ooey gooey pumpkin dream bars

I love baking seasonal desserts. This time of year, warmly spiced baked goods packed with pumpkin really just hit the spot, am I right? And yes- I know it’s now December, but fall weather is still upon us here in Cali, so I’m keeping that fall baking spirit alive! Just like my grain-free vanilla cake with pumpkin cream frosting, this tasty treat goes a bit beyond your regular ol’ pumpkin pie, and adds ingredients like cream cheese, chocolate, and coconut to the mix! Let’s just say it takes things to a whole other level ;) These ooey gooey pumpkin dream bars are reminiscent of those decadent seven layer bars everyone loves, but with a festive twist! A buttery graham cracker crust, layered with a rich, cinnamon-spiced pumpkin cheesecake filling, and topped with a generous amount of chocolate chips and toasted coconut? Yes please! Crumbly graham crackers, creamy pumpkin, and melty chocolate are quite the addicting combo, if I do say so myself. 

Pumpkin butter is easy to find in stores these days, but it’s also easy to make if you have an extra can of pumpkin purée lying around. Some toasted nuts would be great in these as well- perhaps crushed up into the crust or sprinkled on top? Pumpkin dream bars are delish served warm or cold, topped with ice cream of course! Happy baking, y’all :)

Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Dream Bars:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with parchment paper and grease with nonstick spray. Pulverize graham crackers in a food processor, or crush in a bag with a rolling pin, until you have a fine crumb mixture. In a large bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until well combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the baking dish to create a crust, using the back of a measuring cup to flatten if needed.

In the base of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk (or use a handheld mixer), add the cream cheese and beat until creamy. then beat in the pumpkin butter, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Beat on medium speed until creamy and combined and no lumps remain. Pour the mixture on top of the graham crust.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips generously over the top. Bake for about 22-24 minutes, then remove the dish and sprinkle the coconut on top. Bake for another 28-30 minutes, until the coconut is golden, and the center of the bars is still just a bit underdone. If your coconut is toasting too quickly and getting brown, you may cover with foil for the last 10 minutes or so.

Let cool for about 15-20 minutes in the pan, and then use the parchment paper to remove the bars, allowing them to cool completely on a cooling rack before cutting so that they can set. These bake up super well ahead of time, and are equally delicious served warm or cold out of the fridge. Either way, top with ice cream, and extra chocolate chips and coconut. Enjoy!

*Adapted from Pumpkin Gooey Bars by How Sweet Eats.

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go get 'em tiger

My love for casual, but consistently tasty breakfast and lunch spots is no secret. When we started spending more time in Los Angeles, one of my top priorities was to find a few neighborhood spots at which we could become regulars. These places need to be warm and inviting with a nice atmosphere, the food not too fussy, brew great coffee, and even better if they bake delicious pastries in house. I’d heard several people rave about Go Gem ‘Em Tiger, and once my husband and I stopped by one morning, we realized why. After scouring the menu and narrowing down our breakfast choices (no easy feat!), we snagged a table outside in the sun and sipped our coffees (they roast and sell their own beans!). I highly recommend getting yours made with their housemade almond macadamia milk! Yum! You’ll find some classics on the menu, like homemade granola and a breakfast sandwich, but we went for some of GGET’s more unique offerings. My husband loves a hash, and was all about his Spanish chorizo hash with eggs, potato, and aioli (he only wished it was bigger!). I went for the chickpea frittata, served with seasonal veggies and pickled beets! The only thing missing was hot sauce. We also shared a side of the roasted cauliflower salad, which was served cold and visible in their ready-made section, among many other tasty looking sides. Go Get ‘Em Tiger is the perfect spot for an easy, but enjoyable breakfast or lunch with friends, but also works for a quick coffee and pastry to go. I love getting to sit outside, catching the breeze and soaking up the sun. Lucky for me, they recently opened another location in my new neighborhood- I cannot wait to stop by soon!

mh zh

Mh Zh had been on my list of places to try in LA since before we ever came here, and it's pretty obvious why. It checks off all the boxes of what I want in a dining experience- Middle Eastern flavors, great bread, wood-fired veggies, lamb, & fish, and outdoor seating! All ideal things in my book. The only thing missing is a great bottle of wine to pair with such delicious food! (They used to be BYOB & are currently working on their liquor license). The space itself is quite small and doesn't take reservations, so we hadn't ventured over for dinner until recently, and wow, I'm so glad we finally did! The whole experience is very "Silver Lake"- with brown paper table cloths, silverware in a jar, and menus casually written on paper bags, all happening right on a cute little corner of Sunset Blvd. But trust me, the food couldn't be further from that boring, cookie-cutter fare you'll find elsewhere.

