tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42694376620580103512024-02-19T00:19:20.018-06:00Notes on a RecipeA collection of recipes, menus, and pictures from my experiments (both disastrous and victorious) with food.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-88476150129279895502010-09-12T20:18:00.000-05:002010-09-12T20:19:01.435-05:00Noodle Bowl! Sometimes it takes someone else getting excited about something to remind you that those things you've grown accustomed to are, in fact, quite amazing.I had the subtle pleasure of going to the giant Asian market, Super H Mart, in Carrollton with someone who had never been. We spent two hours browsing every single aisle, probably driving the regular just-coming-in-to-pick-up-a-few-items shoppers Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-91050361608318709262010-09-07T21:03:00.000-05:002010-09-07T21:03:41.968-05:00A recipe for happiness While everyone (or at least I felt like "everyone") was doing Labor Day stuff with their families, I was stuck in Dallas sans family and feeling pretty bummed about it. I admit, I let it get the best of me yesterday. But as much as I wanted to bawl my eyes out, all I could squeak out was a measly half tear. And then, an idea. There is what's known as a burger institution in Dallas called Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-49554165041823630502010-05-09T13:05:00.000-05:002010-05-09T13:05:48.988-05:00Split Pea Soup Today felt like a split-pea-soup kind of day. This was an odd conclusion for me to come to while shopping at Sprouts (my new Sunday morning ritual) since I've never made nor had split pea soup, and it's May. But the morning was a bit dreary and surprisingly cool, and all the ingredients I figured were necessary for this dish were right there in front of me.Here's what I grabbed / had on hand:1Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-38002684921045025052009-08-09T18:27:00.000-05:002009-08-09T18:27:40.692-05:00Lollipop Pies The boyfriend forwarded a link to a blog post about lollipop pies (or is it pie lollipops?) last week and said to me yesterday, Make those this weekend; that can be your Sunday project. I'm hardly one to turn down a food challenge, so I headed to Central Market to pick up supplies. (That's right: I use any excuse to go to Central Market.)I cheated and bought refrigerated pie dough, but I did Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-36086051994319069122009-05-31T16:42:00.000-05:002009-05-31T16:42:37.829-05:00Mex-Asian Spice Rub This'll be a quickie...we had a package of pork chops in the fridge on the verge of being past its "best by" date. I considered using barbecue sauce, but we just had barbecue for Garth's birthday on Thursday (on May 28th, Garth turned 35! old man...) You really can't have barbecue more than once a week, in my opinion. So I improvised a spice rub with ingredients on hand:Canola oilChili Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-21425077237549337802009-05-31T16:23:00.000-05:002009-05-31T16:23:43.620-05:00A Bluth Experiment I love bananas. If you know me, you know why. (If you don't, it's because we grew up on a banana plantation in Costa Rica & the Philippines.)I also love Arrested Development. Something reminded me of the Bluth banana stand in that show today, and since I made plans not to make plans this weekend, I had time to goof off in the kitchen.Two things you have to love about this: bananas & Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-27771199766647023392009-03-31T21:03:00.001-05:002009-03-31T21:07:56.351-05:00Bustier Cake! This past weekend, I was charged with making a bustier cake (and a penis cake or, as I like to call it, a rocket cake) for a lingerie shower for a friend. I fretted for about two weeks, debating the best method, the right frosting, the decorating...I think I worried more about this cake than I did my last work interview.I did a lot of research (google images) and asked for sage baking advice Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-21938357295760084112009-03-08T19:18:00.000-05:002009-03-08T19:18:55.373-05:00Cake Balls Welcome to my Sunday project! Have you heard of cake balls? I recently discovered these when I ran across an article on DallasNews.com about a lady in Dallas who makes these (and apparently we sell then at Neiman Marcus though I did look online and didn't find any). Since then, I've been talking to (some might say "bugging") people at work asking if they have ever had these, made these, and Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-67419972480177755982009-03-01T19:32:00.000-06:002009-03-01T19:32:24.309-06:00Whole