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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.
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I debated whether to post this, since it’s just a matter of throwing a few ingredients
together, but it is quite tasty. Toss mixed baby greens with dried berries (blueberries and cherries), toasted pecans, and homemade candied walnuts (see separate post for candied walnuts earlier this
month). Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. (June 2013) -
I made this dish for Kai, who loves cellophane noodles. Boil sweet potato noodles (aka cellophane noodles, or dang myun) until tender, then drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside. Heat oil in a large wok, then saute minced garlic and sliced onion until wilted. Add mungbean sprouts, Chinese long beans (here, green beans cut on a diagonal), bamboo shoots (cut into thin slices), and black wood-ear mushrooms (reconstituted and sliced) and continue to sauté. Mix in 3 Tbsp each hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, and 4 Tbsp toasted sesame oil. Then add pre-fried tofu squares (cut into slices) and the cooked cellophane noodles, tossing to mix well. Add a little water, then continue to sauté. Season to taste as necessary (here, I added 4 Tbsp Marukan Seasoned Gourmet Rice Vinegar Salad Dressing and 2 Tbsp Chunkiang Vinegar for brightness). Serve room temperature, preferably as a side dish to a main protein like grilled chicken or pork. This recipe is from The Food and Cooking of Southern China by Terry Tan. (June 2013)
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Marinate boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into chunks) with salt, black pepper, and one finely minced lemonstalk. Set aside. Separately, heat 2 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil until shimmering, then add 2 Tbsp sugar; stir constantly on medium-high heat until caramelized. Then add sliced onion, minced garlic, and 3 lemongrass stalks (pounded and bruised). Saute until fragrant, then add chicken (here, the recipe suggests adding a little water, but I would disagree, as it prevents the chicken from browning). When chicken is cooked, add fish sauce (here, I would disagree as well – the next time I will add the fish sauce to the marinade so that the chicken will absorb it). Garnish with fresh cilantro and scallions, then serve with jasmine rice. This recipe is from The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook by Patricia Tanumihardja, with modifications (I removed the chicken from the sauce and separately browned the pieces in a pan, then returned the chicken to the pot for a few minutes before serving). (June 2013)
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Preheat oven to 250. In a small bowl, beat 1 egg white and a little water until frothy, then add walnuts, making sure each walnut is coated. Separately, mix ½ cup brown sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon in a food storage bag. Add the walnuts, then toss in the bag until the walnuts are mixed well with the mixture. Spread the walnuts on a cookie sheet, then bake at 250 for 30 mins. Then turn over the walnuts and bake another 30 min, or until the walnuts are fairly dry. Let cool, then serve with salad. (June 2013)
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Marinate flank steak in equal parts soy sauce and lime juice for at least 2 hours (refrigerated). Remove steak from marinade and pat dry with papertowels; keep the marinade and set aside. Sear both sides of steak in a cast-iron pan (about 6 mins each for medium well). Remove steak and keep warm. Add a
little oil to the pan, then saute onion (cut into rings) until browned. Add minced garlic and saute, then add the marinade, diluted with some water. Add a little brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer until flavors meld (about 5 mins). This recipe is from The Adobo Road Cookbook by Marvin Gapultos, with modifications (I didn’t cut the steak before serving). I served this with a side of mixed baby greens, candied walnuts, toasted pecans, and dried cherries, cranberries, and blueberries. (June 2013) -
