the glimmering sesame

Dinner is served! White BBQ chicken thighs, grilled potatoes,...

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:39:47 -0400

Dinner is served!

White BBQ chicken thighs, grilled potatoes, and leafless salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, and avocados). Leafless salad only because SX isn’t a fan of baby spinach, which is the only green we have in the fridge. I was really happy with how it turned out because today was the first time I had used the grill! Thank you America’s Test Kitchen for teaching me how to properly use the grill. Successful dinner!

Pancakes made from scratch I substituted half of the all purpose...

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:07:11 -0400

Pancakes made from scratch

I substituted half of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour. In addition, I ran out of buttermilk and substituted with whatever dairy I had. If you choose to substitute the buttermilk, you’ll miss out on that delightful tang that buttermilk provides. These pancakes puff up quite nicely.

Nothing like freshly made pancakes to beat the nursing school blues.

Recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/instant-pancake-mix-recipe/index.html

Birthday cake for a friend! Traditional yellow cake with instant...

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Birthday cake for a friend!

Traditional yellow cake with instant fudge frosting. The frosting for this particular recipe can be made quickly in a food processor, making it easy to make fast and easy clean up

Recipe from: Sky High Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntman and Peter Wynne

This is a great book with well-written recipes for any occasion cake.

A quick pickled cucumber salad Cucumbers tossed in a mixture of:...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:34:00 -0400

A quick pickled cucumber salad

Cucumbers tossed in a mixture of: rice wine vinegar, black sesame seeds, soy sauce, minced garlic, and togarashi (Japanese dried chili powder).

Grown-up version of Oreos Chocolate sable cookies with white...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 19:50:21 -0400

Grown-up version of Oreos

Chocolate sable cookies with white chocolate ganache filling, a fancier version of the Oreo cookie. Making these cookies was extremely frustrating, as the recipes I consulted were poorly written and omitted very important details. In addition, I tried using these new Totoro cookie cutters I received as a gift from a friend. Unfortunately, the combination of such fragile, temperamental dough and workmanship of the cutters was a bad mix. The ears, feet, and whiskers of the Totoros kept falling apart. Using a wine class ended up working much better. Definitely opt for a solid shaped cookie cutter.

Recipe (but be cautious): http://www.gilttaste.com/stories/4960-tko-recipe-thomas-keller-s-take-on-the-oreo

Tips:

- The filling needs to be refrigerated overnight to achieve the appropriate consistency to sandwich two cookies together.

- Use cocoa powder instead of flour in between cookie cutter usage to prevent sticking.

- The dough will eventually come together, but it’s very fragile and temperamental Just stick it in the fridge if you end up needing to work it a lot.

- This recipe takes a lot of time and patience. So set aside a good amount of time.

Toast with Soft-boiled egg, Spinach, and Smashed Avocado...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 17:08:33 -0400

Toast with Soft-boiled egg, Spinach, and Smashed Avocado sprinkled with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and freshly cracked pepper

Strawberries and cream biscuits I actually pulsed mine together...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 23:41:00 -0400

Strawberries and cream biscuits

I actually pulsed mine together in the food processor, which could be a reason why mine aren’t as fluffy as smittenkitchen.com’s. Clearly, a pastry cutter hasn’t made its way into my cluttered kitchen…yet. Also, could be a mix of old baking powder too. But, I’ll take what I can get after a failed attempt at making dough for calzones; twas a sad baking day in my household for the past few days…

Recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2012/06/strawberries-and-cream-biscuits/

Caramelized lemongrass chicken thighs

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:15:52 -0400

Caramelized lemongrass chicken thighs

I made soybean milk from scratch and in the process you have a...

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 10:00:00 -0400

I made soybean milk from scratch and in the process you have a lot of leftover pulp. It’s still pretty nutritious and can be utilized in a variety of preparations.

Here I have stir fried minced pork, minced scallions, minced ginger with some soy sauce, black pepper, oil, and salt. Then once the meat has cooked, I added in the leftover pulp and kept stirring it in the pan until the bean pulp cooked (because it’s only been soaking in water, it’s still raw). It helps to add some water during the process, but the end product should be a bit on the dry, powdery end.

It’s great sandwiched in manto (plain steamed buns) with you tao (Chinese fried crullers), or even in congee/jook/rice porridge.

Homemade Crispy Roasted Pork Belly Surprisingly much easier than...

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 20:31:00 -0400

Homemade Crispy Roasted Pork Belly

Surprisingly much easier than I thought. As you can tell from my pictures, I was only able to get strips of pork belly from my local supermarket. Next time, I would ask if I can get a single, whole slab piece, as it’s much easier to work with.

