Just Putzing Around the Kitchen

Maple Fudge Cupcakes

I’m in a great mood this weekend. Dan and I are happily settled into our new condo, the kitty is doing very well, we finally have furniture in our bedroom, and I passed the bar exam. How do I choose to celebrate these wonderful events? Nights of debauchery? Fine dining on the town? Nope! I…read more »

Chinese Birthday Meal

I have the best mother on the planet. I know everyone thinks their mother is the best, but take my word for it guys…mine is the greatest ever. She’s beautiful, glamorous, wildly intelligent, kind-hearted, and generous to a fault. She’s always there for me when I need her, I’m pretty sure her life goal —…read more »

Creamy Spinach and Mushrooms Stuffed Pasta Shells

Man, it’s been a while since my last post! It’s not that I haven’t been cooking — I have, I swear. Pork chops, stuffed chicken breasts, soy-glazed salmon, etc. I just haven’t been able to find time to take pictures/blog about it. I started my clerkship back in September, and then Dan and I moved…read more »

Cherry Peach Bread

A new day, a new Hannah Swensen recipe to reproduce in my kitchen. Today’s book was “Key Lime Pie Murder,” and it contained a delightful-sounding recipe for Peach Bread. My parents used to love eating my Cranberry Walnut Bread for breakfast, so I figured they might like to try another fruit-flavored loaf. In typical Tina-in-the-kitchen…read more »

Strawberry Blueberry Custard Squares

Now that the bar exam is over, my life is my own again. I get to sleep in past 7 a.m., I don’t have to care anymore about who really owns Blackacre, I can have hobbies again, and most importantly, I can finally read for pleasure whenever I feel like it. So, I was pretty pumped…read more »

Spinach & 4-Cheese Quesadillas

Yesterday was the second gathering of the Summer Supper Club, and it was Mexican night. After a long and painful week of bar studying, we needed the comfort of oozing cheese and guac and sour cream to help us unwind. So we blended up some mango margaritas, parked ourselves on my couch, and feasted on…read more »

Slow Cooked Pulled Pork

Thanks to Southern night with the Summer Supper Club, I’m getting my second guest blog. This post is courtesy of my good friend Karen, who made slow-cooked pulled pork for our feast. I’m writing the post on her behalf, because she is too busy with bar review class to type it all out (technically, I…read more »

Oven-Fried Pickles

In lieu of the southern-themed dinner with the Summer Supper Club, I decided to make some fried pickles to snack on throughout the meal. I’ve only ever had fried pickles once before, but I found them to be absolutely delicious — crispy, salty, sour — and totally addictive. Like pistachios, they are impossible to stop…read more »

Shrimp & Grits

In an effort to make post-graduation-bar-exam-studying less painful, my friends and I have decided to start a dinner club and take turns hosting potluck dinners once a week. We call it the “Summer Supper Club,” and each dinner will have a different theme. Today’s inaugural dinner theme: Southern Comfort. So we feasted on pulled pork…read more »

Crepes with Nutella and Strawberries

Crepes and I have kind of a tense relationship. Back in junior year of high school, when I was young and inexperienced, I started “dating” a guy named Mike. I use quotes because I was 15, painfully awkward, and completely out of touch with my girly feelings — I had no idea how to deal…read more »