From Cake to Pickles, Celebrating LA's Finest Handmade Edibles

What are you doing this weekend? Got any plans? Well don't miss out on Artisanal LA happening Saturday and Sunday (October 23&24th) Downtown LA in the historic Cooper Building!

Artisanal LA will feature of 75 local vendors. Guests get to sample delectable nibles, sip on spirits and teas, observe cooking demonstrations and even participate in crafts. This is a rare chance to sample some of LA's finest vendors from baked goods, chocolates, teas, oils, pickles and more.

I've got my cash ready and I'm excited to stock up on some goodies. Some of the vendors I'm really looking forward to loading up on goodies from include BakeLab (I'm stocking up on chocolate chip cookies, snowballs and more!), Perishable Pickle Shop (I can't wait to get my hands on some bacon jam) and Backwards Bee Keepers (honey of course gotta support those hard working honey bees). I will be there on Sunday so if you see me say hello!

Tickets are $10 with advance purchase and $15 at the door. I'm GIVING AWAY a pair of tickets because I really really don't want you to miss out! Just leave me a comment below telling me why you want to check out Artisanal LA and be sure to leave an email address AND/OR tweet to me @LetMeEatCake i want tickets to @ArtisanalLA. You have until Wednesday evening to get those comments and tweets in!

You admission gets you:

• Hosted beverages from Honest Tea, Dry Soda, Function and Bonadea
• Local craft beer and organic spirits tasting (21+)
• One-of-a-kind tote bag for the first 1000 attendees
• Workshops and cool handmade activities
• Family friendly arts & crafts
• Great speakers and chef demos
• Giveaways all weekend long
• Souvenir copy of our vendor directory
• Unlimited re-entry all weekend long
• DJ Bryan Davidson setting the mood
• Seedlings from Pitchfork’s Mud Baron to inspire your inner urban farmer
• Shopping from more than 75 local, craft vendors!
• Donation based gift wrap hosted by Uncouth Gourmands benefiting the LA Regional Food Bank
• Partial proceeds benefit LAUSD Edible School Garden Programs

The Cooper Building

860 S. Los Angeles St.

11th Floor Penthouse

Downtown L.A., CA 90014

BloggerProm 2010

A little over a week ago I took a much needed night out and attended the 2nd Annual Blogger Prom. Let me tell you it was the perfect way to hit the town when you find that you don't have much free time any more. The location for this year's prom was Yamashiro Restaurant, a Japanese palace of sorts nestled in the Hollywood Hills with sweeping views of the city. The theme was Old Hollywood Glam and glam it was. Long satin gloves, hats, bowties, sweeping dresses and quaffed hair everyone looked gorgeous! The night was perfect, food, friends, libations to go around and best of all sweets! Tacos courtesy of Chef Brock, "cheese sex" courtesy of The Cheese Impresario, ice cream sammies from CoolHaus and my favorite part KeyLime cupcakes from Crumbs. I wish I had taken more pictures but honestly I was too busy soaking up all the fun. There is no better way to capture the night than through a few pictures I was able to snap in between catching up with blogging buds and imbibing, enjoy them below. I can't wait for Blogger Prom 3.o! A big thank you to the Blogger Prom commitee CarolineonCrack, E*starLA, TaraMetBlog, HappyGoMarni, SquashBlossom, LA&OCFoodie, TheLiquidMuse and ShopEatSleep!

Check out these posts from my dear friends for more!

Diana Takes a Bite

Noms Not Bombs

UncouthGourmand

Dishing up Delights

Misty of Noms Not Bombs

Esi of Dishing Up Delights

Josie of UncouthGourmand and H.C. of LA&OCFoodie

Rachael one half of the wonderful Chicks With Knives and Diana of DianaTakesABite

The Minty!

