Tasty Tuesdays

Its November! Fall is approaching fast and I thought what a great way to start the day with a yummy recipe. Take a peek at this amazing Apple Cardamom Cake. This sure will look great at any upcoming holiday festivities. Enjoy!

Dinner Time

It's the hardest thing to decide "What's for Dinner?" Here is a healthy, delicious idea for you to try tonight:

• Grilled Salmon Pasta & Salmon Swiss Chard Quiche •

[Recipe] 

Favorite Chocolate: Crème Brûlée

I have to admit. I am a Chocoholic but two years ago I was introduced to probably the BEST chocolate I have EVER tasted. This is how we met:

While vacationing in Paris, my best friend and I were grocery shopping and stumbled across the Chocolate section of the store. I noticed that without hesitation, she went and grabbed four Lindt Crème Brûlée bars and happily placed them in her basket. Surprised, I asked, "Why did you grab four bars of the same flavor?" She turned to me and told me that once I tried it, I would understand. I decided to buy a bar for myself to give my taste buds a test drive. Once we got home, I curiously went straight and opened my new chocolate bar. To my surprise- it was LOVE at first taste.
The milk chocolate is extremely soft and melts ever so gently on your tongue. The Crème Brûlée is sweet and creamy, and the crunchy pieces of caramel do the trick of mimicking the real Crème Brûlée topping. Uhhhhhmazing!
When I got back to the states, to my surprise, they didn't sell that flavor AT ALL in the entire USA! Are you serious?!?  I was having chocolate withdrawals within the first couple weeks back home.
But a few weeks ago, a friend of mine told me she was going to Paris on vacation and the first thing that popped in my head was... OMG Crème Brûlée Bars. No Joke! I asked her if she could bring me back a single bar and I would be extremely happy. She went the whole 9 yards and brought me back FOUR bars (Thank you Lulu). I sat in amazement to see that once again I would be able to taste this little piece of heaven on earth. Hopefully one day they decide to sell them here in the US. As for now, my four bars have to last until my next trip to Paris. Bon Appetit!

Ciao! Eataly comes to L.A

For those of you that haven't heard of a little piece of heaven on earth called "Eataly" in NYC- well I recommend you get to know it so that you can appreciate the good news I'm about to announce. The word on the street is that Eataly is coming to L.A!! Everything is still under negotiation but the location would be somewhere in West Hollywood.

Here is a little inside scoop for those of you that don't have a clue to what Eataly is:
Located in NYC's FlatIron District, Eataly is a 50,000 square foot Italian gourmet market. Each specific item such as pasta, salumi, fresh mozzarella, etc. has its own section within this market. If that isn't enough to knock your socks off- Eataly sells a vast selection of Italian products that no other market has access to. In the midst of all this excitement, I forgot to mention another wonderful thing about Eataly... There are restaurants inside too! They have specific restaurants devoted to pasta, pizza, fish, and even veggies. I wont even get started on the Wine and Dessert section- we would be here all day! It's like being in Italy without having to use up your miles- Perfetto!!

Arrivederci!!

[Bing Images] 

HUGMUG

A couple months ago I posted a post regarding Famous Hot Chocolates. To my surprise, a friend of mine just gave me one of the famous HugMugs from Max Brenner. I just tested it out and LOVED IT!

[JRDM PHOTOGRAPHY-IPHONE] 

Sweet.Spicy.Sour

Two of my close friends (which have the same first name, Gabriela P. & Gabriela C.) and I (Far Left) celebrate our birthday's in the same month of February. We had a mini- Candy inspired photo shoot in honor of our Birthday Bash celebration which will be held at a fun little dessert/wine lounge called "CandyBar" in San Francisco.  

p.s: My birthday is Feb 9th! I still can't believe that I will be turning 24- Time is starting to catch up to me... Im excited to see what this year has to bring. Thank you GOD for all the blessings you have given me! 

