Korean soy bean sprout and beef soup (kong namul guk)

This is a soup from my childhood, and I have been craving it in recent weeks. We followed this recipe: https://www.beyondkimchee.com/beef-and-bean-sprout-soup/ Our modifications: first, we used 1/4 lb center cut ribeye beef (instead of 1 lb beef), but we kept the marinade ingredients and amounts the same (since they also season the broth). We thinly…… Continue reading Korean soy bean sprout and beef soup (kong namul guk)

Korean spicy braised sea bass with daikon and chrysanthemum greens (maeuntang)

We made this recipe from Maangchi: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/maeuntang. Like Maangchi, we used 2.5 lb seabass (bronzino), approx. 2 whole fish, each cut into 4-5 crosswise pieces. Our modifications: first, to manage the spice level, we reduced the Korean coarsely ground red pepper to 1/4 cup (down from 1/2 cup). The next time, we may increase to…… Continue reading Korean spicy braised sea bass with daikon and chrysanthemum greens (maeuntang)

Mushroom barley soup

During this cold weather, we craved a hearty, vegetable-heavy soup. We tried this recipe: https://www.sipandfeast.com/mushroom-barley-soup/. This was a tasty, healthy, and satisfying meal. Our modifications: first, we slightly increased the fresh mushrooms to 1 lb cremini, 4 oz shiitake, and 4 oz oyster mushrooms. We washed them, dried thoroughly with dish towels, removed the stems,…… Continue reading Mushroom barley soup

Italian tomato frittata (frittata de pomodoro)

We had cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and hard cheese on hand, so we tried this recipe: https://memoriediangelina.com/2024/08/08/frittata-al-pomodoro-tomato-frittata/. Our modifications: first, we halved the recipe (1 garlic clove, 4 eggs, 10 cherry tomatoes, and 2 Tbsp fresh basil). We discarded the garlic clove after browning it (we didn’t see a later use for it in the…… Continue reading Italian tomato frittata (frittata de pomodoro)

Italian-style chick pea and orzo soup with mustard greens

On this chilly day, we craved a healthy, warming soup. We tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015767-chickpea-stew-with-orzo-and-mustard-greens?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share. It was very tasty and satisfying. Our modifications: first, for the aromatics, we used 1 small fennel bulb, 1 stalk celery, 1 large leek (white part only and in lieu of onion), and two medium carrots. Second, along with the…… Continue reading Italian-style chick pea and orzo soup with mustard greens

Homemade turkey meatballs in store-bought marinara sauce

We made these Italian-style turkey meatballs from NYT Cooking: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018723-turkey-meatballs-in-tomato-sauce?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share. Our modifications: first, we doubled the recipe. In the doubled recipe, we also reduced the salt in the meatball mixture to 2 tsp (from 1 Tbsp). Second, to manage sodium in the marinara sauce, we combined 32 oz (4 cups) Rao’s marinara sauce with 16…… Continue reading Homemade turkey meatballs in store-bought marinara sauce

Italian-style spinach and ricotta manicotti

My husband had a craving for stuffed shells, and we settled on spinach and ricotta manicotti. We tried this recipe: https://www.recipetineats.com/spinach-ricotta-cannelloni/. Our modifications: first, we used 1 lb uncooked manicotti shells, which were the right amount for the spinach ricotta filling. The stuffed shells also fit in a 13 x 9” baking dish. Second, instead…… Continue reading Italian-style spinach and ricotta manicotti

Korean spicy leftover turkey soup, pressure cooker style (turkey gomtang)

We made a buttermilk-marinated turkey breast for Thanksgiving (see Note 1 below), and we decided to make a post-Thanksgiving recipe inspired from my childhood: leftover turkey slow-cooked broth (gomtang). We also picked up a few tips from this post: https://kimchimari.com/spicy-turkey-leftover-soup-korean/. First, remove as much cooked turkey meat from the turkey carcass (here, the breast bone…… Continue reading Korean spicy leftover turkey soup, pressure cooker style (turkey gomtang)

Simple (3-ingredient) mac and cheese

Mac and cheese is one of my husband’s favorite dishes. I always imagined it was too complicated to make at home, but we decided to try this recipe from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt: https://www.seriouseats.com/ingredient-stovetop-mac-and-cheese-recipe. It ingeniously calls for 6 oz each uncooked elbow macaroni, evaporated milk, and freshly shredded cheddar cheese. Our modifications: first, we doubled…… Continue reading Simple (3-ingredient) mac and cheese