Look at what I got for Christmas! I guess since we started this food blog people think I’m into cooking or something. Craziness! So I’ve been perusing these lovely tomes, marveling at the pretty photos and just how heavy these books are. Together, they weigh 16 pounds. For a few days I had left them [...]
Cupcake Taste-off: Kara’s vs. Sprinkles
2009 was the year of the cupcake. Cupcakes on a stick, mini cupcakes, deep fried cupcakes, it just went on and on. Everywhere you looked — cupcake this, cupcake that. Ah, 2009 was a fine year. So why do I have cupcake on the brain now? In 2010? Which is supposed to be the year of [...]
Pan Fried Noodles with Ground Pork and Baby Chard
Another year, another set of resolutions. Many of the food blogs are buzzing with food resolutions for the new year: try new cuisines, tackle that certain cookbook, cook more veggies,etc. I haven’t made any for the year because let’s be honest, I won’t keep any of them. If you’re in the market for recipes that’ll [...]
Oven-Braised Duck Legs with Five-Spice Powder
Most cookbooks I own have the same format: a list of recipes organized by protein, starch, or vegetable. Sometimes there might be a section dedicated to breakfast or dessert, but by and large it’s very straightforward. The one cookbook I own that doesn’t follow this format, however, is A Platter of Figs by David Tanis. [...]
Earl Grey Crème Brûlée
It’s kind of fun to say, right? It rhymes! I’d like to think that the food I cook at home is reasonably healthy. I mostly use olive oil, lean-ish cuts of meat, and healthy portions of vegetables, but I won’t shy away from small amounts of butter or a dash of half and half here [...]
Review: Spiced Pecan Pumpkin Waffle and Pancake Mix from Williams-Sonoma
Rourke and I have this agreement, where he cooks Sunday breakfasts for me. Isn’t that sweet? Since I cook dinner most nights, I decided to broker this deal long ago so that a) I’d get a break from cooking, and b) he’d be keeping it real. He’s a pro at it now and I get [...]
Black Cod en Papillote with Ginger and Scallions
When I was a kid, one of my favorite dishes was steamed whole fish with ginger and scallions, which you can find in most authentic Chinese restaurants. My parents used to make it at home pretty often and it was one of the first things I learned how to cook. The problem is, it can [...]
Brown v. White
In another sign of ever-advancing age, I’ve made the switch from white rice to brown rice. Beautifully perfumed “extra special” quality Thai jasmine rice to plain ol’ brown rice. Comforting, childhood memories bowls of white rice to… brown rice. Bleh. I had tried to make the switch about half a dozen times in the previous [...]
Whole Fish Baked in Salt with Scallion Tomato Oil
When Rourke and I were taking our trip around the world, one of our stops was Paris. Coincidentally, Rourke’s parents were there at the same time for a business trip and they treated us to dinner at their favorite restaurant, Le Petit Zinc. There are two things that I remember about that dinner: That my [...]
Miso Tomato Salsa
I was at the Ferry Terminal Farmers Market one Saturday many moons ago and noticed a bit of hubbub around one of the stands. It looked like people were walking away with some kind of freebie so I beelined it to the tent to see what I could get my grubby hands on. Look! It [...]