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 straightforward recipe from Maangchi: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/oi-muchim

    Our modifications: first, we used 3 Persian cucumbers instead of 1 English cucumber. Second, we omitted the onion. Finally, we added the optional ingredient, about 1 tsp sugar. This was a quick and tasty recipe, probably our favorite version of this Korean cucumber dish. (July 2025)

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  • My husband and I had a craving for Hamburger Helper from our childhood, but we wanted to make a healthier, scratch version.

    We tried this SkinnyTaste recipe: https://www.skinnytaste.com/homemade-hamburger-helper/. Our modifications: first, instead of beef, we used 3/4 lb of minced turkey and 1/4 tsp Kashmiri low-heat ground pepper (instead of paprika). We also sopped up liquid from the turkey while cooking, and then we supplemented with another 1/8 tsp Kashmiri pepper. Second, to add some beefy flavor, we added 2 tsp beef Better Than Bouillon to 2 cups no-salt chicken broth (see Note below). Third, we found that after adding the milk, we needed only 5-6 minutes for the pasta (cavatappi) to be al dente. Finally, we added about 1/8 tsp black pepper and reduced the amount of shredded cheese to 3/4 cup.

    This was a very tasty, satisfying meal. We served it with sliced tomatoes lightly drizzled with Marukan salad seasoning rice vinegar and olive oil, and sprinkled with salt and black pepper. (July 2025)

    Note: The Better Than Bouillon is concentrated and quite salty, so the next time we may reduce to 1 tsp or 1.5 tsp (instead of 2 tsp).

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  • I am recovering from a weeks-long illness that has left me with a lingering cough. A friend shared her grandmother’s Southern home remedy, an onion simmered in water with a wide variety spices and aromatics. I felt inspired by this Dominican recipe: https://loisa.com/blogs/comida-real/dominicans-are-boosting-their-immune-systems-with-this-traditional-onion-tea, which I modified by adding the wide variety of spices and aromatics my friend recommended.

    We used two medium red onions and 2 sweet apples (Fuji and Honeycrisp), trimmed and quartered with skin on, as a base. Following my friend’s family recipe, we then layered in a 5” thumb of fresh turmeric (skin on, cut into 1” penny slices), a 5” thumb of ginger (cut into 1” penny slices), 4-5 whole cloves, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 bay leaves, and a lemon (peel on, sliced into 2” wide penny slices). We poured in 10 cups water (the next time, we may increase to 12 or 14 cups), brought to a boil, and let simmer uncovered until apple and onion looked fully cooked. We strained out the solids and seeds.

    We served the tea with honey (about 2 tsp per serving). We hope this home remedy mitigates our cough and replenishes our immune system. (June 2025)

    Note: We later learned that if leaving the skin on a fruit or vegetable for this tea, it’s best to use an organic ingredient (otherwise, you may want to omit the skin).

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  • This is a Burmese recipe from my friend’s sister Ma Thicht, who is an incredible home cook.

    Basic soup ingredients: 1 medium bottle gourd (or two chayote squash), peeled and cut into 1/2” bite-sized slices; bamboo shoot tips, sliced into 1/4” lengthwise slices (see Note 1 below); 2 tsp (or up to 1 Tbsp) shrimp paste from a jar); 1 filet catfish (or tilapia) cut into bite-sized pieces; 1 tsp turmeric powder; 1 to 2 Tbsp paprika or Kashmiri low-heat ground red pepper; and about 1 Tbsp neutral oil such as canola.

    Step 2 ingredients: 1/2 cup wet tamarind (covered in enough boiling water for 10 mins, softened, and then strained to remove the seeds and stringy pulp) (see Note 2); and 6 to 6.5 cups hot water.

    Final step ingredients: 1 bunch fresh cilantro (cleaned and trimmed, but otherwise left whole); 3 to 5 Thai chili peppers, tops removed; 1 Tbsp fish sauce; 1/2 packet Mamasita sinigang powder (half of a 1.76 oz packet, or 0.88 oz); and 1 tsp sugar.