Beautiful Bricia (Guelaguetza)

Heaven in a Waffle Bowl - Lake Street Creamery

Wow it really has been 1 month since I last blogged! And before that I had only blogged once in August! What a bad blogger I am. If you are still out there and you are still reading Let Me Eat Cake, well thanks! Running SoCal's FIRST Filipino food truck with my blogging pal BurntLumpia has been no easy feat. We spend tireless hours prepping, planning, booking and working on the truck. It gets hot in there, it is tiring and to tell you the truth sometimes I want to cry. But at the end of the day I try to remember that I started my very own small business. I try to remember a smiling happy face of a customer that enjoyed our food. And I try to remember that this adventure is challenging and exciting not matter how hard it gets sometimes.

With that said, I do spend all my time on the truck and rarely have any time to go out to eat or bake anymore, but I DO now have the luxury of trying so many of LA's delicious gourmet food trucks whenever they park near by. And so I bring you Lake St. Creamery which is by far some of THE best ice cream I have had in a long time. In fact they have officially resuscitated my once dying love of ice cream. Truly, this ice cream is the stuff dreams are made of! Don't believe me? Go find them on the streets and see for yourself.

Lake Street Creamery is run by the gracious and sweet Beth and Tim. I'm telling you, you've never met nicer people. The truck is a beautiful and stylish azure with a charming old timey feel.

I want to have a favorite flavor after sampling all of their offerings, but I can't say that I do. Their ingredients are carefully chosen and paired harmoniously.

The cake donut really tastes like biting into a cake donut but somehow in cold, smooth ice cream form.

The pancake breakfast tastes like a forkful of fluffy buttermilk pancakes dripping in maple syrup with a side of hot crispy bacon and a cup of strong dark roasted coffee!

The California zephyr is fresh and bright with meyer lemon and mint.

The Aztec sacrifice is luxuriously chocolatey with undertones of spice that sneak up on your.

The Holiday chocolate is winter in a cup. Silky sweet like a cup of hot chocolate with delicate notes of nutmeg and ginger dancing around.

Their elaborate inventions even included a creation for the season premier of Mad Men - the Don Draper. Vanilla, bourbon, caramel and smoke (yes smoke!) this sweet treat is boozy and rich. This flavor is spot on, if Don Draper were an ice cream he would definitely be boozy and rich wrapped up in an addictive charming sweetness!

Lake Street Creamery doles out creative confections. From their cake donut to their california zephyr the flavors will wow you. As each cold spoonful traverses your tongue, you will wonder why you ever ate any other ice cream before.

The Perfect Summer Drinks

Boy was it a hot one out today! So hot you can't move, you can't think and yet I somehow managed to bake, but that is another story all together. The one thing that really gets me through these hot hot summer days is an ice cold glass of lemon/or limeade.

Early in the summer when it wasn't quite as hot as it was today in LA, I made two absolutely amazing and thirst quenching drinks. They were just what I needed to beat the heat today, but of course I didn't have them. If you are in need of the perfect summer refreshment here are two recipes to keep you cool! I know that I will have at least one of these in the fridge for the rest of the summer. These summer drinks are sweet, simple and addictively delicious!

Fresh Peach Rosemary Lemonade

makes 1 quart

1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 cup fresh peaches pureed (skin off)

1 sprig fresh rosemary

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup water

2-3 cups cold water to dilute (measure water to taste)

In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup water and 3/4 cup sugar. Add rosemary and bring to a boil. Once this simple syrup boils remove it from heat and let it cool.

Meanwhile, peel 2 to 3 fresh peaches. Take peeled peaches minus the pit and place it in a food processor to puree. Set aside.

When simple syrup is cooled remove the rosemary. Add the simple syrup to 1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Add peach puree. Begin adding cold water 1 cup at a time to dilute. Add as much water as you need. You make like your lemonade thicker or sweeter so do not add all of the water at once, measure to taste. Enjoy!

Mango Mint Limeade

1 cup fresh squeeze lime juice

zest of one lime

1 cup water

3/4 cups sugar

7 mint leaves

1 cup fresh mango pureed ( about 2-3 mangoes)

In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup water and 3/4 cup sugar. Add lime zest and fresh mint and bring to a boil. Once this simple syrup boils remove it from heat and let it cool.

Meanwhile, peel 2 to 3 fresh mango. Take peeled mango minus the pit and place it in a food processor to puree. Set aside.

