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 from Joan Nathan’s cookbook, King Solomon’s Table, also available at this link: https://www.stljewishlight.com/moroccan-beet-and-orange-salad/article_be0f5dce-989d-11e7-bd11-0be10411f646.html We lightly toasted the pistachios before sprinkling them over the salad. We also used only 1 Tbsp (not ½ bunch) chopped parsley as garnish. We served this as the first course for our Rosh Hashanah dinner. We used a mix of yellow and red beets. (Sept. 2019)

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  • We tried this recipe for Rosh Hashanah: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016867-brisket-in-sweet-and-sour-sauce Our modifications: we used a heavy large roasting pan (as to a smaller pan in which our 5 lb brisket would be snug), tightly wrapped in foil. After roasting at 325 for 3 hours (fat side down in the marinade), we flipped to the lean side and added 1 lb skin-on baby potatoes, 1 lb peeled and trimmed carrots, and 8 dried apricots. We tightly wrapped with foil again and then continued roasting at 325 for another 3 hours (6 hours total roasting time). (Sept. 2019)

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  • We tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019681-cheesy-white-bean-tomato-bake?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share Our modifications: first, we sauteed 4 garlic cloves and 2 small diced shallots in a 10-inch cast iron pan. Second, we increased the tomato paste (from 3 oz to 4-5 oz) and added 1 small fresh hothouse tomato (diced). Third, instead of water we added ½ cup chicken broth (but you can use vegetable broth to make a vegetarian version) and omitted salt. Fourth, we used 30 oz freshly cooked white beans (pressure cooked) instead of canned, drained (see Note below). Finally, for the cheese we used ¼ lb (not cup) thickly shredded Gruyere, ¼ cup mozzarella, and 2 Tbsp thinly shredded Parmesan; in the future, we may use just 1/3 lb Gruyere (no mozzarella) and 2 Tbsp Parmesan. We also seasoned with a few sprigs fresh Greek oregano, crushed red pepper, and black pepper. After baking at 475 for 10 mins, we placed under the broiler (on low, then high) until nicely browned. We served this with toasted sliced Pain de Campagne. (Sept. 2019)

    Note: We soaked 1 lb white navy beans overnight and then followed this pressure cooker recipe: https://www.kitchenstewardship.com/how-to-pressure-cook-dry-beans-without-soaking/ We drained the beans, then placed in a pressure cooker, adding 7 cups of water and 1 Tbsp vegetable oil. We cooked on high pressure for 6 mins (we may reduce to 5 mins the next time), then let release naturally. For this recipe, we used all but 2 cups of the cooked white navy beans.

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  • We followed this recipe (originally intended for two loaf pans) and made a large bundt cake: https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/spiced-pumpkin-bread.html (we added 3/4 cup chopped walnuts).

    In terms of method, we used a hand mixer instead of a standing mixer; for the paddle function, we switched to a large manual rubber spatula. We baked the bundt in a preheated 350 oven for 1 hour 15 mins. After the cake cooled, we drizzled it with a vanilla bourbon glaze from this recipe: https://www.preservesproject.com/pumpkin-walnut-bundt-cake-%EF%BB%BFwith-vanilla-bourbon-glaze/ In case that link does not work: whisk together 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 2 tsp bourbon, 2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 Tbsp milk. That’s it. (Sept. 2019)

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    My friend Dora recommended this recipe, and it was delicious: https://rasamalaysia.com/braised-bean-curd-with-mushrooms/ In lieu of sweet soy sauce (kecap manis), we used 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce plus 1/8 semisphere (about 1 tsp) of a small palm sugar mound (see Note below). For the meat, we used ½ lb minced bison. In addition to shiitake mushrooms, we added 1/3 bunch broccolini, cut into 2 inch long straws and florets. Just before serving, we drizzled 2 tsp toasted sesame oil overtop. (Sept. 2019)

    Note: This soy sauce guide was helpful: https://www.thekitchn.com/do-you-know-soy-sauce-and-all-its-cousins-212078 We found it nearly impossible to cut the palm sugar mound, so we diluted it in about 2 Tbsp hot water. As it began to dissolve, we grabbed a shard of the unmelted palm sugar to add to the sauce mixture.

