Pie

The Pie Company's Co-Owners,
Lina Hoshino and Angelo Sacerdote

Banana Cream Pie

    From my point of view, pie dominates as the most favored of all the dessert family. Well, friends of my family (yes, my human family we're not all cupcakes and cream-puffs here) has recently opened up a cute little pie shop in Petaluma, A.K.A. Petaluma Pie Company, hence the name. The Pie Co. has a wide variety of pies and new ones always coming in. My recommendations would be: Banana Cream (if you're a cream pie fan), Strawberry Rhubarb (if you're palate prefers fruit), and Salmon or Potato pie (if savory is your thing). Either way, all of the pies are delicious, so make sure to stop by, definitely worth the trip.            

Ice Cream: Homemade or Store-bought? The Modern-Day Cook's Dilemma.

Ice Cream Maker

Ice Cream 

   Naturally, the common "cook's dilemma" usually falls under the category of dessert. Specifically speaking so that we're on the same page here, ice cream. Ice cream is one of the most favored sweet treats in the United States, not just for kids. There is a tremendous variety of flavors ranging from the original chocolate, to oddities like peach-black licorice. Given the current state of the processed food in the U.S, I believe there are two main types of ice cream, real ice cream and the mass-produced ice cream knock off. Now, when I mean "real" ice cream, I mean ice cream without harmful preservatives or additives (mostly made of corn) "to maintain freshness" that cannot usually be bought at your local supermarket. The dilemma for most cooks is whether to buy ice cream or make it. Homemade ice cream is much fattier than store bought due to the combined fat of whole milk and heavy cream. It also can take up to two days per batch. On the other hand, store bought ice cream can be artificial and a waste of money. Yet at the same time, homemade ice cream uses natural, cheaper, ingredients and store bought ice cream is quick, easy to store and melts slower. No matter what you choose, make sure your decisionreflects what you stand for in terms of ice cream.         

Cendol

Cendol Drink

Chewy Surprise and Pandan Leaf

President Obama Drinking Cendol

      Cendol. What is it? Who is it? Isn't it a city in India? No, that's Chennai, India. Cendol is a cool, sweet, interesting drink. Native to Java, the main island of Indonesia, Cendol(pronounced CHEN-DOLE) is a creamy coconut milk drink with a sweet, sugary syrup added at the bottom, and a slippery surprise in the center. Coconut milk, being the heart of all Indonesian cuisine(especially desserts)takes the base of this sweet treat and mellows the other battling flavors. The sweet syrup is pure liquefied palm sugar that(as the name indicates)does its job very well by sweetening the drink. To cool it off and to refresh people from the scorching heat of Indonesia, a scoop of shave-ice to top it off. If you like trying new things, then you'll enjoy this final ingredient. The final ingredient and my personal favorite is the chewy, green, worm-shaped strings made from rice flour and dyed by the green juice of the pandan leaf. Cendol is one of my favorite desserts and can be enjoyed at your local Indonesian restaurant. 

Boba Tea

Boba Tea

Tapioca Pearls

    Boba Tea. Also known as "bubble tea " is now quite popular in dense, urban cities with some Asian cuisine. The juice concoctions range from the original milk tea to more contemporary flavors such as avocado and kiwi. The second component that puts the 'boba' in boba tea are the sticky, chewy, marble-sized "spheres of goodness" (a.k.a. bobas, bubbles, and tapioca pearls) bring the entire drink together. Believe it or not, these sweet balls of shaped gelatinous sweet-potato starch can be cooked at home (see your local Asian market). Boba teas make great treats any time, any where, whenever. So whether you're on the go or sitting down, take a sip, a chew and enjoy.