Like a Kid Again ...

Have you seen this video yet?

I had to go out and buy these after seeing it.

What foods/candy make you feel like a kid again?

Simmer Hot Pot Restaurant

Last weekend we went out to celebrate our friend Alaina's 30th birthday.

Alaina

We tried a new restaurant in town called Simmer.  It is a hot pot restaurant so the food is brought to the table raw and then it is cooked in broth.  

The server brought us each a bun which was one of the best buns I have ever tasted.  It looked like a simple sesame seed bun ...

But, it was a cinnamon bun!

 

We also got some garlic and some kind of pickled vegetable.  The hubby and I shared a few pots of oolong tea.

 

Each person got their own little pot of broth and the hubby and I shared the dinner for two.  We got a selection of meatballs, thinly sliced beef and chicken, an assortment of veggies and some rice noodles.  We cooked the food in the simmering broth (only about 20 seconds), and then dipped it in the sauce we were given.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the end of the meal the server brought out a creamy, refreshing dessert.  

I was stuffed but I managed to eat a couple bites and really enjoyed it.  

Things I love about this restaurant:

• The food is very reasonably priced
• The buns are ridiculously good, and I think they could sell them for people to take-home
• The meat is full of flavour and is fantastic in the broth
• The decor is gorgeous and the seats are really comfortable
• Each person gets their own pot 

Recommendations:

•  I would prefer a different type of noodle than the rice noodles, as they got lost in the pot and it was difficult to fish them out ... they also didn't have much flavour
• I wish the broth was more flavourful (maybe with garlic or peppercorns or something that people could add to it themselves)
• I would have liked there to be at least 2 sauces instead of just the one

 After dinner we went and sang our hearts out in a karaoke room.  Soooo much fun!

Have you ever eaten at a hot pot restaurant?  

Do you like karaoke?  Have you sang in a private karaoke room?

Epic Cookie Battle Results

I seem to be quite lucky when it comes to choosing recipes ... most of the time they turn out well.  This was not an exception when I chose the 5 recipes to include in my epic cookie battle.  Each cookie was really good - although I am a bit biased as I loooooooove chocolate chip cookies, and I don't think I have met one that I didn't like.  

My original plan was to do a final post describing each cookie and ranking them from 1-5 ... what I didn't anticipate was that the cookies would taste so similar!  The recipes are different, however all of the cookies, with the exception of the double chocolate ones taste nearly identical to me.  This made choosing a favourite very difficult. 

I will give you my thoughts on each cookie and then choose my favourite and the hubby's favourite, which he felt more strongly about than I did.

Cookie #1 - Levain-Like Cookies

This dough was easy to work with and the cookies looked really good.  I liked that they were still gooey in the middle, although after they cooled off they were not gooey anymore!?  They were very chocolatey, although not the best double chocolate cookie I have ever had.  Next time I make a double chocolate cookie I will stick with this other recipe.

Cookie #2 - Crisp and Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies 

These cookies tasted great, but lose points for ugliness.  I don't think I will make them again because, although they were good, my family recipe is better and never turns out ugly.

Cookie #3 - Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies

This dough was very easy to work with and the cookies looked really pretty.  The cookie was soft, not crumbly, and each cookie looked perfect.  I would definitely make these again, although next time I would use chopped chocolate instead of chocolate chips. 

Cookie #4 - New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

This dough was pretty much impossible to scoop out after refrigerating for the 24-72 hours the recipe calls for.  It was really annoying trying to roll this dough into balls, however the dough tasted incredible!  I would venture to say it was the best cookie dough I have ever tasted.  The cookies looked pretty much perfect as they came out of the oven, but I found them a little too sweet for my liking, and far too crumbly. 

Cookie #5 - Nestle Toll House Inspired Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a really easy recipe.  The ingredient list is basic, calling for things that I always have on hand.  I whipped these up in minutes.  They tasted almost identical to cookie #2, but they are better because they are not ugly. 

I did a final taste test and forced the hubby to do the same (tough life hey?)  and these are the results ...

The hubby's favourite cookie is Cookie #4.  He liked the crumbs and the sweetness of this NY Times recipe.  Ha, I just think he misses NY :-)

My favourite was cookie #3, which is very similar to #4 but easier to work with and not crumbly.  I liked the look of these cookies and I think that kids would really like them because they are BIG!  

 

Now that my sweet tooth has been satisfied for about a month, I think my next battle will have to be with something savoury - any suggestions?

