dinner on the table every night
Ever since discovering egg drop soup at a Chinese restaurant with her grandparents, my daughter has been pestering me to make it. This will be the ideal occasion. She also loves mushrooms and we have some, so I’ll put them in as well.… Continue reading →
We’ve got loads of chopped onion, chopped jalapenos and cooked pumpkin leftover from our pumpkin party on Saturday. So I’ll make a curry out of them, reserving some of the pumpkin to serve in a less spicy manner to my daughter.… Continue reading →
It’s Friday. It’s also parent-teacher conference day and there is no school, so I’ll be carting my daughter around all day. And my aunt and uncle are coming to dinner. Oh, and we’re throwing a pumpkin-carving party tomorrow. I don’t want to be exhausted by the end of the night. … Continue reading →
In short, I need something that is basically done by the time I leave, can be heated up quickly, is warming, and isn’t pasta or beans. Sounds like a soup. I remember that we used to make a canned-tuna and potato soup last winter that was a big hit. That’s it!… Continue reading →
In the recent past, after the birth of my daughter and two subsequent cross-country moves, I found myself faced with a mountain of household tasks. So much upheaval in such a short time meant that I was suddenly dealing with more cleaning, arranging, shopping, and cooking than ever before, but had less energy and time… Continue reading →
Mountains, high plains, late harvests. Buckwheat has been grown for millennia in the high regions of Asia and Europe, from Japan to Tibet to Scandinavia. Buckwheat’s late harvest, in mid-autumn, coincides with the height of mushroom-foraging season in many regions.… Continue reading →
I’ve been saving this meal for an evening when I really don’t have time or energy. And that evening is this evening. I’ve got frozen eggplant curry and mint-cilantro chutney for the adults, frozen lentil soup for the child, and frozen naan and samosas for everybody. I’ll make some basmati rice in the rice cooker and set out some limes and yogurt. It’s going to be great!… Continue reading →
The Scenario:
I worked late and am not feeling terribly creative
I don’t have time for prep, I’ll need something that can be quickly assembled
We’ve recently had pasta night and taco night, so those options are out
We have ripe avocados and some tofu that should be eaten
The Solution: Soba noodles with sesame-soy dressing, tofu and avocado … Continue reading →
The Scenario:
It’s my husband’s birthday. We’re doing a big celebration on Friday and something low-key today.
My aunt and uncle are coming for dinner.
I need something that scales up and pleases a crowd.
I’m also making a tart, so don’t want anything too complicated for dinner.
The solution: Pasta Night!… Continue reading →
The Scenario:
It is miserably cold and rainy.
I’ve made some soup but need something satisfying to accompany it.
I’d love fish, but the reasonable seafood options around here aren’t affordable for a weeknight meal.
I’ve got a homemade loaf of bread.
The Solution: Soup, Sandwiches and a Salad… Continue reading →
Here is a very easy and simple lentil soup that is nonetheless very satisfying, and has a flavor that is greater than the sum of its parts. If you use red lentils, expect to cook the soup for about 1 hour to achieve something decent, and 2-3 hours for something great.… Continue reading →
It’s election night and we plan to go to the neighbors’ after dinner to watch the results. My day was all errands and to-dos. We need something fast and uplifting that can be pulled from the cupboard, like the wonders of the Mediterranean! I’ve got thyme and oregano from the garden, as well as salad… Continue reading →
For years I struggled with curries. I loved eating them at restaurants but was unable to create a decent one at home. My cookbooks gave me recipes with infinite lists of ingredients and multi-stage preparations that were too impractical for wherever I was living or whatever I was doing at the time. Then I found this technique from The Guardian. I’ve been making great curries ever since.… Continue reading →
I’ve got some cooked pumpkin and a little extra time today, so I’ll make a curry dinner and show you how to do it as well. I’ve got store-bought samosas and naan (a flatbread) in the freezer, which with some basmati rice, sautéed greens, cilantro and yogurt will round out an Indian-style dinner. My daughter… Continue reading →
We’re all still sick. My daughter is home from daycare. My husband will be going back to work after dinner. Nothing is getting done. Therefore: Pasta Night! I’ll make something fast with canned tomatoes. I’ll clear our noses with chili oil. I’ll give us vitamins with greens from the garden. Linguini with fast garlic and… Continue reading →
It was Halloween, and we were all sick. We needed something quick, invigorating and comforting. I wanted garlic and ginger and spice. This soup did the trick remarkably well.… Continue reading →
I’ve got a lot to do today so I’ll plan an easy dinner: taco night. My aunt gave me a bag of assorted peppers from her garden that need to be used. We have a container of my husband’s excellent and very spicy salsa that should be eaten soon as well. … Continue reading →
I feel like a baked dish again tonight, as the evenings are getting downright cold. I don’t want to do too much work though, and we haven’t been to the grocery store in a while: aggkaka is the only answer!… Continue reading →
I don’t believe this recipe is truly Swedish, but it is fantastic nonetheless. It comes from my mom’s friend, “Diane from Minnesota”, whom I don’t remember. Thank you, Diane, whoever you are! We ate it weekly as kids, now I make it practically weekly as an adult. This dish is one of the fastest ways… Continue reading →
It’s getting colder, soup will be good tonight. My mother-in-law left us with some dried mushrooms from the Russian countryside that I’d like to use. I’ll make a Japanese-style broth with them—they have a delicate flavor so I don’t want to overwhelm them.… Continue reading →