Homemade Granola

Recipe courtesy of Kiss My Spatula

Ingredients
4 cups organic rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped or sliced almonds
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or pecans
1 cup shredded coconut
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable or olive oil
1/3 cup good honey
1/3 cup apple juice or apple cider
1 cup dried cranberries (or any favorite dried fruit)

Yields 7-8 cups.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, coconut, brown sugar, cinnamon, all spice, and salt. Whisk together the oil, honey, and water in a small bowl or in a measuring cup.
2. Pour the liquid mixture over the oat mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are evenly coated. Spread the granola onto a large sheet pan and bake, stirring occasionally, until it turns an even golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. 
3. Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool completely, stirring occasionally. Add the dried cranberries. Store the cooled granola in an airtight container.

I am a self-declared granola connoisseur. My pantry hosts numerous boxes of various granolas, all crammed side-by-side in a line, as though nervously awaiting my judgement. Having sampled countless variations of this hearty breakfast item, I can confidently say that this homemade granola takes the cake in every category: taste, consistency, and healthiness. Packed with hidden preservatives and sugars, store-bought granola does not live up to its healthy reputation and leaves you unsatisfied after the meal. My homemade version maintains a tasty, nutritious combination of flavors and provides you with a strong boost of energy to start the day. Each spoonful contains crunchy, golden brown oats and nuts, chewy dried cranberries and tender wisps of coconut, all coated in a subtle layer of honey and brown sugar. Served with sliced bananas and milk, granola simply cannot get any better.

Honey-Banana Smoothie

Ingredients
1 large, ripe banana
1/4 cup non-fat greek yogurt
1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup ice
1 tablespoon honey


1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and pulse until completely liquefied.


As summer nears an end, I try to relish every last, precious day. While baking under the sun, dipping my toes in the pool, nothing is more refreshing and more oh-so-summertime than an homemade fruit smoothie. This light, frothy honey-banana smoothie captures all that is summer in each delightful sip. The creamy, tangy greek yogurt slightly thickens the smoothie, also contrasting well with the honey's sweetness. In the coming weeks, I will definitely create more delicious variations of this quintessential beverage, savoring every final, summery drop.

Good Eats: Umami Burger

Juicy, angus beef patty, thin, paper-like parmesan crisp, sauteed wild mushrooms, and a watery, char-grilled tomato slice all pressed together within an airy, lightly-toasted brioche bun. That is what the first bite of an Umami burger tastes like. Their signature sandwich harmoniously combines these individually-distinct flavors into a single, heavenly dish. Each burger on Umami's menu is carefully-assembled, incorporating various unusual tastes to create a brilliant final product. Featured in today's Los Angeles Times food section, Umami has five locations within Los Angeles, each restaurant with its own original decor and ambience. During our visit, my family and I sampled the Umami, SoCal, and Earth burgers. All three exceeded my expectations. With its trademark beef, crunchy butter lettuce, savory house spread, and sweet, caramelized onions, the SoCal burger ranked highest on my list of menu recommendations. The pleasant, attentive service heightened the experience as each server patiently explained the menu items and enthusiastically answered any questions I had. I highly recommend Umami for its ideal mix of fresh, quality ingredients with new, innovative pairings that will surely leave you craving for more.

Big Sugar Bakeshop for a Big Sweet Tooth

 

Big Sugar Bakeshop's double coconut and Belgian chocolate cupcakes.

Moist red velvet cake topped with vanilla buttercream.

Located in Studio City, California, Big Sugar Bakeshop presents a wide array of decadent baked goods. Though all their sweet treats are equally irresistible, I especially love Big Sugar's hand-crafted cupcakes. Everyday, the bakeshop offers seven unchanging cupcake flavors in addition to five daily specials. With its airy dough and rich cream cheese frosting covered in confetti-like shavings of tender coconut, double coconut remains my favorite cupcake flavor. Having visited several bakeries throughout Los Angeles, I strongly recommend Big Sugar for its high level of products and customer service. No matter what item you choose to indulge in, I can guarantee that you will enjoy every last bite.

