Cooking with Alison

Posts Tagged ‘food’

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and the delicious cakes just keep getting… uglier (Strawberry and Vanilla Cake Recipe)

In Cakes, Desserts on September 24, 2013 at am

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After incredible success with turning Sweetapolita’s vanilla birthday cake into a lemon layer cake (recipe here), I knew that I had to try her fluffy vanilla cake with whipped vanilla frosting as originally intended.  Especially after she validated my preference for homemade vanilla cake that resembles boxed cake mix!  But since I only like vanilla cake that has fruit in it, I couldn’t help but add some fresh strawberries.  The tartness of the strawberries contrasted the not-too-sweet vanilla frosting beautifully.  You could always omit the strawberries and whipped cream filling.  I made this for my sister’s surprise 28th birthday party.  In my opinion, it was quite ugly up close.  John said that it was even uglier than the cake I made for his birthday (see photo here), haha.  🙂  Personally, I like the lemon cake more (probably because it uses lard in the cake batter), but the flavour and texture of this strawberry vanilla cake won’t disappoint, as long as you don’t overbake it.

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Favourite Lemon Layer Cake Recipe

In Cakes, Desserts on September 20, 2013 at am

Although this may be the ugliest cake I’ve ever made, it is the best lemon layer cake that I have ever 1. eaten and 2. made.  This triple-lemon cake consists of four layers of cake, two layers of lemon curd, one layer of whipped cream and fresh blueberries, and a covering of whipped frosting.  There is lemon in the frosting, the cake layers, and, of course, the lemon curd filling.  I know it sounds like a lot of work, but many of the components can be made days in advance and it truly is worth it.

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Tonkotsu Ramen Recipe (from scratch)

In Asian, Rice and Noodle Dishes, Soups and Salads on September 13, 2013 at am

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As you can tell from my ramen eating tour through Toronto, ON, and New York City (see my reviews here), I was kind of obsessed with ramen for a little while.  It’s been a longer while since I’ve last eaten some, haha.   Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish in broth.  Traditionally, you are supposed to finish the entire bowl of noodles, including the soup, but I would never drink more than a few spoonfuls of the soup served in a restaurant (unless they specifically claimed that they do not use MSG).  Although I was loving the restaurant served MSG-laden bowls of ramen, I still wanted to be able to enjoy ramen with controlled sodium and fat levels, so naturally, I made my own.  I happily drink every drop of my home-made ramen broth.  It is very easy to make and you could make a large batch and freeze some for quick and easy future meals.  My favourite ramen broth is tonkotsu, which is made with pork bones.  For those that prefer a lighter broth, see my chicken ramen broth recipe here.  Once you’ve made the base stock, you can tailor individual bowls of ramen broth with seasonings such as shio (salt), shoyu (soy sauce), miso, mayu (burnt garlic oil), etc.

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Ramen Tour of Toronto and New York City (Restaurant Reviews)

In Reviews on September 10, 2013 at am

Three years ago, I became obsessed with tonkotsu ramen, a Japanese dish of noodles in a pork bone based broth.  Tonkotsu broth is made by boiling pork bones (sometimes in combination with chicken) until the soup has rich and hearty pork flavour (see my recipe here).  The broth should be milky and practically opaque in colour.  Some people find tonkotsu broth too heavy, but that’s what I love about it.  Ramen noodles come in various thicknesses and some restaurants will let you specify your desired texture (i.e. al dente or soft).  Ramen toppings differ depending on where you go.  My favorite toppings are soft boiled marinated eggs and thinly sliced pork jowl.

At the time that I first discovered ramen, the only ramen you could find in Toronto, ON was MSG laden and closer in resemblance to instant noodles than the real thing.  So when I had the opportunity to travel to New York City and San Francisco, USA, I went in search of the best ramen they had to offer.  I’ve only shared my review of my favourite ramen place in NYC, because I didn’t like any of the ramen places that I tried in San Francisco.  San Francisco supposedly has some of the best and most authentic ramen in North America, so it’s possible that I simply failed to choose the right places.

Luckily, over the past year, we’ve seen an explosion of new ramen places in downtown Toronto.  So, naturally, I ate my way through all of the promising ones.  I ate so much ramen in such a short period of time, that I haven’t eaten it since I completed my ramen tour.  But that just means that the next food obsession may begin.  😉  Keep your eyes open for my Donut Tour of Toronto.  Why couldn’t I be obsessed with something healthy???

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Thai-Inspired Noodle Salad Recipe

In Asian, Rice and Noodle Dishes on September 5, 2013 at am

This is a great dish to make during the summer months, because it’s easy to make, it’s light, and it can be served cold.  This is also a great way to use up leftovers.  Feel free to substitute with any vegetables and/or cooked meat that you like or happen to have on hand.  I served this Thai inspired noodle salad alongside a Thai mango salad for lunch (recipe here).

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Thai Mango Salad Recipe

In Appetizers, Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks, Asian, Other Asian Foods, Sides and Sauces on September 1, 2013 at am

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This Thai mango salad is delicious and very easy to make.  The key to success is to use mangoes that have the perfect ripeness, just starting to ripe and still firm.  Some recipes call for green mangoes, but I’ve found that using green mangoes results in a crunchy salad that lacks mango flavour and colour.  I made this for my sister’s lunch group at work and everyone loved it.  I served it as an appetizer to a cold Thai noodle salad (recipe here).

