In the last week or so, in what seems to be the norm for this time of year, B2 and I have been basking in a much-needed respite from a couple of busy months at work. Mostly this has consisted of me procrastinating all my non-urgent responsibilities by streaming the Olympics for ...
fall
pasta alla vodka
The very good news is that we've officially moved into a place to call our own in LA (hurray!) and the accompanying not-bad news is that, because we got rid of all our furniture in our move last month, we're very slowly figuring out how to furnish it (adjusting to new and foreign concepts like What Makes Sense or What Looks Nice and not ...
“sukiyaki” soba noodle soup
A few months ago, a couple of friends introduced us to a soba restaurant in Midtown called Soba Totto, and introduced me to a world of wonders. Soba noodles are fast working their way up my list of favorite noodles, with their resilient bite and nutty flavor, and they were never ...
breakfasts in bed
thanksgiving leftovers “red beans” & coconut rice
I'm boring when it comes to leftovers. (Strategy: Remove from refrigerator and eat. Alternatively, freeze, forget about, then find three months later and still eat.) My mom, on the other hand, makes magic with them -- I can't remember a single time that she tossed out leftovers in our kitchen, or a time that we didn't ask for the rest of our dinner ...
apple pie hotteok
We're scheduled to fly back to Hawaii in a little less than a month, and an email has already landed in our inboxes from my adorable mother-in-law, asking whether we want galbi or spicy ahi poke when we land. (It actually came through like, two weeks ago.) B2's mom is my favorite for all kinds of reasons, but I love this about her -- every time we ...
potato, garlic, & leek soup
Every once in a blue moon, usually when we're just about to fall asleep, B2 likes to come up with ideas for things I should cook next. I use "ideas" loosely, because it's mostly a sleepy, intentionally goofy dialogue that consists of "what about ..." followed by ...
date & maple butter tarts
So I think I'm about five years late to this party. But I am newly, and really, obsessed with dates. They are so good. How are they so good? I don't know how I was so woefully misinformed, but up until a couple months ago I had this idea that dates were just a vague something to be nibbled on at your grandmother's house if all the ...
kabocha & caramelized onion galette
As much as I dread fall (mostly because of the season that-shall-not-be-named that comes after it), I have to admit that I secretly enjoy more things about it than any cold-weather hater should have the right to. There's the undeniable coziness of multiple layers and fuzzy slippers, the soothing weight of a heavy comforter at night, the crisp ...
caramelized onion & roasted garlic pasta
A couple of months ago I stumbled on this caramelized onion and yogurt pasta by Diane Kochilas. It's just like it sounds -- tangles of caramelized onions and thick, strained Greek yogurt, tossed with ...