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.

  • I haven’t had this dish of years but had a sudden craving. We tried this recipe: http://aeriskitchen.com/2012/03/sempio-banquet-guksu/ Our modifications: we used ½ lb minced pork in lieu of 1/3 lb minced beef (and adjusted the seasonings accordingly). Instead of zucchini, we trimmed and cut ¼ lb string beans in half crosswise and lengthwise, blanched them in salted water, rinsed in cold water and drained them, and then sautéed in a little toasted sesame oil, salt, and black pepper. We also increased the broth recipe from 4 cups to 10 cups, but 6 cups would have been sufficient. (Apr. 2017)

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  • We tried this Food 52 recipe: https://food52.com/recipes/26564-classic-chicken-piccata. We served the dish over thin spaghetti. We finished each serving with a squeeze of fresh lemon quarter (Apr. 2017)

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  • We followed this Jamie Oliver recipe, but roasted a whole salmon fillet (about 1 ¼ lbs) rather than cutting it into four pieces. We spritzed with the juice of one lemon, drizzled with olive oil (about 1 Tbsp), and lightly seasoned with salt and black pepper. We oven-roasted it in the middle rack in a preheated oven at 425 for 20 mins. (Apr. 2017)

    Note: Marinate the salmon in lemon juice for no more than 20 mins. Otherwise, the citrus juice may “cook” the salmon and alter its texture.

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  • We followed this Jamie Oliver sheet pan recipe, but cooked the salmon as a whole fillet in a separate vessel for more time: https://www.google.com/amp/www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jamie-oliver/tray-baked-salmon-with-olives-green-beans-anchovies-and-tomatoes.amp Our modifications: first, we preheated the oven at 425. Second, we lined the cookie sheet with parchment paper (to capture residual liquid). Third, we used about ½ cup each pitted kalamata olives and fresh basil (julienned). Finally, we cooked the salmon separately in the middle rack for a total of 20 mins, see here: http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/159882640501/oven-roasted-salmon-with-lemon-juice-and-olive which meant we could spread the veggies across the entire sheet pan for even roasting. We let the salmon cook alone for 10 mins and then added the veggie sheet pan to the oven for the last 10 mins of cooking. Because the salmon already occupied the middle rack of the oven, we placed this veggie-filled sheet pan on the lower rack. The entire meal (salmon and veggies) took 20 mins of cooking time total. (Apr. 2017)

    Note: The recipe calls for 12 anchovy fillets, which is the equivalent of one 2 oz tin of anchovy fillets in oil. We discarded the excess oil.

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  • We had a surplus of salmon fillet, so we made this soup. Cut 1.5 lb salmon fillet (without skin) into bite-sized chunks (about 2×1″), marinate in 1/3 cup lemon juice, and refrigerate for a max of 20 mins (beyond 20 mins, the fish will start to “cook” in the citrus juice, which you want to avoid). In the mean time, using a large Dutch oven, sauté 8 garlic cloves (peeled and sliced ¼” lengthwise) and 2 shallots (peeled and sliced ½” crosswise) in 1 Tbsp neutral oil until fragrant and slightly browned. Add 8 oz grape tomatoes (halved) and sauté until slightly wilted. Add 5 cups rice wash (see Note) or water, 4 cups vegetable broth (we used Better Than Bouillon), ¼ cup lemon juice (we increased to 1/3 cup), about 2-3 Tbsp tamarind paste, and half a packet (0.88 oz) of Mama Sita Sinigang Sa Sampalok tamarind seasoning mix (which we added after finding the tamarind alone lacking depth). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a rolling simmer, and add two small daikon (about 1 lb), cut into ½” coins. When radish is half cooked, add 6 oz string beans (cut into bite-sized pieces), the marinated salmon pieces (including any remaining marinade), and 1 Tbsp fish sauce. Simmer on low until salmon is cooked and daikon is tender but firm (10-12 mins). Optional: a few mins before serving, add about 6 oz fresh spinach leaves, which will wilt quickly. Serve while the spinach is still green. This recipe is loosely based on: http://www.asianinamericamag.com/2015/01/how-to-make-salmon-sinigang-tamarind-soup-stew-with-vegetables/

    Note: Rice wash is the white-tinged water that runs off while cleaning jasmine (or other) rice before cooking the rice. It apparently adds a light sheen to the soup.

    Note 2: We actually used the juice of three freshly squeezed lemons and 1 freshly squeezed lime to make 2/3 of a cup of sour citrus juice.

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  • We used a handful of each of vegetables and garnished with 1 Tbsp toasted walnuts. We drizzled the salad with 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and then lightly seasoned with salt and black pepper. (Apr. 2017)

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  • We tried this Pioneer Woman recipe: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/roast-chicken/ For the butter mixture, we increased the zest from 2 lemons to 3 lemons. We also reduced the amount of butter by 1 Tbsp. We skipped the foil (for prep) and added 3 Yukon potatoes and 6 small Korean sweet potatoes, skin-on and cut into 3-inch chunks, to the roasting pan. We also added 2 shallots, each rough cut along the grain in ½ inch slices. We coated the potato chunks and shallots with olive oil, any remaining lemon juice, salt, and black pepper, and we tossed two squeezed lemon halves into the pan since they wouldn’t fit in the chicken cavity (like the other four lemon halves and rosemary sprigs did). We also trussed the chicken with string, placing the chicken breast side up. We roasted our 5 lb bird at 425 until juices ran clear (nearly 2 hours). (Apr. 2017)

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  • We followed a recipe from Faye Levy’s Feast from the Mideast. An online version is here: http://recipesfrom4everykitchen.blogspot.com/2007/03/lebanese-roasted-salmon.html?m=1 We used dried Greek oregano in lieu of zaatar. We also cooked the whole salmon fillet (1 ¼) lb for 15-17 mins at 450. (Apr. 2017)

    Note: Marinate the salmon in the lemon juice/olive oil mixture for no more than 20 mins. Otherwise, the citrus juice may “cook” the fish and alter its texture.

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  • We had a surplus of berries, so we tried this Melissa Gilbert recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017644-summer-berry-buckle. For the 4 ½ cup mixed berries, we used two 6-oz containers of each blueberries and raspberries (for a total of 24 oz). That was more than enough compared to the batter. We also did not have a 9 oz cake pan, so we used an 8 oz cake pan and a mini-loaf pan for the remainder. We also sprinkled the cake with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar prior to baking. (Apr. 2017)

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  • We loosely followed this recipe: https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/beets-with-dill-walnuts. Our modifications: first, instead of pressure-cooking 6 medium-large beets, we oven-roasted them for 40-45 mins (instructions here: https://piglettedc.wordpress.com/2015/03/25/roasted-beets-this-is-one-of-my-favorite/). After letting them cool (inside their foil packets), we rubbed off their skin with paper towels. We cut each beet into large chunks by slicing in half vertically, then cutting each beet half into 6 wedges (½” x 1″). Second, for the vinaigrette, we whisked together 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, the juice of one medium lemon (about ¼ cup, or 4 Tbsp), 2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp Maille wholegrain mustard (instead of Dijon ), ¾ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper. We next whisked in 3 Tbsp olive oil and 2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh dill before tossing the vinaigrette with the beets. We served the beets over baby arugula and garnished with ¼ cup toasted walnuts. We served this salad with Russian black bread as an appetizer before Polish stuffed cabbage leaves. (Apr. 2017)

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