food

The quickest year ever

~ stephzuniga ~ Leave a comment

I don’t know if it’s all the cookies or if time is actually moving faster, but this has been the quickest year ever.  It’s November- NOVEMBER!!!  I forgot to write last week because despite not working, I’ve actually been SUPER busy.   Last week, I made the Gojuchang Cookies again and also Playdate Cookies from Dinner: A love story which I’m sure I’ve made before too.

I was in Melbourne on Tuesday for a fun fun fun secret squirrel day involving Millionaire Hot Seat (Say Less, Steph, SAY LESS!)  There were cookies involved and trivia and a stop at Higher Ground in Melbourne- a place that’s usually my favorite cafe in Melbourne, however it left me SUPER disappointed this time around.   I had a Miso Ham and Cheese toastie that was WAY overpriced and very average…. So now I”m looking for a new favourite Melbourne Cafe.  Any ideas???

We also had a very cute food experience- Le Petit Chef at the Intercontinental Hotel in Double Bay. It was very fun, very cute, very unique.

I’ve also been poling, pickleballing and tennis playing but the super exciting thing is that it’s November, which means Thanksgiving.  It absolutely does NOT mean that Christmas is 5 weeks away.  ABSOLUTELY NOT ready for Christmas.  But, Thanksgiving, yes please!!!

So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving and fall and pumpkins, I made Pumpkin Spice Latte cookies.

Full disclosure, I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin spice lattes.  I had one once and it was meh.  But I do LOVE pumpkin spice and often will season sweet potatoes with pumpkin spice and occasionally will put it into my ground coffee before I brew it.

What I do love is everything Thanksgiving, it’s the best holiday and one that doesn’t get nearly enough air time in Australia.  Maybe the next two weeks of pumpkin theme cookies will help.  Maybe not but I’ll enjoy it.

I also made Chocolate Sprinkle Birthday Cookies from Christina Tosi’s Milk Bar Kids Only Book.

Ok and since it is close to Christmas, it’s time to make my Christmas cookbook wishlist. What’s going to be on it this year?? Could I possibly find room for yet another Cookie Cookbook??? Only time (and Santa) will tell!

Wish me luck for another big week!

 

Happy Thanksgivng Y’all

~ stephzuniga ~ Leave a comment

It shouldn’t be a suprise that Thanksgiving is one of my all time favourite holidays. Food, family, friends, and football. What else could you ask for? Other than family, Thanksgiving is one of my favourite things about America. So this time of year, I’m always a bit sad to be here and not there.

And yes, tonight I am making a bit of traditional dinner. Corn Casserole, turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing and this week, I’ve baked Thanksgiving cookies. Honestly, I’m not sure about them. They’ve gotten good reviews so far from the usual suspects but something about them just isn’t right.

Could it be that they have veggies in them or could it be that I’ve never heard of a Thanksgiving cookie before this week? Or was it just homesickness making me a bit sad that I’m eating Thanksgiving in cookie form rather than pie form? Either way- I’m not sure how I feel about them.

I mean on paper, they scream Thanksgiving. And no, they’re not turkey flavoured or even turkey shaped. But they don’t quite taste like Thanksgiving.

Can you guess the flavour?

I made two types- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip– using Libby’s Pumpkin, of course and Sweet Potato Pie cookies.

The Pumpkin Chocolate Chip ones are interesting- the texture is quite pillowy and soft. Not the standard cookie texture but I think that’s why people are liking them. And they don’t taste like what they are. I also don’t think that they have a big punch of flavour. Not sure if it’s the recipe or just that Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are subtle. I mean I’m kind of happy they’re subtle because Aussies don’t always vibe with vegetable desserts (for good reason!). I’m not sure I’d make these again- not just because Libby’s canned pumpkin is expensive and hard to find in Australia, but they’re also just.not.a.vibe.

Sweet Potato Pie Cookies were different in a different way. They kind of were like Sweet Potato Casserole but in cookie form- because Marshmallows. And sugar. And cookies. These I would make again- but not all the time. Kind of like sweet potato pie casserole- and turkey. It’s fun once a year but not EVERY day.

So Happy Thanksgiving. I hope wherever you are, you’re with people that make you feel thankful and grateful and loved.

Hello Melbourne!

~ stephzuniga ~ Leave a comment

Believe it or not before The Runner was a runner, he was a tennis player- and if his accounts are to be believed he wasn’t half bad. I grew up playing tennis too, mainly because of the cute outfits, lack of contact with dirt and mud and lack of contact with other players– yes, I am a girlie girl! There’s no denying or hiding it.

Tennis has always been a favourite sport of mine, apparently my parents used to put my stroller next to the court while they played and when I could walk I had my first job as a target, i mean ballkid. When I was about 4 or 5, I remember my Dad buying me my first tiny wooden Wilson junior racket and trying to teach me the first principle of the game- bounce and hit. I got the basics but never really progressed further than that despite years of tennis camp and playing on the high school tennis team. The Runner, on the other hand, was ranked as a junior player and can do all sorts of things like hit with spin and control where the ball goes on the court– Every Time! The Mom still plays as well, weekly even- in fact everyone in my family plays.

So it is really exciting that one of the annual traditions for The Runner and I is to come down to Melbourne for the Australian Open. It’s a great weekend away not just because we get to see the best players in the world (Tomic v Federer tonight!) but also because the food in Melbourne is crazy good! Last year we went to an amazing Latin American/mexican place in Fitzroy that my taste buds are still excited for even though I’ve forgotten the name. We also went to Naked for Satan which was an awesome bar with great flavoured vodkas. And Hardware Society, an awesome spot for breakfast. In short, it’s a place I could eat my way through if money and personal appearance didn’t matter. There are also amazing shops and it’s a great place to hang out.

For the next 36 hours, we’re here for the tennis and for the food and I’m excited!!! There are two downsides- one, it’s super cold and two, The Runner has already banned me from a shop. It’s called Books for Cooks and sells nothing but cookbooks. Sounds like heaven, but I’ve been told I’m not allowed in! Oh well….. There are plenty of other places I can get into mischief… And they have a website!
books for cooks