Open Face Veggie Sandwiches

Toasted challah, goat cheese, eggplant, pesto, and fresh tomato.

I have been on somewhat of a pesto kick. With fresh herbs, garlic, and nuts to be found in abundance at the farmer's market it only makes sense. I made up a batch of baby spinach, walnut, and parmesan pesto. I didn't feel like doing a pasta dish, and instead decided to whip up a couple of open faced sandwiches. I sauteed some eggplant and then toasted some challah in the same pan. I spread goat cheese on the toasty bread, topped with eggplant, pesto, and slices of fresh tomato.

The combination of flavors was wonderful, with the freshness of the ingredients playing a critical part in the success of this dish. The tangy and creamy goat cheese was the perfect partner to the zesty garlicky pesto. The sweetness of the eggplant and the tomato worked so well with the two spreads. The toasted challah served as the perfect vessel for the delicious toppings.

AJ lifts the sandwiches every so delicately so as not to lose any of the sandwich components.

This sandwich is a keeper. Feel free to experiment with different kinds of vegetables. These would make an elegant addition to a Sunday Brunch or could serve as an appetizer at a dinner party.

Icing on the Cake - Los Gatos

A mouth-watering display of cupcakes

One of the first places I went to in Los Gatos was Icing on the Cake, which I reviewed previously. With AJ's family in town, we felt another trip was necessary. AJ's uncle is a huge fan of this quaint bakery, purchasing a cake every week. We ventured over to the bakery on a lazy Sunday, hoping to grab some treats for after lunch. The bakery closes on Sundays at 2pm, so get there early if you want to serve something after dinner.

From top left (clockwise): swirly cakes, mint chip cupcakes, and chocolate cake.

I love cupcakes and had been delighted with the light and creamy caramel cupcake I ordered the last time. It was feeling like a cupcake kind of day yet again. The cupcake choices were almost overwhelming: pumpkin, lemon, very berry, mint chip, among others. What was a girl to do. I decided to go with the mint chip. AJ chose a banana and a swirly cake. With any luck I would get a nibble out of both of his.

Raspberry truffle, mint chip, and banana cupcakes.

With much restraint, we stashed our cupcakes in the car, and headed off to lunch. With a minor mishap in the car, we retrieved our cupcakes mostly unscathed (One of the mint chips resembled more of a pancake than a cupcake). Heather got a flourless cupcake - the raspberry truffle. This rich and dense cake was definitely more reminiscent of fudge than cake. Extremely rich, it could have used more depth of chocolate flavor.

Mint Chip - chocolate cake with mint frosting and chocolate chips.

AJ's banana cupcake was light, moist, and fluffy. The banana really shone through, and the cream cheese frosting added a nice tang, with a subtle sweetness. I must say this was probably my favorite. The mint chip consisted of chocolate cake with mint frosting dotted with bittersweet chocolate chips. While the cake was moist, with excellent chocolate flavor, the mint frosting was piled on in excess, often overpowering the cake. While I liked the flavor of the frosting, I would probably have used half the amount. The addition of the chocolate chips added a nice textural contrast to the fluffy frosting - mimicking the mint chocolate chip ice cream experience.

Jeremy and AJ both tried the "swirly cake". This homage to a childhood favorite was absolutely adorable, and certainly blew away the hostess cupcake in terms of taste. The moist chocolate cake is piped with a cream filling. The almost marshmallow like cream contrasts nicely with the rich ganache frosting. While I prefered the lighter essence of the banana cupcake - the swirly cake is the perfect choice for the chocolate lover.

AJ asked if I prefer these to Georgetown Cupcake, my hometown favorite. These cupcakes certainly win in terms of size and frosting - with probably 2x the amount of cake, and 3x the amount of frosting. However, I am more of a frosting minimalist. While I think some of their cupcakes reveal a knack for showcasing unique flavors and the perfect amount of restraint with frosting, some of their chocolate cupcakes play to the desire to indulge.

Bottom Line: If you think cupcakes should go big or go home, go with a swirly cake. But if you are looking for a lighter touch, go with a banana or caramel cupcake.

Sweet Spot - Santa Cruz

Sweet Spot indeed.

