Tokyo Eats...and Tsukiji Fish Market

I skipped from Hong Kong to Tokyo to spend 6 days. I was pretty exhausted when I left Hong Kong and I caught a bit of a head cold upon arrival since it was freezing and rainy in Tokyo. Yeah, I'm a SoCal girl so 40ish degrees Fahrenheit gets me shivering. Anyway, I forged on because there was delicious Japanese food to be eaten!

While I was in Hong Kong, I picked up this super useful Tokyo guidebook: Tokyo Eat Play Shop Ultimate Heaven Book. That's my best attempt at translating the Chinese title; the term "Heaven Book" in Chinese is just a way to say it's the ultimate source book. I'm so thankful I can read Chinese because this guidebook was really, really helpful in pointing me to all the good eats, sites to visit and interesting shopping destinations. I found it much more focused and detailed and more attuned to my tastes than English guidebooks. Most of my good eats recommendations came from this book.

If you're in Hong Kong and can read traditional Chinese, I recommend you visit a 7-Eleven and check out all the titles they have, or heck, have a Hong Kong friend mail you a copy. There are many editions on cities in China and throughout Asia.

First stop off the plane - Santouka Ramen in Shinjuku

Santouka is famous for its delicious ramen bathed in its rich pork bone broth. I got the salt special pork ramen which came with extra fatty and tender pork on the side, "wood-ear" mushrooms and a perfect hardboiled egg with a runny yolk. All bowls of ramen at Santouka are topped with a spoonful of oil to seal in the heat of the soup.

There are several Santouka locations in Los Angeles and I after trying this Tokyo location, I think the LA ones are just as good and preferable because it's cheaper. My bowl in Tokyo cost me $16 USD!

All that salt from the ramen made me crave sugar so I immediately stopped when I spotted a random dessert shop in Shinjuku. I got a 3-course prix fixe. The best was the red bean cake with fresh sweet whipped cream. The mochi swimming in the red bean soup was okay. I didn't care for the mochi wrapped in seaweed that was in the middle; savory mochi isn't my thing.

Chicken Curry from Nakamuraya in Shinjuku. The curry was perfect with the chewy short-grain jasmine rice.

In addition to its curry, Nakamuraya is also know for its creme bread (top rack) in its bakery section. It has a daily schedule and people queue up at the designated times for a hot piping creme bread. It was soooo good.

Asakusa is a district in Tokyo (about 20 min train ride from city center) most famous for the Sensoji Temple, the oldest temple in Tokyo. Just outside of the Sensoji Temple is a long avenue of snack vendors. I pretty much hit all the highlights. This is a fried "mantou" bread - it's sort of like a donut I guess. The orange one has sweet pumpkin filling and the green one was green tea. The pumpkin was really good.

"Human Shaped Burns" - that's my straight translation of this fabulous snack. It's really animal and architecture shaped breads with a smooth, sweet red bean filling inside. Fresh hot ones are constantly being made so get a hot one and cooled ones can also be bought as gifts but they don't last beyond a day or two.

The highlight here are those light green rectangular cakes which are a kind of Japanese yam that' pureed and then formed into these blocks. (Sorry, can't find an English name for the yams.) I really enjoyed the delicate texture and light sweetness of this dessert snack. The flavor was subtle and not as bold as red bean.

Hot sweet sake was so comforting on that cold, cold night in Asakusa.

Broiled eel bento rice box at a restaurant (sorry, no English name) that specializes in broiled eel in Asakusa.

The broiled eel went along perfectly with this eel liver soup. The soup was refreshing and had a hint of the crisp sweetness of the sea.

A nice fluffy cake filled with sweet red beans in a shop that has been specializing in these cakes since 1924 in Asakusa. Red Bean Cake is one of my favorite Japanese snacks.

Order ramen / food from a machine? This took me by surprise when I first saw it. You place your order at this machine and it gives you a ticket. You take the ticket and give it to someone in the restaurant, find a seat if seating is offered and then wait for your food to arrive (and hope that you really ordered what you thought you saw displayed on the picture).

