Lemon and Poppy Seed Olive Oil Cake with Crème Fraîche

I Now Have the Simple Lemon Cake I’ve Always Wanted. As with my orange cake, I had a situation where I’ve never been perfectly satisfied with any lemon cake I’ve ever made. Typically, they don’t have enough lemon flavor or they’re a little dry or the crumb is not what I want. I decided it […]
Fried Salmon with Peanut Yogurt Sauce

A Different Spin on Salmon. Wow, Is It Good! I had a taste for salmon. But I didn’t have a taste for baked, grilled, or pan sautéed salmon. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what I wanted. Then it struck me that I’d recently made chicken karaage, a Japanese fried chicken recipe, and thought […]
Asparagus, Beet, and Blood Orange Salad with Burrata

It’s Even More Delicious Than it is Beautiful. As you can see, this is one gorgeous salad. It’s the kind of food I love the most. And this time of year, when asparagus is looking really good, I start eating it in all kinds of ways. As much as I love a quick roast at […]
Zesty Chili Butter

Here’s a Flavored Butter You Won’t Soon Forget. I’ve seen Calabrian chili butter around for awhile, but had never tried it. After getting my hands on some good Calabrian chilies packed in oil* I decided to put my own spin on it and make up a batch as I imagined I’d like it to taste. […]
Goat Cheese Toasts with Korean Pear and Spicy Honey

Oh, Man. These are So Good You Won’t Believe It. This all came about because I bought Korean pears at my local Korean grocery store. Now, I’ve bought these many times in my regular grocery store and even at Costco, where they’re simply labeled Asian pears. But what I’ve discovered is the pears that actually […]
Kimchi-Inspired Perilla Leaves

These Marinated Herbal Leaves Really Elevate a Plain Bowl of Rice. I don’t know if you’ve ever tasted perilla leaves. They’re big leaves that taste similar to mint and basil, but have a decidedly more intense and grassy flavor that also reminds me of deeply flavored spices. I bought these for the first time a […]
Pasta with Pork Ribs, Tomato, and Miso Mushroom Butter Sauce

Sunday Pasta Sauce is a Tradition for a Very Good Reason. This recipe is 100% pure comfort food for me. On average, I get in the mood for a slow cooked tomato based pasta sauce every couple of months. Probably more often than that, now that I think about it. And I make different variations […]
Cheddar Pie with Kimchi and Chinese Sausage

An Unusual and Very Tasty Twist on the Classic Cheese Pie. I’ve been using the kimchi I made in quite a few recipes and here’s one of my favorites. I added it to a creamy cheddar pie to which I also added sliced Lap Cheong – Chinese sausage*. If you’ve never eaten this sausage, it’s […]
Slow-Roasted Strawberry Ricotta with Fried Dumpling Wrappers

Creamy Ricotta Dip with The Best Chips I’ve Ever Tasted. I don’t know if any of you have ever slow-roasted strawberries. I mean really slow-roast – 250° for at least 3 hours, and as many as 6. You simply put the strawberries in a pan/dish packed closely with a little sugar and let them slowly […]
Hibiscus Steak Sauce Over Grilled Ribeye

The Bright Flavor Pairs Perfectly with a Rich Steak. It’s been quite awhile since my son purchased dried hibiscus petals* for use in an ice cream recipe he was working on. We’d been so impressed with their flavor, not to mention the brilliant color, but it was one of those deals where I’d think about […]