When simple syrup is cooled pour it through a fine sieve to remove the mint and zest. Add the simple syrup to 1 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice. Add mango puree. Begin adding cold water 1 cup at a time to dilute. Add as much water as you need. You make like your lemonade thicker or sweeter so do not add all of the water at once, measure to taste. Enjoy!

Seriously could it be any easier? Hope you are enjoying your summer!

Savor Los Angeles - One Sweet Event You Don't Want To Miss!

It is no secret that I love sweets! All shapes, flavors and sizes (espcially the cake kind). Finally there is an event that has me practically drooling. Friday at Miauhaus Studios on La Brea, Savor Los Angeles presents an exclusive best of the best sweet tasting event. From 7pm-10pm ticket holders get to enjoy endless amounts of delicious confections. The wash it all down they can enjoyed a steaming cup of Intellegensia coffee or a sweet sparkling Izzie soda or my personal favorite choice PAMA liquer cocktails. Savor Los Angeles is an intimate unique gathering all centered around sweets. Participating establishments are chosen for their emphasis on fresh and organic ingredients, alternatives to high-fructose corn syrup, vegan offerings, presentation & design, and good ol’ overall yumminess. The result is an environment that feels luxurious, genuine and exciting. Guests are invited to sample an assortment of delectable delicacies from Babycakes NYC/LA, Frosted Cupcakery, Gotta Have S’more, N’ice Cream, p.o.p. candy co., Plaisir, Popcakes, Pure Cheesecakes, Sweets For The Soul, The Crosby, and XT Patisserie.

So what are you waiting for! Tickets are only $35 for all of this goodness. I can't wait to eat my way through my favorite brownies from Sweets For The Soul and some pineapple coconut cupcakes from Frosted and I'm excited to finally get to try Plaisir creampuffs and p.o.p. candy! I will be there enjoying as much as I can before I fall into a sweets coma, hope to see you there!

For tickets and more information on participating vendors check out www.savor-losangeles.com

Soul Satisfaction - Four Cafe's Summer Menu

Four Cafe first opened its doors in April of this year. They offer fresh local organic ingredients using a slow food cooking approach. The menu changes with the seasons, offering only dishes at their peak of deliciousness. Since the restaurant's opening days I have been an enthusiastic regular customer. Each visit never disappoints and my love for this neighborhood gem only grows stronger with time. You may remember my first post about it here; if that didn't entice you to visit this Eagle Rock cafe the new summer menu certainly will have your jumping off of the couch and into the car!

True to form, Four Cafe has a list of mouth-wateringly delicious soups, salads and sandwiches, highlights of which are the shrimp and fennel soup, the southwest steak salad and the grilled fish burger. But be sure to save room for some of chef Michelle Wilton's sweet confections. Coming from a girl who loves anything sweet, these are some of the best desserts I have had. This summer look for a rich apricot cobbler, blueberry cheesecake bars and raspberry pistachio buttermilk cake.

This is what I call a summer soup. Funny as it may sound, some soups can be summer-friendly without being gazpacho. Soft fennel flavors penetrate this silky pureed soup. The flavors are subtle until the first bite of shrimp. The shrimp pop with savory flavors. Salty and smoky, the shrimp compliment the delicate fennel and create an all too scrumptious starter.

The southwest steak salad is something at which to be marveled. The honey jalapeño lime dressing is maybe one of the best salad dressings I’ve ever tasted. The enchanting taste is so good you will find yourself frantically taking stabs of the crisp lettuce in an almost compulsive manner. The steak is medium rare with a nice charred taste. Juicy chunks of jicama and yellow bell pepper are scattered throughout. This is a hefty, hearty and addicting meal.

I am a huge fan of a good grilled fish burger, but I never eat them. The reason for this is that the only good one I have found in LA is at Houston’s. That is until now. Four Café has a grilled fish burger just as good as Houston’s. Perfectly seasoned fresh fish, topped with a crunchy slaw on a homemade bun. They do not skimp on the dressing either, so grab some napkins because this burger is a messy tasty treat.

