Grilled Corn with Chili Lime Butter
Another summer BBQ necessity is grilled corn on the cob. The fresh sweet corn from California is next to none, and so when I was back home preparing for my mom’s birthday dinner, she was very eager to point out her recently acquired stock of summer corn ears (she had gone Costco-warehouse-style, the entire … Continue reading
Sautéed Okra with Garlic
Okra, also know as lady’s fingers, is quite popular in Mediterranean and Asian cuisines. I have usually eaten them in stews or curries, but I think this vegetable is delicious enough to stand on its own. I picked up a bunch at my local wet market and decided to do a simple and light saute. … Continue reading
Penang Achar
Achar is a word used in many Indo-Aryan languages for “Indian pickle.” This dish is composed of a variety of vegetables that are essentially pickled by being blanched in vinegar. This achar is particularly delicious to be eaten the next day when all ingredients infuse together. We prepared this dish during our Penang Cooking Class, … Continue reading
Sautéed Wild Mushrooms with Herbs
This simple side dish is often served in steak and Italian restaurants, and I order it without fail each time I find it on the menu. I decided to make these mushrooms to accompany some Sirloin Steaks, along with Crisped Roasted Mini Potatoes and Glazed Pearl Onions. In my effort to explore more local produce, … Continue reading
Crisped Roasted Mini Potatoes
I was looking to make some side dishes to accompany Sirloin Steaks and of course I had to cook some potatoes. I was contemplating making mashed potatoes, such as Thomas Keller’s Purée of Garlic Potatoes, but I was not in a dairy kind of mood. I decided to try out another Keller potato recipe instead … Continue reading
Baba Ghanoush
We first made baba ghanoush a few weeks ago for a Mediterranean-themed dinner my friend was hosting, and we were amazed how simple it was to make. The next time I went grocery shopping, I stocked up on eggplants as I knew we’d be making this deliciously creamy dip again. We originally followed this recipe … Continue reading
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
I decided to roast some sweet potatoes to serve with my Almond and Pecan Crusted Chicken. I prepared these sweet potatoes in the same fashion I do for all my vegetables: coating with some olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Simple is best! A lot of recipes suggest adding maple syrup and a … Continue reading
Palta Reina
Palta Reina was one of the first dishes Jen and I tried once we crossed the Andes into Chile last year. After eating some ridiculously delicious cows and lamb in Argentina, Chilean cuisine was a nice change of scene. Many of the dishes were still on the heavier side (Chileans LOVE their mayo), but we … Continue reading
Cauliflower Steaks with Olive Relish and Tomato Sauce
I found this recipe randomly on epicurious.com when I was searching for hearty appetizers for my Christmas Eve Eve dinner. What appealed to me is the combination of all the ingredients I really love: cauliflower, tomatoes, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, etc. I made a few changes to the original recipe, which I will note below. Cauliflower … Continue reading
Garlic Parsley Potatoes
This dish is also called our “scrap potatoes” because this was thrown together with a bunch of leftover ingredients from our Thanksgiving Eve dinner. I used the excess herb butter juices from the Whole Roasted Chicken, extra potatoes from the Purée of Garlic Potatoes, and fresh parsley from the Marinated Mushrooms. Every time I make … Continue reading
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