Arcadia
26 Dec 2008

J.J. Bakery – Arcadia

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After our lunch at Din Tai Fung Dumpling House, The Astronomer was craving some sweet carbohydrates. J.J. Bakery is located in the same complex as the dumpling house and looked mighty inviting. The majority of the pastries at J.J. are made from the classic Chinese sweet dough a la Pham Nguyen and K.C.’s Pastries. There’s also a lovely selection of dainty Asian-style cakes. Prices are a bit high (anywhere from $1 to $4 per pastry), but the smell brought back memories of our favorite spots and made a purchase hard to resist. The Astronomer chose a pineapple-filled bun and a flaky almond puff pastry. Neither one was mind-blowing, but the almond pastry had just the right amount of sweet topping and definitely hit the spot. If you’re ever looking for dessert after a meal at Din Tai Fung Dumpling House, a pastry from J. J. Bakery will do quite nicely.

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J.J. Bakery
1130 S. Baldwin Avenue
Arcadia, CA 91007
Phone: 626-574-5866

Recipe
21 Dec 2008

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Back in high school, I used to call my friend Stephanie “Martha” (as in Stewart) because of her age-inappropriate affinity for baking and quilting. Eight years later, I’m the one making cupcakes using a Martha Stewart recipe. Funny how my insults have turned into compliments seemingly overnight.

For cupcakes

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

For frosting

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, oil and eggs. Add dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin puree.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Make frosting

Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Sift in confectioners’ sugar, and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla, and stir to combine.

Makes 22 cupcakes and about 2 cups of frosting.

Recipes by Martha Stewart (Cream Cheese Frosting, Pumpkin Cupcakes)

Recipe
19 Dec 2008

Cơm Chiên – Vietnamese Fried Rice

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This recipe is the perfect use for day-old rice that’s chilling out in the fridge. Whereas the cơm chiên I grew up with included little dried shrimps (tôm khô), this recipe excludes them because I never did like their taste or texture. In their place I’ve added peas and carrots for bold colors and nutrients, of course.

  • 4 cups cooked and chilled day-old rice
  • 2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
  • 1 egg, well beaten
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup of chopped carrots
  • 4 links of Chinese sausage (lạp xưởng)
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Fish Sauce (optional)

Prepare vegetables and sausage

Begin by setting out the peas on the counter to defrost. Slice the Chinese sausages into bite-sized pieces. I prefer to cut them at a slight bias, resulting in thin, but good-sized pieces. Next, coarsely chop the garlic cloves and set them aside. Lastly, chop the carrots into bite-sized pieces and lightly steam them in the microwave—carrots tend to take longer than the other ingredients to cook through.

Prepare egg

Add about 2 teaspoons of oil or butter to a frying pan and swirl to coat the pan lightly. Add the beaten egg and tilt the pan to make a thin egg pancake. Cook until set, about 1 minute, and then turn it out onto a plate. Once it has cooled, roll up the egg pancake into a cylinder and cut it crosswise into thin ribbons with a knife.

Prepare rice

Crumble the rice with your fingers to break up any big lumps.

Make fried rice

Add the remaining oil or butter to the pan along with the garlic and cook until sizzling and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Scatter the sausage and carrots in the pan and cook, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, tossing now and then, until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. I cook my rice a bit longer because I prefer it with crunchy clumps.

Add the fish sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Next, add peas to the rice and toss. Add the egg ribbons, and cook, tossing well, for 1 more minute. Serve hot or warm.