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.

  • This is not a recipe, but a method we learned from the owner of the Polish Market in Vienna, VA: bring a large pot of water to boil. Place the frozen pierogies gently into the pot, one at a time, making sure the water continues to boil vigorously. (Avoid adding so many pierogies that the water temperature drops.) All of the pierogies will fall to the bottom of the pot. When they float to the top, they are ready to eat (less than 5 mins). I grew up eating pierogies, and they always remind me of childhood. (Apr. 2018)

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  • For the filling: First, using a large wok, heat 2-3 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil on medium heat. Add 1 1/3 lb minced turkey, increase heat to medium-high, and brown the meat. In the meantime, mince 1 large (or 2 medium) onion, 3 large cloves garlic, and 1 inch peeled ginger; I did this using a handheld food processor. Second, add the onion mixture to the browned turkey, adding a drizzle of additional oil if necessary. Sauté until the onion mixture is fragrant (about 1 min), and then add the following aromatics: 2 tsp McCormick’s curry powder, 1 tsp Jamaican curry, 1 tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp ground coriander, and ¼ cup water. Mix well and then add 1 cup frozen peas and ¼ cup minced cilantro. Simmer on low for a few mins. (This filling recipe is loosely based on: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/curried_ground_turkey_with_potatoes/#recipe) To prepare the puff pockets: first, preheat the oven to 425. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Second, make the egg wash: crack one egg into a bowl, add a few drops of water, scramble lightly, and set aside for later use. Third, lightly flour a cutting board (I used a pliable plastic board and didn’t need flour). Fourth, in the meantime, using four frozen Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets (2 sheets/package), defrost at room temp for 35 mins in accordance with the package instructions. (While working with one sheet, store the other sheets (still rolled with paper inserts) on a clean cutting board in the fridge.) Place the sheet on a floured cutting board, then cut each sheet into four equal size squares. Working with one square at a time, fill the center of the square with filling (about 2 heaping kitchen Tbsp or 3 measuring spoon Tbsp). Applying water along the edges, fold each square into a rectangle (not a triangle) and then seal the edges closed. Using the back of a salad fork, press the tines along the edge to further seal the pastry. Gently score the top of each filled pastry 2-3 times. Repeat this process with the unused squares until you fill the baking sheet (I found 4 pastries fit per baking sheet). Lightly coat each filled, scored pastry with egg wash, then place in the oven for baking (about 20-25 mins at 425). These instructions are loosely based on: https://www.thespruce.com/indian-kheema-pattice-1957613, except that the baking time (1 hour) is wildly inaccurate. Note: I accidentally purchased only 2 pastry sheets, which used up only ½ of the filling. I saved the remainder of the filling to eat as keema peas with rice.Note 2: We also tried Wewalka brand pastry sheets (13.2 oz), which fills up only one baking sheet and yields 8 puffs. Because the parchment paper is part of Wewalka, we used a plastic cake knife to cut the pastry sheet lengthwise and then into four equal sizes widthwise. We used 1 ½-2 Tbsp of filling per piece. We found that folding each piece in half along the horizontal axis yielded a nice nearly square puff (as opposed to a long tube). After assembling the puffs, we brushed the tops with egg wash and placed the entire filled baking sheet in the fridge for 10 mins before baking at 425 for 20-25 mins. (July 2020)

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  • This was a lighter version, using 4 egg whites and 4 whole eggs. We generally followed this recipe but made ingredient and method modifications: http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/apple-and-leek-frittata-114432 First, we preheated the oven to 425. Second, we used a large (9-10”) cast iron pan. Third, we added ¾ cup shredded gruyere cheese at two steps: (1) we sprinkled 1/3 of the shredded gruyere over the apple-leek mixture just prior to pouring the egg mixture overtop; and (2) after pouring the egg mixture in, we topped it with the remaining 2/3 of the gruyere. Fourth, at this stage, we let the frittata cook on low heat until the egg mixture slightly set. At that point, we placed the pan in the 425 degree oven and baked until the frittata finished cooking (about 12-14 mins). Finally, at the end of cooking, we placed the frittata under the broiler (set on Low) to brown the top (about 1 min). We served this with some lightly dressed tomatoes. (Apr. 2018) Note: We used a honeycrisp apple after learning that it pairs well with Gruyere. Also, perhaps due to the fresh sage, this frittata tastes like it contains sausage when it actually is vegetarian.Variation: We converted this recipe into mini-frittatas as follows: first, we oiled a cupcake tin (12-muffin size) and preheated the oven to 425. Second, we sauteed the leeks, apple, and sage in a saute pan, and then let cool slightly. Separately, we made the egg mixture and added most of the shredded gruyere (setting aside about 2 Tbsp for topping). When the leek-apple mixture had cooled a bit, we stirred it into the egg mixture. Third, we evenly divided the raw frittata mixture among the cupcake tins (about 2/3 full), then topped each filled cupcake tin with the remaining shredded gruyere. We baked at 425 for about 20 mins, and then turned on the broiler to high and browned the tops (about 2 mins). (Jan. 2020)

