Is that crumbled cheese on thy pasta?
It's cauliflower!
Everything else about this pasta is typical: tomatoes, onions, garlic, baby spinach, brown crimini mushrooms, salt, black pepper, EXCEPT the garnish of diced (blanched) cauliflower.
Other than cheese or maybe herbs, how do you like to garnish your pasta?
Tag: cauliflower, pasta
There is something about beets that make people love them. Luscious natural sweetness. But some stay away from them due to the strong earthy after-taste. Hardly find sweet with earthiness in a single ingredient all natural. You get them in beets.
A simple easy way to enjoy beets...roast them!
Great in salads, or as a side-dish
You know? Even I am afraid of excessive beets in a single serving due to the overwhelming sweet-earthy combination. Bits of Beets, a little goes a long way. Don't bid farewell yet.
A Review, sponsored by CSN Stores
I am excited. In addition to a review (sponsored by CSN Stores) coming up in the next month or two, there is also a giveaway I will be holding. YOU GOTTA STAY TUNED. CSN Stores are well-stocked in everything from fabulous cookware to elegant wardrobes. Being a budget-conscious shopper, I am always looking for good deals in their cookware section and I know I can really enjoy some savings if I look closely, especially at closeout sales and promotions.
Secrets to Eternal Youth...in Grapes. Huh?
I have been eating too many cantaloupes this summer. I prefer cantaloupe (orange-fleshed) to honeydew (pale-green-fleshed). How about you?
Both melons have similar nutritional profile but cantaloupe has more vitamin C and beta-carotene compared to honeydew. Throughout summer, these melons were getting cheap to cheaper and me, happy to happier. I thought 77cents for 1 cantaloupe was cheap (I bought it); then till following week in the same grocery store: 49cents per cantaloupe (I bought again). Then few weeks later, 3 cantaloupes for $1 (How could I resist?). Too many cantaloupes I have eaten. I need change. Summer is officially over anyway.
I turn to grapes. How about dark-colored (red or black) vs green grapes? Which do you like?
I am not a fan of eggplants, as some of you have realized in my comments in your blogs or in my own writings.
But I have had this spicy eggplant dish in an Indian restaurant before and found it very delicious. Tomatoes- yes! Once again, if I could encourage you to try bittermelon with tomatoes, why can't I convince myself to do eggplants with tomatoes so that I would eat eggplant?
To create more substance and add more vegetables in this dish, I use another old recipe of mine - okra with tomatoes and include some eggplant mash into an already stew-like dish. Okra is very good in stews since the "slimy" factor perfects the stew consistency. Remember the last time you had Gumbo? Traditionally, one of the key ingredients is okra. Today, however, gumbo has evolved to the point where it is often made without the inclusion of okra.
So I decided to add the mash of one eggplant and make myself eat eggplant.
Can't even see the eggplant....it is that obvious.
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Vitamin B12. Check. Iron. Check. High Cholesterol? Awwwwww........Chicken Liver. I eat them.
Do you?
Many people enjoy chicken liver as chicken liver pate. For me, I enjoy the Chinese Braised Chicken Liver (卤鸡肝) that my friend makes. She cooks it for her growing kid and two of us ladies, also get to enjoy it the same time (Another kid-friendly recipe you might want to try: Chicken Liver with Tomato Noodle Soup). It has got the iron we need as well.
I did ask about Japchae leftovers the last time. Some of you were near spot-on, for example, on using the leftover as filling for spring roll. You are right on using it as filling - not spring roll but burrito.
You may have realized I am not a fan of Mexican food. Probably, the first Mexican food/dish (happens to be burrito) I have tried in California has totally wiped out my love. OK. My bad. I had it coming. Why Chipotle of all places? There are tonnes I can choose from but why there? I don't know. It was the most convenient for me at that time. See? Convenience breeds evil. I DO NOT like so much rice in a wrap (Errr...but I am ok with sushi). I DO NOT like beans and rice in a wrap. Maybe? You know I feel like I am eating a sandwich or some kind of bread or bun filled with rice and beans. It just makes you totally bloated and nothing else.
Or maybe it was also the salty culprit causing my own widespread bias?
BUT but but....when I tried filling my tortilla with Japchae - glass noodles with a medley of veggies, I like it! Spotted that lime above ? Just like how the lemon done great to the "herby-oniony" chicken, the lime is the winning factor over here. Makes a refreshing burrito!
