Never Say Never

There was a time during my younger years, when my baking objective was to make the perfect baked cheesecake. I have gone through a lot of books and websites, testing different varieties and flavors. In every restaurant I go to, I order a cheesecake whenever it is served. It’s something that I truly enjoyed. Its smooth creamy and light consistency with a hint of tang is heaven to the palate.

I am also a chocolate lover! The darker the better! I love Lindt 70% cocoa! That is my chocolate! Truly decadent, a temptation I could not resist.

I have searched for heaven in combining two of the best, creamy cheesecake and intense chocolate. For a few years, I have tried it in the city’s dining scene as well as baked the recipes in the cook books around. None of which quite made it. So I made a conclusion. Cheesecake is a star on its own! It is great with flavors like maple or coffee. Berries work well too. Chocolate seems to be too strong for it. Like harshly grabbing all the attention. It is either too rich that one bite satiates the palate or not enough that will make you feel like it is added merely for color. Chocolate in its pureness is best left on its own. It can be accentuated with spices like cinnamon or made more interesting with nuts, pralines and liquors. That was my conviction. Never make cheesecake with chocolate.

This was it until one Sunday afternoon during my visit to my Uncle Chris’ place in San Diego. He knew my love for desserts. So for Lunch, he along with his wife Melissa brought my sister and me to the Cheesecake Factory. They have a very lively interior with a friendly crew of wait staff. After a Philly cheese steak sandwich, we ordered a Ghirardelli Dark chocolate cheesecake. The best on the menu he says. I did give it a try. With a bite, the marriage of the two flavors worked wonderfully in this dessert. The chocolate truffle layer has a really dark and rich intense flavor, one that I crave for in dark chocolate desserts. The cheesecake with the chocolate has its signature creaminess and lightness that is heaven to the palate yet giving way to the intensity of the darker flavor, all of this crusted in a rich fudge brownie-like chocolate base. Truly delicious! This broke that conviction! Never Say Never!

the duet

This is a special blog entry. This is not written by one, but two authors. To our last night in Scottsdale, and to the best night.

Well, let's kick this entry off... where do we start?

elaine: "We went to Yard House"...

Hmmm... that doesn't really work... let' see... maybe we should kick it off with a photo????

But before that, The Yard House boasts of its wide selection of beers! Over 114 choices all in all.





That's me and sis... just snapping away on Oldtown Scottsdale... where the streets are lined with endless art galleries. And Southwestern style bric-a-brac, from Indian -American jewelleries to brass sculptors to Mexican hats! The ambience feels like you went back in time... ala-Back to The future with Dr. Brown and Marty....



Luckily it wasn't too hot, a bit cloudy so we could stroll the streets... it was pretty balmy, the sky was getting ready for some rain... a few minutes later, the scottsdale trolley passed by so we took a ride back to the mall.

As if we didn't shop enough, it was a day for kitchen and cooking stuff! We got some really good books at a bargain... at almost 75% off, it was such a good buy... we got cool tools... a cheese slicer, a silicon pastry brush, a digital thermometer, a little cookie scoop, a MICROPLANE fine grater (not only one but two, one for each of us) and a jar scraper (yes, you can see, we are so spoiled in the kitchen). If i (marianne) didn't hold off, I was so tempted to buy the air tight, humidity-controlling canister for coffee beans, it was sooo tempting. And we thought we were done shopping! Now the only other challenge is how to pack it all up and head back to LA.

TO CAP THE NIGHT OFF...

Where else, but the Yard House :)... and mind you the music was much better this time. It was a party... even for just the two of us. Elaine started a bit on the childish side with Wyder's Raspberry cider... it tasted like 7-up flavored with artificial raspberry juice. We ordered blue crab cakes (we hear it's good)... it's "well-made"... crisp, not greasy, golden brown but it doesn't tickle our fancy.



As for beer, Marianne had Old Speckled Hen. It had a bitter after taste but it was very smooth. A good drink if you wanted something with character. Elaine had Hoegaarden, a belgian white beer, that is my(Marianne) favorite... and this is what dear sister says: "the only beer that I might ever drink, and actually like it!" It is an easy favorite, really.

I(Marianne) followed mine with a Hawaiian brew -- the Kona Longboard Lager.

To pair our second round, we had Grilled Artichokes... which to me was the strangest food I've seen. Strange because, well... first you snap off the little artichoke leaf, bite from stem side and scrape the soft part of the leaf... practically nothing to eat really... just fun food, i guess.