This was an awesome bowl of ramen - not ordered from a machine :). Located in Shinjuku, this ramen shop specializes in pork bone soup that's boiled for a full day. Oil is carefully removed from the soup to leave a milky rich broth that's sweet with meat flavors and not greasy. The ramen was the thinner variety, cooked al dente, and I loved the generous amounts of green onions, "wood-ear" mushrooms and thick cuts of tender pork char siu.

The tonkatsu at Mai Sen in Harajuku is known for serving the best tonkatsu in Japan. The fried pork was bursting with juiciness and it was "melt in your mouth" tender. I never miss an opportunity to top something savory with an egg so I ordered a katsudon which is basically tonkatsu with an egg and a light sauce on top. The katsudon was so perfect. It's hard to find a good katsudon in LA; in my experience, the egg is often overcooked and combined with too much sauce, the pork becomes soggy and chewy.

My friend and I actually managed to wake up at 4am to catch the 5:02am Oedo line to Tsukiji Fish Market to witness the amazing tuna auction. It was definitely worth the trip and it was quite an experience dodging trucks and boxes and barrels of fish in the humongous market.

Note the size of the tuna and the men who are standing. I bet that large tuna in the front was bigger than me!

The tuna auction finished around 6:15am so we quickly scrambled to find the two best sushi bars at Tsukiji: Sushi Dai and Sushi Daiwa. Both are located in the six mini side streets just next to the market. The lines were super long at both places and we decided on Sushi Dai because it has an 11-piece "Trust the Chef" sushi set for around $40 USD.

Sushi Dai consists of only a bar and it only has 13 seats. We waited for almost 90 minutes.

Fatty Tuna

The 90 minute wait was totally worth it. That's all I'm going to say :)

Sea Bass

Sushi at for breakfast at 7:30am is actually pretty great!

Red Snapper

I normally don't like Red Snapper in LA because I find the taste dull. However, this one was really sweet; I would order Red Snapper in LA if it all tasted like that.

Uni (aka Sea Urchin...aka my love)

The 11th piece on our set menu was up to our own choosing. The uni was so fresh and sweet that I chose a second order of uni over fatty tuna. Note that beautiful gold color and no black veins! I never order uni that has black veins running through the middle or if it's a very dull yellow.

Clam

Sweet and crunchy.

Horse Mackerel

I've never had this before and was really surprised by how good it was.

Baby Shrimp

Again, I usually don't order raw shrimp in LA because it rarely tastes like anything but this one was really, really sweet. Yes to raw baby shrimp if they're all prepared and sweet like this.

Salmon Roe.

Mmmm, lots and lots of potential salmon...but so delicious as roe.

A very simple tuna and cucumber roll mix. The chef used really good tuna for the roll and we could taste the difference.

Anago (aka salt-water eel)

Interesting. In LA, I prefer Unagi (freshwater eel) over Anago because it's fattier but this Anago was very good - light in taste and it didn't fall apart when I picked it up even though the meat was very tender. This cooked piece was a great way to finish off a heavenly sushi experience.

Everything is expensive in Tokyo and I have my priorities so most of my budget went to food over shopping. But six days was not enough to hit all the ramen shops on my "to eat" list and my Tokyo Eat Play Shop Ultimate Heaven Book gave me so many good ideas for restaurants in general that I'll just have to make a second trip back to Tokyo (and the rest of Japan) soon. I don't speak Japanese so there were many frustrating moments on this trip but knowing Chinese definitely helped when it came to reading Kanji since the Japanese writing system does borrow from Chinese characters. And it was a bummer that I had to leave when I finally got a handle on the Tokyo rail system (not easy!).

Tokyo will overload every one of your senses.

Be prepared and be open-minded. :)

Two Fabulous Meals at Tai Woo (TST, Hong Kong)

My dinners at Tai Woo Restaurant (太湖海鮮城) was so memorably good that it deserves it own post. At least I can refer to this post until the next time I return to Hong Kong and you bet I'll be visiting Tai Woo again.

I had been to Tai Woo two years ago with a local friend and Tai Woo really impressed me with their simple dishes so this time I made sure I returned to try some of their famous / award-winning dishes. The dinner was so amazing that I immediately returned the second night for my "farewell to Hong Kong" dinner.