Apricot cobbler. I come once a week now even if it is just to take home a slice of cobbler. This cobbler has a thick almost viscous crumble topping. Below lies the real jewels: apricot halves that are a rich syrupy delight. I also have Four Cafe's berry crisp waiting for me in the kitchen - I couldn't resist and took it to go. I'm sure it will not disappoint.

I could go on and on waxing poetic about everything on Four’s summer menu. You should just go to Four Café and enjoy it for yourself. This is soul satisfying, comforting food. Convivial atmosphere, amazing food and some of the best service you will find. Enjoy the flavors of summer!

FOUR CAFE

2122 1/2 Colorado Blvd

Eagle Rock CA 90041

323/550-1988

If You Don't Know, Now You Know!

Have you heard the news!? Of course you have I can't stop talking about it. But here it is again and I couldn't have put it better myself! Straight from my partner Marvin Gapultos' (aka BurntLumpia) blog! http://burntlumpia.typepad.com/burnt_lumpia/2010/06/heres-the-filipino-food.html

We are both so excited to have embarked on this amazing adventure! Together we are bringing Filipino food to the masses of Los Angeles with LA's FIRST Filipino food truck! I hope I see you all out there on the road and please please help us get the word out! Tell all of you friends and follow us on Twitter @manilamachine! Find our weekly schedule on our website www.themanilamachine.com!

Our launch June 10th Downtown LA Artwalk...

people were lined up before we even opened...

and the line continued for three and a half hours until we sold out of everthing on the truck!

First night on the road check! Success check!

the next week we were invited as a special guest addition to the

Americana at Brand Streat Feast!

again never ending line! The excitement is awesome and we are so glad to be bringing Filipino food to the masses!

We are on the road now and the fun never stops! Hope to see you out there!

Eat My Ube Cupcake

It is that time again folks, a time to over indulge in some sweets while giving back to your community. It is time for Eat My Blog, a charity bakesale hosted by fellow Angelino bloggers Cathy Dahn of Gastronomy Blog and Diana Hossfeld of Diana Takes a Bite. All proceeds from the bakesale go to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. The innagural Eat My Blog bakesale was held last winter and was a huge success. Eat My Blog gathers food bloggers, restaurant owners, chefs, bakers and the like to contribute sweet goodness to raise money to help fight hunger. Last year I contributed Let Me Eat Cake oatmeal sandwich cookies. They were a hit and I had a blast being part of this amazing event.

For this year's second annual Eat My Blog charity bakesale I will be donating ube cupcakes with a coconut buttercream frosting from The Manila Machine (LA's first and only Filipino food truck- my food truck!). We are excited to contribute and hope that you all come down and share in the fun. It is going to be a sweet time for a good cause. Come enjoy a plethora of confections and meet some bloggers. I will be working 10am-1pm so make sure to say hi!

Now you can drool over this preview of the cupcakes I will be bringing...

You can find the Manila Machine ube cupcake recipe here, but why bake them visit us on the truck and you can enjoy theses plus many many more delicious Filipino eats!

The Manila Machine Hits the Streets!

photo courtesy of Cathy Dahn www.gastronomyblog.com

I have been absent from the blog lately, but for good reason … I am now co-owner of LA’s first and only Filipino gourmet food truck, the Manila Machine! It has been so exciting and crazy the past few weeks. The Manila Machine officially launched last Thursday June 10th at the Downtown LA Artwalk. The response was overwhelming. We got a great spot right on the corner of 5 th and Main and before we finished parking we had a line of people. Three and a half hours later we sold out of everything on the truck. What a night! Tomorrow we will be at the Americana at Brand for Street Feast, which is sure to be a huge event. I’ve been rolling lumpia, baking leche flan and buying up the city’s ube! So come share in the fun and try some tasty Filipino home cooking off a truck! Follow us on twitter @manilamachine to find where the truck is rolling each day. Hope to see some familiar faces out there!

photo courtesy of liezl estipona

Enjoying Vancouver One Sweet Bite At A Time

Vancouver is a city that will instantly capture your heart. Fresh air, clean streets, flowers blooming all around you. There are spectacular mountain views from every angle and a sea that seems to encircle you, with big beautiful buildings and gorgeous parks for miles and miles. What isn’t there to love about this city?

