We tried this recipe from BBC Good Food: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/hash-browns-gruyere-pancetta. Our conversions from metric to US measurements: 1 ¾ lb Russet potatoes, 2.6 oz pancetta (we increased to 3 oz and drained off the fat after cooking), 1.76 oz Gruyere (we increased to 3 oz), and ½ bunch parsley. We also used a shallot in lieu… Continue reading Potato frittata with Gruyere and pancetta
Savory tomato and string bean baklava
Chef Maria Elia's recipe has Greek notes like fresh dill, cinnamon, feta, and honey. Recipe here: http://www.foodrepublic.com/recipes/tomato-and-string-bean-baklava-recipe/. Our only modification is instead of 2 tsp cinnamon, we used 1 tsp each cinnamon and nutmeg. We also had to bake it 20 mins longer and at a higher temperature (we raised it to 375/400 for the… Continue reading Savory tomato and string bean baklava
Korean slow-cooked beef bone soup (seolleong tang)
It took nearly all day to make, and the broth isn’t as milky-white as at restaurants, but it still is tasty. The secret, I learned midway, is to keep the soup at a roiling boil, not at a simmer. We served this with short-grain rice and thin wheat noodles (Korean somyun or Japanese somen), garnishing… Continue reading Korean slow-cooked beef bone soup (seolleong tang)
Simple boiled egg sandwich
I first had this type of sandwich many years ago in Bordeaux, France. Although it traditionally is made with a baguette, I used sliced ciabatta this time. Lightly spread mayonnaise on the inside of two slices of bread, then layer on mixed baby greens, sliced tomato, sliced boiled egg, and a dash each of salt… Continue reading Simple boiled egg sandwich
Shepherdess pie with lentils, mushrooms, and sweet potato topping
We had mashed sweet potatoes leftover from Thanksgiving, and we decided to try this vegetarian shepherd’s pie recipe from The Kitchn: http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-lentil-and-mushroom-sweet-potato-shepherds-pie-182683. This recipe creatively uses steel-cut oats as part of the filling, which lends a meaty texture to the dish. We made the following modifications: first, instead of 1 lb cremini mushrooms, we used… Continue reading Shepherdess pie with lentils, mushrooms, and sweet potato topping
Greek chicken stew with cauliflower and olives
Recipe here: http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12308-greek-chicken-stew-with-cauliflower-and-olives. Instead of ½ tsp cinnamon, we used ¼ tsp each cinnamon and nutmeg, and we added a bay leaf. We served this with Greek spinach rice with dill (spanakorizo); recipe here: http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/114321759431/greek-spinach-rice-with-dill-spanakorizo-recipe. (Nov. 2015)
Roasted turkey matzoh ball soup
We decided to use our leftover turkey to make one of our favorite soups. We generally followed the recipe in my blog: piglettedc.wordpress.com/2015/03/25/chicken-matzoh-ball-soup-recipe-from/. However, we made a few adjustments: first, in lieu of a whole chicken, we used the carcass from our 14 lb Thanksgiving roast turkey. Second, because the turkey broth flavor seemed thin,… Continue reading Roasted turkey matzoh ball soup
Oven-roasted parsnips and carrots
Preheat oven to 350. Peel 1 ½ lbs parsnips (about 9 parsnips) and ½ lb carrots (about 3 carrots) and cut them into vertical pieces (I cut the parsnips into vertical quarters and the carrots into vertical halves to make the root vegetables as uniform as possible, but it depends on the size and shape… Continue reading Oven-roasted parsnips and carrots
Roast turkey
We followed Ina Garten’s Perfect Roast Turkey recipe, the version that included roast vegetables: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/perfect-roast-turkey-recipe2.html. For a 14 lb turkey, we made the following modifications: first, for the first part of cooking, we placed the turkey breast side down to increase the likelihood the breast would not dry out. Also, instead of adding two sliced… Continue reading Roast turkey
Traditional herbed bread stuffing
We had this dish at my sister’s sister-in-law’s Thanksgiving in 2012, and it was my favorite dish of that meal. We used 1 ½ loaves ciabatta bread and fresh herbs (thyme, sage, and rosemary) that we had frozen. We baked this in a 9x12 baking dish (rather than stuffing the turkey), so technically we made… Continue reading Traditional herbed bread stuffing
Cooking Adventures 