Crystallized (Candied) Ginger

Sometimes I go to a Korean supermarket...and I pass by certain items...thinking...

...hmmmmmmm.

Bitter melon. Frog legs. Thai chili peppers. Aloe juice.  Prepackaged and ready-to-eat rice. (Will I live forever with the amount of preservatives in that little 5 oz pack, is the question.) Oh God, the ramen aisle.

...and crystallized ginger. Those little golden strips covered in sugar in a 7x5x2 plastic container.

You know, I read a lot of cookbooks and look up many recipes on the web. Too frequently have I come across "crystallized ginger" on the ingredients list, wondering what it is, what it tastes like, and when I might actually make something with it. Then one day, my mom just looked at me and said, "oh, that thing? You can just make it at home. It's easy."

And so I looked it up, compared recipes, and thought...

...hmmmmmmm.

Father's Day Cake

I'm such a Mama's girl that I don't think about fathers much.

True, this.

But I do have tremendous respect for fathers. I think they play such an important part in our lives, whoever we are and wherever we come from.

I would imagine fathers to be... the first to throw us up in the air and catch us in their arms. I would imagine them to be fixer-uppers, from broken toys to broken laptops to broken hearts...some that require repair, replacement, or sometimes a real butt-whooping. Especially if there's a boy involved. They would be the ones who throw you (yes, you, the screaming one) into the pool so you can swim your way upward. They would teach you how to skate, how to ride your first bike, how to drive your first car, then come pick you up at the place where you totaled the said first car. Like completely.

Maybe they wouldn't talk much, but they sure would listen. They would probably be the only ones who can tell the truth to your face, but you'll be glad they did. They'll have their absentminded or busy or don't-want-to-do-anything moments, but at the end of the day, they'll be your biggest supporters.

To be perfectly honest, I don't know what a great father-child relationship is like. But I do know that great fathers are often the impetus for strong, successful men and women everywhere. Their care and presence, I believe, have a huge effect on one's self-esteem, confidence, and fulfillment of one's overall potential. I'm especially happy for women who were blessed with strong fathers. I hope to one day marry a man who would make a wonderful father.

This cake is for all the wonderful fathers out there who teach their kids how to rock at life. You are appreciated. So much more than you know.

Happy Father's Day 2012 :)

Cinnamon-Streusel Coffeecake

Dear friends to come in the near and far future,

I want to take this time to let you know- even if we haven't met each other yet-

...that you are SUPER. Just super.

I imagine our friendships to be really easy...and laid-back...and full of good conversations, good laughs, and pictures that should never see the light of day. None of that nonsense where the only way you want to contact me is through Facebook. You know, the one that I will likely have deactivated on a random day. For real.

None of that jealousy, dudes and dudettes. It's such a killer. And all of bringing medicine in the middle of the night. No to guilt trips and fake niceness crap that's totally see-through. Yes to fighting to pay for the other person's meal. A huge Hells-Naw to gossip and secrets that fall on "exclusive" ears. (Hint: "insider info" has an uncanny way of becoming public knowledge...like, the next day.) Yes, please, to great and genuine guy-girl friendships, without the awkwardness.

Call me. Bring me flowers. Set me up on a blind date...NOT. Be on time. Tell me to get over myself. Remember my (future) kids' names. Steer me away from guys who are rude to women and elders and waitstaff. Hit me over the head if I don't listen to you.

And please, come over for some coffeecake!

I promise to listen to your first day on the job, your dissertation on economic brinksmanship policy, and even about that annoying co-worker who likes to correct your spoken grammar. And listen only. Offer only the most necessary and concise advice. (Shush. I'm working on it!)

Ooh, and guess what? I'll give you extra coffeecake to take home with you.

Because to me, food is love, and I feed those whom I love.

And I'm pretty sure I'll love ya.

;)

Marbled Cream Cheese Brownies

I have high standards for brownies.

I like them a certain way: thick but not cakey, fudgey but not mushy, chocolatey but not too sweet. Chewy and rich yet easy on the taste buds and the stomach. Easily cut, easily wrapped, and easily gifted in a jiffy.

And these pretty treats meet all my expectations. 

This brownie recipe deserves an A+, a crazy kitchen dance, and a batter bowl licked super clean. 

I love giving these brownies as gifts. The cut pieces keep their shape so well, and they're a fast treat to make and give in bulk. I haven't met anyone who didn't absolutely love these brownies. They're a godsend on an exam day, or on a huge research paper day. Aw heck, any day you need a little bit of sweetness.