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  • We tried this recipe: https://www.recipetineats.com/spaghetti-bolognese/ We used 1 lb minced bison instead of minced beef. To reduce sodium, we omitted the beef bouillon cubes. At the end of seasoning, we added a splash each of fruit-flavored white balsamic and traditional balsamic vinegar; we also added a dash of crushed red pepper. We recommend increasing the spaghetti from 13 oz to 16 oz (1 lb) to accommodate the amount of bolognese. (Apr. 2018)

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  • We tried this recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/106859/classic-tapioca-pudding/ (beware of pop-up ads). Here is a summary: First, combine 3 cups milk, ½ cup white sugar (we used vanilla-infused), ½ cup minute tapioca, and ¼ tsp salt in a medium sized thick-walled pot. Cook on medium heat, whisking constantly. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and continue to whisk. Second, separately, mix two eggs in a spouted bowl (or 4-cup liquid measure), then whisk in the hot tapioca mixture, 2 Tbsp at a time until you reach 1 cup of liquid. Third, whisk the egg mixture into the tapioca milk. Continue simmering until it’s thickened; the tapioca mixture should coat the back of a spoon. Finally, remove from heat and stir in ½ tsp vanilla extract. Note: We modified slightly by using 1% milk instead of whole. We also garnished with cinnamon. (Apr. 2018)

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  • We tried this NYT recipe, and it was delicious: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016814-picadillo Our modifications: first, we used 1 lb minced bison instead of 1 ½ lb minced beef. Second, we used 1 oz Matador slim jim (halved vertically and then diced) instead of 2 oz chorizo. Third, to accommodate the reduced amount of protein, we reduced the remaining ingredients to: 1 large onion; 1 oz chorizo (we used slim jim); 4 cloves garlic (same as original amount); 3 ripe tomatoes; 1 ½ Tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 ½ tsp each cinnamon and ground cumin; 2 bay leaves (same as original); one pinch each ground cloves and nutmeg (same as original); ½ cup raisins (we used golden); and ½ cup green Spanish olives (we omitted pimento). (Apr. 2018)

    Note: This is the best version of picadillo we have tried to date.

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  • Details here: https://cookieandkate.com/2015/greek-broccoli-salad-recipe/ Our modifications: first, we omitted kalamata olives and feta; we used 1 Tbsp capers (rinsed and drained). Second, we reduced the olive oil from ¼ cup (4 Tbsp) to 3 Tbsp. Finally, we used the juice of 1 lime before the 2 Tbsp lemon juice. (Mar. 2018)

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  • Details here: https://cookieandkate.com/2017/broccoli-cheddar-spinach-frittata/ Our modifications: first, we used a shallot in lieu of a small onion, and we cut it into thin slices along the grain. Second, instead of steaming the broccoli in the cast iron pan, we microwave them in a covered glass casserole dish with ¼ cup (not ½ cup) water for about 2 mins. Third, we added 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley to the egg mixture. We also used about 2 oz baby spinach leaves, which were small enough to leave whole. Finally, at the end of baking, we broiled on low for a few mins to brown the top of the frittata. We served this with oven-roasted potatoes (http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/172238658491/oven-roasted-breakfast-potatoes-we-followed-this), which we placed in the oven at 425 just as we started preparing the frittata. (Mar. 2018)

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  • We followed this recipe: https://www.tasteslovely.com/perfect-roasted-potatoes/ We used three small-medium Idaho potatoes, and we scrubbed the skin. Our modification: we added a dash (about ½ tsp) each cumin powder and paprika to the cubed potatoes before roasting them. The tips on preheating the baking sheet and using parchment paper were key. (Mar. 2018)

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  • We started with a 20 oz box of Ghirardelli dark chocolate brownie mix. We added 1 tsp ground cinnamon and ¼ tsp cayenne pepper to the dry ingredients, stirring to make sure the cinnamon and cayenne were evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Then, following the instructions, we added the wet ingredients (1 egg, ¼ cup water, and ½ cup neutral vegetable oil). We poured the mixture into a greased 8×8 square baking dish and baked in a preheated 325 degree oven for 40 mins (reduced from the 45 mins recommended in the box instructions). (Mar. 2018)

    Note: We based the proportions of cinnamon and cayenne on this Aaron Sanchez recipe for Mexican brownies: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aaron-sanchez/aaron-sanchezs-mexican-brownies-recipe-1972919

    Note 2: For another flavor profile, we skipped the cayenne and cinnamon and added 1 ½ tsp (½ Tbsp) vanilla extract to the wet brownie mix. We found inspiration here: https://lmld.org/15-ways-to-jazz-up-boxed-brownies/ (Feb. 2019)

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