The Starbucks Oracle

If you ever wondered what your Starbucks drink order implied about you, now's your chance to find out. Admittedly, I never wondered...but bear with me. After all, someone really smart once said, "You don't know what you don't know."

Anyways, here's how it works: You type in the drink you get at Starbucks and The All-Knowing Starbucks Oracle will tell you things you didn't know about yourself. For example, I didn't know until today that I was so big into wine coolers or that most people who order my drink are strippers.

The website that makes this all possible states, "Unlike other imitations, the Oracle is 100% accurate." I understand that they're trying to make a bold statement there, but seriously, I'd recommend removing the word "other"; it weakens the argument. ;)

Find out what your drink says about you.

Weird Fact of the Day: Watermelons Don't Have to be Round

Square watermelons may sound silly, but I kid you not, this is the real deal. Farmers in Japan are growing them like this! And I can see the benefit of a square over a round for things like packaging and shipping and saving space in grocery stores. I can also see the downside, having to bite into an angular slice of fruit as opposed to a curved slice. Boo to that. But whatever you fancy, square or round, you've got to admit, the square looks pretty neat.


You can even make this a DIY project and grow your own square watermelon. There's a website that sells those square containers.


But who said anything about square? Turns out you can grow a watermelon into just about any shape. Take a look at this face.


And if you look closely, you'll see that the watermelon below has indentations to imitate playing dice.


Pyramid anyone?

Zucchini Yeast Bread

With lots of zucchini in the fridge, it's tempting to pull out a zucchini quick bread recipe. But it occurred to me that zucchini probably works in yeast breads, too, and I was in the mood for a sandwich. I searched on Google and found a bunch of zucchini yeast bread recipes. The one below seemed perfect since it would use up most of my zucchini, and only had 5 ingredients. It turned out great. Brushing olive oil on top just before baking gave the bread a nice crust and the texture of the crumb was really chewy. I even admired the cross section, with flecks of green from the unpeeled zucchini. My ideal sandwich for this bread would be swiss cheese, a tiny bit of mustard, and some sprouts. If not that, simply butter would do.


Zucchini Yeast Bread
Recipe from RecipeSource
Yields 1 loaf

1 lb. zucchini, grated
2 tablespoons salt
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 1/4 c lukewarm water
3 1/2 c flour
Olive Oil - for brushing

1. In a colander, alternate layers of grated zucchini and salt. Leave for 30 mins over a bowl or sink. Then squeeze out the moisture with your hands.

2. Combine the yeast with 1/4 cup of lukewarm water, stir, and leave to dissolve for 15 minutes.

3. Place the zucchini, yeast, and flour in a bowl. Stir together, and add just enough of the remaining water to obtain a rough dough.

4. Transfer to a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a plastic bag, and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hrs.

5. Grease a baking sheet. Punch down dough with fist and knead into a tapered cylinder. Place on baking sheet, cover, and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes. (I baked my loaf in a 9x5-inch loaf pan as opposed to freeform.)

6. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Brush with olive oil and bake until golden, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.


Step-by-Step in Pictures

(White) Chocolate Haystacks

Word on the street is this recipe only has three ingredients. Three! Shhhh, don't tell anyone.

Haystacks fall into the candy category; they never go in the oven, and you can find 'em in gourmet chocolate shops alongside the truffles.

I've seen all kinds of variations, some with peanut butter, coconut, cashews, marshmallows, popcorn, and usually crispy chow mein noodles. The recipe below uses pretzels and peanuts. I love them because they combine salty with sweet.


(White) Chocolate Haystacks
Recipe from Season's Greetings by Marlene Sorosky

12 ounces white chocolate, chopped (but I ran out of white and used mostly milk chocolate)
1/2 cup salted Spanish peanuts with skins
1 1/2 cups thin pretzel sticks, broken into 1 1/2-inch pieces

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Melt the white chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water or in a medium bowl in the microwave on 60 percent power, stirring until smooth and creamy. Add the nuts and pretzels, stirring until well coated. Spoon the mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. Cool to room temperature or refrigerate. The candy may be refrigerated indefinitely. Makes about 32 haystacks.





You, too, can make this platter!
Now that you have the haystacks recipe, my blog has given you all the information you need to make this platter for your own party. Here's what you're looking at: Candy Bar Double-Nut Fudge, Fruit Squares, and Haystacks, alternating between milk chocolate and white-milk chocolate.

Xooro: The First Gourmet Churro Bakery

Chocolate and chopped nut covered peanut butter filled churro

Churros are close to my heart. Not because I frequent Costco and get those large great-value ones from the hot food concession stand, but because I have lived in Spain twice, and churros are something I remember fondly. A night out might go like this: I'd be with my friends at a discoteca, sometimes till 6 or 7 in the morning, and we would finish the night (morning, really) at a churro shop, where we'd dine on churros dunked in a mug of thick hot chocolate. This habitual act is famously known as churros con chocolate.


But it's been a couple of years since I've had this, and so when I received the July 11th Daily Candy for Los Angeles and realized churros could be had in my own metropolis, I first did a double take, and then forwarded the newsletter to a bunch of friends.


Xooro is a gourmet churro bakery that just opened in Santa Monica. While its flavor options are far from anything you'll ever see at a churreria in Spain, that is no complaint from me. In fact, I am thrilled to have this place open in my area. Last night, I finally had a chance to experience the goods with some pals, and our sentiments were unanimous: we love Xooro. Here's why...

Original cinnamon-covered churro with dulce de leche filling

First, the owners are an adorable couple from Bilbao, Spain. They are filled with enthusiasm and warmth. I am so happy to see that an authentic Spanish team is running the shop, not some venture capitalists or other ambitious businessmen who know nothing about churros. And these owners are great listeners. They want to see their place thrive and they paid attention to our thoughts, flavor requests, and expressions. I wouldn't be surprised if one of my flavor requests ended up on the menu in the near future.

