Last Sunday, my family and I fulfilled one of the items on my Summer wish list--to go to the original Top Pot Doughnuts shop, where Seattle's (and one of the nation's) best doughnuts resides. :) It was quite an adventure, both through the exploration of the two-story, architecturally inventive design of the building (which I may just elaborate on in a future Artistic Appetite post... ;) ), and more importantly through the delicately irreplaceable taste of the finely crafted rings of gold!
The picture above is what I ordered (and shared with my mother...we shared the doughnut, not the latte): A tall decaf latte paired exquisitely with a chocolate glazed doughnut. The name sounds plain, but the taste was anything but. The admirable, stand-out quality about Top Pot is that you immediately notice how little oil you detect within each bite of the handcrafted doughnuts. I especially noticed this quality because just a few days before I had the chocolate glazed deliciousness, I had stolen a few bites of my brother's Krispy Kreme doughnut...And I must say, and I apologize if I make you gag, that the Krispy Kreme doughnut made me feel like I was swallowing a wash of oil! In strict contrast, the doughnut I tried at Top Pot was light and airy, like a homemade cake whose smell you could imagine yourself waking up to in the morning...Its pure taste of sweetness as well as the fluffy texture could weave you into a spell, to make you believe that you weren't sitting inside a doughnut shop but that you were cozying up in a knitted blanket in your own home, surrounded by nothing but a welcoming, alluring aura. Top Pot was a shop and atmosphere that I did not want to step out of, and so after my mom and I shared the chocolate glazed ring (by the way, I felt tension between the two of us as we each tried not to devour too much of the cake too fast...That was how yummy the treat was) and I washed the nectarous bites down with the complementary palette of my foamy latte, I swore that I would come back soon before I forget how it felt to be instantly taken over by the sweet taste, sweet aura, sweet memory that had just been crafted. :) ~~MC
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7/12/2011 0 Comments A Square of GoldHello!
Finally, this is moment I have been waiting for...The moment for me to open up to you about literally the best dessert I have ever tasted. I honestly can't draw out the exact name of the dessert, because every time I try to remember, I embellish the supposed name with overflowing words I'd use to describe the heavenly taste, and so the supposed title becomes too much to take at one read...And so in the caption of the second photo above, I restrained myself with utmost effort to make the name of the dessert as simple as possible. :) "Chocolate Pudding Tart" it says, yet I must tell you once again that this dessert was SO much more than that... This delicate square of pure deliciousness touched my lips when I visited a cafe called Sweet Butter in LA (It was very Nancy Meyers-esque in terms of decoration and the general aura...The place couldn't be more welcoming and alluring!). I had heard so many good things about it such as how amazing the handcrafted pastries and desserts were, and how the place is even well-known to celebrities, that I couldn't resist dragging my family there when I had the chance. And as we walked through the furniture-decorated hallway dividing the separate worlds of the kitchen and the marketplace/cafe, and as we entered through the doors to the cafe world, I decided that whatever I'd order will not only complement the rich, bitter taste of my iced latte, but that it will also be new and exciting to me as to act like an escape from the smoldering, hot weather occurring in LA. And boy was the chocolate pudding tart an escape! :D As I sat on the lovingly decorated cushions of the outdoor seating area (featured in the photo above) and watched the bustling, lively streets of Sherman Oaks fill the blue sky, I allowed my spoon to interrupt the perfect unity between pudding and crust--my shiny, silver weapon cut discretely through the soft, slightly-set mass of chocolate lusciousness; then, all of a sudden, the hard, flat crust took my weapon by surprise, as it had to push just a bit harder to give me the first bite of the treat. The two parts--the dense yet pillow-soft pudding and the solid hard crust--were the ying and yang of dessert. It was also by how the richness of the dark chocolate, which intermingled with the pure sweetness of the recognizable pudding flavor, complemented the mild saltiness and rough texture of the bottom barrier that held everything together...This was what especially intrigued me about the tart...I was almost taken over by how the dessert contained opposites that were so far away from each other, that they paired perfectly--If that makes any sense. :) This exhilarating revelation became my escape from the melt-ensuing hot weather. Not only that, but the feeling of escapism also came from the way the cafe had kept the pudding portion cool enough before serving the dessert, so that I could distinguish that refreshing feeling from the humid air surrounding me...And so as I took in each and every bite of the square of gold, I could feel the pudding melt on my tongue as quickly as a fragile ice cube, while my taste buds were being slightly coated by the rich cocoa powder that had been perfectly dusted on the tart when served. It's easy to tell that I was very impressed by the way the 'Chocolate Pudding Tart' was crafted--And it was impossible for me to see it merely as a dessert; I had to claim it as a piece of artwork never to be ignored, that should be displayed through all of LA and throughout this blog post! I hope that if you ever visit Sherman Oaks, you will decide to take a cool break from the hot Sun and indulge yourself with this heaven that's shaped like a deeply chocolate-hued square. ;) ~~MC I want--no, I need--to say that Menchie's is the best place to get frozen yogurt!
