


First rule of Kogi BBQ: bring beer. Not only will beer greatly enhance your dining experience, it will pass the time in line swimmingly. This explains how I wasn't too bothered by the wait.

This is near the middle of the line. I think I can see the truck from here.




The menu, which we weren't allowed to order from.


Kogi is cash-only and specializes in its $2 tacos--pricier than most taco trucks but a pretty sweet deal. Don't forget the 9.75% tax.




Guillermo ordering in Spanish. Second rule: bring a Mexican. Guillermo was dubious when I explained the food to him, but he changed his mind.




Quiet, intense Chef himself.




We were so hungry by the time we got our foods, I was barely able to snap this. According to the website, every taco is seasoned with "sesame-chili salsa roja, julienne romaine lettuce and cabbage tossed in Korean chili-soy vinaigrette, cilantro-green onion-lime relish, crushed sesame seeds, sea salt and garnished with lime wedge, orange wedge and red radish wedge."


And because I had so briefly glimpsed the food from my weak car light, I went back two weeks later with my dad (in the name of research). I tried to order the kimchi quesadilla, another popular choice, but they were out and substituted with a short rib quesadilla.




Three short rib (kalbi) and one tofu taco. The tofu is perfectly tender and flavorful, but the kalbi steals the show. Meat is succulent with a charred crust, and every bite combines juicy meat with a burst of the Korean vinaigrette and a kick from salsa.


Come to mama.


They recently started dessert specials, which change often. That night was a chocolate chip cookie with sea salt. Good but definitely not worth the $3+.


Verdict: Insanely good. I've been three times so far. The lines are still nuts, but drinking with friends is definitely a good way to have that pass. Leave the desserts for another time; they're way too expensive. Stick with the gold: kalbi tacos are the way to go, and the kimchi quesadilla that I've finally tried is really great. Burritos have egg and hash brown in them, an homage to the quintessential Mexican breakfast burrito.

Whether it's worth the wait is up to you; part of the reason I like it so much is the chance to stand around and chat in a new setting, but it's definitely a bad idea if you need food fast. Bring lots of friends and drive a truck, if possible, hooked up to some good tunes, and tailgate the hell out of that food. For the experience alone it's worth hunting down that elusive truck, that king of roach coaches.

Chocolate Sheet Cake (4/26)

I'm not one for particularly cold foods. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for ice cream and salad (separately), but when food is generally designed to be hot I prefer it that way. Cold chicken, cold pizza--count me out. And I consider myself to be fairly moderate about this. Lily enjoys her food at about scalding.

That being said, I ate this cake cold and I've never regretted it.




I hurriedly made this before work because it was the last day for my favorite boss. I had no inspiration. I scrolled listlessly for anything to make and thankfully I had the good sense to unearth this recipe. Of course, anything remotely smelling of "homemade" at my work has the tendency to disappear within seconds, so the safe thing to do is leave it in the walk-in refrigerator until ready to unveil. That meant putting my fresh cake straight into the cold box, which was how it was served, and boy, was it ever good. Make this cake.







Chocolate Sheet Cake
adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

Cake
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting
1 stick butter
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and finely chopped

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan or the microwave. Stir in cocoa powder, then add boiling water. Let simmer for 30 seconds, then remove from heat. Pour over flour mixture and stir lightly to cool.

Combine buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla extract. Stir into batter and mix until just incorporated. Pour onto half-sheet pan and bake 18-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make frosting. Melt butter over medium-low heat, stir in cocoa and remove from heat. Thoroughly mix in milk, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Stir in pecans and pour immediately over cake.

Cut into squares and serve. Cold if you like, but I doubt it'll last that long.

Truffled Deviled Eggs (4/22)

I'm an egg lover. Prepare me an egg six ways from Sunday and I'll happily eat it. In my egg compendium (my compeggdium, if you will) there is a special place reserved for deviled eggs. The first time I had them was from a platter at Amanda Perkins's 8th birthday party, quietly sitting beside the much more popular chips sidled up next to the dip and those annoyingly outgoing cookies.

I thought to myself, "Self, this is some sort of egg. But an egg the likes of which I have never seen in all my years. I must eat it at once." And I did.

I liked it so much that I probably ate far more than I should have, and since then I eagerly nose them out at parties where that all-American heritage runs deep. I don't know how to put this delicately, so I'll just say it: this is the whitest way to prepare eggs I can imagine. A blob of mayonnaise, a squirt of mustard and a little sprinkle of paprika? My Vietnamese-American self could never imagine such flavors.

I also assumed that everyone knew what they were, which is why I was so confused when I got involved in this conversation at a Denny's a few years later:

Waitress: And how do you want your eggs?
11-year-old-self: Deviled, please.
Waitress: I'm sorry?

I still think she was faking. She just didn't want to go back there and tell them that a little girl had just asked for her eggs to be hardboiled, the yolks seasoned and then piped back into their shell.

Well, I'm here to tell you that I will have my eggs deviled, dangit! (chews and spits something)

This recipe was based on Anne Burrell's that I got by way of Menu for Love. I thought that preparing 4 eggs would be a nice lunch, forgetting that I'm eating essentially eight deviled thingies loaded with mayonnaise, so I'd say try to set these out for other people. This is why I can't go to buffets. Careful not to overdo it on the truffle oil, because that stuff is strong. Sta-rong.







I used both whole grain and Dijon mustard, but substitute whatever you like. And am I the only one who thinks that the truffle oil looks like the "2001"/monolith tribute shot from "Clueless" when Cher gets the call from Christian on that huge black cordless? Or am I reading too much into this? Don't answer that.




Truffled Deviled Eggs

Ingredients
4 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp truffle oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp whole grain mustard
Pinch cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Chopped chives, for garnish

Directions
Place the eggs in a pot and cover with tap water. Bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain, cool and peel.

Cut in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks and add to mayonnaise, truffle oil, mustard, cayenne, and pepper. Mix to combine, then whip until very light and fluffy.

Spoon or pipe the yolk mixture into the whites. Sprinkle with chopped chives. I held back on salting the yolk and instead sprinkled coarse sea salt on top, which lent a sharp crunch and nice contrast. Otherwise, just season to taste with kosher salt.