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.

  • It’s apple season, and we decided to make a crumble: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018638-apple-crumble?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share

    We halved the recipe (see Note below) and used a deep, slightly wide 8×8″ dark blue baking dish. We followed the recommendation to use a variety of tart apples; we used 1 of each: Pink Lady (Cripps Pink), Cosmic Crisp, Macintosh, and Granny Smith.

    Although the recipe called for melted butter, we followed a NYT Cooking note to use cold, cubed unsalted butter. That had uneven results, and we had to bake it at 350 for 55 mins, followed by broiling on low for a few minutes to crisp up the topping.

    Note: Here’s how we halved the recipe –

    Topping = 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup pecan pieces, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt.

    Filling = 4 medium sized apples of different varieties (peeled, cored, and each quarter in 3 slices), 1.5 tsp cinnamon, 1 Tbsp lemon juice.

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  • We tried this recipe: https://www.thekitchn.com/easy-pasta-and-beans-257210 This recipe calls for chicken broth, but if you use vegetable broth, it easily could be vegetarian.

    Our modifications: first, we halved the recipe. Second, based on our pantry we used 1/2 tsp dried basil instead of fresh, and we added it just before simmering the orzo in sauce. We also added 1/4 frozen chopped spinach for color and nutrition. We found this a bit one note, we added 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, 1/4 tsp sugar, and 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar for brightness. (Oct. 2023)

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  • This is a flexible soup recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024427-vegetable-soup?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share We used the vegetables we had on hand in the following order: first, onion, carrots, celery; second, russet potato; and finally, pipian squash (related to zucchini), fresh beans, sugar peas, and corn.

    We used unsalted chicken broth and added 2 Parmesan rinds for umami, so this was not vegetarian. For the seasoning, we used several sprigs of thyme (leaves only) and reduced the dried oregano to 1/4 tsp. In addition to the Tbsp of red wine vinegar and 1/4 cup minced parsley, we added about 1 Tbsp salt and 1 tsp additional tomato paste to offset the unsalted broth. We still found the soup a bit one dimensional, so we added 1/2 tsp sugar and 2 tsp black olive tapenade for balance and depth. (Oct. 2023)

    Note: Another time, we added 1 parmesan rind, in addition to the black olive tapenade. It’s best to add the rind while the soup is simmering, not at the end of cooking. (May 2024)

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  • We wanted to find an easy open face sandwich to accompany our asparagus soup (https://piglettedc.wordpress.com/2015/06/13/asparagus-soup-this-soup-tastes-creamy-but-it/). We tried this recipe: https://www.thekitchn.com/cheese-on-toast-recipe-23309869.

    We used two slices of Mt. Athos bread, which we toasted. Then we moved the toasted slices to a foil-lined toaster oven tray and applied a light spread (1/4 tsp) of Marmite on top before sprinkling with shredded sharp cheddar. We then broiled the cheese-covered toast until the cheese got melted. We then sprinkled the top of each cheese toast with Worcestershire sauce (probably 2 sprinkles would suffice – we ended up sopping up some off that piece with a paper towel). (Oct. 2023)

    Note: Worchestershire sauce is not vegetarian, so neither is this recipe.

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  • We had a craving for broth-based soup flavored with sausage, so we tried this recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/summer-vegetable-soup-with-andouille-3364832

    Our modifications: first, we used 1/2 lb (2 links) Whole Foods frozen, uncooked chicken andouille sausage, which we cut into 1/2″ thick slices, cooked thoroughly, and browned in 1 Tbsp canola oil in a stainless steel, low-walled Dutch oven. Second, right after removing the browned sausage, we added 2 tsp olive oil and sauteed 1 small chopped onion and 2 cloves minced garlic (these aromatics were not part of the Food Network Kitchen recipe). Third, for the vegetables, we used 1 russet potato (peeled and diced), 12 oz green beans (trimmed and cut into 2″ pieces), and 15 oz canned no-salt corn (drained). Fourth, we increased the tomato paste to 2 Tbsp and for the liquid, we used 4 cups no-salt chicken broth and 2 cups water. At the end of cooking, we found the soup underseasoned, so we added 2 tsp cajun seasoning (McCormick brand) for flavor balance. This ended up being a flavorful and satisfying soup. (Oct. 2023)

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  • I had a sudden craving for pudding, so we tried this recipe: https://www.food.com/recipe/tapioca-pudding-using-minute-tapioca-107575 We followed the recipe verbatim, except that we garnished each serving with toasted, crushed pistachios for texture. This was tasty and satisfying. (Oct. 2023)

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  • We had a craving for lentil soup and were intrigued by this recipe: https://girlandthekitchen.com/persian-lentil-soup/

    Although we used chicken broth (4 cups unsalted, 4 cups Better Than Bouillon), this recipe easily could be vegetarian if made with vegetable broth. Although we try to use no-salt canned tomatoes, we used stewed tomatoes (which are seasoned and contain sodium) for this recipe. For the spice blend, we made our own baharat: https://piglettedc.wordpress.com/2023/10/01/middle-eastern-7-spice-blend-baharat/

    This was quite delicious, with great depth of flavor. The texture was a bit thin, though. (Oct. 2023)

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  • We couldn’t find baharat at our local supermarket, so we tried this recipe: https://www.food.com/recipe/baharat-spice-blend-224763 Interestingly, the most challenging part of this recipe was manually grinding black peppercorns (all of our other spices were already ground).

    We will use the baharat as an ingredient in a Persian lentil soup that we’ll post about separately. (Oct. 2023)

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  • We tried this recipe from Food Network Kitchens: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pumpkin-bread-recipe-1957866

    Our modifications: first, instead of making two loaves, we poured the batter in a bundt pan (with extra batter for a mini-loaf), each of which we lightly coated with ghee and a dusting of flour. Second, we added 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (lightly coated in 1 tsp flour) to the batter. Third, because we planned to glaze the cake, we reduced the white sugar from 2 cups to 1.5 cups to manage overall flavor balance. We baked at 350 for less than an hour (although due to an oven timer malfunction, we don’t have a precise time), once our toothpick came out clean.

    After the cake cooled completely, we drizzled a vanilla bourbon icing from this other recipe (which we have used as icing before): https://www.preservesproject.com/pumpkin-walnut-bundt-cake-%EF%BB%BFwith-vanilla-bourbon-glaze/ In case the link does not work, whisk together: 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 2 tsp bourbon, 2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 Tbsp milk. Drizzled over cooled cake. (Sept. 2023)

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  • We craved a plant-forward soup with beans and leafy greens, so we made this: https://www.feastingathome.com/ribollita-recipe/ We followed the recipe pretty closely, and this was very tasty. We omitted the bacon / pancetta, but we used chicken broth (4 cups unsalted, 2 cups Better Than Bouillon). For the white wine, we estimated a “splash” to be 1/4 cup, which we used to deglaze the pan before adding the cannellini beans (we used 30 oz canned, rinsed, and drained), diced tomatoes (15 oz canned, including juice), and one parmesan rind. For umami, we added 2 tsp black olive tapenade to the soup just before simmering (the next time, we may increase to 1 Tbsp).

    We also made the rosemary and lemon zest-infused olive oil in a Mason jar (pictured in background). Because we sometimes find rosemary overpowering, we used 1 rosemary twig and 2 sage leaves for the 1/2 cup of olive oil. (Sept. 2023)

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