I’ve eyed Food52 for awhile now – drooling over their recipes, fawning over their contests, so this week I figured what the hell, I’m going to go for it!

So this week the contest was Your Best Walnuts & Sage recipe. “Holidays behind us, we’re ready to return to the pure, clean flavors of winter. We want recipes highlighting the earthiness and muted hues of walnuts and sage – bonus points for thinking beyond pestos.”

Okay. I think I can do that!

Keeping pure, clean flavors of winter in mind, I opted to make one of my favorite healthy desserts – a yogurt panna cotta.  I used brown sugar for a bolder flavor to round out the strong perfumes of sage and used soy and 2% greek yogurt as my base.

To add an element of surprise I made Spiced Candied Walnuts for a nice crunch and playful bite at the end, how else are we supposed to keep warm during these cold winter months?

So there you have it – Enjoy this Brown Sugar Sage Panna Cotta with Spiced Candied Walnuts. This playful wintry dessert will leave you wishing for more.  Feel free to add honey comb and garnish with a fresh sage leaf for an extra touch of elegance.

You can make these a day ahead of time and they can stay stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. To assemble the dish as I have, make sure you layer the candied walnuts under the panna cotta as it serves as a nice crust to the dessert!

I started my own business.

I made lots of yummy food, mostly healthy with some desserts.

I got married and had a Hallowedding.

I started a garden; though a challenging year, it was still a good one.

I traveled to Costa Rica, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy and Belgium.

I learned more about love  and the many ways that it’s beautiful.

I met some of the best chefs in Dallas.

And even had the chance to try some of their food…

I went to California and discovered heaven in a tomato and waves of peace in an ocean.

I photographed a few weddings and look forward to more next year.

I started my first film project — 1-2 Simple Cooking and it was awesome.  Can’t wait to show you guys soon!

I became more connected to nature, to food, and most importantly, myself.

I learned the best way to live life is to be yourself – chase fearlessly, choose wisely and always love openly.  Life is too short to live otherwise.

Thanks to everyone who made this year so special.  I can’t wait to see what 2012 will have in store.  Happy New Year to you!

During the holidays, one of my favorite things to do is baking.  It’s this beautiful meditation as baking takes a patient heart, a careful eye and most certainly a sweet tooth.  When the weather is cold outside, the kitchen becomes my favorite place of solace — as it’s always been my most sacred spot to relax.  I always believe that homemade gifts are the ones people remember, so what better way to spread the love than baked homemade gifts?  For years I’ve searched long and hard for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe, the kind that you can’t stop eating, the ones with just the right about of crunch, chewiness and chocolate.  I’ve tasted some great chocolate chip cookies in my lifetime but never found a home recipe to match.  But ALAS, right in time for the holidays I’ve finally stumbled across the best chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever tasted.

Jacques Torres, Mr. Chocolate himself was kind enough to share his chocolate chip cookie recipe via the NY Times.  Thanks to the Master Pastry Chef, this recipe will now become a family tradition for me and I can hardly wait for the memories that’ll surround these cookies.  I’m not sure if the magic lies in the combination of cake flour and bread flour in the dough, or that it HAS to be refrigerated for a solid 24 hours — but whatever it is, don’t change a thing.  I haven’t tasted a better masterpiece.

(If preferred, you can add a whole vanilla bean in place of the extract as I’ve done.  Just simply scrape the seeds and mix into the dough!)

The best part about cookie dough is it’s simple to make and you can portion ahead.  What I did was quadruple the recipe, freeze overnight, slightly defrost the next day and portioned out around 75-65 3 ounce cookie balls using a cookie scooper.  Then I refreezed for an hour and placed half a dozen to a dozen in individual ziplock bags.  Don’t forget to write the date!  Then you can simply bake a batch whenever needed as they take only abou 10-12 minutes in the oven and VOILA!  The best chocolate chip cookies will be ready for delivery .  Whether its for a party, a gift for family or friends — this recipe will leave any loved one with a happy tummy and full heart.  Thank you Jacques Torres for the genius recipe and NY Times for sharing the love.  Happy Holidays!

