It’s happy Friday again!

Have you been busy taking care of other’s needs before your own? Have you only laughed at the idea of “me-time”? Or are you stuck with guilt whenever you do something purely for yourself and your happiness?

Well, you’ve heard this before but I’m here to remind you: love yourself!

If you’re worried that loving yourself translates to being selfish, know that when you love yourself and care for yourself properly, you are a happier and more energetic person, which means you’ll naturally be friendlier and have more energy to care for others.

So with the upcoming weekend, do something…be it taking time to read at the cafe, getting a pedicure, taking a nap, or making a delicious treat, just for you.

If you don’t know what to make, I’ve got just the thing. Double-baked almond croissants may be the only thing better than a pure buttery croissant.

Since we’re on the theme of being nice to yourself, I’m not going to suggest you stand in the kitchen and knead for half a day. This recipe asks for store-bought dough and actually requires day-old croissants. So a day of treating yourself can actually turn into two! Have your fresh buttery croissants and whatever you don’t finish? Use them for this recipe the next day! They are quick to make and soooooo worth it.

You could even use store-bought croissants! Just know that store-bought Pillsbury dough makes much smaller sized croissants than store-bought croissants, so adjust the amount of almond cream being used and serving size accordingly. I’d imagine you would use double the amount of almond cream if you used store-bought croissants.

The almond cream gives these lightly syrup-soaked croissants a heavenly soft and sweet centre, plus a crunch from the almond flakes on top. You gotta applaud the French for coming up with this genius way to use up old croissants!

Adapted from Delphine Bourdet

Per each of 12 Servings

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Mother’s day is coming up! I hope you’ve gotten all your gifts, cards and flowers in order for your mommys! And if you are the mom yourself? I hope you get spoiled big-time because you know you deserve it!

This will be the first year that I can take some advantage of Mother’s Day. I know I know, baby is still inside me, but that’s not gonna stop me from dropping hints to Mr. H. (We had to play “guess what Joyce wants?” for a little while to make sure he really got it.)

In other news, I’m still quite tired most of the time and just waved no to two different kinds of birthday cakes at the office today…yup, the sweet aversion is still going strong unfortunately. So today will be another quick and easy-on-the-stomach recipe.

Have you ever cooked with egg tofu? They come in tubes instead of the regular cubes or rectangles so make sure you buy the right kind! They’re very easy to prepare, you can cut the tube straight in half, gently slip the tofu out from both sides and slice into rounds.

This ground turkey and egg tofu dish has tofu that has been pan-fried to a perfect golden colour,  topped with saucy and savoury ground turkey which adds extra flavour to the tofu. I hope you like this new addition to my “Anything-but-Boring-Stir-Fry Series”!

Adapted from Smoky Wok

Per each of 4 Servings

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Most of us have tried profiteroles, the soft and airy puffs with delightful whipped cream filling. They are simply magical…because they “disappear” whenever they are in front of me.

So when I saw this recipe for savory profiteroles, I heard the universe calling. Picture having savory puffs as an appetizer and sweet ones for dessert! What more can you ask for? Hm…may be a huge puff as a main course? I’m really not crazy, I just love my puffs and you can’t stop me.

These babies are soft and airy, just like the sweet profiteroles, only they are bacon-y and cheese-y. You can make these on their or fill them with herb & roasted garlic cream cheese. I tried them both ways and liked them both ways. Mr. H. prefers them without the filling for a clearer bacon and cheese flavour.

One thing you must promise me though, is to eat it while it’s freshly baked or after you’ve re-heated it up in the oven. It makes a world of difference. So what I’m saying is, it’s completely legit if you find yourself whipping up a batch when you’re home alone and you just have to finish it all…you know, to do the puffs justice!

Adapted from Canadian Living

Per Puff (without Cream Cheese)

Per Puff

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Yup, it’s really happening. I’m officially 12 weeks today!

Believe it or not, my first trimester has turned my appetite so much that I couldn’t even bare to look at or think about baked sweets or chocolate…that is a bigggg problem for the blog, and for my general well-being…

For the past month and a half, I have been surviving on drafts I’ve done ahead of time because I simply haven’t had the energy or appetite to play in the kitchen…but this should all be easing up in the next two weeks…so I’m told.

