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 made this recipe again, but followed the instructions pretty closely this time: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/foul-mudammas-recipe/#tasty-recipes-33099-jump-target Our minor modifications: First, we halved the recipe. Second, we drained the canned fava bean liquid before placing in our Ultimate Pan and adding 1/4 cup water. The fresh garlic / hot pepper / lemon juice dressing added a brightness to the dish. (Apr. 2023)

    , , , , , , , ,

  • Feeling peckish, we pulled this together based on simple pantry ingredients. The recipe: https://www.papernstitchblog.com/black-bean-quesadillas/ For the onion, we used 1/2 small shallot. To minimize its sharpness, we sautéed the minced shallot in a separate pan (with a little cooking spray) before adding it as a quesadilla filling. We also used thick-cut shredded Cheddar cheese, but we may use a meltier Mexican cheese in the future. (Apr. 2023)

    , , , , , ,

  • We have had our eye on Martha Rose Shulman’s plant-forward soup recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013428-farro-and-vegetable-soup?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share This was absolutely delicious. The depth of flavor and sprinkling of shredded Gruyere evoked French onion soup.

    We made minor modifications: first, for the liquid we used 2 quarts (8 cups) no-salt chicken broth plus 2 cups salted chicken broth (from Better Than Bouillon concentrate). Second, we julienned the cabbage as thin as possible, using about 3/8 of a medium head (1/4 plus 1/8). Finally, at the end of cooking, we found it lacked some depth. We added 1 mounded Tbsp black olive tapenade and 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper (coarsely ground) to the soup pot, and those provided more umami. We also added salt to taste (about 2 tsp).

    This recipe was surprisingly satisfying. It’s definitely a keeper. (Apr. 2023)

    , , , , , , ,

  • We tried this quick recipe for lunch, and it was delicious, unique, and satisfying: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019522-scallion-egg-wrap?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share

    Our modifications: we used 1 Tbsp pickled daikon (Spicy King brand salted spicy radish, Hunan flavor, rinsed thoroughly and patted dry) instead of pickled mustard leaves. This was like an omelette sandwich. (Mar. 2023)

    , , , , , ,

  • We tried this recipe based on our pantry: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024015-lemony-greek-chicken-spinach-and-potato-stew?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share

    Our modifications: first, instead of 3 large potatoes, we used a combination of 4 baby Yukon potatoes (1″ dice) and 13.5 oz can of no-salt white Northern beans (drained and rinsed). Second, we used one bunch of frozen dill (rough chopped) and 1/4 cup lemon juice, plus we added zest from two lemons. We reduced crushed red pepper to 1/4 tsp (from 1 tsp). We reduced the salt to 1 tsp (from 1.5 tsp), recognizing we could add more salt later as needed.

    Finally, at the end of cooking we found the soup lacked balance. We supplemented with: 1/4 tsp sugar; 1/4 tsp Aleppo pepper (aka cloud pepper), and 1/2 tsp salt (thus, we ended up with a total of 1.5 tsp salt, per the recipe). We also felt the need for mint but we were out, so we unconventionally added 1/2 tsp herbal mint tea blend (about 1/2 bag of Bigelow Mint Medley – see Note below), and it did the trick. This soup turned out well. (Mar. 2023)

    Note: Bigelow Mint Medley Tea contains spearmint, peppermint, rosehips, lemon peel, and hibiscus. See https://www.bigelowtea.com/products/mint-medley-herbal-tea.

    , , , , , ,

  • We made this recipe but substituted a lean pork chop for beef: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/sogogi-doenjang-jjigae To reduce sodium, we added less than 1/4 cup of soybean paste (doenjang); we subtracted 2 tsp from the total. This was a flavorful and easy meal. (Mar. 2023)

    , , , , , ,

  • This is a straightforward recipe from RecipeTinEats that we doctored up a bit: https://www.recipetineats.com/vegetable-tagine/ It’s also a great use of vegetables in your pantry. This recipe is vegetarian as written (although we used chicken broth).

    We made the following modifications: first, for the spice mix, we sometimes find ground cardamom overpowering, so we reduced it to 2 tsp (from the recipe’s 1 Tbsp, or 3 tsp). We also used ground Kashmiri chilli pepper (a low heat pepper) instead of cayenne.

