Chocolate chip cookies

For the past few Christmases, I've made some kind of sweet treat to send to my relatives. I started it one year when I was especially poor and thought a homemade gift would be best. In addition, since I have a lot of relatives, the pressure to get them all something was too much, so sending them a box of chocolate truffles or cookies seemed a nice way to a) use my one talent [and I use the word 'talent' very loosely here]; and b) give something that could be shared by many.

I did it! Pasta carbonara

Have you noticed my ever-growing list of foods I want to make over on the right sidebar? Pasta carbonara was one of the first on the list. I have been fascinated by carbonara for a while now. I think it was the idea of a raw egg being mixed into some hot noodles. How could that work? Isn't that some kind of health code violation?

Nonetheless, I tried it, first at Otto. I thought it was deliciously simple.


Making it, however, was a different story.

More chocolate, in the form of a cookie

For the past few weeks, I have had to stay up for work until as late as 1 am. I wouldn't have any actual work to do, but I would just have to stay up in case the client needed something. It's incredibly hard to stay up that late when you have nothing to do.

Thankfully, I could do this from the comfort of my own home and usually I would pass the time watching TV or movies or surfing the web. But this would make me tired and make it even more difficult to stay up (I did once fall asleep--shhh, don't tell).

Chipotle espresso chili

I make chili all the time. It is sort of a go-to meal for me, especially in the winter and especially due to the time when I was more vegetarian than not.

I've tried a few varieties but for the most part, I stick to a formula of onions, garlic, canned diced tomatoes, beans (always black, sometimes kidney or chick), sometimes ground turkey, and corn if I have it. Chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper are usually the only flavorings.


But not too long ago, I saw this recipe online and was drawn to the photos of the resulting chili. It was dark and thick and indulgent. I had to have it.

Spaghetti squash with sun-dried tomatoes and an egg

Ok, I admit it. I am a sucker for fad diets. The first time I heard about the Zone diet (from a college professor who had joined our table at dinner one night in the campus dining hall), I immediately took steps to alter my eating habits accordingly (he said it was about having roughly the same amount of carbs and protein, so whenever I would have pasta, I would add an equivalent amount of tofu to my sauce--at the time, I wasn't eating the school's beef).

Chocolate, glorious chocolate

I made these for the Mexican Chef's housewarming party.

I bought instant espresso powder specifically for this recipe. Ordinarily, I refuse on principle to buy something that I will only use for one recipe. I relented in this case because I noticed it coming up on several chocolate-based recipes so I figured I would use it again in the future.

Turns out, it makes a great cup of coffee.

Just-an-ordinary-day pasta

Most of the time when working late, I usually slap together some kind of "dinner" with leftovers, pre-packaged foods and/or (rarely) take-out. It involves maybe one pan and usually the microwave. Sometimes I don't even use a plate. It tastes fine and I'm usually satiated, hunger-wise, but it's not really satisfying.

How I spent my Thanksgiving

Wednesday nightAfter working much later than I had anticipated (and being majorly depressed after learning that I would have to cut my Thanksgiving break short in order to be on a work call on Friday), I ran home to prepare the stuffing. I chopped, I sauteed, I mixed. It was glorious.


This* is the stuffing recipe I've been making for years (the printout copy of this that I have is dated 2002--yikes). I've looked at other stuffing recipes but this one is special and unique without being overly complicated. As usual, I have my modifications:

Cornbread

This is perfectly sufficient cornbread. Good but not spectacular. Which is why it's great for stuffing--it provides a yummy buttery flavor without overwhelming the rest of the stuffing ingredients.

The original recipe is from a bag of cornmeal I bought a long time ago, cut out and saved in a little recipe book (ah, the olden days before recipes could be bookmarked on your computer). It's the same as the Gourmet recipe that follows the stuffing recipe I use, except that the Gourmet recipe uses double the amount of butter.

Brussels sprouts--practicing for T-Day

Every year for the past few years, I have participated in a Thanksgiving potluck with a surrogate family of New Yorkers who live too far from their real families to travel for the holiday. Well, I have my cousins, but the other two families that are involved are not blood relations, just close friends of my cousins. The first year we did this was such a success that we are now on our fourth year. It's great fun--we go upstate to my cousins' country house, have a gourmet brunch/lunch (I'm talking caviar), play outside, cook, eat some more then play games. This year, one of the other families is hosting at their country house and there will be two dogs to add to the fun.

Potato leek soup

I've always had fond memories of potato leek soup because of this adorable cafe next to the office where I worked years ago. It was a wonderfully creamy soup which made me think it was much too indulgent.


