25, Dec 2007
Pho
My last attempt at pho was pretty good but, I thought, needed a bit more depth and complexity to the broth. I decided to look for other recipes, and think about simmering the broth overnight instead of just for 90 minutes. What I ended up trying this time was sort…
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- By mike
2, Dec 2007
Shrimp “Clay Pot”
Taking our Hoi An cooking school clay pot recipe as inspiration, I decided to do my own clay-pot-ish thing. My main idea was to use the idea from that recipe of simmering water with smashed lemongrass in it for flavor. It was snowing and I didn’t want to go to…
2, Dec 2007
Asian Eggplant in Clay Pot
This recipe came from my Hoi An cooking school. It was pretty good, which was saying a lot since I don’t like eggplant. What I liked best was the way the lemongrass flavor came through — I love lemongrass but haven’t really worked out how best to use it in…
29, Nov 2007
Pho
This was my first attempt at making pho. I used a recipe from Nina Simonds’s Asian Noodles book. I didn’t have everything handy and had to make a few changes: garlic for the shallots (next time I’ll use both); anise for star anise; cinnamon for cinnamon sticks. The anise and…
31, Oct 2007
Shells with Bolognese-Tomato Sauce
Another try at your basic pasta with tomato and meat sauce. I think this might be my best fully-homemade sauce so far (i.e. not relying on a flavor packet or anything). and the whole wheat shells were an entertaining change from my usual vermicelli. this makes a lot of pasta…
28, Sep 2007
Chocolate Crackle Cookies
This recipe isn’t mine; I got it from a friend’s mother. tasty. Ingredients 8 oz bittersweet chocolate 1 + 1/4 c flour 1/2 c dutch cocoa 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1 stick butter at room temp 1 + 1/3 c packed light brown sugar 2 large eggs…
28, Sep 2007
Roasted Chicken Breast and Vegetables
Following in my usual habit of making simple chicken for both meals and leftovers, I decided to try roasting chicken breasts in a pan directly on top of vegetables instead of using a roasting rack. This makes a simple one-pan dish, and a lot of flavor soaked into the veggies.…
25, Sep 2007
Marazul
E took me to Marazul for my birthday last night. It’s a sort of asian-latino fusion, which can be a great combination. The menu is big on small plates and combos of trying different things. we opted for several small plates and one entree. The small plates were all good,…
25, Sep 2007
Pegasus Pizza
Recovering from a dinner party extravaganza and a day of pajamas and football, E and I decided to get pizza at west seattle’s much-praised Pegasus Pizza. If I hadn’t known it was well-regarded, I would have been worried when we walked in, since the place exuded every cliche of the…
21, Sep 2007
Corn-Sweet Potato Soup
I wanted to make a simple soup using corn for the main flavor and sweet potatoes for support and consistency. I like blended soups, so I took the usual approach of sauteeing, then simmering for a while, then blending everything. A little curry paste to add some interest and heat.…