Once I headed off to college and pretty much had to fend on my own, cooking was something that continued to stay constant in my life (Thank you mom!).  So before everyone would disperse for Thanksgiving every year, we’d get together, I’d make an epic Thanksgiving feast, and we’d eat ourselves stupid — but in a good way. It was my way of showing my appreciation to my friends in the best way I knew how: through food.    Now as the years have passed I still maintain my annual Thanksgiving feast tradition.  I like that, tradition.  It takes a long time for something to become a tradition.

It was our first Thanksgiving feast in our new home this year so I knew I had to make it special.  To prepare a feast for 15 people can often be a challenge so I kept my recipes simple and made sure to start prepping as early as possible.  I created prep lists to keep track of all the tasks that needed to be completed and made detailed shopping lists of what stores and what items I’d need.  I started prepping 3 days before the event and once the big day came I wasn’t running around the kitchen like a maniac.  I felt revived after not cooking for so long and yes there were some mistakes but overall the entire meal was a wonderful success.  People went back for seconds and thirds, others passed out from intense food coma, and of course to maintain “tradition” we ended the meal by forcing the cook to perform a piano solo.  (Thank you Jenni)  Apparently there is NO REST for the weary.

We had Cajun Turkey, Southwestern Cream Corn, Green Bean Casserole with Maitake Mushrooms, Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Apples, Sweet Potatoe Casserole with Marshmallows, Fresh Garden Salad, Roasted Vegetables with Walnut Gremolata, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Peanutbutter Chocolate Trifle, Caramel Apple Pie, Sugar Shortbreads and Peanutbutter M&M Cookies.  I’d like to share two recipes that I think many of you will enjoy during thanksgiving: Maple Corn Bread and THE Chocolate Peanutbutter Trifle. 

I adored this cornbread recipe that I found via Real Simple. It was easy to make and the results was a buttery sweet cornbread with a slightly crisp edge and top.  I wished I had made extra for tableside bread but I actually used this cornbread recipe for my stuffing.  I made the recipe two days beforehand to save time, plus this gave the bread time to dehydrate a little bit before cooking.  I even used some leftover cornbread pieces and used them for croutons on a salad.

I didn’t discover the beauty of trifle until I started to date my husband.  Before that my main reference to trifle was through Friends when Rachel made a trifle, messed up the recipe because one of the pages were stuck to Shepard’s Pie but hey Joey liked it – custard, jam, meat, what’s not to like?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=pqq_Wrwo5zw

My first real experience with trifle was through my Aunt Lauri — she made this incredible trifle of moist cake, custard, cream, lots of chocolate…it was a beautiful thing.  I never was able to shake the memory of her wondrous trifle until the following year when we’d all get to have it again for Thanksgiving.  This time around I thought I’d try a trifle for Friendsgiving.

There were a few problems I’d like to note about my first trifle experience that will help you guys out –

1. Make BIG generous layers.  My problem I made the layers too small so when it came to serving time, all the layers kind of blended together.  I realized when you make big generous layers of every filling, when it comes to serving time, your guests will be able to differentiate the different layers you have going on for your trifle.

2. I originally used gingerbread for my cake layer.  I should’ve used a moist chocolate cake (which is what I changed the recipe to).  Ginger, chocolate, peanut butter — not good. Chocolate, chocolate, peanut butter — REAL good.

Other than that, the fillings were really quick and easy.  I found the peanut butter mousse and milk chocolate pudding via Epicurious  and the salted caramel sauce from Food and Wine.  The peanut butter mousse tasted very similar to the filling in a Reeses peanut butter cup and the milk chocolate pudding was rich and decadent.  I used a gourmet dark chocolate bar I found at my local store for a bolder flavor but feel free to use milk for a milder touch.  And the salted caramel sauce adds the perfect finishing touch and I used whatever was leftover and poured it on top of my Apple Streusel Pie so it became an Apple Caramel Streusel Pie.