Roasted Sea Bass I hate to admit it, but I have no emotional ties to sea bass like some other people seem to have. From the way some people rave about it, you would think that not only did they eat that delicious sea bass, but they raised it, sent it to school, put an Honor Roll bumper sticker on the minivan for it, and walked it down the aisle. Not me. To be perfectly honest, I picked this up at these up atUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-54467024407066198572009-02-28T12:07:00.000-06:002009-02-28T12:07:50.708-06:00Tres Leches Cupcakes Soak just about anything in condensed milk and top with real whipped cream and chances are I will eat it. Could this be why tres leches cake is just a little too hard for me to resist? Ok, so I have to preface this recipe by telling you that I go to the gym 5 times a week. I have to. There are just some things in life for which you are willing to sacrifice. See below:Tres Leches Cupcakes1 Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-44232005320900526912009-02-28T10:27:00.000-06:002009-02-28T10:27:25.233-06:00Cinnamon Raisin Bread What is is about cold weather that makes people want to bake? In our house, when it's cold outside (and inside too), the two warmest options are to sit in the sunny room and read till you fall asleep or hang out in the kitchen while something is baking. As for me, I choose the latter. Naps are nice, but bread is nicer.I did a quick Google search for cinnamon raisin bread, and this was the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-21833624804795097292009-01-11T09:34:00.002-06:002009-01-11T09:36:47.759-06:00Cioppino (Seafood Stew)I can't tell you how many times I've thought about trying to make cioppino. Something about seafood soup is almost overwhelmingly appealing to me. As I sat at our kitchen table this Saturday thinking about how bored I was, how cold it was, and how crabby I was about to be, I resolved to pick out a recipe and make it my Saturday afternoon project. What better choice than cioppino, which would Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-46940215138892035212008-12-21T18:45:00.001-06:002009-01-07T13:27:00.346-06:00Cheap Eats Part II: White Beans & Smoked SausageWhen I calculated the cost per serving in this dish, I almost fainted. I could not believe that a little over $8.00 could feed at least six people (or two people thrice) and still taste pretty darned good - kiss it, Dollar Menu! This recipe was born from a contemplative look in the pantry and fridge and a strong desire to put off going to the grocery store for just one more day.Here's what I sawUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-20803332289087591082008-12-14T16:23:00.006-06:002008-12-30T11:17:30.941-06:00Fruit & Nut BarkPretty much everything I did today was for my Secret Santa gifts. I went to Central Market and the Botanical Gardens to prepare...I've already decided (and I hope she doesn't yet know about my blog, otherwise the secret is blown!) what I'm going to do for her three gifts.The first gift is a vase with pebbles and paperwhite bulbs. The hint in this gift is that my dad was a botanist, though the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-81399181978174503112008-12-14T11:10:00.003-06:002008-12-14T11:12:18.773-06:00Cranberry BreadFor Thanksgiving this year, we had a pretty traditional menu: roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, cornbread dressing, caramelized carrots, and green bean casserole.We invited Garth's mom over for dinner, and when she asked if she could bring anything, I asked if she would bring cranberry sauce and maybe dessert.She brought both, and the dessert she brought over was this cranberry bread which was Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-62768260807526645542008-12-06T12:33:00.002-06:002008-12-06T12:38:30.763-06:00Cheap Eats Part I: Beef StewFrugality, for me, is always a hobby and sometimes a necessity. While I do like to experiment with fancy foods and exotic ingredients, my base recipes (those I make on a regular basis) are almost always cheap eats. Consider this your first installment in a series dedicated to recipes that cost very little per serving yet satisfy our need to have delicious nourishment.Now you may not think that "Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-66472911008072658032008-12-06T11:39:00.005-06:002008-12-06T11:42:43.967-06:00Apple PieSo simple, yet so delicious is apple pie that I couldn't resist posting this recipe I used for my apple pie project a few weekends ago. I really have to admire Ina Garten and her simple and classic recipes. I