It has many flavors, flavors that you wouldn't imagine would be in a cup of meltingly delicious froyo--zesty orange, cookie dough, cupcake batter, and watermelon tart are just a few examples. My family and I took our trip to Menchie's towards the end of a full day we spent in LA. It had been boiling hot, we had walked until our feet were sore, and our taste buds (as well as every other fiber of our beings) were hungry for something satisfyingly sweet. And boy did Menchie's frozen yogurt fulfill that hunger! ;D When you walk in the shop, you will be overwhelmed by the bright hues of green and pink covering the walls, colors that will brighten your mood as much as the frozen yogurt will. You then are captivated by how enormously gigantic the cups are (yes, I had to put two synonyms side by side just to emphasize how large they were), one of which you are to grab and fill with as many mini mountains of throat-cooling pleasure as you can! And at each pair of flavors you will encounter, you have the choice of getting the two fireworks of flavor separately, with the two different hues untouched, or use the dispenser in the middle that will twist the two fireworks into one gigantic explosion, so that you will end up with either a mix of cookie dough and raspberry-pomegranate sorbet, or a passion fruit-chocolate cake fusion, or anything else under the Sun. And finally, you are presented with a row of freshly plucked toppings (in referring to the berries, such as deep ocean colored blueberries, ripe juicy lychees without the prickly skin, and party confetti-pink raspberries), along with toppings as baked goods (cookie bits, as well as a topping that always surprises me with how fresh they taste--delicious cheesecake pieces cut into perfect little squares of pure heaven)...and to go even further, Menchie's will not only allow you to create your own world of mountains and hills of colorful frozen yogurt, and throw countless trees and rocks of blueberries and cheesecake bits on top, but you also can swirl your mountains with warm fudge sauces that flow all the way down into the deep canyons of your Menchie's cup. Also, I should give you a slight warning that you may feel a stomachache after eating the new little world you created, because you will have found yourself eating it up all so fast as you become overpowered by its overall deliciousness! I hope you will encounter a Menchie's shop in your life, preferably in the near future both because it's summertime, and because there's no reason to have your mountains and hills and trees and canyons waiting for you to create them. :) ~~MC 7/1/2011 0 Comments Ratatouille...In a yellow mug.This picture goes to show how far the nostalgia of home carried me...As far as having the sudden urge to take the picture of the cup of coffee before I took my first sip!
