I was out of town last week and happily had many delicious restaurant meals. The downside, though, was that by the end of the week I was feeling a tad gross from all of the rich food. While I did try to exhibit some restraint when ordering, it was really difficult to say no to [...]
Posts under ‘Recipes’
Farro of the Unknown
Farro is one of those grains that has always caused me pause – what exactly is it? how do you cook it? will it be mushy? I was plagued with doubt and avoided cooking it for quite some time. The other day I swallowed my fear and decided to do some [...]
Adventures in Healthy Cooking
For some people it’s birthdays. For others it’s a New Year’s resolution. Or even a trip to the doctor. Everyone gets inspiration for eating healthier from different places. For me, it’s the fact that I’m getting married in seven months and I agreed to pay someone a substantial amount of money [...]
Guilt-free Fish
Even if you’re not a nature documentary junkie, it’s hard to ignore the fact that our oceans are in danger. The media reports how plastic is littering the seas and beaches, choking seabirds and poisoning fish. Overfishing threatens whole species and irresponsible fish farming destroys habitats and pollutes ocean waters. The seas boil, the skies [...]
Drowned Eggs: Huevos Ahogados
“I’m still here, El Guapo,” shouted the mustachioed bandit to his distraught jéfe, as they caught sight of the rest of their outlaw gang fleeing in panic, away from the tiny Mexican village defended hysterically by the Three Amigos (and a band of Three Amigos look-alikes).
Never mind that after he said that he promptly got [...]
Fried Rice
Rourke was out of town for a few days, so I was on my own for dinner. Left to my own devices, I generally do one of two things:
Experiment. Sometimes this has led to tasty things, and sometimes this has led to awful things that immediately needed to be thrown out.
Scavenge. It is amazing what [...]
Dijon Chicken Stew
The first time I planned to cook for my fiance, I was going to make beef stew. It’s simple, hearty, and perfect for a cold San Francisco evening. As a bonus, it requires you to open a bottle of wine, pour out about a cup to cook with, and then wait for a [...]
Giant Butter Bean & Feta Gratin
I’m cursed by a total inability to cook the “magical fruit” from scratch. Every time I try, I end up with rock-hard nubbins that would be better as pebbles on the bottom of a fish tank than dinner.
Fortunately, there is a wide selection of the canned variety at the store.
While I like bacon as much [...]
Rigatoni with Pork Ragu
Hope everyone had a nice Valentine’s Day!
Whenever I think of Valentine’s Day and food, I inevitably think of ragu. The thought process goes something like this (bear with me, here): Valentine’s Day -> a day when I’m pampered -> Rourke cooks for me -> Rourke likes pasta -> the first pasta dish Rourke ever made [...]
BBQ Pork Buns Two Ways
The steamed, BBQ pork-filled bun, cha siu bao, is like the gateway drug of dim sum. They’re easy to find, inexpensive, and even the worst of them are satisfying in their own way. If you didn’t grow up in an Asian household, there’s a good chance it was the first dim sum you [...]