- Documenting the journey through my kitchen, a pinch of salt at a time.
Posted in Beverage, Brazilian, Recipe, Travel on Jan 21st, 2009
While Chicago and other cold parts of the U.S. is welcomed with nail-biting, chilly, below-zero winter weather (like now), there are other places on Earth that are pleasantly embraced with the warmth of summer (those in the southern hemisphere). I was fortunate to visit one of these places in November, and by the title of [...]
Posted in Cooking class, Italian, Pasta, Recipe, Technique on Dec 21st, 2008
Earlier this month, I attended a pasta making class at Terragusto, one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Chicago (it might be safe to say, one of my favorites, period). I truly admire their emphasis on cooking with fresh locally grown foods, and how they value quality over quantity in what they serve. Plus, their [...]
Part I demystified the process of making homemade stock, which may have led you to think, what now? Oh, the possibilities…To make things simple, I ended up cooking Vegetable Orzo Soup, my spin-off of chicken noodle soup. It may seem way vanilla to you, but I have always craved chicken noodle soup of some sort [...]
Thanksgiving dinner was pleasant this year. I enjoyed the traditional fixings of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and broccoli casserole with Sean’s family. After dinner, I proceeded to seize the item in the kitchen that I had been eying all evening: the turkey carcass. I finessed this endeavor by simply being the only person [...]
Pardon? Okay, let’s try that again. Fig, Prosciutto, Arugula, and Parmesan sandwich. Yes, that’s a mouthful! But you will soon see that it is truly a delightful mouthful once you try out this combination. On a side note, I often chuckle at the infinite number of acronyms (and jargon) that exist in today’s world, especially [...]
Posted in Appetizer, Recipe, Side Dish, Turkish, Vegetarian on Sep 29th, 2008
My coworker Zeynep, who happens to be from Turkey, made red lentil balls for a bridal shower and I was immediately drawn to them because they were unique, tasty, and something that I’ve never tried before. They were a big hit as an interesting vegetarian finger food for the health-conscious. The recipe featured below is [...]
Taking a skip down memory lane, here is an excerpt from Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, a familiar childhood classic: …I do not like green eggs and ham! I do not like them, Sam-I-am. You do not like them. So you say. Try them! Try them! And you may. Try them and you [...]
I label myself as one who does not bake…often. Can I see myself as a pastry chef? It might be a hard feat. Perhaps not using an oven for over 16 years to make baked goods still haunts me to the point where the oven is a foreign machine that remains untouched unless absolutely necessary. [...]
Posted in American, Breakfast, Recipe, Vegetarian on Jul 27th, 2008
As mentioned previously, breakfast is an essential part of my day. For some odd reason I consistently wake up with a growling stomach that screams “feed me!” Even if I feast on an occasional large dinner the night before, the growling stomach persists without fail. I have eaten countless types of food for breakfast in [...]
Posted in Cantonese, Main Dish, Meat, Recipe, Vegetables on Jul 20th, 2008
Beef broccoli is probably one of the most popular entrees at a typical Chinese restaurant. Oh yes, it’s right up there on the charts with fried rice, chow mein, sweet and sour [name your meat], and pot stickers. I often chuckle at these various dishes because of the Americanized stereotype associated with them, essentially portraying [...]
