Korean spicy leftover turkey soup, pressure cooker style (turkey gomtang)

We made a buttermilk-marinated turkey breast for Thanksgiving (see Note 1 below), and we decided to make a post-Thanksgiving recipe inspired from my childhood: leftover turkey slow-cooked broth (gomtang). We also picked up a few tips from this post: https://kimchimari.com/spicy-turkey-leftover-soup-korean/. First, remove as much cooked turkey meat from the turkey carcass (here, the breast bone…… Continue reading Korean spicy leftover turkey soup, pressure cooker style (turkey gomtang)

Simple (3-ingredient) mac and cheese

Mac and cheese is one of my husband’s favorite dishes. I always imagined it was too complicated to make at home, but we decided to try this recipe from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt: https://www.seriouseats.com/ingredient-stovetop-mac-and-cheese-recipe. It ingeniously calls for 6 oz each uncooked elbow macaroni, evaporated milk, and freshly shredded cheddar cheese. Our modifications: first, we doubled…… Continue reading Simple (3-ingredient) mac and cheese

Simple chicken rice soup with homemade broth

After having the most delicious chicken rice soup at Nick’s Sandwich Shop (Saddle Brook, NJ), we searched online for a recipe that had similar characteristics. Nick’s scratch version featured a clear broth with a golden yellow hue, dotted with diced carrots and lightly poached, diced chicken breast. The soup was flavorful yet uncluttered, and the…… Continue reading Simple chicken rice soup with homemade broth

Quasi-sticky rice with Chinese sausage and mushroom

I love Chinese sticky rice, and I have had a craving for it ever since I stumbled upon this NYT recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014807-savory-sticky-rice-bowls-or-stir-fried-sticky-rice?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share. Unfortunately, we don’t have sweet rice in our pantry, so we tried this recipe using jasmine rice. In addition to not using sweet rice, we made a few other modifications: first, we halved…… Continue reading Quasi-sticky rice with Chinese sausage and mushroom

Korean curry with minced chicken and vegetables

We make Japanese or Korean curry rice quite often, but this time decided to try some new techniques, including cutting the vegetables into large chunks. The results turned out well, so I wanted to document this while fresh in my mind. Our ingredients: 1 to 1.5 tsp unsalted butter; 1 medium onion, cut into 1”…… Continue reading Korean curry with minced chicken and vegetables

Filipino sauteed bean thread noodles with vegetables and smoked tofu (pancit)

I first had pancit during college, when a Filipina-American friend made a huge batch for a potluck. Today we had a craving for a plant-forward version, so we decided to try this recipe: https://www.lifesambrosia.com/grandmas-pancit-recipe/ Unfortunately, we found the seasoning (1 Tbsp soy sauce, salt and pepper) too one-note, so we also took some seasoning tips…… Continue reading Filipino sauteed bean thread noodles with vegetables and smoked tofu (pancit)

Peruvian-Chinese fried rice with asparagus and egg whites (arroz chaufa blanco)

We first encountered a dish called chaufa blanco at Pisco y Nazca Peruvian restaurant, and we were blown away. Also called arroz chaufa blanco, it refers to fried rice seasoned without soy sauce. The Pisco y Nazca version featured only asparagus and egg whites, and it was not heavily seasoned except for toasted sesame oil.…… Continue reading Peruvian-Chinese fried rice with asparagus and egg whites (arroz chaufa blanco)

Molasses cake with fresh ginger

For the past few days, I have dreamt of a molasses cake that I used to buy in the early aughts at Marvelous Market, a now-defunct local chain that served delicious baked goods. They sold their molasses cake in square-shaped slabs, similar to the freshly baked cornbread at Whole Foods. The cake had notes of…… Continue reading Molasses cake with fresh ginger

Simple pumpkin pie with a frozen crust

We misplaced our pie weights, so we weren’t able to blind-bake (prebake) a frozen pie crust. We decided to try this recipe, which calls for a frozen crust: https://startcooking.com/pumpkin-pie-for-beginners. Our modifications: first, we placed a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet in the oven before preheating to 425. Second, in lieu of 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice,…… Continue reading Simple pumpkin pie with a frozen crust