THE TOP 5 QUESTIONS FOODIES ARE ASKED!

First off... What is a foodie? Someone who enjoys food for more than just fuel and calorie. We crave food flavors, sensations,  and textures. We think about our next meal yesterday, analyze food reviews, and get really, really excited over new restaurant openings.

Like any other hobby or interest, we get recommendations and questions about, well, food. Some we are more tired of answering but will happily do it in the name of food.

 And the questions are...

1) "What is your favorite restaurant?"
Answer: Tough. What cuisine? What price range? Lunch, dinner or breakfast? Are we talking just food or wine and spirits? High end or low end? Cooperate or mom and pop?
My answer: I answer this questions with other questions. Then happily answer their questions.

2) "What's your favorite dish?" (AKA entree)
Answer: Hard. My favorite childhood dish? Or holiday dish? Dish for one? Dish for ten? Family style dish? High end fancy-schamcy dish? The choices and answers are endless.
My answer:  I pick my top 3 all time favorites and answer their question.

3) "What's your favorite cooking or baking book?"
Answer: There are millions of delicious cook/baking books in the world and yet to be published. I have a bounty of books that I easily accumulate over the years.
My answer: When asked this, I pick a basic cooking book, baking book, and my latest one I added to my collection.

4) "What is your favorite cuisine?"
Answer: Like most, I have more than one cuisine I enjoy. In one day, I am enjoying dim sum for breakfast, that afternoon I am indulging with a chocolate crossiant, and for dinner I'm feasting on homemade risotto. My taste buds range from super spicy to super sweet.
My answer: All Asian cuisines and French cuisine tops my list.

5) "What is your favorite dessert?"
Answer: Just like with question #2, I have multiple favorite desserts. Which one I enjoy most depends on the day and meal before hand.
My answer: Anything chocolate or made with seasonal fruit. My favorite sweet snack are French macarons.

What I love about being a foodie is being asked questions about food, local restaurants, and bakeries. Being a person-to-ask is a food blessing and I can't wait to spread more knowledge through Seattle and Eastside.
Let me know what your answers to these popular questions in the comment section below.

Happy Cooking,
Kimm

MY LATEST SWEET INTERVIEW: With Lesly, co-founder of WOW Chocolates in Seattle.

On one of my recent visits to my yoga studio, Bikram Yoga Redmond (http://www.bikramyogaredmond.com/), I met a lovely young woman named Lesly. Quickly, I found out we had something in common: Not only are we dedicated Bikram yogis, we both loved creating and making delicious sweet treats. Lesly informed me about her local (Seattle-area) chocolate business, called WOW chocolates (http://wowchocolates.com/).

After seeing, AND tasting, WOW Chocolates, I was highly impressed by the decorating details, quality of chocolate, and unique flavors. Lesly, and her sister (co-owner) Maire, use tropical and exotic flavors not normally founds in typical chocolates. Banana-ginger, jalapeno-mango, and raspberry-cabernet (my personal favorite!) are a few fun selections you can choose to buy from their website.

Check out my sweet interview with Lesly:

Lesly, on right, with her sister/co-owner, Maire.



A brief bio on WOW chocolates:

After completed a degree as an interior designer and gained experience in the field for several years before discovering chocolate was not only passion but my calling.  I began making bonbons as a gifts for friends and soon word spread.  It then became something else entirely...a business WOW! Thus I pursued my passion for food, combining my background in design and a knack for creativity, and the result can be seen every chocolate creation.

 

Maire (sister) learned about the art of making truffles and bonbons from her sister.  She is an accomplished artist who works with many different materials - from acrylic paints to clay and wood.  Maire has always shared a passion with her family for food and now she strives to combine the worlds of art and edible every day.

 

WOW Chocolates will captivate your senses and take you on an extraordinary journey through our world of delightful, exotic and colorful bonbons.  Our passion for these delectable delicacies is infectious and is reflected in every bite.

 

WOW Chocolates.

 

Questions:

1) Describe WOW CHOCOLATES for people who are unfamiliar.

WOW Chocolates is a new and local company  run by two sisters.  WOW Chocolates crafted bonbons with unique flavors. 

2) What made you want to start WOW?

What really made us to start WOW was our passion for the amazing cocoa that Venezuela produced.  WOW Chocolates was created in Margarita Island - Venezuela and brought our confectionary art to the United State in 2012.  

3) What's the most popular chocolate you make?

Our most popular flavors right now are:  Mango-Jalapeño,  Tamarind and Chile de árbol,  Passion fruit and Strawberry-Basil.

4) What's your personal favorite sweet treat?

My favorite sweet treat is my mom's squash cake with strawberry jelly on top ,Yumm! 

5) Where can people go to purchase your delicious chocolates?

