All posts filed under: Cooking

Korean braised tofu (dubu jorim)

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Among the things I missed during the pandemic is being able to eat at a Korean restaurant. We had Korean food delivered to our house for dinner but it is just not the same. It will never be. I miss stuffing myself with over a dozen banchan (side dishes) placed at our table while waiting for our main dishes. By the time our orders of Korean barbecue and dolsot bibimbap arrive, I am usually already full . I did not think that I would ever say this but I miss the smokiness of the Korean restaurant. I used to say that I hate smelling like eau de bbq when having Korean food but now, I do not mind at all as long as I get to eat my favorite Korean dishes. As soon as we feel comfortable to eat out again, we are walking to our favorite neighborhood Korean restaurant. Yes, we are that blessed being surrounded by cuisines of all kinds just mere skip and hop from our house. In the mean time, I …

Easy no-knead garlic and sea salt focaccia

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Me, a baker? After successfully baking the most delicious focaccia, my baking skills have advanced from banana bread level to yeast bread level. In my book that is pretty up there which I initially thought was reserved for real talented bakers. (And I still do not consider myself one but I still cannot believe it that I.baked.a.focaccia.from.scratch.) Before the pandemic, I did not have any interest nor think that I would be able to bake a bread with yeast. With this recipe that I found, not only was the focaccia that I baked was beyond delicious, it tasted like it was baked by a professional gourmet chef. It was so perfect that I can confidently say could rival the gourmet bakeshop down the street from my house. Totally unbelievable that I made it with my very amateur skills! What is mind-boggling is that it was soooooo simple and so easy! Much appreciation for author’s clear easy-to-follow step by step instructions and photos. I am tempted to just provide the link and of course, the full …

Cornbread with green chiles

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Happy first of May and Happy Cinco de Mayo! Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for “5th of May”) is a celebration of Mexico’s cultural heritage and pride. The festivities include parades, mariachi band performances, street festivals and of course — margaritas! Mr Sweetie is Mexican-American which is why Cinco de Mayo is celebrated at our house. (Ok, I admit, it is a great excuse reason to make and drink margaritas at home! This is the one and only time each year that we ever drink hard liquor at home. He is not a drinker while I like wine and champagne, and the occasional drinks with girlfriends.) The idea of drinking fruity margarita on a weekday seems fun and naughty whenever Cinco de Mayo falls on a weekday. However, this post is not about margaritas. It is really about corn bread with green chiles. The recipe has been adapted from the book “Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking” by Toni Tipton-Martin. It is called Spanish Corn Bread in the book. Jubilee is such a wonderful …

Shrimp salad sandwich with sriracha mayo

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Eating this shrimp salad sandwich was like summer in my mouth. It had freshly squeezed lemon juice, chopped crispy cucumbers and celery which were contrasted with the taste of sweet onions. The tangy homemade sriracha mayo perfectly complements the flavors of juicy and plump shrimp. I used toasted sourdough bread to cradle all of these deliciousness. It was truly a medley of flavors and textures. Sriracha is a type of spicy Asian hot sauce. It is made from pepper paste, vinegar, sugar and salt. Vietnamese pho (noodle soup) is often served with sriracha on the side. I have always eaten sriracha with Asian food at mom and pop eateries in the Bay Area. with my friends for as long as I can remember. In the last decade or so, sriracha became a trendy food among foodies and has become mainstream. Check the aisle of your local grocery store. You might find it right next to soy sauce and other Asian spices and condiments. When I made this sandwich it was on a lovely spring day …

Hawaii shrimp food truck- inspired garlic shrimp

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As inspired by our vacation in Oahu in 2019, I re-created the shrimp and rice dish that we had at one of the food trucks on Oahu’s North Shore. Shrimp trucks are popular in Hawaii — just watch Hawaii 5-0 (or not! LOL!) where Kamekono’s Shrimp Truck was a fun mainstay of the show showcasing Hawaii’s local food culture. Please check out my North Shore Oahu Shrimp Truck post here where I posted yummy photos of our shrimp plate and food trucks in the town of Haleiwa in Oahu. This dish is so easy to make and so delicious! Buttery and garlicky shrimp over hot rice make this the ultimate comfort food! Make it as spicy as you want. A little note on vegan butter I also want to mention that in order to lessen the guilt, I used vegan butter for the first time. I really could not tell the difference between dairy butter and vegan. It so happened that the vegan butter was on sale at Costco. The woman right next to me …