All posts tagged: Home Cooking

Korean red chili pepper stew (gochujang jjigae)

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A Korean-American friend of mine told me a while back that I must have been Korean in my previous life. I just love Korean food, even dishes that she thought would be too spicy for many people. I used to devour her homecooked lunch. LOL! I do love Korean food but most of the dishes are laden with sodium. I learned that because of long and very cold winters in Korea, Koreans pickle vegetables for preservation and in order for vegetables to be available during the winter season. I am so thrilled that I have been finding Korean food blogs featuring Korean dishes that are very quick and easy to make. Lucky for me, being in the Bay Area, the spices that are essential in cooking Korean food are very accessible. I am just a short drive away from a Korean market. I decided that I want to try to make more Korean dishes so I loaded up on kimchi, gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste), gochugaru (Korean chili powder) and doenjang (Korean soy bean …

Easy garlic noodles (vegetarian version)

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First of all, this is not a sponsored post. In fact, this recipe does not even contain Sriracha in it. LOL! I just could not resist getting the Sriracha mug set last Christmas. It is just the cutest gift set for Sriracha lovers which included an oversized mug, chopsticks, chopsticks holder and a small bottle of this Asian hot sauce. If you have had a chance to dine at Crustacean or Thanh Long in San Francisco, then you probably understand Bay Area residents’ obsession with garlic noodles. (Thanh Long is Crustacean’s sister restaurant.) Not just garlic noodles but THE GARLIC NOODLES served at Crustacean or Thanh Long. Many people from the Bay Area tried (still trying) to duplicate this signature side dish from these San Francisco institutions which are known for roasted Dungeness crabs paired with a plate of buttery, garlicky garlic noodles. I tried recipes in the past given to me by friends who swore by “It is exactly like the garlic noodles from Crustaceans!” NOT! Not even close. Now, I would not say …

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 …