Recipe from: http://thehungrygiant.net/2012/02/27/chinese-style-crispy-pork-belly/

When the boyfriend is away, I usually just whip up a bunch of...

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 20:54:39 -0400

When the boyfriend is away, I usually just whip up a bunch of easy, fast, colorful salads for meals. Really simple and delicious.

Magic Custard Cake One very loose batter gets transformed into...

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 16:37:28 -0400

Magic Custard Cake

One very loose batter gets transformed into three distinct layers during the baking process. I have to admit, I agree with various bloggers and commenters that this loose batter can be a bit nerve wracking, in the sense that you don’t really believe that this watery batter will turn out into this finished product, but it does! And it’s delicious with great texturally-distinct layers. The middle is like a pudding custard, with the top a fluffy cake.

I did use the 4 drops of vinegar added during the egg white whipping method. I also used the whisk to gently fold and mix the stiff egg whites and wet batter together. I used parchment paper for easy cake release from the baking pan.

Pictures aren’t the best and I was too lazy to find my sifter for the powdered sugar top, but at 4 AM in the morning. Not too shabby pictures.

Recipe: http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/magic-custard-cake/

If anything, over the last 8 years I’ve learned how to...

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:12:49 -0500

If anything, over the last 8 years I’ve learned how to make a mean steak, how to make a great, simple vinaigrette, appreciate soft ripened cheese, and enjoy luscious slices of prosciutto di parma.

Blueberry Sweet Rolls I have a hard time with yeasted baked...

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 10:00:14 -0500

Blueberry Sweet Rolls

I have a hard time with yeasted baked goods. There are some many variables that can go wrong and it can be very hard to troubleshoot. My apartment is always so cold and sometimes I just don’t have the patience yeasted recipes need to develop that flavor. So, my goal this year was to try harder and be more successful with yeasted baked goods.

Here, I was able to get my dough to proof twice, but I had let them over proof the second time. So, my finished product isn’t as pretty, as the roll layers aren’t as distinct. Also, I may not have kneaded enough times, as I personally thought the texture was a bit off. However, my classmates happily devoured the entire pan quickly.

Also, I didn’t get that delectable, sticky fruit juice glaze from my blueberries either. So, I was a bit disappointed with the finished product. Next time I’ll stick with the raspberries. I am happy that yeasted goodies are getting a bit easier, as they resemble the end product more. Hopefully the next yeasted baked good will be more successful!

Recipe: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/12/16/raspberry-swirl-sweet-rolls/

How Did Our Brains Evolve To Equate Food With Love?

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 20:16:22 -0500

How Did Our Brains Evolve To Equate Food With Love?: Interesting read!

When making dumplings, if you plan on using napa cabbage, make...

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 15:33:47 -0500

When making dumplings, if you plan on using napa cabbage, make sure to shred finely the leaves and salt afterwards. The salting will help bring out the extra moisture and prevent a watery, finished dumpling product. It doesn’t take very long, but it’s a very crucial step.

Here, I used 5 scallops (diced), mirin, carrot (finely diced),...

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 10:00:19 -0500

Here, I used 5 scallops (diced), mirin, carrot (finely diced), oyster mushrooms (finely diced), hijiki, cooking wine, dashi, and soy sauce mixed into 2 cups of uncooked rice.

Recipe from: http://nozamama.blogspot.jp/2012/09/kaiyaki-miso.html

Sugar and Spice Candied Pecans Another nut recipe to try out....

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 10:00:19 -0500

Sugar and Spice Candied Pecans

Another nut recipe to try out. The last recipe (praline pecans) was more of a glazed nut, while this recipe yields more of a crumbly, streusel coating. Great for snacking in class!

Recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/12/sugar-and-spice-candied-nuts/

Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Pizza Sticks Going to a Super Bowl Party,...

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 16:32:00 -0500

Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Pizza Sticks

Going to a Super Bowl Party, but have no idea what to bring? Make cheesy buffalo chicken pizza sticks! Buffalo chicken wings and pizza combined into one ultimate game day food item.

Eat them as is, or with ranch or blue cheese dressing drizzled on.

I used rotisserie chicken and store bought pre-made pizza dough to make this recipe quickly.

Recipe: http://www.inspiredtaste.net/18318/cheesy-buffalo-chicken-pizza-sticks/

A weird rendition of what is supposed to be kaiyaki miso, but...

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 10:00:00 -0500

A weird rendition of what is supposed to be kaiyaki miso, but since I didn’t have the scallop shells themselves, it’s just an omelet with scallops, miso, and scallions made in a frying pan. :(

Recipe from: http://nozamama.blogspot.jp/2012/09/kaiyaki-miso.html