From the monthly archives:

February 2008

Sweet polenta cake with caramelized apples & almonds

February 29, 2008

I am a horrible sucker for cheap cookbooks — they lure me in with their big colorful photos and promise of a few good recipes. The books are not written by any particular expert, merely ‘edited by’ a staffer with…

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My fish finale: chinese-style steamed fish

February 28, 2008

Tonight was the final night of dining on our Kampachi. I felt inspired by Chinese-style steamed fish dishes and wanted to try my best to replicate the technique. Just last weekend, we had a steamed Rock Cod and I loved…

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Kampachi sampler trio: nigiri, spicy roll, and ceviche

February 27, 2008

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I received a Kona Kampachi to review and I’m doing my best to try it as many ways as possible. Tonight’s dinner took advantage of the fish’s freshness and used the Kampachi in its…

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How to filet a fish without passing out

February 26, 2008

I was contacted recently to try the Kona Kampachi from Kona-Blue. The fish is sushi grade and known for high omega-3 levels and being free of detectable mercury. It’s served at Morimoto’s restaurant, so I felt confident it would be…

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I want to feel sexy …

February 26, 2008

I am the lonely celeriac, also known as celery root. I sit on the produce shelves waiting for someone to take me home. Day after day I am overlooked. I hear the whispers and rude comments made about my looks…

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Not a single nook or cranny!

February 25, 2008

Do you know what these delightful dough pillows are supposed to be? They are an early morning attempt at making my very own english muffins. I felt inspired after seeing Foodbeam’s beautiful muffins, but I didn’t have all the ingredients on…

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Orange Sour Cream Cake w/Orange Icing

February 24, 2008

My favorite use of oranges so far — a rich and moist orange cake drizzled with a sweet orange icing. It was the perfect end to our dinner party last night.

The cake is something I’ve been thinking about all week.…

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Make take-out at home: ham fried rice

February 23, 2008

Usually we go out for dinner on Friday night, but we went out last night to celebrate Joe’s naturalization (hooray! he had his ceremony yesterday and is now a full-fledged US citizen). I feel like ordering out tonight, but I’m…

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Raw-Pack Oranges Recipe

February 22, 2008
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This picture represents my ‘orange’ journey. So far, you’ve seen candied orange peel (in the middle pint) and orange marmalade (the squat half-pint). Last night, I explored raw packing the oranges which is represented in the front jar, peeled oranges in a…

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Shortbread Cookies – The Best Recipe

February 21, 2008
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original post updated 6/4/09

Shortbread cookies are a sinful, indulgent obsession of mine. Buttery and flaky, crisp and crumbly are the best. I’ve tried many recipes and finally settled on the one below. I received it from a blogging friend you…

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Orange Marmalade Recipe

February 20, 2008
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This is my first successful batch of orange marmalade utilizing the oranges from our backyard. I tried using a recipe from Tyler Florence once upon a time and it failed miserably. Finally, success!

The recipe makes 6 half-pint jars, however I…

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Oxtail Soup with Kohlrabi, Carrots and Barley

February 19, 2008

Soup is on the menu again, this time inspired by a package of oxtails I found at the local Asian market. My mother made oxtail soup with carrots and cabbage, there was something magical about its taste. I haven’t cooked…

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Breakfast Spaetzle with Peppers and Scallions

February 18, 2008

I’ve been thinking about spaetzle ever since reading a post from Francois-Xavier at FXcuisine. He made an amazing apple spaetzle as a dessert – it looks so good. It made me think about a trip I took with a friend…

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Orangettes and Meyer Lemonettes

February 17, 2008

We all have our faults. Every winter I feel guilty for not utilizing my orange and meyer lemon trees to their full potential. Two years ago I attempted orange marmalade and it turned out a thick gluey mess. Last year,…

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Banana Sticky Rice Recipe

February 16, 2008

Textures excite me. Chewy, sticky, crunchy are types of textures that make me fall in love with a particular food or ingredient. Tonight I decided to explore a new dessert featuring ’sticky rice’. Sticky rice is a particular type of…

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