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/1016137-wild-mushroom-quesadillas Our modifications: first, we used a mix of yellow oyster (8 oz) and cremini mushrooms (8 oz), which we finely chopped before sautéing (rather than mincing after cooking). Second, for the cheese, we used 6 oz each of freshly grated muenster and fresh mozzarella. Finally, we added a pinch (¼ tsp) of epazote, a Mexican herb, to the coriander powder and dried Greek oregano. We served these quesadillas with simple guacamole, details here: http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/148260873751/simple-guacamole-recipe-here (July 2018)

    , , , , , ,

  • We tried this NYT recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013499-cabbage-with-tomatoes-bulgur-and-chickpeas Our modifications: first, we used about half a medium head of cabbage, julienned into ¼ inch width. Second, we used 2 cups unsalted chicken broth instead of water (see Note below). If you use water or vegetable broth, this is a vegetarian dish. Third, instead of 14.5 oz canned and drained chickpeas, we used our own homecooked chickpeas (¾ cup dry, soaked overnight: http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/175925938841/homecooked-chickpeas-this-is-not-a-recipe-as). Finally, at the end of cooking, we brightened the dish with juice from half a lemon, a few splashes of fruit-infused white balsamic vinegar, an additional tsp of red wine vinegar, about 2 tsp sugar, and a dash of salt. (July 2018)

    Note: The bulgur absorbs liquid in the same way that pasta will in a soup. If you plan to eat as leftovers, you may want too add extra broth. We stirred in about ¾ to 1 cup just before packing into storage containers.

    , , , , ,

  • This is not a recipe as much as a post about method. Instead of using 14.5 oz canned chickpeas, we soaked ¾ cup dried chickpeas in room temperature water (enough to cover the beans by two inches) and ¼ tsp salt, which we soaked overnight in the fridge. We generally followed tips from this post about proportions: https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/04/is-there-a-ratio-for-converting-between-dried.html

    To cook the soaked beans, we drained the chickpeas, covered with water (we used 4 cups water for the ¾ cup dried beans which had tripled in size), and seasoned with ¼ tsp salt, 2 smashed garlic cloves, and 1 bay leaf. We brought to a boil, uncovered, and then reduced to a simmer for 20-25 mins, uncovered. We then used these cooked chickpeas for a stew. We followed tips from these two posts: https://healthynibblesandbits.com/how-to-cook-chickpeas-3-ways/ and https://www.inspiredtaste.net/26952/how-to-cook-dried-chickpeas/ (July 2018)

    Note: If you using the cooked chickpeas for a stew, reserve the cooking liquid (which we forgot to do).

    , , , ,

  • We tried this NYT recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013357-lentil-stew-with-pumpkin-or-sweet-potatoes We used 1 lb butternut squash (the smallest we could find) (see Note below) and 1 carrot instead of ½ lb squash and 2 carrots. We finished the soup (after turning off heat) with juice from half a lemon. We also found this recipe took about 2 hours to make, including prep time. This recipe easily can be vegetarian if you use vegetable stock or water in lieu of chicken broth. (July 2018)

    We served this with homemade croutons, recipe here: http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/114581924186/herbed-croutons-we-based-this-recipe-on-the

    Note: Butternut squash is notoriously hard to peel and cut, and it can cause tendon sprain in your arm. You can make butternut squash more malleable by pricking the peel a few times with fork tines and then microwaving on high for about 30 seconds (I often place it on a damp paper towel). The flesh will be about as soft as a sweet potato. Then trim, peel, and dice as you normally would.

    , , , ,

  • We tried this recipe: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/10/pressure-cooker-beef-stew-recipe.html

    It was supposed to take less than an hour, but with prep and multiple steps involved, it took over 2 hours and was quite complicated. Our modifications: first, given the diameter of a standard pressure cooker, we recommend cutting the chuck roast steaks into 6 pieces rather than 3 to ensure that they can brown on the bottom of the pot. For the same reason, for we recommend cutting the flavoring vegetables – 2 carrots and 2 celery stalks – in half rather than leaving them whole. Second, you may need 2 ½ Tbsp (not 2 Tbsp) flour to lightly coat the beef chunks. Finally, to reduce sodium, we halved the amounts of soy sauce, fish sauce, and Worcestershire sauce to ½ Tbsp each, and we used unsalted chicken broth. (July 2018)

    , , , ,

  • We tried this NYT recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019159-pressure-cooker-classic-beef-chili We substantially reduced the chili powder from 2 Tbsp to 2 tsp and used no-salt kidney beans and diced tomatoes. We also used red bell pepper instead of green. This whole recipe took less than 1 hour from prep to serving. We omitted the garnishes. (July 2018)

    , , , , , , ,

  • We trimmed large artichokes for a NYT recipe that we posted here: http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/175450786271/bulgar-and-chick-pea-salad-with-oven-roasted This post pertains to method. We generally followed this Gourmet video on how to trim artichokes: https://youtu.be/5o6AaCs4sAw Our modifications: first, we used a large mixing bowl filled with water and the juice of 1 ½ large fresh lemons. Second, we found the following tools useful: chef knife, serrated bread knife, and boning knife. Third, we found it *impossible* to remove the choke with merely a spoon. After peeling the stem and cutting off the top 1/3 of the bulb with a serrated knife, we halved and quartered the artichoke with the chef knife. With each quartered piece, we used a boning knife to cut out the choke, using an angled cut from the base of the stem at the line b/w the heart and the fuzz. While working on one quarter, we tossed the other three quarters in the lemon water to avoid oxidation. After removing each quarter-choke, we placed each piece back in the lemon water. When ready to cook, we dried each piece with a paper towel, tossed in olive oil and a little salt and black pepper, and oven-roasted in a preheated 400 degree oven for 30-35 mins, tossing once midway. (July 2017)

    , , ,

  • We tried this NYT recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016221-bulgur-and-chickpea-salad-with-roasted-artichokes First, for detailed instructions on trimming and roasting artichokes, see this method post: http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/175450614661/oven-roasted-trimmed-artichokes-we-trimmed-large Second, we modified this NYT recipe by reducing the amount of salt to barely ½ tsp total and using no-salt canned chick peas. We also used 1 Tbsp dried chives instead of 2 Tbsp fresh chives and increased the Dijon to 1 ½ tsp (from 1 tsp). Finally, we seasoned to taste with a dash of sugar (maybe 1 tsp) and a splash of fruit-infused white balsamic vinegar (maybe 1 tsp). (July 2018)

    , , , , , , , ,

  • We followed Ann Romney’s variation on Parmesan Chicken with lemon sauce (Lemon Chicken) at this link: http://www.ldsliving.com/Romney-Family-Favorites/s/73822 We omitted the parmesan to make the lemon version. Our modifications: first, to reduce sodium, we used unsalted butter and unseasoned breadcrumbs (which we seasoned with a dash each dried thyme, dried onion, dried celery seed, paprika, and a little salt and black pepper). We also reduced the salt in the flour from 1 ½ tsp salt to about ½ tsp. Second, we recommend reducing the breadcrumbs from 1 ½ cups to 1 cup. Finally, for the lemon sauce, we reduced the capers from 1 ½ Tbsp to 1 Tbsp. (June 2018)

    , , , , , ,

  • We followed this basic pesto recipe, using basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, and freshly grated Parmesan: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/2653-basic-pesto We served it with a corkscrew pasta called cellentani and some grape tomatoes. To determine proportions, we followed these instructions: https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/02/how-to-cook-and-serve-pesto-sauce-pasta.html (June 2018)

    , , , , , ,