You can purchase our chocolates online through our web site.  You can find all the services that we offer,  like weddings, corporate and more.

WOW Chocolates for Valentine's Day.

 

For more information on WOW Chocolates, check out:
Main website --> http://wowchocolates.com/
"Like" 'em --> https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wow-chocolates/301095963288041?id=301095963288041&sk=photos_stream
"Follow" 'em --> https://twitter.com/WowChocolates

I look forward to seeing WOW Chocolates growing in Seattle's chocolate world! Best of luck to Lesly and Maire.

Happy Baking,
Kimm

What is "icing on the cake?"

"Your work ethic is like icing on the cake, my dear!"

 

 "That last piece of chocolate was really icing on the cake."

 

 "Enjoying a cold margarita after a long day is icing on the cake."

 

 "Meeting new people is like icing on the cake, especially if they help you out professionally!"

First off: What is icing? It is a thick confection made of sugar, fat (like butter), flavor additives (like vanilla extract, fruit, liquor, etc), and eggs to top and decorate cake. Can you eat cake without any frosting? YES. Is it better with some sort of frosting? YES. It adds moisture, more flavor, and a smooth texture in conjuction with the delicious cake. Cake and frosting go together like freshly squeezed moijiots and Seattle's first sunny summer day.

Since I was a little girl, surrounding myself with my E-Z bake oven, cookies, cake, and brownies....the expression "icing on the cake" was tossed and turned around within the everyday conversation between people. Bosses used it to compliment their employees; People said it when a positive gesture passed through their day; Teachers said it to well-behaved students.

After seeing how people loosely use the expression, "icing on the cake," it is meant to compliment a genuine, absolute, and clear act that positively adds to your life. Is it necessary? No. Is it needed on a hourly basis? No, and you won't come across it every day of your life. Does it make you smile and look at life from a different view? Yes. Small gestures from total strangers will bring the best in you. It will make you want to do "icing on the cake" acts to every single person you meet.

Moral of the story? Just like icing, petite and humble acts, give us more to our day-to-days.  We may not need an extra chocolate chip cookie, a scoop of pistachio gelato, or a glass of a strong Malbec, but unneccessary modest moves are pure sweetness.

Now: go forth and put "icing on the cake" to someone's day.

Happy Baking,
Kimm

First foodie interview of 2013: Get to know Whitney Heinrich of CRAFTED.

Welcome to my first interview on 2013, peeps: Whitney Heinrich is a smart young woman who is also a fellow Girl Power Hour (www.girlpowerhour.com) blogger. She started and created "CRAFTED" to bring unique and one-of-a-kind treats to the Seattle and Eastside community. When she is not baking up a storm, Whitney is very like me: loves new cocktails, trying new restaurants in Seattle, and simply being sweet.

Whitney, in action, at an event with her treats.





Get to know Whitney, read my interview below:

1) What 'sparked' your love of baking and creating sweet things?
What sparked my love for baking was when I was working at a local coffee shop in high school and I would bring in cupcakes, and people would rave about them and tell me I should be selling them. I hadn't thought about that as a profession before, but at that moment I was like hey...I could totally do this and be happy forever

2) Describe your experience at the French Culinary Institute.
Going into the FCI I had totally pictured myself becoming a wedding cake designer, it wasn't till I started school and saw how much more was out there. I got really excited when menu planning came along, I knew I had to be the one to come up with my own ideas and not follow others.

3) Why did you start Crafted? What do you hope to do with Crafted?

Delicious breads are made with love and nice ingredients.

I started Crafted because I truly feel I can offer unique and special dessert concepts to clients. I love to break the rules in pastry and come up with flavor combo's and dessert offerings that are off the "norm" - I strive for that whimsical factor. Right now I am going with the flow with Crafted and letting it become what the community wants and needs, but long term I would love to have a small shop with crafted cocktails, house brewed beer, small plates, and those whimsical dessert concepts I love to come up with! I have a true passion for everything culinary, not just pastry.



4) You are a big foodie! What's your favorite restaurant in the Seattle area?
There are so many amazing restaurants, but I think my all time favorite "foodie" restaurant is Crush. I love what Jason Wilson and his team do, I love their service staff, and their pastry chef Lori always keeps me on my toes - I mean come on.. she came up with a Douglas Fir sorbet!

5) What is your favorite sweet treat to eat?
My favorite sweet treat has to be anything that involves the s'mores concept. You can't beat a good s'mores and I think that's why one of the first set of recipes I nailed down were for Crafted's s'mores kit.

Perfect Valentines Day treats!

To buy these delicious treats, check out CRAFTED's Etsy Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/CRAFTEDconfection

Plus she is social media friendly:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/CraftedEats
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CraftedTreats

Happy Baking,
Kimm

5 ways to use Halloween candy in your sweet treats!

