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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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We found this soup very frustrating to make, even if it ultimately came out well: https://omnivorescookbook.com/napa-cabbage-soup/ This recipe called for only 3 cups of liquid. We ultimately had to increase to 9 cups of liquid (8 cups unsalted chicken stock plus 1 cup water). We sauteed about 2 Tbsp bacon, then added 4 cups broth. Instead of daikon, we used 1 chayote, peeled and diced (1″ chunks). After adding the vegetables and tofu, we realized that the meatballs would never fit. We then supplemented with the additional broth (1 quart) and seasoned with 2 Tbsp microplaned ginger, 1 Tbsp fish sauce, and 1 tsp soy sauce. At the end of cooking, we balanced with 2 tsp sake and 1 Tbsp fried shallots. For the meatballs, we used 1/2 lb minced chicken. (June 2022)
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We had 2 lb daikon and 2 fresh whole mackerel, and we made this recipe: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/godeungeo-jorim I haven’t had this dish since childhood. (June 2022)
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This is not a recipe, but a method for blanching winter squash including kabocha. We followed this for 1/2 kabocha. Because kabocha is more delicate than other winter squash, we blanched for 2 mins (not 3 mins). We plan to use this blanched squash for a sabzi or Japanese curry recipe next week. (June 2022).
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We had 1/4 kabocha squash, so we halved the ingredients in this simple but tasty recipe: https://onolicioushawaii.com/simmered-kabocha/ We used chicken broth, but if you use vegetable or kombu stock, it can easily be vegetarian. (June 2022)
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We had 1.5 cups of leftover rice and a 1/2 head of cauliflower, so we loosely followed this recipe: https://redhousespice.com/egg-fried-rice/ Our modifications: first, we supplemented the rice with oven-roasted cauliflower (cut into 3/4″ dice, tossed in 1 tsp canola, and roasted at 425 for 10 mins). We folded in the cauliflower as the same time as the rice. We also added 1 link of Chinese sausage, cut into 1/2″ dice) which we sauteed as a step prior to the eggs. Second, we increased the eggs from 2 to 3. The simplicity of the seasonings worked well; we followed the amounts stated in the recipe. (June 2022)
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Details here: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022439-strawberry-lemon-loaf-cake?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share This was delicious. (May 2022)
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This recipe called for fingerling potatoes, but based on our pantry, we used baby yukons. Details here: https://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/fingerling-potato-salad-mustard-vinaigrette In the end, we added 1 tsp Spanish sherry vinegar and a little more salt for brightness. (May 2022).
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When I was a kid, my family loved an orange chiffon cake from our local bakery, Danish Bakers. Craving that childhood memory, we tried this NYT recipe for a whole orange snack cake: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022002-whole-orange-snack-cake?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share We used a regular-sized naval orange. For the icing, we used the zest from the entire naval orange and about 2.5 tsp to 3 tsp (1 Tbsp) orange juice from the same orange that we ultimately pureed. This was an easy and delicious cake, in a manageable size for our family. (May 2022)
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We sought a plant-forward chili that used chipotle in adobo. Details here: https://healthynibblesandbits.com/chipotle-vegetarian-three-bean-chili/ Based on our pantry, we used white kidney beans instead of red. We prefer thicker chilis, so we used 2 1/4 cups chicken broth (instead of 3 cups). This easily could be vegetarian with vegetable broth. At the end of cooking, we found the flavor a bit thin. So we supplemented with 2 Tbsp drained chopped black olives, a drizzle of red wine vinegar, and a tsp of sugar for depth and balance. (May 2022)
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We searched for a low-fat alternative to parmesan sauce: https://www.modernhoney.com/skinny-fettuccine-alfredo/ We used this as the parmesan sauce topping for baked pasta with store-bought marinara sauce. (May 2022)