We stumbled upon this version of Japanese curry, and it was delicious: https://www.japanesecooking101.com/pork-and-cabbage-curry/ Our modifications: first, instead of 12 oz thinly sliced pork, we used 10 oz thinly sliced beef. Second, we used less than 1/2 head of a small cabbage – probably closer 1/3 head. Third, we used 1/2 package of S&B hot curry…… Continue reading Japanese curry with cabbage and thinly sliced beef
Tag: nostalgia
Kimchi fried rice, version 2
We made this recipe based on pantry ingredients: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018097-kimchi-fried-rice?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share Our modifications: first, we used whole radish kimchi (chonggak kimchi), which we diced. Second, we omitted meat from this version. Finally, at the end of cooking we garnished with chili crisp (house made by Hanabi Ramen). (Aug. 2025)
Matzoh ball soup from frozen chicken, pressure cooker style
In our household, we routinely freeze extra pieces of raw chicken, including bits of fat and skin (e.g., chicken backs leftover from packages of chicken quarters). Today we made chicken soup from frozen, bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (3 wings, 1 chicken thigh, 2 drumsticks, 3 chicken backs and leftover fat / skin trimmings); carrots, celery,…… Continue reading Matzoh ball soup from frozen chicken, pressure cooker style
Korean cucumber salad (oi muchim)
We tried this straightforward recipe from Maangchi: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/oi-muchim Our modifications: first, we used 3 Persian cucumbers instead of 1 English cucumber. Second, we omitted the onion. Finally, we added the optional ingredient, about 1 tsp sugar. This was a quick and tasty recipe, probably our favorite version of this Korean cucumber dish. (July 2025)
SkinnyTaste’s Hamburger Helper with minced turkey
My husband and I had a craving for Hamburger Helper from our childhood, but we wanted to make a healthier, scratch version. We tried this SkinnyTaste recipe: https://www.skinnytaste.com/homemade-hamburger-helper/. Our modifications: first, instead of beef, we used 3/4 lb of minced turkey and 1/4 tsp Kashmiri low-heat ground pepper (instead of paprika). We also sopped up…… Continue reading SkinnyTaste’s Hamburger Helper with minced turkey
Japanese curry with chicken meatballs, sweet potato, and Swiss chard
We had an extra bunch of Swiss chard, and we decided to try this recipe for the leaves (no stems): https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026680-japanese-curry-with-chicken-meatballs?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share This was a delicious dish, with an unexpected combination of sweet potatoes and greens that worked well. Our modifications: first, for the meatball mixture, we followed reader suggestions to increase the panko from 1/2…… Continue reading Japanese curry with chicken meatballs, sweet potato, and Swiss chard
Maangchi’s kimchi fried rice
We threw this dish together based on our pantry: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/kimchi-bokkeumbap We generally followed this recipe, except we added about 2 tsp sugar to balance out the sour kimchi we had on hand. We separately panfried 1/4″ slices of Spam until browned and crisp, and we drizzled 2 tsp drippings from that pan into the fried…… Continue reading Maangchi’s kimchi fried rice
Chicken broccoli rice casserole
Craving homestyle comfort food, we tried this recipe: https://www.recipetineats.com/one-pot-chicken-broccoli-rice-casserole/ We found this recipe especially appealing because it calls for a roux with flour and milk, rather than canned soup. Our modifications: first, because my husband prefers white meat, we used 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast (2 pieces) instead of thigh, and we diced it…… Continue reading Chicken broccoli rice casserole
Kimchi fried rice with omelette (omurice)
We threw together this dish on a whim, drawing from multiple sources and utilizing our pantry. First, we made jasmine rice in our rice cooker, enough to yield 3 cups cooked rice. Second, using a large nonstick pan, we heated 2 Tbsp unsalted butter on medium and then added 1.5 cups kimchi (reserving kimchi liquid).…… Continue reading Kimchi fried rice with omelette (omurice)
Small batch rice krispie treats
I had a sudden craving for these treats but didn't want to make a full batch. We tried this recipe: https://www.dessertfortwo.com/rice-crispy-treats-small-batch/ This yielded 6 cupcake-sized treats. This small batch recipe calls for 2 Tbsp butter, which we found to be too much for 10 standard marshmallows and 1.5 cups crisped rice. The next time we… Continue reading Small batch rice krispie treats