Morucci's Si Mangia Bene!

Morucci's Si Mangia Bene! The name is a tongue-twister; for sure. But no matter how mixed up I get with all the vowels and letters, nothing will change the heavenly bite of their sandwiches. Morucci's is located right by the freeway exit. Actually, it's pretty much in the middle of no where, besides the large residential housing nearby. When I first walked in, I highly doubted the reviews of all my fellow Yelpers, claiming it was "insane." However, the smell and decoration of Morucci's feels just like home. The atmosphere is extremely casual and family oriented.

The fabulous #6 and a 1/2: ciabatta bread stuffed with prosciutto, fresh mozarella, pesto, and tomatoes.

The beautiful #16: A tri-tip sandwich loaded with pickled bell peppers, and swiss cheese.

Mhmmmm... Italy in the form of sandwiches.
You have to make a trip to Morucci's. Trust me, you'll regret not going.

Morucci's Si Mangia Bene

1218 Boulevard Way
Walnut Creek, CA 94595

Lobster Scare

I. Love. The. East. Coast.
Although I'm months behind on posting about my East Coast trip; being late is better than never! I know that many people hate the East Coast, and think the weather is too extreme to even be treated as "manageable," but I love the weather. I love the chilliness ... it gives a sense of adventure; as well as a desire to eat. (:
We started out in Boston. Boston is known for the fresh seafood markets and items. So, knowing that, I definitely had to try their clam chowder and lobster! We rushed to the famous and well known Atlantic Fish Company ... and let's just say, I was not dissapointed.

After the waitress took our orders, we were greeted by the aroma of their fresh-baked bread. And let me tell you, after years of loving carbohydrates, this bread was ultimately one of the best.

Then came our clam chowder ...

Oh lobster ...

The food was amazing. However, little did I know that I'm slightly allergic to lobster! My mouth started to swell and become itchy. But, because I love food and was overly excited for the brownie sundae with peppermint ice cream; I postponed any worried thoughts about my allergic reaction.

All in all, the mild allergic reaction was ultimately worth the risk for this seafood feast.

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nutella is the epitome of a happy childhood. It's better than peanut butter, jelly, jam, and to be brutally honest; better than any other spread out there. I found this recipe on lovintheoven.com, and had high hopes for the outcome. I was not dissapointed!
WARNING: BOOKMARK NOW.
You will regret not attempting this recipe! Oh, and yes. This is worth sitting on the couch stuffing yourself with cookies while enjoying a chickflick. I mean, it's Nutella. What's not to love?

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temp.
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Mix together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside dry ingredients.
2. Cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in Nutella and vanilla extract. Mix in egg.
3. Add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Add chocolate chips.
4. Chill for at least 1 hour.
5. Drop tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 for about 11 minutes until the edges look set. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then carefully remove to cooling racks.

Airplane Crackers?

Now, as most of you know, airplane food is never that good. And to be honest, airplane food mostly always... sucks. But, this one magical time, I was greeted with a delightful new treat: Southwest Airline's airplane crackers. They tasted like regular Ritz crackers, only they were shaped like planes! These magical crackers helped me live through the next five hours on the plane. These airplane crackers, are magical indeed.

Flour Bakery

Boston, Massachusetts.
My favorite city of all time. Boston's home to some of the most prestigious schools, as well as many famous eateries. Flour Bakery was featured on The Best Thing I Ever Ate; which for those of you unfamiliar with this show, is one of the best shows known to mankind. Yes. I'm being absolutely serious.
As my Dad and I were dragging our legs, walking to our flavor filled experience, we saw a group of runners. They were espescially inspiring... but I was more inspired to eat the food that was awaiting me. As we were waiting for an opening walkway through the runners, we glanced at a man dressed in a costume. A uhmm... present costume.

Now, being at this bakery was already an amazing experience. I mean, Bobby Flay featured this bakery on Food Network, claiming that it had the best sticky bun in the nation. Bobby Flay's amazing presence... adding on the fact that the owner of the store is asian. Yep. Joanne Chang, the mastermind behind this legend, is asian. Flour was packed when I walked in. I was freezing cold in the weather, and my Dad claimed that the coldness was making him hungry. Although I highly doubt the truth in that claim, I had to agree. There were so many choices; it was so difficult to choose twenty items; let alone three. We ordered the reknowned sticky bun, the almond brioche, and the vanilla custard filled doughnut.

The sticky bun was a bit of a dissapointment for me. It was flaky and sticky as the name had claimed, but it lacked the moistness that I was expecting. The vanilla custard filled doughnut is only available on Sundays, and it was amazing. I wolfed down all the almond brioche as well. Flour is a bakery worth revisiting. I can't wait for my next time in Boston to sample the other pastries on the menu!