Korean vegetarian rice cake soup (dduk guk)

For the Lunar New Year, we tried this recipe: https://seonkyounglongest.com/soup-recipe-vegetarian-rice-cake-soup-recipe-vegetable-korean-food-asian-at-home/ Our modifications: first, we soaked 10 oz of frozen sliced rice cake in water for 30 mins. Second, at the same time we doubled the soup volume to 9 cups of water with an 8" piece of kombu and 6 large dried shiitake mushrooms. When… Continue reading Korean vegetarian rice cake soup (dduk guk)

Turkish eggplant and chick pea stew (maghmour)

We tried this recipe: https://web.archive.org/web/20210328032426/https://www.slowburningpassion.com/maghmour-the-moussaka-from-lebanon-that-will-make-you-happy/, but unfortunately the site went down. We have tried our best to reconstruct the basic recipe: First, preheat oven to 425. Cut 1 medium-large eggplant (or 2 small-medium) into 2" dice, toss in enough canola oil to lightly coat the diced eggplant, and spread out in a single layer on… Continue reading Turkish eggplant and chick pea stew (maghmour)

Colombian-style chicken soup (sancocho)

We loosely followed this SkinnyTaste recipe: https://www.skinnytaste.com/colombian-chicken-sancocho-8-pts/ First, based on our pantry we used 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs and 3 skin-on drumsticks. Second, because the recipe did not specify the amount of water, we used 11 cups (4 cups no-salt chicken stock plus 7 cups hot water mixed with a modest amount of Better… Continue reading Colombian-style chicken soup (sancocho)

Mushroom meatballs

We tried this vegetarian recipe involving cremini mushrooms and bulgur wheat: https://kitchenconfidante.com/mushroom-meatballs. We followed the recipe exactly but found the final meatballs a little mushy; perhaps we should have baked at 400 for more than 15 mins. The next time, we may cool the mushroom bulgur mixture in a fine strainer and let sit until… Continue reading Mushroom meatballs

Kimchi stew with tuna

I had a sudden craving for kimchi jjigae and tried this recipe, which came together quickly: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/chamchi-kimchi-jjigae. We halved the recipe (about 2 mounded cups kimchi, 2 Tbsp kimchi juice, and 1 cup water). With canned tuna, this is a nice shortcut recipe. We added a dash of fish sauce and doubled the sugar to… Continue reading Kimchi stew with tuna

Smoky lentil stew with potatoes and leeks

We tried this NYT recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021588-smoky-lentil-stew-with-leeks-and-potatoes?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share The recipe called for 5 potatoes without specifying weight; we used 3 medium Russets, which was more than enough. At the end of cooking, we added 1.5 Tbsp pomegranate balsamic vinegar and ½ tsp sugar for brightness. (Dec. 2021)

North African bean stew with barley and winter squash

We tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017916-north-african-bean-stew-with-barley-and-winter-squash?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share We found that 2 cups diced butternut squash = half of a medium. We did add 1 cup of broth (for a total of 12 cups) at the end (to make it soupier) and balanced with red wine vinegar and a dash of sugar. We served with fresh lemon wedges.… Continue reading North African bean stew with barley and winter squash

Chicken thigh and chicken andouille gumbo

We tried this recipe, and it was very tasty: https://thecafesucrefarine.com/make-ahead-chicken-andouille-gumbo/. In lieu of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, we used no-salt diced tomatoes. To make up for the fire-roasted flavor, we used 2 tsp smoked paprika and only 1 tsp sweet paprika (for 1 Tbsp total paprika). At the end of cooking, we added 2 tsp pomegranate-quince… Continue reading Chicken thigh and chicken andouille gumbo