Boil 5-6 Yukon Gold potatoes, skin-on, in water and a dash of salt until tender. Drain, let cool, and then slice into rounds (I kept the skin on). Separately, using a food processor, make the cilantro chutney (chutney gashneez): blend 1 bunch fresh cilantro, a few cloves fresh garlic, 1 jalapeño pepper (I cut mine into slices), and ½ cup apple cider vinegar. Add more vinegar as necessary to make the sauce liquidy. Place the sliced potatoes, two cans of chick peas (drained and rinsed), 1 can of kidney beans (drained and rinsed), and 1 more jalapeño (seeded and sliced into half-moons) in a large mixing bowl, then fold in the cilantro chutney. Add more cider vinegar as necessary (maybe another ½ cup). Let marinate for 15 minutes, then serve. This recipe is from Afghan Cuisine: Cooking for Life by Nafisa Sekandari, with minor modificatiions (left skin on potatoes, used jalapenos instead of serranos, and left one of the jalapenos sliced instead of pureed). (July 2013)
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One of my favorite Italian dishes is sapore di mare, an Italian style seafood soup with tiny pasta. While looking for that recipe, I came across this “Single Fish Cooked Fish-Soup Style” in one of my Italian cookbooks, so we tried it this evening. Wash a whole fluke (gutted and scaled) in cold water, pat dry, and set aside. Separately, saute a chopped onion in ¼ olive oil, then add minced garlic, and then chopped parsley and ½ cup white wine. Simmer for a minute, then add chopped Marzano tomatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce to medium (for a steady simmer) and cook uncovered, until sauce reduces. Add whole fluke (at this point, I had to transfer everything to our largest roasting pan to accommodate the length of the fluke). Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover (here, I used massive sheets of foil), and then cook until fish is flaky. Serve with 7-grain pilaf, and watch out for pin bones. This recipe is from
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan. (Aug. 2013) -
This is one of the chicken-broth based soups I made to recover from my cold. Saute 2 oz thick-cut bacon, cut into matchsticks, in a large stock pot with some olive oil. When browned, remove bacon and set aside. Add 1 onion, 4 celery stalks, and 2 peeled carrots (each of them chopped) and 5-6 minced garlic cloves. When wilted, add 2 cups dried split yellow peas (rinsed and drained), 6 cups chicken
stock, 1 tsp turmeric, a few sprigs thyme (leaves only), and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then let simmer until tender (about 1 hour). If desired, use an immersion blender to purée half of the soup. Return cooked bacon to the pot, saving some for garnish. This recipe is loosely based on “Yellow Split Pea Soup” by M.S. Milliken & S. Feniger: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/yellow-split-pea-soup-recipe.html, with substantial modifications (thick-cut bacon instead of ham hock, addition of thyme and bay leaves, no pureeing). (Sept. 2013) -
Blueberries and milk sprinkled with vanilla-infused sugar. During my childhood, my mom loved having blueberries with milk – and lots of sugar. I tried it this time with homemade vanilla-infused sugar (see recipe below), and it tasted great. (Sept. 2013)
Vanilla-infused sugar: Place a whole vanilla pod in a seal-proof glass jar, then pour sugar in and let it infuse for several weeks. I have found that the ratio of 3 lbs sugar to 1 vanilla pod works quite well.
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Heat a medium pot and add 2 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil on medium heat. Saute chopped 2 onions and 8 cloves minced garlic. Add 4 chopped tomatoes (or 28 oz canned chopped tomatoes, drained) and cook until wilted. Deglaze with 2 cups white wine, increase heat until reduced by half. Pour in 8 cups water, ½ cup calamansi juice (here, fresh lemon and lime juice), and 1 cup daikon (about 1 medium daikon) cut into ¼ inch thick half-moons or quarter-moons. Bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer until daikon is tender (about 15 mins). Then mix 4 Tbsp miso (I use 3 Tbsp white miso and 1 Tbsp yellow miso) with 1 cup broth, mix into a slurry and then add to the pot, stirring to combine. Add 1 lb salmon chunks (skinless fillet cut into 1 inch chunks and seasoned with black pepper) and 1 bok choy (cut into bite-sized pieces). Simmer, uncovered, until salmon and greens are just tender (a few minutes). Serve with jasmine rice. This recipe is from The Adobo Road Kitchen by Marvin Gapultos, with modifications (doubled amount of broth). (Sept. 2013)
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