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Hearty Lentil Stew with Smoked Pork Hock
I had to pull up the last garden carrots today. If I’d mulched, I’m sure they could’ve stayed in the beds a while longer, but there weren’t many left and I wanted a few different colors in this lentil stew. There’s a heavy blanket of snow on the ground now, and it looks as though it’s here to stay a while. As much as I love the winter holidays, I think I’m not quite ready this year. Last summer had such a late frost that a lot of the plants were just reaching maturity. My green thumb is still itching for a harvest that will never come. Regardless, there’s not…
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Risotto with Pink Oyster Mushrooms and Cinnamon
It hasn’t stopped raining for two days. My soul is waking up a little bit, and in some ways, it’s an uncomfortable transition. I think a lot of Busy People Who Don’t Like Being Busy can probably relate… but when I’ve got too much on my plate, I sort of turn down the volume on my emotions, relationships, and the things I tend to enjoy. Which, go figure, makes the work I’m so flooded with, a bit boring despite its creative nature. I’m glad it’s changing. I’m glad I’m slowing down and coming back. And pink mushrooms instigated that change. I’d gone to the market for some pretty heirloom tomatoes.…
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Japanese Dinner Party | Chashu (Braised Pork Belly) with Cold Soba & Cucumber Salad
Chashu, i.e. Japanese braised pork belly, is Japan’s gift to the world. Most Americans may be familiar with its place atop a steaming bowl of tonkotsu ramen, but the dish is much more versatile than first glance implies. The thin slices can be individually frozen and stored together in the freezer for months (we ALWAYS have some in our freezer). And while you can absolutely pop a few pieces into your instant ramen for a 5 second glow-up, they can also be used in stir fries, with dumplings, or on a simple bowl of steamed rice. If you thought bacon made everything better, get ready for a life upgrade. Now,…
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Chicken and Wild Rice Soup with Shiitakes and Vermouth
If you’ve ever made martinis at home before, chances are you have a bottle of vermouth sitting in the back of your fridge, slowly turning to vinegar. Well, maybe you don’t. But I did! And that’s what inspired this recipe. Even a quite dry vermouth is going to be a sweet alcohol compared to most, and I had a lot to get rid of. So I needed some extremely earthy, savory flavors that could ground all of that sweet tanginess. And boy, did this do the trick. I started with a base of my “creamy” chicken broth (which is just my regular chicken broth at a rolling boil instead of…
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A Japanese Picnic Pt. II | Onigiri Two Ways
Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls) Two Ways For the Onigiri: 1 c. uncooked calrose or Japanese sushi rice water 1/2 t. salt 1 T mirin For the Fillings: finely chopped kimchi, liquid squeezed out tuna Salad (add mayo, mustard, and spices to your taste, but don’t make it very wet/mushy) nori sheets, cut into strips sesame seeds (regular or black) To make the rice: Add the rice to a heavy, medium-sized pot or the bowl of your rice cooker. Add enough water to cover the rice by a centimeter, then mix with your fingers until water becomes milky and opaque. Strain out the water, and repeat the process until the water…
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A Japanese Picnic Pt. I | Wasabi Coleslaw
Japanese-Inspired Wasabi Coleslaw 1 medium sized head of bok choy or napa cabbage 1 c. shredded or julienned daikon radish 1/4 purple cabbage, shredded 4-5 green onions or scallions, finely chopped 3 T rice vinegar 1/2 c. mayonnaise 1 t. wasabi paste (or to taste) 1 T white sugar 1/4 t. ground ginger 1/2 t. garlic powder 1/2 t. salt For the coleslaw mix: Thoroughly rinse bok choy or napa cabbage, then cut into thin slices or shred. To a large mixing bowl, add shredded cabbage, daikon radish, purple cabbage, and scallions. Toss to mix. For the dressing: In a small bowl, add vinegar, mayonnaise, wasabi paste, sugar, ginger, garlic…
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Simple Herb Flatbread Crackers aka “The Fancy Cracker”
Hey all you cracker lovers. I’m doing this weird experiment where I’m going to start putting my recipes at the top of the blog post. I know. It’s revolutionary. But it might honestly just confuse people since we’re all so used to scrolling to the bottom. We’ll see I suppose. Simple Herb Flatbread Crackers 2 c. all purpose flour 2 T sugar 1/2 t. salt 1 t. dried or freshly chopped herbs of choice 3 T olive oil 2/3 c. cold water Combine flour, sugar, salt, and herbs in a medium size bowl. Mix thoroughly. Add oil, and mix with fingers until you get a crumbly, shaggy dough. Next, add…
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Garlic White Bean Soup with Kale and Bacon
I know soup season is over… but I’m not going to stop being me, okay? I’ll do my best to refrain from soup, but it’s going to happen sometimes. Even when it’s above 70 degrees outside. Now, this recipe in particular was inspired by my firm belief that enough garlic will send any cold attempting to take over my body packing. Is this belief rooted in science? Not really. Does it probably only work because of the placebo effect? Possibly. But I’m a willful believer. And I had the sniffles. So needless to say… if you’re not a fan of garlic, just move along. This recipe ain’t for you. It…
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Vegetarian Asparagus Carbonara
Did you know today, April 6th, is national carbonara day? I didn’t either. But I saw it on Instagram and I believe! I’ll never turn down an excuse to make creamy pasta. Especially when it’s such a simple, fool-proof sauce. If you’ve never made carbonara before, the only trick to it is making sure your pasta isn’t too hot when you add the egg yolks, otherwise you may end up with scrambled eggs as a sauce. Not yum. It really isn’t too scary though, and you can always err on the side of keeping your dish too cool, which will just make the sauce take a little longer to thicken.…
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Basic Dutch Baby + Savory Spring Dutch Baby with Hollandaise
For anyone who doesn’t follow my Instagram, Myles and I have big news: we’re chicken parents! Even though it’s been more dreary than sunny the last while, we’re buzzing with the idea of spring. I have nearly all of my plants started (I keep saying I’m done, and then I buy more seeds… oops), and the chicks have officially entered their ugly-teen-stage. Things within the house are very much alive, just waiting to burst through the doors once the weather allows. Really, once the man who’s building the house next door allows. We’re situated at the top of a little hill in our little town. It’s nice during flood season…
ADVENTURES IN FOOD, TRAVEL, AND PHOTOGRAPHY
