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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 normally make this dish with potato and with traditional stovetop cooking. However, we adapted this for four partially frozen chicken quarters and ½ a head of cauliflower. First, partially defrost 4 chicken quarters by placing them (inside a closed ziplock bag) in a large bowl of room temperature water for an hour on the countertop. Second, remove skin from chicken, and separate into a drumstick and two pieces of chicken thigh (one piece will have the thigh bone). Lightly season with salt and black pepper and place in a bowl. Third, thinly slice one large onion and 5-6 garlic cloves. Separately, wash and trim half a head of cauliflower, drying and cutting into florets (about 2×3″), and set aside. Fourth, heat the bottom part of a large pressure cooker on medium high, add 1 Tbsp canola oil, then saute the onion until fragrant and translucent. Then add the garlic and saute for 1 min. Add the chicken pieces, stir, then quickly pour in ¾ cup soy sauce and 1 ¼ cup white vinegar. Lower the heat to medium. Place the lid on the pressure cooker, lock, and then increase heat. When the pressure cooker reaches high pressure, lower the heat to maintain high pressure and let cook for 10 mins. Do a quick release and then open the lid. Fold in the cauliflower florets, cover with a glass lid, and let simmer (on low-medium heat) until cauliflower is tender (about 10 mins). Serve with jasmine rice; Burmese julienned red cabbage salad also makes a nice complement. (May 2021)
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Details here: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-stir-fry-spinach-and-other-greens-226712 We used a large nonstick pan, and it turned out well. The sprinkling of salt and sugar made a difference. (May 2021)
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This recipe calls for a 3:1 ratio of soy sauce to fish sauce. The fresh lime juice and zest are key. Details here: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017482-grilled-sesame-lime-chicken-breasts?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share The marinade is essentially 2 Tbsp soy, 2 tsp fish sauce, 1 Tbsp grated ginger, 3 garlic cloves (grated), 2 limes (zest and juice), and 2 Tbsp vegetable oil. This is enough marinade for 4 chicken breasts (sliced lengthwise and pounded into thin cutlets). Marinate for at least 30 mins. Our modifications: first, we first cooked on the Foreman Grill, and then finished searing in a nonstick pan. Second, we forgot to drizzle with sesame oil, which the NYT recipe recommends. Finally, we garnished with minced cilantro. (May 2021)
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Details here: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020705-cheesy-spicy-black-bean-bake?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share We used a cast-iron pan. To prevent the oven from smoking, we used canola oil instead of olive oil. We also used a mix of Monterey Jack and cheddar. We served this with tortilla chips. (May 2021)
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This was a tasty and quick meal: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020146-white-bean-and-avocado-salad-with-garlic-oil?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share We used fresh lime juice and garnished with fried shallots (in addition to the garlic oil, including the garlic slices). We served it with sliced pain de campagne. (May 2021)
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We tried this recipe: https://www.skinnytaste.com/turkey-pumpkin-chili/ We reduced the cayenne and added a bit more broth to reduce viscosity (caused by the pumpkin puree). We also added only a handful of baby spinach. This was tasty. We garnished with cilantro and lime wedges. (May 2021)
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We made this on the fly: first, soak about ½ oz dried wakame, broken into 1″ shards (about 1.5 dry cups) in room temperature water for 30 mins; leave soaked until ready to use. At the same time, soak 7-8 dried shiitakes in hot water for 20-30 mins; drain, trim off and discard stems, and cut the mushroom caps into small dice (see Note below). Reserve the mushroom poaching liquid (about 1.5 cups) and set aside. Second, saute ½ lb minced pork (or minced chicken) in a medium Dutch oven until lightly browned. Add finely diced shiitakes and saute for 1 min. Add 6 minced garlic cloves, then add 8 cups liquid (1.5 cups mushroom poaching liquid and 6.5 cups hot water). Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and add 1 Tbsp fish sauce, 1.5 tsp soup soy sauce, and 2 mounded Tbsp (common utensil, not measuring spoon) of Korean beef boullion (sogogi dashida). Stir, then add the wakame without soaking liquid (I use chopsticks to remove the wakame from the liquid). Cover and simmer for 10 additional mins. Season to taste with black pepper. Serve with rice. (May 2021)
Note: As depicted in this photo, we sometimes add a russet potato (peeled and diced), in which case we reduce the dried shiitakes from 8 to 5. We add the diced potato a minute after the diced shiitakes. (Oct. 2022)
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We tried this NYT recipe for lunch: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017704-vegetarian-skillet-chili?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share We concur with the recipe author that the pickled onions (and lime pickling liquid) is key. Our modifications: first, we added ½ yellow bell pepper (diced) to the onion. Second, we used 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp frozen oregano leaves (about 5 leaves), and ¼ tsp smoked paprika. We garnished with shredded cheddar and fresh cilantro, and served with cheese quesadilla. (May 2021)
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We tried this Indo-British version, and it was quite tasty. Details here: https://www.carolinescooking.com/kedgeree/
Our modifications: first, we doubled the recipe (except for the cardamom) as follows: 1 1/3 cup basmati rice, 2/3 cup red lentils, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 quart (4 cups) water or unsalted chicken broth; 15 oz smoked fish (see more below), 2-3 small bay leaves, and 2 cups milk; 1.5 Tbsp butter, 1 large onion, 2 cloves garlic; 2 tsp McCormick curry powder, 1/8 tsp cardamom (see more below), 1 tsp ground coriander, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp cloves; and 1/4 cup minced cilantro.
Second, we couldn’t find smoked haddock, so we used 14 oz hot smoked salmon and 3 oz canned smoked trout, which we rinsed and drained before poaching in milk. Second, we cooked the rice and red lentils in unsalted chicken broth instead of water. We garnished with 4 hard-boiled eggs. We found the amount of cardamom in the original recipe overpowering, so we significantly reduced to 1/8 tsp ground cardamom (May 2021)
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We tried this SkinnyTaste recipe: https://www.skinnytaste.com/cauliflower-rice-chicken-biryani/ For the cauliflower, we found that food processing a medium head was sufficient. We used only one jalapeño, seeded and cut into thin half-moons. (May 2021)
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Cooking Adventures 