Welcome

  • I cook as a hobby, and I maintain this blog primarily to keep track of recipes that my family has enjoyed over the years. I started blogging back in 2015, in response to requests from friends for recipes they had seen me post on Facebook (but that I couldn’t easily catalog). My original blog was on another platform that became less user-friendly over time. I migrated my blog to WordPress earlier this year, and I’ve spent more time than expected reformatting the migrated posts.

    This blog is and always will be a work in progress. For example, I currently provide Tags for posts, but I have not coded for Categories. I also generally try to share the recipes themselves in my posts, but in cases where the recipe is not available online, I try to identify the source (e.g., the cookbook title and author) as needed. In some cases, such as where a family has shared their recipe with me but hasn’t authorized me to share it widely, I post a photo of the dish with that proviso.

    I recently added a Search widget to this blog. On the desktop version, the Search bar appears prominently on the left hand side. But for some reason, it is hidden on the mobile app. If you’re on your phone, tap on the SHOW tab at the top left of the home page. That will reveal another screen with the Search bar.

    I hope you enjoy exploring my blog and find some recipes to try.

  • We had leftover cooked rice and a lot of frozen spinach, so we decided to try this recipe. We used shallots instead of onion (see Note 2 below) and added a dash of marash pepper for a little heat. We also used haiga (Japanese medium-grain) rice. After baking in a buttered 2 quart baking dish at 350 for 45 mins (even if inserted knife has some liquid), we browned it under the broiler on high (about 8 inches from broiler) for a few mins, and then let settle at room temperature for about 5-10 mins before serving. This way, the casserole continues cooking ambiently but remains moist inside. http://www.shockinglydelicious.com/spinach-rice-casserole/ (Jan. 2016)

    Note 1: 2 rice-cooker cups dry short-grain (haiga) rice yields 3 cups cooked rice. By contrast, 2 rice-cooker cups dry jasmine rice yields closer to 4 cups cooked rice.

    Note 2: We have found that raw shallots, when added to the mixture and baked, still maintain a sharp (sometimes raw-tasting flavor). To mellow the sharpness, you can sauté the chopped shallot in a lightly oil-sprayed pan (and add the ½ tsp salt called for in the recipe) to draw out liquid and caramelize the shallot before adding it to the mixture to be baked.

    Note 3: If you use frozen chopped bagged spinach, I recommend that you rinse it with warm water and then squeeze out excess water to avoid making the casserole watery.

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  • This recipe from Aarti Sequiera adds a nice twist to classic hot chocolate with the use of green cardamom, curry powder, and honey. Recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/spiced-hot-chocolate-recipe.html (Jan. 2016)

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  • Recipe from Shubhra Ramineni’s Healthy Indian Vegetarian Cooking: Easy Recipes for the Hurry Home Cook [Vegetarian Co… https://www.amazon.com/dp/0804843112/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awd_8vOkxbH67ZR08. (Jan. 2016)

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  • We followed this chocolate pudding recipe from Tyler Florence:
    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chocolate-pudding-recipe.html, and then at the end, we added a dash (about 1/8 tsp) cayenne for some heat. We also used 1-2% milk instead of whole milk. (Jan. 2016)

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  • This marked my first time using a pressure cooker to make lasagna, both the sauce and cooking the lasagna sheets. The recipe is from the Hip Pressure Cooking cookbook by Laura Pazzaglia. Here is a similar recipe she posted on her Hip Pressure Cooking blog: http://www.hippressurecooking.com/pressure-cooker-pasta-casserole-a-cheesy-meaty-mess-mezzemaniche-pasticciate/. The sloppy lasagna was very tasty, but I burnt the sauce a bit because I couldn’t accurately gauge the amount of pressure. I may need a more sophisticated pressure cooker – one with a high and low pressure setting – to make her recipes. (Jan. 2016)

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  • We tried this healthy recipe from Ellie Krieger: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/broccoli-and-cheddar-frittata-recipe2.html. It uses 4 eggs and 4 egg whites. We added a dash of marash pepper and chopped Italian parsley. We served this with simply dressed tomatoes, here: http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/121554237486/simply-dressed-tomatoes-slice-tomatoes-any-type (Jan. 2016)

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  • Using a large Dutch oven, sauté one chopped onion in 2 Tbsp olive oil until tender and fragrant. Add 6-7 cups peeled and chopped pumpkin or butternut squash (here, the latter), lightly season with salt and black pepper, and sauté for about 3 mins. Add 1 cup of drained and rinsed red lentils and 6 cups of water or broth (here, low sodium chicken broth). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until pumpkin/squash is tender (about 25 mins). Mash the pumpkin/squash with a spoon (I used an immersion blender, leaving about 1/3 chunky), then add ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, ¾ tsp cumin, and the juice of one lemon. Separately, mince 5 cloves garlic, then mix with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle. Using a small saucepan, heat 3 Tbsp olive oil, then add the garlic-salt mixture, sautéing until golden (be careful not to burn). Serve the soup, garnishing with the garlic mixture. This can be vegetarian if you use water or vegetable broth. This recipe is from The Gaza Kitchen by Laila El-Haddad and Maggie Schmitt (Jan. 2016)

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  • We used about 1 cup of leftover oven-roasted parsnips and carrots (see recipe here:
    http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/134039844991/oven-roasted-parsnips-and-carrots-preheat-oven) and 5 egg whites to make this crispy omelette in a pan lightly coated with olive oil. It’s a good use of leftovers (Jan. 2016)

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  • This is a favorite from my childhood. I made this recipe from Maangchi, but I used skirt steak instead of brisket: http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/ddukguk. I modified by sautéing the beef strips before adding the hot water and garlic (but see Note below). I also used black sesame in lieu of toasted nori. We also have added a tsp of Korean beef bouillon powder (sogogi dashida) to taste at the end of cooking. (Dec. 2015)

    Note: We later tried boiling the beef and garlic (following Maangchi’s exact instructions) and found the soup even better. (Feb. 2019)

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  • Preheat oven to 375. Peel 1 large Russet potato (about ¾ lb), cut into chunks, and boil in lightly salted water until tender (about 15 mins in boiling water or 30 mins in simmering water), then remove with a slotted spoon and mash in a large mixing bowl. Using the same pot of water, add 1 small cauliflower (about 1 ¼ lb), cut into medium-sized florets and cook until tender (about 12 mins). Drain cauliflower and let cool slightly, then purée in a food processor. Add cauliflower purée to mashed potato, then fold in two lightly beaten eggs and 1 Tbsp matzoh meal. Separately, heat 2 Tbsp vegetable oil in a sauté pan, then add one chopped onion and a few minced garlic cloves on low-medium heat until translucent. Add 4 oz quartered mushrooms, ¼ tsp paprika, a dash each salt and black pepper, and sauté the mixture until softened. Fold the mushroom mixture into the cauliflower-potato mixture, and lightly season the entire mixture with salt and black pepper. Lightly coat an 8×8 baking dish with olive oil, then gently pour the mixture into the dish, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the top with olive oil and another ¼ tsp paprika. Bake in oven for 30 mins. This recipe is from Faye Levy’s Healthy Cooking for the Jewish Home, with slight modifications (peeling the potato before boiling, adding garlic). This was tasty as a side dish, but it might benefit from more spices, such as cumin. Dec. 2015)

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