    Second, we used 1 lb frozen pre-cut butternut squash instead of 1.5 lb fresh. (See Note 1.) We also added an additional 1/2 red bell pepper (for a total of 1.5 bell peppers). Instead of water, we used lightly seasoned chicken broth (we found about 2 3/4 cups sufficient to just cover the vegetables, less than the 3 1/2 cups called for in the recipe).

    Third, instead of 2 cups fresh green beans, we used 1 cup frozen green peas. We used a 13.5 oz can of no-salt chick peas, which we rinsed and drained.

    Finally, after cooking ended, we found the flavors a bit muddled. Ultimately, we used juice from 1.5 lemon (although we kept the zest to 1 lemon). For brightness and umami, we supplemented the stew with 1 tsp pomegranate quince white balsamic vinegar, 7 roughly chopped green olives stuffed with pimento (a mounded 1/4 cup), 2 Tbsp dried sour cherries, and 1 tsp white sugar. This stew ended up being quite tasty. (Mar. 2023)

    Note 1: The frozen butternut squash released water into the pot, so we had to sop up the liquid (water-laden olive oil) to avoid steaming the food instead of browning it. Once we removed enough water from the pot, we added another Tbsp of olive oil.

    Note 2: We served this with whole wheat couscous, using this recipe: https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/couscous.html

    , , , , , , ,

  • This simple pressure cooker recipe yields a fragrant broth in about an hour. It’s loosely based on the stovetop broth component of this chicken and celery rice recipe by Andrea Nguyen: https://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2015/04/chicken-back-and-celery-rice-recipe-com-ga.html.

    First, place 3 large (or 4 small) skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs and 1 skinless boneless chicken breast (see Note 2 below) in the bottom of a large pressure cooker. Add 1 medium onion (peeled and quartered), 3 inches of ginger (peeled, sliced into 1-inch thick penny slices, and gently smashed – see Note 1 below), 2 tsp kosher salt, and 12 cups water.

    Second, cover and lock lid, then bring to high pressure (this will take about 20 mins). Maintain at high pressure (the heat can be lowered to medium as long as pressure is maintained) for 30 mins, then move the pressure cooker off the burner for natural release (10 mins).

    Third, remove the solids from the broth. Discard the ginger pieces, chicken bone/cartilage, and chicken skin. Shred the chicken and return to the pot. Season the broth with 2 Tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, and a dash of sugar as needed for balance. You can serve the soup at this stage or you can make congee.

    How to make congee: in a separate, smaller pot, bring about 4 cups broth (add an extra 1/2 cup if you prefer a brothier congee) to a boil. Add 1/3 cup uncooked white jasmine rice, cover and lower heat to a medium boil, then cook until rice is tender, about 13 mins. Garnish with chopped scallion (if desired) and serve with fresh lime wedges. (Mar. 2023)

    Note 1: Andrea Nguyen recommends gently smashing each ginger piece with the bottom of a chef’s knife.

    Note 2: We often reserve chicken skin and fat from other meal preps and freeze them in a small ziploc bag. We toss these fatty bits in with the meat before starting the pressure cooker. Doing so yields a richer, more flavorful broth.

    , , , , , , , ,

  • As a kid, I remember watching my mom toss together this refreshing cucumber salad as an easy side dish for meals.

    I hosted a Korean lunch for friends today and decided to make this recipe: https://kimchimari.com/korean-cucumber-salad/ It’s surprisingly quick and easy to make. This cucumber salad offers a bright complement to well-seasoned fatty proteins. For today’s lunch, we served this salad with Korean kalbi-style chicken thighs and leafy lettuce (for lettuce wraps). (Mar. 2023)

    , , , , , , ,

  • We tried this mustard-infused cauliflower dish from Marie Cacouchia’s Vegan Africa. The recipe is available online: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/feb/27/africa-taste-for-vegan-food-plant-based. Our modifications:

    First, for the marinade, we found the reference to mustard ambiguous (e.g., liquid vs. dry, whole grain vs. Dijon). Based on online recipes for chicken yassa, we used 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard. The marinade amount may appear scant for the volume of cauliflower and onion, but it’s sufficient. We recommend using a 2 gallon food storage bag.

    Second, rather than literally chopping one large head of cauliflower, we cut it into small florets. This lengthened the cooking time by 15 mins, and we used more than 1 Tbsp olive oil to properly sear the florets.

    Third, we found 5 medium onions (thinly sliced) to be more than ample. In the future, we may reduce to 4 onions.

    Finally, we served this cauliflower yassa with Beninese black-eyed peas and rice. This was delicious. (Mar. 2023)

    , , , , , ,