Side

Bake/ brunch/ cheese/ my favorites/ one-pan/ Side/ Yotam Ottolenghi

Five-Spice Butternut Squash in Cheesy Custard

The idea of a one-pan butternut squash cheesy custard that I can serve for a festive brunch during the holidays is golden. More than any other…

December 7, 2021

2

Asian/ Madhur Jaffrey/ Pantry essentials/ Sauté/ Side/ Simmer/ vegetarian

Bihari Style Peas and Potatoes | Madhur Jaffrey

What do you cook the week after Thanksgiving? It’s time to clear the overstuffed pantry. Use whatever still languishing, including some prized leftover produce. Two items…

November 30, 2021

1

Blanch/ holidays/ Sauté/ Side

Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Pancetta | Nigella Lawson

Here is another test drive for the Thanksgiving side dishes. I’m making the brussels sprouts with chestnuts and pancetta, a Nigella Lawson’s recipe. It’s all about…

November 23, 2021

1

holidays/ Roast/ Side/ vegetarian/ Yotam Ottolenghi

Miso Butter Onions | Ottolenghi Flavor

Test-driving side dishes to go with the Thanksgiving turkey is currently underway in my kitchen. The miso butter onions catch my attention in Ottolenghi’s Flavor for…

November 9, 2021

2

Appetizer/ Asian/ Fry/ Side/ Simmer/ year round

Chinese Mushroom Dumplings with Sweet Chili Ginger Sauce

So many times I walked by the frozen aisle in Trader Joe’s and tried the hardest to resist the temptation in picking up boxes of Asian…

October 5, 2021

3

Dorie Greenspan/ easy everyday/ Low fat/ Salad/ Side/ summer/ Toss

Cowboy Caviar Salad or Side | Everyday Dorie

I had no idea about the origin of the cowboy caviar or salad until I hear it in Everyday Dorie from Dorie. The salad is often…

September 10, 2021

7

Dorie Greenspan/ easy everyday/ Side

Pimento Cheese | Everyday Dorie

This is my first encounter with pimento cheese. It is a creamy spread made with cheese, pimentos and mayonnaise, often referred to as the pâté of…

August 27, 2021

5

Grill/ Roast/ Side/ Simmer/ two ways/ Yotam Ottolenghi

Lentils with Eggplant and Tomatoes | A Study of Contrast

It’s a study of contrast comparing lentils two ways: 1) lentils with eggplant, tomatoes and yogurt (the “recipe”) and 2) lentil and eggplant stew (the “stew”)…

August 20, 2021

1

easy everyday/ Pantry essentials/ Side/ Simmer/ Yotam Ottolenghi

Puy Lentil and Eggplant Stew | Ottolenghi

I’m excited about learning the nuances and subtleties of cooking by following two similar Ottolenghi’s recipes that yield different tasting results. In these recipes, the ingredients…

August 17, 2021

1

cheese/ Side/ summer/ Yotam Ottolenghi

Baked Ricotta with Figs and Lavender Honey | Ottolenghi

I have all the ingredients on hand to make the baked ricotta with figs and lavender honey I’ve been eyeing on the Ottolenghi’s site. More than…

August 10, 2021

1

mezze (small plates)/ Side

Peanut Butter Hummus | Nigella

When it comes to peanut butter hummus, anything goes as long as there are peanuts in the mix. Unlike the classic hummus, recipe writers and purists…

August 7, 2021

1

Blanch/ Salad/ Side/ Toss

Sesame Peanut Noodles | Nigella

Before my cooking days, I used to make some version of Nigella’s sesame peanut noodles. Mostly, the recipe comes out of my head and my memory…

August 3, 2021

1

Dorie Greenspan/ easy everyday/ Roast/ Side

Oven-Charred Tomato-Stuffed Peppers | Everyday Dorie

Dorie is surprised how much she enjoys the process of making these oven-charred tomato-stuffed peppers. My surprise has more to do with the reactions from my…