NIGHT ONE

"Tai Bak" Drunken Pigeon (金獎太白醉乳鴿)

This is one of their most popular dishes and it's often sold out. It was sold out the first time I went two years ago so I made sure I ordered one right away this time. Boy, I was not disappointed. I've had fried pigeon (squab) before and it was good but that pales in comparison to the Drunken Pigeon. It was marinated in Tai Bak Wine which is a very smooth and fragrant wine. I forgot to ask how long the pigeon was marinated but I bet it was at least 24 hours ; the meat was tender and oozed delicious game and wine flavors and the skin had a beautiful wine-soaked layer of fat on it and for once, I ate the skin. (No worries, you walk everywhere in Hong Kong so calories will be burned!)

The Drunken Pigeon was so good I even ate the head - sucked out all the brainy bits and discarded the beak. Yeah, a friend recently warned me that I should stop admitting that I eat brains, etc. because that'll scare people away...

Lettuce Stir-Fried with Shrimp Paste (蝦醬炒生菜)

This is a simple dish but it was so good. I'm not a huge fan of Western raw salad but I eat it because I should. Chinese people don't really like their vegetables raw. We love to stir-fry and we love to use wonderful stuff like shrimp paste, black bean sauce or "fu yu" (soy bean paste - 腐乳).

Shrimp Eggs & Pomelo Skin Clay Pot (蝦子柚皮)

The deliciousness and creativity of this dish blew me away. Who would of thought that the thick, pudgy white rind of the pomelo could be stewed in soup overnight and then sprinkled with tiny dried shrimp eggs and turned into a fabulous dish? The pomelo rind is similar to the rind of a grapefruit which I thought was inedible but the soup completely transformed the rind into a spongy soup bomb in my mouth and the dried shrimp eggs were a wonderful fragrant touch. After one bite, I immediately ordered a bowl of rice to soak up that extra rich soup/sauce and shrimp eggs.

Fried Anchovy Taro Pork Patties (馬友咸魚鮮肉藕)

Another very creative and delicious entree. I love Chinese anchovy and the saltiness was a perfect compliment to the taro and fresh pork patty. Plus, it was fried. How perfect is that? I think I'll try to make this at home.

Chinese Mitten Crab (大閘蟹)

This was my first time trying Mitten Crab. I can only say that I wish I could have it more often but I don't think it'd be good for my LDLs. Why? Because Mitten Crabs are small, hand-sized crabs known for its rich crab roe which I believe is not good for bad cholesterol levels.

Plus, Mitten Crabs are considered an invasive species in the States so I don't see it often in LA restaurants. But really, to control an invasive species, they should just give it all to Chinese restaurants and we'll take care of the problem.

The golden yellow crab roe is best mixed with hot, steamed rice. The Mitten Crab's roe is distinct; it's a lot richer than say the roe from dungeness crabs. Note that the Mitten Crab doesn't have a lot of actual crab meat since it's so small.

NIGHT TWO

Wine-Marinated Duck Gizzards with Salted Bok Choy Roots.

This was a small complimentary appetizer. It was so good, I could have eaten a whole big plate of it. I love duck gizzards.

Baked Sesame Salted Chicken (芝麻鹽焗雞)

This award-winning chicken should be reserved in advance when making reservations. It's another dish that's often sold-out. The toasted sesame gave the chicken a nice aroma and made the fatty skin crunchy. And like I always say, chicken just tastes better in Asia.

Crispy Juicy Stewed Beef (三弄回味牛肉)

This was good but the least memorable of all the dishes I tried at Tai Woo. The beef was tender and well marinated in soy but I didn't really like the slices of cucumber wedged between the beef. The crispy part of the dish came from the fried pastry sheets so that was kind of cheating.

Scrambled Egg Whites with Crab Meat, Fried Prawns and Salted Duck Egg Yolk (西施伴霸王)

This was really, really good. My descriptive translation of the name says it all. The salted duck egg yolk gave all that seafood a nice savory touch.

