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.

  • Soak about 20 fresh perilla (or sesame) leaves in salt water (10 to 1 ratio of water to salt), cover, then let sit for 1 week.  Drain, then carefully brush each leaf with a mixture of 1 part Korean soybean paste (doen jang) and Korean hot pepper paste (kochujang), sprinkling lightly with toasted sesame seeds.  Layer
    the leaves until finished, then let sit covered at room temperature overnight.  Refrigerate until ready to eat.  Serve with short grain rice.  This recipe is from Quick & Easy Korean Cooking for Everyone
    by Ji Sook Choe et al.  (July 2014)

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  • Mix 1 lb minced beef, ½ minced onion (squeezed dry), ½ cup minced parsley, 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1
    tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp allspice, ¼ tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp ground cloves, and 1/16 tsp ground nutmeg.  Shape into 6 inch thin fingers, then broil for about 5 mins on each side.  Remove from oven and
    then place in a foil pocket for a few more minutes.  This recipe is from Classic Lebanese Cuisine by Kamal Al-Faqih.  (Aug. 2014)

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  • My friend’s mother shared her family’s recipe with me, but at her request, I cannot post the recipe.  It’s considered a family secret.  If I find a similar recipe online, I will share it.  (Aug. 2014)

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  • This recipe is from Gordon Ramsay’s Home Cooking, a gift from my friend Michelle.  (Sept. 2014)

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  • Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet, then add 1 sliced onion and 2 sliced, seeded jalapenos.  Cook gently until soft, then add 3 cloves minced garlic.  In a minute, add 1 tsp each cumin and sweet paprika as well as a dash of cayenne.  Stir, then add a 28 oz can of coarsely chopped plum tomatoes with their juice.  Season with salt and black pepper, then simmer uncovered until sauce reduces (about 10 mins).  Spoon 2 servings’ worth of sauce into a separate, smaller sauce pan, and heat to a simmer.  Gently break two eggs into the heated sauce, then place in a preheated 375 degree oven until eggs are set (about 7-10 mins).  Serve with crusty bread (we used sliced, toasted ciabatta).  This recipe is from Shakshuka with Feta by Melissa Clark, available at cooking.nytimes.com (we skipped the feta).  (Sept. 2014)

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  • Heat 3 Tbsp canola oil in a Dutch oven, then add in the following order at separate intervals:  3/4 tsp cumin seeds; 1 finely diced onion until browned; 1 tsp freshly grated ginger; ¾ tsp coriander seeds, ¼ tsp cayenne and turmeric; and then 1 ½ tomatoes, grated (skin removed).  Add 1 cup water and 1 tsp salt, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10 mins.  Add 28 oz organic chickpeas (drained) along with 1 cup of the chickpea broth.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 mins. Add ½ tsp garam masala and 1 tsp lemon juice, then simmer uncovered for another 5 mins.  Serve with rice and/or naan (we substituted with whole wheat pita as a lower fat option).  This recipe is from At Home
    With Madhur Jaffrey     (chickpeas in sauce).  (Sept. 2014)

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  • Cut eggplant (here, 6 baby eggplants) into 2″x 1″ chunks with skin on, toss with olive oil and salt, then broil in oven for about 15 mins.  Separately, heat a wok with 3 Tbsp canola oil, then add 1 tsp black mustard seeds, ½ tsp each whole cumin seeds, whole fennel seeds (here, anise seeds), and whole nigella seeds (here, celery seeds), and ¼ tsp cayenne.  When mustard seeds pop, add 2 cloves minced garlic, then add 2 ½ tomatoes (grated and skin removed), the browned eggplant, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp sugar.  Stir, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 mins.  Recipe from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey (eggplant with tomatoes).  (Sept. 2014)

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  • Heat some oil in a wok, then sauté 6 cloves minced garlic and 5 thinly sliced shallots on medium-high heat.  When fragrant, add 1.5 lb minced pork.  Once pork loses its pink color, add 6 bird’s eye chilies (chopped).  Then add 2 Tbsp oyster sauce and fish sauce as well as 1 tsp each soy sauce and brown sugar, coating pork evenly.  Add 1.5 cups Thai sweet basil (bai horapa) and cook on medium heat until basil is wilted.  If desired, separately fry 1-2 eggs sunny side up (this was how Amy and I had it at Bua Thai restaurant in Dupont).  Serve with jasmine rice.  This recipe is from The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook by Patricia Tanumihardja.  (Sept. 2014)

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  • This is one of Daniel’s favorite soups, and I love making it whenever we have leftover steak from Ray’s the Steaks.  Heat olive oil in a large stock pot, then add 2 lbs beef oxtails.  Sear on each side until browned (about 10 mins), then remove and set aside.  Add a little more olive oil to the pot, then saute the following chopped vegetables:  1 onion, 4 celery stalks, 4 carrots, and 3-4 cloves garlic.  When wilted, add 3 bay leaves and several sprigs thyme (leaves only).  Return oxtails to pot and add 10 cups beef stock.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cooking until oxtails are tender (about 1 hour). Remove oxtail and cut meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding fat and bone.  Return meat to the pot (I also added leftover onglet steak from Ray’s the Steaks), roughly chopped), then add 1 cup barley (I use the quick-cook kind – see Note below).  Continue to simmer until barley is tender (about 10 mins).  This recipe is from Rich Beef Barley Soup by Ina Garten: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/rich-beef-barley-soup-recipe-2041687 (Sept. 2014)

    Note: If you use uncooked pearled barley, then Ina Garten’s recipe instructs: In a separate smaller pot, bring 4 cups water to a boil, then add 1 cup uncooked pearl barley. Simmer, uncovered, until barley is tender (about 30 mins), drain, then set aside until ready to be added to the soup. (Sept. 2018)

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  • Bring 6 cups of water to a light boil, then add 1 lb yukon gold potatoes (about 3 medium), peeled and
    quartered, and a rough-chopped onion.  Bring to a boil, season with 2 tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper.  Cover and reduce to a  simmer until potatoes are tender (20 mins).  Using an immersion blender, puree the potato/onion mixture in the pot, leaving some potato chunks for texture.  Add 1 bunch of kale (torn, stems removed) and about 3 Tbsp olive oil to the pureed soup, bring to a boil, and then reduce and let cook for about 3 mins.  In the mean time, heat a cast-iron skillet with a little olive oil, then place 5 oz chorizo sausage (here, 2 links of hot chicken chorizo), cut into ¼ inch diagonals.  When browned on each side, place the chorizo slices in the soup.  Let simmer for another few minutes (to ensure the chorizo is
    fully cooked), then serve.  This recipe is from The South American Table by Maria Baez Kijac.  (Sept. 2014)

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