I haven't moved to California or anything, so I shouldn't sound too dramatic...But as I poured the hot, cozy beverage into the bright yellow mug, it did feel like I was thinking back to the lovely routines and comfortable life of home, where one of my routines consisted of sitting in coffeeshops and holding warm coffee drinks close to you...One obviously wouldn't spend time in hot, sunny Southern California sipping on hot coffees and lattes, so having my coffee today had happened for the first time since we flew here from Seattle. I guess this shows how much of a powerful connection food can edibly establish between human and his/her most valuable, close-held memories...And I feel like I have just mentioned this concept probably for the billionth time... :P Anyway, I hope there's some article of food out there for you that makes you think of home at the first bite/sip, that makes you almost want to run back to that moment where you first had the latte/hot dog/ratatouille, the moment where everything started. And by the way, I had to mention ratatouille because this whole food-memory concept always makes me think of the movie Rataouille, the part where Anton Ego has the nostalgia-inducing bite of the delicious, vegetable-filled, spice-infused dish! And now, it should come as no surprise for me to say that Ratatouille is one of my all-time favorite movies. :) Find a fond, lovable memory to reunite yourself with, and bite/sip/..etc into that image! Enjoy!... ~~MC 6/24/2011 2 Comments RibbonsSo today I ate something that I forgot used to (and still does apparently) take me to a complete state of happiness, even if that state lasted only for as long as the taste lasted in my mouth...And that was Nutella. :)
The last time I ate Nutella was in France (a magical place too good to be true, where you see Nutella in a jar or on a crepe every two seconds) two years ago, and also during the two weeks after I flew back home from France--Two weeks that had begun the moment that I took out the gigantic jar of deliciousness (given to me by my host mother) from my suitcase and into the kitchen, as I decided to devour the Nutella with whole wheat bread for breakfast (and late-night snack, and lunch...) every day until the jar was scraped empty. So, as I took the shiny, smooth ribbon of the deep dark potion of pleasure and wrapped it loosely around my knife before spreading it delicately on my piece of bread, I had no idea what was going to hit me up until that eternally delightful taste hit my taste buds. And then, I found myself in heaven (not literally, obviously, otherwise I wouldn't be here typing this post to you ;) )! Nutella is a great thing to accompany your dessert with, whenever the dessert feels lonely and needs a loyal friend...Or, Nutella could be your entire dessert. :) Enjoy a ribbon (or more than two...) of dark, yummy, hazelnut, ice-cream like luxury! ~~MC 6/21/2011 0 Comments HorchataYou know when you find yourself reminiscing about a lovely memory of yourself spending time with a loved one, and then you can't help but associate that blurry yet enjoyable vision with something you were eating or drinking at the time?
Well, you probably noticed by now that I do this pretty much all the time in Foods for Fantasizing, as I personally believe that food can powerfully connect a person to his/her life experiences, regardless of how significant those memories may be. This (super early) morning for me became yet again another reminiscent memory, when I met a good friend of mine on campus for coffee (at 8am, since she had class at 9:30), and we ended up sitting on a bench right by the lake (since the restaurant was by the lake as you can see in the pictures). as we laughed about our own quirks and occasionally pleaded the Sun to emerge from the scattered clouds...And in saying that this happened just a few hours ago, I can't say that this memory was blurry, but it definitely was lovely. :) We met up at the to-go window of Agua Verde, a Mexican restaurant that I heard many good things about but where I never got around to having a sit-down lunch/dinner. My friend Jessica and I had come to the window once before, where she ordered a tall Horchata latte (a "Mexican rice/almond drink," according to the to-go menu...Which I guess is just a way of saying a latte but with rice/almond milk ;) ) while I got a Mexican hot chocolate. My drink was delectable and amazingly rich, but I was still so intrigued by Jessica's drink--even just by the sound of its name--that I promised myself to order one at our next visit. And so this morning, I asked for a tall Horchata latte. :) It was smooth, rich but not excessively, and it made me crave for more even as I took in the last drop. The foam on the top was decorated with refreshing cinnamon, which woke me up as much as did the single shot that was subtly blended within the rice milk....But even though I enjoyed this latte, what I enjoyed even more was spending the lovely summer (and semi-sunny) morning with one of the people I most adore! I will remember holding the warm, cozy latte in both hands while hearing the distant rush of traffic along the bridge nearby, and admiring the way the water in front of me was so quiet yet had so much movement, as I had great and pleasant conversation with Jessica about TV shows, our dads, and the joy of relaxing for the next four months. It's obviously not a memory to be reminiscing about so much yet, but it is nice to smile about good times you have even if they have just passed by. :D ~~MC 6/18/2011 0 Comments A Party, a gift, a cup and saucerThis morning, my father and I went on an exciting voyage through the stormy waves of rain that washed over our car, on to a favorite family restaurant of ours called Gilbert's. I usually order a regular latte there, but this time I wanted to try something new...