Vancouver is the perfect city for visiting gastronomes with a culinary concept of terroir that will satisfy any palate. Each meal is an adventure around the world from Japanese gyozas to Indian curries to Pacific Northwest seafood. The multicultural influence of produce and cuisine are astounding and refreshing. The abundance of fresh, diverse seafood is inspiring. Beyond the savory selection, Vancouver offers an impressive selection of sweet options. We are not talking your average cupcake or tiramisu, there are extraordinary desserts from across the globe, with more choices then one would know what to do with. Dining in Vancouver is a complete, well-rounded and gratifying experience.

Here are a few unassuming places to find great sweets in Vancouver:

Salt Tasting Room

45 Blood Alley Square

vancouver, BC V6B 0C4, Canada

(604) 633-1912

Among the magnificent array of charcuterie and cheeses, Salt Tasting Room offers one seasonal dessert that is impossible to forget. On my visit to Vancouver, rhubarb was in season and available in abundance. It was the star ingredient in Salt’s dessert tasting, a stellar trio of rhubarb cheesecake, rhubarb pudding and a rhubarb crumble. The presentation highlighted the beauty and creative genius of the menu at Salt Tasting Room.

My favorite of the desserts was the rhubarb cheesecake. The graham cracker crust was moist and crumbly. The cheesecake was lush and silky. The rhubarb compote top was unfailingly juicy and vibrant. The combination was an explosion of flavor. If not just for the dessert, I highly recommend a visit to Salt Tasting Room if you are in Vancouver.

Pourhouse

162 Water Street

Vancouver, BC V6B 1B2, Canada

(604) 568-7022

We came to Pourhouse for some after-dinner cocktails, however after glancing over the menu to find our drinks of choice we discovered a dessert menu that included house-churned salted caramel ice cream. Warm chocolate cake with house churned salted caramel ice cream to be exact. Full as I was, I could not pass it up.

The chocolate collapsed under my fork to reveal bittersweet liquid gold! Ribbons of caramel sauce danced across the plate. To the side lay the salted caramel ice cream. It was magical, buttery to no end with an undeniable salty presence. Paired with a nice artisan beer, this dessert is sexy!

Medina Cafe

556 Beatty Street

Vancouver, BC V6B2L3, Canada

(604) 879-3114

Since the moment I first discovered the ‘true’ Belgian waffle known as a liege at Le Pain Quotidien in Los Angeles, I fell in love. Perfectly golden brown, with a gooey doughy center, these waffles have sugar pearls hidden inside each fold and square of dough. I haven’t found another liege since - that is until this visit to Vancouver.

Café Medina in the Gastown district of Vancouver specializes in liege waffles. A steaming cup of coffee and a waffle in the morning - what more could you ask for? Café Medina offers an assortment of accompaniments to the liege from white chocolate pistachio to mixed berry compote. I gave a few toppings a try, but I have to admit I am a purist at heart and I enjoy my liege unsullied and unadorned. The sugar pearls give you all the sweetness you need. Take note: just one waffle won’t be enough - they are so good you will need to order two or three!

New Town Bakery

158 Pender Street EastVancouver, BC V6A1T3, Canada(604) 689-7835‎

One of my all time favorite desserts are sweet sesame balls. Imagine my delight when walking down the quiet streets of Vancouver’s Chinatown on my last Sunday in the city I stumble upon a window full of hot, fresh (and may I add gigantic) sesame balls. I had stumble upon New Town Bakery a Chinese Filipino bakery with a dessert case of sweets that will make your mouth water.

A sesame ball is mochi rice flour that is deep-fried and rolled in sesames. The crust is so crisp, almost like a brulee; one delicate touch and it folds into itself revealing a sweet, sticky, starchy inside. Dig even deeper and you reach a center of sweet red bean paste. The combination of ingredients is idyllic, not too cloying, just pure soul satisfaction.