Tag: 2024

Tuscan pasta and bean soup (pasta e fagioli)

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We had the most delicious pasta e fagioli at our favorite local Italian restaurant. But unlike other pasta e fagioli recipes, the restaurant's version was heavy on the beans (tender, nearly disintegrated, velvety), light brown, and had virtually no other vegetables. We suspected the soup's foundation was homemade bean broth (as opposed to stock plus… Continue reading Tuscan pasta and bean soup (pasta e fagioli)

Korean spicy braised catfish with daikon radish

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We found a beautiful, juicy daikon radish this weekend, and I couldn't stop thinking about this braised fish dish: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/eundaegu-jorim Our modifications: first, we couldn't find black cod, so we got 1 1/4 lb fresh catfish filet. Second, we reduced the heat a little: (1) one red Korean finger pepper (down from two); and (2)… Continue reading Korean spicy braised catfish with daikon radish

Indian mung bean dal (moong dal)

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We made this recipe as a side dish: https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/moong-dal-recipe/ We used a pressure cooker, and we followed the blogger's tip about adding a bit (1/2 tsp) of red lentil to the 1/2 cup of moong dal to reduce stickiness. We found the instructions confusing and imprecise (for ex, it is vague about the amount and… Continue reading Indian mung bean dal (moong dal)

15-bean Cajun stew with andouille sausage

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We tried this recipe: https://hurstbeans.com/recipes/slow-cooker-cajun-15-bean-soup We do not have a slow cooker, so we made some modifications: first, following the bean prep instructions here (https://hurstbeans.com/recipes/15-bean-soup-with-smoked-sausage-swp) and we soaked the 20 oz Hurst's dried beans overnight in 8 cups of water in the fridge (we set the Cajun seasoning packet aside). Second, the next day, we… Continue reading 15-bean Cajun stew with andouille sausage

Split pea soup with smoked turkey (+ potato), version 2

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Split pea soup always reminds me of my childhood, when one of my mom's good friends made the soup from scratch (and it took hours). We had a craving for an old fashioned split pea soup, but we were searching for one that didn't use ham or a ham bone. We tried this recipe, which… Continue reading Split pea soup with smoked turkey (+ potato), version 2

Chinese smashed cucumber salad, version 2

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We had Persian cucumbers and decided to try this recipe: https://thewoksoflife.com/smashed-asian-cucumber-salad/ Our modifications: first, we found 5 Persian cucumbers equivalent to the 2 standard cucumbers called for in the recipe. Second, for the chili oil, we used 1.5 tsp Sichuan chili sauce (laoganma). This was a refreshing and delicious side dish to gong bao chicken… Continue reading Chinese smashed cucumber salad, version 2

Pakistani mildly spiced chick peas (chikad chanay)

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I carry a lot of food memories. I recently craved a delicately spiced chick pea side dish that we had enjoyed at a local Afghan kabob place many years ago. While I couldn't find that exact recipe, I stumbled upon this Pakistani recipe: https://sabihaskitchen.com/chikad-chanay/ Our modifications: first, after soaking the 1 lb dried chick peas… Continue reading Pakistani mildly spiced chick peas (chikad chanay)