So for today, I’ve chosen to share a very refreshing recipe that’s perfect to soothe pregnancy queasiness. It’s sweet and sour, light, crunchy and simply delightful in the warmer months of the year.

The word marinate might make you think it needs to be prepped far in advance but it actually only needs to sit in the fridge for 15 minutes, and the actual making of it? No more than 5 minutes!

Adapted from Jane’s Blog

Per each of 4 Servings (calculating 1/2 amount of sugar, vinegar and salt)

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5 random instagrams of my happy moments. Happy Saturday everyone!!

This is a variation from my Mini Almond and Raisin Cinnamon Rolls recipe, another sweet and nutty pairing!

Honey-Butter Glaze adapted from Salad in a Jar

Per each of 48 Servings

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Jong Ga Korean Restaurant is a busy little place located in Korean Food Town, aka the Lougheed area.

Dining experience:

Mr. H and I went on an early Friday night and it filled up really quickly. It’s not a big place and best fits groups of 2-4 people. Most of the clientele were Korean, which I always take as a good sign when it comes to a Korean restaurant. There were no issues with service or timing of the food. Now, let’s get on with the food!

Banchan (From bottom): Gamja Jorim, Kongnamul, Pasta Salad, Kong Jong, Kkakdugi, Kimchi

Food:

Banchan (Complimentary) - 3/5

Pasta Salad – I’m pretty sure this isn’t traditional banchan because I haven’t seen it anywhere else. It’s like western-style potato salad with tangy mayo.
Kkakdugi (Spicy Fermented Radish) – This is kimchi made with cubed white radish, it wasn’t too spicy but the radish could be crunchier.
Kimchi (Spicy Fermented Cabbage) – I found the kimchi salty on my first taste but the flavours of the main courses balances it out.
Kongnamul (Bean Sprouts) – These are boiled and then chilled and mixed with sesame oil.
Kong Jong (Stewed Black Beans) – The beans are harder than they appear to be. These are not traditionally made with oyster sauce but I could’ve sworn I tasted oyster sauce…
Gamja Jorim (Korean Glazed Potatoes) – These are a lot of people’s favourite banchan dish because they are like candy. The ones here you can taste the distinct flavor of sesame oil apart from the normal sweet soft goodness.

Pork Bone Soup in Hot Pot

Pork Bone Soup in Hot Pot ($8.99) – 3.5/5
Pork Neck Bone, Bean Paste, Vegetables

The hot pot is meant for one person and you get 3 pieces of decent-sized pork bone in the soup plus a side of rice.. The meat is extremely moist and I could taste the bean paste in the soup. The soup was not particularly flavorful but was certainly not bad. The black “seeds” that are sprinkled on top are wild sesame seeds and you’ll always see them with a pork bone hot pot. The only thing to keep in mind is that this really is not date food, there’s no pretty way to eat it.

Stone Pot Rice

Beef Tofu Hot Pot, Mild

Beef Tofu Hot Pot, Mild ($8.99) – 4/5

Like the pork bone hot pot, this hot pot also comes with a side of rice. The rice is placed into a cute stone pot with a wooden cover and is cooked with peas, kidney beans and a piece of sweet potato. Because it’s cooked in a stone pot, you get a lovely layer of crispy rice sticking to the pot. It takes some work to get it off because it sticks on really well, but you could always scoop some soup in there to moisten it down a bit.

As well, there is a raw egg provided and you can crack it into the tofu hot pot for it to cook half way through. The beef slices were large and thinly sliced, a little too large actually I find, but not a big deal. The beef was very tender and great at sopping up the soup from the hot pot.

The soup of their tofu hot pot is quite different from what I usually come across. It’s very strongly flavored and the flavor tasted like the marinade or dipping sauce you usually would have with Korean BBQ meats. It gets a bit salty if you have the whole pot but it sure is delicious, in a junk-food kind of way.

All in all, what Jong Ga has to offer is not bad. I wouldn’t be rushing to go back but definitely wouldn’t mind visiting again to try more on their menu.

