Sockerbit Sweet & Swedish (Candy Shop)

In America, Sweden is best known for (1) IKEA and its (in)famous Swedish meatballs and (2) Swedish House Mafia for their pulsating, eletro-beats.  Now, thanks to Sockerbit and its bi-coastal existence in NYC and LA, we have one more thing for which we can thank the Swedes, namely the Swedish husband-wife duo, Florence and Stefan.

Sockerbit, which roughly translates to "cube/ lump of sugar" in English, showcases a kind of treat that the Swedes have mastered in its own right -- candy.  But not just some boring ol' candy.  We're talking about a wide, colorful array of sour gummies, marshmallow gummies, salty licorice, wrapped chocolates, yoghurt-covered candies, lollipops, sour belts, raspberry boats, berry gumdrops, gummy worms, the list goes on...

... so seems the rows of candies.  Ready, set, go, pick & mix!

A beautiful sight for anyone with a decent sweet tooth.

A dentist's worst/ best nightmare.

To add to the beauty of the variety of colorful candies that line the stark walls, the candies are made with natural colors and are free of trans fat, high fructose corn syrup, and GMOs (genetically modified organisms).

All you have to do is a grab a bag, grab a shovel, and pick and mix any and all types of candies to your heart's delight and/or to your dentist's horror.

Small section of Swedish/ Scandinavian products.

For many Swedes and other Scandinavians, visiting Sockerbit will bring back a part of your childhood in that familiar sweet (pun intended) and nostalgic way.  For everyone else, we can get to partake in an activity that brings warmth to an otherwise minimalistic storefront.  It is one thing to witness the smiles on the faces of children and adults alike, but to jointly experience the joy in tasting fresh and different candies is another.  At Sockerbit, you'll see plenty of both.

Don't worry about going overboard.  With a steep sticker price of $12.99/pound, most people may be forced to be less impulsive and more pickier with which candies to take home.  Let's face it, this is probably good news to our teeth and stomaches alike.  Even with a light hand, I encourage you to sample all sorts of different things and to enjoy the noticeable difference between American candies and those made in or near Sweden.

Leave it to the Europeans to master sweets (Belgian, British, Swiss chocolates, German gummy bears - Haribo!, French bonbons), and Sockerbit is no exception.  Thanks for bring quality candies to LA!

** Fun Facts **

• The bags with pick ‘n’ mix candy is called “smågodis”.  { resource }
• In 1980, the average Swede ate 8.5 kilos (18.7 lbs) candy annually, in 2011 the average Swede ate all of 15 kilos (33 lbs) candy annually (statistics are from Jordbruksverket – the Swedish Board of Agriculture), which means they consume most candy in the world!
• When you think of Swedish candy, the first thing that comes to mind is likely Swedish fish — those bright-red, waxy confections that you've either grown to love or (most likely) still detest. Let us be clear from the top that they are nothing like the real deal. { resource }
• Swedes have dedicated a special day, Saturdays, for doing just that. Parents train children from a young age to wait patiently for Saturday to roll around so they can eat bags full of godis. To be fair, these are small little paper bags, but still. It's actually kind of smart, because kids don't go around begging their parents for candy all week long. { resource }

cuisine: Candy
location: Beverly Grove (near Fairfax & Third)
hours: Daily, 11am - 9pm
websites: { S | yelp | facebook | twitter }
parking: Street meters
attire: Casual
price: $$ ($12/pound)
other reviews: { StudioDIY | LA Weekly }

Bacon Jam

BACON!  JAM!  YEAH!

Let's face it; unless you are a vegan, vegetarian, or a near-vegetarian (or perhaps Jewish), you're most likely a fan of bacon.  And if you're a fan of bacon, you're likely going to be a fan of bacon jam.  Even if neither of these statements are true, you will want to know about this for yourself or to share with a fellow bacon-lover.  Because it's just that good.

Note: Do not be intimidated by the number of ingredients.  Also, note that this isn't something you can whip up in 20 min without compromising the taste. Needless to say, the time (and love) spent will all be worthwhile.