Fried Rice with Fresh Fish & Ginger (薑米鮮魚炒飯)

I love ginger fried rice and this fried rice was perfect on every level. The rice had a delicious aroma. The egg was scrambled just right (no rubbery eggs here) with fresh fine-grated ginger and the de-boned meat of a fresh fish. All seafood restaurants in Hong Kong (and often in Los Angeles) have tanks of live fish to show customers they're really getting a fresh fish. The meat of fresh versus frozen fish is a world of difference; fresh fish is sweet, not fishy at all, and the texture of the meat is "alive" in your mouth.

Haha, I love that the dish came with the fried head and tail of the fish too. I think I had 3 bowls of fried rice that night. A record! That's the most I ate during my entire trip in Hong Kong.

This was my third time visiting Hong Kong. Hong Kong is not a huge place and after using my first visit to check out all the famous sites, I've pretty much concentrated my second and third trip on exploring the produce markets and random side streets and shopping. My fluency in Cantonese really comes in handy in Hong Kong. And of course, each time I have my "hit list" of restaurants to revisit or try. Hong Kong, after all, is known as a the heaven of dining and shopping.

And you know what the best part is? You walk everywhere in Hong Kong (don't cheat too much with taxis) and it really helps burn off everything you eat. I actually lost weight coming back from my trip!

Next Stop: Tokyo! Yes, from one crowded city to an even more crowded city. I swear my next vacation will be mountains and rivers.

Tai Woo Restaurant (太湖海鮮城)

3 locations in Hong Kong and Kowloon (I went to the Tsim Sha Tsui location

every time)

14-16 Hillwood Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Tel: 2368-5420

27 Percival St., Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, Tel: 2893-0822

192-198 Shau Kei Wan Road, Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong, Tel: 2569-5144

Some Hong Kong Eats

It has been a crazy whirlwind since returning from Hong Kong and Tokyo two weeks ago.

I went to Hong Kong to be the maid of honor for my best friend's wedding and I was there for 6 days officially but I really only had 3.5 days to enjoy the good eats of Hong Kong due to two nights of stress-induced heartburn and one day devoted to the wedding. Good thing it was my third time there and I had a "To Eat" list so I did get to hit some of my old favorites and also try new things!

I read that 再興燒臘飯店 in Wanchai (sorry, no English name) had really good roasted meats so this was a must try for me this time. This is a roasted baby suckling pig.

My friend and I didn't order a whole roasted suckling pig since we wouldn't be able to finish it so we went with the next best option: roast pig, roast duck and roast char siu bbq pork combo. OMG, the roast pork skin went snap, crackle and pop in our mouths. Delicious! And every (tiny) table comes with a ginormous bottle of "rice sauce," which is a blend of soy sauce that you squirt over your rice.

Instead of rice, I chose my favorite "lai fun" to go with my meal. "Lai fun" is sort of a slippery, thicker version of rice vermicelli. Weirdly and sadly, it's rarely served in Los Angeles. The slang name for "lai fun" is "rat noodles." Why you ask? Because the noodles resemble the rat's tail.

While wandering through an open-air produce market in Mongkok, I came upon a store that had a huge sign that said "The Town's Best Ancient-Style Salt-Baked Chickens" and next to it hung rows and rows of chickens - ready for me to eat :)

Without a second thought, I plopped down $35 HKD (roughly $5 USD) for half a chicken and my friend and I chowed down right away. The chicken had a rich, meat flavor (sadly missing from your local market's Foster Farms chicken) and the salt flavoring brought out the meat's sweetness. It was reaallly good. I love eating chicken when I'm in Asia. Why do chickens taste better in Asia? Free-range? Cooking methods? Fresh-killed? My guess is yes, yes and yes.

Chiu Yuen Chiu Chow Noodle (潮苑正宗潮州粉麵). This noodle shop in Wanchai is an old favorite of mine. Really fresh fish paste balls and tender, fatty beef patties. This particular bowl had everything - fish, beef, tripe and pig intestines. Another home run.

Right next door to Chiu Yuen is Kam Fung Bistro (金鳳茶餐廳), another favorite of mine. Fresh Egg Custard Tarts seem to be constantly coming out at this place and you can buy one at the door and be on your way. Their Egg Custard Tarts have a nice flaky crust and it's really good when hot. You should also try their hot Milk Tea. It's not the watered down version you get in Taiwanese tea stations in LA; this is really strong tea. This combo is a favorite for afternoon tea in Hong Kong.

