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.

  • Slice two cups of cucumber lengthwise, then into ¼ inch diagonal slices. Mix with 1 ½ tsp salt and let sit for 30 minutes, then rinse and drain well. Combine the drained cucumber with 1 Tbsp each sugar and rice wine vinegar, ½ tsp each toasted sesame seeds and red pepper powder (kochu garu), 1/8 tsp black pepper and garlic powder, and 2 chopped scallions. Mix well and serve. This recipe is from Everyday Korean Cooking by Mary Jeeyoung Park & Hae Ok Park, family friends who published their family recipes via Hot Pot Publishing in 1999. (Nov. 2015)

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  • We used store-bought frozen puff pastry that we defrosted in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Recipe and useful video here: http://livewellnetwork.com/My-Family-Recipe-Rocks/recipes/Salmon-Stuffed-Puff-Pastry/9263020. We used about 1 lb salmon and baked it for 45 mins.

    We also served mixed green salad with a honey dijon mustard vinaigrette. The vinaigrette recipe is here: http://www.onceuponachef.com/2011/03/roasted-beet-salad-with-goat-cheese-walnuts-honey-dijon-vinaigrette.html. We added an extra 2 tsp of red wine vinegar.

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  • I had pickled broccoli stems at a Chinese restaurant many years ago, and they were delicious – tangy and crunchy. I recently purchased a sprouting broccoli with lots of side shoots as well as the main stem, so I decided to try this recipe for Chinese sweet and sour pickles. I peeled the broccoli shoots and stems, added two peeled carrots, and then cut them on a diagonal into bite-sized pieces. I also added a dash of crushed red pepper at the end. Recipe from http://aplatefulofhappiness.com/2009/11/24/in-a-pickle/. (Nov. 2015)

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  • An excellent Madhur Jaffrey recipe adapted by Smitten Kitchen. http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/02/chana-masala/ I agree with Deb Perelman’s recommendation to add only ¼ tsp cayenne. We also doubled the lemon juice in lieu of amchoor (mango) powder. We used fresh tomatoes (two medium vine-ripened), as she had suggested, and one jalapeño pepper as the hot chili pepper. This is my favorite channa masala to date. (Oct. 2015)
    Note: To save time and effort, we have used a handheld blender to finely chop the onion, ginger, garlic, and chili pepper (seeds removed). This results in a smoother sauce at the end of cooking. We also have added lemon zest (at the same time as the lemon juice and salt) for added brightness. (Apr. 2021)

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  • This is a recipe from the new Smitten Kitchen cookbook. Although I own the cookbook, I found the recipe online here: http://www.pink-parsley.com/2013/10/flat-roasted-chicken-with-tiny-potatoes.html?m=1. We removed the spine from this chicken and tried to cook it flattened, but our 12″ cast iron skillet was a bit small for a 3 ½ lb chicken. (Oct. 2015)

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  • Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a cookie sheet with olive oil, then place about 25 Brussel sprouts, halved and cut side down, on the sheet. Lightly spray sprouts with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Roast for 10 mins, then turn over (increase temp to 425 if first side is not browned) and roast for another 10-15 mins until nicely browned. (Oct. 2015)

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  • Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a cookie sheet with olive oil, then place broccoli (cut into 2″x 1″ pieces) in a single layer. Spray the broccoli with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Roast for 10 mins, then turn over pieces and roast for another 10-15 mins (if the first side of broccoli isn’t browned, increase temp to 425) until nicely browned.

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  • I learned this recipe from Waimar and her father. Marinate four salmon fillets (about 24 oz) in approximately ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce, 1/3 cup mirin, 2 tsp honey, and 1 tsp black pepper for about 30 mins. (Oct. 2015)

    Note: I did not measure the marinade ingredients, so these measurements are approximate. Grill on preheated Foreman Grill until cooked through (about 15 mins).

    Lower sodium version: 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 3 Tbsp mirin, 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp black pepper.

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  • We followed this recipe here: http://ozlemsturkishtable.com/2013/06/stuffed-peppers-and-tomatoes-with-ground-meat-delicious-gluten-free/. We used: fresh spearmint instead of dried mint and 1 ½ tsp of salt for the stuffing; 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth instead of water for the sauce; and added 1 additional tomato (to make a fifth stuffed tomato). Due to the large size of our bell peppers, our stuffed tomatoes were slightly overcooked in order to make sure the peppers were done. We also had a ton of leftover stuffing but found the amount of meat too low. The next time, we may modify the stuffing recipe by increasing the meat to ½ lb and using only 1 onion (or perhaps only ½ onion). We also will try to use bell peppers that are closer in size to the tomatoes. (Oct. 2015)

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  • Pear and apple slices in a star anise, vanilla, and lemon-infused syrup. We omitted the pomegranate arils. Recipe from Smitten Kitchen here: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/11/winter-fruit-salad/. We couldn’t find dried apricots, so we used prunes instead. (Oct. 2015)

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