If you're feeling super hungry or with a group, I highly recommend you "fire menu", which is essentially ordering everything on the limited menu, and makes for a great smorgasburg of shared plates. My husband and I ordered a la carte, and still managed to try a wonderful assortment of dishes, many straight out of their Josper oven. Anything served with Bub & Grandma's bread, which is stocked at many popular restaurants in LA, is always a highlight, so we dove right into it with bowls of tehina and ful . Mh Zh's ful is a white bean stew of sorts, and comes laced with schug, a super flavorful Israeli hot sauce packed with green herbs and garlic. Yum. The grilled beets seemed so simple, but the depth of flavor involved was truly remarkable, and we both consider them some of the best we've ever eaten! The nightly special was lamb chops, which we love and naturally felt obligated to order. They were so juicy, and paired nicely with a creamy, herby chimichurri sauce, and the whole branzino was cooked to perfection in the Josper oven! I already cannot wait to go back, and considering how close I live, there's no excuse!

tartine manufactory

San Francisco is such a great food city, but one that I really haven’t gotten the chance to explore all that much. A few months ago when I was spending a night there before heading out to wine country, I made it a top priority to make dinner reservations at Tartine Manufactory. You’ve probably heard of Tartine Bakery before, or at least drooled over their tasty looking baked goods on Instagram, but did you know they also have a chic restaurant in a bright, industrial space in the Mission District? I’d been following them for a while, and practically every dish I see is calling my name. The menu draws from local, seasonal California ingredients, and of course offers some killer pasta and bread. There’s a huge bakery in the restaurant, and I can only imagine how many fresh loaves of sourdough they’re churning out each day (check out all those proofing baskets stacked up below!). It’s worth having a glass of wine at the bar and just watching the entire process unfold. Serious bakers are practically my idols! PS- if you’re looking to get into baking yourself, I highly suggest you start out with the critically acclaimed Tartine Bread book. It’s full of foolproof classics that are sure to satisfy your cravings.

Getting back to our meal, it did not disappoint in the least. We tried a bunch of dishes (as evidenced by scrolling through the slideshow above), and while it would be easy to say the bread was the highlight of the meal, that really wouldn’t do the rest of the food justice. The lamb meatballs were delicately spiced and served with a deliciously creamy, yet earthy fava bean purée. One of my faves was the marinated artichoke with fennel and pistachio- such a unique dish, and a total flavor explosion. The slightly sweet, caramelized fennel paired perfectly with the hearty pistachio spread. Yum! Most people would agree that once you’ve tried homemade pasta it’s hard to go back, and Tartine’s pasta will really do you in. Classically simple, non-fussy, and perfectly al dente! Of course my favorite part of any meal is dessert, so I naturally (greedily?) chose the one that serves 2-4 people! Although it was not my first time devouring the PB&J ice cream pie, it was just as decadently tasty as I remembered. Seriously, the peanut caramel and peanut cookie crust take this treat to another level entirely. Don’t forget to stop by the ice cream counter on your way out for a cone to-go, and definitely take a freshly baked loaf of bread for to enjoy at home! Good news for those in Los Angeles- you don’t have to drive eight hours to enjoy all that Tartine has to offer- a Southern Cali outpost is opening soon!

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dez

about to feast :)

shawarma burger, mezes (carrot, beet, cauliflower), pita bread

One restaurant opening I was pretty bummed to miss while in LA was Dez, a fast-casual Middle Eastern spot in Nolita. Specializing in vegetable mezes, chef-crafted salads, bowls, and pita sandwiches, plus a a seasonal soft serve as well as housemade baked goods, this place is basically my ideal restaurant. Not to mention it was opened by one of my fave people to follow on Instagram, and fellow Brooklynite, @EdenEats (go follow her if you don't already- trust). No surprise then, that I put Dez at the top of my priority list on a recent trip to New York. I brought along my favorite eating partner, my husband Derek, and we had the perfect Middle Eastern lunch feast in the dez. I'm a huge fan of their bright and colorful mezes, vegetable-focused small plates best enjoyed with their freshly baked pita. The heavenly mix of flavors and textures did not disappoint- from the fire roasted cauliflower with crispy capers and currant chimichurri, to the honey and harissa roasted carrots with dukkah, I don't think I could pick a favorite if I tried! Derek throughly enjoyed his shawarma burger, complete with its giant shard of crispy eggplant sticking out the top! We were somehow too full for dessert (who even am I?), but I def need to get back to try their soft serve and baked goods soon. And brunch too? Sign me up!

mezes // beet (roasted cardamom beets, beet hummus, pine nuts, mint, jalapeno, lemon, olive oil) / cauliflower (fire roasted cauliflower, crispy capers, herbs, preserved lemon, currant chimichurri) / carrot (harissa & honey roasted carrots, labaneh, dukkah, olive oil)

pita // nigella & sesame seed / za'atar & olive oil

trois familia

When you're tired of the same 'ol thing, and really craving something outside the box, I highly suggest you head to Trois Familia. This French-Mexican fusion spot comes from Chef Ludo Lefebvre, Jon Shook, and Vinny Dotolo, and is part of the highly acclaimed Trois Mec/Petit Trois family, so you know going in that it's got a lot to live up to. Just browsing through the photos above will show you how colorful and creative the dishes are, and I can attest that everything is just as flavorful and decadent as it looks. Some items on the menu may sound a little out there- beet tartare tostada? Parisian gnocchi? hashbrown chilaquiles?- and I wouldn't fault you for questioning if they'll work. Chef Ludo does what he does best, however, and blends the flavors and techniques of Mexican and French cuisines seamlessly. Each dish offers the comforts of what you'd expect, plus a surprising flair to make it something entirely different. The beet (not beef!) tartare tostada was a personal fave- the crunchy tostada was complemented perfectly from the fresh lime and avocado crema. Also, how much does it look like real beef tartare?! The mussels Marinière were packed full of garlic, white wine, and herbs, and the grilled bread was perfect for soaking up every last drop of sauce. Don't miss their signature tres leches birthday cake for dessert!