Monthly Archives: October 2011

Blackberry Cobbler

There has been an explosion of pumpkin themed posts on food blogs lately, and it’s making me crazy. Kind of like how it makes me crazy to see all the Christmas decorations at the mall when Halloween is barely over. I know, I know…pumpkins in October = completely different scenario. It’s fall. The leaves are turning, the trees are shedding, and pumpkins, apples, cranberries, etc., are seasonally appropriate. But you know, the more people try to convince me it’s time to give up summer and its bounty, the harder I want to cling to it. What can I say, I’m contrary like that. And what’s more summery than fat, juicy blackberries? Fat, juicy blackberries in a cobbler. True, the berries being hawked in most...

Aren’t these sausages the cutest things you’ve ever seen??? I see them packed into bentos all the time in the mangas I read, but I never thought they were actually possible to make. So, when I saw a step-by-step recipe for octopus sausages in my new favorite food-themed manga, I knew what my Halloween blog post would have to be. These Hallo-weenies (ha!) are not only super cute, but also ridiculously easy to make. All you have to do is slice the ends off of a couple hot dogs, make six slits in the bottom, and brown the suckers in hot oil. As they cook, the little “legs” naturally start to curl, and when you turn the sausages to brown all sides, the legs...

OK, so my original promise to my friend Peng was that I’d take the General Tso’s chicken I made a couple days ago, wrap it in a flour tortilla with some fried rice and kimchi, and create a “ChiPanda Burrito.” Despite my reservations about the deliciousness of such a thing, I was gonna make it. Really, I was! But you know what they say about the best laid plans… When I started rummaging in the fridge/pantry for burrito ingredients, I realized that I was out of both 12″ flour tortillas and kimchi. Oops. I did, however, have mini corn tortillas and all the stuff for plain ol’ vegetable fried rice. So, I made a quick game-time decision and decided to go with “ChiPanda” tacos...

My friend Peng has been bugging me to make General Tso’s chicken for several months now. He lives in California and is really into the Asian-Mexican fusion thing, so he’s fixated on the idea of a General Tso’s burrito with fried rice and kimchi. I don’t know how I feel about that, but I’m nothing if not accommodating, so here I am…making General Tso’s chicken. You’re welcome, Peng. I don’t usually order General-anything from Chinese restaurants, but Dan loves the stuff. He’s come a long way in his Chinese food-eating habits, but he’ll still pick General Tso/Gao’s chicken over “real” Chinese food any day. Can’t really blame him, though. Breaded, fried chicken bits tossed with garlic and hot chilis in a sticky, sweet and...

Mini Bagel Sandwiches with Turkey, Lettuce, and Tomato

In law school, when I was short on cash (almost always), or on a health kick (every time my jeans felt too tight), I would decide to be good and pack myself lunch everyday. I ate the same thing every single day — turkey sandwich on wheat — but I never got bored of eating it, because I always loaded it down with my favorite fixings. Avocado, lots of leafy greens, cream cheese, bacon, onions…mmm! That’s the best thing about making your own sandwiches, you know — you get to put whatever you want on it, and nobody can charge you extra for anything. Of all the lunches I brought to school, it was my bagel sandwiches that elicited the most looks of envy...

So, Sheryl over at Lady Behind the Curtain has started hosting a monthly Improv Cooking Challenge on her blog. The idea is that two ingredients will be assigned each month, and every participant is supposed to create something delicious with those ingredients. This is my first time being invited to do something like this, and I’m super excited — I think it’s going to be a lot of fun! I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with. This month’s ingredients = caramel + apple. Caramel and apples are two ingredients that go together so well, and are paired in dishes all the time, but I was seriously stumped for a while about what to do. I thought about making caramel candied apples, but...

Banana Whoopie Pies with Nutella Buttercream Filling

So, if you guys were paying attention, you’ll recall that I said there were four over-ripe bananas on top of my fridge. But, only two of ‘em went into my banana cake. That means that as of 7pm last night there were still two mushy (quickly getting mushier) bananas laying around, attracting millions of fruit flies into my home. Aiyahhh! We are nowhere near being done eating banana cake, so the last thing I wanted to do was make another banana-flavored dessert. But, I really hate it when I have to throw food away, and very ripe bananas taste really good in baked form, so…All I can say is, it’s a really good thing Dan and I love banana-based treats. I’ve had this peanut butter and banana...

Banana Cake with Brown Butter Maple Frosting

Dan and I both love eating bananas for breakfast, but we can never seem to eat the entire bunch fast enough. Honestly, it feels like there’s always a point in the week where I walk by the fridge and catch a whiff of over-ripe banana, even if we don’t actually have any bananas lying around. Yes, I suffer from Phantom Banana Syndrome. This week was no exception — we bought a huge bunch of green bananas at BJs, let them ripen for a few days, ate them steadily throughout the week, and by Saturday there were four brown/mushy things fermenting on top of the fridge. Wonderful. It’s a good thing Dan and I both like banana-based desserts. With four large bananas screaming to be...

Last month, Dan and I were up in Massachusetts for his cousin Pete’s wedding. It was awesome; possibly one of the best weddings we’ve ever been to. The weather was amazing, the outdoor venue was gorgeous, the ceremony was short and sweet, the dance floor was jumpin’, and there was an open bar + servers moving through the crowd with trays of margaritas all night. And, most importantly, the food was fantastic. Everything we ate was delicious, but it was the pre-dinner appetizers that really won me over. Mini grilled cheese sandwiches served with tiny cups of tomato soup, bacon-wrapped scallops, smoked salmon-wrapped mozzarella balls, and tiny pulled-pork sandwiches. Dan went crazy for the tangy pulled pork, but my favorite was the smoked salmon/mozzarella...

OK, if you want to get really technical, these “flowers” are pretty much just bastardized crab rangoons without crab meat. I didn’t think that was an appropriate or appetizing title, though, so I fancied up the name a little. But, just as a rose by any other name smells as sweet, a rangoon by any other name is just as delicious…especially when crispy bacon and sauteed onions are involved. Crispy, cheesy, gooey, bacon-y…these wonton flowers are amazingly delicious. They are the perfect appetizer, snack, and/or drunk food. And, if you eat eight in a row like I did…they make a pretty satisfying (if slightly unhealthy) dinner too. Crispy Bacon and Onion Wonton Flowers Ingredients: - 1/2 cup ricotta - 4 oz cream cheese -...

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Monthly Archives: October 2011

Blackberry Cobbler

Octopus Sausages

General Tso’s Tacos

General Tso’s Chicken

Mini Bagel Sandwiches with Turkey, Lettuce, and Tomato

Caramel Apple Pie Cupcakes

Banana Whoopie Pies with Nutella Buttercream Filling

Banana Cake with Brown Butter Maple Frosting

Smoked Salmon and Mozzarella Crostini

Crispy Bacon and Onion Wonton Flowers

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