"Boozy Bacon Jam" Recipe adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon.
Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 lb. smoked bacon
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. Rudy's dry rub (or other rub that includes salt, chili pepper, paprika, etc.)
• 3/4 cup sweet bourbon, brandy, or whiskey
• 2/3 cup brewed coffee (can be lukewarm)
• 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp. maple syrup (doesn't have to be Hello Kitty brand)
• 1 1/2 tsp. Sriracha
• black pepper and sea salt to taste

Instructions 

1. Slice bacon in 3/4'' slices.  Place in medium saucepan and cook on medium-high heat for about 10 min.  Remove from pan.
2. Drain all but 1 tbsp. of bacon fat and add butter to melt.
3. Add sliced onion, brown sugar, and cook for 10-15 min. until onions become translucent.  
4. Add sliced shallot, garlic, and spices and saute for another 5 min.  
5. Add bacon to the onion mix.
6. Pour boubon/ brandy into the bacon mixture; reduce heat to medium and cook liquid down for 5 min.
7. Add the coffee, vinegar, maply syrup, and Sriracha and stir until well-combined.  Reduce heat to low and simmer (uncovered), stirring occasionally.
8. After about 1 hour, turn off the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
9. Pour the cooled mixture into a food processor and process until desired consistency.  Add salt or pepper to taste.
10. Serve warm (best!) or store in an airtight container, in the fridge, until ready to use. Stores up to one month.

BACON!

ONION!

BOURBON!

Simmer down baby, simmer.

Ta da!

Serve hot on freshly toasted bread.

Store in air-tight container/ jars.

A fancier version of pb+j sandwich.

Parm (NYC)

Much to my dismay, I still haven't featured all the wonderful places from Doah's Hungry's DC & NYC Food Tour that happened... seven months ago (eek).  This may make me the worst food blogger ever, or maybe the best because I'm sharing some of the best places each city has to offer.  Take your pick! ;)

Parm is a shop that specializes in cooking up lovely, breaded cutlets of chicken, veal, or eggplant.  So while there are plenty of other yummy-sounding items on the menu, my attention went directly to this:

Full online menus here.

Since I stopped by Parm for a "mere snack," I ordered the Chicken Parm -- or what Tom from Parks & Rec calls, a "chiki chiki, parm parm" -- on a roll.  Would that make it a chicky chicky, parm parm, samdoozle?.  Anyway, a humble choice, you would think...

Chicken Parm Roll -- $9

Wha-zaa!

The roll is regular-sized, but the chicken parm, covered in mozzarella glory, is almost twice the size of the bun and around the size of my face.  Wowee!  But who's complaining?  Not I.

Another angle of the impressive chicky chicky, parm parm breast.

Mainly, I'm not complaining because the sandwich is good -- really good.  The generous portion of breaded protein may not be ideal for the heart, and the soft sweet roll may not be good for the waistline, but when it's chilly outside and you want something warm and hearty in your body, this is where you go. And this is what you eat.

Unfortunately, the restaurant space is quite small, but once you're happily noshing away, you'll hardly notice that you're practically sitting on top of the person sitting next to you.  There's no such thing as personal space in NYC anyway.  But for the food, it is all so worthwhile!

More reasons to check out Parm: (1) It's owned by two Italian-American guys "who, once had a restaurant of their own, decided to cok what is a kind of soul food for them and for millions of other Americans, even those with no Italian ancestors"; (2) It's located on Mulberry Street (aww); and (3) It provides Comfort food with a capital "C."

Parm it up, friends!


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dine-in date: March 19, 2013; 2pm
order: Chicken parm; meatball parm; eggplant parm; pizza knots.
cuisine: Italian
location: NoLita | 248 Mulberry Street (btwn Spring & Prince)
subway stops: Broadway/ Lafayette; Prince St; or Spring St.
hours: Sun-W: 11AM - 11PM; Th-Sat: 11AM - midnight
websites: { Parm | yelp | facebook | instagram }
attire: Casual
notes: No reservations
other reviews: { gastronomy | just add cheese | NYT | much more }

Mini Quinoa Cups

Here's a recipe that is easy, healthy, and doubly versatile (meaning you can have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack AND you can be as creative as you want with it).  A fellow cooking/ baking enthusiast introduced me to this recipe.  And considering we're both going into bar-study hibernation soon, mini quinoa cups may be a-plenty in our near future.

Plus, the beauty of this recipe -- aside from being quick and easy -- is that you can get creative by tossing in ham, bacon, veggies, or anything else that you fancy.  Go wild.


Mini Quinoa Cups
recipe from Iowa Eats
Yield: About 24 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah") - I used Bob's Red Mill Organic Whole Grain Quinoa, which comes pre-washed (we fancy)

• 1 egg
• 1 egg whites
• 1/2 cup shredded zucchini 
• 1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1/4 cup roasted red peppers
• 1/2 cup sharp shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsps. chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prep two mini muffin tins by spraying them with non-stick spray.

