They say you can always talk about the weather when chatting with strangers because it’s the one thing we all have in common. But you know what else is a great universal topic of conversation? Three things: bread, cheese and bacon.

It would be useful for parties in situations where you’re talking to a stranger and you’ve run out of things to say. Just pick up a piece of bread at the appetizer table and say something like, “Man, if there’s one thing I can’t live without, it’s some good bread and cheese.” I can only imagine their eyes will light up in agreement and they might even say, “And bacon!” Then you will be friends for life! Unless of course the person is vegan, allergic or obviously lame.

This Brie, Bacon & Chicken Sandwich combines the three things that most people love to eat. Grilled onions are added as the veggie ingredient but I sauté them shamelessly in bacon fat. The flavors from the meat and onions are cooked together in a cast-iron skillet which then doubles as my makeshift panini press. Once I place my assembled sandwiches on the grill, I smoosh them with the weight of the skillet on top. The brie slowly melts and melds with the other ingredients, while the bread gets hot and toasty. If I’m lucky, some of the brie will ooze out onto the grill and I’ll have some crispy cheese bits attached to the bun. It’s the best part.

And speaking of parties, this would be great party food. Just slice it into small pieces and you’ve got an instant appetizer.

Brie, Bacon & Chicken Sandwich
Serves 2

2 ounces brie cheese
2-3 ounces chicken breast or tenders
3 slices smoked bacon
1/2 onion
baguette, halved and sliced into 2 sandwich portions

1. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Slice bacon into approximately 2-inch pieces and cook in skillet until crispy.
3. Meanwhile, slice onions and cut chicken breast/tenders into small bite-size pieces.
4. When the bacon is crispy, place them on a towel-lined plate and set aside.
5. Remove excess bacon fat in skillet. Lower heat to medium and sauté onions.
6. Add chicken pieces and cook until no longer pink and the onions have softened. Set-aside.
Now you’re ready to assemble the sandwich!
7. Heat a griddle over medium-high heat.
8. Place brie pieces, bacon, chicken and onions on bottom half of each baguette. Put the top half on and set both sandwiches on griddle.
9. With an oven mitt, take the cast-iron skillet (careful, it’s hot!) and place it on top of sandwiches.
10. Once the cheese is melting and the bottom is toasted, remove skillet and gently flip the sandwiches over to toast the other side. Again, place skillet on top.
11. The sandwich is ready when both sides are hot and toasty.

Printable Recipe

I found this little nubbin when I pulled out the center portion of the red bell pepper for our fajita dinner tonight. You would think it was kind of adorable because it’s like a mama pepper with a baby pepper inside. But it’s strangely the exact opposite. It’s just creepy and alien-like. The boyfriend proclaimed it was the big pepper’s parasitic twin. I agree. Just don’t google image search it.

To the tiny community of people who read this blog,

Sorry for my absence! The combination of tiredness, cases of the blues (maybe it’s the summer heat!), dental surgery and eating bad food over the weekend has really thrown me into a very fuzzy mood. I couldn’t even enjoy a really good episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations in San Francisco because my nausea was preventing me from ogling the delicious food.

The good news is I’m feeling better. I’ll be back soon but I had to check in and say hello. HELLO!

-Sheila

We’re only midway through Summer, it’s 100 degrees outside, and I’m already tired of my drab hot weather wardrobe. But in about a week, I will be comforted with the arrival of every fashion magazine’s most important September issue. I will get a taste of Fall coats, boots, sweaters, and best of all – lots of layering!

But out of all the magazines, I am really looking forward to Vogue’s phone book-sized issue. Under the careful direction of the legendary editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, it is considered the fashion Bible of the year. So when I found out they were making a documentary out of Vogue’s September issue, I was so excited that I had one of those moments where everything around me was a blurry mess. I immediately plugged my headphones into the computer and watched the trailer on YouTube. Wow. Just wow. In the words of Rachel Zoe, “I die.”

The September Issue gives us a behind-the-scenes peek into the fashion world and documents the creation of Vogue magazine’s 2007 issue. The film follows Anna Wintour and her team on a journey through Fashion Week, photo shoots, and staff meetings and chronicles the demanding process of putting together a magazine. It’s the real version of The Devil Wears Prada that I dreamed to see. I cannot wait to watch Anna Wintour kick some ass!

“The bacon jam is coming today, I know it! It should only take two days to arrive from Seattle. I thought I saw the mail truck in front of the building but there’s no package at the front door? Have you checked the mail? Did you see a note outside our mailbox?”

I was like an excited puppy waiting anxiously for a doggy treat the day that my jar of Bacon Jam from Skillet Street Food was supposed to be delivered. I had everything planned out days in advance. All the ingredients for the hamburger were ready for dinner and I just needed was for the star of the show to arrive. To my relief (and my boyfriend’s), it finally showed up. Phew!

My fascination with bacon jam began when I read about it at Matt Bites. He jokingly wrote that it conjured up memories of “a full on addiction to crack cocaine”. The jam is made of quality bacon that is rendered down, mixed with onions and spices then simmered for 6 hours. Immediately after I read his post, with my mouth watering from all the imagery, I ordered a jar.