The chips were chips... but lacks a bit of salt. The best part, like our server vanessa says is the heart of the artichoke... hmmm... I'd go back to banana hearts anytime. It was an experience... but it wasn't really for the joy or eating.

BUT...

yes, BUT!!!!

The Clincher of them all is.... (drum rolls)... because i could bet you might not have tried this if you haven't been to Yard house.

beer with ice cream.

yes...

BEER WITH ICE CREAM. BEER FLOAT

here's proof:




Now before you wince and belch, hear us out... The Lindeman's Framboise (another Belgian Beer) with vanilla ice cream could easily pass off as dessert. Sweet, syrupy, drink it like milkshake... creamy with a candy-ish raspberry aroma. It's sooo smooth, and frankly, it's too good to share!

Now the second one is a bit more challenging and not for the uninitiated... There was Young's Chocolate Stout with Vanilla Ice Cream (yes, yes, it doesn't really look appetizing any way you put it, whether with photos and with words. First off, Beer and Chocolate, just doesn't sound right together, does it?

It is, surprisingly a combination that works. The strong flavor and bitter aftertaste of the stout (which actually has a very prominent chocolate in it) blended with the creamy and sweet vanilla ice cream finishes the drink with a caramel flavor and the froth turns into a rich cream that's just really really, heaven.

yummm... that's a good night cap :)

Tortillas and Margaritas!

Located at the Arts District of downtown Scottsdale, Old Town Tortilla Factory captures timeless charm and distinct atmosphere. It is built from a historic 75-year-old adobe home. They have a firewater patio and a world-renowned tequila bar that offers 80 premium tequilas! To date, they also have one of the oldest pecan trees in the city. Not to mention that they are part of The Food Network’s “The Best Of” Margaritas.

They make fresh tortillas in over 25 flavors! It actually tastes different from the ones sold in the market. These were really thin flat breads, soft to the bite with a hint of flavor. Chile, cheese, cilantro, black beans, these are among the tortillas all lined up. We had Shrimp Diablo for our appetizer. Its made with sautéed mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, onions and garlic in red chile butter. It was served with toasted bolilio bread-a crusty bread shaped into tapered rolls. I preferred having them with my tortillas though.


My sister and I shared The Old Town Tortilla Soft Tacos. Yes the beef was tender, juicy and well cooked. It was good ol' comfort food.Simple and satisfying. A little bit of sour cream would have made it even more delicious

We also had Pollo y margarita. These are rolled chicken stuffed with peppers and cheese in a Tequilla lemon sauce. The concept was good, the sauce was wonderful though I would suggest that for anyone of you thinking of trying Tequilla Factory, get the beef dishes, They had stuffed fillet mignon on the menu that I was really eyeing for but just thought that it was too heavy for me. The chicken was a bit on the dry side.


After dinner we got ourselves our Lime Margaritas and indeed it was the best I’ve ever tasted. It was well worth its price.Served with its shakers on the side, we had lalmost 2 servings per person for an order. Nice comfort food and a great night cap.

La Brea

La Brea is Nancy Silverton's Bakery! If you're a food aficionado I'm sure you will know her. She is one of the who's who in the Baking world here in the States. As a culinary student, I have heard and read so much about her. Back then it was just like someone I see on books and who’s recipe I follow. Now I have a chance to visit her shop! That was at the top of my must-visit- places. She currently has branches all over L.A. she even supplies her breads to the bigger establishments such as Disneyland. I preferred to visit the original La Brea Bakery though located at 624 South La Brea Avenue Los Angeles. It was just a few minutes drive from Hollywood boulevard.


It’s a quaint bakery, which has a grandmother homey feel to it (I remember my Lola Feling’s Bakery in La Paz back in my hometown). Nancy dropped by that morning! Too bad I was not able to catch her! With a friendly staff, their artisan breads line the display counter as well as the shelves behind. They also serve granolas and pies on the side. It looks so wonderful! The different crust colors, bread shapes and grains, it looks so rustic. I did not know what to choose. I got my self their sourdough baguette, which was of course perfectly shaped band browned. The grign was beautiful. Very large and open. Got my Be-I-Po her favorite breakfast treat, multi-grain bagels and my sister had their apple pie.


I loved the baguette! Yes it was perfect! It was very crusty and with that perfect shape, even the crumbs are well spaced and the flavor of the sour is really intense. It was really impressive! Great breakfast with butter and my daily espresso shot! Yummy!