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  • We made this snack cake version of carrot cake: https://www.tastesoflizzyt.com/carrot-walnut-cake-recipe/ We found that 5 medium carrots = 1.5 cups shredded carrots. Instead of dusting with powdered sugar, we tried this cream cheese frosting recipe: https://www.handletheheat.com/best-cream-cheese-frosting/ We halved the recipe to 4 oz cream cheese, ¼ cup unsalted butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract (we didn’t have vanilla paste), and slightly less than 1 cup powdered sugar (which we sifted). (Aug. 2019)

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  • We tried this recipe to use up our leftover cooked penne: https://www.thekitchn.com/pasta-frittata-267636 We used Rao’s marinara sauce. Because we had only 2 cups pasta, we supplemented with 1.5 cups cooked jasmine rice. We also had 2 Tbsp cherry tomatoes, so we added 1 medium hothouse tomato, diced. For the cheese, we used ½ cup shredded mozzarella and 1 tsp parmesan. With the addition of rice, this reminded me of arancini. The frittata was delicious, and we’ll definitely make it again. (Aug. 2019)

    Note: Another time, we used ½ cup grated Gruyere plus a generous sprinkle of Parmesan. (Nov. 2019).

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  • Place two chicken quarters (bone-in, skin-on), 6 garlic cloves (bruised and peeked), 2 inches of fresh ginger (peeled, bruised, and cut into 3-4 chunks), and 3 scallions (trimmed and halved) in a large pressure cooker. Cover with water (about 10 cups), leaving at least one inch below the “max fill” line. Leaving the cover off, bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 mins (because our chicken was semi-frozen, we increased to 20 mins). Then add 1 ½ lb daikon (peeled, cut into 3 inch vertical slices and then halved) to the pot, making sure liquid does not exceed the max fill line (remove some broth if it does). Season with 1 tsp salt and 1 Tbsp soup soy sauce. Cover and lock the pressure cooker lid, then increase heat until the pressure cooker reaches high pressure (three rings on our Splendid brand). Cook on high pressure for 20 mins, then release using the natural pressure method for 10 mins; if pressure hasn’t fully released after 10 mins, manually release. Remove the aromatics (garlic, ginger, and scallions) and discard. Remove the chicken, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat. Return the shredded chicken to the soup pot. Separately, boil one bundle sweet potato noodles (dang myun), drain, and set aside. To serve, place about ½ cup cooked sweet potato noodle in a large soup bowl, then cover with the soup. Season to taste with salt as needed. This recipe is essentially a chicken version of galbi tang. We took inspiration from these two recipes: https://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/182307570821/pressure-cooker-korean-beef-short-rib-soup-kalbi and https://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/177421033951/korean-slow-cooked-chicken-soup-dak-gomtang (Aug. 2019)

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  • We tried this Ina Garten recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/balsamic-roasted-brussels-sprouts-recipe-1996813 Our modifications: first, we used 2 slices precooked bacon instead of pancetta. Second, we washed, trimmed, and halved the Brussels sprouts. We carefully dried the brussel sprout halves with paper towels (to maximize browning and minimize steaming) before tossing the bacon and sprout halves with ¼ cup olive oil. Third, we placed the sprout halves, cut side down, on the baking sheet. To avoid the bacon burning, we carefully balanced the bacon pieces on top of the sprout halves. We also decided against tossing the sprouts midway and left them cut side down. Midway, we got concerned by the lack of browning, so we increased the temp from 400 to 425; however, that may have led to too much browning. Finally, after the end of cooking, we drizzled the sprouts with fruit-infused white balsamic vinegar, which was the most syrupy balsamic vinegar we had on hand. (Aug. 2019)

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  • A delicious cocktail courtesy of my wonderful brother-in-law, Gary. He tried this Ina Garten recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-drop-cocktail-recipe-1941226. It was absolutely delicious. (Aug. 2019)

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