As I was getting the hamburgers ready, I snuck a taste of the jam and was struck by how sweet it was. It sort of reminded of Honey Baked Ham. I slathered it on the buns and took a bite of my burger piled with mozzarella cheese and arugula. Meh. It was a little too sweet for me but I was still intrigued. What else could I do with this jam?

A few days later, I spread it on a couple pieces of toast, scrambled some eggs and made a breakfast sandwich. It turned out to be much better than the burger because the eggs seemed to  tone down the sweetness of the bacon jam. But I wasn’t satisfied. What else? Where else do I like bacon? Aha! Bacon Fried Rice!

My idea was to take a basic fried rice recipe and mix in spoonfuls of bacon jam. Now I hope I’m not committing a culinary crime here, but the soy sauce combined with the jam totally worked! You know when you get those late-night cravings for something hearty, sweet and salty? You know what I’m talking about – burgers & milkshakes, pancakes & eggs, fried chicken & waffles? Well, you can add Skillet Bacon Jam Fried Rice to your list of fourth meals. I can’t think of anything better in the AM than a bowl full of carbs with sprinkles of sweet bacon. Ridiculous and indulgent? Oh yes.

Skillet Bacon Jam Fried Rice
4 cups of yesterday’s leftover white rice
2 eggs
2 tablespoons Skillet Bacon Jam
3 tablespoons chopped carrots
3 tablespoons chopped green onions
2-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Heat oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add in carrots and cook for about a minute. Then add green onions and cook until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
3. Crack eggs into pan and quickly stir it around with your spatula until scrambled.
4. Add in rice and toss it all together. Once combined, spread the rice out in the pan and let it heat up for 1-2 minutes.
5. Drop in Skillet Bacon Jam and stir.
6. Drizzle soy sauce all around the rice and mix until it is evenly distributed.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the fried rice sit for a bit until it’s nice and hot! Serve.

Printable Recipe

When I first discovered guacamole at a young age, I was repulsed. Avocado mixed with tomatoes? And you scoop it up with tortilla chips? Ew. It’s not supposed to be salty. Growing up in the Philippines until I was 7-years-old, I only knew avocado as a sweet ingredient. It was a special treat when my mom brought home some pricey avocados from the store because I knew she would be making her special dessert. I would watch her scoop the avocado meat into a bowl, throw in a bit of sugar and cover the whole thing in cold Carnation evaporated milk. My family would gobble it up fast and fight over who got the last bit of avocado infused milk left over in the bowl.

Recently while sitting at the doctor’s office, flipping through my third magazine, my eyes lit up when I saw a recipe for Coconut Avocado Ice Cream. Ooh! I’ve had avocado shakes before but never ice cream. Plus the addition of coconut would be an interesting spin on my favorite Filipino dessert. I immediately pulled out my camera and snapped a picture of the recipe.

Well, I didn’t end up using the recipe (it called for condensed milk and I thought it would be too sweet) but I found many other versions online and came up with my own. If you’ve never used avocados in a sweet dish before, this ice cream recipe is a great way to warm up to it. The creamy texture of avocados makes a good base for ice cream and the subtle flavor combined with coconut milk will remind you of smooth tropical drinks from your last island vacation.

And if you want, try my mom’s quick avocado dessert. She likes to get people to sample it after they say, “Avocado with milk? Ew.” With a little taste, slowly their confused scrunched brows lift up to a pleasantly surprised expression. That’s how I felt the first time I tasted guacamole.

Notes:
- This recipe, as with all the avocado ice cream recipes I’ve seen, is best served the day you make it in order to maintain the soft-serve consistency. The ice cream gets hard after a day in the freezer but the addition of vodka does help it a bit. If you do freeze it overnight or longer, I suggest moving the ice cream into the fridge for an hour or so before serving.
- I highly recommend using good quality coconut milk like Mae Ploy or Chao Koh or else the flavor will get lost in the mix.
- And don’t worry, the ice cream’s beautiful mint green color will not turn brown.

Coconut Avocado Ice Cream
1lb avocados (about 2-3)
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups whole milk
1 can (19 oz.) Mae Ploy brand coconut milk, or any unsweetened type
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1-1/2 tablespoons vodka

1. Combine all ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth.
2. Chill mixture in refrigerator for 2-4 hours.
3. Process the mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Printable Recipe

Bonus Recipe!
Mom’s Quick Avocado “Soup”
Serves 1
1 avocado
1 tablespoon sugar or more to taste
1/2 cup evaporated milk, chilled

1. Scoop up avocado meat into a bowl. With a spoon, roughly chop up meat into pieces to whatever size you like.
2. Stir in sugar and evaporated milk. Add more of each to your desired sweetness.
3. If it’s not cold enough, you can add some ice cubes.
Serve or refrigerate until chilled.

Printable Recipe

On my visit to Trader Joe’s, I couldn’t resist picking up a bag of gummies shaped like penguins. I got lured in by the cute cartoon on the packaging with the cool blue color. Maybe it was some subconscious need to get away from the summer heat.

They’re a little different from gummy bears because the penguin’s little round bellies are made up of a flavored gel that oozes out when you bite into it.

