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.

  • Details here: https://www.saveur.com/palestinian-spinach-and-chickpea-stew-recipe/

    We added chicken broth, but this is vegetarian if you use vegetable stock. We used 16 oz frozen chopped spinach and juice from 2 lemons. (Aug. 2019)

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  • We tried this instant pot recipe with our stove-top pressure cooker: https://myheartbeets.com/instant-pot-chicken-biryani/ Based on our pantry, we used three boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of thighs. This was the first time we used ghee (clarified butter), and we accidentally burned the cashews and golden raisins because we didn’t realize the ghee heated up so quickly. This recipe took us about 30 mins to prep before we started cooking. The flavor was delicious, but we found the rice overcooked and slightly soggy. We also found it difficult to find and remove the whole spices like cardamom pods and cloves. (Aug. 2019)

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  • We tried this recipe: https://food52.com/recipes/75578-scamorza-alla-pizzaiola Our modifications: first, instead of tomato puree, we used meat sauce from a local Italian establishment. Second, we used smoked scamorza. We served this on toasted baguette halves. (Aug. 2019)

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  • Saute 2 cloves minced garlic in 4 Tbsp vegetable oil. When fragrant, add peeled, sliced potato rounds (½ inch thick from 4 Yukon or 2 Idaho potatoes) and sauté. Add 2 Tbsp tomato purée, ½ tsp turmeric, 1 sliced and seeded jalapeno, a dash of salt and black pepper, and ¾ cup water (see Note below). Let simmer until 8-10 mins until potatoes are cooked. Separately mix 1 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek low-fat) with 1 minced garlic clove and a little salt. Smear yogurt mixture on the bottom of a plate, then pile on the potatoes. Serve immediately. The yogurt provides a nice textural contrast to the potatoes’ tomatoey warmth and jalapeno kick. This recipe is from Afghan Cuisine by Nafisa Sekandari. (Feb. 2014)

    Note: We have never found tomato puree, so we figured out a shortcut: 8 oz tomato sauce is essentially equivalent to 2 Tbsp tomato puree + ¾ cup water. So we use canned no-salt tomato sauce instead of the tomato puree and water. We added tomato paste in prior versions of this recipe, but no longer feel the need. (Aug. 2019)

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  • We made meatballs generally following this recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/classic-italian-turkey-meatballs-recipe-3381279 Our modifications: instead of 1 lb ground dark turkey plus 1 lb turkey sausage, we used 1 1/3 lb ground veal, pork, and beef (aka meatloaf mix) plus 2/3 lb (2 raw links) Italian chicken sausage (1 link spicy, the other link sweet), removed from their sausage casings. We made about 20 large meatballs, which we drizzled with olive oil and baked on foil-lined baking sheets for 20 mins at 400. For the marinara sauce, we used 28 oz DiPasquales’ marinara sauce plus 13 oz Hunt’s no-salt tomato sauce. (July 2019).

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  • We marinated four bell peppers (½” vertical slices) and 1 lb cremini mushrooms (halved). Only the roasted mushrooms are pictured. Details here: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/grilled-vegetable-antipasti-recipe-1911133.

    Note: We used balsamic vinegar instead of red wine vinegar. (July 2019)

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  • Details here: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/basic-french-vinaigrette-51183010 We modified by adding about 1 tsp honey and 1 tsp quince pomegranate white balsamic vinegar. (July 2019)

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  • We tossed together this simple salad based on our pantry: 7 celery heart stalks (or 4 celery stalks), cut along a 1-inch diagonal; 2 medium carrots, peeled and then shaved into ribbons (using a textured peeler), and 2 Tbsp Italian parsley, roughly chopped. We served this with a simple French vinaigrette: https://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/186480832981/basic-french-vinaigrette-details-here (July 2019)

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  • I tossed this together based on our pantry: first, place two large bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 2.5 lb) in a large (8 qt) pressure cooker. For aromatics, add 1 large onion (peeled and quartered), 7-8 garlic cloves (peeled and slightly crushed), 3 stalks celery (mainly the leafy tops, cut into 3-inch lengths), 2 carrots (peeled, trimmed, and cut into 3-inch lengths), and 2 large bay leaves. Pour in enough water to be just below the “max fill” line. Cover and lock the lid, heat until the pressure cooker reaches high (3 rings on our cooker), then lower heat to maintain at high pressure for 15 mins (our chicken was slightly frozen this time, so we increased to 18 mins). At the end of cooking time, turn off heat and move the pressure cooker to a cool burner. Let the pressure cooker naturally release (10 mins). Open pot, remove chicken and discard the vegetables and bay leaves. With the chicken, shred into bite-sized pieces; set aside the meat and discard skin and bones. For the soup, because the pressure cooker is limited, the yield is smaller (about 6-8 cups). Supplement with 1 quart chicken broth (we use Better Than Bouillon), bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add 3 fresh stalks celery (diced), 2 fresh carrots (peeled, trimmed, and diced), and ¼ cup minced dill (for this recipe, you will need a total of ½ cup minced dill, divided into ¼ cup, 2 Tbsp, and 2 Tbsp) and let simmer until carrot and celery are tender (about 10 mins). Towards the end of cooking, add the shredded chicken and an additional 2 Tbsp dill. Turn off heat, then add the juice of 1 lemon for brightness (thanks to Eleni for this tip). Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve with cooked orzo if desired (see Note below). Reserve an additional 2 Tbsp fresh dill for garnish. (July 2019)

    Note: In a separate pot, we cooked 8 oz orzo until al dente (about 9 mins), drained, cooled, and set aside. For serving, we added about 2-3 Tbsp cooked orzo to each bowl and then poured soup over top. We cook the orzo separately from the soup to prevent leftovers from becoming too mushy and water-logged.

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  • I believe this is the recipe: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/musakhan-sumac-chicken/. (See Note.)

    After roasting the chicken for 1 hour at 350, we soaked up excess liquid from the red onions and then broiled on low until the chicken and onions were browned. Instead of frying the pine nuts, we toasted them on a foil-lined sheet in the toaster oven at 300 until slightly browned. We served this with whole wheat pita bread heated on a clean baking sheet at 350 for 2-3 mins. (July 2019)

    Note: After making this dish 7 years ago, it dawned on me that I had the incorrect recipe link in this post. Based on my recollection, I have now provided the correct recipe at the top. (July 2026)

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