Original cinnamon-covered churro with vanilla filling

Second, the flavor options are spectacular. There is plenty of variety, and so much creativity. Because I went with three friends, I had a chance to taste a couple of flavors. One was The Mississippi, a peanut butter filled, chocolate and chopped nut covered churro. Fabulous! Another was filled with dulce de leche and covered with goat's milk. Also amazing. If you don't want the fanciness of one of their pre-designed flavor combos, you can build your own, taking an Original (cinnamon covered) and requesting the filling of your choice. There are a lot of fillings, including hazelnut, cappuccino, vanilla, pistachio, chocolate, dulce de leche, and more.

Goat's milk covered churro with dulce de leche filling

A look inside of the goat's milk covered churro with dulce de leche filling

My friend Tzviah leaving evidence behind

Third, the quality and value proposition are there. For $4.20, you get a churro that's probably about 6 inches long, thick, filled with gooey goodness, and drenched in a coating of chocolate. I read a lot of really mean, and frankly outrageous reviews of Xooro on Yelp. Many Yelpers complain of the high price tag for a small churro. But at a restaurant, you could easily pay $8 for a dessert of this kind and caliber. At Xooro, if you order a hot chocolate with your churro, your entire bill is still under $8. And let's not forget, you just got a taste of Spain brought to you by actual Spaniards. As far as the churro being too small, what a ridiculous claim. Just because it's not Costco-size doesn't mean it's small, and honestly, you wouldn't want more than what they give you because it's rich, and you should fill up on their amazing Mexican hot chocolate, not another 6 inches of churro. I thought we had all learned our lesson from Super Size Me. Go rent it again.

Mexican hot chocolate

I'll admit, Xooro could work a little on the ambiance since the space is a bit plain for gussied up L.A., and I'd appreciate it if they pumped the smell of churros into the room so that I'm drooling over my churro long before I place my order. But these are small sacrifices to make for the honor of living near churros con chocolate of the most gourmet kind, I dare say, in the world? Where else can you get chocolate and chopped nut covered peanut butter churros? Now if Madrid could just hear that and open a gourmet churreria, I don't think the 6 a.m. rush would be exclusively post-discoteca partiers anymore.


Xooro
125 Broadway
Santa Monica, CA 90401
between 2nd Street and Ocean Avenue
(310) 260-2919

Fruit Squares

Man am I tired! I thought this would be a simple cookie but I ended up spending the better part of an evening rolling out the dough and making the crisscross design. The dough was softer than I had hoped and therefore a bit tricky. I even chilled it first and still it sometimes stuck. Despite my whining, it was all worth it in the end. The final baked product was fantastic. Two other highlights: I got to use a jar of my mom's homemade apricot jam (prepared during her canning phase, which I think she might now have moved on from), plus any recipe by Beatrice Ojakangas is a winner.


Fruit Squares
Recipe from The Finnish Cookbook by Beatrice Ojakangas

Crust
3 cups white flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup soft butter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling
1 cup plum, blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, or apricot jam
2 tablespoons sugar

Combine the flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Blend in the butter with a fork until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add the eggs and vanilla and work into a stiff dough. Reserve one-third of the dough. On a well-floured board, roll out the balance of the dough into a rectangle about 12 by 16 inches and 1/4-inch thick. Place the dough on a lightly greased baking sheet and spread the jam evenly over it. Roll out the reserve dough to 1/8-inch thickness and cut in 1/2-inch strips; place these in crisscross fashion over the jelly to make a diagonal pattern. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons sugar over the top. Bake in a moderately hot oven (375 degrees F) for 20 to 30 minutes. Cut into 1- by 2-inch rectangles. Makes about 80 cookies.


Step-by Step in Pictures

Hurry-Up Caramel Cake

What a great departure from more conventional chocolate or yellow cake. Caramel is certainly not a cake flavor you see very often. Remind me again, why is that??? The flavor is full of brown sugary goodness and the color is a beautiful light maple syrup hue. The crumb is moist; the frosting will have you scraping your plate. And if you prefer, make this into cupcakes instead; it translates perfectly. My mom, a phenomenal baker, made the ones below for my grandfather's 90th birthday this past weekend.


Hurry-Up Caramel Cake
Recipe from The Wooden Spoon Dessert Book by Marilyn M. Moore

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
8 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Be sure all ingredients are at room temperature (about 70 degrees F) before beginning. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch round layer pans. Stir granulated sugar and brown sugar together in a large mixer bowl, pressing out any lumps with the back of a spoon.

Stir flour, salt, and baking powder into the sugars, again pressing out any lumps.

Add butter and milk and mix at low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened, then beat at medium speed until smooth.

Stop to scrape the bowl and beaters. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat at low speed until the eggs are blended, and then beat at medium speed until smooth.

Stop to scrape the bowl and beaters. Beat again at medium speed until smooth. Spoon and scrape the batter into the prepared pans, spreading evenly. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool in the pans 8 minutes. Turn out to cool completely on wire racks. Fill and frost with Hurry-Up Caramel Frosting. Makes 10 to 12 servings.


Hurry-Up Caramel Frosting

8 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 ounces evaporated milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar, more or less

In a large, heavy saucepan, stir butter, light brown sugar, salt, and evaporated milk over medium heat until the butter is melted, the sugar is dissolved, and the surface of the mixture is covered with bubbles.

Remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla.

Beat in confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, to make frosting spreadable.

Work quickly to fill and frost the cake, as this tends to harden and "sugar up" like pralines.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups frosting.