I love enoki mushrooms, and when I saw them at H-Mart this weekend, I decided to make this dish. Once you prep all of the ingredients, the cooking time is quite short. Soak 2 oz dried black mushrooms in warm water; when soft, drain and cut into slices. Separately, take a package (about 14 oz)… Continue reading Chinese bean thread noodles with enoki mushrooms
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Vietnamese bittersweet caramel sauce (nuoc mau)
We made Andrea Nguyen’s recipe: https://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2007/10/caramel-sauce.html Before you try making this, make sure you have a clean sink that you can fill with water. (Mar. 2014) Source: Andrea Nguyen, author and teacher, Vietworldkitchen.com.
Cinnamon pear tea bread
Cream 1 stick butter (room temperature) and 1 cup sugar, then add 2 large eggs and 1 tsp vanilla extract until lightly beaten. Separately, sift together 2 cups flour, 1 tsp each baking powder and baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, and ½ tsp. Little by little, fold the dry mixture and 1 cup sour cream (here, 7 oz plain… Continue reading Cinnamon pear tea bread
Carrot cake
This was my first attempt making carrot cake, which is one of my husband's favorite desserts. Recipe is here: http://busycooks.about.com/od/sheetcakes/r/bestcarrotcake.htm (Apr. 2014)
Chicken saltimbocca
Cut 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 4 cutlets. Sprinkle lightly with salt, then place 3 fresh sage leaves on the top of each cutlet. Separately, line up 4 thin slices (2 oz total) of pancetta (or prosciutto de Parma) and slice in half, lengthwise. Wrap each chicken breast with 2 pancetta strips each, securing… Continue reading Chicken saltimbocca
Cheesecake tarts
Using an electric mixer, beat 32 oz cream cheese (or, to reduce fat, 16 oz cream cheese and 16 oz Neufchâtel cheese) until fluffy, then add 2 tsp pure vanilla extract and 2 cups sugar (here, I used homemade vanilla-infused sugar). Slowly mix in 4 eggs, one at a time. Separately, place 24 cupcake liners… Continue reading Cheesecake tarts
Chocolate-almond butter haystacks
Combine 2 cups Kashi 7-grain puffs, ½ cup each cashews and pecans, and 1 cup chow mein noodles (the crispy, twiggy, bad for you kind, not the Whole Foods flat noodle version). Separately, melt 10 oz chocolate chips in 30 second intervals (Mika, note that I increased from 10-15 seconds), stirring between heatings. When chocolate… Continue reading Chocolate-almond butter haystacks
Candied ginger
I had not planned to make ginger candy; rather, this sprung out of my attempts to salvage sugar water from a failed attempt to make Vietnamese bittersweet caramel sauce. First, boil 1 part sugar and 1part water. When the mixture gets viscous, add 1 part peeled, sliced ginger. Let simmer for about 30 minutes to… Continue reading Candied ginger
Chinese golden egg dumplings
This dish, which I learned from my friend Amy, involves three components. First, the filling: mix ¼ lb minced pork with 1 tsp Chinese cooking wine, 1 ½ Tbsp water, 1 ½ tsp cornstarch, 1-2 cloves garlic (minced), ½ tsp microplaned ginger, ¼ small onion (minced), and a dash of salt. Second, the egg mixture:… Continue reading Chinese golden egg dumplings
Tuna noodle casserole
When I made this dish, I thought of the time my friend Sarah made this for me many years ago in Chicago. Preheat oven to 425. Cook ½ lb egg noodles, then drain. While still hot, stir in about ½ cupshredded cheddar cheese and set aside. Separately, in a large skillet, saute 1 chopped onion,… Continue reading Tuna noodle casserole
Cooking Adventures 