Holidays are the best time to try your luck in the kitchen.  What better reason to discover your inner chef?  Whatever your drive may be, remember: food is always love.  Even if you happen to have a little meat in your trifle.  Happy Thanksgiving friends.  Best wishes for a wonderful time with family and friends and don’t forget to go for extra helpings of dessert (in moderation) <— who are we kidding?

Where do I even begin?  3 years ago I was in a scary place.  After graduating college, everything was uncertain; I had no intention of pursuing my major and ultimately went after something I’ve always loved: cooking.  At one point my mother was trying to convince me to become a candle-maker.  Don’t ask, it’ll just make this more awkward.  The point is, no matter how busy or difficult things became in life, I always made the time to cook.  In so many ways it was this beautiful meditation: understanding your ingredients, knowing how to prepare them and transforming it all into a wonderful meal that not only tastes great but nourishes the body.

Often we’re wrapped up in our demanding, busy lives and we end up forgetting the most important thing: taking care of ourselves. No matter where you live, what minimal tools you’re equipped with, you can make dinner happen — all you need are some basic skills.  It’s exciting that I was chosen to host this show because I’ve always wanted to inspire people to cook.  I mean it’s so fun! What’s not to love?  You end up with a freaking awesome meal that YOU made and if you have any leftovers you can be THAT guy at work.  You know, the guy who has the amazing smelling lunch that makes your coworkers look down sadly at their microwavable Lean Cuisines, or you could be that NICE guy who enjoys sharing the wealth with someone in need (boss? friend? potential love interest??).  So it’s thrilling and even more inspiring to see how many people thus far believe in this project and are pushing to make this a reality.  I want people to truly learn how food can be love and nourishment; how it can be fun and inspiring; and best of all, it will change your life for the better.  I can’t wait to get started.

We have only 4 days left to raise the remainder of the money to reach our goal of $6000!! Please spread the word to any friends or family who you think might benefit from this show.  A small donation of even $1 can collectively help bring our vision into reality.  You can donate on our Kickstarter Page here

Read more about 1-2 Simple Cooking at

Kitchen Confidante

Crave DFW

6 Bittersweets

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My dear friend Prerna over at Indian Simmer (please show home girl some love because she is FABULOUS) sent over a cool thread that was floating around called My 7 Links where we were asked a few questions about our past blog posts.  I thought it was a great topic so here it goes.

Most Beautiful Post

It was a recent one actually: my Chipotle Rubbed Salmon Open-Faced Sammies.  I remember when I photographed this post, it was a gorgeous day outside.  Norah Jones was playing in the background, I felt like a million bucks because I “ran” 4-miles in less than an hour (short legs deter the speed) and I had all these beautiful ingredients from Artizone to work with.

After cooking and plating, at the very last minute, I saw the prettiest leaf amongst the batch and carefully placed it on top.  And there it was: the perfect shot.

Most Popular Post

It meant a lot to me that My Mother’s Wonton Soup was the most popular post on my blog.  She was spending the last month with me here in Dallas before she moved back to Shanghai China for retirement.  My mother is my best friend.  I know it sounds cliche but she really is.  She is the reason why I have such a deep rooted connection to food, and for that I am forever thankful.

So to see this post so well received, really meant the World to me.  It was sharing a part of my heritage and introducing everyone to the person who has molded me into who I am today.  I love you Mom, you are my everything.

Most Helpful Post

This post really wasn’t food related at all.  It was about The Value of Friendship. We often take the small things for granted and we underestimate how far a truly good relationship can take you in life.   A good friend challenges you, helps you grow more than you can ever imagine and despite life’s shortcomings will always be there for you, every step of the way.  I am lucky to have those in my life, especially my life-long friend Courtney.  Life is too short to be wrapped up in things that don’t matter.  Focus on the things that better your life and collect that positive energy.

