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, which ingeniously uses black beans in lieu of flour and butter. We forgot to use parchment paper, and we used 1% milk instead of almond. We used an 8×8 baking dish instead of 9×9. http://www.skinnytaste.com/amazing-flour-less-brownies/ (June 2017)

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  • We tried this recipe: http://omnivorescookbook.com/recipes/clay-pot-chicken-rice We generally followed the recipe. For the greens, we used about 3 stalks of yuchoy. Our rice was a bit waterlogged and not crispy, so the next time we may reduce the water from 350 to 300 ml. (June 2017)

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  • We tried this recipe: http://www.kawalingpinoy.com/korean-ground-beef/ Our modifications: first, we added 1 small shallot, thinly sliced crosswise, to the garlic and ginger. Second, we used ground bison instead of ground beef. Third, after the bison was partially browned, we added ½ lb daikon (peeled and cut into ¼ inch half moons). Finally, at the end of cooking, we added ½ tsp rice wine vinegar for brightness. We served this over jasmine rice. (June 2017)

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  • We tried this tiffin breakfast recipe: http://indianhealthyrecipes.com/upma-recipe-how-to-make-upma/ Our modifications: first, because the recipe serves only one, we doubled the ingredients. Second, we used cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, and whole fresh cayenne pepper (the recipe was fairly unclear). Also, “hing” is asofoetida. Third, although the ingredient list did not mention salt, the video did. We added 1 tsp salt (this would be ½ tsp based on the original recipe) at the third step, right after we added 3 cups water. Finally, we molded the upma by lightly spraying a small glass bowl with oil, then scooping and packing the upma into the bowl. We flipped the contents onto an individual serving plate. (June 2017)

    Note: This glossary may be useful: http://indiaphile.info/guide-indian-lentils/

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  • I finally learned how to make brown jasmine rice in a rice cooker that turns out fluffy and tender. The key is to increase the amount of water; for 2 rice cooker cups of brown rice, you measure the water in the inner pot for 3 cups of rice. Details here:
    http://www.cookusinterruptus.com/brown-rice-in-a-rice-cooker-4136-51.html (May 2017)

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  • We followed this basic recipe for stuffed cabbage leaves: http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/122717650121/polish-stuffed-cabbage-leaves-galumpki-recipe However, we had to modify the recipe due to availability of ingredients. First, we used 10-11 rainbow Swiss chard leaves (2 bunches), with stems removed. We gently parboiled the leaves in slightly salted water with 1 tsp white vinegar (to preserve the bright colors), and we carefully fished them out and rinsed them in a colander under cool water. Second, for the filling, we used 1 lb minced beef and ¾ lb minced turkey. Third, instead of the 2 cups canned, chopped tomatoes, we used three chopped fresh hothouse tomatoes and added about 3 Tbsp tomato paste to the chicken broth mixture. Finally, for the 1:30 total cooking time, I would recommend leaving the foil on the casserole dish for 1 hour 15 mins (rather than one hour) and removing the foil only during the last 15 mins of cooking (rather than 30 mins). Swiss chard leaves are thinner and more delicate than red or white cabbage leaves, so they can break, dry out, and require special handling. (May 2017)

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  • We tried this recipe from Omnivore’s Cookbook: http://omnivorescookbook.com/chinese-corn-soup/ We used ½ lb minced turkey instead of chicken and 4 egg whites instead of 3 whole eggs. For the first step, we microplaned the ginger and added a shallot to the scallion whites at the first step. At the end of cooking, we added black pepper to taste and garnished with the scallion greens. This reminded us of West Lake soup, which we have had at Chinese restaurants. (May 2017)

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  • We followed this delicious recipe from Andrea Nguyen: http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2013/09/true-chicken-teriyaki-recipe.html except that we added about ½ extra Tbsp teriyaki sauce to the chicken. We used the same base teriyaki sauce we had made for the teriyaki salmon steaks a few days ago. We also increased the recipe by 50% because we had 6 chicken thighs (2 frozen packages).

    Note: If you use frozen chicken thighs that you defrosted, they may yield too much liquid during the initial 11 min braising stages. Before adding the teriyaki sauce, remove all but 2 Tbsp of the chicken braising liquid for 4 thighs; otherwise, the teriyaki sauce will not caramelize. (May 2017)

    Source: Andrea Nguyen, author and teacher, Vietworldkitchen.com.

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  • I learned this recipe from my Burmese-American friend, Waimar. Cut a small, tight head of red or white cabbage in half vertically, then cut one half into two quarters (you can set aside the remaining half head for later use). Remove the core from each wedge, then cut into thin (¼ inch) slices lengthwise along the grain. This should yield 3-4 cups. Place in a colander and rinse, then liberally salt (about 1 Tbsp) throughout the sliced cabbage and let sit for about 10 mins. Rinse thoroughly, then place in a medium mixing bowl. Lightly season with salt (about ¼ tsp), then toss with fresh lime juice to taste (I typically use ½ to 2/3 of a lime). Serve immediately. This is a nice side dish for soy-based dishes such as chicken adobo or teriyaki chicken. (May 2017)

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  • Details here: http://rasamalaysia.com/ginger-and-scallion-fish-recipe/2/. We increased the fish from 10 oz to 1.5 lbs (24 oz), which made the ingredient measurements a little challenging. (May 2017)

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