Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

There was pretty much only one cookbook in the house growing up in my Chinese household (which my mother never cracked open) and it was the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. The first recipe I ever made was probably tuna casserole one Thanksgiving when my sisters and I decided to do as the Americans do and add to our standard hot pot feast. How things have changed!

anything with banana, or blackberry cobbler

@leah greenstein: the mushroom guy next to The Bread Man and across from the seafood truck has them. they were so lovely, but do get there early!

I love leftovers and don't tire of eating the same thing too quickly so at home, this isn't much of a problem. if i have people in town or if i'm out of town, when a food itinerary is planned to fit in as many meals/snacks as possible, i end up leaving the packaged food on top of a garbage can. I feel good that the food isn't being wasted, and that no one has to dig through the trash to get to it. It's amazing how when you pull the car around a few minutes later, the food is already gone. It's an unofficial movement: http://www.replate.org/

Introduced to me in high school, when a drive across the Dumbarton Bridge was an adventure, Cafe Borrone is lovely during summer afternoons, and that whipped cream really is as good as it looks. I could use a frozen mocha right now in the 85 degree, dead-of-winter LA weather.

I second La Farine in the Bay Area. I discovered the morning buns just as I left the bay for college because its photo was featured in a "125 Best Things to Eat" article for San Francisco magazine, and now I have to make the trip there to savor them every time I'm home. I feel like the Tartine ones can't even compare. There's a recipe for them in the La Brea Bakery book of pastries that I've had my eye on for awhile...

I've already tried the sour cream pumpkin pie from Dorie, and it is indeed amazing, even to some non-pumpkin pie lovers. But, as a cornbread stuffing fanatic, the cornbread stuffing muffins and the cornbread stuffing with pecans and bacon both sound fantastic as well.

Homemade pie crust. The addition of butter AND shortening makes a world of difference. Store-bought just can't hold a light to it.

ohhh goodness gracious. i'm a northern californian currently living in southern california and bi-rite is a must-visit everytime i return to the motherland. the salted caramel IS amazing, but my personal favorite is the brown butter pecan -- the best butter pecan i've ever had, hands down. and you can get two flavors with each "scoop" so I usually pair them together -- it's a match made in heaven. what's also great about this place is that theyre eco-conscious. you can sample as many flavors as you want with metal spoons, and they serve with compostable cups and spoons.
while you're on the street, you can't miss bi-rite market or tartine bakery. fresh bread at 5pm daily (except monday)!

The best butterscotch pudding I can remember having is the butterscotch budino from Pizzeria Mozza in LA. I'm a sucker for salted sweets so this one definitely sings for that reason too. Here's the recipe:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/BUTTERSCOTCH-BUDINO-WITH-WHIPPED-CREME-FRAICHE-239847
I haven't yet tried it, but I'm quite certain it'll become a lot of the favorite for a lot of people.

My favorite pies are probably pecan -- nothing can beat the buttery, and slightly salty crust along with heaps of pecans, but if a singular pie has to be named, I'd have to say Ikeda's apple pie from Auburn, CA. It's a rare treat, as I never go up that way, but friends and family have been kind enough to bring the goods on the way back from Tahoe on occasion. Mmmmm...it's been too long...

After having Okinawan purple sweet potatoes at Jar in Los Angeles, baked and served with a dollop of creme fraiche and chives, it has become my absolute favorite way to eat them. The potato's natural sweetness and creaminess of the creme fraiche make it sublime!