Homemade Crème Brûlée

The boyfriend made me crème brûlée for Valentine's Day, and then I helped him make it again last week! He followed a recipe from a Youtube instructional video from the French Culinary Institute, shown below. Can't really go wrong with a crème brûlée lesson from a French guy, right?

Well, lessons from the French paid off, because the custard was nearly as good as the one in Chapeau's crème brûlée. Using real vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract makes a big difference for the flavor and the aroma and is well worth the extra price, in my opinion!

Simmering the custard

Filling the ramekins

All ready to be baked...

Making and baking the custard is pretty easy, but the tricky part about crème brûlée is getting that perfect crust on top. It's all about adding the right amount of sugar and then torching it to get a nice caramelized color. Add too little sugar, and the crust will be thin and watery; but add too much, and you'll have to chisel away to get to the custard. For next time, I'm determined to get the crust just the way I like it ... which is a good excuse to experiment more with the torch!

The final product! I like throwing on some berries for color :)

Soy and Sesame Oyster Dressing

Ahhh ... nothing like a juicy, succulent raw oyster to slurp down! As the weather warms up, I'm anticipating more trips up to Point Reyes and Tomales Bay for shucking, armed with a new fave Asian-flavored dressing sauce.

Soy and Sesame Oyster Dressing

• 4 tbs light soy sauce
• 3 tbs rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 green shallot, ends trimmed, thinly sliced

Simply mix the soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil in a screw-top jar and shake well until combined. Play with the proportions if you want to change the flavor. Place in fridge if you're not serving immediately. When ready to serve, use a spoon to drizzle some sauce onto your oysters and sprinkle with green shallots. Slurp away!

Latest Bites

Long time no post, but just a few quick words on what I've been enjoying in the past month...

Filet mignon at Ruth's Chris for Dine About Town 2010. I figure I should just go here for DAT every year from now on, since almost every time I try a new, supposedly great restaurant, I'm left feeling underwhelmed. Ruth's has never disappointed me yet, even on a regular night.

In the noodle world, I finally went to Santa Ramen in San Mateo again...

...and also rediscovered my love for Turtle Tower in San Francisco.

For our sixth month anniversary, the boyfriend and I hit up Chapeau again. The food was wonderful as usual, especially this silky-soft black cod prepared to perfection.

And some new things I've discovered?

Some damn good pork belly at Oyaji -- sweet, savory, and fatty. Who could ask for more?

And finally, thanks to a fellow co-worker, I have fallen in love with the seared ahi tuna wrap at Cafe La Taza. Something about the combination of fish, mushrooms, cucumber, and sweet sesame dressing just makes any work day a little better.

Headed for Vegas this weekend! Ready to hit up slot machines, buffets, and Bouchon!

Brunchin' At Home

What better way to spend a Saturday morning than cooking up some brunch at home? And if I'm in the kitchen, I will default to my (usually) fail-proof omelets. I love omelets because they're so versatile; you can make them as simple or as fancy as you wish. I like folding mine in a half circle, just the way Remy does it in Ratatouille (which, incidentally, is still one of the best movies for foodies, in my opinion).

On this particular morning, I made some omelets with prosciutto, a shredded four cheese blend, onions, and a sprinkle of parsley flakes on top. I even took the time to pay some attention to plating since, let's face it, who doesn't like their food to look pretty?

The boyfriend also had a bag of pumpkin pancake batter mix from Trader Joe's, so we made some cinnamon-y pumpkin pancakes too. We're still experimenting on getting the heat and texture just perfect, but I'm sure we'll be pros in no time. Two foodies in the kitchen can't go wrong!

Looking forward to some good Dine About Town dinners in San Francisco this weekend! Eat on!

Special thanks to WongCo Food for the photos :)

Farewell 2009; Hello 2010!

Overall, 2009 was a pretty good year - I started my legal career, met someone special, and adjusted to balancing the best of suburbia and city living. I wish my health had been better (I'm staying in for New Years Eve because I caught another cold), but I'm crossing my fingers for next year!

I also started getting into the mentality of simplifying my life, omitting the inconsequential and unnecessary so I get more time with the good stuff. As a student, I had the time, means, and desire to juggle too many things and people at the same time, but perhaps part of "growing up" and being in "the real world" means learning to focus on the important things.

2009 foodie collage [click for larger view]

And one of the important things to me is still FOOD! My top five foodie moments from 2009:
1. Foodbuzz-sponsored food tour in SF
2. Foodbuzz 1st Annual Food Blogger Festival in SF
3. My birthday dinner at Chapeau
4. Foodbuzz Community Table at Bushi-Tei
5. Watching Julie & Julia

My resolutions for 2010 - (1) reduce computer use (beware of carpal tunnel!), and (2) bake more. Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and yummy new year!