We have made Andrea Nguyen's iconic bittersweet caramel sauce since the publication of her first cookbook, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen. We always store our homemade sauce in a beloved plum jelly jar. This time, we tried her latest version, which she recorded in a video: https://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2020/04/vietnamese-caramel-sauce-recipe-video.html The method is similar. This version includes a touch… Continue reading Vietnamese bittersweet caramel sauce, version 2
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Chinese sesame noodles
We were hungry and didn’t want a fussy meal, so we tried this recipe based on Shanghai sesame noodles: https://thewoksoflife.com/sesame-noodles/ Our modifications: first, we doubled the recipe as follows: 8 oz wheat noodles (we used dried Wang udon kuk-soo noodles, which are thinner than other brands of udon); for the sauce: 1 Tbsp sesame paste…… Continue reading Chinese sesame noodles
Scrambled egg and roasted vegetable burrito
This was an ad hoc recipe that we tossed together based on our pantry: 1. Preheat oven to 425. Line two quarter sheetpans with foil, then spray foil surface lightly with neutral veg oil (e.g., canola). On the side, prepare the spice blend in a small prep bowl: 3/4 tsp smoked paprika, 1/8 (or less)…… Continue reading Scrambled egg and roasted vegetable burrito
Japanese kombu salad
We had simmered an 8" piece of kombu for soup base, so we repurposed the kombu for this simple salad: https://thejapanstore.us/kombu/kombu-salad-recipe/ We modified slightly to reduce the toasted sesame seeds to 1 tsp and also added 1 tsp Korean red pepper flakes. (Apr. 2023)
Egyptian fava beans (ful mudammes), version 2
We made this recipe again, but followed the instructions pretty closely this time: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/foul-mudammas-recipe/#tasty-recipes-33099-jump-target Our minor modifications: First, we halved the recipe. Second, we drained the canned fava bean liquid before placing in our Ultimate Pan and adding 1/4 cup water. The fresh garlic / hot pepper / lemon juice dressing added a brightness to… Continue reading Egyptian fava beans (ful mudammes), version 2
Quick pantry quesadilla
Feeling peckish, we pulled this together based on simple pantry ingredients. The recipe: https://www.papernstitchblog.com/black-bean-quesadillas/ For the onion, we used 1/2 small shallot. To minimize its sharpness, we sautéed the minced shallot in a separate pan (with a little cooking spray) before adding it as a quesadilla filling. We also used thick-cut shredded Cheddar cheese, but…… Continue reading Quick pantry quesadilla
Farro and vegetable soup with dried porcini mushrooms and Gruyere cheese
We have had our eye on Martha Rose Shulman's plant-forward soup recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013428-farro-and-vegetable-soup?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share This was absolutely delicious. The depth of flavor and sprinkling of shredded Gruyere evoked French onion soup. We made minor modifications: first, for the liquid we used 2 quarts (8 cups) no-salt chicken broth plus 2 cups salted chicken broth (from Better… Continue reading Farro and vegetable soup with dried porcini mushrooms and Gruyere cheese
Chinese scallion egg wrap
We tried this quick recipe for lunch, and it was delicious, unique, and satisfying: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019522-scallion-egg-wrap?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share Our modifications: we used 1 Tbsp pickled daikon (Spicy King brand salted spicy radish, Hunan flavor, rinsed thoroughly and patted dry) instead of pickled mustard leaves. This was like an omelette sandwich. (Mar. 2023)
Lemony Greek chicken spinach soup with potato and white beans
We tried this recipe based on our pantry: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024015-lemony-greek-chicken-spinach-and-potato-stew?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share Our modifications: first, instead of 3 large potatoes, we used a combination of 4 baby Yukon potatoes (1" dice) and 13.5 oz can of no-salt white Northern beans (drained and rinsed). Second, we used one bunch of frozen dill (rough chopped) and 1/4 cup lemon juice,… Continue reading Lemony Greek chicken spinach soup with potato and white beans
Korean soybean stew with pork (doenjang jigae)
We made this recipe but substituted a lean pork chop for beef: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/sogogi-doenjang-jjigae To reduce sodium, we added less than 1/4 cup of soybean paste (doenjang); we subtracted 2 tsp from the total. This was a flavorful and easy meal. (Mar. 2023)
Cooking Adventures 