Kam Fung is a "cha chann teng"- a type of simple, down-to-earth bistro that's very popular in Hong Kong; it's really a vital part of Hong Kong's food culture. Kam Fung also serves a variety of simple, quick meals for those on the run (like all Hong Kong-ers are) like a hot pineapple bun with a thick slab of butter in between (yum!), chicken pot pie, instant ramen noodles and ham & egg sandwiches; a very typical menu for "cha chann tengs."

I kick myself. I forgot to write down the name of this restaurant in Wanchai (on Hennessey Rd., near Metropark Wanchai Hotel) where I had a delicious bowl of Yunnan "Over the Bridge" Vermicelli with Pork-Neck Meat. Yunnan "Over the Bridge" Vermicelli (aka 雲南過橋米線) has a very distinct style. The vermicelli is thick and cooked somewhat al dente. Typically, thinly sliced raw meat is placed in the bowl. Boiling chicken soup is poured into the bowl to cook the meat and tofu skin and veggies are quickly added followed by the vermicelli. Then the bowl is finished off with a spoonful of hot oil on top to "seal" in the heat of the soup.

And it's called "Over the Bridge" Vermicelli because legend says that the wife of a scholar had to deliver her husband's lunch over a bridge every day while he studied. She delivered a hot chicken soup to him one day and he was so busy studying, he forgot to eat. But when he remembered, he discovered the soup was still hot so he added the noodles. From then on, his wife often delivered that meal to him over the bridge.

Being the Maid of Honor in someone's wedding is fun but not easy especially if it's a Chinese-Western style wedding. I won't elaborate but I'll just say it was hard to sit still but I did get to enjoy some of the highlights of the reception like this delicious crackling roast pork skin. I can't get enough of this stuff.

This "Bird's Nest" dish was not the best but it was interesting. A fried taro shell held scrambled egg whites with shrimp topped with "bird's nest." Bird's Nest (燕窩) is really the saliva secreted by Cave Swifts (a type of bird) to make their nests. It's an expensive Chinese delicacy believed to have many nutrients good for the skin, the immune system, digestion, libido and so on.

Sliced abalone. Tender and sweet.

I caught the bride's bouquet so it didn't really matter that I didn't really get to savor the rest of the 7 courses :)

"Thousand-Year-Old" Preserved Duck Egg appetizer at Yung Kee.

Post-wedding, two friends and I went to Yung Kee (鏞記) in Central, one of the most famous restaurants in Hong Kong. It's known for its Roast Goose and All-Goose Feast where every dish, except dessert, is cooked with a part of a goose. We were a party of three so we opted for a simpler prix fixe. Plus, I wonder if the All-Goose Feast requires some kind of advance reservations. But if you're curious about the All-Goose Feast, check out the pics from Cha Xiu Bao, one of my favorite food bloggers.

Abalone soup. Good but not particularly memorable. The abalone was surprisingly tender.

The Star of Yung Kee! Roast Goose. Mmmm. Again, why can't we see this served more often in LA?

A mini-bowl of wonton (minced pork and shrimp dumplings) noodles to finish the meal at Yung Kee. Amazing! Turns out, my two friends don't like wonton noodles. Except for wheat pasta, I don't think there's a noodle or pasta I don't like :)

Varieties of Steamed Milk Pudding desserts are bestsellers at Yee Shun (義順) which originated in Macau and now has multiple locations in Hong Kong. I love steamed milk pudding and it's supposed to be good for your skin - well, at least you know milk is good for you anyway. I always get the Ginger Milk Pudding (薑汁撞奶), Double-Skin Milk Pudding (雙皮奶) and Egg Milk Pudding (燉蛋).

Ginger Milk Pudding is made by boiling hot milk and then pouring it quickly into fresh ginger juice and waiting for it to set - sounds simple but it's hard to get right every time because it doesn't always set. Double-Skin Milk Pudding is a steamed mixture of egg whites, whole milk and sugar and a thick film forms on top of the pudding from the whole milk - this is Yee Shun's most popular dessert. Egg Milk Pudding is a steamed mixture of whole milk, a whole egg and sugar.

