National Flags made of food. Yum! India looks especially delicious.
http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2009/09/08/national-flags-made-out-of-food/

Creme Fraiche Scone w Strawberries

Bought some creme fraiche at Trader Joe's, mistaking the round container to be one for soft cheese. Silly rabbit.

After some thought, I decided to make some scones for breakfast. A little on the dry and crumbly side. Also a tad sweet - will reduce sugar next time.

Peets Sweets

Decided to give Peet's chocolate chip cookie a go today. Good chip dispersion, pretty good dough, but not terribly memorable other than the fact that the whole cookie tasted like coffee. The coffee aroma permeating the store must have somehow seeped into the cookie and confused my senses.

Turned out that the highlight, food-wise, was actually the reduced fat berry peach scone. I remember when Starbucks first entered the Hong Kong market, American scones were hard triangular things - nothing like what I experienced today. The triangular morsel was delectably soft and bread-like, not overly sweet, with an appropriate dispersion of raspberries and peach slices. Simply delicious.

Vegan - are you sure?

Popped into the Whole Foods on 4th St between Folsom and Harrison to get some naan bread and ended up lingering in the baked goods section. There was another guy there who was also there contemplating his cookie fix. Apparently, they used to have really good chocolate chip cookies but according to him, the person who used to bake them passed away, and he wasn't a fan of the new ones. While cookie goodness can be quite subjective, I thought I would give the vegan one a try instead of the usual.

Compared to most vegan baked goods, this was surprisingly un-mealy and un-bland. Chewy in texture, but a little more tough than I would like on a regular basis. Easy to eat because while it doesn't taste as good-for-you as most baked goods, but it also doesn't taste rich.

One Big Cookie

This is not a cookie. This is a meal. When I first walked into Tart to Tart I almost walked right back out as I didn't see a chocolate chip cookie in their baked goods section - or so I thought. Once the friendly lady approached me, I felt compelled to ask for a cookie and then leave once I got the expected "no, sorry." However, the lovely lady whipped out a monster of a cookie that may well be the size of my face.

I couldn't stop exclaiming about how big it was. I told her I wasn't sure whether I could finish it but she laughed, saying that that was what the last guy said and, well, "you never know."

The cookie was crisp and dry but kept its shape well. The dryness had a slightly chewy texture of a cooled homemade cookie rather than the crumbling mess I had at another location. The dough to chip ratio was good for me and it was less sweet and buttery than Specialty's, which is probably why the last guy managed to finish it in one sitting. It was fairly addictive but I harnessed my discipline and put some of it away in a zip-lock bag. While the cookie wasn't too rich, I would probably feel rather sick if I finished it in one sitting. Especially considering I'm generally more of a savory person.

That's "Mrs." not "Ms."

Mrs. Fields. Not Ms. Not Miss. No dilly dallying. Mrs. Fields. The warm sweet scent of my childhood and memories of pulling at my mum's sleeve for a cookie or raspberry muffin. Mmm~

I tried out a semi-sweet chocolate chip cookie at the Powell Station location in SF today. Apparently their best selling cookie is milk chocolate, then white chocolate with macadamia nuts. The girl at the counter and I both agreed that white chocolate really didn't cut it (for all I know, she was humoring me, but I appreciated it).

Sadly, it seems that the semi-sweet chocolate chip no longer cuts it for me either. The edges have a nice chewiness to them, but the middle feels loaded with sugar rather than flavor. Perhaps I would fare better with a nibble-sized cookie?

CMB Sweets

I stopped by the CMB Sweets stall while at the Ferry Terminal today. The cute little stall had an assortment of delightful jam - and chocolate chip cookies! Buttery and sweet, but a tad too soft. The cookie actually drooped a little from its own weight. Good for those who like super soft cookies, but not the cookie for me.