Most Controversial Post

I really enjoyed this post: Best Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Banana Ice Cream .  I mean honestly the word “vegan” scares me.  I think of really bland crappy food and then to bring vegan dessert in the mix, I mean don’t even go there.  WHERE ARE THE YUMMY ANIMAL FATS PEOPLE?! But I realized, just because a lot of places make crappy vegan food doesn’t mean I have to.  I took on the challenge and was determined to make a damn good vegan dessert.

I used honey as a topping because I thought it added a nice touch but holy crap did that make some vegans mad.  HONEY ISN’T VEGAN!!  they’d cry, holding up their fire torches and pitchforks — OFF WITH HER HEAD.  Hey dudes, calm down I talked to the bees and they personally told me “Joy, we beeeeeelieve you can use some of our honey.” Don’t get your panties in a knot vegan snobs, just leave off the honey if you’re concerned about the bees or better yet call PETA.  I hear they take care of matters like these.

Post Whose Success Surprised Me

This is the second most popular post after My Mother’s Wonton Soup on Joylicious: Watermelon Lemonade and Strawberry Mint Iced Tea. It was pretty surprising but hey I ain’t complainin’.  I remember photographing this at my old apartment and set up the photo in the middle of the parking lot.  My neighbor couldn’t help but come out to ask “Joy, what the heck are you doing?”.

I’m sure my neighbors thought I was a total weirdo but hey, at least they got to reap the benefits every time I shot food for posts!

Post That Didn’t Get the Attention It Deserved:

I thought this post was pretty awesome: Copper River King Salmon with Fried Green Tomatoes and a Tri-Pepper Salsa.    The combination of flavors along with the tender flakes of Copper River King Salmon made this dish a freaking winner.  Plus I was able to catch a pesky visitor while I was photographing the dish so it made me like this post even more.

It’s a great appetizer for dinner parties because you can make everything beforehand, yes even the fried green tomatoes which you can reheat in the oven!

Post I am Proud Of:

Okay I freaking love these cupcakes: Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes.  Now sure, they are not the healthiest things in the world but people you gotta live a little from time to time, AM I RIGHT? I love these so much in fact, I spent 6 hours photographing this shoot so I could SPREAD THE LOVE too all of your wonderful little tummies.  It’s one of those recipes that make people happy and the ticket to anyone’s heart.  So if you’re into bribery, trust me these are the cupcakes that will get the job done.

Okay so that was a little long.  Thanks for hanging in there now DONT FORGET — Support 1-2 Simple Cooking.  If we reach the goal I’m going to do the flapjack dance.  Don’t question it, just trust me.  You will LOVE it.

The reality of smaller spaces and limited ingredients, limited budgets, and limited free time due to busy lives often get in the way of our health and well-being and so we want to find ways to incorporate simple recipes and techniques into our daily routine and take charge of the kitchen opposed to resorting to unhealthy eating choices. Our health is something we are all capable of controlling and we want to spread the good word: you are what you eat!

We are very passionate about bringing this dream and making it into a reality and would love if all of you readers, YES YES YOU, would be willing to take some time to spread the word to your friends and family (via E-mail, twitter, facebook, etc.) to check out our Kickstarter page and if you are able to support us in any way it’d be greatly appreciated. Even a small donation of $5-10 would really help us collectively reach our goal of $6000, we’re already at a whopping $1195 after 2 days!!!   I can’t put into words how excited I am about this project and I hope together we can make this show a success.

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Back when I interviewed Tim Byres for Sunday Brunch at Crave DFW   I knew I landed some place special.  It was this beautiful space filled with a smokey woodsy aroma, where you feel like you’ve been transported to your Texan grandpa’s lounge (doesn’t everyone have one of those?) –  equipped with a pool table, a large sexy wooden bar stocked with house-made whiskeys, and family portraits hung randomly throughout the walls.  It’s what being part of Texas is all about: the perfectly smoked BBQ, breads, relishes, sausages from scratch; Byres even orders a whole fresh pig every Wednesday but you better be quick or you’ll miss it by Saturday.  Upon eating his infamous Smoked Brisket with Corn Bread Hash, I knew there was no turning back: I was in love with Smoke.  He shares a bold and spicy rub which was originally for beef but I replaced it with a beautiful Coho Salmon filet from the lovely folks of Copper River Salmon. 