    Directions:

    1. In a large stock pot, combine all Basic soup ingredients and saute for approx. 5 minutes (until the squash starts to wilt). Try to break up the fish filet as much as possible so that it flakes off into the broth.
    2. Add Step 2 ingredients, bring to a boil and let simmer for approx. 10 minutes.
    3. Add Final step ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes.

    Serve with jasmine rice. We also often make an egg white omelette as a side dish. (June 2025)

    Note 1: If you don’t have bamboo shoot tips, then you can substitute with standard canned bamboo shoots (8 oz) and hearts of palm (15 oz), drained and rinsed with water. You can cut the hearts of palm along a 1/2” diagonal.

    Note 2: For more information on using wet tamarind, see https://www.thekitchn.com/technique-how-to-use-tamarind-90339 (June 2025).

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  • We made this simple salad to accompany soy-honey chicken drumsticks and jasmine rice. The recipe was simple, with a light hand at dressing: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/281305/simple-romaine-salad/ (July 2025)

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  • This NYT recipe sounded intriguing, so we tried it this evening: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026851-lemon-pepper-chicken-breasts?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share We served it with roasted broccolini and jasmine rice (not shown). This was enjoyable to eat, but we found the lemon butter garlic sauce heavy and gratuitous. This was a tasty dish. (May 2025)

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  • We spotted this recipe from Instagram and decided to try it: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIaSusnhCLA/?igsh=MTFsb3hkZjNpY210OA==

    The instructions were scant (and sometimes inconsistent with the video), but we followed the ingredient list in the second photo (below). Our modifications: first, due to our overly sensitive smoke alarm, we used canola oil instead of olive oil based on our overly sensitive smoke alarm. Second, we marinated the chicken quarters for an hour (not 20 mins). Third, we increased the oven temp to 425. Finally, because our asparagus was not jumbo and was thin as reeds, we added them about halfway through the 40-min baking time. This was very tasty. (May 2025)

    Note: We followed the video guidance to pour the remaining marinade over the chicken and vegetables before placing in the oven. But we found the marinade liquid steamed, rather than roasting, the potatoes and asparagus. The next time, we will roast the vegetables in a separate baking sheet (with oil, not the marinade).

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  • We love making casseroles for Sunday dinners and weekday lunch, so we tried this Cookie + Kate recipe: https://cookieandkate.com/baked-ziti-recipe-with-roasted-vegetables/

    Our modifications: first, to reduce sodium, we mixed 24 oz Rao’s marinara with 8 oz no-salt tomato sauce to make 32 oz (4 cups) of red sauce. We also added crushed red pepper flakes (approx. 1/2 tsp) to the sauce. Second, we used 1.5 shallots in lieu of 1 medium onion. Third, this is not a modification, but we followed the blogger’s recommendation to use cottage cheese (small curd) instead of ricotta, and it worked very well. So did the fresh basil. Finally, we roasted the cauliflower, bell pepper, and shallots until they were browned, which took only 25 mins (not 25-30), and we found that the entire casserole took only 20 mins to brown and bake at 425 degrees (top rack of oven). (May 2025)

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  • We had a craving for minestrone soup. We are still new to Instant Pot, so we decided to try this recipe.

    The soup turned out well overall. Our modifications: first, we used lacinato kale, stems removed and hand-torn. Second, we found the soup too chunky (esp. with the 3/4 cup ditalini pasta) and added an extra half-cup of chicken broth to make it brothier. The next time, we’ll probably cook the pasta separately and add to the soup bowl when serving. Finally, we balanced the flavors in the end with a dash each of salt and sugar. This overall was a satisfying dish. (Apr. 2025)

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  • We tried Maangchi’s simpler recipe today: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/ttukbaegi-gyeranjjim Our modifications: we used 4 large eggs and added 1 tsp fish sauce to 1 cup chicken broth. This was a more straightforward dish than her original 2011 recipe, and more broth got absorbed into the egg mixture. (Apr. 2025)

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