Ice cream is not something I buy a ton of, because I would probably consume a half gallon in a matter of days. Plus, its more fun to stop in at a quaint shop to grab a cone with friends and family. AJ's family came across a cute ice cream shop, called the Sweet Spot. Only a couple blocks from where they were staying, it made a convenient place to grab coffee every morning, and ice cream in the afternoon.

Brownie batter and oreo mint.

AJ loves ice cream, and went for the two scoops, oreo mint and brownie batter. The oreo mint was refreshing, with nice bits of chocolate cookie and cream goodness mixed in. The cloying brownie batter tasted more like a cookie dough batter with chunks of brownie mixed in. I would skip the scoop of brownie batter and double up on the oreo mint.

Mexican Cocoa

I was a in a chocolate kind of mood and decided to go with the mexican cocoa. The cinnamon notes were nice with the milk chocolate ice cream. I was pleasantly surpised when I bit into a chocolate covered almond, which were interspersed throughout!

Chocolate malt - this thing was ginormous!

I am the walrus, goo goo gjoo.

Jeremy ordered up the "largest chocolate malt you can make". Boy do these guys know how to follow directions! The ice cream was perfectly blended, remaining smooth and creamy, yet drinkable.

Bottom Line: The Sweet Spot has all your ice cream needs covered, and they do it with a smile.

The Sweet Spot

827 Water St

Santa Cruz, CA

La Barrenada - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz Beach

AJ's family came to visit this past week. They stayed in Santa Cruz, giving us an excuse to head to the beach! While it was a tad too breezy to lay out on the sand, we did enjoy walking down the boardwalk. We stopped at La Barrenda, a taqueria and seafood joint, for lunch. I had yet to try fish tacos since I arrived in California, and knew I would be able to satisfy that craving at La Barrenda!

Outside La Barrenda

Order at the counter

The restaurant is a casual eatery, and food is ordered at the counter. The walls were brightly painted, adding to the festive atmosphere. There are a plethora of options, ranging from chicken tacos to seafood soup. A variety of beers and sodas are offered, as well as margaritas. Dishes are brought to the table by the friendly staff.

Fish tacos

I ordered two fish tacos a la carte. If you order the platter they come with rice and beans. After I placed my order I was a little worried about whether the fish would be fried. I prefer my fish sans batter, so that I can taste the freshness of the flavors. These tacos were exactly what I wanted. The tilapia tasted like it had been caught that day. The light and flaky fish is served in chunks on two corn tortillas with lettuce, cilantro, and a red sauce. The red sauce was deliciously spicy and refreshing. I could taste the onions, garlic, and peppers. A fresh squeeze of lime juice and you're good to go.

Bean burrito

AJ stuck to his vegetarian diet and ordered up the supreme vegetarian burrito. This burrito is filled with rice, pinto beans, guacamole, and sour cream. While nothing special, the burrito was fresh and certainly filled up his empty stomach.

Jeremy is excited for his enchiladas.

Enchiladas with rice and beans.

Heather and Jeremy shared the enchilada platter served with rice and beans. The fare was much better than the burgers and fried food on the boardwalk. Don't get me wrong there is a place for fried dough in my diet, but when I'm at the beach I tend to crave seafood. The prices weren't bad either.

A margarita to complete the meal.

Nothing like a cold margarita to finish the meal. The staff even sent an extra glass filled with the extra margarita. How's that for service?

La Barrenada (by the boardwalk)

Santa Cruz, CA

Oreo Chunk Cookies

Cookies and milk - one of the best combinations of all time.

AJ loves anything with oreos, the most common treat being oreo ice cream. In Boston he came across the "paradise surprise" - a cookie with chunks of oreo enmeshed in the dough. In one of my baking moods, I decided to try and recreat this recipe. I came across a promising one on the "Cookie Madness" blog.

Large and in charge.

The recipe makes 12 huge cookies. I made a couple of changes to the recipe. I used half white whole wheat flour, and half all-purpose. In addition, I used free-range organic eggs, and organic sugar and butter. I even used organic oreos! The cream was delicious, but I prefer the trademark oreo cookie, but at least I could understand all of the ingredients that were used in the organic oreo. I cut out one tablespoon of butter, purely because I only had 11 tablespoons in the house, losing nothing in terms of flavor or structure. Take care to press the dough into a flat disc, this ensures even baking.

Fresh baked cookies - the smell is heaven.

