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In: Asian, Side Dish, Vegetable, Veggie

I had an epiphany last week. I seem to have a lot of them lately. They are true lightbulb moments that I sometimes look up to see if a lightbulb just flashed over my head.  I’m wondering if epiphanies come with age or I need maybe I just need to be medicated.  (Now I’m thinking of one of those medicine commercials advertising a drug for epiphanies and wondering what kind of a face an actor would make to show that emotion.) I digress.  I usually write a birthday blog but this year, I just couldn’t.  It had nothing to do with becoming a year older (because let’sRead More →

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Practice makes perfect or in some cases practice is just practice.  My past weekend goal was to make Chinese Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao).  Known also as basket dumplings or XLB,  they are probably my favorite dim sum option. To make them, you need to plan a day or so ahead because one of the key components is the “soup.”  The soup consists of various components such as pork skin, smoked ham, pork bones, ginger, scallions and Chinese rice wine.  (Like most soup bases ingredients vary and you can make it with chicken.) So, are you ready to learn how to make them?  Well youRead More →

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In: Asian, Noodle

New Flash. March is National Noodle Month!!!!  Did you know that?  Do you need an excuse to eat more noodles?  I don’t. I was all excited to write this awesome blog on Udon Noodles and then I got corrected that “technically” Udon Noodles aren’t noodles.  This is where the food world is confusing to me.  Noodle is in the name….so it is a noodle…right? Nope.  I guess in the U.S., a noodle must have a certain percentage of egg in it to be considered a noodle….and udon is not made with eggs…it is just flour, salt and water. But according to the UN (University ofRead More →

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In: Asian, Lunch, Main Dish, Noodle, Simple, Soup

During our single digit days of winter, I had an obsession.  It wasn’t anything too perverse or weird at least by my standards.  It was something that made me excited about the new year and trying new things.  (I can see how your mind is wandering.) I was preoccupied with following Steve Dolinsky’s Facebook and Twitter Feed.  If you don’t know Steve Dolinksy, he does an amazing job of exploring the food universe on a segment called the Hungry Hound on ABC in Chicago.  But he is much more than a Chicago food explorer, he travels and does an amazing job of explaining new foodsRead More →

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In: Asian, Technique

Happy. Happy.  Joy. Joy.  I love when I have moments in life where I utter those words. I try to find a happy, happy, joy, joy moment every day.  It could be when a friend shares good news or when something happens wonderful at work for my husband.  It can be when a restaurant serves you an amazing steak or treating yourself to a cappuccino after a long shopping trip.  It can be a happy ending in a movie or any other kind of happy ending. (Wink. Wink.) I was in the kitchen the other day and had the best happy, happy, joy, joy moment. Read More →

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In: Asian
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Do you have a favorite meal?  That go to dish that makes you happy every time you eat it?  It could be a recipe that you follow to the teaspoon or something you wing without a second thought. It is your “thing” to eat whenever you are trying to figure out a menu plan for the week. For me that meal has become my rice bowls.  They are simple, filling and delicious.  I probably make them every other week just because these bowls are a great way to use up produce at the end of the week.  They are also great because you can varyRead More →

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In: Asian, Main Dish, Recipe
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STOP THE PRESSES!  STOP THE PRESSES!  Wait….this is only on the internet….STOP TYPING….DON’T HIT ENTER….DON’T POST ANYTHING YET!! I’ve got HUGE news to report.  After my last blog on sonnets, I received a huge response.  (I thank all five of you who chose to reach out.)  Besides being told I know nothing about poetry or Shakespeare, I was told that I OBVIOUSLY don’t know as much about food as I thought I did.  (I thought this was a little mean, obviously, I am transparent about the fact that I am always learning and that is why I spend so much time on The Google….and citeRead More →

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In: Asian, Vegetable, Veggie
With: 2 Comments

When you are in a conversation and you misunderstand something, what is your reaction?  Do you just smile, nod and take a sip of your drink with the hopes that is enough to be considered part of the exchange?  Do you furrow your brow, smirk and think about other things?  Maybe you just widen your eyes, flare your nostrils and take a breath and tell them you have to go potty and then sneak into the bathroom and google it. Actually, when I’m talking in a group and something comes up that I don’t understand I think I do kind of an eye squint andRead More →

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In: Appetizer, Asian, Snacks, Vegetable, Veggie
With: 2 Comments

*Small edit….spell check had spelled “gochujang” wrong….I think I corrected it.  🙂 Every time I introduce a “new to me” ingredient” (like the gochujang in my last post) I get feedback. Some folks find the information very usual and can’t wait to try it on their own. (Gold Star!) There are folks who claim they can’t find the ingredient in their area. (But given how quickly they respond to the original post…I’m guessing that is an excuse not to try something new.) There are folks who think I have been living under rock because they have been using that “new” ingredient all their life. AndRead More →

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How do you feel about evolution? Don’t worry I’m not going to get all book smart on you and start on Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. (Um, because this is a food blog and not Scientific America…and because I would need someone to explain it to me first.) I’m curious if anyone has written a theory on the evolution of food preferences. Basically it could be a theory on trying new foods. Probably categorized somewhere in the psychology department, I think we can all learn to eat ALL foods if we learn to stop psyching ourselves out and make them at home first…mixed with foods weRead More →