Citrus-Almond Biscotti

Recipe adapted from William Sonoma's The Art of the Cookie

Ingredients
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg white
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted, slivered almonds
The zest of 1 orange


1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg white with 1 teaspoon water; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the 2 eggs and almond and vanilla extracts and beat on low speed until the eggs are incorporated. Beating on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and continue to beat until fully incorporated. Add the almonds and the orange zest until just distributed.
3. Divide the dough in half. Shape each piece into a 4 1/2-by-7-inch log and transfer the logs to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 4 inches apart. Brush the tops of the logs with the egg white mixture and lightly sprinkle them with granulated sugar.
4. Bake until the tops of the logs are light brown, 18-20 minutes. Remove the cookies and leave the oven on. Using a serrated knife, cut each log into 10 slices about 3/4 of an inch thick. Arrange the slices, cut side down, on the sheet and bake until the biscotti are golden brown, 10 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer the biscotti to a wire rack and let cool completely.


Biscotti have never been my favorite cookie. Always rock-hard and stale, I have had several unpleasant experiences with biscotti in the past. This recipe altered my negative perception of the traditional Italian cookie. The savory almond contrasts perfectly with the tangy orange zest, creating an ideal consistency and flavor balance. Unlike the others I had tried, these citrus-almond biscotti are beautifully crisp and golden brown on the tops and barely moist on the insides. You can substitute the almond and citrus for various fruits, nuts, and chocolates based on personal preference or seasonal availability of products. If you are impartial to biscotti because of a sour past experience, I strongly encourage you to try this recipe. I can assure that you will not be disappointed.

Le Petit Gouter

In celebration of my 16th birthday, my family and I spent a weekend in Paris. We toured the breathtaking city of lights, visiting museums and monuments galore. But by far the most memorable aspect of Paris was the food, specifically the pastry. Host to countless patisseries and chocolatiers, Paris offers a wide array of meticulously-crafted pastries and desserts. I visited some of the city's most acclaimed pastry shops, sampling numerous sweet treats.

The Parisians are known for their impeccable attention to detail, especially in the culinary arts. Each individual pastry is assembled to perfection; a dessert-lover's fantasy.

La Patisserie des Reves, the most innovative of all the boutiques I encountered, offers original creations unavailable at mainstream pastry shops. Individual glass domes encapsulate each pastry, allowing the viewer to closely admire the pastry as one would view a masterpiece in a gallery. Their most well-known piece (pictured above), the paris-brest, combines eight airy hazelnut cream puffs into a single seamless wreath. My family and I picked up the paris-brest and walked to a nearby park to enjoy the dainty dessert. Each one of us tore off a bite-sized puff and popped it into our mouthes, relishing the delicious moment.

French chocolates exceeded my expectations. The Patrick Roger Chocolatier presents the finest, most diverse variety of homemade chocolates available in Paris. From rich truffles dusted in chalky cocoa powder to rustic dried fruit and nut clusters dunked in creamy milk chocolate, Patrick Roger crafts all its specialty chocolates on a daily basis to ensure only the highest-quality products for its customers.

Abra la Boca: A Visit to Barcelona's Boqueria Market

 The past 10 days in Barcelona have been incredibly memorable. This beachside city hosts numerous outstanding restaurants, quaint boutiques, and distinctive architecture. On Saturday, my family and I visited the famed Boqueria Market.

Located on the bustling street of La Rambla, the Boqueria remains Barcelona's largest, most eclectic marketplace. Street-goers hustle in and out of the vast warehouse, seeking only the freshest ingredients from the Boqueria's various stalls.

I wandered aimlessly through the aisles, marveling at the building's sheer vastness and its seemingly endless supply of products.

For breakfast, I dined at the Boqueria's acclaimed Pinotxo Bar. Foodies from around the world flock to this hole-in-the-wall joint, enjoying simple Spanish cuisine of high-quality ingredients. I indulged in one of the bar's signature treats: the xiuxo (pronounced chucho). The pastry's flaky, sugar-crusted exterior and its light, custardy interior provide the ideal flavor balance.

In many ways, the Boqueria reflects Barcelona as a whole. With its contagious energy and creative distinctiveness, the widespread marketplace represents the cultural and artistic diversity that defines this vibrant city.