Breadcrumbs made from crackers.

We made instant breadcrumbs from leftover Trader Joe’s wheat entertainer crackers (similar in texture to Ritz). Using a Braun electric handheld mixer, we quickly pulverized about a dozen crackers to make 1 cup of breadcrumbs for a Salisbury steak recipe. We loosely followed instructions here: https://www.finecooking.com/article/crush-crackers-to-replace-breadcrumbs (Jan. 2019)

Cast iron skillet cornbread

We tried this recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alexandra-guarnaschelli/cast-iron-skillet-corn-bread-recipe-2012669 For the buttermilk, we combined 1 Tbsp white vinegar and nearly 1 cup (1 cup minus 1 Tbsp) of 1% milk (see Note below). We also used 1 cup blue cornmeal and ¼ cup yellow cornmeal. When coating the hot skillet with 1 Tbsp melted butter, we encountered a lot… Continue reading Cast iron skillet cornbread

Apple blueberry crisp

We followed this apple crisp recipe but substituted two of the apples with 1 pint fresh blueberries: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/apple-crisp-1960784 Our modifications: first, we peeled, cored, sliced 3 Gala apples and placed into a medium mixing bowl. We tossed them with juice from ½ a lemon, 1 Tbsp flour, and slightly less than 2/3 cup white sugar… Continue reading Apple blueberry crisp

Syrian stewed white bean and beef stew

We tried this recipe from Mayada Anjari’s cookbook, The Bread and Salt Between Us. The recipe is too involved to summarize, but the cookbook is available for sale on Amazon: The Bread and Salt Between Us: Recipes and Stories from a Syrian Refugee’s Kitchen https://www.amazon.com/dp/1891105639/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_4a7oCb0WZYC8J We found this stew very time-consuming and the result somewhat… Continue reading Syrian stewed white bean and beef stew

Syrian baked kofta with grated tomatoes

We tried this recipe from Mayada Anjari’s cookbook, The Bread and Salt Between Us. First, preheat oven to 400. Second, combine 1.5 lb minced beef (80/20 or 85/15), 1 small grated onion and 1.5 cups (one small bunch) coarsely chopped parsley leaves and tender stems (instead of mincing by hand, we used a handheld blender… Continue reading Syrian baked kofta with grated tomatoes

Oven-roasted fingerling potatoes

We loosely followed this recipe but skipped the seasonings except salt, black pepper, and olive oil. https://www.budgetbytes.com/rosemary-roasted-potatoes/ In addition, to accommodate roast chicken pieces concurrently in the oven, we initially roasted at 400 (for 20 mins) and then increased to 425 until the potato halves were brown and crispy (an additional 20 mins). We garnished… Continue reading Oven-roasted fingerling potatoes

Cheesy rice egg bowl

We loosely followed this recipe: https://futuredish.com/rice-egg-bowl/ Our modifications: first, we doubled the recipe to 4 eggs, 2/3 cup water, and 1 cup cooked rice. Second, we skipped the vegetables and soy sauce. We added 3 cooked bacon strips, crumbled (setting aside ¼ strip for garnish) and freshly ground black pepper. Third, at the end of… Continue reading Cheesy rice egg bowl