PPP Cake (Peel, Pith, and Pulp)

Today’s recipe comes from the NY Times Cooking section compliments of Samantha Seneviratne’s Whole Orange Snacking Cake. When I saw this recipe in my email a few weeks back, I was intrigued and slightly skeptical, but after testing this recipe with Cara Cara oranges, I am hooked. This cake is not only easy to prepare, but it is also downright delicious! If you have a high-speed blender, processing the oranges into a paste is easy, although I read that a food processor works as well. Are you curious to try this…

Hot and Sour Soup

Today’s recipe is based on Chef John’s recipe – which produces a tasty Hot and Sour Soup like you get in a Chinese restaurant. The Hot is from the addition of 1/2 tsp white pepper – and truly shouldn’t be substituted. The Sour comes from ChinKiang vinegar, a Chinese black vinegar with a unique flavor profile. Major players in this recipe are shiitake mushrooms cut into thin strips, cubed tofu, and thin strips of bamboo shoots. Ginger and green onion are key supporting flavors and red bell pepper, carrot…

Pasta alla Gricia

Today’s recipe is a classic, simple Italian dish that definitely satisfies – especially on this snowy, winter day. As many of you know from previous recipes using guanciale, I think this ingredient adds a special type of magic to these Italian recipes (pasta all’amatriciana,  spaghetti alla carbonara, and penne arrabbiata ) and should be sought out before just substituting thick-cut bacon. The guanciale renderings are the star of this dish as it is those renderings that form the sauce – that and starchy, pasta water. I used the tips from the Serious…

Experiment: Omurice

Last night I tried my hand at making Omurice – the popular Japanese dish that is a mash-up of fried rice and an omelette. Typically flavored with ketchup (which I am not a fan of as many of you know), I decided to twist the fried rice using a recipe I saw on TV recently. I cooked the rice in a dashi broth – dashi, mirin, sake, and soy sauce – and used that as my primary flavoring. The rest of the fried rice was made with diced onion, minced garlic, diced red pepper, asparagus…

Swimming Rama

Tonight I am making a delicious Thai dish, Swimming Rama, also known as Swimming Angel and a host of other names. It is simply quickly cooked thinly sliced lean chicken or pork, dressed in a coconut based peanut sauce served over wilted spinach and either rice or rice noodles. I made this dish as an ‘Experiment’ post nearly three years ago so this one is overdue for a real recipe. I am going with chicken breast and rice noodles for a simple, yet elegant meal perfect for this Sunday evening. Give it a try…

Crispy Teriyaki Tofu with Stir Fried Broccoli and Carrots

How about starting the New Year with something different?  Teriyaki tofu is the plan for tonight. Paired with stir fried broccoli and carrots for a veggie boost and homemade teriyaki sauce for a depth of flavor that can’t be beat! And easy? This dish is super easy to prepare – perfect for a quick dinner after work or on a busy weekend. If you have made the New Year’s resolution to eat healthier or lose weight, this dish will help you meet those goals. Who says you have to skip taste to…

Ana’s Oatmeal Cookies with Raisins

Happy Holiday’s everyone! Today’s recipe is from Ana and it is her delicious raisin cookies with oatmeal. We named these cookies tongue-in-cheek because of the plethora of raisins – it seems there are more raisins than oats in each cookie and that is not a bad thing (unless you dislike raisins – sorry!) This recipe is pretty easy to prepare and bakes quickly, so there is no reason to not make a batch for some tasty snacking or to share. So enough of my babble, let’s get baking…