Bastilla or Pastilla (pronounced “ba-still-a” in Arabic) is sort of the national dish of Morocco. It’s a sweet-savory pastry – some people are put off by the idea of powdered sugar on a savory pastry, but it’s much much more delicious than it sounds. This is a complicated recipe, but it’s good if you want […]
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Wild Rice-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
This recipe is for 6 chicken breast halves, which will make good planned-overs, but you can scale it back for 2-4 breasts. 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves Stuffing:1 large onion, minced2 ribs celery, minced2 medium carrots, minced3 c. cooked wild rice10 mushrooms, chopped (optional)1/4 c. roasted sunflower seeds (optional)4 Tbsp. butter1 Tbsp. salt1 tsp. […]
Pig face: slow-cooked bonus!
While I was trying new things with new ingredients I figured I’d go for what is often mentioned amongst foodies in a hushed, reverent whisper: pig cheeks, especially smoked. So, pig face #2, rather than being rolled up with seasonings, was butchered into its constituent parts. I only have a humble Weber sphere grill, so […]
Pig head: Part 2
Continued from here After curing the face overnight, cooking time arrived. I rolled the face up, resulting in this somewhat grim device: The cooking technique described in the video I linked to in the first post is known as sous-vide or under vacuum, whereby the meat is sealed up with its flavorings and cooked in […]
Migas
A standard of Tex-Mex cuisine, migas are a great way to use up old, stale corn tortillas. The ingredients are mostly up to you, but this is sort of the standard: Old corn tortillas, cut into squaresOnion, mincedBell peppers, diced (this is optional, but I like it)Jalapenos (if you don’t like this too hot, use […]
Orange Blossom Jam Thumbprints – Cookie Variation
I wasn’t sure if we needed another refrigerator cookie recipe posted, since mom posted her Jam Thumbprints recently. But, as you can see, the cookies look quite different and the recipes also differ substantially. I got mine from The Joy of Cooking. Since it’s a refrigerator dough, chilling it for several hours is key, so […]
Szechuan Rice Noodles
This recipe was an improvised fusion between Szechuan spices, Korean japchae technique, and some rice noodles I had sitting around. I raided my cupboard and crisper for the ingredients and came up with deliciousness. It’s another dish that uses Chili Black Bean Sauce, like Ma Po Tofu. (Amusingly, the last post in the blog features […]
Chili Black Beans with Roasted Brown Rice
I say: you can never have too many bean recipes! They’re cheap, filling, flavorful, and, um…euphonious. This one is enhanced by serving it with brown rice that has been roasted, to release the nutty flavor. Some hearty avocado slices make a nice addition too. This is based off a Whole Foods (gasp!) recipe. I have […]
Shepherd’s Pie
What would our family’s cool-weather menu line-up be without Shepherd’s Pie? Thank you, Tina! Over the years I’ve found that it turns out best if you use a combination of ground beef and lamb and make sure to use lots of meat, so you don’t wind up with too much potato on top. I like […]
Kielbasa and Peppers Skillet
I always keep a turkey kielbasa on hand for weeknight desperation dinners. The turkey kielbasa aren’t as greasy as the regular ones, and they keep forever in the fridge or freezer. This recipe is more to serve as inspiration than as something to follow in great detail. You can add the noodles to the pan […]