Pichet Ong’s New ‘Spot’

 If you werent looking for Pichet Ong’s latest venture ‘Spot‘, you might not find it. Nestled in what looks like a basement at first glance is a dessert bar whose products are a mix between Asian street food and American Comfort. Upon entering the cafe, I immediately fell in love with the faux grass on the floor. Ong tries to replicate a barn with his grass floor, raw wood furniture, and stone accents. Its really cute and kinda comfy too.

Onto the desserts, the wide array of sweets at this joint made deciding difficult: cupcakes, cookies, puddings, ice cream, bubble tea, coffee floats, and even dessert tapas. I decided to go with the cupcakes and a Thai milk coffee since I was in a semi-hurry and wanted a treat I could eat on the train.

Here’s the taste rundown:

Mocha Maldon Salt Caramel cupcake has mocha buttercream, salt caramel middle, and a moist chocolate cake base. This cupcake was a delicious salty/sweet mix with a hint of slightly bitter mocha. The frosting itself isnt really super out-of-the-ordinary BUT it did have edible glitter ontop of it: HUGE PLUS. Verdict: enjoyed this one quite a bit!

Chocolate Green Tea Fruit Jam cupcake has an apricot jam, soft green tea icing, and again a moist chocolate cake base. This frosting was much different in consistancy than the Mocha cupcake. It was softer, smoother, and much more interesting plus it had the same edible glitter ontop. The fruit jam paired wonderfully with the hints of green tea and chocolate. Verdict: He’s got himself a winner here! Possibly Ongs best cupcake.

Vanilla Caramel Vietnamese Coffee cupcake has a coffee-ish type buttercream frosting with a salty caramel liquid middle and a moist vanilla cake base. This is a great cupcake for those of you who like vanilla since the actual cake is so delicious. My only problem is that is tasted very much like the Mocha Maldon Salt cupcake. I think they are the same cupcake with different cake bases - which is fine with me, just change their names. I was expecting a real punch of Vietnamese coffee in this one and was sorely disappointed. Verdict: Very good, but probably wont be back for this one.

My only real issue was with the container holding the Thai Milk Coffee. Out of the few sips I was able to get while walking to the train station, the coffee was very good.  But by the time I got off of the train and to my final destination half the cup had leaked out and all over my bag! Ugh!! I couldnt even pinpoint where the coffee leak was coming from! I threw out the rest out of  anger. If you are getting coffee at Spot - get it to stay. Or if you dont mind getting coffee all over yourself and your clothes  then by all means get it to go.

Apple and Quince Bread Pudding

There is nothing more comforting than a big bowl of warm bread pudding right out of the oven. My father generally made bread pudding with raisins, but I found the addition of apples and quinces makes this dish heartier…and dare I say more delicious?

1 loaf of Italian bread (cut into cubes)

2 cups of heavy cream

1 peeled/diced quince

1 peeled/diced gala apple

3/4 cup of sugar

4 eggs

3 tbs of butter

¼ ts of cinnamon

½ ts of vanilla

¼ cup of whiskey (Johnny Walker Black)

 

Preheat Oven to 350

Melt butter in pan with whiskey and throw apples and quince. Cook until tender. Remove and let cool

In the meanwhile cut Italian bread into bite size pieces. Mix together cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon until well blended. Grease oven safe bowl. Toss in bread a fruit mixture and let sit for 10 minutes.

Cook for 45-60 minutes until golden brown. If you like it creamy, cook for only 45 minutes.

Diet Desserts I Love

I have always had weight issues  - ever since I was a pudgy 10 year old girl eating almost an entire bucket of KFC in the backseat of my parents car before we got it home for dinner (true story). I love food too much - flavors both sweet and savory. Here a few treats that help me get through the day when I am in serious snack mode.

1 - Weight Watcher’s Smart Ones Chocolate Eclair Frozen Food

These are amazing snacks. 3 points each and they are so tasty. If you love eclairs get these. The only problem is that I STILL haven’t figured out the right microwave temperature. At 25 seconds (recommended on the box) there are cold spots and at 30 seconds you burn your mouth on lava creme. I wish you better luck!

