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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.
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We tried this version: http://www.panningtheglobe.com/2016/09/11/cuban-picadillo-ground-beef-stew/. Our modifications: (1) In lieu of smoked paprika, we used half paprika and smoked chipotle pepper; (2) we used golden raisins instead of black raisins; and (3) we used canned diced tomatoes instead of canned whole plum tomatoes, crushed by hand. We also added a dash of sugar at the end of cooking to offset the tang of the tomato. ((Dec. 2016)
Note: We prefer this version of picadillo: http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/172537348076/picadillo-cuban-minced-beef-stew-we-tried-this
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We tried this recipe, http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014472-tunisian-style-baked-cauliflower-frittata except that instead of boiling or steaming the cauliflower, we used ½ head cauliflower that we had oven roasted the day before (tossed with 1 Tbsp olive oil, a few sprigs each marjoram and thyme, a dash of salt and pepper, and oven-roasted at 425 for 40 mins), following the roasting instructions here: http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/144070024406/armenian-style-roasted-cauliflower-with-tahini In lieu of harissa, we mixed ½ tsp tomato paste with ¼ tsp cayenne, then diluted with 1 tsp water (per the recipe). Instead of caraway seeds, we used a mix of celery seeds and cumin seeds. We found this frittata slightly under-seasoned, perhaps due to the absence of harissa and caraway seeds. We will try it again with no substitutes.
We served this frittata with Lebanese farmer’s salad: http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/114585960131/lebanese-farmers-salad-with-tahini-dressing (Dec. 2016) -
We tried this recipe based on what was in our pantry: http://www.bakeorbreak.com/2012/09/chocolate-chip-snack-cake/ and it was delicious. (Dec. 2016)
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We tried this Ina Garten recipe: https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/salted-caramel-nuts For some kick, we added ¼ tsp cayenne pepper along with the kosher salt. Based on our pantry, we used 2 cups each walnuts and almonds. We also overheated the caramelized sugar, so this has a slightly bittersweet flavor. The next time, we will try these instructions from the Kitchn: http://www.thekitchn.com/technique-caram-6291 (Dec. 2016)
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We tried this healthier version of crisp. Recipe here: http://cookieandkate.com/2015/blueberry-almond-crisp/ (Dec. 2016)
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We tried this recipe based on our pantry ingredients: https://www.flourishingfoodie.com/blog//2011/07/grilled-vegetable-and-veggie-sausage.html
We used three Trader Joe’s Meatless Breakfast Patties, defrosted and crumbled. We also used two shallots in lieu of ½ sweet onion. Finally, we placed the cast iron pan under the broiler (set on low) for a few mins at the end. (Dec. 2016)
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We tried this SkinnyTaste recipe, which ingeniously lightens the dish by substituting half of the minced beef with minced turkey. http://www.skinnytaste.com/skinny-salisbury-steak-with-mushroom/ Although the recipe calls for unseasoned breadcrumbs, we added about ½ tsp each freshly minced sage, oregano, and thyme to the meat mixture. To shape the patties, we used an oval ½ cup measuring cup, which yielded 9 oval patties. We served this over mashed potatoes; if you want to make those from scratch, here is the recipe: http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/133996295246/simple-mashed-potatoes-this-is-a-recipe-from-my (Nov. 2016)
Note: Because our minced turkey comes in 1 1/3 lb portions, we used 2 eggs (not 1 egg, 1 egg white), incrementally increased the beef stock from ¼ to 1/3 cup, and doubled the breadcrumbs (from ½ cup to 1 cup). We determined the mixture was right when it was moldable and not too sticky. In the future, we may not use additional beef stock, since the egg yolk (from the second egg) already adds a lot of liquid to the mixture.
Note 2: For a more pronounced mushroom flavor, we often use cremini mushroom and nearly double the amount (from 8 oz to nearly 16 oz). In addition, we made homemade breadcrumbs from crackers (detailed here: http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/182147256736/breadcrumbs-made-from-crackers-we-made-instant). We found that we needed to increase the amount of breadcrumb from ½ cup to about 7/8 cup to get the right meat mixture consistency. (Jan. 2019) -
We tried this recipe but used blue corn meal instead of yellow: http://www.growforagecookferment.com/blueberry-cornmeal-skillet-cake/ (Nov. 2016)
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Heat a large Dutch oven, add 2 Tbsp olive oil, and then sauté 1 chopped medium onion and five minced garlic cloves until tender (about 3-4 mins). Add the following spices: 2 tsp cumin seeds, ¾ tsp each turmeric and ground coriander, ½ tsp ground black pepper, and ½ tsp ground ginger (here, microplaned fresh ginger); sauté for 1 min. Add 5 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth, if making it vegetarian), 2 cups water, 1 ¼ cups green lentils (picked over, rinsed, and drained), and ½ cup amaranth. Stir, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer for 30 mins, stirring occasionally. Add 1 lb (about 2 medium) peeled Yukon potatoes cut into ½ inch dice, then cover and continue to simmer for 20 mins. Fold in 3 cups spinach leaves (here, one 10 is box frozen spinach, defrosted and drained for 30 mins), and cook on low, uncovered, for a few min until heated but still bright green. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and freshly squeezed lemon juice, if desired. This recipe is from Miriam Rubin’s Grains cookbook; we modified by increasing the broth from 4 to 5 cups. (Nov. 2016)
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We tried this VietWorld Kitchen recipe, including the homemade teriyaki sauce, and it was delicious: http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2013/10/salmon-teriyaki-stovetop-recipe.html (Nov. 2016)
Note: After salting the salmon steaks for 30 mins, we patted them dry with paper towels before placing them in a heated teflon pan. Because our salmon steaks were over 2 inches thick, we increased the teriyaki and water to 3 Tbsp each (increasing from 2 Tbsp each) and cooked on each side (with the sauce) for 5 mins (total of 10 mins). (Oct. 2019)Note 2: Salmon steaks are often hard to find. We found ours at our local Harris Teeter. (Oct. 2019)
Source: Andrea Nguyen, author and teacher, Vietworldkitchen.com.
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Cooking Adventures 