July 23, 2021

5

Dorie Greenspan/ easy everyday/ Low fat/ Side/ Soup

Green Goddess Sipper, Soup or Shots | Everyday Dorie

The green goddess sipper, soup or shots remind me of gazpacho, except it’s green rather than red. The green tone comes from the demi-goddess dressing (more…

June 25, 2021

4

easy everyday/ Gluten free/ Mark Bittman/ Other Breads/ Sauté/ Side

“Chorizo” Tacos | Mark Bittman

Is it make-believe chorizo or tofu? The “chorizo” tacos by Mark Bittman are the meatless alternative to the real thing. It might be fake chorizo, but…

June 22, 2021

3

Gluten free/ my favorites/ Pantry essentials/ Side/ Simmer

Turmeric Rice With Tomatoes | Ottolenghi

As far as cooking perfect rice goes, the method by Ottolenghi in this recipe is unparalleled. I base my comparison against the top-of-the-line highly-rated Zojirushi pressure…

June 15, 2021

1

Gluten free/ Side/ Simmer/ Soup/ Yotam Ottolenghi

Soba Noodles with Ginger Broth and Crunchy Ginger | Ottolenghi

Soba noodles have a special place in my kitchen, because it’s made with buckwheat and gluten-free. Although no one in my family has any issue with…

May 25, 2021

1

Grill/ Side/ spring/ Yotam Ottolenghi

Peas in the Pod with Wasabi Dressing and Furikake | Ottolenghi

Sugar snap peas are so sweet tasting at this time of the year. I can’t have enough of them. Notably, they don’t need much other than…

May 11, 2021

2

Appetizer/ foundation recipe/ mezze (small plates)/ Other Breads/ Roast/ Side/ Yotam Ottolenghi

Oyster Mushrooms Tacos with the Fixin’s | Ottolenghi

The “fixings” is the key word in this oyster mushroom tacos dish in Ottolenghi’s Flavor. What I mean is there is a lot of flexibility when…

May 9, 2021

1

Bake/ breakfast/ Dorie Greenspan/ easy everyday/ Pantry essentials/ Side

Western Frittata | Everyday Dorie

“A frittata is a dish that every cook should know how to make,” says Dorie in the opening sentence of the western frittata recipe in Everyday…

April 9, 2021

7

cheese/ classics/ my favorites/ pasta/ Side/ Yotam Ottolenghi

Za’atar Cacio e Pepe | How to Make Perfect Pasta

How do you make a perfect pasta dish? You know an old adage. The way to Carnegie Hall is to practice, practice and practice… Well, it…

March 23, 2021

2

Fish/ Salad/ Sauté/ Side/ spring/ Yotam Ottolenghi

Panfried Cod with Golden Beet Salsa | Ottolenghi

March has brought us to a brighter spot and, perhaps, an end to the covid restrictions started a year ago. What a year it has been!…

March 9, 2021

1

Appetizer/ enriched dough/ my favorites/ pasta/ Sauté/ Side/ straight dough/ Toss/ Yotam Ottolenghi

Saffron Tagliatelle with Ricotta and Crispy Chipotle Shallots | Ottolenghi

I feel lucky to have this dish, saffron tagliatelle with ricotta and crispy chipotle shallots, in front of me for dinner. Yes, the title is long…

February 23, 2021

2

Bake/ Dairy free/ Low fat/ my favorites/ Side

A Vegan Crispy Mushroom Galette with Olive Oil Crust

For lovers of mushroom galette, the crispy mushroom galette is a cut above — because of its special offerings. A base of aromatic leeks, rosemary-laced mushrooms,…

February 19, 2021

1

Appetizer/ convection steam/ Side/ Steam/ whole wheat/ Yeast bread

Steamed Flower Buns with Scallions (Hua Juan) | Year of the Ox

A dear friend gave me rolls of her beautifully handwritten red couplets around this time a year ago in Hong Kong. How the world has changed…

February 9, 2021

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