People of Dallas, you can actually purchase all the ingredients for the sandwich via Artizone .  It’s a great online market which has your basic grocery necessities from the top artisan purveyors in the city.  Remember to support your local businesses!

Ingredients for Texas-Style Chipotle Salmon Rub

Created from Tim Byres, Chef and Owner of SMOKE Restaurant in Dallas, TX

• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 3 tablespoons dark-roasted coffee grounds, finely ground
• 2 ½ tablespoons salt
• 1 ½ tablespoons granulated dry garlic
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano leaves
• 1/3 cup Tabasco brand chipotle pepper sauce

Combine dark brown sugar, ground coffee, salt, garlic, paprika and oregano in medium bowl.  Add Tabasco chipotle sauce; stir until well mixed.  Makes about 1 cup.  Rub on 1 ½ pounds salmon steak.  Or rub on roasts and ribs.  Refrigerate 20 minutes to marinate before grilling.

This recipe is really easy to put together, 15 minutes from start to finish (not counting marinating time with the rub).  It’d be perfect for a healthy simple dinner or even an afternoon snack.  The best part is, this recipe is heart healthy.  Copper River salmon is full of superior health benefits, rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which benefits your heart and brain.  Catch the last of Alaska’s best treasure: Copper River Coho Salmon — with its mild flavor and firm texture it’s great even for the pickiest of eaters.  Savor the last bits of Summer (yes it’s still Summer in Texas) and serve these sandwiches with a nice cold pitcher of Texas Sweet Tea. 

Ingredients for Open Faced Salmon Sandwiches

• 8 oz Coho Salmon Fillet rubbed with Texas-Style Chipotle Rub
  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons mustard
• 1 cup organic greens, washed
• 4 slices whole grain bread

• 1 red onion cut into four 1/2 inch slices
• 1 avocado, pitted and sliced
•  Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat.  Brush the salmon fillets with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Place on the skillet until cooked through, about 2 minutes on each side. Lightly toast the bread if preferred over the skillet, about a minute on each side. To assemble the sandwiches, place greens on each slice of bread.  Place generous chunks of salmon on lettuce and top with avocado, onion and mustard sauce.  Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

It’s a common belief that only children tend to be awkward, many times introverts and apparently always selfish.  Well whoever said that was obviously jealous- speaking from personal experience being the only child was pretty freaking awesome.

Sure I’m weird (I prefer quirky), and on some days I’m definitely one of the most introverted people you’ll ever meet and when it comes to food, you bet I’m selfish — DONT YOU BE TOUCHIN MY BROWNIES. Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of days when I’d feel so painfully lonely — until the age of 7 most of my friends came in stuffed animal form.  Laugh it up chuckles but it really forced me to explore my creative side as a result. Plus it was nice to be king like all the time and to this day I love nothing more than spending time alone by myself, with my books, my words and my imagination.  It’s a beautiful thing folks, that is until your life is turned upside down and suddenly the 2 people you love most in the world sadly drift apart.

It was hard.  My parents’ divorce that is.  And at the time when it happened (I was 18) I remembered feeling my heart had been torn in half.  To make matters worse, I go off to college and the first Summer back both my parents had moved on and SURPRISE!  I suddenly had a new mom, a new dad AND a younger sister?  NOW HOLD ON A MINUTE.  I do not share my throne of greatness and especially not with this weird little bugger that was 9 years younger than me.  What the hell does a 18 year old and a 9 year old have in common?  Oh right.  Nothing.