The Crown Jewel! Tai Cheung Bakery's (泰昌餅家) egg custard tarts are soooooo good with the perfect combination of fragrant, sweet egg custard and flaky crust. It's a MUST in Hong Kong. And you must visit the main store in Central where fresh batches are constantly coming out of the oven as people queue up. Trust me, you want a piping hot egg tart. Tip - there's a coffee shop a few stores up from the bakery where you can get a coffee to enjoy with your egg tart. Free internet at the coffee shop too!

I've always wanted to try the famous vegetarian meals at the Po Lin Monastery (寶蓮禪寺) on Lantau Island which you can reach by ferry or train. It was a very nice and simple vegetarian meal with four courses and a soup for two people (I think it was about $15 USD/pp). However, it was a bit more touristy than I expected but it was still a lot better than getting trapped by the chains along the main shopping boulevard before you get to the Monastery.

Finally, fried "Stinky Tofu" (臭豆腐). I was so happy to find this awesome street food. It's best enjoyed with a mixture of hot sauce and sweet hoisin sauce. Yes, it's an acquired taste and smell like durian which I can't stand. But I don't think this tofu is stinky at all; I think it should be renamed "Fragrant Tofu." Seriously.

There were a few favorites I missed this time like Portuguese Egg Tarts and Hang Heung Bakery's "Wife Cake" due to lack of time and room in my stomach but I guess there's always next time. Hong Kong is only a 15 hour plane ride away.

Next Post Coming Soon (I hope) - "Two Fabulous Hong Kong Meals at Tai Woo"

再興燒臘飯店 (no English name but known for roast meats)

265-267 Hennessey Rd., Wanchai, Hong Kong

Tel: 2519-6639

Chiu Yuen Chiu Chow Noodle (潮苑正宗潮州粉麵 )

37 Spring Garden Lane, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Tel: 2892-2322

Kam Fung Bistro (金鳳茶餐廳)

41 Spring Garden Lane, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Tel: 2572-0526

Yung Kee (鏞記)

32-40 Wellington St., Central, Hong Kong

Tel: 2522-1624

Yee Shun (義順)

Multiple locations in Macau and Hong Kong(Causeway Bay, Wanchai, Jordan, Yau Ma Tei and Prince)

Tai Cheung Bakery (泰昌餅家)

35 Lyndhurst St., Central, Hong Kong

Tel: 2544-3475

A Chocolate Cake to Win Hearts & Minds

Molly Wizenberg has a recipe called "The Winning Hearts and Minds Cake, or Our Wedding Cake" in the last chapter of her book, "A Homemade Life." Obviously her book ends with her wedding. I won't ruin it for you but Wizenberg has a great "it only happens in the movies" story on how she met her husband.

I was looking for a chocolate cake recipe to make for someone's birthday. I did a "test" cake and brought it to the office and the general consensus was that it was good, very chocolaty and fudgy almost like a brownie. I was afraid it was too sweet but people (even those who don't generally like very sweet things) told me the sweetness was just right.

Anyway, I decided not to make anything for the birthday after all. But you can try this delicious recipe if you love chocolate....or if you want to win some hearts and minds.