Ambiance: 3/5
Service: 3/5
Food: 3.5/5
Overall: 3/5

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This is my baby. It has had a special place in my heart even before I started blogging because it’s the first-ever recipe I’ve developed. You can say, it’s my beloved first-born. It’s the baby I invite my friends and family over to meet first, especially if I’ve never cooked for them.

Years ago, Mr. H and I were at Shine Cafe for brunch in Victoria and he had an eggs Benedict that was absolutely phenomenal. Now, this was before I was crazy about food so I truly have no recollection of what was on there that made it amazing. I believe it was a Mexican-style Benedict, and I believe there were avocados…the only thing I’m sure about is that there was a poached egg on there.

One day, I decided, hey I’ve been missing the benedict for so long, I really should try and make it at home! And so this baby of mine was born. Mr. H and I both fell in love with our my baby, although we couldn’t remember if it at all resembled what we had at Shine Cafe. Since then, I’ve actually went on Shine Cafe’s website to see if anything on their menu resembles my baby…but they’ve either taken it off their menu or I have a terrible memory (probably the latter), and I didn’t see anything that looked like it.

With every mouthful, you get creamy avocados with tangy salsa plus egg yolk-soaked toast. It is absolutely heavenly.

I know parents always think their babies are the best, but really, mine is pretty awesome.

I have this at least once a week for breakfast. It’s so quick and simple! Actually, now that I’ve made it so many times, I could bang it out within 10 minutes and often treat myself to it on a weekday before work. And whenever I do, it just brings me right back to my favourite lazy Sunday brunch moments. It’s the best way to start off a day, even if it’s a work day! I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

My baby says “nice to meet you, too!”

Per each of 2 Servings

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Unflavored Single-Origin Extra-Virgin Olive Oils Tasting Bar

I have mentioned Vancouver Olive Oil Company when I posted my Roasted Shoulder of Lamb Recipe. VOOC is an olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting bar carrying high-quality olive oils as well as flavoured oils and vinegars.

Gift Baskets

Experience:

I noticed that it was significantly busier compared to the last time I was here. What hasn’t changed, though, is the staff’s knowledge and friendliness. They don’t follow you around or pressure you into buying so I felt completely comfortable tasting everything that caught my attention.

Feel free to taste around and once you’ve decided, just tell the wonderful staff there which one you’d like and what size you’d like it in. They’ll bottle it for you right there for maximum freshness.

Make sure you store both olive oils and balsamic vinegars away from sunlight and drastic temperature changes (i.e. your stove). If you do that, the olive oil should have no problem lasting a year and the balsamic several years! But I’m pretty sure you would’ve gone back for your third, fourth or fifth bottle by then.

They switch their selections twice a year so there’ll often be new things to try.

Herb de Provence Olive Oil

Food:

Sage and Mushroom Olive Oil and Herb de Provence Olive Oil ($12 for 200ml) – 4/5

These are the two that I chose to buy but I tasted pretty much every one of their products. The thing I love about their infused olive oil is that the flavours are so pronounced and clear that you can’t possibly miss what they’re trying to do.

When I tried the sage and mushroom olive oil, no joke, I visualized a pasta right there. Here’s the Brown Butter Asparagus and Shiitake Spaghetti (recipe included) it inspired me to make!

I bought the Herb de Provence olive oil on my first trip there and it’s just perfect for chicken, lamb…etc. You can see my Roasted Shoulder of Lamb recipe if you would like a simple way of using it.

With all their oils, I would recommend using as more of a finishing oil because the more cooking olive oils undergo, the more their quality flavours get cooked off.

I have also given their pure (unflavored) olive oils a try as well. I was recently spoilt by the amazing Arbequina from Spain I tried at Ulla Restaurant in Victoria which was unbelievably green and herbaceous. So trying their Arbequina from Chile and from USA this time was not as exciting for me, but it certainly doesn’t mean they are not as good. It really depends on what you’re using the oil for. The one from Ulla tingled at the throat so much (a good thing, meaning it’s full of anti-oxidants) that if you use it on a salad or something, it could be quite distracting to the rest of the dish.