Then I actually looked up the recipe for it in the Joy of Cooking and while you can add cream to it, it is optional. The creaminess, I've discovered, comes from the potato.

Guacamole

I meant to post this with the enchiladas. Where does the time go?


I make guacamole essentially the same way as salsa. I like my guacamole with the works: red onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapenos, salt, pepper. Sometimes I'll throw in some chopped tomatoes but I didn't have any on hand.


I can't show you a picture of the finished guacamole because I ate it all before I could take any photos all of my photos turned out blurry.

(In)authentic chicken enchiladas

I do not vouch for this recipe--it is the most inauthentic enchilada recipe you could possibly encounter. But I don’t care because it was heavenly. Although I was alone while eating it, I actually said “Oh My God” out loud after my first bite, it was that good. (Me? Humble?)

Sloppy turkey joes

Taking the sandwich to another level
I've mentioned before how my 'American' tastes were developed based on pre-packaged foods. The other (probably more direct) source of my American tastes was my elementary school cafeteria. There, I was introduced to chocolate milk, spaghetti, tacos, pizza and... sloppy joes. My brother and I would return home after school and beg our mom to make these exotic foods for us. Which is what led to the pre-packaged varieties, because how would my mom, a recent immigrant, have any idea how to make such foods?

Anti-carrot mushroom barley soup

Most soup bases involve onion, celery and carrot. I dislike carrots. I fully admit that this soup could very well benefit from the addition of carrots but I refuse to put them in. I know, I'm setting a poor example for my future children. Of course, in an act of parental rebellion, they will probably love carrots.

Second attempt at pickles

My pickle (and sandwich) obsession continues...


Proportions of this pickle brine:

• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 3 tbsp salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 garlic cloves

Salty and sweet and not too vinegar-y (I thought my first attempt was overwhelmed by the vinegar).


Great results--my best, if I do say so myself. Especially good when topped with some turkey bacon as part of a TBLT.

Pickles

When I was in college upstate, I had a rather unhealthy obsession with the cafeteria pickles. They had these pickles out next to the sandwich station only during weekday lunches (and not at every lunch either), and lunch was one of the more difficult meals to get to during a day of running from one class to another. So if I had a chance, I would stock up on the pickles, ideally to store in my mini-fridge for another time (although I would inevitably eat them all with whatever sandwich I'd just gotten).

Using pesto

Tagliatelle with shrimp

• Shrimp quickly marinated in some pesto and pan-fried
• Dollop of pesto added to pan
• Heat off

• Mix in noodles
• Add a little olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

• Garnish with lots of grated pecorino

Mmm.

Pesto

I have re-visted using fresh basil. I just could not resist buying a bunch at the greenmarket. And although I said I was reluctant to make pesto because I could not find enough uses for it, I made it anyways. I also just wanted to use my new food processor.


This is actually the second batch of pesto I've made this summer. The first batch I used regular garlic but for this one I tried some roasted garlic I had leftover from making oven-roasted tomatoes. Other usual suspects: pine nuts, olive oil and salt.

Toasting is key

I've been on a bit of a sandwich kick lately, which started with my first banh mi. I know, I'm so behind the times. Actually, until fairly recently, I did not have very easy access to banh mi, but now there's a place just a few blocks away. Besides the fact that I love pickled veggies and cilantro, I've determined that these sandwiches are good because the bread is toasted just so--not too crispy, not too soft.

Caesar salad

I've been positively buried in work lately. But no matter how busy I am, I try to cook, and when I do, I take photos with the intention of posting them. If I get really busy, like now, I end up with stacks and stacks (or lots of RAM) of photos, just waiting to be uploaded. So although I made this Caesar salad a few weeks ago (!), I am only now getting to posting it (even though I should be in bed as I have a 7:30 am flight in the morning for work, ugh).

Smooth operator

I have, for no good reason, been intimidated by my blender.


But then I saw this article not too long ago in the Times and it sounded so easy I thought I'd give my blender another chance. I love the suggestion of freezing over-ripe bananas, as I've had issues with bananas in the past. And it is true, if you use frozen bananas, you don't need ice.

Fourth of July pasta salad

Have you ever seen that 'Friends' episode where Monica and Phoebe plan a surprise party for Rachel, and Monica controls all the details, as usual, leaving Phoebe in charge of only cups and ice? And Phoebe, insulted that Monica leaves her with a seemingly meaningless task, goes way overboard with like five different types of cups and different kinds of ice (including dry ice)?

