Christmas Tree

We decided not to get a living Christmas tree this year because we would be spending most of the Christmas week at Yosemite Park. But in order to surround ourselves with holiday spirit this season, I decided to make a miniature tree for the tabletop. As it turned out this tree was obviously more appreciated by everyone than those we had in the past, it didn’t even last long enough for the weekend……..

Grape Jello

This is Ryan's new love - Grape Jello. I didn't introduce him to Jello for a long time, thinking it's empty calories loaded with artificial colorings. But after he tasted the Jello at Satura Cake weeks ago, he is hooked. So I'm trying to do a more healthy version by using fresh fruit, juice and less sugar. Jello is by far the easiest dessert to make. If you know how to boil water, you can make it. Here is the recipe:

1 cup of apple juice
1 tablespoon of sugar
1.5 teaspoons of gelatin
A dozens of peeled grapes

Combine juice and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Sprinkle gelatin powder over the water and let it sit for 5 minutes. Whisk gelatin into juice. Place peeled grapes into the molds and pour the juice mixture. Keep in the refrigerator until firm, about three hours or overnight.

"Give me another cup of BitterSweet, please!!"

Over the weekend, we found ourselves wandering around Berkeley again. Yes, again. We always love the city's artistic ambiance and the number of independent shops it offers. In addition to my regular pilgrimage to some of my old-time favorite shops such as Gardeners, Lilith, Twenty-two Shoes, and etc., I know I might just stumble across my next must-go shop. It’s just this thought that keeps luring me back to the area.

Well, as always, Berkeley didn’t disappoint me today. While strolling on College Ave., we happily encountered a cute chocolate cafe-BitterSweet. With two enthusiastic chocolate lovers in our group, we had to give it a try. The store offers an astounding variety of chocolates bars from all over the world. It also makes its own confections and chocolate drinks. We tasted its hot chocolate. It's rich, creamy and as if you are sipping a hot fudge cake. It's just divine! This time, it’s me, who asked “give me another cup of BitterSweet, please!!” instead of Ryry.

We will come back to it on our next visit to Berkeley, which I'm certain will be in the very near future :)

Summer Pear Panna Cotta

We rencently had panna cotta at Satura Cakes, a popular bakery store at Los altos. We loved its creamy and smooth texture. We tried to re-create it by experimenting with various recipes. Here is the version, we enjoyed the most.

Panna Cotta:
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1.5 teaspoons unflavored gelatin powder

Pear Coulis:
1 whole pear
1/8 cup sugar

Panna cotta: Combine whole milk, cream and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring from time to time (do not let it boil). Let cool for five minutes. Sprinkle gelatin powder over the water and let it sit for 5 minutes. Whisk gelatin into panna cotta mixture. Keep in the refrigerator until firm, about three hours or overnight. One thing to note is that if you prefer a firmer texture and would like to demold the panna cotta and serve on the plate, you may use 2 teaspoons of gelatin instead of 1.5 as indicated on the recipe.

Pear coulis: Cut pears in small slices. Combine in a small saucepan with the sugar and two tablespoons of water. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat immediately. Pour into the bowl of a blender and mix with short pulses. Cover, let cool to room temperature and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve the panna cotta in the cup topped with a layer of coulis.