Seattle Sweets

Last school year, I discovered a charming cakery in Ballard with some of my friends, and I seriously couldn't stop talking about it. Since Sarai and I finally have a food blog, I feel both obligated and excited to tell our faithful followers about my lovely findings...

Hot Cakes is relatively new cakery in Ballard, and holy smokes, my experience at this place was absolutely fabulous. The interior was delightful and I couldn’t take my eyes off of the exposed brick walls and the chalkboard menus! Hot Cakes is without a doubt, beautifully designed and gives off a cool and hip vibe, luring in many curious (and hungry) customers.

When it comes to the menu, there is certainly a variety to choose from. I ordered their Molten Chocolate Cake in a Mason jar (absolutely heavenly) with a dollop of creme, drizzled with melted ganache, and topped off with delicious bits of toffee. At first, the portions seemed small, but since the chocolate was so rich, splitting a serving was the just the right amount! Being the coffee addict that I am, I ordered an americano as well and it paired very nicely with the dark chocolate. 

In addition, I was even more thrilled when I found out that Hot Cakes also uses Theo Chocolate (Seattle based), which is a fair trade and organic chocolate shop! (Theo's chocolate is simply divine, which makes Hot Cakes that much better than other lava cakes.)

Hot Cakes is definitely one of my faves, and if you’re ever in Seattle, make sure to stop by this little hole-in-the-wall. It’s great! For those who won’t be making it to Seattle in the near future, check out their website. It’s definitely worth perusing. (You can purchase Theo chocolate online too!!)

Sweet Dreams,

Leanne

My Daily Ritual

Sometimes life gets hectic. You get caught racing from errand to errand until 10 pm hits you and you think "well today sucked...". Unfortunately, those days happen more often than most of us would prefer. But when we get stuck in a rut of errand running, I find that it always helps to have a daily ritual.

When I moved to Seattle, coffee percolated through the culture. Everywhere I turned, there was some small cafe where I could duck in to take shelter from the rain. There was one shop that I purposely sought out for my coffee fix: The Q Cafe. They serve Stumptown coffee, which is the most perfectly roasted coffee I have ever had (if you don't know about Stumptown, its time you learned about them here).

(view from the back of the Q) 

(even if you don't like coffee, their 

hot chocolate is smooth as velvet)

So I was naturally at a loss for my bittersweet companion when I moved back to California for summer. Fortunately I have a wise mother who quickly directed my wandering steps to Ritual Coffee Roasters. They source from Central and South American countries (for specifics go here) and they roast the beans just enough for a caramelized sweetness, without burning the sugars.

Soon, a strange phenomenon began to occur. I found my right hand perpetually occupied by one of their pillowy lattes. I would get up just a smidgen earlier everyday to sit on the back patio and silently sip this mid morning treat. In these moments of solace, before my day starts, that's where I find my energy for the tasks ahead of me. This picture perfect ritual was just enough beauty to start off my day of facing ugly errands.

(Coffee and Sherlock, what more could I need?)

Daily rituals save us. Time set aside for prayer or reading or even just a cup of coffee with no interruptions is all we need. Give yourself time to savor and sip. Add a chewy cookie, a crisp biscotti or even a pocket of cream in a profiterole to your ritual for those especially difficult days.

(One of Ca Momi's famous cream puffs)

The great thing about coffee is that you can find a good cup just about anywhere you go. Whether it be The Q in Seattle, Ritual in Napa and San Francisco,

Handsome in downtown LA,

(here)

The Wandering Goat in Eugene, Oregon,

(here)

Temple in Sacramento, 

(here)

Intelligentsia in Pasadena,

(here)

Or even just with your brother when he takes you out to dinner.

Whatever your ritual is, don't skimp on it, don't forget it, and savor those moments just as much as the coffee that fills them.

-Sarai

(all photos property of yours truly)

Buttah.

Aryshire. Holstein. Guernsey. Jersey. Shorthorn. Brown Swiss.

What do all of these have in common? They all possess the magical capacity to create edible gold: Butter.

I was contemplating pummeling you with a whole history of butter and dairy cows and the whole long drawn out process, but who really needs all that background stuff? (not that it's not fascinating!) My job is to experience the food and share it with you, not become a technical jargon expert who expects you to keep up with my all-knowing facade. (Because who really likes reading that??)

So as my first attempt to invite you into the world of gastronomical gourmands, I thought I would start with butter (the one substance every foodie consumes more than oxygen).

When I was just starting my career as a food-lover, at the prodigious age of 2, my favorite meal was a tortilla slathered with butter. My mom would fold and roll it so perfectly that nothing could escape to the greedy paper plate. I began to devour these daily, not even tasting the tortilla, only savoring the warm, melted richness that I held on my tongue as long as I could.

Those were the good old days.

Of course, life goes on. I got older (and a little chubbier (probably from all the butter)) and my midday snack melted away with the rest of my childhood. Until I recently rediscovered this nostalgic treat after a hard night of studying in my dorm. I couldn't have stopped the memories even if I had wanted to.

But all of this is just to say: Butter is perfect. It is savory but not too salty. Laced with just a hint of creamy sweetness. It melts, spreads, whips and makes everything taste a whole heck of a lot better. I know its not as healthy as olive oil or even (dare I say it?... gulp) margarine, but butter is classic. Butter is nostalgic. Butter is the reason that the diet always starts tomorrow.

I know this may seem like a simple post, just writing about one component, but taking the time to notice the small components is what being a foodie is all about. You don't have to be a critic, a food journalist, a chef, or even a food blogger. You just have to care about the things you eat.

So take care (and eat more butter).

-Sarai

A Brisk Beginning

I recently received a phone call from Sarai, and she asked me if I would be interested in co-editing her soon-to-be food blog. Of course, I was absolutely thrilled to be a part of her upcoming project, and I just couldn't wait to get started! I also can't believe that the site is already up and running, considering she came up with the idea yesterday. I suppose this just proves that we don't mess around when it comes to food!

I love food just as much as the next guy, but dessert...dessert is a whole different story.

Whether it's a baked, fried, frozen, or chilled dessert, it's a given that I'll love it. Using this blog as my excuse, I will roam Seattle searching for tasty treats and fabulous foods (but mostly desserts), and I'll gladly recommend where to dine with your parents, in-laws, dates, girlfriends, etc.

I hope you enjoy what's to come, and are not bored of my lack of wittiness that comes from a jaded day in lecture halls!

(It's dinner time, so I must scoot. Food or blogging about food...hmm...FOOD.) #iswearimnotfat

Until next time,

Leanne

First post (I promise it'll be short....ish)

I love food. That's it.

There is really no other reason that I am up at 1:08 AM on a Sunday night writing to no one. I love food so much that I can't even contain my adoration until 1:09. Therefore, I have decided to inflict my utter obsession with food upon you. 

Here's a brief (very brief) summary of how the masterpiece that awaits you came to be:

 I was perched on a park bench during a family reunion in Downey two days ago, thoroughly enjoying my father's roasted potatoes, when I was struck with the overwhelming desire to tell someone about their garlicky goodness. So I called up Leanne and told her that I wanted to start a food blog. After careful deliberation of my proposal, she accepted and came up with the name in a heartbeat (probably because it is her life mantra). 

I couldn't wait to get my hands on a computer and create this for you, so here I am, at 1:17 AM, awkwardly trying to kick off this new adventure in food, photography and friendship (I enjoy alliteration, you may as well know that now). 

And as much as I would like to spill out my life history, I promised to keep this one relatively short for your sake (and mine) so I'm off to dream of my next meal.

Goodnight and Good Eating,

-Sarai