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 tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016498-celery-and-potato-soup?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share For the 7 cups liquid, we used 1 quart (4 cups) unsalted chicken stock, 1 cup chicken broth (salted), and 2 cups unsalted beef stock. We found straining the soup challenging, and we found the broth lacked viscosity afterwards. We garnished each serving with julienned celery, some celery fronds, and a drizzle of olive oil in lieu of walnut oil. If you use vegetable broth or water, this recipe easily can be vegetarian. (Jan. 2020)

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  • We adapted our beloved meat-based dan dan noodle recipe to create a vegetarian version. We kept the noodle seasoning the same, but we changed the topping from minced pork (or minced turkey) to freeze-dried tofu crumbles and dried shiitake mushrooms. Here’s a breakdown of the topping and the noodles. 1) The topping: Inspired by Andrea Nguyen’s tips for vegetarian ma po tofu (https://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2014/02/vegetarian-mapo-tofu-recipe.html), we did the following: We took 8 oz frozen tofu (see this method here: https://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/189375793191/frozen-tofu-chunks-for-later-use-when-defrosted), defrosted to room temperature, then squeezed with paper towels to make bone dry before gently crumbling into smaller and larger crumbles. Second, we reconstituted 6 dried shiitake mushrooms, then gently removed most water (discarding the soaking liquid), cut off the stems, and then finely diced. We place both the tofu crumbles and diced mushrooms a medium mixing bowl, and then added ¾ tsp dark soy sauce, mixing gently. When it was time to cook, we added 1 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil to a large wok, heated the wok to medium high, then when the oil was hot, we added the tofu-mushroom mixture. Using oil spray from time to time, we sauteed the mixture until it became crispy, like browned minced pork. We then added 2 minced garlic cloves, 2-3 chopped scallions, and 1 Tbsp Sichuan preserved vegetable aka ya cai (which we rinsed and dried) and sauteed for another minute. Then we cut off the heat and stirred in ½ Tbsp tahini (a substitute for Chinese raw sesame paste). 2) Noodles: With one exception, we followed the same proportions and in the original dan dan noodle recipe here: https://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/174581645971/chinese-dan-dan-noodles-mix-1-tbsp-chili-oil The only change was we reduced the soy sauce from 1 Tbsp to 2 tsp, to make up for the ¾ tsp dark soy sauce added to the tofu/mushroom mixture. (Jan. 2020)

    Source: Andrea Nguyen, author and teacher, Vietworldkitchen.com.

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  • We had leftover creme fraiche and sour cream, so tried this recipe: https://bakingbites.com/2019/03/lemon-sour-cream-bundt-cake/. We used ½ cup creme fraiche and ½ cup sour cream. For the sugar, we used a 2:1 ratio of citrus-infused sugar to plain white sugar. For the batter, we used zest from 2 lemons and juice from 1 ½ lemons (which yielded 1/3 cup). We then used the juice from the remaining ½ lemon for the icing. (Jan. 2020)

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  • We tried this NYT recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019188-flaky-chicken-hand-pies?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share As a shortcut, we used a 2 ¼ lb rotisserie chicken, which we pulled apart into bite-sized pieces (instead of cutting into chunks), discarding skin and bones. Because we weren’t able to roll out the single sheet of puff pastry to reach 15×15″, we were able to fit only 1/3 cup (not ¾ cup) of filling in each dough segment. For that reason, we were able to use only ½ of the filling. We baked the hand pies at 375 for 25-30 mins. In terms of flavor profile, this dish reminded us of chicken friand. (Dec. 2019)

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  • We tried this NYT recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017928-winter-vegetable-soup-with-turnips-carrots-potatoes-and-leeks?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share Our modifications: first, we added 3 small shallots (cut into ½ inch cross-wise rings) and increased the garlic to 4 cloves. Second, using a low-walled Dutch oven, we sauteed the following ingredients in 2 Tbsp unsalted butter and 1 tsp olive oil: leeks, shallots, garlic, and celery. Third, once those aromatics were fragrant, we added the potatoes (we used Yukon instead of Russet), purple-topped turnips, and carrots, each peeled and diced. We sauteed for 30 seconds, and added 6 cups chicken stock, and brought to a boil. We then added the bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, and bay leaf), reduced heat to a simmer, covered with a lid, and let simmer until vegetables were very soft (about 40 mins). After removing the bouquet garni, we used an immersion blender to puree 2/3 of the soup. Finally, finding the soup creamy enough with the chicken stock, we omitted the creme fraiche. We seasoned to taste with freshly ground black pepper and a dash of marash pepper. This recipe easily can be vegetarian if you use water or vegetable broth. (Dec. 2019)