Off the the gym and then dinner with friends tonight!

What are you up to on this beautiful Saturday?

Epic Cookie Battle #5

The last batch of cookies that I made for the Epic Cookie Battle was from the Nestle Toll House recipe.  These cookies were smaller in size than some of the other ones that I have made, and the recipe was pretty basic.  They are really good cookies, which means that deciding on a favourite is going to be even more difficult than I expected it to be. I have enjoyed all of the cookies!

Nestle Toll House Inspired Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Adapted slightly from this recipe) Makes 12-15 smaller cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 cup + 2 T flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream butter with the sugars.  Add vanilla and egg and mix.  In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients and add them to the wet, mixing until combined.  Stir in the chocolate until incorporated (or mix on low for about 10 seconds).  Bake for 9 minutes @375. 

 

 

 

Off to do some final taste testing!  It's a tough job, but someone has to do it!

What cookie from the epic cookie battle looks best to you? 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 (this post)
What do you have planned for the weekend?

Epic Cookie Battle #4

The fourth batch of cookies that I made in my epic cookie battle were from a New York Times recipe. 

These cookies were similar to the third batch I made, as both were adapted from a Jacques Torres recipe, although the measurements and instructions are different and they turned out differently as well. 

The cookie on the left is the recipe in this post, and the one on the right is from yesterday's post.

 

New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Slightly adapted from this recipe) - Makes 20 large cookies

1 1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 T sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups (minus 2 T) cake flour
1 2/3 cup bread flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 cups or so chocolate chips or chopped bittersweet chocolate

Cream butter and sugars together.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Sift dry ingredients and add, mixing until just combined.  Add chocolate and mix by hand or on low.  Form large balls of dough (like over-sized golf balls) and press down slightly.  Bake on a parchment lined sheet (4 per sheet only) for 16-18 minutes @ 350.

* The original recipe calls for chilling the dough, which I did, however I don't think I would do it again.  The balls were difficult to form as the dough was too cold, and I think chilling it make the cookies crumblier than they would have been otherwise.

 

 

 

The cookies turned came out very large and quite nice looking, but a little crumbly on the bottom.  I didn't like the crumbliness, but others loved it, so I suppose it is a personal preference thing.

The inside was moist and chocolaty.  Next time I would use chopped chocolate as it melts better than chocolate chips and would be fantastic in this cookie.

The final chocolate chip cookie in my Epic Cookie Battle will make it's appearance tomorrow!

Do you use chocolate chips or chunks of chocolate in your cookies?
How is your week going so far?

Epic Cookie Battle #3

The third chocolate chip cookie recipe in my epic cookie battle is awesome!  The cookies turned out beautifully, not ugly like the last ones.  They are HUGE!

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Adapted from: Tender Crumb) Makes 8 Giant Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter
Just under 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup + 1 T light brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup + 1.5 tsp pastry flour
3/4 cup bread flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup - 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Cream together the butter and sugars.  Add the egg and vanilla, mix.  Add all the dry ingredients except chips and mix just until combined.  Add the chocolate chips and mix on low or by hand until incorporated.  Form into 8 large balls and flatten slightly.  Bake on parchment lined pans for 16 minutes @ 350.

 

 

 

 

I couldn't finish a whole one, so I nibbled on a quarter of it and left the rest in the container.  Come over and you're bound to find partially eaten baked goods around the house :-) 

Waaaaaant some?

Epic Cookie Battle #2

If you missed my last post, I am having a chocolate chip cookie battle to see which of five cookie recipes is the best.  

When I made these cookies from Bon Appetit, they were so ugly looking that I thought I had ruined them.

Then, I looked back at the original picture and realized that, nope, I didn't ruin them ... they are supposed to be ugly.

I took a bite and came to the realization that ugly can be very, very tasty.  They are crisp on the outside, but soft in the middle - a very pleasing texture.

Crisp and Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Adapted slightly from: Bon Appetit)

3/4 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup + 2 T flour

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream the butter with both sugars.  Add the egg and vanilla, mix.  Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder and add to the wet ingredients.  Mix on low until just combined.  Add the chocolate chips and mix on low until incorporated.  Bake 6-8 minutes @ 425.

Choosing a winning recipe in this battle is going to be difficult.  Especially when you see what I have for you tomorrow ...

Do you make anything that is ugly but tastes ohhhh so good?