thelejo: THE LEADENHALL JOURNAL: January 2008

Photo of the Day 01.27.08

Some Marigolds growing in the gutter.

I took this photo right after I stepped out of the Kowloon subway station in Hong Kong. It is amazing how quickly you get bombarded by the neon lights. This picture has a nice cross section of Western brands (Osprey, Mountain Hardwear), current Hong Kong restaurants (MX or Maxim), and many older food establishments.

Labels: Hong Kong, kowloon, neon, signs

Photo of the Day 01.26.08

Buddhas surrounding one of the many ancient temples (Wat Chaimongkol) in Thailand's former capital, Ayutthaya.

Labels: ayutthaya, buddha, buddhas, chaimongkol, thailand

French Toast for the Ages

A few weekends ago my girlfriend and I had the opportunity to grab a quick breakfast at Cafe Nola in Bainbridge Island, Washington. We had planned the night before to get up early and check out of our downtown Seattle hotel and take the 30 minute ferry ride to Bainbridge Island. It was still relatively cold out so the brisk air woke us up quickly. After the ride we quickly headed to Cafe Nola.

101 Winslow Way E.
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

We decided to split an order of the French Toast which was featured on the Food Network. I'm glad we split it, because as you can see from the half portion picture above, it was quite a bit of food. I must say it was one of the best breakfast meals I've had in a long time. The pecans were a fantastic touch to the dish.

Here is the recipe from the Food Network

Cafe Nola French Toast

1 loaf challah Bread
Melted butter, to oil griddle
6 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 orange, zested and juiced
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
Orange Bourbon Butter, recipe follows
Cut challah bread in 1-inch thick slices. Allow to sit out for awhile to dry out.

Heat griddle to 350 degrees F and lightly brush with a butter soaked piece of paper towel.

Combine eggs, heavy cream, orange zest and juice, cinnamon and ground nutmeg in a shallow wide dish. Dip the slices of bread into the egg mixture allowing it to soak in on both sides. Transfer to each piece to the hot griddle and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Try to flip only once.

Serve with Orange Bourbon Butter.

For the Orange Bourbon Butter:
1 pound unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons orange flavored liqueur (recommended: Cointreau)
2 tablespoons bourbon
3 tablespoons orange zest

Cream the butter in a mixer. Add the bourbon and orange zest and mix well. Leave at room temperature and serve with the French toast.

(Ours had some caramel and pecans that are not on the recipe, but still tasted fantastic)

Enjoy!

Labels: cafe nola, Food, photo, photos, seattle

Photo of the Day 01.23.08

I took this picture while waiting for lunch at The Prado in Balboa Park in San Diego. They were getting ready for a wedding.

Labels: photo, photos, San Diego, wedding

Photo of the Day 01.22.08

This is my one of my first attempts at HDR (high dynamic range imaging).

Labels: HDR, orange, oranges, photo, photos

Photo of the Day 01.18.07

A picture of my girlfriend looking over Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. This picture was taken in the press box of the stadium. We did the hour and a half stadium tour ($8.00) and got to walk all over the stadium with no one there. In addition we had the opportunity to see the Owner's box, press box, Mariners' dugout, batting cages and Visitor's clubhouse. Not bad for a reasonable price.

Labels: mariners, photo, seattle