Maybe it was also because I had watched a video recently about the origins of coffee names (like Caffe Latte and Mocha), and so I wanted my taste buds to take a risky adventure to visit something refreshing. And so instead of a tall decaf latte, I somewhat cautiously yet excitedly asked for a tall decaf breve. The lady at the cashier (sweetest lady I know; we always have a conversation about the weather or how our days have been going before I order from the menu, and she never gives me the feeling that I need to rush or stop talking :) ) explained to me that a breve is just like a latte, but you are presented with a foamy fusion of coffee and half & half in the place of coffee and milk. I couldn't refuse this opportunity to throw a party for my taste buds, where they could bask in the ultimate creamy richness of this drink I have just heard about! When I heard 'half & half', I almost immediately said 'yes please!' The drink was brought to our table ten minutes later in a slender, elegant glass (which looks like the skinny version of the glasses we have at home...And so now I feel bad that they have only been used for iced water or random fruit juices), filled to an inch under the rim with the life of the taste-bud party, above which sat the confetti (...the foam, my favorite part of any coffee drink!)...I feel like I could write an entire blog post (or even an entire blog, but let's not get too carried away) about foam in coffee drinks, because I love it so much I can almost say that it can make my day! The first sip of the breve took my breath away. Twirls and swirls were happening, explosions and fireworks took off, and paint ball fights were erupting all at the same time! I could not stop the party in my taste buds, it was almost getting out of control! I was overwhelmed by the dominating taste of the half & half, though it was slightly balanced by the fluid texture and yummy bitter taste of the espresso shot. I walked out of Gilbert's with my dad with a very full stomach, a calm heart, and a taste for more breve. I had actually found the taste so rich and satisfying that I could not finish it, and so I asked a waiter for a to-go cup with a lid, delicately poured the rest of my steaming heaven into it to make sure the 'confetti' wasn't going to disappear, and closed the lid to wrap my gift. I carried that bundle of joy out the door with me and into the rain, as we were both sheltered lovingly by the umbrella my dad brought and shared with us. The breve now sits in a creamy-though-not-as-creamy-as-the-breve cup and saucer that I found most adorable. I had unwrapped the gift, and the party shall once again begin. :) So enjoy a cup of breve when you get the chance, so that you can throw a lively party of your own filled with as much confetti and paint-balling as I had experienced! ~~MC 6/13/2011 0 Comments What You Call Lunch: Twist CafeMy mom, brother and I spent the entire Saturday together in downtown Seattle. :)
We visited the Pacific Science Center, where we got a very educational perspective of fear in the Goosebumps exhibit...Then, during the next half-hour we spent on our scavenger hunt for a parking spot in Queen Anne, we reminisced of the past adventures we made in Seattle...And finally, after a lovely peaceful walk in the adorably crowded and chic Queen Anne, we ended up being magnetically drawn to the place where we ate our late-lunch (or rather, VERY late lunch, since it was 5pm)--at an tiny, adorable place called the Twist Cafe. I can't say 'adorable' an enough number of times to describe this cafe--It is a place for comfort food that is honestly organic, as it has an area specially made for little kids, so they could have their playtime while their exhausted parents get the time to be grateful for the break they have in eating a delicious meal. With my drive to try something new, I ordered a panini that had apples with dijon mustard and cheese. I never ate apple slices in a sandwich before, and to my surprise it tasted delicious! ...And it wasn't just because I didn't feel guilty from eating this healthy food, but also because the sweet tang of the apple delightfully complemented the rich texture of the cheese, all mushed into a yummy combination by the warm-as-a-winter-night, almost fluffy potato bread. I also enjoyed the green salad, with its healthy deep greens springing from the plate and decorated by the shining vinaigrette dressing. My mom enjoyed her order as well, which you can obviously tell by the first bite gone from the sandwich. ;) ...And my brother ordered a cheese-bacon quesadilla, which I didn't take a picture of since he had eaten most of it by the time I was ready to take pictures. :) We left Twist Cafe full, satisfied (especially because we hadn't eaten since the morning, and the closest thing we had to lunch was Top Pot Doughnuts...