For our Fourth of July barbecue, I volunteered to bring either a salad or dessert. I figured I'd be assigned dessert, because I make desserts a lot. I got assigned salad. Salad! Who eats salad at a barbecue?

Well, I'm glad I got assigned the cups and ice salad because I discovered this incredible salad dressing/dip. The key ingredient is the slow-roasted tomatoes which I admit are time-consuming but well worth it.

Easy cocktail sauce

Sometimes I eat things purely for the sauce or toppings that accompany it. When I used to eat hot dogs, I was much more interested in the relish, sauerkraut, or onions that could be added to it. I love the peanut dipping sauce that comes with summer rolls. Even sushi must be eaten with soy sauce and pickled ginger.


So it is with shrimp cocktail.

The root of it all

My love affair with gobo (aka burdock root)--which my dad loves--has sort of a backwards history. I didn't remember that my dad liked it so much until fairly recently when I discovered how much I liked it. The earliest and only memories I have of the existence of gobo are when my father and my aunt craved it while they were recovering, separately, from ailments (pneumonia, heart surgery).


These memories were triggered recently when I was served some at a celebration for the Mexican Chef's daughter's one-month birthday. The Chef's mother had set out some gobo which I instantly devoured. I'm hoping they didn't notice but I really attacked that little bowl in front of me, plus the one that was set out an arm's length away (and probably the one at the other side of the table). I could not stop eating it. I asked my friend's mother how she prepared it and I confess I can barely remember what she said (was it the accent? did I drink too much sake?).

Salsa, from New York City

Growing up in a Korean household in America meant that eating any non-Asian foods was considered 'American food' regardless of the type, and was typically the pre-packaged variety: spaghetti sauce from a jar, mac and cheese from a box, hamburgers from the golden arches. I didn't even understand the concept of making 'American' food from scratch until I was older. Now when I look back, I realize that my taste for these foods relies on the store-bought/fast food/packaged kinds I had as a child.


Take, for instance, salsa.

Fishing for inspiration

During my food-inspiration drought, reader NL sent me his delicious-sounding recipe for fish:

cod, diced ginger, garlic, a few bags of green tea, brown sugar, soy sauce and japanese doenjang (ha, instead of 'korean miso') poached in enough water to cover the fish. ate it w green beans in chicken broth and black bean paste and some brown rice.

I find preparing fish to be, quite frankly, daunting. I've tried it before, having the most success with pan-grilling salmon which seems to hold together pretty well, but fish just wasn't something I had in my day-to-day cooking repertoire. For one thing, it's expensive and it goes bad fast. But I really needed to try something different, to break out of my cooking funk.

Bounty from the farmer's market

One of my favorite pastimes is going to the farmer's market, although the crowds can get annoying (especially with the construction going on in Union Square, ugh). For various reasons though, I haven't been able to go for the past couple of weeks and as a result, I've been rather depressed--I had no groceries and no inspiration to cook. This weekend I finally got a chance to go to the farmer's market again. And whoa.


Watercress, burdock root (aka gobo), radishes, cilantro, sugar snap peas, apples, oh my!

Old-fashioned sugar cookies

Don't these look like the cookies that the Cookie Monster eats?

I have now deemed this my go-to cookie recipe. The last time I made these my little cousin Sam said they were her most favorite cookies ever. This is high praise from a child (or maybe it isn't--she does only eat foods that are white or beige). I like this recipe because it is so simple and requires basic ingredients that I always have on hand: flour, baking soda, lemons, sugar, butter, eggs. Seriously, that's it. It did take me a few tries (and a few pounds around my mid-section) to perfect it to my liking.

#1 tuna salad

David Letterman's Top Ten Lists; Top Ten [fill in the blank] from High Fidelity; the tip lists from the Happiness Project... I don't know what it is about lists but if I see a headline with a number like "11 speedy ways to get ready for summer" I cannot stop myself from reading it.


My inspiration for this mayo-less tuna salad came from yet another list: #5 of "101 Simple Appetizers in 20 Minutes or Less" (with a bonus number component--time!).

Trying to use up: over-ripe bananas

Confession: I don't like bananas. I know, what the hell is wrong with me? It's just that I have to be in the right mood for a banana, and then when I am, I like ripe bananas, so ripe they're peppered with spots. But markets don't sell them like this. So sometimes I'll buy under-ripe bananas, hoping that I'll be ready to eat them when they are perfectly ripe.


This was the case recently, and I managed to eat two bananas before I got sick of them. I still had three bananas left. I could see them getting more and more brown, beyond ripe-ness, bordering on rotten. Suddenly it was trash day and I thought, I can throw these out (but what about the starving children?!) or do something with them.