Fig Balsamic Vinegar with Bread

Fig Balsamic Vinegar ($12 for 200ml) – 5/5

I absolutely adore their Fig Balsamic Vinegar! It’s actually the primary reason for my re-visit. I ran out of my first bottle and realized I have trouble living without it. It’s sweet with assertive fig notes, simply amazing on field greens with raisins and walnuts.

Compared to the normal balsamic, it’s slightly thicker in consistency. It’s also much less astringent and fine to use as is without needing to be mixed with olive oil.

Their other balsamic vinegars are really good too; it’s just too bad I couldn’t take everything home!

Fig Balsamic Vinegar, Mushroom and Sage Olive Oil, Herb de Provence Olive Oil

All in all, this tasting bar is a toys-r-us for foodies. Their selection and quality will definitely keep me going back.

Ambiance: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Food: 4.5/5
Overall: 5/5

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When I was little, I loved getting bread from Chinese bakeries. Rather than going up to the counter and ordering like in Western-style bakeries, you grab a tray and a set of tongs and walk around the shop, loading up your tray with whatever goodies catching your eye.

One of my favourites was a bun with white buttercream filling piped down the middle and topped with sprinkles of shredded coconut. The buttercream was fluffy, creamy, and slightly sweet. It was always delicious, especially when it was fresh.

When I had some extra crescent dough lying around from another recipe, I started thinking about the possibilities. I knew Pain au Chocolat was a no-brainer but since I was using store-bought dough, it didn’t seem like a post-worthy recipe. Nonetheless, pairing chocolate with croissants was definitely worth exploring.

Then it occurred to me, chocolate French buttercream croissants!

I hopped over to my most trusted baking blog, Joe Pastry, and sure enough, there were various kinds of buttercream recipes.

If you read a lot of food blogs, chances are you have come across Joe Pastry, but if you haven’t, definitely check him out. Everything to do with baking is explained in great detail, but in ways that are easy to understand. It’s kind of like reading the layman’s version of Harold McGee’s book!

Joe says the French method is his favourite and from what he describes, it seems to be the texture closest to what I remember tasting so I went ahead with that and flavoured it up with chocolate. The sweet chocolate-y fluffy buttercream turned out gorgeous and delicious!

One little tip, when I made my buttercream, some of the sugar syrup hardened before I could get it to mix in with the buttercream so try to do the drizzling sooner rather than later (which is why my recipe says straight from the saucepan). Not to worry if it does happen to you though, as it didn’t seem to cause any issues with the final result, the hardened parts just stayed in the edge of the mixer throughout.

Adapted from Joe Pastry

Per each of 12 Servings

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So this was the story. I went to Vancouver Olive Oil Company because I desperately needed to get some more of their Fig Balsamic Vinegar. (I’ll be posting a review of them soon, stay tuned!) I really am hooked on that stuff, and probably will take it with me if there is a fire.

Anyway, back to the story.

So I was there, and since they’re a tasting bar, of course I can’t leave without trying out a few more of their products.

That was the moment.

I came across their mushroom & sage-infused olive oil and gave it a little taste. I kid you not, time stopped for a second and a picture of delicious pasta popped into my head. It was like meeting someone and in that first second, you know you two will be good friends.

My new friend did not let me down. This friend is the kind that you like more and more as you get to know her.

You lean in and the beautiful scent of mushroom and sage welcomes you. The scent amplifies as you take a bite and wait, what’s that?! It’s crunchy bits of smoky bacon, along with asparagus and shiitake mushrooms that are wonderfully flavoured with the brown butter and infused oil.

Worried about weight? The usual impression when it comes to pasta is that it’s carb laden and fattening but this one here turns out to be fairly healthy. First of all, it’s not made with a cream sauce. Also, the two ingredients people tend to worry about (bacon and butter) are used in small amounts and cooked in ways to maximize their flavours.

I recommend only 2 oz dry pasta per serving because beyond that, your taste buds are desensitized to the flavours anyway and you won’t be able to appreciate it fully. Instead of just having more of the same, have a soup or salad to go with it for a full and satisfying meal!

Per each of 4 Servings

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