used her recipe (slightly modified) and prepared pie crust instead of making my own (too lazy).Apple Pie3 lbs Granny Smith applies, peeled, quartered, and cored1 lemon, zested1 orange, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-24124559121318935152008-10-05T08:21:00.006-05:002008-10-05T08:31:07.232-05:00Southern Sausage Roll Boneda's mom served this at Brecken's pre-wedding photography session at the lodge, and I almost passed out because it was so good. I asked for the recipe, but Southern women have a tendency to let recipe requests slip their minds. That wasn't going to deter me.Maybe my version isn't exact, but the result was still delicious. And you can't beat a recipe that involves three ingredients and still Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-10990782957912056722008-09-14T08:18:00.000-05:002008-09-14T08:18:57.559-05:00Blueberry Crumb CakeI love cake! I really do.Cake is not something I get to eat very often, so when it's time to eat cake, it has to be special and delicious. I don't get tempted by the cakes in the bakery section at the grocery store. My weakness is the real stuff. The stuff you find in independent bakeries at the corner of some shopping plaza or, better yet, the stuff you make at home.I watched Ina Garten (Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-89678167129190138232008-09-01T17:36:00.000-05:002008-09-01T17:36:14.986-05:00Homemade BreadHomemade bread is something I've always been afraid to try, mostly because I'm worried that I'll end up with something that resembles a brick (in weight and texture). Maybe it was the long weekend that got me relaxed and easy going, but I thought I'd give it a try today. The recipe I used was the one I found on the package of Red Star Quick-Rise Yeast. As you can see from the picture, the end Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-58581227226504042722008-09-01T17:17:00.000-05:002008-09-01T17:17:40.220-05:00Brecken & Brooks' WeddingI was recruited this weekend to help cook for a wedding reception in Brandon, MS. Considering the occasion, I was happy to oblige.The happy couple? Brecken & Brooks. Brecken is Garth's younger sister, and Brooks is a guy she met at church. They also happen to teach at the same school in Starkville. We (Howard, Boneda and I) had to smoke about 40 pounds of pork tenderloin and 40 pounds of Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-21620923061307404412008-08-12T18:11:00.000-05:002008-08-12T18:11:06.956-05:00Creamy Tomato Basil SoupI'm no stranger to stews, but soups, well, they can be a little intimidating. Stews can be chunky, and you can just throw stuff in the pot and let it simmer long enough so that all the flavors blend. But in general, soup should be silky and smooth and have no chunks. The first time I made tomato basil soup, I didn't strain out the tomato chunks and I was sorry for it. This time, I had learned Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-16483630569451335152008-08-12T17:36:00.000-05:002008-08-12T17:36:30.010-05:00Reese's Pieces CookiesWhat a big difference there is in taste between homemade cookies and store-bought refrigerated cookie dough! I am guilty of buying pre-made dough for convenience, but you can't beat the taste of homemade cookies (when you don't confuse baking powder for baking soda in the recipe - I am also guilty of this).This is a quick and easy recipe for homemade cookies. You can certainly substitute Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-33491638815288981192008-07-30T20:48:00.002-05:002008-07-30T20:58:22.913-05:00Chili Covered Watermelon Mexican LollipopI was out picking up parts at a warehouse today, and one of the counter guys, Eric, gave me a lollipop. So nice of him! Anyway, I wasn't quite ready to eat it yet so I popped it in my pocket and saved it for later.A little later, I pulled the lollipop out of my pocket and was about to take off the wrapper to enjoy the sweet taste of fake watermelon flavor when I discovered that the lollipop was Unknownnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269437662058010351.post-75976845294123552682008-07-30T20:33:00.002-05:002008-07-30T21:11:46.427-05:00Rival Seal-a-Meal™My friend, Ange, gave me this Rival Seal-a-Meal vacuum food sealer as a gift last week, and I was really excited to try it out. I think within 3 minutes of her leaving my house I was hunting down something to seal. I'd never had a vacuum sealer before, so I was curious to find out how easy or hard, how useful or worthless this gadget would be.The set-up is pretty easy. The Seal-a-Meal comes with Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0