My rice cooker cookbook at Amazon actually has one customer review? Oh wow. Good or bad, feedback is always good as a working cycle. To continue my rice cooker repertoire (soups, stocks, etc.) of recipes, here is another simple dish you could do - Lemony Chicken with Caramelized Onions and Herbs
Sounds easy and really easy.
Prolonged cooking of onions lending sweetness! Sweet, tender, caramelized. Herbs...aromatic.Squirts of lemon...citrusy. (Note: Cut 3-4 dices of smaller lemon wedges out of the regular lemon wedge to make it more "individualized" or "customized". One mini diced lemon per chicken tender strip. Isn't that good?)
Whenever my friend (he is vegetarian) visits a pasta bistro/cafe/restaurant, his selections on the menu are limited. Usually (if not, always), his pasta dish will be tomato-based with roasted eggplant and zucchini. I am for that but there should be more choices.Don't make vegetarians such a bore.
There are so many different type of vegetables (including Asian veggies) that can be used - watercress, green beans, cabbage, etc. Beat the tradition.
This is the all-nuts nutty mooncake (五仁月饼: peanuts 花生仁, sesame seeds 芝麻仁, walnuts 核桃仁, almonds 杏仁, pumpkin seeds 瓜子仁) . Too much nuts that I cannot even see the "paste".
I still prefer the traditional and classic lotus paste with single/double yolk.
While mooncakes are best enjoyed with Chinese tea, what do you think of pairing them with sweet dessert wine? The Black Muscat dessert wine is good with sweet desserts such as brownies and chocolate cookies and even savory blue cheese. If it can be paired with sweet desserts, why not mooncakes? Maybe too sweet? The Black Muscat dessert wine is from Shenandoah Vineyards, Plymouth, California.
I know a lot of talented bakers out there make your own mooncakes. Which flavors have you made this year?
Well, I don't make my own so I buy myself some. If you are buying too, did you stick to tradition or have you bought something unique?
Which is your favorite mooncake flavor?
Pairing of mooncake with sweet dessert wine for
Do you know Amazon is having a Fall Blowout Sale this very moment? It's Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 7-Quart Chef's Casserole with Lid is almost 70% off the list price of $190. After markdown, you pay $55 for a quality casserole. It is selling out fast. Hurry.
Tag: mooncake, muscat
While green beans were aplenty during the last two months of July and August, I made Green Bean Egg Fritters and this simple and nutritious green bean stir-fry.
Look at how diverse the nutrients in green beans? It even has tryptophan - one of the 10 essential amino acids that the body uses to synthesize proteins; plus tryptophan helps you snooze better.
This stir-fry is also jazzed up with woodear mushrooms (黑木耳) that is high in iron. For vegetarians, this dish is high on the nutrition and definitely low on the calories.
The last ice popsicle this summer?
For me, personally, these kale ice pops (popsicles) are better than kale chips. I usually make smoothie out of kale and other fruits but decided to make some yogurt-based kale ice popsicles one day.
This is a slight deviation from Dr. Oz Green Monster Drink. What did I use (or deviate):
Cook's Note: Learn to read your yogurt label. Make sure the major components in your yogurt are Milk and Live Cultures. I do not like aspartame (and/or other sweeteners) in my yogurt. Honey is ok but other sweeteners, preferably not. Also, I do not like low-fat dairies (low-fat milk taste like water! don't you think so?). I enjoy my whole milk and plain whole milk yogurt. :) oops!
This was made using store-bought "meatless" (falafel-type) meatballs from Trader Joes - you can never imagine you can cook this with winter melon, combining the ingredients of two totally different cuisines.
Well, of course you can make your own REAL (non-vegetarian) meatballs when you cook this dish.
Braised Falafel with Winter-Melon
I did not cook this. My friend did. So I am not posting the recipe here. Anyway, there was no exact recipe to follow. She started with lightly stir-frying the winter melon, then added some water/broth to simmer and when winter melon starts to turn soft and tender, add in the store-bought meatballs and allow them to simmer with the winter melon. Salt and pepper to taste if you need. (Note: When the meatballs simmer with the winter melon, the flavors (and savory) of the meatballs have infused into the winter melon mixture and we did not even use any more salt). Some white pepper to spice the dish up a little, yes.
Store-bought + fresh ingredients: does it sound like Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade? Yikes! But I don't like her show. Oops! I do like this dish cooked by my friend though.
Tag: falafel, winter melon
I deleted more than 10 draft posts (with only titles but no contents) that have been sitting in my drafts folder for the longest time. I have forgotten what I wanted to write about these subject titles. And the longer they stay there, the more lost I get, on what to write about them. D-E-L-E-T-E.