I have to say these cookies are quite possibly the best I have ever made! They came out crisp and somewhat chewy on the edges and soft on the inside. The bits of oreo were a nice foil to the rich buttery dough. If you're not a huge fan of oreos (sacrilege!) I would definitely recommend making the dough and adding in chocolate chips or candy. The dough recipe is a keeper!

Pea-sto Pasta

Whole wheat fusilli with pesto sauce and peas, tomatoes, asparagues, and mushrooms

Peas are one of my favorite spring vegetables. While I don't think I have ever made a Rachel Ray recipe, I was watching an episode featuring "pea-sto pasta".  Names like that are one of the reasons some people are less than enthusiastic about Rachel Ray. I love puns, I love peas, and I love pasta, so this sounded like something worth trying. The peas aren't added to the pesto, but to the pasta dish. However, I might try adding peas to the pesto in the future.

Enjoying our pasta dish!

Homemade pesto is really rather simple to put together and can take on many different flavors. Traditional pesto uses sweet basil, toasted pine nuts, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. I used walnuts, meyer lemons, and a combination of basil and cilantro. The result is a brighter flavor. Toasting the walnuts brings an earthier flavor to the dish, and is a technique I highly recommend. 

Close up.

After the ingredients have been blended in the food processor, you can boil the pasta. I chose a fusilli because it provides a greater surface area for the pesto to cling to.  While the pasta cooks, sautee the vegetables. I chose mushrooms, asparagus, and frozen peas. A little pasta water can be added to the pan to allow the vegetables to soften. When the pasta ia al dente, drain, saving a little water from the pot.  Add the pasta and pesto to the vegetables. At this point I added some chopped tomato as well. Heat through 3-5 minutes.

The pesto has great kick from the garlic and lemon juice, while the sweet basil and cheese balance out those strong flavors. The sweet peas compliment the basil, and the vegetables add a freshness to the dish. This pasta dish is light and flavorful, a perfect spring meal.

The Crepe Maker

Spinach, tomato, feta, and mushroom crepe.

The first time I ever had a crepe was probably at IHOP. Tis a sad thing, but at least there was nowhere to go but up. It was a trip to the downtown mall in Charlottesville, VA that made me rethink the crepe. It was more than just a pancake - it was an experience. A thin, light, tender butter-kissed pancake stuffed with strawberries and nutella. Oh the simple joys in life. It has been almost three years since that day, and I think I have probably eaten more crepes in the past year than in my entire life.

Crepe Maker - Los Altos, CA

There were a plethora of crepe options in Boston, and that solidified my love of the crepe. With Matt in town for the weekend, AJ looked into crepe places nearby, landing on the Crepe Maker. At 8am, AJ questioned whether this was a place that sold crepes or a place that sold crepe makers. With a chuckle, I encouraged him to call and ask. "Is this the crepe maker?" With a pause, "Are you guys open?" I am not sure what the guy on the other line was thinking, but AJ seemed satisfied that they indeed sold crepes.

Jamba and crepes - the perfect start to the day!

We headed to downtown Los Altos to get in on the crepe action. I am always torn between the savory and sweet choices. While a strawberry and nutella crepe never lets me down, I like to explore other options. The mushroom, spinach, tomato, feta combination has never let me down, so I went with that one. AJ chose a similar combo of spinach, sun dried tomatoes, pesto, and feta. Matt, went with the classic lemon and sugar crepe. While we waited, he hopped over to Jamba Juice to round out his breakfast.

That is one large crepe. It better be for $9.

The crepes were pretty pricey - $9 for the savories and $6 for the lemon and sugar. While you can get a huge stack of pancakes with eggs for around the same price or less, crepes require more skill. We were also getting some premium fillings. However, our expectations were raised.

Can you tell I'm still a little sleepy?

The crepes did not disappoint. The great thing about crepes is that they always come hot off the griddle. They were also huge! The combination of feta, spinach, mushrooms, and tomatos takes me away to a mediteranean villa. While the salty, tangy feta was delicious against the light, slightly sweet crepe, I would have used a lighter hand with the cheese.

Eating outside in the warm sun, with a breeze sweeping in, I didn't care that I wasn't in Paris - the experience was still lovely.

Crepe Maker

280 Main St

Los Altos, CA 94022