May 2011
39 posts
3 tags
Duck with Orange Gastrique
There are a lot of recipes that I come across that I can’t cook because I have no idea where to get some of the ingredients. But when I came across this recipe, I became so determined to find a way to make it. The problem was, I had no idea where to find duck breast. So I called around and of course, Whole Foods comes to my rescue (that place has everything!). They had fresh duck breast...
2 tags
Herb Grilled Vegetables
I was in search for a side dish to complement the Duck with Orange Gastrique. I didn’t want to make something too complicated so this recipe was perfect. It was simple, quick, flavorful, and healthy.
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Herb Grilled Vegetables (adapted from Food Network):
Yields 2 servings
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 red...
April 2011
19 posts
4 tags
Panko Crusted Asparagus with Soy Garlic Aioli
Every time I cook something for the boyfriend, he has a reflex response of, “Mmmmmmm. This is SO good!!! Best ever.” He says this even before he takes a bite, and it’s the sweetest thing but sometimes, I can’t tell if it’s as good as he says. But today, he responded in a completely different manner.
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After he took a bite of the asparagus, he said, in a...
3 tags
Pumpkin Donut Muffins
When I came across cinnamon and sugar doughnut muffins on other cooking blogs, I was immediately smitten. They looked so good, I was almost drooling! So I set out to make my own doughnut muffins, but not the usual cinnamon and sugar ones. I wanted to do something a little bit different and luckily, I came across Martha Stewart’s pumpkin doughnut muffins. While I was reading this recipe for...
3 tags
Shrimp Spring Rolls
It never crossed my mind to make spring rolls at home. I always thought they were too difficult to make and I didn’t even know where to go to find rice paper. But after perusing through several cooking blogs, I realized that it was somewhat feasible.
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Rice paper can be found at almost any Asian supermarket. I found them at my local Ranch99 market for $1.39/12 oz package. And...
2 tags
"Cakey" Strawberry Buttermilk Pancakes
Ever since I started cooking, I swore that I would never make 2 breakfast items: waffles and pancakes. Waffles because I don’t make enough waffles to invest in a waffle-maker and pancakes because I always screw them up somehow and it never turns out the way it’s supposed to.
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Well today, I conquered my fear with the most amazing recipe. I absolutely loved the...
2 tags
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
The boyfriend’s friend has been staying with us for the past week so I was excited to have another mouth to feed. He asked if I could make buttermilk fried chicken so I searched and searched for the absolute perfect recipe. That’s when I came across Emeril Lagasse’s recipe using his “Original Essence” spice.
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I was immediately drawn in because I love...
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Cheesy Popovers
I’ve been wanting to make popovers for quite some time but I was torn because I wasn’t sure if it was worth it to buy the popover pan. But when I came across this mini popper recipe that doesn’t even require the pan, I was ecstatic! (But let’s face it. I’m eventually going to buy one anyway.) It was easy to make and tasted amazing with its subtle cheesiness and...
2 tags
Chocolate Macaroons
So I was supposed to be working on my 10-page infectious disease paper on the ebola virus but I decided to make macaroons instead. It didn’t require much ingredients nor did it take much time to make so it was a perfect distraction.
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Now I’m not the biggest fan of macaroons but with these, I really enjoyed the chewy, sticky texture of it. And what’s amazing is how...
4 tags
Strawberry Torte
I always thought that roll cakes were the hardest things to make but when I came across this recipe, it seemed completely doable. So I set out to make this oh-so-simple roll cake but I completely underestimated the complexity of it! I not only had to make sure that the egg whites weren’t over-beaten and that the heavy cream was whipped fluffily but then there was the whole situation with...
2 tags
Buttermilk "Cookies"
I was so excited to bake these cookies when I came across this recipe because it not only requires so little ingredients but I had a full carton of buttermilk to use up. But as I was making this, I realized that there was no sugar involved. What kind of cookie has no sugar in it?! So I began to freak out and thought this was a failed recipe but once I bit into the “cookie,” I...
4 tags
Banana Blueberry Muffins
I had 4 really ripe bananas lying around and I felt guilty about throwing them out so I researched some recipes and came across a “healthy” banana blueberry muffin recipe. I’m not the biggest fan of making healthy baked goods so instead, I used a banana muffin recipe and added the blueberries at the end. Of course the muffins turned out to be more banana-y but the blueberry...
4 tags
BBQ Chicken Quesadilla with Smoked Tomato Relish...
So this was my second Bobby Flay recipe and I’ve realized that Bobby Flay likes to make the simplest dishes into the most complicated ones, which is probably why I like his recipes so much. This recipe wasn’t very difficult or anything but it was EXTREMELY tedious. It took me a couple of hours to make and my feet were burning like no other. But in the end, it was worth all the time...
3 tags
Baked Panzanella Caprese
My favorite ingredients are mozzarella and balsamic vinegar so when I saw Giada making this dish, I was immediately filled with euphoria. The only thing that held me back from making this dish was the fresh basil. Every time I buy fresh basil, it’s never very fresh. It’s always wilted and a bit old-looking. But when I watch Food Network, all of the chefs have these herbs in the form...
2 tags
Crumb Cake
It’s been really hard to find a decent crumb cake. I’ve had the different crumb cakes at Starbucks and they weren’t that great, probably because it was non-fat and all. The last time I remember having a really good crumb cake was during high school at the cafeteria, which is quite sad.
So I thought I’d make my own crumb cake for the very first time today and it was a success. The bread part was...
2 tags
White Chocolate Butterscotch Chip Cookies
There was this one week where I baked a different cookie recipe each day. Some recipes were more fancier/difficult than others but the boyfriend seemed to like this one the best. I even made chocolate madeleines and he still liked this one better! I think it had to do with the thinness of these cookies. There’s a certain crisp to it that’s very crunchy yet somewhat soft. It’s...
4 tags
Shrimp Scampi with Angel Hair
I’m always a bit skeptical when it comes to cooking with white wine because I had a really bad first experience with it. But when I came across this recipe, I decided to face my fears and give it another try. This time around, I didn’t use the two buck chuck from Trader Joe’s and instead, used a moderately expensive Sauvignon Blanc. Apparently, the rule is to cook with a wine...
1 tag
French Toast
I absolutely love making french toast. It’s not only easy and quick to make but you already have most of the ingredients right at home. You could use up somewhat old bread for your dish but I actually like to use the freshest of breads. I buy my sandwich bread at a Korean bakery (Tous Les Jours) because they have this daily baked bread made with whipped cream, which makes it super light...
2 tags
Hot Wings
So the boyfriend was craving some hot wings and since he likes his food EXTREMELY spicy, I had to find a recipe that was hot enough to satisfy his taste buds. After searching endlessly for the perfect recipe, Bobby Flay finally came to my rescue. I instantly liked his recipe because it called for 3 different peppers, but I was a bit worried since I had no idea where to find some of them....