= Yummy, but not lunch), and already set to feast there again soon! ~~MC 6/8/2011 0 Comments A Late-Night AdventureToday, I made a simply yummy what-you-might-call late night snack. :)
All you need is a fluffy slice of whole wheat baguette (or regular baguette, if you are in the mood for something extra indulging...), dark chocolate, and rich olive oil. I actually started making this a few months ago; I would cut the whole wheat baguette in cloud-like slices, shower each in delicate drizzles of the olive oil as they sit silently and patiently on the cookie sheet, and then toast the little boat-looking snacks in the oven for a few minutes; then, the final flourish would be plopping the deeply pleasurable dark chocolate squares on top of the bread slices, and letting them melt smoothly all over the bread during an additional minute in the oven. In this picture, I was slightly overcome by a case of laziness. I had decided to toast one gigantic bread slice, as I had microwaved the chocolate squares instead of using the oven at all. The only thing I left consistent was drizzling the olive oil over the bread before adding the chocolate. But regardless of the way you make it, the purpose of this snack is to wrap yourself in an effortless pleasure that takes you away on a smoothly rendered, rich late-night adventure, before you take the adventure from the TV screen (where you were watching Late Night with Jimmy Fallon or some other late-night TV...Or Frasier, if you ask what I'd watch :) ) all the way to your comforting bed. ~~MC 6/8/2011 0 Comments Frosting to My CakeYesterday, in our spontaneous quest to celebrate getting over the anticipated hill of the art history final exam, my friend Stephanie and I ventured on to one of our favorite places near campus...Oasis.
It's a bubble tea place that I recently found out gets crowded at 11 at night...Which still leaves me to ponder why students would energize themselves with sugar at that time of day...But I digress. Over the last month, Stephanie and I have practically made this place our second home (instead of studying like normal students at any library on campus). But who could blame us? because as soon as you walk in Oasis, you are surprised by the warm, inviting atmosphere in the smiling faces of employees, the dim yellow lights that bounce off the calm yellow walls, and of course the randomly quirky and adorable framed photos (of Paris, and also of Johnny Depp :) )...And also, you are captivated by the incredibly ginormous menu that mentions every flavor under the Sun! I personally made the ambitious goal of trying a new flavor every time we visit. So far, I have been under the spell of the Lavender, Coconut, and Barley Chocolate flavors of milk tea. I'm sure you are thinking, 'Barley Chocolate?? Why would a person want barley in their drink?!' But really, this drink tastes inifinitely better than it sounds, especially if you're someone like me who loves to be as healthy as possible, even when not necessarily eating/drinking something healthy. :) And each time I go, I never forget to ask for tapioca balls, because they are my absolute frosting to the cake. :) This picture you see here is the result of the eagerness to forget as much about the final exam as possible! It is the avocado smoothie...And although I was taken by surprise by how it actually tasted like avocado(!) instead of having artificial, overly-sweet tones hit my taste buds like sharp bullets, I decided at the end that I preferred try more flavors of just milk tea, and nothing too complex like smoothies. I can end this post by saying that bubble/milk teas have become my new obsession...And I can prove that easily by saying that last week I had three milk teas, all at Oasis. ;) Have a (bubbly) day! ~~MC |
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