I happen to very partial to their cranberry-apple-tart something errather. Pure carb bliss. Anyway, on to Roasted Garlic Loaf a la La Brea…

The Good:

This is a bread that can you can eat without heating up. It holds up well to the microwave. 30-40 seconds will get you warm & moist hearty bread with chewy crust. (You can do the asian, wet paper towel thing, but it really isn’t necessary). When is the last time you had bread that had a chewy crust and moist inside? Dare I even say…this is a bread that resists becoming staling (You will eat it that fast).

Not sure if this is good or bad, but the garlic is roasted and ends up in the bread in entire cloves…most of you probably prefer it to be chopped up, but I kinda like it this way.

The Bad:

Sold! for $3.99 you can get two fine loaves of roasted garlic bread from Costco. At a hefty two pounds, I’d say that’s not too bad. Pricey, I’d say, but only because I eat it too fast.

The Verdict:

Okay, so it’s probably not the best bread in the whole world. But I will say that this bread sure beats out the bread that Cheesecake Factory serves. IMO, I’d take this over oily breadsticks from Pat and Oscar’s any day. I haven’t been this excited about bread since talking to Austin (my roommate) about banana bread during a fast.

Roasted Garlic Loaf – La Brea gets a TRY IT! from tiramiondo

This is a great tasting cheesecake. I made this for a joint family dinner with my close friend, Brian, and his family. We had so much fun decorating our slices with berries and sauce that I had to tell everyone they had to eat whatever piece they decorated, but that easily backfired.  All of us were stuffed at the end of the night, but no one could resist a slice (or two!) of cheesecake. Altogether, it was very well received; Brian’s parents were still talking about it the next day!

Note that the original recipe does not have a berry topping. The berries are a nice touch and make the cheesecake look elegant, though the cheesecake is good enough a la carte.

ingredients:

1 env. KNOX Unflavored Gelatine
1/2 cup sugar *
1 cup boiling water
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla (optional)
1 HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)

MIX gelatine and sugar in small bowl. Add boiling water; stir 5 minutes or until gelatine is completely dissolved. BEAT cream cheese and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add gelatine mixture, beating until well blended after each addition. Refrigerate 45 minutes or until thickened, stirring every 15 minutes. Pour into pie crust. REFRIGERATE 3 hours or until firm.

berry topping sauce (optional):

1 pkg frozen mixed berries
1/2 cup of sugar *
~1 cup water

Allow berries to thaw (or you can break them apart). Mix sugar and water. Pour over berries & mix well. To thicken sauce, use less water (or add more sugar to taste).

*doranmo’s less sweet, lighter & healthier version: instead of using sugar, substitute natural honey powder. you can buy this at most asian supermarkets (I think). it is a good, less sweet substitute for sugar. (use same volume directed by recipes)

simple. deliciously smooth. hard to get wrong.

- doranmo isa

Dearest Timin,

I wanted to give you something different this Christmas–not as an excuse for not getting you anything (we’ll celebrate when you get back from Taiwan) but to recognize all you’ve done for our relationship. You’ve sacrificed for it, fought for it, and refused to give up on it (I could easily replace “it” for “me”).

In a sense, this is a gift for both of us. I wanted to combine both our interests into a long-term project that we can both be excited about and work on. You’ll get to cook your signature dishes, try out new ones, collect recipes and share with the world. I’ll of course, take the pictures and eat the food! Actually I will be cooking along with you (yes, I do like to cook as well and working on photo projects.

Love,

Ramondo