But you know something? They don’t really look like penguins. They look more like Ronald McDonald’s friend, Grimace.

Don’t you think?

L: Leanne Marshall Bluefly tee, $98 | R: Anthropologie Corolla tee, $78

While perusing Project Runway winner Leanne Marshall’s Bluefly clothing line yesterday, there was a particular top I thought I had seen somewhere else before. I immediately picked up my copy of the Anthropologie catalog and found her little twin.

Which one do you like better? I vote for Ms. Leanimal’s. Though I must admit I was a bit disappointed with her Bluefly collection which looked too basic especially in comparison to her real work. Let’s assume working with eco-friendly materials has many limitations.

Images via Bluefly and Anthropologie

Even though a dozen large eggs cost about $1.50, throwing more than four yolks down the sink makes me cringe with guilt. When I was making batches and batches of macaroons for Father’s Day, I was left with nine egg yolks. I looked at them as if they were little abandoned orphans who needed to be saved from the dark hole that leads to the InSinkErator. Luckily for these cute, yellow buttons I always have the perfect home for them- whisked into the sweet, decadent goodness of creme brulee.

Creme brulee has become the savior of leftover egg yolks. It’s an easy and convenient recipe as long as you have the patience to wait for the custard to chill. Whenever my boyfriend and I are craving something sweet we grab a couple of single-serve ramekins out of the fridge for an instant dessert fix.

The best part has to be burning the sugar with the mini torch. We both like to add more sugar than normal to create an even thicker shell on top.

You can really get creative with the recipe and add all sorts of flavors into the custard mixture. Maybe something rich like chocolate or something more floral like lavender. I often stick to the classic version since I’m usually just trying to save the poor little egg yolks. They’re better off in my appreciative tummy than the dingy sink.

Classic Creme Brulee
Adapted from Mark Bittman via New York Times

2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar, plus more for topping

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare some boiling water to be used later for baking the custard.
3. In a saucepan, heat heavy cream and vanilla extract until the edges begin to bubble.
4. Meanwhile, whisk together egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until light in color.
5. Take about a quarter of the cream mixture and pour into the bowl while stirring with a whisk. Once the eggs have tempered, pour it all back into the saucepan and keep stirring until combined.
6. Divide mixture into six small ramekins. Put them into a baking dish and place in oven.
7. Pour the hot water you prepared earlier into the baking dish until it is halfway up the ramekins.
Note: I like to do this in the oven instead of bringing a baking dish full of ramekins and hot water into the oven. Doesn’t sound safe, does it?
8. Bake for 30 minutes or until the center of the custard is wobbly like jello and the edges are firm.
9. Carefully remove each ramekin from baking dish and let cool. Cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
10. When ready to eat, place about of teaspoon of sugar on top of custard and move the ramekin around to get an even layer.
11. Torch sugar until it browns. Let it sit for about a minute to cool and harden. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Jane Aldridge Sea of Shoes:

Jane is a fantastically dressed 17-year-old girl from a small city in Texas who blogs about her obsession with edgy and luxurious shoes. Her outfits are avant-garde mixed with a touch of Victorian romanticism which are far more inspirational than many of the young Hollywood celebrity styles.

Jane also has an appreciation for art and a talent for photography which makes her site so eye-catching. She often features her equally stylish mother and together they model their high fashion and vintage finds.

So if Jane can wear her fashion-forward outfits in the middle of nowhere because she wants glamour in her life, then why am I often wearing t-shirts and jeans in a big city?

Arlo Weiner is 8-years-old, he wears ascots, he is inspired by old movies and talks about actors like Boris Karloff. I didn’t know what ascots were until a few years ago and who is Boris Karloff (don’t worry, I already googled it)? I suppose when your father is Matt Weiner, the creator of the television show Mad Men, then it’s probably just everyday conversation over the  dinner table.

He’s got the dapper look down and he sure knows how to mix his patterns. Arlo looks like a little gentleman with his suits and collection of hats that seem to be his everyday duds. I, on the other hand, often get self-conscious about being overdressed.

You would think a boy who wears this to school would be the target for the meanest playground insults ever, but Arlo carries himself with confidence and tells his pint-sized critics that he just wants to dress this way. Wow, is it really that easy? I suppose if Beck admired my look and then followed me down the street, I wouldn’t care what my classmates were saying either.

Tavi Gevinson Style Rookie

She’s a spunky little 13-year-old who takes impressive self-portraits of her outfits with her point-and-shoot digital camera. Her style is colorful with layers and layers of patterns which match her vibrant personality. Just like Jane Aldridge, Tavi knows her fashion and shares her style inspirations on her blog. She adds the most amusing comments that only an excited (and smart) teenager would write. She really makes me miss my teen years when everything felt so fun and new.

Tavi seems like the type of girl you would love to have a conversation with just to see what random quirky comment she would say. Or she might even make up a rap for you as she’s known to do. You can go to a thrift shop with her and look through magazines and it would feel like a fashion adventure. I could learn a lot from her energy and her I-don’t-care attitude. Like Tavi would say, “Whatevs!”

Images via Sea of Shoes and GQ magazine