Seared Scallops with Corn Velouté

“Seared scallops are very simple to make into a blissful crustacean eat if you follow the rules and don`t over cook it.”  Now every time Kei tells me a recipe is “simple,” he proceeds to detail at least 2 pages of instructions that will take 2 hours to prep and 2 hours to cook… his … Continue reading

Spaghetti and Meatballs

On top of spaghetti, All covered with cheese, I lost my poor meatball, When somebody sneezed… – Tom Glazer (1963) Oh what an epic tale of a lost meatball in the form of a ballad…  there was no point to that, I just had the song in my head. Anywho, classic Italian-American dish: spaghetti and … Continue reading

Shrimp Scampi with Linguine

The first time I made shrimp scampi pasta was with my friend Susie, and  I was amazed by how quick and easy this dish was to make!  We simply sautéd garlic and onions in butter, poured in half a bottle of 3 buck Chuck white wine, threw in some frozen shrimp and some spinach as … Continue reading

Russian Côtelettes

The term côtelettes is of French origin, meaning cutlet or chop.  In Russia, côtelettes has to come to refer to any sort of ground meat mixture formed into patties. For a formal Russian dinner, the serving order of the meal goes cold, hot, then cold.  Typically cold soups like Holodnik and a variety of salads … Continue reading

Shrimp and Tofu Pad Thai

Just like with my Thai Green Curry, I went the lazy route by using prepared Pad Thai sauce from the store. The sauce for Pad Thai is much easier to replicate as it requires considerably less ingredients than curry paste.  Most sauces call for some combination of tamarind, sugar, fish sauce, vinegar, tomato paste and … Continue reading

Chinese-Style Steamed Fish

Chinese-style steamed fish is an incredibly simple and healthy dish that is a great alternative to greasier, fried dishes that tend to predominate Chinese restaurant menus.  When my mom came to visit me in NYC, I asked her to show me how to properly steam a fish, including the process of selecting a fish in … Continue reading

Thai Green Chicken Curry

Thai curry is an incredibly simple dish to make, assuming you use pre-made curry paste from the store rather than making your own.  Even making your own curry paste is not so difficult, but the multitude of hard-to-find herbs and spices you need to grind up for just a teensy portion was enough inclination for … Continue reading

Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa

My roommate is the one who first introduced me to the delicious world of shrimp tacos.  We typically would throw together some cooked shrimp, guacamole, salsa, cheese, and sour cream in a soft tortilla and happily eat away.  I was looking for a way to jazz up the recipe and found several recipes incorporating mango … Continue reading

Easy Asian Bake Salmon

Salmon is so easy to prepare, and even the simplest of ingredients can bring out so much flavor.  Usually my roommate and I will just take a salmon fillet, season it with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and cover in bread crumbs and then pan fry it on a skillet.  So quick and easy!  However, we … Continue reading

Baby Lamb Chops with Cucumber-Mint Relish

To celebrate spring (and have an excuse to day drink), my roommate and I hosted a grand “indoor picnic” party.  We made a bunch of appetizers and gallons of refreshing cocktails.  We even purchased this nifty plastic beverage dispenser so we could easily transport our bar up to the roof at the first sign of … Continue reading