Halloween is right around the corner! This means: a true excess in overly sweet candy at your finger tips. Instead of consuming all of the sweetness at once, try adding it to your next baked good to make it extra special and unique.

5 uses for Halloween candy:

1) Candy corn: Add it your next batch of rice krispie treats! Now, are you worried that it may be too sweet? Try adding chopped nuts for a salty-bite to it.

2) Halloween-colored M & M's: Add it to your next cookie recipe, like chocolate chips. My personal favorite? Double chocolate with coconut.

3) Tootsie Rolls: A nice, gooey center for your cupcakes! When you are baking cupcakes, fill the cupcake liner half way with cake batter, then add a small piece of tootsie roll, and finally more cake batter. The filling will be soft and sweet, very similar to a ganache filling.

4) Mini chocolate-candy bars: I love chopping them up in bite-size pieces and adding them to my brownie or blondie recipe. Be sure to save a few for the topping as an easy garnish.

5) Chocolate bars: Since Halloween means fall has arrived, I love making homemade hot cocoa with leftover chocolate bars! Warm your favorite milk of choice in a small saucepan, break up your chocolate bar into small pieces, add it to the warm milk, and stir. Enjoy!

And, what is the best solution for leftover candy: consume with a friend! (My #1 choice!)

Happy Halloween,
Kimm

What Bikram Yoga has taught me about baking.

When I am not working, baking, blogging, or tweeting, I am practicing Bikram's (pronounced "Beek-Rim") yoga. Now, exactly what is Bikram yoga and how does it differ from other types of yoga? Answer: Bikram is a guy. A hardcore yoga guy who created a series of 26 set postures and 2 breathing exercises.

Bikram yoga is a type of Hatha yoga, also known as hot yoga. Yes, it is always done in a hot, heated, and humid practice room. Why? Heat helps your muscles relax, therefore you can stretch better, and it makes you sweat.....buckets. Sweating is a naturally way for your body to cool itself down and detox any nasty stuff that is inside your body. Bikram's yoga tends to be more difficult, disciplined, and well, harder than other types of yoga out there today. (Now, don't be scared to try it! There are many life dedicated Bikram yogis in the community. Remember you are never too old, too sick, or too injured to START.)

Time for the lessons...

When I am taking class, the teacher always speaks the same dialogue...over and over again. Really? How can taking the same class teach me anything new?

Welcome to lesson number one:

I must try and never give up. Giving up lasts forever, trying does not.

In life, especially in baking, we need to do things over and over again until we have mastered them. Did my first brioche loaf turn out golden and delicious? Nope. How about my chocolate chiffon cake? Nah. Even my first attempt at French buttercream turned into a sweet, soupy mess. See, in life, we learn by attempts, fails, and mistakes. Yoga taught me if I fall out of a posture, I must grab my leg again and try, and try, and try.....

Every day is different. What affects my daily class? The weather, season, class size, teacher, how much water I drank, time of day, what I ate throughout the day, etc. The list goes on and on.

This brings me to lesson number two:


I am unable to change what I cannot. I may not be able to change the environment or situation I am presently in, but I can change my mind about it.

If I forget to order a special ingredient, prep my pans properly, buy enough cupcake wrappers, or preheat the oven correctly, there is not much I can do to 'un-do' my mistake. But, I can adjust my actions accordingly and make sure it comes out a sweet success. Yoga taught me if I can change my mind, I can change my life.

The Bikram series is meant to be an intense and hard workout. This is why athletes and "tough peeps" dig it. If you managed to master all 26 postures, which is a very difficult task to complete, there is an advanced series with even more challenging postures.

Finally, lesson number three:


Too good is no good!

In the beginning of my practice, a teacher said, "Kimm, too good is no good! You are sitting too low!" Is it really possible to sit too low in the first part of awkward posture? Well, I managed to do it. Same in triangle, my hips are too open and I often sit wayyyyyy below what is recommended.

Same with sweet treats. You never want anything too sweet, too salty, too dry, or too moist. At the end of the dessert, you always wants to crave one more bite, instead of feeling too full to move. I thought I had most pastry techniques mastered, until I met someone better, I read a book that taught me something new, or someone asked me a pastry question I was unsure how to answer. Overall, in baking and yoga, there will always be someone better and another technique to be learned.


Yoga and baking have one very important thing in common: Both strive for perfection. The perfect pâté brisee, pana cotta, buttercream rose, or semi-freddo to the perfect locked out knee, standing bow pose, backbend, or waiting for the day to finally see your feet in floor bow.

From my baking career to my yoga practice, the journey has been greater, and sweeter, than imagined and expected. Even in tough and difficult situations, I am able to breathe through the storm to sweet success.
 
Namaste. Happy Baking.
-Kimm