The Winning Hearts and Minds Cake

Or, Our Wedding Cake

adapted from Molly Wizenberg

• 7 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (use Scharffen Berger or Ghirardelli 60% chips)
• 1 3/4 (7 oz) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 1 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
• lightly sweetened whipped cream for serving (or I like to use powdered sugar for serving/garnish)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and butter an 8-inch round cake pan. Cut a piece of round parchment paper and line bottom of cake pan and butter the paper too.
2. Put chocolate and butter in a medium bowl and microwave on 30 second intervals, stirring often, until smooth. You can also use a double boiler.
3. When chocolate mixture is smooth, add sugar and stir well to incorporate. You might have to switch to a large bowl before do this because there are more ingredients coming.
4. Set batter aside to cool for 5 minutes.
5. Then add the eggs one by one, stirring well after each addition.
6. Add flour and stir well to mix. The batter should be dark and silky.
7. Pour batter into the cake pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is crackly, edges are puffed and the cake center looks set (doesn't jiggle).
8. Wizenberg suggests setting the timer to 20 minutes and then monitoring the cake at 2 minute intervals to avoid over-baking. The cake is done when the center only jiggles slightly.
9. Remove cake from oven and leave it in the pan and cool on a cooling rack for 15 minutes.
10. Then flip the cake onto a serving plate to finish cooling. The cake is very delicate so this is Wizenberg's tip. Place a sheet of aluminum foil over the cake pan and place a large, flat plate/sheet plate - not the serving plate - on top of the foil, facing down. Hold cake pan and plate firmly together and quickly/carefully flip them. Remove cake pan to reveal cake which is now upside-down. Remove parchment paper. Gently place the serving plate on top of the cake. Wedge your index fingers between the plates to keep from squishing the cake, flip them so the cake is now right side up. Remove foil.
11. You MUST cool completely before serving. In fact, Wizenberg recommend that you wrap the cake in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for at least a day or so and allow 24 hours for it to return to room temperature before serving. Freezing actually improves the texture and flavor of the cake. I agree with her. I taste-tested the cake when it was warm and it was too gooey. I refrigerated a small piece and freezing and then bringing back to room temperature was the best.
12. Instead of serving with whipped cream, I used a stainless-steel sieve and sifted powdered sugar on top of the cake.

Finely chopped chocolate and cubed butter.

Silky melted chocolate and butter. Mmmmmm.

Adding eggs one at a time and then add the flour last.

Silky batter poured into the prepared pan.

Cake done after 24 minutes. It was pretty puffed up coming out of the oven but it quickly de-puffed while cooling on the rack.

Flipped the cake onto a serving pan. No problem. Great tip from Wizenberg.

After cooling, I dusted powdered sugar to finish. A friend suggested pairing the cake with a raspberry or some type of fruit sauce which sounds delicious too.

I'm trying a new format to post recipes and photos. Hope this works better for folks who are trying to print and/or follow the recipe. Okay, go win some hearts and minds now!

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

Felt very blue and confused tonight so I made Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips to give myself a "mental health" break and to make my apartment smell and feel warm.

I love this delicious and easy recipe from Molly Wizenberg's "A Homemade Life." The book is a very well-written, funny and touching memoir and Wizenberg ends each short chapter with one or more recipes. I cried when she wrote about her dad and I got teary-eyed when I read about how she met her husband. And of course, I love the variety and easy-to-follow sweet and savory recipes in her book.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips (and Crystallized Ginger)

adapted from Molly Wizenberg

• 6 tbsp (3 oz) unsalted butter
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chop up a bar of chocolate into chunks/shards
• 1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger (I find this optional. I don't always add it and I don't miss it)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (use 3 large very ripe, almost black bananas)
• 1/4 cup well-stirred whole-milk plain yogurt (not low or nonfat - I found mine at Trader Joes)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Set rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan with cooking spray or a little butter.
2. Carefully melt butter on medium power in microwave in 15 to 30 second increments - be careful of splatter. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Then add chocolate chips and the ginger (if you're using it) and whisk to combine.
4. In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add the mashed banana, yogurt, melted butter and vanilla and stir to mix well.
5. Pour banana mixture into the flour mixture and stir gently with a spatula, scraping down the sides as needed, until just combined. Do not overmix. Batter will be thick and somewhat lumpy but there shouldn't be any unincorporated flour.
6. Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes until the top becomes a deep golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. If the toothpick still comes out with batter after 60 minutes, add 5 more minutes and check again. If the loaf seems to be browning too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil.
7. Cool the loaf in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes and then tip the loaf out of the pan onto the rack to finish cooling. Let it cool completely before slicing...if you can resist not digging in while it's still warm.

I've never had reason to put this banana bread in the freezer before because I always bake and share. However, Wizenberg notes that fulled cooled and wrapped in plastic wrap and then wrapped again in aluminum foil, the bread will be kept safe from frost and will taste delicious straight from the freezer.