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 love pasta e fagioli, and we tried this Instant Pot version: https://inquiringchef.com/instant-pot-pasta-e-fagioli/

    Our modifications: first, we used diced center-cut bacon strips (about 2 inches, cut into three sets of match sticks) instead of pancetta. For the beans, we used 8 oz dried cannelini beans that we had reconstituted using this 1 hour quick soak method: https://www.camelliabrand.com/how-to-soak-your-beans/

    Second, we used a stovetop pressure cooker instead of an Instant Pot. Third, we cooked the pasta (8 oz ditalini) separately. Finally, at the end of cooking we found the soup a little flat. We added a bit of sugar, salt, sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar, and Gravenstein Apple vinegar to taste for balance. (Aug. 2025)

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  • We had an extra eggplant and tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020459-sweet-and-sour-eggplant-with-garlic-chips?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share. Because we had only 1 small Italian eggplant, we halved the ingredients. Our only modifications were to use black vinegar (instead of rice wine vinegar) and add a dash of sugar at the end. This was a nice snack, although the next time we may try to cut the eggplant pieces smaller than 2 inches. (Aug. 2025)

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  • At the beach, we decided to try this simple sheet pan recipe by Giada de Laurentiis: https://giadzy.com/blogs/recipes/sheetpan-eggplant-parmesan This was an easy, delicious meal that needed only a handful of ingredients. The panko topping was particularly good, adding a light crispy texture to the tender eggplant.

    Our modifications: first, due to a very sensitive smoke alarm in our unit, we used canola oil instead of olive oil. As a shortcut for the sauce, we used Rao’s marinara (about 16 oz of a 24 oz jar). Second, we were unable to find Japanese eggplant, so we used 2 small Italian eggplant, cut into four lengthwise slices (about 1/2 to 3/4” thick, with the stem still on). Because there were 8 eggplant slices, we divided them among 2 foil-lined sheet pans (see Note below). Third, we used 1.5x the ingredients (Rao’s and panko parmesan topping) to accommodate the number of eggplant slices.

    Finally, as side dishes we served this eggplant parmesan with garlic bread (https://piglettedc.wordpress.com/2020/09/10/simple-garlic-bread-we-had-about-half-a-baguette/) and mezzi rigatoni. We cooked the pasta al dente, drained, then tossed with the remaining Rao’s (about 8 oz), which we had heated. (Aug. 2025)

    Note: We recommend lightly oiling the foil-lined plans before placing the eggplant slides down. This will mitigate the likelihood of the eggplant sticking to the foil at the end of cooking.

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  • We made this recipe based on pantry ingredients: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018097-kimchi-fried-rice?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share

    Our modifications: first, we used whole radish kimchi (chonggak kimchi), which we diced. Second, we omitted meat from this version. Finally, at the end of cooking we garnished with chili crisp (house made by Hanabi Ramen). (Aug. 2025)

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  • We have made a soy sauce-based version of ginisang baguio beans for years, but we decided to try this recipe, which utilizes fish sauce and fresh tomato: https://panlasangpinoy.com/ginisang-baguio-beans-pork/. We enjoyed this recipe a lot and prefer its flavor profile to the soy-based version (which was less complex).

    Our modifications: first, we used minced chicken instead of pork. Chicken often releases watery discharge (not fat), so we sopped up the liquid from the pan before adding more canola oil. Second, we reduced the amount of fish sauce from 1 1/2 Tbsp to 1 1/4 Tbsp. Finally, at the end of cooking we lightly sprinkled with salt and sugar (less than 1/8 tsp each) for balance. This recipe was simple to make and very tasty to eat.

    We garnished the dish with fried shallots for a crunchy texture and served with jasmine rice. (Aug. 2025)

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  • We had to follow a soft food diet this evening, so we tried this kichidi recipe: https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/dal-khichdi-recipe/

    Our modifications: first, we used a medium shallot instead of a small onion. Second, for the optimal vegetables, we used 1 thin carrot and 5 green beans, each diced. We found that these, along with the diced, seeded tomato and the purple shallot, added a nice pop of color. Third, we followed Swasthi’s pressure cooker method. At first the kichidi looked watery, but after cooling for a few minutes, it firmed up. Finally, at the end of cooking we found the dish slightly undersalted, so we lightly seasoned with salt to taste. (Aug. 2025)

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  • We are heading to a friend’s Korean fried chicken potluck. We made this delicious recipe from Maangchi: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/algamja-jorim

    Our modifications: first, we did not have rice syrup. To mimic its flavor, we used a combination of molasses, honey, and maple syrup (in equal parts). Second, we had 1.5 lb tricolored baby potatoes, so we adjusted the recipe’s proportions to 1.5 of Maangchi’s recipe. The next time we make it for a group event, we will make at least 2 lb baby potatoes.

    Third, because the potatoes were washed, they still had some water despite being drained; this caused them to splatter in the hot oil. In the future, we will be more mindful about drying off the potatoes as much as possible.

    Finally, we recommend keeping a close eye on pan during the last stage of cooking. As we learned today, the sauce can overheat and darken very quickly. We managed to salvage our dish before the sauce got burned.