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  • This recipe is courtesy of my MIL. In a low-walled Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add 1 Tbsp ground coriander, 1 Tbsp ground cumin, 2 tsp smoked paprika, and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Saute until fragrant, then add: 3 celery stalks (including as many leaves as you can) and 1 large onion, each finely diced. In a few seconds, add 1 lb smoked sausage (my MIL used a store-bought “Korean” sausage from Market Basket https://www.johnsonville.com/products/korean-bbq-sausage-rope.html, but we substituted turkey kielbasa), cut on a ½ inch diagonal. Saute until the sausage slices are slightly browned and curled at the edges and the celery-onion are softened (a few mins). Add three 14.5 oz canned black beans including liquid (we use no salt canned), 3/4 cup roasted red bell pepper (from a jar, drained, and cut into 1/2” slivers), and 2 cups chicken broth, then bring to a boil. Then add 1 large Russet, peeled and cut into ½ inch dice (we used 2 medium, skin-on Yukons). Reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook until potato is tender and flavors meld (my MIL said 2 hours, but we reduced to 45 mins). At the end of cooking, season to taste (we added about 1 tsp apple cider vinegar for brightness). Sometimes if the stew lacks depth, we add 1-2 mounded Tbsp black olive tapenade. Serve with fresh lemon wedges, about ¼ lemon per serving. (Dec. 2019)

    Variation: Due to our pantry, we had to substitute center cut bacon (a 2″ wide piece, cut into ½” matchsticks) in lieu of sausage. We browned the bacon separately and added it to the celery-onion-spice mixture. We found the stew lacked umami and seasoning without the sausage, so we added: ½ cup dried apricots (halved); ¼ cup black olives (pitted and chopped); 1 tsp fennel seed; 2 tsp red wine vinegar; 2 tsp apple cider vinegar; and ½ tsp Kosher salt. We simmered for an additional 10 mins. (Nov. 2021)

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  • We tried this recipe from Yummly: https://www.yummly.com/recipe/CREAMY-LEMON-SQUARES-9125801 The ingredients are simple: 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs, 4 Tbsp melted unsalted butter plus 1 ½ tsp for buttering the casserole dish, ¼ cup sugar (we used vanilla-infused), 14 oz sweetened condensed milk, 2 egg yolks, and ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice. We found the crust too crumbly to hold its shape; it probably needs more melted butter and sugar than the recipe called for. (Dec. 2019)

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  • This is a recipe from my childhood: a home economics class in middle school. I tracked down the same recipe here: https://dancingthroughtherain.com/peanut-butter-and-jelly-rollups/ We used leftover slices of whole wheat bread, room temperature unsalted butter, smooth peanut butter, and homemade Concord grape jam. Because we didn’t have toothpicks, we placed the roll-ups seam-side down and slightly flattened the roll against the foil (which we used instead of parchment). (Dec. 2019)

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  • We were looking for a way to use up our leftovers – two raw sweet potatoes already peeled and cut into large, uneven chunks. We cut the potato chunks to make as uniform cubes as possible, and then we tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018993-roasted-sweet-potatoes-with-smoked-paprika?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share The recipe called for 4 sweet potatoes, so we halved the ingredient amounts. (Dec. 2019)

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  • Our friend Leah gifted us kyoho grapes, a type of Concord grape commonly found in Japan and Korea. We tried this recipe: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/09/concord-grape-jam-recipe-grape-jelly.html Our modifications: because we had 3 ½ cups grapes (not 8 cups), we roughly halved the recipe. For the sugar, we reduced to 1 cup citrus-infused granulated sugar and 1 ¼ cups white granulated sugar (for a total of 2 ¼ cups). We also followed the instructions for sterilizing glass Mason jars; we prepared three sets of Ball jars and lids but ended up filling only 1 ½ jars. I rarely make jam, and this reminded me of making strawberry jam with my grandmother when I was a kid. (Nov. 2019)

    Note: For sterilizing the filled and lidded jam jars, we found that only our stock pot, with a silicon trivet as a rack, was sufficient height to submerge the lidded jar.

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