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 made a boxed devil’s food cupcakes. We craved a simple vanilla icing, so we tried this recipe: https://mindovermunch.com/recipes/meals/dessert/powdered-sugar-icing/ (Jan. 2025)

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  • We were picking up takeout chili from a favorite cafe, and we decided to make scratch corn muffins. We tried this recipe: https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a60720312/corn-muffins-recipe/

    The recipe calls for buttermilk, which we rarely have in stock. We created buttermilk using milk and white vinegar by following these tips: https://cookieandkate.com/buttermilk-recipe/

    The muffins turned out well. On the top row of our oven at 400, they took 16 mins for a dozen muffins. (Jan. 2025)

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  • We tried this Vegan Richa recipe, which utilizes red lentil dal and moong dal: https://www.veganricha.com/dal-fry-spiced-indian-lentil-soup/

    We followed the recipe, except that at the end we added 1.5 Tbsp unsalted butter for brightness and balance. We enjoyed this dal with freshly steamed basmati rice. (Dec. 2024)

    Note: While the red lentils cooked as normal, the moong dal felt slightly undercooked / toothy. The next time, we will try soaking the moong dal for 15 mins (which we typically do for kichri, for example).

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  • My husband loves chicken pot pie. We decided to try this recipe for Thanksgiving leftovers: https://www.jessicagavin.com/turkey-pot-pie/

    We found that one single recipe (not doubling it) was more than enough for 6 ramekins and a small (14″) Le Creuset oval casserole dish. We still had 1 cup of unused filling leftover.

    For the filling, we found 3 cups finely diced turkey, 1 celery stalk (1/2 cup), 1 medium carrot (1/2 cup), 1 medium onion (1 cup), and 8 oz cremini was sufficient. We agreed with the tip to saute the flour with the vegetables for a few minutes to avoid any raw flour taste. Finally, we used 1 standard box of frozen puff pastry (2 sheets). The pot pie turned out as we had hoped, with classic flavors and mouthfeel. (Dec. 2024)

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  • I have a weakness for crispy mushrooms; I love their concentrated flavor and chewy texture. We tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025954-garlicky-mushrooms-and-herbs?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share

    For the mushrooms, we used 8 oz Smallhold Umami Mushroom Pack (royal trumpet / king oyster, shiitake, and blue oyster), 8 oz cremini, and 3.5 oz shiitakes (we went over 2 lbs). We removed the stems and thinly sliced the mushrooms caps (1/8” thick). We generally followed the instructions except we reduced Parmesan to about 1 tsp shredded. We agree with the author that the 2 Tbsp soy sauce enhances the unami flavor.

    This dish was delicious, but the end product yielded only about 1.5 cups sauteed mushrooms. If you make this for a dinner party, you may want to double the recipe to 4 lb mushrooms.

  • We craved pumpkin bread but wanted a healthier option, so we tried this recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/230579/applesauce-pumpkin-bread/ This recipe uses applesauce instead of oil.

    Our modifications: first, we used unsalted butter to grease two standard loaf pans. Second, we reduced the white sugar to 1.5 cups (from 2 cups) and utilized unsweetened applesauce. For the pumpkin puree, we relied on a 15 oz can, which yielded not quite 2 cups. Based on our pantry. we substituted 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg for mace. Finally, although we did not add nuts this time, we would recommend folding the nuts in after (not before) stirring in the flour. This recipe yielded a nice flavor with decent crumb. We particularly enjoyed slices of this pumpkin bread with a schmear of cream cheese. (Nov. 2024)

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  • We had a craving for pumpkin pie, but we wanted something straightforward and simple. We tried this: https://www.thekitchn.com/easy-pumpkin-pie-263086 The beauty of this recipe is because it uses condensed milk, it doesn’t require additional sugar.

    Our modifications: First, we used a Marie Callender frozen pie crust, which we blind-baked for 20 mins following these instructions: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_blind_bake_a_pie_crust/

    Second, for the filling, we used 15 oz canned pumpkin puree, 14 oz condensed milk, and 2 large eggs. Instead of 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice, we used 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground clove, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp each mastic gum and malepi (crushed with a mortar and pestle). The mastic gum and malepi are spices my step-MIL introduced to me with her own delicious baked goods.

    Third, we followed the instructions to bake the pie at 425 for 15 mins, then at 350 for 30 mins. Finally, we had about 1/2 cup of leftover filling leftover, so we buttered two ramekins and poured the filling into them. We baked the ramekins along with the pie at 350. The pie turned out well, and we were impressed with the pie’s surprisingly complex flavor. (Nov. 2024)

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  • We are on a restricted diet that cuts out whole grains and fresh fruit. So, we gave into our cravings and made this shortcut recipe using a boxed mix (Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix) and a ripe banana: https://www.loulougirls.com/krusteaz-banana-pancakes/ It was easy and tasty, with a subtle banana taste. (Nov. 2024)

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  • We had 1 lb of minced turkey (white and dark meat), so we tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/7985-turkey-chili?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share

    Our modifications: first, we halved the recipe. Second, in lieu of bell pepper plus jalapeño pepper, we used three diced jalapeños (from our freezer). Third, we used no-salt canned diced tomatoes and kidney beans. Finally, in addition to the spices in the recipe, we added 1/4 tsp each cinnamon, coriander, and smoked paprika as well as 1/8 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder. Towards the end, we added a dash each sugar and salt. (Nov. 2024)

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  • We routinely have 5-oz cans of no-salt tuna in our pantry. We decided to try this recipe: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/tuna-pancakes.

    First, for the onion, we used a small shallot. To ensure the onion/shallot and garlic were finely minced, we used our Braun handheld mixer. Second, it’s important to drain the tuna as thoroughly as possible (we save the tuna brine as a treat for our cat). Third, we recommend reducing the salt by at least half (maybe to 1/2 tsp or less). Even with no-salt tuna, we found the recipe a little salty, although quite tasty.

    Unlike other jeon (panfried Korean fritters) such as egg-dipped flounder, this tuna jeon does not need any dipping sauce, as it already is fully seasoned. The tuna jeon had a really nice mouthfeel – surprisingly crunchy exterior, with a meaty interior. We enjoyed this recipe and plan to make it again. It goes well with rice. (Oct. 2024)

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