It was awkward.  Everything felt all out of whack.  I’d hang out with mom and her new beau and then have to switch to dad and his new family.  Trust me, I wasn’t amused.  I’ve never felt so uncomfortable and out of place.  It’s as if they both started brand new lives but without me.  *Enter pity party here*

But with time, comes change and eventually acceptance.  I now had 2 moms, 2 dads and a little sister TT.  In my mind I was convinced she was evil.  Out to steal my reign as the favorite and eventually my awesomeness would be replaced by this little bugger with beady eyes, I’m on to you TT don’t think I don’t see your tricks! Yet no matter how hard I’d resist, year after year she’d grow on me.  She made me this really sweet card for my birthday this one time and would climb into bed to cuddle with me in the mornings.  Trying to tug on my heart strings I see, well played TT, well played.

Then something strange happened.  I found myself actually enjoying having a sister.  What once was a foreign and uncomfortable feeling morphed into something bigger and definitely better and you know, it’s pretty awesome.  I finally have someone I can put make up on, take shopping, go out to eat, give boy advice to and my favorite, bake cookies with.

Most importantly, life didn’t feel as lonely anymore.  It was nice to have a partner-in-crime, someone to snicker with when the parents were being silly, someone to talk to when you were feeling a little sad and someone to love and accept whole heartedly and unconditionally.  Man, I should start writing Hallmark cards.

Plus being a big sister means I can boss her around anywhere anytime any day, AM I RIGHT?

Before TT started her last year of high school she came up to Dallas to visit.  We ate at Fearing’s, Marquee Grill, Royal Sichuan.  I gave her $100 bucks and taught her the art of “bargain shopping” (she bought 3 dresses, jeans and a top) and I showed her some simple recipes that’d be perfect for her when she went off to college.  My mother in law gave me an antique cookbook from the 1930s where there was a recipe for Snickerdoodles.  Since cookies are one of the easiest things to make I opted to teach TT that one. 

These cookies are spectacular, with crispy edges and chewy centers it’s one of those cookies that fill your tummy with warm fuzzies.  And what better way to bond with friends and family than with a large plate of freshly baked cookies washed down with tall glasses of cold milk?  Plus I told TT if you want a boy to fall for you hard and take you out on an epic date, these are the cookies that’ll tug on his heart strings. Happy baking folks, until next time…

It’s been a blistering hot Summer here.  At times I have trouble focusing, my head feels a daze as I watch the heat shrivel out the remaining life of our cucumber plants.  Day after day the temperatures soared past 100 even 105! How is that even legal?  It’s even unbearable to walk around barefoot anymore; the once soft plushy grass is now replaced with a crunchy yellow patch.  My feet strive for relief.

I can hardly wait for Fall to arrive and I often pray hard for rain.  It seems that God is listening — for the past two mornings have been graced by the soft pitter patter of rain drops beating against my window.  What relief for this scorching hot Summer.  What joy life must feel after such an absence.  If only it rained harder so I could sing and dance and twirl like a child again.

Basil has been growing like mad; the fragrance can be intoxicatingly sweet.  It has a sharpness to it that lingers within you, an awakening of the senses.  I decided to pair fresh basil with ginger soda and added a citrus kick with some fresh grapefruit juice.  Since alcohol makes me blush, I tend to find refreshing mixes that can be just as satisfying as your next mimosa. 

Speaking of which – feel free to mix with a bottle of champagne or maybe even a bottle of white wine for a tasty sangria!  Enjoy the last bits of Summer while it lasts.  So let’s raise our glasses: Here’s to you Summer, thanks for the hot beating, it’s time for you to leave, and please don’t come back as angry as you did this year.  Cheers!   

Exciting news!  I am guest posting for Xiaolu at 6bittersweets this week.  Please check out my post and show her some love!

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I met Xiaolu this year through the wonderful World of blogging. I was initially attracted to her jaw-dropping photos on 6 Bittersweets and with time have discovered that her inner beauty was just as beautiful as her talent. She was sweet enough to bake me cupcakes on my birthday and even mailed me the adorable pompoms she used to decorate them with. See why I love this girl? You’re the sweetest Xiaolu, thank you for having me guest post on your blog today.