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Favourite Slow Cooker Fish Recipe

In Asian, Fish / Seafood, Seafood on August 28, 2013 at am

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I have had the toughest time trying to figure out how to cook using a slow cooker.  I’ve tried different recipes from different cookbooks and websites, and I’ve tried using different meats and/or vegetables, but 9 times out of 10, I end up with overcooked slop.  I’d love to hear how you mastered the slow cooker!  The only other recipe that I’ve had success with is this slow cooker pulled pork.  So I tested this fish recipe a few times and even had John (a beginner in the kitchen) make it once by himself before I shared this new favourite slow cooker recipe with you.  We love this dish.  It is Thai inspired, mild, and light yet creamy.  My family approves of this dish too, and that’s saying a lot because they strongly dislike slow cooker cooked food.  But I should warn you, this recipe requires a bit more work and attention than typical slow cooker recipes.  In my opinion, it’s worth the extra effort, because your meal won’t look or taste like it came out of a slow cooker.

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Malaysian Cincalok Dip and Steamed Pork Belly Recipe

In Asian, Meat and Eggs, Seafood on August 25, 2013 at am

I traveled to Malaysia for the first time in May 2013.  It was an amazing food experience and I am excited to share what I learned about Malaysian cuisine with you.  The best part of the trip was watching my dad enjoy nostalgic food from his childhood.  While souvenir shopping in a Malaysian grocery store, my dad spotted a bottle of cincalok and told me that when he was a child, his family’s servants would toss nets into the ocean during shrimp season to catch tiny shrimp for his mom to make cincalok from scratch.  After hearing that story, I had to bring some home.

Malaysian cincalok

Malaysian cincalok

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Favourite Chocolate Cupcakes with Light and Fluffy Nutella Frosting

In Cupcakes, Desserts on August 22, 2013 at am

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This is my new favourite chocolate cupcake recipe.  I have also used it successfully to make a layer cake.  This recipe is very similar to the previous favourite chocolate cake recipe (see here), with the main difference being that this new recipe includes cornstarch.  The difference in result is very subtle, but I’m convinced that the texture of these cupcakes is slightly better.

This nutella and chocolate frosting is also worth mentioning.  I never knew that such a simple frosting could be so light in weight, smooth and delicate in flavour, and still hold its shape when piped.  In fact, Sweetapolita calls it “nutella cloud frosting” to describe the texture.  It is comparable to swiss meringue buttercream in heavenly texture but requires much less work, time, and ingredients.  Note that I’ve also paired this chocolate cake recipe with a chocolate swiss meringue buttercream and it was incredible.  See instructions here.

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Review of Norwegian Cruise Line in Comparison to Royal Caribbean and Princess

In Reviews on August 20, 2013 at am

In December, 2012, my family celebrated my dad’s retirement and my parents’ wedding anniversary by cruising to the Eastern Caribbean with the Norwegian cruise line aboard the Epic ship.  This is a review of the Norwegian cruise line in comparison to the Royal Caribbean cruise line (Liberty of the Seas ship) and the Princess cruise line (Caribbean Princess ship).  See here for my original and detailed review of the Princess cruise line food.  Also, see here for my review of Royal Caribbean in comparison to Princess.

I love traveling by cruise and I can’t wait for the opportunity to sail with the other major competitors, Celebrity and Holland America.  Hopefully, my reviews will help you choose the company best suited to your interests and priorities.

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How to Render Lard

In Appetizers, Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks, Asian, Breakfast, Desserts, How-To, Main Course on August 18, 2013 at pm

I recently jumped onto the lard band wagon and I saved a seat for you.  I know what you’ve heard about lard.  I heard the same warnings about high cholesterol and clogged arteries.  In fact, I grew up listening to my dad blame his blocked arteries on the use of lard in every day cooking during his youth.  But the truth is that home rendered lard can actually be considered a healthy fat!  (See here for more details.)  It is better for you than butter and is a rich source of vitamin D.  But I want to be very clear that only home rendered lard is good, and it’s best if the fat comes from naturally raised hogs.  Processed store-bought lard, however, contains trans fats – the very bad fats – and preservatives.

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Home rendered lard

I am so glad that we’ve cleared up that misunderstanding, because lard makes everything taste better.  For example, it’s perfect for deep frying foods, because it has a high smoke point.  This allows your food to cook more quickly, meaning that your food will be crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, all the while absorbing less oil.  Also, lard is necessary for making the best flaky pastries.  You may be surprised to know that lard is one of the secrets to many delicious Asian dishes as well.  Cooking your stir fried noodles in lard will result in an inimitable flavor and silky texture.

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Orecchiette with Sausage and Rapini Recipe

In Pasta, Rice, and Doughs on August 6, 2013 at am

Hi everyone!  This is the first recipe that I’ve shared in over a year.  It comes served with a side of apology.  By now, I’m sure you’ve noticed that I haven’t learned food photography yet.  But, more than 3 years into food blogging and I think my photography skills are actually getting worse.  I will forever cringe whenever reminded that I posted a photo with an electronic date stamp on it.  Please see below, please forgive, and then please never think of it again.  (I had to borrow my dad’s old camera at the time and I was too hungry to try and figure out how to remove the date setting.)

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