Cookbook Club – Cinco de Mayo In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we did a Mexican themed Cookbook Club in May. We sourced recipes from three places – Joy of Cooking (2019 Edition), America’s Test Kitchen, and Chef John’s Food Wishes. Feast your eyes on the whole fiesta on my Cookbook Club site. For now…
Tag: Side
Loquat Jam
It’s loquat season and trees in my neighborhood are loaded down with fruit. Most people seem to have the trees for decorative purposes and don’t realize that loquats are fantastic eating… which means I luck into an abundance of loquats! A friend of mine has a loquat tree in her backyard and has been making…
Zuppa Toscana
Zuppa Toscana is the best soup at Olive Garden. It’s actually the only reason I ever go to Olive Garden. So now that I figured out how to make it at home, I guess I don’t have any reason to go to Olive Garden anymore. The Instant Pot makes this extra quick and easy to…
Instant Pot Pinto Beans
I rarely cook beans, mostly because it takes FOREVER. But not with an Instant Pot! I finally got one and have been experimenting, with varying levels of success. It’s been a process, gradually figuring out cooking times, liquid quantities required, and seasoning when you can’t taste as you go. This was the first Instant Pot…
Braided Loaf
Cookbook Club – Magnolia Table, Volume 2 In March, the Cookbook Club explored a little part of the Magnolia cult… I mean “network”… using the Magnolia Table, Volume 2 cookbook by Joanna Gaines. If you couldn’t tell, I was a bit dubious going in, and you can find out whether or not the meal turned…
Warm Cabbage Salad
We tried a new restaurant for my birthday, and the best thing we had was a Warm Cabbage Salad which consisted of a roasted napa cabbage steak topped with green goddess dressing, parmesan, and crispy anchovies. I have been thinking about that salad ever since, so finally decided to try re-creating it at home. My…
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes in Olive Oil
Cookbook Club – Graze Graze: Inspiration for Small Plates and Meandering Meals was an ideal cookbook for Cookbook Club. Going from dish to dish trying little bites of many different things is what we’re all about. To meander alongside us through the entire enticing meal, go to my Cookbook Club site. For now – my…
Bruschetta
I love bruschetta, but can’t bring myself to order it in a restaurant because it is so easy and inexpensive to make at home. The first time I made this bruschetta for my boyfriend he said, “This is the best bruschetta I’ve eaten in my life… and I’ve eaten a lot of bruschetta!”. Guessipe Toss…
No-Knead Crusty Bread
A friend of mine shared this no-knead bread recipe with me a long time ago, and I’d made it a ton because it was so easy and delicious. The original recipe called for bread flour, but noted that you could also use all-purpose flour. I’d made it both ways, until one day I went to…
Mushroom-Scallion Soup
Cookbook Club – Joy of Cooking (2019 Edition) We have used Joy of Cooking for a Cookbook Club event before, but this time we focused specifically on the 2019 edition, which has hundreds of new recipes and modifications to some of the old ones. To get our tiny taste of what this extensive cookbook has…
Jalapeno Cilantro Yogurt Dip
I needed to throw together a quick appetizer for a party, so I rummaged through the fridge and found Asiago cheese, yogurt, cilantro, and a jalapeno that I needed to use up. Looked like the makings of a pretty good vegetable dip. Brought it to the party and it was a hit… both as a…
Banchan – Tteokbokki
Another of my successful new banchan was this Tteokbokki (stir-fried Korean rice cakes). I’ve made Tteokbokki several times before, but never been really satisfied with the Guessipe until I hit on this one. Typically Tteokbokki is made with the cylindrical rice cakes, but I prefer the way the sliced ones get crispy edges. Guessipe 1/4…