Cheers, 

[JRDM PHOTOGRAPHY] 

Sushirrito: Two Thumbs Up

I finally got the chance to swing by "Sushirrito," the newest place in SF to eat your favorite sushi on the go. Even though I stood in line for around 30 mins,  I was motivated and curious to see what all the hype was about.

[JRDM Photography iphone snap shots] 

Their menu is pretty basic and suitable to everyones taste buds. The price on the other hand was a bit much in my opinion for the size of the burrito but the location was simple and to the point- you order, pay, and pick up.

[JRDM Photography iphone snap shots] 

I chose to order (and share with my food critic partner, my dad) the "Smokin' Chicken", the owners favorite, and "Crispy Ebi" ( I love shrimp tempura). My favorite was the "Smokin Chicken." The mixture of warm chichen with their special sauce just make the seaweed taste so delicious for some reason.

Sushirrito is def worth the experience and tastebud journey- make sure to put that on your next "To Visit" List!

Paris vs. New York

I have no clue where I stand on this one and I've been and LOVE both!! How cute are these posters comparing the two mega fashion & entertaining capitals of the world?!? This could be adorable wall art or even post cards...

Sushi Burrito

Every morning, right after I open my eyes, the first thing that I go straight for is for my iPhone. There, I usually check my email, facebook, twitter etc. Today, I was quite surprised when I opened my inbox. Thrillist (a great daily website that lets you know what's upcoming and new in a city near you), had an interesting daily post. Today in San Francisco, Sushirrito opened its doors to a new, innovative way of eating your favorite "California Roll." They have taken fast food sushi to a whole different level... Im so excited to try it!!

Famous Hot Chocolates

From San Francisco to New York City you can find some of the best Hot Chocolates around to keep you warm this time of year. Check out these 4 spots next time you are in town:

NYC • LA • SF • LAS  

[...]

Thanksgiving Cake

I know most of you are over stuffed right now but look what I stumbled across-

An entire Thanksgiving day meal ( turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and even a sweet potato dessert- all condensed down into this informal cake. This is def a recipe for those of you with an adventurous and open-minded families.

Sweet Tooth

After stumbling across this mouth watering picture, I have decided to try out this recipe! I will be making everything from scratch... I hope it comes out half as good as this picture. Ill let you know how it goes =P
Click here for complete recipe!

Table for two, Please!

Awhile back, I went to lunch with my mom at the "Market Bar" located in the Ferry Building in San Francisco, California. I had such an amazing Filet Mignon with white wine sauce and a side of Spinach (Sorry peeps but its not available on the menu anymore). I can assure you it was DUHLISH!!
P.S: Oh yeah, the fries... unforgettable!

[images via: JRDM PHOTOGRAPHY]

Dip or Squeeze

Who said that ketchup baggies couldn't get a make-over?!?! Check out their new and improved Ketchup To-Go packaging...

{image via: Heinz Ketchup}

Gift Ideas- Mother's Day

I know that Apple has sold more than 1 million iPads in less than 30 days but have you heard of the new iPhone App Chocolate bar?? I thought I would help out my fellow followers with some creative ideas for Mother's Day Gifts! I came across this "techlicious" way of expressing your love to your mama- a iPhone app chocolate bar! This will surly put a smile on her face-

{image via: Etsy}

"Good Morning, Breakfast is served..."

Isn't this a lovely breakfast to wake up to... a plate of warm croissants, the smell of fresh coffee and sliced strawberries. This kitchen is not too shabby either. By the way, is that champaign?!?

{image via: Paris Hotel Boutique}

"We all lived in a Yellow Submarine..."

A new and innovative way of enjoying your tea- A submarine tea infuser. Adorbale... Thanks Beatles!

{images via: Monkey Business} 

Rainy Days

All you really need during a rainy day is some hot chocolate sprinkled with these adorable cloud marshmallows. Stay Warm, Cheers!!

{image via: Herriott Grace}