This is a simple stir-fry that I will cut short about the benefits and nutrition of Mountain Yam or Nagaimo) since I have said that before in my other yam recipes.
I like it when they serve Japchae (dangmyeon cellophane or glass noodles made from sweet potato starch) in Banchan (small dishes served along with main dishes or course) whenever I visit any Korean eateries or restaurants.
I tried making it at home (my first attempt) recently and it turned out quite successful. I went the salad-route (instead of a stir-fry like some other recipes call for).
Well, the only ingredients I stir-fry and sizzle over the pan are carrot and mushrooms, with some garlic, ginger and green onions. Note: I usually like to sizzle carrots over a little cooking oil as the heat and oil enable the beta-carotene (when consumed) to be better absorbed by the body.
My Magazine Spree
This urge for magazines has always been in me but I have been controlling myself not to buy them (I can just hide in a bookstore and browse through my favorite magazines without purchasing them. I know I am a cheapskate). I started wanting "to own" some magazines when I received a year's free supply of Living - by Martha Stewart early last year. Don't ask me why I got it free cos I don't even know (suspected it was from leaving behind some names/contacts somewhere). After the supply of free magazines ended, I decided: "Maybe it's time to get something for myself, if it is really not too expensive?").
I do enjoy reading online but old non-digital-media embracing me also enjoy flipping the actual magazine. These magazines are easy to bring along whenever I travel and kinda therapeutic in helping me fight boredom in a long-haul flight. Well, it may seems senseless purchase to some of you but I have been on a magazine spree since last Thanksgiving.Yes...when I got myself a USD5.00/year (12 issues) subscription deal on Real Simple. It is like just about 50cents per issue. How could I resist? I got 2 (1-year) magazine subscriptions during last Thanksgiving - Real Simple and SmartMoney.
Then just last week, my hands got itchy again when I spotted some good deals over at Amazon. Got myself into another two (1-year) magazine subscriptions - FastCompany ($5/year for 12 issues) and Good Housekeeping ($3/year for 12 issues). But if you looking for good deals and enjoy leisure magazines like me, look out Amazon for such good deals. Amazon often gives a $5 promo-credit a few months later after your earlier purchase and that is how I got my (12-issue, 1 year) subscriptions for so cheap.
Hahaha...do you call this impulsive shopping?
You must be super darn lucky if you order a clam dish, then each and every clam has its flesh still intact to the opened shell.
Clams sometimes detached from their shells in the process of cooking and can be found "swimming loosely" in the gravy, sauce or broth in which they are cooked.
In the event you picked up some clams (shells already "opened" - cooked), waiting to savor those juicy tender clams from the shells but OH-NO..."empty" clams shells, the clams are not there!!! Just sip the essence of clam-based gravy/sauce/broth from the shells...yes...but how nice it is if you can nibble on some sweet bursty corn kernels? That's a bonus. Lost and found. Lost something and found another?
This word: seafoodiness. Weird word but best describes clams - taste of the sea. Salty. Clams typically turn out savory in a dish so by adding sweet corn kernels, the balance of flavors leveled up.
Clam and Corn Soup [Recipe in The Everything Rice Cooker Cookbook].
How to start:
Look. That is how small my kitchen is right now.
Well in a leased apartment, I don't really care (Truth: I care but money speaks and the dollar sign decides). Smaller kitchen means: I spend less (less $, not less time) on kitchen tools and dishware since I do not have much cabinet space to keep and store them anyway. I digress.
Look again. Notice that empty "airspace" above the sink? I think it is in need of a pot rack. So that I can make space at my stove top (photo above) and de-clutter. Enclume pot racks is all about pot racks: hanging, wall-mounted, freestanding, even pot rack accessories.
My fantasy with pot racks begins with model showroom kitchens where hanging pot racks goes over an island in the kitchen. The signature centerpiece of the kitchen. Now I cannot imagine how practical that is with washed pots and pans still dripping water on the kitchen island top. Is there a catchment area for the dripping water if the pots and pans are not completely dry? I suspect a freestanding pot rack might be more practical. What do you think?
Though I am not in need of a pot rack right now, I am just fantasizing about pot racks of different styles and rack hooks of different designs. A lot of you with new homes and kitchens, I am not sure if Enclume Pot Racks is the source for you. It has a huge selection of pot racks and offers free shipping on all pot racks.