Fishy Fishy

No new chocolate chip cookie joint this week, but I did try my hand at making fish. Halibut fillet resting on mashed potatoes and yam, garnished with a little asparagus and orange pepper. Of course, I had some roasted asparagus and fresh peppers on the side to balance out the meal. :)

Fresh Bread at Home

While I love consuming baked goods, I tend towards cooking, not baking in the kitchen. Just a couple of days ago, my husband decided to bake some fresh bread, sans breadmaker. He made two giant tupperware containers of dough, which we finished in 3 days. What you see in the picture is the last loaf.

Cakey Crunchy Chewy

Today a friend introduced me to Specialty's semi-sweet chocolate chunk cookies. Truly delightful, it made the whole hassle with parking (yellow paint and contradictory signage) worth it.

The cookie was incredibly rich and heavy with authority, so we split one between the two of us. It was slightly warm when I got it, and I tried to preserve the gentle glow of warmth as we rushed to the car and drove to find a venue where we could enjoy the cookie without paying for a ridiculously inefficient parking arrangement ($3.50 for 1hr).

Once settled down, we found a whole mix of 'C's in this cookie. The very edges had a crunch, while the top lingered in a chewy sort of way. Meanwhile, the middle bulk of the cookie was raised and rather cake-y. Most of my half had a good cookie to chocolate distribution. One part of semi-circle tip had a chocolate cluster, but it wasn't overwhelming. It left me wanting to eat more to savor the taste, but I knew that I was probably at the point of diminishing enjoyment.

Overall, an excellent cookie with a depth of richness that makes it more of a treat than a daily indulgence.

Paris Cafe: The Crumbling Cookie

Working from home, I couldn't think of something to eat, I was tired of cereal, and my kitchen had all sorts of food that would make strange combos that may or may not be digestible. Hungry, I ventured out for something to eat.

In my a'venturing, I happened upon Paris Cafe, a cute little place tucked away right by Pearl's (which has fantastic buffalo burgers). There, I was delighted by the warmth of the shop (literal warmth - my apartment's freezing!) and the moderate prices on the board. Delighted to be warming my rather chilly bones, I settled in for a turkey sandwich and chocolate chip cookie.

The turkey could have used some cucumber and a little less mayo. The cookie? Well, it would have helped if it would keep its shape... The body of the cookie was dry and hard. It also had the tendency to crumble with every bite, sending chunks of cookie pelting down. It was loaded with chips as if to make up for the dough's lack of character and flavor, and the overall texture bordered on crumbling crunchiness.

The people there were sweet, but I'm afraid I can't say the same for the cookie.

The hunt goes on.

Cookie Cookie Cookie Starts with "C"

I just moved to San Francisco this summer, which means - cookie hunt!

It took me half a year to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie for me in Palo Alto. It was at the Stanford University Law School Cafe, of all places. The staff knew me by name and would smile and grab me a piece of goodness whenever they saw me. Then I would grasp the precious white paper bag, willing myself to wait until I could bike to a more appropriate location to savor the soft bread-like chocolate chip cookie that had a hint of chewiness and perfect dough-to-chocolate ratio. Often, I would fail in that endeavor and end up consuming half the cookie before unlocking my bike. Well, unless the cookies were already sold out and I was leaving defeated.

Hard, chewy, soft, bready, M&Ms, chunks, chips. I've found that I don't stick with one type. Usually there's just this "ah-ha" moment as I bite in and chew the doughy goodness with chocolate chunks. It's instant recognition when I meet my match.

I can't believe I'm embarking on a new quest for a new chocolate chip cookie craving corner. The journey may be long (or short) and I am (highly) likely to sacrifice my legs and money on morsels that leave me unsatisfied. You wouldn't think that chocolate chip cookie hunting would be painful, but it's unsettling how many bad cookies there are out there.

Now, I know cookie judgment can be incredibly subjective so don't start hating on me if I don't like the same cookie joints that you do. That said, if you ever want to defend or advocate your joint with a guest feature entry, please do let me know. I'd love to hear other people's cookie quests and rewards. :)