Polenta in a rice cooker

That's right - I made polenta in my rice cooker. And it was fantastic.

I used to complain about this rice cooker because I felt like it was really slow, taking nearly 40 minutes for a batch of rice, whereas I only needed 20 minutes to make it on the stove. (My mom said that was the sign of a really good rice cooker, but I think she was just trying to make me feel better.) Certainly I can make polenta on the stovetop, as I can with rice, but you have to pay attention more (and I burned the last couple of batches of rice that I've made on the stove, which, as an Asian, is kind of embarrassing). So I like this method because it's totally hands-off and I can do other things while it's cooking.

Sardines and cream cheese

When my brother and I were younger, we would make a snack of crackers topped with cream cheese and green olives, the kind with the red stuff on the inside. I'm not sure what he was thinking, but I considered this haute cuisine back then. Meanwhile, we'd be watching DuckTales or the Smurfs.


I'm still topping stuff with cream cheese. But I'm not watching DuckTales anymore! Because I've graduated to Pretty Little Liars.

Wait - these are my favorite pancakes

I have mentioned pancakes before, even claimed that these pancakes made with whipped egg whites would be the only kind I would ever make again.


I take it all back though - these are definitely the only pancakes I will ever make. The key? Buttermilk.

Roast pork

I know what you're thinking - what could I, someone who never eats or cooks meat, possibly know about roast pork? Well, admittedly not much. I was hoping the Mexican Chef would do a guest post for me, but I think he might still be nursing a hangover.

Nonetheless, here are some tips I got from him before he passed out:


1. Be sure to place your rotisserie machine on your balcony overlooking a little bit of the Hudson River.

Pesto bechamel lasagna

I know, I know - I'm making a lot of lasagna these days. I've made more lasagna in the past couple of months than I have in a decade. But that seemingly bottomless box of no-boil noodles was kind of driving me nuts and I had to use it.

I had bookmarked this recipe for pesto lasagna with spinach and mushrooms ages ago, because I thought it was a contender for using up pesto. I also had a bit of crushed tomatoes sitting in the fridge so this seemed like a good opportunity to use up a decent portion of my stockpile of food.

Mexican-ish chicken soup

My goal of clearing out my pantry is mostly going well... except for those times when I design a dish specifically for a certain ingredient (ahem, canned green chiles) then proceed to omit them entirely. Sigh.

This soup is based on the Barefoot Contessa's Mexican Chicken Soup, which I loved the first several times I made it. I loved the combination of what is essentially chicken soup, but with a twist: the addition of tomatoes as well as a nice kick from some spices. Over the years, I have varied it slightly, cutting down on some of the ingredients, or sometimes making a vegetarian version with beans. This is my latest.