 

 

2 - No Pudge Brownies

Another chocolate item but a huge winner. Even my husband likes these moist brownies (and he is NOT a chocolate fan). The batter is super thick so don’t be alarmed if it seems WAY TOO THICK. I simply puree a pint or less of raspberries/strawberries and mix them into the wet brownie mix. It gives it a delicious berry kick and adds no fat. Want to add a scrumptious antioxidant kick? Mix in a tbs of powdered acai or 1/3 cup of acai juice

Not looking to reduce ALL the fat - add cream cheese instead of yogurt with a little bit of vanilla and soymilk.

3 - Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Cookies

These are a real cookie treat to munch on with a nice cup of lemon tea. I can’t normally stop at just 1 - but at least I feel better about having 2 of them. I also dont follow their expiration dates: there I said it! Only with this product though. I’ve eaten them even 3-4 weeks after the expiration date…don’t judge me!

4 - Orville Redenbacher’s 100 Calorie Smart Pop Mini Bags

These are great salty snack thats not going to break your diet. They aren’t really what I would call ‘jazzy’ but you can make them zippy with a handful of stuff in the house. Wanna make an Italian style popcorn? Mix together some pecorino/parmesean/locatelli (whatever you have in the house), oregano, and garlic powder and add  onto the popcorn. SINFUL!

5 - Frozen Bananas

So simple but this is a great summer treat. Freeze bananas in plastic bags wrapped in parchment (so they dont stick together). If you want to make them extra yummy - dip the bananas in sugar free chocolate sauce and then freeze flat on a parchment covered flat board/pan.

6 - South Beach Living Snack Bar Delights: Whipped BerryI don’t know how ‘New’ these are (at least the box tells me they’re new) but they are delicious!!! As a child I loved the

Dark Chocolate Roman Nougat in the Russell Stovers box (you know, that yummy cherry flavored nougat one with chopped nuts inside??) and this tastes exactly like it! Except this one is 100 calories and has 5 grams of protein. Hooray!

Easy Fruit Crumbles

When you’re cooking for a large group of people dessert can sometimes take a backseat. If you didnt bake a cake or make a pie the day before - you’re generally too tired to make something after your finished with the savories (unless you’re serving cheese and honey…which is one of the best desserts ever). This fruit crumble could NOT be simpler. Try it!

Fruit:

4 cups of seasonal fruit (i.e. a mix of blueberries, cherries, strawberries, and raspberries - Frozen Fruit can also work)3 tbs. of strawberry/raspberry jam

Crumble:

2/3 cup of sugar

7 tbs of butter

3/4 cup of flour

Pinch of salt

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees

- Combine flour, sugar, and salt - mix in melted butter.

- In separate bowl combine fruit and jam

- Grease 8 small ramekins and arrange on a baking sheet. Divide fruit into ramekins and then sprinkle the flour mixture ontop. NOTE: you will need to put more crumble ontop of the ramekins than you might think. Flour mixture tends to seep into the fruit and can disappear into it completely

- Bake about 35 minutes and serve warm - with ice cream if you’d like.

(VARIATION: use diced apples for fruit and caramel sauce instead of jam. If using caramel sauce add an additional 2 tbs.)

 

 

 

Carrot Cake of the Gods

This carrot cake recipe is a little different because the cream cheese frosting doesn’t have butter and the cake contains a can of 8oz of crushed pineapple and dried cranberries. My husband LOVES this…

CAKE BATTER
2 cups of all purpose flour
2 ts of baking powder
1 ½ ts of baking soda
2 ts of ground cinnamon (preferably Vietnamese since its more fragrant)
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups veggie oil
2 cups peeled and finely grated carrots (about 4 large)
8oz of crushed pineapple (with juice in can)
1/2 cup of coarsely chopped pecans
½ cup of dried cranberries

