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 A Korean Mother’s Cooking Notes by Sun-young Chang. First, clean 3 Persian cucumbers by rubbing with slightly wet coarse salt, then rinse and dry. Trim off ends, then slice on a diagonal to 1/16” thick (we used a mandolin). Stir in 1 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp rice vinegar (we use Marukan green label), and 1 ½ Tbsp sugar. Mix well, then fold in 1 chopped scallion, 1 Tbsp red pepper powder aka gochu garu (we reduced to ½-¾ Tbsp), and 1 Tbsp crushed roasted sesame seeds (this can be reduced by half; we forgot to crush the seeds). (May 2018)

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  • We generally followed this recipe: https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/avocado-toast We medium toasted a slice of French country bread (pain de campagne), then spread half of a ripe avocado over the toast. We then sprinkled lightly with salt and pepper. (May 2018)

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  • We generally followed this Maangchi recipe for rice cake soup, except that we sautéed the beef before adding the water and garlic and reduced the frozen rice cake to 1/3 lb (instead of ½ lb): https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/tteokguk To make this a dumpling soup, we added a dozen frozen homemade dumplings (leftover from a dumpling party) along with the fish sauce and black pepper; we added the dumplings one at a time and let them cook at a high boil for about 3 minutes before adding the defrosted, soaked and drained rice cake (we loosely followed this guidance: https://hipfoodiemom.com/2012/12/04/korean-food-duk-mandu-guk-for-new-years-day/). Then we reduced to a simmer and covered, cooking for 7 mins; during the last 2 of 7 mins, we added one zucchini (cut into 2 x 1/2” match sticks). At the end of the 7 mins, we stirred in the egg whites. We skipped the roasted nori. We garnished the soup with the julienned egg yolk omelette. (May 2018)

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  • We converted this Pioneer Woman whole roast chicken recipe into a weeknight meal: http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/159735500171/roast-chicken-coated-with-lemon-rosemary-butter Our weeknight modifications: first, preheat oven to 425 and spray a baking sheet with oil. Second, cut 4 small (or 2 medium) Korean sweet potatoes into 2×3” chunks (keeping skin on), slice 1-2 shallots into 1/2” slices along the grain (see Note below), and lightly coat with olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Set aside. Third, pat dry 4 large skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs and place on a paper towel-lined cutting board. Combine 2 Tbsp unsalted butter (softened), 2 tsp minced fresh rosemary leaves (about 1 small sprig), and the zest from one lemon (set aside the lemon for later use). Using a gloved hand, slather the chicken thighs with the butter mixture, including under the skin. Place each thigh, skin side up, on the lightly oiled baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches around each thigh. Place the sweet potato mixture in a single layer around the thighs. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon over the chicken and the potato-onion mixture. Lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper. Roast at 425 for 10 mins, then increase temp to 450 and continue roasting until chicken and potato are cooked through (about 35 more mins, for a total roasting time of 50 mins). To further brown the chicken skin, we finished off by broiling on low (8 inches from flame) for 2 mins. Just before serving, we squeezed the remaining half-lemon over the sheet pan. (Apr. 2018)

    Note: I recommend limiting the number of shallots to prevent too much liquid from leaking onto the sheet pan. Liquid will cause the sweet potatoes to steam rather than roast. You may end up with sweet potatoes that are mushy instead of browned and crispy. Another trick is to push the sweet potatoes towards the edge of the sheet pan, where liquid is less likely to accumulate.

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  • We tried this recipe from Andrea Nguyen: https://www.chowhound.com/recipes/meat-and-chinese-chive-pot-stickers-guotie-28050 We made the filling in preparation for our friend’s dumpling party, where we will make dumplings and then steam and/or pan-fry these. (Apr. 2018)

    Source: Andrea Nguyen, Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Samosas, and More (Ten Speed Press, 2009).

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  • We tried this recipe: https://web.archive.org/web/20160222075731/http://www.dreamsofdashi.com/mizoreni-pork-meatball-and-daikon-soup/ Our modifications: first, we increased the dashi broth from 4 to 6 cups. We made dashi using this recipe: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/dashi-japanese-sea-stock-103413 Second, we used a combination of 3 Chinese chives and 1 scallion in lieu of 4 minced scallions. Third, based on our pantry, we used thick Korean sweet potato cellophane noodles (dangmyun) instead of thin bean noodles. After soaking them in cold water, we drained and cut them with scissors. Then we added them 2 mins before the daikon to allow for more cooking time. We garnished the final dish with Chinese chives. (Apr. 2018)
    Version 2: During the pandemic, we made some modifications. First, we used 6 cups of dashi. We substituted 15-18 dried anchovies instead of bonito flakes. We added the anchovies and the kombu at the same time. Second, we added 1 tsp grated frozen ginger instead of 1 tsp ginger juice. Third, we used scallions (no chives). Fourth, we cooked the Korean sweet potato noodles separately from the soup and added it to the bowls when serving. (Aug. 2020)

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  • We tried this recipe: https://www.chowhound.com/recipes/easy-chicken-noodle-soup-from-a-leftover-roasted-chicken-30332 Our modifications: first, we used meat from half a rotisserie and the whole carcass. Second, we supplemented the 12 cups water with 4 cups of no sodium chicken stock. Third, along with the carcass and stock vegetables, we added ¼ bunch each parsley and dill in lieu of thyme. We also reduced the stock simmering time to 60 mins. Finally, at the end of cooking, we added about 2 Tbsp chopped dill (and skipped the thyme). (Apr. 2018)

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  • Thanks to my friend Cheryl, we decided to try this recipe: https://natashaskitchen.com/2017/07/28/avocado-chicken-salad-recipe/ Our modifications: first, instead of two cooked chicken breasts, we used half of a rotisserie chicken, shredded and mainly without skin. Second, for the bacon, we used half of a 2.1 oz package of precooked bacon (about 6 strips), which we microwaved for 60 seconds before crumbling (see Note below)Third, we used 1 cup canned corn (which we rinsed and drain) instead of freshly cooked corn kernels. Fourth, we served the salad over a bed of baby spinach. Finally, we garnished the salad with medium-boiled eggs, recipe here: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-boil-eggs-perfectly-every-time-video-202415 (Apr. 2018)

    Note: If you use crumbled bacon, remember that it will add salt to the salad. Once you add the bacon, taste the salad before deciding whether to add more salt.

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  • We followed this NYT recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013841-baked-lebanese-kibbe Our modifications: first, we used minced beef instead of lamb. Second, instead of grating a small onion for the meat mixture, we puréed it in a handheld mixture. Third, instead of saving half of the onion-pine nut mixture for topping, we used the entire amount as the middle layer of the casserole. The kibbe may look more attractive with the onion topping, so perhaps the next time we will follow the NYT instructions. (Apr. 2018)

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  • We followed this NYT recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017492-muhammara-red-pepper-and-walnut-spread To roast the red pepper, we followed these tips instead of the ones in the NYT: https://www.daringgourmet.com/how-to-roast-red-peppers/ (Apr. 2018)

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