2. Combine all ingredients into a bowl.

3. Spoon the mixture into each cup.

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

5.  Let them cool for at least 5 minutes before removing them from the muffin tin.

That's it!  Super easy!

Now, for the visuals:

BEFORE

AFTER

Baked Oatmeal To Go!

Finals season is upon us.  And for me, it's my last set... ever!  As much as I want to resign to "I'm graduating in less a month, so eff it!," apathy has never served any one any good.  Besides, my allegedly "worst summer ever" is also starting in a month, so I should at least prep early for the abuse my mind, psyche, and bank account will suffer because of the California State Bar, right?

But whether it's my last set of finals or my first (thank God it's not), once this time rolls around, one fact remains the same: I eat crap and let myself go with the whole fitness thing.  This is mainly because there never seems like enough hours in a day.  That's why when I found this healthy recipe on Pinterest, I got to work.  What I heart most about this recipe, is that you can always freeze and reheat for those extra busy days!  So simple.


Baked Oatmeal Cups

Ingredients

• 1 egg (or 1/3 cup egg white)
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce 
• 2.5 cups Old Fashioned rolled oats
• 1 banana, mashed
• 1.5 cups 1% milk
• 3 packets of Stevia or Splenda OR 2.5 tbsp. of honey
• 1/2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Optional toppings: nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, fruit pieces

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

2. Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana, and Stevia/ Splenda together in a bowl.

3. Add in oats, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and mix well with wet ingredient.

4. Finally, pour in milk and combine (don't worry; the batter will be runny).

5. Place cupcake liners in the muffin tin and spray with cooking spray (yes, spray the liners). Pour mixture evenly into muffin tin cups (about 3/4 full).

6. If using toppings, add them on the top of the muffins now.  If using fresh or frozen fruit, you can also drop them right into the batter and mix 'em in.

Strawberry & Chocolate chips

Plain with roasted sunflower seeds

Just strawberries

7. Bake for 30 min. or until a toothpick comes out clean when you poke the center.  Cool and enjoy!

*Notes*

• Put the extras in an airtight Ziploc freezer bag after they've cooled. 
• Reheat in microwave for 40 seconds; wait a few minutes; and enjoy on-the-go!

S'mores Cookie Bars

Guys, two very important things:
(1) I discovered something amazing; and (2) I'm going to share it with you right here, right now!

Let's start with three sweet words that may change your life forever: S'mores Cookie Bars (SCBs).  (What other three words were you thinking?).

If I didn't make this -- and thus, knew all of the ingredients -- I'd believe there was crack laced somewhere between the graham cracker crumbs and marshmallow fluff.  Yes, SCBs are delicious.  Yes, they are super easy to make.  Yes, your buddies will love you even more (that is, if you're willing to share with them).

So ya'll ready to give 'em a try??

S'mores Cookie Bars
recipe from Lovin' From the Oven

Supplies: 8" square baking pan, electric mixer (optional)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened by room temperature
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 8 crushed graham cracker squares)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 king-size milk chocolate bars (Hershey's, Crunch, Dove, Symphony, Kit Kats, anything!)
• 1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 8" square pan.  (I sprayed mine with PAM).

2) In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light.  Beat in egg and vanilla extract.

3) In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt.  Add to the butter mixture and mix until well combined.  

* For my first batch, I also added some Heath English Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits and semi-sweet chocolate chips because both happen to be sitting in my pantry, demanding attention.

4) Divide dough in half.  Press half of the dough into an even layer in the prepared baking pan. 

5) Place the two king-size chocolate bars on top of the first layer.  The beauty of using king size bars is that they perfectly fit into the 8" pan.  If you're using a less convention size, just make sure that there is no overlap of chocolate (break the pieces so they aren't stacked up).  I used one Hershey's milk chocolate bar (right) and one Hershey's milk chocolate bar with almonds (left).

6) Spread the marshmallow fluff in an even layer on top of the chocolate layer.  I just used a bread knife.

7) Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff.  The easiest way to do this is to break up the dough into flattened pieces like a puzzle.

8) Last optional step: Sprinkle some sea salt for that lovely sweet, but salty effect.

9) Pop the pan into the oven and bake for about 30-32 min. or until lightly browned.

10) Let it cool in the pan for at least 15 min., cut, and serve.  They taste best when still warm and gooey.

After a very successful first try, I'm determined to make these again, using other types of chocolate.  I know these may take away from the full "s'more" taste, but some ideas to consider:

Most photos from Mike's Candy Bar Wrappers

Happy baking, friends!