Preheat Oven to 325:
- Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in bowl
- Whisk the eggs in large missing bowl and whisk in sugar until light – about a minute. Whisk in oil in slow stream
- Stir in carrots, pineapple, and pecans. Fold in dry ingredients.
- Scrape batter into 2 pans with parchment paper lining the bottom (about 2 inch deep and 9 inches round)
- Back 45 mins until golden and inserted toothpick emerges clean
- Cool cake in pans for 15 mins. And invert onto racks

Icing/Glaze
Ok – I made this up because all the other ones were way too sugary and I wanted to take the butter out of it so I didn’t feel bad eating it.

12 oz of cream cheese
1 cup of Fage (Greek yogurt) or 1 cup of sour cream
1 tbs of vanilla extract
1 tbs of ginger juice (or 1 tbs of ginger powder)_
2 cups of confectioners sugar
1 cup of pecans

Mix all ingredients together except pecans in a mixer with a paddle until its slightly firm. Put in frig for about 20 minutes. Then assemble cake, put thin layer of glaze in the middle of the cake and frost it with the rest. Top with pecans and put whole cake in frig for a hour

I love Moscato d’Asti

This is just about the best brunch wine you could ever have. Its light, its sparkling, its sweet (without being too sweet), and its not too expensive. Sometimes it can bee tricky to find a good one so here are a few of my favorites.

1 - La Spinetta, 2008, Moscato D’Asti Vigneto Biancospino

This is a Piedmont sparkling wine that has yellow/light green reflections. Its sweet without being ’sticky’ and contains grapefruit/peach undertones. It also has a very low alcohol content (5.5%) so you can literally drink the entire bottle without getting a headache.

 Average Price: $19.99

 

2 - Bricco del Sole, 2008 Moscato d’Asti

Another Piedmont, the Morando family has been making wine since the beginning of the 19th century. Since 70% of their production is Moscato you KNOW it’s gonna be good. I find this to be slightly sweeter than the La Spinetta but its not hheavy at all. Still really light. Also they are ORGANIC!! Honest  - its the truth. One of the best organic wines out there.

Average Price: $15.99

 

3 - Saracco, 2008 Moscato d’Asti

Golden in color, this wine’s flavor has been compared more to pears instead of the typical ‘peach’ taste. It also can have a jasmine fragrance and a little after tingle of candied fruits.

Average Price: $ 16.99

 

Whats the difference between Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti??

Asti Spumante is a straightforward  fully sparkling wine with sweet/fruity flavors. Its usually just enjoyable as a dessert wine.

Moscato d’Asti is a low-alohol, semi-sparkling wine with about half the carbonation of a typical sparkling wine, and is released very soon after the vintage to preserve its uniquely fresh character. It’s not as sweet, has a very complex perfume, and a vibrant acidity. Its low alcohol level and fresh/sweetness makes it perfect as a brunch wine or simply a ’sitting-by-the-pool’ wine.

NOTE: Moscato d’Asti’s are best within 2 years of the vintage in order to keep the ‘freshness’ alive.

No Pudge Low Cal Whoopie Pie Dessert Recipe

I love whoopie pies but they are always too fatty for me to consume. If I do eat one - I am mad at myself for the rest of the day. As a smart alternative, I made this whoopie pie dessert recipe during one of my couch potato moments and they are just delightful!

Ingredients:

1 box No Pudge

1 cup Fresh Ricotta (if you don’t have fresh in your area then Polly-O or Sargento will do…but try for fresh)

3 tsp whole milk

1/2 vanilla bean seeds (or a dash of vanilla extract if you don’t have beans)

1 ts. splenda

Make ‘No Pudge‘ recipe according to the box but lay them out in a big pan to mak them thin. While they are baking, whip rest of the ingredients together and put in the frig. After the brownies have cooled, cut into bars (or circles if you like) and sandwich together with ricotta filling.

Ok - so they don’t look exactly like Whoppie Pies but they are delicious. Let me know how you like it!