    This was a very tasty, straightforward side dish. We plan to make it again. (Aug. 2025)

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  • After trying Amy’s cheese enchiladas (a frozen meal that is surprisingly tasty), we felt inspired to make a vegetarian enchilada recipe. We tried this recipe from Feasting at Home: https://www.feastingathome.com/vegetarian-enchiladas/

    First, for the sauteed vegetable filling, we used: 1 medium red onion, 4 garlic cloves, 1 small Korean sweet potato (skin on), 2 small-medium poblano peppers (seeded), 1 corn on the cob (kernels removed). For the beans, we used 15.5 oz no-salt black beans, drained and rinsed.

    Second, for the tortillas, we used ten 6-inch yellow corn tortillas (we couldn’t find 8-inch corn tortillas, and we wanted to use corn like Amy’s did). For that reason, we proportionally filled each tortilla with 1/4 cup bean-veg filling and 1 Tbsp shredded cheese (we like Tillamook Mexican blend). The ten enchiladas fit snugly into the 9×13” baking dish.

    Finally, we also made the blogger’s homemade enchilada sauce, which was delicious: https://www.feastingathome.com/quick-enchilada-sauce/ Unfortunately, towards the end of cooking we realized that one batch wasn’t enough – the sauce in the casserole dish had dried out (and we like our enchiladas saucy). We were able to quickly make a second batch, heat it in a small pot on the stove, and then ladle the sauce over the already baked enchiladas. In the future, we will double the enchilada sauce recipe to have extra sauce to serve at the dining table. (We also may try coating each tortilla with oil before filling it. See Note below.)

    We served the enchiladas with a Mexican slaw (separate recipe). The slaw complemented the enchiladas well. (July 2025)

    Note: While researching enchilada recipes, we noticed a tip in another recipe to lightly heat up each tortilla in a pan coated with oil before adding the filling. The recipe author explained that the coating of oil would protect the tortilla from absorbing too much of the enchilada sauce and falling apart; we infer this may also mitigate the sauce from drying out. We may incorporate that tip the next time we make this recipe.

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  • We made this cabbage slaw by Feasting at Home: https://www.feastingathome.com/mexican-slaw/ This was very tasty, and we definitely will make it again. But the next time we may try to slice the cabbage with a mandolin.

    Our modifications: first, we omitted the cilantro. Second, we used 1 small shallot instead of an onion, and we followed the tip to soak the sliced onion in salt water for 15 mins. Third, we used 1/2 a Jalapeno (seeded and diced).

    This was a refreshing side dish that worked very well with the black bean and vegetable enchiladas. (July 2025)

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  • In our household, we routinely freeze extra pieces of raw chicken, including bits of fat and skin (e.g., chicken backs leftover from packages of chicken quarters). Today we made chicken soup from frozen, bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (3 wings, 1 chicken thigh, 2 drumsticks, 3 chicken backs and leftover fat / skin trimmings); carrots, celery, and onion; frozen dill and fresh parsley; dried bay leaves; and salt.

    First, we took inspiration for cooking times from this blog post: https://lanaunderpressure.org/ip-matzo-ball-soup/. We used a stove-top pressure cooker instead of an instant pot. We placed the frozen chicken pieces in the pot, added 4 medium carrots (peeled and cut across the grain into 3” long chunks), 4 celery stalks (3” long pieces), 1 medium onion (quartered), 2 bay leaves, 4 sprigs parsley, about 3 Tbsp frozen dill, and 1 tsp kosher salt. We based the ingredients on our favorite Joan Nathan recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/matzoh-ball-soup-recipe-2041995

    Second, we poured in water just below the “max fill” line, which was 10 cups of water. Then we locked the pressure cooker and set the heat on high. It took about 15 mins to hit high pressure, and at that point we cooked on high pressure for 1 hour. (We reduced the stovetop dial but made sure to keep the pressure high.)

    Third, as soon as we poured the water into the pressure cooker and started cooking the soup, we separately prepared the matzoh ball mixture. We made 1.5 times the Joan Nathan recipe, which meant: 6 large eggs, 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp oil (we used olive oil), 1.5 cups matzoh meal, 1 Tbsp kosher salt, 2-3 Tbsp chopped frozen dill fronds (our addition), and 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp hot water. We mixed well, covered, and refrigerated for 1 hour while the soup cooked.

    Fourth, we filled a separate low-walled Dutch oven with water and 1/2 tsp salt, and we brought it to a boil. (We used this for the matzoh balls, just as Joan Nathan instructed). When the matzoh ball mixture was ready, we formed it into balls and then cooked in the simmering water for about 20 mins (covered).

    Fifth, when the pressure cooker finished cooking, we followed Natural Release for about 5 mins and then transitioned to a quick release. We removed all solids from the pressure cooker, discarding the celery, bay leaf, onion, and chicken skin. We saved the carrot chunks, gently cutting them into penny slices. We shredded the chicken meat, discarding the bones and skin. We returned the chicken meat and carrots to the pressure cooker. We also seasoned the soup to taste (adding 2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, a dash of sugar, and 3 Tbsp frozen dill fronds and 2 sprigs fresh parsley).

    We served the soup by placing 3 drained matzoh balls in a soup bowl, then pouring soup overtop. (July 2025)

    Note: We used multicolored carrots (2 red, 2 orange) for this soup.

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