Add a lot of fun. Add a lot of love. Share. Repeat.

Thank you very much.

Hummingbird Cake

I have a wee lil' confession:

I underestimated pecans. I really did.

For years I've been willfully ignorant of their existence. I paid attention to their more popular nutty friends: Sexy Almond, the one with the curves and the crunch; Friendly Walnut, chocolate's BFF; Popular Peanut, in high cookie, sandwich, and pad thai demand.

I admit, I was a little hung up over the way I should pronounce their name. Is it Pe-KAHN? Pee-Can? I wasn't sure, so I consulted the dictionary and found that both are perfectly fine. Methinks I should switch it up whenever I want. I'm that excited. (Just kidding.)

The point is...I added them to a wonderful Southern cake. I added them into cream cheese frosting.

I am now one happy fan.

Unfortunately, I started to run low on them, so I supplemented some walnuts to make up for the lack of volume...but the pecans still held their own. Honestly, I couldn't stop tasting the frosting. It was so delicious. 

The Hummingbird cake is full of bananas and pineapple and pecan goodness. It uses oil as its main source of fat, so it's a bit lighter than your typical butter cakes. This is a great centerpiece cake, a holiday dessert, or even a great weekend cake. You can bake a three-layer cake, like I did, or a huge sheet cake and go all out with the frosting.

The frosting is gooooooood. You've been warned ;)

Happy baking!

Golden Vanilla Cake

Hello everyone :)

Happy first post since forever ago, forever being exactly five months and four days, in this case :P

I thought I would find the time to update this blog, but after the first week of school, that idea went flat faster than the top of a souffle. Good idea. Great intentions. Horrible reality.

So, my Spring 2012 semester in a nutshell: Busy, busy, busy! 

Read a lot. Studied a lot. (Slept a little.) Dawdled a lot. Talked in class a lot. Annoyed my professors a lot. Drank a lot...of coffee. Had a heart-to-heart with various people in the most random places a lot. Avoided eye contact with people that I semi-know but not well enough to stop and say hi in order to avoid a greater form of awkwardness that would result from actually saying hi...a lot.

But most importantly, I learned a lot.

I learned, among many many things, that...

- Emory has a tiny campus, given that the "long ways" I take to avoid getting to work or class actually aren't that long.

- Korea's sense of national identity is complicated, conflicted, and very testy.

- You can survive on fewer hours of sleep than you thought you could. 

- I have the best cousins ever. And family understands you the way no one else can.

- When you have pulled an almost all-nighter, when you're in baggy shirt and sweats, when your hair is pulled back so your otherwise sexy glasses look really dorky, AND when you barely manage to walk into Starbucks for that crucial grande iced coffee an hour before your Soc midterm, you WILL run into a ridiculously hot Korean guy.

- Bagel with shmear is a college girl's best friend. And chocolate, too. Can't forget chocolate.

- Some people will always find reasons not to like you or be happy with you, and that's fine. Better to be one fake friend less than one fake friend more, in my opinion.

- Creative writing has a tendency to draw from within you your desires, fears, insecurities, vulnerabilities, and critical questions that drive who you are. And the real scary thing is that it often does this without you realizing it.

- God is, always and unequivocally, good.

:)

Christmas Red Velvet Cake

This Christmas, I baked my most challenging cake yet.

I covered it with homemade fondant. I piped icing poinsettias and leaves. It took a lot out of me, but it was so worth it.

Because this cake wasn't about me. It was about a very special church...who really knows how to serve God and celebrate his love.

With each day that passes by, the more I come to adore this group of people. I respect them for what they have endured. I remain humbled before their unbelievable kindness and little acts of care.

I am honored to serve them, and I wish them nothing less than the good Lord's absolute best in the year 2012.

Chocolate-Espresso Snowcaps

Have you ever flown over the Rocky Mountains?

I did, a long time ago, and I remember being at a complete and total loss of words. All below and in front of my view were ridges and ridges of mountain peaks, all at once majestic and breathtaking in their grandeur and beauty.

Then there were the snow-capped mountain up ahead, and all I could think about was how this could possibly be real. You almost think it's a picture the way the mountain holds its ground as it has done for thousands of years. You never really forget the experience.

These cookies remind me of those mountains. Kinda sorta, just enough, but still, enough. lol.

Coffee crystals give them an irresistibly earthy aroma, and the chocolate gives them their pitch-black shade. Those of you who like your coffee black, here are your ideal cookies.

I hope you love these cookies, nature, and every moment of your precious lives.